Visual and spatial processes underpinning intentional action

Available from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN052583 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Physical Violence by Partner during Pregnancy and Use of Prenatal Care in Rural India

The role of physical violence during pregnancy on receipt of prenatal care is poorly understood, particularly for South Asian countries that have high levels of both fertility and domestic violence. Data from the 1998/1999 Indian National Family Health Survey and a 2002/2003 follow-up survey that re-interviewed women in four states were analyzed, examining the association between physical violence during pregnancy and the uptake of prenatal care. Women who experienced physical violence during pregnancy were less likely to receive prenatal care, less likely to receive a home-visit from a health worker for a prenatal check-up, less likely to receive at least three prenatal care visits, and less likely to initiate prenatal care early in the pregnancy. This study highlighted the constraining effect that the experience of physical domestic violence during pregnancy had on the uptake of prenatal care for women in rural India. Maternal health services must recognize the unique needs of women experiencing violence from their intimate partners

Semantic Memory Functional MRI and Cognitive Function After Exercise Intervention in Mild Cognitive Impairment

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is associated with early memory loss, Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD) neuropathology, inefficient or ineffective neural processing, and increased risk for AD. Unfortunately, treatments aimed at improving clinical symptoms or markers of brain function generally have been of limited value. Physical exercise is often recommended for people diagnosed with MCI, primarily because of its widely reported cognitive benefits in healthy older adults. However, it is unknown if exercise actually benefits brain function during memory retrieval in MCI. Here, we examined the effects of exercise training on semantic memory activation during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Seventeen MCI participants and 18 cognitively intact controls, similar in sex, age, education, genetic risk, and medication use, volunteered for a 12-week exercise intervention consisting of supervised treadmill walking at a moderate intensity. Both MCI and control participants significantly increased their cardiorespiratory fitness by approximately 10% on a treadmill exercise test. Before and after the exercise intervention, participants completed an fMRI famous name discrimination task and a neuropsychological battery, Performance on Trial 1 of a list-learning task significantly improved in the MCI participants. Eleven brain regions activated during the semantic memory task showed a significant decrease in activation intensity following the intervention that was similar between groups (p-values ranged 0.048 to 0.0001). These findings suggest exercise may improve neural efficiency during semantic memory retrieval in MCI and cognitively intact older adults, and may lead to improvement in cognitive function. Clinical trials are needed to determine if exercise is effective to delay conversion to AD

Examining the use of Accounting Information in Planned Careers: A Group Project to more Fully Engage Students in Introductory Accounting Courses

Most undergraduate business students are required to complete one or two introductory accounting courses, but many fail to see the value that such coursework offers their career (Chen, Jones, and McIntyre 2004). However, engaging students in exercises that explicitly demonstrate the link between course content and planned areas of study enhances the student experience in introductory accounting courses (Turner, Lesseig, and Fulmer 2006). This article presents a group project for introductory accounting courses that links course content to planned areas of study across business disciplines. We discuss all elements of the semester-long project and offer several tools to help with implementation (e.g., project instructions, timeline, grading rubric, peer evaluation forms). Further, we provide insight into the advantages and disadvantages of different project administration approaches. Our pre and post surveys reveal the project helps students across nearly all business majors see that accounting information is used in their planned careers at significantly higher levels than once believed. We also find that the project helps students either increase enthusiasm for their major/planned career or pushes them to consider other majors/career paths. Such insight is invaluable for students early in their business education

Using fluorescent UPEC as a model to study interactions with human bladder cells

Escherichia coli (E. coli) are opportunistic bacteria that reside in the intestines of humans and contribute to gastrointestinal health. However, there are some strains that can cause a variety of diseases including urinary tract infections (UTIs). UTIs caused by E. coli are the most common type of bacterial infections seen in women and are a significant public health concern. Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) have acquired specific virulence factors including adhesions and fimbriae, which lead to increased adherence and invasion into urinary tract cells in the host. The pathogenic mechanisms employed by UPEC that promote adhesion and invasion have yet to be fully elucidated. We propose to study the mechanisms of adherence and invasion of UPEC to host cells by generating UPEC expressing the green fluorescent protein (GFP). we hypothesize that the GFP-expressing UPEC will assist in studying host-pathogen interactions. To test this hypothesis, we transformed UPEC with a GFP encoding plasmid and successfully generated fluorescent UPEC. These fluorescent UPEC were used to infect human bladder epithelial cells (5637) at increasing multiplicities of infection (MOI) to study adherence and invasion. We successfully detected and quantified adherence and invasion of the fluorescent UPEC by different methods that include fluorescent microscopy, flow cytometry, and gentamicin-based invasion assays. Thus, with the assistance of GFP-expressing UPEC, we can efficiently gain more insight on host proteins that mediate adherence and invasion of UPEC. These findings will shed more light on the different mechanisms utilized by UPEC in establishing UTIs, which will in turn lead to the development of more effective therapies for the prevention and treatment of UTIs.Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation ProgramNational Science Foundation (U.S.)Northeaster State University. Faculty Research Council GrantNatural Science

Subcellular organization of UBE3A in human cerebral cortex.

BackgroundLoss of UBE3A causes Angelman syndrome, whereas excess UBE3A activity appears to increase the risk for autism. Despite this powerful association with neurodevelopmental disorders, there is still much to be learned about UBE3A, including its cellular and subcellular organization in the human brain. The issue is important, since UBE3A's localization is integral to its function.MethodsWe used light and electron microscopic immunohistochemistry to study the cellular and subcellular distribution of UBE3A in the adult human cerebral cortex. Experiments were performed on multiple tissue sources, but our results focused on optimally preserved material, using surgically resected human temporal cortex of high ultrastructural quality from nine individuals.ResultsWe demonstrate that UBE3A is expressed in both glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons, and to a lesser extent in glial cells. We find that UBE3A in neurons has a non-uniform subcellular distribution. In somata, UBE3A preferentially concentrates in euchromatin-rich domains within the nucleus. Electron microscopy reveals that labeling concentrates in the head and neck of dendritic spines and is excluded from the PSD. Strongest labeling within the neuropil was found in axon terminals.ConclusionsBy highlighting the subcellular compartments in which UBE3A is likely to function in the human neocortex, our data provide insight into the diverse functional capacities of this E3 ligase. These anatomical data may help to elucidate the role of UBE3A in Angelman syndrome and autism spectrum disorder

Sex as Boys\u27 Fame, but Girls\u27 Shame: Adversarial Gender Roles and Gender-based Violence in Guyana

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a significant issue for youth in Guyana, particularly among young women. Yet, discussions about sex, dating, and violence rarely occur at the community level. To understand the heightened risk for GBV with youth in Guyana, we utilized a critical qualitative design to explore adolescent dating violence with adolescents (14–16 years old), parents, and school officials in a public secondary school in Guyana. In total, 36 racially and religiously diverse participants from low to middle-income households participated in focus groups (n = 30) and interviews (n = 6). Discussions centered on dating in adolescence; community awareness of dating violence; gender, racialization, and class in relation to dating violence; and dating violence prevention in schools and family settings. Our results revealed that heteronormative, adversarial gender roles in Guyana are enacted in adolescent relationships in ways that contribute to violence. Two important factors emerged in relation to femininity: female respectability related to sexuality; and the relationship between clothing, sexuality, and social class. Masculinity for adolescent boys was centered on reproducing normative assumptions about femininity and explaining the use of violence through pathologizing race. Participants were also asked to identify gender roles that adolescent boys and girls should embody in relationships, which revealed possibilities for overcoming adversarial roles in relationships. We propose that adolescent GBV prevention initiatives consider long-standing and deeply embedded ideas within gender norms that are connected to sexuality, class, and race. Without accounting for these systemic factors, GBV prevention initiatives and programs may inadvertently perpetuate traditional definitions of masculinity and femininity that contribute to violence

Friedel–Crafts hydroxyalkylation of indoles mediated by trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate

Indoles and N-alkylindoles undergo Friedel–Crafts addition to aldehydes in the presence of trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate and a trialkylamine to produce 3-(1- silyloxyalkyl)indoles. Neutralization of the reaction mixture with pyridine followed by deprotection under basic conditions with tetrabutylammonium fluoride provides the 1:1 adduct as the free alcohol. This method prevents spontaneous conversion of the desired products to the thermodynamically favored bisindolyl(aryl)methanes, a process typically observed when indoles are reacted with aldehydes under acidic conditions