More than a drink

This thesis provides an insight into young men's perceptions of alcohol and drinking norms in Mongolia. The foundation of this case study is qualitative research conducted in Central Mongolia which is set into a theoretical framework of drinking norms and Goffman's concept of 'face-work'. It is argued that drinking norms have to be understood in their specific context. Traditional drinking norms are defined explicitly, with a specified minimum amount of drinking, at celebrations. In certain contexts alcohol consumption is inherently part of sociability and pressure to drink is constructed through reference to tradition, respect, trust-building and group activities such as toasting and drinking games. Alcohol consumption is furthermore closely related to stereotypical masculinities, which puts special pressure on men, to drink. The emergence of modern celebrations, the removal of seasonal restricted availability of alcohol and the introduction of new beverages create new preconditions for drinking which influence drinking norms. Having identified some external structures in which drinking takes place and shown examples of some existing norms, it is argued that alcohol consumption in Mongolia should be understood in its socio-historical and cultural context and that policies should take into consideration, the cultural specific framework in which alcohol consumption occurs

The Neon Bible, From Page to Screen: John Kennedy Toole’s Portrait of Small-Town Southern Life

Louisiana-born writer John Kennedy Toole (1937–1969) represents the South in such a way that stereotypes about the region are brought to bear, he also uses his novels -- his short novel, The Neon Bible (1989), and in his better-known tragicomic novel, A Confederacy of Dunces (1980) -- to question the culture of the South. In this manner, Toole offers a multifaceted portrait of the region while also raising questions about the nature of representation.https://egrove.olemiss.edu/studythesouth/1000/thumbnail.jp

Investigating Bioinformatic Pipelines for De novo Variant Identification in New Zealand Dairy Cattle

New Zealand is the biggest single entity for milk and milk product export in the world and being the country’s main industry, keeping track of bovine mutations allows influence of the national herd’s health and the ability to breed cattle better suited to the current farming and climate needs. With advances in next-generation sequencing of whole genomes, research understanding and tracking germline de novo mutations (DNMs) is attainable. However, current techniques being used to identify and study candidate DNMs are unvetted and experimental. Some of these techniques include bioinformatic software packages such as DenovoCNN, DenovoGear, PedFilter, and RUFUS. This thesis aimed to investigate and test two of these identification pipelines, DenovoGear and PedFilter using next-generation sequencing data from bovine trios. Output data was generated by writing scripts and extracting data from six trios into Excel workbooks or manual IGV validation of selected candidate DNMs. Of the total 714,393 candidates identified across PedFilter and DenovoGear, only 161 of them were identified by both programs. After Integrative Genomic Viewer validation, 50% of these candidates were deemed to be true positives while only 12% were deemed false positives. Data analysis shows neither technique is 100% accurate and they both should be used with secondary filtering and confirmation of the identified DNM candidates. It was also apparent that the different techniques would be better suited to different study situations. For example, (1) For smaller studies (e.g., 3–15 trios), with limited data available to them, using DenovoGear with a secondary software program for filtering would be best (2) If sufficient samples are available to provide a simulated population data set, PedFilter has higher accuracy than DenovoGear on its own (3) For fast analysis without requiring heavy filtering of the output data use a combination of both PedFilter and DenovoGear. Lastly, it is clear that further developments and more testing is required in this area of research before a set standard of practice or guidelines can be recommended and implemented. It is suggested to testing DenovoCNN and Rufus or branching out to other packages to trial like SynthDNM, DNMFilter_INDELs or HAPDeNovo

ADDRESSING ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD AMONG MOTHERS, PREGNANT WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN UNDER 5 IN CLEVELAND COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA THROUGH A WIC-AUTHORIZED MOBILE MARKET

Mothers, infants, and children under five in Cleveland County, North Carolina (priority population) have limited access to healthy foods due to the neighborhood and built environment consisting of a lack of public transportation, a rural geography, and a scarcity of grocery stores that offer a wide selection of healthy foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables. An unhealthy diet lacking in fresh fruits and vegetables can increase the risk of poor health consequences including decreased immunity, poor maternal health and/or fetal outcomes, obesity, and diabetes. We will implement a mobile market stocked with healthy foods including fresh fruits and vegetables, serving rural areas of the county, accepting WIC, SNAP, or cash/credit payments. To evaluate the program's outcomes, a study will be conducted to assess participants' fruit and vegetable intakes, pre- and post-intervention. This program strives to improve access to healthy food and increase the priority population’s overall fruit and vegetable intake.Master of Public Healt

Radonove kćeri u okolišu kao pokazatelji biokemijskih promjena u mozgu bolesnika s Alzheimerovom i Parkinsonovom bolesti i u pušača

This paper presents an investigation of the retention of environmental radon daughters, 210Po (alpha particle emitting radio-nuclide) and 210Bi (beta particle emitting radio-nuclide), in lipid and protein fractions of the cortical grey and subcortical white matter from the frontal and temporal brain lobes of patients who had suffered from Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease, of cigarette smokers, and of control subjects. 210Po and 210Bi radioactivity increased tenfold in the cortical grey and subcortical white protein fraction in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and smokers, and tenfold in the cortical grey and subcortical white lipid fraction in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Free radicals generated by radon daughters may add to the severity of the radio-chemical injury to the brain astrocytes. The pathognomonic distribution of radon daughters to lipids in patients with Parkinson’s disease and to proteins in patients with Alzheimer’s disease was attributed to high chlorine affinity of radon daughters. The changes in the membrane protein pores, channels, and gates in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and in the lipid bilayer in patients with Parkinson’s disease are at the core of what the authors think are two systemic brain diseases.Odredili smo radioaktivnost radonovih kćeri, 210Po (alfa čestice) i 210Bi (beta-čestice) u lipidima i proteinima iz sive mase korteksa i bijele supkortikalne supstancije iz frontalnog i temporalnog režnja mozga osoba oboljelih od Alzheimerove ili Parkinsonove bolesti, pušača i nepušača bez kliničkih znakova neurološke bolesti. Ustanovili smo da je radioaktivnost 210Pb i 210Bi bila deset puta veća selektivno u proteinima sive i bijele moždane supstancije osoba oboljelih od Alzheimerove bolesti i u pušača. Za razliku od toga, radioaktivnost radonovih kćeri bila je selektivno deset puta veća u lipidima sive i bijele supstancije mozga osoba oboljelih od Parkinsonove bolesti. Alfa čestice visoke energije predstavile su se kao neizbježni čimbenik rizika iz prirodnog okoliša za čovjekov mozak koji zajedno s popratnim stvaranjem slobodnih radikala mogu dovesti do minimalne lokalne udružene radiokemijske ozljede moždanih stanica, najvjerojatnije astrocita. Rezultati pokazuju da patognomonična distribucija afiniteta radonovih kćeri za lipide u bolesnika s Parkinsonovom bolesti i za proteine u bolesnika s Alzheimerovom bolesti odražava povećanu prisutnost lokalno raspoloživih klornih iona za koje se radonove kćeri selektivno vežu. Mislimo da promjene u sastavu proteinskih pora, kanala i vrata ugrađenih u staničnu membranu u bolesnika s Alzheimerovom bolesti, kao i promjene propusnosti dvoslojnoga lipidnog sloja te iste membrane leže u biti tih dviju teških sistemskih bolesti čovjekova mozga

Brain methylation and epileptogenesis: The case of methionine sulfoximine

A brief review of the neurochemical effects of the convulsant agent L -methionine- dl -sulfoximine (MSO) on cerebral methylation reactions is presented. Our findings point to the involvement of a number of endogenous methyl acceptor molecules, including histamine, membrane phospholipids, and membrane proteins, in the mediation of the convulsant effect. Our findings also associate the inhibition of methylations by high levels of S -adenosyl- L -homocysteine in brain with protection against MSO-induced seizures. We propose that MSO acts by eliciting the acceleration of a regulatory methylation-demethylation sequence at key molecular sites, including the benzodiazepine receptor complex, which creates an imbalance in this sequence's normal mediation of convulsant–anticonvulsant mechanisms.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/50309/1/410160717_ftp.pd

Decreased in vivo protein and phospholipid methylation after in vivo elevation of brain S-adenosyl-homocysteine

The administration of adenosine together with homocysteine resulted in a dose-related elevation of cerebral S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine without concomitant perturbation of S-adenosyl-L-methionine levels. The adenosine + homocysteine treatment also decreased the incorporation of labile and stable methyl groups into brain proteins. Brain [3H]-phosphatidyl N,N-dimethylethanolamine and [3H]-phosphatidylcholine were also significantly decreased while [3H]-phosphatidyl-N-monomethylethanolamine remained unchanged. The data indicate that elevated brain S-adenosylhomocysteine can markedly and selectively inhibit the methylation of brain proteins and phospholipids.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/24458/1/0000732.pd

word~river literary review (2012)

wordriver is a literary journal dedicated to the poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction of adjunct, part-time and fulltime instructors teaching under a semester or yearly contract in our universities, colleges, and community colleges worldwide. Graduate student teachers who have used up their teaching assistant time and are teaching with adjunct contracts for the remainder of their graduate program are also eligible. We’re looking for work that demonstrates the creativity and craft of adjunct/part-time instructors in English and other disciplines. We reserve first publication rights and onetime anthology publication rights for all work published. We do not accept simultaneous submissions.https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/word_river/1003/thumbnail.jp

S -Adenosyl- l -homocysteine in brain

Administration of methionine sulfoximine (MSO) to rats and mice significantly decreased cerebral levels of S -adenosyl- l -homocysteine (AdoHcy). Concurrent administration of methionine prevented this decrease and, when methionine was given alone, significantly elevated AdoHcy levels resulted in both species. Regionally, AdoHcy levels varied from 20 nmol/g in rat cerebellum and spinal cord to about 60 nmol/g in hypothalamus and midbrain. MSO decreased AdoHcy in all regions tested except striatum, midbrain, and spinal cord. AdoMet/AdoHcy ratios (methylation index) varied from 0.48 in hypothalamus to 2.4 in cerebellum, and MSO administration decreased these ratios in all regions except hypothalamus. AdoHcy hydrolase activity was lowest in hypothalamus, highest in brainstem and, generally, varied inversely with regional AdoHcy levels. MSO decreased AdoHcy hydrolase activity in all regions except hypothalamus and spinal cord. Cycloleucine administration resulted in significantly decreased levels of mouse brain AdoHcy, whereas the administration of dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) failed to affect AdoHcy levels. It is concluded that (a) cerebral AdoHcy levels are more tightly regulated than are those of AdoMet after MSO administration, (b) slight fluctuations of AdoHcy levels may be important in regulating AdoHcy hydrolase activity and hence AdoHcy catabolism in vivo, (c) the AdoMet/AdoHcy ratio reflects the absolute AdoMet concentration rather than the transmethylation flux, (d) the decreased AdoMet levels in midbrain, cortex, and striatum after MSO with no corresponding decrease in AdoHcy suggest an enhanced AdoMet utilization, hence an increased transmethylation in the MSO preconvulsant state.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45411/1/11064_2004_Article_BF00966019.pd