Policing the Boundaries Around Race and Gender

Growing acceptance of transgender identities in the absence of parallel shifts regarding race can be perceived as somewhat paradoxical, especially in light of how differently each construct is imagined to be rooted in biology. Perceptions of race and gender as alterable aspects of identity were explored using four identity transition scenarios. Participants’ beliefs about identity transitions were dependent upon both the type of transition and political ideology. Results indicate that identity transitions involving gender (both male to female and female to male) and one race transition (white to black) were perceived similarly whereas the black to white transition was perceived as relatively less plausible. Coded rationales suggest that gender identity is more frequently perceived as driven by choice relative to racial identity. Participants’ political ideology was associated with their acceptance of identity transitions

Dexamethasone-Loaded Lipomers: Development, Characterization, and Skin Biodistribution Studies

Follicular targeting has gained more attention in recent decades, due to the possibility of obtaining a depot effect in topical administration and its potential as a tool to treat hair follicle-related diseases. Lipid core ethyl cellulose lipomers were developed and optimized, following which characterization of their physicochemical properties was carried out. Dexamethasone was encapsulated in the lipomers (size, 115 nm; polydispersity, 0.24; zeta-potential (Z-potential), +30 mV) and their in vitro release profiles against dexamethasone in solution were investigated by vertical diffusion Franz cells. The skin biodistribution of the fluorescent-loaded lipomers was observed using confocal microscopy, demonstrating the accumulation of both lipomers and fluorochromes in the hair follicles of pig skin. To confirm this fact, immunofluorescence of the dexamethasone-loaded lipomers was carried out in pig hair follicles. The anti-inflammatory (via TNFα) efficacy of the dexamethasone-loaded lipomers was demonstrated in vitro in an HEK001 human keratinocytes cell culture and the in vitro cytotoxicity of the nanoformulation was investigated

Selection of internal control genes for real-time quantitative PCR in ovary and uterus of sows across pregnancy

Reproductive traits play a key role in pig production in order to reduce costs and increase economic returns. Among others, gene expression analyses represent a useful approach to study genetic mechanisms underlying reproductive traits in pigs. The application of reverse-transcription quantitative PCR requires the selection of appropriate reference genes, whose expression levels should not be affected by the experimental conditions, especially when comparing gene expression across different physiological stages.This study was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (grant AGL2004-08368-C03/GAN). RN Pena received a contractual grant from INIA. M Martínez-Giner received a predoctoral fellowship from MICINN. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

The relationship of age and place of delivery with postpartum contraception prior to discharge in Mexico: A retrospective cohort study

AbstractObjectivesTo test the association of age (adolescents vs. older women) and place of delivery with receipt of immediate postpartum contraception in Mexico.Study designRetrospective cohort study, Mexico, nationally representative sample of women 12–39years old at last delivery. We used multivariable logistic regression to test the association of self-reported receipt of postpartum contraception prior to discharge with age and place of delivery (public, employment based, private, or out of facility). We included individual and household-level confounders and calculated relative and absolute multivariable estimates of association.ResultsOur analytic sample included 7022 women (population, N=9,881,470). Twenty percent of the population was 12–19years old at last birth, 55% aged 20–29 and 25% 30–39years old. Overall, 43% of women reported no postpartum contraceptive method. Age was not significantly associated with receipt of a method, controlling for covariates. Women delivering in public facilities had lower odds of receipt of a method (Odds Ratio=0.52; 95% Confidence Interval (CI)=0.40–0.68) compared with employment-based insurance facilities. We estimated 76% (95% CI=74–78%) of adolescents (12–19years) who deliver in employment-based insurance facilities leave with a method compared with 59% (95% CI=56–62%) who deliver in public facilities.ConclusionBoth adolescents and women ages 20–39 receive postpartum contraception, but nearly half of all women receive no method. Place of delivery is correlated with receipt of postpartum contraception, with lower rates in the public sector. Lessons learned from Mexico are relevant to other countries seeking to improve adolescent health through reducing unintended pregnancy.ImplicationsAdolescents receive postpartum contraception as often as older women in Mexico, but half of all women receive no method

Growth velocity in children with environmental enteric dysfunction is associated with specific bacterial and viral taxa of the gastrointestinal tract in Malawian children

Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is characterized by diffuse villous atrophy of the small bowel. EED is strongly associated with stunting, a major public health problem linked to increased childhood morbidity and mortality. EED and subsequent stunting of linear growth are surmised to have microbial origins. To interrogate this relationship, we defined the comprehensive virome (eukaryotic virus and bacteriophage) and bacterial microbiome of a longitudinal cohort of rural Malawian children with extensive metadata and intestinal permeability testing at each time point. We found thirty bacterial taxa differentially associated with linear growth. We detected many eukaryotic viruses. Neither the total number of eukaryotic families nor a specific viral family was statistically associated with improved linear growth. We identified 3 differentially abundant bacteriophage among growth velocities. Interestingly, there was a positive correlation between bacteria and bacteriophage richness in children with subsequent adequate/moderate growth which children with subsequent poor growth lacked. This suggests that a disruption in the equilibrium between bacteria and bacteriophage communities might be associated with subsequent poor growth. Future studies of EED and stunting should include the evaluation of viral communities in addition to bacterial microbiota to understand the complete microbial ecology of these poorly understood entities

Blackwater fever in a non-immune patient with Plasmodium falciparum malaria after intravenous artesunate

Blackwater fever was typically reported after quinine administration, although it is poor recognized in patients receiving artesunate. This case describes a blackwater fever in a non-immune patient after artesunate for severe malaria. It highlights the importance of monitoring haemolytic parameters in severe malaria to avoid renal impairment or severe anaemia

Design-aware analytics supporting teachers’ monitoring of blended learning scenarios: Two experiences in higher education

From the conceptualization to the evaluation of blended learning scenarios, teachers address multiple tasks, sometimes being overwhelmed on account of the required time and associated burden. To support teachers in this endeavor, we propose to connect the pedagogical decisions made at design time with the analysis of the participants’ interactions. In this paper, we evaluate the proposal in two authentic scenarios where we analysed whether the script-aware monitoring process provided the participant teachers with relevant information for the orchestration of blended learning scenarios. The participant teachers valued the proposal positively in terms of representativeness, novelty, relevance, required effort, and perceived usefulness. Additionally, they stated that it was helpful for the orchestration of the learning scenarios

Medical abortion offered in pharmacy versus clinic-based settings

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To compare the safety and efficacy of medical abortion offered in pharmacy settings with clinic‐based medical abortion