Arabidopsis CULLIN3 Genes Regulate Primary Root Growth and Patterning by Ethylene-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms

CULLIN3 (CUL3) together with BTB-domain proteins form a class of Cullin-RING ubiquitin ligases (called CRL3s) that control the rapid and selective degradation of important regulatory proteins in all eukaryotes. Here, we report that in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, CUL3 regulates plant growth and development, not only during embryogenesis but also at post-embryonic stages. First, we show that CUL3 modulates the emission of ethylene, a gaseous plant hormone that is an important growth regulator. A CUL3 hypomorphic mutant accumulates ACS5, the rate-limiting enzyme in ethylene biosynthesis and as a consequence exhibits a constitutive ethylene response. Second, we provide evidence that CUL3 regulates primary root growth by a novel ethylene-dependant pathway. In particular, we show that CUL3 knockdown inhibits primary root growth by reducing root meristem size and cell number. This phenotype is suppressed by ethylene-insensitive or resistant mutations. Finally, we identify a function of CUL3 in distal root patterning, by a mechanism that is independent of ethylene. Thus, our work highlights that CUL3 is essential for the normal division and organisation of the root stem cell niche and columella root cap cells

Perceived discrimination in medical settings and perceived quality of care: A population-based study in Chicago.

Perceived discrimination in medical settings remains prevalent within the U.S. health care system. However, the details of these experiences and their associations with perceived quality of care are not well understood. Our study assessed multiple measures of perceived racial/ethnic discrimination in medical settings and investigated the locations and purported perpetrators of the discriminatory experiences within a population-based sample of 1,543 Black, White, Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Other adults. We used logistic regression to estimate associations between perceived discrimination in the medical setting and three quality of care indicators. Overall, 40% of the sample reported one or more types of perceived discrimination in a medical setting, with significant differences by race/ethnicity. Discrimination was perceived across health settings and from a variety of providers and staff. In adjusted logistic regression models, individuals reporting discrimination had more than twice the odds of reporting fair or poor quality of care (OR = 2.4 [95% CI: 1.4-4.3]). In addition, perceived discrimination in medical settings was significantly associated with report of not having enough time with the physician and not being as involved in decision-making as desired. These findings expand our understanding of perceived discriminatory experiences in health care and the consequences of it for patients, providers, and health care systems. This information is essential for identifying future provider interventions and improving the training of health care professionals

Specifying the effects of religion on medical helpseeking: The case of infertility

Several recent studies have examined the connection between religion and medical service utilization. This relationship is complicated because religiosity may be associated with beliefs that either promote or hinder medical helpseeking. The current study uses structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between religion and fertility-related helpseeking using a probability sample of 2183 infertile women in the United States. We found that, although religiosity is not directly associated with helpseeking for infertility, it is indirectly associated through mediating variables that operate in opposing directions. More specifically, religiosity is associated with greater belief in the importance of motherhood, which in turn is associated with increased likelihood of helpseeking. Religiosity is also associated with greater ethical concerns about infertility treatment, which are associated with decreased likelihood of helpseeking. Additionally, the relationships are not linear throughout the helpseeking process. Thus, the influence of religiosity on infertility helpseeking is indirect and complex. These findings support the growing consensus that religiously-based behaviors and beliefs are associated with levels of health service utilization

Pre-pandemic trends and Black:White inequities in life expectancy across the 30 most populous U.S. cities: a population-based study

Abstract Background Racial inequities in life expectancy, driven by structural racism, have been documented at the state and county levels; however, less information is available at the city level where local policy change generally happens. Furthermore, an assessment of life expectancy during the decade preceding COVID-19 provides a point of comparison for life expectancy estimates and trends post COVID-19 as cities recover. Methods Using National Vital Statistics System mortality data and American Community Survey population estimates, we calculated the average annual city-level life expectancies for the non-Hispanic Black (Black), non-Hispanic White (White), and total populations. We then calculated the absolute difference between the Black and White life expectancies for each of the 30 cities and the U.S. We analyzed trends over four time periods (2008-2010, 2011-2013, 2014-2016, and 2017-2019). Results In 2017-2019, life expectancies ranged from 72.75 years in Detroit to 83.15 years in San Francisco (compared to 78.29 years for the U.S.). Black life expectancy ranged from 69.94 years in Houston to 79.04 years in New York, while White life expectancy ranged from 75.18 years in Jacksonville to 86.42 years in Washington, DC. Between 2008-2010 and 2017-2019, 17 of the biggest cities experienced a statistically significant improvement in life expectancy, while 9 cities experienced a significant decrease. Black life expectancy increased significantly in 14 cities and the U.S. but decreased significantly in 4 cities. White life expectancy increased significantly in 17 cities and the U.S. but decreased in 8 cities. In 2017-2019, the U.S. and all but one of the big cities had a significantly longer life expectancy for the White population compared to the Black population. There was more than a 13-year difference between Black and White life expectancies in Washington, DC (compared to 4.18 years at the national level). From 2008-2010 to 2017-2019, the racial gap decreased significantly for the U.S. and eight cities, while it increased in seven cities. Conclusion Urban stakeholders and equity advocates need data on mortality inequities that are aligned with city jurisdictions to help guide the allocation of resources and implementation of interventions

Specifying the effects of religion on medical helpseeking: The case of infertility

Several recent studies have examined the connection between religion and medical service utilization. This relationship is complicated because religiosity may be associated with beliefs that either promote or hinder medical helpseeking. The current study uses structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between religion and fertility-related helpseeking using a probability sample of 2183 infertile women in the United States. We found that, although religiosity is not directly associated with helpseeking for infertility, it is indirectly associated through mediating variables that operate in opposing directions. More specifically, religiosity is associated with greater belief in the importance of motherhood, which in turn is associated with increased likelihood of helpseeking. Religiosity is also associated with greater ethical concerns about infertility treatment, which are associated with decreased likelihood of helpseeking. Additionally, the relationships are not linear throughout the helpseeking process. Thus, the influence of religiosity on infertility helpseeking is indirect and complex. These findings support the growing consensus that religiously-based behaviours and beliefs are associated with levels of health service utilization.Religiosity Motherhood Assisted reproductive technology Medical helpseeking Ethics USA Utilization Infertility

[[alternative]]台灣民間信仰企業化行銷的多種面向

博士[[abstract]]本論文係以臺灣民間信仰中的企業化行銷方式為研究對象，輔以管理科學方法參與研討的實證研究。除了介紹研究動機、目的及其架構以外，接著整理出以道、儒、釋三家為基礎的臺灣民間信仰中的寺廟機構中主要的經濟收益來源，分別為消災解厄儀式、慶典盛會、以及一般祈福活動等。此外則對於「宗教行銷」應用於台灣民間信仰內的各種類型做一初步區分，四種類型分別為廣告宣傳、建立網路社群、傳統儀式再詮釋、以及置入式行銷等當代行銷途徑。 本研究中首先結合兩大概念：高齡化社會以及宗教旅遊需求，對於進香團的旅遊形式，實際上多以高齡者為主參加的現象為研究重點。對於國內社區最常見的神祇－土地公廟間信徒的年度互訪，提出了「相互朝聖」的概念：有別於基督徒於耶路撒冷與伊斯蘭教徒至麥加其本質為「由外而內」的朝聖流動，相互朝聖行為則是一種採取對等型態，以互訪為主的宗教聯誼活動。 另外，本文以列為聯合國教科文組織「非物質文化遺產」之媽祖文化信仰為主題，探討以媽祖文化為主的廟會活動。以「經營績效」為觀點為闡釋，實際走訪數間媽祖廟宇委員會，透過管理科學方法制訂行銷資源投入的策略，除了使之達成到訪者數目以及相應捐獻收入增加，並透過問卷訪談方式，將參加廟會者的動機予以有效分類，並引伸出相關的討論結果，以及提出後續研究方向。[[abstract]]Based on the doctrines of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, Taiwanese folklore belief has existed for nearly four centuries, and has been simultaneously proven to be a spiritual sustenance for most of the population in Taiwan. Numerous services derived from folklore belief have recently become diverse marketing approaches; for example, discarding disaster or misfortune, carnival celebrations, and praying for blessings. Temples are attempting to broaden the believer base by using publicity and promotion, establishing an online community, redescribing ritual narratives, and engaging in placement marketing. Therefore, this research presents a discussion on the phenomenon of “religious marketing” from a management perspective. To investigate the temple believer base, this study analyzed the elderly pilgrimage tourists who participated in a community-initiated tour to experience a “mutual pilgrimage”. Furthermore, this study also conducted a survey at a mass religious gathering of a deity’s procession for classifying the four typologies of the tour participants according to their motivations. The conclusion involves future research directions, which are expected to be completed by developing continuity in religious management field research.[[tableofcontents]]CONTENTS CHINESE ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………….I ENGLISH ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………II CONTENTS………………………………………………………………………….III LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………………….V LIST OF FIGURES…………………………………………………………………..VI Chapter 1 Introduction…………………………………………………………….1 1.1 Motivation and objective………………………………………………………...1 1.2 Framework………………………………………………………………………3 1.3 Limitation………………………………………………………………………..4 Chapter 2 Folklore belief economic practices in Taiwan………………………...5 2.1 The main deities of Taoism-Buddhism based folklore belief……………………5 2.2 Major revenue source of Taiwanese temples…………………………………...11 2.3 Summary……………………………………………………………………….15 Chapter 3 Presentation of religious organization marketing in Taiwan……....16 3.1 Religious marketing with Taiwanese folklore belief characteristics..................16 3.2 Customer segmentations……………………………………………………….22 3.3 Summary……………………………………………………………………….23 Chapter 4 The role of mutual pilgrimage: Perspective from aging pilgrims….24 4.1 Religious tourism for the aging pilgrimage tourist…………………………….24 4.2 Mutual Pilgrimage……………………………………………………………...26 4.3 Planning a one-day pilgrimage tour by the SAW technique…………………...29 4.4 Survey and Results…………………………………………………….……….33 4.5 Discussions……………………………………………………………………..36 4.6 Findings………………………………………………………………………...38 Chapter 5 Religious-themed festival planning in Temple’s marketing………..39 5.1 Celebration enthusiastic participant, or festival reveler?....................................39 5.2 Mazu belief practices in Taiwan………………………………………………..41 5.3 Empirical process………………………………………………………………43 5.4 Discussion……………………………………………………………………...51 5.5 Findings………………………………………………………………………...53 Chapter 6 Conclusion and future intentions…………………………………….54 6.1 Conclusions…………………………………………………………………….54 6.2 Recommendations for further researches………………………………………55 References…………………………………………………………………………...57 Appendix…………………………………………………………………………….66 LIST OF TABLES Table 1-1 The research framework………………………………………………….4 Table 2-1 General conditions of Eastern religions in Taiwan of 2009…..................6 Table 2-2 The major deities and dedicated temple numbers in Taiwan……………11 Table 4-1 Raw data and each weighting of the four candidate affiliated temples…31 Table 4-2 Normalized matrix…………………………………………………………. 32 Table 4-3 The result matrix of average SAW…………………………………………. 32 Table 4-4 Respondents’ identity………………………………………………………34 Table 4-5 The percentage of the descriptive statistics for the group pilgrim recognitions………………………………………………………………… 35 Table 5-1 The input and output information of each Mazu temple…………………46 Table 5-2 DEA results of five Mazu temples’ festival performance in 2010…………46 Table 5-3 Advertising information……………………………………………………47 Table 5-4 The advertising budget result using multiple-objective programming…… 48 Table 5-5 The motivations of religious-based activity participants- factor analysis results………………………………………………………………………50 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-1 The research framework…………………………………………………4 Figure 2-1 Inside a Land Deity temple located in northern Taiwan…………………7 Figure 2-2 The amulet of Mazu…………………………………………………8 Figure 2-3 The image of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva deep inside most Taiwanese household altars……………………………………………9 Figure 2-4 The safe driving amulet of Fu You Di Jun…………………10 Figure 2-5 Two representative deity-themed products: Holy Emperor Guan key ring (left) and Wen Chang Di Jun cell phone strap (right)………………13 Figure 2-6 A lucky money envelope borrowed from Mazu and the God of Wealth…14 Figure 3-1 An internet advertising of a Dharma practice TV program………………18 Figure 3-2 A temple’s annual lunar calendar lists their facebook address as shown below…………………………………………………………20 Figure 3-3 Online sortition service displayed in the upper left corner of the facebook page……………………………………………………………20 Figure 3-4 A registration announcement for worshipping the Big Dipper…………21 Figure 3-5 Two hot sale worship guide books “How do I ask question to the deity?” (Left); and “How the blessing works step by step” (Right)…22 Figure 4-1 The difference of the general and the mutual pattern of pilgrimage……28 Figure 5-1 Chaotian Temple located at Beigang in Yunlin………42 Figure 5-2 Lantern festival of Lungshan Temple located at Wanhua in Taipei, 2012…………42 Figure 5-3 Religious-based activity participant motivations…………………… 51[[note]]學號: 899620016, 學年度: 10