538 research outputs found
Enacting Hope through Narratives of Indigenous Language and Culture Reclamation
In globalizing landscapes, Indigenous ways of knowing and being persist in their connectedness to specific geographies, even as they are transformed by migrations, both forced and voluntary, and dynamic exchanges. This paper presents narratives of Indigenous and ally scholars which explore what it means to enact language and culture reclamation from a place of hopeâby Indigenous peoples, for Indigenous communitiesâand in connection with distinct historical, political, and geographic sites. By naming the identities the authors representâChickasaw, Nez Perce, Eastern Shoshone/Northern Arapaho, Hopi, San Carlos Apache and Euro-Americanâwe use a framework of hope to counter damaging assumptions of homogeneity of Indigenous communities while also searching for common themes to advance an agenda of decolonization across positionalities. Understanding that Indigenous sovereignties are built on âcontingency with the beliefs, and understandings of the pastâ (Grande 250), we interrupt settler-colonial narratives which portray Indigenous languages and cultures as deficient and vanishing. Further, through narratives, we explore how disciplines such as linguistics, anthropology, education, and cultural studies can be interwoven to highlight experiences of identity reconciliation, spirituality through language revitalization, and storytelling as narrative reclamation. A critical culturally sustaining/revitalizing pedagogy unifies the narratives and provides a framework for attending to âasymmetrical power relations and legacies of colonizationâ (McCarty and Lee 8). In this way, Indigenous narratives of persistence and optimism find relevance in the global and local here and now while emphasizing the relevancy of hope as a rooted practice of relationality in Indigenous language and cultural education. Sharing narratives of hope acknowledges the experience of colonization, while privileging the hope in Indigenous knowledge as a return to the community and generator of new narratives.Ye
The Douglas-Fir Genome Sequence Reveals Specialization of the Photosynthetic Apparatus in Pinaceae.
A reference genome sequence for Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii (Mirb.) Franco (Coastal Douglas-fir) is reported, thus providing a reference sequence for a third genus of the family Pinaceae. The contiguity and quality of the genome assembly far exceeds that of other conifer reference genome sequences (contig N50 = 44,136 bp and scaffold N50 = 340,704 bp). Incremental improvements in sequencing and assembly technologies are in part responsible for the higher quality reference genome, but it may also be due to a slightly lower exact repeat content in Douglas-fir vs. pine and spruce. Comparative genome annotation with angiosperm species reveals gene-family expansion and contraction in Douglas-fir and other conifers which may account for some of the major morphological and physiological differences between the two major plant groups. Notable differences in the size of the NDH-complex gene family and genes underlying the functional basis of shade tolerance/intolerance were observed. This reference genome sequence not only provides an important resource for Douglas-fir breeders and geneticists but also sheds additional light on the evolutionary processes that have led to the divergence of modern angiosperms from the more ancient gymnosperms
Household and animal factors associated with sheeppox and goatpox sero-prevalence and identification of high-risk areas in selected States of northern Nigeria
KELT-8b: A highly inflated transiting hot Jupiter and a new technique for extracting high-precision radial velocities from noisy spectra
We announce the discovery of a highly inflated transiting hot Jupiter
discovered by the KELT-North survey. A global analysis including constraints
from isochrones indicates that the V = 10.8 host star (HD 343246) is a mildly
evolved, G dwarf with K, , , an inferred mass
M, and radius
R. The planetary companion has mass , radius
, surface gravity , and density
g cm. The planet is on a roughly
circular orbit with semimajor axis AU and
eccentricity . The best-fit linear ephemeris is
BJD and
days. This planet is one of the most inflated of all known transiting
exoplanets, making it one of the few members of a class of extremely low
density, highly-irradiated gas giants. The low stellar and large
implied radius are supported by stellar density constraints from follow-up
light curves, plus an evolutionary and space motion analysis. We also develop a
new technique to extract high precision radial velocities from noisy spectra
that reduces the observing time needed to confirm transiting planet candidates.
This planet boasts deep transits of a bright star, a large inferred atmospheric
scale height, and a high equilibrium temperature of
K, assuming zero albedo and perfect heat redistribution, making it one of the
best targets for future atmospheric characterization studies.Comment: Submitted to ApJ, feedback is welcom
Regulation and function of miR-214 in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Dysregulation of miRNAs can contribute to the aetiology of diseases including pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Here we investigated a potential role for the miR-214 stem loop miRNA and the closely linked miR-199a miRNAs in PAH. All 4 miRNAs were upregulated in the lung and right ventricle in mice and rats exposed to the SU 5416 hypoxia model of PAH. Further, expression of the miRNAs was increased in PASMCs exposed to TGF-ÎČ1 but not BMP4. We then examined miR-214-/- mice exposed to the SU 5416 hypoxia model of PAH or normoxic conditions and littermate controls. There were no changes in systolic right ventricular pressure or remodelling observed between the miR-214-/- and WT hypoxic groups. However, we observed a significant increase in right ventricular hypertrophy in hypoxic miR-214-/- male mice compared to controls. Further, we identified that the validated miR-214 target phosphatase and tensin homolog was upregulated in miR-214-/- mice. Thus, miR-214 stem loop loss leads to elevated right ventricular hypertrophy and may contribute to the heart failure associated with PAH
Differential penetration of raltegravir throughout gastrointestinal tissue: implications for eradication and cure
To investigate the concentration of the integrase strand inhibitor raltegravir (RAL) throughout gastrointestinal (GI) tissue, especially gutassociated lymphoid tissue (GALT), as an adjunct to current prevention and cure strategies
Hyptiogastrites electrinus Cockerell, 1917, from Myanmar (Burmese) amber: Redescription and its placement within the Evanioidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera)
© The Natural History MuseumThe wasp Hyptiogastrites electrinus Cockerell, 1917, from the Lower Cretaceous (Upper Albian) Myanmar (Burmese) amber is redescribed from the well-preserved holotype and its relationship with extant Aulacidae and Gasteruptiidae (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea) evaluated. Although the wing venation is identical to the majority of extant Hyptiogastrinae (Gasteruptiidae), phylogenetic analysis places H. electrinus as sister taxon to the Aulacidae s.str., (i.e. Aulacus + Pristaulacus). Thus, Hyptiogastrinae is confirmed as having a restricted Southern Hemisphere distribution (i.e. Australasia and South America). Consistent with this result, H. electrinus is included within a slightly more broadly defined Aulacidae rather than being placed in a new monotypic family. Characters that align this species with the Aulacidae include: having small circular eyes, percurrent Y-shaped notauli, pyramidal shape of the propodeum and the presence of a groove or ovipositor guide on the hind coxae.John T. Jennings, Andrew D. Austin and Nicholas B. Steven
Relations between the milnor and quillen K-theory of fields
De novo mutations in specific mTOR pathway genes cause brain overgrowth in the context of intellectual disability (ID). By analyzing 101 mMTOR-related genes in a large ID patient cohort and two independent population cohorts, we show that these genes modulate brain growth in health and disease. We report the mTOR activator gene RHEB as an ID gene that is associated with megalencephaly when mutated. Functional testing of mutant RHEB in vertebrate animal models indicates pathway hyperactivation with a concomitant increase in cell and head size, aberrant neuronal migration, and induction of seizures, concordant with the human phenotype. This study reveals that tight control of brain volume is exerted through a large community of mTOR-related genes. Human brain volume can be altered, by either rare disruptive events causing hyperactivation of the pathway, or through the collective effects of common alleles
Cost-utility analysis of molnupiravir plus usual care versus usual care alone as early treatment for community-based adults with COVID-19 and increased risk of adverse outcomes in the UK PANORAMIC trial
BACKGROUND: The cost-effectiveness of molnupiravir, an oral antiviral for early treatment of SARS-CoV-2, has not been established in vaccinated populations.
AIM: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of molnupiravir relative to usual care alone among mainly vaccinated community-based people at higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 over six months.
DESIGN AND SETTING: Economic evaluation of the PANORAMIC trial in the UK.
METHOD: A cost-utility analysis that adopted a UK National Health Service and personal social services perspective and a six-month time horizon was performed using PANORAMIC trial data. Cost-effectiveness was expressed in terms of incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses assessed the impacts of uncertainty and heterogeneity. Threshold analysis explored the price for molnupiravir consistent with likely reimbursement.
RESULTS: In the base case analysis, molnupiravir had higher mean costs of ÂŁ449 (95% confidence interval [CI] 445 to 453) and higher mean QALYs of 0.0055 (95% CI 0.004 to 0.007) than usual care (mean incremental cost per QALY of ÂŁ81190). Sensitivity and subgroup analyses showed similar results, except those aged â„75 years with a 55% probability of being cost-effective at a ÂŁ30000 per QALY threshold. Molnupiravir would have to be priced around ÂŁ147 per course to be cost-effective at a ÂŁ15000 per QALY threshold.
CONCLUSION: Molnupiravir at the current cost of ÂŁ513 per course is unlikely to be cost-effective relative to usual care over a six-month time horizon among mainly vaccinated COVID-19 patients at increased risk of adverse outcomes, except those aged â„75 years
Race Yourselves: A Longitudinal Exploration of Self-Competition Between Past, Present, and Future Performances in a VR Exergame
Participating in competitive races can be a thrilling experience for athletes, involving a rush of excitement and sensations of flow, achievement, and self-fulfilment. However, for non-athletes, the prospect of competition is often a scary one which affects intrinsic motivation negatively, especially for less fit, less competitive individuals. We propose a novel method making the positive racing experience accessible to non-athletes using a high-intensity cycling VR exergame: by recording and replaying all their previous gameplay sessions simultaneously, including a projected future performance, players can race against a crowd of "ghost" avatars representing their individual fitness journey. The experience stays relevant and exciting as every race adds a new competitor. A longitudinal study over four weeks and a cross-sectional study found that the new method improves physical performance, intrinsic motivation, and flow compared to a non-competitive exergame. Additionally, the longitudinal study provides insights into the longer-term effects of VR exergames
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