A Mixed-Methods Inquiry into the Intimate Practices of Partnered Mature Students and Influences on Relationship, Sexual, and School Satisfaction

Through the use of mixed qualitative and quantitative methods, the current study explored the impact of postsecondary study on the intimate relationships and school experiences of partnered mature students. Quantitative regression analyses indicated that parental status, family support, partner support, and sexual desire significantly predicted relationship satisfaction, while family support and partner support significantly predicted sexual satisfaction. Age and sexual desire predicted school satisfaction for women only. Through qualitative thematic analysis it was determined that not having enough time, feeling too tired, and being stressed negatively impacted sexual satisfaction, while experiencing personal growth was described as both beneficial and problematic. Some participants reported using sex to aid in their academic success by way of offering a distraction or reducing stress. We discuss possible ways that postsecondary institutions, through their campus programs, can better address the impact school may have on mature students’ intimate relationships.  Grâce à l’utilisation d’une variété de méthodes qualitatives et quantitatives, l’étude suivante étudie l’effet des études post-secondaires sur les relations intimes et les expériences scolaires des étudiants adultes en couple. La régression des analyses quantitatives indique que le statut parental, le soutien familial, l’appui du partenaire et les désirs sexuels prédisent significativement la satisfaction à l’égard des relations personnelles, tandis que le soutien familial et l’appui du partenaire prédisent de façon significative la satisfaction sexuelle. L’âge prédit aussi la satisfaction académique chez les hommes et les femmes, de même que le désir sexuel chez les hommes seulement. En utilisant une analyse thématique qualitative, il a été déterminé que le fait de ne pas disposer d’assez de temps, la fatigue et le stress ont des répercussions négatives sur la satisfaction sexuelle. Enfin, une croissance personnelle a été décrite comme étant à la fois bénéfique et problématique. Certains participants ont déclaré avoir utilisé le sexe pour aider à leurs réussites scolaires afin de s’offrir une distraction ou de diminuer leur stress. Nous discutons des moyens possibles pour les institutions post-secondaires de mieux traiter, par le truchement de leurs programmes, l’effet que peuvent avoir les études sur les relations intimes des étudiants adultes

Antagonism of the Azoles to Olorofim and Cross-Resistance Are Governed by Linked Transcriptional Networks in Aspergillus fumigatus

Aspergillosis, in its various manifestations, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Very few classes of antifungal drugs have been approved for clinical use to treat these diseases and resistance to the first-line therapeutic class, the triazoles are increasing. A new class of antifungals that target pyrimidine biosynthesis, the orotomides, are currently in development with the first compound in this class, olorofim in late-stage clinical trials. In this study, we identified an antagonistic action of the triazoles on the action of olorofim. We showed that this antagonism was the result of an azole-induced upregulation of the pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway. Intriguingly, we showed that loss of function in the higher order transcription factor, HapB a member of the heterotrimeric HapB/C/E (CBC) complex or the regulator of nitrogen metabolic genes AreA, led to cross-resistance to both the azoles and olorofim, indicating that factors that govern resistance were under common regulatory control. However, the loss of azole-induced antagonism required decoupling of the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway in a manner independent of the action of a single transcription factor. Our study provided evidence for complex transcriptional crosstalk between the pyrimidine and ergosterol biosynthetic pathways. IMPORTANCE: Aspergillosis is a spectrum of diseases and a major cause of morbidity and mortality. To treat these diseases, there are a few classes of antifungal drugs approved for clinical use. Resistance to the first line treatment, the azoles, is increasing. The first antifungal, olorofim, which is in the novel class of orotomides, is currently in development. Here, we showed an antagonistic effect between the azoles and olorofim, which was a result of dysregulation of the pyrimidine pathway, the target of olorofim, and the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway, the target of the azoles.This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust grant number 219551/Z/19/Z and 208396/Z/17/Z to M.J.B. C.V. was funded by a postdoctoral fellowship from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP-BEPE 2020/01131-5).S

Changing from batch to flow assembly in the production of emergency lighting devices.

Current assembly enterprises are under a lot of pressure, as they are faced with increasing volume demands and product variations, needs for shorter delivery times and cost reduction. This pressure is likely to increase the pressure on individual workers. In many small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), we observe that traditional assembly concepts are no longer fulfilled. These are challenged to find other concepts to meet today's demands. In a company where emergency lighting devices are assembled in batches (large series of products are assembled step by step), we applied a participatory and integrative approach to set up a mixed flow assembly system including ergonomically designed work stations. In this paper, we describe the approach and the effects which were studied by a within-subject design. We observed an increase of 44% in productivity and a reduction in order lead time of 46%. The time that workers spent to added-value activities increased significantly from 74% to 92%, without any increase in postural and experienced loads. Instead, the workers experienced significantly less overall fatigue at the end of the day in the new situation. The results show the potential benefits of the approach for the many SMEs where products are assembled in batches and faced with the problem of meeting current production demands. © 2005 Taylor & Francis Group Ltd

Neuronal network dysfunction in a model for Kleefstra syndrome mediated by enhanced NMDAR signaling

Kleefstra syndrome (KS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the histone methyltransferase EHMT1. To study the impact of decreased EHMT1 function in human cells, we generated excitatory cortical neurons from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells derived from KS patients. Neuronal networks of patient-derived cells exhibit network bursting with a reduced rate, longer duration, and increased temporal irregularity compared to control networks. We show that these changes are mediated by upregulation of NMDA receptor (NMDAR) subunit 1 correlating with reduced deposition of the repressive H3K9me2 mark, the catalytic product of EHMT1, at the GRIN1 promoter. In mice EHMT1 deficiency leads to similar neuronal network impairments with increased NMDAR function. Finally, we rescue the KS patient-derived neuronal network phenotypes by pharmacological inhibition of NMDARs. Summarized, we demonstrate a direct link between EHMT1 deficiency and NMDAR hyperfunction in human neurons, providing a potential basis for more targeted therapeutic approaches for KS

Contaminants in popular farmed fish consumed in the Netherlands and their levels in fish feed

Investigated is a wide range of pollutants in the top five consumed fish in the Netherlands (salmon, trout, tilapia, pangasius and shrimps). Farmed fish samples were collected from different sources (supermarkets, fish stores, markets and suppliers for restaurants) and analysed for PCDD/Fs, PCBs, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), PBDEs, HBCD, PFCs, heavy metals and residues of antibiotics. Furthermore, fish feeds and ingredients were collected and investigated for mycotoxins and toxaphene residue

The First Detections of the Extragalactic Background Light at 3000, 5500, and 8000A (II): Measurement of Foreground Zodiacal Light

We present a measurement of the absolute surface brightness of the zodiacal light (3900-5100A) toward a fixed extragalactic target at high ecliptic latitude based on moderate resolution (~1.3A per pixel) spectrophotometry obtained with the du Pont 2.5m telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. This measurement and contemporaneous Hubble Space Telescope data from WFPC2 and FOS comprise a coordinated program to measure the mean flux of the diffuse extragalactic background light (EBL). The zodiacal light at optical wavelengths results from scattering by interplanetary dust, so that the zodiacal light flux toward any extragalactic target varies seasonally with the position of the Earth. This measurement of zodiacal light is therefore relevant to the specific observations (date and target field) under discussion. To obtain this result, we have developed a technique that uses the strength of the zodiacal Fraunhofer lines to identify the absolute flux of the zodiacal light in the multiple-component night sky spectrum. Statistical uncertainties in the result are 0.6% (1 sigma). However, the dominant source of uncertainty is systematic errors, which we estimate to be 1.1% (1 sigma). We discuss the contributions included in this estimate explicitly. The systematic errors in this result contribute 25% in quadrature to the final error in our coordinated EBL measurement, which is presented in the first paper of this series.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 22 pages using emulateapj.sty, version with higher resolution figures available at http://www.astro.lsa.umich.edu/~rab/publications.html or at http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Sep01/Bernstein2/frames.htm