Day-By-Day: Higher Education in Afghanistan

This paper examines higher education in Afghanistan. Based on qualitative research, including interviews with key policymakers and stakeholders, the paper examines the primary issues, challenges, progress, and future vision for higher education in the country. The research reveals that one of the most significant issues in the country in the post-Taliban era is female participation in higher education. It also shows the importance of alternative forms of higher education, such as two-year institutions, private education, and technical/vocational education. The paper also discusses the emergence of quality assurance mechanisms and international partnerships with other universities. Regarding the future direction and vision for higher education, the paper reveals two primary focuses: preparing students for the labor market, and the potential for education to influence democratic values and social cohesion in a divided country

Novel Peptide Ligands of RGS4 from a Focused One-Bead, One-Compound Library

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65605/1/j.1747-0285.2008.00687.x.pd

Studies on Salmonella Infections in Pigs with Emphasis in Food Safety Applications

During the past year, studies have been conducted in the following areas: 1. the seasonal variations in environmental fecal Salmonella in pigs prior to shipment for slaughter 2. identification of groups of pigs that might be at risk for becoming infected with Salmonella 3. comparison of culture and the Danish MIX-ELISA for detection of Salmonella on pig farms 4. efficacy of SC54 vaccination of pigs at one day of age 5. the comparison of culture and the Danish MIX-ELISA for the detection of Salmonella in carcasses at slaughter 6. the impact of Salmonella infections on performanc

Nf-κb Inhibition Rescues Cardiac Function By Remodeling Calcium Genes In A Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Model

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a neuromuscular disorder causing progressive muscle degeneration. Although cardiomyopathy is a leading mortality cause in DMD patients, the mechanisms underlying heart failure are not well understood. Previously, we showed that NF-κB exacerbates DMD skeletal muscle pathology by promoting inflammation and impairing new muscle growth. Here, we show that NF-κB is activated in murine dystrophic (mdx) hearts, and that cardiomyocyte ablation of NF-κB rescues cardiac function. This physiological improvement is associated with a signature of upregulated calcium genes, coinciding with global enrichment of permissive H3K27 acetylation chromatin marks and depletion of the transcriptional repressors CCCTC-binding factor, SIN3 transcription regulator family member A, and histone deacetylase 1. In this respect, in DMD hearts, NF-κB acts differently from its established role as a transcriptional activator, instead promoting global changes in the chromatin landscape to regulate calcium genes and cardiac function

Gender and Age Interact to Affect Early Outcome after Intracerebral Hemorrhage

BackgroundIntracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a common and devastating form of cerebrovascular disease. In ICH, gender differences in outcomes remain relatively understudied but have been examined in other neurological emergencies. Further, a potential effect of age and gender on outcomes after ICH has not been explored. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that age and gender interact to modify neurological outcomes after ICH.MethodsAdult patients admitted with spontaneous primary supratentorial ICH from July 2007 through April 2010 were assessed via retrospective analysis of an existing stroke database at Duke University. Univariate analysis of collected variables was used to compare gender and outcome. Unfavorable outcome was defined as discharge to hospice or death. Using multivariate regression, the combined effect of age and gender on outcome after ICH was analyzed. ResultsIn this study population, women were younger (61.1+14.5 versus 65.8+17.3 years, p=0.03) and more likely to have a history of substance abuse (35% versus 8.9%, p<0.0001) compared to men. Multivariable models demonstrated that advancing age had a greater effect on predicting discharge outcome in women compared to men (p=0.02). For younger patients, female sex was protective; however, at ages greater than 60 years, female sex was a risk factor for discharge to hospice or death.ConclusionWhile independently associated with discharge to hospice or death after ICH, the interaction effect between gender and age demonstrated significantly stronger correlation with early outcome after ICH in a single center cohort. Prospective study is required to verify these findings

The dawn of idiocy: abnormality as the norm of human intelligence

This work examines how science used the abnormal to reconfigure the basis of human intelligence and linked thought to identity. This includes the belief that we inherit intellectual traits the same as physical characteristics. The heredity link between the abnormal and family lineage marked abandonment of cure in favor of social control intensified by the individual who appears normal. This figure justifies screening and classification. Social biology concerned with the welfare of society found a biological threat, which progressively led to sterilization, euthanasia, and genocide. This shift included the power to distribute individuals within a field as though it was real; revealing differences of ability; the realities of his abilities and the contents of the knowledge he is capable of acquiring. This work traces these ideas embedded in the formation of compulsory schooling, the school as social filter, a hyper-normative education system, and pedagogic-treatment for adherence to developmental and behavioral norms