A Comparison of Women of Color and Non-Hispanic White Women on Factors Related to Leaving a Violent Relationship

This study compares women of color and non-Hispanic White women regarding the influence of socioeconomic status, family investment, and psychological abuse on leaving a violent relationship. It was found that most women who left stayed away for less than a month. Women of color and non-Hispanic White women did not differ in their length or rate of leaving, although women of color left more frequently when they did leave. Factors associated with leaving for both groups were threat with a weapon, psychological abuse, being single, and having fewer adults in the household. Women of color with higher socioeconomic status were less likely to leave, which was not the case for non-Hispanic White women. Non-Hispanic White women were more likely to leave if they had lived with their partners less than 5 years and had children at home.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90886/1/Lacey-Saunders-Zhang 2011-Women of color vs white women - factors in leaving violent relationahip JIV .pd

Target prediction for small, noncoding RNAs in bacteria

Many small, noncoding RNAs in bacteria act as post-transcriptional regulators by basepairing with target mRNAs. While the number of characterized small RNAs (sRNAs) has steadily increased, only a limited number of the corresponding mRNA targets have been identified. Here we present a program, TargetRNA, that predicts the targets of these bacterial RNA regulators. The program was evaluated by assessing whether previously known targets could be identified. The program was then used to predict targets for the Escherichia coli RNAs RyhB, OmrA, OmrB and OxyS, and the predictions were compared with changes in whole genome expression patterns observed upon expression of the sRNAs. Our results show that TargetRNA is a useful tool for finding mRNA targets of sRNAs, although its rate of success varies between sRNAs

Tracking the evolution of a single composite particle during redox cycling for application in H-2 production

Composite materials consisting of metal and metal oxide phases are being researched intensively for various energy conversion applications where they are often expected to operate under redox conditions at elevated temperature. Understanding of the dynamics of composite evolution during redox cycling is still very limited, yet critical to maximising performance and increasing durability. Here we track the microstructural evolution of a single composite particle over 200 redox cycles for hydrogen production by chemical looping, using multi-length scale X-ray computed tomography. We show that redox cycling triggers a centrifugal redispersion of the metal phase and a centripetal clustering of porosity, both seemingly driven by the asymmetric nature of oxygen exchange in composites. Initially, the particle develops a large amount of internal porosity which boosts activity, but on the long term this facilitates structural and compositional reorganisation and eventually degradation. These results provide valuable insight into redox-driven microstructural changes and also for the design of new composite materials with enhanced durability

Concurrent Acquisition of a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in Diverse Influenza H5N1 Clade 2.2 Sub-clades

Highly pathogenic Influenza A H5N1 was first identified in Guangdong Province in 1996, followed by human cases in Hong Kong in 1997. The number of confirmed human cases now exceeds 300, and the associated Case Fatality Rate exceeds 60%. The genetic diversity of the serotype continues to increase. Four distinct clades or sub-clades have been linked to human cases. The gradual genetic changes identified in the sub-clades have been attributed to copy errors by viral encoded polymerases that lack an editing function, thereby resulting in antigenic drift. We report here the concurrent acquisition of the same polymorphism by multiple, genetically distinct, clade 2.2 sub-clades in Egypt, Russia, and Ghana. These changes are not easily explained by the current theory of “random mutation” through copy error, and are more easily explained by recombination with a common source. This conclusion is supported by additional polymorphisms shared by clade 2.2 isolates in Egypt and Germany

Aggregation of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in a Human H5N1 Clade 2.2 Hemagglutinin

The evolution of H5N1 has attracted significant interest 1-4 due to linkages with avian 5,6 and human infections 7,8. The basic tenets of influenza genetics 9 attribute genetic drift to replication errors caused by a polymerase complex that lacks a proof reading function. However, recent analysis 10 of swine influenza genes identifies regions copied with absolute fidelity for more than 25 years. In addition, polymorphism tracing of clade 2.2 H5N1 single nucleotide polymorphisms identify concurrent acquisition 11 of the same polymorphism onto multiple genetic backgrounds in widely dispersed geographical locations. Here we show the aggregation of regional clade 2.2 polymorphisms from Germany, Egypt, and sub-Sahara Africa onto a human Nigerian H5N1 hemagglutinin (HA), implicating recombination in the dispersal and aggregation of single nucleotide polymorphisms from closely related genomes

Perceptual and acoustic correlates of DBS of subthalamic nucleus versus globus pallidus interna for IPD : a comparative pilot study

Purpose: This study compared bilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS) in subthalamic nucleus (STN) versus globus pallidus interna (GPI) on perceived Speech Severity in Parkinson’s disease. Methods: 12 individuals with STN-DBS and 8 individuals with GPI-DBS were audio-recorded with DBS ON and OFF while reading an excerpt from the Rainbow Passage and producing a conversational monologue. Using a within-speaker, paired comparison paradigm, 10 listeners judged Speech Severity for pairs of stimulation ON-OFF (and OFF-ON) reading passages and monologues masked to stimulation status and speaker group. The proportion of trials for which ON versus OFF stimuli in a given pair was judged to be less severe was calculated. Results: There was a task effect, with significant results for Rainbow Passage but not conversational monologue. Perceived Speech Severity differed with stimulation status for GPI-DBS but not STN-DBS, with a greater proportion of ON stimulation speech samples judged to be less severe versus OFF samples. At the participant level, response to ON/OFF stimulation was highly variable in STN-DBS group. Discussion: DBS stimulation differentially impacts perceived speech severity for STN-DBS and GPI-DBS. Results further suggest the perceptual benefit of DBS stimulation may be task specific

Aggregation of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in a Human H5N1 Clade 2.2 Hemagglutinin

The rapid evolution of the H5N1 serotype of avian influenza has been explained by a mechanism involving the selection of single nucleotide polymorphisms generated by copy errors. The recent emergence of H5N1 Clade 2.2 in fifty countries, offered a unique opportunity to view the acquisition of new polymorphism in these evolving genomes. We analyzed the H5N1 hemagglutinin gene from a fatal human case from Nigeria in 2007. The newly emerged polymorphisms were present in diverse H5N1 isolates from the previous year. The aggregation of these polymorphisms from clade 2.2 sub-clades was not supported by recent random mutations, and was most easily explained by recombination between closely related sequences

Nonfatal Strangulation in a Sample of Domestically Violent Stalkers: The Importance of Recognizing Coercively Controlling Behaviors

© 2019 International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology. Strangulation is different to other types of physical violence as it often leaves no visible injuries and is frequently motivated by coercive control. Few studies have explored nonfatal strangulation and coercive control, and no studies have explored these factors within a sample of stalkers. Given that stalking perpetrators exhibit many of the coercively controlling behaviors related to nonfatal strangulation, the current study explored nonfatal strangulation and other coercively controlling behaviors in a stalking sample. A police dataset of 9,884 cases of domestic violence that involved stalking was analyzed. Results revealed that coercive control and related behaviors of excessive jealousy, victim isolation, victim fear, and victim’s belief that the perpetrator will kill them were associated with higher likelihood of having experienced nonfatal strangulation. These results may help first responders to identify victims at risk of nonfatal strangulation and suggest a need for nonfatal strangulation to be a criminal offense

Impairment of Vowel Articulation as a Possible Marker of Disease Progression in Parkinson's Disease

Purpose: The aim of the current study was to survey if vowel articulation in speakers with Parkinson’s disease (PD) shows specific changes in the course of the disease. Method: 67 patients with PD (42 male) and 40 healthy speakers (20 male) were tested and retested after an average time interval of 34 months. Participants had to read a given text as source for subsequent calculation of the triangular vowel space area (tVSA) and vowel articulation index (VAI). Measurement of tVSA and VAI were based upon analysis of the first and second formant of the vowels /a/, /i/and /u / extracted from defined words within the text. Results: At first visit, VAI values were reduced in male and female PD patients as compared to the control group, and showed a further decrease at the second visit. Only in female Parkinsonian speakers, VAI was correlated to overall speech impairment based upon perceptual impression. VAI and tVSA were correlated to gait impairment, but no correlations were seen between VAI and global motor impairment or overall disease duration. tVSA showed a similar reduction in the PD as compared to the control group and was also found to further decline between first and second examination in female, but not in male speakers with PD. Conclusions: Measurement of VAI seems to be superior to tVSA in the description of impaired vowel articulation and its further decline in the course of the disease in PD. Since impairment of vowel articulation was found to be independent fro