A Passage to Oxomo

Cory Jacque couldn’t care less about the Minervan Revolution or its ideas. A spacefarer by trade, they just want a steady career that lets them explore the system. But just when they secure a job with the powerful Naven Coorporation, an encounter with their ex, Vi, forces them onto the ship of Minervan revolutionary Sasha, who challenges everything they knew about the conflict. As the crew hurtles toward Naven’s central outpost in Minervan space, Cory must decide whether to reach for the goals they’ve always worked for, or to help their new friends and lose everything

Hip-shoulder separation in the javelin throw and its relationship with level of experience

The javelin throw is a technically-demanding sport and is excellent example of how the kinetic chain works starting with the landing of the drive foot (right foot) causing a chain reaction traveling up the knee to the hip, through the trunk, to the shoulder, the elbow, and then the wrist. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between thrower experience and the timing and degree of hip-shoulder separation in the javelin throw. A six-camera, three-dimensional motion capture system was used to capture a 27 reflective marker model of the movement of the lower body (pelvis, legs, and feet) and upper body (shoulder and elbow) of 8 participants javelin throws from a short approach. There were no significant relationships between years of competitive experience and the timing and degree of hip-shoulder separation of high school and collegiate throwers was found. A high significant correlation was found between PVASIS and PVAC (r = 0.714, p = 0.047) along with age and PVAC (rs = 0.762, p = 0.028). As athletes increase in age, utilization of the right hip increases, generating a greater peak hip velocity. Energy from the drive hip transfers up through the trunk and into the throwing shoulder. Thereby increasing the PVAC (throwing shoulder) will increase release velocity, overall increasing distance of the throw. Future studies should continue to investigate throwing techniques on how they affect hip shoulder separation angle and differences in timing of peak velocity of the hip and shoulder

Development of the MEAL framework: A multiliteracies approach to engaging adolescents in nutrition education

Establishing and maintaining a healthy diet is integral in promoting optimal health, growth and development. Moreover, the food choices we make and dietary behaviours we adopt are a reflection of the multiple personal, interpersonal and environmental factors to which we are exposed. Consequently, changing food habits and dietary behaviour is complex and requires the implementation of multifaceted public health strategies. Comprehensive nutrition education provided to adolescents during their school years is one such approach. Adolescence is a period of rapid psychological and physiological changes. At a socioemotional level, there is a decreased level of dependence on parents and a greater influence from peers and the environment. As a consequence, adolescents tend to be exposed to a plethora of well-marketed and advertised unhealthy foods. These changes can lead to the development of unhealthy dietary behaviours. At a cognitive level, however, adolescence is also marked as a time when the brain is malleable and the ability to process information and reason accelerates. During this period, adolescents develop the capability of thinking in abstract terms and simultaneously consider different perspectives towards an idea. Therefore, this stage of life provides a unique opportunity for learning and skill development relating to food and nutrition. Further, delivering nutrition education within the school setting is one of the most effective environments to educate and promote healthy food habits and behaviours. The aim of this study was to develop a framework demonstrating the interaction between student engagement and effective pedagogy, and how these constructs can be utilised in an adolescent nutrition education context. This framework will enable teachers, curriculum writers and academics to develop food and nutrition lessons for year 7-8 students, which acknowledge student engagement and effective pedagogy as a key focal point. A generic qualitative research approach was employed and comprised of three sequential phases. The first phase involved an extensive literature review, establishment of a project reference group and qualitative protocol development. The second phase included a series of student focus groups and teacher interviews across six Western Australian non-government schools. Using thematic data analysis, focus group and interview transcripts were analysed which resulted in the development of ten key themes. These data analyses, coupled with literature review findings, informed phase three; the development of a framework that is relevant and practical to an Australian nutrition education context. This framework was then reviewed and refined by the project reference group and led to the finalised Multiliteracies approach, Engagement focused, Adolescent specific Lesson planning (MEAL) framework. The MEAL framework and its accompanying guidelines and resources provide a valuable addition to the adolescent nutrition education resources available to Australian teachers. It is anticipated the uptake and use of this framework, will provide teachers with the confidence in knowing their planned lessons have been guided by education and public health research. Moreover, through the implementation of the MEAL framework, teachers have the capacity to contribute towards a positive change in how nutrition education is planned and delivered in the schooling environment and contribute to the overall health outcomes of Australian adolescents

Transcending Boundaries: A Qualitative Exploration of Healthcare Experiences among Sexual and Gender Minorities

Purpose: Sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) face a multitude of barriers, such as discrimination and inequity, when navigating the healthcare system. SGM individuals are underrepresented within the literature and their unique healthcare experiences and needs are not well understood. Additionally, intersectional identity is not frequently considered in the research. This study aims to fill the gap in the literature and expand upon the lived experiences of SGMs accessing healthcare. Methods: As a part of the IRB-approved Health of Sexual and Gender Minorities Study (HSGMS), eight 90-minute focus groups were facilitated via Zoom. Participants were recruited via Reddit and electronic informed consent was obtained. To participate, individuals had to be over the age of 18, identify as a sexual and/or gender minority, and live in the United States. Participants were divided into focus groups based on their sex assigned at birth, transgender status, and race/ethnicity. Focus groups were transcribed, deidentified, and coded by two independent researchers using Atlas.Ti. Results: Across all 8 focus groups, participants reported significant negative experiences when navigating the healthcare system. Common experiences included feeling that their concerns weren’t taken seriously, having assumptions made about their identity, having their identity pathologized, being deadnamed, being misgendered, and facing barriers when attempting to access affirming healthcare of any kind. Conclusion: These findings suggest a significant need for healthcare providers to receive training on providing affirming care to SGM patients, and for healthcare systems to implement policies and practices that support equitable access to healthcare for SGM individuals

Drug-Induced Plasticity Contributing to Heightened Relapse Susceptibility: Neurochemical Changes and Augmented Reinstatement in High-Intake Rats

A key in understanding the neurobiology of addiction and developing effective pharmacotherapies is revealing drug-induced plasticity that results in heightened relapse susceptibility. Previous studies have demonstrated that increased extracellular glutamate, but not dopamine, in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) is necessary for cocaine-induced reinstatement. In this report, we examined whether drug-induced adaptations that are necessary to generate cocaine-induced reinstatement also determine relapse vulnerability. To do this, rats were assigned to self-administer cocaine under conditions resulting in low (2 h/d; 0.5 mg/kg/infusion, i.v.) or high (6 h/d; 1.0 mg/kg/infusion, i.v.) levels of drug intake since these manipulations produce groups of rats exhibiting differences in the magnitude of cocaine-induced reinstatement. Approximately 19 d after the last session, cocaine-induced drug seeking and extracellular levels of glutamate and dopamine in the NAcc were measured. Contrary to our hypothesis, high-intake rats exhibited a more robust cocaine-induced increase in extracellular levels of dopamine but not glutamate. Further, increased reinstatement in high-intake rats was no longer observed when the D1 receptor antagonist SCH-23390 was infused into the NAcc. The sensitized dopamine response to cocaine in high-intake rats may involve blunted cystine–glutamate exchange by system xc−. Reduced 14C-cystine uptake through system xc− was evident in NAcc tissue slices obtained from high-intake rats, and the augmented dopamine response in these rats was no longer observed when subjects received the cysteine prodrug N-acetyl cysteine. These data reveal a role for drug-induced NAcc dopamine in heightened relapse vulnerability observed in rats with a history of high levels of drug intake

Tracking autonomic responses to moral decision-making interventions

Previous studies of morality have relied on self-report measures to track changes in morality. Tracking autonomic responses in congruence with self-report measures offer more reliable data. Self-reported deontological responses in past research have shown stronger autonomic responses compared to that of utilitarian answers. Moral decision-making may elicit a physical response and thus changes can be tracked through measurements of autonomic responses. Some current methods of measuring autonomic responses to various situations and decision-making are tracking galvanic skin response, heart activity, and eye activity. These can be used as measures of autonomic nervous system activity and be used to distinguish changes in moral reasoning elicited through moral development exercises

Experimental and Theoretical Evidence for Nitrogen-Fluorine Halogen Bonding in Silver-Initiated Radical Fluorinations

We report experimental and computational evidence for nitrogen–fluorine halogen bonding in Ag­(I)-initiated radical C–H fluorinations. Simple pyridines form [N–F–N]+ halogen bonds with Selectfluor to facilitate single-electron reduction by catalytic Ag­(I). Pyridine electronics affect the extent of halogen bonding, leading to significant differences in selectivity between mono- and difluorinated products. Electronic structure calculations show that halogen bonding to various pyridines alters the single-electron reduction potential of Selectfluor, which is consistent with experimental electrochemical analysis. Multinuclear correlation NMR also provides spectroscopic evidence for pyridine halogen bonding to Selectfluor under ambient conditions