46 research outputs found
Job searching with a history of drugs and crime
This article explores the experiences and aspirations of offenders with histories of substance misuse in job searching. The analysis is based upon qualitative data from a localised study of 27 men and two women who were undertaking community-based court orders in Scotland. Their perspectives on job searching, job-readiness and aspirations for sustained employment including the role of self-employment are presented. The article concludes that with adequate support, greater tolerance and flexibility by employers and job searchers could contribute to reducing the vicious cycle of suspicion and dishonesty. Policy action needs to be sustained and possibly augmented to include enterprise training
Visual mate preference evolution during butterfly speciation is linked to neural processing genes
Abstract: Many animal species remain separate not because their individuals fail to produce viable hybrids but because they “choose” not to mate. However, we still know very little of the genetic mechanisms underlying changes in these mate preference behaviours. Heliconius butterflies display bright warning patterns, which they also use to recognize conspecifics. Here, we couple QTL for divergence in visual preference behaviours with population genomic and gene expression analyses of neural tissue (central brain, optic lobes and ommatidia) across development in two sympatric Heliconius species. Within a region containing 200 genes, we identify five genes that are strongly associated with divergent visual preferences. Three of these have previously been implicated in key components of neural signalling (specifically an ionotropic glutamate receptor and two regucalcins), and overall our candidates suggest shifts in behaviour involve changes in visual integration or processing. This would allow preference evolution without altering perception of the wider environment
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Melanin as a target for melanoma chemotherapy: Pro-oxidant effect of oxygen and metals on melanoma viability
Melanoma cells have a poor ability to mediate oxidative stress, which may be attributed to constitutive abnormalities in their melanosomes. We hypothesize that disorganization of the melanosomes will allow chemical targeting of the melanin within. Chemical studies show that under oxidative conditions, synthetic melanins demonstrate increased metal affinity and a susceptibility to redox cycling with oxygen to form reactive oxygen species. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)-active 5,5'-dimethyl-pyrollidine N-oxide spin adduct was used to show that binding of divalent Zn or Cu to melanin induces a pro-oxidant response under oxygen, generating superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. A similar pro-oxidant behaviour is seen in melanoma cell lines under external peroxide stress. Melanoma cultures grown under 95% O-2/5% CO2 atmospheres show markedly reduced viability as compared with normal melanocytes. Cu- and Zn-dithiocarbamate complexes, which induce passive uptake of the metal ions into cells, show significant antimelanoma activity. The antimelanoma effect of metal- and oxygen-induced stress appears additive rather than synergistic; both treatments are shown to be significantly less toxic to melanocytes
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Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Sex and Racial Disparities in Chest Pain Presentation and Management Through the Emergency Department
BackgroundSex and racial disparities in the presentation and management of chest pain persist, however, the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on these disparities have not been studied. We sought to determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to pre-existing sex and racial disparities in the presentation, management, and outcomes of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain.MethodsWe conducted an observational cohort study with retrospective data collection of patients between January 1, 2016, and May 1, 2022. This was a single study conducted at a quaternary academic medical center of all patients who presented to the ED with a complaint of chest pain or chest pain equivalent symptoms. Patient were further segregated into different groups based on sex (male, female), race, ethnicity (Asian, Black, Hispanic, White, and other), and age (18 - 40, 41 - 65, > 65). We compared diagnostic evaluations, treatment decisions, and outcomes during prespecified time points before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.ResultsThis study included 95,764 chest pain encounters. Total chest pain presentations to the ED fell about 38% during the early pandemic months. Females presented significantly less than males during initial COVID-19 (48% vs. 52%, P < 0.001) and Asian females were least likely to present. There was an increase in the total number of troponins and echocardiograms ordered during peak COVID-19 across both sexes, but females were still less likely to have these tests ordered across all timepoints. The number of coronary angiograms did not increase during peak COVID-19, and females were less likely to undergo coronary angiogram during all timepoints. Finally, females with chest pain were less likely to be diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during all timepoints, while in-hospital deaths were similar between males and females during all timepoints.ConclusionsDuring COVID-19, females, especially Asian females, were less likely to present to the ED for chest pain. Non-White patients were less likely to present to the ED compared to White patients prior to and during the pandemic. Disparities in management and outcomes of chest pain encounters remained similar to pre-COVID-19, with females receiving less cardiac workup and AMI diagnoses than males, but in-hospital mortality remaining similar between groups and timepoints