Exploring Variation In How Media Depictions Of Tobacco Use Affect Norm Perceptions: The Roles Of Group Identity And Behavioral Similarity

Media depictions of individuals using tobacco can affect people’s norm perceptions, stigmatizing beliefs, and, ultimately, their behavior. However, media depictions might vary in their effects. Understanding what factors explain this variation is important for advancing communication theory and promoting positive behavior change. Study 1 paired data from a large-scale content analysis of tobacco-related media content published between 2014-2017 with a rolling cross-sectional survey of young people conducted simultaneously. Findings demonstrated that, while media depictions of individual tobacco use did sometimes affect norm perceptions, variation exists in the significance and direction of these effects. Study 2 sought to test whether behavioral similarity and group identity (people’s perceived and desired similarity to a norm referent), might have contributed to this heterogeneity. Study 2a, a content analysis, identified and coded a corpus of YouTube videos depicting individual tobacco use that could be used to explore these research questions. In studies 2b and 2c, young non-tobacco users rated the similarity of different tobacco use behaviors to cigarette smoking (2b) and their perceived and desired similarity to the referents featured using tobacco in videos from study 2a (2c). Results showed that there was variation in participants’ behavioral similarity ratings and in the referent similarity ratings assigned to different videos, but this variation was limited, and these two variables couldn’t be manipulated separately. In study 2d, young non-tobacco users were randomly assigned to a control condition or one of two video conditions in which they were shown either higher or lower referent similarity videos. Participants’ smoking-related norm perceptions and stigma were then measured. Ultimately, no differences were found between participants in the two video conditions on any of these outcomes. Thus, the hypothesized effects of the referent similarity manipulation were not observed. Some differences were observed between the lower referent similarity and control conditions; however, these differences could not be causally attributed to referent similarity. While study 2d’s hypotheses were largely unsupported, results from the set of studies point to a need for more research into how behavioral similarity and referent similarity shape the effects of individual tobacco use depictions on norm perceptions and stigma

Iris abscess a rare presentation of intravenous drug abuse associated

Purpose: To describe an unusual case of intravenous drug abuse associated endogenous endophthalmitis presenting with an iris abscess. Observations: A 30-year old female with history of intravenous drug use presented with a two-week history of redness and blurry vision in the right eye. An initial diagnosis of anterior uveitis was made. However, she worsened on topical steroids and mydriatics. She was found to have a hypopyon and an iris abscess. She received broad spectrum antibiotic and antifungal treatment with voriconazole, this lead to significant clinical improvement. She was discharged on oral fluconazole and lost to follow up. The patient was noncompliant with the antifungal treatment. The hypopyon and iris abscess recurred, and she required a vitrectomy with iridectomy, along with intravitreal and systemic antifungal treatment. The vitreous cultures and surgical specimen of iris issue were positive for Conclusions and importance: An iris abscess is a rare clinical presentation of intravenous drug use-associated endogenous endophthalmitis and as a result may present a diagnostic challenge as it requires a high level of clinical suspicion and a detailed social history to elicit the drug abuse. Early diagnosis and aggressive therapy is the key to better visual outcomes in these patients

Leitfaden zum Erstellen wissenschaftlicher Arbeiten im Studiengang Erziehungswissenschaft

Mit dem vorliegenden Leitfaden wird das Ziel verfolgt, Ihnen als Studierende der Erziehungswissenschaft eine Orientierungshilfe beim Erstellen wissenschaftlicher Arbeiten zu geben und Sie mit den hierbei zu beachtenden grundlegenden Regeln vertraut zu machen, die an der Universität vom Fachbereich festgelegt sind. Diese Regeln sowie ergänzende Hinweise zu häufigen Fehlern und typischen Problemen sollen Ihnen dabei helfen, Ihre akademische Ausbildung erfolgreich zu gestalten. Zudem tragen sie zur Qualitätssicherung bei

Iris abscess a rare presentation of intravenous drug abuse associated Candida endophthalmitis

Purpose To describe an unusual case of intravenous drug abuse associated endogenous endophthalmitis presenting with an iris abscess. Observations A 30-year old female with history of intravenous drug use presented with a two-week history of redness and blurry vision in the right eye. An initial diagnosis of anterior uveitis was made. However, she worsened on topical steroids and mydriatics. She was found to have a hypopyon and an iris abscess. She received broad spectrum antibiotic and antifungal treatment with voriconazole, this lead to significant clinical improvement. She was discharged on oral fluconazole and lost to follow up. The patient was noncompliant with the antifungal treatment. The hypopyon and iris abscess recurred, and she required a vitrectomy with iridectomy, along with intravitreal and systemic antifungal treatment. The vitreous cultures and surgical specimen of iris issue were positive for Candida albicans, and she received voriconazole. This led to resolution of the condition with a final visual acuity of 20/20 at six month follow up. Conclusions and importance An iris abscess is a rare clinical presentation of intravenous drug use-associated endogenous endophthalmitis and as a result may present a diagnostic challenge as it requires a high level of clinical suspicion and a detailed social history to elicit the drug abuse. Early diagnosis and aggressive therapy is the key to better visual outcomes in these patients

The cryomechanical design of MUSIC: a novel imaging instrument for millimeter-wave astrophysics at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory

MUSIC (Multicolor Submillimeter kinetic Inductance Camera) is a new facility instrument for the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (Mauna Kea, Hawaii) developed as a collaborative effect of Caltech, JPL, the University of Colorado at Boulder and UC Santa Barbara, and is due for initial commissioning in early 2011. MUSIC utilizes a new class of superconducting photon detectors known as microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs), an emergent technology that offers considerable advantages over current types of detectors for submillimeter and millimeter direct detection. MUSIC will operate a focal plane of 576 spatial pixels, where each pixel is a slot line antenna coupled to multiple detectors through on-chip, lumped-element filters, allowing simultaneously imaging in four bands at 0.86, 1.02, 1.33 and 2.00 mm. The MUSIC instrument is designed for closed-cycle operation, combining a pulse tube cooler with a two-stage Helium-3 adsorption refrigerator, providing a focal plane temperature of 0.25 K with intermediate temperature stages at approximately 50, 4 and 0.4 K for buffering heat loads and heat sinking of optical filters. Detector readout is achieved using semi-rigid coaxial cables from room temperature to the focal plane, with cryogenic HEMT amplifiers operating at 4 K. Several hundred detectors may be multiplexed in frequency space through one signal line and amplifier. This paper discusses the design of the instrument cryogenic hardware, including a number of features unique to the implementation of superconducting detectors. Predicted performance data for the instrument system will also be presented and discussed

Ascl1 Balances Neuronal versus Ependymal Fate in the Spinal Cord Central Canal

Generation of neuronal types at the right time, location, and number is essential for building a functional nervous system. Significant progress has been reached in understanding the mechanisms that govern neuronal diversity. Cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons (CSF-cNs), an intriguing spinal cord central canal population, are produced during advanced developmental stages, simultaneous with glial and ependymal cells. It is unknown how CSF-cNs are specified after the neurogenesis-to-gliogenesis switch. Here, we identify delayed Ascl1 expression in mouse spinal progenitors during the gliogenic phase as key in CSF-cN differentiation. With fate mappings and time-controlled deletions, we demonstrate that CSF-cNs derive from Ascl1-expressing cells and that Ascl1 triggers late neurogenesis in the amniote spinal cord. Ascl1 abrogation transforms prospective CSF-cN progenitors into ependymocytes. These results demonstrate that late spinal progenitors have the potential to produce neurons and that Ascl1 initiates CSF-cN differentiation, controlling the precise neuronal and nonneuronal composition of the spinal central canal.Fil: Di Bella, Daniela Jesica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fundación Instituto Leloir; ArgentinaFil: Carcagno, Abel Luis. Fundación Instituto Leloir; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Bartolomeu, M. Lucía. Fundación Instituto Leloir; ArgentinaFil: Pardi, Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires - Instituto Partner de la Sociedad Max Planck; ArgentinaFil: Löhr, Heiko. University of Cologne; AlemaniaFil: Siegel, Nicole. Fundación Instituto Leloir; ArgentinaFil: Hammerschmidt, Matthias. University of Cologne; AlemaniaFil: Marin Burgin, Antonia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires - Instituto Partner de la Sociedad Max Planck; ArgentinaFil: Lanuza, Guillermo Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fundación Instituto Leloir; Argentin

The chemistry of branched condensed phosphates.

Condensed phosphates may exist as linear, cyclic or branched structures. Due to their important role in nature, linear polyphosphates have been well studied. In contrast, branched phosphates (ultraphosphates) remain largely uncharacterised, because they were already described in 1950 as exceedingly unstable in the presence of water, epitomized in the antibranching-rule. This rule lacks experimental backup, since, to the best of our knowledge, no rational synthesis of defined ultraphosphates is known. Consequently, detailed studies of their chemical properties, reactivity and potential biological relevance remain elusive. Here, we introduce a general synthesis of monodisperse ultraphosphates. Hydrolysis half-lives up to days call the antibranching-rule into question. We provide evidence for the interaction of an enzyme with ultraphosphates and discover a rearrangement linearizing the branched structure. Moreover, ultraphosphate can phosphorylate nucleophiles such as amino acids and nucleosides with implications for prebiotic chemistry. Our results provide an entry point into the uncharted territory of branched condensed phosphates

Ocular syphilis resurgence in an urban underserved community in the United States

AIM: To evaluate the clinical characteristics, demographics, and visual outcomes of patients with ocular syphilis at an urban hospital to increase awareness and assist in earlier diagnosis and treatment of the resurgent disease. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on patients with ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnosis codes correlating with syphilis or syphilis-related ocular diseases between 2010 and 2019. Variables evaluated included age, gender, race, vision, ocular findings, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status and men who have sex with men status, recreational drug and alcohol use. RESULTS: Ocular syphilis was diagnosed in 40 patients (53 eyes) of a total of 229 patients who tested positive for syphilis via serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid treponemal testing from 2010-2019. Among patients with ocular syphilis, most patients were males, aged 45 or above and Black, and had no diagnosed HIV infection. Approximately 50% patients had 20/40 vision or better. Nearly 50% had non-granulomatous anterior uveitis as their initial presentation, and 49% of patients had involvement of the posterior segment. Neovascular glaucoma (5.7%), papillitis (7.5%), vasculitis (5.7%), and retinal detachment (5.7%) were rarer presentations of the disease and were associated with a poorer visual prognosis. CONCLUSION: Given the increased prevalence and protean manifestations of syphilis, early diagnosis and treatment are paramount. More studies on ocular syphilis are warranted to understand this resurging disease