Transportation in mega-cities: a local issue, a global question

This repository item contains a single issue of Issues in Brief, a series of policy briefs that began publishing in 2008 by the Boston University Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future.This policy brief reviews the looming emergence of ever-more and ever-bigger mega-cities and, within them, the challenge of urban transportation

Legalizing passive euthanasia: a comparative study between Malaysia and India / Farah Nazreen Mirza Mohammad Taiyab Beg, Irdina Azizi and Aramy Rasyid Mohamed

This research compares the position of passive euthanasia in Malaysia and India. This research aims to legalize the act of passive euthanasia in Malaysia. In the comparative study, the purpose is focused on why passive euthanasia should be legalized in Malaysia whereby India has taken a positive stand. The research has been carried out to collect as many evidence and reason to support the legalization of passive euthanasia in Malaysia. The comparison is made with India because India and Malaysia are Commonwealth countries. Besides that, Malaysia's Penal Code is based on the Indian Penal Code. The act of euthanasia is a crime under Section 299 amd 300 of Malaysian Penal Code. India had taken the positive stand by legalizing passive euthanasia with certain requirement fulfilled. Therefore this research mainly compares Malaysia's Law with Indian Law

HDAC8 substrates: Histones and beyond

The lysine deacetylase family of enzymes (HDACs) was first demonstrated to catalyze deacetylation of acetyllysine residues on histones. In subsequent years, HDACs have been shown to recognize a large pool of acetylated nonhistone proteins as substrates. Recently, thousands of acetylated proteins have been discovered, yet in most cases, the HDAC that catalyzes deacetylation in vivo has not been identified. This gap has created the need for better in vivo, in vitro, and in silico approaches for determining HDAC substrates. While HDAC8 is the best kinetically and structurally characterized HDAC, few efficient substrates have yet been substantiated in vivo. In this review, we delineate factors that may be important for determining HDAC8 substrate recognition and catalytic activity, including structure, complex formation, and post‐translational modifications. This summary provides insight into the challenges of identifying in vivo substrates for HDAC8, and provides a good vantage point for understanding the variables important for predicting HDAC substrate recognition. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 99: 112–126, 2013.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94512/1/22135_ftp.pd

Posterior capsule opacification: What's in the bag?

Cataract, a clouding of the lens, is the most common cause of blindness in the world. It has a marked impact on the wellbeing and productivity of individuals and has a major economic impact on healthcare providers. The only means of treating cataract is by surgical intervention. A modern cataract operation generates a capsular bag, which comprises a proportion of the anterior capsule and the entire posterior capsule. The bag remains in situ, partitions the aqueous and vitreous humours, and in the majority of cases, houses an intraocular lens (IOL). The production of a capsular bag following surgery permits a free passage of light along the visual axis through the transparent intraocular lens and thin acellular posterior capsule. Lens epithelial cells, however, remain attached to the anterior capsule, and in response to surgical trauma initiate a wound-healing response that ultimately leads to light scatter and a reduction in visual quality known as posterior capsule opacification (PCO). There are two commonly-described forms of PCO: fibrotic and regenerative. Fibrotic PCO follows classically defined fibrotic processes, namely hyperproliferation, matrix contraction, matrix deposition and epithelial cell trans-differentiation to a myofibroblast phenotype. Regenerative PCO is defined by lens fibre cell differentiation events that give rise to Soemmerring's ring and Elschnig's pearls and becomes evident at a later stage than the fibrotic form. Both fibrotic and regenerative forms of PCO contribute to a reduction in visual quality in patients. This review will highlight the wealth of tools available for PCO research, provide insight into our current knowledge of PCO and discuss putative management of PCO from IOL design to pharmacological interventions

What makes public schools successful : Exploring the contributory factors behind successful public primary schools in District Sukkur, Sindh

In Sindh, public education sector is the largest system that provides education for the majority of enrolled children. Although, there is a common perception that public sector schools are declining, there are still some examples of successful public schools in the province of Sindh. The purpose of this study is to find out some examples of successful public primary schools from Sindh and to explore the contributory factors behind those successful public primary schools. Within the qualitative paradigm multiple case study methodology was used to gain an in-depth understanding of the phenomena. The study was exploratory in nature and carried out in three public primary schools of district Sukkur, Sindh. It includes headteachers, SMC members and senior teachers from selected schools and district education officers. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and field notes. Findings of the study reveal that the team work of competent and committed teachers and school leader is the major contributory factor behind the success of public primary schools. Furthermore, project-based interventions, official support and community involvement are supportive factors for school success. In brief, this research shows that there are examples of successful public schools in Sindh, which counters the assumption that all public schools are essentially failing. The research also suggests that there are various contributory factors which work in complex formulations to achieve the overall school success, however motivated teachers and school leader were found to be the biggest game-changer. It needs to be acknowledged that these schools are working in harsh circumstances and deserve appreciation. The findings of the study would certainly be beneficial for public schools having similar contextual realities, to improve and achieve success. It is also hoped that the findings of this research help create disjuncture within existing discourse of public versus private education

Effect of treatment and diet on body weight after breast cancer diagnosis : the women's healthy eating and living (WHEL) study perspective

The dissertation's three research papers examined the following issues in breast cancer survivors (a) the effect of adjuvant therapy on significant relative weight gain after cancer diagnosis and whether those participants gaining weight return to pre-cancer weight during follow- up, (b) the effect of dietary intervention on weight over time, and (c) the role of dietary energy density on weight over time. The data came from a large, multi-site trial that randomized 3088 women, followed them for 6 years, and encouraged its intervention participants to consume a high fiber and low fat diet. At baseline and at follow-up visits weight and height were measured, dietary intake was assessed by 24-hour dietary recall and validated with plasma carotenoids concentrations, and demographic and physical activity data were obtained through questionnaire. Cancer stage and treatment modalities were obtained by medical record review. Paper I was cohort in design and included 3088 participants. Weight gain of & amp;#61619; 5% body weight following cancer diagnosis was considered significant. Chemotherapy was significantly associated with weight gain and Tamoxifen was not. Tamoxifen did not modify the effect of either chemotherapy or its different regimens on weight gain. Weight gain occurred irrespective of types or regimens of chemotherapy. Only 10% of participants returned to their pre-cancer weight at the follow-up visits. Paper II included 1510 overweight and obese participants and analyzed data adopting randomized design. Intervention participants consumed significantly more fruit, vegetables, and fiber, and less energy from fat than controls during follow-up. Body weight and obesity incidence did not differ between study groups at any follow-up visit. Paper III utilized randomized design to analyze data and included 3088 participants. Dietary energy density among intervention participants, irrespective of calculation method, decreased significantly compared to controls and was maintained over the follow-up period. Total energy intake or physical activity did not vary between the groups. Weight change between study groups was significant, albeit small, by one year and not afterwords. Return to initial weight following weight gain is unlikely. Dietary modification or dietary energy density reduction alone is not sufficient to promote long-term weight loss in a free- living populatio