Activity Determinants among Mexican American Women in a Border Setting

Background: Mexican American women have the highest leisure-time physical inactivity prevalence of any ethnic minority group. Purpose: This study examined a sample of Mexican American females living near the U.S.-Mexico border to determine whether the variables of age, health status, educational level, marital status, and acculturation distinguished between those who are physically active and those who are physically inactive. Methods: Participants included 379 women ranging in age from 22 to 58 years. Data was gathered through a self-report survey instrument with discriminant analysis used to test for variable differentiation between active and inactive subjects. Results: Present activity was comparable to national representative samples, and the discriminant function indicated higher acculturative status and better perceived health differentiated between those women reporting themselves to be physically inactive versus those reporting to be physically active. Discussion: Physical activity interventions targeting border Mexican American women should account for varying acculturation levels. Translation to Health Education Practice: To be effective, program strategies designed to promote physically active lifestyles among border Mexican American women should be linguistically appropriate and culturally sensitive to optimize behavior change

Myasthenia gravis

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare, autoimmune neuromuscular junction disorder. Contemporary prevalence rates approach 1/5,000. MG presents with painless, fluctuating, fatigable weakness involving specific muscle groups. Ocular weakness with asymmetric ptosis and binocular diplopia is the most typical initial presentation, while early or isolated oropharyngeal or limb weakness is less common. The course is variable, and most patients with initial ocular weakness develop bulbar or limb weakness within three years of initial symptom onset. MG results from antibody-mediated, T cell-dependent immunologic attack on the endplate region of the postsynaptic membrane. In patients with fatigable muscle weakness, the diagnosis of MG is supported by: 1. pharmacologic testing with edrophonium chloride that elicits unequivocal improvement in strength; 2. electrophysiologic testing with repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) studies and/or single-fiber electromyography (SFEMG) that demonstrates a primary postsynaptic neuromuscular junctional disorder; and 3. serologic demonstration of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) or muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK) antibodies. Differential diagnosis includes congenital myasthenic syndromes, Lambert Eaton syndrome, botulism, organophosphate intoxication, mitochondrial disorders involving progressive external ophthalmoplegia, acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP), motor neuron disease, and brainstem ischemia. Treatment must be individualized, and may include symptomatic treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors and immune modulation with corticosteroids, azathioprine, cyclosporine, and mycophenolate mofetil. Rapid, temporary improvement may be achieved for myasthenic crises and exacerbations with plasma exchange (PEX) or intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg). Owing to improved diagnostic testing, immunotherapy, and intensive care, the contemporary prognosis is favorable with less than five percent mortality and nearly normal life expectancy

Accounting Problems Of The Tennessee Valley Authority.

PhDBusiness costsUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/181921/2/5801012.pd

Stress Resilience Among Border Mexican American Women

The purpose of this study was to identify factors distinguishing Mexican American women living near the U.S.-Mexican border who are resilient to the experience of stress from those who are not. The study sample consisted of 418 participants ranging in age from 20 to 61 years. Data were gathered through a self-report survey instrument composed of items assessing stress vulnerability, acculturation, health, physical activity, education, and marital status. Descriptive discriminant analysis was used to determine which variables made the greatest contribution in discerning between stress-resistant and stress-susceptible women. The results indicated that higher educational attainment, greater acculturation, better health status, and marriage differentiated between those women reporting themselves resilient to the effects of stress and those reporting being vulnerable. These results have implications for stress resilience promotion among this population group

Réponse des spermatozoides caprins à une gamme de chocs hypotoniques modélisée par l'analyse Probit

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Response of goat sperm to hypoosmotic steps modelled probit analysis

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La congélation de semence d'étalon dans un milieu à base d'INRA96® améliore le taux de fertilité en comparaison avec le milieu INRA82

International audienceThe chemical composition of freezing extenders plays a major role in sperm cell survival during cryopreservation. In this study we compared two extenders for freezing stallion semen: INRA82 extender (as a control) versus INRA96 (R) extender, both supplemented with egg yolk and glycerol. INRA82 contains milk, whereas INRA96 (R) is a chemically- defined extender developed for fresh semen storage at 4 degrees C or 15 degrees C. Semen from 3 stallions (7 ejaculates per stallion) was frozen in both extenders. In vitro analyses of post-thaw motility of sperm cells (computer-assisted analysis) and of membrane integrity (flow cytometry analysis) were performed. Then a fertility trial was conducted. Inseminations were conducted in a total of 84 mare cycles. INRA96 (R) extender supplemented with egg yolk and glycerol significantly improved per-cycle pregnancy rates compared with INRA82 (71% versus 40%, p < 0.01). In agreement with these fertility results, membrane integrity was better preserved in INRA96 (R) than in INRA82. In contrast, motility parameters were significantly higher in INRA82 than in INRA96 (R). Further research is needed to understand how INRA96 (R) components protect sperm cells during the cryopreservation process and highly increase their fertility potential compared with INRA82 components

Sexually dimorphic gene expression and neurite sensitivity to estradiol in fetal arcuate Kiss1 cells

International audienceKiss1 neurons of the arcuate (ARC) nucleus form an interconnected network of cells that communicate via neurokinin B (encoded by Tac2) and its receptor (encoded by Tacr3) and play key roles in the control of the reproductive axis through sex hormone-regulated synthesis and release of kisspeptin peptides (Kp, encoded by Kiss1). The aim of this study was to determine whether the Kiss1 cell population of the ARC already displays sexually dimorphic features at embryonic age E16.5 in mice. At this time of development, Kiss1-GFP- and Kp-immunoreactive cell bodies were restricted to the ARC and not found in the pre-optic area (POA). The Kiss1-GFP cell population was identical in size between sexes but had significantly lower Kiss1, Tac2, and Tacr3 mRNA levels and lower Kp-ir fiber density in the POA in male compared to female fetuses. Receptors for androgen (Ar) and estrogen (Esr1, Esr2, Gpr30) and the Cyp19a1 gene (encoding the estradiol-producing enzyme aromatase) transcripts were also detected in fetal ARC Kiss1-GFP cells with significant sex differences for Ar (higher in males) and Esr1 (higher in females). Functional studies on primary cultures of sorted fetal Kiss1-GFP cells revealed a significant negative effect of estradiol treatment on neurite outgrowth on the fourth day of culture in the female group specifically. We conclude that the ARC Kiss1 cell population is already sexually differentiated at E16.5 and that its morphogenetic development may be particularly vulnerable to estradiol exposure at this early developmental time

High fertility rates with stallion sperm cryopreserved in INRA96® based extender are not predicted by in vitro parameters

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