Evidence to Suggest that Women’s Sexual Behavior is Influenced by Hip Width Rather than Waist-to-Hip Ratio

Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is an important ornament display that signals women’s health and fertility. Its significance derives from human development as a bipedal species. This required fundamental changes to hip morphology/musculature to accommodate the demands of both reproduction and locomotion. The result has been an obstetric dilemma whereby women’s hips are only just wide enough to allow the passage of an infant. Childbirth therefore poses a significant hip width related threat to maternal mortality/risk of gynecological injury. It was predicted that this would have a significant influence on women’s sexual behavior. To investigate this, hip width and WHR were measured in 148 women (M age = 20.93 + 0.17 years) and sexual histories were recorded via questionnaire. Data revealed that hip width per se was correlated with total number of sexual partners, total number of one night stands, percentage of sexual partners that were one night stands, number of sexual partners within the context of a relationship per year sexually active, and number of one night stands per year sexually active. By contrast, WHR was not correlated with any of these measures. Further analysis indicated that women who predominantly engaged in one night stand behavior had wider hips than those who did not. WHR was again without effect in this context. Women’s hip morphology has a direct impact on their risk of potentially fatal childbirth related injury. It is concluded that when they have control over this, women’s sexual behavior reflects this risk and is therefore at least in part influenced by hip width

Infliximab for treatment-refractory transverse myelitis following immune therapy and radiation.

BackgroundNeurologic toxicities with immune therapy are rare, but can cause devastating and often permanent injury when they occur. Although there is increasing interest in the potential synergism between immune therapy and radiation, it is possible that such combinations may lead to a greater number or increased severity of immune-related adverse events. We present here a case of extensive and progressive transverse myelitis following combined therapy, which did not improve until treatment with infliximab. This case highlights the unmet need for treatment of adverse events that are refractory to consensus recommendations, and may ultimately require further study and incorporation into future published guidelines.Case presentationWe report a case of a 68-year-old with metastatic melanoma, who developed transverse myelitis in the setting of immune checkpoint blockade and spinal irradiation for vertebral metastases. Despite management according to published consensus guidelines: cessation of immune therapy, high-dose steroids, and plasmapheresis, he continued to deteriorate neurologically, and imaging revealed a progressive and ascending transverse myelitis. The patient was then treated with infliximab, and demonstrated dramatic imaging and modest clinical improvement following the first treatment cycle.ConclusionsThis is the first report describing the successful use of infliximab in immune therapy and radiation-related transverse myelitis that was not responding to recommended therapy. Evaluation of additional treatment options such as infliximab for high-grade immune-related neurologic toxicities is warranted, and may be needed earlier in the disease process to prevent significant morbidity. The adverse effects of immune therapy when used in combination with radiation also require further investigation

Autonomy-Supportive, External-Focus Instructions Optimize Children’s Motor Learning in Physical Education

An external focus of attention and autonomy support are identified as key factors to optimize motor learning; however, research in children is limited. Moreover, research has failed to examine these factors in ecologically valid motor learning settings, like physical education. Therefore, the present study examined the effects of external focus of attention when delivered using autonomy-supportive or controlling instructional language on children’s motor learning. Thirty-three novice participants (10.30 ± 0.52 years) practiced a land-based curling task under supportive (external-focus instructions delivered with supportive language), controlling (external-focus instructions delivered with controlling language), or neutral (external instructions embedded in the task aim) conditions before completing a retention and transfer test. The supportive group produced higher positive affect after practice and greater accuracy in the retention test compared with the other groups. The findings provide support for the OPTIMAL (optimizing performance through intrinsic motivation and attention for learning) theory of motor learning that combining an external focus and autonomy support conditions improves motor learning

Genetic variation in the emblematic Puya raimondii (Bromeliaceae) from Huascarán National Park, Peru

Puya raimondii, the giant Peruvian and Bolivian terrestrial bromeliad, is an emblematic endemic Andean species well represented in Huascarán National Park in Peru. This park is the largest reserve of puna (high altitude plateau) vegetation. The objective of this study is to report on genetic variation in populations of P. raimondii from Huascarán and neighboring areas. AFLP profiles with four selective primer combinations were retrieved for 60 individuals from different zones. Genetic variability was estimated and a total of 172 bands were detected, of which 79.1% were polymorphic loci. The results showed genetic differentiation among populations, and gene flow. A cluster analysis showed that individuals of P. raimondii populations located in different mountain systems could be grouped together, suggesting long distance dispersal. Thus, conservation strategies for P. raimondii have to take into account exchange between populations located far apart in distance in order to preserve the genetic diversity of this showy species

Application of surrogate methods for assessing the bioavailability of PAHs in sediments to a sediment ingesting bivalve

The usefulness of two surrogate methods for rapidly determining the bioavailability of PAHs in hydrocarbon-contaminated marine sediments was assessed. Comparisons are made between the PAHs accumulated by the benthic bivalve, Tellina deltoidalis, and the extractable-PAHs determined using a 6-h XAD-2 resin desorption method and a 4-h gut fluid mimic (GFM) extraction method. There were significant positive relationships between PAH bioaccumulation by the bivalves and sediment PAH concentrations. These relationships were not improved by normalising the sediment PAH concentrations to the organic carbon concentration. The average percentage lipid content of the bivalves was 1.47 ± 0.22% and BSAFs for total-PAHs ranged from 0.06 to 0.80 (kg OC/kg lipid). The XAD-2 and GFM methods both extracted varying amounts of PAHs from the sediments. Low concentrations of PAHs were extracted by the GFM method (0.2–3.6% of total-PAHs in sediments) and the GFM results were inadequate for generalising about the bioavailability of the PAHs in the sediments. The XAD-2 method extracted greater amounts of PAHs (3–34% of total-PAHs in sediments), however, the total-PAH concentrations in the sediments provided a better, or equally good, prediction of PAH bioaccumulation by T. deltoidalis. The results indicated that these methods required further development before they can be applied routinely as surrogate methods for assessing the bioavailability of PAHs in sediments. Future research should be directed towards lowering detection limits and obtaining comparative data for a greater range of sediment types, contaminant classes and concentrations, and organisms of different feeding guilds and with different gut chemistry

Energy-led retrofitting of solid wall dwellings: technical and user perspectives on airtightness

Purpose – Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) is increasingly being promoted in the UK as a means of reducing the CO2 emissions from dwellings, and installers report growing activity in the retrofit market. However, the airtightness of a dwelling is a crucially important factor governing the achievement of CO2 reductions, and the purpose of this paper is to understand the technical implications of airtightness levels in an experimental dwelling, purpose built to typical 1930s standards, at the same time as gaining the users’ perspectives on airtightness and ventilation in their homes. Design/methodology/approach – In-depth interviews were carried out with 20 households to collect information on their retrofit and improvement strategies, attitudes to energy saving and their living practices as they impinge on ventilation. The experimental house was sealed in a series of interventions, leading to successive reductions in the air permeability as measured by a 50?Pa pressurisation test. The behaviour of a whole-house MVHR system installed in the experimental house, was simulated using IES Virtual Environment, using a range of air permeability values corresponding to those achieved in the retrofit upgrading process. Findings – In the house considered, air permeability must be reduced below 5?m3/m2h for MVHR to make an overall energy and CO2 saving. However, to achieve this required a level of disruption that, on the basis of the views expressed, would be unlikely to be tolerated by owners of solid wall dwellings. Originality/value – The paper is the first to combine results from a user-centred approach to exploring the existing practices of householders with a simulation of the energy and CO2 performance at different levels of airtightness of an experimental house in which MVHR has been installed

Energy-led retrofitting of solid wall dwellings - technical and user perspectives on airtightness

Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) is increasingly being promoted in the UK as a means of reducing the CO2 emissions from dwellings, and installers report growing activity in the retrofit market. In parallel with a survey of householder preferences and practices, the behaviour of a whole-house MVHR system installed in an experimental house, purpose built to typical 1930s standards, has been simulated. The range of air permeability values corresponded to those achieved in a retrofit upgrading process carried out on the house. In the house considered, air permeability, as measured in a 50 Pa pressurisation test, must be reduced below 5 m3/m2.h for MVHR to make an overall energy and CO2 saving. This required a level of disruption that would be unlikely to be tolerated by owners of solid wall dwellings

Characterisation of infection associated microRNA and protein cargo in extracellular vesicles of Theileria annulata infected leukocytes

The protozoan parasites, Theileria annulata and T. parva are unique amongst intracellular eukaryotic pathogens as they induce a transformation‐like phenotype in their bovine host cell. T. annulata causes tropical theileriosis, which is frequently fatal, with infected leukocytes becoming metastatic and forming foci in multiple organs resulting in destruction of the lymphoid system. Exosomes, a sub‐set of extracellular vesicles (EV), are critical in metastatic progression in many cancers. Here we characterised the cargo of EV from a control bovine lymphosarcoma cell line (BL20) and BL20 infected with T. annulata (TBL20) by comparative mass spectrometry and miRNA profiling (data available via ProteomeXchange, identifier PXD010713 and NCBI GEO, accession number GSE118456, respectively). Ingenuity Pathway Analysis that many infection‐associated proteins essential to migration and extracellular matrix digestion were upregulated in EV from TBL20 cells compared to BL20 controls. An altered repertoire of host miRNA, many with known roles in tumor and/or infection biology was also observed. Focusing on the tumor suppressor miRNA, bta‐miR‐181a and bta‐miR‐181b, we identified putative mRNA targets and confirmed the interaction of bta‐miR181a with icam‐1. We propose that EV and their miRNA cargo play an important role in the manipulation of the host cell phenotype and the pathobiology of Theileria infection

WELFARE: THE NEGATIVE SOCIETAL EFFECTS

Sustav socijalne države uveden je, navodno, s ciljem smanjenja stope siromaštva, povećanja bogatstva i blagostanja siromašnih. Paradoksalno, njegov učinak bio je obrnut. Kako se dogodio ovaj bumerang u javnoj politici? Odgovor je jednostavan. Socijalna davanja potpomogla su razdoru obitelji, nesrazmjerno u crnačkoj zajednici. No obitelj sa samohranim roditeljem jedan je od najučinkovitijih uzročnika siromaštva. Stoga, program kojim se siromašnim ljudima daje ogromna količina novaca upravo smanjuje stupanj njihovog ekonomskog blagostanja, ne povećava ga.The welfare system was instituted, presumably, to decrease poverty, increase the wealth and well-being of the poor. Paradoxically, it has had just about the opposite effect. How did this boomerang in public policy occur? It is simple. Welfare payments helped break up the family, disproportionately in the black community. But a non-intact family is one of the most effective causal agents in impoverishment. Hence, a program that throws massive amounts of money at poor people reduces their economic wellbeing, does not increase it

Investigar Ciencias Jurídicas en tiempos de pandemia

Este trabajo tiene por objeto analizar el impacto que tuvo el Aislamiento Social, Preventivo y Obligatorio en el desarrollo de un proyecto de investigación anual, cuyo equipo de encuentra conformado por docentes investigadores, investigadores externos y estudiantes. A esta altura de la pandemia, transitando ya un retorno paulatino a la presencialidad, resulta más nítido inferir cuáles son las ventajas y desventajas de este modelo virtual (hoy bimodal) de estudio que en todas las áreas académicas se viene desarrollando. Es por eso que este artículo tiene como principal cometido exponer una experiencia vivida en el seno de un proyecto de investigación en la Facultad de Derecho y Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad del Este, en la Ciudad de La Plata.Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociale