Andrea Dworkin on the Biblical Foundations of Violence Against Women

In this chapter, Julie Kelso takes an in-depth look at the late Andrea Dworkin’s “notorious” book, Intercourse (1987), considering Dworkin’s controversial claim that women’s secondary status can be attributed to the socially constructed designation of the female body as lacking physical integrity during (hetero)sexual intercourse. Within patriarchal culture, women are recognized as having a body that can be penetrated, occupied, and denied privacy during the act of intercourse; this, asserts Dworkin, is central to women’s subordinate status. Kelso guides readers through Dworkin’s materialist analysis of intercourse as an institutional practice, considering the various discourses (literary, philosophical, religious, legal) that she claims have given intercourse its political meaning. She then frames Dworkin’s discussions of the role of biblical texts (particularly the sodomy laws in Leviticus and the story of Adam and Eve in Gen. 2:4b−4:1) within the framework of Intercourse as a whole, considering her evaluation of their foundational role in legitimizing the potentially devastating violence of intercourse for women in male-supremacist societies

The lipid and fatty acid composition of semen in relation to fertility in the male animal

Spermatozoa are highly specialised cells which display a range of unique features associated with their crucial function of egg fertilisation. One of the most striking characteristics of spermatozoa, in biochemical terms, is the extremely high proportion of long chain highly polyunsaturated fatty acids present as components of the plasma membrane phospholipids. This high degree of unsaturation is almost unique amongst animal cells; the only other cell types which display similar levels of these polyunsaturates are the neurons of the brain and retina. The reason why spermatozoa exhibit such an unusual fatty acid composition is not clear but it is feasible that the highly unsaturated phospholipids may confer a high degree of flexibility on the sperm plasma membrane as well as provide a potential energy source in order to facilitate the characteristic flagellar motion of these cells. There is also evidence that spermatozoa lipids play a crucial role in the membrane fusion and signal transduction events associated with the acrosome reaction and fertilisation. Initial observations were made between the semen of domestic cockerel and bull with respect to animal ageing and semen quality. Within both species similar patterns were observed in that with age there was a loss of the long chain C20 and C22 polyunsaturated fatty acids accompanied by a loss of the major antioxidant enzyme systems. A decrease in phosphatidyl ethanolamine and an increase of phosphatidyl choline with age were also observed to be associated with a reduction in semen quality parameters and fertility in both species. In contrast cockerels displayed significant increases in spermatozoa and seminal plasma lipid levels where the bull exhibited losses, reflecting possible differences in spermatozoa metabolism and function

Polypharmacy Management in a Rural Family Medicine Practice: View from Multiple Perspectives

Polypharmacy is a growing problem in the United States. The elderly population is expanding, and the use of specialists to manage their healthcare is increasing. This project looks at the role of the primary care physician at a rural Family Medicine practice in reducing the risks of polypharmacy. The perspectives of patients and the local pharmacist were used to create an education tool about polypharmacy management within this community. Increased awareness of this issue and how it applies to patients within the practice were the results of this intervention.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/fmclerk/1084/thumbnail.jp

Locations of Physical Activity: Where Are Children, Adolescents, and Adults Physically Active? A Systematic Review

The aim of this systematic review was to examine where physical activity (PA) takes place and how much time children, adolescents and adults spend being physically active within the identified locations. A systematic literature search was carried out in five electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, PsycInfo, Scopus). For inclusion, primary studies had to identify locations of PA using device-based or self-report tools, whereas minutes of PA had to be examined using device-based tools only. Thirty-two studies were included, methodological quality and sex/gender sensitivity of the studies were assessed. The narrative data synthesis revealed that the highest average amount of daily moderate-to-vigorous PA was found in home and recreational locations, followed by school and neighborhood locations. In adults, highest average amount of daily moderate-to-vigorous PA was found in neighborhood and home locations followed by workplace and recreational locations. The majority of studies had a low risk of bias in four out of six domains; nine studies reported significant sex/gender differences in location-based PA. The results indicate that different locations are used for PA to a varying degree across the lifespan. Future research on the promotion of PA should focus on location-specific design features that encourage children, adolescents and adults to be physically active

The Activated Type 1–Polarized Cd8+ T Cell Population Isolated from an Effector Site Contains Cells with Flexible Cytokine Profiles

The capacity of activated T cells to alter their cytokine expression profiles after migration into an effector site has not previously been defined. We addressed this issue by paired daughter analysis of a type 1–polarized CD8+ effector T cell population freshly isolated from lung parenchyma of influenza virus–infected mice. Single T cells were activated to divide in vitro; individual daughter cells were then micromanipulated into secondary cultures with and without added IL-4 to assess their potential to express type 2 cytokine genes. The resultant subclones were analyzed for type 1 and 2 cytokine mRNAs at day 6–7. When the most activated (CD44highCD11ahigh) CD8+ subpopulation from infected lung was compared with naive or resting (CD44lowCD11alow) CD8+ cells from infected lung and from normal lymph nodes (LNs), both clonogenicity and plasticity of the cytokine response were highest in the LN population and lowest in the activated lung population, correlating inversely with effector function. Multipotential cells were nevertheless detected among clonogenic CD44highCD11ahigh lung cells at 30–50% of the frequency in normal LNs. The data indicate that activated CD8+ T cells can retain the ability to proliferate and express new cytokine genes in response to local stimuli after recruitment to an effector site

Effects of the built environment on physical activity: a systematic review of longitudinal studies taking sex/gender into account

Background Individual health behavior is related to environmental and social structures. To promote physical activity (PA) effectively, it is necessary to consider structural influences. Previous research has shown the relevance of the built environment. However, sex/gender differences have yet not been considered. The aim of this systematic review was to identify built environmental determinants of PA by taking sex/gender into account. Methods A systematic literature search was carried out using six electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, SportDiscus, PsycInfo, Scopus, Web of Knowledge) to identify studies analyzing the effect of changes in the built environment on PA, taking sex/gender into account. To be included, studies had to be based on quantitative data and a longitudinal study design. Changes in the built environment had to be objectively assessed. The methodological quality of the studies was examined using the QualSyst tool for examining risk of bias. Results In total, 36 studies published since 2000 were included in this review. The data synthesis revealed that the majority of reviewed studies found the built environment to be a determinant of PA behavior for both, males and females, in a similar way. Creating a new infrastructure for walking, cycling, and public transportation showed a positive effect on PA behavior. Findings were most consistent for the availability of public transport, which was positively associated with overall PA and walking. The improvement of walking and cycling infrastructure had no effect on the overall level of PA, but it attracted more users and had a positive effect on active transportation. In women, the availability of public transport, safe cycling lanes, housing density, and the distance to daily destinations proved to be more relevant with regard to their PA behavior. In men, street network characteristics and road environment, such as intersection connectivity, local road density, and the presence of dead-end roads, were more important determinants of PA. Conclusion This review sheds light on the relevance of the built environment on PA. By focusing on sex/gender differences, a new aspect was addressed that should be further analyzed in future research and considered by urban planners and other practitioners