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Relationship Between Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Hot Flash Experience, and Habitual Physical Activity in Healthy Perimenopausal People
No full textCardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death for women in the United States and all around the world. Perimenopause is a period of transition to the final menstrual period when women experience vasomotor symptoms (i.e., hot flashes and night sweats), and increased risk for CVD. Vascular endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness are preclinical CVD risk factors that precede the clinical manifestation of CVD. Hot flashes (HF) are bothersome symptoms of menopause and are correlated with some subclinical CVD risk factors, but the exact relationships between HF and CVD risk remain inconclusive. Habitual physical activity (PA) influences prevention and treatment of CVD in many populations. However, the role of habitual PA to benefit vascular health in perimenopausal people remains unclear.
The aims of this project were to: 1) determine the relations between subclinical vascular CVD risk factors including endothelial function and arterial stiffness and HFs and 2) measure associations between vascular CVD risk factors and habitual PA in healthy perimenopausal people. We hypothesized that (1) endothelial function will decrease and arterial stiffness will increase with increasing HF experience and (2) endothelial function will increase, and arterial stiffness will decrease with increasing habitual PA.
Healthy perimenopausal women who were non-smoking and free from CVD risk factors were recruited. The endothelial function was measured in two ways: (1) flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and (2) plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1). Arterial stiffness was measured via (1) carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and (2) augmentation index (AIx) and wave reflection variables (Pf, Pb, and RM). Hot flash experience was measured objectively for 24 hours using ambulatory sternal skin conductance monitoring and habitual PA activity was quantified objectively using a 7-day PA accelerometer. All statistical analyses were performed using R (version 4.2.3) and RStudio (2023.06.2+561). Pearson’s correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate the associations between dependent and outcome variables.
There were 62 perimenopausal women included in our analysis. Lower endothelial function (i.e., FMD and ET-1) and higher arterial stiffness (i.e., AIx, Pb, and RM) were significantly associated with more objective HFs. Lower arterial stiffness (i.e., AIx and RM) was associated with greater amounts of moderate-vigorous PA. Endothelial health was not correlated with PA in this study.
Hot flashes should be monitored as they may be associated with negative CVD outcomes in perimenopausal women. Performing moderate-vigorous physical activity may be worth considering in decreasing arterial stiffness in healthy women going through menopausal transition
Repetitive Subconcussive Head Impacts in Sports and Their Impact on Brain Anatomy and Function: A Systematic Review
Get PDFRepetitive subconcussive head impacts occur regularly in sports. However, the exact relationship between their biomechanical properties and their consequences on brain structure and function has not been clarified yet. We therefore reviewed prospective cohort studies that objectively reported the biomechanical characteristics of repetitive subconcussive head impacts and their impact on brain anatomy and function. Only studies with a pre- to post-measurement design were included. Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Structural white matter alterations, such as reduced fractional anisotropy and an increase in mean diffusivity values, seem to be evident in athletes exposed to repetitive subconcussive head impacts exceeding 10 g. Such changes are observable after only one season of play. Furthermore, a dose-response relationship exists between white matter abnormalities and the total number of subconcussive head impacts. However, functional changes after repetitive subconcussive head impacts remain inconclusive. We therefore conclude that repetitive subconcussive head impacts induce structural changes, but thus far without overt functional changes
The Tiny Survivors: Diversity and Preservation of Early Triassic Ophiuroids (Brittle Stars) of the Western United States
No full textAfter the end-Permian mass extinction (~251 Ma), global warming and elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide caused increased ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, and ocean anoxia. At least 90% of marine species went extinct during this boundary- and era-defining extinction event. The subsequent Early Triassic interval was characterized by small, opportunistic taxa, abundant microbialites, and delayed ecosystem recovery. Some studies report fossils preserved in unusual ways: replaced by apatite or molded by glauconite and other iron-bearing minerals. This work examines the ophiuroid diversity and taphonomy at three localities of the Virgin Limestone Member of the Moenkopi Formation: Lost Cabin Springs (middle shelf), Blue Diamond (middle-inner shelf), and Muddy Mountains Overton (nearshore, shallow). From each of these localities, we collected ophiuroid lateral arm plates and arm vertebrae belonging to the novel species Ophiosuperstes praeparvus. These specimens were preserved in two main ways: phosphatization and silicification. At Lost Cabin Springs, specimens were primarily phosphatized, at Blue Diamond, most specimens were silicified, and at Muddy Mountains Overton all the specimens were silicified. While the processes of phosphatization and silicification depend heavily on the conditions sustained within microenvironments, this work suggests Muddy Mountains Overton had the largest influx of terrigenous siliciclastic sediments and Lost Cabin Springs had periodic dysoxic/anoxic or sedimentstarved conditions. Blue Diamond likely aligned with the conditions at Muddy Mountains Overton as their preservation styles were similar. Because Ophiosuperstes praeparvus was the only ophiuroid found at these localities, we can likely determine that this species was particularly tolerant of the stressful Early Triassic conditions
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color\u27s Experiences of Discrimination in Psychoanalytic Professional Organizations in the Usa: Results of a Thematic Analysis of Interview Data
Get PDFThis article reviews the results of a qualitative study of Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC)\u27s experiences of discrimination in psychoanalytic professional organizations (PPOs) in the USA. The authors used thematic analysis to analyze the transcripts of semi-structured interviews with n = 10 self-identified BIPOC with prior experience in PPOs, including psychoanalytically-oriented graduate programs, psychoanalytic institutes and other training programs, and professional membership organizations across the United States. A key finding is that a significant majority of interviewees (n = 9) reported experiencing discrimination in these organizations, per their own definitions of the term “discrimination,” and described these experiences in considerable detail. The authors attempt to triangulate the findings of the present study in relation to the findings of the Holmes Commission and other existing literature on BIPOC experiences in psychoanalysis
Design of a Chan-Evans-Lam Reaction for Arene C-H Alkylation
No full textLate stage functionalization (LSF) is a prevalent strategy for drug development and improvement. Utilizing LSF methods, complicated molecules can be synthesized and, at the last step, functionalized. This allows for simpler syntheses and the quick development of diverse molecular libraries. Activating C-H bonds on arenes is of particular interest for LSF due to the widespread presence of aromatic rings in drug molecules. This study aims to design a method for arene C-H cyclopropylation and benzylation. Both cyclopropanes and benzyl groups are found throughout medicinal chemistry. The installation of cyclopropanes in drug molecules has been found to increase a host of desirable biological properties such as metabolic stability and solubility. Similarly, the diaryl moiety produced by benzylating an aromatic ring acts as a pharmacophore, facilitating interaction with the active sites in enzymes. However, methods for C-H cyclopropylation and benzylation can often exhibit limitations. To our knowledge, there is no successful C-H activation that installs an unsubstituted cyclopropane and there are only limited examples of substituted cyclopropane installation. C-H benzylations are more established, however, many have been demonstrated only on unsubstituted benzene rings. This limits their applicability to large drug molecules with multi-substituted aromatic cores. Thus, exploration of C-H benzylation/cyclopropylation strategies and development of reactions that are not substrate-specific is essential. This study utilized the Chan-Evans-Lam, which is a copper-catalyzed nucleophile-nucleophile cross-coupling. Though primarily used for heteroatom arylations, both substrate and substituent scope have been expanded in recent years. Published conditions for successful C-O cyclopropylation and C-H activation were used as a starting point for reaction design and product formation was determined from 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy. Evidence of C-H activation and alkylation was seen on two electron rich aromatic substrates: 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene and N-methylindole. Preliminary characterization indicates successful benzylation on both substrates with catalytic amounts of copper but undetermined yield. Preliminary attempts at cyclopropylation, though also successful at forging a C-C bond, were performed with stoichiometric copper and produced allyl products. This indicates an intermediate ring-opening of the cyclopropane, hypothesized to occur through radical chemistry. Overall, evidence has been found that C(sp 2 )-C(sp 3 ) bonds can be made from C-H activations with the Chan-Evans-Lam. However, future studies will need to confirm characterization of products, obtain yields, and alter conditions to retain the cyclopropane
Measuring and Modeling the Transport of Engineered Proteins for Targeted Cancer Therapy
No full textCancer is a major burden of disease worldwide, and continues to be the second most common cause of death in the US, after heart disease. Even though the mortality rate of cancer keeps decreasing, there remains an unmet need for more precise and patient-specific treatment with fewer side effects and better efficacy. Targeted therapy for cancer is a more recent approach that can effectively kill cancer cells while also providing patients with less damage to healthy cells compared to traditional therapy. Targeted therapy works by targeting specific molecules or pathways that are involved in the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells. Mesothelin (MSLN) is a biomarker of cancer cells because of its overexpression on the surface of many types of cancer cells. The Moore lab has engineered multiple variants of a non-antibody protein scaffold, derived from the tenth domain of human fibronectin type III and referred to as Fn3, to have the ability to bind MSLN with high affinity. The interaction of MSLN with another tumor surface protein, CA125, has been observed to mediate cancer cell adhesion, motility, and invasion. The goal of this thesis was to characterize the penetration ability of an engineered Fn3 protein into tumor spheroids in vitro, providing spatial information about the potential of the Fn3 protein to reach throughout a solid tumor in vivo. To enable the Fn3 to be readily visualized in multiple assays, first, recombinant DNA methods were used to add a Flag tag to an existing Fn3 variant. The Flag tag is a short, hydrophilic peptide sequence for which specific antibodies are commercially available for various measurements. Later, the cancer cells were cultured into spherical shape, known as cancer spheroids, and cryosectioned into slices. The slices were treated with protein and stained with anti-Flag Alexa Fluor 488 on the glass slide. The slides were imaged to confirm the ability of Fn3 binding to MSLN. Meanwhile, the parameters for using a mathematical model to estimate the penetration of protein were gathered through experiments, calculations, and literature review. In summary, this thesis reports progress toward measuring and modeling the penetration of a MSLN-binding candidate therapeutic into a solid tumor mass, towards the long term goal of developing these engineered proteins for targeted therapy applications
The Literature of Japanese American Incarceration
No full textThe collective voice of Japanese Americans defined by a specific moment in time: the four years of World War II during which the US government expelled resident aliens and its own citizens from their homes and imprisoned 125,000 of them in American concentration camps, based solely upon the race they shared with a wartime enemy. A Penguin Classic This anthology presents a new vision that recovers and reframes the literature produced by the people targeted by the actions of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Congress to deny Americans of Japanese ancestry any individual hearings or other due process after the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. From nearly seventy selections of fiction, poetry, essays, memoirs, and letters emerges a shared story of the struggle to retain personal integrity in the face of increasing dehumanization – all anchored by the key government documents that incite the action. The selections favor the pointed over the poignant, and the unknown over the familiar, with several new translations among previously unseen works that have been long overlooked on the shelf, buried in the archives, or languished unread in the Japanese language. The writings are presented chronologically so that readers can trace the continuum of events as the incarcerees experienced it. The contributors span incarcerees, their children born in or soon after the camps, and their descendants who reflect on the long-term consequences of mass incarceration for themselves and the nation. Many of the voices are those of protest. Some are those of accommodation. All are authentic. Together they form an epic narrative with a singular vision of America’s past, one with disturbing resonances with the American present. Source: Publisherhttps://scholarworks.smith.edu/eng_books/1020/thumbnail.jp
Urbanizing Social Reproduction: (Re)thinking the Politics of Care in Capitalist Urban Development
No full textFeminist social reproduction scholarship has shown how reproductive labor is critical in understanding the evolving dynamics of global capitalism. However, more work is needed to explicate the spatial dimension of this relationship to understand the various modalities through which social reproduction is enrolled in capitalist city-making processes and how these modalities are contested. Drawing on observations from multiple sites ranging from cities in the US to Mexico, we offer three examples to highlight strategies capitalist urban development uses to make care work invisible and marginal: bantustanization, gentrification, and informalization. In light of these spatial strategies that co-opt social reproduction in capitalist accumulation projects, we aspire to rethink the work of care in urban development and the possibilities to decouple it from the drive for profits through cross-sectoral coalition building and solidarity
Short Stories from Taiwan
No full textWith careful literary crafting, Taiwan\u27s writers have told the complex story of their country since World War II. Sabina Knight, a professor at Smith College and author of Chinese Literature: A Very Short Introduction, recommends five of her favourite short story collections.
Interview by Sophie Roell, Edito