748 research outputs found
Sex trafficking of girls and women : Evidence from Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh
No full textA crucial gap in the trafficking literature from India is the dearth of primary data and micro studies that could be used for vulnerability mapping of the source areas and addressing the identified risk factors. The present paper is a small attempt to contribute to plugging the gap in the context of Andhra Pradesh, identified as a hot spot in the trafficking literature. This paper is based on case studies of 78 women who had been trafficked from their places of origin in Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh to metropolitan cities across India and who have since returned to their homes. The paper attempted to identify the individual and family circumstances that contribute to the causes of trafficking, to highlight in particular the gendered vulnerabilities that set these women up for trafficking, and to capture the process of the trafficking experience. The findings of the study are located in the dynamic interplay of the social structural context and specificities of the district that contribute to causes of trafficking and the individual circumstances and agency of the women. The case studies reported in this paper are a pointer to the compelling urgency of interventions that will go beyond the forced / voluntary divide in trafficking and sex work.Andhra Pradesh, India, trafficking
Stressors, family environment and coping styles as predictors of educational and psychosocial adjustment in Palestinian children
No full textThis study investigated the contributions of child and parents' sociodemographics, daily stressors, family environment, and coping strategies, to academic achievement, cognitive functioning and aggression in a sample of 600 children at the intermediate grade levels from Gaza Strip. Each of the predictor variables exhibited a different pattern of relations with the outcome domains. Although the study highlights the negative consequences of stress on children's development, certain daily stressors had a positive effect. Optimal family relationships predicted better developmental outcomes. More emphasis on personal growth, control and organisation in the family predicted less optimal child development except for personal growth and achievement. More reliance on positive coping and less reliance on negative coping is associated with better academic achievement. The clinical and research implications of the findings are discussed. © 2013 Taylor and Francis.Achenbach TM, 2001, MANUAL ASEBA SCH AGE; Barrera M. A., 1981, SOCIAL NETWORKS SOCI, P69; BOGENSCHNEIDER K, 1994, SOCIOL EDUC, V67, P60, DOI 10.2307-2112750; Bongers IL, 2003, J ABNORM PSYCHOL, V112, P179, DOI 10.1037-0021-843X.112.2.179; Bradley RH, 2005, DEV PSYCHOL, V41, P89, DOI 10.1037-0012-1649.41.1.89; Bronfenbrenner U., 1979, ECOLOGY HUMAN DEV EX; Cairns E., 2001, INT ENCY SOCIAL BEHA, P16360; Causey D., 1993, PREVENTION SCH TRANS, P59; Compas BE, 2001, PSYCHOL BULL, V127, P87, DOI 10.1037--0033-2909.127.1.87; Cummings M., 2009, CLIN CHILD FAM PSYCH, V12, P16; Eisenberg N, 2005, CHILD DEV, V76, P1055, DOI 10.1111-j.1467-8624.2005.00897.x; Evans GW, 2002, CHILD DEV, V73, P1238, DOI 10.1111-1467-8624.00469; Folkman S, 1997, SOC SCI MED, V45, P1207, DOI 10.1016-S0277-9536(97)00040-3; Gelhaar T, 2007, EUR J DEV PSYCHOL, V4, P129, DOI 10.1080-17405620600831564; Hinkle D. E., 2003, APPL STAT BEHAV SCI; Khamis V, 2012, SOC SCI MED, V74, P2005, DOI 10.1016-j.socscimed.2012.02.025; Khamis V., 2000, POLITICAL VIOLENCE P; Kiser L. J., 2010, TRAUMATOLOGY, V16, P33, DOI [10.1177-1534765609358466, DOI 10.1177-1534765609358466]; KURDEK LA, 1988, J EDUC PSYCHOL, V80, P90, DOI 10.1037-0022-0663.80.1.90; La Greca A. M., 2001, ANXIETY DISORDERS CH, P159; Lazarus R. S., 1984, STRESS APPRAISAL COP; Li H, 2008, DEMOGRAPHY, V45, P223, DOI 10.1353-dem.2008.0006; Lugo-Gil J, 2008, CHILD DEV, V79, P1065, DOI 10.1111-j.1467-8624.2008.01176.x; McLoyd VC, 1998, AM PSYCHOL, V53, P185, DOI 10.1037-0003-066X.53.2.185; Merton R. K., 1957, SOCIAL THEORY SOCIAL; Moos B., 2002, FAMILY ENV SCALE; Morales JR, 2006, CHILD DEV, V77, P907, DOI 10.1111-j.1467-8624.2006.00910.x; Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), 2008, POV GAZ STRIP; Pearlin L., 1993, HDB STRESS THEORETIC, P303; Poulin M, 2008, PSYCHOL AGING, V23, P13, DOI 10.1037-0882-7974.23.1.13; Punamaki RL, 2001, J COMMUNITY PSYCHOL, V29, P281, DOI 10.1002-jcop.1018; Rogers KN, 2003, J EARLY ADOLESCENCE, V23, P349, DOI 10.1177-0272431603258344; Schroeder VM, 2009, J CHILD FAM STUD, V18, P227, DOI 10.1007-s10826-008-9223-0; Seery MD, 2010, J PERS SOC PSYCHOL, V99, P1025, DOI 10.1037-a0021344; SPIRITO A, 1988, J PEDIATR PSYCHOL, V13, P555, DOI 10.1093-jpepsy-13.4.555; Wadsworth M. E., 2005, J CHILD FAM STUD, V14, P283, DOI DOI 10.1007-S10826-005-5056-211
A role for SUMO modification in transcriptional repression and activation
No full textSince the discovery of the SUMO (small ubiquitin-related modifier) family of proteins just over a decade ago, a plethora of substrates have been uncovered including many regulators of transcription. Conjugation of SUMO to target proteins has generally been considered as a repressive modification. However, there are now a growing number of examples where SUMOylation has been shown to activate transcription. Here, we discuss whether there is something intrinsically repressive about SUMOylation, or if the outcome of this modification in the context of transcription will prove to be largely substrate-dependent. We highlight some of the technical challenges that will be faced by attempting to answer this question
Cytochrome oxidase subunit VI of Trypanosoma brucei is imported without a cleaved presequence and is developmentally regulated at both RNA and protein levels
No full textMitochondrial respiration in the African trypanosome undergoes dramatic developmental stage regulation. This requires co-ordinated control of components encoded by both the nuclear genome and the kinetoplast, the unusual mitochondrial genome of these parasites. As a model for understanding the co-ordination of these genomes, we have examined the regulation and mitochondrial import of a nuclear-encoded component of the cytochrome oxidase complex, cytochrome oxidase subunit VI (COXVI). By generating transgenic trypanosomes expressing intact or mutant forms of this protein, we demonstrate that COXVI is not imported using a conventional cleaved presequence and show that sequences at the N-terminus of the protein are necessary for correct mitochondrial sorting. Analyses of endogenous and transgenic COXVI mRNA and protein expression in parasites undergoing developmental stage differentiation demonstrates a temporal order of control involving regulation in the abundance of, first, mRNA and then protein. This represents the first dissection of the regulation and import of a nuclear-encoded protein into the cytochrome oxidase complex in these organisms, which were among the earliest eukaryotes to possess a mitochondrion
Retinitis Pigmentosa GTPase Regulator (RPGR) protein isoforms in mammalian retina:insights into X-linked Retinitis Pigmentosa and associated ciliopathies
No full textMutations in the cilia-centrosomal protein Retinitis Pigmentosa GTPase Regulator (RPGR) are a frequent cause of retinal degeneration. The RPGR gene undergoes complex alternative splicing and encodes multiple protein isoforms. To elucidate the function of major RPGR isoforms (RPGR 1-19 and RPGR ORF15), we have generated isoform-specific antibodies and examined their expression and localization in the retina. Using sucrose-gradient centrifugation, immunofluorescence and co-immunoprecipitation methods, we show that RPGR isoforms localize to distinct sub-cellular compartments in mammalian photoreceptors and associate with a number of cilia-centrosomal proteins. The RCC1-like domain of RPGR, which is present in all major RPGR isoforms, is sufficient to target it to the cilia and centrosomes in cultured cells. Our findings indicate that multiple isotypes of RPGR may perform overlapping yet somewhat distinct transport-related functions in photoreceptors
Early egg traits in Cancer setosus (Decapoda, Brachyura): effects of temperature and female size
No full textPrevious study on Cancer setosus (Molina, 1782) had shown that latitudinal changes in temperature control the number of annual egg masses. This study focused on the effects of pre-oviposition temperature and female size on egg-traits in C. setosus from Northern (Antofagasta 23ºS) and Central-Southern (Puerto Montt 41ºS) Chile. Blastula eggs produced in nature ranged in dry mass (DM) from 9.1 to 15.1 µg, in carbon (C) from 4.8 to 8.4 µg, in nitrogen (N) from 1.0 to 1.6 µg, in C:N ratio between 4.7 and 5.4, and in volume (V) between 152 and 276 mm3 x 10-4 per female. Blastula eggs from females caught early in the reproductive season in Puerto Montt (09/2006) were significantly higher in DM, C, N, and V than those of females caught two months later (11/2006), reflecting a seasonal increase in water temperature. In Puerto Montt “early” and “late” season blastula eggs were about 32% and 20% higher in DM, C, N, and V as eggs from Antofagasta, respectively. Subsequent egg masses produced in captivity in Puerto Montt followed this pattern of smaller eggs with lower DM, C, and N content at higher pre-oviposition temperatures. In Antofagasta no significant difference in DM, C, N and V between eggs produced in nature and subsequent eggs produced in captivity was found and all egg traits were significantly positively affected by maternal size. Reproductive plasticity in C. setosus helps explaining the species wide latitudinal distribution range
RETRACTED: Optimization of the energy efficiency operational indicator for M/V NSU JUSTICE 250,000 DWT by grey relational analysis method in Vietnam
No full text At the request of the Journal Editor and the Publisher, the following article has been retracted. Tran TA, Optimization of the energy efficiency operational indicator for M/V NSU JUSTICE 250,000 DWT by grey relational analysis method in Vietnam, Proc IMechE, Part M: J Engineering for the Maritime Environment, First Published December 26, 2017, DOI: 10.1177/1475090217748756 Following investigation into this article, it has been determined that the article includes major overlap with a previously published article by the same author; Tran TA, Optimization of the Energy Efficiency Operational Indicator for M/V NSU JUSTICE 250,000 DWT by Grey Relational Analysis Method in Vietnam, J Marine Sci Res Dev 2017, 7:232, DOI: 10.4172/2155-9910.1000232 [Accessed: 4th January 2018] </jats:p
Stress during Pregnancy and Offspring Pediatric Disease: A National Cohort Study
No full textBackground: Identifying risk factors for adverse health outcomes in children is important. The intrauterine environment plays a pivotal role for health and disease across life. Objectives: To conduct a comprehensive study to determine whether common psychosocial stress during pregnancy is a risk factor of a wide spectrum of pediatric diseases in the offspring. Methods: The study was conducted in a population-based sample of mothers with live singleton births (N=66203, 71.4% of those eligible) from the Danish National Birth Cohort, using prospective data. We estimated the association between maternal stress during pregnancy (classified based on two a priori defined indicators of common stress forms, life stress and emotional stress) and offspring diseases during childhood (grouped into 16 categories of ICD-10 diagnoses based on data from national registries), controlling for maternal stress after pregnancy. Results: Median age at end of follow-up was 6.2 (3.6-8.9) years. Life stress (highest compared to lowest quartile) was associated with an increased risk of conditions originating in the perinatal period [odds ratio (OR)=1.13; 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.06-1.21] and congenital malformations (OR=1.17; CI=1.06-1.28), and of the first diagnosis of infection [hazard ratio (HR)=1.28; CI=1.17-1.39], mental disorders (age 0-2.5 years: HR=2.03; CI=1.32-3.14), eye (age 0-4.5 years: HR=1.27; CI=1.06-1.53), ear (HR=1.36; CI=1.23-1.51), respiratory (HR=1.27; CI=1.19-1.35), digestive (HR=1.23; CI=1.11-1.37), skin (HR=1.24; CI=1.09-1.43), musculoskeletal (HR=1.15; CI=1.01-1.30), and genitourinary diseases (HR=1.25; CI=1.08-1.45). Emotional stress was associated with an increased risk for the first diagnosis of infection (HR=1.09; CI=1.01-1.18) and a decreased risk for the first diagnosis of endocrine (HR=0.81; CI=0.67-0.99), eye (HR=0.84; CI=0.71-0.99), and circulatory diseases (age 0-3 years: HR=0.63; CI=0.42-0.95). Conclusions: Maternal life stress during pregnancy be a common risk factor for impaired child health. The results suggest new approaches to reduce childhood diseases
Portable mini-chamber for temperature dependent studies using small angle and wide angle x-ray scattering
No full textThe present work describes the design and performance of a vacuum compatible portable mini chamber for temperature dependent GISAXS and GIWAXS studies of thin films and multilayer structures. The water cooled body of the chamber allows sample annealing up to 900 K using ultra high vacuum compatible (UHV) pyrolytic boron nitride heater, thus making it possible to study the temperature dependent evolution of structure and morphology of two-dimensional nanostructured materials. Due to its light weight and small size, the chamber is portable and can be accommodated at synchrotron facilities worldwide. A systematic illustration of the versatility of the chamber has been demonstrated at beamline P03, PETRA-III, DESY, Hamburg, Germany. Temperature dependent grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) and grazing incidence wide angle x-ray scattering (GIWAXS) measurements were performed on oblique angle deposited Co/Ag multilayer structure, which jointly revealed that the surface diffusion in Co columns in Co/Ag multilayer enhances by increasing temperature from RT to ∼573 K. This results in a morphology change from columnar tilted structure to densely packed morphological isotropic multilayer</p
Are EU spatial ex ante coexistence regulations proportional?
No full textThe EU is currently struggling to implement coherent coexistence regulations on genetically modified (GM) and non-GM crops in all member states. While it stresses that any approach needs to be “proportionate to the aim of achieving coexistence”, very few studies have actually attempted to assess whether the proposed spatial ex ante coexistence regulations (SEACERs) satisfy this proportionality condition. In this article, we define proportionality as a functional relationship which is weakly increasing in the incentives for coexistence. We propose a spatial framework based on an existing landscape and introduce the new concept of shadow factor as a measure for the opportunity costs induced by SEACERs. This enables comparing the proportionality of (i) rigid SEACERs which are based on large isolation distances imposed on GM farmers versus (ii) flexible SEACERs based on pollen barrier agreements between neighboring farmers. Our theoretical and empirical findings argue for flexibility as rigid SEACERs violate the proportionality condition and, hence, are not consistent with the objectives of the EU.policy analysis, GIS, shadow factor, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries,
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