The association between uterus shape and development of chronic conditions in a retrospective corhort of diethylstilbestrol-exposed women in Minnesota and Texas

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposed women are well known to be at increased risk of gynecologic cancers and infertility. Infertility may result from DES associated abnormalities in the shape of women's uteri, yet little research has addressed the effect of uterine abnormalities on risk of infertility and reproductive tract infection. Changes in uterine shape may also influence the risk of autoimmune disease and women's subsequent mental health. A sample of consenting women exposed in utero to hormone who were recruited into the DESAD project, underwent hysterosalpingogram (HSG) from 1978 to 1984. These women also completed a comprehensive health questionnaire in 1994 which included women's self-reports of chronic conditions. HSG data were used to categorize uterine shape abnormalities as arcuate shape, hypoplastic, wide lower segment, and constricted. Women were recruited from two of the four DESAD study sites in Houston (Baylor) and Minnesota (Mayo). All women were DES-exposed. Adjusted relative risk estimates were calculated comparing the range of abnormal uterine shaped to women with normal shaped uteri for each of the four outcomes: infertility, reproductive tract infection, autoimmune disease and depressive symptoms. Only the arcuate shape (n=80) was associated with a higher risk of infertility (relative risk [RR]= 1.53, 95% CI = 1.09, 2.15) as well as reproductive tract infection (RR= 1.74, 95% CI = 1.11, 2.73). In conclusion, DES-associated arcuate shaped uteri appeared to be associated with the higher risk of a reproductive tract infection and infertility while no other abnormal uterine shapes were associated with these two outcomes.^

Predictive factors for vaginal douching and tampon use among US women: Are these behaviors risk factors for bacterial vaginosis and trichomonas?

The use of feminine products such as vaginal douches, tampons, and sanitary napkins are common among women. Despite the results of some studies that suggest an association between douching and bacterial vaginosis, douching remains a topic that is understudied. The possibility of an association between tampon use and infection has not been significantly investigated since the toxic shock outbreak in the 1980s. The first objective of our study was to evaluate demographic, reproductive health, and sexual behavior variables to establish an epidemiologic profile of menstruating women who reported douching and women who reported using sanitary napkins only. The second objective of our study was to evaluate whether the behaviors of douching and using tampons were associated with an increased risk of bacterial vaginosis or trichomonas. We analyzed these factors, using logistic regression, among the 3,174 women from the NHANES cross sectional data from 2001-2004, who met the inclusion criteria determined for our study. We established an epidemiologic profile for women who had the highest frequency of douching reported as women who were age 36-49, had a high school education or GED, black race, not taking oral contraceptives, reported vaginal symptoms in the last month, two or more sexual partners in the last year, or tested positive for bacterial vaginosis or trichomonas. The profile for those who had the highest frequency of exclusive sanitary napkin use included women with less than a high school education, married women, women classified as black or "other" in race, and women who were not on oral contraceptives. While we were able to establish a significant increase in the odds of douching among women who tested positive for bacterial vaginosis or trichomonas, we did not find any significant difference in the odds of exclusive napkin use and testing negative for bacterial vaginosis or trichomonas.^

LIFE SATISFACTION: A COMPARISON OF RETIRED AND EMPLOYED WOMEN

This research addressed the question of life satisfaction for retired and employed women with long-term employment in a typically female occupational setting. Questions of how women's retirement is related to life satisfaction have been largely neglected because of cultural assumptions about the relative unimportance of the work role in women's lives. It is generally believed that the major source of satisfaction for women is in traditional family roles. Therefore, it follows that retirement from work is not experienced as a loss for women.^ The actual consequences of women's retirement have not been examined systematically. Descriptive data about their lives are inadequate. It is not known what patterns and resources result from a lifetime of work for women.^ The objectives of the study were to test assumptions from role and continuity theory regarding life satisfaction for retired women and women employed late in life and to describe the retirement and work experiences of the women.^ Life satisfaction was measured by the Neugarten, Havighurst and Tobin Life Satisfaction Index. Perceptions of appropriate roles for females and males were assessed through an attitudinal sex-role instrument. A composite index, derived from perceptions of health, social participation, and income at two time periods, measured level of continuity. These indices and demographic information, attitudinal items about work and retirement, and social network data comprised the mailed, self-administered survey and the personal interviews.^ The study population included 91 retired and 53 employed women, 55 years or older with a minimum of 20 years continuous employment, who were enrolled in the pension program of a large retail store.^ The retired women's perceptions of their health and social participation were more positive than the employed women's. Traditional retired women demonstrated higher life satisfaction than nontraditional retired women. Both retired and employed women who perceived continuity in life patterns scored statistically higher on life satisfaction than women who perceived discontinuity. Financial planning was the area of greatest retirement concern for retired and employed women.^

Genetic variants in the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway as predictors of survival and clinical response in women with ovarian cancer

Background. The mTOR pathway is commonly altered in human tumors and promotes cell survival and proliferation. Preliminary evidence suggests this pathway's involvement in chemoresistance to platinum and taxanes, first line therapy for epithelial ovarian cancer. A pathway-based approach was used to identify individual germline single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and cumulative effects of multiple genetic variants in mTOR pathway genes and their association with clinical outcome in women with ovarian cancer. ^ Methods. The case-series was restricted to 319 non-Hispanic white women with high grade ovarian cancer treated with surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy. 135 SNPs in 20 representative genes in the mTOR pathway were genotyped. Hazard ratios (HRs) for death and Odds ratios (ORs) for failure to respond to primary therapy were estimated for each SNP using the multivariate Cox proportional hazards model and multivariate logistic regression model, respectively, while adjusting for age, stage, histology and treatment sequence. A survival tree analysis of SNPs with a statistically significant association (p<0.05) was performed to identify higher order gene-gene interactions and their association with overall survival. ^ Results. There was no statistically significant difference in survival by tumor histology or treatment regimen. The median survival for the cohort was 48.3 months. Seven SNPs were significantly associated with decreased survival. Compared to those with no unfavorable genotypes, the HR for death increased significantly with the increasing number of unfavorable genotypes and women in the highest risk category had HR of 4.06 (95% CI 2.29–7.21). The survival tree analysis also identified patients with different survival patterns based on their genetic profiles. 13 SNPs on five different genes were found to be significantly associated with a treatment response, defined as no evidence of disease after completion of primary therapy. Rare homozygous genotype of SNP rs6973428 showed a 5.5-fold increased risk compared to the wild type carrying genotypes. In the cumulative effect analysis, the highest risk group (individuals with ≥8 unfavorable genotypes) was significantly less likely to respond to chemotherapy (OR=8.40, 95% CI 3.10–22.75) compared to the low risk group (≤4 unfavorable genotypes). ^ Conclusions. A pathway-based approach can demonstrate cumulative effects of multiple genetic variants on clinical response to chemotherapy and survival. Therapy targeting the mTOR pathway may modify outcome in select patients.^

Low Work-Function Thermionic Emission and Orbital-Motion-Limited Ion Collection at Bare-Tether Cathodic Contact

Una amarra electrodinámica (electrodynamic tether) opera sobre principios electromagnéticos intercambiando momento con la magnetosfera planetaria e interactuando con su ionosfera. Es un subsistema pasivo fiable para desorbitar etapas de cohetes agotadas y satélites al final de su misión, mitigando el crecimiento de la basura espacial. Una amarra sin aislamiento captura electrones del plasma ambiente a lo largo de su segmento polarizado positivamente, el cual puede alcanzar varios kilómetros de longitud, mientras que emite electrones de vuelta al plasma mediante un contactor de plasma activo de baja impedancia en su extremo catódico, tal como un cátodo hueco (hollow cathode). En ausencia de un contactor catódico activo, la corriente que circula por una amarra desnuda en órbita es nula en ambos extremos de la amarra y se dice que ésta está flotando eléctricamente. Para emisión termoiónica despreciable y captura de corriente en condiciones limitadas por movimiento orbital (orbital-motion-limited, OML), el cociente entre las longitudes de los segmentos anódico y catódico es muy pequeño debido a la disparidad de masas entre iones y electrones. Tal modo de operación resulta en una corriente media y fuerza de Lorentz bajas en la amarra, la cual es poco eficiente como dispositivo para desorbitar. El electride C12A7 : e−, que podría presentar una función de trabajo (work function) tan baja como W = 0.6 eV y un comportamiento estable a temperaturas relativamente altas, ha sido propuesto como recubrimiento para amarras desnudas. La emisión termoiónica a lo largo de un segmento así recubierto y bajo el calentamiento de la operación espacial, puede ser más eficiente que la captura iónica. En el modo más simple de fuerza de frenado, podría eliminar la necesidad de un contactor catódico activo y su correspondientes requisitos de alimentación de gas y subsistema de potencia, lo que resultaría en un sistema real de amarra “sin combustible”. Con este recubrimiento de bajo W, cada segmento elemental del segmento catódico de una amarra desnuda de kilómetros de longitud emitiría corriente como si fuese parte de una sonda cilíndrica, caliente y uniformemente polarizada al potencial local de la amarra. La operación es similar a la de una sonda de Langmuir 2D tanto en los segmentos catódico como anódico. Sin embargo, en presencia de emisión, los electrones emitidos resultan en carga espacial (space charge) negativa, la cual reduce el campo eléctrico que los acelera hacia fuera, o incluso puede desacelerarlos y hacerlos volver a la sonda. Se forma una doble vainas (double sheath) estable con electrones emitidos desde la sonda e iones provenientes del plasma ambiente. La densidad de corriente termoiónica, variando a lo largo del segmento catódico, podría seguir dos leyes distintas bajo diferentes condiciones: (i) la ley de corriente limitada por la carga espacial (space-charge-limited, SCL) o (ii) la ley de Richardson-Dushman (RDS). Se presenta un estudio preliminar sobre la corriente SCL frente a una sonda emisora usando la teoría de vainas (sheath) formada por la captura iónica en condiciones OML, y la corriente electrónica SCL entre los electrodos cilíndricos según Langmuir. El modelo, que incluye efectos óhmicos y el efecto de transición de emisión SCL a emisión RDS, proporciona los perfiles de corriente y potencial a lo largo de la longitud completa de la amarra. El análisis muestra que en el modo más simple de fuerza de frenado, bajo condiciones orbitales y de amarras típicas, la emisión termoiónica proporciona un contacto catódico eficiente y resulta en una sección catódica pequeña. En el análisis anterior, tanto la transición de emisión SCL a RD como la propia ley de emisión SCL consiste en un modelo muy simplificado. Por ello, a continuación se ha estudiado con detalle la solución de vaina estacionaria de una sonda con emisión termoiónica polarizada negativamente respecto a un plasma isotrópico, no colisional y sin campo magnético. La existencia de posibles partículas atrapadas ha sido ignorada y el estudio incluye tanto un estudio semi-analítico mediante técnica asintóticas como soluciones numéricas completas del problema. Bajo las tres condiciones (i) alto potencial, (ii) R = Rmax para la validez de la captura iónica OML, y (iii) potencial monotónico, se desarrolla un análisis asintótico auto-consistente para la estructura de plasma compleja que contiene las tres especies de cargas (electrones e iones del plasma, electrones emitidos), y cuatro regiones espaciales distintas, utilizando teorías de movimiento orbital y modelos cinéticos de las especies. Aunque los electrones emitidos presentan carga espacial despreciable muy lejos de la sonda, su efecto no se puede despreciar en el análisis global de la estructura de la vaina y de dos capas finas entre la vaina y la región cuasi-neutra. El análisis proporciona las condiciones paramétricas para que la corriente sea SCL. También muestra que la emisión termoiónica aumenta el radio máximo de la sonda para operar dentro del régimen OML y que la emisión de electrones es mucho más eficiente que la captura iónica para el segmento catódico de la amarra. En el código numérico, los movimientos orbitales de las tres especies son modelados para potenciales tanto monotónico como no-monotónico, y sonda de radio R arbitrario (dentro o más allá del régimen de OML para la captura iónica). Aprovechando la existencia de dos invariante, el sistema de ecuaciones Poisson-Vlasov se escribe como una ecuación integro-diferencial, la cual se discretiza mediante un método de diferencias finitas. El sistema de ecuaciones algebraicas no lineal resultante se ha resuelto de con un método Newton-Raphson paralelizado. Los resultados, comparados satisfactoriamente con el análisis analítico, proporcionan la emisión de corriente y la estructura del plasma y del potencial electrostático. ABSTRACT An electrodynamic tether operates on electromagnetic principles and exchanges momentum through the planetary magnetosphere, by continuously interacting with the ionosphere. It is a reliable passive subsystem to deorbit spent rocket stages and satellites at its end of mission, mitigating the growth of orbital debris. A tether left bare of insulation collects electrons by its own uninsulated and positively biased segment with kilometer range, while electrons are emitted by a low-impedance active device at the cathodic end, such as a hollow cathode, to emit the full electron current. In the absence of an active cathodic device, the current flowing along an orbiting bare tether vanishes at both ends and the tether is said to be electrically floating. For negligible thermionic emission and orbital-motion-limited (OML) collection throughout the entire tether (electron/ion collection at anodic/cathodic segment, respectively), the anodic-to-cathodic length ratio is very small due to ions being much heavier, which results in low average current and Lorentz drag. The electride C12A7 : e−, which might present a possible work function as low as W = 0.6 eV and moderately high temperature stability, has been proposed as coating for floating bare tethers. Thermionic emission along a thus coated cathodic segment, under heating in space operation, can be more efficient than ion collection and, in the simplest drag mode, may eliminate the need for an active cathodic device and its corresponding gas-feed requirements and power subsystem, which would result in a truly “propellant-less” tether system. With this low-W coating, each elemental segment on the cathodic segment of a kilometers-long floating bare-tether would emit current as if it were part of a hot cylindrical probe uniformly polarized at the local tether bias, under 2D probe conditions that are also applied to the anodic-segment analysis. In the presence of emission, emitted electrons result in negative space charge, which decreases the electric field that accelerates them outwards, or even reverses it, decelerating electrons near the emitting probe. A double sheath would be established with electrons being emitted from the probe and ions coming from the ambient plasma. The thermionic current density, varying along the cathodic segment, might follow two distinct laws under different con ditions: i) space-charge-limited (SCL) emission or ii) full Richardson-Dushman (RDS) emission. A preliminary study on the SCL current in front of an emissive probe is presented using the orbital-motion-limited (OML) ion-collection sheath and Langmuir’s SCL electron current between cylindrical electrodes. A detailed calculation of current and bias profiles along the entire tether length is carried out with ohmic effects considered and the transition from SCL to full RDS emission is included. Analysis shows that in the simplest drag mode, under typical orbital and tether conditions, thermionic emission provides efficient cathodic contact and leads to a short cathodic section. In the previous analysis, both the transition between SCL and RDS emission and the current law for SCL condition have used a very simple model. To continue, considering an isotropic, unmagnetized, colissionless plasma and a stationary sheath, the probe-plasma contact is studied in detail for a negatively biased probe with thermionic emission. The possible trapped particles are ignored and this study includes both semianalytical solutions using asymptotic analysis and complete numerical solutions. Under conditions of i) high bias, ii) R = Rmax for ion OML collection validity, and iii) monotonic potential, a self-consistent asymptotic analysis is carried out for the complex plasma structure involving all three charge species (plasma electrons and ions, and emitted electrons) and four distinct spatial regions using orbital motion theories and kinetic modeling of the species. Although emitted electrons present negligible space charge far away from the probe, their effect cannot be neglected in the global analysis for the sheath structure and two thin layers in between the sheath and the quasineutral region. The parametric conditions for the current to be space-chargelimited are obtained. It is found that thermionic emission increases the range of probe radius for OML validity and is greatly more effective than ion collection for cathodic contact of tethers. In the numerical code, the orbital motions of all three species are modeled for both monotonic and non-monotonic potential, and for any probe radius R (within or beyond OML regime for ion collection). Taking advantage of two constants of motion (energy and angular momentum), the Poisson-Vlasov equation is described by an integro differential equation, which is discretized using finite difference method. The non-linear algebraic equations are solved using a parallel implementation of the Newton-Raphson method. The results, which show good agreement with the analytical results, provide the results for thermionic current, the sheath structure, and the electrostatic potential.

Smoking and risk of myocardial infarction in women and men: longitudinal population study

Objective: To compare risk of myocardial infarction associated with smoking in men and women, taking into consideration differences in smoking behaviour and a number of potential confounding variables.

Women and Performance in Corporate America

Women and Performance in Corporate America The glass ceiling has been shattered. Women like Indra Nooyi, the CEO of PepsiCo.; Angela Braly, the CEO of Wellpoint; and Patricia Woertz, the CEO of Archer Daniels Midland, are proof that women can achieve top leadership positions in corporate America. However, the scarcity of female leaders occupying the top ranks of corporate America, and the significant wage gap between men and women, suggest that there are significant complications along the path toward success for women in the corporate world.The data show that a disproportionately small number of women are making it to top leadership positions in corporate America. According to the US Department of Labor, in 2007 women accounted for 46% of the total work force, and 51 % of all workers in management, professional, and related occupations. Women outnumbered men in occupations including financial managers, human resource managers, education administrators, medical and health service managers, accountants and auditors, budget analysts, and property, real estate, and social and community association managers (US Department of Labor, 2007). However, women hold only 15.2% of board director positions, 15.7% of corporate officer positions, and 6.2% of top earner positions (Catalyst, 2009b). Additionally, according to a 2008 Corporate Library survey, only 2.6% of Fortune 500 companies currently have female CEOs (as cited in Jones, 2009).The data also show that women earn less than men in the work force. The US Department of Labor found that women working full time in 2007 made only 80% of the salaries of men (US Department of Labor, 2008). Studies designed to control for factors other than gender have not been able to account for the wage gap between men and women (Eagly & Carli, 2007, US Government Accountability Office, 2003). Even among CEO's of fortune 500 companies, female CEO's make only 85% of the salaries of male CEO's (Jones, 2009).

Surréalisme Sous-L’Eau : science and surrealism in the early films and writings of Jean Painlevé

A French biologist who moved in Surrealist circles, Jean Painlevé began making films about underwater creatures in 1927, and by 1982 had created over two hundred films on a broad range of natural, scientific, and political subjects. His underwater films remain the most ethereal and poetic works in his oeuvre, and he specifically used cinema to capture the mystery and wonder of nature.

Microcredit Financing Organizations: Global Players Empowering Women and Alleviating Poverty Worldwide

World poverty is a global issue and a development issue. Poverty reduction and women's empowerment are deeply connected to regional stability and long lasting peace. Nations will continue to be plagued by poverty, and top-down government agency aid programs to date have been unsuccessful. Encouraging news resides in innovative microfinance initiatives that alleviate poverty and impact millions of impoverished people around the globe. Microfinance organizations provide small loans, primarily to women otherwise excluded from the formal banking sector, for entrepreneurial endeavors. Myriad social, educational, and health programs accompany microfinance loan services. It is a powerful poverty-fighting tool with socioeconomic benefits. Evidence suggests that while imperfect, microfinance goals and successes are inspiring given the paucity of realistic alternatives in today's global development arena.

Behavioral Differences in the Upper and Lower Visual Hemifields in Shape and Motion Perception.

Perceptual accuracy is known to be influenced by stimuli location within the visual field. In particular, it seems to be enhanced in the lower visual hemifield (VH) for motion and space processing, and in the upper VH for object and face processing. The origins of such asymmetries are attributed to attentional biases across the visual field, and in the functional organization of the visual system. In this article, we tested content-dependent perceptual asymmetries in different regions of the visual field. Twenty-five healthy volunteers participated in this study. They performed three visual tests involving perception of shapes, orientation and motion, in the four quadrants of the visual field. The results of the visual tests showed that perceptual accuracy was better in the lower than in the upper visual field for motion perception, and better in the upper than in the lower visual field for shape perception. Orientation perception did not show any vertical bias. No difference was found when comparing right and left VHs. The functional organization of the visual system seems to indicate that the dorsal and the ventral visual streams, responsible for motion and shape perception, respectively, show a bias for the lower and upper VHs, respectively. Such a bias depends on the content of the visual information.

Report regarding investigation directed to be made by the President in his Executive order of November 27, 1933, approving the Code of fair competition for the motion picture industry.

Mode of access: Internet.

List of references on moving pictures in education, June, 1914-.

Mode of access: Internet.

A handbook on the selection and use of family life films with discussion groups.

Mode of access: Internet.

Propaganda and the Nazi war film

Lithoprinted.

Drinking driver and traffic safety project: final report, vol. I.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.