The IS/OS junction layer in the natural history of type 2 idiopathic macular telangiectasia

To document the progression of a break in the photoreceptor inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) junction layer and its functional correlates over time in the natural history of type 2 idiopathic macular telangiectasia (type 2 MacTel).

The Modernity of la Mode: a History of the French Revolution Through the Lens of Fashion, Culture, and Identity

In my thesis, I explore the cultural history of the French Revolution and its relation to the modern era which ensued. Many historians have studied the French Revolution as it relates to culture, the rise of modernity, and fashion. I combine the unique histories of all three of these aspects to reach an understanding of the history of the French Revolution and fashion’s role in bringing about change. In the majority of literature of costume history, discussion of fashion surrounds its reflective properties. Many historians conclude fashion as a reflection of the broader cultural shifts that occurred during the Revolution. I, on the other hand, propose that fashion is an active force in bringing out cultural change during this time. In exploring fashion as a historical motivator, I examine the aesthetic world of fashion from 1740 to 1815, the modern system of cultural dissemination of fashion through particular historical heroes, and the rise of “taste” and its relation to modern identity. Through aesthetics, culture, and identity, I argue that fashion is a decisive force of culture in that it creates a visual world through which ideas form and communicate.

Perilipin-1 in hemodialyzed patients: association with history of coronary heart disease and lipid profile

Perilipin-1 surrounds lipid droplets in both adipocytes and in atheroma plaque foam cells and controls access of lipases to the lipid core. In hemodialysis (HD) patients, dyslipidemia, malnutrition, inflammation and atherosclerosis are common. Thirty-six HD patients and 28 healthy volunteers were enrolled into the study. Ten HD patients suffered from coronary heart disease (CHD). Perilipin-1, triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), body mass index, albumin, geriatric nutritional risk index, normalized protein catabolic rate, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured. Perilipin-1 did not differ between HD patients and healthy volunteers. IL-6 and TNF-α were higher in HD patients. The evaluated nutritional markers and the markers of inflammation did not differ between HD patients with high perilipin-1 levels and HD patients with low perilipin-1 levels. Regarding the lipid profile, only HDL-C differed between HD patients with high perilipin-1 levels and HD patients with low perilipin-1 levels, and it was higher in the first subgroup. Perilipin-1 was significantly higher in HD patients without CHD. Perilipin-1 is detectable in the serum of HD patients and it is associated with increased HDL-C and decreased incidence of CHD.

Prioritization of Potential Mates' History of Sexual Fidelity During a Conjoint Ranking Task

This series of studies is the first to use conjoint analysis to examine how individuals make trade-offs during mate selection when provided information about a partner's history of sexual infidelity. Across three studies, participants ranked profiles of potential mates, with each profile varying across five attributes: financial stability, physical attractiveness, sexual fidelity, emotional investment, and similarity. They also rated each attribute separately for importance in an ideal mate. Overall, we found that for a long-term mate, participants prioritized a potential partner's history of sexual fidelity over other attributes when profiles were ranked conjointly. For a short-term mate, sexual fidelity, physical attractiveness, and financial stability were equally important, and each was more important than emotional investment and similarity. These patterns contrast with participants' self-reported importance ratings of each individual attribute. Our results are interpreted within the context of previous literature examining how making trade-offs affect mate selection.

The Gandhi Story: An Official Indian Comic Book History of the Mahatma

In 1966, the Publications Division of the Government of India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting released a 47-page hardbound comic book entitled The Gandhi Story. Written and illustrated by S.D. Sawant and S.D. Badalkar, it opens with a foreword by independent India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and presents a state sanctioned narrative of Gandhi’s life and role in the Indian struggle for independence. This articles examines how the creators of The Gandhi Story drew upon both textual and visual sources as reference material during its creation, and investigates the relationship between "official" and "unofficial" nationalisms of twentieth-century Indian history.