Maternal bodies, breast-feeding, and consumer desire in urban China

Urban Chinese women in the 1990s formulated their infant-feeding decisions in the context of a society undergoing radical transformation as the nation moved from a centrally planned socialist economy to a global, market-oriented one. Narratives of new mothers in Beijing in the 1990s provide insights into the multiple forces that shaped their infant-feeding practices. These personal histories also illustrate the limitations of multilateral breast-feeding programs that emphasize breast-feeding as a natural interaction between mother and infant. The cases I present here demonstrate instead that the material, bodily manifestations of breast-feeding require nursing mothers to continually renegotiate relations with husbands, coworkers, and family. Chinese women's accounts also add insight to theoretical deliberations on gender and the body, for they demonstrate that cultural expectations and the demands of the lactating body must be considered to understand fully the process of women's decisions in a social and not strictly reproductive context. On a larger scale, the data also illustrate how global intervention, in the form of the WHO-UNICEF-sponsored Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, promotes breast-feeding as a woman's primary duty at the same time that market forces counter this message as women redefine their individual expectations and social relationships.     

P‐bodies and their functions during mRNA cell cycle: Mini‐review

P‐bodies (processing bodies) are observed in different organisms such as yeast, Caenorhabditis elegans and mammals. A typical eukaryotic cell contains several types of spatially formed granules, such as P‐bodies, stress granules and a variety of ribonucleoprotein bodies. These microdomains play important role in mRNA processing, including RNA interference, repression of translation and mRNA decay. The P‐bodies components as well as stress granules may play an important role in host defense against viral infection. The complete set of P‐bodies protein elements is still poor known. They contain conserved protein core limited to different organisms or to stress status of the cell. P‐bodies are related also to some neuronal mRNA granules as well as to maternal RNA granules or male germ cell granules. In this mini‐review, we focus on the structure of P‐bodies and their function in the mRNA utilization and processing because of the high mRNA's dynamics between different cellular compartments and its key role in modulation of gene expression. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reconstructing race and gender in American cosmetic surgery

While scholars have examined how cosmetic surgery can reinforce gender norms, the development of racially specific standards is a more recent phenomenon that has received less scrutiny. This article examines how cosmetic surgeons conceptualize race and its intersection with gender. Through analysis of eighty surgeon-authored procedural guides, I find that surgeons engage in what I term the biological construction of social difference, mixing discourses of biology and physical difference with social and cultural discourses to describe patient beauty ideals. Surgeons develop an expert discourse on race and gender that is simultaneously about difference and beauty. The development of “ethnic” specific cosmetic surgery standards enshrines a “white” default referent even as it opens the door to other configurations of physical appearance. Cosmetic surgery implies that physical markers of race and gender are mutable – literally, via the surgeon’s scalpel – even as it relies on and reinforces established notions of racial difference.     

Sexual desire, sexual arousal and hormonal differences in premenopausal US and Dutch women with and without low sexual desire

The interaction between women's hormonal condition and subjective, physiological, and behavioral indices of desire or arousal remains only partially explored, in spite of frequent reports from women about problems with a lack of sexual desire. The present study recruited premenopausal women at two sites, one in the United States and the other in the Netherlands, and incorporated various measures of acute changes in sexual desire and arousal. A sample of 46 women who met criteria for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) was compared to 47 women who experienced no sexual problems (SF). Half of each group used oral contraceptives (OCs). The specific goal was to investigate whether there is a relationship between women's hormone levels and their genital and subjective sexual responsiveness. Background demographics and health variables, including oral contraceptive (OC) use, were recorded and hormones (total testosterone (T), free testosterone (FT), SHBG, and estradiol) were analyzed along with vaginal pulse amplitude and self-report measures of desire and arousal in response to sexual fantasy, visual sexual stimuli, and photos of men's faces. Self-reported arousal and desire were lower in the HSDD than the SF group, but only for women who were not using oral contraceptives. Relationships between hormones and sexual function differed depending on whether a woman was HSDD or not. In line with prior literature, FT was positively associated with physiological and subjective sexual arousal in the SF group. The HSDD women demonstrated the opposite pattern, in that FT was negatively associated with subjective sexual responsiveness. The findings suggest a possible alternative relationship between hormones and sexual responsiveness in women with HSDD who have characteristics similar to those in the present study.     

Race,ethnicity and German identity: a media analysis of the 2010 world cup men's national soccer team

Enjoying a surge of national pride, the German media celebrated the 2010 German World Cup team's success in South Africa. A dominant theme in this coverage was the ‘immigration background’ of 11 of the 23 players on the team and their claim to German identity despite their ethnic diversity. Amid debate over the changing nature of German citizenship, the national team's ‘multicultural kickers’ became the focal point for those who wished to re-frame German identity. This article examines German newspaper and magazine coverage of the national soccer team emphasizing the role that media played in constructing competing definitions of the German citizen and nation.     

Enteropathogens associated with acute diarrhea in community and hospital patients in Jakarta,Indonesia

The prevalence of bacteria, parasite and viral pathogens in 3875 patients with diarrhea in community and hospital settings from March 1997 through August 1999 in Jakarta, Indonesia was determined using routine bacteriology and molecular assay techniques. Bacterial pathogens isolated from hospital patients were, in decreasing frequency, Vibrio cholerae O1, Shigella flexneri, Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter jejuni, while S. flexneri, V. cholerae O1, Salmonella spp. and C. jejuni were isolated from the community patients. V. cholerae O1 was isolated more frequently (P<0.005) from the hospital patients than the community patients. Overall, bacterial pathogens were isolated from 538 of 3875 (14%) enrolled cases of diarrhea. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli were detected in 218 (18%) of 1244 rectal swabs. A small percentage of enterohemorrhagic E. coli (1%) and of Clostridium difficile (1.3%) was detected. Parasitic examination of 389 samples resulted in 43 (11%) positives comprising Ascaris lumbricoides (1.5%), Blastocystis hominis (5.7%), Giardia lamblia (0.8%), Trichuris trichiura (2.1%) and Endolimax nana (0.5%). Rotavirus (37.5%), adenovirus (3.3%) and Norwalk-like virus (17.6%) were also detected. Antimicrobial resistance was observed among some isolates. Bacterial isolates were susceptible to quinolones, with the exception of some isolates of C. jejuni which were resistant to ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid and norfloxacin. Data obtained from this community- and hospital-based study will enable the Indonesian Ministry of Health to plan relevant studies on diarrheal diseases in the archipelago.     

Challenges and Emerging Opportunities in High‐Mobility and Low‐Energy‐Consumption Organic Field‐Effect Transistors

Organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs) are the basic elements of organic circuits towards flexible, printable, and wearable electronics. Low‐energy‐consumption OFETs with high mobility are the prerequisite for practical applications. After 30 years of development, OFETs have progressed rapidly, from field‐effect materials to devices, and from individual device to small‐ and medium‐scale integration. Here, a brief retrospective of OFETs' development over the past decades, and the emerging opportunities and challenges from device physics, multifunctional materials to integrated application are presented.     

Age‐dependent and task‐related volume changes in the mushroom bodies of visually guided desert ants,Cataglyphis bicolor

Desert ants of the genus Cataglyphis are skillful long‐distance navigators employing a variety of visual navigational tools such as skylight compasses and landmark guidance mechanisms. However, the time during which this navigational toolkit comes into play is extremely short, as the average lifetime of a Cataglyphis forager lasts for only about 6 days. Here we show, by using immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, and three‐dimensional reconstruction software, that even during this short period of adult life, Cataglyphis exhibits a remarkable increase in the size of its mushroom bodies, especially of the visual input region, the collar, if compared to age‐matched dark‐reared animals. This task‐related increase rides on a much smaller age‐dependent increase of the size of the mushroom bodies. Due to the variation in body size exhibited by Cataglyphis workers we use allometric analyses throughout and show that small animals exhibit considerably larger task‐related increases in the sizes of their mushroom bodies than larger animals do. It is as if there were an upper limit of mushroom body size required for accomplishing the ant's navigational tasks. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol, 2006     

Polymer Blend Solar Cells Based on a High‐Mobility Naphthalenediimide‐Based Polymer Acceptor: Device Physics,Photophysics and Morphology

A high electron mobility polymer, poly{[N,N’‐bis(2‐octyldodecyl)‐naphthalene‐1,4,5,8‐bis(dicarboximide)‐2,6‐diyl]‐alt‐5,5’‐(2,2’‐bithiophene) (P(NDI2OD‐T2)) is investigated for use as an electron acceptor in all‐polymer blends. Despite the high bulk electron mobility, near‐infrared absorption band and compatible energy levels, bulk heterojunction devices fabricated with poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as the electron donor exhibit power conversion efficiencies of only 0.2%. In order to understand this disappointing photovoltaic performance, systematic investigations of the photophysics, device physics and morphology of this system are performed. Ultra‐fast transient absorption spectroscopy reveals a two‐stage decay process with an initial rapid loss of photoinduced polarons, followed by a second slower decay. This second slower decay is similar to what is observed for efficient P3HT:PCBM ([6,6]‐phenyl C₆₁‐butyric acid methyl ester) blends, however the initial fast decay that is absent in P3HT:PCBM blends suggests rapid, geminate recombination of charge pairs shortly after charge transfer. X‐ray microscopy reveals coarse phase separation of P3HT:P(NDI2OD‐T2) blends with domains of size 0.2 to 1 micrometer. P3HT photoluminescence, however, is still found to be efficiently quenched indicating intermixing within these mesoscale domains. This hierarchy of phase separation is consistent with the transient absorption, whereby localized confinement of charges on isolated chains in the matrix of the other polymer hinders the separation of interfacial electron‐hole pairs. These results indicate that local, interfacial processes are the key factor determining the overall efficiency of this system and highlight the need for improved morphological control in order for the potential benefit of high‐mobility electron accepting polymers to be realized.     

BMI and Cervical Cancer Screening among White,African‐American,and Hispanic Women in the United States

Objectives: We examined cervical cancer screening by BMI in white, African‐American, and Hispanic women and explored women's reasons for not undergoing screening. Research Methods and Procedures: We used logistic regression to examine Pap testing in the preceding 3 years across BMI groups for white (n = 6419), African‐American (n = 1715), and Hispanic women (n = 1859) age 18 to 75 years who responded to the 2000 National Health Interview Survey. We used bivariable analyses to describe women's reasons for not undergoing testing and examined whether unscreened women received physician recommendations for screening. Results: Of 12, 170 women, 50% were normal weight, 26% were overweight, and 21% were obese. The proportion who reported Pap testing in the last 3 years was 86% in whites, 88% in African Americans, and 78% in Hispanics. After adjustment for sociodemographics, health care access, and illness burden, severely obese white women (BMI = 40+ kg/m²) were significantly less likely to undergo Pap testing (relative risk, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.83 to 0.99) compared with normal weight women. BMI was not associated with screening in African Americans or Hispanics. A higher proportion of obese white women than normal weight women cited putting off the test or embarrassment or discomfort as the primary reason for not undergoing screening. Among the unscreened, obese women were as likely as normal weight women to receive a physician recommendation to undergo screening. Discussion: Disparities in cervical cancer screening by body weight persist for white women with severe obesity. Disparities were not explained by differences in the rate of physician recommendations for screening, but obese white women may be more likely to delay screening or to find screening painful, uncomfortable, or embarrassing than normal weight white women. Efforts to increase screening among obese women should address women's reservations about screening.     

Determinants of zinc intake in low-Income black and white pregnant women

A prospective study was conducted to evaluate and compare the determinants of dietary zinc intake in black and white low-income pregnant women. The study population consisted of 1298 low-income women (70% Black, 30% White) who received prenatal care at University Hospital at the University of Alabama in Birmingham from 1985 to 1989. Various maternal characteristics were evaluated at the first prenatal visit. Two 24 h recalls were obtained at 18 and 30 wk of gestation to calculate the intakes of dietary zinc and other nutrients. Student’st test, ξ², Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analyses were used to compare and evaluate the determinants of zinc and other nutrient intakes in Black and White subjects. The mean prepregnancy body mass index and the mean intake of zinc, energy, and all the other nutrients except calcium were significantly higher in Black than in White subjects. There was a significant correlation between zinc and energy intake (r- 0.69,p = 0.001). Age, marital status, parity, socioeconomic status, smoking, and alcohol intake were not significant predictors of zinc or other nutrient intakes. After adjusting for energy intake, race was the only significant predictor of dietary zinc intake. Race and energy intake explained 24% of the variation in zinc intake. Results of this study indicate that after adjusting for other covariates, race and energy intakes are the only predictors of zinc intake in low-income pregnant women.     

The state of ethnicity and the ethnicity of the state: Ethnic politics in Southeast Asia

Attitudes about racial inequality in the United States are often viewed through the lenses of discrimination and disadvantage. However, as whiteness studies suggest, systems of racial inequality produce both disadvantage and advantage. National surveys have documented explanations for African American disadvantage but have not collected data on explanations for white advantage. African American disadvantage and white advantage are two sides of the same coin – racial inequality. To understand attitudes about racial inequality, we need to know Americans' beliefs about both sides of the racialized system. This research uses national survey data to examine explanations for both sides of racial inequality and identifies which factors are believed to be most important in explaining white advantage, finding that racial attitudes are complex and are dependent upon the specific situation and context. This research will provide a valuable contribution to both whiteness studies and race relations research.     

Recombinant murine growth hormone from E. coli inclusion bodies: Expression,high‐pressure solubilization and refolding,and characterization of activity and structure

We expressed recombinant murine growth hormone (rmGH) in E. coli as a cost‐effective way to produce large quantities (gram scale) of the protein for use in murine studies of immunogenicity to therapeutic proteins. High hydrostatic pressure was used to achieve high solubility and high refolding yields of rmGH protein produced in E. coli inclusion bodies. A two‐step column purification protocol was used to produce 99% pure monomeric rmGH. Secondary and tertiary structures of purified rmGH were investigated using circular dichroism and 2D‐UV spectroscopy. The purified rmGH produced was found to be biologically active in hypophysectomized rats. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2010     

The Production of Urban Space by Violence and its Aftermath in Jakarta and Kota Ambon,Indonesia

Violence has an enormous potential impact on the production of urban space. This article presents an analysis of how violence has made an impact on Indonesian cities since 1998. Using case material from communal violence in Kota Ambon, and lynching and vigilantism in Jakarta, the article addresses the question what impact did violence have on the spatial restructuring of some Indonesian cities and, conversely, – assuming that the people who used violence are slowly relinquishing its use – what impact does the restoration of law and order have on urban space? How enduring are some of the underlying, historical patterns of violence and do many of them still exist, hidden under the surface, today?     

Electric Field and Mobility Dependent First‐Order Recombination Losses in Organic Solar Cells

The origin of photocurrent losses in the power‐generating regime of organic solar cells (OSCs) remains a controversial topic, although recent literature suggests that the competition between bimolecular recombination and charge extraction determines the bias dependence of the photocurrent. Here the steady‐state recombination dynamics is studied in bulk‐heterojunction OSCs with different hole mobilities from short‐circuit to maximum power point. It is shown that in this regime, in contrast to previous transient extracted charge and absorption spectroscopy studies, first‐order recombination outweighs bimolecular recombination of photogenerated charge carriers. This study demonstrates that the first‐order losses increase with decreasing slower carrier mobility, and attributes them to either mobilization of charges trapped at the donor:acceptor interface through the Poole–Frenkel effect, and/or recombination of photogenerated and injected charges. The dependence of both first‐order and higher‐order losses on the slower carrier mobility explains why the field dependence of OSC efficiencies has historically been attributed to charge‐extraction losses.     

Ethnicity,Insurance Type,and Follow‐up in a Pediatric Weight Management Program

Objective: To assess the characteristics of children and adolescents who drop out of a clinical weight management program. Research Methods and Procedures: A retrospective survey of children and adolescents attending a pediatric weight management program [n = 518; mean ± SEM: age 10.4 ± 0.2 years, BMI z‐score 4.9 ± 0.1, 62% female, 41% African American and 57% white] was undertaken. Characteristics of children (age, relative weight, gender, and ethnicity) who dropped out of the program were compared with characteristics of those who continued beyond the initial assessment as a function of type of insurance. Results: The children who dropped out of the program after the initial assessment differed by ethnicity from those who continued in the program: 63% of white children returned for more than one visit, whereas only 35% of the African‐American children continued in the program. Indemnity insurance coverage was associated with more clinic visits, as compared with managed care insurance. The association between insurance type and clinic visit number was of borderline significance (p = 0.06), when ethnic group was added to this analysis. Discussion: Ethnicity is associated with attendance in a Pediatric Weight Management Program. Given the epidemic of obesity in children and adolescents, issues related to program compliance must be assessed to improve overall outcome. This is especially important given the high rate of obesity among African Americans and the low rate of ongoing attendance observed among African Americans in the Weight Management Program.