If I am woman, who are 'they'? The construction of 'other' feminisms

Characterizations of feminist identities are presented, represented and, arguably, misrepresented within current public debates and popular media. Issues of sameness and difference have come to the fore as both timely and politically relevant. This paper aims to address issues arising from engagement with feminisms, in particular those which we experience as 'other' but which, concurrently, resonate with many of our concerns. Conflicting views revolve around the viability of constructing stable political identities for women who elect to include the term 'feminist' in their selfdescription. These debates become increasingly complex when contextualized within relative power positionings of knowledge production in differing arenas. Drawing on the literature around the legitimization of gender and political identities, the authors reflect in this paper on the possibilities of engaging with these identities, both in our capacity of 'others', but also as individuals whose theoretical positioning resonates with the issues under consideration

Acute effects of exercise on mood and HRV

El objetivo del estudio es analizar los efectos agudos del ejercicio físico sobre el estado de ánimo y la variabilidad de la frecuencia cardíaca (HRV), en personas activas y sedentarias. Para ello participaron 30 estudiantes clasificados en Activos y No activos. En una sola sesión realizaban una prueba de esfuerzo submáximo (UKK), cumplimentando el Perfil de Estados de Ánimo (POMS) y realizando un test en reposo de la HRV antes y después del ejercicio. Los resultados indican una mejora en el estado de ánimo, aumentando en los factores de Vigor y Fatiga y disminuyendo en Tensión y Depresión después del ejercicio. Se encontraron diferencias significativas en función del nivel de ejercicio físico de los participantes en el nivel de Depresión, al observarse una mayor disminución después del ejercicio en los Activos. La HRV también mostró diferencias entre Activos y No activos en los parámetros de dominio frecuencial, LFnu2 y HFnu2The aim of this study was to analyze the acute effects of exercise on mood and on heart rate variability (HRV), in active and sedentary people. This involved 30 undergraduates classified into Active and Non active participants. In a single session participants performed a submaximal exercise test (UKK), answered the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and performed before and after the exercise a test of HRV at rest. The participants improved their mood state, by increasing Vigor and Fatigue factors and decreased Tension and Depression after the exercise test. Moreover, Active participants presented a significant higher decrease in Depression after exercise than Non active. HRV analysis also showed differences between Active and Non active participants in the frequency domain parameters LFnu2 and HFnu

Effect of residual stress on recrystallization behavior of mechanically alloyed steels

This paper presents a finite element modeling analysis of deformation on iron-base mechanically alloyed oxide dispersion strengthened alloy by spherical indentations (Brinell test). Results of the model are used to interpret the role of residual shear stresses on the development of recrystallized grain structure and the temperature at which recrystallization occurs.I. Toda Caraballo acknowledges the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Inovacio´n for financial support in the form of Ph.D. research grant (FPI). The authors acknowledge financial support for this investigation from the Spanish Ministerio de Educacio´n y Ciencia through the Plan Nacional 2006 ENE2006-15170-C02- 01/ALT.Peer reviewe

Multiport Multiband Decoupling Optimization for Miniature Antennas

Multiband multiport antennas are increasingly used for wireless communications and sensing miniature devices. The equations governing the multiport multiband antennas are analyzed in this paper with the objective of drawing the design guidelines for low coupling small antennas. Those guidelines have been applied in the design and optimization of a two-port dual band small antenna of size around λ0/13 x λ0/13 at the lowest frequency. Certain coupling conditions are applied to the port loads achieving a coupling reduction of 8 dB when having a simple two-element real load. A reduction of 27 dB can be obtained when having ideal loads composed by a higher number of elements. The antenna geometry is shown together with coupling minimization results

Frataxin deficiency increases cyclooxygenase 2 and prostaglandins in cell and animal models of Friedreich's ataxia

© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.An inherited deficiency of the mitochondrial protein frataxin causes Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA); the mechanism by which this deficiency triggers neuro- and cardio-degeneration is unclear. Microarrays of neural tissue of animal models of the disease showed decreases in antioxidant genes, and increases in inflammatory genes. Cyclooxygenase (COX)-derived oxylipins are important mediators of inflammation. We measured oxylipin levels using tandem mass spectrometry and ELISAs in multiple cell and animal models of FRDA. Mass spectrometry revealed increases in concentrations of prostaglandins, thromboxane B2, 15-HETE and 11-HETE in cerebellar samples of knockin knockout mice. One possible explanation for the elevated oxylipins is that frataxin deficiency results in increased COX activity. While constitutive COX1 was unchanged, inducible COX2 expression was elevated over 1.35-fold (P < 0.05) in two Friedreich's mouse models and Friedreich's lymphocytes. Consistent with higher COX2 expression, its activity was also increased by 58% over controls. COX2 expression is driven by multiple transcription factors, including activator protein 1 and cAMP response element-binding protein, both of which were elevated over 1.52-fold in cerebella. Taken together, the results support the hypothesis that reduced expression of frataxin leads to elevation of COX2-mediated oxylipin synthesis stimulated by increases in transcription factors that respond to increased reactive oxygen species. These findings support a neuroinflammatory mechanism in FRDA, which has both pathomechanistic and therapeutic implications.The study was supported by NIH grants NS077777, EY012245 and AG025532 to G.A.C., and USDA-ARS Intramural Projects 5306-51530-019-00D and 1 U24 DK097154-01 to J.W.N. Funding to pay the Open Access publication charges for this article was provided by the NIH

What lies beneath: exploring links between asylum policy and hate crime in the UK

This paper explores the link between increasing incidents of hate crime and the asylum policy of successive British governments with its central emphasis on deterrence. The constant problematisation of asylum seekers in the media and political discourse ensures that 'anti-immigrant' prejudice becomes mainstr earned as a common-sense response. The victims are not only the asylum seekers hoping for a better life but democratic society itself with its inherent values of pluralism and tolerance debased and destabilised

Cytochrome P450 Epoxygenase-Derived Epoxyeicosatrienoic Acids Contribute to Insulin Sensitivity in Mice and in Humans

Aims/hypothesis: Insulin resistance is frequently associated with hypertension and type 2 diabetes. The P450 arachidonic acid epoxygenases (CYP2C, CYP2J) and their epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET) products lower blood pressure and may also improve glucose homeostasis. However, the direct contribution of endogenous EET production on insulin sensitivity has not been previously investigated. In this study we tested the hypothesis that endogenous CYP2C-derived EETs alter insulin sensitivity by analyzing mice lacking Cyp2c44, amajor EET producing enzyme, and by testing the association of plasma EETs with insulin sensitivity in humans.Methods: We assessed insulin sensitivity in wild-type (WT) and Cyp2c44(-/-) mice using hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamps and isolated skeletal muscles. Insulin secretory function was assessed using hyperglycaemic clamps and isolated islets. Vascular function was tested in isolated-perfused mesenteric vessels. Insulin sensitivity and secretion were assessed in humans using frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance tests and plasma EETs were measured by mass spectrometry.Results: Cyp2c44(-/-) mice showed decreased insulin sensitivity compared to WT controls. Although glucose uptake was diminished in Cyp2c44(-/-) mice in vivo, insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was unchanged ex vivo in isolated skeletal muscle. Capillary density was similar but vascular KATP-induced relaxation was impaired in isolated Cyp2c44(-/-) vessels, suggesting that impaired vascular reactivity produces impaired insulin sensitivity in vivo. Similarly, plasma EETs positively correlated with insulin sensitivity in human subjects. Conclusions/Interpretation: CYP2C-derived EETs contribute to insulin sensitivity in mice and in humans. Interventions to increase circulating EETs in humans could provide a novel approach to improve insulin sensitivity and treat hypertension

Acetylsalicylic acid prevents intermittent hypoxia-induced vascular remodeling in a murine model of sleep apnea

Study objectives: Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), a hallmark feature of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), induces accelerated atherogenesis as well as aorta vascular remodeling. Although the cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway has been proposed to contribute to the cardiovascular consequences of OSA, the potential benefits of a widely employed COX-inhibitor such (acetylsalicylic acid, ASA) on CIH-induced vascular pathology are unknown. Therefore, we hypothesized that a common non-selective COX inhibitor such as ASA would attenuate the aortic remodeling induced by CIH in mice. Methods: 40 wild-type C57/BL6malemice were randomly allocated to CIH or normoxic exposures (N) and treated with daily doses of ASA or placebo for 6 weeks. At the end of the experiments, intima-media thickness (IMT), elastin disorganization (ED), elastin fragmentation (EF), length between fragmented fiber endpoints (LFF), aortic wall collagen abundance (AC) and mucoid deposition (MD) were assessed. Results: Compared to N, CIH promoted significant increases in IMT (52.58 ± 2.82μm vs. 46.07 ± 4.18μm, p < 0.003), ED (25.29 ± 14.60% vs. 4.74 ± 5.37%, p < 0.001), EF (5.80 ± 2.04 vs. 3.06 ± 0.58, p < 0.001), LFF (0.65 ± 0.34% vs. 0.14 ± 0.09%, p < 0.001), AC (3.43 ± 1.52% vs. 1.67 ± 0.67%, p < 0.001) and MD (3.40 ± 2.73 μm2 vs. 1.09 ± 0.72 μm2, p < 0.006). ASA treatment mitigated the CIH-induced alterations in IMT: 44.07 ± 2.73μm; ED: 10.57 ± 12.89%; EF: 4.63 ± 0.88; LFF: 0.25 ± 0.17% and AC: 0.90 ± 0.13% (p<0.05 for all comparisons). Conclusions: ASA prevents the CIH-induced aortic vascular remodeling, and should therefore be prospectively evaluated as adjuvant treatment in patients with OSA.This work was supported by the Spanish Respiratory Society (SEPAR), SOCAP, the Associació Lleidatana de Respiratori (ALLER), and the Spanish Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (PI14/00486 and PI14-00004), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) “Una manera de hacer Europa”. DG is supported by National Institutes of Health grant HL130984