Deindustrialization and the Polarization of Household Incomes: The Example of Urban Agglomerations in Germany

The tertiarization, or perhaps more accurately, the deindustrialization of the economy has left deep scars on cities. It is evident not only in the industrial wastelands and empty factory buildings scattered throughout the urban landscape, but also in the income and social structures of cities. Industrialization, collective wage setting and the welfare state led to a stark reduction in income differences over the course of the twentieth century. Conversely, deindustrialization and the shift to tertiary sectors could result in increasing wage differentiation. Moreover, numerous studies on global cities, the dual city, and divided cities have also identified income polarization as a central phenomenon in the development of major cities. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), we find an increasing polarization of household income structures since the mid-1990. In agglomerations, this income polarization is even more pronounced than in the more rural regions. The income polarization in Germany is likely to have multiple causes, some of which are directly linked to policies such as the deregulation of the labor market. But extensive deindustrialization is probably also one of the drivers, that has led directly to the weakening of middle income groups

Multidrug-resistant transport activity protects oocytes from chemotherapeutic agents and changes during oocyte maturation

Objective To determine the multidrug-resistant transporter (MDR) activity in oocytes and their potential role in oocyte susceptibility to chemotherapy. Design Experimental laboratory study. Setting University and academic center for reproductive medicine. Subject(s) Women with eggs retrieved for intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles and adult female FVBN and B6C3F1 mouse strains. Intervention(s) Inhibition of MDR activity in oocytes. Main Outcome Measure(s) Efflux activity of MDRs with the use of quantitative fluorescent dye efflux, and oocyte cell death when exposed to chemotherapy. Result(s) Oocytes effluxed fluorescent reporters, and this activity was significantly reduced in the presence of the MDR inhibitor PSC 833. Geminal vesicle oocytes were more efficient at efflux than metaphase 2 oocytes. Human oocytes exposed to cyclophosphamide and PSC 833 showed cell death with the use of two different viability assays compared with control samples and those exposed to cyclophosphamide alone. Immunoblots detected MDR-1 in all oocytes, with the greatest accumulation in the geminal vesicle stage. Conclusion(s) Oocytes have a vast repertoire of active MDRs. The implications of this study are that these protective mechanisms are important during oogenesis and that these activities change with maturation, increasing susceptibility to toxicants. Future directions may exploit the up-regulation of these transporters during gonadotoxic therapy. © 2013 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine

Management and Novel Adjuncts of Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections.

Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTI) have been recognized for millennia and continue to impose considerable burden on both patient and society in terms of morbidity, death, and the allocation of resources. With improvements in the delivery of critical care, outcomes have improved, although disease-specific therapies are lacking. The basic principles of early diagnosis, of prompt and broad antimicrobial therapy, and of aggressive debridement have remained unchanged. Clearly novel and new therapeutics are needed to combat this persistently lethal disease. This review emphasizes the pillars of NSTI management and then summarizes the contemporary evidence supporting the incorporation of novel adjuncts to the pharmacologic and operative foundations of managing this disease

Multidrug-resistant transport activity protects oocytes from chemotherapeutic agents and changes during oocyte maturation

OBJECTIVE: To determine the multidrug resistant (MDR) transporter activity in oocytes and their potential role in oocyte susceptibility to chemotherapy. DESIGN: Experimental laboratory study SETTING: University and Academic Center for reproductive medicine. PATIENTS/ANIMALS: Women with eggs retrieved for ICSI cycles and adult female FVBN and B6C3F1 mouse strains. INTERVENTION: Inhibition of MDR activity in oocytes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Efflux activity of MDRs using quantitative fluorescent dye efflux and oocyte cell death when exposed to chemotherapy. RESULTS: Oocytes effluxed fluorescent reporters and this activity was significantly reduced in the presence of the MDR inhibitor PSC 833. GV oocytes are more efficient at efflux compared to M2 oocytes. Human oocytes exposed to cyclophosphamide and PSC 833 showed cell death using two different viability assays compared to controls and those exposed to cyclophosphamide alone. Immunoblots detected MDR-1 in all oocytes with the greatest accumulation in the GV stage. CONCLUSIONS: Oocytes have a vast repertoire of active MDRs. The implications of this study are that these protective mechanisms are important during oogenesis, and these activities change with maturation, increasing susceptibility to toxicants. Future directions may exploit the up regulation of these transporters during gonadotoxic therapy

Formula Electric SAE MQP for 2022-2023

The philosophy for this year's project focused on turning a functioning race car into a competitive one. We strove to redesign and optimize key systems to produce a refined race car capable of excelling at all aspects of the Formula SAE Hybrid competition. The interdisciplinary nature of the electro-mechanical subsystems required to achieve that goal necessitated a team of 20 students spread across the ME, ECE, RBE, and CS departments. Primary challenges were driven by competition rules compliance, finances, and time needed to develop and manufacture almost all new components in-house. The team was able to successfully design and manufacture many new and improved subsystems for the racecar and we are confident that we will perform well at the Formula Hybrid competition in May