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This paper explores top-down, enacted, institutional pushbacks to supermobility and superdiversity in the under-examined arena of academia using emerging frameworks in political economy and the geography of mobility. Zooming in on the discoursal framings of a recent year of job advertisements on a popular, open-source forum for linguists supplemented with qualitatively and quantitatively sourced data from international, national, and local institutional contexts, the paper examines how macrocontextual pushes toward political populism combined with a synchronous tightening of job markets in academia have enacted a plethora of labels for temporary work in lieu of permanent academic positions—now, increasingly the only option for job seekers in a hypercompetitive academic market. In this manufacturing of euphemization discourse, we witness the invention of novel, microlinguistically rendered lexicalizations of semiotic redundancy in academic capitalism’s own obfuscation of profit margins, and a concomitant manufacturing of a new discourse of rationality in which floating semiotic signifiers at multiple scales deploy nationality-criteria to justify ethnic exclusion and/or entry into academic space. More crucially, in these commonsensical framings, we encounter both causation and consequence of newly enacted barriers to transnational mobility. In challenging the myth of porous borders for mobile professionals in the post-global moment, these emerging linguistic signifiers point to the ascendancy of a new public affectivity on display in intellectual spheres and a saturation of sentiment toward illiberality.

Background Indian women are more prone to first birth at a relatively younger age after marriage. Also, we do not have sufficient literature available that focuses on contraceptive use before first birth. The analysis of the present study was done using data from the fourth round of National Family Health Survey (2015–16), India. The objectives of the present study were to measure the levels and trends of contraceptive use before first birth among Indian ever married women, aged 15–34 years. Methods The study includes 279,896 ever married women aged 15–34 years at the time of the NFHS-4 survey. To identify the socio-demographic determinants governing the pioneering study behavior, multivariable techniques have been used in the analysis. The statistical significance of the relationship between socio-demographic factors and contraceptive use prior to first birth was tested using a chi-squared test for association. Hosmer Lemeshow statistics and Nagelkerke R square have been used to check how well the logistic regression model fits the data. Map of India showing different zonal classification is made using the ArcGIS software version 10.3. Result The trends of contraceptive usage show a decline in use before first birth and the various socio-demographic factors affecting the use of contraceptive before first birth are religion, caste, education, wealth index, media exposure, age at marriage and the zonal classifications. Conclusion The noticeable result in this study is the comparative decline in contraceptive use by women in India before first birth in NFHS-4 with respect to previous NFHS done in India. The likelihood of using contraception before first birth is significantly affected by factors like place of residence, religion, caste, current age of women, age at marriage, education level of women, wealth index, media exposure and zonal classification.

Predatory animals pursue prey in a noisy sensory landscape, deciding when to continue or abandon their chase. The mosquito Aedes aegypti is a micropredator that first detects humans at a distance through sensory cues such as carbon dioxide. As a mosquito nears its target, it senses more proximal cues such as body heat that guide it to a meal of blood. How long the search for blood continues after initial detection of a human is not known. Here, we show that a 5 s optogenetic pulse of fictive carbon dioxide induced a persistent behavioral state in female mosquitoes that lasted for more than 10 min. This state is highly specific to females searching for a blood meal and was not induced in recently blood-fed females or in males, who do not feed on blood. In males that lack the gene fruitless , which controls persistent social behaviors in other insects, fictive carbon dioxide induced a long-lasting behavior response resembling the predatory state of females. Finally, we show that the persistent state triggered by detection of fictive carbon dioxide enabled females to engorge on a blood meal mimic offered up to 14 min after the initial 5 s stimulus. Our results demonstrate that a persistent internal state allows female mosquitoes to integrate multiple human sensory cues over long timescales, an ability that is key to their success as an apex micropredator of humans.

Modelling is a well-established concept for understanding the typical shape and pattern of age-specific fertility. The distribution of India’s age-specific fertility rate (ASFR) is unimodal and positively skewed and is distinct from the ASFR of the developed countries. The existing models (P-K model, Gompertz model, Skew-normal model and G-P model considered here) that were developed, based on the experiences of the developed countries, failed to fit the single-year age-specific fertility pattern for India as a whole and for the six selected states. Our study has proposed four flexible models, to capture the diverse age pattern of fertility, observed in the Indian states. The proposed models were compared in three ways; among themselves, with the original models and with the popular Hadwiger model. The parameters of these proposed models were estimated through the Non-Linear Least Squares Method. To find the model with best fit, we used the corrected version of Akaike’s Information Criterion (AICc). Optimization of the four original models was successfully done. When the model was fitted to the empirical data of the 4th round of the National Family Health Survey conducted in 2015–2016, the results of this study showed that all the four proposed models outperform their corresponding original models and the Hadwiger model. When comparison among the proposed models was done, the Modified Gompertz Model provided the best fit for India, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Whereas, the Modified P-K model gave the best fit for West Bengal, Tripura and Karnataka. The Modified G-P model is the most suitable model for Punjab. Although our proposed models illustrated the fitting of ASFR for India as a whole and the selected six states only, it provides an important tool for the policymakers and the government authorities to project fertility rates and to understand the fertility transitions in India and various other states.

Background Malnutrition presents threats to human health, including undernutrition and overweight. Obesity is becoming a worldwide problem affecting all levels of society. Therefore, it is described as a global epidemic with a more pronounced impact in developing countries undergoing rapid epidemiological transitions. An increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity is associated with potential medical complications of obesity in adulthood. The purpose of the study is to estimate the prevalence of obesity and risk factors associated with obesity in school-going children of north Karnataka city. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in schools in north Karnataka city on 1330 school-going children 10-17 years of age. The overweight and obesity groups were considered using an updated BMI reference of children from two to 18 years ago, according to the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), and a structured questionnaire was used to assess the socio-demographic characteristics. Chi-square test was used to find out the association between risk factors and overweight and obesity and p value of less than 0.05 was deemed statistically significant. Results The prevalence of obesity in this study was 6.5%. It was found that 64 (22.9%) of the children who were obese or overweight were 14 years of age. Eighty (16.6%) obese children belonged to class 4 socio-economic class and 140 (22.0%) obese children used motorized means of transport. The eating habits of obese children were assessed, and it was found that 151 (19.4%) children had mixed diets, 210 (18.5%) obese children consumed junk food, and 183 (19.3%) obese children drank carbonated drinks. Conclusion This study suggest that the prevalence of overweight and obesity varies remarkably with different socio-demographic factors. Prevention of childhood obesity is necessary because it is nearly impossible to get children to lose weight and maintain it. Preventive interventions are needed at the individual level to adopt healthy lifestyle behavior and policy-making levels to tackle the obesity problem in the country.

Protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) is the prototypical member of a family of G-protein-coupled receptors that mediate cellular responses to thrombin and related proteases. Thrombin irreversibly activates PAR1 by cleaving the amino-terminal exodomain of the receptor, which exposes a tethered peptide ligand that binds the heptahelical bundle of the receptor to affect G-protein activation. Here we report the 2.2-Å-resolution crystal structure of human PAR1 bound to vorapaxar, a PAR1 antagonist. The structure reveals an unusual mode of drug binding that explains how a small molecule binds virtually irreversibly to inhibit receptor activation by the tethered ligand of PAR1. In contrast to deep, solvent-exposed binding pockets observed in other peptide-activated G-protein-coupled receptors, the vorapaxar-binding pocket is superficial but has little surface exposed to the aqueous solvent. Protease-activated receptors are important targets for drug development. The structure reported here will aid the development of improved PAR1 antagonists and the discovery of antagonists to other members of this receptor family. The X-ray crystal structure of the human G-protein-coupled receptor protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) bound to the antagonist vorapaxar is solved, revealing an unusual method of drug binding that should facilitate the development of improved PAR1-selective antagonists. Thrombin receptor structure The X-ray crystal structure of the human protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) bound to vorapaxar, a PAR1 antagonist, has been determined at 2.2 Å resolution. PAR1, also known as the thrombin receptor, is a G protein-coupled receptor that mediates cellular responses to the coagulation protease thrombin and related proteases. Vorapaxar was recently shown to prevent myocardial infarction in at-risk patients, and knowledge of the PAR structure will be relevant to the design of PAR1 antagonists with better drug properties.

The development of nanocosmetics nanotechnology has ushered in a new age in cosmetic research, completely changing the skincare scene. This abstract investigates the relationship between skincare and nanotechnology, particularly emphasizing the effects of nanocosmetics on skin health. Cosmetics, known as \"nanocosmetics,\" use materials at the nanoscale, typically between 1 and 100 nanometers, to improve the effectiveness and delivery of active chemicals. Nanotechnology in cosmetics allows for the development of sophisticated delivery methods that provide enhanced stability and tailored distribution, including nanoemulsions and nanocapsules. This breakthrough overcomes the constraints of conventional formulations by enabling the entry of active ingredients into the skin's deeper layers. Studies investigating nanocosmetics and skin health were included. This encompassed in vitro studies, animal models, and clinical studies of various designs. Exclusion criteria included studies focusing solely on nanotechnology unrelated to skin health or nanocosmetics and review articles editorials, commentaries, and conference abstracts. Nanocosmetics is a groundbreaking development in skincare that provides creative answers to a range of skin issues. As the area develops, realizing the full potential of nanotechnology in fostering ideal skin health will need sustained research and adherence to safety regulations.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) mediate responses to various extracellular and intracellular cues. However, the large number of GPCR genes and their substantial functional redundancy make it challenging to systematically dissect GPCR functions in vivo. Here, we employ a CRISPR/Cas9-based approach, disrupting 1654 GPCR-encoding genes in 284 strains and mutating 152 neuropeptide-encoding genes in 38 strains in C. elegans . These two mutant libraries enable effective deorphanization of chemoreceptors, and characterization of receptors for neuropeptides in various cellular processes. Mutating a set of closely related GPCRs in a single strain permits the assignment of functions to GPCRs with functional redundancy. Our analyses identify a neuropeptide that interacts with three receptors in hypoxia-evoked locomotory responses, unveil a collection of regulators in pathogen-induced immune responses, and define receptors for the volatile food-related odorants. These results establish our GPCR and neuropeptide mutant libraries as valuable resources for the C. elegans community to expedite studies of GPCR signaling in multiple contexts. To overcome challenges posted by vast number of GPCR genes and redundancy, the authors disrupted nearly all GPCR-encoding genes in C. elegans , enabling effective examination of GPCR signaling and offering a valuable resource for the research community.

The valence and salience of individual odorants are modulated by an animal’s innate preferences, learned associations, and internal state, as well as by the context of odorant presentation. The mechanisms underlying context-dependent flexibility in odor valence are not fully understood. Here, we show that the behavioral response of Caenorhabditis elegans to bacterially produced medium-chain alcohols switches from attraction to avoidance when presented in the background of a subset of additional attractive chemicals. This context-dependent reversal of odorant preference is driven by cell-autonomous inversion of the response to these alcohols in the single AWC olfactory neuron pair. We find that while medium-chain alcohols inhibit the AWC olfactory neurons to drive attraction, these alcohols instead activate AWC to promote avoidance when presented in the background of a second AWC-sensed odorant. We show that these opposing responses are driven via engagement of distinct odorant-directed signal transduction pathways within AWC. Our results indicate that context-dependent recruitment of alternative intracellular signaling pathways within a single sensory neuron type conveys opposite hedonic valences, thereby providing a robust mechanism for odorant encoding and discrimination at the periphery.

3'-Hydroxypterostilbene (3'-HPT) is one of the active constituents of Sphaerophysa salsula and Pterocarpus marsupium. Despite many proposed therapeutic applications, the safety profile of 3'-HPT has not been established. The present work investigated 90 day repeated oral dose and reproductive (developmental) toxicity of 3'-HPT as a test substance in rats as per OECD guidelines. 90 day toxicity was conducted in sixty Sprague Dawley rats of each sex (120 rats), grouped into six dosage groups of 0 (control), 0 (control recovery), 20 (low dose), 80 (mid dose), 200 (high dose) and 200 (high dose recovery) mg/kg bwt/day (body weight/day) respectively. For the reproductive toxicity study forty Wistar rats of each sex (80 rats) divided into four dosage groups received 0 (vehicle control), 20 (low dose), 100 (mid dose) and 200 (high dose) mg/kg bwt/day of 3'-HPT respectively for a period of two weeks while pre-mating, mating, on the day before sacrifice, in females during pregnancy and four days of lactation period. Results showed no significant differences in body weight, food intake, absolute organ weight, haematology, with no adverse effects (toxicity) on biochemical values nor any abnormal clinical signs or behavioural changes were observed in any of the control/treatment groups, including reproductive and developmental parameters, gross and histopathological changes. In conclusion, the results suggested a No-Observed-Adverse-Effect-Level (NOAEL) of 200 mg/kg bwt/day in rats after oral administration, implying 3'-HPT did not exhibit any toxicity under the study conditions employed.