Emergência de saúde pública: representações sociais entre gestores de um hospital universitário

AIM: to comprehend the social representations of public health emergencies among managers who experienced the Influenza A (H1N1) Pandemic of 2009. METHOD: a qualitative case study, with its theoretical and methodological framework based on the Theory of Social Representations. The data was obtained through the techniques of free association and semi-structured interviews, applied individually to managers who worked in different positions of the hierarchical management structure of the institution during the pandemic emergency, a total of 30 participants. RESULTS: thematic content analysis resulted in the following categories: vulnerability, health protection, neglect - gray areas of the public sphere, and integrality. The social representations of public health emergencies attest to continuities that transit the overvalorization of negative discourses linked to the health/education public space, naturalization of the substantial character of the epidemic, and normative managerial action. However, the defense of ongoing education as a necessity associated with emergency management revealed possibilities for change in the technical-scientific perception of the management. CONCLUSIONS: to understand healthcare/nursing workers as political beings, assuming responsibilities in the areas of the macro and micro policies of the State, the university hospitals and the work teams, is a pathway that is emerging for the management of emergencies.OBJETIVO: comprender las representaciones sociales de emergencias de salud pública entre gestores que experimentaron la Pandemia de Influenza A (H1N1) de 2009. MÉTODO: investigación cualitativa, del tipo estudio de caso, que encuentra su fundamentación teórica metodológica en la Teoría de las Representaciones Sociales. Las informaciones fueron obtenidas por medio de las técnicas de asociación libre y de entrevistas semiestructuradas, aplicadas individualmente a gestores que actuaban en diferentes instancias de la estructura administrativa jerárquica de la institución, durante la emergencia pandémica, en un total de 30 participantes. RESULTADOS: el análisis de contenido temático resultó en las categorías: vulnerabilidad, protección de la salud, negligencia - zonas nebulosas de la esfera pública e integralidad. Las representaciones sociales de emergencias de salud pública comprueban permanencias que transitan por la sobrevalorización de discursos negativos ligados al espacio público de la salud/enseñanza, naturalización del carácter substancial de epidemia y normatividad de la acción administrativa. Entretanto, la defesa de la educación permanente como necesidad asociada a la gestión de las emergencias señala posibilidades de realizar cambios en la percepción técnica científica de la gestión. CONCLUSIONES: el entendimiento de los trabajadores de la salud/enfermería, como ser político, que asume responsabilidades en los espacios de las macro y micro políticas del Estado, de los hospitales universitarios y de los equipos de trabajo, son caminos que se diseñan para la gestión de las emergencias.OBJETIVO: compreender as representações sociais de emergências de saúde pública entre gestores que experienciaram a Pandemia de Influenza A (H1N1), de 2009. MÉTODO: pesquisa qualitativa, do tipo estudo de caso, encontrando na Teoria das Representações Sociais sua fundamentação teórico-metodológica. As informações foram obtidas pelas técnicas de associação livre e de entrevistas semiestruturadas, aplicadas individualmente a gestores que atuavam em diferentes instâncias da estrutura gerencial hierárquica da instituição, durante a emergência pandêmica, num total de 30 participantes. RESULTADOS E DISCUSSÃO: a análise de conteúdo temática resultou nas categorias: vulnerabilidade, proteção da saúde, descaso - zonas nebulosas da esfera pública e integralidade. As representações sociais de emergências de saúde pública atestam permanências que transitam pela sobrevalorização de discursos negativos ligados ao espaço público da saúde/ensino, naturalização do caráter substancial de epidemia e normativo da ação gerencial. Entretanto, a defesa da educação permanente como necessidade, associada à gestão das emergências, acena possibilidades de mudança na percepção técnico-científica da gestão. CONCLUSÕES: o entendimento do trabalhador da saúde/enfermagem, enquanto ser político, assumindo responsabilidades nos espaços das macro e micropolíticas do Estado, dos hospitais universitários e das equipes de trabalho são caminhos que se desenham para a gestão das emergências

Perspectivas sobre género, migraciones transnacionales y trabajo: rearticulaciones del trabajo de reproducción social y de cuidados en la Europa del Sur

This paper presents the "state of the art" and some of the main issues discussed in relation to the topic of transnational migration and reproductive work in southern Europe. We start doing a genealogy of the complex theoretical development leading to the consolidation of the research program, linking consideration of gender with transnational migration and transformation of work and ways of survival, thus making the production aspects as reproductive, in a context of globalization. The analysis of the process of multiscale reconfiguration of social reproduction and care, with particular attention to its present global dimension is presented, pointing to the turning point of this line of research that would have taken place with the beginning of this century, with the rise notions such as "global care chains" (Hochschild, 2001), or "care drain" (Ehrenreich and Hochschild, 2013). Also, the role of this new agency, now composed in many cases women who migrate to other countries or continents, precisely to address these reproductive activities, is recognized. Finally, reference is made to some of the new conceptual and theoretical developments in this area

Novel loss of function mutation in TUBA1A gene compromises tubulin stability and proteostasis causing spastic paraplegia and ataxia

Microtubules are dynamic cytoskeletal structures involved in several cellular functions, such as intracellular trafficking, cell division and motility. More than other cell types, neurons rely on the proper functioning of microtubules to conduct their activities and achieve complex morphologies. Pathogenic variants in genes encoding for α and β-tubulins, the structural subunits of microtubules, give rise to a wide class of neurological disorders collectively known as “tubulinopathies” and mainly involving a wide and overlapping range of brain malformations resulting from defective neuronal proliferation, migration, differentiation and axon guidance. Although tubulin mutations have been classically linked to neurodevelopmental defects, growing evidence demonstrates that perturbations of tubulin functions and activities may also drive neurodegeneration. In this study, we causally link the previously unreported missense mutation p.I384N in TUBA1A, one of the neuron-specific α-tubulin isotype I, to a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive spastic paraplegia and ataxia. We demonstrate that, in contrast to the p.R402H substitution, which is one of the most recurrent TUBA1A pathogenic variants associated to lissencephaly, the present mutation impairs TUBA1A stability, reducing the abundance of TUBA1A available in the cell and preventing its incorporation into microtubules. We also show that the isoleucine at position 384 is an amino acid residue, which is critical for α-tubulin stability, since the introduction of the p.I384N substitution in three different tubulin paralogs reduces their protein level and assembly into microtubules, increasing their propensity to aggregation. Moreover, we demonstrate that the inhibition of the proteasome degradative systems increases the protein levels of TUBA1A mutant, promoting the formation of tubulin aggregates that, as their size increases, coalesce into inclusions that precipitate within the insoluble cellular fraction. Overall, our data describe a novel pathogenic effect of p.I384N mutation that differs from the previously described substitutions in TUBA1A, and expand both phenotypic and mutational spectrum related to this gene

The Relationship among Homocysteine, Bilirubin, and Diabetic Retinopathy

BackgroundDiabetic retinopathy is a common microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) and the leading cause of blindness in adults. Homocysteine, a risk factor with toxic effects on vascular endothelial cells, and bilirubin, a protectant with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties on the vasculature, have been reported to be linked to vaso-occlusive disorders. Therefore, the author of the present study investigated the association between the levels of plasma homocysteine and serum total bilirubin and the incidence of diabetic retinopathy as a chronic microvascular complication in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsA total of 102 patients with T2DM who visited our hospital from January 2009 to January 2010 were assessed.ResultsOf the 102 patients, the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 67 cases (65.7%) according to clinical ophthalmic examination. The duration of DM (P<0.001), age (P=0.003), fasting blood glucose (P=0.045) and urine albumin-creatinine ratio (P=0.015) in univariate analysis and plasma homocysteine level (P=0.038), duration of DM (P=0.001), and total bilirubin level (P=0.012) in multiple logistic regression analysis were statistically significantly associated with the incidence of diabetic retinopathy.ConclusionThe present study indicates that homocysteine and bilirubin may be useful biomarkers for increased risk of diabetic retinopathy since retinopathy in patients with T2DM was linked to higher plasma homocysteine level and decreased serum total bilirubin level

A genome-wide DNA methylation signature for SETD1B-related syndrome

SETD1B is a component of a histone methyltransferase complex that specifically methylates Lys-4 of histone H3 (H3K4) and is responsible for the epigenetic control of chromatin structure and gene expression. De novo microdeletions encompassing this gene as well as de novo missense mutations were previously linked to syndromic intellectual disability (ID). Here, we identify a specific hypermethylation signature associated with loss of function mutations in the SETD1B gene which may be used as an epigenetic marker supporting the diagnosis of syndromic SETD1B-related diseases. We demonstrate the clinical utility of this unique epi-signature by reclassifying previously identified SETD1B VUS (variant of uncertain significance) in two patients

A genome-wide DNA methylation signature for SETD1B-related syndrome

SETD1B is a component of a histone methyltransferase complex that specifically methylates Lys-4 of histone H3 (H3K4) and is responsible for the epigenetic control of chromatin structure and gene expression. De novo microdeletions encompassing this gene as well as de novo missense mutations were previously linked to syndromic intellectual disability (ID). Here, we identify a specific hypermethylation signature associated with loss of function mutations in the SETD1B gene which may be used as an epigenetic marker supporting the diagnosis of syndromic SETD1B-related diseases. We demonstrate the clinical utility of this unique epi-signature by reclassifying previously identified SETD1B VUS (variant of uncertain significance) in two patients

Prevalence of Cataract Surgery and Visual Outcomes in Indian Immigrants in Singapore: The Singapore Indian Eye Study

10.1371/journal.pone.0075584PLoS ONE810-POLN

Chlorophyll Catabolites – Chemical and Structural Footprints of a Fascinating Biological Phenomenon

Twenty years ago, the molecular basis for the seasonal disappearance of chlorophyll was still enigmatic. In the meantime, our knowledge on chlorophyll breakdown has grown considerably. As outlined here, it has been possible to decipher the basic transformations involved in natural chlorophyll breakdown by identification of chlorophyll catabolites in higher plants, and with the help of the synthesis of (putative) catabolic intermediates. In vascular plants, chlorophyll breakdown typically converts the green plant pigments efficiently into colorless and non-fluorescent tetrapyrroles. It involves colored intermediates only fleetingly and in an (elusive) enzyme-bound form. The non-fluorescent chlorophyll catabolites accumulate in the vacuoles of degreened leaves and are considered the products, primarily, of a detoxification process. However, they are effective antioxidants, and may thus also have physiologically beneficial chemical properties.(© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009