Problem Representations of Femicide/Feminicide Legislation in Latin America

Femicide/feminicide has become an increasing social concern for local communities, international organizations, and national governments. In 2007, Latin American countries began enacting legislation to prevent and punish femicide/feminicide; however, relatively few researchers have assessed the scope and depth of this legislation. Using Carol Bacchi’s (2009) “what’s the problem represented to be” approach, this study analyzes femicide/feminicide across Latin American countries. The goal of this approach is to assess concepts that are taken for granted within policies and uncover what has been silenced through problem representations. Results provide considerations for future legislative development in Latin America and abroad

Understanding Ethical Luxury Consumption Through Practice Theories: A Study of Fine Jewellery Purchases

This paper builds on existing research investigating CSR and ethical consumption within luxury contexts, and makes several contributions to the literature. First, it addresses existing knowledge gaps by exploring the ways in which consumers perform ethical luxury purchases of fine jewellery through interpretive research. Second, the paper is the first to examine such issues of consumer ethics by extending the application of theories of practice to a luxury product context, and by building on Magaudda’s (J Consum Cult 11(1):15–36, 2011) circuit of practice framework. This is significant in that, to date, consumer research using practice theories has focused mainly on routine and habitual practices. Our findings and discussion provide an analysis of intentional and less intentional ethical consumer performances within the interconnected nexus of activities of consumers’ fine jewellery consumption practice, where meanings, understandings and intelligibility of social phenomena are worked through the various activities that shape such a practice. Finally, the paper concludes with significant managerial and policy-related implications, as our extended circuit of practice analysis conveys that if ethics and sustainability dimensions are to be embedded in fine jewellery consumption practice, they must first be made an intrinsic part of the nexus of the social and material environment of trading and consumption places

Metabolomic Evidence for a Field Effect in Histologically Normal and Metaplastic Tissues in Patients with Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

Patients with Barrett's esophagus (BO) are at increased risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Most Barrett's patients, however, do not develop EAC, and there is a need for markers that can identify those most at risk. This study aimed to see if a metabolic signature associated with the development of EAC existed. For this, tissue extracts from patients with EAC, BO, and normal esophagus were analyzed using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance. Where possible, adjacent histologically normal tissues were sampled in those with EAC and BO. The study included 46 patients with EAC, 7 patients with BO, and 68 controls who underwent endoscopy for dyspeptic symptoms with normal appearances. Within the cancer cohort, 9 patients had nonneoplastic Barrett's adjacent to the cancer suitable for biopsy. It was possible to distinguish between histologically normal, BO, and EAC tissue in EAC patients [area under the receiver operator curve (AUROC) 1.00, 0.86, and 0.91] and between histologically benign BO in the presence and absence of EAC (AUROC 0.79). In both these cases, sample numbers limited the power of the models. Comparison of histologically normal tissue proximal to EAC versus that from controls (AUROC 1.00) suggests a strong field effect which may develop prior to overt EAC and hence be useful for identifying patients at high risk of developing EAC. Excellent sensitivity and specificity were found for this model to distinguish histologically normal squamous esophageal mucosa in EAC patients and healthy controls, with 8 metabolites being very significantly altered. This may have potential diagnostic value if a molecular signature can detect tissue from which neoplasms subsequently arise

Tracer-based metabolic NMR-based flux analysis in a leukaemia cell line

High levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) have a profound impact on acute myeloid leukaemia cells and can be used to specifically target these cells with novel therapies. We have previously shown how the combination of two redeployed drugs, the contraceptive steroid medroxyprogesterone and the lipid‐regulating drug bezafibrate exert anti‐leukaemic effects by producing ROS. Here we report a (13)C‐tracer‐based NMR metabolic study to understand how these drugs work in K562 leukaemia cells. Our study shows that [1,2‐(13)C]glucose is incorporated into ribose sugars, indicating activity in oxidative and non‐oxidative pentose phosphate pathways alongside lactate production. There is little label incorporation into the tricarboxylic acid cycle from glucose, but much greater incorporation arises from the use of [3‐(13)C]glutamine. The combined medroxyprogesterone and bezafibrate treatment decreases label incorporation from both glucose and glutamine into α‐ketoglutarate and increased that for succinate, which is consistent with ROS‐mediated conversion of α‐ketoglutarate to succinate. Most interestingly, this combined treatment drastically reduced the production of several pyrimidine synthesis intermediates

A mitochondria-targeted mass spectrometry probe to detect glyoxals: implications for diabetes

The glycation of protein and nucleic acids that occurs as a consequence of hyperglycaemia disrupts cell function and contributes to many pathologies, including those associated with diabetes and aging. Intracellular glycation occurs following the generation of the reactive 1,2-dicarbonyls methylglyoxal and glyoxal and disruption to mitochondrial function is associated with hyperglycemia. However, the contribution of these reactive dicarbonyls to mitochondrial damage in pathology is unclear due to uncertainties about their levels within mitochondria in cells and in vivo. To address this we have developed a mitochondria-targeted reagent (MitoG) designed to assess the levels of mitochondrial dicarbonyls within cells. MitoG comprises a lipophilic triphenylphosphonium cationic function, which directs the molecules to mitochondria within cells and an o-phenylenediamine moiety that reacts with dicarbonyls to give distinctive and stable products. The extent of accumulation of these diagnostic heterocyclic products can be readily and sensitively quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), enabling changes to be determined. Using the MitoG-based analysis we assessed the formation of methylglyoxal and glyoxal in response to hyperglycaemia in cells in culture and in the Akita mouse model of diabetes in vivo. These findings indicated that the levels of methylglyoxal and glyoxal within mitochondria increase during hyperglycaemia in both cells and in vivo, suggesting that they can contribute to the pathological mitochondrial dysfunction that occurs in diabetes and aging

Impacts of Intentional Planning for Active Learning Environments

High levels of student engagement are associated with a wide range of educational practices and conditions including purposeful student-faculty contact, active learning, and environments that are perceived as inclusive and affirming. This study seeks to understand how undergraduate and graduate student levels of engagement differ between typical learning spaces and intentionally designed active learning spaces, with a specific focus on two learning spaces at the University of New England. Herman Miller Education’s Learning Spaces Research Program (LSRP) offers a platform for reaching common objectives that support the advancement of learning environments for educational institutions within North America

A practice theory approach to sustainability issues in fine jewellery consumption

The research reported in this paper outlined examples of how complex harm networks operate within and across the jewellery industry, and demonstrates the inter-relationships that exist across the different stages of the ‘harm chain’. Findings suggest that institutional forces are coalescing towards a more responsible agenda for marketing in the jewellery industry. These efforts need to support SMEs to be less short term profit oriented, and instead focus the attention of jewellery marketers on more responsible considerations. To date such multi-stakeholder solutions remain under-developed, and if they are to help small businesses engage with CSR, a more inclusive process is needed that gives SMEs a voice in the debate

Processes for updating guidelines: protocol for a systematic review [version 1; peer review: 1 approved with reservations]

Background: National Clinical Guidelines are systematically developed statements, based on a thorough evaluation of the evidence, to assist practitioner and service users’ decisions. Clinical guidelines require updating to ensure validly of the recommendations contained within. The purpose of this systematic review is to describe the most recent guideline update processes, including prioritisation methods, used by international or national groups who provide methods guidance for developing and updating clinical guidelines. Methods: A combination of searching a pre-defined list of international and national organisations that provide methods guidance for developing and updating clinical guidelines, together with grey literature searching, will be undertaken to identify relevant handbooks. This will be supplemented by a systematic literature search of Medline (EBSCO), Embase (OVID) and The Cochrane Methodology Register. As guideline development methodology has evolved considerably, the overall search span for this systematic review will be the last 10-years (2011-2021). Publications eligible for inclusion are methodological handbooks that provide updating guidance, including prioritisation methods, for clinical practice guidelines and peer-reviewed articles that describe or have implemented updating guidance, including prioritisation methods. Using Covidence, two reviewers will independently review titles/abstracts and full texts. Where disagreements occur, discussions will be held to reach consensus and where necessary, a third reviewer will be involved. Methodological handbooks will be quality assessed (using the GIN-McMaster Guideline Development Checklist) independently by two reviewers and any disagreements will be resolved by deliberation, or if necessary, a third reviewer. Data will be extracted by one reviewer and checked for inaccuracies/omissions by a second. A narrative synthesis will be undertaken. Conclusions: Updating clinical guidelines is an iterative process that is both resource intensive and time-consuming. The findings of this systematic review will support clinical guideline developers to ensure appropriate investment of resources.</p

Use of the National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers Program screening and accrual log to address cancer clinical trial accrual

PURPOSE: Screening logs have the potential to help oncology clinical trial programs at the site level, as well as trial leaders, address enrollment in real time. Such an approach could be especially helpful in improving representation of racial/ethnic minority and other underrepresented populations in clinical trials. Use of the National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers Program screening and accrual log to address cancer clinical trial accrual. The National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP) developed a screening log. Log data collected from March 2009 through May 2012 were analyzed for number of patients screened versus enrolled, including for demographic subgroups; screening methods; and enrollment barriers, including reasons for ineligibility and provider and patient reasons for declining to offer or participate in a trial. User feedback was obtained to better understand perceptions of log utility. RESULTS: Of 4,483 patients screened, 18.4% enrolled onto NCCCP log trials. Reasons for nonenrollment were ineligibility (51.6%), patient declined (25.8%), physician declined (15.6%), urgent need for treatment (6.6%), and trial suspension (0.4%). Major reasons for patients declining were no desire to participate in trials (43.2%) and preference for standard of care (39%). Major reasons for physicians declining to offer trials were preference for standard of care (53%) and concerns about tolerability (29.3%). Enrollment rates onto log trials did not differ between white and black (P = .15) or between Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients (P = .73). Other races had lower enrollment rates than whites and blacks. Sites valued the ready access to log data on enrollment barriers, with some sites changing practices to address those barriers. CONCLUSION: Use of screening logs to document enrollment barriers at the local level can facilitate development of strategies to enhance clinical trial accrual