Assay of pleural fluid interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma in the diagnosis and outcome correlation of tuberculous effusion

AbstractObjective: To assess the usefulness of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in the diagnosis and prediction of outcome of pleural tuberculosis.Patients and methods: Pleural fluid from 32 TB and 34 non-TB patients was sent for assay of IL-6, TNF-α and IFN-γ. Clinical parameters at presentation and residual pleural scarring at completion of treatment were assessed for pleural TB cases.Results: The pleural fluid levels of IL-6, TNF-α and IFN-γ in TB patients were significantly higher than those with non-TB effusions (P values of <0.001, 0.018 and <0.001, respectively by independent t-test). Utility of these cytokines for diagnosis of pleural TB was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The cut-off values for IL-6, TNF-α and IFN-γ determined in this analysis were 4000, 4 and 60pg/ml respectively, and their sensitivity and specificity were 90.6% and 76.5%, 90.6% and 79.4%, 100% and 100%, respectively. The pretreatment pleural fluid IL-6 levels had a positive correlation with the number of febrile days after treatment (Pearson correlation test: r=0.60, P=0.009). A negative correlation was found between the percentage reduction in pleural fluid cytokines after 2 weeks treatment and the extent of residual pleural scarring (IL-6: r=–0.62, P=0.041; TNF-α: r=–0.65, P=0.030; IFN-γ: r=–0.83, P=0.002).Conclusion: Pleural fluid IL-6, TNF-α and IFN-γ assays are useful in the diagnosis of pleural TB. The initial IL-6 level correlates with the number of febrile days. The percentage change of cytokines after 2 weeks of treatment also helps to predict residual pleural scarring

L'immigrazione silenziosa. Le comunità cinesi in Italia

Forti della consuetudine all'avventura migratoria, i cinesi d'Italia ripetono sperimentate dinamiche socioculturali di inserimento nel paese d'accoglienza, stabiliscono reti di rapporti che consentono loro di realizzare imprese economiche di successo e che, comunque, trovano pochi riscontri nelle altre comunità immigrate.- Indice #5- Prefazione, Giovanna Campani, Francesco Carchedi e Alberto Tassinari #9- La diaspora cinese nel nuovo contesto delle migrazioni internazionali, Giovanna Campani #19- La presenza cinese in Italia. Direzionalità dei flussi, dimensioni del fenomeno e caratteristiche strutturali, Francesco Carchedi- Le comunità cinesi in Italia: caratteristiche organizzative e culturali, Susanna Galli #83- L’immigrazione cinese in Toscana, Alberto Tassinari #113- La seconda generazione nella migrazione cinese in Toscana: scuola e integrazione sociale, Nedo Baracani #135- La presenza cinese a Parigi. Struttura comunitaria e reti di affinità, Le Huu Khoa #157- L’immigrazione cinese in Spagna, Crescen Garcia Mateos #191- Non luogo e utopia: la diaspora cinese e il territorio, Emmanuel Ma Mung #201- Migrazioni, dispersione e identità: il nuovo “cinese d'oltremare”, Kwok Bun Chan #21

Multifarious Transnational Engagements of Contemporary Diaspora Members: From Revolving-door Universalists to Multi-nationals and Site-Hopping Vagabonds

Drawing on recent studies of diaspora and its members’ transnational engagements, which treat the former as fuzzy-boundary, context-dependent groupings, and the latter as multi-faceted (rather than two-pronged) relationships, in this paper I explore the notion of diasporans’ polymorphous and multi-directional transnational commitments; identify different types of such involvements; and propose a preliminary list of macro- and micro-level circumstances contributing to multifarious transnationalism. In conclusion, I consider the implications of the notion of diaspora members’ multifarious transnational engagements for the study of (im)migrant transnationalism in general and suggest some interesting questions for future research on this phenomenon generated by this discussion

Ethnie Resources, Opportunity Structure and Coping Strategies : Chinese Businesses in Canada

Ethnic Resources, Opportunity Structures and Coping Strategies: Chinese Businesses in Canada Kwok-Bun CHAN The « transilient migrant » is the economic phenomenon of today and the typical migrant of the next era. A transilient migrant is resource-rich, well-endowed and skilled; as a facilitator of international trade, he or she crosses geographic and economic boundaries at will. Increasingly, they have become the prime movers of powerful economic forces. They who bestraddle both the East and the West, leading a « two-legged existence », with one leg in their country of origin and the other in a country of voluntary adoption, operate as cultural brokers, trade mediators and facilitators between the two worlds. The early Chinese immigrants tended to specialise in ethnic consumer products and later, in services like laundries and restaurants. In today's Canada, with the government courting business immigrants, the path trodden by earlier immigrants has become largely anachronistic. The 1988-1989 data on investor-immigrants in British Columbia shows that these Chinese immigrants — primarily from Hong Kong — topped the list in every category of economic contribution. A similar pattern is noted in Ontario, another popular destination for Chinese immigrants. They are now making inroads into the manufacturing and export sectors. In fact it is the Chinese immigrants who have revitalised Toronto's garment industry.Ressources ethniques, structures d'opportunité et stratégies d'adaptation : les entreprises chinoises au Canada Kwok-Bun CHAN Le « grand circulant »* est le phénomène économique d'aujourd'hui et le migrant typique de demain. Les « grands circulants » ont des ressources importantes et des qualifications élevées ; en tant qu'intermédiaires du commerce international, ils passent aisément les frontières géographiques et économiques et ils deviennent progressivement les initiateurs de puissantes forces économiques. A cheval entre l'Est et l'Ouest du Pacifique ils mènent une vie double, un pied dans le pays d'origine et l'autre dans le pays d'accueil et agissent comme « courtiers » culturels, médiateurs du commerce et intermédiaires entre les deux mondes. Les premiers immigrants chinois s'étaient spécialisés dans le commerce à destination de leur communauté puis dans les services tels que la blanchisserie et la restauration. Aujourd'hui, avec la politique canadienne d'encouragement à l'immigration d'entrepreneurs, la démarche suivie par les premiers immigrants n 'est plus de mise. Les données 1988-1989 concernant les immigrants investissant en Colombie Britannique montrent que les Chinois — principalement ceux originaires de Hong Kong — sont les premiers investisseurs quelle que soit la catégorie économique. La même situation se rencontre en Ontario qui est une autre destination privilégiée des Chinois. Ils y ont maintenant fait leur place dans l'industrie ou l'export. En fait ce sont les Chinois qui ont revitalisé l'industrie de la confection à Toronto. * Cette expression d'Alain Tarrius (Cf. Revue Européenne des Migrations Internationales, 1992, vol. 8, n° 2), est celle qui nous semble la plus proche du sens que donne l'auteur (citant Anthony Richmond) à « transilient migrant » (ndlr).Recursos Etnicos, Estructuras de Oportunidad y Estrategias de Adaptación : las Empresas Chinas en Canada Kwok-Bun CHAN El « gran circulante »* es el fenómeno económico de hoy en dia y el tipico emigrante del mañana, los « grandes circulantes » tienen recursos solventes y son muy capacitados ; facilitando el comercio internacional, él o ella, cruzan con libre voluntad las fronteras geográficas y económicas convirtiendose progresivamente en los primeros mobilizadores de poderosas fuerzas económicas. Comercializando a la vez el Este y el Oeste del pacifico llevan una vida repartida, con un pie en el país de origen y el otro en el país de adopción, ellos funcionan como agentes culturales, comerciantes intermediarios y moduladores entre los dos mundos. Los primeros immigrantes chinos tuvieron tendencia a especializarse en producto de consomación de su propia comunidad étnica y más tarde en servicios como la política canadiense de apoyo a los empresarios immigrantes, la linea trazada por los primeros se ha vuelto rotundamente anacrónica. Las informaciones entre 1988 y 1989 sobre los immigrantes que invierten en Colombia Británica muestran que los chinos, especialmente los que vienen de Hong Kong, son los principales inversionistas económicamente y en todas la categorias. Un fenómeno similar se presenta en Ontario, otra de las usuales destinaciónes de los chinos. Los chinos ahora están abriendose campo en la manufactura y el sector de exportación. Efectivamante son ellos quienes han revitalizado la industria de la confección en Toronto. * Del inglés « transilient migrant ».Chan Kwok-Bun. Ethnie Resources, Opportunity Structure and Coping Strategies : Chinese Businesses in Canada. In: Revue européenne des migrations internationales, vol. 8, n°3,1992. La diaspora Chinoise en occident, sous la direction de Michelle Guillon et Emmanuel Ma Mung. pp. 117-137

Intimacy and its Denial: When Sons and Daughters Talk About Fatherhood, Marriage, and Work

Denial, Fatherhood, Intimacy, Marriage, Work,

Theorizing and proving intersectionality in transnational contexts

Abstract not available

The Chinese Face in AustraliaMulti-generational Ethnicity among Australian-born Chinese /

XXIV, 220 p.online resource

Living Intersections: Transnational Migrant Identifications in Asia

XII, 280 p.online resource