2,220 research outputs found
A METODOLOGIA DA TEORIA FUNDAMENTADA NOS DADOS CLĂSSICA: CONSIDERAĂĂES SOBRE SUA APLICAĂĂO NA PESQUISA EM ENFERMAGEM
Terra preta and terra mulata: pre-columbian Amazon Kitchen middens and agricultural fields, their sustainability and their replication.
The Abi-domain protein Abx1 interacts with the CovS histidine kinase to control virulence gene expression in group B Streptococcus
Group B Streptococcus (GBS), a common commensal of the female genital tract, is the leading cause of invasive infections in neonates. Expression of major GBS virulence factors, such as the hemolysin operon cyl, is regulated directly at the transcriptional level by the CovSR two-component system. Using a random genetic approach, we identified a multi-spanning transmembrane protein, Abx1, essential for the production of the GBS hemolysin. Despite its similarity to eukaryotic CaaX proteases, the Abx1 function is not involved in a post-translational modification of the GBS hemolysin. Instead, we demonstrate that Abx1 regulates transcription of several virulence genes, including those comprising the hemolysin operon, by a CovSR-dependent mechanism. By combining genetic analyses, transcriptome profiling, and site-directed mutagenesis, we showed that Abx1 is a regulator of the histidine kinase CovS. Overexpression of Abx1 is sufficient to activate virulence gene expression through CovS, overcoming the need for an additional signal. Conversely, the absence of Abx1 has the opposite effect on virulence gene expression consistent with CovS locked in a kinase-competent state. Using a bacterial two-hybrid system, direct interaction between Abx1 and CovS was mapped specifically to CovS domains involved in signal processing. We demonstrate that the CovSR two-component system is the core of a signaling pathway integrating the regulation of CovS by Abx1 in addition to the regulation of CovR by the serine/threonine kinase Stk1. In conclusion, our study reports a regulatory function for Abx1, a member of a large protein family with a characteristic Abi-domain, which forms a signaling complex with the histidine kinase CovS in GBS
Measuring the health impact of human rights violations related to Australian asylum policies and practices: A mixed methods study
This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund - Copyright @ 2009 Johnston et al.BACKGROUND: Human rights violations have adverse consequences for health. However, to date, there remains little empirical evidence documenting this association, beyond the obvious physical and psychological effects of torture. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether Australian asylum policies and practices, which arguably violate human rights, are associated with adverse health outcomes. METHODS: We designed a mixed methods study to address the study aim. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 71 Iraqi Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) refugees and 60 Iraqi Permanent Humanitarian Visa (PHV) refugees, residing in Melbourne, Australia. Prior to a recent policy amendment, TPV refugees were only given temporary residency status and had restricted access to a range of government funded benefits and services that permanent refugees are automatically entitled to. The quantitative results were triangulated with semi-structured interviews with TPV refugees and service providers. The main outcome measures were self-reported physical and psychological health. Standardised self-report instruments, validated in an Arabic population, were used to measure health and wellbeing outcomes. RESULTS: Forty-six percent of TPV refugees compared with 25% of PHV refugees reported symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of clinical depression (p = 0.003). After controlling for the effects of age, gender and marital status, TPV status made a statistically significant contribution to psychological distress (B = 0.5, 95% CI 0.3 to 0.71, p </= 0.001) amongst Iraqi refugees. Qualitative data revealed that TPV refugees generally felt socially isolated and lacking in control over their life circumstances, because of their experiences in detention and on a temporary visa. This sense of powerlessness and, for some, an implicit awareness they were being denied basic human rights, culminated in a strong sense of injustice. CONCLUSION: Government asylum policies and practices violating human rights norms are associated with demonstrable psychological health impacts. This link between policy, rights violations and health outcomes offers a framework for addressing the impact of socio-political structures on health.This research was supported by an Australian National and Medical Research Council PhD Scholarship (N. 251782) and a Victorian Health Promotion Foundation research grant (No. 2002-0280)
(Digital) tools as professional and generational identity badges in the Chinese creative industries
Animators, architects, designers, and others active in the Chinese creative industries are expert users of tools, both analog and digital. Performances of expert tool use (the wearing of professional identity badges) are strategic ways of signaling creativity understood as sets of skills and character traits essential for attracting work projects but also for professional identity formation. Analogue tools are generally associated with creative openness and fluidity whereas digital tools are discursively constructed as a technological other to the analogue. âOlderâ creatives (born before 1980) tend to apply some of the media-inflected discourse around the balinghou generation (born 1980â1989) to their younger competitors, including an assumed affinity with digital media and technologies (the pinning on of a generational identity badge). Such generational assumptions can have the effect of reinforcing project hierarchies and denying expert users of digital tools their claims to creativity
Exact Effective Action for (1+1 Dimensional) Fermions in an Abelian Background at Finite Temperature
In an effort to further understand the structure of effective actions for
fermions in an external gauge background at finite temperature, we study the
example of 1+1 dimensional fermions interacting with an arbitrary Abelian gauge
field. We evaluate the effective action exactly at finite temperature. This
effective action is non-analytic as is expected at finite temperature. However,
contrary to the structure at zero temperature and contrary to naive
expectations, the effective action at finite temperature has interactions to
all (even) orders (which, however, do not lead to any quantum corrections). The
covariant structure thus obtained may prove useful in studying 2+1 dimensional
models in arbitrary backgrounds. We also comment briefly on the solubility of
various 1+1 dimensional models at finite temperature.Comment: A few clarifying remarks added;21 page
Enhancing field GP engagement in hospital-based studies. Rationale, design, main results and participation in the diagest 3-GP motivation study
Inovação e Tomada de Decisão em Defesa: consideraçÔes introdutórias ao planejamento baseado em capacidades
This paper offers a theoretical contribution to the research related to the capability-based strategy, a branch of research within the Administration and Economy areas. Its originality is based on the relative scarcity of work on this topic that focuses on the Defense area, at least work produced in Portuguese with the conceptual matrix used here. This paper focuses on clarifying the exact theoretical context of the capability-based strategy such as microeconomics and economy of transaction costs. It also represents a benchmark for the strategic-operational needs of the Defense area in Brazil; they âtogether with the nuances of microeconomicsâ are key to set on solid grounds the theoretical paths and complex contracts that will be entered into by and between the different agents needed in these efforts of national interest.este trabajo ofrece una contribucioÌn teoÌrica para las investigaciones inherentes al tema de la estrategia basada en las capacidades, una rama de investigacioÌn dentro de las aÌreas de AdministracioÌn y EconomiÌa. Su originalidad se basa en la relativa escasez de trabajos de este geÌnero enfocados en el aÌrea de Defensa, al menos con respecto al idioma portugueÌs y a la matriz conceptual utilizada. Este trabajo se enfocoÌ en precisar el contexto teoÌrico exacto en el que se ubica la estrategia basada en capacidades, como la microeconomiÌa y la economiÌa de los costos de transaccioÌn. AdemaÌs, representa un marco referencial para las necesidades estrateÌgico-operacionales del aÌrea de Defensa en Brasil, que son claves para que -junto con los matices de la microeconomiÌa- ayuden a asentar sobre unas bases soÌlidas los caminos teoÌricos y los complejos contratos que seraÌn celebrados entre los diferentes agentes que seraÌn necesarios en estos esfuerzos de intereÌs nacional.O trabalho apresenta contribuiçaÌo teoÌrica para investigaçoÌes inerentes aÌ temaÌtica da estrateÌgia baseada em capacidades, um ramo de investigaçoÌes das aÌreas de AdministraçaÌo e Economia. Seu ineditismo se assenta na relativa escassez de trabalhos com este perfil voltados para a aÌrea de Defesa, ao menos no que concerne aÌ liÌngua portuguesa e aÌ matriz conceitual utilizada. A abordagem aqui apresentada procurou precisar o exato contexto teoÌrico em que a estrateÌgia baseada em capacidades se localiza, qual seja, a microeconomia e a economia dos custos de transaçaÌo. Apresenta ainda um quadro referencial das necessidades estrateÌgico-operacionais da aÌrea de Defesa no Brasil, basilares para que, conjugadas com as nuances da microeconomia, ajudem a assentar em bases soÌlidas os caminhos teoÌricos e os complexos contratos a serem celebrados entre os diferentes agentes que seraÌo demandados nestes esforços de interesse nacional
Wake up, wake up! It's me! It's my life! patient narratives on person-centeredness in the integrated care context: a qualitative study
Person-centered care emphasizes a holistic, humanistic approach that puts patients first, at the center of medical care. Person-centeredness is also considered a core element of integrated care. Yet typologies of integrated care mainly describe how patients fit within integrated services, rather than how services fit into the patient's world. Patient-centeredness has been commonly defined through physician's behaviors aimed at delivering patient-centered care. Yet, it is unclear how 'person-centeredness' is realized in integrated care through the patient voice. We aimed to explore patient narratives of person-centeredness in the integrated care context
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