An area of untapped potential? The use of restorative justice in the fight against serious and organized crime : a perception study

This article presents the results of a perception study which examined the potential for deploying restorative justice (RJ) in the context of serious and organized crime (SOC) offending. This is a hitherto unexplored area of debate and the study sought to engage the key stakeholders in RJ processes – victims, offenders and practitioners – to gather their views as to the suitability and desirability of extending RJ in this way. Employing a mixed methods approach, the study engaged over 40 participants across the three stakeholder groups. The findings challenge existing, deeply embedded orthodoxies concerning the very nature of SOC offending and offenders’ motivations, as well confirming the multiplicity of SOC victims’ expectations. The findings also demonstrate the urgent need for further debate concerning how best to account for the complexity of SOC victims’ needs which are currently unmet by the systemic limits of the criminal justice system

A Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies rs2000999 as a Strong Genetic Determinant of Circulating Haptoglobin Levels

Haptoglobin is an acute phase inflammatory marker. Its main function is to bind hemoglobin released from erythrocytes to aid its elimination, and thereby haptoglobin prevents the generation of reactive oxygen species in the blood. Haptoglobin levels have been repeatedly associated with a variety of inflammation-linked infectious and non-infectious diseases, including malaria, tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C, diabetes, carotid atherosclerosis, and acute myocardial infarction. However, a comprehensive genetic assessment of the inter-individual variability of circulating haptoglobin levels has not been conducted so far

Haptoglobin phenotype appears to affect the pathogenesis of American trypanosomiasis

In Latin America, 16 million-18 million people are thought to be infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes American trypanosomiasis. The pathophysiology of this disease, particularly that of its chronic phase, has yet to be fully elucidated. The major function of haptoglobin, an acute-phase plasma protein found in three different phenotypes (Hp1-1, Hp2-1 and Hp2-2), is to bind to free haemoglobin and so prevent the accumulation of reactive hydroxyl radicals and renal damage. The haptoglobin phenotype present can influence the severity and progression of many diseases, including infectious ones. The aim of the present study was to see if any haptoglobin phenotype could be associated with any of the various clinical forms of American trypanosomiasis, and so explore the possibility that haptoglobin and iron metabolism have a role in the pathophysiology of this disease. The Brazilian subjects investigated were either suffering from the 'indeterminate' (N=16), chronic cardiac (N=34), chronic digestive (N=13) or chronic 'combined' (i.e. cardiac plus digestive; N=29) forms of the disease or were apparently healthy blood donors from the same region as the patients (N=197). Haptoglobin phenotypes were determined by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. Among the iron-related parameters investigated in the patients, only total iron-binding capacity and the serum concentration of haptoglobin differed significantly with haptoglobin phenotype. Compared with its frequency in the healthy controls, the Hp2-2 phenotype was much more frequent in the patients with any form of American trypanosomiasis, in the patients with the indeterminate form of the disease, and in the patients with the chronic combined form (P <= 0.0001 for each). It therefore appears that, in terms of the pathogenesis in those exposed to T. cruzi, possession of the 2-2 phenotype of haptoglobin may be detrimental.100321322

Seven-year institutional experience in the surgical treatment of orbito-zygomatic fractures

Introduction: Facial trauma is a common injury in the urban setting. Many studies have been published on the epidemiology of facial fractures, but few of them conducted in Brazil. The purpose of this study was to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of patients treated for orbito-zygomatic fractures at our institution. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 141 patients with orbito-zygomatic complex fractures who underwent surgical treatment between May 2001 and May 2008. Results: The population studied consisted mostly of males (86.5% of patients), with a male:female ratio of 6.4:1. A marked predominance of patients aged 21-30 years was observed (34.3%). Traffic-related causes were the most common, with motorcycle accidents as the most frequent aetiology (24.8% of patients), followed by car accidents (19.2%) and interpersonal violence (15.2%). Associated injuries accounted for 88 lesions in 65 patients, and their occurrence was statistically associated with traffic-related causes. All patients enrolled in the study were managed with operative treatment. The most utilized method for treatment was internal fixation with miniplates and screws (83.7% of the cases). The complication rate was 24.8%. Conclusion: Orbito-zygomatic fractures can cause significant morbidity and impairment in patients' quality of life. Despite recent improvements in legislation and educational campaigns, traffic remains the main cause of these injuries. More intensive efforts should be made in order to reduce its impact ill the aetiology of facial trauma. (C) 2010 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery.39859359

Does bronchopulmonary dysplasia change the postoperative outcome of herniorrhaphy in premature babies?

Background: Inguinal hernia is a common surgical condition in premature neonates. Because of physiological immaturity, they can present with lung-related diseases, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), which may influence the time for operation and the postoperative outcome after hernia repair. The aim of this study was to analyze the role of BPD in the outcome of premature infants who underwent herniorrhaphy. Methods: Fifty-two premature infants who underwent hernia repair from 1996 to 2004 at CAISM-UNICAMP were included in this study. Seventeen babies had BPD and 35 did not. The features reviewed included: (i) associated preoperative morbidity; (ii) birth data and the hernia; and (iii) hernia diagnosis, surgery and postoperative outcome data. Three sets of analysis were undertaken. The first compared features with and without BPD. The second was an univariate analysis to detect associations between those features and postoperative complications. Finally, a multivariate analysis to determine the effect of BPD when adjusted for other factors. Results: Some features were different between the studied groups, such as birth weight, age at herniorrhaphy and time of preoperative mechanical ventilation. There was no statistical difference in weight at surgery, duration of postoperative ventilation and weight at discharge between those with BPD and those without. Univariate and multivariate analysis found no association between different studied variables, including BPD, and incidence of postoperative respiratory complications. Conclusion: These data suggest that all premature infants, with or without BPD, should be treated with equal concern regarding the possibility of postoperative pulmonary complications.17543143

Translational approaches to the biology of Autism:false dawn or a new era?

Discovering novel treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a challenge. Its etiology and pathology remain largely unknown, the condition shows wide clinical diversity, and case identification is still solely based on symptomatology. Hence clinical trials typically include samples of biologically and clinically heterogeneous individuals. ‘Core deficits', that is, deficits common to all individuals with ASD, are thus inherently difficult to find. Nevertheless, recent reports suggest that new opportunities are emerging, which may help develop new treatments and biomarkers for the condition. Most important, several risk gene variants have now been identified that significantly contribute to ASD susceptibility, many linked to synaptic functioning, excitation–inhibition balance, and brain connectivity. Second, neuroimaging studies have advanced our understanding of the ‘wider' neural systems underlying ASD; and significantly contributed to our knowledge of the complex neurobiology associated with the condition. Last, the recent development of powerful multivariate analytical techniques now enable us to use multi-modal information in order to develop complex ‘biomarker systems', which may in the future be used to assist the behavioral diagnosis, aid patient stratification and predict response to treatment/intervention. The aim of this review is, therefore, to summarize some of these important new findings and highlight their potential significant translational value to the future of ASD research