Mobilizing Public Will For Social Change

Examines the theory and strategies of "public will" campaigns and offers tangible criteria for their evaluation. It provides a rich inventory of strategies for use in mobilizing the public will through an integration of models of agenda building, social problem construction, issues management, social movements, media advocacy, and social capital. In addition, the paper provides cases and examples of public will campaigns directed at various social problems, along with criteria for evaluating these campaigns at various stages of a social problem's life cycle

EFEK PROTEKTIF EKSTRAK BERAS HITAM (Oryza sativa L.) TERHADAP PEMBENTUKAN SEL BUSA PADA TIKUS WISTAR (Rattus norvegicus) YANG DI BERI DIET PRODISLIPIDEMIA

ABSTRACT Cardiovascular disease is a disease with a high prevalence level lately and a major disease that killed men and women in The United States of America, Europe and most of many countries in Asia. Clinical studies tells that cardiovascular disease correlated with atheroma (atherosclerotic plaque) and its complication like thrombosis. Hence, in order to prevent and handle atherosclerotic, it’s important to take steps to increase antioxidative status and to hamper hyperlipidemia and inflammation on the victim. One of the natural food ingredients with high antioxidant is the black rice which is a functional food with high antioxidant (anthocyanin). To know protection effect from black rice extract in the formation foam cells on wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus). The research type is experimental laboratory with posttest only control group design, with 27 wistar rats which divided into 3 groups. The black rice extract will be given via tube feeding with 2ml dose each day. In 28th day the rat will be determine, and the aortic arth will be taken to histopathological test. The web will be colored with papanicolaou stain technique. The research results showed the K3 (BR2) group as a normal control group, the foam cells formation didn’t occur. On K2 (DPD+BR2) group as a negative control group showed there were foam cells formation in the 28th day. On K1 (DPD in 14 days and continued with black rice diet in 7 days) showed the tunica media was changed, which is the less foam cell formation in the tunica media. The black rice extract have a positive effect in the formation foam cell to the rat that has been given pro dyslipidemia diet (DPD). The black rice can be used as a functional food ingredients that can  give good nutrients for health. Keywords : Black Rice, Atherosclerotic, Foam Cells, Wistar Rats, Rattus norvegicus, Anthocyanin. ABSTRAK Penyakit kardiovaskuler merupakan penyakit dengan tingkat prevalensi yang tinggi akhir-akhir ini dan merupakan pembunuh utama pria dan wanita di Amerika Serikat, Eropa dan sebagian Asia. Studi klinis telah menunjukkan bahwa penyakit kardiovaskuler berkorelasi dengan ateroma (plak aterosklerosis) beserta komplikasinya seperti trombosis. Oleh karena itu, dalam pencegahan dan penanganan aterosklerosis, penting untuk mengambil langkah-langkah untuk meningkatkan status antioksidatif dan untuk menghambat hiperlipidemia serta inflamasi pada penderita. Salah satu bahan makanan alami yang kaya antioksidan adalah beras hitam yang merupakan pangan fungsional yang kaya antioksidan (antosianin). Mengetahui efek protektif ekstrak beras hitam terhadap pembentukan sel busa pada tikus wistar (Rattus novergicus). Jenis penelitian yang digunakan adalah penelitian experimental laboratorik dengan menggunakan rancangan posttest only control group design. berjumlah 27 ekor tikus dibagi menjadi 3 kelompok. Ekstrak beras hitam diberikan melalui tube feeding dengan dosis 2ml perhari. Pada hari ke 28 hewan coba akan diterminasi, dan diambil arcus aortanya untuk pemeriksaan histopatologi. Jaringan diwarnai menggunakan teknik pewarnaan papanicolaou. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan kelompok K3 (BR2) sebagai kelompok kontrol normal menunjukkan tidak terjadi pembentukan sel busa. Pada kelompok K2 (DPD+BR2) sebagai kelompok kontrol negatif terjadi pembentukan sel busa pada hari ke 28. Pada kelompok perlakuan K1 (DPD selama 14 hari dan dilanjutkan dengan diet ekstrak beras hitam selama 7 hari) menunjukkan adanya perubahan pada tunika media, ini ditandai dengan sedikitnya penumpukan sel busa yang berada pada tunika media. Ekstrak beras hitam mempunyai efek protektif terhadap pembentukan sel busa pada tikus yang diberikan diet Pro-Dislipidemia (DPD). Beras hitam dapat digunakan sebagai bahan pangan fungsional yang memberikan manfaat bagi kesehatan. Kata Kunci : Beras Hitam, Aterosklerosis, Sel Busa, Rattus norvegicus, Antosianin

Imperfect identity

Questions of identity over time are often hard to answer. A long tradition has it that such questions are somehow soft: they have no unique, determinate answer, and disagreements about them are merely verbal. I argue that this claim is not the truism it is taken to be. Depending on how it is understood, it turns out either to be false or to presuppose a highly contentious metaphysical claim

Effect of interleukin-6 receptor blockade on surrogates of vascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis: MEASURE, a randomised, placebo-controlled study

Objectives The interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) blocker tocilizumab (TCZ) reduces inflammatory disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but elevates lipid concentrations in some patients. We aimed to characterise the impact of IL-6R inhibition on established and novel risk factors in active RA. Methods Randomised, multicentre, two-part, phase III trial (24-week double-blind, 80-week open-label), MEASURE, evaluated lipid and lipoprotein levels, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particle composition, markers of coagulation, thrombosis and vascular function by pulse wave velocity (PWV) in 132 patients with RA who received TCZ or placebo. Results Median total-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglyceride levels increased in TCZ versus placebo recipients by week 12 (12.6% vs 1.7%, 28.1% vs 2.2%, 10.6% vs −1.9%, respectively; all p&#60;0.01). There were no significant differences in mean small LDL, mean oxidised LDL or total HDL-C concentrations. However, HDL-associated serum amyloid A content decreased in TCZ recipients. TCZ also induced reductions (&#60;30%) in secretory phospholipase A2-IIA, lipoprotein(a), fibrinogen and D-dimers and elevation of paraoxonase (all p&#60;0.0001 vs placebo). The ApoB/ApoA1 ratio remained stable over time in both groups. PWV decreases were greater with placebo than TCZ at 12 weeks (adjusted mean difference 0.79 m/s (95% CI 0.22 to 1.35; p=0.0067)). Conclusions These data provide the first detailed evidence for the modulation of lipoprotein particles and other surrogates of vascular risk with IL-6R inhibition. When compared with placebo, TCZ induced elevations in LDL-C but altered HDL particles towards an anti-inflammatory composition and favourably modified most, but not all, measured vascular risk surrogates. The net effect of such changes for cardiovascular risk requires determination.</p

Trisomy 19 ependymoma, a newly recognized genetico-histological association, including clear cell ependymoma

Ependymal tumors constitute a clinicopathologically heterogeneous group of brain tumors. They vary in regard to their age at first symptom, localization, morphology and prognosis. Genetic data also suggests heterogeneity. We define a newly recognized subset of ependymal tumors, the trisomy 19 ependymoma. Histologically, they are compact lesions characterized by a rich branched capillary network amongst which tumoral cells are regularly distributed. When containing clear cells they are called clear cell ependymoma. Most trisomy 19 ependymomas are supratentorial WHO grade III tumors of the young. Genetically, they are associated with trisomy 19, and frequently with a deletion of 13q21.31-31.2, three copies of 11q13.3-13.4, and/or deletions on chromosome 9. These altered chromosomal regions are indicative of genes and pathways involved in trisomy 19 ependymoma tumorigenesis. Recognition of this genetico-histological entity allows better understanding and dissection of ependymal tumors

Poleward kinetochore fiber movement occurs during both metaphase and anaphase-A in newt lung cell mitosis

Microtubules in the mitotic spindles of newt lung cells were marked using local photoactivation of fluorescence. The movement of marked segments on kinetochore fibers was tracked by digital fluorescence microscopy in metaphase and anaphase and compared to the rate of chromosome movement. In metaphase, kinetochore oscillations toward and away from the poles were coupled to kinetochore fiber shortening and growth. Marked zones on the kinetochore microtubules, meanwhile, moved slowly polewards at a rate of approximately 0.5 micron/min, which identifies a slow polewards movement, or "flux," of kinetochore microtubules accompanied by depolymerization at the pole, as previously found in PtK2 cells (Mitchison, 1989b). Marks were never seen moving away from the pole, indicating that growth of the kinetochore microtubules occurs only at their kinetochore ends. In anaphase, marked zones on kinetochore microtubules also moved polewards, though at a rate slower than overall kinetochore-to-pole movement. Early in anaphase-A, microtubule depolymerization at kinetochores accounted on average for 75% of the rate of chromosome-to-pole movement, and depolymerization at the pole accounted for 25%. When chromosome-to-pole movement slowed in late anaphase, the contribution of depolymerization at the kinetochores lessened, and flux became the dominant component in some cells. Over the whole course of anaphase-A, depolymerization at kinetochores accounted on average for 63% of kinetochore fiber shortening, and flux for 37%. In some anaphase cells up to 45% of shortening resulted from the action of flux. We conclude that kinetochore microtubules change length predominantly through polymerization and depolymerization at the kinetochores during both metaphase and anaphase as the kinetochores move away from and towards the poles. Depolymerization, though not polymerization, also occurs at the pole during metaphase and anaphase, so that flux contributes to polewards chromosome movements throughout mitosis. Poleward force production for chromosome movements is thus likely to be generated by at least two distinct molecular mechanisms

Poleward kinetochore fiber movement occurs during both metaphase and anaphase-A in newt lung cell mitosis.

Abstract. Microtubules in the mitotic spindles of newt lung cells were marked using local photoactivation of fluorescence. The movement of marked segments on kinetochore fibers was tracked by digital fluorescence microscopy in metaphase and anaphase and compared to the rate of chromosome movement. In metaphase, kinetochore oscillations toward and away from the poles were coupled to kinetochore fiber shortening and growth. Marked zones on the kinetochore microtubules, meanwhile, moved slowly polewards at a rate of &quot;,,0.5/zm/min, which identifies a slow polewards movement, or &quot;flux &quot; of kinetochore microtubules accompanied by depolymerization at the pole, as previously found in PtK2 cells (Mitchison, 1989b). Marks were never seen moving away from th

Social presence in the 21st Century: an adjustment to the Community of Inquiry framework

The Community of Inquiry framework, originally proposed by Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2000) identifies teaching, social and cognitive presences as central to a successful online educational experience. This article presents the findings of a study conducted in Uruguay between 2007 and 2010. The research aimed to establish the role of cognitive, social and teaching presences in the professional development of 40 English language teachers on Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes delivered in blended learning settings. The findings suggest that teaching presence and cognitive presence have themselves 'become social'. The research points to social presence as a major lever for engagement, sense-making and peer support. Based on the patterns identified in the study, this article puts forward an adjustment to the Community of Inquiry framework, which shows social presence as more prominent within the teaching and cognitive constructs than the original version of the framework suggests

Interactive effects of vascular risk burden and advanced age on cerebral blood flow.

Vascular risk factors and cerebral blood flow (CBF) reduction have been linked to increased risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease (AD); however the possible moderating effects of age and vascular risk burden on CBF in late life remain understudied. We examined the relationships among elevated vascular risk burden, age, CBF, and cognition. Seventy-one non-demented older adults completed an arterial spin labeling MR scan, neuropsychological assessment, and medical history interview. Relationships among vascular risk burden, age, and CBF were examined in a priori regions of interest (ROIs) previously implicated in aging and AD. Interaction effects indicated that, among older adults with elevated vascular risk burden (i.e., multiple vascular risk factors), advancing age was significantly associated with reduced cortical CBF whereas there was no such relationship for those with low vascular risk burden (i.e., no or one vascular risk factor). This pattern was observed in cortical ROIs including medial temporal (hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, uncus), inferior parietal (supramarginal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, angular gyrus), and frontal (anterior cingulate, middle frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus) cortices. Furthermore, among those with elevated vascular risk, reduced CBF was associated with poorer cognitive performance. Such findings suggest that older adults with elevated vascular risk burden may be particularly vulnerable to cognitive change as a function of CBF reductions. Findings support the use of CBF as a potential biomarker in preclinical AD and suggest that vascular risk burden and regionally-specific CBF changes may contribute to differential age-related cognitive declines