A SCALE DEVELOPMENT ON NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME IN DAVAO CITY: AN EXPLORATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS

This paper aimed to develop a multidimensional framework of neighborhood crime in Davao City. The study employed a quantitative, non-experimental research design employing Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). A researcher-made instrument was utilized which was developed from in-depth interview of 12 selected residents, related literatures, and studies. To determine the validity of items, the researcher employed Content Validity Ratio (CVR) where ten (10) experts reviewed and validated the instrument. Item statements that passed the threshold of 0.80 were selected as part of the survey questionnaire. As a result, 43-item instrument was developed and utilized as data collection tool administered to 300 residents of Davao City as research participants. Using Exploratory Factor Analysis, 29 items remained in the model to compose the four (4) constructs after 17 rotations and iterations, therefore, making them the factors characterizing neighborhood crime in Davao City. Using thematic analysis, the factors were clustered as (1) breakdown of social control, (2) social disorder, (3) social deviance, (4) social disintegration.  Revealed structures of neighborhood crime can be an aid to frame policies and strategies to augment peacekeeping efforts in suppressing crime and other forms of delinquency, to strengthen ties within the community and lastly, to create a safe and secured society.  Article visualizations

Prat Gaballí & Juan Beneyto: an aproximation to introdution to the discipline of public relations in Spain

Este estudio trata sobre los inicios académicos de las relaciones públicas en España, que se producen de la mano de un reducido grupo de profesionales, pertenecientes a otras áreas de la comunicación. A través de las obras de Prat Gaballí (Publicidad Combativa) y Juan Beneyto (Mass Communications y, Teoría y Técnica de la Opinión Pública), se reflexiona y estudian las primeras manifestaciones teóricas en torno a las relaciones públicas, en la creación de un incipiente cuerpo teórico, y su conformación como disciplina académica, a partir de los años cincuenta del presente siglo en nuestro país

Acneiform lesions secondary to ZD1839, an inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor

Drugs that inhibit the epidermal growth factor receptor, such as ZD1839 or C225, are being used increasingly in the treatment of solid tumours. This has led to the appearance of new secondary effects. We describe the case of a patient who presented with an acneiform eruption secondary to the administration of ZD1839. These lesions healed in a few days after stopping the dru

Systemic lupus erythematosus-associated anetoderma and anti-phospholipid antibodies

Anetoderma is characterized by a loss of normal elastic tissue that presents clinically as localized areas of wrinkled or flaccid skin. We describe the case of a 30-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus-associated anetoderma and positive anti-phospholipid antibodies. We discuss the possible role of these antibodies in the pathogenesis of anetoderma, and, when detected, the need to check for an associated anti-phospholipid syndrome in such patients

The role of nitric oxide synthases in pemphigus vulgaris in a mouse model

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a blistering autoimmune disease characterized by IgG autoantibodies against desmoglein 3. Nitric oxide synthases (NOS) may contribute to the increase of inflammation in tissues by the generation of nitrotyrosine residues (NTR). OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether the production of NTR mediated by NOS may participate in the development of inflammation and acantholysis in PV. METHODS: Mice were pretreated or not with NOS, tyrosine-kinase (TK) or nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB inhibitors, and then injected with PV-IgG. PV manifestations were examined in all mice. The expression of NTR, constitutive NOS (cNOS) [endothelial NOS (eNOS) and neuronal NOS (nNOS)], inducible NOS (iNOS) and NF-kappaB factor were studied in epidermis of mice using immunohistochemical techniques. RESULTS: After PV-IgG injection, expressions of NTR, iNOS, eNOS and nNOS increased in acantholytic cells, as did nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB in the basal cells of the epidermis. Pretreatment of mice with inhibitors of TK, nNOS and nonselective NOS, completely prevented NTR expression and the clinical and histological findings of PV in mice. TK inhibitor genistein inhibited both nNOS and iNOS expression on the membrane of basal keratinocytes, and nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB. CONCLUSIONS: Upregulation of cNOS and iNOS, NTR generation and nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB may contribute to increased inflammation and tissue damage in PV lesions. The absence of the clinical and histological findings of PV and NTR expression in mice injected with PV-IgG, through pretreatment with TK and nNOS inhibitors, provides compelling evidence that these signalling molecules should be considered as potential therapeutic targets in PV

Lesions of pemphigus vulgaris on irradiated skin

Summary Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune blistering disease produced by IgG autoantibodies against desmoglein (Dsg)3. Lesions on the skin and mucosa can, in rare cases, be induced by radiotherapy. We report a patient with a history of microprolactinoma and PV, who had only oral lesions from the beginning of her illness but 2 months after treatment with radiotherapy for a breast neoplasia, developed skin lesions limited to the irradiated area. Over the following few months, she also developed autoantibodies against Dsg

H(z)H(z) diagnostics on the nature of dark energy

The two dominant components of the cosmic budget today, pressureles matter and dark energy, may or may not be interacting with each other. Currently, both possibilities appear compatible with observational data. We propose several criteria based on the history of the Hubble factor that can help discern whether they are interacting and whether dark energy is phantom or quintessence in nature.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in IJMP