Current research in necrotizing enterocolitis

Despite decades of research on necrotizing enterocolitis, we still do not fully understand the pathogenesis of the disease, how to prevent or how to treat the disease. However, as a result of recent significant advances in the microbiology, molecular biology, and cell biology of the intestine of premature infants and infants with necrotizing enterocolitis, there is some hope that research into this devastating disease will yield some important translation into improved outcomes

Strategic Planning for Local Tourism Destinations: An Analysis of Tourism

This paper reports on a study of the planning practices of local tourism destinations. The tourism plans of 30 local tourism destinations in Queensland, Australia were analyzed to determine the extent to which sustainability principles, namely strategic planning and stakeholder participation, were integrated into the planning process. Utilizing a tourism planning process evaluation instrument developed by Simpson (2001), it was found that local tourism destinations are not integrating sustainability principles in their planning processes

The computerized medical record as a tool for clinical governance in australian primary care

Background: Computerized medical records (CMR) are used in most Australian general practices. Although CMRs have the capacity to amalgamate and provide data to the clinician about their standard of care, there is little research on the way in which they may be used to support clinical governance: the process of ensuring quality and accountability that incorporates the obligation that patients are treated according to best evidence. Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the capability, capacity, and acceptability of CMRs to support clinical governance. Methods: We conducted a realist review of the role of seven CMR systems in implementing clinical governance, developing a four-level maturity model for the CMR. We took Australian primary care as the context, CMR to be the mechanism, and looked at outcomes for individual patients, localities, and for the population in terms of known evidence-based surrogates or true outcome measures. Results: The lack of standardization of CMRs makes national and international benchmarking challenging. The use of the CMR was largely at level two of our maturity model, indicating a relatively simple system in which most of the process takes place outside of the CMR, and which has little capacity to support benchmarking, practice comparisons, and population-level activities. Although national standards for coding and projects for record access are proposed, they are not operationalized. Conclusions: The current CMR systems can support clinical governance activities; however, unless the standardization and data quality issues are addressed, it will not be possible for current systems to work at higher levels

A grammar for non-teleological geographies: Differentiating the divergence of intention and outcomes in the everyday

Teleology shapes the design of much geographical research through the requirement to identify outcomes. In contrast, the theoretical orientation of geographical research on the everyday promotes a relational and visceral approach to resist the teleological logic of the primacy of outcomes. With this paper, we address this tension between different orientations to the practice of geographical research. Drawing on three case studies of empirical research we propose a grammar for non-teleology to capture the divergence of intentions and outcomes. Giving rise to non-teleological narratives, we suggest, signifies a forward orientation for doing geographical research to unpick the messiness of everyday life. </jats:p

In Vitro Recombination Catalyzed by Bacterial Class 1 Integron Integrase IntI1 Involves Cooperative Binding and Specific Oligomeric Intermediates

Gene transfer via bacterial integrons is a major pathway for facilitating the spread of antibiotic resistance genes across bacteria. Recently the mechanism underlying the recombination catalyzed by class 1 integron recombinase (IntI1) between attC and attI1 was highlighted demonstrating the involvement of a single-stranded intermediary on the attC site. However, the process allowing the generation of this single-stranded substrate has not been determined, nor have the active IntI1•DNA complexes been identified. Using the in vitro strand transfer assay and a crosslink strategy we previously described we demonstrated that the single-stranded attC sequences could be generated in the absence of other bacterial proteins in addition to IntI. This suggests a possible role for this protein in stabilizing and/or generating this structure. The mechanism of folding of the active IntI•DNA complexes was further analyzed and we show here that it involves a cooperative binding of the protein to each recombination site and the emergence of different oligomeric species specific for each DNA substrate. These findings provide further insight into the recombination reaction catalyzed by IntI1

Interleukin-5 (IL-5) Therapy Prevents Allograft Rejection by Promoting CD4⁺CD25⁺ Ts2 Regulatory Cells That Are Antigen-Specific and Express IL-5 Receptor

CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cell population is heterogenous and contains three major sub-groups. First, thymus derived T regulatory cells (tTreg) that are naïve/resting. Second, activated/memory Treg that are produced by activation of tTreg by antigen and cytokines. Third, effector lineage CD4+CD25+T cells generated from CD4+CD25- T cells’ activation by antigen to transiently express CD25 and Foxp3. We have shown that freshly isolated CD4+CD25+T cells are activated by specific alloantigen and IL-4, not IL-2, to Ts2 cells that express the IL-5 receptor alpha. Ts2 cells are more potent than naïve/resting tTreg in suppressing specific alloimmunity. Here, we showed rIL-5 promoted further activation of Ts2 cells to Th2-like Treg, that expressed foxp3, irf4, gata3 and il5. In vivo, we studied the effects of rIL-5 treatment on Lewis heart allograft survival in F344 rats. Host CD4+CD25+T cells were assessed by FACS, in mixed lymphocyte culture and by RT-PCR to examine mRNA of Ts2 or Th2-like Treg markers. rIL-5 treatment given 7 days after transplantation reduced the severity of rejection and all grafts survived ≥60d whereas sham treated rats fully rejected by day 31 (p60 days proliferated to specific donor only when rIL-5 was present and did not proliferate to self or third party. These cells had more mRNA for molecules expressed by Th2-like Treg including Irf4, gata3 and Il5. These findings were consistent with IL-5 treatment preventing rejection by activation of Ts2 cells and Th2-like Treg

Current Research on the Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Management of Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Despite decades of research on necrotizing enterocolitis, we still do not fully understand the pathogenesis of the disease, or how to prevent or how to treat it. However, as a result of recent significant advances in the microbiology, molecular biology, and cell biology of the intestine of preterm infants and infants with necrotizing enterocolitis, there is some hope that research into this devastating disease will yield some important translation into effective prevention, more rapid diagnosis, and novel therapies

A systematic literature review of service-related research on refugees

Purpose: This study systematically reviews and conceptualises service-related research on refugees to identify gaps in the literature, derive future research avenues and stimulate interdisciplinary research and practice to improve wellbeing of refugees. Design/methodology/approach: The study employs a systematic literature review (SLR) of 102 journal articles published or available online from 2000 to 2020. Findings: Ten themes are identified across the three phases of the refugees’ service journey (entry, transition and exit). Most of the articles focus on the exit phase. One-third of the literature analyse refugees’ access and adaptation to healthcare services. The dearth of research on other refugee services reflects the failure to attend to all aspects of service provision across all phases of the refugee service journey. Research limitations/implications: While the ten themes across the three phases require scholars’ and practitioners’ attention, different aspects of the SLR’s findings necessitate further investigation. To reinvigorate research and practice, and stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration, a novel Communities of Practice approach is suggested. Practical implications: Practitioners and policymakers should place more focus on the entry and transition phases of the refugee service journey. Social implications: Lack of research and engagement with the first two phases of the refugee journey might come at the expense of refugees. More service support is needed to buffer the journey from homeland to host country. Originality/value: This SLR on refugee-related services is the first of its kind from a service research perspective