1,246 research outputs found

    Unie-Senaat: Ontwerp om volk te knelter

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    Geldmag probeer volk lam hou: Die geskiedenis van meeste volke weerspieël die gedurige pogings van ryk groepe binne-in so ’n volk en daar buiteom beheer oor die rykdomme van daa rdie volk te kry en om die volk self te gebruik om vir daardie groepe ander rykdomme te verwerf

    The adenoma-carcinoma sequence in the colorectum--early appearance of a hierarchy of small intestinal mucin antigen (SIMA) epitopes and correlation with malignant potential.

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    The colorectal adenoma-carcinoma sequence was examined in relation to the ectopic expression of the oncofoetal Small Intestinal Mucin Antigen (SIMA), to the development of morphologic changes in the adenoma and perineoplastic mucosa and to indices of malignant potential. Four anti-SIMA MAbs, which define a novel hierarchy of SIMA epitopes in the normal small intestine and adjacent to colorectal cancers, were used in a retrospective immunohistochemical study of Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP, n = 183) and non-familial (n = 44) adenomas. Inappropriate expression of SIMA epitopes was first detected in mucosa adjacent to minute microadenomas larger than three glands, and with increase in size, in increasing amounts within adenomas themselves, but not with microadenomas smaller than three glands or regions of flat mucosa free of adenomas. SIMA epitope expressed in mucosa adjacent to adenomas preceded changes in perineoplastic morphology, which progressed with adenoma growth to resemble transitional mucosa (TM) adjacent to cancers. Thus, the onset of both SIMA expression and morphological changes in TM were consistent with reactive rather than pre-existing field change phenomena. The previously reported hierarchy of four SIMA epitopes (5C5, 3D4, 4D3, 6C5) was also consistently observed in the adenoma-carcinoma sequence, and applied to (i) the order of epitope detection, (ii) the number of positive adenomas and (iii) extent of staining; (iv) the height in the crypt and (v) distance from the adenoma to which epitopes were expressed in perineoplastic mucosa. These observations are consistent with a progression of changes in mucin composition with adenoma development. The percentage of positive adenomas and reactivity scores for each anti-SIMA MAb correlated with increasing adenoma size, degree of dysplasia and growth pattern. SIMA expression appears to predate the earliest reported oncogene and tumour suppressor gene changes, was persistent and increased throughout adenoma development. SIMA epitopes are thus markers of very early neoplastic change, whose expression correlates with malignant potential and may contribute to the accumulation of changes necessary for tumourigenesis

    Effectiveness of tailored lifestyle interventions, using web-based and print-mail, for reducing blood pressure among rural women with prehypertension: main results of the Wellness for Women: DASHing towards Health clinical trial.

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    Background Lifestyle modification is recommended for management of prehypertension, yet finding effective interventions to reach rural women is a public health challenge. This community-based clinical trial compared the effectiveness of standard advice to two multi-component theory-based tailored interventions, using web-based or print-mailed delivery, in reducing blood pressure among rural women, ages 40–69, with prehypertension. Methods 289 women with prehypertension enrolled in the Wellness for Women: DASHing towards Health trial, a 12-month intervention with 12-month follow-up. Women were randomly assigned to groups using a 1:2:2 ratio, comparing standard advice (30-minute counseling session) to two interventions (two 2-hour counseling sessions, 5 phone goal-setting sessions, strength-training video, and 16 tailored newsletters, web-based or print-mailed). Linear mixed model methods were used to test planned pairwise comparisons of marginal mean change in blood pressure, healthy eating and activity, adjusted for age and baseline level. General estimating equations were used to examine the proportion of women achieving normotensive status and meeting health outcome criteria for eating and activity. Results Mean blood pressure reduction ranged from 3.8 (SD = 9.8) mm Hg to 8.1 (SD = 10.4) mm Hg. The 24-month estimated marginal proportions of women achieving normotensive status were 47% for web-based, and 39% for both print-mailed and standard advice groups, with no group differences (p = .11 and p = .09, respectively). Web-based and print-mailed groups improved more than standard advice group for waist circumference (p = .017 and p = .016, respectively); % daily calories from fat (p = .018 and p = .030) and saturated fat (p = .049 and p = .013); daily servings of fruit and vegetables (p = .008 and p \u3c .005); and low fat dairy (p \u3c .001 and p = .002). Greater improvements were observed in web-based versus standard advice groups in systolic blood pressure (p = .048) and estimated VO2max (p = .037). Dropout rates were 6% by 6-months, 11.4% by 24 months, with no differences across groups. Conclusions Rural women with prehypertension receiving distance-delivery theory-based lifestyle modifications can achieve a reduction of blood pressure and attainment of normotensive status

    Causality in Solving Economic Problems

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    Ostrich-like strategies in sahelian sands ? : land and water grabbing in the Office du Niger, Mali

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    In recent years, large-scale agricultural investment projects have increased in sub-Saharan Africa as a result of the growing appetites of local and international investors for land resources. Research has so far mainly focused on land issues, but the water implications of these land deals are starting to surface. Taking the Office du Niger (ON), in Mali, as a case study, we show that while around 100,000 ha is currently being cultivated, mostly by smallholders, a total of 600,000 ha of land has been allocated in the past ten years to investors in large-scale farming. This process has largely bypassed the official procedure established by the ON at regional level. The allocation of new lands has shifted to the national level, with an attempt to recentralize the management of land deals and associated benefits at the highest level, despite contrary efforts by foreign donors to strengthen the ON. This article describes the complex allocation process based on 'behind-closed-doors' negotiations. It then analyses the implications of the land deals on water issues by focusing on the strategies of actors to limit the risk of future water shortages, the current and expected difficulties in water management and allocation, and the emerging spatial and social redistribution of benefits and risk that signals a process of water grabbing. (Résumé d'auteur

    Analysis of a jet stream induced gravity wave associated with an observed ice cloud over Greenland

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    International audienceA polar stratospheric ice cloud (PSC type II) was observed by airborne lidar above Greenland on 14 January 2000. Is was the unique observation of an ice cloud over Greenland during the SOLVE/THESEO 2000 campaign. Mesoscale simulations with the hydrostatic HRM model are presented which, in contrast to global analyses, are capable to produce a vertically propagating gravity wave that induces the low temperatures at the level of the PSC afforded for the ice formation. The simulated minimum temperature is ~8 K below the driving analyses and ~3 K below the frost point, exactly coinciding with the location of the observed ice cloud. Despite the high elevations of the Greenland orography the simulated gravity wave is not a mountain wave. Analyses of the horizontal wind divergence, of the background wind profiles, of backward gravity wave ray-tracing trajectories, of HRM experiments with reduced Greenland topography and of several instability diagnostics near the tropopause level provide consistent evidence that the wave is emitted by the geostrophic adjustment of a jet instability associated with an intense, rapidly evolving, anticyclonically curved jet stream. In order to evaluate the potential frequency of such non-orographic polar stratospheric cloud events, an approximate jet instability diagnostic is performed for the winter 1999/2000. It indicates that ice-PSCs are only occasionally generated by gravity waves emanating from an unstable jet

    Analysis of a jet stream induced gravity wave associated with an observed ice cloud over Greenland

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    International audienceA polar stratospheric ice cloud (PSC type II) was observed by airborne lidar above Greenland on 14 January 2000. It was the unique observation of an ice cloud over Greenland during the SOLVE/THESEO 2000 campaign. Mesoscale simulations with the hydrostatic HRM model are presented which, in contrast to global analyses, are capable to produce a vertically propagating gravity wave that induces the low temperatures at the level of the PSC afforded for the ice formation. The simulated minimum temperature is ~8 K below the driving analyses and ~4.5 K below the frost point, exactly coinciding with the location of the observed ice cloud. Despite the high elevations of the Greenland orography the simulated gravity wave is not a mountain wave. Analyses of the horizontal wind divergence, of the background wind profiles, of backward gravity wave ray-tracing trajectories, of HRM experiments with reduced Greenland topography and of several diagnostics near the tropopause level provide evidence that the wave is emitted from an intense, rapidly evolving, anticyclonically curved jet stream. The precise physical process responsible for the wave emission could not be identified definitely, but geostrophic adjustment and shear instability are likely candidates. In order to evaluate the potential frequency of such non-orographic polar stratospheric cloud events, the non-linear balance equation diagnostic is performed for the winter 1999/2000. It indicates that ice-PSCs are only occasionally generated by gravity waves emanating from spontaneous adjustment

    Associations of cardiorespiratory fitness and fatness with metabolic syndrome in rural women with prehypertension.

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    BACKGROUND: This study investigated the associations of fitness and fatness with metabolic syndrome in rural women, part of a recognized US health disparities group. METHODS: Fitness, percentage body fat, BMI, and metabolic syndrome criteria were assessed at baseline in 289 rural women with prehypertension, ages 40-69, enrolled in a healthy eating and activity community-based clinical trial for reducing blood pressure. RESULTS: Ninety (31%) women had metabolic syndrome, of which 70% were obese by BMI (≥30 kg/m²), 100% by percentage body fat (≥30%), and 100% by revised BMI standards (≥25 kg/m²) cited in current literature. Hierarchical logistic regression models, adjusted for age, income, and education, revealed that higher percentage body fat (P \u3c 0.001) was associated with greater prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Alone, higher fitness lowered the odds of metabolic syndrome by 7% (P \u3c 0.001), but it did not lower the odds significantly beyond the effects of body fat. When dichotomized into fit and unfit groups, women categorized as fat had lower odds of metabolic syndrome if they were fit by 75% and 59%, for percentage body fat and revised BMI, respectively. CONCLUSION: Among rural women with prehypertension, obesity and fitness were associated with metabolic syndrome. Obesity defined as ≥25 kg/m² produced results more consistent with percentage body fat as compared to the ≥30 kg/m² definition

    Erratum to ‘‘Associations of Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Fatness with Metabolic Syndrome in Rural Women with Prehypertension’’

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    In the original paper, the authors discovered a computer coding error that resulted in 33 of the women’s ages being incorrectly recorded. All analyses were repeated for this paper using the corrected age dataset, as all our logistic regression analyses in the published paper were adjusted for age.The repeated analyses, using the corrected dataset, lead to minor changes that needed to be reported to the results in the published paper. These corrections did not change the conclusion of the published paper.The authors apologize for any inconvenience
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