2,219 research outputs found
Interpretation and the Constraints on International Courts
This paper argues that methodologies of interpretation do not do what they promise â they do not constrain interpretation by providing neutral steps that one can follow in finding out a meaning of a text â but nevertheless do their constraining work by being part of what can be described as the legal practice
Deep hypothermia prevents striatal alterations produced by perinatal asphyxia: Implications for the prevention of dyskinesia and psychosis
GABAergic medium spiny neurons are the main neuronal population in the striatum. Calbindin is preferentially expressed in medium spiny neurons involved in the indirect pathway. The aim of the present work is to analyze the effect of perinatal asphyxia on different subpopulations of GABAergic neurons in the striatum and to assess the outcome of deep therapeutic hypothermia. The uterus of pregnant rats was removed by cesarean section and the fetuses were exposed to hypoxia by immersion in water (19âmin) at 37°C (perinatal asphyxia). The hypothermic group was exposed to 10°C during 30âmin after perinatal asphyxia. The rats were euthanized at the age of one month (adolescent/adult rats), their brains were dissected out and coronal sections were immunolabeled for calbindin, calretinin, NeuN, and reelin. Reelin+ cells showed no staining in the striatum besides subventricular zone. The perinatal asphyxia (PA) group showed a significant decrease in calbindin neurons and a paradoxical increase in neurons estimated by NeuN staining. Moreover, calretinin+ cells, a specific subpopulation of GABAergic neurons, showed an increase caused by PA. Deep hypothermia reversed most of these alterations probably by protecting calbindin neurons. Similarly, there was a reduction of the diameter of the anterior commissure produced by the asphyxia that was prevented by hypothermic treatment.Fil: Vazquez, Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Oficina de CoordinaciĂłn Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de BiologĂa Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de BiologĂa Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Acuña, Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Oficina de CoordinaciĂłn Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de BiologĂa Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de BiologĂa Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Soliño, Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Oficina de CoordinaciĂłn Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de BiologĂa Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de BiologĂa Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: LĂłpez Costa, Juan JosĂ©. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Oficina de CoordinaciĂłn Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de BiologĂa Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de BiologĂa Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Kargieman, Lucila. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Oficina de CoordinaciĂłn Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de FisiologĂa, BiologĂa Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de FisiologĂa, BiologĂa Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Loidl, Cesar Fabian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Oficina de CoordinaciĂłn Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de BiologĂa Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de BiologĂa Celular y Neurociencia; Argentin
Reinventing grounded theory: some questions about theory, ground and discovery
Grounded theoryâs popularity persists after three decades of broad-ranging critique. In this article three problematic notions are discussedââtheory,â âgroundâ and âdiscoveryââwhich linger in the continuing use and development of grounded theory procedures. It is argued that far from providing the epistemic security promised by grounded theory, these notionsâembodied in continuing reinventions of grounded theoryâconstrain and distort qualitative inquiry, and that what is contrived is not in fact theory in any meaningful sense, that âgroundâ is a misnomer when talking about interpretation and that what ultimately materializes following grounded theory procedures is less like discovery and more akin to invention. The procedures admittedly provide signposts for qualitative inquirers, but educational researchers should be wary, for the significance of interpretation, narrative and reflection can be undermined in the procedures of grounded theory
Infralimbic and dorsal raphé microinjection of the 5-HT1B receptor agonist CP-93,129: attenuation of aggressive behavior in CFW male mice
Aggressive behavior and impaired impulse control have been associated with dysregulations in the serotonergic system and with impaired functioning of the prefrontal cortex. 5-HT1B receptors have been shown to specifically modulate several types of offensive aggression
Climate change threatens polar bear populations : a stochastic demographic analysis
Author Posting. © Ecological Society of America, 2010. This article is posted here by permission of Ecological Society of America for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Ecology 91 (2010): 2883â2897, doi:10.1890/09-1641.1.The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) depends on sea ice for feeding, breeding, and movement. Significant reductions in Arctic sea ice are forecast to continue because of climate warming. We evaluated the impacts of climate change on polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea by means of a demographic analysis, combining deterministic, stochastic, environment-dependent matrix population models with forecasts of future sea ice conditions from IPCC general circulation models (GCMs). The matrix population models classified individuals by age and breeding status; mothers and dependent cubs were treated as units. Parameter estimates were obtained from a captureârecapture study conducted from 2001 to 2006. Candidate statistical models allowed vital rates to vary with time and as functions of a sea ice covariate. Model averaging was used to produce the vital rate estimates, and a parametric bootstrap procedure was used to quantify model selection and parameter estimation uncertainty. Deterministic models projected population growth in years with more extensive ice coverage (2001â2003) and population decline in years with less ice coverage (2004â2005). LTRE (life table response experiment) analysis showed that the reduction in λ in years with low sea ice was due primarily to reduced adult female survival, and secondarily to reduced breeding. A stochastic model with two environmental states, good and poor sea ice conditions, projected a declining stochastic growth rate, log λs, as the frequency of poor ice years increased. The observed frequency of poor ice years since 1979 would imply log λs â â 0.01, which agrees with available (albeit crude) observations of population size. The stochastic model was linked to a set of 10 GCMs compiled by the IPCC; the models were chosen for their ability to reproduce historical observations of sea ice and were forced with âbusiness as usualâ (A1B) greenhouse gas emissions. The resulting stochastic population projections showed drastic declines in the polar bear population by the end of the 21st century. These projections were instrumental in the decision to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.We acknowledge primary funding for model development
and analysis from the U.S. Geological Survey and additional
funding from the National Science Foundation (DEB-0343820
and DEB-0816514), NOAA, the Ocean Life Institute and the
Arctic Research Initiative at WHOI, and the Institute of Arctic
Biology at the University of AlaskaâFairbanks. Funding for the
captureârecapture effort in 2001â2006 was provided by the U.S.
Geological Survey, the Canadian Wildlife Service, the Department
of Environment and Natural Resources of the Government
of the Northwest Territories, and the Polar Continental
Shelf Project, Ottawa, Canada
Contextualising Chinese migration to Africa
Who are âthe Chineseâ in Africa? Why are they there? As Chinaâs engagement with African countries intensifies, and the size of the Chinese population in Africa increases, these questions have elicited substantial attention. Many attempts to provide answers, especially in the media and popular publications, are problematically based on uninformed stereotypes and undifferentiated notions of âthe Chineseâ, by implication a homogeneous group lacking contextualisation. Seeking to address such characterisations, this paper uses the digital communications of present and prospective Chinese migrants to provide a more nuanced picture of the motivations, preoccupations and migration experiences of private entrepreneurs and state-owned enterprise workers
Museum Audio Description: The Problem of Textual Fidelity
Museums present a myriad of source texts, which are often highly ambiguous. Yet Museum Audio Description (AD) is sited in an AD tradition which advocates objectivity. In screen AD, researchers have examined multiple aspects of the translation decisions facing the describer-translator, considering the ways in which AD is shaped by the demands of the source text, the impact of AD on the recipientâs experience and how these aspects may relate to objectivity. We examine the extent to which these decisions may apply to museum AD or differ in a museum setting. We argue that the notion of the âsource textâ for museums should be expanded beyond the visual elements of museumâs collections, encompassing the wider museum visiting experience. Drawing upon research from Museum Studies and Psychology, we explore the empirical evidence that characterises the experiences of mainstream sighted visitors and discuss the implications for museum AD. If it is to offer true access to the museum experience, then museum AD must consider not only the assimilation of visual information, but also the social, cognitive and emotional elements of visits. From this perspective, the emphasis is shifted from visual to verbal translation to the creative possibilities of re-creation in museum AD
Defining standards in colorectal optimisation: a Delphi study protocol to achieve international consensus on key standards for colorectal surgery prehabilitation
Introduction Prehabilitation in colorectal surgery is evolving and may minimise postoperative morbidity and mortality. With many different healthcare professionals contributing to the prehabilitation literature, there is significant variation in reported primary endpoints that restricts comparison. In addition, there has been limited work on patient-related outcome measures suggesting that patients with colorectal cancer needs and issues are being overlooked. The Defining Standards in Colorectal Optimisation Study aims to achieve international consensus from all stakeholders on key standards to provide a framework for reporting future prehabilitation research.
Methods and analysis A systematic review will identify key standards reported in trials of prehabilitation in colorectal surgery. Standards that are important to patients will be identified by a patient and public involvement (PPI) event. The longlist of standards generated from the systematic review and PPI event will be used to develop a three-round online Delphi process. This will engage all stakeholders (healthcare professionals and patients) both nationally and internationally. The results of the Delphi will be followed by a face-to-face interactive consensus meeting that will define the final standards for prehabilitation for elective colorectal surgery.
Ethics and dissemination The University of Glasgow College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences Ethics Committee has approved this protocol, which is registered as a study (200190120) with the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials Initiative. Publication of the standards developed by all stakeholders will increase the potential for comparative research that advances understanding of the clinical application of prehabilitation.
PROSPERO registration number CRD42019120381
Epidural Hematoma Following Cervical Spine Surgery.
STUDY DESIGN: A multicentered retrospective case series.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and circumstances surrounding the development of a symptomatic postoperative epidural hematoma in the cervical spine.
METHODS: Patients who underwent cervical spine surgery between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2011, at 23 institutions were reviewed, and all patients who developed an epidural hematoma were identified.
RESULTS: A total of 16â582 cervical spine surgeries were identified, and 15 patients developed a postoperative epidural hematoma, for a total incidence of 0.090%. Substantial variation between institutions was noted, with 11 sites reporting no epidural hematomas, and 1 site reporting an incidence of 0.76%. All patients initially presented with a neurologic deficit. Nine patients had complete resolution of the neurologic deficit after hematoma evacuation; however 2 of the 3 patients (66%) who had a delay in the diagnosis of the epidural hematoma had residual neurologic deficits compared to only 4 of the 12 patients (33%) who had no delay in the diagnosis or treatment (P = .53). Additionally, the patients who experienced a postoperative epidural hematoma did not experience any significant improvement in health-related quality-of-life metrics as a result of the index procedure at final follow-up evaluation.
CONCLUSION: This is the largest series to date to analyze the incidence of an epidural hematoma following cervical spine surgery, and this study suggest that an epidural hematoma occurs in approximately 1 out of 1000 cervical spine surgeries. Prompt diagnosis and treatment may improve the chance of making a complete neurologic recovery, but patients who develop this complication do not show improvements in the health-related quality-of-life measurements
Ecology: a prerequisite for malaria elimination and eradication
* Existing front-line vector control measures, such as insecticide-treated nets and residual sprays, cannot break the transmission cycle of Plasmodium falciparum in the most intensely endemic parts of Africa and the Pacific
* The goal of malaria eradication will require urgent strategic investment into understanding the ecology and evolution of the mosquito vectors that transmit malaria
* Priority areas will include understanding aspects of the mosquito life cycle beyond the blood feeding processes which directly mediate malaria transmission
* Global commitment to malaria eradication necessitates a corresponding long-term commitment to vector ecolog
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