THE ROLE OF DIASPORA IN PEACEBUILDING: THE CASE OF NIGERIA

The role of diaspora for a long time now has been seen from a negative perspective. They are usually seen as sponsors of conflict and terrorist activities in their homeland. However, there is a growing recognition that sees diaspora groups in a more positive light, that is playing a vital role in national development, integration, and peacebuilding. The paper aims to examine the role of the Nigerian diaspora in peacebuilding processes in Nigeria. Basing itself within the theoretical framework of transnationalism, the paper finds that they play certain roles of lobbying and advocacy, network and partnership, discussion and awareness, conflict mediation and negotiation, remittances, investment, and social development. However, playing these roles have become very daunting due to challenges such as lack of adequate fund, poor communication, lack of voting rights, fragmentation inter alia. The paper concludes that diaspora can contribute effectively to the peacebuilding of the nation so long as they maintain constant contact with their home country and recommended that peacebuilding of any nation is a national responsibility for all its citizens, home and abroad.  The government must create a safe, peaceful, and conducive environment for an effective and diaspora involvement in all peacebuilding processes of the nation

Acute Obstructive Suppuration of the Pancreatic Duct Causing Sepsis

Objective: We report a rare case of acute obstructive suppuration of the pancreatic duct causing sepsis, which was successfully treated with emergent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Methods: We describe the patient’s clinical presentation, laboratory test results, and imaging used for diagnosis and treatment. Results: A 33-year-old female with a history of recurrent acute pancreatitis was admitted during an episode of acute pancreatitis. Computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen revealed acute pancreatitis, diffuse pancreatic atrophy and pancreatic ductal dilatation with obstruction due to a soft tissue lesion within the distal duct. Shortly after admission she developed symptoms and signs of sepsis. Urgent ERCP was performed to further assess the suspected cholangitis. “Clean” bile emanated from the common bile duct, while copious purulent fluid was detected at the dilated pancreatic duct orifice, confirming suppuration of the pancreatic duct. A plastic single pigtail stent was placed traversing the ampulla and pancreatic duct stones that were causing the obstruction, which were later removed. After endoscopic decompression, the patient rapidly improved over the following 24 hours and had no subsequent admissions for pancreatitis.Conclusion: Acute suppuration of the pancreatic duct (ASPD) is a rare and potentially fatal infectious complication of pancreatic ductal obstruction with few cases reported in the English literature. It would be of interest to further investigate the exact pathophysiology leading to development of ASPD. The endoscopic methods of urgent ERCP and pancreatic duct decompression utilized in our case proved effective in successfully treating ASPD. This unusual condition should be considered in patients with acute pancreatitis who develop early clinical decompensation.

Multimodal neuroimaging in presurgical evaluation of childhood epilepsy

In pre-surgical evaluation of pediatric epilepsy, the combined use of multiple imaging modalities for precise localization of the epileptogenic focus is a worthwhile endeavor. Advanced neuroimaging by high field Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion tensor images, and MR spectroscopy have the potential to identify subtle lesions. 18F-FDG positron emission tomography and single photon emission tomography provide visualization of metabolic alterations of the brain in the ictal and interictal states. These techniques may have localizing value for patients which exhibit normal MRI scans. Functional MRI is helpful for non-invasively identifying areas of eloquent cortex. These advances are improving our ability to noninvasively detect epileptogenic foci which have gone undetected in the past and whose accurate localization is crucial for a favorable outcome following surgical resection

PRC2 loss induces chemoresistance by repressing apoptosis in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The tendency of mitochondria to undergo or resist BCL2-controlled apoptosis (so-called mitochondrial priming) is a powerful predictor of response to cytotoxic chemotherapy. Fully exploiting this finding will require unraveling the molecular genetics underlying phenotypic variability in mitochondrial priming. Here, we report that mitochondria) apoptosis resistance in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is mediated by inactivation of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). In T-ALL clinical specimens, loss-of-function mutations of PRC2 core components (EZH2, FED, or SUZ12) were associated with mitochondrial apoptosis resistance. In T-ALL cells, PRC2 depletion induced resistance to apoptosis induction by multiple chemotherapeutics with distinct mechanisms of action. PRC2 loss induced apoptosis resistance via transcriptional up-regulation of the LIM domain transcription factor CRIP2 and downstream up-regulation of the mitochondrial chaperone TRAP1. These findings demonstrate the importance of mitochondrial apoptotic priming as a prognostic factor in T-ALL and implicate mitochondrial chaperone function as a molecular determinant of chemotherapy response

Role of Neuroimaging in the Presurgical Evaluation of Epilepsy

A significant minority of patients with focal epilepsy are candidates for resective epilepsy surgery. Structural and functional neuroimaging plays an important role in the presurgical evaluation of theses patients. The most frequent etiologies of pharmacoresistant epilepsy in the adult population are mesial temporal sclerosis, malformations of cortical development, cavernous angiomas, and low-grade neoplasms. High-resolution multiplanar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with sequences providing T1 and T2 contrast is the initial imaging study of choice to detect these epileptogenic lesions. The epilepsy MRI protocol can be individually tailored when considering the patient's clinical and electrophysiological data. Metabolic imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) visualize metabolic alterations of the brain in the ictal and interictal states. These techniques may have localizing value in patients with a normal MRI scan. Functional MRI is helpful in non-invasively identifying areas of eloquent cortex

Development of a nurse home visitation intervention for intimate partner violence

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite an increase in knowledge about the epidemiology of intimate partner violence (IPV), much less is known about interventions to reduce IPV and its associated impairment. One program that holds promise in preventing IPV and improving outcomes for women exposed to violence is the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP), an evidence-based nurse home visitation program for socially disadvantaged first-time mothers. The present study developed an intervention model and modification process to address IPV within the context of the NFP. This included determining the extent to which the NFP curriculum addressed the needs of women at risk for IPV or its recurrence, along with client, nurse and broader stakeholder perspectives on how best to help NFP clients cope with abusive relationships.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Following a preliminary needs assessment, an exploratory multiple case study was conducted to identify the core components of the proposed IPV intervention. This included qualitative interviews with purposeful samples of NFP clients and community stakeholders, and focus groups with nurse home visitors recruited from four NFP sites. Conventional content analysis and constant comparison guided data coding and synthesis. A process for developing complex interventions was then implemented.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Based on data from 69 respondents, an IPV intervention was developed that focused on identifying and responding to IPV; assessing a client's level of safety risk associated with IPV; understanding the process of leaving and resolving an abusive relationship and system navigation. A need was identified for the intervention to include both universal elements of healthy relationships and those tailored to a woman's specific level of readiness to promote change within her life. A clinical pathway guides nurses through the intervention, with a set of facilitators and corresponding instructions for each component.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>NFP clients, nurses and stakeholders identified the need for modifications to the existing NFP program; this led to the development of an intervention that includes universal and targeted components to assist NFP nurses in addressing IPV with their clients. Plans for feasibility testing and evaluation of the effectiveness of the IPV intervention embedded within the NFP, and compared to NFP-only, are discussed.</p

\u3ci\u3eEncyclopedia of Public Administration and Public Policy, Volume 1\u3c/i\u3e

Editor: Jack Rabin Home Rule written by Dale Krane, UNO faculty member. From the Nuremberg trials to the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 to recent budget reconciliation bills, the Encyclopedia of Public Administration and Public Policy provides detailed coverage of watershed policies and decisions from such fields as privatization, biomedical ethics, education, and diversity. This second edition features a wide range of new topics, including military administration, government procurement, social theory, and justice administration in developed democracies. It also addresses current issues such as the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and covers public administration in the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America.https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/facultybooks/1212/thumbnail.jp