The Psychosocial Adjustment of Black South African Children of HIV-Infected Mothers

Research from the U.S. suggests that maternal HIV-infection negatively impacts children\u27s psychosocial functioning and that resources (e.g., the parent-child relationship) positively influence their adjustment to maternal HIV-infection. Although HIV-infection in South Africa is most prevalent among Black South African women, there is limited research examining its impact on their children. In addition, as these children are exposed to numerous socio-cultural stressors beyond those associated with HIV-infection, they are at particular risk for psychosocial difficulties. This study had two aims: 1) to evaluate whether maternal HIV-infection confers risk for psychosocial difficulties (i.e., internalizing and externalizing behaviors) among Black South African children; and, 2) to examine potential protective resources for children of HIV-infected mothers that could ideally be addressed through appropriate community-level interventions. Three categories of resources were considered: material (familial economic stability); maternal (maternal psychological functioning; maternal social support); and, caregiving (the parent-child relationship; quality of the caregiver - co-caregiver relationship). Participants included women who self-identified as HIV-infected or non-infected and who were the biological mother of a child aged 11-16. Results indicated that there were no psychosocial adjustment differences between the two groups of children. The lack of differences suggests that in the context of the constellation of stressors Black South African children face, maternal HIV-infection may not serve as a unique stressor for psychosocial adjustment difficulties. However, the lack of differences should not be construed to mean that a child whose mother is HIV-infected is not affected his/her mother\u27s diagnosis. Maternal HIV-infection is a complex phenomenon that warrants further study among Black South African children. The results did not illuminate any resources that were particularly salient to the children of HIV-infected mothers; rather, variables salient to all children were identified, notably economic stability, maternal depression, family social support, the parent-child relationship, and conflict in the mother- co-caregiver relationship. Given the overall risk present in the lives of Black South African children beyond maternal HIV-infection, it appears important to address the needs of all children. This study provides important information about individual and family-level variables that could be emphasized in family interventions with the population as a whole

Dydrogesterone and norethisterone regulate expression of lipoprotein lipase and hormones-sensitive lipase in human subcutaneous abdominal adipocytes

Aim: In premenopausal women, hyper-androgenicity is associated with central obesity and an increased cardiovascular risk. We investigated the effects of dydrogesterone (DYD)(a non-androgenic progestogen) and norethisterone (NET)(an androgenic progestogen) on lipoprotein lipase (LPL), hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and glycerol release in adipocytes isolated from subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue. Methods: Adipose tissue was obtained from 12 non-diabetic women, mean age 51 years (range 37-78) and mean BMI 25.4kg/m2 (range 20.3-26.4). Adipocytes were treated with increasing doses of DYD and NET for 48 hours prior to protein extraction. Effects on lipogenesis and lipolysis were assessed using western blotting to determine the expression of key enzymes, LPL (56kDa) and HSL (84kDa) respectively. Measurement of glycerol release into the medium provided an assessment of lipolytic activity. Results: Expression of LPL was increased by DYD and NET (mean protein expression relative to control ± SEM); with greatest effect at 10-8M for DYD: 2.32±0.51(p0.05). Conclusions: DYD and NET significantly increased LPL expression relative to control whilst significantly reducing HSL expression. At the concentrations studied, similar effects were observed with the androgenic NET and the non-androgenic DYD despite differing effects on the lipid profile when taken in combination with estrogen. Further work in this area may improve knowledge about the effects of different progestogens on body fat distribution and enable progestogen use to be tailored to the individual to achieve maximal benefits

Design and development of a new flowable and photocurable lactide and caprolactone-based polymer for bone repair and augmentation

With a global aging population, there is a high demand for new biomaterials that provide regenerative or fixation modalities following a bone injury. Here, the design and development of newly synthesised poly(l-lactic acid)-dimethacrylate (PLLA-DM) and poly(caprolactone-co-fumarate)-dimethacrylate (PCF-DM) monomer systems serves to address some of the main medical challenges and requirements of surgeons during application and better postoperative outcomes of new bone-healing biomaterials. Synthesis of PLLA-DM and PCF-DM via ring opening polymerisation (ROP) and polycondensation routes led to low MW ‘flowable’ and resorbable monomers that polymerise in-situ at up to 6 mm curing depth. Tensile testing of photocured PLLA-DM/PCF-DM formulations at strain rate 0.05 s−1, revealed elastic moduli of 4.4 ± 0.5 to 11.7 ± 2.5 (SD) GPa, with ultimate tensile strength ranging between 29.7 ± 4.9 to 76.1 ± 13.5 (SD) MPa. Resazurin-based metabolic activity studies via an indirect contact method involving Saos-2 osteoblast-like cell lines revealed enhanced cytocompatibility with metabolic activity of treated Saos-2 cells increasing by up to 20% compared with respective untreated control groups. Attachment of Saos-2 cells on PLLA-DM/PCF-DM specimen surfaces revealed cellular structures such as filopodia extending beyond lamellipodia, indicative of remarkable cell adhesion and favouring colonization. The initial development of the polymer chemistry presented here provides the potential for the design and further development towards a new resorbable biomaterial with enhanced mechanical properties for bone repair and augmentation involving both orthopaedic (bone cement) and restorative dentistry applications

Environmentally Sustainable Solvent-based Process Chemistry for Metals in Printed Circuit Boards

This chapter describes the development of several new processes relating to the fabrication, characterisation and recycling of printed circuit board (PCB) metal assemblies in alternative, sustainable solvent technologies based on an emergent class of liquids know as deep eutectic solvents (DES). It has been demonstrated that in many cases, the use of DES technologies can be disruptive to current process thinking and in principle can deliver benefits including increased efficiency,lower costs and better process control. These technologies offer the opportunity to incorporate new ideas into PCB fabrication and assembly that facilitate downstream, end-of-life recovery and separation consistent with a circular economy model. Current PCB manufacturing is carried out using many complex metal deposition processes involving aqueous solutions of toxic metal salts, strong inorganic acids, precious and expensive noble metals, and requires careful process control and monitoring. As a result, these processes are often costly to operate and inefficient. DES-based technologies can: (1) improve the economic and efficient use of essential metals; (2) reduce or eliminate use of precious and expensive metals; (3) reduce the use of complex and difficult to maintain process chemistry; (4) reduce reliance on toxic and noxious materials; and (5) improve recovery, recycling and reuse of PCB metals

Cretaceous age, composition, and microstructure of pseudotachylyte in the Otago Schist, New Zealand

At Tucker Hill, in Central Otago, New Zealand, a series of pseudotachylyte veins are hosted in quartzofeldspathic schist. Chilled margins, microlites, flow banding, and the crystallisation of mineral phases absent from the host rock provide unequivocal evidence for melting during pseudotachylyte formation. Whole rock analyses of pseudotachylyte reveal c. 3 enrichment of K2O, Ba, and Rb, and similar depletion of Na2O, CaO, Sr, and Eu, as compared to host schist. Formation age of pseudotachylyte is 95.9±1.8 Ma as measured by total fusion 40Ar/39Ar analyses. Stepwise heating of pseudotachylyte matrix yields an excellently defined 40Ar/39Ar plateau age of 96.0±0.3 Ma. These well-defined ages are attributed to the presence of potassium feldspar, low abundance of inherited lithic material from the host rock, and few fluid inclusions containing extraneous Ar. We propose that formation of these pseudotachylyte veins was related to Cretaceous extensional uplift and exhumation of the Otago Schist

ANALISA KAPASITAS DAN TINGKAT PELAYANAN PADA RUAS JALAN WOLTER MONGINSIDI KOTA MANADO

Melihat kondisi kota Manado saat ini, jika ditinjau dari segi sarana dan prasarana transportasi sudah mulai berbanding terbalik. Dimana kebutuhan akan jalan tidak sebanding dengan banyaknya jumlah kendaraan yang ada. Sehingga hal ini akan menimbulkan dampak negatif terhadap pergerakan lalu-lintas, misalnya terjadi peningkatan volume lalu-lintas pada ruas-ruas jalan tertentu yang mengakibatkan terjadinya kemacetan panjang terutama pada jam-jam sibuk. Akibatnya, jarak yang sebenarnya singkat akan ditempuh dalam waktu yang cukup lama.Studi yang dilakukan pada penelitian ini bersifat riset yang dilakukan pada ruas jalan Wolter Monginsidi kota Manado dengan tujuan untuk menghitung kapasitas dan tingkat pelayanan, yaitu dengan cara melakukan survey selama 4 hari (dimulai dari jam 7.00 pagi sampai dengan jam 19.00 malam) yang mana dari survey ini didapatkan data volume lalu-lintas, kecepatan kendaraan serta data geometrik jalan. Dalam pengolahan data dilakukan dengan metode Manual Kapasitas Jalan Indonesia (MKJI) 1997 dimana derajat kejenuhan (DS) sebagai indikator perilaku lalu-lintas pada ruas jalan Wolter Monginsidi Kota Manado.Dari hasil pengolahan data survey didapatkan nilai kapasitas pada ruas jalan ini yaitu sebesar 2934.36 smp/jam dan tingkat pelayan pada LOS E yang artinya bahwa volume lalu-lintas pada ruas jalan Wolter Monginsidi Kota Manado saat ini mendekati/berada pada kapasitas arus tidak stabil, kecepatan kendaraan terkadang terhenti. Kata kunci : analisa kapasitas, kecepatan, tingkat pelayana

On the rehydration of organic layered double hydroxides to form low-ordered carbon/LDH nanocomposites

Low-ordered carbon/layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanocomposites were prepared by rehydration of the oxides produced by calcination of an organic LDH. While the memory effect is a widely recognized effect on oxides produced by inorganic LDH, it is unprecedented from the calcination/rehydration of organic ones. Different temperatures (400, 600, and 1100 °C) were tested on the basis of thermogravimetric data. Water, instead of a carbonate solution, was used for the rehydration, with CO2 available from water itself and/or air to induce a slower process with an easier and better intercalation of the carbonaceous species. The samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), infrared in reflection mode (IR), and Raman spectroscopies and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRPD indicated the presence of carbonate LDH, and of residuals of unreacted oxides. IR confirmed that the prevailing anion is carbonate, coming from the water used for the rehydration and/or air. Raman data indicated the presence of low-ordered carbonaceous species moieties and SEM and XRPD the absence of separated bulky graphitic sheets, suggesting an intimate mixing of the low ordered carbonaceous phase with reconstructed LDH. Organic LDH gave better memory effect after calcination at 400 °C. Conversely, the carbonaceous species are observed after rehydration of the sample calcined at 600 °C with a reduced memory effect, demonstrating the interference of the carbonaceous phase with LDH reconstruction and the bonding with LDH layers to form a low-ordered carbon/LDH nanocomposite