The client-oriented model of cultural competence in healthcare organizations

The paper aims to propose a new model of cultural competence in health organizations based on the paradigm of client orientation. Starting from a literature review, this study takes inspiration from dimensions that characterize the cultural competence of health organizations, and re-articulates them in more detail by applying a client orientation view. The resulting framework is articulated into six dimensions (formal references; procedures and practices; cultural competences of human resources; cultural orientation toward client; partnership with community; and self-assessment) that define the ability of a health organization to achieve its mission, acknowledging, understanding, and valorizing cultural differences of internal clients (staff) and external clients (consumers). This study makes an effort to address the paucity of studies linking approaches to managing cultural diversity in health organizations with cultural competence within the framework of client orientation

Statistical Approaches to Analyse Gene Bank Data Using a Lentil Germplasm Collection as a Case Study

Normally in a plant gene bank a large number of accessions per each crop and/ or taxon is stored. During their characterization and preliminary evaluation, several quantitative and qualitative data are recorded and, usually, a wide intra accession variation is observed. Th e management of all this information becomes very difficult without effective statistical methods combining these different types of data. At the Institute of Plant Genetics, CNR, in Bari (Italy) this problem has been tackled by testing many statistical approaches. The present contribution describes one of these approaches, which to date has proven to be highly adequate; a case study describing a lentil germplasm collection has been used for demonstration. A valuable application of this method is the determination of core subsets important to increase the utilization and accessibility of plant genetic resources. In the presented case study a subset of the lentil germplasm collection was chosen to perform molecular analysis based on ISSR markers. The samples were selected on the basis of both morpho-agronomic evaluation and geographical origin. These markers proved to be useful for distinguishing among closely related genotypes and for possibly substantiating the genetic peculiarity of some interesting material

Collection of crop genetic resources in Italy, 2004

In September 2004, a collecting mission was carried out in Italy within the framework of an agreement between the Plant Genetics Institute (IGV), Bari, Italy of the National Research Council (CNR) and the Crop Science Institute of Kassel University (Germany). The mission collected 116 accessions belonging to 24 species, mainly cereals, pulses and vegetable landraces. The area receiving most attention were Carnia, Venetian lagoon, Po delta and Salento. Rare landraces were found out, such as "mugnoli" (a botanical form of Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Plenk), whosecultivation in the Salento area pre-dates that of broccoli. For each collecting site, information of past and present agricultural state is given, together with an assessment of the degree of crop genetic erosion. Italian agricultural biodiversity has been lost in great part, but some remote and isolated zones are still an important refuge for crop genetic resources. Material is being deposited in the IGV genebank

The Fascinating History of Bergamot (Citrus Bergamia Risso & Poiteau), the Exclusive Essence of Calabria: A Review

n/

DelCFHR3-1 influences graft survival in transplant patients with IgA nephropathy via complement-mediated cellular senescence

8 p.-4 fig.IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a frequent cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and pro-gressive renal impairment. A native renal biopsy diagnosis of IgAN is a predictor of graft loss, with a relative risk of 47% but it is difficult to predict graft survival and progressive allograft dysfunction in these patients. Deletion of complement factor H-related genes 1 and 3 (delCFHR3-1) has been associated with a decreased risk of developing IgAN on native kidneys, but the impact on the graft in IgAN-transplanted patients is unknown. We hypothesized that delCFHR3-1 is also associated with the processes that influence graft survival in transplant recipients with IgAN and tested whether cellular senescence is involved in mediating graft damage. We found that patients carrying two copies of CFHR1-3 had a worse outcome (P = .000321) and pre-sented increased FHR1 deposits at glomerular and tubulointerstitial level associated with higher expression of the senescence marker p16INK4a (P = .001) and tubulointer-stitial fibrosis (P = .005). Interestingly, FHR1 deposits were associated with increased complement activation as demonstrated by C5b-9 deposits. These data support both the role of FHR1 in mediating complement activation and tubular senescence, and suggest the possibility of genotyping delCFHR3-1 to predict graft survival in IgAN-transplanted patients.Peer reviewe

Middle Neolithic farming of open-air sites in SE France: new insights from archaeobotanical investigations of three wells found at Les Bagnoles (L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Dépt. Vaucluse, France)

Previous reviews of Middle Neolithic agricultural practice (4400–3500 cal bc) in southern France have highlighted a change in crop assemblages after 4000 cal bc, with a reduction of naked wheat and an increase of emmer and partly of einkorn. The recent investigation of three wells from the site of Les Bagnoles (4250–3800 cal bc) in the periphery of the southern Rhône valley yielded an unprecedented amount of waterlogged uncharred and charred plant macro remains that offer new insights into crop diversity and its changes over time. The results from the wells at Les Bagnoles were compared with other dated sunken features from open-air sites (in contrast to caves and rock shelters), with the aim of identifying patterns sug-gesting changes in the crop spectra between the early (MN1) and late (MN2) Middle Neolithic phases from taphonomically comparable contexts. The results from Les Bagnoles demonstrate that oil crops and pulses are underrepresented in dry sites and that they were a significant part of Middle Neolithic agriculture. They also indicate an increase in the representation of einkorn (instead of emmer) during MN2 that is also visible in other open-air sites. The comparison of the archaeobotani-cal results with silo storage capacity values as a proxy for average production capacity per household leads us to propose a possible drop in naked wheat productivity and opens new questions in factors affecting crop choice at the beginning of the 4th millennium cal bc

Back to the Roots : Revisiting the Use of the Fiber-Rich Cichorium intybus L. Taproots

Fibers are increasingly recognized as an indispensable part of our diet and vital for maintaining health. Notably, complex mixtures of fibers have been found to improve metabolic health. Following an analysis of the fiber content of plant-based products, we found the taproot of the chicory plant (Cichorium intybus L) to be 1 of the vegetables with the highest fiber content, comprising nearly 90% of its dry weight. Chicory roots consist of a mixture of inulin, pectin, and (hemi-)cellulose and also contain complex phytochemicals, such as sesquiterpene lactones that have been characterized in detail. Nowaday, chicory roots are mainly applied as a source for the extraction of inulin, which is used as prebiotic fiber and food ingredient. Chicory roots, however, have long been consumed as a vegetable by humans. The whole root has been used for thousands of years for nutritional, medicinal, and other purposes, and it is still used in traditional dishes in various parts of the world. Here, we summarize the composition of chicory roots to explain their historic success in the human diet. We revisit the intake of chicory roots by humans and describe the different types of use along with their various methods of preparation. Hereby, we focus on the whole root in its complex, natural form, as well as in relation to its constituents, and discuss aspects regarding legal regulation and the safety of chicory root extracts for human consumption. Finally, we provide an overview of the current and future applications of chicory roots and their contribution to a fiber-rich diet.Peer reviewe