Ascidians of South Padre Island, Texas, with a Key to Species

The ascidians of South Padre Island, Texas were surveyed in August 2004. Because the subtidal area is limited to soft sediments, the survey was restricted to marina floats and pilings, harbor buoys, boat hulls and other artificial substrates which offer suitable attachment surfaces for ascidians. Fifteen species were documented, with multiple species representing each of the three orders of ascidians. None of the species found in this survey are native, suggesting they were all introduced through boat traffic. About half the species were found in a reproductive state, however, indicating that they have established local breeding populations

A Study Of The Relationship Of Social Maturity To Achievement In The First Grade

It was the purpose of this study to determine the relationship between social maturity and scholastic achievement of pupils in the first grade. Specifically, the objective was to find the answer to one question: Did the first grade children at Stanfield School who were socially mature tend toward higher scholastic achievement than those who were not socially mature

Female genital schistosomiasis is a women’s issue, but men should not be left out: involving men in promoting care for female genital schistosomiasis in mainland Tanzania

ObjectivesFemale Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) causes gynecologic symptoms among women and girls living in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite continued efforts to raise awareness in communities about schistosomiasis, FGS remains poorly recognized. This study aimed to understand men’s knowledge and perceptions of FGS in northwestern Tanzania, and how this affects or can promote women’s uptake of FGS services.Design and methodsWe conducted a qualitative, formative survey called “Broad Brush Survey” (BBS) using 30 focus group discussions (FGDs) and 29 key informant interviews in five (5) districts across three regions in northwestern Tanzania. Participants were purposively selected in collaboration with village leaders and provided a written consent and/or assent to participate and be voice recorded. They included adolescent girls and boys (15-20 years), adult women and men (21-45 years), older women and men (≥46 years), village leaders (village chairpersons and executive officers), community health workers (CHWs), traditional healers, retail drug sellers, religious leaders, and opinion leaders (influential women and men). This analysis focuses and draws on 18 FGDs and 19 KIIs in which participants discussed or explained the importance and potential role of men in promoting FGS care.ResultsMost participants were not aware of FGS. Despite having adequate knowledge about urogenital schistosomiasis, they perceived FGS to be a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Three main themes emerged during analysis. First, most men reported perceiving women suffering from FGS as “promiscuous” or “unfaithful” due to misperceiving FGS as an STI. Such misperception could result in men ending a relationship. Second, participants reported that their engagement in FGS interventions would be critical to the interventions’ effectiveness because men often regulate women’s access to healthcare. Third, participants argued that men could be empowered through education to promote women’s uptake of FGS services. Finally, they argued that if men are educated about FGS like women, they can both work together in seeking care for FGSConclusionEngaging men to address FGS holds potential to transform their negative perceptions of FGS. Further, participants described men’s potential to support and even advocate for women’s healthcare seeking when women experience symptoms that could be consistent with FGS. Including men more explicitly in FGS community education efforts could facilitate the provision of high-quality sexual and reproductive health care for women living in many communities where FGS is endemic but access to care is limited. We propose that public health interventions in such communities, which are often highly patriarchal, should leverage men’s positions within society by engaging them in promoting women’s health interventions. While we only interviewed participants from five (5) districts across three (3) regions, we are confident that their perceptions are reflective of many similar communities in Tanzania and beyond

Le Forum, Vol. 43 No. 2

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/francoamericain_forum/1100/thumbnail.jp

Manual de la Sala Amiga de la Familia Lactante: Lineamientos para la instalación de espacios de extracción segura de leche humana en entornos laborales

Teniendo en cuenta el valor de la lactancia en los procesos de salud de mujeres y niños/as, y considerando la importancia de las características de los contextos para favorecer la continuidad, se destaca el valor de las salas de extracción de leche humana como espacios que brindan a las mujeres madres las condiciones adecuadas para realizar la extracción y conservación de la leche materna bajo normas técnicas de seguridad, para luego transportarla y disponer de ella para alimentar al niño/a. De esta manera se favorece la reincorporación a la actividad laboral luego de haber cumplido la licencia por maternidad, con la finalidad de contribuir a garantizar los derechos de la mujer que trabaja fuera del hogar, a practicar la lactancia humana y a tomar decisiones informadas libres de presiones comerciales, a la vez que garantiza el derecho de los niños y niñas a una alimentación saludable como lo es la leche de su propia mamá.A través de este manual se propone promover el sostenimiento de la práctica del amamantamiento en mujeres-madres que regresan a las actividades laborales reconociendo los derechos de la madre, del/la niño/a y de la familia.¿Cuál es el objetivo de este manual?Brindar herramientas para la transformación de los entornos laborales en ámbitos favorables a la práctica de la lactancia humana.¿A quién está dirigido este manual?Este manual está dirigido a todas las personas, instituciones, empresas y agrupaciones gremiales interesadas en mejorar los espacios de trabajo para adecuarlos a las necesidades de las mujeres lactantes trabajadoras, contribuyendo así a una mejor experiencia en la práctica de la lactancia y a un mayor rendimiento laboral.Fil: Grande, María del Carmen. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Escuela de Nutrición; ArgentinaFil: Román, María Dolores. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Escuela de Salud Pública; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Escuela de Nutrición; ArgentinaFil: Niclis, Camila. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Escuela de Nutrición; ArgentinaFil: Lambert, Victoria de Los Milagros. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Escuela de Nutrición; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud; ArgentinaFil: Miranda, Virginia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Escuela de Nutrición; ArgentinaFil: Vallejos, Florencia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Escuela de Nutrición; ArgentinaFil: Farr, Ailín. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Escuela de Nutrición; ArgentinaFil: Campero, Micaela. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Escuela de Nutrición; ArgentinaFil: Carreño, Paula. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Escuela de Nutrición; Argentin

Le Forum, Vol. 44 #3

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/francoamericain_forum/1105/thumbnail.jp

The GO-GN Fellowship reflections report

This document summarises the experience of the Global OER Graduate Network (GOGN) fellowship scheme 2020-2022 drawing on the reflections of the nine GO-GN alumni and fellows

Identification and characterization of mature β-hexosaminidases associated with human placenta lysosomal membrane

International audienceβ-Hexosaminidase is a soluble glycohydrolase involved in glycoconjugate degradation into lysosomes, nevertheless its localization has also been described in cytosol and plasma membrane. Recently we demonstrated the presence of Hex associated to human fibroblast plasma membrane as mature form and functionally active towards GM2 ganglioside. In this study Hex was analysed in lysosomal membrane-enriched fraction, obtained by purification from highly purified human placenta lysosomes. Results demonstrate the presence of mature Hex associated to lysosomal membrane and displaying, as the plasma membrane (PM) associated form, an acidic optimum pH. When subjected to carbonate extraction, the enzyme behave as a peripheral membrane protein, while Triton X-114 phase separation confirmed its partial hydrophilic nature, characteristics that are in common with the PM-associated Hex. Moreover 2D electrophoresis indicated a slight difference in pI of β-subunits in the membrane and the soluble forms of the lysosomal Hex. These data reveal a new aspect of the Hex biology and suggest that a fully processed membrane-associated form of Hex is translocated from the lysosomal to the plasma membrane by an as yet unknown mechanism. We present a testable hypothesis that at the cell surface Hex changes the composition of glycoconjugates that are known to be involved in intercellular communication and signaling

Global benchmarks in primary robotic bariatric surgery redefine quality standards for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy

BACKGROUND Whether the benefits of the robotic platform in bariatric surgery translate into superior surgical outcomes remains unclear. The aim of this retrospective study was to establish the 'best possible' outcomes for robotic bariatric surgery and compare them with the established laparoscopic benchmarks. METHODS Benchmark cut-offs were established for consecutive primary robotic bariatric surgery patients of 17 centres across four continents (13 expert centres and 4 learning phase centres) using the 75th percentile of the median outcome values until 90 days after surgery. The benchmark patients had no previous laparotomy, diabetes, sleep apnoea, cardiopathy, renal insufficiency, inflammatory bowel disease, immunosuppression, history of thromboembolic events, BMI greater than 50 kg/m2, or age greater than 65 years. RESULTS A total of 9097 patients were included, who were mainly female (75.5%) and who had a mean(s.d.) age of 44.7(11.5) years and a mean(s.d.) baseline BMI of 44.6(7.7) kg/m2. In expert centres, 13.74% of the 3020 patients who underwent primary robotic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and 5.9% of the 4078 patients who underwent primary robotic sleeve gastrectomy presented with greater than or equal to one complication within 90 postoperative days. No patient died and 1.1% of patients had adverse events related to the robotic platform. When compared with laparoscopic benchmarks, robotic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass had lower benchmark cut-offs for hospital stay, postoperative bleeding, and marginal ulceration, but the duration of the operation was 42 min longer. For most surgical outcomes, robotic sleeve gastrectomy outperformed laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy with a comparable duration of the operation. In robotic learning phase centres, outcomes were within the established benchmarks only for low-risk robotic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. CONCLUSION The newly established benchmarks suggest that robotic bariatric surgery may enhance surgical safety compared with laparoscopic bariatric surgery; however, the duration of the operation for robotic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is longer