CARSKI REZ U GRČKOJ MITOLOGIJI

The narrative of caesarean birth appears on several occasions in Greek mythology: in the birth of Dionysus is the God of the grape harvest and winemaking and wine; in the birth of Asclepius the God of medicine and healing; and in the birth of Adonis the God of beauty and desire. It is possible, however not obligatory, that it was not solely a fantasy but also reflected a contemporary medical practice.Opis poroda carskim rezom u grčkoj se mitologiji pojavljuje u nekoliko navrata: pri rođenju Dioniza, boga berbe grožđa, proizvodnje vina i vina uopće, pri rođenju Asklepija, boga liječenja i ozdravljenja te pri rođenju Adonisa, boga ljepote i požude. Moguće je, doduše ne nužno, da to nije bio samo proizvod mašte, već da odražava onovremenu medicinsku praksu

Exploring the impacts of disclosure for the transgender and gender non-conforming therapists

Transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) people face numerous challenges and disparities as members of a marginalized and stigmatized group (Grant, et al., 2011). With the increased visibility of the transgender and gender non-conforming community, there are also more TGNC people becoming professionally trained therapists, and there is a lack of guidance on navigating this particular experience. Four focus groups were conducted in the northeastern part of the United States with 19 total participants who are all Master\u27s level or above mental health clinicians who identify as TGNC. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to examine the experiences of transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) therapists related to disclosure about their gender identity and how it impacts both the therapeutic relationship and the practitioner\u27s own sense of efficacy, safety and well-being. Findings were divided into three main domains of: the therapeutic relationship; supervision and workplace; and self-care and community. All three sub-sections revealed issues of burdens, stresses and challenges related to disclosure, as well as ways in which being out or visible have been beneficial and strengthening for the clinical relationship and internal resources for the individual. Relational Cultural Theory (RCT) (Jordan, 2011) provides a theoretical lens with which to clinically address these challenges in the context of social and cultural oppression for empowerment. This project addresses a current gap in the literature on this emerging, timely topic and provides guidance for training and supervision in the field of clinical social work and counseling

The Solar Neighborhood. XXXIV. A Search for Planets Orbiting Nearby M Dwarfs using Astrometry

Astrometric measurements are presented for seven nearby stars with previously detected planets: six M dwarfs (GJ 317, GJ 667C, GJ 581, GJ 849, GJ 876, and GJ 1214) and one K dwarf (BD $-$10 3166). Measurements are also presented for six additional nearby M dwarfs without known planets, but which are more favorable to astrometric detections of low mass companions, as well as three binary systems for which we provide astrometric orbit solutions. Observations have baselines of three to thirteen years, and were made as part of the RECONS long-term astrometry and photometry program at the CTIO/SMARTS 0.9m telescope. We provide trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions for all 16 systems, and perform an extensive analysis of the astrometric residuals to determine the minimum detectable companion mass for the 12 M dwarfs not having close stellar secondaries. For the six M dwarfs with known planets, we are not sensitive to planets, but can rule out the presence of all but the least massive brown dwarfs at periods of 2 - 12 years. For the six more astrometrically favorable M dwarfs, we conclude that none have brown dwarf companions, and are sensitive to companions with masses as low as 1 $M_{Jup}$ for periods longer than two years. In particular, we conclude that Proxima Centauri has no Jovian companions at orbital periods of 2 - 12 years. These results complement previously published M dwarf planet occurrence rates by providing astrometrically determined upper mass limits on potential super-Jupiter companions at orbits of two years and longer. As part of a continuing survey, these results are consistent with the paucity of super-Jupiter and brown dwarf companions we find among the over 250 red dwarfs within 25 pc observed longer than five years in our astrometric program.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in A

Occurrence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in generally healthy women with exophytic vulvar condyloma acuminata.

AIM: To disclose possible association between exophytic vulvar condyloma acuminata and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in generally healthy, sexually active women. METHODS: This retrospective study included 74 patients (study group) who were referred for laser vaporization therapy of exophytic vulvar condyloma acuminata, and 88 asymptomatic volunteers without evidence of exophytic vulvar condyloma acuminata (control group) who were referred for screening Papanicolaou (Pap) test cervical evaluation including colposcopy. The diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia was based on Pap smear, colposcopy and/or biopsy. RESULTS: On Pap smear, atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance or low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions were found in 10 (13.5%) women with exophytic vulvar condyloma acuminata and in 2 (2.3%) asymptomatic volunteers (p < 0.05). Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia was found in 8 women with exophytic vulvar condyloma acuminata and in none of the asymptomatic volunteers (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: An association was found between exophytic vulvar condyloma acuminata and abnormal Pap smear or positive cervical biopsy, in generally healthy women

What Led to the Nigerian Boycott of the Polio Vaccination Campaign?

Jegede discusses the recent controversy surrounding polio immunization in Nigeria, in which three northern states boycotted the immunization campaign

Conduit artery structure and function in lowlanders and native highlanders: relationships with oxidative stress and role of sympathoexcitation

Research detailing the normal vascular adaptions to high altitude is minimal and often confounded by pathology (e.g. chronic mountain sickness) and methodological issues. We examined vascular function and structure in: (1) healthy lowlanders during acute hypoxia and prolonged ( 2 weeks) exposure to high altitude, and (2) high-altitude natives at 5050 m (highlanders). In 12 healthy lowlanders (aged 32 ± 7 years) and 12 highlanders(Sherpa; 33 ± 14 years) we assessed brachial endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation(FMD), endothelium-independent dilatation (via glyceryl trinitrate; GTN), common carotid intima–media thickness (CIMT) and diameter (ultrasound), and arterial stiffness via pulse wave velocity (PWV; applanation tonometry). Cephalic venous biomarkers of free radical-mediated lipid peroxidation (lipid hydroperoxides, LOOH), nitrite (NO2 –) and lipid soluble antioxidants were also obtained at rest. In lowlanders, measurements were performed at sea level (334 m) and between days 3–4 (acute high altitude) and 12–14 (chronic high altitude) following arrival to 5050 m. Highlanders were assessed once at 5050 m. Compared with sea level, acute high altitude reduced lowlanders’ FMD (7.9 ± 0.4 vs. 6.8 ± 0.4%; P = 0.004) and GTN-induced dilatation (16.6 ± 0.9 vs. 14.5 ± 0.8%; P = 0.006), and raised central PWV (6.0 ± 0.2 vs. 6.6 ± 0.3 m s−1; P = 0.001). These changes persisted at days 12–14, and after allometricallyscaling FMD to adjust for altered baseline diameter. Compared to lowlanders at sea level and high altitude, highlanders had a lower carotid wall:lumen ratio ( 19%, P 0.04), attributable to a narrower CIMT and wider lumen. Although both LOOH and NO2 – increased with high altitude in lowlanders, only LOOH correlated with the reduction in GTN-induced dilatation evident during acute (n = 11, r=−0.53) and chronic (n = 7, r=−0.69; P 0.01) exposure to 5050 m. In a follow-up, placebo-controlled experiment (n=11 healthy lowlanders) conducted in a normobaric hypoxic chamber (inspiredO2 fraction (FIO2 )=0.11; 6 h), a sustained reduction in FMD was evident within 1 h of hypoxic exposure when compared to normoxic baseline (5.7±1.6 vs. 8.0 ±1.3%; P < 0.01); this decline in FMD was largely reversed following α1-adrenoreceptor blockade. In conclusion, high-altitude exposure in lowlanders caused persistent impairment in vascular function, which was mediated partially via oxidative stress and sympathoexcitation. Although a lifetime of high-altitude exposure neither intensifies nor attenuates the impairments seen with short-term exposure, chronic high-altitude exposure appears to be associated with arterial remodelling

Genomics and metagenomics of trimethylamine-utilizing Archaea in the human gut microbiome

International audienceThe biological significance of Archaea in the human gut microbiota is largely unclear. We recently reported genomic and biochemical analyses of the Methanomassiliicoccales, a novel order of methanogenic Archaea dwelling in soil and the animal digestive tract. We now show that these Methanomassiliicoccales are present in published microbiome data sets from eight countries. They are represented by five Operational Taxonomic Units present in at least four cohorts and phylogenetically distributed into two clades. Genes for utilizing trimethylamine (TMA), a bacterial precursor to an atherosclerogenic human metabolite, were present in four of the six novel Methanomassiliicoccales genomes assembled from ELDERMET metagenomes. In addition to increased microbiota TMA production capacity in long-term residential care subjects, abundance of TMA-utilizing Methanomassiliicoccales correlated positively with bacterial gene count for TMA production and negatively with fecal TMA concentrations. The two large Methanomassiliicoccales clades have opposite correlations with host health status in the ELDERMET cohort and putative distinct genomic signatures for gut adaptation

The genetics of neuropathic pain from model organisms to clinical application

Neuropathic pain (NeuP) arises due to injury of the somatosensory nervous system and is both common and disabling, rendering an urgent need for non-addictive, effective new therapies. Given the high evolutionary conservation of pain, investigative approaches from Drosophila mutagenesis to human Mendelian genetics have aided our understanding of the maladaptive plasticity underlying NeuP. Successes include the identification of ion channel variants causing hyper-excitability and the importance of neuro-immune signaling. Recent developments encompass improved sensory phenotyping in animal models and patients, brain imaging, and electrophysiology-based pain biomarkers, the collection of large well-phenotyped population cohorts, neurons derived from patient stem cells, and high-precision CRISPR generated genetic editing. We will discuss how to harness these resources to understand the pathophysiological drivers of NeuP, define its relationship with comorbidities such as anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders, and explore how to apply these findings to the prediction, diagnosis, and treatment of NeuP in the clinic