Addressing Intimate Partner Violence Using Gender-Transformative Approaches at a Community Level in Rural Tanzania: The UZIKWASA program.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is recognized as an important public health and social problem, with far-reaching consequences for women's physical and emotional health and social well-being, yet little is known about how behavior change campaigns (BCCs) affect this type of behavior and other related abuses in Tanzania and in other sub-Saharan African countries. UZIKWASA is a civil society organization based in Pangani District in coastal Tanzania and since 2009 has conducted BCCs focused on promoting gender justice and effective leadership. As with other complex programs there is a question about how such approaches affect norms and practice in relation to violence against women and girls. Drawing on longitudinal research utilizing more than 1000 community diary entries (hearsay ethnographies) and qualitative methods using 20 in-depth interviews and 16 focus group discussions with women and men, and adolescent girls and boys, this article explores the ways in which UZIKWASA's program effects change. The findings reveal personal and community narratives about gender-based and IPV as forms of retributive justice and assertion of authority by men. Drawing on gender performance as an explanation for violence, the research revealed changes in norms and practice in relation to violence against women and girls. Thus, we argue that UZIKWASA is gender-transformative by addressing gender norms and the critical awareness among leaders and the community of the social construction and reconstruction of gender that creates the context for real impact on changes in behavior

Perinatal asphyxia: CNS development and deficits with delayed onset

Perinatal asphyxia constitutes a prototype of obstetric complications occurring when pulmonary oxygenation is delayed or interrupted. The primary insult relates to the duration of the period lacking oxygenation, leading to death if not re-established. Re-oxygenation leads to a secondary insult, related to a cascade of biochemical events required for restoring proper function. Perinatal asphyxia interferes with neonatal development, resulting in long-term deficits associated to mental and neurological diseases with delayed clinical onset, by mechanisms not yet clarified. In the experimental scenario, the effects observed long after perinatal asphyxia have been explained by over expression of sentinel proteins, such as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), competing for NAD+ during re-oxygenation, leading to the idea that sentinel protein inhibition constitutes a suitable therapeutic strategy. Asphyxia induces transcriptional activation of proinflammatory factors, in tandem with PARP-1 overactivation, and pharmacologically induced PARP-1 inhibition also down-regulates the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. Nicotinamide has been proposed as a suitable PARP-1 inhibitor. Its effect has been studied in an experimental model of global hypoxia in rats. In that model, the insult is induced by immersing rat foetuses into a water bath for various periods of time. Following asphyxia, the pups are delivered, treated, and nursed by surrogate dams, pending further experiments. Nicotinamide rapidly distributes into the brain following systemic administration, reaching steady state concentrations sufficient to inhibit PARP-1 activity for several hours, preventing several of the long-term consequences of perinatal asphyxia, supporting the idea that it constitutes a lead for exploring compounds with similar or better pharmacological profiles

Galaxies in the zone of avoidance: Misclassifications using machine learning tools

Fil: Pamela, Marchant Cortés. Universidad de La Serena. Facultad de Ciencias. Departamento Astronomía; Chile.Fil: Nilo Castellón, José Luis. Universidad de La Serena. Facultad de Ciencias. Departamento Astronomía; Chile.Fil: Alonso, Maria Victoria. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Alonso, Maria Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Astronomía Teórica y Experimental; Argentina.Fil: Baravalle, Laura. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Baravalle, Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Astronomía Teórica y Experimental; Argentina.Fil: Villalon, Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Astronomía Teórica y Experimental; Argentina.Fil: Sgró, Mario Agustín. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Sgró, Mario Agustín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Astronomía Teórica y Experimental; Argentina.Fil: Daza Perilla, Ingrid Vanessa. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Daza Perilla, Ingrid Vanessa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Astronomía Teórica y Experimental; Argentina.Fil: Soto, Mario. Universidad de Atacama. Instituto de Investigación en Astronomía y Ciencias Planetarias; Chile.Fil: Milla Castro, Fernanda. Universidad de La Serena. Facultad de Ciencias. Departamento Astronomía; Chile.Fil: Minniti, Dante. Universidad Andrés Bello. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Astrofísica; Chile.Fil: Minniti, Dante. Vatican Observatory; Vatican City State.Fil: Masetti, Nicola. Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica. Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna; Italy.Fil: Masetti, Nicola. Universidad Andrés Bello. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Astrofísica; Chile.Fil: Valotto, Carlos. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Valotto, Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Astronomía Teórica y Experimental; Argentina.Fil: Lares, Marcelo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Lares, Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Astronomía Teórica y Experimental; Argentina.Context. Automated methods for classifying extragalactic objects in large surveys offer significant advantages compared to manual approaches in terms of efficiency and consistency. However, the existence of the Galactic disk raises additional concerns. These regions are known for high levels of interstellar extinction, star crowding, and limited data sets and studies. Aims. In this study, we explore the identification and classification of galaxies in the zone of avoidance (ZoA). In particular, we compare our results in the near-infrared (NIR) with X-ray data. Methods. We analyzed the appearance of objects in the Galactic disk classified as galaxies using a published machine-learning (ML) algorithm and make a comparison with the visually confirmed galaxies from the VVV NIRGC catalog. Results. Our analysis, which includes the visual inspection of all sources cataloged as galaxies throughout the Galactic disk using ML techniques reveals significant differences. Only four galaxies were found in both the NIR and X-ray data sets. Several specific regions of interest within the ZoA exhibit a high probability of being galaxies in X-ray data but closely resemble extended Galactic objects. Our results indicate the difficulty in using ML methods for galaxy classification in the ZoA, which is mainly due to the scarcity of information on galaxies behind the Galactic plane in the training set. They also highlight the importance of considering specific factors that are present to improve the reliability and accuracy of future studies in this challenging region.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionFil: Pamela, Marchant Cortés. Universidad de La Serena. Facultad de Ciencias. Departamento Astronomía; Chile.Fil: Nilo Castellón, José Luis. Universidad de La Serena. Facultad de Ciencias. Departamento Astronomía; Chile.Fil: Alonso, Maria Victoria. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Alonso, Maria Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Astronomía Teórica y Experimental; Argentina.Fil: Baravalle, Laura. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Baravalle, Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Astronomía Teórica y Experimental; Argentina.Fil: Villalon, Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Astronomía Teórica y Experimental; Argentina.Fil: Sgró, Mario Agustín. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Sgró, Mario Agustín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Astronomía Teórica y Experimental; Argentina.Fil: Daza Perilla, Ingrid Vanessa. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Daza Perilla, Ingrid Vanessa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Astronomía Teórica y Experimental; Argentina.Fil: Soto, Mario. Universidad de Atacama. Instituto de Investigación en Astronomía y Ciencias Planetarias; Chile.Fil: Milla Castro, Fernanda. Universidad de La Serena. Facultad de Ciencias. Departamento Astronomía; Chile.Fil: Minniti, Dante. Universidad Andrés Bello. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Astrofísica; Chile.Fil: Minniti, Dante. Vatican Observatory; Vatican City State.Fil: Masetti, Nicola. Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica. Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna; Italy.Fil: Masetti, Nicola. Universidad Andrés Bello. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Astrofísica; Chile.Fil: Valotto, Carlos. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Valotto, Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Astronomía Teórica y Experimental; Argentina.Fil: Lares, Marcelo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Lares, Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Astronomía Teórica y Experimental; Argentina

Effects of the pattern of glucocorticoid replacement on neural processing, emotional reactivity and well-being in healthy male individuals:study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Deviation from the physiological glucocorticoid dynamics (circadian and underlying ultradian rhythmicity) is a common characteristic of various neuropsychiatric and endocrine disorders as well as glucocorticoid-based therapeutics. These states may be accompanied by neuropsychiatric symptomatology, suggesting continuous dynamic glucocorticoid equilibrium is essential for brain homeostasis. METHODS/DESIGN: The study consists of two parts. The preliminary stage of the study aims to validate (technically and pharmacologically) and optimise three different patterns of systemic cortisol administration in man. These patterns are based on the combinatory administration of metyrapone, to suppress endogenous cortisol production, and concurrent hydrocortisone replacement. The second, subsequent, core part of the study is a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover study, where participants (healthy male individuals aged 18–60 years) will undergo all three hydrocortisone replacement schemes. During these infusion regimes, we plan a number of neurobehavioural tests and imaging of the brain to assess neural processing, emotional reactivity and perception, mood and self-perceived well-being. The psychological tests include: ecological momentary assessment, P1vital Oxford Emotional Test Battery and Emotional Potentiated Startle Test, Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire and the visual working memory task (n-back). The neuroimaging protocol combines magnetic resonance sequences that capture data related to the functional and perfusion status of the brain. DISCUSSION: Results of this clinical trial are designed to evaluate the impact (with possible mechanistic insights) of different patterns of daily glucocorticoid dynamics on neural processing and reactivity related to emotional perception and mood. This evidence should contribute to the optimisation of the clinical application of glucocorticoid-based therapeutics. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UK Clinical Research Network, IRAS Ref: 106181, UKCRN-ID-15236 (23 October 2013

Glucocorticoid ultradian rhythmicity differentially regulates mood and resting state networks in the human brain: A randomised controlled clinical trial

Adrenal glucocorticoid secretion into the systematic circulation is characterised by a complex rhythm, composed of the diurnal variation, formed by changes in pulse amplitude of an underlying ultradian rhythm of short duration hormonal pulses. To elucidate the potential neurobiological significance of glucocorticoid pulsatility in man, we have conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, three-way crossover clinical trial on 15 healthy volunteers, investigating the impact of different glucocorticoid rhythms on measures of mood and neural activity under resting conditions by recruiting functional neuroimaging, computerised behavioural tests and ecological momentary assessments. Endogenous glucocorticoid biosynthesis was pharmacologically suppressed, and plasma levels of corticosteroid restored by hydrocortisone replacement in three different regimes, either mimicking the normal ultradian and circadian profile of the hormone, or retaining the normal circadian but abolishing the ultradian rhythm of the hormone, or by our current best oral replacement regime which results in a suboptimal circadian and ultradian rhythm. Our results indicate that changes in the temporal mode of glucocorticoid replacement impact (i) the morning levels of self-perceived vigour, fatigue and concentration, (ii) the diurnal pattern of mood variation, (iii) the within-network functional connectivity of various large-scale resting state networks of the human brain, (iv) the functional connectivity of the default-mode, salience and executive control networks with glucocorticoid-sensitive nodes of the corticolimbic system, and (v) the functional relationship between mood variation and underlying neural networks. The findings indicate that the pattern of the ultradian glucocorticoid rhythm could affect cognitive psychophysiology under non-stressful conditions and opens new pathways for our understanding on the neuropsychological effects of cortisol pulsatility with relevance to the goal of optimising glucocorticoid replacement strategies

Developing Transdisciplinary Approaches to Sustainability Challenges: The Need to Model Socio-Environmental Systems in the Longue Durée

Human beings are an active component of every terrestrial ecosystem on Earth. Although our local impact on the evolution of these ecosystems has been undeniable and extensively documented, it remains unclear precisely how our activities are altering them, in part because ecosystems are dynamic systems structured by complex, non-linear feedback processes and cascading effects. We argue that it is only by studying human–environment interactions over timescales that greatly exceed the lifespan of any individual human (i.e., the deep past or longue durée), we can hope to fully understand such processes and their implications. In this article, we identify some of the key challenges faced in integrating long-term datasets with those of other areas of sustainability science, and suggest some useful ways forward. Specifically, we (a) highlight the potential of the historical sciences for sustainability science, (b) stress the need to integrate theoretical frameworks wherein humans are seen as inherently entangled with the environment, and (c) propose formal computational modelling as the ideal platform to overcome the challenges of transdisciplinary work across large, and multiple, geographical and temporal scales. Our goal is to provide a manifesto for an integrated scientific approach to the study of socio-ecological systems over the long term

Mapping past human land use using archaeological data: A new classification for global land use synthesis and data harmonization

In the 12,000 years preceding the Industrial Revolution, human activities led to significant changes in land cover, plant and animal distributions, surface hydrology, and biochemical cycles. Earth system models suggest that this anthropogenic land cover change influenced regional and global climate. However, the representation of past land use in earth system models is currently oversimplified. As a result, there are large uncertainties in the current understanding of the past and current state of the earth system. In order to improve repre- sentation of the variety and scale of impacts that past land use had on the earth system, a global effort is underway to aggregate and synthesize archaeological and historical evi- dence of land use systems. Here we present a simple, hierarchical classification of land use systems designed to be used with archaeological and historical data at a global scale and a schema of codes that identify land use practices common to a range of systems, both imple- mented in a geospatial database. The classification scheme and database resulted from an extensive process of consultation with researchers worldwide. Our scheme is designed to deliver consistent, empirically robust data for the improvement of land use models, while simultaneously allowing for a comparative, detailed mapping of land use relevant to the needs of historical scholars. To illustrate the benefits of the classification scheme and meth- ods for mapping historical land use, we apply it to Mesopotamia and Arabia at 6 kya (c. 4000 BCE). The scheme will be used to describe land use by the Past Global Changes (PAGES) LandCover6k working group, an international project comprised of archaeologists, historians, geographers, paleoecologists, and modelers. Beyond this, the scheme has a wide utility for creating a common language between research and policy communities, link- ing archaeologists with climate modelers, biodiversity conservation workers and initiatives.publishedVersio

Mapping past human land use using archaeological data: A new classification for global land use synthesis and data harmonization.

In the 12,000 years preceding the Industrial Revolution, human activities led to significant changes in land cover, plant and animal distributions, surface hydrology, and biochemical cycles. Earth system models suggest that this anthropogenic land cover change influenced regional and global climate. However, the representation of past land use in earth system models is currently oversimplified. As a result, there are large uncertainties in the current understanding of the past and current state of the earth system. In order to improve representation of the variety and scale of impacts that past land use had on the earth system, a global effort is underway to aggregate and synthesize archaeological and historical evidence of land use systems. Here we present a simple, hierarchical classification of land use systems designed to be used with archaeological and historical data at a global scale and a schema of codes that identify land use practices common to a range of systems, both implemented in a geospatial database. The classification scheme and database resulted from an extensive process of consultation with researchers worldwide. Our scheme is designed to deliver consistent, empirically robust data for the improvement of land use models, while simultaneously allowing for a comparative, detailed mapping of land use relevant to the needs of historical scholars. To illustrate the benefits of the classification scheme and methods for mapping historical land use, we apply it to Mesopotamia and Arabia at 6 kya (c. 4000 BCE). The scheme will be used to describe land use by the Past Global Changes (PAGES) LandCover6k working group, an international project comprised of archaeologists, historians, geographers, paleoecologists, and modelers. Beyond this, the scheme has a wide utility for creating a common language between research and policy communities, linking archaeologists with climate modelers, biodiversity conservation workers and initiatives

Mapping past human land use using archaeological data: A new classification for global land use synthesis and data harmonization

In the 12,000 years preceding the Industrial Revolution, human activities led to significant changes in land cover, plant and animal distributions, surface hydrology, and biochemical cycles. Earth system models suggest that this anthropogenic land cover change influenced regional and global climate. However, the representation of past land use in earth system models is currently oversimplified. As a result, there are large uncertainties in the current understanding of the past and current state of the earth system. In order to improve representation of the variety and scale of impacts that past land use had on the earth system, a global effort is underway to aggregate and synthesize archaeological and historical evidence of land use systems. Here we present a simple, hierarchical classification of land use systems designed to be used with archaeological and historical data at a global scale and a schema of codes that identify land use practices common to a range of systems, both implemented in a geospatial database. The classification scheme and database resulted from an extensive process of consultation with researchers worldwide. Our scheme is designed to deliver consistent, empirically robust data for the improvement of land use models, while simultaneously allowing for a comparative, detailed mapping of land use relevant to the needs of historical scholars. To illustrate the benefits of the classification scheme and methods for mapping historical land use, we apply it to Mesopotamia and Arabia at 6 kya (c. 4000 BCE). The scheme will be used to describe land use by the Past Global Changes (PAGES) LandCover6k working group, an international project comprised of archaeologists, historians, geographers, paleoecologists, and modelers. Beyond this, the scheme has a wide utility for creating a common language between research and policy communities, linking archaeologists with climate modelers, biodiversity conservation workers and initiatives