Early surgery versus initial conservative treatment in patients with traumatic intracerebral haemorrhage [STITCH(Trauma)] : the first randomized trial

Acknowledgements This project was funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme (project number 07/37/16). The views and opinions expressed therein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the HTA programme, NIHR, NHS or the Department of Health.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Ethics, Genetic Technologies and Equine Sports: The Prospect of Regulation of a Modified Therapeutic Use Exemption Policy

This article critically reviews the current availability and selected use of genetic technologies for horses, before undertaking an ethical evaluation of current practice and regulatory positions in comparative relation to debates surrounding genetic testing, pre-implantation genetic testing and gene editing in humans. We argue that genetic testing for hereditary disorders is not only justified but should be encouraged on welfare grounds and that genetic testing for performance traits is ethically permissible based on a restricted imperative to genetically edit horses and horse embryos to reduce genetic predisposition to disease and injury. Given the current state of the science, where the effects of gene editing on health and welfare are currently undetermined, space is created for an analytical distinction between equine gene editing for ‘treatment’ and for ‘enhancement’. Gene editing is only justified for purposes of correcting/preventing disease and injury. Current regulation is challenged by apparently conflicting welfare-based ethical imperatives with respect to welfare-based gene editing. We propose modifications to the blanket bans on gene editing with a case-by-case assessment of applications to permit gene editing, based on best welfare interests underwritten by the aim of facilitating fair sport that adapt WADAs International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions, adding an important reporting element. We reject the use of gene editing to obtain currently prohibited competitive advantages. In order to safeguard the welfare of human and equine athletes, we argue that regulatory institutions should urgently collaborate to develop cross-sport international regulations for the use of gene editing, including obligatory reporting of data about the health and welfare of genetically edited horses

Fathers as informants of children's fears and worries

The recognition of excessive fears and worries in children is important for early intervention. Despite current knowledge about the important contribution fathers make to their children’s emotional, social and cognitive development, more emphasis is often given to the views of mothers in both research and practice. This paper reports on a community study of 220 families. Fathers, mothers and children reported on children’s fears and worries using three different methods. While father and mother ratings were moderately correlated on two of the measures, there was relatively poor parent-child agreement. Implications for the role of fathers in the assessment of childhood fears and worries are discussed

El papel de la tecnología de la información en la reforma del curriculum contable

Este trabajo pretende llamar la atención de la comunidad académica sobre la necesidad de introducir innovaciones en la enseñanza universitaria de la Contabilidad, con el fin de superar la profunda crisis en la que ésta se encuentra sumida actualmente. La reciente reforma de los planes de estudio en la Universidad Española representa una gran oportunidad para mejorar la calidad de nuestra docencia; para aprovecharla, es necesario llevar a cabo una profunda reflexión sobre cuáles han de ser los objetivos que deben presidir el desarrollo de nuestra labor docente y cuáles las estrategias más apropiadas para alcanzarlos. En este trabajo defendemos que la incorporación de los avances recientes en materia de tecnología de la información puede contribuir significativamente al logro de los objetivos del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje desarrollado en nuestras Escuelas Universitarias y Facultades de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales

Metabotropic glutamate 2/3 receptors and epigenetic modifications in psychotic disorders: a review

Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder are chronic psychiatric disorders, both considered as "major psychosis"; they are thought to share some pathogenetic factors involving a dysfunctional gene x environment interaction. Alterations in the glutamatergic transmission have been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of psychosis. Our group developed an epigenetic model of schizophrenia originated by Prenatal Restraint Stress (PRS) paradigm in mice. PRS mice developed some behavioral alterations observed in schizophrenic patients and classic animal models of schizophrenia, i.e. deficits in social interaction, locomotor activity and prepulse inhibition. They also showed specific changes in promoter DNA methylation activity of genes related to schizophrenia such as reelin, BDNF and GAD67, and altered expression and function of mGlu2/3 receptors in the frontal cortex. Interestingly, behavioral and molecular alterations were reversed by treatment with mGlu2/3 agonists. Based on these findings, we speculate that pharmacological modulation of these receptors could have a great impact on early phase treatment of psychosis together with the possibility to modulate specific epigenetic key protein involved in the development of psychosis. In this review, we will discuss in more details the specific features of the PRS mice as a suitable epigenetic model for major psychosis. We will then focus on key proteins of chromatin remodeling machinery as potential target for new pharmacological treatment through the activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors

Internationalisation strategies of African MNEs: a case analysis of Angolan and Mozambican enterprises

This study investigates the internationalisation strategies of Lusophone Africa multinational enterprises (LAMNEs) from Angola and Mozambique. While previous scholarship examining the investment decisions and actual investment commitments found that MNEs make choices to internationalise incrementally to reduce uncertainty, this research expands this body of scholarship by identifying Angolan and Mozambican MNEs that were born global or created to become international new ventures (INVs). Key implications of this study suggests that despite several disadvantages faced by entrepreneurs in frontier economies, particularly in Angola and Mozambique LAMNEs relied on external resources to launch themselves into international markets, utilising web-enabled digital and virtual resources, such as the Internet, social media and online professional communities of practice. In addition, most did not enter foreign markets alone and chose to rely on modes of entry that included joint ventures and partnerships, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), e-commerce, and e-business.https://doi.org/10.1504/IJEXPORTM.2019.101809Accepted manuscriptPublished versio

The Agrarian Struggle Rural Communism in Alberta and Saskatchewan 1926-1935

During the late 1920s and early 1930s, Prairie Communists made their most conspicuous attempt to convert the Western farmers to revolutionary socialism. Their objective was to channel the growing conflict between the non-competitive small farmers and the emerging industrial producers along class-conscious lines. Restricted, however, by the demands of the International and by the Toronto-based executive of the Party, the Prairie Communists failed to develop either a programme or a local leadership which might win the support of small farmers. In failing to gain ideological and organizational legitimacy, rural communism condemned itself to remain a tool of the militant conservatism of the marginal producers. C’est à la fin des années 1920 et au début de la décennie suivante que les communistes des Prairies ont tenté le plus fortement de convaincre les fermiers de l’Ouest et de les rallier au socialisme révolutionnaire. Leur but était de ramener à la question de la lutte des classes le conflit grandissant entre les petits fermiers et les producteurs industriels, conflit engendré par la misère des uns et l’émergence des autres. Néanmoins, retenus par l’Internationale et par la direction du parti située à Toronto, les communistes des Prairies ne purent ni lancer un programme politique ni mettre sur pied une direction régionale qui auraient pu leur valoir l’appui des petits fermiers. En manquant de s’implanter, tant sur le plan idéologique qu’organisationnel, le communisme rural s’est ainsi condamné à ne rester qu’un instrument du conservatisme militant des producteurs marginaux

Algal polyunsaturated fatty acids and effects on plankton ecology and other organisms

A review and discussion of the effects of algal polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on phytoplankton and zooplankton ecology and their effects on other animal systems. Topics discussed also include the relationship of cyanobacterial classification to PUFA occurrence, lipid concentrations occurring in the aqueous environment, the general effect of microalgae on zooplankton, and how algal PUFAs may be exerting their inhibitory and toxic effects