C-Reactive Protein in Ischemic Stroke

Background and Purpose —There is growing evidence of the prognostic importance of C-reactive protein (CRP) in ischemic stroke. However, the independent value of CRP at different stages after stroke has not been established. Therefore, we assessed the prognostic values of CRP in ischemic stroke. We also compared the relation of CRP at admission and discharge with 1-year outcome. Methods —One hundred ninety-three patients were included in a derivation set (n=128) and a validation set (n=65). Serum CRP was measured, within 24 hours after index ischemic stroke, within 48 to 72 hours, and at hospital discharge. We examined the association between the level of CRP at different stages after stroke and outcome. We adjusted for the possible confounding effect using a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model. Results —A cutoff point of 1.5 mg/dL for CRP at discharge provided optimum sensitivity and specificity for adverse outcome, based on the receiver operator curves. CRP at admission (hazard ratio [HR] 2.78, 95% CI 1.45 to 5.33; P =0.0021) and discharge (HR 9.42, 95% CI 4.27 to 19.05; P <0.0001) were predictors of the combined end point of new vascular events or death at 1 year. CRP at hospital discharge was the strongest independent marker of adverse outcome (HR 7.42, 95% CI 2.75 to 20.03; P =0.0001). These results were confirmed in the validation set (HR 15.66, 95% CI 3.36 to 72.97; P =0.0005). Conclusions —CRP is a marker of increased 1-year risk in ischemic stroke. CRP at discharge is better related to later outcome and could be of greater utility for risk stratification. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that elevated CRP may predict future cardiovascular events or death

Endorsement and Social Role of the Ethos of Conflict in Serbia

The study’s aims are to analyze the endorsement of the ethos of conflict (EoC )‎narrative in the Serbian-Albanian conflict among the adults in Serbia, its relation ‎to political conservatism, and its role in pushing conservative political action. A total of N = 1613 adults (aged 18+) were recruited for face-to-face interviewing, ‎in a representative sampling procedure, in December 2019 in Serbia.‎ The results show high endorsement of EoC in the Serbian-Albanian fray; the‎ mediation effect of EoC (having both high EoC and high conservatism is associated‎ with greater political activism); the relation between EoC and political‎ activism is moderated by age (the older population endorsing higher EoC‎ was more politically active). In the future, we should address more actively the‎ mobilizers of reactionary political actions in public and individual spheres, to‎ better understand the mechanisms for achieving long-term peace.

Activation of Stress Kinases in the Brain of Mucopolysaccharidosis IIIB mice

The accumulation of heparan sulfate (HS) in lysosomes is the primary consequence of the enzyme defect (α-N-acetylglucosaminidase) in mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB. This accumulation triggers a cascade of pathological events that progressively leads to CNS pathology. Here we examined the activation of the three major stress kinases in the neuronal tissue of a murine model of the disease. ERK1/2 was significantly higher in the cortex of 1–2-month-old affected animals compared with wild-type (Wt) littermates. Similarly, ERK1/2 was stimulated in neurons cultured from MPS IIIB mice. SAPK/JNK was also found to be activated in the cortex of 1–2-month-old affected animals compared with Wt subjects, and the same was found for cultured neurons. In contrast, the active form of p38MAPK was lower in the cortex of 1-month-old MPS IIIB mice compared with Wt animals, but no significant difference was found between the two p38MAPK analyzed in normal and affected neurons cultured in vitro. These data indicate the possible involvement of MAPK dysregulation in the early stage of MPS IIIB brain disease. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Drawingvoice 2.0: classroom joint designing and Facebook interactions to develop reflexivity and awareness

Drawingvoice 2.0 is an instructional method of collaborative pencil and paper drawing to use in the school classroom, followed by Facebook interaction on the drawing produced in class. It is based on a participatory and meta reflective approach, explicitly aimed at deconstructing, negotiating, and reconstructing the meaning that students attribute to themselves regarding their professional expectations and educational pathways. In particular, the collaborative pencil and paper drawing allows for the student’s emotional symbolisation processes underlying their educational pathway. Drawingvoice 2.0 induces a multidimensional cognitive and meta-cognitive process further supported by the following interaction on Facebook. Therefore, the World Wide Web is the added resource for sharing and deepening the classmates’ discussion. Finally, Drawingvoice 2.0 supported structural group interaction and was an important supportive and instructional method to bring about transformational and developmental training practices. As the main result, in our experience, psychology students increased their reflectivity about their strengths and threats in being psychologists within their cultural contexts and potential positive resources underlying their choice. Drawingvoice 2.0 thus enhanced their self-awareness about the lights and shadows of their training and future professional career.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Play and learn: Children's agency through the COVID‐19 pandemic in Mozambique

Social distancing, one of the measures adopted in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, profoundly impacted on the lives of children. The consequences were, however, not homogenous. By focusing on the daily practices of 41 Mozambican children aged 3–10, we consider how differences in socioeconomic backgrounds led children to respond to the social restrictions in ways that made sense to them. Inspired by Abebe (2019), we identify how the interruptions of daily routines enabled specific instances of agency on children's part. These, we argue, produce new forms of continuity

“Yes, but somebody has to help them, somehow:” Looking at the italian detention field through the eyes of professional nonstate actors

Although migration-related detention has proliferated around the world, little is known about life inside these sites of confinement for illegalized non-citizens. Building on 34 months of fieldwork, this article examines the lived experiences of center staff and external civil-society actors engaged within Rome’s detention center. We discuss the emotional, ethical, and political challenges faced by these professional actors in their everyday work and their relationship with detainees. Our aim is to shed light on psychosocial life in detention and the intersections between humanitarian and security logics in this setting. In doing so, we problematize the idea that “humanizing detention” can be a solution for change.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologiainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Toll-Like Receptor 4 Modulates Small Intestine Neuromuscular Function through Nitrergic and Purinergic Pathways

Objective: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a pivotal role in the homeostatic microflora-host crosstalk. TLR4-mediated modulation of both motility and enteric neuronal survival has been reported mainly for colon with limited information on the role of TLR4 in tuning structural and functional integrity of enteric nervous system (ENS) and in controlling small bowel motility. Methods: Male TLR4 knockout (TLR4-/-, 9 \ub1 1 weeks old) and sex- and age-matched wild-type (WT) C57BL/6J mice were used for the experiments. Alterations in ENS morphology and neurochemical code were assessed by immunohistochemistry whereas neuromuscular function was evaluated by isometric mechanical activity of ileal preparations following receptor and non-receptor-mediated stimuli and by gastrointestinal transit. Results: The absence of TLR4 induced gliosis and reduced the total number of neurons, mainly nNOS+ neurons, in ileal myenteric plexus. Furthermore, a lower cholinergic excitatory response with an increased inhibitory neurotransmission was found together with a delayed gastrointestinal transit. These changes were dependent on increased ileal non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) relaxations mediated by a complex neuronal-glia signaling constituted by P2X7 and P2Y1 receptors, and NO produced by nNOS and iNOS. Conclusion: We provide novel evidence that TLR4 signaling is involved in the fine-tuning of P2 receptors controlling ileal contractility, ENS cell distribution, and inhibitory NANC neurotransmission via the combined action of NO and adenosine-5\u2032-triphosphate (ATP). For the first time, this study implicates TLR4 at regulating the crosstalk between glia and neurons in small intestine and helps to define its role in gastrointestinal motor abnormalities during dysbiosis

Une unité d’exploitation rurale de la première moitié du IIIe siècle av. J.-C à Mer (Loir-et-Cher)

National audienceL'étude des vestiges archéologiques découverts à Mer, au lieu-dit Les Gaudines, révèle une unité d'exploitationrurale de la première moitié du IIIe s. av. J.-C. dont les composantes architecturales et fonctionnelles– à savoir un bâtiment carré sur tranchées et poteaux internes associé à un bâtiment à porche sur poteauxporteurs – semblent correspondre à un modèle laténien récurrent. Le second type de bâtiment a pu êtreidentifié comme une étable par des analyses physico-chimiques. Une monnaie punique en bronze suscitedes interrogations sur le statut des occupants du site