Revisiting forever gained: income dynamics in the resettlement areas of Zimbabwe

This paper examines income dynamics for a panel of households resettled on former white-owned farms in the aftermath of Zimbabwe's independence. There are four core findings: (i) there has been an impressive accumulation of assets by these households; (ii) while this accumulation has played a role in increases in crop income, increases in returns to these assets have been especially important in generating the dramatic increase in crop incomes observed in these households; (iii) differences in initial conditions across these households, such as previous farming experience, have few persistent effects; and (iv) growth in incomes has been shared across all households, with the largest percentage increases in predicted incomes recorded by households that had the lowest predicted incomes at the beginning of the survey.

Consensus Views on Advance Care Planning for Dementia: A Delphi Study

yesThe uptake of advance care planning (ACP) is particularly low among people with dementia. This may reflect barriers to communication between professionals, patients and families in the face of lack of consensus about the process. This study aimed to methodically investigate consensus views of how ACP should be explained and carried out with people with dementia. A three-round Delphi study explored views of how and when ACP should be addressed, what should be covered, who should be involved and why rates of ACP are low. Seventeen participants took part comprising family members, old age psychiatrists and policy makers. Thirty-two items reached consensus. The panel agreed on 11 different areas for discussion. They concurred that ACP was best addressed after the person has come to terms with the diagnosis when the individual feels ready to do so. There was a consensus view that the process should be couched in terms of ‘certain possibilities’. Consensus items emphasised personal choice and autonomy, while also prioritising the need to discuss financial aspects and to include spouses. There was no consensus that professionals should be involved, although the panel viewed them as carrying some responsibility for low uptake. It is suggested that ACP should include general discussion of values as well as coverage of specific points. Professionals need to offer discussion and information on ACP, but also make clear that the patient has the right to choose whether to pursue ACP or not

Double and triple calix[4]arenis connected via the oxygen functions

New macrocyclic molecules are described containing two or three p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene subunits connected via their oxygen atoms. These macrocycles are available by two general methods which are capable of producing assemblies with bridges of varying rigidity and length

Reducing violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the Arab League: A systematic review of preventive interventions

The UN's Sustainable Development Goal #5 (Gender Equity) includes violence against women and girls (VAWG), considering it as a violation of the rights of women and girls. The variety of risk factors for VAWG in Arab countries suggests the need to identify effective interventions to guide practitioners and policy makers. A systematic review of preventive interventions across the Arab League examined the outcomes of VAWG. Authors registered the study on the prospective register of systematic reviews database. Authors conducted the search for evidence up to 2023. Database searching identified 1,502 studies and after application of the eligibility criteria, 17 studies remained for inclusion. Quality appraisal used the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Evidence emerged from eight Arab countries. Interventions occurred at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention. However, only two studies employed interventions using more than one level of prevention, which considered systems strengthening and the development of community solidarity networks. The evidence revealed a lack of clear evaluation and evidence for the effectiveness of interventions and prevention alongside reactive approaches, with no evidence as to how systems may reduce or prevent VAWG. One main issue is patriarchal dominance in Arab countries creating the lack of a collective female voice in any of the evidence. However, Arab countries can change with support. Achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goal #5 by 2030 means interventions and programs need to include more than one prevention level, consider systems and include the collective female voice

Bereavement and the role of religious and cultural factors.

yesThe aim of this article is to give an overview of some of the key dimensions of variation in cultural and religious rituals during the immediate period after a death and in the longer term, in order to inform service delivery in multi-cultural societies. For each area we give examples of different customs, and consider their functions and possible impact. Dimensions considered in the immediate period after bereavement are: The time and space given to formal rituals, expression of feelings, assertion of status and disposal of the body. In the longer term, we look at variations in remembering the deceased and in continuing bonds. Throughout we consider the interplay between individual responses and the person¿s cultural and religious context. Our objective is to provide an accessible introduction for practitioners new to working with bereavement and provide a succinct reference point for more experienced bereavement workers.Full text made available 1st May 2014 at the end of the publisher's embargo period

The Dermatan Sulfate Proteoglycan Decorin Modulates α2β1 Integrin and the Vimentin Intermediate Filament System during Collagen Synthesis.

Decorin, a small leucine-rich proteoglycan harboring a dermatan sulfate chain at its N-terminus, is involved in regulating matrix organization and cell signaling. Loss of the dermatan sulfate of decorin leads to an Ehlers-Danlos syndrome characterized by delayed wound healing. Decorin-null (Dcn(-/-)) mice display a phenotype similar to that of EDS patients. The fibrillar collagen phenotype of Dcn(-/-) mice could be rescued in vitro by decorin but not with decorin lacking the glycosaminoglycan chain. We utilized a 3D cell culture model to investigate the impact of the altered extracellular matrix on Dcn(-/-) fibroblasts. Using 2D gel electrophoresis followed by mass spectrometry, we identified vimentin as one of the proteins that was differentially upregulated by the presence of decorin. We discovered that a decorin-deficient matrix leads to abnormal nuclear morphology in the Dcn(-/-) fibroblasts. This phenotype could be rescued by the decorin proteoglycan but less efficiently by the decorin protein core. Decorin treatment led to a significant reduction of the α2β1 integrin at day 6 in Dcn(-/-) fibroblasts, whereas the protein core had no effect on β1. Interestingly, only the decorin core induced mRNA synthesis, phosphorylation and de novo synthesis of vimentin indicating that the proteoglycan decorin in the extracellular matrix stabilizes the vimentin intermediate filament system. We could support these results in vivo, because the dermis of wild-type mice have more vimentin and less β1 integrin compared to Dcn(-/-). Furthermore, the α2β1 null fibroblasts also showed a reduced amount of vimentin compared to wild-type. These data show for the first time that decorin has an impact on the biology of α2β1 integrin and the vimentin intermediate filament system. Moreover, our findings provide a mechanistic explanation for the reported defects in wound healing associated with the Dcn(-/-) phenotype

Матеріали інформаційно-методичного забезпечення дисципліни «Кримінальне правозастосування (Проблеми призначення покарань)»

В правовій державі кримінально-правовим засобам регулювання протидії злочинності відводиться ключова роль не тільки в сфері притягнення винних осіб до заслуженої відповідальності, а й у наданні правової допомоги громадя- нам та юридичним особам та забезпеченні їх правової безпеки, захисту прав і свобод потерпілих від злочинів особам, а також для того, щоб попередити в майбутньому можливість вчинення нових злочинів. Під час вивчення курсу «Кримінальне правозастосування (Проблеми при- значення покарань)» студенти отримують теоретичні знання і практичні навич- ки з організації діяльності по реалізації законодавчих приписів щодо криміна- льно-правової політики держави.Навчальна нормативна дисципліна «Кримінальне правозастосування (Проблеми призначення покарань)» передбачає опанування теорії, методології і методики застосування в практиці судів норм кримінального права України. Систематизований виклад положень навчальної дисципліни покликаний сфор- мувати практичні навички застосування норм кримінального права майбутніми юристами у правоохоронній діяльності