In Their Own Defence: Violence against girls, and girls as human rights defenders

This paper was presented as a background document for the 2009 United Kingdom-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) Colloquium. The colloquium intended to explore the systems, mechanisms and practices available for female victims of violence under the age of 18 to assert themselves in the face of violation of their human rights. It further aimed to stimulate debate and reflection with the purpose of ascertaining whether there is a research and education agenda which merits to be pursued in seeking to reduce violence and to empower the affected girls and women. After establishing some key concepts, the paper raises crucial questions that acted as important guidelines for the discussions that took place during the colloquium

Spectroscopic properties of conjugated systems

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Vascular Plants of Alberta, Part 1

Vascular Plants of Alberta is a user-friendly, portable key to the ferns, fern allies, gymnosperms, and monocots of Alberta. This key to the species of Alberta will delight all those interested in botany, with its intuitive and exhaustive presentation of the plants, including new names and taxonomical understandings that have emerged in recent years. Designed to be carried into the field for handy reference and use, Vascular Plants of Alberta presents: -A list of all species, native and introduced, known to occur in Alberta, arranged alphabetically -Information on scientific names of taxa and their synonyms -Keys for identifying taxa, including infra specific -Descriptions of the major taxonomic categories -Discussion about taxonomic problems and relationships of the taxa -Distribution and habitat information for native species -Descriptions for new tax

Boundary dynamics in competing critical black hole formation

Expanding upon our previous study of competing critical phenomena in black hole formation, we numerically investigate the behavior of dominant exponents across the boundary separating asymptotically dispersing and collapsing regions in a two-dimensional configuration space of initial data. We find that across the Type II boundary section the dominant exponent remains constant, equal to the reciprocal of Choptuik's well-known quasi-universal value, whereas across the Type I section the exponent noticeably varies. We postulate that this change reflects the existence of a third critical solution in addition to the two primary competing solutions, possibly another member of the family of metastable soliton stars constituting the Type I attractor.Comment: 18 pages, 20 figures, 2 table

Identification of signalling pathways involved in the oxidative stress response triggered by Low Temperature Plasma in prostate epithelial cells and the assessment of tumour-associated allelic expression in Prostate Cancer

Pairing of cancer genome and transcriptome data has revealed that heterozygous mutations aren’t always expressed in cells. The potential for point mutation or genomic rearrangement to alter tumour allelic expression has implications for understanding cellular heterogeneity and application of treatments. Mutation of SPOP, PTEN and IDH-1 was assessed in 51 primary prostate cancer cultures to establish allelic heterozygosity and ascertain whether oncogenic change to coding regions altered allelic expression. No mutations were detected in the three genes, although 18% of tested cultures had loss of heterozygosity in PTEN. The TMPRSS2-ERG fusion, present in half of all prostate cancers, is selectively expressed at an allelic level by cancer stem cells. Monoallelic expression didn’t correlate with TMPRSS2 promoter hypermethylation. Prostate cultures expressed fusion transcript, however epigenetic features of monoallelically expressed genes were not investigated in the epithelial subpopulations. Understanding of allelic chromatin states may inform treatment strategies that permit tumour suppressor expression or oncogenic protein repression. Inability to predict indolent or aggressive progression of organ-confined prostate cancers has created the problem of surgical overtreatment. Focal therapies targeting the tumour core are being met with increasing rates of recurrence, necessitating development of novel treatments. The anti-cancer properties of Low Temperature Plasma (LTP) are being explored in prostate models where it produces autophagy and necrosis through generation of reactive species. Initial gene expression response to LTP and the activation of upstream transcription factors were analysed. LTP activated Nrf2, AP-1 and Notch signalling in patient matched prostate normal and cancer cultures. The progenitor-containing cell fraction was more responsive to LTP than differentiated epithelial cells in both transcription of response genes and nuclear accumulation of active Notch1. When linked to cell-fate outcomes, these immediate molecular responses of prostate cancer to LTP could be used as hallmarks of resistance or treatment efficacy in patients

Psicologia cultural: introdução e visão geral

The article provides an introduction to and overview of cultural psychology. It begins by introducing the three major figures of the Vygotsky Circle in the 1920s and 30s: Lev Vygotsky, Alexander Luria, and Aleksei Leontiev. Their collaboration is important not least because it demonstrates that study of culture and of neurobiology are not opposed lines of investigation but complementary. It also provides context to the founding of the International Society for Cultural and Activity Research (Iscar) in 2002 through merger of the International Society for Cultural Research and Activity Theory (Iscrat) and the Conference for Sociocultural Research. The article then briefly sketches the history of cultural psychology in the English-speaking world and introduces some of the major figures. It turns to consider Vygotsky’s project in more detail, explaining his diagnosis of the crisis in the psychology of his time and his solution for avoiding dualism. It then focuses on the key features of Vygotsky’s account of children’s development, outlining his reconstruction of the stages and transitions of ontogenesis and offering an interpretation of the process of internalization. It concludes with a discussion of research methodology in cultural psychology, explaining how it differs from the quasi-experimental designs that are typical in cross-cultural psychology.Este artículo proporciona una introducción y una visión general de la psicología cultural. Comienza con la introducción de las tres figuras principales del Círculo Vygotskiano en las décadas de los veinte y los treinta: Lev Vygotsky, Alexander Luria y Alekséi Leontiev, ya que la colaboración entre ellos es importante porque demuestra que el estudio de la cultura y de la neurobiología no son líneas de investigación opuestas, sino complementarias. Seguido a esto, se bosqueja brevemente la historia de la psicología cultural en el mundo de habla inglesa y se presentan algunas de sus principales figuras. Después, se hace énfasis en el proyecto de Vygotsky, explicando su diagnóstico de la crisis en la psicología y su solución para evitar el dualismo. Luego, se hace foco en las características clave del relato de Vygotsky sobre el desarrollo de los niños, describiendo su reconstrucción de las etapas y transiciones de la ontogénesis y ofreciendo una interpretación del proceso de internalización. Concluye con una discusión de la metodología de la investigación en psicología cultural, explicando en qué se diferencia de los diseños cuasi experimentales típicos de la psicología transcultural.O artigo proporciona uma introdução e uma visão geral da psicologia cultural. Começa com a introdução das três figuras principais do “Círculo Vygotskiano” nos anos 20 e 30: Lev Vygotsky, Alexander Luria e Alekséi Leontiev. A colaboração entre eles é importante, não só porque demostra que o estudo da cultura e da neu- robiologia não são linhas de pesquisa opostas, mas complementárias. O artigo logo esboça brevemente a história da psicologia cultural no mundo de língua inglesa e apresenta algumas de suas principais figuras. Depois passa a considerar o projeto de Vygotskycom mais detalhe, explicando seu diagnóstico da crise na psicologia e sua solução para evitar o dualismo. Após, enfoca-se nas características chave do relate de Vygotsky sobre o desenvolvimento das crianças, descrevendo sua reconstrução das etapas e transições da ontogênese e oferecendo uma interpretação do processo de interna- lização. Conclui com uma discussão da metodologia da pesquisa em psicologia cultural, explicando em que se diferencia dos desenhos quase experimentais típicos da psicologia transcultural

Influences of Ancient Egypt on architecture and ornament in Scotland

This work seeks to identify the forms and origins of Ancient Egyptian architecture and the complex historical progress which brought these to Scotland, identifying the affinities shared by both countries and their evolving role from their first arrival to the present day. The thesis follows Egypt’s first appearance in Scottish legend and its later influence, at the close of the 16th century, in the practices of organised Freemasonry, to be followed, from the second quarter of the 17th century, by numerous obelisk sundials and with the construction of the first pyramid towards its close. In the 18th century, single obelisk monuments with Masonic implications appeared, and the outstanding significance of the Scottish Enlightenment and its fascination with Antiquity are noted. That this coincided with the Grand Tour encouraged Scottish aristocrats, architects, and artists to observe, to study and to be inspired by Egyptian forms, principally in Rome, which then appeared in Scottish country house and garden. The first recorded visit of a Scot to Egypt, in 1768, led to the delayed publication of an account in 1793 and the century closed with the outbreak of the British military campaign in Egypt against Napoleon’s invading forces. The participation of Scots troops led to a new familiarity with the land and, albeit from France, there were produced the first accurate details of the country’s monuments and an ensuing enthusiasm for an ‘Egyptian Revival’. This thesis goes on to record the 19th century absorption with mourning, when the use of Egyptian symbols, aided by industrial methods of production, grew to a peak, allied to new archaeological discoveries by visiting Scots and the growth of accurate publications. These two latter, increased by the growing number of Scots who visited the country, influenced the use of Egyptian themes in a wide range of buildings, religious, domestic and industrial. The 20th century rejection of both religion and commemoration, except in acknowledgement of the sacrifice of those who gave their lives in the First and Second World Wars, led to the decline of Egyptian mourning themes and new building techniques left little place for Egyptian references which were mainly reduced to mere surface ornament. This thesis concludes with an important 21st century military example which contains within it, a unique range of Egyptian symbols of commemoration

Influence of Sacubitril/Valsartan (LCZ696) on 30-day readmission after heart failure hospitalization

Background: Patients with heart failure (HF) are at high risk for hospital readmission in the first 30 days following HF hospitalization. Objectives: This study sought to determine if treatment with sacubitril/valsartan (LCZ696) reduces rates of hospital readmission at 30-days following HF hospitalization compared with enalapril. Methods: We assessed the risk of 30-day readmission for any cause following investigator-reported hospitalizations for HF in the PARADIGM-HF trial, which randomized 8,399 participants with HF and reduced ejection fraction to treatment with LCZ696 or enalapril. Results: Accounting for multiple hospitalizations per patient, there were 2,383 investigator-reported HF hospitalizations, of which 1,076 (45.2%) occurred in subjects assigned to LCZ696 and 1,307 (54.8%) occurred in subjects assigned to enalapril. Rates of readmission for any cause at 30 days were 17.8% in LCZ696-assigned subjects and 21.0% in enalapril-assigned subjects (odds ratio: 0.74; 95% confidence interval: 0.56 to 0.97; p = 0.031). Rates of readmission for HF at 30-days were also lower in subjects assigned to LCZ696 (9.7% vs. 13.4%; odds ratio: 0.62; 95% confidence interval: 0.45 to 0.87; p = 0.006). The reduction in both all-cause and HF readmissions with LCZ696 was maintained when the time window from discharge was extended to 60 days and in sensitivity analyses restricted to adjudicated HF hospitalizations. Conclusions: Compared with enalapril, treatment with LCZ696 reduces 30-day readmissions for any cause following discharge from HF hospitalization