Moviment vuci ghall-ispizjara

See also the article 'The pharmacist’s : Jekyll and Hyde behaviour' by Micallef Charles published in The Synapse Volume 14 Issue 5. The article can be found through this link: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar//handle/123456789/14077We are living in an unprecedented era of economic, demographic and technological change, which present both challenges and opportunities for the pharmacy profession. There are many visions for pharmacy in circulation, and many new models of practice have been discussed over time. However, as yet there has been little to bring these together in a coherent narrative for the profession’s future role on the Maltese Islands. Undoubtedly, the year 2014 will be forever etched in the history of our profession as the year of change; the year that saw the synchronised efforts of a team of motivated and passionate individuals. The vision of unity involving progressive liberal and innovative thinking was established. Led by its think-tank, representing all sectors of our diverse profession, the Moviment Vuċi għall-Ispiżjara was born.peer-reviewe

Corruption and Development

SUMMARY Corruption does not necessarily either hinder or encourage development and even when it helps, it is not thereby legitimised. Development, however, in the form now favoured of State control of the economy, does encourage corruption. This should be accepted as a necessary cost, with vigorous efforts made to reduce it. RESUME Corruption et développement On ne peut pas dire que la corruption entrave ou encourage forcément le développement, mais même si elle l'aide, elle n'est pas pour cela légitime. Par contre, le développement, tel qu'on le préfère aujourd'hui sous la forme de contrôle de l'économie par l'état, encourage la corruption. Tout en faisant tout pour la réduire, il faut l'accepter comme un mal nécessaire. RESUMEN Corrupción y Desarrollo No siempre sucede que la corrupción impida o anime el desarrollo, e incluso en aquellos casos en que es beneficioso, no llega a ser legitimo. Sin embargo, la corrupción se ve alentada en las condiciones de desarrollo actualmente favorecidas mediante un control estatal en la economía. Se debe aceptar esto como un costo necesario, haciendo todo lo posible para reducirlo

Prevalence and Correlates of Suicidal Ideation Among Students in sub-Saharan Africa

OBJECTIVES: To compare the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation among youth in sub-Saharan Africa and to evaluate differences in such prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation to identify how risk behaviors vary by gender across country settings. METHODS: Analyses are based on the Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) conducted in Botswana (N=2197; 2005), Kenya (N=3691; 2003), Tanzania (N=2176; 2006), Uganda (N=3215; 2003) and Zambia (N=2257; 2004) of students primarily 13 to 16 years of age. Logistic regression analyses were computed to determine the associations between correlates (i.e., hunger, current alcohol use, problem drinking, bullying victimization, sadness, loneliness, worrying, having no close friends, missed school, illicit drug use, physical fights, physical attacks and early sexual initiation) and suicidal ideation for all students and between boys and girls. RESULTS: The results showed variability in the prevalence of suicidal ideation across these countries. Zambia had the highest prevalence of suicidal ideation (31.9%) among all students, followed by Kenya (27.9%), Botswana (23.1%), Uganda (19.6%) and Tanzania (11.2%). Sadness was the most commonly associated correlate of suicidal ideation among students. Sadness was significantly associated with suicidal ideation in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Sadness remained significantly associated among boys and girls across the same countries. CONCLUSION: The associations between the risk factors examined and suicidal ideation have helped to increase the understanding of an ignored, but critical issue in Sub-Saharan Africa. There is an urgent need for additional research in this area in addition to greater suicide prevention efforts in sub-Saharan African countries

Feasibility of ICDAS and Post-Radiation Dental Index in assessing radiation-related caries

Orientador: Alan Roger dos Santos SilvaDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Odontologia de PiracicabaResumo: O tratamento do câncer de cabeça e pescoço (CCP) ¿que inclui tumores malignos da cavidade bucal, da orofaringe, da hipofaringe, da laringe e do sistema nervoso central¿ é baseado em protocolos multimodalidade que incluem a radioterapia (RT). Apesar de muito eficaz no controle locorregional da doença, a RT gera uma série de toxicidades nos tecidos adjacentes ao tumor incluindo mucosite, radiodermite, hipossalivação, disgeusia, disfagia, trismo, cárie relacionada à radiação (CRR) e osteorradionecrose, entre outras. Estima-se que 25% dos pacientes deste cenário médico desenvolverão CRR após aproximadamente 12 meses da conclusão da RT. A CRR, quando comparada à cárie convencional, se manifesta em topografias dentárias atípicas (cúspide, borda incisal e região cervical próximo à junção amelo-cementária), gera coloração marrom-enegrecida em superfícies não cavitadas de esmalte, fissuras, trincas e delaminação; atinge dentina subjacente e progride rapidamente gerando amputação das coroas dentárias. Até o momento, não existe um sistema de detecção e classificação validado clinicamente para a CRR, o que cria dificuldades para a padronização do diagnóstico precoce e do tratamento apropriado. Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o potencial de aplicabilidade do Sistema Internacional de Detecção e Classificação de Cárie (ICDAS) e do Índice Dental Pós-Radioterapia (PRDI) no contexto da CRR. Dados clinicopatológicos e fotografias digitais intraorais de 60 pacientes (833 dentes) diagnosticados com CRR foram avaliados à luz dos critérios propostos pelos sistemas ICDAS e PRDI. Oitocentos e quatorze dentes (97,7%) foram afetados por lesões de CRR em diversos estágios clínicos de progressão, variando desde desmineralizações incipientes até amputações generalizadas das coroas dentárias. Os valores das medianas para os sistemas ICDAS e PRDI foram 5 e 3, respectivamente, indicando que a maioria dos casos de CRR desta amostra foi diagnosticada tardiamente. O desenvolvimento dos sistemas ICDAS e PRDI não considerou eventos clínicos altamente prevalentes em pacientes com CRR, sobretudo, manifestações precoces da doença como fissuras e trincas de esmalte, delaminação, alterações de cor na superfície não cavitada do esmalte e lesões de cárie afetando superfícies incisais e da cúspide dentária. Em conclusão, os sistemas ICDAS e PRDI apresentaram baixo potencial de aplicabilidade clínica no contexto do diagnóstico e da classificação da CRRAbstract: The treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC) - which includes malignant tumours originating in the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx and central nervous system (CNS) ¿ is based on multimodality protocols that include radiotherapy (RT). Although effective in the locoregional disease control, RT is associated with several toxicities in the tissues adjacent to the tumour including mucositis, radiodermatitis, hyposalivation, dysgeusia, dysphagia, trismus, radiation-related caries (RRC) and osteoradionecrosis, among others. It is estimated that 25% of the patients in this medical scenario will develop RRC after about 12 months after the RT conclusion. RRC, when compared to conventional caries, manifests in unusual dental topographies (cusp, incisal border, and cervical region near the cementoenamel junction), generates a brownish-black colour on enamel non-cavitated surfaces, fissures, cracks and delamination; affects underlying dentin and rapidly progress leading to dental crown amputation. So far, there is no clinically validated detection and assessment system for RRC, which creates difficulties in standardizing early diagnosis and proper treatment. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the feasibility of the Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) and Post-Radiation Dental Index (PRDI) in the RRC context. Clinicopathological data and intraoral digital photographs of 60 patients (833 teeth) diagnosed with RRC were classified according to the ICDAS and PRDI proposed criteria. Eight hundred and fourteen teeth (97.7%) were affected by RRC lesions in several clinical stages of progression, ranging from incipient areas of demineralization to generalized dental crown amputation. The median scores for the ICDAS and PRDI index were 5 and 3, respectively, indicating that most of RRC cases in this sample were predominately diagnosed in late stages. The development of the ICDAS and PRDI index did not consider clinical events highly prevalent in RRC patients such as enamel fissures and cracks, delamination, colour alteration on enamel non-cavitated surfaces and caries lesions affecting incisal and cuspal tooth surfaces. In conclusion, both ICDAS and PRDI index present low potential of clinical applicability in the context of diagnosis and assessment of RRCMestradoPatologiaMestra em Estomatopatologia152543/2015-5CNP

Emotion regulation strategies in bipolar disorder: A systematic and critical review

Background Theoretical frameworks emphasise associations between interpretations and responses to affect and bipolar disorder (BD). This review (PROSPERO CRD42016043801) investigated which emotion regulation (ER) strategies have been applied to BD, are elevated in BD compared to clinical and non-clinical controls, and are associated with clinical and functional outcomes in BD Methods Search terms relating to emotion regulation, coping and bipolar disorder were entered into Embase, MedLine and PsycInfo. Quantitative studies investigating relationships between ER strategies and BD were eligible for this narrative synthesis Results A large volume of research (n = 47) investigated specific ER strategies in BD. Maladaptive strategies such as rumination and dampening were elevated in BD compared to controls and these particular strategies had a detrimental impact on outcomes such as mood symptoms. BD had a similar profile of ER strategies to unipolar depression, but there was limited comparison to other clinical groups. People with BD did not generally have deficits in using adaptive strategies, as evidenced by comparisons with controls and experimental studies Limitations Methodological heterogeneity and a lack of ecologically valid ER assessments Conclusions Empirical literature is critiqued in line with contemporary theories of BD and of emotion regulation more generally, in order to inform future research recommendations. This includes investigation of the importance of context in the impact of ER strategies, and discrepancies between trait and state use of ER strategies, particularly through experience sampling

Alcohol Exposures, Alcohol Marketing, and Their Associations with Problem Drinking and Drunkenness among Youth Living in the Slums of Kampala, Uganda

This study determined the associations between alcohol use exposures, marketing, education, and problem drinking and drunkenness among youth living in the slums of Kampala. This cross-sectional study of youth was conducted in 2011 to quantify and describe high-risk behavior and exposures in a convenience sample (N=457) of urban youth living in the slums, 14–24 years of age, who were participating in a drop-in center for disadvantaged street youth. Logistic regression analyses were computed to determine associations between alcohol use exposures, marketing exposures, alcohol education, and problem drinking and drunkenness while controlling for possible confounders. Among participants, 30.2% reported problem drinking and 32.8% reported drunkenness. In multivariate analyses, obtaining free drinks was associated with problem drinking (AOR: 2.47; 95% CI =  1.23–4.96) and drunkenness (AOR: 2.40; 95% CI = 1.22–4.70) after controlling for potential confounders. Alcohol education measures were not significantly associated with either problem drinking or drunkenness in multivariate analyses. There are important associations between alcohol marketing and drinking among these youth. Moreover, the findings underscore the need for additional research related to the impact of alcohol marketing among vulnerable youth and also the need for policy regulations that restrict alcohol marketing that involve providing free alcohol directly to youth

Unexpected exosites on the surface of matrix metalloproteinase-12 that fine-tune specificity for elastin and collagen V

Abstract only availableMMP-12 hydrolyzes collagens and elastin in normal physiological processes of development, wound repair, and reconstruction of the extracellular matrix. However, chronically elevated levels of MMP-12 activity can sustain disease states in certain tissues. Excessive MMP-12 activity upon elastic fibrils of lungs and arteries causes inflammation at those sites, resulting in emphysema, while excessive activity upon collagens triggers rupture of atheromatous plaques, which can lead to heart attack or stroke. Thus, research into the binding site interactions between MMP-12 and macromolecular substrates provides surface characterization of the enzyme and expedites the process of designing artificial inhibitor molecules to selectively inactivate MMP-12. The catalytic domain of MMP-12 spans amino acid residue 100 to 263, and this region is particularly important during hydrolysis of substrates. Three secondary binding sites within the catalytic domain were examined: phenylalanine 202 (F202), threonine 205 (T205), and histidine 206 (H206). Site-directed mutagenesis was performed at the aforementioned exosites to obtain single point mutations glutamine 202 (F202Q), lysine 205 (T205K), and histidine 206 (H206D). The MMP-12 mutants were expressed as the 18.2kDa catalytic domain in BL21 derived E. coli Rosetta™ 2 host strains. The mutated MMP-12 enzymes were isolated as insoluble inclusion bodies after lysis of E. coli cells using the French press. The inclusion bodies were solubilized in neutral 6M urea buffer, and preliminary purification with cation-exchange chromatography yielded a nucleic acid-free fraction of denatured enzyme. Refolding of the MMP-12 mutants was done by dialysis with serially diluted urea solution containing Tris-HCl buffer and CaCl2 at pH 7.5 without Zn++. ZnCl2 was added to the final dialysis buffer to complete the refolding process. Final purification of active renatured enzyme was achieved by another cation exchange chromatography run. Then, a Bio-Rad protein assay determined the concentration of the three MMP-12 mutants. Two types of flurometric-based kinetic experiments were performed to study changes in catalytic activity of the three MMP-12 mutants versus wild-type MMP-12: active site titration and substrate activity. Active site titration quantified the concentration of active sites for each MMP-12 mutant. The substrate runs for the substrates FS-6, fluorescently labeled elastin, and a triple helical peptide mimic of collagen V (THP-V) produced raw kinetics data, in the form of progress curves. Microcal Origin Pro 7.5 was used to analyze the data to give the kcat, the number of times each enzyme site converts substrate to product per second, and the Km, the concentration needed to achieve one half Vmax. Furthermore, dividing Kcat by Km revealed the amount of activity upon FS-6, elastin, and THP-V for each MMP-12 mutant with FS-6 as the control for mutated and wild-type MMP-12. Since the kcat/Km for wild-type MMP-12 was already known, comparison of activity upon THP-V and elastin between wild type MMP-12 and each MMP-12 mutant was achieved. Ongoing data collection suggests diminished catalytic activity upon elastin and THP-V in all three MMP-12 mutants (F202Q, T205K, and H206D) when compared to wild-type MMP-12, while showing no decrease in activity upon the general MMP substrate, FS-6. To date, data suggests that all three exosites are individually involved in fine-tuning MMP-12 specificity for elastin and triple helical peptide mimics of collagen V.NSF-REU Program in Biological Sciences & Biochemistr

Etude de la pollution particulaire d'une chaine laser de puissance

Ce travail porte sur l’étude de la pollution particulaire déposée sur un composant optique d’une chaîne laser de puissance telle que la Ligne d’Intégration Laser (LIL), le prototype du Laser MégaJoule. Le passage du faisceau laser peut provoquer une dégradation prématurée des composants optiques et conduire, au cours des tirs laser successifs, à leur destruction. On parle alors d’endommagement laser. L’objectif de cette thèse est de déterminer l’influence de la pollution particulaire dans le processus d’endommagement des composants optiques sous un rayonnement laser intense. Pour cela, nous avons mis en oeuvre deux types d’approches : l’une consacrée à l’étude des particules recueillies directement dans la LIL et l’autre reposant sur l’utilisation de particules « modèles » pour étudier précisément les effets de l’irradiation. La première a permis de caractériser la pollution particulaire et d’analyser son influence sur l’état de surface des optiques soumises à un flux laser comparable à celui de la LIL. Nous avons montré que l’irradiation laser d’un échantillon d’optique en silice pollué entraîne l’élimination des particules. Ce phénomène peut s’accompagner d’une modification de l’état de surface qui évolue peu au cours des tirs successifs. La deuxième approche, basée sur la confrontation entre les résultats expérimentaux et théoriques, a permis de compléter notre analyse. Nous avons montré que selon l’emplacement des particules par rapport au sens de propagation du faisceau laser, la modification de surface observée provient d’une densification ou d’une ablation de la silice. Nous avons confirmé que dans les deux cas, la silice était stable sous une succession de tirs. Ce travail démontre que dans les conditions de fonctionnement de la LIL, la pollution particulaire en surface des composants optiques est limitée par un phénomène de « nettoyage » par irradiation laser et surtout ne conduit pas à la destruction des optiques.This work concerns the investigation of particular pollution deposited on optical components of high power lasers such as the Ligne d’Intégration Laser (LIL) which is the Laser MegaJoule prototype. The laser beam can induce damages which can lead ultimately to the destruction of the optical components under successive laser shots. The aim of this work is to investigate the influence of pollution on the laser induced damage process. Two general approaches have been developed: the first one is concerned with the study of particles collected in situ inside the LIL, and the other one relies on the investigation of the irradiation of model particles with shape and composition controlled. The first one provided a characterization of particulate pollution and an evaluation of its influence on the surface of the optical components submitted to an intense laser pulse comparable with the one existing in LIL. We showed that the irradiation of silica made optic samples polluted in surface induces a particle removing. This phenomenon can leave an imprint on the surface which generally does not evolve under successive shots. The second approach based on the comparison between experimental and theoretical results, offered a way to complete and broaden our analysis. We showed that depending of the particle positioning versus the laser propagation direction, the observed imprint results in silica ablation or densification. In both cases, silica remains stable under successive laser shots. This works showed that in the LIL working conditions, particulate pollution on optical components is limited by a cleaning effect by laser irradiation and overall does not induce optics destruction

La publicidad y sus formas de ilicitud. En especial, la publicidad encubierta y el fenómeno de los "influencers" = The concept of advertising and its forms of illicit. In particular, cover advertising and the "influencers" event

En el presente Trabajo de Fin de Grado nos centraremos en el estudio de los diferentes aspectos jurídicos contemplados respecto a la publicidad encubierta, con especial referencia al fenómeno influencer. En suma, analizaremos los diversos supuestos de ilicitud que puede adoptar nuestra publicidad, para centrarnos en el supuesto de la publicidad encubierta por ocultar su finalidad real. Seguidamente, analizaremos el impacto de los influencers en dicha publicidad y los tipos de influencers que han ido surgiendo hoy día. Así mismo, estudiaremos la regulación de estas prácticas ilícitas en el ordenamiento jurídico español, teniendo muy en cuenta la normativa en el ámbito europeo, sin olvidarnos de la importancia de los nuevos mecanismos de autorregulación y los códigos de conducta; en particular, del nuevo Código de Conducta sobre el uso de Influencers en la Publicidad. Finalmente, distinguiremos las distintas vías de represión previstas en la Ley de Competencia Desleal, si bien no hemos de ignorar que las actuaciones ilícitas podrían generar responsabilidad en otros ámbitos y abarcadas por otras disciplinas, tales como en el ámbito penal, fiscal o administrativo, que exceden de las dimensiones de este trabajo