Inequalities and cultural differences in Bombay: A framework of analysis of a mega city in the south

Der Beitrag setzt sich mit zwei Fragen auseinander: (1) Welchen Charakter haben Exklusion und soziale Ungleichheit in Bombay (Mumbai) heute? (2) In welchem Verhältnis stehen Ungleichheit und Exklusion zum Aufkommen nativistisch-chauvinistischer Strömungen im politischen Bereich? Die Verfasser gliedert ihre Untersuchung in drei historische Phasen, die Ära des Kolonialismus vom Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts bis in die 1940er Jahre, die postkoloniale Autarkie-Phase bis in die 1970er Jahre und die darauf folgende Phase der Weltmarktintegration und Dienstleistungsorientierung. Die letztgenannte Phase der Globalisierung ist gekennzeichnet durch den Niedergang der Textilindustrie, eine räumliche und wirtschaftliche Restrukturierung der Stadt, das Aufkommen regionaler Identitätspolitik sowie eine extreme soziale Polarisierung, die den Nährboden für eine regional und religiös geprägte nationalistisch-faschistische Bewegung bildet. Die sozialen Probleme Bombays, so das Fazit der Verfasserin, sind Ergebnis des Umstands, dass es an einer Integration von alter und neuer Wirtschaft in der Stadt fehlt. (ICE

Global connections, anti-colonial discourse, and multi-scaler divides

The polarising divides in the contemporary world are not only about material and digital inequalities and exclusions. These relate to social science knowledge production and circulation as the UNESCO 2010 report graphically depicts. Though some semblance of this polarisation is captured within postcolonial and decolonial perspectives, its presence in most European and North American universities does not represent the complex discussions that it inhabits nor does it recognise that under and beyond this polarised structure, there are embedded distinctive knowledge circuits. An examination of the latter gives us a glimpse of distinct and diverse discussions that have emerged in the last eight decades around the various regions of the Global South on the theme of anticolonial knowledge systems and the politics of knowledge construction. In this paper I deliberate three alternate anti-colonial dominant/hegemonic knowledges: that of the indigenous vs the endogenous, that of colonial modernity, and that of extraversion and coloniality. I will argue that for global social theory to be effective, it should engage with the geographies and histories that these represent and promote diversities in social theorisations without which the former will repeat the binaries that have organised and continue to constitute social science fields.  Understanding the multi-scaler dimensions of global social theory will ultimately help to comprehend the complex grid that organises privilege, status, poverty, exclusion and power globally

Decolonial Research Methods: Resisting Coloniality in Academic Knowledge Production (Webinar 5)

This is the fifth webinar in a six-part series from NCRM called Decolonial Research Methods: Resisting Coloniality in Academic Knowledge Production. The speaker is Professor Sujata Patel, from Umeå University. The webinar took place on 30 November 2021

The relationship between zinc intake and serum/plasma zinc concentration in adults: a systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis by the EURRECA Network

Dietary zinc recommendations vary widely across Europe due to the heterogeneity of pproaches used by expert panels. Under the EURRECA consortium a protocol was designed to systematically review and undertake meta-analyses of research data to create a database that includes “best practice” guidelines which can be used as a resource by future panels when setting micronutrient recommendations. As part of this process, the objective of the present study was to undertake a systematic review and meta-analysis of previously published data describing the relationship between zinc intake and status in adults. Searches were performed of literature published up to February 2010 using MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Data extracted included population characteristics, dose of zinc, duration of study, dietary intake of zinc, and mean concentration of zinc in plasma or serum at the end of the intervention period. An intake-status regression coefficient was estimated for each individual study, and pooled meta-analysis undertaken. The overall pooled for zinc supplementation on serum/plasma zinc concentrations from RCTs and observational studies was 0.08 (95% CI 0.05, 0.11; p<0.0001; I2 84.5%). An overall of 0.08 means that for every doubling in zinc intake, the difference in zinc serum or plasma concentration is (20.08 = 1.06), which is 6%. Whether the dose-response relationship, as provided in this paper, could be used as either qualitative or quantitative evidence to substantiate the daily zinc intake dose necessary to achieve normal or optimal levels of biomarkers for zinc status, remains a matter of discussion

Characterization of the Adeno-Associated Virus 1 and 6 Sialic Acid Binding Site

ABSTRACT The adeno-associated viruses (AAVs), which are being developed as gene delivery vectors, display differential cell surface glycan binding and subsequent tissue tropisms. For AAV serotype 1 (AAV1), the first viral vector approved as a gene therapy treatment, and its closely related AAV6, sialic acid (SIA) serves as their primary cellular surface receptor. Toward characterizing the SIA binding site(s), the structure of the AAV1-SIA complex was determined by X-ray crystallography to 3.0 Å. Density consistent with SIA was observed in a pocket located at the base of capsid protrusions surrounding icosahedral 3-fold axes. Site-directed mutagenesis substitution of the amino acids forming this pocket with structurally equivalent residues from AAV2, a heparan sulfate binding serotype, followed by cell binding and transduction assays, further mapped the critical residues conferring SIA binding to AAV1 and AAV6. For both viruses five of the six binding pocket residues mutated (N447S, V473D, N500E, T502S, and W503A) abolished SIA binding, whereas S472R increased binding. All six mutations abolished or decreased transduction by at least 50% in AAV1. Surprisingly, the T502S substitution did not affect transduction efficiency of wild-type AAV6. Furthermore, three of the AAV1 SIA binding site mutants—S472R, V473D, and N500E—escaped recognition by the anti-AAV1 capsid antibody ADK1a. These observations demonstrate that common key capsid surface residues dictate both virus binding and entry processes, as well as antigenic reactivity. This study identifies an important functional capsid surface “hot spot” dictating receptor attachment, transduction efficiency, and antigenicity which could prove useful for vector engineering. IMPORTANCE The adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector gene delivery system has shown promise in several clinical trials and an AAV1-based vector has been approved as the first gene therapy treatment. However, limitations still exist with respect to transduction efficiency and the detrimental effects of preexisting host antibodies. This study aimed to identify key capsid regions which can be engineered to overcome these limitations. A sialic glycan receptor recognition pocket was identified in AAV1 and its closely related AAV6, using X-ray crystallography. The site was confirmed by mutagenesis followed by cell binding and transduction assays. Significantly, residues controlling gene expression efficiency, as well as antibody escape variants, were also identified. This study thus provides, at the amino acid level, information for rational structural engineering of AAV vectors with improved therapeutic efficacy

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Mothers regarding Diarrhoeal Illness in Children under Five Years of Age: A Cross Sectional Study in an Urban Slum of Delhi, India

Diarrhoea is one of the lead killers of children worldwide. This study was done with an aim to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding diarrhoeal illness, its prevention and management in mothers of under- five children. A descriptive cross- sectional study; 125 mothers were randomly selected from an urban slum of Delhi and were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. 96% mothers defined diarrhoea appropriately. Most common perceived causes of diarrhoea were contaminated food and drinking water (80%). Though 83% mothers believed that clean drinking water prevents diarrhoea, yet water treatment was practiced by only 36%. Most mothers believed in (90%) and practiced (88%) hand washing with soap post-defecation to prevent diarrhoea. While only 31% had knowledge on importance of use of latrine, fewer (19%) accepted that safe disposal of stool was very important and just 58% reported practicing it. Less than a third of the mothers recognized critical signs of dehydration. 79% mothers recognized importance of increased fluid requirement and 70% practiced it for management of diarrhoea. Though 76% mothers used ORS, only 26% considered it as the mainstay treatment of diarrhoea. Also, 42% mothers had incomplete knowledge regarding proper preparation of ORS. Though only 22% were aware of the role of breastfeeding in prevention of diarrhoea, a positive attitude towards (74%) and healthier practice (90%) of exclusive breast-feeding was observed. Thus, we conclude that though the community knowledge, attitude and practices on diarrhoeal illness and its prevention is marginally satisfactory, the poor knowledge regarding signs of dehydration and relevance of ORS as primary management component is a matter of concern for child survival

BACTERIAL DISEASES OF LIVESTOCK ANIMALS AND THEIR IMPACT ON HUMAN HEALTH

Recently, whole world is facing the problem of infectious diseases related to animal diseases that pose significant threats to human health. In other words, humans may acquire zoonotic infections through various routes i.e. food, water etc. The transmission of certain bacterial diseases (through food and water) is one of the important cause of illness in both developing and developed countries. Most of the infectious pathogens that are normally reside in the intestinal tract of healthy animals and may transmit the disease through products (meat, milk or eggs) and faecal contamination of the environment. Normally, minute amount of intestinal contents are released and contaminate milk during milking; carcass at slaughter and egg during laying. Generally, risk associated with this type of contamination is somehow minimised where proper food hygiene is normally applied throughout the entire food chain from production, through processing to preparation at home. In this view, we provide some information about bacterial diseases of livestock animals and their effect or impact on human health.Â

The Relationship between Zinc Intake and Serum/Plasma Zinc Concentration in Children: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis

Recommendations for zinc intake during childhood vary widely across Europe. The EURRECA project attempts to consolidate the basis for the definition of micronutrient requirements, taking into account relationships among intake, status and health outcomes, in order to harmonise these recommendations. Data on zinc intake and biomarkers of zinc status reported in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) can provide estimates of dose-response relationships which may be used for underpinning zinc reference values. This systematic review included all RCTs of apparently healthy children aged 1–17 years published by February 2010 which provided data on zinc intake and biomarkers of zinc status. An intake-status regression coefficient was calculated for each individual study and calculated the overall pooled and SE using random effects meta-analysis on a double log scale. The pooled dose-response relationship between zinc intake and zinc status indicated that a doubling of the zinc intake increased the serum/plasma zinc status by 9%. This evidence can be utilised, together with currently used balance studies and repletion/depletion studies, when setting zinc recommendations as a basis for nutrition policies

A large outbreak of Clostridium difficile‐associated disease with an unexpected proportion of deaths and colectomies at a teaching hospital following increased Fluoroquinolone use

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Fluoroquinolones have not been frequently implicated as a cause of Clostridium difficile outbreaks. Nosocornial C. difficile infections increased from 2.7 to 6.8 cases per 1,000 discharges (P < .001). During the first 2 years of the outbreak, there were 253 nosocomial C difficile infections; of these, 26 resulted in colectomy and 18 resulted in death. We conducted an investigation of a large C. difficile outbreak in our hospital to identify risk factors and characterize the outbreak