The Neoliberal Politics of the Child: Violence Against Women and Mother/Child Welfare, 1990-2012

This thesis examines violence against women, mothers and child welfare in Canada and Ontario from 1990 to 2012. It explores policy evolution during this perfect storm of intensified neoliberalism and the turn to the child in policy agendas, tracing the complexities of politics and policy at federal, provincial and institutional levels. Feminist political economy, feminist standpoint epistemology and intersectional theorizing provide a complimentary race, gender and class analysis of the structural and systemic inequalities encountered by women and their children seeking violence-free lives. Mixed methods of policy mapping, forty semi-structured qualitative interviews with state and non-state actors and two focus groups with abused mothers are used to connect policy to the lived experiences of abused mothers, single fathers, social workers, and managers. This study shows the decentralization of federal policy power to the provinces, the withering federal investment in income inequality, and the narrow focus on early childhood education bode ill for women fleeing violence. The restructuring of Ontario policies and practices around the at-risk child under the Harris Conservatives that continued under the McGuinty Liberals, depoliticized violence against women initiatives and retrenched colonial, gendered and racialized violence against women and children. Furthermore, the policy shift to the child eclipsed womens equality issues, such as ending violence against women, redressing womens poverty, and mitigating the structural inequality of womens unwaged caring labour with children. With the rise of a child welfare state focused on child risk, objective managerialism, and failure to protect policies, social workers and managers supporting families criticize these anti-feminist policies and practices that promote the hyper-responsibility of mothers to protect their children to the exclusion of fathers. As women with children flee violence transition to single mother families, their futures are seriously constrained by state-mandated child protection work and increased state monitoring of their lives. Alternative visions for transformative change include hybrid models of state and non-state engagement that place survivor alliances at the centre of policy agendas and policy development. This gives us hope for a different future for women with children facing violence

A rapid enzymatic method for the isolation of defined kidney tubule fragments from mouse

The increasing number of available genetically manipulated mice makes it necessary to develop tools and techniques for examining the phenotypes of these animals. We have developed a straightforward and rapid method for the isolation of large quantities of single tubule fragments from the mouse kidney. Immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, and fluorescence microscopy were used to evaluate the viability, functional characteristics, and morphology of proximal tubules (PT), and collecting ducts from cortex (CCD) and inner stripe of the outer medulla (ISOMCD). Tubules were isolated using a modified collagenase digestion technique, and selected under light microscopy for experimentation. Electron microscopy and trypan blue exclusion showed that a large portion of unselected proximal tubules were damaged by the digestion procedure. The selected tubules, however, all excluded trypan blue, indicating that the plasma membrane had remained intact. Immunocytochemistry on isolated CCD showed normal distribution of H+-ATPase, pendrin, and anion exchanger-1 (AE-1) staining. The pH-sensitive dye 2′,7′-bis(2-carboxylethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF) was used to measure Na+-dependent and -independent intracellular pH (pHi) recovery rates in PT, and in single intercalated cells of CCD and ISOMCD fragments. Na+-dependent pHi-recovery was 0.144±0.008 (PT), 0.182±0.013 (CCD), and 0.112±0.010pH units/min. (ISOMCD). Na+-independent pHi recovery was found in all three segments (PT: 0.021±0.002, CCD: 0.037±0.002, ISOMCD: 0.033±0.002pH units/min) and was sensitive to concanamycin. In summary, we have developed a new technique for rapid and straightforward preparation of large quantities of defined tubule fragments from mouse kidney. Using this technique, the first measurements of plasma membrane vacuolar H+-ATPase activities in mouse PT and collecting duct were made. This technique will facilitate further characterization of kidney function in normal and genetically manipulated animal

CRISP (Cysteine Rich Secretory Proteins) as novel regulators of epididymal epithelium differentiation

Epididymal CRISP1 and CRISP4 associate with the sperm surface during maturation and are key mediators of fertilization. Whereas single knockout (KO) males for these molecules showed in vitro sperm fertilizing defects but normal fertility, all double KO (DKO) animals for these proteins exhibited impaired in vivo fertilization and fertility. In addition, one third of DKO showed bigger testes and epididymides not observed in single KO. Based on this, in the present work we investigated the mechanisms underlining this DKO phenotype. Histological studies of DKO testes and epididymides showed that whereas mice with normal tissues (Group 1) were not different from controls, those with bigger organs (Group 2) had clear histological defects as well as an abnormal presence of immune cells in the interstitium and lumen. RT-qPCR for different immunomodulator molecules revealed higher levels of Il-6 and Il-10 and a downregulation of Tgf-β in DKO from Group 2 not observed in Group 1. Interestingly, immunofluorescence experimentsusing specific markers for each of the different epididymal epithelial cells revealed fewer and shorter basal cell projections in the initial segment known as axiopodia, defects in principal cells and clear cells with an immature phenotype in both groups. Accompanying these epithelial changes, males from both groups also exhibited an increase in intraluminal pH. Altogether, these observations support the relevance of CRISP proteins for male fertility through their involvement in epididymal epithelium differentiation and luminal acidification which are critical for sperm maturation and storage.Fil: Carvajal, Guillermo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Brukman, Nicolás Gastón. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Weigel Muñoz, Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Battistone, Maria Agustina. Harvard Medical School; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Guazzone, Vanesa Anabella. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas; ArgentinaFil: Lustig, Livia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas; ArgentinaFil: Breton, Sylvie. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas; Argentina. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Cuasnicú, Patricia S.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; Argentina7th International Conference on the EpididymisMontrealCanadáEpididymis 7 Committe

Normal serum phosphorus levels in under 18 subjects by age group found in literature: a systematic review

En la práctica clínica se ha evidenciado una carencia en el consenso en cuanto a los niveles normales de fósforo en menores de 18 años según los diferentes grupos etarios lo que ha provocado dificultades en el manejo de niños con diferentes patologías que incluye el metabolismo mineral óseo. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar los valores normales de fósforo plasmático en menores de 18 años que están descritos en la literatura según los grupos etarios; con este fin, se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura de estudios que medían niveles de fósforo plasmático en esta población; se incluyeron un total de 26 estudios con calidad media y alta. Dada la variabilidad en la forma de dar los resultados en cada estudio se hizo el análisis de información realizando agrupaciones de los diferentes grupos etarios por medio de promedios ponderados de límites inferiores y superiores reportados y posterior cálculo de la mediana con su respectivo intervalo de confianza. Al comparar los niveles de fósforo encontrados en nuestra revisión sistemática con los descritos en las diferentes guías se pudo evidenciar una similitud en los lactantes, preescolares y escolares. En los adolescentes se encontraron niveles más altos que los reportados en las guías de búsqueda con una diferencia entre sexos. Estos resultados brindan una aproximación estadística que podría incorporarse a la práctica clínica. Se requieren estudios para corroborar la diferencia encontrada en los adolescentes y más estudios en recién nacidos que den una base sólida para este grupo de edad, así como en población latinoamericana.Niños y adolescentesA lack of consensus has been evidenced regarding normal phosphorus levels in children under 18 years of age, causing difficulties in the management of pathologies involving bone mineral metabolism. The aim of this study was to identify the normal values of plasma phosphorus in children under 18 years described in literature according to age groups. For this purpose, a systematic review of literature was conducted, including studies that measured plasma phosphorus levels in this population. A total of 26 studies with medium and high quality were included. Given the variability in the way of results presented in each study, the information was analyzed by grouping the different age groups by weighted averages of lower and upper limits reported, subsequent calculation of the median with its corresponding confidence interval. When comparing the phosphorus levels found in our systematic review with those described in diverse guidelines, it was possible to show similarity in infants, toddlers and school children. Higher levels were found in teenagers than those reported in the search guides with a difference between the sexes. The results provide a statistical approach that could be incorporated into clinical practice. Studies are required to corroborate the difference found between teenagers and more studies in newborns that provide a solid basis for this group of age, as well as in Latin American population.https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9350-0722https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6880-6516https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7856-7213https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2739-9619https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1690-1677Revista Internacional - IndexadaN

Literature Review and Case Histories of Histoplasma capsulatum var. duboisii Infections in HIV-infected Patients

African histoplasmosis during HIV infection is rare

Development and Psychometric Validation of the Pandemic-Related Traumatic Stress Scale for Children and Adults

To assess the public health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, investigators from the National Institutes of Health Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) research program developed the Pandemic-Related Traumatic Stress Scale (PTSS). Based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) acute stress disorder symptom criteria, the PTSS is designed for adolescent (13–21 years) and adult self-report and caregiver-report on 3–12-year-olds. To evaluate psychometric properties, we used PTSS data collected between April 2020 and August 2021 from non-pregnant adult caregivers (n = 11,483), pregnant/postpartum individuals (n = 1,656), adolescents (n = 1,795), and caregivers reporting on 3–12-year-olds (n = 2,896). We used Mokken scale analysis to examine unidimensionality and reliability, Pearson correlations to evaluate relationships with other relevant variables, and analyses of variance to identify regional, age, and sex differences. Mokken analysis resulted in a moderately strong, unidimensional scale that retained nine of the original 10 items. We detected small to moderate positive associations with depression, anxiety, and general stress, and negative associations with life satisfaction. Adult caregivers had the highest PTSS scores, followed by adolescents, pregnant/postpartum individuals, and children. Caregivers of younger children, females, and older youth had higher PTSS scores compared to caregivers of older children, males, and younger youth, respectively

BMC Med

BACKGROUND: Overall survival (OS) is the gold standard endpoint to assess treatment efficacy in cancer clinical trials. In metastatic breast cancer (mBC), progression-free survival (PFS) is commonly used as an intermediate endpoint. Evidence remains scarce regarding the degree of association between PFS and OS. Our study aimed to describe the individual-level association between real-world PFS (rwPFS) and OS according to first-line treatment in female patients with mBC managed in real-world setting for each BC subtype (defined by status for both hormone-receptor [HR] expression and HER2 protein expression/gene amplification). METHODS: We extracted data from the ESME mBC database (NCT03275311) which gathers deidentified data from consecutive patients managed in 18 French Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Adult women diagnosed with mBC between 2008 and 2017 were included. Endpoints (PFS, OS) were described using the Kaplan-Meier method. Individual-level associations between rwPFS and OS were estimated using the Spearman's correlation coefficient. Analyses were conducted by tumor subtype. RESULTS: 20,033 women were eligible. Median age was 60.0 years. Median follow-up duration was 62.3 months. Median rwPFS ranged from 6.0 months (95% CI 5.8-6.2) for HR-/HER2 - subtype to 13.3 months (36% CI 12.7-14.3) for HR + /HER2 + subtype. Correlation coefficients were highly variable across subtypes and first-line (L1) treatments. Among patients with HR - /HER2 - mBC, correlation coefficients ranged from 0.73 to 0.81, suggesting a strong rwPFS/OS association. For HR + /HER2 + mBC patients, the individual-level associations were weak to strong with coefficients ranging from 0.33 to 0.43 for monotherapy and from 0.67 to 0.78 for combined therapies. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides comprehensive information on individual-level association between rwPFS and OS for L1 treatments in mBC women managed in real-life practice. Our results could be used as a basis for future research dedicated to surrogate endpoint candidates