Blogging a new life : an analysis of blogs written by recently arrived Hungarian immigrants living in Australia

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.This study explores the ways in which recently arrived Hungarian migrants in Australia use diverse ICT and Web 2.0 technologies to overcome some of the challenges of migrant life, such as negotiating identity, maintaining the home language and recreating their social and cultural capital. Particular attention is given to the multimodal nature of blogs used by this group and the ways they are used to mediate experiences and represent the new lives of these migrants to an audience that includes members of the Hungarian language community in both Australia and their home country. The thesis highlights a framework for analysing blogs that takes account of the multimodal nature of blogs as well as the characteristics that make blogs ‘discursive spaces’. Web 2.0 technologies have presented new opportunities for developing online environments and enhancing interactivity, participation and feedback between diverse groups of readers and authors. As the use of blogs among these new migrants increases, it is important to gain a deeper understanding of the potential they offer for the maintenance of home language and culture, and for mediation and coming to terms with new experiences. Understanding and supporting home language is one of the most important issues in multilingual societies such as Australia, where almost one in four people live in a home where a language other than English is spoken. This study exemplifies the main features of ethnographic case study methodology, such as real-life settings, in-depth investigation and multiple sources of evidence (questionnaire, interviews, and blogs). This approach has enabled an in-depth study, resulting in important insights into the dispositions of recently arrived Hungarian migrants towards the use of Web 2.0 technologies, the multimodal content they contain and their role as discursive spaces where quite complex language practices take place in the home language. The data for this project were analysed using both quantitative and qualitative methods, but to capture the complexity of the multimodal aspects of blogs, social semiotic multimodal analysis was also applied. This research successfully captures aspects that serve the concept of blogs as ‘discursive spaces’, and the analytical framework that has been developed is shown as enabling a closer examination of the choices made by the bloggers in relation to text and image as well as the role played by these blogs as sites for language maintenance. The role of the blogs within processes such as the construction of new identities, the recreation of social capital, and the task of coming to terms with the new environment is also examined in detail. The results of this research highlight the interactive potential of blogs as well as their value as virtual spaces that assist individuals and families in overcome the effects of distance and dispersion

European legislation impedes critical care research and fails to protect patients' rights

The European Clinical Trials Directive requires an informed consent from the patient or a proxy in drug trials. Although informed consent is a valuable tool to protect patients' rights in clinical trials, this requirement largely impedes research in critical care settings, and if pursued in this context, it does not provide the patient with adequate protection. Instead of insisting on informed consent, we suggest that the focus should be shifted towards two other ethically relevant elements in human experimentation: risk assessment and selection of research subjects. When reviewing protocols in which a waiver of consent is deemed necessary, the Ethical Review Board should ensure that non-therapeutic risks are minimal, that the research is specifically designed to benefit critically ill patients, and that it cannot be conducted under circumstances where an informed consent can be obtained. If the European Directive is changed accordingly, this permits clinical trials in critical care settings, while adequate protection from risky non-therapeutic procedures is ensured and exploitation of the patient as an easily accessible research subject is prevented

Proteomic analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

So far, only the detection of 14-3-3 proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has been accepted as diagnostic criterion for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). However, this assay cannot be used for screening because of the high rate of false-positive results, whereas patients with variant CJD are often negative for 14-3-3 proteins. The aim of this study was to compare the spot patterns of CSF by 2-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) to search for a CJD-specific spot pattern. We analyzed the CSF of 28 patients {[}11 CJD, 9 Alzheimer's disease ( AD), 8 nondemented controls (NDC)] employing 2D-PAGE which was optimized for minimal volumes of CSF (0.1 ml; 7-cm strips). All samples were run at least three times, gels were silver stained and analyzed by an analysis software and manually revised. We could consistently match 268 spots which were then compared between all groups. By the use of 5 spots, we were able to differentiate CJD from AD or NDC with a sensitivity of 100%. CJD could also be distinguished from both groups by using a heuristic clustering algorithm of 2 spots. We conclude that this proteomic approach can differentiate CJD from other diseases and may serve as a model for other neurodegenerative diseases. Copyright (C) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

8-Methoxyneorautenol and radical scavenging flavonoids from Erythrina abyssinica

A new pterocarpan (named 8-methoxyneorautenol) was isolated from the acetone extract of the root bark of Erythrina abyssinica. In addition, the known isoflavonoid derivatives eryvarin L, erycristagallin and shinpterocarpin were identified for the first time from the roots of this plant. The structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. The new compound showed selective antimicrobial activity against Trichophyton mentagrophytes. The acetone extract of the root bark of E. abyssinica showed radical scavenging activity towards 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH). The pterocarpenes, 3-hydroxy-9-methoxy-10-(3,3- dimethylallyl)pterocarpene and erycristagallin, were the most active constituents of the roots of this plant and showing dose-dependent activities similar to that of the standard quercetin

Yet another breakdown point notion: EFSBP - illustrated at scale-shape models

The breakdown point in its different variants is one of the central notions to quantify the global robustness of a procedure. We propose a simple supplementary variant which is useful in situations where we have no obvious or only partial equivariance: Extending the Donoho and Huber(1983) Finite Sample Breakdown Point, we propose the Expected Finite Sample Breakdown Point to produce less configuration-dependent values while still preserving the finite sample aspect of the former definition. We apply this notion for joint estimation of scale and shape (with only scale-equivariance available), exemplified for generalized Pareto, generalized extreme value, Weibull, and Gamma distributions. In these settings, we are interested in highly-robust, easy-to-compute initial estimators; to this end we study Pickands-type and Location-Dispersion-type estimators and compute their respective breakdown points.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figure

Antiplasmodial and larvicidal flavonoids from Derris trifoliata

From the dichloromethane-methanol (1:1) extract of the seed pods of Derris trifoliata, a new flavanone derivative (S)-lupinifolin 4´-methyl ether was isolated. In addition, the known flavonoids lupinifolin and rotenone were identified. The structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. Lupinfolin showed moderate in vitro antiplasmodial activity against the D6 (chloroquine-sensitive) and W2 (chloroquineresistant)strains of Plasmodium falciparum. The different parts of this plant showed larvicidal activities against Aedes aegypti and rotenoids were identified as the active principles

Giant condyloma acuminatum of the scrotum in a man with AIDS: a case report

Abstract Introduction Giant condyloma acuminatum, also called a Buschke-Löwenstein tumor, first described in 1925, is a slow-growing, locally aggressive, destructive tumor of the ano-genital region. Scrotal tumors are rare. Reports on giant condyloma acuminatum lesions in patients with HIV and AIDS are surprisingly even rarer. Case presentation In this report, we present the case of a 42-year-old African man with AIDS who was undergoing anti-retroviral therapy. He was found to have a giant condyloma acuminatum of the scrotum. Wide surgical excision and scrotal reconstruction with a pedicled anterolateral thigh flap was performed, significantly improving his quality of life. Conclusion Decision making regarding the goals of surgical intervention in the terminally ill is a complex process. The options include conservative medical palliation or palliative excision versus a curative excision that has the potential for significant morbidity. Wide surgical excision with local flap reconstruction significantly improved the quality of life of the patient described herein. The challenges presented by emerging or unusual presentations of surgical pathology secondary to HIV and AIDS in patients who are on anti-retroviral therapy provide an opportunity for research and the establishment of guidelines for the use of adjuvant chemotherapy in these patients.</p