Gender and socio-cultural perspectives through femicide case studies

Femicide has been defined as the murder of a woman because she is a woman and has devastating consequences for the individual well-being, safety and health of those affected and for the whole society. Socio-cultural and legal issues are highlighted as important factors associated with intimate partner violence and femicide. The purpose of this article is to identify socio-cultural and/ or gender equality issues related to femicide through case studies. It is partly a product of the working group on culture of the COST Action IS1206- Femicide across Europe. Data was collected in a qualitative form from the countries which were involved in the Cost Action working group meetings. The main questions of this article relate to the European countries’ socio-cultural issues and the gender equality status of the involved countries related to femicide. Based on the data provided by each country involved, it emerged that patriarchy is still dominant in some European societies. Regulations and laws on gender equality exist in many countries, but it seems that in several cases are not effectively applied. Thus, it is necessary to create the appropriate socio-cultural and gender sensitive environments, supported by effective juridical systems

DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AN EXTREMELY LOWFREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS GENERATOR

In this article we present the results of the design, development and characterization of an extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields generator to carry out experiments with small animals. For the design of the exposure system, we took into account that its configuration should allow the application of a electromagnetic fields that meets uniformityand field intensity criteria, while making it possible to observe, manipulate and locate the sample easily, a fact that proposes accessibility requirements. For the application of different electromagnetic fields exposure protocols in the future, the generator must allow calibrated and homogeneous emissions, under known exposure conditions. Results of the constructive process are presented, in which the proposed materials and methods are analyzed, as well as the system performance results

Diseño, desarrollo y caracterización de un generador de CEM de frecuencia extremadamente baja para el trabajo con pequeños animales

En este trabajo presentamos los resultados del diseño, desarrollo y caracterización de un generador de Campos Electromagnéticos de Frecuencia Extremadamente Baja CEM-FEB para la realización de experimentos con pequeños animales. Para el diseño del sistema de exposición se tuvo como premisa que la configuración permita aplicar a la muestra un CEM que cumpla con criterios de uniformidad e intensidad de campo requeridos pero que además haga posible observar, manipular y ubicar la muestra fácilmente, lo cual impone requisitos de accesibilidad. Para la aplicación futura de distintos protocolos de exposición a CEM, el generador debe permitir realizar emisiones calibradas y homogéneas, bajo condiciones de exposición conocidas. Se presentan resultados del proceso constructivo, en los que se analizan materiales y métodos propuestos, así como de estudios de desempeño del sistema. Al final del trabajo se presentan los resultados de una prueba piloto trabajando con pequeños animales expuestos a CEM-FEB

The effects of long-term saturated fat enriched diets on the brain lipidome

The brain is highly enriched in lipids, where they influence neurotransmission, synaptic plasticity and inflammation. Non-pathological modulation of the brain lipidome has not been previously reported and few studies have investigated the interplay between plasma lipid homeostasis relative to cerebral lipids. This study explored whether changes in plasma lipids induced by chronic consumption of a well-tolerated diet enriched in saturated fatty acids (SFA) was associated with parallel changes in cerebral lipid homeostasis. Male C57Bl/6 mice were fed regular chow or the SFA diet for six months. Plasma, hippocampus (HPF) and cerebral cortex (CTX) lipids were analysed by LC-ESI-MS/MS. A total of 348 lipid species were determined, comprising 25 lipid classes. The general abundance of HPF and CTX lipids was comparable in SFA fed mice versus controls, despite substantial differences in plasma lipid-class abundance. However, significant differences in 50 specific lipid species were identified as a consequence of SFA treatment, restricted to phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), alkyl-PC, alkenyl-PC, alkyl-PE, alkenyl-PE, cholesterol ester (CE), diacylglycerol (DG), phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylserine (PS) classes. Partial least squares regression of the HPF/CTX lipidome versus plasma lipidome revealed the plasma lipidome could account for a substantial proportion of variation. The findings demonstrate that cerebral abundance of specific lipid species is strongly associated with plasma lipid homeostasis

Impact of caloric and dietary restriction regimens on markers of health and longevity in humans and animals: a summary of available findings

Considerable interest has been shown in the ability of caloric restriction (CR) to improve multiple parameters of health and to extend lifespan. CR is the reduction of caloric intake - typically by 20 - 40% of ad libitum consumption - while maintaining adequate nutrient intake. Several alternatives to CR exist. CR combined with exercise (CE) consists of both decreased caloric intake and increased caloric expenditure. Alternate-day fasting (ADF) consists of two interchanging days; one day, subjects may consume food ad libitum (sometimes equaling twice the normal intake); on the other day, food is reduced or withheld altogether. Dietary restriction (DR) - restriction of one or more components of intake (typically macronutrients) with minimal to no reduction in total caloric intake - is another alternative to CR. Many religions incorporate one or more forms of food restriction. The following religious fasting periods are featured in this review: 1) Islamic Ramadan; 2) the three principal fasting periods of Greek Orthodox Christianity (Nativity, Lent, and the Assumption); and 3) the Biblical-based Daniel Fast. This review provides a summary of the current state of knowledge related to CR and DR. A specific section is provided that illustrates related work pertaining to religious forms of food restriction. Where available, studies involving both humans and animals are presented. The review includes suggestions for future research pertaining to the topics of discussion

Nicotine replacement lozenges: abuse-related hyperkeratosis of the lateral border of the tongue A case report

A case of a white patch on the right lateral border of the tongue, found to be hyperkeratosis induced by long-term habitual placement of nicotine replacement lozenges (NiQuitin CQ) in the right lingual sulcus, is presented. The lesion became less evident once the patient varied the intraoral location and reduced his consumption of these tablets