171 research outputs found
Revisiting Galisonâs âAufbau/Bauhausâ in light of Neurathâs philosophical projects
Historically, the Vienna Circle and the Dessau Bauhaus were related, with members of each group familiar with the ideas of the other. Peter Galison argues that their projects are related as well, through shared political views and methodological approach. The two main figures that connect the Vienna Circle to the Bauhausâand the figures upon which Galison focusesâare Rudolf Carnap and Otto Neurath. Yet the connections that Galison develops do not properly capture the common themes between the Bauhaus and Neurathâs philosophical projects. We demonstrate this by considering Neurathâs philosophical commitments. We suggest different connections between Neurathâs projects and the Bauhaus, connections that are both substantive and philosophically interesting
From refugee to good citizen: A discourse analysis of volunteering
This paper is concerned with how refugees who work as volunteers with a refugee organization talk about themselves and their work. A Foucauldian Discourse Analytic approach is employed in order to explore how participants construct themselves as both refugees and volunteers, the discourses they draw on, and how this impacts on the possible ways-of-being open to refugees. The findings indicate a meta discourse of good citizen; volunteering was constructed as a technology of self, a way of transforming the refugee into a âgood citizenâ. Volunteering was also seen as a way of preparing for entry into the labour market and a means of self-improvement
Understanding the behavioral intention to use SaaS ERP sub-modules considering perceived enjoyment, perceived anxiety and perceived system performance
The use of cloud solution to support Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system has become the priority of many organizations to stay competitive in the current global world. This research will be focusing on the behavioral intention among the employees to use Software as a Service (SaaS) ERP sub-modules in a global construction tool provider considering perceived enjoyment, anxiety and system performance. The objective of this research is to analyze and investigate the employeesâ behavioral intention to use SaaS ERP sub-modules in the construction tool provider companies considering these unique variables and predictors. The findings of this research can assist and support both organizations and researchers to build a fundamental level on understanding how these variables can predict the user behavioral intention to use SaaS ERP sub-modules in a global construction tool provider company which significantly beneficial. 250 users ranging from executive and higher management level globally were targeted in 25 countries. A statistical tool will be used to analyze respondentsâ data and structural equation modelling will be used to analyses the responses and the relation of each hypothesis. The hypothesis will be tested based on the data consolidated
Iodine supplementation for women during the preconception, pregnancy and postpartum period
Background Iodine is an essential nutrient required for the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones, which are responsible for regulating growth, development and metabolism. Iodine requirements increase substantially during pregnancy and breastfeeding. If requirements are not met during these periods, the production of thyroid hormones may decrease and be inadequate for maternal, fetal and infant needs. The provision of iodine supplements may help meet the increased iodine needs during pregnancy and the postpartum period and prevent or correct iodine deficiency and its consequences. Objectives To assess the benefits and harms of supplementation with iodine, alone or in combination with other vitamins and minerals, for women in the preconceptional, pregnancy or postpartum period on their and their children's outcomes. Search methods We searched Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth's Trials Register (14 November 2016), and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (17 November 2016), contacted experts in the field and searched the reference lists of retrieved studies and other relevant papers. Selection criteria Randomized and quasiârandomized controlled trials with randomisation at either the individual or cluster level comparing injected or oral iodine supplementation (such as tablets, capsules, drops) during preconception, pregnancy or the postpartum period irrespective of iodine compound, dose, frequency or duration. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently assessed trial eligibility, risk of bias, extracted data and conducted checks for accuracy. We used the GRADE approach to assess the quality of the evidence for primary outcomes. We anticipated high heterogeneity among trials, and we pooled trial results using randomâeffects models and were cautious in our interpretation of the pooled results. Main results We included 14 studies and excluded 48 studies. We identified five ongoing or unpublished studies and two studies are awaiting classification. Eleven trials involving over 2700 women contributed data for the comparisons in this review (in three trials, the primary or secondary outcomes were not reported). Maternal primary outcomes Iodine supplementation decreased the likelihood of the adverse effect of postpartum hyperthyroidism by 68% (average risk ratio (RR) 0.32; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.11 to 0.91, three trials in mild to moderate iodine deficiency settings, 543 women, no statistical heterogeneity, lowâquality evidence) and increased the likelihood of the adverse effect of digestive intolerance in pregnancy by 15 times (average RR 15.33; 95% CI 2.07 to 113.70, one trial in a mildâdeficiency setting, 76 women, very lowâquality evidence). There were no clear differences between groups for hypothyroidism in pregnancy or postpartum (pregnancy: average RR 1.90; 95% CI 0.57 to 6.38, one trial, 365 women, lowâquality evidence, and postpartum: average RR 0.44; 95% CI 0.06 to 3.42, three trials, 540 women, no statistical heterogeneity, lowâquality evidence), preterm birth (average RR 0.71; 95% CI 0.30 to 1.66, two trials, 376 women, statistical heterogeneity, lowâquality evidence) or the maternal adverse effects of elevated thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOâab) in pregnancy or postpartum (average RR 0.95; 95% CI 0.44 to 2.07, one trial, 359 women, lowâquality evidence, average RR 1.01; 95% CI 0.78 to 1.30, three trials, 397 women, no statistical heterogeneity, lowâquality evidence), or hyperthyroidism in pregnancy (average RR 1.90; 95% CI 0.57 to 6.38, one trial, 365 women, lowâquality evidence). All of the trials contributing data to these outcomes took place in settings with mild to moderate iodine deficiency. Infant/child primary outcomes Compared with those who did not receive iodine, those who received iodine supplements had a 34% lower likelihood of perinatal mortality, however this difference was not statistically significant (average RR 0.66; 95% CI 0.42 to 1.03, two trials, 457 assessments, lowâquality evidence). All of the perinatal deaths occurred in one trial conducted in a severely iodineâdeficient setting. There were no clear differences between groups for low birthweight (average RR 0.56; 95% CI 0.26 to 1.23, two trials, 377 infants, no statistical heterogeneity, lowâquality evidence), neonatal hypothyroidism/elevated thyroidâstimulating hormone (TSH) (average RR 0.58; 95% CI 0.11 to 3.12, two trials, 260 infants, very lowâquality evidence) or the adverse effect of elevated neonatal thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOâab) (average RR 0.61; 95% CI 0.07 to 5.70, one trial, 108 infants, very lowâquality evidence). All of the trials contributing data to these outcomes took place in areas with mild to moderate iodine deficiency. No trials reported on hypothyroidism/elevated TSH or any adverse effect beyond the neonatal period. Authors' conclusions There were insufficient data to reach any meaningful conclusions on the benefits and harms of routine iodine supplementation in women before, during or after pregnancy. The available evidence suggested that iodine supplementation decreases the likelihood of postpartum hyperthyroidism and increases the likelihood of the adverse effect of digestive intolerance in pregnancy â both considered potential adverse effects. We considered evidence for these outcomes low or very low quality, however, because of study design limitations and wide confidence intervals. In addition, due to the small number of trials and included women in our metaâanalyses, these findings must be interpreted with caution. There were no clear effects on other important maternal or child outcomes though these findings must also be interpreted cautiously due to limited data and lowâquality trials. Additionally, almost all of the evidence came from settings with mild or moderate iodine deficiency and therefore may not be applicable to settings with severe deficiency. More highâquality randomised controlled trials are needed on iodine supplementation before, during and after pregnancy on maternal and infant/child outcomes. However, it may be unethical to compare iodine to placebo or no treatment in severe deficiency settings. Trials may also be unfeasible in settings where pregnant and lactating women commonly take prenatal supplements with iodine. Information is needed on optimal timing of initiation as well as supplementation regimen and dose. Future trials should consider the outcomes in this review and follow children beyond the neonatal period. Future trials should employ adequate sample sizes, assess potential adverse effects (including the nature and extent of digestive intolerance), and be reported in a way that allows assessment of risk of bias, full data extraction and analysis by the subgroups specified in this review
Rhesus TRIM5Îą disrupts the HIV-1 capsid at the inter-hexamer interfaces
TRIM proteins play important roles in the innate immune defense against retroviral infection, including human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1). Rhesus macaque TRIM5ι (TRIM5ιrh) targets the HIV-1 capsid and blocks infection at an early post-entry stage, prior to reverse transcription. Studies have shown that binding of TRIM5ι to the assembled capsid is essential for restriction and requires the coiled-coil and B30.2/SPRY domains, but the molecular mechanism of restriction is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated, by cryoEM combined with mutagenesis and chemical cross-linking, the direct interactions between HIV-1 capsid protein (CA) assemblies and purified TRIM5ιrh containing coiled-coil and SPRY domains (CC-SPRYrh). Concentration-dependent binding of CC-SPRYrh to CA assemblies was observed, while under equivalent conditions the human protein did not bind. Importantly, CC-SPRYrh, but not its human counterpart, disrupted CA tubes in a non-random fashion, releasing fragments of protofilaments consisting of CA hexamers without dissociation into monomers. Furthermore, such structural destruction was prevented by inter-hexamer crosslinking using P207C/T216C mutant CA with disulfide bonds at the CTD-CTD trimer interface of capsid assemblies, but not by intra-hexamer crosslinking via A14C/E45C at the NTD-NTD interface. The same disruption effect by TRIM5ιrh on the inter-hexamer interfaces also occurred with purified intact HIV-1 cores. These results provide insights concerning how TRIM5ι disrupts the virion core and demonstrate that structural damage of the viral capsid by TRIM5ι is likely one of the important components of the mechanism of TRIM5ι-mediated HIV-1 restriction. Š 2011 Zhao et al
Diffusing an Innovation: Clinician Perceptions of Continuous Predictive Analytics Monitoring in Intensive Care
Background The purpose of this article is to describe neonatal intensive care unit
clinician perceptions of a continuous predictive analytics technology and how those
perceptions influenced clinician adoption. Adopting and integrating new technology
into care is notoriously slow and difficult; realizing expected gains remain a challenge.
Methods Semistructured interviews from a cross-section of neonatal physicians
(n ĂÂź 14) and nurses (n ĂÂź 8) from a single U.S. medical center were collected 18 months
following the conclusion of the predictive monitoring technology randomized control
trial. Following qualitative descriptive analysis, innovation attributes from Diffusion of
Innovation Theory-guided thematic development.
Results Results suggest that the combination of physical location as well as lack of
integration into work flow or methods of using data in care decisionmaking may have
delayed clinicians from routinely paying attention to the data. Once data were routinely
collected, documented, and reported during patient rounds and patient handoffs,
clinicians came to view data as another vital sign. Through cliniciansââŹâ˘ observation of
senior physicians and nurses, and ongoing dialogue about data trends and patient
status, clinicians learned how to integrate these data in care decision making (e.g.,
differential diagnosis) and came to value the technology as beneficial to care delivery.
Discussion The use of newly created predictive technologies that provide early warning of
illness may require implementation strategies that acknowledge the riskââŹâbenefit of
treatment cliniciansmust balance and take advantage of existing clinician trainingmethods
Depression During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Among HIV-Infected Women on Antiretroviral Therapy in Uganda
Background: Among HIV-infected women, perinatal depression compromises clinical, maternal, and child health outcomes. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is associated with lower depression symptom severity but the uniformity of effect through pregnancy and postpartum periods is unknown. Methods: We analyzed prospective data from 447 HIV-infected women (18â49 years) initiating ART in rural Uganda (2005â2012). Participants completed blood work and comprehensive questionnaires quarterly. Pregnancy status was assessed by self-report. Analysis time periods were defined as currently pregnant, postpartum (0â12 months post-pregnancy outcome), or nonâpregnancy-related. Depression symptom severity was measured using a modified Hopkins Symptom Checklist 15, with scores ranging from 1 to 4. Probable depression was defined as >1.75. Linear regression with generalized estimating equations was used to compare mean depression scores over the 3 periods. Results: At enrollment, median age was 32 years (interquartile range: 27â37), median CD4 count was 160 cells per cubic millimeter (interquartile range: 95â245), and mean depression score was 1.75 (s = 0.58) (39% with probable depression). Over 4.1 median years of follow-up, 104 women experienced 151 pregnancies. Mean depression scores did not differ across the time periods (P = 0.75). Multivariable models yielded similar findings. Increasing time on ART, viral suppression, better physical health, and ânever marriedâ were independently associated with lower mean depression scores. Findings were consistent when assessing probable depression. Conclusions: Although the lack of association between depression and perinatal periods is reassuring, high depression prevalence at treatment initiation and continued incidence across pregnancy and nonâpregnancy-related periods of follow-up highlight the critical need for mental health services for HIV-infected women to optimize both maternal and perinatal health
The testosterone-dependent and independent transcriptional networks in the hypothalamus of Gpr54 and Kiss1 knockout male mice are not fully equivalent.
BACKGROUND: Humans and mice with loss of function mutations in GPR54 (KISS1R) or kisspeptin do not progress through puberty, caused by a failure to release GnRH. The transcriptional networks regulated by these proteins in the hypothalamus have yet to be explored by genome-wide methods. RESULTS: We show here, using 1 million exon mouse arrays (Exon 1.0 Affymetrix) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) validation to analyse microdissected hypothalamic tissue from Gpr54 and Kiss1 knockout mice, the extent of transcriptional regulation in the hypothalamus. The sensitivity to detect important transcript differences in microdissected RNA was confirmed by the observation of counter-regulation of Kiss1 expression in Gpr54 knockouts and confirmed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Since Gpr54 and Kiss1 knockout animals are effectively pre-pubertal with low testosterone (T) levels, we also determined which of the validated transcripts were T-responsive and which varied according to genotype alone. We observed four types of transcriptional regulation (i) genotype only dependent regulation, (ii) T only dependent regulation, (iii) genotype and T-dependent regulation with interaction between these variables, (iv) genotype and T-dependent regulation with no interaction between these variables. The results implicate for the first time several transcription factors (e.g. Npas4, Esr2), proteases (Klk1b22), and the orphan 10-transmembrane transporter TMEM144 in the biology of GPR54/kisspeptin function in the hypothalamus. We show for the neuronal activity regulated transcription factor NPAS4, that distinct protein over-expression is seen in the hypothalamus and hippocampus in Gpr54 knockout mice. This links for the first time the hypothalamic-gonadal axis with this important regulator of inhibitory synapse formation. Similarly we confirm TMEM144 up-regulation in the hypothalamus by RNA in situ hybridization and western blot. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, global transcriptional profiling shows that loss of GPR54 and kisspeptin are not fully equivalent in the mouse hypothalamus.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are
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