I\u27ll Take the Highlands

Non-fiction by Doris Jamieso

Mentality-Male Versus Female

Non-fiction by Doris Jamieso

The first wave of pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009 in Germany: From initiation to acceleration

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The first imported case of pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009 in Germany was confirmed in April 2009. However, the first wave with measurable burden of disease started only in October 2009. The basic epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the pandemic were analysed in order to understand the course of the pandemic in Germany.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The analysis was based on data from the case-based, mandatory German surveillance system for infectious diseases. Cases notified between 27 April and 11 November 2009 and fulfilling the case definition were included in the study.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Two time periods with distinct epidemiologic characteristics could be determined: 23,789 cases (44.1%) occurred during the initiation period (IP, week 18 to 41), and 30,179 (55.9%) during the acceleration period (AP, week 42 to 45). During IP, coinciding with school summer holidays, 61.1% of cases were travel-related and one death occurred. Strict containment efforts were performed until week 32. During AP the majority of cases (94.3%) was autochthonous, 12 deaths were reported. The main affected age group shifted from 15 to 19 years in IP to 10 to 14 years in AP (median age 19 versus 15 years; p < 0.001). The proportion of cases with underlying medical conditions increased from 4.7% to 6.9% (p < 0.001). Irrespective of the period, these cases were more likely to be hospitalised (OR = 3.6 [95% CI: 3.1; 4.3]) and to develop pneumonia (OR = 8.1 [95% CI: 6.1; 10.7]). Furthermore, young children (0 to 2 years) (OR = 2.8 [95% CI: 1.5; 5.2]) and persons with influenza-like illness (ILI, OR = 1.4 [95% CI: 1.0; 2.1]) had a higher risk to develop pneumonia compared to other age groups and individuals without ILI.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The epidemiological differences we could show between summer and autumn 2009 might have been influenced by the school summer holidays and containment efforts. The spread of disease did not result in change of risk groups or severity. Our results show that analyses of case-based information can advise future public health measures.</p

Domiciliary Oriented Services for the Elderly: Demand and Barriers. A Regional Care Study on Home Help

Garms-Homolová V, Hütter U, Schaeffer D. Domiciliary Oriented Services for the Elderly: Demand and Barriers. A Regional Care Study on Home Help. In: Jamieson A, ed. Home Care for Older People in Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1991

Enantio- and Diastereoenriched Enzymatic Synthesis of 1,2,3-Polysubstituted Cyclopropanes from (Z/E)-Trisubstituted Enol Acetates.

In nature and synthetic chemistry, stereoselective [2 + 1] cyclopropanation is the most prevalent strategy for the synthesis of chiral cyclopropanes, a class of key pharmacophores in pharmaceuticals and bioactive natural products. One of the most extensively studied reactions in the organic chemists arsenal, stereoselective [2 + 1] cyclopropanation, largely relies on the use of stereodefined olefins, which can require elaborate laboratory synthesis or tedious separation to ensure high stereoselectivity. Here, we report engineered hemoproteins derived from a bacterial cytochrome P450 that catalyze the synthesis of chiral 1,2,3-polysubstituted cyclopropanes, regardless of the stereopurity of the olefin substrates used. Cytochrome P450BM3 variant P411-INC-5185 exclusively converts (Z)-enol acetates to enantio- and diastereoenriched cyclopropanes and in the model reaction delivers a leftover (E)-enol acetate with 98% stereopurity, using whole Escherichia coli cells. P411-INC-5185 was further engineered with a single mutation to enable the biotransformation of (E)-enol acetates to α-branched ketones with high levels of enantioselectivity while simultaneously catalyzing the cyclopropanation of (Z)-enol acetates with excellent activities and selectivities. We conducted docking studies and molecular dynamics simulations to understand how active-site residues distinguish between the substrate isomers and enable the enzyme to perform these distinct transformations with such high selectivities. Computational studies suggest the observed enantio- and diastereoselectivities are achieved through a stepwise pathway. These biotransformations streamline the synthesis of chiral 1,2,3-polysubstituted cyclopropanes from readily available mixtures of (Z/E)-olefins, adding a new dimension to classical cyclopropanation methods

Genre as tool in the transmission of practice over time and across professional boundaries

In this article, we are concerned with the processes through which a central activity in the natural sciencesclassificationis instantiated in the writing practices of psychotherapists. We examined several psychotherapists\u27 grammatical, lexical, and rhetorical strategies for writing their initial evaluations of their clients\u27 problems. Using membership categorization device analysis from ethnomethodology, we examined several therapists\u27 written initial evaluations for their use of microlevel categories and categorizations derived both from clients\u27 own (oral) representations and the therapists\u27 professional repertoire. The resulting analysis suggests that clients\u27 emic, contextually grounded expressions are absorbed into a monological account reflecting the therapist\u27 s professional interpretive framework. The therapist thus translates the client\u27 s concerns into a set of meanings compatible with the classifications of psychopathology of the American Psychiatric Association\u27s (1994) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.). The resulting written account supports a billable diagnosis thereby fulfilling its institutional purpose. It fails, however, to serve another important purpose to many therapists, which is helping the therapist to guide the therapy process by providing a record of the client\u27s perspective of his or her lifeworld. Copyright © 1997, Regents of the University of California on behalf of the Laboratory of Comparative Human Cognition

CDK8-Mediated STAT1-S727 Phosphorylation Restrains NK Cell Cytotoxicity and Tumor Surveillance

The transcription factor STAT1 is important in natural killer (NK) cells, which provide immediate defense against tumor and virally infected cells. We show that mutation of a single phosphorylation site (Stat1-S727A) enhances NK cell cytotoxicity against a range of tumor cells, accompanied by increased expression of perforin and granzyme B. Stat1-S727A mice display significantly delayed disease onset in NK cell-surveilled tumor models including melanoma, leukemia, and metastasizing breast cancer. Constitutive phosphorylation of S727 depends on cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8). Inhibition of CDK8-mediated STAT1-S727 phosphorylation may thus represent a therapeutic strategy for stimulating NK cell-mediated tumor surveillance