Constitution and maintenance of feminist practice : comparative case study of sexual assault centres in Australia and Korea

Although some research has focused on feminist practice in general, the external and internal dynamics of feminist practice still remains theoretically and empirically under-researched. This study addresses this void in feminist research and places a special focus on the relationship of feminist organisations with the state and within the broader context of the women's movement. This thesis explores the constitution and maintenance of feminist practices in one specific context in South Korea and Australia. Drawing on empirical and historical data derived from the case studies, two questions are explored in this study: What constitutes feminist practices in a feminist organisation? How can feminist practices be sustained?. Two feminist-run Sexual Assault Centres (SACs), one in Korea, one in Australia are studied and analysed, involving 32, in-depth interviews with activists of the two centres, non-participant and participant observation, and document analysis. First, this thesis provides a detailed account of feminist practice and organisational dynamics among feminist organisations, the feminist movement and the state. This thesis confirms that the practices of feminist organisations are seen as dynamic processes constituted by the context in which they are situated, the role of feminist activists and the nature and strength of the broader women's movement. This study, in particular, demonstrates that the relationship of the organisation with the state is a strong determinant in constructing feminist practices. Second, this thesis examines organisational practices at different phases such as the establishment, development and crisis phases. As both centres were experiencing crises, the study illuminates that the crisis in each centre has provided an opportunity for re-examination and reflection on their practices in shifting internal and external contexts. This study also suggests that continuous reflexive attention is necessary to maintain feminist practices. Moreover, the study demonstrates that the role of the activists in constructing and maintaining feminist practices is critical, in particular, in small organisations such as the ASAC and KSAC. This research, the first major study on feminist practices in Korea and Australia, makes a significant contribution to the study of feminist organisations, the state and, in general, feminist theory

Comparison of Quantitative Cytomegalovirus Real-time PCR in Whole Blood and pp65 Antigenemia Assay: Clinical Utility of CMV Real-time PCR in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients

Successful preemptive therapy for cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in transplant patients depends on the availability of sensitive, specific, and timely diagnostic tests for CMV infection. Although the pp65 antigenemia assay has been widely used for this purpose, real-time quantification of CMV DNA has recently been recognized as an alternative diagnostic approach. However, the guidelines for antiviral therapy based on real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) have yet to be established. From November 2004 to March 2005, a total of 555 whole blood samples from 131 hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients were prospectively collected. RQ-PCR was conducted using an Artus® CMV LC PCR kit (QIAGEN). Both qualitative and quantitative correlations were drawn between the two methods. Exposure to the antiviral agent influenced the results of the two assays. Additionally, the discrepancy was observed at low levels of antigenemia and CMV DNA load. Via ROC curve analysis, the tentative cutoff value for preemptive therapy was determined to be approximately 2×104 copies/mL (sensitivity, 80.0%; specificity, 50.0%) in the high risk patients, and approximately 3×104 copies/mL (sensitivity, 90.0%; specificity, 70.0%) in the patients at low risk for CMV disease. Further study to validate the optimal cutoff value for the initiation of preemptive therapy is currently underway

Women's Agency through Fashion in North Korea's Transition

North Korean women's fashion has changed in the context of women's relatively recently assumed role as critical actors in North Korea's market-dependent economy. Through examination of changes in women's fashion we learn more about how the way women choose to dress can become an agentic and empowering process. The article argues that the case of North Korean women and their dress practice can inform our understanding of how women, even in the most oppressive of circumstances, develop tactics to manipulate the systems and social order that seek to control them. North Korean women have enacted upon their agency deliberately, getting away with what they can while simultaneously skilfully avoiding the dire consequences of being identified as actors who dare to disrupt the status quo. This type of agency is not always understood or appreciated by Western liberal frames and sensibilities of agency that centralise notions of individualism and freedom. This nuanced appreciation of women's agency has the potential to expand the "rights, choices and autonomy" Western discourse of women's agency in ways that are inclusive of women who live, and sometimes manage to thrive, in the face of extreme oppression. This paper is informed by the authors' field notes from trips to North Korea and by 45 in-depth interviews with North Korean refugees, regular visitors to North Korea and NGO workers

A bifunctional molecule as an artificial flavin mononucleotide cyclase and a chemosensor for selective fluorescent detection of flavins

Flavins, comprising flavin mononucleotide (FMN), flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), and riboflavin (RF, vitamin B-2), play important roles in numerous redox reactions such as those taking place in the electron-transfer chains of mitochondria in all eukaryotes and of plastids in plants. A selective chemosensor for flavins would be useful not only in the investigation of metabolic processes but also in the diagnosis of diseases related to flavins; such a sensor is presently unavailable. Herein, we report the first bifunctional chemosensor (PTZ-DPA) for flavins. PTZ-DPA consists of bis(Zn2+-dipicolylamine) and phenothiazine. Bis(Zn2+-dipicolylamine) (referred to here as XyDPA) was found to be an excellent catalyst in the conversion of FAD into cyclic FMN (riboflavin 4',5'-cyclic phosphate, cFMN) under physiological conditions, even at pH 7.4 and 27 degrees C, with less than 1 mol % of substrate. Utilizing XyDPA's superior function as an artificial FMN cyclase and phenothiazine as an electron donor able to quench the fluorescence of an isoalloxazine ring, PTZ-DPA enabled selective fluorescent discrimination of flavins (FMN, FAD, and RF): FAD shows ON(+), FMN shows OFF(-), and RF shows NO(0) fluorescence changes upon the addition of PTZ-DPA. With this selective sensing property, PTZ-DPA is applicable to real-time fluorescent monitoring of riboflavin kinase (RF to FMN), alkaline phosphatase (FMN to RF), and FAD synthetase (FMN to FAD)close414