DU Group Research Articles

Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of Helicobacter pylori against eight antibiotics: A study from North India.

The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility of eight drugs effective against Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) strains and the genetic diversity of H. pylori virulence genes to foresee clinical outcomes in North India. Fifty-eight H. pylori strains isolated from patients suffering from various gastrointestinal (GI) diseases were included in the study. MICs of various antibiotics were determined by the agar dilution method. The chi-squared test and Fisher exact test were used to determine the p-value, which was considered significant at p-value ≤ 0.05. RStudio 4.0 was used to for the data visualization. The prevalence of drug resistance was found to be: cefixime (CFM) (41.3%), furazolidone (FZD) (34.4%), amoxicillin (AMX) (20.7%), levofloxacin (LVFX) (70.7%), metronidazole (MTZ) (39.6%), tetracycline (TET) (20.7%), clarithromycin (CLA) (17.2%), and rifabutin (RIF) (17.2%). Out of 58 H. pylori strains, 3 were pan susceptible. There were H. pylori strains with single-drug resistance (21.8%, 12/55), dual resistance (30.9%, 17/55), triple resistance (20%, 11/55), and multidrug resistance (27.3%, 15/55). The resistance rate in MTZ, CLA and RIF were found to be significantly higher in females as compared to males (p = 0.005, p = 0.002, and p = 0.02), respectively. The resistance to TET exhibited significantly higher levels in gastritis compared to GERD, DU, and other disease groups (p = 0.04) respectively. TET, AMX, CLA, and RIF were found to be more effective antibiotics against H. pylori infections, whereas more studies are required to provide evidence on increasing resistance rate of LVFX.

Generating symmetric and alternating groups

We provide three generalizations of all best known generating sets for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]: (1) [Formula: see text]-cycles with consecutive entries; (2) [Formula: see text]-cycles with fixed first [Formula: see text] entries; (3) two cycles, either [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text]. Our work on (3) fills a gap in the history of the problem, going back to a 1939 paper by S. Piccard [Sur les bases du groupe symétrique et du groupe alternant, Math. Ann. 116(1) (1939) 752–767].

Enlarged rete pegs with excessive accumulation of melanosomes leading to darker aging spots revealed by histomorphological measurements of internal structures of the epidermis.

Various histological studies of facial pigmented spot sites such as solar lentigo have been reported, but few studies have used quantitative indices by histomorphometric analysis of the internal structure of pigmented spot sites using non-invasive methods. In the present study, to quantitatively elucidate morphological changes in the epidermis in male, darker-pigmented spots and female, light-pigmented spots, indices that characterize the internal structure of the epidermis in pigmented spot sites were measured using in vivo confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The darkness of pigmented spots on the cheeks of 69 women and 43 men was analysed using image analysis software. The L* value was calculated from RGB values obtained from facial images. The internal structures of pigmented spots on the cheeks of 13 subjects were observed by CLSM. Various parameters were measured using CLSM images from the surface of the stratum corneum to the bottom of the dermal papillae, including the thickness of the epidermis, melanosome content, and shape of the dermal papillae. Mean ΔL* values between pigmented spots and non-pigmented areas of male subjects were significantly increased in the 40s and 50s compared with those of female subjects. Conspicuous pigmented spots increased in the 40s in male subjects and the 50s in female subjects. In CLSM observations, significant increases in the thickness of the epidermis and melanosome content were confirmed in pigmented spots compared with surrounding non-pigmented areas. In particular, melanosome content in the male subject group with dark-coloured pigmented spots increased significantly to about eight times that of non-pigmented areas, and more than double that of the male subject group with light-coloured pigmented spots. From the measurements of quantitative parameters, morphological changes in the epidermis were clearly related to the surface colour tone of pigmented spots. Darker pigmented spot sites tended to show longer rete pegs in the epidermis. Accumulation of melanosomes in epidermal basal cells could be considered to increase with the degree of elongation of rete pegs at pigmented spot sites and, thus, induce darker pigmented spots.

Analysis of video-urodynamic and clinical features of non-neuropathic lower urinary tract dysfunction in children

Objective: To analyze the video-urodynamic(VUDS) and clinical features of non-neuropathic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NNLUTD) in children. Methods: Children diagnosed with NNLUTD in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2016 to December 2020 were included. Children with neurological, rectal dysfunction and anatomical abnormalities were excluded. VUDS and urinalysis were performed in all children who were divided into 4 groups accordingly: normal group (Normal group), detrusor overactivity group(DO group), detrusor sphincter dyssynergia group (DSD group) and detrusor underactivity group (DU group). VUDS and clinical features, vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and urinary tract infections (UTI) were analyzed. Results: A total of 173 children were included in this study, including 103 males and 70 females, aged (7.2±3.3) years. VUDS showed that 46 cases (26.6%) were in Normal group, 63 cases (36.4%) in DO group, 39 cases (22.5%) in DSD group and 25 cases (14.5%) in DU group. Compared with Normal group and DO group, the proportion of VUR in DSD group and DU group was significantly higher [18(46.2%) and 11(44.0%) vs 7(15.0%) and 14(22.2%), all P<0.05],and the proportion of male children was significantly higher than that of female children with VUR only in DO group [12(32.4%) vs 2(7.7%), P=0.020 ]; Compared with DO group, the proportion of UTI in DSD group and DU group was significantly higher [16(41.0%) and 12(48.0%) vs 12(19.0%), all P<0.05], and the proportion of female children was significantly higher than that of male children with UTI in normal group, DO group and DU group [9(45.0%) vs 4(15.4%), 8(30.8%) vs 4(10.8%)and 7(87.5%) vs 5(29.4%), all P<0.05]. The maximum detrusor pressure in DSD group was significantly higher than that in Normal group, DO group and DU group [(95±47) vs (43±18), (56±18) and (12±9)cmH2O, all P<0.05, 1 cmH2O=0.098 kPa).Compared with Normal group and DO group, post void residual in DSD group and DU group was significantly increased [(58±38) and (70±62) vs (8±8) and (8±7)ml, all P<0.05], and the proportion of lower bladder compliance was significantly increased [(15(38.5%) and 11(44%) vs 1(2.2%) and 10(15.9%), all P<0.05]. Compared with normal group, the maximum bladder capacity of DO, DSD and DU group were all significantly decreased [(178±61), (184±81) and (194±93) vs (256±92)ml, all P<0.05]. The proportion of urgency had significant difference in the four groups [13(28.3%) in Normal group, 41(65.1%) in DO group, 22(56.4%) in DSD group and 11(44.0%) in DU group, P=0.001], and the proportion of dysuria had significant difference too [5(10.9%) in Normal group, 18(28.6%) in DO group, 20(51.3%) in DSD group and 15(60.0%) in DU group, P<0.001]. Conclusions: Children with 4 different conditions of NNLUTD have distinct video-urodynamic features. The higher ratio of VUR and UTI in DSD and DU children may be associated with reduced bladder compliance and increased post void residual. VUDS is useful for the diagnosis and treatment of refractory children with NNLUTD.

Sinitic Brushtalk in Vietnam’s Anti-Colonial Struggle against France: Phan Bội Châu’s Silent Conversations with Influential Chinese and Japanese Leaders in the 1900s

Abstract The Chronicles of Phan Sào Nam, written by Phan Bội Châu in Literary Sinitic in 1929, recorded about one hundred “silent conversations” by means of Sinitic brushtalk between Phan, the Đông Du (Go East) group, and people from numerous countries during the 1900s. Through brushtalk with influential Japanese and Chinese leaders, Phan discussed many crucial and critical issues concerning the anti-colonial struggle against France and the national liberation movement in Vietnam. Because many of the issues discussed were politically sensitive, there was a need for secrecy by restricting access to only the relevant interlocutors. For this reason, using brushtalk was felt to be more sensible than seeking help from interpreters. The contents of these “silent conversations” constitute a living testimony to the richness of discussions among East Asian political figures during this period. Various conceivable solutions to sociopolitical problems were put forward, in keeping with bilateral interests in the volatile and tumultuous diplomatic situation in East Asia at the dawn of a new century.

Single Atoms for Energy Applications

Single Atoms for Energy Applications

Réalisme (1856–1857): journal dirigé par Edmond Duranty. Édition de Gilles Castagnès

The most thorough study of Edmond Duranty’s life and works is Marcel Crouzet’s Un méconnu du réalisme: Duranty (1833–1890), l’homme, le critique, le romancier (Paris: Nizet, 1964). By ‘méconnu’, Crouzet implied unjustifiable neglect, a situation he sought to rectify in nearly 800 pages of meticulous scholarship. A full return to favour of Duranty’s varied output has not, however, taken place. Extracts from his writings on Realist theory are frequently anthologized, but often lack full contextualization. In addition, Duranty’s novels still do not enjoy easy availability, let alone success. His image remains blurred. Does, perhaps, even the mistaken but once widespread belief that he was the illegitimate son of Prosper Mérimée still live on somewhere? Now, more than half a century after Crouzet’s book, a vital step in rediscovering Duranty has been taken with the publication of the very first critical edition of his review Réalisme of 1856–57, the starting point of his endeavours, and to this day the most celebrated. This edition, by Gilles Castagnès, is truly remarkable for its detail in particulars and for its general insights. The six issues of Réalisme, from November 1856 to April/May 1857, are here published with exhaustive attention through footnotes to both textual detail and contextual matters. The initially unpublished issue zero (10 July 1856) receives similar examination in Castagnès’s ‘Appendice 1’. His second appendix makes available precious material from the Bibliothèque de l’Institut de France, and his third a letter connected with issue 1 from one of Duranty’s collaborators at the review, Henri Thulié. This letter highlights an issue that Castagnès also discusses in his ‘Préface’: the co-existence within Réalisme of Duranty’s wish to use the review as a mouth-piece for his own theories, which would be held dear by Zola, Maupassant, and other later Realists, and its identity also as a collaborative project, including notable contributions from Jules Assézat. Could the extreme brevity of the review’s existence be attributed to this conflict of interests? Castagnès suggests that this could indeed be the case. He uses his ‘Préface’ to discuss this and other issues of interpretation. In doing this, he adopts twenty-first-century perspectives, very different from those of Crouzet, whose unpublish-ed doctoral thèse complémentaire on ‘Le Journal Réalisme’ dates from 1957. Castagnès’s success in bringing fresh perspectives to Réalisme invites reflection on Duranty’s later writings. For example, his thirty-eight-page essay, La Nouvelle Peinture: à propos du groupe d’artistes qui expose dans les Galeries Durand-Ruel (Paris: Dentu, 1876), has long been valued by art historians as a broad definition of Impressionism, using a frame of reference that includes Constable and Diderot. It also shares a context with Degas’s celebrated pastel and tempera portrait of Duranty (1879), in the Burrell Collection. Finally, we should remember that, at the time of Réalisme, Duranty was writing his first novel, Le Malheur d’Henriette Gérard, which was written in 1856 and 1857 and first published in 1860 with a dedication to Champfleury. This first novel was therefore roughly contemporary with Madame Bovary, of which Duranty disapproved. It has been republished since, notably by Gallimard (L’Imaginaire, 1981) with a Preface, originally from 1942, by Jean Paulhan, entitled Un primitif du roman: Duranty. The designation ‘primitif’ reflects Paulhan’s insistence on Duranty’s originality not only as theorist, but also in the domain of prose fiction.

Inadequate programming, insufficient communication and non-compliance with the basic principles of maternal death audits in health districts in Burkina Faso: a qualitative study

BackgroundImplementation of quality maternal death audits requires good programming, good communication and compliance with core principles. Studies on compliance with core principles in the conduct of maternal death audits (MDAs) exist but were conducted in urban areas, at the 2nd or 3rd level of the healthcare system, in experimental situations, or in a context of skills-building projects or technical platforms with an emphasis on the review of “near miss”. This study aims to fill the gap of evidence on the implementation of MDAs in rural settings, at the first level of care and in the routine care situation in Burkina Faso.MethodsWe conducted a multiple-case study, with seven cases (health districts) chosen by contrasted purposive sampling using four criteria: (i) the intra-hospital maternal mortality rates for 2013, (ii) rural versus urban location, (iii) proofs of regular conduct of maternal death audits (MDAs) as per routine health information system, and (iv) the use of district hospital versus regional hospital for reference when the first mentioned does not exist. A review of audit records and structured and semi-structured interviews with staff involved in MDAs were conducted. The survey was conducted from 27 April to 30 May of 2015.ResultsThe results showed that maternal death audits (MDAs) were irregularly scheduled, mostly driven by critical events. Overall, preparing sessions, communication and the conduct of MDAs were most of the time inadequate. Confidentiality was globally respected during the clinical audit sessions. The principle of “no name, no shame, and no blame” was differently applied and anonymity was rarely preserved.ConclusionProgramming, communication, and compliance with the basic principles in the conduct of maternal death audits were inadequate as compared to the national standards. Identifying determinants of such shortcomings may help guide interventions to improve the quality of clinical audits.ResumeLa mise en œuvre d’audits de décès maternels de qualité nécessite une bonne programmation, une bonne communication et le respect des principes fondamentaux. Des études sur le respect des principes fondamentaux existent mais ont été menées dans les zones urbaines, le 2ème ou 3ème niveau du système de santé, dans des situations expérimentales, un contexte de projets de renforcement des compétences ou de plates-formes techniques, en mettant l’accent sur la revue des «near miss». Cette étude vise à combler le manque d’information sur la programmation et le respect des principes fondamentaux concernant le milieu rural, le niveau du système de santé qui est. le district sanitaire et la situation de routine au Burkina Faso.MéthodologieNous avons mené une étude de cas multiple dans 7 établissements de santé sélectionnés par échantillonnage raisonné contrasté selon 4 critères: milieu urbain ou rural, taux de mortalité maternelle dans les établissements de santé en 2013 (les données de l’année 2014 n’étant pas complètes à la rédaction du protocole), la déclaration des audits de décès maternels dans le système de surveillance nationale, le recours ou non par le district choisi à un centre hospitalier régional pour les soins complémentaires de premier niveau (normalement offerts à l’hôpital de district s’il existe). Une revue des dossiers d’audits, ainsi que des entretiens directifs, semi-directifs auprès du personnel impliqué dans les soins de maternité ont été réalisés. L’enquête s’est. déroulée du 27 Avril au 30 Mai 2015.RésultatsLes résultats montrent que les revues des décès maternels ont été irrégulièrement programmées, de façon espacée et très souvent au gré des évènements. La préparation, la conduite des séances et la communication après les séances ont été défaillantes. La confidentialité au sein du groupe d’auditeurs a été respectée tandis que le niveau de respect du principe de « no name, no shame, no blame » a varié d’une structure à une autre. Enfin, l’anonymat a été le moins respecté.ConclusionLa programmation, la communication et le respect des principes fondamentaux ont connu des défaillances par rapport aux normes mais de façon variable d’une structure à une autre. L’identification des déterminants de ces insuffisances pourront aider à l’orientation des interventions visant l’amélioration de l’activité des audits de décès maternels au niveau district de santé.

Approaches to Teaching Sand’s Indiana ed. by David A. Powell, Pratima Prasad

Reviews 233 Powell, David A., and Pratima Prasad, eds. Approaches to Teaching Sand’s Indiana. New York: MLA, 2016. ISBN 978-1-60329-210-8. Pp. 232. $24. Divided into two parts, this volume provides fresh and innovative insight into teaching the novel commonly referred to as the “precursor” to Sand’s other fictional works because of its prevalent themes: “the constraints placed on married women by the Napoleonic Code, class inequities, the parallels between marriage and slavery, and the political circumstances of the Bourbon restoration and the July Monarchy” (vii). Having conducted a survey prior to beginning the volume, Powell and Prasad ascertained that Indiana is the most consistently taught novel of all Sand’s works, both in the United States and abroad. Moreover, beyond the novel being included in French literature survey courses as well as specialized courses on nineteenth-century French narrative and culture, French women writers, and French colonial literature, it is frequently taught in English as part of women’s and gender studies offerings and comparative literature courses, “where it is teamed up with novels such as Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre”(vii). Given such a wide range of courses that include Indiana, this pedagogical volume is much needed. The aim of “Part One: Materials”is to assist instructors with the rich and varied literary and social history of Indiana. In just over six pages, it provides concise information on French editions and English translations; a note on bibliographic notations in Approaches; background readings on French, literary, and colonial history and biographies of George Sand; and, studies of Indiana. “Part Two: Approaches” is divided into four sub-sections:“History and Geography;”“Race, Femininity, and Masculinity;” “Comparative Perspectives;”and“Literary Contexts.”The wide breadth of topics covered in the twenty-one essays will appeal to instructors of courses ranging from French romanticism and realism to interdisciplinary ones on French colonial history or law. Of particular note is how contributors not only described how they teach Indiana, but how they do so in a particular course to a particular group of students. For example, Carolyn Vellenga Berman details in “Creole Emancipation: Indiana and French Colonial Slavery” her strategy for teaching the novel in English translation to upperlevel undergraduates in a self-designed liberal arts degree program: “Since there are generally no prerequisites where I teach and undergraduates with diverse educational backgrounds mix with highly educated auditors in each class, the challenge is to bring students together in a meaningful collective project” (26). Allan H. Pasco explains in “Romantic Realism in Indiana,” that while reviewing the long list of salient themes in Indiana (e.g., frustrated love, passion, melancholy, etc.),“it is also possible to highlight other important but less emphasized preoccupations like youth, the present, narrative devices, and the realism that preoccupied writers throughout much of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries” (185). The volume is essential for those who are new to teaching Indiana and ideal for those seasoned professionals who want to infuse their courses with new perspectives. Fulbright Specialist (NY) Eileen M. Angelini Film edited by Michèle Bissière Boukhrief, Nicolas, réal. Made in France. Int. Malik Zidi, François Civil, Nassim Si Ahmed. Radar, 2015. Made in France a largement été mentionné dans la presse comme le film que les distributeurs ont préféré ne pas sortir parce que son intrigue rappellerait de façon trop aiguë les tragiques massacres du 11 novembre 2015.Voir le film, distribué malgré tout en VOD, permet de constater que s’il propose une immersion au sein d’une cellule qui s’apprête à monter un attentat terroriste, Made in France ne montre rien qui ressemble aux événements en question: pas de massacres dans une salle de concert ou à la terrasse d’un café.En effet,ce qui intéresse Boukhrief,ce sont surtout l’hétérogénéité du groupe et les tensions qui le traversent au fur et à mesure qu’approche le fatidique passage à l’acte. Ces rapports de force nous sont présentés à travers le regard de Sam (Malik Zidi), un journaliste qui a infiltré la cellule et qui...

Drug-related Atrioventricular Block: Is It a Benign Condition?

Introduction: Prognosis of the patients with beta blocker or calcium channel blocker induced AV block is not well known to date. Methods: All patients with symptomatic second-degree or third-degree atrioventricular block (AV) referred to our institution during one year were recuited prospectively and classified in two groups based on drug consumption (beta blocker/calcium channel blocker versus none). They were followed for six months and then collected data was analyzed. Results: The study included 49 patients, 28 patients (age 60.1 ± 20, 19 male) did not use any beta blocker or calcium channel blocker (No- DU group) and other 21 patients (age 73.5 ± 10.4, 7 male) receivd beta blocker, calcium channel blocker or both at the time of AV block (DU group). No-DU group was significantly younger than DU group. The most common atrial rhythm in both groups was sinus. There was no significant difference in QRS wideness or ventricular rate. AV block regressed in 43% of the DU group after discontinuation of drug for five half-life, but, Mobitz type 2 or complete AV block occurred again during six months in 50% of them without consumption of the culprit drug. Conclusions: More than two third of the patients who developed AV block on beta blocker and/or calcium channel blocker needed permanent pacemaker in six months of follow- up, so we concluded that the development of AV block was not as benign as it seems in these patients.

A simple pancreaticojejunostomy technique for hard pancreases using only two transpancreatic sutures with buttresses: a comparison with the previous pancreaticogastrostomy and dunking methods.

PurposeIn this study, we introduced a novel technique, the pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ), which uses only two transpancreatic sutures with buttresses (PJt), and compared the surgical outcomes with previously used methods, especially for hard pancreases.MethodsA total of 101 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy with hard pancreases were enrolled and divided into 3 groups according to the method of pancreaticoenteric anastomosis: 30 patients (29.7%) underwent the conventional dunking method (Du), 31 patients (30.7%) underwent pancreaticogastrostomy using transpancreatic sutures (PGt) and 40 patients (39.6%) underwent PJ using transpancreatic sutures (PJt). The surgical outcomes were compared according to the type of anastomosis to analyze the feasibility and ease of each technique.ResultsThe overall operative time was shorter in the PJt group (325.1 ± 63.8 minutes) than in the PGt group (367.3 ± 70.5 minutes) or the Du group (412.0 ± 38.2 minutes, P < 0.001). In terms of pancreaticoenteric anastomosis time, it was also shorter in the PJt group (10.3 ± 3.5 minutes) than in the Du group (20.7 ± 0.7 minutes) or the PGt group (16.8 ± 5.4 minutes, P = 0.005). Significant postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) developed in 2 cases (6.7%) in the Du group, whereas there were no POPF cases in the PGt or PJt groups (P = 0.086). Overall postoperative morbidities occurred in 31 cases (30.7%), and there were no significant differences among the 3 groups (P = 0.692).ConclusionThe novel PJ technique, which uses only two transpancreatic sutures with buttresses, is a very simple, easy and secure method for hard pancreases and can be performed in a shorter amount of time compared with conventional methods.

Characterization of men with lower urinary tract dysfunction after surgical management of benign prostatic obstruction

Objective: To characterize the symptoms and urodynamic findings of men with lower urinary tract dysfunction after a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP).Materials and Methods: A total of 123 consecutive men with lower urinary tract dysfunction after surgical treatment for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) were analyzed. Men with prostate cancer, stricture, multiple TURPs, radical prostatectomy or prostate cancer treatment were excluded. Parameters assessed by urodynamics included bladder capacity, detrusor contractibility, pressure flow study, and post void residual. Analysis of the variance was used to compare outcomes of urodynamic parameters between the primary diagnoses.Results: Mean age at TURP was 68 years (range 39 to 88). Symptoms included frequency (68%), nocturia (53%), urgency (44%), and retention requiring catheterization (17%). A total of 72 men (59%) were diagnosed with bladder outlet obstruction (BOO), 30 (24%) with impaired detrusor contractility (DU), and 21 (17%) with detrusor over activity (DO). Among these groups, there was no difference in duration of recurrent symptoms, AUA symptom score, Quality of Life score, or prostate size. Maximum flow was significantly less and post-void residual significantly greater in both BOO and DU groups. Bladder capacity was significantly higher in DU.Conclusions: In the modern era, bladder outlet obstruction was the most common cause of recurrent lower urinary tract dysfunction after surgical management of BPO.

Évaluation des vertus adaptatives de la rétrospective de vie chez les personnes âgées : étude randomisée contrôlée

L’efficacité de méthodes psychothérapeutiques chez la personne âgée interroge nombre de praticiens et de chercheurs, et ce tant dans un contexte de prise en charge de troubles psychopathologiques que de préparation à sa propre finitude. Ainsi, l’objectif de cette recherche était d’éprouver les bénéfices de la rétrospective de vie auprès des personnes âgées, comme méthode psychothérapeutique particulièrement adaptée à cette population. À cet égard, une intervention randomisée et contrôlée fut entreprise (n = 11 dans le groupe intervention et n = 15 dans le groupe témoin). Les résultats ont révélé un effet significatif de l’interaction « groupe × temps » sur l’humeur dépressive indiquant que les scores de dépression du groupe ayant bénéficié de l’intervention en rétrospective de vie étaient significativement plus bas que ceux du groupe témoin. En revanche, aucune amélioration n’avait été constatée concernant les indicateurs du bien-être psychologique, à savoir, la satisfaction de vie, l’équilibre affectif, l’estime de soi, l’anxiété face à la mort et l’intégrité de soi. Ces résultats sont conformes à ceux déjà obtenus dans la littérature scientifique portant sur les effets de ce type de psychothérapies. Cependant, il demeure la nécessité de poursuivre les investigations pour asseoir leur pertinence et leur légitimité. The effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions for elderly persons questioned number of researchers and practitioners, both in the context of treatment of mental disorders and preparation and acceptance of death. Since the seminal work of Butler in 1963 on the role of the reminiscence on successful aging, life review therapy becomes a very popular tool in the modern psychogerontology. The growing interest in the reminiscence is due to the universality of the mental activity of reminiscing. Indeed, as a natural phenomenon for all individual, reminiscence involves recollecting and remembering events personally experienced in the past. Reminiscence activities are often used spontaneously to share memories. The functions of the reminiscence are now well known and well documented. However, life review, besides the fact that it also refers to the evocation of personal past events, involves the analysis of these personal memorabilia. It is rather a dynamic process of looking back at one's life and reinterpretation of one's existence. It allows older people to assign value and meaning to one's life. Thus life review needs the presence of a therapist. Although, research on the uses of the life review among the elderly reveals its important potential for the promotion of the psychological adjustment (e.g., subjective well being, mood, ego integrity), additional studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of this psychotherapeutic function and its universality. The objective of this research was to evaluate the efficacy of the life review on depression and psychological well-being in the elderly by conducting a randomized controlled trial. Thus, 13 voluntary participants were randomly assigned to the life review group (n = 15) and the control group (n = 15, mean age = 83.47, S.D. = 7.57). However, only 11 participants completed the whole life review program (n = 11, mean age = 79.27, S.D. = 13.67). The inclusion criterion was participants with a score equal or above 24 in the Mini-Mental State (MMSE). The two groups were similar with regard to the age, educational level and mini-mental state scores. The life review program consisted of sixteen 90-minute sessions. All the five senses were stimulated by different materials to facilitate the emergence of autobiographical memories. Also, we used La Fontaine's Fables to stimulate remembrance. All life cycle stages were covered. Measurement instruments used in pre-program and post-program included the Geriatric Depression Scale (it is a 15-item scale), the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (it is a 10-item scale), The Death Anxiety Scale (it is a 5-item scale), the Ego Integrity Scale (it is a 10-item scale), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (it is a 5-item scale) and the Affect Balance Scale (it is a 10-item scale). Repeated measures analysis of variance (along with power analyses) revealed significant difference between the two groups in the change in scores for depression indicating that those in the intervention group had profited from the life review activities. On the other hand, no differences were found in the changes in scores for life satisfaction, self-esteem, death anxiety, ego integrity, and affect balance. These findings are in line with previous randomized, controlled studies evaluating the effectiveness of life review therapy. However, the modest sample size in the present study may have played a role in limiting the significance of some of the statistical comparisons performed. Thus, further research is needed to assess its long-term effects.

Power, Immigration and the “Prescribed Amount” Rule: The Canadian Government and the Syrians in the Early Twentieth Century

Un règlement gouvernemental prescrivant que les immigrants «asiatiques» aient avec eux un montant minimum d’argent pour entrer au Canada, est fut intégré à un assemblage d’instruments et de procédures établis par l’État canadien au début du vingtième siècle pour limiter l’immigration en provenance d’Asie. Parmi ces «Asiatiques», les Syriens furent particulièrement affectés par ce règlement. En 1911-1912, ils ont contesté cette mesure de contrôle. Ce fut un tournant important pour l’action politique du groupe syrien et en termes de sa relation de pouvoir avec l’État. Cette action d’opposition était pourtant sérieusement limitée. Elle s’objectait au mode d’exécution de la règlementation du «montant prescrit», ainsi que de ses présuppositions sur les Syriens. Elle a cependant aussi manifesté son alignement avec la façon générale de penser concernant les populations, les «races» et les immigrants «souhaitables» qui donnaient une base justificatrice aux pratiques du pouvoir d’État. Cet article examine cet épisode de tension et de contention dans les rapports entre l’État et les Syriens dans le cas canadien, dans le but d’y approfondir la compréhension des relations de pouvoir dans le domaine de l’immigration.

Expression of leptin and its long-form receptor in the marginal cutaneous tissues of diabetic foot ulcers

To investigate the relationship between the expression of leptin and its long-form receptor, OB-RL, and wound healing in diabetic foot ulcers. Biopsies from 10 patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DU group), 10 with non-diabetic foot ulcers (NDU group), and 10 with normal skin (normal control, NC group) were examined. Leptin and OB-RL mRNA and protein levels were assessed using RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry analyses, respectively. The cuticle thickness was significantly greater, and the epidermal layer was significantly lesser in the DU and NDU groups. Leptin protein expression was significantly higher in the DU and NDU than NC group (P < 0.001), whereas OB-RL mRNA and protein expressions were significantly lower in the DU group and significantly higher in the NDU group (P < 0.001). Diabetic foot ulcer duration was negatively correlated with OB-RL protein expression (ρ = -0.671, P = 0.034). Decreased OB-RL may result in reduced leptin signaling in diabetic foot ulcers. Further studies are required to determine whether OB-RL levels are related to the prognosis of diabetic foot ulcers, as well as to explore the use of leptin or mimetics for promoting ulcer healing.

Incidental Vocabulary Learning And Recall By Intermediate Foreign Language Students: The Influence Of Marginal Glosses, Dictionary Use, And Summary Writing

This study is an attempt to compare the effect of four reading conditions on incidental vocabulary learning and recall of intermediate EFL learners. A sample population of 120 Iranian intermediate students read two short passages in one of four reading conditions: 1) L1 Marginal Glosses (MG1 – provision of L1 translations of unknown words), 2) L2 Marginal Glosses (MG2 – provision of L2 meanings of unknown words), 3) Dictionary Use (DU – opportunity to use a dictionary), or 4) Summary Writing (SW – writing a little summary of both texts using new words). After reading, students were tested for their recall of 30 words that had appeared once to six times in the texts. Two weeks later, they were tested again to check long-term retention of words. Support was found for the hypothesis that the four vocabulary learning conditions and the time interval between the two tests have a meaningful influence on the retention of the meaning of unfamiliar target words. The other hypothesis assumed that the retention of the meaning of the words is the highest in SW group, and it lowers in DU group, MG1group and MG2 group respectively. All of the four reading conditions had a significant effect on incidental learning and recall of the words, but neither the immediate nor the delayed tests revealed significant differences among the four types.

Transplantation and follow-up of human iPSc-derived neural progenitors in a rat model of ALS

Transplantation and follow-up of human iPSc-derived neural progenitors in a rat model of ALS

Ludwigia grandiflora and L. peploides Onagraceae – Water primroses

<i>Ludwigia grandiflora</i> and <i>L. peploides</i> Onagraceae – Water primroses

Tumor Marker Levels Before and After Curative Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma as Predictors of Patient Survival

α-fetoprotein (AFP) is used as a marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is influenced by hepatitis. Protein-induced vitamin K absence or antagonist II (PIVKA-II) is a sensitive diagnostic marker. Changes in these markers after treatment may reflect curability and predict outcome. We conducted an analysis of prognosis in 470 HCC patients who received curative treatments, and examined the relationship between changes in AFP and PIVKA-II levels after 1month of treatment in 156 patients. Subjects were divided into three groups according to changes in both levels: (1) normal (L) group before treatment, (2) normalization (N) or (3) decreased but still above normal level or unchanged (ANU) group after treatment. High AFP and PIVKA-II levels were significantly associated with poor tumor-free and overall survival. The presence of large size and advanced stage were significantly associated with prevalence of DU group. Overall survival in the AFP-L group was significantly better than that of other groups and overall survival in PIVKA-II-L and N groups were significantly better than that of the PIVKA-II-ANU groups. The combination of changes in the AFP- ANU and PIVKA-II- ANU groups showed the worst tumor-free and overall survivals. Multivariate analysis identified high pre-treatment levels of AFP and PIVKA-II and combination of AFP- ANU and PIVKA-II- ANU as significant determinants of poor tumor-free and overall survival, particularly in patients who underwent hepatectomy. We conclude that high levels of AFP or PIVKA-II after treatment for HCC did not sufficiently reflect curative efficacy of treatment and reflected a poor predictor of prognosis in HCC patients.

Does the Bleeding in the Idiopathic Ulcer Have More Poor Outcome than Other Peptic Ulcers?

Purpose: Although the clinical outcome of peptic ulcer bleeding has been improved due to advances of therapeutic endoscopy and introduction of proton pump inhibitors, there is no improvement of mortality from peptic ulcers bleeding. NSAIDs induced ulcer bleeding is already known to have high mortality rate. Recently some studies showed that idiopathic ulcer bleeding seems to be increasing and has higher risk of recurrent ulcer bleeding and mortality than H. pyloric ulcer. But the clinical outcome of idiopathic ulcer bleeding is not known yet in Korea. The present study aimed to evaluate clinical characteristics and outcome of idiopathic ulcer bleeding. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of consecutive 360 patients with peptic ulcer bleeding admitted to the Seoul St. Mary hospital from January 2003 to December 2008. Idiopathic ulcer bleeding was defined as having tested negative for H. pylori, having no exposure to aspirin or analgesics within 4 weeks before endoscopy, and having no other identifiable causative factors. Patients were divided into 4 groups: patients with idiopathic ulcer bleeding (IU, n=42, median age 63), with H. pylori-positive, drug-negative bleeding ulcers (HU, n=84, median age 49), with H. pylori-negative, drug-positive bleeding ulcers (DU; n=93, median age 70), and with H. pylori-positive, drug-positive bleeding ulcers (HDU; n=84, median age 65). The primary end point was recurrent ulcer bleeding within 3, 7, 30 days and 1 year after first bleeding episode. Secondary end point was initial hemostasis rate, hospital day after first bleeding episode and mortality. Results: Totally, recurrent ulcer bleeding occurred among 11 of 42 patients of IU, 9 of 84 patients of HU, 15 of 93 patients of DU and 12 of 84 patients of HDU. Recurrent bleeding within 3 and 7 days was no significant difference among 4 groups. IU tended to have more rebleeding than HU within 30 days (23.8%, 9.5%, P=0.056). But IU showed more significant rebleeding than HU within 1 year (26.2%, 10.7%, P=0.037), not in DU and HDU group. Comparing with these 4 groups, there was no significant difference in initial hemostasis rate. But IU showed significant high mortality rate and hospital day after first bleeding episode than HU. Conclusion: Patients with idiopathic ulcer bleeding have increased 1 year rebleeding rate than H. pylori ulcer group, and no significant difference among drug induced ulcer group. So further studies about more strict periodic endoscopic follow up or prevention of rebleeding for idiopathic ulcer bleeding is probably needed.