[Review of] Rakhmiel Peltz. From Immigrant to Ethnic Culture: American Yiddish in South Philadelphia

Rakhmiel Peltz, in From Immigrants to Ethnic Culture: American Yiddish in South Philadelphia, presents one of the few ethnographies available on spoken American Yiddish in his investigation of the elderly children of immigrant Jews in a Philadelphia neighborhood. Drawing on audiotaped ethnographic data which includes life histories, personal narratives, interviews, and naturally-occurring interactions in local contexts, Peltz examines how Jewish residents attempt to maintain their yiddishkayt (`Jewishness\u27) as they become a shrinking minority in what was once a thriving Jewish community

Diabetic nephropathy, autophagy and proximal tubule protein endocytic transport: A potentially harmful relationship

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most frequent cause of chronic renal failure. Until now, the pathophysiological mechanisms that determine its development and progression have not yet been elucidated. In the present study, we evaluate the role of autophagy at early stages of DN, induced in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) mouse, and its association with proximal tubule membrane endocytic receptors, megalin and cubilin. In T2DM animals we observed a tubule-interstitial injury with significantly increased levels of urinary GGT and ALP, but an absence of tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Kidney proximal tubule cells of T2DM animals showed autophagic vesicles larger than those observed in the control group, and an increase in the number of these vesicles marked with LBPA by immunofluorescence. Furthermore, a significant decrease in the ratio of LC3II/LC3I isoforms and in p62 protein expression in DN affected animals is shown. Finally, we observed a marked increase in urinary albumin and vitamin D binding-protein levels in T2DM animals as well as a significant decrease in expression of megalin in the renal cortex. These results indicate an alteration of the tubular endocytic transporters in DN, which could be related to autophagic dysfunction, which would in turn result in impaired organelle recycling, thus contributing to the progression of this disease.Fil: Giraud Billoud, Maximiliano German. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Fader Kaiser, Claudio Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Agüero, Rocio. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Ezquer, Fernando. Universidad del Desarrollo; ChileFil: Ezquer, Marcelo. Universidad del Desarrollo; Chil

Praxis des ökologischen Weinbaus

Immer mehr Weinbaubetriebe interessieren sich für ökologischen Anbau. Die Schrift gibt Einblicke in die Grundlagen und die Vorgaben der EG-Öko-Verordnung. Schwerpunkte sind u.a. Anbautechnik, Rebschutz und Vermarktung. Es werden die Besonderheiten der Umstellung, Kontrolle und Vermarktung erläutert

New combinations and synonyms in species from Brazil of Diodia s. lat. (Spermacoceae – Rubiaceae)

Durante la actualización de la lista de especies de la tribu Spermacoceae (Rubiaceae) de Brasil se realizaron algunas consideraciones nomenclaturales para cinco nombres publicados de Diodia. Se presentan dos nuevas combinaciones: Diodella angustata (Steyerm.) E.L. Cabral & A. Cabaña-Fader y Mitracarpus froesii (Sucre) E.L. Cabral & E.B. Souza. Se incluye a Diodia barbeyana como nuevo sinónimo de Diodella gardneri, se cita a Diodia microcarpa como nuevo sinónimo de Borreria palustris y a D. appariciana como nuevo sinónimo de Borreria multiflora.Fil: Cabral, Elsa Leonor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Nordeste. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste (i); ArgentinaFil: Cabaña Fader, Andrea Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Nordeste. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste (i); Argentin

Factors affecting continuation of clean intermittent catheterisation in people with multiple sclerosis: results of the COSMOS mixed-methods study

Background:  Clean intermittent catheterisation (CIC) is often recommended for people with multiple sclerosis (MS).  Objective:  To determine the variables that affect continuation or discontinuation of the use of CIC.  Methods:  A three-part mixed-method study (prospective longitudinal cohort (n = 56), longitudinal qualitative interviews (n = 20) and retrospective survey (n = 456)) was undertaken, which identified the variables that influenced CIC continuation/discontinuation. The potential explanatory variables investigated in each study were the individual’s age, gender, social circumstances, number of urinary tract infections, bladder symptoms, presence of co-morbidity, stage of multiple sclerosis and years since diagnosis, as well as CIC teaching method and intensity.  Results:  For some people with MS the prospect of undertaking CIC is difficult and may take a period of time to accept before beginning the process of using CIC. Ongoing support from clinicians, support at home and a perceived improvement in symptoms such as nocturia were positive predictors of continuation. In many cases, the development of a urinary tract infection during the early stages of CIC use had a significant detrimental impact on continuation.  Conclusion:  Procedures for reducing the incidence of urinary tract infection during the learning period (i.e. when being taught and becoming competent) should be considered, as well as the development of a tool to aid identification of a person’s readiness to try CIC

Absorbent products for urinary/faecal incontinence: a comparative evaluation of key product designs

Background: The UK health service, nursing homes and public spend around £94 million per year on incontinence pads (absorbent products) to contain urine and/or faeces, but the research base for making informed choices between different product designs is very weak.Objectives: The aim of this trial was to compare the performance and cost-effectiveness of the key absorbent product designs to provide a more solid basis for guiding selection and purchase.A further aim was to carry out the first stage in the development of a quality of life instrument for measuring the impact of absorbent product use on users' lives.Design: The work involved three clinical trials focusing on the three biggest market sectors. Each trial had a similar crossover design in which each participant tested all products within their group in random order.Settings, participants and methods: In Trial 1, 85 women with light urinary incontinence living in the community tested three products from each of the four design categories available (total of 12 test products): disposable inserts (pads); menstrual pads; washable pants with integral pad; and washable inserts. In Trial 2a, 85 moderate/heavily incontinent adults (urinary or urinary/faecal) living in the community (49 men and 36 women) tested three (or two) products from each of the five design categories available (total of 14 test products): disposable inserts (with mesh pants); disposable diapers (nappies); disposable pull-ups (similar to toddlers' trainer pants); disposable T-shaped diapers (nappies with waist-band); and washable diapers. All products were provided in a daytime and a (mostly more absorbent) night-time variant. In these first two trials, the test products were selected on the basis of data from pilot studies. In Trial 2b, 100 moderate/heavily incontinent adults (urinary or urinary/faecal) living in 10 nursing homes (27 men and 73 women) evaluated one product from each of the four disposable design categories from Trial 2a. Products were selected on the basis of product performance in Trial 2a and, again, daytime and night-time variants were provided. The first phase of work to develop a quality of life tool for measuring the impact of using different pad designs was carried out by interviewing participants from Trials 1 and 2a.Outcome measures: Product performance was characterised using validated questionnaires, which asked the participants (in Trials 1 and 2a) or carers (all participants in Trial 2b, except for the few who could report for themselves) to evaluate various aspects of pad performance (leakage, ease of putting on, discreetness, etc.) using a five-point scale (very good–very poor) at the end of the week (or 2 weeks for Trial 2b) of product testing. In addition, participants/carers were asked to save individual used pads in bags for weighing and to indicate the severity of any leakage from them on a three-point scale (none, a little, a lot). These data were used to determine differences in leakage performance. Numbers of laundry items and pads used were recorded to estimate costs, and skin health changes were recorded by the participant or by the researchers (Trial 2b). At the end of testing, participants were interviewed and ranked their preferences (with and without costs), stated the acceptability of each design (highly acceptable–totally unacceptable) and recorded their overall opinion on a visual analogue scale (VAS) of 0–100 points (worst design–best design). This VAS score was used with product costs to estimate cost-effectiveness. In addition, a timed pad changing exercise was conducted with 10 women from Trial 2b to determine any differences between product designs.Results: Results presented are for statistically and clinically significant findings.<br/

Water footprints of cities indicators for sustainable consumption and production

Water footprints have been proposed as sustainabilityindicators, relating the consumption of goods likefood to the amount of water necessary for their productionand the impacts of that water use in the source regions. Wefurther developed the existing water footprint methodology,by globally resolving virtual water flows from production toconsumption regions for major food crops at 5 arcmin spatialresolution. We distinguished domestic and internationalflows, and assessed local impacts of export production. Applyingthis method to three exemplary cities, Berlin, Delhiand Lagos, we find major differences in amounts, composition,and origin of green and blue virtual water imports,due to differences in diets, trade integration and crop waterproductivities in the source regions. While almost all ofDelhi’s and Lagos’ virtual water imports are of domestic origin,Berlin on average imports from more than 4000 km distance,in particular soy (livestock feed), coffee and cocoa.While 42% of Delhi’s virtual water imports are blue waterbased, the fractions for Berlin and Lagos are 2 and 0.5 %, respectively,roughly equal to the water volumes abstracted inthese two cities for domestic water use. Some of the externalsource regions of Berlin’s virtual water imports appear tobe critically water scarce and/or food insecure. However, forderiving recommendations on sustainable consumption andtrade, further analysis of context-specific costs and benefitsassociated with export production will be required

Fertility Preservation: A Key Survivorship Issue for Young Women with Cancer

Fertility preservation in the young cancer survivor is recognized as a key survivorship issue by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. Thus, health care providers should inform women about the effects of cancer therapy on fertility and should discuss the different fertility preservation options available. It is also recommended to refer women expeditiously to a fertility specialist in order to improve counseling. Women’s age, diagnosis, presence of male partner, time available and preferences regarding use of donor sperm influence the selection of the appropriate fertility preservation option. Embryo and oocyte cryopreservation are the standard techniques used while ovarian tissue cryopreservation is new, yet promising. Despite the importance of fertility preservation for cancer survivors’ quality of life, there are still communication and financial barriers faced by women who wish to pursue fertility preservation