scholarly journals Role of viruses in biliary atresia: news from mice and men

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claus Petersen ◽  
Omid Madadi-Sanjani
Keyword(s):  
Biliary Atresia ◽  
Inflammatory Process ◽  
Biliary Tree ◽  
Unknown Etiology ◽  
Symptomatic Therapy ◽  
Kasai Procedure ◽  
Current State ◽  
State Of Research ◽  
Oriented Approach

AbstractBiliary atresia (BA) is still an enigmatic disease of unknown etiology and cryptic pathomechanism. Despite the fact that BA is rated among rare diseases, it represents the most frequent indication for pediatric liver transplantation. Although every effort is made to elucidate the origin of the ongoing deterioration of liver function, no breakthrough has so far been achieved, which switches the surgical but symptomatic therapy to a cause-oriented approach. The nowadays leading hypothesis focuses on hepatotropic virus as a triggering agent for an autoimmunological self-limiting inflammatory process along the entire biliary tree. The present review highlights the current state of research on the factor “viruses in biliary atresia” in both patients undergoing the Kasai procedure and the virus-induced BA mouse model.

scholarly journals Developing a Chronology Integrating Archaeological and Environmental Data from Different Contexts: The Late Holocene Sequence of Ounjougou (Mali)

Radiocarbon ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 457-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvain Ozainne ◽  
Laurent Lespez ◽  
Yann Le Drezen ◽  
Barbara Eichhorn ◽  
Katharina Neumann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Holocene ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Current State ◽  
History Of ◽  
Anthropogenic Fires ◽  
Holocene Stratigraphy ◽  
State Of Research ◽  
A Site

At Ounjougou, a site complex situated in the Yamé River valley on the Bandiagara Plateau (Dogon country, Mali), multidisciplinary research has revealed a rich archaeological and paleoenvironmental sequence used to reconstruct the history of human-environment interactions, especially during the Late Holocene (3500–300 cal BC). Geomorphological, archaeological, and archaeobotanical data coming from different sites and contexts were combined in order to elaborate a chronocultural and environmental model for this period. Bayesian analysis of 54 14C dates included within the general Late Holocene stratigraphy of Ounjougou provides better accuracy for limits of the main chronological units, as well as for some particularly important events, like the onset of agriculture in the region. The scenario that can be proposed in the current state of research shows an increasing role of anthropogenic fires from the 3rd millennium cal BC onwards, and the appearance of food production during the 2nd millennium cal BC, coupled with a distinctive cultural break. The Late Holocene sequence ends around 300 cal BC with an important sedimentary hiatus that lasts until the end of the 4th century cal AD.

Role of the music therapy in neurorehabilitation of patients with disorders of consciousness – looking for rules of evidence based practice

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-28
Author(s):  
T. Komendziński ◽  
E. Mikołajewska ◽  
D. Mikołajewski ◽  
J. Dreszer ◽  
B. Bałaj
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Minimally Conscious State ◽  
Conscious State ◽  
Disorders Of Consciousness ◽  
Music Listening ◽  
Current State ◽  
State Of Research ◽  
High Level ◽  
Minimally Conscious

Neurological early and long-term rehabilitation plays a crucial role in the therapy of patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) such as unresponsive wakefulness syndrome or minimally conscious state. Neuroscience tries to explain the effect of music therapy on all levels of the nervous system = activity in patients with DOC, but full understanding is still incomplete. This paper attempts to answer how current clinical outcomes may reflect the influence of various factors including music's capacity. Based on their interdisciplinary perspective and previous experiences, the authors try to investigate the extent to which current occupations have been explored. The authors analyzed the literature data concerning the results of the studies published until the first half of 2016, to sum up the current state of research. Research in the main databases: PubMed, PEDro, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition was made using specified keywords and inclusion and exclusion criteria. Next, the authors sorted them all out into a coherent view of the current state. Music listening may constitute a part of an enriched environment setting. However, due to weak evidence, the therapeutic value of music-based interventions in patients with DOC is uneven or limited. The role of music therapy is thus complementary. Standardized clinical settings, protocols, and behavioral measures should be developed to increase its clinical validity, reliability, sensitivity, and objectivity. There is a reasonable hypothesis that music may produce a high level of diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes as stimuli usually reflecting strong personal meaning in patients with DOC.

scholarly journals Gastrointestinal symptoms in the course of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 74 ◽  
pp. 498-503
Author(s):  
Grzegorz K. Jakubiak ◽  
Józefina Ochab-Jakubiak ◽  
Grzegorz Cieślar ◽  
Agata Stanek
Keyword(s):  
Intestinal Inflammation ◽  
Gastrointestinal Symptoms ◽  
Unknown Etiology ◽  
Wuhan City ◽  
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 ◽  
Current State ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Loss Of Appetite ◽  
First Time

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, a betacoronavirus comprised of single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA), the first time reported in December 2019 as pneumonia with unknown etiology in Wuhan City in China. It is a very important current problem for public health worldwide. A typical clinical course includes dyspnoea, dry cough and fever. In the presented paper we conducted the literature review and described the most important facts within the current state of knowledge about symptomatology and pathophysiology of gastrointestinal dysfunction in the course of COVID-19. Data about prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms in the course of COVID-19 show wide divergence in the cited literature. Generally, the most common reported digestive symptoms were loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. Liver injury in the course of COVID-19 is also an important and not well understood problem. The virus has high affinity to cells containing angiotensin- -converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) protein. Digestive symptoms of COVID-19 may be associated with ACE2 expression in epithelial cells in upper oesophagus, ileum and colon. Previous scientific reports have elucidated the role of ACE2 in modulating intestinal inflammation and diarrhoea.

scholarly journals The environment of intrafamilial offenders – A systematic review of dynamics in incestuous families

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Alexa Pusch ◽  
Thomas Ross ◽  
María Isabel Fontao
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Family Characteristics ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Current State ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
State Of Research ◽  
Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Core Characteristics

The aim of this study was to identify family characteristics and dynamics relevant to the initiation and maintenance of intrafamilial child sexual abuse. An understanding of essential characteristics of the affected families could help to prevent such crimes. In order to provide an overview of the current state of research, a literature review based on the PRISMA criteria was conducted. For the research in the databases PsycInfo and PSYNDEX, predetermined criteria and search terms were used. Fifteen relevant articles from 1991 to 2020 were identified. The studies examined perpetrator-victim relationships, the role of the mother, the relationship between the parents and characteristics of the families in which child sexual abuse took place. Relevant core characteristics of incestuous families are dysfunctional, violent, and conflictual relationships between the parents, and between parents and children. However, these factors are often not specific to intrafamilial abuse. Only six articles published after 2000 were identified. Little evidence for each individual construct was found, so the effects should not be overestimated. Further research on intrafamilial child sexual abuse is necessary.

scholarly journals TO THE STUDY OF THE MECHANISM OF TRIGGERING THE PLACEBO EFFECT: PLACEBO AND AUTO-SUGGESTION

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-228
Author(s):  
A.V. Khaikin ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Placebo Effect ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Linear Structure ◽  
The Unconscious ◽  
Ethical Problems ◽  
Positive Expectation ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Subject ◽  
State Of Research

The current state of research on the placebo effect is considered. The task is set to develop the idea of the role of positive expectation in the mechanism of placebo implementation. A number of assumptions concerning the nature of placebo and approaches to its study are put forward. Consideration of the effect in its linear structure can contribute to the study of the nature of the placebo. It is useful to understand this phenomenon as consisting of a stage of psychological triggering and a stage of psychosomatic and physiological implementation. In turn, it is useful to consider the first of them as consisting of a preliminary stage of forming a positive (or negative – with nocebo) expectation, confidence in a certain effect of a placebo agent, and the stage of actually triggering a placebo. When implementing the placebo effect, the active expectation of a certain internal process and its result activates the mechanism of auto-suggestion, within which the expected is realized. The placebo is triggered by the implementation of one of the types of autosuggestion process, which does not presuppose any purposeful actions of the subject, for example, orders addressed to the unconscious. A significant part of the studies of the placebo effect nature can be carried out within the framework of the study of the mechanisms and patterns of this way of autosuggestion, which is triggered by the confident active expectation of the subject in the onset of certain internal changes. It is clear that such studies can be carried out in contexts other than those of placebo and nocebo implementation, for example, neutral in relation to the physical and emotional state and make their conduct not burdened with ethical problems. Which, of course, can significantly contribute to the intensification of the study of the placebo nature. It is concluded that the proposed concept develops the thesis about the necessary role of positive expectation in the implementation of the placebo effect, explaining the role of expectation in the mechanism of its launch. Understanding the mechanism of the placebo effect as a mechanism for self-suggestion will significantly simplify the conditions for experimental studies of placebo patterns and creates a context for further research.

Mastocytosis-induced osteoporosis

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (02) ◽  
pp. 136-139
Author(s):  
D. Percic ◽  
U. Maus ◽  
A. A. Kurth ◽  
G. S. Maier
Keyword(s):  
Mast Cells ◽  
Bone Health ◽  
Systemic Mastocytosis ◽  
Secondary Osteoporosis ◽  
Vertebral Collapse ◽  
Skeletal Involvement ◽  
Current State ◽  
State Of Research ◽  
Possible Cause

Summary Background: Systemic mastocytosis is a rare disease characterised by accumulation of mast cells in at least one extracutaneous organ, including bone marrow. It is increasingly recognized as a possible cause of secondary osteoporosis. We conducted a literature review on the role of mast cells in osteoporosis including data/peer reviewed articles/ journals from 1957 to 2012. Our aim was to evaluate the current state of research and to offer an overview of current therapeutic options/measures/treatments. Methods: A retrospective review of peer r eviewed/published literature was performed using MEDLINE databases from 1957 to 2012. The keywords “osteoporosis” and “mast cells/mastocytosis” revealed 201 articles, limi ted to English and German articles. The following criteria were included: studies on, or case studies of either mastocytosis induced osteoporosis, or the role of mast cells in osteoporosis or the relation of bone remodeling and mastocytosis. Results/Conclusion: Mast cells seem to play an important role in bone turnover. Their byproducts are responsible for increased bone resorption. However, the skeletal involvement is mainly situated in trabecular bone, which determines vertebral collapse. This review increases the awareness that patients with systemic mastocytosis would benefit from diagnostic workup with regard to bone health, as this rather rare cause of secondary osteoporosis can lead to significantly high rates of mortality.

Institutional characteristics of education systems and inequalities: Introduction II

2021 ◽  
pp. 002071522110615
Author(s):  
Christiane Gross ◽  
Andreas Hadjar ◽  
Laura Zapfe
Keyword(s):  
Education System ◽  
Institutional Setting ◽  
Institutional Characteristics ◽  
Education Systems ◽  
Comparative Sociology ◽  
Institutional Settings ◽  
Current State ◽  
Key Driver ◽  
State Of Research

The second special issue of International Journal of Comparative Sociology (IJCS) on the role of education systems as institutional settings on the reproduction of inequalities includes three papers that focus on stratification of the education system as key driver of educational inequalities, the role of digital inequalities in the school and beyond, as well as how students navigate through the institutional setting of the Taiwanese education system. While we already elaborated on the research program, conceptual framework, and methodological challenges in the first introduction (published in January 2021), we will deal with the current state-of-research in this second introduction.

The Shugden-Controversy in Contemporary Mongolia

Inner Asia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 330-349
Author(s):  
Mungunchimeg Batmunkh
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Religious Practices ◽  
The Political ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Ethnographic Fieldwork ◽  
Current State ◽  
State Of Research

Abstract Since the political upheavals in Mongolia in 1989, the traditional Tibetan-Mongolian protective deity Dorj-Shugden has been rediscovered. Today the Buddhist monasteries Delgeriin khiid, Amarbayasgalant Monastery and Tögsbayasgalant töv venerate him. This paper analyses the role of this deity with particular emphasis on Gungaachoilinig datsan in Gandandegchilin and the Amarbayasgalant Monastery in Mongolia, based on ethnographic fieldwork and semi-structured interviews with monks from six monasteries and visitors of Amarbayasgalant conducted in 2016, 2019 and 2020. The paper also outlines the current state of research, including recent Mongolian literature. Finally, it presents findings about him sourced from social media. By exploring pro- and anti-Shugden religious practices, this article sheds some light on the Shugden controversy in contemporary Mongolian Buddhism.

scholarly journals The Role of Brain Connectome Imaging in the Estimation of Depressive Relapse Risk

2018 ◽  
Vol 190 (11) ◽  
pp. 1036-1043 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Brandl ◽  
Chun Meng ◽  
Claus Zimmer ◽  
Christian Sorg
Keyword(s):  
Network Topology ◽  
Relapse Risk ◽  
Functional Connections ◽  
Brain Connectome ◽  
Current State ◽  
Potential Biomarker ◽  
Key Points ◽  
State Of Research ◽  
Depressive Episodes

Background About two-thirds of all patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) suffer from depressive relapse, the mechanisms of which are still poorly understood. In recent years, analyses of the brain’s connectome have increasingly been employed to identify potential biomarkers of depressive relapse. The term “connectome” refers to the map of all structural or functional connections in the brain. It can be investigated by structural or functional magnetic resonance imaging followed by graph theory-based analysis to characterize network topology on the global and regional level. Methods This review is based on a selective literature search in PubMed representing the current state of research, as well as on an already published study which was awarded the Promotionspreis of the Deutsche Röntgengesellschaft. Results and Conclusion Numerous studies point to altered network topology, e. g., of default-mode network and striatum, as being crucial for the pathophysiology of MDD. Our group was able to show that striatal centrality (or hubness) is associated with the number of depressive episodes, which is one of the best predictors for depressive relapse. These data suggest aberrant striatal network topology as a potential biomarker for depressive relapse risk. The translation of these promising findings into clinical routine diagnostics is promoted by several methodological advantages, while some unresolved issues still hinder this process. Key points  Citation Format

Institutional characteristics of education systems and inequalities—Introduction I

2021 ◽  
pp. 002071522098804
Author(s):  
Christiane Gross ◽  
Andreas Hadjar
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Characteristics ◽  
Educational Inequalities ◽  
Education Systems ◽  
Comparative Sociology ◽  
Institutional Settings ◽  
Current State ◽  
Country Characteristics ◽  
Conceptual Background ◽  
State Of Research

This is the introduction into the first of multiple themed issues of International Journal of Comparative Sociology (IJCS) that are dedicated to the role of education systems as institutional settings on the reproduction of inequalities. While Introduction I presents the research program, outlines a conceptual background and discusses methodological challenges in the study of how education systems shape inequalities, introductions to the successive themed issues will deal with the current state-of-research and finally with research desiderata in terms of an outlook. The contributions will be presented at the end of each introduction. The contributions of this themed issue focus on the role of country characteristics during early childhood and the role of shadow education on educational inequalities.

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