Precarious Pregnancies : Alcohol, drugs and the regulation of risks

Since the 1970s alcohol and drug use by pregnant women has become a target of political, professional and personal concern. The present study focuses on prenatal substance use and the regulation of risks by examining different kinds of societal responses to prenatal alcohol and drug use. The study analyses face-to-face encounters between professionals and service users at a specialised maternity clinic for pregnant women with substance abuse problems, medical and political discourses on the compulsory treatment of pregnant women as a means of FAS prevention and official recommendations on alcohol intake during pregnancy. Moreover, the study addresses the women s perspective by asking how women who have used illicit drugs during pregnancy perceive and rank the dangers linked to drug use. The study consists of five empirical sub-studies and a summary article. Sub-study I was written in collaboration with Dorte Hecksher and Sub-study IV with Riikka Perälä. Theoretically the study builds on the one hand, on the socio-cultural approach to the selection and perception of risks and on the other on governmentality studies which focus on the use of power in contemporary Western societies. The study is based on an ethnographic approach and makes use of the principles of multi-sited ethnography. The empirical sub-studies are based on three different types of qualitative data: ethnographic field notes from a maternity clinic from a period of 7 months, documentary material (medical journals, political documents, health education materials, government reports) and 3) interviews from maternity clinics with clients and members of staff. The study demonstrates that the logic of the regulation of prenatal alcohol use in Finland is characterised by the rise of the foetus , a process in which the urgency of protecting the foetus has gradually gained a more prominent role in the discourses on alcohol-related foetal damage. An increasing unwillingness to accept any kinds of risks when foetal health is at stake is manifested in the public debate on the compulsory treatment of pregnant women with alcohol problems and in the health authorities decision to advise pregnant women to refrain from alcohol use during pregnancy (Sub-studies I and II). Secondly, the study suggests that maternity care professionals have an ambivalent role in their mundane encounters with their pregnant clients: on the one hand professionals focus on the well-being of the foetus, but on the other, they need to take into account the women s needs and agency. The professionals daily encounters with their clients are thus characterised by hybridisation: the simultaneous use of technologies of domination and technologies of agency (Sub-studies III and IV). Finally, the study draws attention to the women s understanding of the risks of illicit drug during pregnancy, and shows that the women s understanding of risk differs from the bio-medical view. The study suggests that when drug-using pregnant women seek professional help they can feel that their moral worth is threatened by professionals negative attitudes which can make service-use challenging.

Two beam photoluminescence of PbS quantum dots in polyvinyl alcohol

We report the effect of dual beam excitation on the photoluminescence (PL) from PbS quantum dots in polyvinyl alcohol by using two excitation lasers, namely Ar+ (514.5 nm) and He-Ne laser (670 nm). Both sources of excitation gave similar PL spectra around 1.67 eV (related to shallow traps) and 1.1 eV (related to deep traps). When both lasers were used at the same time, we found that the PL induced by each of the lasers was partly quenched by the illumination of the other laser. The proposed mechanism of this quenching effect involves traps that are populated by one specific laser excitation, being photo-ionized by the presence of the other laser. Temperature, laser intensity and modulation frequency dependent quenching efficiencies are presented in this paper. This reversible modulation has potential for optical switching and memory device applications. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chitosan-polyvinyl alcohol-sulfonated polyethersulfone mixed-matrix membranes as methanol-barrier electrolytes for DMFCs

Chitosan (CS)-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) cross-linked with sulfosuccinic acid (SSA) and modified with sulfonated polyethersulfone (SPES) mixed-matrix membranes are reported for their application in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Polyethersulfone (PES) is sulfonated by chlorosulfonic acid and factors affecting the sulfonation reaction, such as time and temperature, are studied. The ion-exchange capacity, degree of sulfonation, sorption, and proton conductivity for the mixed-matrix membranes are investigated. The mixed-matrix membranes are also characterised for their mechanical and thermal properties. The methanol-crossover flux across the mixed-matrix membranes is studied by measuring the mass balance of methanol using the density meter. The methanol cross-over for these membranes is found to be about 33% lower in relation to Nafion-117 membrane. The DMFC employing CS-PVA-SPES mixed-matrix membrane with an optimum content of 25 wt % SPES delivers a peak power-density of 5.5 mW cm-2 at a load current-density of 25 mA cm-2 while operating at 70 degrees C. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012

Development of the heterogeneous catalysts for the production of levulinic acid from furfuryl alcohol

207 p.

Preparation and physical properties of enhanced radiation induced crosslinking of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH)

Preparation and physical properties of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) crosslinked by enhanced radiation have been studied through various methods. It was found that the most effective agent for irradiation-crosslinking was triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC) among four kinds of polyfunctional monomers. Gel content (65.6%) was formed for EVOH-44 (content of ethylene is 44 mol%) at 200 kGy with 5% TAIC, but for EVOH-32 (content of ethylene is 32 mol%), only 37.4% gel content was formed under the same conditions. This result showed that the more the content of ethylene units comprised in EVOH, the easier the chemical bonds could be formed between different molecular chains. Tensile strength and elastic modulus increased after crosslinking at high test temperature and elongation at break decreased at the same time. Hygroscopicity of EVOH showed noticeable decrease after enhancement radiation-crosslinking.

New proton exchange membranes based on poly (vinyl alcohol) for DMFCs

A series of new composite proton exchange membranes for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) based on poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), phosphotungstic acid (PWA) and silica were prepared. The highest proton conductivity (a) of these membranes is 0.017 S/cm at ambient temperature. The methanol permeability (D) of these composite membranes ranges from 10(-7) to 10(-8) cm(2)/S. From the ratios of sigma/D, it was found that the optimal weight composition of the PVA/PWA/SiO2 membrane is PVA/PWA/SiO2=0.40:0.40:0.20 wt. Infrared (IR) spectrographic measurements indicate that the Keggin structure characteristics of the PW12O403- anion is present in the composite membranes. Cyclic voltammetry shows that the electrochemical stability window of the complex membrane is from -0.5 to 1.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl electrode. The results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) show that silica can improve the thermal stability of the complexes and the single Tg of the membrane indicates that the membrane is homogeneous. The complexes behave as X-ray amorphous.

Liquid-phase hydrogenation of furfural to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol catalyzed by polymer resin supported palladium catalysts

Three kinds of polymer resin supported Pd catalysts were prepared by mixing PdCl2, with alkaline styrene anion exchange resins[D392 -NH2, D382, -NHCH3, D301R, -NH(CH3)(2)], strongly alkaline styrene anion exchanged resin [201 X 7DVB, -NH+ (CH3)(3)] and alkaline epoxy exchange resin (701, -NH2), and hydrogenating in liquid phase at 1.013 X 10(5) Pa. The hydrogenation of furfural was studied under the reaction conditions such as solvent, temperature. Pd content in the supported catalyst and the amount of the catalyst. The yield of hydrogenation reaction of furfural markedly increased to 100% and the selectivity to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol increased to over 98% by polymer (alkaline styrene anion exchange resins D392, -NH2, D382, -NHCH3) supported palladium catalysts comparing with the yield over 70% and selectivity over 97% by palladium catalyst, in 50% alcohol-50% water or pure water solution at 1.013 X 10(5) Pa. The relationship between hydrogenation and the structures of functional group in the supporting resin was examined by XPS method.

Self-gelatinizable graft copolymer of poly(vinyl alcohol) with 4-vinylpyridine as an immobilization matrix for the construction of a tyrosinase-based amperometric biosensor

A tyrosinase-based amperometric biosensor using a self-gelatinizable graft copolymer of poly(vinyl alcohol) with 4-vinylpyridine (PVA-g-PVP) as an immobilization matrix was constructed. The 4-vinylpyridine component of PVA-g-PVP enhances the adherence to a glassy carbon electrode surface. The content of 4-vinylpyridine in this immobilization matrix plays a key role in retaining the activity of tyrosinase. A simple, milder method was adopted by simply syringing the copolymer-tyrosinase aqueous solution on to the electrode surface and allowing water to evaporate at 4 degrees C in a refrigerator. Several parameters, including copolymer composition; pH, applied potential and enzyme membrane composition, ware optimized. The enzyme membrane composition can be varied to obtain higher sensitivity or a wider linear detection range. The biosensor was used for the determination of phenol, p-cresol and catechol. The biosensor exhibited excellent reproducibility, stability and sensitive response and can be used in flow injection analysis. The biosensor showed an extended linear range in hydrophilic organic solvents and it can be used in monitoring organic reaction processes. The analytical performance demonstrated this immobilization matrix is suitable for the immobilization of tyrosinase.

Differences in onset and abuse/dependence episodes between prescription opioids and heroin: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.

OBJECTIVES: To examine patterns of onset and abuse/dependence episodes of prescription opioid (PO) and heroin use disorders in a national sample of adults, and to explore differences by gender and substance abuse treatment status. METHODS: Analyses of data from the 2001-2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (N = 43,093). RESULTS: Of all respondents, 5% (n = 1815) reported a history of nonmedical PO use (NMPOU) and 0.3% (n = 150) a history of heroin use. Abuse was more prevalent than dependence among NMPOUs (PO abuse, 29%; dependence, 7%) and heroin users (heroin abuse, 63%; dependence, 28%). Heroin users reported a short mean interval from first use to onset of abuse (1.5 years) or dependence (2.0 years), and a lengthy mean duration for the longest episode of abuse (66 months) or dependence (59 months); the corresponding mean estimates for PO abuse and dependence among NMPOUs were 2.6 and 2.9 years, respectively, and 31 and 49 months, respectively. The mean number of years from first use to remission from the most recent episode was 6.9 years for PO abuse and 8.1 years for dependence; the mean number of years from first heroin use to remission from the most recent episode was 8.5 years for heroin abuse and 9.7 years for dependence. Most individuals with PO or heroin use disorders were remitted from the most recent episode. Treated individuals, whether their problem was heroin or POs, tended to have a longer mean duration of an episode than untreated individuals. CONCLUSION: Periodic remissions from opioid or heroin abuse or dependence episodes occur commonly but take a long time. Timely and effective use of treatment services are needed to mitigate the many adverse consequences from opioid/heroin abuse and dependence.

On the contribution of stereochemistry to human ITPK1 specificity: Ins(1,4,5,6)P4 is not a physiologic substrate

Ins(1,4,5,6)P4, a biologically active cell constituent, was recently advocated as a substrate of human Ins(3,4,5,6)P4 1-kinase (hITPK1), because stereochemical factors were believed relatively unimportant to specificity [Miller, G.J. Wilson, M.P. Majerus, P.W. and Hurley, J.H. (2005) Specificity determinants in inositol polyphosphate synthesis: crystal structure of inositol 1,3,4-triphosphate 5/6-kinase. Mol. Cell. 18, 201-212]. Contrarily, we provide three examples of hITPK1 stereospecificity. hITPK1 phosphorylates only the 1-hydroxyl of both Ins(3,5,6)P3 and the meso-compound, Ins(4,5,6)P3. Moreover, hITPK1 has >13,000-fold preference for Ins(3,4,5,6)P4 over its enantiomer, Ins(1,4,5,6)P4. The biological significance of hITPK1 being stereospecific, and not physiologically phosphorylating Ins(1,4,5,6)P4, is reinforced by our demonstrating that Ins(1,4,5,6)P4 is phosphorylated (K(m) = 0.18 microM) by inositolphosphate-multikinase.