Illness perception, knowledge and self-care about cervical cancer

Prevention plays a central role in early detection of cervical cancer. Common Sense Model proposes that the nature and organization of illness representations can guide actions related to health and how self-care is exercised. The aim of this study was to describe and compare illness perception, knowledge and self-care in women with and without cancer precursor lesions. Participants were 92 women (aged 18-59) from primary care unity divided into two groups: women with and without premalignant lesion. Measures for illness perception, knowledge and self-care were used. There was no statistically signifi cant difference (t test e chi-square test) between groups in the variables analyzed. Despite the risk for cervical cancer, women with precursor lesions do not adjust their illness perceptions, knowledge and self-care to the situation. These data show the need to warn women against the cervical cancer risks, because their distorted perceptions and lack of knowledge about the disease may hamper the screening and control of cervical cancer.

Postcolonial co-ordinary literature and the Web 2.0/3.0: "Thinking Back" within transmediatic knowledge

Pedro Andrade destaca o papel que as literacias híbridas preenchem numa redefinição pós-colonial da Europa. Em sua opinião, as literacias híbridas constituem uma condição necessária para a desconstrução do discurso colonial e a posterior reconstrução de literacias e literaturas pós-coloniais. Como parte deste processo, o autor argumenta a necessidade de vários tipos de competências que enfatizem a leitura e escrita não apenas dentro de sua própria cultura, mas também nas culturas dos outros. A literacia digital desempenha um papel particularmente importante neste processo, o que nos permite enfatizar as multivocalidades desta alteridade, igualmente na interação entre diferentes tradições de literacia: Ocidental e Oriental, nacional e transnacional, verbal e mediática. Andrade exemplifica o conceito de literatura transmediática com uma série de projetos em que esteve envolvido, por exemplo a Web 3.0 Novel enquanto modalidade daquilo que ele nomeia "GeoNeoLogic Novel". Este género de novel experimental mistura a narrativa com a teoria e a recolha de dados no campo empírico, promovendo uma abordagem que se apresenta simultaneamente regional e global. Em suma, o autor sugere diversos conceitos em primeira mão que classifica de ‘origem Lusófona’, e que representam diversas estratégias pós-coloniais globais também visíveis na área social, política e cultural da Lusofonia: o ‘pensamento-réplica’ (thinking back); o 'conhecimento transmediático' (transmediatic knowledge); a ‘sociedade da escrita comum’ (common writing society); as ‘redes comuns de conflito/significado’ (common webs of conflict and meaning); a literatura co-ordinária (co-ordinary literature).

Neue Erkenntnisse zur Pathophysiologie und Therapie der Gicht [New knowledge on the pathophysiology and therapy of gout]

Gout is caused by the deposition of monosodium urate crystals (MSU) in tissue and provokes a local inflammatory reaction. It is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis in the elderly. The formation of MSU crystals is facilitated by hyperuricemia. In the last two decades, both hyperuricemia and gout have increased markedly and similar trends in the epidemiology of the metabolic syndrome have been observed. Recent studies provide new insights into uric acid metabolism in the kidneys as well as possible links between hyperuricemia and hypertension. MSU crystals provoke inflammation by activating leukocytes to produce inflammatory cytokines and other inflammatory mediators. The uptake of MSU crystals by monocytes involves interactions with Toll-like receptors (TLR-2 and TLR-4) and CD14, components of the innate immune system. Intracellularly, MSU crystals activate inflammasomes to activate pro-IL-1 (interleukin 1) processing to yield mature IL-1beta. The inflammatory effects of MSU are IL-1-dependent and can be blocked by IL-1 inhibitors. These advances provide new therapeutic targets to treat hyperuricemia and gout.

Our Common Ground, 2005-1

Understanding Iowa’s geology and hydrology provides the critical information needed to ensure that our natural resources are properly utilized and protected. Gaining this knowledge and helping Iowans apply it is the core function of your Iowa Geological Survey (IGS).

Appraising and selecting strategies to combat and mitigate desertification based on stakeholder knowledge and globalbest practices in Cape Verde Archipelago

Cape Verde is considered part of Sahelian Africa, where drought and desertification are common occurrences. The main activity of the rural population is rain-fed agriculture, which over time has been increasingly challenged by high temporal and spatial rainfall variability, lack of inputs, limited land area, fragmentation of land, steep slopes, pests, lack of mechanization and loss of top soil by water erosion. Human activities, largely through poor farming practices and deforestation (Gomez, 1989) have accelerated natural erosion processes, shifting the balance between soil erosion and soil formation (Norton, 1987). According to previous studies, vegetation cover is one of the most important factors in controlling soil loss (Cyr et al., 1995; Hupy, 2004; Zhang et al., 2004; Zhou et al., 2006). For this reason, reforestation is a touchstone of the Cape Verdean policy to combat desertification. After Independence in 1975, the Cape Verde government had pressing and closely entangled environmental and socio-economic issues to address, as long-term desertification had resulted in a lack of soil cover, severe soil erosion and a scarcity of water resources and fuel wood. Across the archipelago, desertification was resulting from a variety of processes including poor farming practices, soil erosion by water and wind, soil and water salinity in coastal areas due to over pumping and seawater intrusion, drought and unplanned urbanization (DGA-MAAP, 2004). All these issues directly affected socio-economic vulnerability in rural areas, where about 70% of people depended directly or indirectly on agriculture in 1975. By becoming part of the Inter- State Committee for the Fight against Drought in the Sahel in 1975, the government of Cape Verde gained structured support to address these issues more efficiently. Presentday policies and strategies were defined on the basis of rational use of resources and human efforts and were incorporated into three subsequent national plans: the National Action Plan for Development (NDP) (1982–1986), the NDP (1986–1990) and the NDP (1991–1995) (Carvalho

Arbuscular mycorrhiza-specific signaling in rice transcends the common symbiosis signaling pathway.

Knowledge about signaling in arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbioses is currently restricted to the common symbiosis (SYM) signaling pathway discovered in legumes. This pathway includes calcium as a second messenger and regulates both AM and rhizobial symbioses. Both monocotyledons and dicotyledons form symbiotic associations with AM fungi, and although they differ markedly in the organization of their root systems, the morphology of colonization is similar. To identify and dissect AM-specific signaling in rice (Oryza sativa), we developed molecular phenotyping tools based on gene expression patterns that monitor various steps of AM colonization. These tools were used to distinguish common SYM-dependent and -independent signaling by examining rice mutants of selected putative legume signaling orthologs predicted to be perturbed both upstream (CASTOR and POLLUX) and downstream (CCAMK and CYCLOPS) of the central, calcium-spiking signal. All four mutants displayed impaired AM interactions and altered AM-specific gene expression patterns, therefore demonstrating functional conservation of SYM signaling between distant plant species. In addition, differential gene expression patterns in the mutants provided evidence for AM-specific but SYM-independent signaling in rice and furthermore for unexpected deviations from the SYM pathway downstream of calcium spiking.

On heuristic and linear models of judgment: Mapping the demand for knowledge

Research on judgment and decision making presents a confusing picture of human abilities. For example, much research has emphasized the dysfunctional aspects of judgmental heuristics, and yet, other findings suggest that these can be highly effective. A further line of research has modeled judgment as resulting from as if linear models. This paper illuminates the distinctions in these approaches by providing a common analytical framework based on the central theoretical premise that understanding human performance requires specifying how characteristics of the decision rules people use interact with the demands of the tasks they face. Our work synthesizes the analytical tools of lens model research with novel methodology developed to specify the effectiveness of heuristics in different environments and allows direct comparisons between the different approaches. We illustrate with both theoretical analyses and simulations. We further link our results to the empirical literature by a meta-analysis of lens model studies and estimate both human andheuristic performance in the same tasks. Our results highlight the trade-off betweenlinear models and heuristics. Whereas the former are cognitively demanding, the latterare simple to use. However, they require knowledge and thus maps of when andwhich heuristic to employ.

Effects of common origin and common rearing environment on variance in ectoparasite load and phenotype of nestling Alpine swifts

Knowledge of the quantitative genetics of resistance to parasitism is key to appraise host evolutionary responses to parasite selection. Here, we studied effects of common origin (i.e. genetic and pre-hatching parental effects) and common rearing environment (i.e. post-hatching parental effects and other environment effects) on variance in ectoparasite load in nestling Alpine swifts (Apus melba). This colonial bird is intensely parasitized by blood sucking louse-flies that impair nestling development and survival. By cross-fostering half of the hatchlings between pairs of nests, we show strong significant effect of common rearing environment on variance (90.7% in 2002 and 90.9% in 2003) in the number of louse-flies per nestling and no significant effect of common origin on variance in the number of louse-flies per nestling. In contrast, significant effects of common origin were found for all the nestling morphological traits (i.e. body mass, wing length, tail length, fork length and sternum length) under investigation. Hence, our study suggests that genetic and pre-hatching parental effects play little role in the distribution of parasites among nestling Alpine swifts, and thus that nestlings have only limited scope for evolutionary responses against parasites. Our results highlight the need to take into consideration environmental factors, including the evolution of post-hatching parental effects such as nest sanitation, in our understanding of host-parasite relationships.

Knowledge hierarchy and professional knowledge

The aim of this article is to substantiate, in the sociological point of view, the distinction between the social and cognitive processes that produce knowledge in knowledge abstract systems - KAS - to generate cultural inequality and the micro processes of knowledge usage, which build local and cultural knowledge from common sense. It is circumscribed to this aim a problematization of knowledge usage developed by middle class salaried professional groups, rich in cultural capital but without equivalent symbolical capital, in a capitalist society at risk. In order to achieve this goal, the classical contributions of Pierre Bourdieu, Boaventura Sousa Santos, Donald Schön and Basil Bernstein (among others) are taken as a basis regarding the limitation of critical and reflexive thinking and the virtues of professional knowledge to support an epistemology of professional practice.

ViralZone: recent updates to the virus knowledge resource.

ViralZone (http://viralzone.expasy.org) is a knowledge repository that allows users to learn about viruses including their virion structure, replication cycle and host-virus interactions. The information is divided into viral fact sheets that describe virion shape, molecular biology and epidemiology for each viral genus, with links to the corresponding annotated proteomes of UniProtKB. Each viral genus page contains detailed illustrations, text and PubMed references. This new update provides a linked view of viral molecular biology through 133 new viral ontology pages that describe common steps of viral replication cycles shared by several viral genera. This viral cell-cycle ontology is also represented in UniProtKB in the form of annotated keywords. In this way, users can navigate from the description of a replication-cycle event, to the viral genus concerned, and the associated UniProtKB protein records.

A common BACE1 polymorphism is a risk factor for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

The β site APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) is the rate-limiting β-secretase enzyme in the amyloidogenic processing of APP and Aβ formation, and therefore it has a prominent role in Alzheimer"s disease (AD) pathology. Recent evidence suggests that the prion protein (PrP) interacts directly with BACE1 regulating its β-secretase activity. Moreover, PrP has been proposed as the cellular receptor involved in the impairment of synaptic plasticity and toxicity caused by Aβ oligomers. Provided that common pathophysiologic mechanisms are shared by Alzheimer"s and Creutzfeldt-Jakob (CJD) diseases, we investigated for the first time to the best of our knowledge a possible association of a common synonymous BACE1 polymorphism (rs638405) with sporadic CJD (sCJD). Our results indicate that BACE1 C-allele is associated with an increased risk for developing sCJD, mainly in PRNP M129M homozygous subjects with early onset. These results extend the very short list of genes (other than PRNP) involved in the development of human prion diseases; and support the notion that similar to AD, in sCJD several loci may contribute with modest overall effects to disease risk. These findings underscore the interplay in both pathologies of APP, Aβ oligomers, ApoE, PrP and BACE1, and suggest that aging and perhaps vascular risk factors may modulate disease pathologies in part through these key players

Knowledge creation and transfer in an iterative project environment

This Master’s Thesis examines knowledge creation and transfer processes in an iterative project environment. The aim is to understand how knowledge is created and transferred during an actual iterative implementation project which takes place in International Business Machines (IBM). The second aim is to create and develop new working methods that support more effective knowledge creation and transfer for future iterative implementation projects. The research methodology in this thesis is qualitative. Using focus group interviews as a research method provides qualitative information and introduces the experiences of the individuals participating in the project. This study found that the following factors affect knowledge creation and transfer in an iterative, multinational, and multi-organizational implementation project: shared vision and common goal, trust, open communication, social capital, and network density. All of these received both theoretical and empirical support. As for future projects, strengthening these factors was found to be the key for more effective knowledge creation and transfer.

The knowledge about diagnostic imaging methods among primary care and medical emergency physicians

Objective To evaluate the knowledge about diagnostic imaging methods among primary care and medical emergency physicians. Materials and Methods Study developed with 119 primary care and medical emergency physicians in Montes Claros, MG, Brazil, by means of a structured questionnaire about general knowledge and indications of imaging methods in common clinical settings. A rate of correct responses corresponding to ≥ 80% was considered as satisfactory. The Poisson regression (PR) model was utilized in the data analysis. Results Among the 81 individuals who responded the questionnaire, 65% (n = 53) demonstrated to have satisfactory general knowledge and 44% (n = 36) gave correct responses regarding indications of imaging methods. Respectively, 65% (n = 53) and 51% (n = 41) of the respondents consider that radiography and computed tomography do not use ionizing radiation. The prevalence of a satisfactory general knowledge about imaging methods was associated with medical residency in the respondents' work field (PR = 4.55; IC 95%: 1.18-16.67; p-value: 0.03), while the prevalence of correct responses regarding indication of imaging methods was associated with the professional practice in primary health care (PR = 1.79; IC 95%: 1.16-2.70; p-value: 0.01). Conclusion Major deficiencies were observed as regards the knowledge about imaging methods among physicians, with better results obtained by those involved in primary health care and by residents.

External knowledge transfer mechanisms in service business acquisition

In knowledge-intensive economy an effective knowledge transfer is a part of the firm’s strategy to achieve a competitive advantage in the market. Knowledge transfer related to a variety of mechanisms depends on the nature of knowledge and context. The topic is, however, very little empirical studied and there is a research gap in scientific literature. This study examined and analyzed external knowledge transfer mechanisms in service business and especially in the context of acquisitions. The aim was to find out what kind of mechanisms was used when the buyer began to transfer data e.g. their own agendas and practices to the purchased units. Another major research goal was to identify the critical factors which contributed to knowledge transfer through different mechanisms. The study was conducted as a multiple-case study in a consultative service business company, in its four business units acquired by acquisition, in various parts of the country. The empirical part of the study was carried out as focus group interviews in each unit, and the data were analyzed using qualitative methods. The main findings of this study were firstly the nine different knowledge transfer mechanisms in service business acquisition: acquisition management team as an initiator, unit manager as a translator, formal training, self-directed learning, rooming-in, IT systems implementation, customer relationship management, codified database and ecommunication. The used mechanisms brought up several aspects as giving the face to changing, security of receiving right knowledge and correctly interpreted we-ness atmosphere, and orientation to use more consultative touch with customers. The study pointed out seven critical factors contributed to different mechanisms: absorption, motivation, organizational learning, social interaction, trust, interpretation and time resource. The two last mentioned were new findings compared to previous studies. Each of the mechanisms and the related critical factors contributed in different ways to the activity in different units after the acquisition. The role of knowledge management strategy was the most significant managerial contribution of the study. Phenomenon is not recognized enough although it is strongly linked in knowledge based companies. The recognition would help to develop a better understanding of the business through acquisitions, especially in situations such as where two different knowledge strategies combines in new common company.

Medical students' knowledge about end-of-life decision-making

The influence of medical students' knowledge concerning end-of-life care, considering ethical theories and clinical practice, remains controversial. We aimed to investigate medical students' knowledge of bioethical concepts related to moral kinds of death (euthanasia, disthanasia, and orthothanasia) and to analyze the influence of their clinical experience on practicing such approaches in a tertiary hospital in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. We interviewed 180 medical students [distributed in Group 1 (G1) - first to third- year students, and Group 2 (G2) - fourth to sixth-year students] to evaluate the influence of the course on "medical ethics" on ethical theories and clinical practice, using a closed questionnaire. The course on "medical ethics" did not distinguish the groups (P=0.704) in relation to bioethical concepts. Neologisms such as "cacothanasia" and "idiothanasia" were incorrectly viewed as bioethical concepts by 28% of the interviewees. Moreover, 45.3% of the sample considered health care professionals incapable of managing terminally ill patients, especially G2 (29%) as compared to G1 (16.5%, P=0.031). The concept of euthanasia was accepted by 41% of sample, as compared to 98.2% for orthothanasia. Among medical students that accepted ways to abbreviate life (22.9%), 30.1% belonged to G1, and only 16.1% to G2 (P=0.049). These medical students were unfamiliar with common bioethical concepts. Moreover, they considered healthcare professionals incapable of managing terminally ill patients. The ethical ideal of the "good death" reflects better acceptance of orthothanasia by medical students, suggesting a tendency to apply it in their future clinical practice.