Chapter 1: Introduction

SUMMARY

The twenty-first century promises to challenge the field of alcohol research, treatment, and prevention in addressing culturally competent practice. The Latino community in the United States serves as an excellent example for measuring how far the field has progressed in meeting these challenges and identifying the work that remains to be accomplished.     

Regulating migrant maternity: Nursing and midwifery’s emancipatory aims and assimilatory practices

In contemporary Western societies, birthing is framed as transformative for mothers; however, it is also a site for the regulation of women and the exercise of power relations by health professionals. Nursing scholarship often frames migrant mothers as a problem, yet nurses are imbricated within systems of scrutiny and regulation that are unevenly imposed on ‘other’ mothers. Discourses deployed by New Zealand Plunket nurses (who provide a universal ‘well child’ health service) to frame their understandings of migrant mothers were analysed using discourse analysis and concepts of power drawn from the work of French philosopher Michel Foucault, read through a postcolonial feminist perspective. This research shows how Plunket nurses draw on liberal feminist discourses, which have emancipatory aims but reflect assimilatory practices, paradoxically disempowering women who do not subscribe to ideals of individual autonomy. Consequently, the migrant mother, her family and new baby are brought into a neoliberal project of maternal improvement through surveillance. This project – enacted differentially but consistently among nurses – attempts to alter maternal and familial relationships by ‘improving’ mothering. Feminist critiques of patriarchy in maternity must be supplemented by a critique of the implicitly western subject of maternity to make empowerment a possibility for all mothers.     

Weaknesses of histological analysis in celiac disease diagnosis: new possible scenarios

Abstract

Introduction. Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder triggered by the ingestion of gluten. Serology and organ culture system can support CD diagnosis, despite histology being the gold standard. Aim. We wanted to test the uniformity of application of Marsh–Oberhuber criteria by five different histologists. We also compared histological and serological data with cultural results to consider new possible strategies in CD diagnosis. Methods. We studied 114 patients, who were divided in two groups. Group A was composed of 66 patients on a gluten-containing diet, with gluten-related signs and symptoms, showing positive serological anti-endomysial antibodies (EMA) and anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti- tTG). Group B was composed of 48 disease-control patients, presenting serological EMA and anti-tTG negative results. All patients studied underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy with duodenal biopsy and duodenal mucosa organ culture. All histological samples were evaluated by five different histologists according to an appropriate questionnaire following Marsh–Oberhuber classification. Cohen κ inter-test was used for evaluating the agreement between histologists regarding group A. Results. Strength of agreement was fair/moderate for villous:crypt ratio, moderate/good for villous height and crypt depth, and poor for intraepithelial lymphocytosis. Patients belonging to group A presented positive serological as well as cultural results in 100% of cases. None of the patients belonging to group B presented serological or cultural positive results. Discussion. Our study stresses the limits of histological interpretation due to the lack of uniformity in the use of Marsh–Oberhuber classification. These findings could cast doubt on the role of histology as CD gold standard and could open a debate on the most appropriate CD diagnostic procedure.     

Changes in drug use prevalence in rap music songs, 1979–1997

This article explores the role of changing images of drug use in rap music from the 1970s to the 1990s. A sample of 341 rap music lyrics were coded for drug mentions, behaviours and contexts; drug attitudes and consequences; and music genres. The results show that from 1979–1997, songs with references to drugs increased over 6-fold; those exhibiting positive attitudes and consequences rose substantially and that references to particular drug types changed significantly. In addition, there were significant changes in the social context of drug use such as increased references to using drugs to signify glamour, wealth and sociability. The article examines potential explanations of the increasing focus on drug use rap music which includes the rise of the drug war; changes in the drug use habits of rappers and listeners; rise of gangsta rap and other rap music genres, and changing social images of drugs in American society.     

In vitro Hydrolysis of Gliadin and Casein Peptides: Secondary Defect in Coeliac Disease Shown by Organ Culture

Background: Small-intestinal organ culture was used as an in vitro model of coeliac disease, studying biopsy specimens from patients with coeliac disease, cow's milk allergy, and controls. Methods: Organ culture incubations were done using the pure gliadin peptide B3144 (amino acid sequences 3–56 of α-type gliadins) and a control peptide from casein (amino acid sequences 152–193 of αs1-casein). The importance of using negative controls was stressed by non-specific tissue damage. By reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of organ culture supernatants, 27 specimens were further investigated. Results: There was good retrieval of peptide calibration peaks after culture. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of chromatography runs showed degradation of at least 29% of B3144 and 37% of Cas-P. Normal mucosa (controls and coeliac patients on a gluten-free diet) was able to hydrolyse peptide fractions completely, whereas incubation with damaged mucosa (coeliac disease, cow's milk allergy) left initial peptides. Conclusion: It is concluded, using a pure single gliadin peptide, that deficient peptide hydrolysis in coeliac disease was a secondary event.     

企业文化在我国传统服务行业的塑造困境与持续发展

随着市场经济改革的不断深入，市场竞争力度的增大，企业更加注重人力资源的优化，不断完善服务和产品。企业现在和未来的成功，在于如何实现“员工是最重要的资产”和“员工是企业的竞争优势”。作为企业经营的软实力，先进企业文化是企业和谐，健康、持续发展的主要动力。在一个全球竞争的时代，很多企业的训练模式不再是以单纯的传统工作为主，而是加强了员工对企业经营策略和文化方面的了解及运用。员工，领导者及企业文化三者之间的融洽、和谐与健康发展，是企业有效、高速运转和成功的关键因素。我国企业长期缺乏企业文化，本文透过中国传统服务业的“用工荒”现象，解析该行业的企业文化现象和并提出今后的发展方向。     

Proteome profile and lentiviral transduction of cultured honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) cells

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) play a vital role in agriculture as pollinators, and serve as model organisms of social behaviour and immunity. The lack of both immortalized cell lines and methods to introduce recombinant DNA reliably into primary cells hinders cellular and molecular studies in this organism. We hereby demonstrate the expression of a GFP gene delivered by lentivirus transduction to cultured embryonic cells. The success of this approach indicates that viral transduction could be used to deliver constitutively active oncogenes in order to immortalize honey bee cells. We were able to revive cells successfully after several months of cryogenic storage and we show how the proteome varies between freshly collected and cultured embryonic cells.     

Room for improvement? Leadership,innovation culture and uptake of quality improvement methods in general practice

Background Leadership and innovation are currently seen as essential elements for the development and maintenance of high‐quality care. Little is known about the relationship between leadership and culture of innovation and the extent to which quality improvement methods are used in general practice. This study aimed to assess the relationship between leadership behaviour, culture of innovation and adoption of quality improvement methods in general practice. Method Self‐administered postal questionnaires were sent to general practitioner quality improvement leads in one county in the UK between June and December 2007. The questionnaire consisted of background information, a 12‐item scale to assess leadership behaviour, a seven‐dimension self‐rating scale for culture of innovation and questions on current use of quality improvement tools and techniques. Results Sixty‐three completed questionnaires (62%) were returned. Leadership behaviours were not commonly reported. Most practices reported a positive culture of innovation, featuring relationship most strongly, followed by targets and information but rated lower on other dimensions of rewards, risk and resources. There was a significant positive correlation between leadership behaviour and the culture of innovation (r = 0.57; P < 0.001). Apart from clinical audit and significant event analysis, quality improvement methods were not adopted by most participating practices. Conclusions Leadership behaviours were infrequently reported and this was associated with a limited culture of innovation in participating general practices. There was little use of quality improvement methods beyond clinical and significant event audit. Practices need support to enhance leadership skills, encourage innovation and develop quality improvement skills if improvements in health care are to accelerate.     

儒家文化影响性文化

在中华文化发展史上,占最主要地位的是儒家文化。从历史来看,似乎儒家文化和性文化处于对立状态,但经作者分析研究认为,儒家文化与性文化有许多一致的、相互促进之处。儒家文化影响性文化。