WorldWideScience

Sample records for twentieth-century leprosy institutions

  1. [History of leprosy in Reunion Island from the beginning of the 18th century until today].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaüzere, B A; Aubry, P

    2013-01-01

    This article traces the history of leprosy in Reunion from the early eighteenth century, which long paralleled the slave trace. Lepers were confined to a lazaretto and treated with herbs. Father Raimbault, "doctor" and chaplain of the lepers in the middle of the twentieth century, is still honored today. The improvement in living standards and the use of sulfones finally resulted in the control of leprosy. Nonetheless, from 2005 to 2011, an average of three new cases per year were detected among a population of 800,000 inhabitants.

  2. Twentieth Century Spectacle. Music and Power

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marija Ristivojević

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Review of the book by Miroslava Lukić Krstanović. Spektakli XX veka: Muzika i moć. [Twentieth Century Spectacle. Music and Power]. 2010. Beograd: Etnografski institut SANU. Posebna izdanja 72

  3. St. Augustine in Twentieth-Century Music

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Nils Holger

    2012-01-01

    A discussion - in a cultural historical perspective - of primarily two important twentieth-century musical works setting texts by St Augustine: Klaus Huber's Soliloquia Sancti Aurelii Augustini and Michael Tippett's The Vision of Saint Augustine.......A discussion - in a cultural historical perspective - of primarily two important twentieth-century musical works setting texts by St Augustine: Klaus Huber's Soliloquia Sancti Aurelii Augustini and Michael Tippett's The Vision of Saint Augustine....

  4. Contested Histories and Happiness: Leprosy literature in Japan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. M. Tanaka

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available At the turn of the twentieth century, the Japanese government passed a series of laws targeting people diagnosed with Hansen’s Disease (leprosy. As a result, many patients were quarantined in public leprosaria, often for life. In order to cope with both the diagnosis of a heavily stigmatized illness and a lifetime in isolation, patients began to write. The works produced by sufferers became so popular that by the mid-1930s their writing was referred to as a distinct literary genre, “leprosy literature.” Studies of leprosy literature have focused on its depiction of human rights violations, struggles with the illness, and the difficulty of life in quarantine. However, patient writing in the 1930s also reveals the multiple ways in which patients found happiness within the institution. In this sense, leprosy literature is also a site of translation, revealing the negotiations of hospital life involving hospital and medical authorities, patients, leprosy relief groups, and government policies. Residents of the leprosaria represent happiness in multiple ways depending on their conception of their illness and life in the leprosaria. For some patients, the institution itself was a source of happiness in that their illness was stigmatized to the degree that life outside the hospital became unbearable. Other writers chafed at life in the hospital; the translation of happiness in their writing is a more complex process. This paper takes these diverse processes of translation as its starting point and examines the multiple ways in which patients conceived of health and happiness within the confines of hospital life. 

  5. Mustaches and masculine codes in early twentieth-century America.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oldstone-Moore, Christopher

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to deepen our understanding of twentieth-century masculinity by considering the social function of facial hair. The management of facial hair has always been a medium of gendered body language, and as such has elicited a nearly continuous private and public conversation about manliness. Careful attention to this conversation, and to trends in facial hairstyles, illuminates a distinct and consistent pattern of thought about masculinity in early twentieth-century America. The preeminent form of facial hair - mustaches - was used to distinguish between two elemental masculine types: sociable and autonomous. A man was neither wholly one nor the other, but the presence and size of a mustache - or its absence - served to move a man one way or another along the continuum that stretched from one extreme to the other. According to the twentieth-century gender code, a clean-shaven man's virtue was his commitment to his male peers and to local, national or corporate institutions. The mustached man, by contrast, was much more his own man: a patriarch, authority figure or free agent who was able to play by his own rules. Men and women alike read these signals in their evaluation of men.

  6. Rethinking Folk Culture in Twentieth-Century Britain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Laura

    2017-12-01

    Research on folk culture in twentieth-century Britain has focused on elite and transgressive political episodes, but these were not its mainstream manifestations. This article re-evaluates the place of folk culture in twentieth-century Britain in the context of museums. It argues that in the modern heritage landscape folk culture was in an active dialogue with the modern democracy. This story begins with the vexed, and ultimately failed, campaign for a national English folk museum and is traced through the concurrent successes of local, regional, and Celtic 'first wave' folk museums across Britain from the 1920s to the 1960s. The educational activities of these museums are explored as emblematic of a 'conservative modernity', which gave opportunities to women but also restricted their capacity to do intellectual work. By the 1970s, a 'second wave' folk museology is identified, revealing how forms of folk culture successfully accommodated the rapid social change of the later twentieth century, particularly in deindustrializing regions. From this new, museums' perspective, folk culture appears far less marginal to twentieth-century British society. In museums folk culture interacted with mainstream concerns about education, regionalism, and commercialization. © The Author [2017]. Published by Oxford University Press.

  7. Jews, Music-Making, and the Twentieth Century Maghrib

    OpenAIRE

    Silver, Christopher Benno

    2017-01-01

    From the early twentieth century and through at least mid-century, indigenous North African Jews came to play an outsized role as music-makers and music-purveyors across the Maghrib. In Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, all under French rule until the middle of the twentieth century, Jewish vocalists and instrumentalists, record label artistic directors and concessionaires, commercial agents, and sonic impresarios utilized the phonograph and recording technology to safeguard and promote traditio...

  8. Imagining the Twentieth Century: Retrospective, Myth, and the Colonial Question

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David B MacDonald

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Retrospectives on the twentieth century often portray it as the most atrocious century in human history, in terms of totalising ideologies, moral abandonment, technological horror, and mass death. The nineteenth and earlier centuries, by contrast, emerge as progressive and enlightened eras, characterised by morality, rationalism, and the absence of war. Creating a dramatic contrast between old and new centuries ignores the historical reality of colonialism and violence outside Europe’s borders. This article problematises twentieth century retrospectives and their nostalgia for the past, comparing these with recent histories of colonialism and genocide. Rather than see the twentieth century as a decisive break from the past, there are important elements of continuity and evolution which should not be ignored.

  9. Twentieth-century English Bible translations | Naudé | Acta Theologica

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The twentieth century has emerged as a major period of Bible translations and publications. The article explores both the cultural and social circumstances under which the English Bible translations of the twentieth century were produced and aspects relating to the translation process and reception. It offers insights into the ...

  10. national jalma institute for leprosy & other mycobacterial diseases

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. NATIONAL JALMA INSTITUTE FOR LEPROSY & OTHER MYCOBACTERIAL DISEASES : MAJOR THRUST AREAS. LEPROSY : Understanding the disease better using electrophysiological, immunological, molecular and electron-microscopic tools. Developing better ...

  11. Stress, Shock, and Adaptation in the Twentieth Century

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leese, Peter

    2016-01-01

    Review article on: David Cantor and Edmund Ramsden, eds. Stress, Shock, and Adaptation in the Twentieth Century. Rochester Studies in Medical History. Rochester, N.Y.: University of Rochester Press, 2014. vi + 367 pp. Ill. $125.00 (978-1-58046-476-5).......Review article on: David Cantor and Edmund Ramsden, eds. Stress, Shock, and Adaptation in the Twentieth Century. Rochester Studies in Medical History. Rochester, N.Y.: University of Rochester Press, 2014. vi + 367 pp. Ill. $125.00 (978-1-58046-476-5)....

  12. Predictability of twentieth century sea-level rise from past data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bittermann, Klaus; Rahmstorf, Stefan; Perrette, Mahé; Vermeer, Martin

    2013-01-01

    The prediction of global sea-level rise is one of the major challenges of climate science. While process-based models are still being improved to capture the complexity of the processes involved, semi-empirical models, exploiting the observed connection between global-mean sea level and global temperature and calibrated with data, have been developed as a complementary approach. Here we investigate whether twentieth century sea-level rise could have been predicted with such models given a knowledge of twentieth century global temperature increase. We find that either proxy or early tide gauge data do not hold enough information to constrain the model parameters well. However, in combination, the use of proxy and tide gauge sea-level data up to 1900 AD allows a good prediction of twentieth century sea-level rise, despite this rise being well outside the rates experienced in previous centuries during the calibration period of the model. The 90% confidence range for the linear twentieth century rise predicted by the semi-empirical model is 13–30 cm, whereas the observed interval (using two tide gauge data sets) is 14–26 cm. (letter)

  13. [The medical, social and institutional challenges resulting from poliomyelitis: comprehensive rehabilitation in Argentina in the mid-twentieth century].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarez, Adriana

    2015-01-01

    Poliomyelitis on an epidemic scale gave rise to several challenges, one of which was the rehabilitation from the after-effects on many of the people who suffered from the disease. Paralysis and the ways it transformed the concept of physical rehabilitation (where the objective was only to restore the mobility of the affected muscles) and comprehensive rehabilitation that included social, educational and professional aspects in Argentina in the mid-twentieth century are the themes addressed in this article. It uses the methodology of institutional history that interacts in an ongoing manner with the history of health and disease.

  14. Attitude of ukrainian left Galicia institutions to church and religion (late nineteenth century – the first third of the twentieth century

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. I. Begej

    2015-05-01

    Nevertheless, sometimes, frankly erroneous judgment, theoretical and practical heritage activities Ukrainian Galicia from the left end of the XIX i in the first third of the twentieth century church religious sphere remain valid and instructive.

  15. The twentieth century in European Memory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    The Twentieth Century in European Memory investigates contested and divisive memories of conflicts, world wars, dictatorship, genocide and mass killing. Focusing on the questions of transculturality and reception, the book looks at the ways in which such memories are being shared, debated...

  16. Exhibition: Linus Pauling and the Twentieth Century

    CERN Document Server

    2003-01-01

    On April 28 the exhibit Linus Pauling and the Twentieth Century organised by UNIDIR (United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research) and SGI (Soka Gakkai International) as well as with the contributions of CERN and the University of Geneva, opened at the United Nations Office of Geneva. Linus Pauling is the only person to date to have won two unshared Nobel Prizes: Chemistry in 1954 and Peace in 1962. The first was awarded for his landmark research on the nature of the chemical bond and its application in understanding the structure of complex substances. The second one acknowledged his courageous protest against atmospheric nuclear testing and his championship of international peace. The exhibit, for audience of all ages, traces seven decades of Linus Pauling's life and influence on the 20th century. Before starting its European tour at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the exhibit opened in 1998 in San Francisco and then travelled within the United-States and to Japan with an attendance of more than one...

  17. Exhibition: Linus Pauling and the Twentieth Century

    CERN Document Server

    2003-01-01

    On April 28 the exhibit Linus Pauling and the Twentieth Century organised by UNIDIR (United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research) and SGI (Soka Gakkai International) as well as with the contributions of CERN and the University of Geneva, opens at the United Nations Office of Geneva. Linus Pauling is the only person to date to have won two unshared Nobel Prizes: Chemistry in 1954 and Peace in 1962. The first was awarded for his landmark research on the nature of the chemical bond and its application in understanding the structure of complex substances. The second one acknowledged his courageous protest against atmospheric nuclear testing and his championship of international peace. The exhibit, for all ages' audiences, traces seven decades of Linus Pauling's life and influence on the 20th century. Before starting its European tour at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the exhibit opened in 1998 in San Francisco and then travelled within the United-States and to Japan with an attendance of more than one m...

  18. Physics of the Twentieth Century, and Beyond

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ernst, Frederick J.

    2009-01-01

    This talk is intended for a general audience. A brief history of the two primary physical theories of the twentieth century is presented, and the similarity between the late nineteenth and the early twenty-first centuries is highlighted. In particular, the past and possible future of exact solutions in general relativity are briefly described, and reasons why time is growing short are cited.

  19. Of Sound Mind: Mental Distress and Sound in Twentieth-Century Media Culture

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Birdsall, C.; Siewert, S.

    2013-01-01

    This article seeks to specify the representation of mental disturbance in sound media during the twentieth century. It engages perspectives on societal and technological change across the twentieth century as crucial for aesthetic strategies developed in radio and sound film production. The analysis

  20. Between biomedical and psychological experiments: The unexpected connections between the Pasteur Institutes and the study of animal mind in the second quarter of twentieth-century France.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Marion

    2016-02-01

    This article explores the unexpected connections between the Pasteur Institute in French Guinea and the study of animal mind in early twentieth century France. At a time when the study of animal intelligence was thriving in France and elsewhere, apes were appealing research subjects both in psychological and biomedical studies. Drawing on two case studies (Guillaume/Meyerson and Urbain), and then, on someone responding negatively to those connections, Thétard, this article shows how the long reach of biomedicine (linked to the prestige of Bernard and Pasteur) impinged on French biology and played a role in the tortuous, if not unsuccessful fate of animal psychology in France in the second quarter of the twentieth century. It shows how attempts to use apes (and other zoo animals) to yield new insights on animal psychology faced heavy restrictions or experienced false starts, and examines the reasons why animal psychology could not properly thrive at that time in France. Beyond the supremacy of biomedical interests over psychological ones, this article additionally explains that some individuals used animal behaviour studies as steppingstones in careers in which they proceeded on to other topics. Finally, it illustrates the tension between non-academic and academic people at a time when animal psychology was trying to acquire scientific legitimacy, and also highlights the difficulties attached to the scientific study of animals in a multipurpose and hybrid environment such as the early twentieth century Parisian zoo and also the Pasteur Institute of French Guinea. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Probabilistic reanalysis of twentieth-century sea-level rise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hay, Carling C; Morrow, Eric; Kopp, Robert E; Mitrovica, Jerry X

    2015-01-22

    Estimating and accounting for twentieth-century global mean sea level (GMSL) rise is critical to characterizing current and future human-induced sea-level change. Several previous analyses of tide gauge records--employing different methods to accommodate the spatial sparsity and temporal incompleteness of the data and to constrain the geometry of long-term sea-level change--have concluded that GMSL rose over the twentieth century at a mean rate of 1.6 to 1.9 millimetres per year. Efforts to account for this rate by summing estimates of individual contributions from glacier and ice-sheet mass loss, ocean thermal expansion, and changes in land water storage fall significantly short in the period before 1990. The failure to close the budget of GMSL during this period has led to suggestions that several contributions may have been systematically underestimated. However, the extent to which the limitations of tide gauge analyses have affected estimates of the GMSL rate of change is unclear. Here we revisit estimates of twentieth-century GMSL rise using probabilistic techniques and find a rate of GMSL rise from 1901 to 1990 of 1.2 ± 0.2 millimetres per year (90% confidence interval). Based on individual contributions tabulated in the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, this estimate closes the twentieth-century sea-level budget. Our analysis, which combines tide gauge records with physics-based and model-derived geometries of the various contributing signals, also indicates that GMSL rose at a rate of 3.0 ± 0.7 millimetres per year between 1993 and 2010, consistent with prior estimates from tide gauge records.The increase in rate relative to the 1901-90 trend is accordingly larger than previously thought; this revision may affect some projections of future sea-level rise.

  2. Frontiers twentieth-century physics

    CERN Document Server

    Adams, Steve

    2000-01-01

    The revolution in twentieth century physics has changed the way we think about space, time and matter and our own place in the universe. It has offered answers to many of the big questions of existence, such as the ultimate nature of things and the how the universe came into being. It has undermined our belief in a Newtonian mechanistic universe and a deterministic future, posing questions about parallel universes, time-travel and the origin and end of everything. At the same time we have witnessed amazing attempts at unification so that physicists are able to contemplate the discovery of a si

  3. Learning from Twentieth Century Hermeneutic Phenomenology for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The implications of commonalities in the contributions of five key thinkers in twentieth century phenomenology are discussed in relation to both original aims and contemporary projects. It is argued that, contrary to the claims of Husserl, phenomenology can only operate as hermeneutic phenomenology. Hermeneutics arose ...

  4. Qadimism and Jadidism in Twentieth-Century Daghestan

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kemper, M.; Shikhaliev, S.

    2015-01-01

    This article analyzes the interplay of Jadidism and "Qadimism" in the North Caucasus region of Daghestan, through the twentieth century, with a focus on educational methods for teaching Arabic and Islam. In the multi-ethnic context of Daghestan the issue of pedagogy was important not only for

  5. ‘Canonization in early twentieth-century Chinese art history’

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guo Hui

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Since the 1980s, the discussion of canons has been a dominant theme in the discipline of Western art history. Various concerns have emerged regarding ‘questions of artistic judgment’, ‘the history genesis of masterpieces’, ‘variations in taste’, ‘the social instruments of canonicity’, and ‘how canons disappear’. Western art historians have considered how the canon’s appearance in Western visual art embodies aesthetic, ideological, cultural, social, and symbolic values. In Chinese art history, the idea of a canon including masterpieces, important artists, and forms of art, dates back to the mid ninth century when Zhang Yanyuan wrote his painting history Record of Famous Painters of All the Dynasties. Faced with quite different political, economic, and social conditions amid the instability of the early twentieth century, Chinese scholars attempted to discover new canons for cultural orthodoxy and authority. Modern means for canonization, such as museums and exhibition displays, cultural and academic institutions, and massive art publications with image reproduction in good quality, brought the process up to an unprecedented speed. It is true that most of these means have comparable counterparts in pre-modern times. However, their enormous scope and overwhelming influence are far beyond the reach of their imperial counterparts. Through an inter-textual reading of the publications on Chinese art history in early twentieth-century China, this paper explores the transformation of canons in order to shed light on why and how canonical formation happened during the Republican period of China. Despite the diverse styles and strategies which Chinese writers used in their narratives, Chinese art historical books produced during the Republican period canonized and de-canonized artworks. In this paper, the discussion of these texts, with reference to other art historical works, comprises three parts: 1 canon formation of artistic forms

  6. Introduction: the struggle for Shakespeare's text: twentieth-century editorial theory and practice

    OpenAIRE

    Egan, Gabriel

    2010-01-01

    This book chapter was published in the book, The Struggle for Shakespeare's Text Twentieth-Century Editorial Theory and Practice [© Cambridge University Press]. The publisher's website is at: http://www.cambridge.org/ We know Shakespeare's writings only from imperfectly-made early editions, from which editors struggle to remove errors. The New Bibliography of the early twentieth century, refined with technological enhancements in the 1950s and 1960s, taught generations of editors how to...

  7. In Referees We Trust? Controversies over Grant Peer Review in the Late Twentieth Century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldwin, Melinda

    While many accounts of external refereeing assume that it has been a consistent part of science since the seventeenth century, the practice developed far more slowly and haphazardly than many observers realize, and it was not until after the Second World War that ''peer review'' became considered an essential part of scientific publishing or grant-making. This talk will explore refereeing procedures at American grant-giving organizations in the twentieth century, focusing especially on the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. The creators of the NSF and the NIH put refereeing systems in place at their foundation. However, the form and function of these systems differed from modern ''peer review'' in several important ways. At the NSF the initial purpose of the referee process was to advise the NSF program directors, not to dictate funding decisions. At the NIH, small ''study sections'' devoted to particular subjects made recommendations to the NIH leadership, which rendered final judgments. However, beginning in the 1960s a series of controversies about NIH and NSF grants placed refereeing procedures at these organizations under more intense scrutiny. These debates culminated in six days of Special Oversight Hearings into the NSF's peer review process in the summer of 1975. Following the hearings, both the NSF and NIH reformed their review processes to place more emphasis on referees' opinions about grant proposals, making peer review increasingly responsible for decision-making. These controversies illustrate that refereeing continued to undergo significant changes in form and purpose throughout the twentieth century, and further suggest that both the scientific community and the public placed increased emphasis on the role of the referee during the late twentieth century.

  8. Global generations: social change in the twentieth century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edmunds, June; Turner, Bryan S

    2005-12-01

    The concept of generation within sociology has until recently been a marginal area of interest. However, various demographic, cultural and intellectual developments have re-awakened an interest in generations that started with the classic essay by Karl Mannheim. To date, the sociological literature has generally conceptualized generations as nationally bounded entities. In this paper we suggest that the sociology of generations should develop the concept of global generations. This conceptual enhancement is important because the growth of global communications technology has enabled traumatic events, in an unparalleled way, to be experienced globally. The late nineteenth and early twentieth century was the era of international generations, united through print media, and the mid-twentieth century saw the emergence of transnational generations, facilitated by new broadcast communications. However, the latter part of the twentieth century is the period of global generations, defined by electronic communications technology, which is characterized, uniquely, by increasing interactivity. The 1960s generation was the first global generation, the emergence of which had world-wide consequences; today with major developments in new electronic communications, there is even more potential for the emergence of global generations that can communicate across national boundaries and through time. If in the past historical traumas combined with available opportunities to create national generations, now globally experienced traumas, facilitated by new media technologies, have the potential for creating global generational consciousness. The media have become increasingly implicated in the formation of generational movements. Because we are talking about generations in the making rather than an historical generation, this article is necessarily speculative; it aims to provoke discussion and establish a new research agenda for work on generations.

  9. Leprosy in the Bible.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grzybowski, Andrzej; Nita, Małgorzata

    2016-01-01

    For many years, the biblical term tzaraat has referred to leprosy. In fact, the disease or diseases described under this name have no relationship to leprosy, as it was known in the Middle Ages or today; moreover, the term referred not only to skin disease, but also to the state of the ritual impurity and punishment for the sins. Although the real nature of tzaraat remains unknown, the differential diagnosis might include the following: Psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, favus, dermatophyte infections, nummular dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, pityriasis rosea, crusted scabies, syphilis, impetigo, sycosis barbae, alopecia areata, furuncles, scabies, neurodermatitis, scarlet fever, lupus erythematosus, lichen sclerosus et atrophicus, folliculitis decalvans, morphea, sarcoidosis, and lichen planopilaris. Leprosy became interchangeable with the biblical leprosy due to two inaccurate translations: The Hebrew tzaraat was first translated into Greek as leprosy in the sixth century, and later, the word leprosy was translated into Arabic as lepra in the ninth century. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. The colonial world as mission and mandate: leprosy and empire, 1900-1940.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Worboys, M

    2000-01-01

    The history of medicine in twentieth-century empires has been dominated by studies of "imperial tropical medicine" (ITM) and its consequences. Historians have been fascinated by the work of medical scientists and doctors in the age of high imperialism, and there are many studies of medicine as a "tool of empire." This paper reviews work that explores colonial medicine as a broader enterprise than ITM in three spheres: missionary activity, modernization, and protection of the health and welfare of indigenous peoples. To illustrate the themes of mission and mandate, it discusses the development of policies to control leprosy in the tropical African and Asian colonies of Britain in the first half of this century, especially the work of the British Empire Leprosy Relief Association (BELRA). Although BELRA's efforts did little to change imperial medical and health agendas, they had an important impact locally and ideologically, and show how closely interwoven the themes of Christian caring, medical humanism, colonial development, and welfare policy had become by the outbreak of the Second World War.

  11. BOOK REVIEW: Quantum Generations. A history of physics in the twentieth century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Neil

    2000-03-01

    Physics has a long history, but more physics has been discovered in the twentieth century than in all previous eras together. That in itself would be a sufficient justification for a history of physics in the twentieth century, but the end of the previous century also marked a discontinuity, from Newtonian classical physics to relativity and quantum mechanics. If any single event marks the start of the process it is the discovery of x-rays in 1895, and Kragh's century spans from about 1895 to about 1995. It is, of course, too much for a single volume, even a large one, and Kragh recognizes from the outset that he has to be selective and concentrate on those subjects that define twentieth-century physics. For the early part of the century the author relies on carefully chosen secondary sources, to avoid the near-impossible task of absorbing a multitude of original papers. The recent period is more difficult, and the sources are articles, reviews, and the recollections of physicists. The book is in three main sections, roughly to the end of World War I, to the end of World War II, and up to 1995, plus a retrospective summary. It deals with more than just discoveries in physics, looking also at physicists and institutions, and at their interactions with the rest of society. The broad outlines of many discoveries are often known to physicists who have no special interest in history, and Kragh is careful to point out where these conventional accounts are inadequate. The first chapters set the scene at the end of the nineteenth century, acknowledging that there was a belief that all the grand underlying principles had been established, but also pointing out that there was a ferment of attempts to reinterpret physics in terms of concepts like vortices and hyperspaces. The history begins with the mould-breaking discoveries of x-rays, radioactivity and the electron. The chapters that follow look at theories about atomic structure, and at quantum physics, relativity and

  12. Twentieth Century evolution of machining in the United States – An ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

    beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the late 1700's, virtually no ... expected that, by the middle of the 19th Century, as machine tools began to be manufactured .... Twentieth Century evolution of machining in the United States. 873. DESIGN ... Merchant M E 1961 The manufacturing system concept in production ...

  13. The gas industry at the nineteenth and twentieth centuries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williot, J.P.

    1995-01-01

    The beginning of gas industry in nineteenth and twentieth centuries is related here and opens on the nowadays natural gas industry. Clean, cheap, easy to handle, the only problems seem to be the transport and the storage but technologies work to solve them. The natural gas should take an important place in the next century and seems to be the only substitution energy source for some countries where pollution is a big problem such eastern Europe countries. (N.C.)

  14. Monolingualism and Prescriptivism: The Ecology of Slovene in the Twentieth Century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savski, Kristof

    2018-01-01

    This paper examines the ecology of Slovene in the twentieth century by focusing on two key emergent themes. It focuses firstly on monolingualism as a key goal for Slovene language planners, starting with their efforts to create a standard language with no German influences in the nineteenth century, and continuing in their work to prevent…

  15. Mutant utopias: evening primroses and imagined futures in early twentieth-century America.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Endersby, Jim

    2013-09-01

    Hugo de Vries's mutation theory is now little more than a footnote to the history of biology, a failed theory that briefly led a few biologists astray. However, for the first quarter of the twentieth century it attracted considerable attention from both professional biologists and laypeople. De Vries's theory--together with the plant, Oenothera lamarckiana, that had supplied most of his evidence--became the focus of a surprising variety of imaginative hopes. Scientists and their various publics were fascinated by the utopian possibilities that the primrose seemed to offer, and their discussions shaped a public culture around biology that would help define the twentieth century as the "century of the gene." From a conventional history of science perspective (which, in the case of twentieth-century biology, often remains focused on the content of scientific theories and the professional communities that shaped them), the mutation theory seems unimportant. However, while De Vries's new theory of evolution ultimately failed to persuade the scientific community, it was much more important than is now realized, particularly because it helped make biology part of a wide variety of public debates. Understanding the mutation theory's story more fully suggests that we may need to rethink much of the rest of the century of the gene's history, to think less in terms of what happened in the lab and more about how biology came to function as public culture.

  16. Mythologies and Panics: Twentieth Century Constructions of Child Prostitution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Alyson

    2004-01-01

    This paper examines twentieth century social constructions of child prostitutes and child prostitution, the origins of these representations and the extent to which they have been used as metaphors for other perceived social, economic and political problems. It is important to recognise that these children have been sexually abused and that…

  17. Changes in African smallholder agriculture in the twentieth century ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Changes in African smallholder agriculture in the twentieth century and the challenges of the twenty-first. ... These occurred in situations where the growing of perennial crops or access to markets encouraged people to abandon a truly shifting cultivation for a more static lifestyle. A striking feature of these developments was ...

  18. Learning Early Twentieth-Century History through First-Person Interviews

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lark, Lisa A.

    2007-01-01

    For many of the students in the author's American history class, early twentieth-century American history seems far removed from their daily lives. Being first and second-generation American citizens, many of the students do not have the luxury of hearing grandparents and great-grandparents telling stories about FDR and Henry Ford. More…

  19. Twentieth century Walker Circulation change: data analysis and model experiments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meng, Qingjia [Leibniz-Institut fuer Meereswissenschaften, Kiel (Germany); Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, River and Coastal Environment Research Center, Beijing (China); Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Ocean Circulation and Waves, Institute of Oceanology, Qingdao (China); Latif, Mojib; Park, Wonsun; Keenlyside, Noel S.; Martin, Thomas [Leibniz-Institut fuer Meereswissenschaften, Kiel (Germany); Semenov, Vladimir A. [Leibniz-Institut fuer Meereswissenschaften, Kiel (Germany); A.M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2012-05-15

    Recent studies indicate a weakening of the Walker Circulation during the twentieth century. Here, we present evidence from an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) forced by the history of observed sea surface temperature (SST) that the Walker Circulation may have intensified rather than weakened. Observed Equatorial Indo-Pacific Sector SST since 1870 exhibited a zonally asymmetric evolution: While the eastern part of the Equatorial Pacific showed only a weak warming, or even cooling in one SST dataset, the western part and the Equatorial Indian Ocean exhibited a rather strong warming. This has resulted in an increase of the SST gradient between the Maritime Continent and the eastern part of the Equatorial Pacific, one driving force of the Walker Circulation. The ensemble experiments with the AGCM, with and without time-varying external forcing, suggest that the enhancement of the SST gradient drove an anomalous atmospheric circulation, with an enhancement of both Walker and Hadley Circulation. Anomalously strong precipitation is simulated over the Indian Ocean and anomalously weak precipitation over the western Pacific, with corresponding changes in the surface wind pattern. Some sensitivity to the forcing SST, however, is noticed. The analysis of twentieth century integrations with global climate models driven with observed radiative forcing obtained from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) database support the link between the SST gradient and Walker Circulation strength. Furthermore, control integrations with the CMIP models indicate the existence of strong internal variability on centennial timescales. The results suggest that a radiatively forced signal in the Walker Circulation during the twentieth century may have been too weak to be detectable. (orig.)

  20. Ocean heat content variability in an ensemble of twentieth century ocean reanalyses

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Boisséson, Eric; Balmaseda, Magdalena Alonso; Mayer, Michael

    2017-08-01

    This paper presents a ten-member ensemble of twentieth century Ocean ReAnalyses called ORA-20C. ORA-20C assimilates temperature and salinity profiles and is forced by the ECMWF twentieth century atmospheric reanalysis (ERA-20C) over the 1900-2010 period. This study attempts to identify robust signals of ocean heat content change in ORA-20C and detect contamination by model errors, initial condition uncertainty, surface fluxes and observing system changes. It is shown that ORA-20C trends and variability in the first part of the century result from the surface fluxes and model drift towards a warmer mean state and weak meridional overturning circulation. The impact of the observing system in correcting the mean state causes the deceleration of the warming trend and alters the long-term climate signal. The ensemble spread reflects the long-lasting memory of the initial conditions and the convergence of the system to a solution compatible with surface fluxes, the ocean model and observational constraints. Observations constrain the ocean heat uptake trend in the last decades of the twentieth century, which is similar to trend estimations from the post-satellite era. An ocean heat budget analysis attributes ORA-20C heat content changes to surface fluxes in the first part of the century. The heat flux variability reflects spurious signals stemming from ERA-20C surface fields, which in return result from changes in the atmospheric observing system. The influence of the temperature assimilation increments on the heat budget is growing with time. Increments control the most recent ocean heat uptake signals, highlighting imbalances in forced reanalysis systems in the ocean as well as in the atmosphere.

  1. Intellectual Portraits: Politics, Professions and Identity in Twentieth-Century England

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Jane

    2014-01-01

    This article brings together six talented women historians in twentieth-century England whose scholarly productions helped shape modern historical practice but who are little known in the canonical accounts of history-writing in the period. The author is looking to map and describe historical communities from a grounded and qualitative perspective…

  2. The Long Twentieth Century and Barriers to China's Hegemonic Accession

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Gulick

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Giovanni Arrighi's The Long Twentieth Century is an almost unfathomably ambitious andcomplex work. Its monumentality derives from Arrighi 's conviction that the best way to handicapthe possible futures of the world capitalist geo-economy is to analyze the structural evolution ofthis global system, an evolution spanning more than five centuries; the genius of the work rests inthe distinctive approach that Arrighi takes. At the core of his approach is the identification ofthose long-term trends and accreted characteristics - one might call them "systemiccontradictions" - that promise to send the world capitalist geo-economy in a radically differentdevelopmental direction as US hegemony wanes. Arrighi 's assessment of these contradictionscompel him to make a provocative suggestion: in all likelihood, no singular concentration of stateand economic power possesses the territorial scale or the organizational capacities required tolead the global system through another round of restructuring and expansion. Properly framed,this illuminating insight could serve as the starting point for a theoretical exploration of thesocio-ecological constraints to global capitalist reproduction, but such is a journey (mostly nottaken by Arrighi in The Long Twentieth Century. In fact, to the degree that he subsequentlycontemplates the prospect of a China-centered reconstitution of the world geo-economy, Arrighimarginalizes the question of global systemic contradictions altogether.

  3. A Sociological Look at Biofuels: Ethanol in the Early Decades of the Twentieth Century and Lessons for Today

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carolan, Michael S.

    2009-01-01

    This article develops a broad sociological understanding of why biofuels lost out to leaded gasoline as the fuel par excellence of the twentieth century, while drawing comparisons with biofuels today. It begins by briefly discussing the fuel-scape in the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, examining the farm…

  4. The Era of Management: A Historical Perspective on Twentieth-Century Management

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Keulen, S.J.; Kroeze, D.B.R.

    2014-01-01

    The twentieth century is a special period in the history of management. It is characterised by an extraordinary dissemination and diversification of management. However, the era consists of different phases. Inspired by the work of historians and philosophers of history who wrote on periodization as

  5. The Use of Primitivism in Some Twentieth Century Western Art ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    FIRST LADY

    primitive in its basic sense is “primary in time” and by extension under developed, simple, crude and unsophisticated. He further postulates that to him, primitive art is none of these and that the most primitive art is the Old. Stone Age cave paintings of Europe. And that a great deal of the twentieth century Western art should ...

  6. The holist tradition in twentieth century genetics. Wilhelm Johannsen's genotype concept.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roll-Hansen, Nils

    2014-06-01

    The terms 'genotype', 'phenotype' and 'gene' originally had a different meaning from that in the Modern Synthesis. These terms were coined in the first decade of the twentieth century by the Danish plant physiologist Wilhelm Johannsen. His bean selection experiment and his theoretical analysis of the difference between genotype and phenotype were important inputs to the formation of genetics as a well-defined special discipline. This paper shows how Johannsen's holistic genotype theory provided a platform for criticism of narrowly genocentric versions of the chromosome theory of heredity that came to dominate genetics in the middle decades of the twentieth century. Johannsen came to recognize the epoch-making importance of the work done by the Drosophila group, but he continued to insist on the incompleteness of the chromosome theory. Genes of the kind that they mapped on the chromosomes could only give a partial explanation of biological heredity and evolution. © 2014 The Author. The Journal of Physiology © 2014 The Physiological Society.

  7. New perspectives on forced migration in the history of twentieth-century neuroscience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stahnisch, Frank W; Russell, Gül

    2016-01-01

    This special issue of the Journal of the History of the Neurosciences, comprised of six articles and one commentary, reflects on the multifold dimensions of intellectual migration in the neurosciences and illustrates them by relevant case studies, biographies, and surveys from twentieth-century history of science and medicine perspectives. The special issue as a whole strives to emphasize the impact of forced migration in the neurosciences and psychiatry from an interdisciplinary perspective by, first, describing the general research topic, second, by showing how new models can be applied to the historiography and social studies of twentieth-century neuroscience, and, third, by providing a deeper understanding of the impact of European émigré researchers on emerging allied fields, such as neurogenetics, biological psychiatry, psychosomatics, and public mental health, etc. as resulting from this process at large.

  8. [Twentieth-century Penelopes: popular culture revisited].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Favaro, Cleci Eulalia

    2010-01-01

    During their settlement of the so-called Old Italian Colonies of Rio Grande do Sul, immigrants constructed a set of positive values that were to serve as an emotional support and a means of outside communication. When women immigrants embroidered images and sayings on wall hangings or kitchen towels made of rustic fabric, they helped nourish the dream of a better life, sought by all and achieved by some. The objects crafted by these twentieth-century Penelopes bear witness to a way of doing, thinking, and acting. Local museums and exhibits have fostered the recovery of old-time embroidery techniques and themes; sold at open-air markets and regional festivals, these products represent income for women whose age excludes them from the formal labor market.

  9. How to manage a revolution: Isaac Newton in the early twentieth century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clarke, Imogen

    2014-01-01

    In the first half of the twentieth century, dramatic developments in physics came to be viewed as revolutionary, apparently requiring a complete overthrow of previous theories. British physicists were keen to promote quantum physics and relativity theory as exciting and new, but the rhetoric of revolution threatened science's claim to stability and its prestigious connections with Isaac Newton. This was particularly problematic in the first decades of the twentieth century, within the broader context of political turmoil, world war, and the emergence of modernist art and literature. This article examines how physicists responded to their cultural and political environment and worked to maintain disciplinary connections with Isaac Newton, emphasizing the importance of both the old and the new. In doing so they attempted to make the physics ‘revolution’ more palatable to a British public seeking a sense of permanence in a rapidly changing world.

  10. Introduction: The era of management:a historical perspective on twentieth-century management

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Keulen, S.; Kroeze, D.B.R.

    2014-01-01

    The twentieth century is a special period in the history of management. It is characterised by an extraordinary dissemination and diversification of management. However, the era consists of different phases. Inspired by the work of historians and philosophers of history who wrote on periodization as

  11. Real Men Wear Uniforms: Photomontage, Postcards, and Military Visual Culture in Early Twentieth-Century Germany

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth Otto

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available This essay examines early twentieth-century German representations of men and women in uniform to consider how mass culture allowed individuals to participate in aspects of gender construction. It also reveals how masculinity was increasingly linked to military ideals. The pictures under scrutiny here were made in two significant but as yet under-researched types of pictures: pre-avant-garde photomontaged soldier portraits and popular postcards. Both of these visual forms originated in the 1870s, the decade that Germany was itself founded, and they both were in wide circulation by the early twentieth century. Individualized soldier portraits and postcards offered a glorious vision of a man’s military service, and they performed what Theodor Lessing has called Vergemütlichung, the rendering harmless of history. These idealized images of soldierly life were available to a broad swath of the public, but their democratization only extended so far. Representations of women in uniform served to reinforce—through stereotyping and humor—the unquestionably male nature of military institutions and, by extension, of public space. At the same time, by making apparent their own constructed nature, these portraits and postcards offered viewers a glimpse behind the masquerade of masculinity. This essay thus also identifies these images’ links to the subsequent work of avant-garde artists and to the National Socialists’ return to the ideal of uniformed masculinity.

  12. Twentieth-century global-mean sea level rise: Is the whole greater than the sum of the parts?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gregory, J.M.; White, N.J.; Church, J.A.; Bierkens, M.F.P.; Box, J.E.; Van den Broeke, M.R.; Cogley, J.G.; Fettweis, X.; Hanna, E.; Huybrechts, P.; Konikow, Leonard F.; Leclercq, P.W.; Marzeion, B.; Oerlemans, J.; Tamisiea, M.E.; Wada, Y.; Wake, L.M.; Van de Wal, R.S.W.

    2013-01-01

    Confidence in projections of global-mean sea level rise (GMSLR) depends on an ability to account for GMSLR during the twentieth century. There are contributions from ocean thermal expansion, mass loss from glaciers and ice sheets, groundwater extraction, and reservoir impoundment. Progress has been made toward solving the “enigma” of twentieth-century GMSLR, which is that the observed GMSLR has previously been found to exceed the sum of estimated contributions, especially for the earlier decades. The authors propose the following: thermal expansion simulated by climate models may previously have been underestimated because of their not including volcanic forcing in their control state; the rate of glacier mass loss was larger than previously estimated and was not smaller in the first half than in the second half of the century; the Greenland ice sheet could have made a positive contribution throughout the century; and groundwater depletion and reservoir impoundment, which are of opposite sign, may have been approximately equal in magnitude. It is possible to reconstruct the time series of GMSLR from the quantified contributions, apart from a constant residual term, which is small enough to be explained as a long-term contribution from the Antarctic ice sheet. The reconstructions account for the observation that the rate of GMSLR was not much larger during the last 50 years than during the twentieth century as a whole, despite the increasing anthropogenic forcing. Semiempirical methods for projecting GMSLR depend on the existence of a relationship between global climate change and the rate of GMSLR, but the implication of the authors' closure of the budget is that such a relationship is weak or absent during the twentieth century.

  13. Qur'anic Invocations: Narrative Temporalities in Twentieth Century Maghrebi Literature

    OpenAIRE

    El Shakry, Hoda

    2012-01-01

    "Qur'anic Invocations: Narrative Temporalities in Twentieth Century Maghrebi Literature" investigates the dialogic relationship between literary and theological discourse in modern Arabophone and Francophone literature of the Maghreb. The novels of al-Tahir Wattar, Assia Djebar, Driss Chraibi and Mahmud al-Mas'adi critically explore the complex colonial histories and conflicted articulations of national identity, language and literature in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. While the 130-year Fr...

  14. An assemblage of science and home. The gendered lifestyle of Svante Arrhenius and early twentieth-century physical chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergwik, Staffan

    2014-06-01

    This essay explores the gendered lifestyle of early twentieth-century physics and chemistry and shows how that way of life was produced through linking science and home. In 1905, the Swedish physical chemist Svante Arrhenius married Maja Johansson and established a scientific household at the Nobel Institute for Physical Chemistry in Stockholm. He created a productive context for research in which ideas about marriage and family were pivotal. He also socialized in similar scientific sites abroad. This essay displays how scholars in the international community circulated the gendered lifestyle through frequent travel and by reproducing gendered behavior. Everywhere, husbands and wives were expected to perform distinct duties. Shared performances created loyalties across national divides. The essay thus situates the physical sciences at the turn of the twentieth century in a bourgeois gender ideology. Moreover, it argues that the gendered lifestyle was not external to knowledge making but, rather, foundational to laboratory life. A legitimate and culturally intelligible lifestyle produced the trust and support needed for collaboration. In addition, it enabled access to prestigious facilities for Svante Arrhenius, ultimately securing his position in international physical chemistry.

  15. Intellectual disability, mental illness and offending behaviour: forensic cases from early twentieth-century Ireland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, B D

    2010-09-01

    The history of institutional care for individuals with intellectual disability is under-researched, complex and troubling. To explore the experiences of women who may have had intellectual disability and/or mental illness and were admitted to forensic psychiatric care in early twentieth-century Ireland. All female case records at the Central Mental Hospital, Dublin from 1910 to 1948 (n = 42) were studied for evidence of possible intellectual disability and a series of five cases is presented in detail. These committals occurred in the context of adverse social conditions, over-crowding in asylums and a belief that rates of mental illness were rising. Particular challenges included diagnostic issues (especially in relation to intellectual disability), adjustment to asylum environments, mental illness and physical ill-health. The institutional experiences of individuals with intellectual disability represents an important area for further historical research, using larger and more varied forensic populations.

  16. The acceleration of the masculine in early-twentieth-century Berlin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prickett, David James

    2012-01-01

    In early-twentieth-century Berlin, agents of speed and industrialisation, such as the railway, contributed to the seemingly unbridled velocity of urban life. Doctors and cultural critics took an ambivalent stance toward the impact of speed and technology on the human body. Critics argued that these factors, in conjunction with sexual excess and prostitution, accelerated the sexual maturation of young men, thereby endangering ‘healthy’ male sexuality. This comparison of Hans Ostwald's socio-literary study Dunkle Winkel in Berlin (1904) with Georg Buschan's sexual education primer Vom Jüngling zum Mann (1911) queries the extent to which speed shaped the understanding of ‘the masculine’ in pre-World-War-I Germany. The essay thus examines Ostwald's and Buschan's arguments and postulates that speed in the city (Berlin) can be seen as a feminised, sexualised force that determined sex in the city. According to this reading, the homosexual urban dandy resisted the accelerated modernist urban tempo, whereas the heterosexual man and hegemonic, heteronormative masculinity yielded to speed. ‘“Das Verhältnis”’ became a fleeting, momentary alternative to stable marital relationships, which in turn contributed to the general ‘crisis’ of – and in– masculinity in early-twentieth-century Berlin.

  17. The sea as science: ocean research institutions and strategies in Portugal in the twentieth century (from the First Republic to democracy).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rollo, Maria Fernanda; Queiroz, Maria Inês; Brandão, Tiago

    2014-01-01

    Historical perspective has revealed the many aspects of Portugal's interest in the sea, evident in a series of initiatives and entities throughout the twentieth century. From the beginning of the century until the 1974 Revolution, the genesis of organizations devoted to the scientific study of the sea is analyzed, observing their specific missions in the context of the formulation of science policy, and more specifically "ocean policies." The Portuguese valued knowledge of the sea due to their maritime vocation, coastal life and geographic position. Traversing different historical and political contexts and development cycles, the assumptions and political implications that accentuate the strategic dimension of science policy, visible in the geopolitical affirmation of oceanography, are studied.

  18. A clinico-epidemiological study of pediatric leprosy in the urban leprosy center of a tertiary care institute

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sukumaran Pradeep Nair

    2017-01-01

    Conclusions: This study showed a prevalence of 6.65% of pediatric leprosy cases. BT was the most common type of leprosy, and the prevalence of lepromatous leprosy, lepra reactions, and deformity was low.

  19. From Bureaucracy to Professionalism: An Essay on the Democratization of School Supervision in the Early Twentieth Century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glanz, Jeffrey

    In the early twentieth century, supervisors began to move toward increasing professionalism in their positions. In the late nineteenth century, supervision was characterized by bureaucratic methods in a centralized school management system. Research reveals that after the turn of the century, there was a concerted effort by supervisors to…

  20. Building Baluchitherium and Indricotherium: imperial and international networks in early-twentieth century paleontology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manias, Chris

    2015-01-01

    Over the first decades of the twentieth century, the fragmentary remains of a huge prehistoric ungulate were unearthed in scientific expeditions in India, Turkestan and Mongolia. Following channels of formal and informal empire, these were transported to collections in Britain, Russia and the United States. While striking and of immense size, the bones proved extremely difficult to interpret. Alternately naming the creature Paraceratherium, Baluchitherium and Indricotherium, paleontologists Clive Forster-Cooper, Alexei Borissiak and Henry Fairfield Osborn struggled over the reconstruction of this gigantic fossil mammal. However, despite these problems, shared work on the creature served as a focus for collaboration and exchange rather than rivalry between these three scientific communities. Not only did the initial interpretation and analysis depend on pre-existing connections between British and American paleontological institutions, but the need for comparative material, recognition and contacts brought British and American scholars into communication and exchange with their counterparts in the Soviet Union. This article examines these processes. It first uses these excavations as a comparative case-study of different manifestations of colonial science in this period, examining how scholars in the Britain, the Russian Empire and the United States used formal and informal colonial links to Asia to pursue new research. It then moves to examine how the common problem of reconstructing this giant animal drew metropolitan scientific communities together, at least for a time. The construction of the Baluchitherium and Indricotherium illustrates the drives to expand research both imperially and internationally in the early-twentieth century, but also the continual problems in resources, institutionalization, transport and communication that could run up against scientific work.

  1. The wisdom of elders: Inuvialuit social memories of continuity and change in the twentieth century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyons, Natasha

    2010-01-01

    The Inuvialuit of the Canadian Western Arctic are no strangers to change. From the arrival of whalers ca. 1890, they underwent a century of monumental societal upheaval. Perhaps against the odds, they sustained many of their traditional socioeconomic activities and continued to follow a land-based lifestyle through much of the twentieth century. With a few notable exceptions, historical accounts of this period were written by cultural outsiders who conveyed their own perspectives on Inuvialuit culture. This paper focuses on the social memories of present-day Inuvialuit Elders who recount aspects of their lifeways throughout the twentieth century, including seasonal practices, traditional skills they maintained, and responses to the historical events that challenged their ways of living and spurred continuous change. These oral narratives form part of a larger history for succeeding generations, and a platform from which to construct contemporary identities and to negotiate a collective future.

  2. Westward Bound? Dutch Education and Cultural Transfer in the Mid-Twentieth Century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakker, Nelleke

    2014-01-01

    This article discusses the transition from philosophy to psychology as the main source of inspiration for education during the mid-twentieth century in the Netherlands, situated between Germany in the east and the English-speaking world in the west. Claims have been made that educational theory in the Netherlands was dominated by German philosophy…

  3. "Do grandmas have husbands?" Generational memory and twentieth-century women's lives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, Sally

    2009-01-01

    This essay uses memory in the ancient and modern sense of the "inner life of thought" to describe the formation of generational memory in a modern professional family whose twentieth-century history has been fractured by migration, war, education, and divorce. It is about the power of feeling and law, which framed the practical freedoms of twentieth-century women's lives and introduced the modern citizen in the aftermath of universal suffrage and world war. The first part of the essay emphasizes the psychic dimension of bodily feeling and drive in the formation of memory; a dimension overlooked by oral history and social movements, yet confirmed by autobiography and memoir. My granddaughter's questions provoked resistance as well as family stories, and let me observe the thought process in a child. Social history, autobiography, and personal memory confirm the common experience of everyday life reaching back through generations of London families; folklore, commerce, and family story make narratives of dreams, hopes, terrors, and events; a child's comprehension of the outside world is grasped through curiosity, imagination, and play in which bodily feeling is as powerful as speech and prohibition to make meanings that flow between inner world and external reality. The second half of the essay reflects on Joan Riviere's description of the self. Leading British psychoanalyst, translator of Freud, writing in the 1950s, Riviere's language of the inner world resonates with the liberal social ethics -- empathy, public service, common good -- which underpinned women's and human rights mid-twentieth century and the egalitarian and reproduction reforms whose universalism has been challenged since the 1970s. Negative feeling is striking in Riviere's description of the self -- fear, shame, shock, and trauma, which are confirmed in memoir and autobiography. In contrast, liberal social democratic accounts of the time idealized English character. Today, the future uncertain

  4. The concept of time in early twentieth-century philosophy a philosophical thematic atlas

    CERN Document Server

    2016-01-01

    This book presents a collection of authoritative contributions on the concept of time in early twentieth-century philosophy. It is structured in the form of a thematic atlas: each section is accompanied by relevant elementary logic maps that reproduce in a “spatial” form the directionalities (arguments and/or discourses) reported on in the text. The book is divided into three main sections, the first of which covers phenomenology and the perception of time by analyzing the works of Bergson, Husserl, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Deleuze, Guattari and Derrida. The second section focuses on the language and conceptualization of time, examining the works of Cassirer, Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Lacan, Ricoeur and Foucault, while the last section addresses the science and logic of time as they appear in the works of Guillaume, Einstein, Reichenbach, Prigogine and Barbour. The purpose of the book is threefold: to provide readers with a comprehensive overview of the concept of time in early twentieth-century philosophy; ...

  5. Rabid epidemiologies: the emergence and resurgence of rabies in twentieth century South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Karen

    2011-01-01

    This article discusses the history of rabies in South Africa since the early twentieth century. It argues that rabies is a zoonotic disease that traverses rural and urban spaces, that transfers itself between wild and domestic animals and remains a potential threat to human life in the region. Scientists discovered an indigenous form of rabies, found primarily in the yellow mongoose, after the first biomedically confirmed human fatalities in 1928. Since the 1950s canine rabies, presumed to have moved southwards from across the Zambezi River, has become endemic also. South Africa is home to a comparatively large number of rabies strains and animal carriers, making it a particularly interesting case study. Environmental changes during the colonial and apartheid periods have helped to explain the increase in rabies cases since the mid-twentieth century. Moreover, developments in the biological and ecological sciences have provided insights into why the rabies virus has become endemic in certain wildlife species.

  6. Intertransitions between Islam and Eastern Orthodoxy in Kazakhstan (Nineteenth-Early Twentieth Centuries)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadvokasova, Zakish T.; Orazbayeva, Altynay I.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to review the historical facts related to conversion of indigenous people of the Kazakh steppe from Islam to Christianity and the conversion of the Russian migrants from Orthodoxy to Islam in Kazakhstan in the nineteenth-early twentieth century. The study deals with the laws that were detrimental to Islam and reforms…

  7. Revolutions in twentieth-century physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Griffiths, David J.

    2015-01-01

    Relativity theory, quantum mechanics, elementary-particle physics, and cosmology are the four pillars of modern physics. The life in the 21th century is without them no more conceivable: The special relativity theory renewed our understanding of space and time, on the laws of quantum mechanics are based countless everyday objects like transistors, computer chips, and mobile telephones; in particle accelerators we study the components oof matter, and with telescopes we take an ever deeper look in the past of the universe. Taking reference books to these themes at hand, one is overwhelmed by the plethora and complexity of the mathematical formulas. This book of the renowned professor of physics David J. Griffiths id refreshingly different. By means of many illustrative examples and entertaining stories it introducts to the themes and helps the reader also without a large mathematical apparatus to a fundamental understanding of that, about which Einstein, Schroedinger, Heisenberg, and Hubble actually thought and spoke. In each chapter numerous, pedagogically selected examples are completely worked out, in order to fill the matter with life. Moreover the text contains a manifold of problems, which allow the reader to deepen his knowledge and apply immediately. Griffith's ''Revolution in Twentieth Century Physics'' appeals not only to pupils and future studyings of natural sciences, who want to get an appetite for what lies ahead, but also to interested readers, which have already heared in the media from quarks and quanta, the curved space-time, Albert Einstein, and the big bang and now want to understandably know what is at stake in all the excitement.

  8. Hungarian Population Discourses in the Twentieth Century: The Problem of Declining Birth Rates

    OpenAIRE

    Ildikó Szántó

    2016-01-01

    Falling birth rates had already been recorded as early as the late-eighteenth century in south-western Hungary in the Ormánság. Population loss from low birth rate remained one of the main topics writers and sociologists focused on in the twentieth century. The issue of Hungarian population decline was highlighted among the social ills in the interwar period, which was one of several subjects that divided intellectuals into ‘populists’ and ‘urbanites’. Following the impact of the low birth ra...

  9. Challenges in the twentieth century and beyond: Computer codes and data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirk, B.L.

    1995-01-01

    The second half of the twentieth century has seen major changes in computer architecture. From the early fifties to the early seventies, the word open-quotes computerclose quotes demanded reverence, respect, and even fear. Computers, then, were almost open-quotes untouchable.close quotes Computers have become the mainstream of communication on rapidly expanding communication highways. They have become necessities of life. This report describes computer codes and packaging, as well as compilers and operating systems

  10. Early Twentieth Century Arrow, Javelin, and Dart Games of the Western Native American.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pesavento, Wilma J.

    The general purpose of this study was to determine whether the traditional native American ball games continued to be positive culture traits of the American Indian in the early twentieth century. The investigation was centered about (1) determining the current arrow, javelin, and dart games of western native Americans, (2) determining the…

  11. John Stewart Bell and twentieth century physics vision and integrity

    CERN Document Server

    Whitaker, Andrew

    2016-01-01

    John Stewart Bell (1928-1990) was one of the most important figures in twentieth-century physics, famous for his work on the fundamental aspects of the century's most important theory, quantum mechanics. While the debate over quantum theory between the supremely famous physicists, Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr, appeared to have become sterile in the 1930s, Bell was able to revive it and to make crucial advances - Bell's Theorem or Bell's Inequalities. He was able to demonstrate a contradiction between quantum theory and essential elements of pre-quantum theory - locality and causality. The book gives a non-mathematical account of Bell's relatively impoverished upbringing in Belfast and his education. It describes his major contributions to quantum theory, but also his important work in the physics of accelerators, and nuclear and elementary particle physics.

  12. A History of Medicine and the Establishment of Medical Institutions in Middlesex County, New Jersey that Transformed Doctor and Patient Relationships during the Early Twentieth Century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitfield-Spinner, Linda

    2011-01-01

    The early twentieth century was a period of tremendous advancements in medicine and technology and as a result experienced a revolutionary change in the delivery of healthcare in America. Modern medicine which encompassed specialized knowledge, technical procedures, and rules of behavior, changed the way medical care was provided in the United…

  13. No issue, no problem? Co-education in dutch secondary physical education during the twentieth century

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Essen, H.W.

    This article places the current state of Dutch co-education in physical education into a longitudinal perspective. Occasionally, comparisons are made with Germany and England. The dominant, twentieth-century, co-educational tradition in the Netherlands including its pragmatic argumentation has

  14. Translation, Hybridization, and Modernization: John Dewey and Children's Literature in Early Twentieth Century China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Xu

    2013-01-01

    This essay examines how John Dewey's child-centered educational philosophy was adopted and adapted in the early twentieth century in China to create a Chinese children's literature. Chinese intellectuals applied Dewey's educational philosophy, which values children's interests and needs, to formulate a new concept of modern childhood that…

  15. Psychiatric Cultures Compared : Psychiatry and Mental Health Care in the Twentieth Century: Comparisons and Approaches

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gijswijt-Hofstra, Marijke; Oosterhuis, Harry; Vijselaar, Joost; Freeman, Hugh

    2005-01-01

    The history of mental health care in the twentieth century is a relatively uncharted territory. Exemplifying a new emphasis on the comparative approach, this volume offers overviews of various national psychiatric cultures and explores new research subjects. By confronting Dutch psychiatry with

  16. Alternative stories about race, gender and interracial intimacies at the turn of the twentieth century

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andreassen, Rikke

    2013-01-01

    Based on empirical material from Danish exhibitions of so-called exotic people in which people of color were exhibited as mass entertainment at the turn of the twentieth century, the article aims at nuancing established scholarly understandings of interracial relationships and Asian masculinity. ...

  17. Changing ideas in forestry: A comparison of concepts in Swedish and American forestry journals during the early twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mårald, Erland; Langston, Nancy; Sténs, Anna; Moen, Jon

    2016-02-01

    By combining digital humanities text-mining tools and a qualitative approach, we examine changing concepts in forestry journals in Sweden and the United States (US) in the early twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Our first hypothesis is that foresters at the beginning of the twentieth century were more concerned with production and less concerned with ecology than foresters at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Our second hypothesis is that US foresters in the early twentieth century were less concerned with local site conditions than Swedish foresters. We find that early foresters in both countries had broader-and often ecologically focused-concerns than hypothesized. Ecological concerns in the forestry literature have increased, but in the Nordic countries, production concerns have increased as well. In both regions and both time periods, timber management is closely connected to concerns about governance and state power, but the forms that governance takes have changed.

  18. "Are You Only an Applauder?" American Music Correspondence Schools in the Early Twentieth Century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogel, Dorothy

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine correspondence schools of music in the early twentieth century. Advertisements in widely circulated household and music periodicals and archival copies of courses from Siegel-Myers Correspondence School of Music, United States School of Music, American College of Music, and others were examined. Research…

  19. American Art Music in the Twentieth-Century: An Assessment of the Basic Information Sources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Alan Anthony

    This assessment of 62 reference sources that contain information on U.S. art (classical) music of the twentieth century examines the following categories of sources: (1) Pilot Sources; (2) Lexica; (3) Histories and Chronologies; (4) Gesamtausgaben, Denkmaler, and Thematic catalogs; (5) Indexes and Bibliographies of Literature; (6) Lists of Music…

  20. Embodiments of Human Identity: Detecting and Interpreting Hidden Narratives in Twentieth-Century Design History.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williamson, Jack

    1995-01-01

    Argues that the practice and influence of design history can benefit from new forms of visual and chronological analysis. Identifies and discusses a unique phenomenon, the "historical visual narrative." Examines special instances of this phenomenon in twentieth-century design and visual culture, which are tied to the theme of the…

  1. Hydrotherapy in state mental hospitals in the mid-twentieth century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harmon, Rebecca Bouterie

    2009-08-01

    This research describes nurses' experiences in administering "the water cure," hot or cold wet sheet packs, and continuous tub baths in state mental hospitals during the early twentieth century. Student and graduate nurses were required to demonstrate competence in hydrotherapy treatments used to calm agitated or manic patients in the era before neuroleptics. The nurses interviewed for this study indicated that, although labor intensive, hydrotherapy worked, at least temporarily. Although no longer used in state hospitals, hydrotherapy is regaining popularity with the general public and may serve as an adjunct to pharmacological treatments to calm hospitalized patients in the future.

  2. Bookends of the Twentieth Century: Irving Babbitt, E. D. Hirsch, and the Humanistic Curriculum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smilie, Kipton D.

    2013-01-01

    Irving Babbitt and E.D. Hirsch defended the humanistic curriculum at both the beginning and end of the twentieth century, respectively. Both claimed that a set of specific knowledge needed to be passed from one generation to the next. Both found this knowledge primarily, though certainly not exclusively, through the classical Western tradition.…

  3. Pioneers of Gentrification: Transformation in Global Neighborhoods in Urban America in the Late Twentieth Century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, Jackelyn

    2016-02-01

    Few studies have considered the role of immigration in the rise of gentrification in the late twentieth century. Analysis of U.S. Census and American Community Survey data over 24 years and field surveys of gentrification in low-income neighborhoods across 23 U.S. cities reveal that most gentrifying neighborhoods were "global" in the 1970s or became so over time. An early presence of Asians was positively associated with gentrification; and an early presence of Hispanics was positively associated with gentrification in neighborhoods with substantial shares of blacks and negatively associated with gentrification in cities with high Hispanic growth, where ethnic enclaves were more likely to form. Low-income, predominantly black neighborhoods and neighborhoods that became Asian and Hispanic destinations remained ungentrified despite the growth of gentrification during the late twentieth century. The findings suggest that the rise of immigration after 1965 brought pioneers to many low-income central-city neighborhoods, spurring gentrification in some neighborhoods and forming ethnic enclaves in others.

  4. Memoirs a twentieth-century journey in science and politics

    CERN Document Server

    Teller, Edward

    2001-01-01

    The story of Edward Teller is the story of the twentieth century. Born in Hungary in 1908, Teller witnessed the rise of Nazism and anti-Semitism, two world wars, the McCarthy era, and the changing face of big science. A brilliant and controversial figure whose work on nuclear weapons was key to the American war effort, Teller has long believed in freedom through strong defense, a philosophy reflected in his stance on arms control and nuclear policy. These extraordinary recollections at last reveal the man behind the headlines-passionate and humorous, devoted and loyal. In clear and compelling prose, Teller tells of the people, events, and ideas that shaped him as a scientist, beginning with his early love of music and math, and continuing with his study of quantum physics with Werner Heisenberg. Present at many of the pivotal moments in modern science, Teller also describes his friendships with some of the century's greatest minds-Einstein, Bohr, Fermi, Szilard, von Neumann, Oppenheimer-and offers an honest a...

  5. Specific antigen serologic tests in leprosy: implications for epidemiological surveillance of leprosy cases and household contacts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carvalho, Ana Paula Mendes; Coelho, Angélica da Conceição Oliveira; Correa-Oliveira, Rodrigo; Lana, Francisco Carlos Félix

    2017-09-01

    There is a lack of straightforward tests for field application and known biomarkers for predicting leprosy progression in infected individuals. The aim was to analyse the response to infection by Mycobacterium leprae based on the reactivity of specific antigens: natural disaccharide linked to human serum albumin via an octyl (NDOHSA), a semisynthetic phenolic glycolipid-I (PGL-I); Leprosy Infectious Disease Research Institute Diagnostic-1 (LID-1) and natural disaccharide octyl - Leprosy Infectious Disease Research Institute Diagnostic-1 (NDOLID). The study population consisted of 130 leprosy cases diagnosed between 2010 and 2015 and 277 household contacts. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to analyse the reactivity of antibodies against NDOHSA, LID-1 and NDOLID. The samples and controls were tested in duplicate, and the antibody titer was expressed as an ELISA index. Data collection was made by home visits with application of questionnaire and dermatological evaluation of all household contacts to identify signs and symptoms of leprosy. Significant differences in the median ELISA results were observed among leprosy cases in treatment, leprosy cases that had completed treatment and household contacts. Higher proportions of seropositivity were observed in leprosy cases in treatment. Seropositivity was also higher in multibacillary in relation to paucibacillary, with the difference reaching statistical significance. Lower titers were observed among cases with a longer treatment time or discharge. For household contacts, the differences according to the clinical characteristics of the leprosy index case were less pronounced than expected. Other factors, such as the endemicity of leprosy, exposure outside the residence and genetic characteristics, appeared to have a greater influence on the seropositivity. Serologic tests could be used as auxiliary tools for determining the operational classification, in addition to identifying infected individuals

  6. The history of optic chiasm from antiquity to the twentieth century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costea, Claudia Florida; Turliuc, Şerban; Buzdugă, Cătălin; Cucu, Andrei Ionuţ; Dumitrescu, Gabriela Florenţa; Sava, Anca; Turliuc, Mihaela Dana

    2017-11-01

    The optic chiasm is an essential structure located at the skull base that stirred over time the curiosity of anatomists, who became more and more interested in its structure and function. Through centuries, the optic chiasm was viewed as a vessel crossing, a way of transporting tears secreted by the brain to the eye, integrating images, or responsible for coordinated eye movements. The paper aims to overview the history of understanding the optic chiasm from the beginnings of antiquity to the twentieth century. We reviewed the literature and studied all the historical sources on optic chiasm and eyes in the works of ancient, medieval, Renaissance authors, and the seventeenth to nineteenth century works. The optic chiasm is a structure that fascinated ancient anatomists and made them develop various theories on its function. In terms of function, the optic chiasm had a history based more on speculation, the seventeenth century bringing its first understanding and reaching the peak in the nineteenth century with the understanding of the anatomical structure of the chiasm and its role in the visual process. The history of the optic chiasm is a fascinating time travel displaying the conceptual transformations that have been made in anatomy and medicine by our forerunners.

  7. Writing the Nation : Transculturation and nationalism in Hispano-Filipino literature from the early twentieth century

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Villaescusa Illán, I.

    2017-01-01

    This PhD thesis explores a fairly unknown corpus of literature written by Filipino authors in Spanish in the first part of the twentieth century. Spanish speaking Filipinos from this period were caught in a transition between colonial powers: the end of 300 years of Spanish colonialism in 1898 led

  8. Financial crises of the early twentieth century in Ukraine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.Z. Moshenskyi

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The article analyzes the major financial crises in Ukraine at early twentieth century dealing with the crises of 1899–1902 and 1908–1910. The main attention is paid to the large-scale crisis of 1899–1902 at the new industrial region in Eastern Ukraine where numerous steel and mining companies based on massive foreign investment (mainly Belgian and French were created shortly. The general boom of new joint-stock companies and insufficient provision of these companies by state orders were the main reason of the crisis which was the reflection of the international industrial and financial crisis of those years. The author also researches the crisis of 1908–1910 in the Ukrainian sugar industry.

  9. The Representation of Jews in Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Hungarian Proverb Collections

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ilana Rosen

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Proverbs are concise formulations of folk wisdom and as such, when seen in masses, they may well express the spirit of their time and place. In Hungarian proverbial lore Jews figure prominently in nineteenth-century proverb collections but fade out of such collections as of the mid-twentieth century. In the nineteenth-century proverb collections Jews are invariably portrayed as faithless, dishonest, greedy, physically weak and unattractive. Largely, this portrayal as well as the dynamics of the earlier presence of Jews versus their later disappearance from Hungarian proverb collections match the shared history of Hungarians and Hungarian Jews since the 1867 Emancipation of the country's Jews and possibly even earlier, through their growing integration in significant arenas of their host society, up to their persecution and annihilation in the Holocaust, and later their decade long forced merging into the general Hungarian society under communism. This article traces the occurrence and disappearance of Jews in Hungarian proverb collections throughout the last two centuries and analyzes the language, content and messages of the proverbs about Jews in these collections.

  10. Leprosy

    OpenAIRE

    Lockwood, Diana NJ

    2007-01-01

    Leprosy is a chronic granulomatous disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, primarily affecting the peripheral nerves and skin. The World Health Organization field leprosy classification is based on the number of skin lesions: single lesion leprosy (1 lesion), paucibacillary leprosy (2-5 skin lesions), and multibacillary leprosy (> 5 skin lesions).Worldwide, about 720 000 new cases of leprosy are reported each year, and about 2 million people have leprosy related disabilities.

  11. PROBLEM UNACCOMPANIED MINORS IN THE 20 YEARS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY (NIZHNY NOVGOROD PROVINCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalia Vasilyevna Bystrovа

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In the article the scientific, historical and socio-pedagogical bases of juvenile delinquency in the Nizhny Novgorod region in the context of Russia's historical and educational space. The causes of homelessness among children from 1917 to 1930.: The First World War, revolution, civil war, the policy of «war communism».The dynamics of the state in social and legal protection of minors in the period.Goal Is to determine the scientific, historical and socio-pedagogical bases of juvenile delinquency problem in the 20 years of the twentieth century (the Nizhny Novgorod region.Method or the methodology of work Implementing the principles of scientific and historicism, used for general historical science methods (identification, analysis, synthesis, study of archival and published materials, concrete historical, theoretical and system analysis, also found their application specific methods inherent historical and theoretical research: comparative comparative, historical situational, historical, genetic, specific historical, textual analysis.Results Suggested and scientifically substantiated system characteristic juvenile delinquency in the 20 years of the twentieth century in the Nizhny Novgorod region in the changing socio-political sphere in Russia.Practical implications The result is of obvious interest to educators, sociologists conducting research question juvenile delinquency.

  12. Comparing early twentieth century and present-day atmospheric pollution in SW France: A story of lichens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agnan, Y; Séjalon-Delmas, N; Probst, A

    2013-01-01

    Lichens have long been known to be good indicators of air quality and atmospheric deposition. Xanthoria parietina was selected to investigate past (sourced from a herbarium) and present-day trace metal pollution in four sites from South-West France (close to Albi). Enrichment factors, relationships between elements and hierarchical classification indicated that the atmosphere was mainly impacted by coal combustion (as shown by As, Pb or Cd contamination) during the early twentieth century, whereas more recently, another mixture of pollutants (e.g. Sb, Sn, Pb and Cu) from local factories and car traffic has emerged. The Rare Earth Elements (REE) and other lithogenic elements indicated a higher dust content in the atmosphere in the early twentieth century and a specific lithological local signature. In addition to long-range atmospheric transport, local urban emissions had a strong impact on trace element contamination registered in lichens, particularly for contemporary data. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Continuum mechanics through the ages from the renaissance to the twentieth century : from hydraulics to plasticity

    CERN Document Server

    Maugin, Gérard A

    2016-01-01

    Mixing scientific, historic and socio-economic vision, this unique book complements two previously published volumes on the history of continuum mechanics from this distinguished author. In this volume, Gérard A. Maugin looks at the period from the renaissance to the twentieth century and he includes an appraisal of the ever enduring competition between molecular and continuum modelling views. Chapters trace early works in hydraulics and fluid mechanics not covered in the other volumes and the author investigates experimental approaches, essentially before the introduction of a true concept of stress tensor. The treatment of such topics as the viscoelasticity of solids and plasticity, fracture theory, and the role of geometry as a cornerstone of the field, are all explored. Readers will find a kind of socio-historical appraisal of the seminal contributions by our direct masters in the second half of the twentieth century. The analysis of the teaching and research texts by Duhem, Poincaré and Hilbert on cont...

  14. Leprosy

    OpenAIRE

    Smith, W Cairns S; Saunderson, Paul

    2010-01-01

    Leprosy is a chronic granulomatous disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, primarily affecting the peripheral nerves and skin. The WHO field leprosy classification is based on the number of skin lesions: paucibacillary leprosy (1–5 skin lesions), and multibacillary leprosy (more than 5 skin lesions).Worldwide, about 250,000 new cases of leprosy are reported each year, and about 2 million people have leprosy-related disabilities.

  15. Contributions to a genealogy of democracy in the twentieth century starting from the opposition Kelsen/Schmitt.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrés Fortunato

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available In this work I analyze the theories of Carl Schmitt and Hans Kelsen of democracy in the light of the weberian topic of rationalization. My thesis is that this counterpoint does not escape the contemporary split that characterizes the nineteenth century modernity and continues in the twentieth century. At last, I’ll maintain that the political manifestation of this aporeticalbackground –over which one must understand the challenge of democracy– is what Schmitt calls the total State.

  16. The riddle of sex: biological theories of sexual difference in the early twentieth-century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ha, Nathan Q

    2011-01-01

    At the turn of the twentieth century, biologists such as Oscar Riddle, Thomas Hunt Morgan, Frank Lillie, and Richard Goldschmidt all puzzled over the question of sexual difference, the distinction between male and female. They all offered competing explanations for the biological cause of this difference, and engaged in a fierce debate over the primacy of their respective theories. Riddle propounded a metabolic theory of sex dating from the late-nineteenth century suggesting that metabolism lay at the heart of sexual difference. Thomas Hunt Morgan insisted on the priority of chromosomes, Frank Lillie emphasized the importance of hormones, while Richard Goldschmidt supported a mixed model involving both chromosomes and hormones. In this paper, I will illustrate how the older metabolic theory of sex was displaced when those who argued for the relatively newer theories of chromosomes and hormones gradually formed an alliance that accommodated each other and excluded the metabolic theory of sex. By doing so, proponents of chromosomes and hormones established their authority over the question of sexual difference as they laid the foundations for the new disciplines of genetics and endocrinology. Their debate raised urgent questions about what constituted sexual difference, and how scientists envisioned the plasticity and controllability of this difference. These theories also had immediate political and cultural consequences at the turn of the twentieth century, especially for the eugenic and feminist movements, both of which were heavily invested in knowledge of sex and its determination, ascertainment, and command.

  17. Causes and impacts of changes in the Arctic freshwater budget during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in an AOGCM

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arzel, Olivier [University of New South Wales, Climate and Environmental Dynamics Laboratory, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Sydney, NSW (Australia); Fichefet, Thierry; Goosse, Hugues [Universite Catholique de Louvain, Institut d' Astronomie et de Geophysique G. Lemaitre, Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium); Dufresne, Jean-Louis [Institut Pierre Simon Laplace UPMC/CNRS, Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique, Paris (France)

    2008-01-15

    The fourth version of the atmosphere-ocean general circulation (AOGCM) model developed at the Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace (IPSL-CM4) is used to investigate the mechanisms influencing the Arctic freshwater balance in response to anthropogenic greenhouse gas forcing. The freshwater influence on the interannual variability of deep winter oceanic convection in the Nordic Seas is also studied on the basis of correlation and regression analyses of detrended variables. The model shows that the Fram Strait outflow, which is an important source of freshwater for the northern North Atlantic, experiences a rapid and strong transition from a weak state toward a relatively strong state during 1990-2010. The authors propose that this climate shift is triggered by the retreat of sea ice in the Barents Sea during the late twentieth century. This sea ice reduction initiates a positive feedback in the atmosphere-sea ice-ocean system that alters both the atmospheric and oceanic circulations in the Greenland-Iceland-Norwegian (GIN)-Barents Seas sector. Around year 2080, the model predicts a second transition threshold beyond which the Fram Strait outflow is restored toward its original weak value. The long-term freshening of the GIN Seas is invoked to explain this rapid transition. It is further found that the mechanism of interannual changes in deep mixing differ fundamentally between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This difference is caused by the dominant influence of freshwater over the twenty-first century. In the GIN Seas, the interannual changes in the liquid freshwater export out of the Arctic Ocean through Fram Strait combined with the interannual changes in the liquid freshwater import from the North Atlantic are shown to have a major influence in driving the interannual variability of the deep convection during the twenty-first century. South of Iceland, the other region of deep water renewal in the model, changes in freshwater import from the North Atlantic

  18. Physiology, propaganda, and pound animals: medical research and animal welfare in mid-twentieth century America.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parascandola, John

    2007-07-01

    In 1952, the University of Michigan physiologist Robert Gesell shocked his colleagues at the business meeting of the American Physiological Society by reading a prepared statement in which he claimed that some of the animal experimentation being carried out by scientists was inhumane. He especially attacked the National Society for Medical Research (NSMR), an organization that had been founded to defend animal experimentation. This incident was part of a broader struggle taking place at the time between scientists and animal welfare advocates with respect to what restrictions, if any, should be placed on animal research. A particularly controversial issue was whether or not pound animals should be made available to laboratories for research. Two of the prominent players in this controversy were the NSMR and the Animal Welfare Institute, founded and run by Gesell's daughter, Christine Stevens. This article focuses on the interaction between these two organizations within the broader context of the debate over animal experimentation in the mid-twentieth century.

  19. A "His Story" of Insanity: Madness and Masculinity in Twentieth-Century American Literature

    OpenAIRE

    Bumeistere, Lilita

    2013-01-01

    This thesis is an interdisciplinary study of the largely neglected relationship between madness and masculinity based on three American literary works written during different periods of the twentieth century. The study utilizes literary, social, and medical research in order to provide a holistic view of madness and masculinity as two social constructs that interact with and are contingent on each other. In Sherwood Anderson’s “Hands,” Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and David F...

  20. Surviving the Lunacy Act of 1890: English Psychiatrists and Professional Development during the Early Twentieth Century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takabayashi, Akinobu

    2017-04-01

    In recent decades, historians of English psychiatry have shifted their major concerns away from asylums and psychiatrists in the nineteenth century. This is also seen in the studies of twentieth-century psychiatry where historians have debated the rise of psychology, eugenics and community care. This shift in interest, however, does not indicate that English psychiatrists became passive and unimportant actors in the last century. In fact, they promoted Lunacy Law reform for a less asylum-dependent mode of psychiatry, with a strong emphasis on professional development. This paper illustrates the historical dynamics around the professional development of English psychiatry by employing Andrew Abbott's concept of professional development. Abbott redefines professional development as arising from both abstraction of professional knowledge and competition regarding professional jurisdiction. A profession, he suggests, develops through continuous re-formation of its occupational structure, mode of practice and political language in competing with other professional and non-professional forces. In early twentieth-century England, psychiatrists promoted professional development by framing political discourse, conducting a daily trade and promoting new legislation to defend their professional jurisdiction. This professional development story began with the Lunacy Act of 1890, which caused a professional crisis in psychiatry and led to inter-professional competition with non-psychiatric medical service providers. To this end, psychiatrists devised a new political rhetoric, 'early treatment of mental disorder', in their professional interests and succeeded in enacting the Mental Treatment Act of 1930, which re-instated psychiatrists as masters of English psychiatry.

  1. Childish Pleasures and Adult Fears: Reflections on becoming Literate in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, Cath

    2010-01-01

    With the Skills for Life strategy came new professional qualifications for teachers of literacy to adults. Having learned to be literate themselves in the mid-to-late twentieth century, how ready are these teachers to take on the challenges of preparing their learners for the literacies of the new millennium? This paper comes out of doctoral…

  2. Reading to the Soul: Narrative Imagery and Moral Education in Early to Mid-Twentieth-Century Queensland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carden, Clarissa

    2018-01-01

    This paper examines the way in which narratives, including stories and poetry, have been used in school texts relating to moral instruction. The paper will draw on texts used in Queensland classrooms in the early part of the twentieth century to demonstrate the ways in which description of sights and the experiences of the senses, and of…

  3. Singing the Nation into Being: Teaching Identity and Culture at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sargeant, Lynn M.

    2009-01-01

    In this article, the author compares the music education in the United States and the Russian Empire at the turn of the twentieth century. In both countries, music educators struggled to secure a permanent role for vocal music in the school. By comparing Russian music instruction to that in the United States, educators can better understand not…

  4. Historical occurrence and extinction of Atlantic salmon in the River Elbe from the fourteenth to the twentieth centuries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreska J.

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Data on the occurrence, biology, and historical background of the Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., (Pisces, Salmoniformes in the Elbe river basin (Europe, North Sea drainage area with a focus on Bohemian territory (Central Europe from the fourteenth to twentieth centuries are summarized in this paper. Historical methods of salmon fishing in Central Europe and historical legal protection of salmon in Bohemia are presented. The salmon is a model example of species which was extirpated as a result of anthropogenic changes in the landscape and rivers in some water systems. The human activities, such as stream bed regulation, dam system construction, other migration barriers, water pollution, fisheries exploitation, that led to the extirpation of Atlantic salmon in the Elbe river basin (are discussed. The last sporadic migrating native salmon were registered in the Bohemian section of the Elbe river basin in the mid twentieth century.

  5. Déjà vu: leprosy and immigration discourse in the twenty-first century United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Cassandra

    2010-03-01

    Leprosy, or Hansen's disease, continues to be feared and poorly understood in the United States, where knowledge of the disease is limited and prevalence is low. The presence of leprosy among immigrants, however, provides fuel for those with an anti-immigration agenda. In recent years, there have been several examples of popular media distortions of statistics and of information on leprosy's properties and contagiousness. As in previous eras of U.S. history, public fears about leprosy seem to be related to anti-immigration or nativist sentiment, which often mask underlying concerns about the potential economic threat of immigrant populations. In this article, I analyse the role of the U.S. media and other stakeholders who may have an interest in generating public fear associated with leprosy, in presenting and at times manipulating data about the disease to create an association between leprosy and undocumented immigration.

  6. The Scientific Enlightenment System in Russia in the Early Twentieth Century as a Model for Popularizing Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balashova, Yuliya B.

    2016-01-01

    This research reconstructs the traditions of scientific enlightenment in Russia. The turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries was chosen as the most representative period. The modern age saw the establishment of the optimal model for advancing science in the global context and its crucial segment--Russian science. This period was…

  7. Léon Rosenfeld physics, philosophy, and politics in the twentieth century

    CERN Document Server

    Jacobsen, Anja Skaar

    2012-01-01

    This book is a social-intellectual biography of the Belgian physicist Léon Rosenfeld (1904-1974). Rosenfeld was at the center of modern theoretical physics and he became the Danish physicist Niels Bohr's right-hand man. Rosenfeld was a perceptive, polyglot cosmopolitan, whose life crossed those of many important people in many countries. He was also a strong integrated personality capable of performing exotic calculations at one moment, while disentangling subtle philosophical questions or intervening in a political discussion the next — all at the highest level. This book aims at a broad audience interested in contextual history of twentieth century physics. No specialized knowledge of physics is required to read it.

  8. Buddhism, Christianity, and psychotherapy: A three-way conversation in the mid-twentieth century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harding, Christopher

    2018-01-01

    This article explores the scope of 'religion-psy dialogue' in the mid-twentieth century, via a case study from Japan: Kosawa Heisaku, a Buddhist psychoanalyst based in Tokyo. By putting this case study in brief comparative perspective, with the conversation that took place in 1965 between Paul Tillich and Carl Rogers, the article discusses both the promise and the pitfalls of the modern and contemporary world of 'religion-psy dialogue', alongside the means by which specialists in a variety of fields might investigate and hold it to account.

  9. Writing History of Buddhist Thought in the Twentieth Century: Yinshun (1906-2005 in the Context of Chinese Buddhist Historiography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcus Bingenheimer

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Venerable Yinshun 印 順 (1906–2005 was the eminent scholar-monk in twentieth-century Chinese Buddhism. This paper is about his historiographical practice and tries to outline his position in Chinese Buddhist historiography especially in reference to the Song dynasty historian Zhipan 志磐 (thirteenth century. It tries to answer the question in what ways Yinshun can be said to have modernized Buddhist historiography for Chinese Buddhism.

  10. Organizing the Electronic Century

    OpenAIRE

    Richard N. Langlois

    2007-01-01

    This paper's title is an echo of Alfred Chandler's (2001) chronicle of the electronics industry, Inventing the Electronic Century. The paper attempts (A) a general reinterpretation of the pattern of technological advance in (American) electronics over the twentieth century and (B) a somewhat revisionist account of the role of organization and institution in that advance. The paper stresses the complex effects of product architecture and intellectual property regime on industrial organization ...

  11. Working-Class Ideas and Experiences of Sexuality in Twentieth-Century Britain: Regionalism as a Category of Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Helen

    2018-03-01

    This article will explore region as a category of analysis for understanding gender, sexual cultures, and the expression of same-sex desire. In unpicking the notion of regional difference in both its tangible and intangible forms, it outlines the corresponding impact on how sexual cultures developed and were experienced in twentieth-century Britain. By recognizing that the area in which an individual lived could have as much impact on their sense of self and their sexual experiences as issues of race, gender, and class, a new and fruitful avenue of interpretation is opened up for the history of sexuality and twentieth-century British history more broadly. Such a methodology has the potential to add a new dimension to all histories of non-state-sanctioned sexual experience such as illegitimacy, premarital sex, extramarital affairs, and prostitution. In using regional case studies and interrogating ideas of sexual taboo, this article offers a unique interpretation of sexual experience that destabilizes current London-centric narratives and offers a more democratic and nuanced history of sex.

  12. Blackett physics, war, and politics in the twentieth century

    CERN Document Server

    Nye, Mary Jo

    2004-01-01

    This is a lively and compact biography of P. M. S. Blackett, one of the most brilliant and controversial physicists of the twentieth century. Nobel laureate, leader of operational research during the Second World War, scientific advisor to the British government, President of the Royal Society, member of the House of Lords, Blackett was also denounced as a Stalinist apologist for opposing American and British development of atomic weapons, subjected to FBI surveillance, and named as a fellow traveler on George Orwell’s infamous list. His service as a British Royal Navy officer in the First World War prepared Blackett to take a scientific advisory role on military matters in the mid-1930s. An international leader in the experimental techniques of the cloud chamber, he was a pioneer in the application of magnetic evidence for the geophysical theory of continental drift. But his strong political stands made him a polarizing influence, and the decisions he made capture the complexity of living a prominent twen...

  13. Immigration, crime, and incarceration in early twentieth-century America.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moehling, Carolyn; Piehl, Anne Morrison

    2009-11-01

    The major government commissions on immigration and crime in the early twentieth century relied on evidence that suffered from aggregation bias and the absence of accurate population data, which led them to present partial and sometimes misleading views of the immigrant-native criminality comparison. With improved data and methods, we find that in 1904, prison commitment rates for more serious crimes were quite similar by nativity for all ages except ages 18 and 19, for which the commitment rate for immigrants was higher than for the native-born. By 1930, immigrants were less likely than natives to be committed to prisons at all ages 20 and older, but this advantage disappears when one looks at commitments for violent offenses. The time series pattern reflects a growing gap between natives and immigrants at older ages, one that was driven by sharp increases in the commitment rates of the native-born, while commitment rates for the foreign-born were remarkably stable.

  14. Deweyan Darwinism for the Twenty-First Century: Toward an Educational Method for Critical Democratic Engagement in the Era of the Institute of Education Sciences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seltzer-Kelly, Deborah

    2008-01-01

    Our society's preoccupation with making educational policy and practice "scientific" is attested to by the stated mission of the Institute of Education Sciences: "to provide rigorous evidence on which to ground education practice and policy." Early in the twentieth century, John Dewey also advocated for a vision of education guided by science, and…

  15. The State of Native America at the End of the Twentieth Century

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Kelly Robison

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available When stereotypes of modern Native Americans are brought forward, these usually manifest themselves in visions of poor Indians living on reservations, which are on lands no one else wanted. Modern Native Americans are often stereotyped as drunks or succumbing to the pressure of gamblers to open their reservations to casinos. One place to start in order to disprove these stereotypes is the statistical data. What follows is not an interpretive essay in the classic scholarly vein, but an informative one that provides a picture of the state of Native America at the end of the Twentieth Century based on current statistical data.

  16. The first international leprosy conference, Berlin, 1897: the politics of segregation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandya, S S

    2004-01-01

    The present paper examines the first attempts to internationalise the problem of leprosy, a subject hitherto overlooked by historians of imperialism and disease. The last decade of the nineteenth century saw many in the civilised countries of the imperialist West gripped by a paranoia about an invasion of leprosy via germ-laden immigrants and returning expatriates who had acquired the infection in leprosy endemic colonial possessions. Such alarmists clamoured for the adoption of vigorous leper segregation policies in such colonies. But the contagiousness of leprosy did not go unquestioned by other westerners. The convocation in Berlin of the first international meeting on leprosy revealed the interplay of differing and sometimes incompatible views about the containment of leprosy by segregation. The roles of officials from several countries, as well as the roles of five protagonists (Albert Ashmead, Jules Goldschmidt, Edvard Ehlers. Armauer Hansen, and Phineas Abraham) in the shaping of the Berlin Conference are here examined.

  17. The reinvention of twentieth century microscopy for three-dimensional imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitehead, Lachlan W; McArthur, Kate; Geoghegan, Niall D; Rogers, Kelly L

    2017-07-01

    In just over a decade, the field of biomedical research has witnessed a radical evolution in technologies for the 3- and 4-dimensional imaging of biological samples. Light sheet fluorescence microscopy is quickly developing into a powerful approach for fast, volumetric imaging of cells, tissues and living organisms. This review touches on the development of 3-dimensional imaging, from its foundations, namely from the invention of confocal microscopy in the twentieth century to more recent examples, notably the IsoView SPIM, the Lattice Light Sheet Microscope and swept confocally aligned planar excitation. These technologies overcome the limitations of conventional optical sectioning techniques and enable unprecedented levels of spatio-temporal resolution with low levels of phototoxicity. Developing in parallel with powerful computational approaches, light sheet based methods promise to completely transform cell biology as we know it today.

  18. Market Research and Socio-Political Consciousness in the Twentieth Century

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schwarzkopf, Stefan

    2013-01-01

    of marketing as a professional field and academic discipline in the twentieth century. Design/methodology/approach – Based on archival research, the paper firstly establishes the biographical details of Abrams’ life and work. Secondly, the paper uses methodological and theoretical tools of historical sociology......Purpose – This paper investigates the case of the eminent British market researcher and social scientist Mark Alexander Abrams (1906 – 1994). Abrams’ career as a researcher spanned the six decades between the late 1920s and the late 1980s, and it bridged the gap between commercial market...... and consumer research on the one side and governmental social research on the other. By focusing on Abrams’ research strategies and career moves over these six decades, the paper establishes an alternative historical narrative to those that privilege the impact of capitalist market structures on the making...

  19. Leprosy - one of the many forgotten tropical diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zwolska, Zofia; Augustynowicz-Kopeć, Ewa

    2017-02-14

    Leprosy or Hansen disease is caused by an infection of Mycobacterium leprae. The large number of undetected cases (2000-2012 years 4 mln people) remains a threat to the elimination of leprosy. Leprosy is an unheard in Poland and generally is considered a condition so "exotic" that it is not worth to spend more attention to it. Forgotten disease in developed countries still thrives in an environment of poor and uneducated. Regardless of the conclusion that in the 21st century none infectious disease should not be treated as a disease on the designated regions of the world, other than our own, it should be recalled that the M. leprae was discovered in Europe, where for many years there were leprosaria and still infectious hospitals in Great Brittan, France or Spain get patients suspected of leprosy. The mobility of the inhabitants of the globe caused by wars, ethnic conflicts or a simple tourism causes that any infectious disease can not be treated as solely limited to distant us regions. The best proof of this were the viral diseases, formerly found in only in Asia or Africa, and currently transmitted to Europe [1]. At any moment, we can stand up against the problem of diagnostics of humans toward leprosy. Many medical reports indicate that leprosy as a disease with many symptoms encountered difficulties in its diagnosis. Only the experience of medical professionals and good microbiological diagnosis may speed up the diagnosis of leprosy.

  20. Landlordism, Rent Regulation and the Labour Party in mid-twentieth century Britain, 1950-64.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Child, Phil

    2018-03-01

    This article examines the politics of private renting in 1950s and early 1960s Britain, through the radical approach taken by Labour Party towards private landlords. Through setting the radical aims of Labour in a mid-twentieth-century context of decrepit housing, rising rents and sluggish public housing programmes, Labour's rationale in arguing for the 'abolition' of the private landlord is more transparent. This article takes a chronological approach, investigating what actions Labour actors took, at local and national level, and what effect this had on the wider housing market. Part one takes a long view of Labour attitudes to the private rented sector. Part two explores the policy of 'municipalization'-the attempt to place rented homes under local authority control. Part three discusses the post-1962 policy shift to state-sponsored 'improvement' of private rented housing, prior to Labour's victory at the 1964 general election. Three key arguments are made: that Labour's radicalism hastened the collapse of the post-war private rented sector; that rental market weaknesses indicated the confused place of renting in the 'tenurial pattern'; and that the proposed 'abolition' of private landlords had a direct effect on slum clearance and the composition of British cities. The conclusion suggests that Labour's pursuit of the private landlord can shed light on the vast urban transformations of the post-war period. It invites greater attention to be paid to the effects that political ideas had on the composition of the twentieth-century British housing market.

  1. The restructuring of the Argentina Navy between the end of the twentieth century and early twenty-first.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Germán Soprano

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The definition of a policy of national defense and internal security in democracy, created conditions to advance in the process of restructuring of the Argentina Navy, introducing changes in its organization and functions. In this article we will focus this process analyzing, on the one hand, the relationship between the definitions of defense policy and the configuration of naval military instrument between the end of the twentieth century and early twenty-first century; and, on the other hand, understanding their development in the case of two components of the force: the marine corps and the division of maritime patrol.

  2. "Strong Mothers Make Strong Children": Sports, Eugenics and Nationalism in Brazil at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goellner, Silvana Vilodre; Votre, Sebastiao Josue; Pinheiro, Maria Claudia Brandao

    2012-01-01

    Based on post-structural feminist and gender studies, the present article analyses the importance given to the practice of physical education, sports and exercise as part of the national policy to strengthen the Caucasian-Brazilian population at the beginning of the twentieth century, emphasising the priority made of the White female body as the…

  3. Women Emancipation in the Early Twentieth Century in France Portrayed in Coco Before Chanel Movie

    OpenAIRE

    HIKMAYANTI, INDAH

    2014-01-01

    Keywords : Women Movement, Liberal Feminism, France, Early TwentiethCentury, Coco Before ChanelWomen movement is a women's action to break down the patriarchy system which evolves in society. The patriarchy system states that women is minority in the society. Their role is only to take care of their family. They can not go to work outside and interact with others in the society. In France society, women and men have difference of right. French women then start the women movement to break the ...

  4. Pioneers of Gentrification: Transformation in Global Neighborhoods in Urban America in the Late Twentieth Century

    OpenAIRE

    Hwang, Jackelyn

    2016-01-01

    Few studies have considered the role of immigration in the rise of gentrification in the late twentieth century. Analysis of U.S. Census and American Community Survey data over 24 years and field surveys of gentrification in low-income neighborhoods across 23 U.S. cities reveal that most gentrifying neighborhoods were “global” in the 1970s or became so over time. An early presence of Asians was positively associated with gentrification; and an early presence of Hispanics was positively associ...

  5. Economic performance and public concerns about social class in twentieth-century books.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yunsong; Yan, Fei

    2016-09-01

    What is the association between macroeconomic conditions and public perceptions of social class? Applying a novel approach based on the Google Books N-gram corpus, this study addresses the relationship between public concerns about social class and economic conditions throughout the twentieth century. The usage of class-related words/phrases, or "literary references to class," in American English-language books is related to US economic performance and income inequality. The findings of this study demonstrate that economic conditions play a significant role in literary references to class throughout the century, whereas income inequality does not. Similar results are obtained from further analyses using alternative measures of class concerns as well as different corpora of English Fiction and the New York Times. We add to the social class literature by showing that the long-term temporal dynamics of an economy can be exhibited by aggregate class concerns. The application of massive culture-wide content analysis using data of unprecedented size also represents a contribution to the literature. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. The creation of play spaces in twentieth-century Amsterdam: from an intervention of civil actors to a public policy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verstrate, L.; Karsten, L.

    2011-01-01

    This case study uncovers a turning point in the production of play space in Amsterdam. Whereas over the first half of the twentieth century the creation of play spaces used to be the primary responsibility of the Amsterdam civil society, this situation started to change after the Second World War.

  7. Historical Overview of Leprosy Control in Cuba.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beldarraín-Chaple, Enrique

    2017-01-01

    INTRODUCTION Leprosy, an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, affects the nervous system, skin, internal organs, extremities and mucous membranes. Biological, social and environmental factors influence its occurrence and transmission. The first effective treatments appeared in 1930 with the development of dapsone, a sulfone. The main components of a control and elimination strategy are early case detection and timely administration of multidrug therapy. OBJECTIVES Review the history of leprosy control in Cuba, emphasizing particularly results of the National Leprosy Control Program, its modifications and influence on leprosy control. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION The historiological method was applied using document review, complemented by interviews with experts on leprosy and its control. Archived documents, medical records, disease prevalence censuses conducted since 1942, and incidence and prevalence statistics for 1960-2015 from the Ministry of Public Health's National Statistics Division were reviewed. Reports and scientific literature published on the Program and the history of leprosy in Cuba were also reviewed. DEVELOPMENT Leprosy has been documented in Cuba since 1613. In 1938, the Leprosy Foundation was created with ten dispensaries nationwide for diagnosis and treatment. The first National Leprosy Control Program was established in 1962, implemented in 1963 and revised five times. In 1972, leper colonies were closed and treatment became ambulatory. In 1977, rifampicin was introduced. In 1988, the Program instituted controlled, decentralized, community-based multidrug treatment and established the criteria for considering a patient cured. In 2003, it included actions aimed at early diagnosis and prophylactic treatment of contacts. Since 2008, it prioritizes actions directed toward the population at risk, maintaining five-year followup with dermatological and neurological examination. Primary health care carries out diagnostic and treatment

  8. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve: United States energy security, oil politics, and petroleum reserves policies in the twentieth century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beaubouef, Bruce Andre

    The history of U.S. petroleum reserves policies in the twentieth century, including the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) program, provides a case study of the economic and political aspects of national security, and shows the ways in which the American political economy influences national security. One key problem plagued federal petroleum reserve programs and proposals throughout the twentieth century. In a political economy which traditionally placed strong emphasis upon the sanctity of private property and free markets, could the government develop an emergency petroleum reserve policy despite opposition from the private sector? Previous literature on the SPR and oil-stockpiling programs has largely disregarded the historical perspective, focusing instead upon econometric models, suggesting future oil-stockpiling policy options. This study will also make conclusions about the future of governmental oil-stockpiling policies, particularly with regard to the SPR program, but it will do so informed by a systematic history of the emergency petroleum reserve impulse in the twentieth century. Through a study of the emergency petroleum reserve impulse, one can see how the American political economy of oil and energy changed over the twentieth century. As petroleum became crucial to the military and then economic security of the United States, the federal government sought to develop emergency petroleum reserves first for the military, then for the civilian economy. But while the American petroleum industry could deliver the energy "goods" to American energy consumers at a reasonable price, the companies reigned supreme in the political equation. While that was true, federal petroleum reserve programs and proposals conflicted with and were overwhelmed by the historic American tradition of individual economic and private property rights. The depletion of American petroleum reserves changed that political equation, and the ensuing energy crises of the 1970s not only

  9. Riemannian geometry during the second half of the twentieth century

    CERN Document Server

    Berger, Marcel

    1999-01-01

    In the last fifty years of the twentieth century Riemannian geometry has exploded with activity. Berger marks the start of this period with Rauch's pioneering paper of 1951, which contains the first real pinching theorem and an amazing leap in the depth of the connection between geometry and topology. Since then, the field has become so rich that it is almost impossible for the uninitiated to find their way through it. Textbooks on the subject invariably must choose a particular approach, thus narrowing the path. In this book, Berger provides a truly remarkable survey of the main developments in Riemannian geometry in the last fifty years, focusing his main attention on the following five areas: Curvature and topology; the construction of and the classification of space forms; distinguished metrics, especially Einstein metrics; eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the Laplacian; the study of periodic geodesics and the geodesic flow. Other topics are treated in less detail in a separate section. Berger's survey p...

  10. Ọmọ̀jọ́lá, Bodé. Yorùbá Music in the Twentieth Century: Identity, Agency and Performance Practice

    OpenAIRE

    Vallier, Gilles-Félix

    2017-01-01

    Ọmọ̀jọ́lá, Bodé. — Yorùbá Music in the Twentieth Century : Identity, Agency and Performance Practice. New York, University of Rochester Press ; Eastman, Rochester Studies in Ethnomusicology, 2012, 285 p., bibl., ill., CD. Yorùbá Music in the Twentieth Century de Bodé Ọmọ̀jọ́lá déconstruit efficacement la notion d'une culture musicale yorùbá singulière, découvrant à la place une tapisserie pittoresque de traditions socialement et esthétiquement diverses, lesquelles sont unies, dans bien des ...

  11. The Role of Degeneration Theory in the Understanding of Mental Illness, Colombia First Half of the Twentieth Century

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Fernanda Vásquez Valencia

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Based on medical journals and theses from the first half of the twentieth century, this article analyzes the role played by the theory of degeneration in the understanding of mental illness in Colombia. It is particularly interesting to show how Colombian physicians have appropriated concepts such as degeneration, diathesis, morbid heredity and stigmas of degeneration since the early 20th century to describe, classify and define mental illnesses present in Colombian territory. During this period the theory of degeneration served as the conceptual and theoretical framework for understanding the etiology, genesis and evolution of mental illness.

  12. Outside St. Jørgen: leprosy in the medieval Danish city of Odense.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boldsen, Jesper L; Mollerup, Lene

    2006-07-01

    Leprosy was a common and dreaded disease in the Danish Middle Ages (AD 1050-1536). Starting in the second half of the 13th century, leprosaria were established in many Danish towns and cities. In the city of Odense (on the island of Funen, Denmark), the cemetery of the leprosarium was totally excavated, and four nonleprosarium medieval and early modern cemeteries have been partly excavated. This paper explores the frequency of leprosy in the nonleprosarium cemeteries in Odense, and looks for evidence of selective exclusion from the ordinary population. The analyses are based on 733 skeletons from four cemeteries in Odense: the Gray Friars monastery, St. Albani parish church, St. Knuds cathedral, and Black Friars monastery. Seven lesions are scored and, based on known epidemiological properties (i.e., specificity and sensitivity) of these lesions, scores were transformed to statistics characterizing an individual's risk of having suffered from leprosy. This statistical approach remains of primary theoretical value, pending confirmation by independent research groups at other sites. Prevalence of the skeletal manifestation of leprosy at death varied between 0-17% among the different cemeteries in Odense. The highest prevalence was seen in cemeteries with many burials before AD 1400. It is estimated that before AD 1400, between 14-17% of those buried in the nonleprosarium cemeteries suffered from leprosy. In all nonleprosarium cemeteries, there was evidence for selective exclusion of people with facial leprosy lesions. For a short period just up to AD 1300, the cemetery of the Odense leprosarium had, on average, more than 20 yearly burials. The establishment of the leprosarium was followed within a relatively short period by a dramatic decline in the number of sufferers of leprosy in the nonleprosarium cemeteries. The number of yearly burials in the leprosarium cemetery also declined rapidly during the 14th century. The present analyses do not permit conclusions about

  13. Has psychology "found its true path"? Methods, objectivity, and cries of "crisis" in early twentieth-century French psychology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carson, John

    2012-06-01

    This article explores how French psychologists understood the state of their field during the first quarter of the twentieth century, and whether they thought it was in crisis. The article begins with the Russian-born psychologist Nicolas Kostyleff and his announcement in 1911 that experimental psychology was facing a crisis. After briefly situating Kostyleff, the article examines his analysis of the troubles facing experimental psychology and his proposed solution, as well as the rather muted response his diagnosis received from the French psychological community. The optimism about the field evident in many of the accounts surveying French psychology during the early twentieth century notwithstanding, a few others did join Kostyleff in declaring that all was not well with experimental psychology. Together their pronouncements suggest that under the surface, important unresolved issues faced the French psychological community. Two are singled out: What was the proper methodology for psychology as a positive science? And what kinds of practices could claim to be objective, and in what sense? The article concludes by examining what these anxieties reveal about the type of science that French psychologists hoped to pursue. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Pain: metaphor, body, and culture in Anglo-American societies between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourke, Joanna

    2014-10-02

    This article explores the relationship between metaphorical languages, body, and culture, and suggests that such an analysis can reveal a great deal about the meaning and experience of pain in Anglo-American societies between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries. It uses concepts within embodied cognition to speculate on how historians can write a history of sensation. Bodies are actively engaged in the linguistic processes and social interactions that constitute painful sensations. Language is engaged in a dialogue with physiological bodies and social environments. And culture collaborates in the creation of physiological bodies and metaphorical systems.

  15. Hungarian Population Discourses in the Twentieth Century: The Problem of Declining Birth Rates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ildikó Szántó

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Falling birth rates had already been recorded as early as the late-eighteenth century in south-western Hungary in the Ormánság. Population loss from low birth rate remained one of the main topics writers and sociologists focused on in the twentieth century. The issue of Hungarian population decline was highlighted among the social ills in the interwar period, which was one of several subjects that divided intellectuals into ‘populists’ and ‘urbanites’. Following the impact of the low birth rate figures in the 1960s, the populists’ views of the 1930s resurfaced in public discourse in the 1960s and 1970s and up to the present day. The concern about the increasing trend of single-child families in rural settlements as well as in urban areas appeared in the various works of Hungarian writers and journalists throughout the previous century. The present paper intends to focus on the intellectual background to the public debates on the population issue, outlining the accounts of the interwar ‘village explorers’ briefly, and the way they are related to the pre-Second World War populist movement. Finally the reappearance of the debates between populists and non-populists of the 1970s is discussed, a debate that is still continuing.

  16. Hidden in plain sight marketing prescription drugs to consumers in the twentieth century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greene, Jeremy A; Herzberg, David

    2010-05-01

    Although the public health impact of direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising remains a subject of great controversy, such promotion is typically understood as a recent phenomenon permitted only by changes in federal regulation of print and broadcast advertising over the past two decades. But today's omnipresent ads are only the most recent chapter in a longer history of DTC pharmaceutical promotion (including the ghostwriting of popular articles, organization of public-relations events, and implicit advertising of products to consumers) stretching back over the twentieth century. We use trade literature and archival materials to examine the continuity of efforts to promote prescription drugs to consumers and to better grapple with the public health significance of contemporary pharmaceutical marketing practices.

  17. Some doctors of medicine who published optometry books and played significant roles in early twentieth century optometric education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goss, David A

    2011-01-01

    This paper provides brief profiles of four doctors of medicine who wrote books for optometrists and who were faculty members in, and/or directors of, optometry schools in the early twentieth century. Those studied were Thomas G. Atkinson (1870-1946), Marshall B. Ketchum (1856-1937), Joseph I. Pascal (1890-1955), and Clarence W. Talbot (1883-1958). The content of the books they wrote is also discussed.

  18. Probabilistic precipitation and temperature downscaling of the Twentieth Century Reanalysis over France

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caillouet, Laurie; Vidal, Jean-Philippe; Sauquet, Eric; Graff, Benjamin

    2016-03-01

    This work proposes a daily high-resolution probabilistic reconstruction of precipitation and temperature fields in France over the 1871-2012 period built on the NOAA Twentieth Century global extended atmospheric reanalysis (20CR). The objective is to fill in the spatial and temporal data gaps in surface observations in order to improve our knowledge on the local-scale climate variability from the late nineteenth century onwards. The SANDHY (Stepwise ANalogue Downscaling method for HYdrology) statistical downscaling method, initially developed for quantitative precipitation forecast, is used here to bridge the scale gap between large-scale 20CR predictors and local-scale predictands from the Safran high-resolution near-surface reanalysis, available from 1958 onwards only. SANDHY provides a daily ensemble of 125 analogue dates over the 1871-2012 period for 608 climatically homogeneous zones paving France. Large precipitation biases in intermediary seasons are shown to occur in regions with high seasonal asymmetry like the Mediterranean. Moreover, winter and summer temperatures are respectively over- and under-estimated over the whole of France. Two analogue subselection methods are therefore developed with the aim of keeping the structure of the SANDHY method unchanged while reducing those seasonal biases. The calendar selection keeps the analogues closest to the target calendar day. The stepwise selection applies two new analogy steps based on similarity of the sea surface temperature (SST) and the large-scale 2 m temperature (T). Comparisons to the Safran reanalysis over 1959-2007 and to homogenized series over the whole twentieth century show that biases in the interannual cycle of precipitation and temperature are reduced with both methods. The stepwise subselection moreover leads to a large improvement of interannual correlation and reduction of errors in seasonal temperature time series. When the calendar subselection is an easily applicable method suitable in

  19. Job of the Bible: leprosy or scabies?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Appelboom, Thierry; Cogan, Elie; Klastersky, Jean

    2007-04-01

    Proposing a medical diagnosis a posteriori of a person who died a long time ago is not as impossible as it sounds if sufficient medical history is available.A whole book of the Bible is devoted to Job and his trials. The diagnosis of leprosy has been generally accepted by medieval commentators because the verses of the Book speak of ulcers disseminated over the skin, and also because leprosy is an exemplary sanction imposed by way of example by God to punish those who have committed a sin. In this paper, we have taken the different verses with a medical content from the Book of Job, and reconstructed the clinical picture as if the patient had turned up in the 21st century in order to see if the diagnosis of leprosy may be called into question, and to discuss the limits of the medico-historic approach. The clinical picture of the disease consists of deterioration in the general condition, with widespread pain, confusion, skin eruptions, bilious vomiting, and so on. Under these conditions, if Job did exist, and if the retrospective medical history is reliable, the most likely diagnosis is that of scabies rather than leprosy. Copyright (c) 2007 Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

  20. Educational Ideas in Geography Education in Sweden during the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries: The Relationship between Maps and Texts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hennerdal, Pontus

    2015-01-01

    Descriptions of the geography education of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in Sweden are typically offered to contrast with current ideas in geography education, and the content of geography textbooks is the focus of this comparison. The role of maps and visual pedagogy are ignored, and the educational ideas developed from regional…

  1. Theory versus Practice in the Twentieth-Century Search for the Ideal Anaesthetic Gas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rae, Ian D

    2016-02-01

    At the beginning of the twentieth century, an anaesthetist could choose between nitrous oxide, chloroform, and ether (diethyl ether) for the induction of painrelieving unconsciousness. By the end of century, the choice was between a small number of fluorinated aliphatic ethers such as Enflurane, Desflurane, and Sevoflurane, and (in some jurisdictions) the rare gas, xenon. Between these endpoints researchers had identified a surprisingly broad range of hydrocarbons, noble gases, organohalogens, and aliphatic ethers that possessed anaesthetic properties. None was entirely satisfactory, but clinicians at various times and in various places employed substances in each of these categories. Behind the search for new anaesthetic gases was a theory of action (Meyer- Overton theory) that was known to be inadequate, but as no alternative was strong enough to displace it the search continued on purely empirical grounds, while lip-service was paid to the theory. By the time a theory couched in more modern terms was proposed, a suite of modern anaesthetic gases was in place, and there have been no attempts to use that theory to drive a new search.

  2. Sound Objects and Sound Products: Standardizing a New Culture of Listening in the First Half of the Twentieth Century

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandra Hui

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available In this chapter I develop the psychological underpinnings of environmental music towards an understanding of how the goals of cognitive and behavioral psycholo-gists contributed to a new kind of listening at the beginning of the twentieth century. I begin with an examination of nineteenth-century concerns about both the physical and psychological effects of music and fraught debate among experi-mental psychologists of the role of musical expertise in the laboratory. These con-cerns were, I argue, rooted in the assumption of a direct, corporeal connection between the generation and reception of music, usually bound within a single, individual body. In the twentieth century, new technology liberated the listener from a temporally- and geographically-bound experience of music. The Tone Tests, Re-Creation Recitals, and Mood Change “parties” of Thomas Edison and the psychologist Walter Bingham show that recording technology allowed for a normalization and standardization of listening not previously possible in the music halls and laboratories of the nineteenth century. Rather paradoxically, since it also made music more accessible to the individual listener, recorded music, mobilized by industrial psychologists and record companies alike, created a new sound experience actively designed for the lowest common denominator of mass listen-ing. It also contributed to the cultivation of a new practice of mass listening. The new mass listening practice presents broader questions about the definition of music and its functional role – If the function of music is to be ignored, is it still music?

  3. A historical overview of leprosy epidemiology and control activities in Amazonas, Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carolina Cunha

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Leprosy is an ancient infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. According to comparative genomics studies, this disease originated in Eastern Africa or the Near East and spread with successive human migrations. The Europeans and North Africans introduced leprosy into West Africa and the Americas within the past 500 years. In Brazil, this disease arrived with the colonizers who disembarked at the first colonies, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Recife, at the end of the sixteenth century, after which it was spread to the other states. In 1854, the first leprosy cases were identified in State of Amazonas in the north of Brazil. The increasing number of leprosy cases and the need for treatment and disease control led to the creation of places to isolate patients, known as leprosaria. One of them, Colonia Antônio Aleixo was built in Amazonas in 1956 according to the most advanced recommendations for isolation at that time and was deactivated in 1979. The history of the Alfredo da Matta Center (AMC, which was the first leprosy dispensary created in 1955, parallels the history of leprosy in the state. Over the years, the AMC has become one of the best training centers for leprosy, general dermatology and sexually transmitted diseases in Brazil. In addition to being responsible for leprosy control programs in the state, the AMC has carried out training programs on leprosy diagnosis and treatment for health professionals in Manaus and other municipalities of the state, aiming to increase the coverage of leprosy control activities. This paper provides a historical overview of leprosy in State of Amazonas, which is an endemic state in Brazil.

  4. Coupled Aerosol-Chemistry-Climate Twentieth-Century Transient Model Investigation: Trends in Short-Lived Species and Climate Responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koch, Dorothy; Bauer, Susanne E.; Del Genio, Anthony; Faluvegi, Greg; McConnell, Joseph R.; Menon, Surabi; Miller, Ronald L.; Rind, David; Ruedy, Reto; Schmidt, Gavin A.; hide

    2011-01-01

    The authors simulate transient twentieth-century climate in the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) GCM, with aerosol and ozone chemistry fully coupled to one another and to climate including a full dynamic ocean. Aerosols include sulfate, black carbon (BC), organic carbon, nitrate, sea salt, and dust. Direct and BC snow-albedo radiative effects are included. Model BC and sulfur trends agree fairly well with records from Greenland and European ice cores and with sulfur deposition in North America; however, the model underestimates the sulfur decline at the end of the century in Greenland. Global BC effects peak early in the century (1940s); afterward the BC effects decrease at high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere but continue to increase at lower latitudes. The largest increase in aerosol optical depth occurs in the middle of the century (1940s-80s) when sulfate forcing peaks and causes global dimming. After this, aerosols decrease in eastern North America and northern Eurasia leading to regional positive forcing changes and brightening. These surface forcing changes have the correct trend but are too weak. Over the century, the net aerosol direct effect is -0.41 Watts per square meter, the BC-albedo effect is -0.02 Watts per square meter, and the net ozone forcing is +0.24 Watts per square meter. The model polar stratospheric ozone depletion develops, beginning in the 1970s. Concurrently, the sea salt load and negative radiative flux increase over the oceans around Antarctica. Net warming over the century is modeled fairly well; however, the model fails to capture the dynamics of the observedmidcentury cooling followed by the late century warming.Over the century, 20% of Arctic warming and snow ice cover loss is attributed to the BC albedo effect. However, the decrease in this effect at the end of the century contributes to Arctic cooling. To test the climate responses to sulfate and BC pollution, two experiments were branched from 1970 that removed

  5. J. E. W. Wallin's Diagnostic Theory for Classifying the Feeble-Minded and Backward in Early Twentieth-Century Public Schools in America

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshii, Ryo

    2016-01-01

    In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, American psychologists began addressing problems related to the intellectual capacity of students enrolled in public schools. This paper focuses on the role and influence of psychologists in addressing these problems, specifically the difficulty of classifying students deemed feeble-minded and…

  6. PAZ, PRI, AND PROGRESS: OCTAVIO PAZ’S POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND LITERARY STRUGGLE TO INSPIRE REFORM IN TWENTIETH-CENTURY MEXICO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Gene Pace

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Throughout most of the twentieth century; Mexico’s political and economic policies were heavily influenced by the Partido Revolucionario Institutional (PRI. The landmark 1998 victory by Vicente Fox, the first presidential candidate in seven decades to win without the official sanction of the PRI,marked an important milestone in Mexican history; Octavio Paz, an eloquent proponent of political, economic, and social reform, sought for decades to inspire change. This paper seeks to illuminate Paz’s economic philosophy, and to demonstrate how the acclaimed writer, through courageous symbolic action coupled with an inimitable and potent pen, challenged the PRI’s hegemony in Mexico and contributed to the historic election he almost lived to celebrate (an elderly Paz died shortly before the historic 1998 election.“The Aztec ritual of 2 October [1968] in the Plaza de Tlatelolco. . . convinced me to abandon the Mexican Foreign Service.”“October 2, 1968 ended the student movement. It also ended an era in thehistory of Mexico.”

  7. The concept of ‘transcendence’ in modern Western philosophy and in twentieth century Hindu thought

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ferdinando SARDELLA

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available ‘Transcendence’ has been a key subject of Western philosophy of religion and history of ideas. The meaning of transcendence, however, has changed over time. The article looks at some perspectives offered by the nineteenth and the twentieth century Anglo‑American and continental European philosophers of religion and presents their views in relation to the concept of transcendence formulated by the Bengali Hindu traditionalist Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati (1874–1937. The questions raised are what transcendence in the philosophy of religion is, how one can speak of it, and what its goal is. The paper points to parallels and differences in epistemology, ontology and practice. One difference is that the nineteenth and the twentieth century Western philosophy of religion tended to assume an ontological difference between self and transcendence inherited from personalities such as Søren Kierkegaard, but also to explore the concept of transcendence beyond the idea of a metaphysical God. Bhaktisiddhanta, whose foundational thought mirrors medieval Hindu philosophy of religion and the theistic schools of Vedānta, suggests that transcendence has a metaphysical and personal dimension that is to some degree ontologically similar to and directly knowable by the self. Bhaktisiddhanta’s approach to transcendence differs from Kierkegaard’s and other Western philosophers’ and revolves around the idea of God as a transcendent person that can be directly known morphologically and ontologically through devotion. The article is a contribution to the history of ideas and the philosophy of religion in Eurasia and beyond.

  8. Leprosy: eradication or cure?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kakar, S

    1995-01-01

    The National Leprosy Eradication Program (NLEP), launched in 1986, has brought medicine for leprosy to more people than ever before, covering 200 of India's 455 districts. Since 1988, the number of leprosy patients discharged as cured each year has been greater than the number of newly detected, thus moving the country closer to its goal of eradicating leprosy from India. A substantial number of the 3 million people with leprosy in India are likely to come under the coverage of the NLEP. The author, however, argues that the fight against leprosy and the NLEP should be considered in their historical context. Leprosy is therefore used to illustrate how the perhaps interchangeable terms eradication and cure are charged with history and custom. Historically, the focus on eradicating leprosy has had terrible consequences for the patient. In England, perceptions about leprosy are relevant to the situation India, for colonial policy on leprosy was largely derivative. In the 1880s, especially, leprosy excited the public imagination. Asylums adopted segregation and confinement during this period for people with leprosy and the colonial government in India supported that approach from 1882. The author concludes that while the NLEP is laudable, the program must not focus upon eradicating leprosy. It should instead focus upon the leprosy patient, who has for so long been denied and discriminated against. The individual must be placed at the center of any program. Some steps in this direction have been taken.

  9. Mammalian developmental genetics in the twentieth century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Artzt, Karen

    2012-12-01

    This Perspectives is a review of the breathtaking history of mammalian genetics in the past century and, in particular, of the ways in which genetic thinking has illuminated aspects of mouse development. To illustrate the power of that thinking, selected hypothesis-driven experiments and technical advances are discussed. Also included in this account are the beginnings of mouse genetics at the Bussey Institute, Columbia University, and The Jackson Laboratory and a retrospective discussion of one of the classic problems in developmental genetics, the T/t complex and its genetic enigmas.

  10. HIDDEN in PLAIN SIGHT Marketing Prescription Drugs to Consumers in the Twentieth Century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herzberg, David

    2010-01-01

    Although the public health impact of direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising remains a subject of great controversy, such promotion is typically understood as a recent phenomenon permitted only by changes in federal regulation of print and broadcast advertising over the past two decades. But today's omnipresent ads are only the most recent chapter in a longer history of DTC pharmaceutical promotion (including the ghostwriting of popular articles, organization of public-relations events, and implicit advertising of products to consumers) stretching back over the twentieth century. We use trade literature and archival materials to examine the continuity of efforts to promote prescription drugs to consumers and to better grapple with the public health significance of contemporary pharmaceutical marketing practices. PMID:20299640

  11. Thomson, his discovery of the electron and the twentieth century science and technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad, N.

    1997-01-01

    Sir J. J. Thomson was the first to discover a subatomic particle i. e. electron. Due to this discovery he is remembered in the history as T he Atom Smasher . He was a great experimentalists and a devoted physicist. He himself, his son and his seven pupils earned Noble prizes on the basis of their scientific discoveries. The discovery of electron by Sir Thomson in 1897, at Cavendish Laboratory, has rewritten the entire physical science. Although electron has wide spread applications in almost every field, yet its exact nature is not fully known. This article briefly describes the life of Sir Thomson, his achievements and the impact of his discovery of electron on the twentieth century science and technology. (author)

  12. Mycobacterium leprae genomes from a British medieval leprosy hospital: towards understanding an ancient epidemic.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendum, Tom A; Schuenemann, Verena J; Roffey, Simon; Taylor, G Michael; Wu, Huihai; Singh, Pushpendra; Tucker, Katie; Hinds, Jason; Cole, Stewart T; Kierzek, Andrzej M; Nieselt, Kay; Krause, Johannes; Stewart, Graham R

    2014-04-08

    Leprosy has afflicted humankind throughout history leaving evidence in both early texts and the archaeological record. In Britain, leprosy was widespread throughout the Middle Ages until its gradual and unexplained decline between the 14th and 16th centuries. The nature of this ancient endemic leprosy and its relationship to modern strains is only partly understood. Modern leprosy strains are currently divided into 5 phylogenetic groups, types 0 to 4, each with strong geographical links. Until recently, European strains, both ancient and modern, were thought to be exclusively type 3 strains. However, evidence for type 2 strains, a group normally associated with Central Asia and the Middle East, has recently been found in archaeological samples in Scandinavia and from two skeletons from the medieval leprosy hospital (or leprosarium) of St Mary Magdalen, near Winchester, England. Here we report the genotypic analysis and whole genome sequencing of two further ancient M. leprae genomes extracted from the remains of two individuals, Sk14 and Sk27, that were excavated from 10th-12th century burials at the leprosarium of St Mary Magdalen. DNA was extracted from the surfaces of bones showing osteological signs of leprosy. Known M. leprae polymorphisms were PCR amplified and Sanger sequenced, while draft genomes were generated by enriching for M. leprae DNA, and Illumina sequencing. SNP-typing and phylogenetic analysis of the draft genomes placed both of these ancient strains in the conserved type 2 group, with very few novel SNPs compared to other ancient or modern strains. The genomes of the two newly sequenced M. leprae strains group firmly with other type 2F strains. Moreover, the M. leprae strain most closely related to one of the strains, Sk14, in the worldwide phylogeny is a contemporaneous ancient St Magdalen skeleton, vividly illustrating the epidemic and clonal nature of leprosy at this site. The prevalence of these type 2 strains indicates that type 2F strains

  13. Aerological observations in the tropics in the early twentieth century

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Broennimann, Stefan; Stickler, Alexander [Bern Univ. (Switzerland). Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research and Inst. of Geography

    2013-10-15

    In the first decades of the 20{sup th} century, aerological observations were for the first time performed in tropical regions. One of the most prominent endeavours in this respect was Arthur Berson's aerological expedition to East Africa. Although the main target was the East African monsoon circulation, the expedition provided also other insights that profoundly changed meteorology and climatology. Berson observed that the tropical tropopause was much higher and colder than that over midlatitudes. Moreover, westerly winds were observed in the lower stratosphere, apparently contradicting the high-altitude equatorial easterly winds that were known since the Krakatoa eruption ('Krakatoa easterlies'). The puzzle was only resolved five decades later with the discovery of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO). In this paper we briefly summarize the expedition of Berson and review the results in a historical context and in the light of the current research. In the second part of the paper we re-visit Berson's early aerological observations, which we have digitized. We compare the observed wind profiles with corresponding profiles extracted from the 'Twentieth Century Reanalysis', which provides global three-dimensional weather information back to 1871 based on an assimilation of sea-level and surface pressure data. The comparison shows a good agreement at the coast but less good agreement further inland, at the shore of Lake Victoria, where the circulation is more complex. These results demonstrate that Berson's observations are still valuable today as input to current reanalysis systems or for their validation. (orig.)

  14. Physical distance, genetic relationship, age, and leprosy classification are independent risk factors for leprosy in contacts of patients with leprosy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moet, F Johannes; Pahan, David; Schuring, Ron P; Oskam, Linda; Richardus, Jan H

    2006-02-01

    Close contacts of patients with leprosy have a higher risk of developing leprosy. Several risk factors have been identified, including genetic relationship and physical distance. Their independent contributions to the risk of developing leprosy, however, have never been sufficiently quantified. Logistic-regression analysis was performed on intake data from a prospective cohort study of 1037 patients newly diagnosed as having leprosy and their 21,870 contacts. Higher age showed an increased risk, with a bimodal distribution. Contacts of patients with paucibacillary (PB) leprosy with 2-5 lesions (PB2-5) and those with multibacillary (MB) leprosy had a higher risk than did contacts of patients with single-lesion PB leprosy. The core household group had a higher risk than other contacts living under the same roof and next-door neighbors, who again had a higher risk than neighbors of neighbors. A close genetic relationship indicated an increased risk when blood-related children, parents, and siblings were pooled together. Age of the contact, the disease classification of the index patient, and physical and genetic distance were independently associated with the risk of a contact acquiring leprosy. Contact surveys in leprosy should be not only focused on household contacts but also extended to neighbors and consanguineous relatives, especially when the patient has PB2-5 or MB leprosy.

  15. Charles Darwin's reputation: how it changed during the twentieth-century and how it may change again.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amundson, Ron

    2014-01-01

    Charles Darwin died in 1882. During the twentieth century his reputation varied through time, as the scientific foundation of evolutionary theory changed. Beginning the century as an intellectual hero, he soon became a virtual footnote as experimental approaches to evolution began to develop. As the Modern Synthesis developed his reputation began to rise again until eventually he was identified as a founding father of the Modern Synthesis itself. In the meantime, developmental approaches to evolution began to challenge certain aspects of the Modern Synthesis. Synthesis authors attempted to refute the relevance of development by methodological arguments, some of them indirectly credited to Darwin. By the end of the century, molecular genetics had given new life to development approaches to evolution, now called evo devo. This must be seen as a refutation of the aforesaid methodological arguments of the Modern Synthesis advocates. By the way, we can also see now how the historiography that credited Darwin with the Synthesis was in error. In conclusion, one more historical revision is suggested. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Communal Cattle in Mixteca Alta: From Colonial Times to the Twentieth Century. The Case of Tepelmeme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edgar Mendoza García

    2002-04-01

    Full Text Available This is an analysis of the political  and economic factors than allowed the keeping of a herd of goats as communal property from the  república de indios of the colonial period until municipal administrations at the beginning of the twentieth century  in the region called the Mixteca Alta. The case of Tepelmeme, Oaxaca, is the basis of an account of the economic importance of communal property in the local governments of villages and  municipios, as well of the opposition of villages to liberal laws of the nineteenth century. In short, during the colonial period and part of the nineteenth century,  communal property was the main economic support of Indian villages. Not only was this property equivalent to communal  savings kept  for  critical  moments, but  also  an  economic means  that  allowed financing public  administration and  paying for religious services. Moreover, it was a factor that gave cohesion to these villages and inserted them into a regional economy.

  17. How the nerves reached the muscle: Bernard Katz, Stephen W. Kuffler, and John C. Eccles-Certain implications of exile for the development of twentieth-century neurophysiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stahnisch, Frank W

    2017-01-01

    This article explores the work by Bernard Katz (1911-2003), Stephen W. Kuffler (1913-1980), and John C. Eccles (1903-1997) on the nerve-muscle junction as a milestone in twentieth-century neurophysiology with wider scientific implications. The historical question is approached from two perspectives: (a) an investigation of twentieth-century solutions to a longer physiological dispute and (b) an examination of a new kind of laboratory and academic cooperation. From this vantage point, the work pursued in Sydney by Sir John Carew Eccles' team on the neuromuscular junction is particularly valuable, since it contributed a central functional element to modern physiological understanding regarding the function and structure of the human and animal nervous system. The reflex model of neuromuscular action had already been advanced by neuroanatomists such as Georg Prochaska (1749-1820) in Bohemia since the eighteenth century. It became a major component of neurophysiological theories during the nineteenth century, based on the law associated with the names of François Magendie (1783-1855) in France and Charles Bell (1774-1842) in Britain regarding the functional differences of the sensory and motor spinal nerves. Yet, it was not until the beginning of the twentieth century that both the histological and the neurophysiological understanding of the nerve-muscle connection became entirely understood and the chemical versus electrical transmission further elicited as the mechanisms of inhibition. John C. Eccles, Bernard Katz, and Stephen W. Kuffler helped to provide some of the missing links for modern neurophysiology. The current article explores several of their scientific contributions and investigates how the context of forced migration contributed to these interactions in contingently new ways.

  18. Twentieth century North Atlantic climate change. Part II: Understanding the effect of Indian Ocean warming

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoerling, M.P.; Xu, T.; Bates, G.T. [Climate Diagnostics Center NOAA, Boulder, CO 80305-3328 (United States); Hurrell, J.W.; Phillips, A.S. [National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)

    2004-09-01

    Ensembles of atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) experiments are used in an effort to understand the boreal winter Northern Hemisphere (NH) extratropical climate response to the observed warming of tropical sea surface temperatures (SSTs) over the last half of the twentieth Century. Specifically, we inquire about the origins of unusual, if not unprecedented, changes in the wintertime North Atlantic and European climate that are well described by a linear trend in most indices of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The simulated NH atmospheric response to the linear trend component of tropic-wide SST change since 1950 projects strongly onto the positive polarity of the NAO and is a hemispheric pattern distinguished by decreased (increased) Arctic (middle latitude) sea level pressure. Progressive warming of the Indian Ocean is the principal contributor to this wintertime extratropical response, as shown through additional AGCM ensembles forced with only the SST trend in that sector. The Indian Ocean influence is further established through the reproducibility of results across three different models forced with identical, idealized patterns of the observed warming. Examination of the transient atmospheric adjustment to a sudden ''switch-on'' of an Indian Ocean SST anomaly reveals that the North Atlantic response is not consistent with linear theory and most likely involves synoptic eddy feedbacks associated with changes in the North Atlantic storm track. The tropical SST control exerted over twentieth century regional climate underlies the importance of determining the future course of tropical SST for regional climate change and its uncertainty. Better understanding of the extratropical responses to different, plausible trajectories of the tropical oceans is key to such efforts. (orig.)

  19. Salamanca’s theater and musical activity in the first quarter of twentieth century through the local press

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco José Álvarez García

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available The theaters at the beginning of twentieth century are one of the main focuses in which condenses the musician-artistic activity of small and large Spanish cities. Salamanca could not be less and in the three capitals theaters “Liceo”, “Bretón” and “Moderno” we find a very rich musical activity like Zarzuelas, Concerts, Lyric Theatre, Tunas, etc., which will make to Salamanca the most important center of the music scene in the province until almost the Second Spanish Republic.

  20. The other woman and her child: extra-marital affairs and illegitimacy in twentieth-century Britain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Tanya Evans

    2011-01-01

    This article investigates the numbers of 'other women' and their children up until the 1960s in Britain. It analyses 'irregular and illicit unions' in the records of the National Council for the Unmarried Mother and her Child (now One Parent Families/Gingerbread), and explores evidence on these unions in the debates over the passage of the Divorce Acts of 1923 and 1937 as well as the Legitimacy Acts of 1926 and 1959. It suggests that the prevalence of illicit unions throughout the twentieth century and before allows us to question contemporary concerns about our supposed 'divorcing society' and the decline of family life in modern Britain.

  1. The Establishment of a Car-Based Leisure Regime in Twentieth Century Europe

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cassamagnaghi, Silvia; Moretto, Giovanni; Wagner, Michael

    Comparative analysis of tourism and of its development in three different countries – Denmark, Italy and Soviet Union – has revealed the importance of the car as the keystone for changes in the habits of leisure time consumption all over in Europe. Even considering the specific features (social......, economic and political) of each country, and the different decades in which this phenomenon has occurred, “individual” travel and stay has become, in Twentieth Century, the characteristics of dominance over other forms of organized and “collective” tourism. “Gentlemen, we do not make this tour to drive. We...... wishes. A better mobility created also a new situation about Italian tourism national demand, transforming – sometimes radically – the landscape and the Italian “hospitality industry”, in order to satisfy the needs of a “democratic” holiday. The Soviet State-Party had carefully considered what...

  2. Natural histories of infectious disease: ecological vision in twentieth-century biomedical science.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Warwick

    2004-01-01

    During the twentieth century, disease ecology emerged as a distinct disciplinary network within infectious diseases research. The key figures were Theobald Smith, F. Macfarlane Burnet, René Dubos, and Frank Fenner. They all drew on Darwinian evolutionism to fashion an integrative (but rarely holistic) understanding of disease processes, distinguishing themselves from reductionist "chemists" and mere "microbe hunters." They sought a more complex, biologically informed epidemiology. Their emphasis on competition and mutualism in the animated environment differed from the physical determinism that prevailed in much medical geography and environmental health research. Disease ecology derived in part from studies of the interaction of organisms - micro and macro - in tropical medicine, veterinary pathology, and immunology. It developed in postcolonial settler societies. Once a minority interest, disease ecology has attracted more attention since the 1980s for its explanations of disease emergence, antibiotic resistance, bioterrorism, and the health impacts of climate change.

  3. Twentieth-century fire patterns in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area, Idaho/Montana, and the Gila/Aldo Leopold Wilderness Complex, New Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matthew Rollins; Tom Swetnam; Penelope Morgan

    2000-01-01

    Twentieth century fire patterns were analyzed for two large, disparate wilderness areas in the Rocky Mountains. Spatial and temporal patterns of fires were represented as GIS-based digital fire atlases compiled from archival Forest Service data. We find that spatial and temporal fire patterns are related to landscape features and changes in land use. The rate and...

  4. Comparing early twentieth century and present-day atmospheric pollution in SW France: A story of lichens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agnan, Y.; Séjalon-Delmas, N.; Probst, A.

    2013-01-01

    Lichens have long been known to be good indicators of air quality and atmospheric deposition. Xanthoria parietina was selected to investigate past (sourced from a herbarium) and present-day trace metal pollution in four sites from South-West France (close to Albi). Enrichment factors, relationships between elements and hierarchical classification indicated that the atmosphere was mainly impacted by coal combustion (as shown by As, Pb or Cd contamination) during the early twentieth century, whereas more recently, another mixture of pollutants (e.g. Sb, Sn, Pb and Cu) from local factories and car traffic has emerged. The Rare Earth Elements (REE) and other lithogenic elements indicated a higher dust content in the atmosphere in the early twentieth century and a specific lithological local signature. In addition to long-range atmospheric transport, local urban emissions had a strong impact on trace element contamination registered in lichens, particularly for contemporary data. - Highlights: ► We compared metal concentrations registered in contemporary and early 1900's lichens. ► In the past, As, Pb and Cd were enriched due to coal combustion. ► Nowadays, a new mixture of enriched contaminants (Sb, Sn, Pb and Cu) was evidenced. ► REE originated from local bedrock and proved an increased dust deposition in the past. ► Lichens recorded both local and long-range atmospheric contamination. - Using lichens registration, past (As, Pb, Cd) and recent (Sb, Sn, Cu) atmospheric pollution from local and long-range transport, as well as dust deposition, was evidenced in SW France.

  5. Social Stigma In Leprosy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahjabeen Alam

    1997-12-01

    Full Text Available Leprosy is a disease associated with a strong social stigma and fear. This is due to the disfigurations and crippling which it causes, resulting in socio-eco­nomic hardships for the victims. Also, misconcep­tions and erroneous beliefs about leprosy abound, even now, and in almost all the sections of the popu­lation. The human and social impact and the age - old prejudices against the disease add insult to injury. Even the law, and media have played a very damaging role for the leprosy patients by perpetuating the stigma of leprosy. The strategy for elimination of leprosy must specially stress on the psycho-social aspects of the disease and also the rehabilitation of the leprosy patient in the home, work place and society. There is absolutely no need to regard leprosy as ‘special’ and the well - being of leprosy patients should become an integral part of the general health services of the community.

  6. Maintaining Masculinity in Mid-Twentieth-Century American Psychology: Edwin Boring, Scientific Eminence, and the "Woman Problem".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rutherford, Alexandra

    2015-01-01

    Using mid-twentieth-century American psychology as my focus, I explore how scientific psychology was constructed as a distinctly masculine enterprise and was navigated by those who did not conform easily to this masculine ideal. I show how women emerged as problems for science through the vigorous gatekeeping activities and personal and professional writings of disciplinary figurehead Edwin G. Boring. I trace Boring's intellectual and professional socialization into masculine science and his efforts to understand women's apparent lack of scientific eminence, efforts that were clearly undergirded by preexisting and widely shared assumptions about men's and women's capacities and preferences.

  7. Illustrating phallic worship: uses of material objects and the production of sexual knowledge in eighteenth-century antiquarianism and early twentieth-century sexual science.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Funke, Jana; Fisher, Kate; Grove, Jen; Langlands, Rebecca

    2017-07-03

    This article reveals previously overlooked connections between eighteenth-century antiquarianism and early twentieth-century sexual science by presenting a comparative reading of two illustrated books: An Account of the Remains of the Worship of Priapus , by British antiquarian scholar Richard Payne Knight (1750-1824), and Die Weltreise eines Sexualforschers (The World Journey of a Sexologist), by German sexual scientist Magnus Hirschfeld (1868-1935). A close analysis of these publications demonstrates the special status of material artefacts and the strategic engagement with visual evidence in antiquarian and scientific writings about sex. Through its exploration of the similarities between antiquarian and sexual scientific thought, the article demonstrates the centrality of material culture to the production of sexual knowledge in the Western world. It also opens up new perspectives on Western intellectual history and on the intellectual origins of sexual science. While previous scholarship has traced the beginnings of sexual science back to nineteenth-century medical disciplines, this article shows that sexual scientists drew upon different forms of evidence and varied methodologies to produce sexual knowledge and secure scientific authority. As such, sexual science needs to be understood as a field with diverse intellectual roots that can be traced back (at least) to the eighteenth century.

  8. Two cases of leprosy from Žatec (Bohemia), dated to the turn of the 12th century and confirmed by DNA analysis for Mycobacterium leprae

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Likovský, Jakub; Urbanová, M.; Hájek, Martin; Černý, Viktor; Čech, Petr

    2006-01-01

    Roč. 33, č. 9 (2006), s. 1276-1283 ISSN 0305-4403 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z80020508 Keywords : Leprosy * mediaeval * aDNA * Mycobacterium leprae * Paleopathology Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology Impact factor: 1.322, year: 2006

  9. A Tale of Two Tails : Establishment Size and Labour Productivity in United States and German Manufacturing at the Start of the Twentieth Century

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veenstra, Joost; de Jong, Herman

    This paper studies the importance of establishment size for the German/US labour-productivity gap in manufacturing at the start of the twentieth century. First, we show that the left tail of the employment distribution by establishment size was larger in Germany than in the USA. Second, using US

  10. Antibodies to sulfatide in leprosy and leprosy reactions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Spierings, E.; de Vlieger, M.; Brand, A.; Klatser, P. R.; Ottenhoff, T. H.

    1999-01-01

    Antibodies to sulfatide have been reported in various demyelinating peripheral polyneuropathies. We have investigated the diagnostic value of these antibodies in leprosy. Anti-sulfatide IgM in leprosy patients was not significantly elevated. High anti-sulfatide IgG titers were observed in

  11. [Constant or break? On the relations between human genetics and eugenics in the Twentieth Century].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Germann, Pascal

    2015-07-01

    The history of human genetics has been a neglected topic in history of science and medicine for a long time. Only recently, have medical historians begun to pay more attention to the history of human heredity. An important research question deals with the interconnections between human genetics and eugenics. This paper addresses this question: By focusing on a Swiss case study, the investigation of the heredity of goiter, I will argue that there existed close but also ambiguous relations between heredity research and eugenics in the twentieth century. Studies on human heredity often produced evidence that challenged eugenic aims and ideas. Concurrently, however, these studies fostered visions of genetic improvement of human populations.

  12. The reformist triad and institutional forgetting of culture: a field study into twentieth-century Swedish social medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nyce, James M; Timpka, Toomas

    2012-01-01

    Social medicine deals with the interplay between medicine and society. An awareness of how analytical categories have emerged historically can strengthen the role the discipline can play in the societal reinventions of health care now under way around the world. This study examines the categories that informed social medicine in Sweden during the 20th century. An anthropological field study was conducted over a 12-year period in a Swedish academic clinical setting. Historical documents were used to link local-level issues with macro-level (here, national and European) contexts. Social medicine, modernity, and social democracy were found to share a common history and a common vision of what society should be. As a result, concepts from politics, ideology, economy, and science tended to be conflated. As a clinician at the study site explained, "samhälle [community] is both society and state". The consequence for social medicine is that culture has become neglected as an analytical category. This institutional amnesia has strongly influenced how 21st century social medicine, in this region of the world, has defined itself and its interests. To return a cultural perspective to social medicine, a critical distance must be kept between the analyses the discipline undertakes and the prevailing societal ideologies.

  13. Clinicohistopathological correlation of leprosy

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    A Shrestha

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Leprosy is a chronic infectious granulomatous disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It is a spectral disease which is classified into five groups according to Ridley and Jopling based on clinical, histological, microbiological and immunological criteria. Adequate clinical information combined with bacilloscopy and histopathology is helpful not only in classification of different types of leprosy but also useful for management of the cases.METHOD: 50 cases of leprosy were examined and clinical data was recorded. Slit skin smears were stained with Ziehl Neelsen stain. Skin biopsy was stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin stain and Fite Farraco stain was performed to demonstrate acid fast bacilli. All patients were classified according to Ridley & Jopling classification. Clinico-histopathological correlation was done. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 16.0.RESULTS: Most common histological type of leprosy was tuberculoid leprosy seen in 19(38% cases followed by indeterminate leprosy. Overall clinico-histopathological correlation was seen in 39.58%. The correlation was highest in indeterminate and histoid leprosy (100% followed by lepromatous leprosy (66.66 %% and tuberculoid leprosy (50%. Slit skin smear showed bacilli in 12 out of 48 cases (25% while biopsy showed bacilli in 16 out of 48 cases (33.3%.CONCLUSION: In the present study, clinical diagnosis did not correlate with histopathological diagnosis significantly (p value=0.04159. The study emphasizes the role of histopathological and bacilloscopic examination to aid the clinical diagnosis for accurate typing of leprosy cases then better management of the patient.

  14. A Conservation Ethic and the Collecting of Animals by Institutions of Natural Heritage in the Twenty-First Century: Case Study of the Australian Museum

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    Timothy Ikin

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Collecting of animals from their habitats for preservation by museums and related bodies is a core operation of such institutions. Conservation of biodiversity in the current era is a priority in the scientific agendas of museums of natural heritage in Australia and the world. Intuitively, to take animals from the wild, while engaged in scientific or other practices that are supposed to promote their ongoing survival, may appear be incompatible. The Australian Museum presents an interesting ground to consider zoological collecting by museums in the twenty-first century. Anderson and Reeves in 1994 argued that a milieu existed that undervalued native species, and that the role of natural history museums, up to as late as the mid-twentieth century, was only to make a record the faunal diversity of Australia, which would inevitably be extinct. Despite the latter, conservation of Australia’s faunal diversity is a key aspect of research programmes in Australia’s institutions of natural heritage in the current era. This paper analyses collecting of animals, a core task for institutions of natural heritage, and how this interacts with a professed “conservation ethic” in a twenty-first century Australian setting.

  15. Perceived Stigma towards Leprosy among Community Members Living Close to Nonsomboon Leprosy Colony in Thailand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaehler, Nils; Adhikar, Bipin; Raut, Shristi; Marahatta, Sujan Babu; Chapman, Robert Sedgwick

    2015-01-01

    Background Interpretation of Leprosy as a sickness differs among society. The set of beliefs, knowledge and perceptions towards a disease play a vital role in the construction of stigma towards a disease. The main purpose of this study was to explore the extent and correlates of the perceived stigma towards leprosy in the community living close to the leprosy colony in Non Somboon region of Khon Kaen Province of Thailand. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 257 leprosy unaffected community participants, above the age of 18 who were living close to the Leprosy colony in Non Somboon region of Thailand. Each participant was asked a questionnaire containing characteristics of the participants in terms of socio-demographic background and knowledge regarding the disease. In addition perceived stigma towards leprosy was measured using EMIC (Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue) questionnaire. Results Among EMIC items, shame or embarrassment in the community due to leprosy was felt by 54.5%, dislike to buy food from leprosy affected persons were 49.8% and difficulty to find work for leprosy affected persons were perceived by 47.1%. Higher total EMIC score was found in participants age 61 years or older (p = 0.021), staying longer in the community (p = 0.005), attending fewer years of education (p = 0.024) and who were unemployed (p = 0.08). Similarly, perceptions about leprosy such as difficult to treat (p = 0.015), severe disease (p = 0.004) and punishment by God (p = 0.011) were significantly associated with higher perceived stigma. Conclusions Perceived stigma towards leprosy was found highest among participants with age 61 years or older, longer duration of stay in community close to the leprosy colony, lower duration of education and participants who were unemployed had higher perceived stigma. Similarly, participants with perceptions of leprosy such as difficult to treat, severe disease and punishment by God had higher perceived stigma towards

  16. History and Diversity of Citrus leprosis virus Recorded in Herbarium Specimens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartung, John S; Roy, Avijit; Fu, Shimin; Shao, Jonathan; Schneider, William L; Brlansky, Ronald H

    2015-09-01

    Leprosis refers to two diseases of citrus that present similar necrotic local lesions, often surrounded by chlorotic haloes on citrus. Two distinct viruses are associated with this disease, one that produces particles primarily in the nucleus of infected plant cells (Citrus leprosis virus nuclear type [CiLV-N]; Dichorhavirus) and another type that produces particles in the cytoplasm of infected plant cells (Citrus leprosis virus cytoplasmic type [CiLV-C]; Cilevirus). Both forms are transmitted by Brevipalpid mites and have bipartite, single-stranded, RNA genomes. CiLV-C and CiLV-N are present in South and Central America and as far north as parts of Mexico. Although leprosis disease was originally described from Florida, it disappeared from there in the 1960s. The United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service maintains preserved citrus specimens identified at inspection stations 50 or more years ago with symptoms of citrus leprosis. We isolated RNA from these samples and performed degradome sequencing. We obtained nearly full-length genome sequences of both a typical CiLV-C isolate intercepted from Argentina in 1967 and a distinct CiLV-N isolate obtained in Florida in 1948. The latter is a novel form of CiLV-N, not known to exist anywhere in the world today. We have also documented the previously unreported presence of CiLV-N in Mexico in the mid-20th century.

  17. The losting memory and the mourning writing in two Portuguese novels of the second half of twentieth century

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    Maristela Kirst de Lima Girola

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available This essay aims to analyze how is the writing of the mourning in two Portuguese novels, A Sibila (1954 by Agustina Bessa-Luís and Não entres tão depressa nessa noite escura (2000 by António Lobo Antunes. These novels have different literary styles and were published in different moments in the second half of the twentieth century, but both use the memory as an important resource for telling about traumatic events in the life of those characters who responsible for the writing.

  18. Diagnostic accuracy of slit skin smears in leprosy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naveed, T.; Shaikh, Z.

    2015-01-01

    To determine the diagnostic accuracy of slit skin smears in clinically suspected patients of leprosy using histopathology as gold standard. Study Design: Validation study Place and Duration of Study: Study was carried out at Rawalpindi Leprosy Hospital, Dermatology Department Military Hospital (MH) and Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Rawalpindi from 18th August 2012 to 18 Feb 2013. Methods: Appropriate technical and ethical approval for the study and patient consent were obtained. All suspected patients of leprosy of any age and either gender having typical hypo-aesthetic or anesthetic, erythematous or hypo-pigmented scaly skin lesions on any part of body were included in this study. All patients who have already received treatment for leprosy, patients with pure neural leprosy, patient not giving their consent for skin biopsy and patients with lepra reactions were excluded from this study. Forty eight patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Sample size had been calculated by using WHO sample size calculator taking confidence level 95%, absolute precision required 14% and anticipated population proportion 40%. Non-probability consecutive sampling technique was used to collect sample. Results: The results of the study revealed that out of 48 clinically suspected patients of leprosy skin biopsy confirmed the diagnosis in 34 patients (70.8%) and the slit skin smear had diagnostic accuracy of 68.75% with sensitivity 55.8% and specificity and positive predictive value of 100%. Conclusion: Study suggested that although slit skin smears are rapid and inexpensive method of diagnosis but their diagnostic accuracy is low. (author)

  19. Women and political struggles: achievements and limitations lived in the second half of twentieth century

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    Flávia Fernandes de Carvalhaes

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The second half of the twentieth century was a period marked by important achievements and setbacks in the struggle for women's rights field. This study mapped out and described part of speeches, images and movements undertaken in that historical period and its effects on people's lives. Adopting a perspective of historical and theoretical analysis, the description looked up, first, the struggles carried out in some countries of Europe and the United States, highlighting its main challenges and difficulties. Then, the struggles undertaken are mapped in Brazil, with the analysis axis facing women inequality. Finally, it is considered that the political struggles carried out in the analyzed period had as greatest merits the disruption and exploitation of gender boundaries.

  20. Bone island and leprosy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carpintero, P.; Garcia-Frasquet, A.; Tarradas, E.; Logrono, C.; Carrascal, A.; Carreto, A.

    1998-01-01

    Objective. To determine the incidence of bone islands in leprosy patients. Design. X-rays of feet and hands of patients with Hansen's disease (leprosy) were reviewed retrospectively. A second group of related age- and sex-matched patients who did not have Hansen's disease was used for control purposes. Controls had undergone hand or foot X-rays during diagnosis of other pathologies. The patients with Hansen's disease were compared with the control group, and were also analyzed as subgroups with different types of leprosy. The results were subjected to statistical analysis. Patients. Ninety patients with Hansen's disease were randomly selected for this study. Patients who had had ulcers on hands or feet were excluded from the study. Results and conclusions. Bone islands were demonstrated in 20 patients with Hansen's disease; no bone islands were observed in the controls. This was statistically significant (P<0.01). Bone islands were only seen in patients with lepromatous leprosy and borderline types but were not demonstrated in patients with tuberculoid leprosy. There was also a statistically significant relationship for a disease duration of 15 years or more. The cause of this raised incidence of enostosis in leprosy patients is not clear, but there may be a genetic predisposition in patients with leprosy, or it may be a side effect of leprosy, especially the lepromatous form. (orig.)

  1. Argentina in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century: the intellectual field in Criminalogia Moderna magazine and its relation to the positivist project

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    Hugo de Carvalho Quinta

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available This article aims to discuss the beginning of criminology in Argentina in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, to understand how it was articulated during the nation-state building process. To achieve this purpose, a state project reflection unfolded in criminological perspective that is based on legal positivism of the period was made. The country was forefront in interest in criminology in that some intellectuals jurists published numerous articles on the crime studies in the first criminology journal of Argentina, Criminalogia Moderna magazine, founded in 1898 and directed by the teacher, lawyer and intellectual Italian, Pietro Gori. The influence of European sociological perspective in Argentina criminology can be seen from a literature review. The examination of some articles published in the journal indicates how criminology introduced in Europe grounds the buenosairean intellectuality. Some authors have linked criminology with social phenomena of a nation increasingly industrialized, proletarianized, politicized and urbanized.

  2. Fumigating the Hygienic Model City: Bubonic Plague and the Sulfurozador in Early-Twentieth-Century Buenos Aires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engelmann, Lukas

    2018-07-01

    The 1899/1900 arrival of bubonic plague in Argentina had thrown the model status of Buenos Aires as a hygienic city into crisis. Where the idea of foreign threats and imported epidemics had dominated the thinking of Argentina's sanitarians at that time, plague renewed concerns about hidden threats within the fabric of the capital's dense environment; concerns that led to new sanitary measures and unprecedented rat-campaigns supported by the large-scale application of sulphur dioxide. The article tells the story of early twentieth-century urban sanitation in Buenos Aires through the lens of a new industrial disinfection apparatus. The Aparato Marot, also known as Sulfurozador was acquired and integrated in the capital's sanitary administration by the epidemiologist José Penna in 1906 to materialise two key lessons learned from plague. First, the machine was supposed to translate the successful disinfection practices of global maritime sanitation into urban epidemic control in Argentina. Second, the machine's design enabled public health authorities to reinvigorate a traditional hygienic concern for the entirety of the city's terrain. While the Sulfurozador offered effective destruction of rats, it promised also a comprehensive - and utopian - disinfection of the whole city, freeing it from all imaginable pathogens, insects as well as rodents. In 1910, the successful introduction of the Sulfurozador encouraged Argentina's medico-political elite to introduce a new principle of 'general prophylaxis'. This article places the apparatus as a technological modernisation of traditional sanitary practices in the bacteriological age, which preserved the urban environment - 'el terreno' - as a principal site of intervention. Thus, the Sulfurozador allowed the 'higienistas' to sustain a long-standing utopian vision of all-encompassing social, bodily and political hygiene into the twentieth century.

  3. Borderline lepromatous leprosy with neurofibromatosis

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    Angoori Gnaneshwar

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The coexistence of leprosy with neurofibromatosis is rare both the diseases present with nerve thickening and skin lesions (patches and nodules. The coexistence of neurofibroma with borderline tuberculoid, lepromatous, histoid, and neuritic leprosy has been reported in the past. We report here a case of borderline lepromatous leprosy coexisting with neurofibromatosis in a 60 year-old male, who presented with neurofibromata and nerve thickening. Histopathology of skin biopsy from the leprosy and neurofibroma nodules confirmed the diagnosis of leprosy and neurofibroma.

  4. Histoid leprosy: review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Sunil Kumar

    2015-11-01

    Leprosy is a chronic granulomatous inflammation primarily of the peripheral nervous system, skin, and reticuloendothelial system caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It presents clinically as an erythematous or hypopigmented anesthetic patch and a thickened and/or tender cutaneous nerve trunk. Leprosy is also called Hansen disease. Leprosy is a great imitator of other skin diseases, and it can present with different morphological lesions, which is why an expert eye is needed to diagnose it. One of the important clinical presentations of leprosy is histoid leprosy, which is very difficult to diagnose due to different clinical and histopathological findings that mimic, e.g., a fibromatous disorder. Histoid leprosy is a very rare clinicopathological variant of leprosy. It is clinically characterized by skin-colored, soft, succulent nodules, and plaques on apparently normal skin and histologically by a dense bundle of histiocytes arranged in storiform. Though histoid leprosy is a very rare type of leprosy, the higher load of lepra bacilli in these cases makes it a concern as a reservoir for leprosy. © 2015 The International Society of Dermatology.

  5. Religion or Citizenship? Beyond the Binary; Lessons after a Century of Disagreement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caride, Ezequiel Gomez

    2018-01-01

    This article describes how different approaches to religion (institutional and cultural) lead to startlingly different conclusions when analyzing how religion shapes the republican citizen. Through a genealogical discourse analysis, I examine educational reports issued by Argentinean authorities in the early twentieth century that made the Jew out…

  6. Bone island and leprosy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carpintero, P.; Garcia-Frasquet, A. [Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Cordoba University, Medical School, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Cordoba (Spain); Tarradas, E. [Department of Imaging, Cordoba University, Medical School, Cordoba (Spain); Logrono, C. [Department of Dermatology, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Cordoba (Spain); Carrascal, A. [Department of Radiology, Infanta Elena Hospital, Huelva (Spain); Carreto, A. [Department of Radiology, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Cordoba (Spain)

    1998-06-01

    Objective. To determine the incidence of bone islands in leprosy patients. Design. X-rays of feet and hands of patients with Hansen`s disease (leprosy) were reviewed retrospectively. A second group of related age- and sex-matched patients who did not have Hansen`s disease was used for control purposes. Controls had undergone hand or foot X-rays during diagnosis of other pathologies. The patients with Hansen`s disease were compared with the control group, and were also analyzed as subgroups with different types of leprosy. The results were subjected to statistical analysis. Patients. Ninety patients with Hansen`s disease were randomly selected for this study. Patients who had had ulcers on hands or feet were excluded from the study. Results and conclusions. Bone islands were demonstrated in 20 patients with Hansen`s disease; no bone islands were observed in the controls. This was statistically significant (P<0.01). Bone islands were only seen in patients with lepromatous leprosy and borderline types but were not demonstrated in patients with tuberculoid leprosy. There was also a statistically significant relationship for a disease duration of 15 years or more. The cause of this raised incidence of enostosis in leprosy patients is not clear, but there may be a genetic predisposition in patients with leprosy, or it may be a side effect of leprosy, especially the lepromatous form. (orig.) With 4 figs., 2 tabs., 9 refs.

  7. Balkans as a cultural symbol in the Serbian music of the first half of the twentieth century

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    Milanović Biljana

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Focus on the internalization of Western images in the Balkans has special significance in researching Serbian art. The functioning of Balkanism as it overlapped and intersected with Orientalism is indicated in the text by an examination of the cases of Petar Konjović, Miloje Milojević and Josip Slavenski, the three significant composers working in Serbia during the first half of the twentieth century. Their modernistic projects present different metaphors of the Balkans. Nevertheless each of them is marked by desire to change the Balkan image into a 'positive' one and thus stands as a special voice for Serbian and regional placing in European competition for musical spaces.

  8. A historical perspective on the development of modern concepts of tissue perfusion: prehistory to the twentieth century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashby, Nathan; Squiers, Joshua

    2014-09-01

    The historical development of the concept of perfusion is traced, with particular focus on the development of the modern clinical concepts of perfusion through the fields of anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. This article reviews many of the significant contributors to the changing ideas of perfusion up through the twentieth century that have influenced the modern physiologic circulatory and metabolic models. The developments outlined have provided the modern model of perfusion, linking the cardiopulmonary circulation, tissue oxygen utilization and carbon dioxide production, food intake, tissue waste production and elimination, and ultimately the production and utilization of ATP in the body. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Multi-year climate variability in the Southwestern United States within a context of a dynamically downscaled twentieth century reanalysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrillo, Carlos M.; Castro, Christopher L.; Chang, Hsin-I.; Luong, Thang M.

    2017-12-01

    This investigation evaluates whether there is coherency in warm and cool season precipitation at the low-frequency scale that may be responsible for multi-year droughts in the US Southwest. This low-frequency climate variability at the decadal scale and longer is studied within the context of a twentieth-century reanalysis (20CR) and its dynamically-downscaled version (DD-20CR). A spectral domain matrix methods technique (Multiple-Taper-Method Singular Value Decomposition) is applied to these datasets to identify statistically significant spatiotemporal precipitation patterns for the cool (November-April) and warm (July-August) seasons. The low-frequency variability in the 20CR is evaluated by exploring global to continental-scale spatiotemporal variability in moisture flux convergence (MFC) to the occurrence of multiyear droughts and pluvials in Central America, as this region has a demonstrated anti-phase relationship in low-frequency climate variability with northern Mexico and the southwestern US By using the MFC in lieu of precipitation, this study reveals that the 20CR is able to resolve well the low-frequency, multiyear climate variability. In the context of the DD-20CR, multiyear droughts and pluvials in the southwestern US (in the early twentieth century) are significantly related to this low-frequency climate variability. The precipitation anomalies at these low-frequency timescales are in phase between the cool and warm seasons, consistent with the concept of dual-season drought as has been suggested in tree ring studies.

  10. Twentieth-century atmospheric river activity along the west coasts of Europe and North America: algorithm formulation, reanalysis uncertainty and links to atmospheric circulation patterns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brands, S.; Gutiérrez, J. M.; San-Martín, D.

    2017-05-01

    A new atmospheric-river detection and tracking scheme based on the magnitude and direction of integrated water vapour transport is presented and applied separately over 13 regions located along the west coasts of Europe (including North Africa) and North America. Four distinct reanalyses are considered, two of which cover the entire twentieth-century: NOAA-CIRES Twentieth Century Reanalysis v2 (NOAA-20C) and ECMWF ERA-20C. Calculations are done separately for the OND and JFM-season and, for comparison with previous studies, for the ONDJFM-season as a whole. Comparing the AR-counts from NOAA-20C and ERA-20C with a running 31-year window looping through 1900-2010 reveals differences in the climatological mean and inter-annual variability which, at the start of the twentieth-century, are much more pronounced in western North America than in Europe. Correlating European AR-counts with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) reveals a pattern reminiscent of the well-know precipitation dipole which is stable throughout the entire century. A similar analysis linking western North American AR-counts to the North Pacific index (NPI) is hampered by the aforementioned poor reanalysis agreement at the start of the century. During the second half of the twentieth-century, the strength of the NPI-link considerably varies with time in British Columbia and the Gulf of Alaska. Considering the period 1950-2010, AR-counts are then associated with other relevant large-scale circulation indices such as the East Atlantic, Scandinavian, Pacific-North American and West Pacific patterns (EA, SCAND, PNA and WP). Along the Atlantic coastline of the Iberian Peninsula and France, the EA-link is stronger than the NAO-link if the OND season is considered and the SCAND-link found in northern Europe is significant during both seasons. Along the west coast of North America, teleconnections are generally stronger during JFM in which case the NPI-link is significant in any of the five considered

  11. The cultural policy in Italy and the innovations of the XXI century

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    Olimpia Niglio

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The paper analyzes the development of the first experiences of the sixteenth century cultural policy in Italy until the beginning of the twenty-first century with the institutional reform initiated by the Minister Dario Franceschini. In the pre-unification State it has been many important contributions of several local rulers who imposed conservation policies to prevent the dispersal of works of art. After the unification of Italy (1861 the laws of protection of the national heritage have helped to initiate the first important initiatives that have developed in practice only at the end of the twentieth century. Great institutional innovations and regulatory activated in the twenty-first century and of which this paper provides some important insights and deepening.

  12. Speeches and political practices towards infancy in the province of Buenos Aires. Girls and boys in the early twentieth century

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    Yolanda de Paz Trueba

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Based on the concern that abandoned and vulnerable children represented for governmental and intellectual elites in Argentina in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this paper analyses the vicissitudes around installation of a Patronato de Menores in the province of Buenos Aires. The article pays special attention to the relationship between budgetary issues and the political dimension, which colored parliamentary debate. I maintain that political centralization and the question of municipal autonomy crossed over into the debate surrounding children.

  13. Leprosy (Hansen's Disease)

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... with facebook share with twitter share with linkedin Leprosy (Hansen's Disease) Credit: NIAID Some classic histopathologic changes ... as Mycobacterium leprae . Why Is the Study of Leprosy (Hansen's Disease) a Priority for NIAID? At the ...

  14. Metal Construction Toys of the Early Twentieth Century: Their Astronomical Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rumstay, K. S.

    2004-12-01

    During the early twentieth century several toy manufacturers around the globe introduced construction toys in the form of sets of metal parts which could be assembled into a variety of models. The two most successful were the Erector Set, introduced in the United States by A.C. Gilbert in 1913, and the Meccano Set, patented in 1901 in England by Frank Hornby. Whereas the Erector Set never developed beyond being a child's toy, Hornby envisioned his Meccano system as providing a way to teach principles of mechanical engineering to young schoolboys. Indeed, his sets were first marketed under the name "Mechanics Made Easy", and were endorsed by Dr. H.S. Hele-Shaw, Head of the Engineering Department at Liverpool University. Popularity of the new Meccano sets spread throughout the world, spawning the formation of numerous amateur societies composed of adolescent boys and an increasing number of adult hobbyists. The variety of parts increased during the first third of the century, and increasingly sophisticated models were constructed and exhibited in competitive events. Among these were several clocks of remarkable accuracy, and at least one equatorial mounting for a small astronomical telescope. At the same time, many university science and engineering departments found these interchangeable metal parts invaluable in the construction of experimental apparatus. In 1934 a small-scale replica of Vannevar Bush's Differential Analyzer was constructed at the University of Manchester, and used for many years to perform mathematical computations. The introduction in 1928 of a flanged ring with 73 (a sub-multiple of 365) teeth allowed for construction of accurate orreries and astronomical clocks. The most remarkable of these was the Astronomical Clock constructed in the period 1924-1932 by M. Alexandre Rahm of Paris.

  15. Childhood leprosy: a retrospective descriptive study from Government Medical College, Kozhikode, Kerala, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sasidharanpillai, Sarita; Binitha, Manikoth Payyanadan; Riyaz, Najeeba; Ambooken, Betsy; Mariyath, Olasseri Kalathingal Reena; George, Biju; Janardhanan, Anisha Kanhirangattil; Sherjeena, Pentam Veli Beegum

    2014-06-01

    To assess the profile and describe the clinical presentations and complications of childhood leprosy in a tertiary care hospital in North Kerala, South India during 2003-2012 and to analyse any change in the age-sex profile and the clinical pattern of leprosy in children below the age of 15 years over the 10-year study period. A retrospective descriptive study of children less than 15 years of age diagnosed with leprosy and registered for treatment in a tertiary care institution from 2003 to 2012. Demographic, clinical, investigative and treatment data were collected using a pre-set proforma. 138 (12.1%) of the total 1143 leprosy cases registered for treatment during the 10-year period were below 15 years of age. The 10-year study period witnessed a statistically insignificant decrease in the new childhood leprosy cases registered for treatment in our tertiary care institution. The majority of cases belonged to the 6-12 year age group (61.6%) with a male predominance. Borderline tuberculoid (BT) was the commonest clinical type (65.9%) followed by indeterminate leprosy (18.8%); 101 patients required paucibacillary (PB) and 37 needed multibacillary (MB) treatment. The number of patients requiring MB treatment showed a statistically significant increase and there was a significant decline in number of cases requiring PB treatment. During the entire study period no Type 2 lepra reaction was documented in patients below Hema 15 years and only two patients manifested Type 1 reaction. Ten (7.2%) out of the 138 patients were cases of relapse. There was a clear female predilection among relapse cases with the majority belonging to the adolescent age. Childhood leprosy still contributes to a significant proportion of the total case load denoting the continuing active horizontal transmission of leprosy. The rise in number of patients with more extensive disease in the background of declining disease prevalence is suggestive of the delay in diagnosis and treatment. A high

  16. Representing and Coping with Early Twentieth-Century Chongqing: “Guide Songs” as Maps, Memory Cells, and Means of Creating Cultural Imagery

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    Igor Chabrowski

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Chongqing’s “guide songs” form an interesting subgenre among the broad category of haozi 號子 (workers’ songs. These early twentieth-century songs were a form of rhythm-based oral narrative describing Chongqing’s urban spaces, river docks, and harbors. Each toponym mentioned in the lyrics was followed by a depiction of the characteristic associations, whether visible or symbolic, of the place. This article aims to analyze the verbal images of Chongqing presented in these songs in order to understand how the city was remembered, reproduced, and represented. The article deconstructs representations of the city produced by the lower classes, mainly by Sichuan boatmen, and links culturally meaningful images of urban spaces with the historical experiences of work, religion, and historical-mythical memory. It also points to the functions that oral narratives had in the urban environment of early twentieth-century Chongqing. Rhythmic and easy to remember, the songs provided ready-to-use guides and repositories of knowledge useful to anyone living or working there. A cross between utilitarian resource books and cultural representations, they shaped modes of thinking and visualizations of urban spaces and Chongqing. Finally, this article responds to the need to employ popular culture in our thinking about Chinese cities and the multiplicity of meanings they were given in pre-Communist times.

  17. Development of Accounting Theories Specific to the National Accounting Literature of the First Half of Twentieth Century

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    Sorin Damian

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Need to identify plausible explanations of the principles underlying the double entry accountingover time determined by various manifestations of thought that have resulted in many theories. All thesetheories have proposed to explain and substantiate dopic formalism, but many of them no longer a valuetoday than a purely historical perspective. The representative of such theories has been many pages writtenRomanian and foreign authors in the first half of the twentieth century. Some Romanian authors mention theIoan E. Evian, D. Voina, CG Demetrescu, S. Iacobescu, Al. Sorescu, C. Pantu, C. Petrescu, Grigore-TrancuIaşi and others. Bibliography time accounting theories shared accounts: embryos of theories and scientifictheories.

  18. Italian news coverage of radiation in the early decades of the twentieth century: A qualitative and quantitative analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Candela, Andrea; Pasquarè Mariotto, Federico

    2016-02-01

    This work uses a qualitative approach coupled with a quantitative software-based methodology to examine the Italian news media coverage of radiation in the early decades of the twentieth century. We analyze 80 news stories from two of the most influential Italian newspapers from that time: La Stampa (a daily newspaper) and La Domenica del Corriere (an Italian Sunday supplement). While much of previous research on media coverage of scientific topics was generally focused on present-day news, our work revolves around the ground-breaking discovery of X-rays and radioactivity at the dawn of the last century. Our analysis aims to identify journalistic frames in the news coverage of radiation that journalists might have used to emphasize the benefits (or the risks) of the new discoveries. We also hypothesize how this kind of news coverage might have influenced public perception of technological, commercial, and public health applications of the new scientific advancements. © The Author(s) 2014.

  19. Drug therapy of leprosy

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    A. A. Kubanov

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Leprosy (Hansen’s disease is a chronic granulomatous bacterial infection mainly affecting the skin and peripheral nervous system yet also involving other organs and systems as a result of a pathological process. The causative agent of leprosy - Mycobacterium leprae - is an obligate intracellular microorganism. Despite the removal of a threat of a leprosy epidemic, European countries still record outbreaks of the disease mainly among migrants coming from endemic areas. A golden standard of the treatment of leprosy is a WHO-recommended combined drug therapy comprising drugs such as dapsone, clofazimine and rifampicin. The article provides current data on the mechanisms of action, efficacy and safety of these drugs and their combined scheme of treatment obtained as a result of clinical trials. Moreover, it also reviews new regimens of the drug therapy of leprosy including those with the use of drugs from the group of fluoroquinols as well as immunotherapy of the disease.

  20. The return of the phoenix: the 1963 International Congress of Zoology and American zoologists in the twentieth century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Kristin

    2009-01-01

    This paper examines the International Congress of Zoology held in Washington D.C. in 1963 as a portrait of American zoologists' search for effective and rewarding relationships with both each other and the public. Organizers of the congress envisioned the congress as a last ditch effort to unify the disparate subdisciplines of zoology, overcome the barriers of specialization, and ward off the heady claims of more reductionist biologists. The problems zoologists faced as they worked to fulfill these ambitious goals illuminate some of the challenges faced by members of the naturalist tradition as they worked to establish disciplinary unity while seeking public support in the competitive world of twentieth century science.

  1. The German genius Europe's third renaissance, the second scientific revolution, and the twentieth century

    CERN Document Server

    Watson, Peter

    2010-01-01

    Peter Watson's virtuoso sweep through modern German thought and culture, from 1750 to the present day, will challenge and confound both the stereotypes the world has of Germany and those that Germany has of itself. From the end of the Baroque era and the death of Bach to the rise of Hitler in 1933, Germany was transformed from a poor relation among Western nations into a dominant intellectual and cultural force—more creative and influential than France, Britain, Italy, Holland, and the United States. In the early decades of the twentieth century, German artists, writers, scholars, philosophers, scientists, and engineers were leading their freshly unified country to new and unimagined heights. By 1933, Germans had won more Nobel Prizes than any other nationals, and more than the British and Americans combined. Yet this remarkable genius was cut down in its prime by Adolf Hitler and his disastrous Third Reich—a brutal legacy that has overshadowed the nation's achievements ever since. How did the Germans t...

  2. Taming the unknown a history of algebra from antiquity to the early twentieth century

    CERN Document Server

    Katz, Victor J

    2014-01-01

    What is algebra? For some, it is an abstract language of x's and y's. For mathematics majors and professional mathematicians, it is a world of axiomatically defined constructs like groups, rings, and fields. Taming the Unknown considers how these two seemingly different types of algebra evolved and how they relate. Victor Katz and Karen Parshall explore the history of algebra, from its roots in the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, China, and India, through its development in the medieval Islamic world and medieval and early modern Europe, to its modern form in the early twentieth century. Defining algebra originally as a collection of techniques for determining unknowns, the authors trace the development of these techniques from geometric beginnings in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia and classical Greece. They show how similar problems were tackled in Alexandrian Greece, in China, and in India, then look at how medieval Islamic scholars shifted to an algorithmic stage, which was further dev...

  3. A comparative study of the quality of life, knowledge, attitude and belief about leprosy disease among leprosy patients and community members in Shantivan Leprosy Rehabilitation centre, Nere, Maharashtra, India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Madhavi J Mankar

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Leprosy a chronic infectious affliction, is a communicable disease that posses a risk of permanent and progressive disability. The associated visible deformities and disabilities have contributed to the stigma and discrimination experienced by leprosy patients, even among those who have been cured. Aims and Objectives: 1 To assess the knowledge, attitude and belief about leprosy in leprosy patients compared with community members. 2 To find the perceived stigma among leprosy patients. 3. To evaluate the quality of life in leprosy patients as compared to community members using WHO Quality of Life assessment questionaire (WHOQOL- BREF. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted at Leprosy Rehabilitation Centre, Shantivan, Nere in Panvel Taluka, district Raigad from October - December 2009. A pre-designed and pre-structured questionaire was used to evaluate knowledge, attitude and perceived stigma among leprosy patients and community members. WHO Quality of life questionaire (WHOQOL-BREF was used to assess quality of life in leprosy patients and controls. Data analysis was done with the help of SPSS package. Result: Among the cases and control, 43.13% of cases were aware that leprosy is an infectious disease compared to 20.69% of control. 68.62% of cases had knowledge of hypopigmented patches being a symptom of leprosy compared to the 25.86% in control. There was overall high level of awareness about disease, symptoms, transmission and curability in leprosy patients as compared to control. Among control group, 43.10% of population said that they would not like food to be served by leprosy patients as compared to 13.73% in study group. It was seen that the discrimination was much higher in female leprosy patients as compared to male leprosy patients. The mean quality of life scores for cases was significantly lower than those for control group in physical and psychological domain but not in the social relationship and

  4. A Study of Selenium in Leprosy

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    Donna Partogi

    2018-03-01

    CONCLUSIONS: Selenium serum levels of patients with PB leprosy are higher than patients with MB leprosy, and high bacteriological index in patients with leprosy were correlated with low selenium serum levels.

  5. Traveling with faith: the creation of women's immigrant aid associations in nineteenth and twentieth-century France.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machen, Emily

    2011-01-01

    This article explores the efforts of French Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish women to morally, spiritually, and physically protect immigrant and migrant women and girls in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Women of faith worried about the dangers posed by the white slave trade, and they feared the loss of spiritual consciousness among women living far from their families and their places of worship. In response to these concerns, they developed numerous faith-based international organizations aimed at protecting vulnerable working-class immigrants. Upper-class women's work in immigrant aid societies allowed them to take on much greater social and religious leadership roles than they had in the past. Likewise, the intricate, international networks that these women developed contributed to the building of international cooperation throughout Europe.

  6. Potentially induced earthquakes during the early twentieth century in the Los Angeles Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hough, Susan E.; Page, Morgan T.

    2016-01-01

    Recent studies have presented evidence that early to mid‐twentieth‐century earthquakes in Oklahoma and Texas were likely induced by fossil fuel production and/or injection of wastewater (Hough and Page, 2015; Frohlich et al., 2016). Considering seismicity from 1935 onward, Hauksson et al. (2015) concluded that there is no evidence for significant induced activity in the greater Los Angeles region between 1935 and the present. To explore a possible association between earthquakes prior to 1935 and oil and gas production, we first revisit the historical catalog and then review contemporary oil industry activities. Although early industry activities did not induce large numbers of earthquakes, we present evidence for an association between the initial oil boom in the greater Los Angeles area and earthquakes between 1915 and 1932, including the damaging 22 June 1920 Inglewood and 8 July 1929 Whittier earthquakes. We further consider whether the 1933 Mw 6.4 Long Beach earthquake might have been induced, and show some evidence that points to a causative relationship between the earthquake and activities in the Huntington Beach oil field. The hypothesis that the Long Beach earthquake was either induced or triggered by an foreshock cannot be ruled out. Our results suggest that significant earthquakes in southern California during the early twentieth century might have been associated with industry practices that are no longer employed (i.e., production without water reinjection), and do not necessarily imply a high likelihood of induced earthquakes at the present time.

  7. Alfred Owre: revisiting the thought of a distinguished, though controversial, early twentieth-century dental educator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nash, David A

    2013-08-01

    Many in dental education are unfamiliar with the professional life and thought of Dr. Alfred Owre, a distinguished though controversial dental educator in the early twentieth century. Owre served as dean of dentistry at both the University of Minnesota, 1905-27, and Columbia University, 1927-33. He was also a member of the Carnegie Foundation's commission that developed the report Dental Education in the United States and Canada, written by Dr. William J. Gies. Owre was a controversial leader due to his creative and original ideas that challenged dental education and the profession. His assessment and critique of the problems of dental education in his era can readily be applied to contemporary dental education and the profession, just as his vision for transformative change resonates with ideas that continue to be advocated by some individuals today. This article also documents his tumultuous relationship with Gies.

  8. The involvement of endothelial mediators in leprosy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nogueira, Maria Renata Sales; Latini, Ana Carla Pereira; Nogueira, Maria Esther Salles

    2016-10-01

    Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that requires better understanding since it continues to be a significant health problem in many parts of the world. Leprosy reactions are acute inflammatory episodes regarded as the central etiology of nerve damage in the disease. The activation of endothelium is a relevant phenomenon to be investigated in leprosy reactions. The present study evaluated the expression of endothelial factors in skin lesions and serum samples of leprosy patients. Immunohistochemical analysis of skin samples and serum measurements of VCAM-1, VEGF, tissue factor and thrombomodulin were performed in 77 leprosy patients and 12 controls. We observed significant increase of VCAM-1 circulating levels in non-reactional leprosy (p = 0.0009). The immunostaining of VEGF and tissue factor was higher in endothelium of non-reactional leprosy (p = 0.02 for both) than healthy controls. Patients with type 1 reaction presented increased thrombomodulin serum levels, compared with non-reactional leprosy (p = 0.02). In type 2 reaction, no significant modifications were observed for the endothelial factors investigated. The anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities of the endotfhelial factors may play key-roles in the pathogenesis of leprosy and should be enrolled in studies focusing on alternative targets to improve the management of leprosy and its reactions.

  9. Leprosy exposure, infection and disease: a 25-year surveillance study of leprosy patient contacts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarno, Euzenir Nunes; Duppre, Nadia Cristina; Sales, Anna Maria; Hacker, Mariana Andréa; Nery, José Augusto; de Matos, Haroldo José

    2012-12-01

    Contact surveillance is a valuable strategy for controlling leprosy. A dynamic cohort study of leprosy contacts was initiated in 1987 at Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. The objective of this work was to review the data on the major risk factors leading up to the infectious stage of the disease, estimate incidence rates of leprosy in the cohort and characterise the risk factors for the disease among the contacts under surveillance. The incidence rate of leprosy among contacts of leprosy patients was estimated at 0.01694 cases per person-year in the first five years of follow-up. The following factors were associated with acquiring the disease: (i) not receiving the BCG vaccine, (ii) a negative Mitsuda reaction and (iii) contact with a patient with a multibacillary clinical form of leprosy. The contacts of index patients who had high bacilloscopic index scores > 1 were at especially high risk of infection. The following factors were associated with infection, which was defined as a seropositive reaction for anti-phenolic glicolipid-1 IgM: (i) young age (< 20 years), (ii) a low measured Mitsuda reaction (< 5 mm) and (iii) contact with an index patient who had a high bacilloscopic index. BCG vaccination and re-vaccination were shown to be protective among household contacts. The main conclusions of this study indicate an urgent need for additional leprosy control strategies in areas with a high incidence of the disease.

  10. Leprosy exposure, infection and disease: a 25-year surveillance study of leprosy patient contacts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Euzenir Nunes Sarno

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Contact surveillance is a valuable strategy for controlling leprosy. A dynamic cohort study of leprosy contacts was initiated in 1987 at Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. The objective of this work was to review the data on the major risk factors leading up to the infectious stage of the disease, estimate incidence rates of leprosy in the cohort and characterise the risk factors for the disease among the contacts under surveillance. The incidence rate of leprosy among contacts of leprosy patients was estimated at 0.01694 cases per person-year in the first five years of follow-up. The following factors were associated with acquiring the disease: (i not receiving the BCG vaccine, (ii a negative Mitsuda reaction and (iii contact with a patient with a multibacillary clinical form of leprosy. The contacts of index patients who had high bacilloscopic index scores > 1 were at especially high risk of infection. The following factors were associated with infection, which was defined as a seropositive reaction for anti-phenolic glicolipid-1 IgM: (i young age (< 20 years, (ii a low measured Mitsuda reaction (< 5 mm and (iii contact with an index patient who had a high bacilloscopic index. BCG vaccination and re-vaccination were shown to be protective among household contacts. The main conclusions of this study indicate an urgent need for additional leprosy control strategies in areas with a high incidence of the disease.

  11. The Preparation of the Diccionario biográfico obrero de Chile. Printed Culture and Working-class Sociability in the Early Twentieth Century

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan David Murillo Sandoval

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Printed between 1910 and 1919, the Diccionario biográfico obrero de Chile was the first book of its kind produced in Latin America in the twentieth century. Coordinated by journalist Osvaldo López, this dictionary sought to show the trajectories of leaders and representatives of the Chilean labor world to the beginning of the century. Although this work has served as a source for many investigations, little is known about its production process, and even less about their general contents, and what they indicate about the labor elites, their self-images, objectives or print culture. Therefore, this paper seeks to contribute to the analysis of this collective biography, by rebuilding its publishing history and examining the key feature which identified the workers: sociability.

  12. G. I. Benenson and A. D. Golitsyn: business partnership in the institutional context of Russian reality early twentieth century

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baryshnikov Mikhail, N.

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper is devoted to the research of the history of participation Benenson and Golitsyn in the formation of financial and industrial group Russian-British bank in the Russian Empire. It is necessary to emphasize, that in the beginning of the 20 century joint-stock companies have occupied a prevailing situation in the main industrial and financial spheres of the Russian economy already. The densities of production, made by them, was dominant in many industries, making 70-80%, and sometimes more. The formation and successful operation of the integrated companies and, above all, financial and industrial structures (groups is undoubtedly the most important factor in improving the efficiency and sustained growth in industrial production. The analysis of participation of G. Benenson and A. Golitsyn in the activity of the Russian-English bank and joint-stock company allows to reveal most important for leading branches of the Russian economy institutional parameters of industrial business in the beginning of the 20 century, including: a Larger or smaller independence owners in those or other kinds of enterprise activity; b Availability business and socio-cultural connections among other businessmen; c Efficiency to achieve a balance of individual and group interests; d A management of the firms having more open (joint-stock structures, or closed (share structures, kind of activity. The process of the company involving in the financialindustrial groups had, sometimes, inconsistent contents, was exposed to influence both positive, and negative economic, sociocultural and political factors (economic crisises, revolution, wars, ethnic and religious conflicts etc.. However general tendency in the development of a integrated component of the Russian business carried in the beginning of the 20 century in the whole favorable orientation, potentially promoting large changes in socio economic structure of the Russian society in this period.

  13. [Chaulmoogra oil as scientific knowledge: the construction of a treatment for leprosy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    dos Santos, Fernando Sergio Dumas; de Souza, Letícia Pumar Alves; Siani, Antonio Carlos

    2008-01-01

    The article investigates how knowledge of medicinal plants and related treatment practices are assimilated and transformed. Taking as its focus the use of chaulmoogra oil to treat leprosy, it examines how information on this plant was incorporated and transformed into scientifically validated knowledge when 'Brazilian chaulmoogra' came onto the scene. Pointing to the addition of chaulmoogra byproducts to the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz's production agenda in the 1920s, the study establishes links between productive processes and relates these to the period's scientific context. From the late nineteenth century until the 1940s, chaulmoogra oil was the great hope in efforts to cure leprosy. During this period, chaulmoogric treatment earned a place as scientific knowledge thanks to research studies conducted in laboratories throughout the Western world.

  14. Ninety-Eight Atheists: Atheism among the Non-Elite in Twentieth Century Britain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matt Sheard

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Widespread atheism in the general population is one of the defining characteristics of twentieth-century British society, yet until very recently, it has largely been unregarded by historians. This study attempts to contribute to the remedy of this omission by considering autobiographies and oral histories of non-elite atheists between 1890 and 1980. It shows that atheisation (the transition from religious belief to atheism is principally a phenomenon of childhood and adolescence, with 80% of the sources becoming atheist by the age of twenty. The reasons the subjects gave for their irreligion were varied, of greatest significance were nearly two thirds who regarded religion as irrelevant to their lives, showing a lack of engagement with religion, its concepts and rituals. Many of these were from weakly religious or irreligious backgrounds who experienced ‘irreligious socialisation’, rendering religion irrelevant and contributed significantly to the progress of atheisation. Religious trauma, criticism of religion, personal trauma, radical politics, and rationalism accounted for similar proportions of reasons, and were mentioned by only 12–18% of sources. The potential influence of parental attitude to religion, other childhood experiences, religious education, reducing existential threat, historic events, and the social revolution of the 1960s are also considered as ‘unarticulated causes’ of the subjects’ irreligion.

  15. Leprosy trends in Zambia 1991-2009

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kapata, Nathan; Chanda-Kapata, Pascalina; Grobusch, Martin Peter; O'Grady, Justin; Bates, Matthew; Mwaba, Peter; Zumla, Alimuddin

    2012-01-01

    To document leprosy trends in Zambia over the past two decades to ascertain the importance of leprosy as a health problem in Zambia. Retrospective study covering the period 1991-2009 of routine national leprosy surveillance data, published national programme review reports and desk reviews of

  16. Genetics of leprosy reactions: an overview

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vinicius Fava

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Type-1 (T1R and Type-2 (T2R leprosy reactions (LR, which affect up to 50% of leprosy patients, are aggressive inflammatory episodes of sudden onset and highly variable incidence across populations. LR are often diagnosed concurrently with leprosy, but more frequently occur several months after treatment onset. It is not uncommon for leprosy patients to develop recurring reactional episodes; however, they rarely undergo both types of LR. Today, LR are the main cause of permanent disabilities associated with leprosy and represent a major challenge in the clinical management of leprosy patients. Although progress has been made in understanding the immunopathology of LR, the factors that cause a leprosy patient to suffer from LR are largely unknown. Given the impact that ethnic background has on the risk of developing LR, host genetic factors have long been suspected of contributing to LR. Indeed, polymorphisms in seven genes [Toll-like receptors (TLR1, TLR2, nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain containing 2, vitamin D receptor, natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 1, C4B and interleukin-6] have been found to be associated with one or more LR outcomes. The identification of host genetic markers with predictive value for LR would have a major impact on nerve damage control in leprosy. In this review, we present the recent advances achieved through genetic studies of LR.

  17. The ecological century

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Worthington, E. B.

    1981-01-01

    This essay attempts to reconstruct the evolution of Ecology as the scientific basis for environmental conservation and human progress, as seen through the eyes of a biologist who has exercised that science during a number of tasks in various parts of the world over most of the twentieth century. From its beginnings in evolutionary thinking during the nineteenth century, ecology emerged from natural history at the beginning of the twentieth. At first the running was made by botanists; but this was soon followed by zoologists, who dealt with more mobile communities. The first quarter-century was mainly exploratory; the second was mainly descriptive (although biological exploration was still dominant in the tropics). The third quarter saw ecology developing into an experimental science, and, as the environmental revolution got into its stride, ecology became organized both nationally and internationally. Although the term is now often misused and sometimes misunderstood by laymen, the last quarter-century is seeing the wide application of ecology in environmental and human affairs, and this gives some assurance that the twenty-first century will not become one of chaos.

  18. Industrial Growth in Araraquara and São Carlos Region in the First Decades of the Twentieth Century

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    Helena Carvalho De Lorenzo

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This article describes and analyzes the formation of the first manufacturing activities and the industrial growth in Araraquara and São Carlos region in the early twentieth century. It shows that from the development of the coffee economy in the region, were created the initial conditions for the emergence of a variety of industrial transformation activities of goods for local and regional consumption that could survive while the conditions for its operation and reproduction prevailed. However, changes in the state economy after the 1929 crisis brought deep changes in industry course in the region. Classic studies on the industry origin in São Paulo are taken as reference. From a methodological point of view the research that led to this study had an exploratory and investigative nature of primary and secondary sources. The conclusions point to the cyclical nature of regional productive activities, to changes in the production cycle of the region from the 30s, and to the reasons for the survival of some companies that have managed to overcome the initial difficulties and till the XXI century are part of the regional productive structure.

  19. Challenges beyond elimination in leprosy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naaz, Farah; Mohanty, Partha Sarathi; Bansal, Avi Kumar; Kumar, Dilip; Gupta, Umesh Datta

    2017-01-01

    Every year >200,000 new leprosy cases are registered globally. This number has been fairly stable over the past 8 years. The World Health Organization has set a target to interrupt the transmission of leprosy globally by 2020. It is important, in terms of global action and research activities, to consider the eventuality of multidrug therapy (MDT) resistance developing. It is necessary to measure disease burden comprehensively, and contact-centered preventive interventions should be part of a global elimination strategy. Drug resistance is the reduction in effectiveness of a drug such as an antimicrobial or an antineoplastic in curing a disease or condition. MDT has proven to be a powerful tool in the control of leprosy, especially when patients report early and start prompt treatment. Adherence to and its successful completion is equally important. This paper has reviewed the current state of leprosy worldwide and discussed the challenges and also emphasizes the challenge beyond the elimination in leprosy.

  20. Experiments and Research Programmes. Revisiting Vitalism/Non-Vitalism Debate in Early Twentieth Century

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bijoy MUKHERJEE

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Debates in the philosophy of science typically take place around issues such as realism and theory change. Recently, the debate has been reformulated to bring in the role of experiments in the context of theory change. As regards realism, Ian Hacking’s contribution has been to introduce ‘intervention’ as the basis of realism. He also proposed, following Imre Lakatos, to replace the issue of truth with progress and rationality. In this context we examine the case of the vitalism — reductionism debate in biology inspired by the works of Indian physicist-turned-biologist Jagadish Chandra Bose (1858–1937, in the early twentieth century. Both camps had their characteristic hardcores. Vitalists led by John S. Burdon-Sanderson and Augustus D. Waller accepted religious metaphysics to support their research programme, which ultimately degenerated. Bose worked more with the ideals of science such as Occam’s razor, large-scale systematization of phenomena and novel prediction. I argue that his religious metaphysics, instead of acting as a protective shield, helped him to consolidate his position and allowed further problem shift resulting in a research programme that involved consciousness too. His research programme remains relevant even today.

  1. Mining the Twentieth Century's History from the Time Magazine Corpus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kestemont, Mike; Karsdorp, F.B.; Düring, Marten

    2014-01-01

    In this paper we report on an explorative study of the history of the twentieth cen- tury from a lexical point of view. As data, we use a diachronic collection of 270,000+ English-language articles har- vested from the electronic archive of the well-known Time Magazine (1923–2006). We attempt to

  2. Ways of physical and symbolic isolation: leprosy; its isolation spaces and the medical-legal discourse in Argentina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miranda, Marisa

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available During the first half of the twentieth century, the presence of leprosy in modern societies provoked various reactions. As ancient prejudices had not disappeared yet, the medical-legal discourse dealt with a problem that exceeded the strictly sanitary framework. From a scientific perspective, this paper analyzes the way in which answers find that seemed the population and the future of the race in the physical and symbolic isolation of the leper, were developed in Argentina. In that context, the eugenics legitimated strong restrictions of rights to sick persons on whom this ancestral stigma continued to carry much weight.

    Durante la primera mitad del siglo XX la presencia de la lepra en sociedades modernas suscitó variadas reacciones. Aun sin que desaparecieran ancestrales prejuicios, el discurso médico-legal abordó un problema que excedía el marco estrictamente sanitario. El trabajo analiza el modo en que, desde una perspectiva científica, fueron gestadas en Argentina respuestas que creyeron hallar en el aislamiento físico y simbólico del leproso una forma proteger la población y el futuro de la raza. En ese contexto, la eugenesia legitimó fuertes restricciones de derechos a enfermos sobre los que siguió pesando aquel estigma ancestral.

  3. Manual for Training Leprosy Rehabilitation Workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Itoh, Masayoshi; Eason, Alice L.

    The purpose of this manual is to introduce the general concepts and techniques in leprosy rehabilitation to physical therapy aides. Because of the lack of well-trained, qualified, physical therapists, the committee on leprosy rehabilitation considers it necessary to publish a teaching manual outlining leprosy rehabilitation for those who work with…

  4. History of twentieth-century physics

    CERN Document Server

    Kapitza, Sergei P

    1995-01-01

    The meaning and message of the history of science will be discussed with relevance to XX century physics. This decisive period began in 1894-95 with the discoveries of the electron,X-rays and radioactivity,with the consequent development of relativity and quantumphysics. Connections of the development of science and society in XX century with culture and the influence on industry will be examined. Finally, the corruption of physics by the military will be considered. The influence of physics on chemistry and biology will be briefly treated and the impact of the approach and method of physics on modern thinking will be assessed. It should be kept in mind that the history of science is not a way of getting a simplified or adulterated presentation of the subject ,in this case of physics and so some understanding of general physics will be assumed. On the other hand, the broader generalisations of the history of ideas and events are illustrated (if not proven) by the facts (and myths) of science. Finally,as an e...

  5. The Significance Of Space In Iris Murdoch’s The Unicorn As A Twentieth-Century Irish Gothic Novel

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    Jarząb Joanna

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available During the twentieth century almost all literary genres came back to prominence in different and alternative forms. The Gothic is no exception to this phenomenon as many a writer made an attempt at using this eighteenth-century genre once again, but adding to it some contemporary elements. Consequently, an abundance of new techniques have been introduced to Gothic fiction to evoke the feeling of horror and terror among the more and more demanding readers of modern times. Still, some writers prefer to return to the traditional concept of the Gothic – as does Iris Murdoch in her novel The Unicorn. The purpose of this article is to analyse the text from the perspective of the Irish Gothic. Those features of the genre which are traditional as well as local are going to be discussed in the context of space as the dominating aspect of the novel. The typical Irish landscape abounding in marshes, bogs and the sea will be contrasted with the inner space of the house, and its resemblance to the old Victorian mansions popular among the Anglo-Irish ascendancy of nineteenth-century Ireland. In what follows, the paper aims at showing how Murdoch’s skilful play with the spatial differentiation between the inside and the outside dislodges other more universal issues, such as the question of freedom, of social taboos and of the different anxieties still present in Irish society today.

  6. Techniques for nothingness: Debate over the comparability of hypnosis and Zen in early-twentieth-century Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yu-Chuan

    2017-12-01

    This paper explores a debate that took place in Japan in the early twentieth century over the comparability of hypnosis and Zen. The debate was among the first exchanges between psychology and Buddhism in Japan, and it cast doubt on previous assumptions that a clear boundary existed between the two fields. In the debate, we find that contemporaries readily incorporated ideas from psychology and Buddhism to reconstruct the experiences and concepts of hypnosis and Buddhist nothingness. The resulting new theories and techniques of nothingness were fruits of a fairly fluid boundary between the two fields. The debate, moreover, reveals that psychology tried to address the challenges and possibilities posed by religious introspective meditation and intuitive experiences in a positive way. In the end, however, psychology no longer regarded them as viable experimental or psychotherapeutic tools but merely as particular subjective experiences to be investigated and explained.

  7. Leprosy: ongoing medical and social struggle in Vietnam.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Nhiem; Tat Nguyen, Thang; Hong Phan, Hai; Tam Tran, Tinh

    2008-01-01

    Until recently, leprosy had been prominent in 33 countries worldwide, and Vietnam was ranked among the top 14 endemic countries. The leprosy situation in Vietnam was reviewed as a sample of the worldwide ongoing medical and social struggle to assess the need for continued support for leprosy control activities and for social programs of integration of leprosy victims into the community. A search was conducted of official Vietnamese publications, World Health Organization documents, major electronic databases, and popular leprosy Web sites; as well, notes from visits to local leprosy clinics and interviews with health workers were checked. Important achievements were realized through national determination and international collaboration. In contrast with the impressive performance statistics at the national level, and despite strong government efforts for leprosy control, the results obtained at the province-city and district-commune levels still exhibit deficiencies in case detection, treatment, and socioeconomic integration of leprosy victims. The struggle to eliminate such a complex and destructive infectious disease as leprosy does not end with the cure. Deep-seated medical and social problems remain. These problems are best solved through community-based approaches.

  8. National Hansen's Disease (Leprosy) Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Caring and Curing Since 1894 National Hansen's Disease (Leprosy) Program Caring and Curing Since 1894 A genetic ... Louisiana New York Texas The National Hansen's Disease (Leprosy) Program The National Hansen's Disease Program is the ...

  9. Leprosy in Medieval Denmark--osteological and epidemiological analyses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boldsen, Jesper L

    2009-12-01

    A total of 3033 skeletons from 11 medieval Danish cemeteries and 99 skeletons from the North Scandinavian medieval site of Westerhus were examined for seven lesions indicative of leprosy. The seven lesions are: rounding to the edge of the nasal aperture, degeneration of spina nasalis anterior, degeneration of the alveolar process of the pre-maxilla, porosity or perforation of the palatine process of maxilla, sub-periostal exostoses on the fibula, general swelling of the shaft of the fibula, and degeneration of the 5th metatarsal bone. The dichotomous scores of these lesions were used to estimate sensitivity and specificity of the lesion scores in relation to leprosy and to estimate sample point prevalence of leprosy at death among adults. In turn the estimates of sensitivity and specificity were used to calculate an individual comprehensive statistic, lamda, indicating leprosy status. Among adults the lamda statistic did not associate with age at death, but this cannot be taken as a sign of lack of selective mortality for leprosy but a combination of the opposing effects of long waiting time before developing leprosy related lesions and short survival with these lesions. In urban communities sufferers of leprosy were institutionalized when the leprosarium was established (in Odense around 1275); in rural communities this did not happen but the pattern of burial does indicate an internal segregation of sufferers. In the early Middle Ages (AD 1150-1350) the point prevalence at death among adults of leprosy was higher in rural (25-40 percent) than in urban (10-20 percent) communities, and villages close to town showed lower frequencies of leprosy than villages situated further away from these centers. Leprosy declined in the late Middle Ages, first in towns and cities, later in rural communities. In Odense and Malmö it appears that leprosy was effectively eliminated by 1350 whereas there were still sufferers of leprosy at Øm Kloster around 1550. Leprosy appears to

  10. Leprosy

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Seniors, WomenTags: ancient infections, blindness, chronic granulomatous disease, chronic infection, hand and foot deformities, hansen's disease, infections, leprosy, mycobacterium, rashes, skin lesions, testicle damage November 1, 2009 Copyright © American ...

  11. Lost Purity. Social in Nineteenth and Twentieth-century Feminisms

    OpenAIRE

    Paola Persano

    2016-01-01

    ‘Social Purity’ appears in a part of the French and Anglo-Saxon (Britain and the United States) nineteenth-twentieth century’s feminisms, as a mean for many claims: from the full recognition of sexual difference in Hubertine Auclert’s social and ‘differentialist’ republicanism in France to Josephine Butler’s refusal of any purity imposed from above in England, until the absolute turn of the idea of women’s moral superiority and the equal and opposite force to the final exit from ‘the social’ ...

  12. Current knowledge attitudes, and practices of healthcare providers about leprosy in Assam, India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sumit Kar

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that is associated with serious morbidity and is a disease of public health concern because of the case load and the social stigma attached to the disease. Aim: To understand the knowledge of, and attitudes towards, leprosy amongst healthcare providers in Assam, India. Settings and Design: This cross-sectional study was conducted during March to June 2007 in different health institutions of the Kamrup district of Assam. Results: Among the program managers interviewed, only half were organizing training sessions, and 37.5% were involved in supervision of the program activities at the periphery level. Among the program managers who were involved with leprosy elimination, only half were organizing training session and 37.5% were involved in supervision of the program activities at the periphery level. Medical officers consistently demonstrated higher knowledge about leprosy, followed by health supervisors and multipurpose workers (MPWs, including nursing staff. Regarding training status with regard to leprosy, 90% of medical officers, 80% of health supervisors and around 87% of MPWs (83% of male MPWs and 89% of female MPWs had attended training programs on leprosy. Regarding WHO MDT, 80% of health supervisors, 84.8% of male MPWs and 86.2% of female MPWs had an idea of MDT and treatment duration of various categories of patients. Conclusions: These observations suggest that there appear to be adequate knowledge and positive behavior among healthcare providers with regard to leprosy in this part of India. However, there is still a need to organize training programs at regular intervals to train new recruits, as well as reinforce and update the knowledge of those already trained.

  13. Characteristics of pregnant and lactating women with leprosy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paula Sacha Frota Nogueira

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: The clinical characteristics of women who conceive during leprosy and the association between leprosy and pregnancy are not well known. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 49 pregnant or lactating women diagnosed with leprosy in 2011. RESULTS: The patients had a clinical dimorphous form of leprosy (44.9%, no physical incapacity at diagnosis (87.5%, and no complications in either the patient or infant (33.4%. In 36.3% of cases, leprosy symptoms were presented in the last trimester of pregnancy, and in 31.9% of patients were in the first trimester of lactation. CONCLUSIONS: The association between leprosy and pregnancy should be routinely investigated, particularly in endemic areas.

  14. Innate Immune Responses in Leprosy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinheiro, Roberta Olmo; Schmitz, Veronica; Silva, Bruno Jorge de Andrade; Dias, André Alves; de Souza, Beatriz Junqueira; de Mattos Barbosa, Mayara Garcia; de Almeida Esquenazi, Danuza; Pessolani, Maria Cristina Vidal; Sarno, Euzenir Nunes

    2018-01-01

    Leprosy is an infectious disease that may present different clinical forms depending on host immune response to Mycobacterium leprae. Several studies have clarified the role of various T cell populations in leprosy; however, recent evidences suggest that local innate immune mechanisms are key determinants in driving the disease to its different clinical manifestations. Leprosy is an ideal model to study the immunoregulatory role of innate immune molecules and its interaction with nervous system, which can affect homeostasis and contribute to the development of inflammatory episodes during the course of the disease. Macrophages, dendritic cells, neutrophils, and keratinocytes are the major cell populations studied and the comprehension of the complex networking created by cytokine release, lipid and iron metabolism, as well as antimicrobial effector pathways might provide data that will help in the development of new strategies for leprosy management. PMID:29643852

  15. Family ties and intergenerational relationships in European families in the twentieth century [Więzy rodzinne i relacje międzypokoleniowe w rodzinach europejskich w XX wieku

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marie MAREČKOVÁ

    2017-11-01

    importance of the family and the fact that it cannot be replaced by public institutions. At the end of the twentieth century, the family is again becoming the focus of certainty and material security, and intergenerational solidarity remains an important traditional value.

  16. Estimation of serum level of interleukin-17 and interleukin-4 in leprosy, towards more understanding of leprosy immunopathogenesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marwa Abdallah

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Combating Mycobacterium leprae is known to be via T-helper1 response. However, other T-helper effector cells; T-helper17 and T-helper2; play a role, particularly in the context of disease type. Aims: We aimed to evaluate serum levels of interleukin (IL-17 (T-helper17 cytokine and IL-4 (T-helper2 cytokine in untreated patients with different types of leprosy, compared to controls. Methods: Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, serum IL-17 and IL-4 levels were estimated in 43 leprotic patients and 43 controls. Patients were divided into six groups; tuberculoid, borderline cases, lepromatous, erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL, type 1 reactional leprosy, and pure neural leprosy. Patients were also categorized according to bacillary load and the presence or absence of reactions. Results: Serum IL-17 was significantly lower in cases (4-61.5 pg/mL; median 19, compared to controls (26-55 pg/mL; median 36 (P < 0.001, and was significantly lower in each type of leprosy compared to controls, with the lowest level in lepromatous leprosy (4-61.5 pg/mL; median 12.5. Significantly elevated serum IL-4 was found in patients (1.31-122.4 pg/mL; median 2.31 compared to controls (1.45-5.72 pg/mL; median 2.02 (P = 0.008, with the highest level among lepromatous leprosy patients (2-87.2 pg/mL; median 28.9, and the lowest in type 1 reactional leprosy (1.4-2.5 pg/mL; median 1.87 (P = 0.006. Conclusion: Defective secretion of IL-17 is related to disease acquisition as well as progression toward lepromatous pole in leprosy patients. The overproduction of IL-4 in patients with lepromatous leprosy may infer their liability to develop ENL. Nevertheless, the small number of the studied population is a limitation.

  17. Leprosy Elimination: Progress and Challenges in Nigeria; Kaduna State TB and Leprosy Control Programme as a Case Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mustapha, Gidado; Olusegu, Obasanya Joshua; Mustapha, Sani; Clement, Adesigbin; Dahiru, Tahir; Gagere, J; Olusola, Adejumo Adeleji

    2012-01-01

    The study aims at describing the achievements and challenges of Leprosy control in Kaduna State using appropriate indicators. The study was a five year (2004-2008) retrospective review of the Leprosy records and annual reports of all the twenty three LGAs in Kaduna State. Various Leprosy indicators were calculated and presented in different graphic presentations. Focus group discussions were organised with the aim of identifying current challenges of Leprosy control in the State. There was a decline in the new Leprosy cases detected annually from 226 cases in 2004 to 140 cases in 2008. The prevalence rate ranged between 0.3-0.4 per 10,000 population within the five year period. The proportion of children among new cases dropped from 12% in 2004 to 5% in 2007 and increased to 9% in 2008. Grade 2 disability among new cases was very high (between 21%-27%) within the same period. Leprosy elimination target has been achieved in Kaduna State, but new cases with high proportion of children and WHO grade 2 disability were still been reported.

  18. Evaluation of the economic burden of leprosy among migrant and resident patients in Guangdong Province, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Mingzhou; Li, Ming; Zheng, Daocheng; Wang, Xiaohua; Su, Ting; Chen, Yongfeng; Yang, Bin

    2017-12-11

    A lot of time and money was needed during the diagnosis and treatment process of leprosy, the delayed leprosy would also impair the labor capability of patients as well, and these put a heavy burden for the leprosy patients. The migrant leprosy patient is a special group and need more concern. Our goal was to assess the economic burden of leprosy on migrant and resident patient populations in Guangdong province, China. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional survey from February to July of 2016. A self-designed questionnaire was administered to leprosy patients who: (1) had registered in Leprosy Management Information System in China (LEPMIS) by the end of February 2016, (2) had received multiple drug treatment (MDT) drugs at a local leprosy control institution for three consecutive months or had had at least one physical check in the past half year, and (3) were willing to take part in the investigation and give informed written consent. Demographic characteristics, Financial and disease information, and costs before and after leprosy diagnosis were collected and compared using t-test and χ2 test. A total of 254 participants completed the questionnaires, including 168 males and 86 females. Migrants and residents accounted for 33.9% and 66.1% of patients, respectively. Among migrant patients, the median cost before diagnosis was $131.6 (39.2-450.9), the median yearly cost of leprosy treatment after diagnosis was $300.6 (158.4-868.5), and the median yearly cost of leprosy complications was $69.5 (11-178.4). In comparison, among residents the median yearly costs were $152.4 (30.7-770.9) pre-diagnosis, $309.7 (103.2-1016.7) after diagnosis, and $91.9 (32.6-303.1) for leprosy complications. Base on this, we determined that the median yearly total expense after diagnosis amounted to 15% of migrant and 38% of resident patients' annual income. Leprosy places a heavy economic burden on both migrant and resident leprosy patients and governmental policies and

  19. Blood coagulation abnormalities in multibacillary leprosy patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Débora Santos da; Teixeira, Lisandra Antonia Castro; Beghini, Daniela Gois; Ferreira, André Teixeira da Silva; Pinho, Márcia de Berredo Moreira; Rosa, Patricia Sammarco; Ribeiro, Marli Rambaldi; Freire, Monica Di Calafiori; Hacker, Mariana Andrea; Nery, José Augusto da Costa; Pessolani, Maria Cristina Vidal; Tovar, Ana Maria Freire; Sarno, Euzenir Nunes; Perales, Jonas; Bozza, Fernando Augusto; Esquenazi, Danuza; Monteiro, Robson Queiroz; Lara, Flavio Alves

    2018-03-01

    Leprosy is a chronic dermato-neurological disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae infection. In 2016, more than 200,000 new cases of leprosy were detected around the world, representing the most frequent cause of infectious irreversible deformities and disabilities. In the present work, we demonstrate a consistent procoagulant profile on 40 reactional and non-reactional multibacillary leprosy patients. A retrospective analysis in search of signs of coagulation abnormalities among 638 leprosy patients identified 35 leprosy patients (5.48%) which displayed a characteristic lipid-like clot formed between blood clot and serum during serum harvesting, herein named 'leprosum clot'. Most of these patients (n = 16, 45.7%) belonged to the lepromatous leprosy pole of the disease. In addition, formation of the leprosum clot was directly correlated with increased plasma levels of soluble tissue factor and von Willebrand factor. High performance thin layer chromatography demonstrated a high content of neutral lipids in the leprosum clot, and proteomic analysis demonstrated that the leprosum clot presented in these patients is highly enriched in fibrin. Remarkably, differential 2D-proteomics analysis between leprosum clots and control clots identified two proteins present only in leprosy patients clots: complement component 3 and 4 and inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor family heavy chain-related protein (IHRP). In agreement with those observations we demonstrated that M. leprae induces hepatocytes release of IHRP in vitro. We demonstrated that leprosy MB patients develop a procoagulant status due to high levels of plasmatic fibrinogen, anti-cardiolipin antibodies, von Willebrand factor and soluble tissue factor. We propose that some of these components, fibrinogen for example, presents potential as predictive biomarkers of leprosy reactions, generating tools for earlier diagnosis and treatment of these events.

  20. "For ever and ever": Child-raising, domestic workers and emotional labour in twentieth century Britain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucy Delap

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available The relationships of physical and emotional labour which exist between children, parents and domestic workers are historically fluid. Different styles of parenting, discourses of social class, and material contexts of care have given rise to very diverse degrees of delegation of childcare to servants. Servants themselves have often invested emotionally in their relationships with children, and the relationship has clearly not been simply commodified in being delegated. However, the relationships that result have sometimes been troubled and ambivalent. A simple narrative of exploitation does little to capture the experiences of servants who cared for children, and the recent historiography of emotions and emotional labour can help to trace a fuller picture. In this paper, I examine the roles of laughter as a form of emotional expression that can shed light on the affects of care – the shared jokes, failed jokes and forms of mockery that characterised the management of servants by mothers who employed them, or the experiences of servants and children in late nineteenth and twentieth century servant-keeping houses.

  1. Nuclear power in the twenty-first century - An assessment (Part 1)

    OpenAIRE

    von Hirschhausen, Christian

    2017-01-01

    Nuclear power was one of the most important discoveries of the twentieth century, and it continues to play an important role in twenty-first century discussions about the future energy mix, climate change, innovation, proliferation, geopolitics, and many other crucial policy topics. This paper addresses some key issues around the emergence of nuclear power in the twentieth century and perspectives going forward in the twenty-first, including questions of economics and competitiveness, the str...

  2. Leprosy Specific Orofacial Aspects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vathsala Naik

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Leprosy is a chronic infection caused by Mycobactenum leprae, GHA- Hansen first identified the organism in 1873, so called Hansen disease. Mycobacterium leprae is a bacillus that presents a peculiar tropism for the skin and peripheral nerves. The upper airway has a great importance as a route of M. Leprae infection. The clinical spectrum of leprosy ranges from the tuberculoid form (TT to the disseminative and progressive lepromatous form (LL. Cell-mediated immunity is considered to be the crucial defence against the disease and the magnitude of this immunity defines the extent of the disease- Facial lesions in leprosy can occur in all form of the disease and also in lepra reaction, oral lesions are rare but, when present, occur in the lepromatous form

  3. Norman Mailer - the most influental critic of contemporary reality in the second half of the twentieth century

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jasna Potočnik Topler

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Norman Mailer, one of the most influential authors of the second half of the twentieth century, faithfully followed his principle that a writer should alsobe a critic of contemporary reality. Therefore, most of his works portray the reality of the United States of America and the complexities of the contemporary American scene. Mailer described the spirit of his time - from the terror of war and numerous dynamic social and political processes to the 1969 moon landing. Conflicts were often in the centre of his writing, as was the relationship between an individual and the society; he speaks of politicalpower and the dangerous power of capital, while pointing to the threat of totalitarianism in America. Mailer spent his entire career writing about violence, power, perverted sexuality, the phenomenon of Hitler, terrorism, religion and corruption. He continually pointed out that individuals were in constant danger of losing freedom and dignity.

  4. Blood coagulation abnormalities in multibacillary leprosy patients.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Débora Santos da Silva

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Leprosy is a chronic dermato-neurological disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae infection. In 2016, more than 200,000 new cases of leprosy were detected around the world, representing the most frequent cause of infectious irreversible deformities and disabilities.In the present work, we demonstrate a consistent procoagulant profile on 40 reactional and non-reactional multibacillary leprosy patients. A retrospective analysis in search of signs of coagulation abnormalities among 638 leprosy patients identified 35 leprosy patients (5.48% which displayed a characteristic lipid-like clot formed between blood clot and serum during serum harvesting, herein named 'leprosum clot'. Most of these patients (n = 16, 45.7% belonged to the lepromatous leprosy pole of the disease. In addition, formation of the leprosum clot was directly correlated with increased plasma levels of soluble tissue factor and von Willebrand factor. High performance thin layer chromatography demonstrated a high content of neutral lipids in the leprosum clot, and proteomic analysis demonstrated that the leprosum clot presented in these patients is highly enriched in fibrin. Remarkably, differential 2D-proteomics analysis between leprosum clots and control clots identified two proteins present only in leprosy patients clots: complement component 3 and 4 and inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor family heavy chain-related protein (IHRP. In agreement with those observations we demonstrated that M. leprae induces hepatocytes release of IHRP in vitro.We demonstrated that leprosy MB patients develop a procoagulant status due to high levels of plasmatic fibrinogen, anti-cardiolipin antibodies, von Willebrand factor and soluble tissue factor. We propose that some of these components, fibrinogen for example, presents potential as predictive biomarkers of leprosy reactions, generating tools for earlier diagnosis and treatment of these events.

  5. Formalism in the first half of the twentieth century: ‘pure science’ or a case of effective rhetoric? [Review of: M.B. Frank, D. Adler German art history and scientific thought: beyond formalism

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Witte, A.

    2012-01-01

    German Art History and Scientific Thought - Beyond Formalism discusses the relation between art history and the human and natural sciences in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. All contributions in this volume highlight the way in which this exchange affected art history on a

  6. Diabetic foot--what can we learn from leprosy? Legacy of Dr Paul W. Brand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boulton, Andrew J M

    2012-02-01

    Leprosy and diabetes, though two very different conditions, may both result in severe loss of sensation in the feet, which are then a great risk of painless injury and ulceration. Seminal observations made by the late Dr Paul W. Brand, a surgeon working with leprosy patients in South India in the mid-20th century, resulted in the subsequent development of treatments to manage insensitive foot ulcers that are today entirely applicable to patients with diabetes. As a consequence of his research, the recognition of the relationship between insensitivity, repetitive pressures and skin breakdown has helped our understanding of the aetiopathogenesis of neuropathic foot lesions in diabetes: the development of the total contact cast and other casting devices to treat such lesions forms the basis of management of diabetic foot lesions with off-loading devices that are widely used in the 21st century in diabetic foot clinics around the world. Moreover, observations by Brand that the foot 'heats up before it breaks down' resulted in more recent research showing that self-skin temperature monitoring might help reduce the incidence of recurrent neuropathic foot ulcers in diabetes. In summary, Brand's understanding of 'the gift of pain' that, when lost, results in the late complications of diabetic neuropathy has guided the prevention, diagnosis and management of diabetic foot problems in the 21st century. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. [Nursing perspective on the care of people with leprosy in Ivory Coast].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lecocq, Dan

    Lucien Gbadié is a nurse at the Raoul-Follereau Institute in Adzopé, Ivory Coast. In this article, he describes how people with leprosy or Buruli ulcer are treated and supported. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  8. Isolados 'como nós' ou isolados 'entre nós'?: a polêmica na Academia Nacional de Medicina sobre o isolamento compulsório dos doentes de lepra Isolated 'like us' or isolated 'among us'?: the controversy within the National Academy of Medicine over compulsory isolation of leprosy sufferers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vivian da Silva Cunha

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Da forma como a lepra era percebida na sociedade brasileira do início do século XX, a segregação dos doentes era vista como o único modo de proteger os sãos. A política praticada pela Inspetoria de Profilaxia da Lepra e das Doenças Venéreas privilegiava o isolamento em leprosários. Belisário Penna, crítico à atuação desta Inspetoria, defendia que a melhor forma de isolar os doentes seria através da criação de municípios geograficamente distantes dos centros urbanos. Em 1926, instaurou-se uma polêmica entre Penna e Eduardo Rabello, ex-chefe da Inspetoria, sobre esse tema. Essa polêmica se configurou como parte de um debate mais geral sobre a melhor forma de se controlar a lepra, e nos permite entender as mudanças ocorridas na década de 1930 acerca das políticas implementadas contra a doença.Given Brazilian society's view of leprosy in the early twentieth century, patient segregation was considered the only way to protect the healthy. The policy enforced by the Inspectorship for the Prevention of Leprosy and Venereal Diseases deemed isolation in leprosaria the preferred approach. Belisário Penna criticized the work of the Inspectorship, arguing that the best way to isolate patients would be to create municipalities located a good distance from urban centers. In 1926, Penna came head to head over the subject with Eduardo Rabello, the Inspectorship's former chief. Part of a broader debate on the best way to control leprosy, this controversy sheds light on the changes to leprosy policies introduced in the 1930s.

  9. Pauci- and Multibacillary Leprosy: Two Distinct, Genetically Neglected Diseases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaschignard, Jean; Grant, Audrey Virginia; Thuc, Nguyen Van; Orlova, Marianna; Cobat, Aurélie; Huong, Nguyen Thu; Ba, Nguyen Ngoc; Thai, Vu Hong; Abel, Laurent; Schurr, Erwin; Alcaïs, Alexandre

    2016-01-01

    After sustained exposure to Mycobacterium leprae, only a subset of exposed individuals develops clinical leprosy. Moreover, leprosy patients show a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations that extend from the paucibacillary (PB) to the multibacillary (MB) form of the disease. This “polarization” of leprosy has long been a major focus of investigation for immunologists because of the different immune response in these two forms. But while leprosy per se has been shown to be under tight human genetic control, few epidemiological or genetic studies have focused on leprosy subtypes. Using PubMed, we collected available data in English on the epidemiology of leprosy polarization and the possible role of human genetics in its pathophysiology until September 2015. At the genetic level, we assembled a list of 28 genes from the literature that are associated with leprosy subtypes or implicated in the polarization process. Our bibliographical search revealed that improved study designs are needed to identify genes associated with leprosy polarization. Future investigations should not be restricted to a subanalysis of leprosy per se studies but should instead contrast MB to PB individuals. We show the latter approach to be the most powerful design for the identification of genetic polarization determinants. Finally, we bring to light the important resource represented by the nine-banded armadillo model, a unique animal model for leprosy. PMID:27219008

  10. Conference Report: Environmental Protection in the Global Twentieth Century: International Organizations, Networks and Diffusion of Ideas and Policies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Meyer, Jan-Henrik

    the environment. Notably, IOs were central forums for negotiating and placing environmental protection on the international political agenda. It is widely assumed that 1972 – the year of the first UN conference on the human environment in Stockholm and of the publication of the Club of Rome report "Limits...... entrepreneurs, selecting, defining, diffusing and translating ideas about the environment in the course of the twentieth century? Secondly, which structural conditions facilitated – and at times inhibited – the diffusion or transfer of policy ideas? It can safely be assumed that the embedding of IOs in national...... and influential individuals – who transmitted and translated environmental ideas from the OECD Environment Committee in the early 1970s to the Brundtland Commission in the 1980s. The latter sought to overcome the apparent contradictions between developmental and environmental goals, advocating the notion...

  11. Correlation between occurrence of leprosy and fossil fuels: role of fossil fuel bacteria in the origin and global epidemiology of leprosy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakrabarty, A N; Dastidar, S G

    1989-06-01

    On the basis of correlative data on the global distribution of leprosy, its bacteria metabolizing fossil fuels (FF), and the FF themselves, the origin of leprosy in the world as a whole, and in the leprosy-free countries, in particular, as indigenous cases, appeared to be primarily due to a soil-to-man, and secondarily due to a man-to-man infection. These findings helped to elucidate similar problems of animal leprosies and nocardial diseases.

  12. Onwards facing backwards: the rhetoric of science in nineteenth-century Greece.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tampakis, Kostas

    2014-06-01

    The aim of this paper is to show how the Greek men of science negotiated a role for their enterprise within the Greek public sphere, from the institution of the modern Greek state in the early 1830s to the first decades of the twentieth century. By focusing on instances where they appeared in public in their official capacity as scientific experts, I describe the rhetorical schemata and the narrative strategies with which Greek science experts engaged the discourses prevalent in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Greece. In the end, my goal is to show how they were neither zealots of modernization nor neutral actors struggling in isolated wastelands. Rather, they appear as energetic agents who used scientific expertise, national ideals and their privileged cultural positions to construct a rhetoric that would further all three. They engaged eagerly and consistently with emerging political views, scientific subjects and cultural and political events, without presenting themselves, or being seen, as doing anything qualitatively different from their peers abroad. Greek scientists cross-contextualized the scientific enterprise, situating it in the space in which they were active.

  13. National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shetty Sushant

    1997-01-01

    Full Text Available This article traces the history of the growth and development of our National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP. The aims, strategy, means of eradication, the organizational structure have been discussed. Since the beginning of this programme, the prevalence rate and disability rate have shown a sharp decline. The number of cases detected and under treatment have also increased. The achievement made has been possible due to an excellent organization of leprosy relief work under NLEP with the active cooperation of the non- governmental organizations. Now that leprosy is on the decline, the need of education and rehabilitation of patients assumes a greater importance.

  14. Progress towards a leprosy-free country: The experience of Oman.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al Awaidy, Salah T

    2017-11-01

    The World Health Organization (WHO) released the Global Leprosy Strategy 2016-2020 towards a leprosy-free world. The author described the progress made towards the elimination of leprosy and suggested recommendations for the acceleration towards a Leprosy-free country according to WHO laid out criterion. Case record review of Leprosy patients managed between the years 1992 to 2015 were registered and analyzed. Data were collected from annual reports of the Ministry of Health including demographics, classification of leprosy new cases, relapse, childhood, grades of disability (GD) and multidrug therapy (MDT) completion rates. Leprosy prevalence rate declined from 1.64 to 0.09 per 10,000 population during the period 1992 and 2015 (pOman as they left the country shortly after diagnosis of leprosy due to a very short term contract, discretionary employment practices by the employers and prefer to go home to complete their treatment. Oman has met the elimination goals and made great strides towards becoming a leprosy-free country. However, challenges such as improving surveillance system efficiency and sensitivity for detecting timely leprosy cases, as well as foreign-born workers are still a major concerns.

  15. Human Polymorphisms as Clinical Predictors in Leprosy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ernesto Prado Montes de Oca

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Genetic and serum markers in human host can predict leprosy susceptibility per se as well as be useful in classification and/or prediction of clinical variants and immunological responses in leprosy. Adequate and timely assessment of potential risks associated with these 38 host leprosy genes could diminish epidemiological burden and improve life quality of patients with this still prevalent mycobacterial disease.

  16. Crisis, change and creativity in science and technology: chemistry in the aftermath of twentieth-century global wars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Jeffrey Allan

    2011-07-01

    This paper presents the organising ideas behind the symposium "Chemistry in the Aftermath of World Wars," held at the 23rd International Congress of History of Science and Technology, Budapest, 2009, whose theme was "Ideas and Instruments in Social Context." After first recounting the origins of the notion of "crisis" as a decisive turning point in general history as well as in the history of science, the paper presents war and its aftermath as a form of crisis that may affect science and technology, including chemistry, in a variety of contexts and leading to a variety of types of change. The twentieth-century world wars were exemplary forms of crisis, whose aftermaths shaped the contexts for decisive changes in modern chemistry, which continue to offer challenging opportunities for historical research. In discussing these, the paper cites selected current literature and briefly describes how the individual papers of the symposium, including the three papers published in this volume, approached these challenges.

  17. Freedom to divorce or protection of marriage? The divorce laws in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in the early twentieth century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Bouteillec, Nathalie; Bersbo, Zara; Festy, Patrick

    2011-01-01

    In the period 1909-1927, new laws concerning divorce and marriage were enacted by the Scandinavian countries. Both at the time and more recently, these laws were considered as "liberal" as they promoted greater freedom to divorce based on individuality and gender equality. In this article, the authors first analyze the changes in these Family laws in the early twentieth century. Then, the authors study the effect of these laws on divorce and marriage patterns. As these laws did not modify the trend in divorce rates, the authors ask why this was the case. The authors' conclusions are that the laws were more concerned with preserving the sanctity of marriage and maintaining social order than with promoting individual freedom and gender equality.

  18. Conversion Disorder Presenting As Neuritic Leprosy

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    Sayal SK

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available Conversion disorder is not normally listed amongst the conditions in differential diagnosis of leprosy neuropathy. A case conversion reaction who was initially diagnosed as neuritic leprosy is reported. Patient responded to narcosuggestion and psychotherapy.

  19. Love Practices in the Colombian School during the First Half of the Twentieth Century: Notes for a History of Feminine Love

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    Claudia Ximena Herrera Beltrán

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available In Latin America women increasingly detach themselves from feminine representations produced by certain discourses of modernity. However, unequal relations, binary constructions of sex and gender, and exclusion whenever there is any sign of resistance are still signs of contemporaneity. In response to this situation, this research paper shows, through an archaeological and genealogical study, how love, as a feeling and emotion, was a subject of education for girls in the Colombian school during the first half of the twentieth century. In that sense, the author reflects upon emotions, feelings and discourses, and reveals how society shaped practices and legitimized truths that, even today, define both men’s and women’s nature.

  20. Fine needle aspiration cytology in leprosy

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    Prasad PVS

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Laboratory diagnosis of leprosy by slit skin smear and skin biopsy is simple but both techniques have their own limitations. Slit skin smear is negative in paucibacillary cases whereas skin biopsy is an invasive technique. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC from skin lesions in leprosy with subsequent staining with May-Grunwald-Giemsa (MGG stain has been found useful. Aim: To evaluate the possible role of cytology in classifying leprosy patients. Methods: Seventy-five untreated cases of leprosy attending the outpatient department were evaluated. Smears were taken from their skin lesions and stained using the MGG technique. Skin biopsy was also done from the lesions, which was compared with cytology smears. Results: A correlation of clinical features with FNAC was noticed in 87.5% of TT, 92.1% of BT, 81% of BL, and 66% of LL cases. Correlation of clinical with histopathological diagnoses revealed 12.5% specificity in TT leprosy, 55.3% in BT, 52.4% in BL and 50% in LL, and 100% in neuritic and histoid leprosy cases. Both correlations were found to be statistically significant by paired t test analysis. Thus, it was possible to distinguish the tuberculoid types by the presence of epithelioid cells and the lepromatous types by the presence of lymphocytes and foamy macrophages. Conclusion: FNAC may be used to categorize the patients into paucibacillary and multibacillary types, but is not a very sensitive tool to classify the patients across the Ridley-Jopling spectrum.

  1. Measurement of Change in the Knowledge and Attitude about Leprosy in Physiotherapy Students Undergoing Intensive One Week Training in Leprosy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prakashkumar, M D; Ebenezer, M; Richard, J

    2014-01-01

    Leprosy is a disease that causes not only physical problems, but also mental and social problems. In the post integration era, every health care professional needs to understand about leprosy, to be able to diagnose and treat them. Physiotherapy students, in their usual syllabus, have minimal exposure to leprosy, in spite of the fact that they have a major role in preventing impairments and disabilities caused by leprosy, as well as treating such impairments. In order to educate physiotherapy students on leprosy, a one-week intensive training course was organised. This study was done to assess if the intensive training to physiotherapy students resulted in increase in their knowledge on leprosy and change their attitude positively. A batch consisting of 42 physiotherapy students went through the one-week training programme. The improvement in knowledge and attitude were assessed through a pre-test and a post-test design. Results showed that there was significant improvement in knowledge (53.05%) and brought positive change in attitude (75.0%). Such training programmes are recommended for all physiotherapy students.

  2. Psyche’s Sisters: Ambivalence of Sisterhood in Twentieth-century Irish Women’s Short Stories

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    Ann Wan-lih Chang

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines and evaluates representations of problematic sisterly relationships in twentieth-century Irish women’s stories which display an emphasis on ambivalence and sibling rivalry.  The paper is based primarily on the literary output of Mary Lavin, Clare Boylan, Moy McCrory, Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, Jan Kennedy, Mary Morrissy and Claire Keegan.  The paper seeks, by reference both to feminist studies and Irish women’s short stories, to demonstrate the consequences and causes of a divided sisterhood which itself may be traced back to a suppression of expression of female solidarity embedded in western culture and manifested in western literary heritage.  Typically, such stories depict a conflict sourced in the need to develop self-identity and framed within the constraints imposed by separate social roles.  This kind of conflict results potentially in rivalry, antagonism, ambivalence, and the domination of one sibling by another.  Daughters/sisters are often depicted in these stories both as competing with each other for limited resources and also as seeking a sense of personal identity through mutual polarisation.  There are also stories into which are woven undertones of domination disguised as sisterly closeness, for which the actual motivation seems to be a repressed aspiration for intimacy.

  3. The "Make Love, Not War" Ape: Bonobos and Late Twentieth-Century Explanations for War and Peace.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weinstein, Deborah

    2016-12-01

    Why do people fight wars? Following the devastation of the Second World War, this question became particularly pressing. Postwar scholars in the human sciences, from political science to anthropology, investigated the role of human nature in the causes of war even as they debated the very meaning of human nature itself. Among the wide-ranging efforts of postwar social and behavioral scientists to explain the causes of war, research on primate aggression became a compelling approach to studying the evolution of human warfare. In contrast, primatologist Frans de Waal's popular and scientific publications on primate reconciliation emphasized the naturalness of conflict resolution and peacemaking, thereby providing a counterpoint to the pessimism of aggression research while simultaneously shoring up the logic of simian analogy. De Waal's popular books heralded the "make love, not war" bonobo as humans' evolutionary next-of-kin and contributed to raising public interest in bonobos during the late twentieth century, although the apes' popular reputation subsequently exceeded the scientific discourse about them. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Pretty leprosy: Another face of Hansen’s disease! A review

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    P. Prem Anand

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Pretty leprosy is one of the rare severe forms of lepromatous leprosy. It is a reaction pattern that occurs in untreated pure primitive diffuse lepromatous leprosy or lepromatous leprosy. The skin of the patient is diffusely infiltrated and shiny, so that natural wrinkles are obliterated. It generates a moist and myxoedematous complexion imparting a healthy aspect to the patient. Thus the disease got the name. In this review we have reviewed almost all available literature to point more light toward the clinical variant pretty leprosy. A search was made in PubMed central to know the availability of information about pretty leprosy, but the response was nil for pretty leprosy. 37 articles were spotted in PubMed media on Lucioleprosy; 3 review articles are present and the rest were case reports.

  5. Integrative analyses of leprosy susceptibility genes indicate a common autoimmune profile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Deng-Feng; Wang, Dong; Li, Yu-Ye; Yao, Yong-Gang

    2016-04-01

    Leprosy is an ancient chronic infection in the skin and peripheral nerves caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The development of leprosy depends on genetic background and the immune status of the host. However, there is no systematic view focusing on the biological pathways, interaction networks and overall expression pattern of leprosy-related immune and genetic factors. To identify the hub genes in the center of leprosy genetic network and to provide an insight into immune and genetic factors contributing to leprosy. We retrieved all reported leprosy-related genes and performed integrative analyses covering gene expression profiling, pathway analysis, protein-protein interaction network, and evolutionary analyses. A list of 123 differentially expressed leprosy related genes, which were enriched in activation and regulation of immune response, was obtained in our analyses. Cross-disorder analysis showed that the list of leprosy susceptibility genes was largely shared by typical autoimmune diseases such as lupus erythematosus and arthritis, suggesting that similar pathways might be affected in leprosy and autoimmune diseases. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) and positive selection analyses revealed a co-evolution network of leprosy risk genes. Our analyses showed that leprosy associated genes constituted a co-evolution network and might undergo positive selection driven by M. leprae. We suggested that leprosy may be a kind of autoimmune disease and the development of leprosy is a matter of defect or over-activation of body immunity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Leprosy type 1 reactions and erythema nodosum leprosum

    OpenAIRE

    Kahawita,Indira P.; Walker,Stephen L.; Lockwood,Diana N.J.

    2008-01-01

    Leprosy reactions are a major cause of nerve damage and morbidity in a significant proportion of leprosy patients. Reactions are immunologically mediated and can occur even after successful completion of multi-drug therapy. This review focuses on the epidemiology, pathology and treatment of leprosy type 1 reactions, erythema nodosum leprosum and silent neuropathy.

  7. Musculoskeletal manifestations and autoantibodies in children and adolescents with leprosy

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    Luciana Neder

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate musculoskeletal involvement and autoantibodies in pediatric leprosy patients. Methods: 50 leprosy patients and 47 healthy children and adolescents were assessed according to musculoskeletal manifestations (arthralgia, arthritis, and myalgia, musculoskeletal pain syndromes (juvenile fibromyalgia, benign joint hypermobility syndrome, myofascial syndrome, and tendinitis, and a panel of autoantibodies and cryoglobulins. Health assessment scores and treatment were performed in leprosy patients. Results: At least one musculoskeletal manifestation was observed in 14% of leprosy patients and in none of the controls. Five leprosy patients had asymmetric polyarthritis of small hands joints. Nerve function impairment was observed in 22% of leprosy patients, type 1 leprosy reaction in 18%, and silent neuropathy in 16%. None of the patients and controls presented musculoskeletal pain syndromes, and the frequencies of all antibodies and cyoglobulins were similar in both groups (p > 0.05. Further analysis of leprosy patients demonstrated that the frequencies of nerve function impairment, type 1 leprosy reaction, and silent neuropathy were significantly observed in patients with versus without musculoskeletal manifestations (p = 0.0036, p = 0.0001, and p = 0.309, respectively, as well as multibacillary subtypes in leprosy (86% vs. 42%, p = 0.045. The median of physicians' visual analog scale (VAS, patients' VAS, pain VAS, and Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ were significantly higher in leprosy patients with musculoskeletal manifestations (p = 0.0001, p = 0.002, p = 0002, and p = 0.001, respectively. Conclusions: This was the first study to identify musculoskeletal manifestations associated with nerve dysfunction in pediatric leprosy patients. Hansen's disease should be included in the differential diagnosis of asymmetric arthritis, especially in endemic regions.

  8. In Situ complement activation and T-cell immunity in leprosy spectrum: An immunohistological study on leprosy lesional skin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bahia El Idrissi, Nawal; Iyer, Anand M; Ramaglia, Valeria; Rosa, Patricia S; Soares, Cleverson T; Baas, Frank; Das, Pranab K

    2017-01-01

    Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) infection causes nerve damage and the condition worsens often during and long after treatment. Clearance of bacterial antigens including lipoarabinomannan (LAM) during and after treatment in leprosy patients is slow. We previously demonstrated that M. leprae LAM damages peripheral nerves by in situ generation of the membrane attack complex (MAC). Investigating the role of complement activation in skin lesions of leprosy patients might provide insight into the dynamics of in situ immune reactivity and the destructive pathology of M. leprae. In this study, we analyzed in skin lesions of leprosy patients, whether M. leprae antigen LAM deposition correlates with the deposition of complement activation products MAC and C3d on nerves and cells in the surrounding tissue. Skin biopsies of paucibacillary (n = 7), multibacillary leprosy patients (n = 7), and patients with erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) (n = 6) or reversal reaction (RR) (n = 4) and controls (n = 5) were analyzed. The percentage of C3d, MAC and LAM deposition was significantly higher in the skin biopsies of multibacillary compared to paucibacillary patients (p = leprosy patients (r = 0.9578, pleprosy patients (p = leprosy patients, suggesting that inflammation driven by complement activation might contribute to nerve damage in the lesions of these patients. This should be regarded as an important factor in M. leprae nerve damage pathology.

  9. Lepromatous Leprosy of Prepuce- A Case Report

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    Kalpana R. Sulhyan

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Leprosy is commonly seen over cooler parts of the body and very rarely found over external genitalia because of their warm temperature.We report a case of lepromatous leprosy of prepuce in a 79 years old male who presented with phimosis. Local examination revealed anodule over prepuce and the clinical diagnosis was carcinoma of penis. This case highlights that leprosy should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of penile lesions.

  10. Lepromatous leprosy: A rare presentation in Australia

    OpenAIRE

    Sally Barkla; Sunny Modi

    2013-01-01

    Leprosy (Hansen’s disease) is caused by the obligate intracellular organism Mycobacterium leprae. It is an infectious, chronic granulomatous disease transmitted through close contact. The latest current data shows that in 2010, eleven new cases of leprosy were reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System in Australia. We report the case of a patient with untreated chronic lepromatous leprosy diagnosed in Queensland, 2012. Delay in diagnosis may have been due to the rarity ...

  11. Impact of PGL-I seropositivity on the protective effect of BCG vaccination among leprosy contacts: a cohort study.

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    Nádia C Düppre

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Contacts of leprosy patients are at increased risk of developing leprosy and need to be targeted for early diagnosis. Seropositivity to the phenolic glycolipid I (PGL-I antigen of Mycobacterium leprae has been used to identify contacts who have an increased risk of developing leprosy. In the present study, we studied the effect of seropositivity in patient contacts, on the risk of developing leprosy, stratified by Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG vaccination after index case diagnosis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Leprosy contacts were examined as part of the surveillance programme of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute Leprosy Outpatient Clinic in Rio de Janeiro. Demographic, social, epidemiological and clinical data were collected. The presence of IgM antibodies to PGL-I in sera and BCG vaccination status at the time of index case diagnosis were evaluated in 2,135 contacts. During follow-up, 60 (2.8%; 60/2,135 leprosy cases were diagnosed: 41 among the 1,793 PGL-I-negative contacts and 19 among the 342 PGL-I-positive contacts. Among PGL-I-positive contacts, BCG vaccination after index case diagnosis increased the adjusted rate of developing clinical manifestations of leprosy (Adjusted Rate Ratio (aRR = 4.1; 95% CI: 1.8-8.2 compared with the PGL-I-positive unvaccinated contacts (aRR = 3.2; 95% CI: 1.2-8.1. The incidence density was highest during the first year of follow-up for the PGL-I-positive vaccinated contacts. However, all of those contacts developed PB leprosy, whereas most MB cases (4/6 occurred in PGL-I-positive unvaccinated contacts. CONCLUSION: Contact examination combined with PGL-I testing and BCG vaccination remain important strategies for leprosy control. The finding that rates of leprosy cases were highest among seropositive contacts justifies targeting this specific group for close monitoring. Furthermore, it is recommended that PGL-I-positive contacts and contacts with a high familial bacteriological index

  12. Impact of PGL-I Seropositivity on the Protective Effect of BCG Vaccination among Leprosy Contacts: A Cohort Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Düppre, Nádia C.; Camacho, Luiz Antonio B.; Sales, Anna M.; Illarramendi, Ximena; Nery, José Augusto C.; Sampaio, Elizabeth P.; Sarno, Euzenir N.; Bührer-Sékula, Samira

    2012-01-01

    Background Contacts of leprosy patients are at increased risk of developing leprosy and need to be targeted for early diagnosis. Seropositivity to the phenolic glycolipid I (PGL-I) antigen of Mycobacterium leprae has been used to identify contacts who have an increased risk of developing leprosy. In the present study, we studied the effect of seropositivity in patient contacts, on the risk of developing leprosy, stratified by Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccination after index case diagnosis. Methodology/Principal Findings Leprosy contacts were examined as part of the surveillance programme of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute Leprosy Outpatient Clinic in Rio de Janeiro. Demographic, social, epidemiological and clinical data were collected. The presence of IgM antibodies to PGL-I in sera and BCG vaccination status at the time of index case diagnosis were evaluated in 2,135 contacts. During follow-up, 60 (2.8%; 60/2,135) leprosy cases were diagnosed: 41 among the 1,793 PGL-I-negative contacts and 19 among the 342 PGL-I-positive contacts. Among PGL-I-positive contacts, BCG vaccination after index case diagnosis increased the adjusted rate of developing clinical manifestations of leprosy (Adjusted Rate Ratio (aRR) = 4.1; 95% CI: 1.8–8.2) compared with the PGL-I-positive unvaccinated contacts (aRR = 3.2; 95% CI: 1.2–8.1). The incidence density was highest during the first year of follow-up for the PGL-I-positive vaccinated contacts. However, all of those contacts developed PB leprosy, whereas most MB cases (4/6) occurred in PGL-I-positive unvaccinated contacts. Conclusion Contact examination combined with PGL-I testing and BCG vaccination remain important strategies for leprosy control. The finding that rates of leprosy cases were highest among seropositive contacts justifies targeting this specific group for close monitoring. Furthermore, it is recommended that PGL-I-positive contacts and contacts with a high familial bacteriological index, regardless of

  13. The historical significance of the Trepça mine in the Region of Stan-Terg during the twentieth century

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    Mustafë Haziri

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available The historical significance of the Trepça’s mine in Stan-Terg is so big, that it is impossible to be presented in this scientific paper, because of its historic, economic and social character. This paper analyses chronologically the importance of Trepça mine, focusing with particular emphasis on the period of the twentieth century where in 1926 the first research that was implemented by the British government began. In 1930 began the modern exploitation of Trepça which was followed by some union movements which lasted until 1939. In 1941, Trepça fell into the hands of the nazi regime of Germany. Other aspects of this work include the period of the Second World War, when the nationalization of property was implemented during the communist regime in former Yugoslavia until the great strike of 1989.

  14. The limited effect of increasing educational attainment on childlessness trends in twentieth-century Europe, women born 1916–65

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beaujouan, Eva; Brzozowska, Zuzanna; Zeman, Kryštof

    2016-01-01

    During the twentieth century, trends in childlessness varied strongly across European countries while educational attainment grew continuously across them. Using census and large-scale survey data from 13 European countries, we investigated the relationship between these two factors among women born between 1916 and 1965. Up to the 1940 birth cohort, the share of women childless at age 40+ decreased universally. Afterwards, the trends diverged across countries. The results suggest that the overall trends were related mainly to changing rates of childlessness within educational groups and only marginally to changes in the educational composition of the population. Over time, childlessness levels of the medium-educated and high-educated became closer to those of the low-educated, but the difference in level between the two better educated groups remained stable in Western and Southern Europe and increased slightly in the East. PMID:27545484

  15. Social implications of leprosy in the Netherlands - stigma among ex-leprosy patients in a non-endemic setting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Groot, R.; van Brakel, W.H.; de Vries, H.J.C.

    2011-01-01

    Background: In the Netherlands, leprosy is a rare and non-endemic disease, still occurring as an 'import disease'. Moreover a considerable group of people affected by leprosy, originating mainly from the former Dutch colonies, suffer from neuropathic complications. This study investigates the social

  16. Social implications of leprosy in the Netherlands--stigma among ex-leprosy patients in a non-endemic setting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Groot, R. de; Brakel, W.H. Van; Vries, H.J. de

    2011-01-01

    BACKGROUND: In the Netherlands, leprosy is a rare and non-endemic disease, still occurring as an 'import disease'. Moreover a considerable group of people affected by leprosy, originating mainly from the former Dutch colonies, suffer from neuropathic complications. This study investigates the social

  17. Social implications of leprosy in the Netherlands--stigma among ex-leprosy patients in a non-endemic setting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Groot, Roos; van Brakel, Wim H.; de Vries, Henry J. C.

    2011-01-01

    In the Netherlands, leprosy is a rare and non-endemic disease, still occurring as an 'import disease'. Moreover a considerable group of people affected by leprosy, originating mainly from the former Dutch colonies, suffer from neuropathic complications. This study investigates the social

  18. COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE INTENSITY OF MYCOBACTERIUM LEPRAE EXPOSURE BETWEEN HOUSEHOLD AND NONHOUSEHOLD CONTACT OF LEPROSY

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    Yuniarti Arsyad

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Leprosy stills a public health problem in West Sulawesi which has a Case Detection Rate (CDR around 43.69/100.000 population. Household contacts of leprosy are a high risk group to be infected, due to droplet infection mode of transmission of the disease. A nose swab examination and serological study was conducted to detect exposure of M. leprae of people who live in leprosy endemic area. Detection of M. leprae in the nasal cavity will represent the exposure rate from outside and the measurement of specific antibody is represented the result of exposure to the immune system. Two group of inhabitants (30 household contacts of leprosy and 30 nonhousehold contacts were involved in the study. They live in Banggae district, a leprosy endemic area of Majene Regency, West Sulawesi. Sixty nose swab samples and sixty capillary blood samples from the same invidividuals of the two groups were collected and sent to Leprosy laboratory of the Institute of Tropical Disease, Airlangga University Surabaya. A Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR was performed to the nose swab samples for detection of M. leprae. The blood samples were examined serologically to measure the level of anti PGL-1 antibody. PCR examination of nose swab samples showed 1/30 positive result in the household contact group and also 1/30 positive result in non-household contact of leprosy (statistically no significant difference, p > 0.05. Serological study showed higher sero-positive result in the household contact group (15/30 or 50% compared to non-household contact (11/30 or 36%, but statistical calculation revealed no significant difference between the two groups (p > 0.05 on sero-positive results of leprosy. It is concluded that household and non-household contact in leprosy have the same risk to be affected by the disease. The term of household and non-household contact need to be redefined. The possible role of exposure from the environment was also discussed, especially from non

  19. The Diversity of Cloud Responses to Twentieth-Century Sea Surface Temperatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silvers, L. G.; Paynter, D.; Zhao, M.

    2017-12-01

    Clouds play a crucial role in determining the magnitude of the global temperature response to forcing. Previous work has shown strong connections between cloud feedbacks and climate change, and between these feedbacks and changing patterns of surface temperature. We show that strong variability of the climate feedback parameter is present in three GFDL atmospheric general circulation models (AM2.1, AM3, AM4) over the twentieth century. This variability is highly correlated with the global mean cloud radiative effect (CRE) and low-cloud cover (LCC) anomalies. The decadal variability is characterized by a period of high climate sensitivity (1925-1955) and a period of low climate sensitivity (1975-2005). Observed trends of surface temperature also show distinct differences over these two periods. Although it is the SST that drives the atmospheric response, the estimated inversion strength (EIS) is necessary to reproduce the changing LCC field. During both periods, trends of EIS are shown to closely mirror trends of LCC over much of the globe, not only in the typical stratocumulus regions. Trends of the shortwave CRE (SWCRE), LCC, and the EIS are analyzed in particular geographic regions. All of these regions show a consistent relationship between LCC, SWCRE, and EIS, as well as significant differences between the two time periods. This study uses a 15 member ensemble of amip-piForcing simulations from 1870 -2005. These experiments are driven by observed SST patterns and hold greenhouse gases and other atmospheric forcing agents fixed at constant pre-industrial levels. This allows for a clean analysis of how clouds respond to changing patterns of SST and the resulting influence on the climate feedback parameter. The cloudy response of the atmosphere to changing SST patterns is critical in driving the variability of the climate feedback parameter during periods of both high and low climate sensitivity.

  20. Lepromatous leprosy: A rare presentation in Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barkla, Sally; Modi, Sunny

    2013-01-01

    Leprosy (Hansen's disease) is caused by the obligate intracellular organism Mycobacterium leprae. It is an infectious, chronic granulomatous disease transmitted through close contact. The latest current data shows that in 2010, eleven new cases of leprosy were reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System in Australia. We report the case of a patient with untreated chronic lepromatous leprosy diagnosed in Queensland, 2012. Delay in diagnosis may have been due to the rarity of this condition.

  1. Trends of main indicators of leprosy in Brazilian municipalities with high risk of leprosy transmission, 2001-2012.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freitas, Lucia R S; Duarte, Elisabeth C; Garcia, Leila P

    2016-09-05

    Leprosy incidence has reduced in recent years in Brazil, although the disease still persists as a public health problem in some regions. To investigate the trends of selected leprosy indicators in Brazilian municipalities with high risk of transmission is essential to provide effective control of the disease, yet this area has not been investigated. This is an ecological time-series study with multiple groups using Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) data. All 692 municipalities of the states of Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Rondônia, Pará and Maranhão were included. The incidence rates of leprosy were calculated, as well as incidence rates in children under 15 years per 100,000 inhabitants and rates of new cases presenting grade-2 disabilities per 100,000 inhabitants. Joinpoint Regression was used to analyse the time trends of the different indicators studied. The spatial distribution of temporal variations of the indicators in the period was presented. Between 2001 and 2012, 176,929 leprosy cases were notified in the area studied, this being equivalent to 34.6 % of total cases in Brazil. In the aggregate of municipalities, there was a reduction in incidence rate of leprosy from 89.10 to 56.98 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants between 2001 and 2012, with a significant reduction between 2003 and 2012 (APC: - 6.2 %, 95 % CI: -7.2 % to -5.2 %). The incidence rate in leprosy incidence rate, strategies for controlling this disease need to be enhanced to enable early case detection, especially in hyperendemic municipalities, in order to prevent disability.

  2. From Halsted to prevention and beyond: advances in the management of breast cancer during the twentieth century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisher, B

    1999-12-01

    This commentary evaluates progress made in the treatment of breast cancer during the twentieth century. Most of the period from 1900 to 1970 was governed by the 'non-science' of anecdotalism and classical inductivism and was marked by the absence of a scientific gestalt. In keeping with the Halstedian concept that breast cancer was a local disease that spread throughout the body by contiguous extension and could be cured by more expansive surgery, the disease was treated with radical surgery. In 1950, however, a new era of enlightenment began to emerge. The awareness that there was a scientific process in which hypotheses generated from laboratory and clinical investigation could be tested by means of randomised clinical trials was a seminal advance, as were findings from studies that laid the groundwork for the modern era of steroid hormone action, including identification of oestrogen receptors. Expanding knowledge regarding tumour cell kinetics, tumour heterogeneity, and technological advances related to mammography and radiation therapy were also to play a role in making possible the advances in therapy that were subsequently to occur. In the past 30 years, as a result of laboratory and clinical investigation, the Halstedian thesis of cancer surgery was displaced by an alternative hypothesis that was supported by findings from subsequent clinical trials. A new paradigm governed surgery for breast cancer, and lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy became accepted practice. A second paradigm that governed the use of adjuvant systemic therapy arose as a result of laboratory and clinical investigation. Treating patients who were free of identifiable metastatic disease with systemic adjuvant therapy because some of them might develop distant disease in the future was a revolutionary departure from prior treatment strategy and became a new exemplar. Not only did the chemotherapy favourably alter the outcome of breast cancer patients, but the anti

  3. National sample survey to assess the new case disease burden of leprosy in India

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    Kiran Katoch

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available A national sample survey of leprosy was undertaken in partnership with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR institutions, National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP, Panchayati Raj members, and treated leprosy patients to detect new cases of leprosy in India. The objectives of the survey were to estimate the new leprosy case load; record both Grade 1 and Grade 2 disabilities in the new cases; and to assess the magnitude of stigma and discrimination prevalent in the society. A cluster based, cross-sectional survey involving all States was used for the door-to-door survey using inverse sampling methodology. Rural and urban clusters were sampled separately. The population screened for detecting 28 new cases in rural and 30 in urban clusters was enumerated, recorded and analyzed. Data capture and analysis in different schedules were the main tools used. For quality control three tiers of experts were utilized for the confirmation of cases and disabilities. Self-stigma was assessed in more than half of the total new patients detected with disabilities by the approved questionnaire. A different questionnaire was used to assess the stigma in the community. A population of 14,725,525 (10,302,443 rural; 4,423,082 urban was screened and 2161 new cases - 1300 paucibacillary (PB and 861 multibacillary (MB were detected. New case estimates for leprosy was 330,346 (95% Confidence limits, 287,445-380,851. Disabilities observed in these cases were 2.05/100,000 population and 13.9 per cent (302/2161 in new cases. Self-stigma in patients with disabilities was reduced, and the patients were well accepted by the spouse, neighbour, at workplace and in social functions.

  4. Leprosy in a patient infected with HIV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galtrey, Clare M; Modarres, Hamid; Jaunmuktane, Zane; Brandner, Sebastian; Rossor, Alexander M; Lockwood, Diana Nj; Reilly, Mary M; Manji, Hadi; Schon, Fred

    2017-04-01

    A 60-year-old Nigerian man, who had lived in Europe for 30 years but had returned home frequently, presented with right frontalis muscle weakness and right ulnar nerve palsy, without skin lesions. Neurophysiology showed a generalised neuropathy with demyelinating features. Blood tests were positive for HIV, with a normal CD4 count. There was nerve thickening both clinically and on MRI. Nerve biopsy showed chronic endoneuritis and perineuritis (indicating leprosy) without visible mycobacteria. His neuropathy continued to deteriorate (lepra reaction) before starting treatment with WHO multidrug therapy, highly active antiretroviral therapy and corticosteroids. There are 10 new cases of leprosy diagnosed annually in the UK. Coinfection with HIV is rare but paradoxically does not usually adversely affect the outcome of leprosy or change treatment. However, permanent nerve damage in leprosy is common despite optimal therapy. Leprosy should be considered in patients from endemic areas who present with mononeuritis multiplex. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  5. Expanding Higher Education: Institutional Responses in Australia from the Post-War Era to the 1970s

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forsyth, Hannah

    2015-01-01

    The history of universities in the twentieth century is, at least from the perspective of growth, a massive success. Australian higher education is no exception. Prior to the Second World War, Australia had six universities and approximately 10,500 students. Now there are in excess of one million students attending 39 institutions. In each phase…

  6. Lepromatous leprosy: A rare presentation in Australia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sally Barkla

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Leprosy (Hansen’s disease is caused by the obligate intracellular organism Mycobacterium leprae. It is an infectious, chronic granulomatous disease transmitted through close contact. The latest current data shows that in 2010, eleven new cases of leprosy were reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System in Australia. We report the case of a patient with untreated chronic lepromatous leprosy diagnosed in Queensland, 2012. Delay in diagnosis may have been due to the rarity of this condition.

  7. The oral cavity in leprosy: what clinicians need to know.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigues, G A; Qualio, N P; de Macedo, L D; Innocentini, Lmar; Ribeiro-Silva, A; Foss, N T; Frade, Mac; Motta, Acf

    2017-09-01

    Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, a bacillus that has a tropism for skin and peripheral nerves. Leprosy treatment is based on a multidrug therapy established by the World Health Organization in 1982 and, despite its widespread use, Brazil ranks second worldwide in numbers of cases. Oral involvement in leprosy has been poorly described in the literature, and few studies have shown that although the bacillus is found in mucosa, specific leprosy lesions are rare and affect patients with advanced stages of the disease. This review aimed to assess the literature on oral manifestations in leprosy and the aspects involving oral cavity in leprosy pathogenesis. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Endocrine dysfunction in patients of leprosy

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    Rohit Kumar Singh

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Leprosy is a chronic granulomatous disease and affects many internal organs in addition to the skin and peripheral nerves. Endocrine dysfunction is often silent and is often missed in patients of leprosy leading to significant morbidity. We studied the presence of occult endocrine disorders in leprosy patients and compared the same with disease parameters. Materials and Methods: We evaluated 40 patients of leprosy (aged 18-70 years, any duration in this cross-sectional, observational study. All subjects were assessed for pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, gonadal function, and dynamic testing was done when deemed necessary. The participants were divided into two groups: Group 1 (Leprosy, n = 40 and Group 2 (Controls, n = 20 and the data were analyzed with appropriate statistical tests. Results: The study participants (35 males, 5 females had a mean age of 36.4 ± 11.3 years, and duration of the disease was 2.5 ± 5.5 years. Eleven out of 40 patients showed results consistent with an endocrine disorder, including subclinical hypothyroidism (n = 4, sick euthyroid syndrome (n = 3, growth hormone (GH deficiency (n = 2, primary hypogonadism (n = 2 and secondary hypogonadism in one patient. One patient had partial hypopituitarism (GH deficiency and secondary hypogonadism and none of the controls showed any hormonal dysfunction. Testosterone levels showed inverse correlation with the number of skin patches (P = 0.0006. Conclusion: Occult endocrine dysfunction is seen in a quarter of patients with leprosy. Thyroid and gonadal axes abnormalities are common, and the severity is more in lepromatous forms of the disease. Further large studies are required to confirm the findings observed in our study.

  9. Changes in the Authority of the Father in the Polish Family in the Twentieth Century. The Interpretation from the Historical and Pedagogical Perspective [Przemiany autorytetu ojca w rodzinie polskiej w XX wieku. Interpretacja z perspektywy historyczno-pedagogicznej

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    Paweł ŚPICA

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays numerous researchers are interested in the subject area concerning fatherhood, including the father’s role in bringing up the child. It is not coincidental. In the last couple of years the position of men has significantly changed in Polish families. Jerzy Witczak has indicated that since the 1970s the role of man has not been thoroughly defined. The changes have led to the modification the roles of fathers, previously which were traditionally based on taking care of material needs and representing the family to the outside world. While in the first half of the twentieth century the role of man in family was clearly defined, in the second half of the twentieth century the father’s authority was increasingly contested. The reasons for this state of affairs lie in the transformations that took place in Polish culture and in socio-economic policy. Consequently traditional educational methods upon which parents used to build their authority ceased to be effective in the educational practise. Increasingly, researchers have begun to ask questions concerning the importance of father in the process of raising a child. However, the transformation of family life in the twentieth-century Poland did not proceed equally in all social classes. Fathers from the villages held different positions than men living in the cities. The latter group adopted the so-called urban lifestyle. There is no doubt, however, that in the first and second environment – although in varying degrees – the father as the head of the family has lost its dominant position. In order to understand why the old methods stopped working, we should look through the prism of social history and we should not forget about the consequences of political and economical transformations, which directly and indirectly influenced the transformations of Polish families in the twentieth century. The main aim of the article is to provide the historical context and the scholars

  10. Contributions to a historical review of biological anthropology in Brazil from the second half of the twentieth century

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    Verlan Valle Gaspar Neto

    Full Text Available Abstract This article provides a preliminary historical survey of Brazilian biological anthropology from the second half of the twentieth century. Even today, little historiographic information on the last 50 or 60 years is available and/or has been explored, while few allusions to bioanthropology can be found in existing works on the history and contemporary state of anthropology in Brazil; this article attempts to span this gap. The first section examines various aspects of the general development of biological anthropology as it radiated from the centers (Europe and the United States outward over time. This initial survey affords a clearer understanding of the Brazilian case, which is the topic of the second section. This is followed by a brief historical and bibliographic account of the most recent state of biological anthropology in the country, including a number of specialized areas of research. The article concludes with a short discussion of the material covered.

  11. Social acceptance and quality of life of leprosy patient

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eyanoer, P. C.

    2018-03-01

    Some of the leprosy patients facing problems in many aspects such as social, economic, cultural and national security. Both the debilitating effects and disfigurements of leprosy, the society tends to stigmatize negatively those suffering from leprosy. The impact of negative stigma on society causes depression and problems in workplace cause difficulty in patient’s daily life. Neuropathic pain disturbs the quality of life of leprosy patients which could become so severe and significant. The neuropathic pain will lower their productivity which later caused difficulties in finding a job. This study was an analytical observational study to identify the correlation between neuropathic pain and quality of life in Leprosy Hospital of Scanning in Medan Belawan. The result showed that there is a correlation between neuropathic pain and disruption of quality of life (p=0.017). In conclusion, the milder the neuropathic pain experienced by persons with leprosy, the less the quality of life will be disturbed.

  12. Leprosy in a Lombard-Avar cemetery in central Italy (Campochiaro, Molise, 6th-8th century AD): ancient DNA evidence and demography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubini, Mauro; Zaio, Paola; Spigelman, Mark; Donoghue, Helen D

    2017-09-01

    The study of past infectious diseases increases knowledge of the presence, impact and spread of pathogens within ancient populations. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to examine bones for the presence of Mycobacterium leprae ancient DNA (aDNA) as, even when leprosy is present, bony changes are not always pathognomonic of the disease. This study also examined the demographic profile of this population and compared it with two other populations to investigate any changes in mortality trends between different infectious diseases and between the pre-antibiotic and antibiotic eras. The individuals were from a site in Central Italy (6th-8th CE) and were examined for the presence of Mycobacterium leprae aDNA. In addition, an abridged life mortality table was constructed. Two individuals had typical leprosy palaeopathology, and one was positive for Mycobacterium leprae aDNA. However, the demographic profile shows a mortality curve similar to that of the standard, in contrast to a population that had been subjected to bubonic plague. This study shows that, in the historical population with leprosy, the risk factors for health seem to be constant and distributed across all age classes, similar to what is found today in the antibiotic era. There were no peaks of mortality equivalent to those found in fatal diseases such as the plague, probably due to the long clinical course of leprosy.

  13. A study of oxidative stress in paucibacillary and multibacillary leprosy

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    Jyothi P

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The study and assessment of oxidative stress plays a significant role in the arena of leprosy treatment. Once the presence of oxidative stress is proved, antioxidant supplements can be provided to reduce tissue injury and deformity. Aim: To study oxidative stress in paucibacillary (PB and multibacillary (MB leprosy and to compare it with that in a control group. Methods: Fifty-eight untreated leprosy patients (23 PB and 35 MB cases were studied and compared with 58 healthy controls. Superoxide dismutase (SOD level as a measure of antioxidant status; malondialdehyde (MDA level, an indicator of lipid peroxidation; and MDA/SOD ratio, an index of oxidative stress were estimated in the serum. Results: The SOD level was decreased in leprosy patients, especially in MB leprosy. The MDA level was increased in PB and MB leprosy. The MDA/SOD ratio was significantly elevated in MB patients. There was a steady increase in this ratio along the spectrum from tuberculoid to lepromatous leprosy (LL. Conclusion: There is increased oxidative stress in MB leprosy, especially in LL. This warrants antioxidant supplements to prevent tissue injury.

  14. Effectiveness of rifampicin chemoprophylaxis in preventing leprosy in patient contacts: a systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferreira, Silvana Margarida Benevides; Yonekura, Tatiana; Ignotti, Eliane; Oliveira, Larissa Bertacchini de; Takahashi, Juliana; Soares, Cassia Baldini

    2017-10-01

    Individuals in contact with patients who have leprosy have an increased risk of disease exposure, which reinforces the need for chemoprophylactic measures, such as the use of rifampicin. The objective of the review was to synthesize the best available evidence regarding the effectiveness of rifampicin chemoprophylaxis for contacts with patients with leprosy, and to synthesize the best available evidence on the experience and acceptability of rifampicin chemoprophylaxis as reported by the contacts and health professionals involved in the treatment of leprosy or Hansen's disease. In the quantitative component, individuals in contact with leprosy patients were included. In the qualitative component, in addition to contacts, health professionals who were in the practice of treating leprosy were included. The quantitative component considered as an intervention rifampicin at any dose, frequency and mode of administration, and rifampicin combination regimens.The qualitative component considered as phenomena of interest the experience and acceptability of rifampicin chemoprophylaxis. The quantitative component considered experimental and observational studies whereas the qualitative component considered studies that focused on qualitative data, including but not limited to, designs such as phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography and action-research. The quantitative component considered studies that reported on outcomes such as the development of clinical leprosy in the contacts of patients who had leprosy, incidence rates, adverse effects and safety/harmful effects of the intervention. A three-step strategy for published and unpublished literature was used. The search for published studies included: PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature; and Google Scholar and EVIPnet for unpublished

  15. Current Situation of Leprosy in India and its Future Implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, P Narasimha; Suneetha, Sujai

    2018-01-01

    The global leprosy situation has changed significantly over the last four decades after the introduction of multidrug therapy (MDT) in 1982 with a reduction in prevalence from over 5 million cases in the mid-1980s to less than 200,000 at the end of 2016. The programme in India also saw a reduction from a prevalence rate of 57.8/10,000 in 1983 to less than 1/10,000 by the end of 2005 when India declared to have reached the World Health Organization (WHO) target of elimination as a public health problem. Post 2005, major changes in the programme were made by the National leprosy eradication programme (NLEP) and the global leprosy programme, which may have affected the new case detection (NCD), disability, and child leprosy trends, which continue to show no appreciable regression. This article reviews the current global and Indian leprosy scenario to bring out its achievements and successes, including the impact of Leprosy Case Detection Campaigns (LCDC) on leprosy numbers. The basis and expected benefits of recent introduction of chemo and immune-prophylaxis in the programme are also discussed. It also discusses the shortcomings, the areas of concern, and the need for an inclusive strategy in the Indian leprosy programme that includes an intersectoral collaboration within the country for reaching the desired goal of leprosy eradication.

  16. Erving Goffman's asylums and institutional culture in the mid-twentieth-century United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gambino, Matthew

    2013-01-01

    Sociologist Erving Goffman based his seminal work Asylums (1961) on a year of field research at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, DC. Goffman described the mental hospital as a "total institution," in which regimentation dominated every aspect of daily life and patients were denied even the most basic means of self-expression; rather than promote recovery, such conditions produced the sorts of disordered behavior for which men and women were ostensibly admitted. A closer look at the changes transforming St. Elizabeths around the time of Goffman's research reveals a far richer portrait of institutional culture. Group therapy, psychodrama, art and dance therapy, patient newspapers, and patient self-government-each of which debuted at the hospital in the 1940s and 1950s-provided novel opportunities for men and women to make themselves heard and to take their fate into their own hands. While these initiatives did not reach all of the patients at St. Elizabeths, surviving documentation suggests that those who participated found their involvement rewarding and empowering. Goffman explicitly set out to describe "the social world of the hospital inmate." His failure to appreciate fully the capacities of his subjects, however, appears to have led him to underestimate the importance of these developments.

  17. Gallium-67 scintigraphy in borderline lepromatous leprosy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mouratidis, B.; Lomas, F.E.

    1993-01-01

    A middle aged woman with a pyrexia of unknown origin was shown to have borderline lepromatous leprosy. Early gallium-67 scintigraphy demonstrated increased uptake in the subcutaneous tissues of the face and thighs. As a result of these findings skin biopsy was obtained from the right thigh which gave a diagnosis of borderline lepromatous leprosy. The authors have been unable to find other reports of gallium-67 scintigraphy in leprosy but the pattern of gallium-67 distribution should suggest the diagnosis. 5 refs., 1 fig

  18. Combination antiretroviral therapy : formulation of a powder for oral suspension containing Lamivudine, Zidovudine and Nevirapine / Janene Oosthuizen de Villiers

    OpenAIRE

    De Villiers, Janene Oosthuizen

    2006-01-01

    The human race has had to endure a variety of disabling and life threatening diseases which include leprosy, plaque, Black Death and numerous other infamous viruses, none of which awaken terror like the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). HIV infection has produced one of the most dreaded epidemics of the twentieth century, or rather, of all time, leaving no country or race untouched. Until this time, no cure for this disease has been discovered, and sufferers have to tolerate ...

  19. Alguns aspetos da interferência das ideias da revolução científica do início do século XX na poesia de Mário de Sá-Carneiro // Some aspects of the interference of the ideas of the scientific revolution of the beginning of the twentieth century in the poetry of Mário de Sá-Carneiro

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    Maria Mazniak

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The article explores the relationship between poetic creativity and the achievements of scientific thought in the early twentieth century. It does this through an analysis of aesthetic concepts and examples from the poetry of Mário de Sá-Carneiro, alongside an exploration of the main provisions of Theoretical Physics from the early twentieth century as far as the conceptions of space are concerned.

  20. Quality of life in lepromatous leprosy patients

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    Betül Demir

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Background and Design: Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae bacillus affecting the skin and peripheral nervous system. Leprosy can lead to severe deformities depending on the extent of the disease. In this study, we aimed to investigate the quality of life of patients with lepromatous leprosy. Materials and Methods: Thirty-five patients with lepromatous leprosy and 35 healthy controls were included in the study. The patients were evaluated with the Turkish version of the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36. The relationship of quality of life with age, gender, marital status, and the grade of the visual impairment was studied and compared with the healthy controls. Results: Total and all the subgroup DLQI scores were higher in the leprosy group than in the control group (p<0.05. The patients with grade 2 visual impairment were more severely affected by the disease with regard to symptoms/feelings and school/work life as compared to the patients with grade 1 visual impairment (p=0.04, p=0.03, respectively. SF-36 physical functioning, physical role functioning, general health perceptions, vitality, social role functioning, and emotional role functioning scores were statistically lower in the patient group than in the control group (p<0.05. Conclusion: We observed that DLQI scores were lower in patients with lepromatous leprosy than in the control group, while increasing impairment in eyes was found to have a negative impact on quality of life. The SF-36 revealed that physical functioning, physical role functioning, general health perceptions, vitality, social role functioning, emotional role functioning, and mental health were negatively influenced in patients with lepromatous leprosy.

  1. Winners, Socially Displaced and Cinderellas: Representations of Race and Social Climbing in the Second Half of the Twentieth Century

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    Pietro Pisano

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available From the study of articles published in Colombian magazines (particularly Cromos magazine in the second half of the twentieth century, this article proposes the analysis of some representations about upward mobility of black people. Consideration is given to the stories of some characters at different times: the judge Jose Antonio Camacho, the boxer Kid Pambelé, the model Laura Mosquera and the pianist Teresa Gómez. Although they emerged in different professional contexts, narratives about their paths have in common the emphasis on how the class representations articulated with the race and gender ones and were used to show the difficulty for a black person to be inserted in a social context different from the popular sectors, showing both their alleged incompatibility with the values of the middle class as well as the inability to fully integrate into a society dominated by whites.

  2. Update on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of leprosy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reibel, F; Cambau, E; Aubry, A

    2015-09-01

    Leprosy is an infectious disease that has now been reported for more than 2000 years. The leprosy elimination goal set by the World Health Organization (WHO), i.e. a global prevalence rate Leprosy is a specific infection: (i) it is a chronic infection primarily affecting the skin and peripheral nerves, (ii) Mycobacterium leprae is one of the last bacterial species of medical interest that cannot be cultured in vitro (mainly because of its reductive genome evolution), and (iii) transmission and pathophysiological data is still limited. The various presentations of the disease (Ridley-Jopling and WHO classifications) are correlated with the patient's immune response, bacillary load, and by the delay before diagnosis. Multidrug therapy (dapsone, rifampicin, with or without clofazimine) has been recommended since 1982 as the standard treatment of leprosy; 6 months for patients presenting with paucibacillary leprosy and 12 months for patients presenting with multibacillary leprosy. The worldwide use of leprosy drugs started in the 1980s and their free access since 1995 contributed to the drastic decline in the number of new case patients. Resistant strains are however emerging despite the use of multidrug therapy; identifying and monitoring resistance is still necessary. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  3. Can social marketing approaches change community attitudes towards leprosy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Wendy

    2006-06-01

    This essay explores how the concept of social marketing can be employed to change attitudes towards leprosy. Firstly, the concept of social marketing is discussed, then the attitudes that people have about leprosy, the stigma that people with leprosy and their families may face, and the detrimental effects that this can have on their lives. The effect of knowledge and education on attitudes towards leprosy is discussed, as this can be a key component of social marketing campaigns. Various methods of social marketing used to change attitudes and reduce stigma are examined, such as mass media campaigns, school based education, methods which involve community leaders, and the integration and improvement of leprosy services. Principles of social marketing which can lead to the success of campaigns such as incorporating local beliefs are emphasized. The success of the social marketing campaign in Sri Lanka is described, which aimed to remove the fear of leprosy, and to encourage patients to seek and comply with treatment. Finally, it is argued that social marketing, used correctly, can be highly effective at changing community attitudes towards leprosy, reducing stigma and improving the lives of patients, who become able to seek treatment sooner as they lose their fear of stigmatization.

  4. Identification of Urban Leprosy Clusters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Antonio Armani Paschoal

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Overpopulation of urban areas results from constant migrations that cause disordered urban growth, constituting clusters defined as sets of people or activities concentrated in relatively small physical spaces that often involve precarious conditions. Aim. Using residential grouping, the aim was to identify possible clusters of individuals in São José do Rio Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil, who have or have had leprosy. Methods. A population-based, descriptive, ecological study using the MapInfo and CrimeStat techniques, geoprocessing, and space-time analysis evaluated the location of 425 people treated for leprosy between 1998 and 2010. Clusters were defined as concentrations of at least 8 people with leprosy; a distance of up to 300 meters between residences was adopted. Additionally, the year of starting treatment and the clinical forms of the disease were analyzed. Results. Ninety-eight (23.1% of 425 geocoded cases were located within one of ten clusters identified in this study, and 129 cases (30.3% were in the region of a second-order cluster, an area considered of high risk for the disease. Conclusion. This study identified ten clusters of leprosy cases in the city and identified an area of high risk for the appearance of new cases of the disease.

  5. Identification of Urban Leprosy Clusters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paschoal, José Antonio Armani; Paschoal, Vania Del'Arco; Nardi, Susilene Maria Tonelli; Rosa, Patrícia Sammarco; Ismael, Manuela Gallo y Sanches; Sichieri, Eduvaldo Paulo

    2013-01-01

    Overpopulation of urban areas results from constant migrations that cause disordered urban growth, constituting clusters defined as sets of people or activities concentrated in relatively small physical spaces that often involve precarious conditions. Aim. Using residential grouping, the aim was to identify possible clusters of individuals in São José do Rio Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil, who have or have had leprosy. Methods. A population-based, descriptive, ecological study using the MapInfo and CrimeStat techniques, geoprocessing, and space-time analysis evaluated the location of 425 people treated for leprosy between 1998 and 2010. Clusters were defined as concentrations of at least 8 people with leprosy; a distance of up to 300 meters between residences was adopted. Additionally, the year of starting treatment and the clinical forms of the disease were analyzed. Results. Ninety-eight (23.1%) of 425 geocoded cases were located within one of ten clusters identified in this study, and 129 cases (30.3%) were in the region of a second-order cluster, an area considered of high risk for the disease. Conclusion. This study identified ten clusters of leprosy cases in the city and identified an area of high risk for the appearance of new cases of the disease. PMID:24288467

  6. Twentieth-Century Hydrometeorological Reconstructions to Study the Multidecadal Variations of the Water Cycle Over France

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonnet, R.; Boé, J.; Dayon, G.; Martin, E.

    2017-10-01

    Characterizing and understanding the multidecadal variations of the continental hydrological cycle is a challenging issue given the limitation of observed data sets. In this paper, a new approach to derive twentieth century hydrological reconstructions over France with an hydrological model is presented. The method combines the results of long-term atmospheric reanalyses downscaled with a stochastic statistical method and homogenized station observations to derive the meteorological forcing needed for hydrological modeling. Different methodological choices are tested and evaluated. We show that using homogenized observations to constrain the results of statistical downscaling help to improve the reproduction of precipitation, temperature, and river flows variability. In particular, it corrects some unrealistic long-term trends associated with the atmospheric reanalyses. Observationally constrained reconstructions therefore constitute a valuable data set to study the multidecadal hydrological variations over France. Thanks to these reconstructions, we confirm that the multidecadal variations previously noted in French river flows have mainly a climatic origin. Moreover, we show that multidecadal variations exist in other hydrological variables (evapotranspiration, snow cover, and soil moisture). Depending on the region, the persistence from spring to summer of soil moisture or snow anomalies generated during spring by temperature and precipitation variations may explain river flows variations in summer, when no concomitant climate variations exist.

  7. Sex discrimination from the acetabulum in a twentieth-century skeletal sample from France using digital photogrammetry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macaluso, P J

    2011-02-01

    Digital photogrammetric methods were used to collect diameter, area, and perimeter data of the acetabulum for a twentieth-century skeletal sample from France (Georges Olivier Collection, Musée de l'Homme, Paris) consisting of 46 males and 36 females. The measurements were then subjected to both discriminant function and logistic regression analyses in order to develop osteometric standards for sex assessment. Univariate discriminant functions and logistic regression equations yielded overall correct classification accuracy rates for both the left and the right acetabula ranging from 84.1% to 89.6%. The multivariate models developed in this study did not provide increased accuracy over those using only a single variable. Classification sex bias ratios ranged between 1.1% and 7.3% for the majority of models. The results of this study, therefore, demonstrate that metric analysis of acetabular size provides a highly accurate, and easily replicable, method of discriminating sex in this documented skeletal collection. The results further suggest that the addition of area and perimeter data derived from digital images may provide a more effective method of sex assessment than that offered by traditional linear measurements alone. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  8. The demographic and clinical characteristics of leprosy in Saudi Arabia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alotaibi, Mohammad H; Bahammam, Salman A; Ur Rahman, Saeed; Bahnassy, Ahmed A; Hassan, Imad S; Alothman, Adel F; Alkayal, Abdulkareem M

    2016-01-01

    Leprosy is a chronic disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Although the occurrence of leprosy has declined in Saudi Arabia, it has not yet been eradicated. To our knowledge, this descriptive retrospective study is the first to assess the clinical presentation of leprosy at the time of diagnosis in Saudi Arabia. All study subjects were leprosy patients admitted to Ibn Sina hospital, the only referral hospital for leprosy in Saudi Arabia, between January 2000 and May 2012. A total of 164 subjects, the majority of whom (65%) were between 21 and 50 years of age, were included, and the male-to-female ratio was 2.8:1. Of these 164 patients, 63% were Saudis, and 77% of all admitted patients were from the western region. Lepromatous leprosy was observed most frequently (33%), and 31% of cases had a positive history of close contact with leprosy. At the time of diagnosis, 84% of all subjects presented with skin manifestation. The prevalence of neurological deficit at the time of diagnosis was 87%. Erythema nodosum leprosum (E.N.L.) developed in only 10% of all subjects. Further studies are needed to determine the clinical characteristics pertaining to each type of leprosy in the region, and training courses in caring for and diagnosing patients with leprosy should be organized for health workers. Copyright © 2016 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Exploratory urinary metabolomics of type 1 leprosy reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayboroda, Oleg A; van Hooij, Anouk; Derks, Rico; van den Eeden, Susan J F; Dijkman, Karin; Khadge, Saraswoti; Thapa, Pratibha; Kunwar, Chhatra B; Hagge, Deanna A; Geluk, Annemieke

    2016-04-01

    Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae that affects the skin and nerves. Although curable with multidrug therapy, leprosy is complicated by acute inflammatory episodes called reactions, which are the major causes of irreversible neuropathy in leprosy that occur before, during, and even after treatment. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of reactions reduces the risk of permanent disability. This exploratory study investigated whether urinary metabolic profiles could be identified that correlate with early signs of reversal reactions (RR). A prospective cohort of leprosy patients with and without reactions and endemic controls was recruited in Nepal. Urine-derived metabolic profiles were measured longitudinally. Thus, a conventional area of biomarker identification for leprosy was extended to non-invasive urine testing. It was found that the urinary metabolome could be used to discriminate endemic controls from untreated patients with mycobacterial disease. Moreover, metabolic signatures in the urine of patients developing RR were clearly different before RR onset compared to those at RR diagnosis. This study indicates that urinary metabolic profiles are promising host biomarkers for the detection of intra-individual changes during acute inflammation in leprosy and could contribute to early treatment and prevention of tissue damage. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  10. Leprosy reactions in postelimination stage: the Bangladesh experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mowla, M R; Ara, S; Mizanur Rahman, A F M; Tripura, S P; Paul, S

    2017-04-01

    Leprosy reactions are immunologically mediated conditions and a major cause of disability before, during and after multidrug therapy (MDT). Little data have been published on the epidemiology of leprosy reactions in Bangladesh. To describe the pattern and prevalence of leprosy reactions in the postelimination stage. A descriptive retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out in Chittagong Medical College Hospital using the registered records of patients in the period between 2004 and 2013. Of the 670 patients with leprosy, 488 (73.38%) were males and 182 (27.37%) were females. The prevalence of reaction was in 300 (44.78%) patients with a male:female ratio of 3.55 : 1. The age-specific cumulative reaction cases at >40 years were 115 (38.33%) among all age groups. The prevalence of reaction was found to be in 166 (55.33%) patients for the reversal reaction, 49 (16.57%) for the erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) and 85 (28.33%) for the neuritis. Borderline tuberculoid was most common (106, 35.33%)in the reversal reaction group, while lepromatous leprosy was most common (37, 12.33%) in ENL group. More than half of the patients (169, 56.33%) had reactions at the time of presentations, while 85 (28.33%) and 46 (15.33%) patients developed reaction during and after MDT, respectively. The reversal reaction group presented with ≥six skin lesions in 96 (57.83%) patients and ≥two nerve function impairments (NFIs) in 107 (64.46%) patients. The ENL was present chiefly as papulo-nodular lesions in 45 (91.84%) patients followed by pustule-necrotic lesions in four (8.16%), neuritis in 33 (67.35%), fever in 24 (48.98%), lymphadenitis in six (12.24%), arthritis in five (10.20%) and iritis in two (4.08%). Bacterial index ≥3 had been demonstrated in 34 (60.71%) patients in ENL group. The incidence of leprosy reaction seemed to be more than three times common in borderline tuberculoid (52.33%) group than in lepromatous leprosy (14%) group. Reactions with NFI and disability

  11. Translating Institutional Templates: A Historical Account of the Consequences of Importing Policing Models into Argentina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matías Dewey

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This article focuses on the translation of the French and English law enforcement models into Argentina and analyzes its consequences in terms of social order. Whereas in the former two models the judiciary and police institutions originated in large-scale processes of historical consolidation, in the latter these institutions were implanted without the antecedents present in their countries of origin. The empirical references are Argentine police institutions, particularly the police of the Buenos Aires Province, observed at two moments in which the institutional import was particularly intense: towards the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries, and at the end of the twentieth century. By way of tracing these processes of police constitution and reform, we show how new models of law enforcement and policing interacted with indigenous political structures and cultural frames, as well as how this constellation produced a social order in which legality and illegality are closely interwoven. The article is an attempt to go beyond the common observations regarding how an imported model failed; instead, it dissects the effects the translation actually produced and how the translated models transform into resources that reshape the new social order. A crucial element, the article shows, is that these resources can be instrumentalized according to »idiosyncrasies«, interests, and quotas of power.

  12. P A Jungian Approach to Self-fragmentation of Twentieth Century in Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four

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    Mozhdeh Alizadeh Shirazi

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The problematic life of modern human has always been a significant issue for many areas of study. In reaction to the absence of romantic values and the unity of the pre-modern world, Human being was afflicted with a sense of inner crises which is referred to as self-fragmentation. Fragmentation is one of the significant features of twentieth century when a mode of anxiety subjugated both art and society. In such an atmosphere many writers of the modern century attempted to reflect in their works of literature, what they had experienced in the real world. Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four is one of the popular novels of Modern Era that describes a modern but fragmented society wherein the modern human’s lack of self-integration is perceptible. By representing how the protagonists respond to the voices of their psyches through characterization and dreams, which is also of crucial significance in Jung’s Analytical Psychology, Orwell explores the roots of modern human’s urge for achieving a cohesive sense of self. Accordingly, this study, attempts to illustrate how modern human steps in the path of individuation and to what extent these efforts meet with success, if any. To achieve this goal, some terms and notions of Jungian Criticism such as archetypes and the process of individuation will be borrowed, and a particular focus will be held on dreams occurring in the course of the story. In addition, this paper would like to argue that the dystopian society portrayed in these novels is the offspring of a mere rationalism which prevents human from knowing the opposing forces working within as well as the forces functioning from without.

  13. International open trial of uniform multidrug therapy regimen for leprosy patients: Findings & implications for national leprosy programmes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manickam, Ponnaiah; Mehendale, Sanjay M; Nagaraju, Bathyala; Katoch, Kiran; Jamesh, Abdul; Kutaiyan, Ramalingam; Jianping, Shen; Mugudalabetta, Shivakumar; Jadhav, Vitthal; Rajkumar, Prabu; Padma, Jayasree; Kaliaperumal, Kanagasabai; Pannikar, Vijayakumar; Krishnamurthy, Padabettu; Gupte, Mohan D

    2016-10-01

    Uniform therapy for all leprosy patients will simplify leprosy treatment. In this context, we evaluated six-month multidrug therapy (MDT) currently recommended for multibacillary (MB) patients as uniform MDT (U-MDT) in a single-arm open trial under programme conditions. Primary objective was to determine efficacy to prevent five-year cumulative five per cent relapse. Secondary objectives were to assess acceptability, safety and compliance. Newly detected, treatment-naive leprosy patients were enrolled in India (six sites) and P. R. China (two sites). Primary outcome was clinically confirmed relapse of occurrence of one or more new skin patches consistent with leprosy, without evidence of reactions post-treatment. Event rates per 100 person years as well as five-year cumulative risk of relapse, were calculated. A total of 2091 paucibacillary (PB) and 1298 MB leprosy patients were recruited from the 3437 patients screened. Among PB, two relapsed (rate=0.023; risk=0.11%), eight had suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) (rate=0.79) and rate of new lesions due toreactions was 0.24 (n=23). Rates of neuritis, type 1 and type 2 reactions were 0.39 (n=37), 0.54 (n=51) and 0.03 (n=3), respectively. Among MB, four relapsed (rate=0.07; risk=0.37%) and 16 had suspected ADR (rate=2.64). Rate of new lesions due to reactions among MB was 1.34 (n=76) and rates of neuritis, type 1 and type 2 reactions were 1.37 (n=78), 2.01 (n=114) and 0.49 (n=28), respectively. Compliance to U-MDT was 99 per cent. Skin pigmentation due to clofazimine was of short duration and acceptable. We observed low relapse, minimal ADR and other adverse clinical events. Clofazimine-related pigmentation was acceptable. Evidence supports introduction of U-MDT in national leprosy programmes. [CTRI No: 2012/ 05/ 002696].

  14. In Situ complement activation and T-cell immunity in leprosy spectrum: An immunohistological study on leprosy lesional skin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nawal Bahia El Idrissi

    Full Text Available Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae infection causes nerve damage and the condition worsens often during and long after treatment. Clearance of bacterial antigens including lipoarabinomannan (LAM during and after treatment in leprosy patients is slow. We previously demonstrated that M. leprae LAM damages peripheral nerves by in situ generation of the membrane attack complex (MAC. Investigating the role of complement activation in skin lesions of leprosy patients might provide insight into the dynamics of in situ immune reactivity and the destructive pathology of M. leprae. In this study, we analyzed in skin lesions of leprosy patients, whether M. leprae antigen LAM deposition correlates with the deposition of complement activation products MAC and C3d on nerves and cells in the surrounding tissue. Skin biopsies of paucibacillary (n = 7, multibacillary leprosy patients (n = 7, and patients with erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL (n = 6 or reversal reaction (RR (n = 4 and controls (n = 5 were analyzed. The percentage of C3d, MAC and LAM deposition was significantly higher in the skin biopsies of multibacillary compared to paucibacillary patients (p = <0.05, p = <0.001 and p = <0.001 respectively, with a significant association between LAM and C3d or MAC in the skin biopsies of leprosy patients (r = 0.9578, p< 0.0001 and r = 0.8585, p<0.0001 respectively. In skin lesions of multibacillary patients, MAC deposition was found on axons and co-localizing with LAM. In skin lesions of paucibacillary patients, we found C3d positive T-cells in and surrounding granulomas, but hardly any MAC deposition. In addition, MAC immunoreactivity was increased in both ENL and RR skin lesions compared to non-reactional leprosy patients (p = <0.01 and p = <0.01 respectively. The present findings demonstrate that complement is deposited in skin lesions of leprosy patients, suggesting that inflammation driven by complement activation might contribute to nerve damage in the lesions

  15. Climate: Into the 21st Century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burroughs, William

    2003-08-01

    Toward the end of the twentieth century, it became evident to professionals working within the meterological arena that the world's climate system was showing signs of change that could not be adequately explained in terms of natural variation. Since that time there has been an increasing recognition that the climate system is changing as a result of human industries and lifestyles, and that the outcomes may prove catastrophic to the world's escalating population. Compiled by an international team formed under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Climate: Into the 21st Century features an unrivalled collection of essays by the world's leading meteorological experts. These fully integrated contributions provide a perspective of the global climate system across the twentieth century, and describe some of the most arresting and extreme climatic events and their effects that have occurred during that time. In addition, the book traces the development of our capabilities to observe and monitor the climate system, and outlines our understanding of the predictability of climate on time-scales of months and longer. It concludes with a summary of the prospects for applying the twentieth century climate experience in order to benefit society in the twenty-first century. Lavishly illustrated in color, Climate is an accessible acccount of the challenges that climate poses at the start of the twenty-first century. Filled with fascinating facts and diagrams, it is written for a wide audience and will captivate the general reader interested in climate issues, and will be a valuable teaching resource. William Burroughs is a successful science author of books on climate, including Weather (Time Life, 2000), and Climate Change: A Multidisciplinary Approach (2001), Does the Weather Really Matter? (1997) and The Climate Revealed (1999), all published by Cambridge University Press.

  16. Leprosy among patient contacts: a multilevel study of risk factors.

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    Anna M Sales

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors associated with developing leprosy among the contacts of newly-diagnosed leprosy patients. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A total of 6,158 contacts and 1,201 leprosy patients of the cohort who were diagnosed and treated at the Leprosy Laboratory of Fiocruz from 1987 to 2007 were included. The contact variables analyzed were sex; age; educational and income levels; blood relationship, if any, to the index case; household or non-household relationship; length of time of close association with the index case; receipt of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BGG vaccine and presence of BCG scar. Index cases variables included sex, age, educational level, family size, bacillary load, and disability grade. Multilevel logistic regression with random intercept was applied. Among the co-prevalent cases, the leprosy-related variables that remained associated with leprosy included type of household contact, [odds ratio (OR = 1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI: 1.02, 1.73] and consanguinity with the index case, (OR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.42-2.51. With respect to the index case variables, the factors associated with leprosy among contacts included up to 4 years of schooling and 4 to 10 years of schooling (OR = 2.72, 95% CI: 1.54-4.79 and 2.40, 95% CI: 1.30-4.42, respectively and bacillary load, which increased the chance of leprosy among multibacillary contacts for those with a bacillary index of one to three and greater than three (OR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.19-2.17 and OR: 4.07-95% CI: 2.73, 6.09, respectively. Among incident cases, household exposure was associated with leprosy (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.29-2.98, compared with non-household exposure. Among the index case risk factors, an elevated bacillary load was the only variable associated with leprosy in the contacts. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Biological and social factors appear to be associated with leprosy among co-prevalent cases, whereas the factors related to the

  17. Global elimination of leprosy by 2020: are we on track?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blok, David J; De Vlas, Sake J; Richardus, Jan Hendrik

    2015-10-22

    Every year more than 200,000 new leprosy cases are registered globally. This number has been fairly stable over the past 8 years. WHO has set a target to interrupt the transmission of leprosy globally by 2020. The aim of this study is to investigate whether this target, interpreted as global elimination, is feasible given the current control strategy. We focus on the three most important endemic countries, India, Brazil and Indonesia, which together account for more than 80 % of all newly registered leprosy cases. We used the existing individual-based model SIMCOLEP to predict future trends of leprosy incidence given the current control strategy in each country. SIMCOLEP simulates the spread of M. leprae in a population that is structured in households. Current control consists of passive and active case detection, and multidrug therapy (MDT). Predictions of leprosy incidence were made for each country as well as for one high-endemic region within each country: Chhattisgarh (India), Pará State (Brazil) and Madura (Indonesia). Data for model quantification came from: National Leprosy Elimination Program (India), SINAN database (Brazil), and Netherlands Leprosy Relief (Indonesia). Our projections of future leprosy incidence all show a downward trend. In 2020, the country-level leprosy incidence has decreased to 6.2, 6.1 and 3.3 per 100,000 in India, Brazil and Indonesia, respectively, meeting the elimination target of less than 10 per 100,000. However, elimination may not be achieved in time for the high-endemic regions. The leprosy incidence in 2020 is predicted to be 16.2, 21.1 and 19.3 per 100,000 in Chhattisgarh, Pará and Madura, respectively, and the target may only be achieved in another 5 to 10 years. Our predictions show that although country-level elimination is reached by 2020, leprosy is likely to remain a problem in the high-endemic regions (i.e. states, districts and provinces with multimillion populations), which account for most of the cases in a

  18. A brief history of the American radium industry and its ties to the scientific community of its early Twentieth Century

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Landa, E.R.

    1993-01-01

    Federally funded remedial action projects are presently underway in New Jersey and Colorado at sites containing 226 Ra and other radionuclides from radium-uranium ore extraction plants that operated during the early twentieth century. They are but the latest chapter in the story of an American industry that emerged and perished in the span of three decades. Major extraction plants were established in or near Denver (CO), Pittsburgh (PA), and New York City (NY) to process radium from ore that came largely from the carnotite deposits of western Colorado and eastern Utah. The staffs of these plants included some of the finest chemists and physicists in the nation, and the highly-refined radium products found a variety of uses in medicine and industry. The discovery of high-grade pitchblende ores in the Belgian Congo and the subsequent opening of an extraction plant near Antwerp, Belgium, in 1992, however, created an economic climate that put an end to the American radium industry. The geologic, chemical, and engineering information gathered during this era formed the basis of the uranium industry of the later part of the century, while the tailings and residues came to be viewed as environmental problems during the same period

  19. Leprosy in Pregnancy: Obstetric Diligence is the Key

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rupali Bhatia

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Leprosy in pregnancy is a rarely encountered event. Out of the 2000 patients detected of leprosy annually, two to three are pregnant women and majority of them are diagnosed in the third trimester. We, hereby, report a case of borderline tuberculoid leprosy with Type I lepromatous reaction in a 26-year-old pregnant woman in early second trimester with a large raised red coloured lesion over the forehead and six other small lesions involving the trunk and limbs with reduced sensory perception over involved skin. Occurrence of leprosy in an obstetric patient belonging to low prevalence area of India is infrequent especially in the post elimination era. However, we do need to have a high index of suspicion in lesions suggestive of the disease.

  20. Sound or Expression: Dilemmas in the Phenomenological Aesthetics of 20th Century Music (Sound or Expression: Dilemmas in the Phenomenological Aesthetics of 20th Century Music

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    Martina Stratilková

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Phenomenology, as a philosophy of the twentieth century, is often confronted with music of the same period, which in contrast with the classical-romantic repertoire recedes from previously codified means for the organisation of musical structure (namely tonality and holds up the actual matter of the music – sound – for admiration. So musical experience dwells more at the sound and its direct appearance rather than rushing to the musical meanings intended through sensuous moments. From this aspect music in the first decades of the twentieth century complemented the other arts undergoing a similar development. Romantic art was replaced by artistic creativity relying on the objectivity of the musical material and not on the emotional quality. The paper considers circumstances under which some of the phenomenological approaches adopt a positive approach to the music of the twentieth century (those which stress the immediacy of the perceptive presence and some of which tend to reject it (those which apply the requirement of expressive intentionality.

  1. Diet-Related Risk Factors for Leprosy: A Case-Control Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagenaar, Inge; van Muiden, Lisanne; Alam, Khorshed; Bowers, Robert; Hossain, Md. Anwar; Kispotta, Kolpona; Richardus, Jan Hendrik

    2015-01-01

    Background Food shortage was associated with leprosy in two recent studies investigating the relation between socioeconomic factors and leprosy. Inadequate intake of nutrients due to food shortage may affect the immune system and influence the progression of infection to clinical leprosy. We aimed to identify possible differences in dietary intake between recently diagnosed leprosy patients and control subjects. Methods In a leprosy endemic area of Bangladesh, newly diagnosed leprosy patients and control subjects were interviewed about their socioeconomic situation, health and diet. Dietary intakes were recorded with a 24-hour recall, from which a Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) was calculated. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated and Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was filled out for every participant. Using logistic regression, a univariate, block wise multivariate, and an integrated analysis were carried out. Results 52 leprosy cases and 100 control subjects were included. Food shortage was more common, dietary diversity was lower and household food insecurity was higher in the patient group. Patients consumed significantly less items from the DDS food groups ‘Meat and fish’ and ‘Other fruits and vegetables.’ Lower food expenditure per capita, lower BMI, lower DDS and absence of household food stocks are the main factors associated with an increased risk of having leprosy. Conclusion Low income families have only little money to spend on food and consequently have a low intake of highly nutritious non-rice foods such as meat, fish, milk, eggs, fruits and vegetables. Development of clinical leprosy could be explained by deficiencies of the nutrients that these foods normally provide. PMID:25965879

  2. The Burden of Leprosy in Cameroon: Fifteen Years into the Post-elimination Era.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabah, Earnest Njih; Nsagha, Dickson Shey; Bissek, Anne-Cecile Zoung-Kanyi; Bratschi, Martin W; Njamnshi, Theophilus Ngeh; Plushke, Gerd; Njamnshi, Alfred Kongnyu

    2016-10-01

    Cameroon achieved the elimination target of leprosy in 2000, and has maintained this status ever since. However, a number of health districts in the country continue to report significant numbers of leprosy cases. The aim of this study was to assess the burden of leprosy in Cameroon from 2000 to 2014. We obtained and analysed using the new leprosy burden concept of analysis, leprosy surveillance data collected between 2000 and 2014 from the National Leprosy Control Programme. Cameroon achieved leprosy elimination in 2000, registering a prevalence rate of 0.94/10,000 population. The prevalence rate dropped further to reach 0.20/10,000 population (78% reduction) in 2014. Similarly, the new case detection rate dropped from 4.88/100,000 population in 2000 to 1.46/100,000 population (85.3% reduction) in 2014. All 10 regions of the country achieved leprosy elimination between 2000 and 2014; however, 10 health districts were still to do so by 2014. The number of high-leprosy-burden regions decreased from 8 in 2000 to 1 in 2014. Seven and two regions were respectively medium and low-burdened at the end of 2014. At the health districts level, 18 remained at the high-leprosy-burdened level in 2014. The leprosy prevalence and detection rates as well as the overall leprosy burden in Cameroon have dropped significantly between 2000 and 2014. However, a good number of health districts remain high-leprosy-burdened. The National Leprosy Control Programme should focus efforts on these health districts in the next coming years in order to further reduce the burden of leprosy in the country.

  3. Leprosy Sufferers' Perception Of Social Stigma As A Determinant Of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study aimed at relating leprosy sufferers perception of social stigma to their lifestyles. Eighty leprosy affected persons comprising males and females drawn from Delta State Government Tuberculosis and Leprosy Referral Center participated in this study. A focus group discussion schedule containing information about ...

  4. Leprosy and the eye a review of epidemiology, pathogenesis, ocular ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objectives: 1. To update knowledge on the current trends in the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of leprosy 2. To highlight the ocular complications associated with leprosy. Methodology:Current literature on various aspects of leprosy research obtained from the Internet and supplemented by available journals ...

  5. Epidemiology of leprosy in Cumanayagua (2006-2011: retrospective cohort study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Isabel Fernández Juviel

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Hansen's disease is currently a health problem in the municipality of Cumanayagua. Objective. To describe the epidemiology of this condition. Methods. Retrospective, descriptive study of leprosy in the Municipality of Cumanayagua, Cuba, from 2006 to 2011. Study universe are all cases occurring during this period and are consistent with the sample. Data were obtained from the Municipal Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology records, as well as from the survey conducted by the National Leprosy Control for each new case. The results were analyzed with SPSS 15.0, and are presented in tables. Results. Incidence was silent during prolonged periods of the study phase with a marked rise in in 2009. Females were affected most by leprosy during the selected study period reaching 54.2% of the total sample. Indeterminate leprosy and tuberculoid leprosy predominated, with respective rates of 37.5% and 29.1%. In 41.6% of leprosy patients, over a year elapsed between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis. 83.3% of patients spontaneously went to the doctor for diagnosis while only 4.2% were diagnosed through contact tracing. Multibacillary leprosy prevailed in 62.5% of cases. Conclusion. In 2009, there was evidence of a significant increase in the incidence of leprosy in the municipality under study reaching a rate of 15.0 per 100,000 inhabitants.

  6. Integration of leprosy services into the General Health Service in Sri Lanka: overcoming challenges to implementation in a remote district.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wijesinghe, Thushanthi S; Wijesinghe, Pushpa Ranjan

    2013-01-01

    Sri Lanka took a policy decision to integrate leprosy services into the general health services (GHS) in 1999. This paper aims to summarize the emergence of new, specific challenges and how they were overcome during the integration of leprosy services to the GHS in a remote, leprosy endemic district in Sri Lanka. In this article, the regional epidemiologist as the team leader describes the principles used for transition to an effective integrated model of leprosy services from a centralized leprosy control model in the district. In addition, rationale for integration is viewed from the epidemiological and operational perspectives. National and district leprosy epidemiological data from secondary sources are also reviewed for corroborating the effectiveness of integration. Challenges surfaced were mainly related to the transfer of ownership of the programme, selection of appropriate service providing institutions easily accessible to clients, sustainability of leprosy services at the GHS, ensuring participation of all stakeholders in capacity building programmes and co-ordination of patient care in the absence of a dermatologist in the district. An empowered district team leader with specified roles and responsibilities, his sound technical and managerial know how and ability to translate 'team work' concept to practice were found to be essential for successful implementation of integration. Decision-making powers at the district level and flexibility to introduce new, area-specific changes to the centrally prepared core activities of integration were also vital to overcome locally surfaced challenges.

  7. The spatial distribution of leprosy cases during 15 years of a leprosy control program in Bangladesh: An obsersvational study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fischer, E.A.J.; pahan, D.; Chowdhury, S.K.; Richardus, J.H.

    2008-01-01

    Background - An uneven spatial distribution of leprosy can be caused by the influence of geography on the distribution of risk factors over the area, or by population characteristics that are heterogeneously distributed over the area. We studied the distribution of leprosy cases detected by a

  8. EYE DISEASE IN NEWLY-DIAGNOSED LEPROSY PATIENTS IN EASTERN NEPAL

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    LUBBERS, WJ; SCHIPPER, A; HOGEWEG, M; DESOLDENHOFF, R

    To determine the magnitude of eye lesions in newly diagnosed leprosy patients we examined their eyes. The Eastern Leprosy Control Project was supported by The Netherlands Leprosy Relief Association; we used the regional clinic in Biratnagar and 5 mobile clinics in surrounding districts as our survey

  9. Distinct Roles of Th17 and Th1 Cells in Inflammatory Responses Associated with the Presentation of Paucibacillary Leprosy and Leprosy Reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, M B; de Oliveira, D T; Cazzaniga, R A; Varjão, C S; Dos Santos, P L; Santos, M L B; Correia, C B; Faria, D R; Simon, M do V; Silva, J S; Dutra, W O; Reed, S G; Duthie, M S; de Almeida, R P; de Jesus, A R

    2017-07-01

    It is well established that helper T cell responses influence resistance or susceptibility to Mycobacterium leprae infection, but the role of more recently described helper T cell subsets in determining severity is less clear. To investigate the involvement of Th17 cells in the pathogenesis of leprosy, we determined the immune profile with variant presentations of leprosy. Firstly, IL-17A, IFN-γ and IL-10 were evaluated in conjunction with CD4 + T cell staining by confocal microscopy of lesion biopsies from tuberculoid (TT) and lepromatous leprosy (LL) patients. Secondly, inflammatory cytokines were measured by multiplex assay of serum samples from Multibacillary (MB, n = 28) and Paucibacillary (PB, n = 23) patients and household contacts (HHC, n = 23). Patients with leprosy were also evaluated for leprosy reaction occurrence: LR+ (n = 8) and LR- (n = 20). Finally, peripheral blood mononuclear cells were analysed by flow cytometry used to determine the phenotype of cytokine-producing cells. Lesions from TT patients were found to have more CD4 + IL-17A + cells than those from LL patients. Higher concentrations of IL-17A and IL-1β were observed in serum from PB than MB patients. The highest serum IFN-γ concentrations were, however, detected in sera from MB patients that developed leprosy reactions (MB LR + ). Together, these results indicate that Th1 cells were associated with both the PB presentation and also with leprosy reactions. In contrast, Th17 cells were associated with an effective inflammatory response that is present in the PB forms but were not predictive of leprosy reactions in MB patients. © 2017 The Foundation for the Scandinavian Journal of Immunology.

  10. Lost Purity. Social in Nineteenth and Twentieth-century Feminisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paola Persano

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available ‘Social Purity’ appears in a part of the French and Anglo-Saxon (Britain and the United States nineteenth-twentieth century’s feminisms, as a mean for many claims: from the full recognition of sexual difference in Hubertine Auclert’s social and ‘differentialist’ republicanism in France to Josephine Butler’s refusal of any purity imposed from above in England, until the absolute turn of the idea of women’s moral superiority and the equal and opposite force to the final exit from ‘the social’ by the American ‘New Womanism’, individualizing and de-feminizing the act of sexual liberation. All this in a continuous play of actions and reactions, sometimes paradoxical, weaving together suffragism and anti-suffragism, contestation of the conjugal complementarity and the never overcome temptations of hetero or self-control.

  11. Planning ideology and geographic thought in the early twentieth century: Charles Whitnall's progressive era park designs for socialist Milwaukee.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Platt, Lorne A

    2010-01-01

    As Milwaukee’s chief park planner in the early to mid-twentieth century, Charles Whitnall responded to the various underlying ideologies of the period within which he worked. His preference for parks was a political and physical response to and remedy for the industrialized and heavily congested city he called home. By examining the Progressive Era discourse associated with planning, this article situates Whitnall’s work within the political, aesthetic, and environmental contexts of geographic thought that influenced his plans for Milwaukee. In promoting a physical awareness associated with the natural features of the region and responding to the sociopolitical framework of contemporaries such as Ebenezer Howard, Whitnall incorporated a sense of compassion within his planning. He responded to the preexisting beer gardens of Pabst and Schlitz, as well as Olmsted-designed park spaces, by advocating for decentralization as part of a broader socialist agenda that had swept through Milwaukee during the early 1900s.

  12. Burden of leprosy in Malawi: community camp-based cross-sectional study

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    Msyamboza Kelias P

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although leprosy was eliminated globally in 2000, the disease continues to be the significant cause of peripheral neuropathy, disability and disfigurement in some developing countries. However, recent population-based prevalence data are lacking to inform evidence-based renewed commitment for the final push for leprosy elimination at national and sub-national levels. Methods Community camp-based cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in four selected districts. World Health Organisation guidelines and tools for leprosy elimination monitoring were used to evaluate the Malawi National Leprosy Programme. Results A total of 6,338 people (60% females, 35% children aged less than 15 years were examined for leprosy and other skin diseases. Prevalence of skin diseases was 18%, the commonest being fungal (9%, eczema/dermatitis (3% and leprosy (1%. Of the fungal skin conditions, pityriasis versicolor and Tinea capatis were the commonest (22% and 21% respectively then Tinea corporis (9%, Tinea cruris (6% and Tinea pedis (2%. A total of 66 leprosy cases were detected out of 6,338 people screened giving a prevalence of 104.1 per 10,000 population (range by district 67.1 to 194.1. Of the leprosy cases, 37 were new, 6 were defaulters and 23 were on treatment, 30 were females and 9 were children aged less than 15 years old. Of the 37 new leprosy cases, 9 (24.3% were children, 25 (67.6% had 1–5 leprosy lesions and 8 (21.6% had grade 2 disability. The most frequent location of leprosy lesions was the head and neck (24.1%, arms (24.1%, chest (17.2%, legs (13.8%, back (13.8% and abdomen (7.0%. Between 2006 and 2011, trends of leprosy prevalence and detection increased, prevalence/detection ratios were over 1 and cure rates by cohort analysis of 2009 multibacillary and 2010 paucibacillary cases were 33% and 63% respectively far below the expected 80% although the national prevalence remained at less than 1 case per 10

  13. Serbian music criticism in the first half of the twentieth century: Its canon, its method and its educational role

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    Vasić Aleksandar

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Serbian music criticism became a subject of professional music critics at the beginning of the twentieth century, after being developed by music amateurs throughout the whole previous century. The Serbian Literary Magazine (1901- 1914, 1920-1941, the forum of the Serbian modernist writers in the early 1900s, had a crucial role in shaping the Serbian music criticism and essayistics of the modern era. The Serbian elite musicians wrote for the SLM and therefore it reflects the most important issues of the early twentieth century Serbian music. The SLM undertook the mission of educating its readers. The music culture of the Serbian public was only recently developed. The public needed an introduction into the most important features of the European music, as well as developing its own taste in music. This paper deals with two aspects of the music criticism in the SLM, in view of its educational role: the problem of virtuosity and the method used by music critics in this magazine. The aesthetic canon of the SLM was marked by decisively negative attitude towards the virtuosity. Mainly concerned by educating the Serbian music public in the spirit of the highest music achievements in Europe, the music writers of the SLM criticized both domestic and foreign performers who favoured virtuosity over the 'essence' of music. Therefore, Niccolò Paganini, Franz Liszt, and even Peter Tchaikowsky with his Violin concerto became the subject of the magazine's criticism. However their attitude towards the interpreters with both musicality and virtuoso technique was always positive. That was evident in the writings on Jan Kubelík. This educational mission also had its effect on the structure of critique writings in the SLM. In their wish to inform the Serbian public on the European music (which they did very professionally, the critics gave much more information on biographies, bibliographies and style of the European composers, than they valued the interpretation

  14. INSTITUTIONAL THEORY OF ECONOMIC REFORMS: BASIC IMPERATIVES

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    Oleg Sergeevich SUKHAREV

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The ability of institutional economic theory to explain various kinds of economic reforms (changes on the basis of theoretical ideas about the dysfunction of institutions and systems are investigated. A number of classifications of reforms and dysfunctions is introduced and kinds of institutional efficiency of economic systems are defined. Qualitative regularities of various reforms of the twentieth century in different countries are generalized. A number of criteria of effective institutional reforms, capable to lower the depth and the scale of dysfunctions of the functioning economic subsystems is formed. System approach to the analysis of economic systems reforming with underlining the importance of reform “management” factor which defines productivity of economic development is elaborated. Life cycle of institution and economic system in the process of its reforming is presented and correction of J. Hellmann’s model, describing the reforming logic of economy is made.

  15. The Century of Education. CEE DP 109

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrisson, Christian; Murtin, Fabrice

    2009-01-01

    Global economic transformations have never been as dramatic as in the twentieth century. Most countries have experienced radical changes in the standards of income per capita, technology, fertility, mortality, income inequality and the extent of democracy in the course of the past century. It is the goal of many disciplines--economics, history,…

  16. Towards leprosy elimination by 2020: forecasts of epidemiological indicators of leprosy in Corrientes, a province of northeastern Argentina that is a pioneer in leprosy elimination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Odriozola, Elisa Petri de; Quintana, Ana María; González, Victor; Pasetto, Roque Antonio; Utgés, María Eugenia; Bruzzone, Octavio Augusto; Arnaiz, María Rosa

    2017-06-01

    Corrientes, a province of northeastern Argentina with endemic leprosy, has improved its epidemiological indicators, however, a study of the dynamics over time is lacking. We analysed data of 1308 leprosy patients between 1991 to 2014, and the forecast for 2020. Descriptive statistics and stepwise Bayesian model selection were performed. Forecasts were made using the median of 100,000 projections using the parameters calculated via Monte Carlo methods. We found a decreasing number of new leprosy cases (-2.04 cases/year); this decrease is expected to continue by an estimated 20.28 +/- 10.00 cases by 2020, evidenced by a sustained decline in detection rate (from 11 to 2.9/100,000 inhabitants). Age groups that were most affected were 15-44 (40.13%) and 45-64 (38.83%) year olds. Multibacillary forms (MB) predominated (70.35%) and while gradually declining, between 10 and 30% developed disability grade 2 (DG2) (0.175 (0.110 - 0.337) DG2/MB cases), with a time delay between 0 to 15 years (median = 0). The proportion of MB clinic forms and DG2 increased and will continuously increase in the short term (0.036 +/- 0.018 logit (MB/total of cases). Corrientes is on the way to eliminating leprosy by 2020, however the increased proportion of MB clinical forms and DG2 signals a warning for disease control efforts.

  17. Pride and prejudice--identity and stigma in leprosy work.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Kristine

    2011-06-01

    This article sets out to expand the way stigma, and those affected by it, are understood within leprosy discourse and to apply these insights to the analysis of the experiences of leprosy workers. The term stigma is often used simply as shorthand for 'negative social experience'. However, to reduce the negative aspects of complex everyday life experiences to a single word is often overly simplistic and can serve to objectify, rather than illuminate, the experiences of those affected. This article argues that in order to understand the lived experience of stigma we must come to understand stigma as an ongoing, dialectical social process and develop an approach to stigma that analytically separates stigma from its negative social consequences. The article applies these insights to data collected during 14 months of fieldwork with front-line leprosy workers in India, which suggests that falling leprosy prevalence rates and a rapidly changing policy landscape have led to leprosy workers feeling marginalised and stigmatised within their own organisation. The article argues that, rather than seeing stigma merely as a negative process in which leprosy workers are passive victims, we must recognise that stigma also plays a key role in the creation and maintenance of leprosy workers' identity and is utilised as a strategic tool in the struggle for influence between different groups within the organisation. Finally, the article argues for the benefit of expanding our understanding of stigma across public health and of applying these insights to designing future interventions.

  18. ASSESSMENT OF PATIENTS’ PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS THE DIAGNOSIS OF LEPROSY

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    S. V. Jezus

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Leprosy is a contagious, long-term infection, which manifests dermatological and neurological symptoms and signs, being considered an endemic, widespread disease, regarded as a serious health problem in Brazil. Early diagnosis of leprosy and its proper treatment prevents disease from progressing, avoiding physical disabilities, which are frequent as the infection evolves, and constitute a major cause of stigma, leading the patient to social isolation. This study aimed to verify the patient's perceptions regarding Hansen's disease diagnosis, seeking to contribute to the prevention of physical disabilities. It was carried out in Sinop in the State of Mato Grosso, being classified as a qualitative research approach. Patients diagnosed with leprosy, enrolled for annual treatment in Nações Basic Health Unity (Unidade de Saúde Básica Nações, took part in the research. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews, and the results were analyzed in categories, these being, the implications on the patients’ self-esteem after diagnosis of leprosy; patients’ perceptions of treatment and changes in socioeconomic status after leprosy. It is worth noting that leprosy as a public health issue does not restrict to the immense amount of cases and its potential to cause physical disability, which interferes in the psychosocial context, should be taken into consideration. It is valid to point out that leprosy affects several aspects of the pacient’s life, including their physical, mental and social well-being, requiring a holistic and humane nursing care.

  19. Prevalence of Disability and Associated Factors among Registered Leprosy Patients in All Africa Tb and Leprosy Rehabilitation and Training Centre (ALERT), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shumet, Tigist; Demissie, Meaza; Bekele, Yonas

    2015-10-01

    Delay in leprosy diagnosis and treatment causes disabilities due to nerve damage, immunological reactions and bacillary infiltration. Leprosy disability leads not only to physical dysfunction and activity limitation but also disrupts social interaction of affected individuals by creating stigma and discrimination. This study was aimed at assessing leprosy disability status in patients registered at All African TB and Leprosy Rehabilitation and Training Centre. Medical records of leprosy patients registered from September 11, 2010 to September 10, 2013 G.C were reviewed. Prevalence of disability calculated, bivariate and multiple logistic regressions were used to determine crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence interval. The overall prevalence of disability was found to be 65.9% from all categories of patients (40.2% Grade I and 25.7% Grade II). The Prevalence among the new category was 62.8% (39.1% Grade 1 and 23.7% Grade 2). Those ageed above 30 years, with duration of symptoms 6-12 months and above 24 months, with sensory loss, nerve damage and reversal reaction were more likely to develop disability. In this study the prevalence of disability, both Grade I and II, is very high. Disability was associated with age, duration of symptom, sensory loss, signs of nerve damage and reversal reaction. These risk factors indicate the existence of delay in diagnosis and treatment of leprosy cases. Therefore, the national leprosy control program should investigate leprosy case detection and diagnosis system in the country and work on improving early case detection and prevention of disability.

  20. The Silwood Circle a history of ecology and the making of scientific careers in late twentieth-century Britain

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    Gay, Hannah

    2013-01-01

    This is an original and wide-ranging account of the careers of a close-knit group of highly influential ecologists working in Britain from the late 1960s onwards. The book can also be read as a history of some recent developments in ecology. One of the group, Robert May, is a past president of the Royal Society, and the author of what many see as the most important treatise in theoretical ecology of the later twentieth century. That the group flourished was due not only to May's intellectual leadership, but also to the guiding hand of T. R. E. Southwood. Southwood ended his career as Linacre Professor of Zoology at the University of Oxford, where he also served a term as Vice-Chancellor. Earlier, as a professor and director of the Silwood Park campus of Imperial College London, he brought the group together. Since it began to coalesce at Silwood it has been named here the Silwood Circle. Southwood promoted the interests of its members with the larger aim of raising the profile of ecological and environmental ...

  1. Elimination of leprosy as a public health problem by 2000 AD: an epidemiological perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nsagha, Dickson Shey; Bamgboye, Elijah Afolabi; Assob, Jules Clement Nguedia; Njunda, Anna Longdoh; Kamga, Henri Lucien Foumou; Zoung-Kanyi Bissek, Anne-Cécile; Tabah, Earnest Nji; Oyediran, Alain Bankole O O; Njamnshi, Alfred Kongnyu

    2011-01-01

    Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium leprae and manifests as damage to the skin and peripheral nerves. The disease is dreaded because it causes deformities, blindness and disfigurement. Worldwide, 2 million people are estimated to be disabled by leprosy. Multidrug therapy is highly effective in curing leprosy, but treating the nerve damage is much more difficult. The World Health Assembly targeted to eliminate leprosy as a public health problem from the world by 2000. The objective of the review was to assess the successes of the leprosy elimination strategy, elimination hurdles and the way forward for leprosy eradication. A structured search was used to identify publications on the elimination strategy. The keywords used were leprosy, elimination and 2000. To identify potential publications, we included papers on leprosy elimination monitoring, special action projects for the elimination of leprosy, modified leprosy elimination campaigns, and the Global Alliance to eliminate leprosy from the following principal data bases: Cochrane data base of systematic reviews, PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, and the Leprosy data base. We also scanned reference lists for important citations. Key leprosy journals including WHO publications were also reviewed. The search identified 63 journal publications on leprosy-related terms that included a form of elimination of which 19 comprehensively tackled the keywords including a book on leprosy elimination. In 1991, the 44th World Health Assembly called for the elimination of leprosy as a public health problem in the world by 2000. Elimination was defined as less than one case of leprosy per 10000-population. Elimination has been made possible by a confluence of several orders of opportunities: the scientific (the natural history of leprosy at the present state of knowledge), technological (multi-drug therapy and the blister pack); political (commitment of governments) and financial (support from NGOs for example the Nippon Foundation that

  2. Polymorphism N248S in the Human Toll-Like Receptor 1 Gene Is Related to Leprosy and Leprosy Reactions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schuring, Ron P.; Hamann, Lutz; Faber, William R.; Pahan, David; Richardus, Jan Hendrik; Schumann, Ralf R.; Oskam, Linda

    2009-01-01

    We investigated the association between a polymorphism of a key innate immunity receptor, Toll-like receptor 1 (TLR1) N248S, and susceptibility to leprosy and its clinical presentation. TLR1 N248S has been shown elsewhere to diminish TLR1 signaling and subsequent leprosy disease. The homozygous

  3. Turn-over of Stratijm Corneum in Leprosy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R P Okhandiar

    1987-01-01

    Full Text Available Stratum corneum showed increased proliferative activity on the patches of leprosy as evidenced by a significantly fast stratum corneum turnover time (p 0.001 measured by fluorescent staining technic with dansyl chloride. These findings suggest imperfect keratinization on the patches of leprosy leading to formation of structurally weak stratum corneum.

  4. Leprosy in Denmark 1980-2010: a review of 15 cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aftab, Huma; Nielsen, Susanne D; Bygbjerg, Ib C

    2016-01-05

    Leprosy, caused by Mycobacterium leprae, is a chronic and progressive granulomatous disease affecting mainly the skin and the peripheral nervous system. If left unrecognized, the infection can lead to permanent nerve damage and disability. The clinical presentation depends on the immune response of the patient and can result in a wide spectrum of symptoms. Leprosy is a rare encounter in Scandinavia but remains endemic in some parts of the world, with some areas reporting an increasing incidence. We performed a retrospective record review of leprosy cases in Denmark from 1980 to 2010 with the purpose of presenting the most common geographical, demographic and clinical findings and to discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of patients with leprosy. In total 15 cases were reviewed. The majority (87%) of leprosy patients in Denmark were born in South- and Southeast Asia, and were presumed to have contracted the infection in their countries of origin. Patients were predominately young males (mean age: 28.6 years). Anaesthetic skin lesion with or without nerve enlargement were the most common clinical presentations (73%). Immunological leprosy reactions were seen in 40% of the cases. Diagnoses were based on clinical findings and skin biopsies. Treatment length varied but all patients received multidrug regimens. Leprosy should be kept in mind when encountering patients with suspicious skin lesions originating from leprosy endemic areas or with history of travel or work in the tropics. Due to the long incubation period with symptoms presenting long after immigration or return, clinicians often do not have the diagnosis in mind. The wide spectrum of symptoms and immunological reactions further complicates the diagnostic process. Treatment of leprosy and the complicated immunological reactions, which frequently accompanies the infection, should be performed in collaboration with a specialist.

  5. Novel HLA Class I Alleles Associated with Indian Leprosy Patients

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    U. Shankarkumar

    2003-01-01

    A*0101, Cw*04011, and Cw*0602 leprosy patients was observed when compared to the controls. Further haplotype A*1102-B*4006-Cw*1502 was significantly increased among the lepromatous leprosy patients when compared to the controls. It seems that HLA class I alleles play vital roles in disease association/pathogenesis with leprosy among Indians.

  6. Making Space for Red Tide: Discolored Water and the Early Twentieth Century Bayscape of Japanese Pearl Cultivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ericson, Kjell

    2017-05-01

    "Red tide" has become a familiar shorthand for unusual changes in the color of ocean waters. It is intimately related both to blooms of creatures like dinoflagellates and to the devastating effects they pose to coastal fisheries. This essay tracks the early twentieth century emergence of discolored water as an aquacultural problem, known in Japan as akashio, and its trans-oceanic transformation into the terms and practices of "red tide" in the post-World War II United States. For Japan's "Pearl King" Mikimoto Kōkichi and his contacts in diverse marine scientific communities, the years-long cycle of guarding and cultivating a pearl oyster went together with the ascription of moral qualities to tiny creatures that posed a threat to farmed bayscapes of pearl monoculture. As akashio, discolored water went from curiosity to marine livestock pest, one that at times left dead pearl oysters in its wake. Red tide arose from the sustained study of the mechanisms by which changes in the biological and chemical composition of seawater might become deadly to exclusively-claimed shellfish along Japanese coastlines, but came to be seen as a way to understand aquatic manifestations of harm in other parts of the littoral world.

  7. Ready, willing, and able to divorce: an economic and cultural history of divorce in twentieth-century Sweden.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simonsson, Per; Sandström, Glenn

    2011-01-01

    This study outlines a long history of divorce in Sweden, recognizing the importance of considering both economic and cultural factors in the analysis of marital dissolution. Following Ansley Coale, the authors examine how a framework of multiple theoretical constructs, in interaction, can be applied to the development toward mass divorce. Applying a long historical perspective, the authors argue that an analysis of gendered aspects of the interaction between culture and economics is crucial for the understanding of the rise of mass divorce. The empirical analysis finds support for a marked decrease in legal and cultural obstacles to divorce already during the first decades of the twentieth century. However, economic structures remained a severe obstacle that prohibited significant increases in divorce rate prior to World War II. It was only during the 1940s and 1960s, when cultural change was complemented by marked decreases in economic interdependence between spouses, that the divorce rate exhibited significant increases. The authors find that there are advantages to looking at the development of divorce as a history in which multiple empirical factors are examined in conjunction, recognizing that these factors played different roles during different time periods.

  8. Leprosy - evolution of the path to eradication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dogra, Sunil; Narang, Tarun; Kumar, Bhushan

    2013-01-01

    Leprosy is among the world's oldest and most dreaded diseases and it has been synonymous with stigma and discrimination due to the hideous deformities it produced, mystery around its aetiology and transmission and lack of any effective remedy till recently. Leprosy control started with the use of chaulmoogra oil and for the last three decades, multi drug therapy (MDT) has been our main tool against leprosy. In the last two decades, the reported global prevalence of active leprosy infection has dropped by almost 90 per cent by the combined efforts of the World Health Organization (WHO), local governments, health professionals, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), however, a parallel drop in the incidence or new case detection rate (NCDR) has not occurred. From 1994 through 2011, more than 100,000 new cases are being detected annually, of whom maximum case load is from India. There is need for research on tools for early diagnosis, short and effective treatment, and prevention of deformities and disabilities. Evaluating the role of immunotherapy and immunoprophylaxis will also lead us to better understanding of their mode of action. Further molecular analysis of Mycobacterium leprae genome may provide the requisite basis for all this. The current reality is that there is a need to sustain and provide quality leprosy services to all persons through general health services, including good referral system. All these provisions in the integrated health care approach will go a long way in further reducing the stigma. Efforts need to be made to reduce deformity through early detection, self care, physiotherapy and reconstructive surgery and developing sound surveillance systems. With all the remarkable achievements in the fight against leprosy, the stage is now set for the final assault. It is hoped that with the efforts of all the stake holders and strong political will, the disease will be eradicated in the near future. PMID:23481049

  9. Leprosy in Puerto Rico: insight into the new millennia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valentín, Diana C; Candelario, Nicole; Carrasquillo, Osward Y; Figueroa, Luz; Sánchez, Jorge L

    2017-04-01

    Leprosy, or Hansen's disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium leprae. In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined the elimination of the disease as a global prevalence of less than one case per 10,000 population. However, disease transmission is an ongoing worldwide public health concern, as evidenced by the more than 220,000 new cases diagnosed each year. This study is an update of the incidence and prevalence of leprosy in Puerto Rico for the period of 2000-2014. A retrospective analysis of data was obtained from the Tropical Disease Clinic (TDC) of the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine. Sixty-three new cases of leprosy are detailed in this study. Disease incidence and prevalence were 1.65 and 5.26 per 100,000 inhabitants (of the island of Puerto Rico), respectively, and an average of 4.2 new cases per year. Most of the male patients in the study suffered from lepromatous leprosy (P = 0.026). In all, 47 (74.6%) patients had been born in Puerto Rico, and 29 (46%) had an affected family member or were in close contact with someone with leprosy. Compared to those of previous studies, these results demonstrate a decrease in both the incidence and prevalence of leprosy in Puerto Rico over the past 15 years. The relatively high prevalence of leprosy in Puerto Rico means that it remains endemic on the island. Concerted efforts must be undertaken to achieve the goal of the elimination of this old and stigmatized disease. © 2017 The International Society of Dermatology.

  10. Leprosy-related mortality in Brazil: a neglected condition of a neglected disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martins-Melo, Francisco Rogerlândio; Assunção-Ramos, Adriana Valéria; Ramos, Alberto Novaes; Alencar, Carlos Henrique; Montenegro, Renan Magalhães; Wand-Del-Rey de Oliveira, Maria Leide; Heukelbach, Jorg

    2015-10-01

    Leprosy is a public health problem and a neglected condition of morbidity and mortality in several countries of the world. We analysed time trends and spatiotemporal patterns of leprosy-related mortality in Brazil. We performed a nationwide population-based study using secondary mortality data. We included all deaths that occurred in Brazil between 2000 and 2011, in which leprosy was mentioned in any field of death certificates. Leprosy was identified in 7732/12 491 280 deaths (0.1%). Average annual age-adjusted mortality rate was 0.43 deaths/100 000 inhabitants (95% CI 0.40-0.46). The burden of leprosy deaths was higher among males, elderly, black race/colour and in leprosy-endemic regions. Lepromatous leprosy was the most common clinical form mentioned. Mortality rates showed a significant nationwide decrease over the period (annual percent change [APC]: -2.8%; 95% CI -4.2 to -2.4). We observed decreasing mortality rates in the South, Southeast and Central-West regions, while the rates remained stable in North and Northeast regions. Spatial and spatiotemporal high-risk clusters for leprosy-related deaths were distributed mainly in highly endemic and socio-economically deprived regions. Leprosy is a neglected cause of death in Brazil since the disease is preventable, and a cost-effective treatment is available. Sustainable control measures should include appropriate management and systematic monitoring of leprosy-related complications, such as severe leprosy reactions and adverse effects to multidrug therapy. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Revolutions in twentieth-century physics; Einfuehrung in die Physik des 20. Jahrhunderts. Relativitaetstheorie, Quantenmechanik, Elementarteilchenphysik und Kosmologie

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Griffiths, David J. [Reed College, Portland, OR (United States). Howard-Vollum-Professur fuer Naturwissenschaften

    2015-07-01

    Relativity theory, quantum mechanics, elementary-particle physics, and cosmology are the four pillars of modern physics. The life in the 21th century is without them no more conceivable: The special relativity theory renewed our understanding of space and time, on the laws of quantum mechanics are based countless everyday objects like transistors, computer chips, and mobile telephones; in particle accelerators we study the components oof matter, and with telescopes we take an ever deeper look in the past of the universe. Taking reference books to these themes at hand, one is overwhelmed by the plethora and complexity of the mathematical formulas. This book of the renowned professor of physics David J. Griffiths id refreshingly different. By means of many illustrative examples and entertaining stories it introducts to the themes and helps the reader also without a large mathematical apparatus to a fundamental understanding of that, about which Einstein, Schroedinger, Heisenberg, and Hubble actually thought and spoke. In each chapter numerous, pedagogically selected examples are completely worked out, in order to fill the matter with life. Moreover the text contains a manifold of problems, which allow the reader to deepen his knowledge and apply immediately. Griffith's ''Revolution in Twentieth Century Physics'' appeals not only to pupils and future studyings of natural sciences, who want to get an appetite for what lies ahead, but also to interested readers, which have already heared in the media from quarks and quanta, the curved space-time, Albert Einstein, and the big bang and now want to understandably know what is at stake in all the excitement.

  12. MIGRATION AND CHINESE ENTREPRENEURS IN MAZATLAN. SINCE ARRIVING IN MID- NINETEENTH CENTURY UNTIL THEIR EXPULSION IN 1930

    OpenAIRE

    R. Arturo Román Alarcón

    2014-01-01

    The Chinese migration to Mazatlan and Mexico, began in the mid-nineteenth century, via San Francisco. They were the most important foreign colony from the early decades of the twentieth century. On arrival the Chinese population lacked capital as largely devoted to provide their services as domestic workers, especially farmers and craft activities related to repairing and making shoes. With the advent of the twentieth century and the accumulation of some capital, began its foray into the reta...

  13. Effects of environment and education on knowledge and attitude of nursing students towards leprosy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajkumar, E; Julious, S; Salome, A; Jennifer, G; John, A S; Kannan, L; Richard, J

    2011-01-01

    The objective of this cross-sectional comparative study was to find the effects of environment and education on knowledge and attitude of nursing students towards leprosy. Data were collected, using a pretested questionnaire, from the first year and third year students of a School of Nursing attached to a leprosy specialty hospital and also from a comparable School of Nursing attached to a general hospital. The results showed that trainees acquired more knowledge on leprosy during training in both schools of nursing. However, those trained in leprosy hospital environment had higher knowledge and attitude scores than those trained in general hospital environment. The attitude of the trainees attached to leprosy hospital was favourable even before they had formal training in leprosy. Those trained in the general hospital showed more favourable attitude after training compared to before training. School of Nursing attached to leprosy hospital provided an atmosphere conducive to learning and understanding more about leprosy. The trainees retained what was learnt because of regular association with patients affected by leprosy. For employment in hospital or community based services or research related to leprosy, nurses trained in a leprosy hospital would have added value of knowledge and attitude.

  14. Effectiveness of single dose rifampicin in preventing leprosy in close contacts of patients with newly diagnosed leprosy: cluster randomised controlled trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moet, F. Johannes; Pahan, David; Oskam, Linda; Richardus, Jan H.; van Brakel, Wim H.; Klatser, Paul R.; Saunderson, Paul R.; Smith, W. Cairns S.; Withington, Steve G.; Richardus, Jan Hendrik; Schuring, Ron P.; Faber, Roel; Borsboom, Gerard J. J. M.

    2008-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of chemoprophylaxis using a single dose of rifampicin to prevent leprosy in close contacts. DESIGN: Single centre, double blind, cluster randomised, placebo controlled trial. SETTING: Leprosy control programme in two districts of northwest Bangladesh with a

  15. Ulnar nerve sonography in leprosy neuropathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhu; Liu, Da-Yue; Lei, Yang-Yang; Yang, Zheng; Wang, Wei

    2016-01-01

    A 23-year-old woman presented with a half-year history of right forearm sensory and motor dysfunction. Ultrasound imaging revealed definite thickening of the right ulnar nerve trunk and inner epineurium, along with heterogeneous hypoechogenicity and unclear nerve fiber bundle. Color Doppler exhibited a rich blood supply, which was clearly different from the normal ulnar nerve presentation with a scarce blood supply. The patient subsequently underwent needle aspiration of the right ulnar nerve, and histopathological examination confirmed that granulomatous nodules had formed with a large number of infiltrating lymphocytes and a plurality of epithelioid cells in the fibrous connective tissues, with visible atypical foam cells and proliferous vascularization, consistent with leprosy. Our report will familiarize readers with the characteristic sonographic features of the ulnar nerve in leprosy, particularly because of the decreasing incidence of leprosy in recent years.

  16. Current approaches and future directions in the treatment of leprosy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Worobec SM

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Sophie M WorobecDepartment of Dermatology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USAAbstract: This review surveys current treatments and future treatment trends in leprosy from a clinical perspective. The World Health Organization provides a multidrug treatment regimen that targets the Mycobacterium leprae bacillus which causes leprosy. Several investigational drugs are available for the treatment of drug-resistant M. leprae. Future directions in leprosy treatment will focus on: the molecular signaling mechanism M. leprae uses to avoid triggering an immune response; prospective studies of the side effects experienced during multiple-drug therapy; recognition of relapse rates post-completion of designated treatments; combating multidrug resistance; vaccine development; development of new diagnostic tests; and the implications of the recent discovery of a genetically distinct leprosy-causing bacillus, Mycobacterium lepromatosis.Keywords: epidemiology, leprosy, Hansen’s disease, multidrug resistance, multidrug therapy

  17. Towards leprosy elimination by 2020: forecasts of epidemiological indicators of leprosy in Corrientes, a province of northeastern Argentina that is a pioneer in leprosy elimination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisa Petri de Odriozola

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Corrientes, a province of northeastern Argentina with endemic leprosy, has improved its epidemiological indicators, however, a study of the dynamics over time is lacking. OBJECTIVES We analysed data of 1308 leprosy patients between 1991 to 2014, and the forecast for 2020. METHODS Descriptive statistics and stepwise Bayesian model selection were performed. Forecasts were made using the median of 100,000 projections using the parameters calculated via Monte Carlo methods. RESULTS We found a decreasing number of new leprosy cases (-2.04 cases/year; this decrease is expected to continue by an estimated 20.28 +/- 10.00 cases by 2020, evidenced by a sustained decline in detection rate (from 11 to 2.9/100,000 inhabitants. Age groups that were most affected were 15-44 (40.13% and 45-64 (38.83% year olds. Multibacillary forms (MB predominated (70.35% and while gradually declining, between 10 and 30% developed disability grade 2 (DG2 (0.175 (0.110 - 0.337 DG2/MB cases, with a time delay between 0 to 15 years (median = 0. The proportion of MB clinic forms and DG2 increased and will continuously increase in the short term (0.036 +/- 0.018 logit (MB/total of cases. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Corrientes is on the way to eliminating leprosy by 2020, however the increased proportion of MB clinical forms and DG2 signals a warning for disease control efforts.

  18. A CLINICAL STUDY OF PLANTAR ULCERS IN LEPROSY

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    Lilakumari Subramoniam

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Deformity prevention is one of the top priorities in leprosy elimination programme. Plantar ulcer and foot deformities are commonly seen in leprosy patients causing considerable physical disability. This can be prevented by early and regular MDT, proper practice of feet care, correction of deformities and management of infections. The study was to assess the above factors contributing to the development and recurrences of plantar ulcers among our leprosy patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS 66 leprosy patients with plantar ulcers were evaluated for delay of treatment, practice of feet care, site of ulcer, concomitant deformities and bone changes. Identification of infective agent is done by culture and sensitivity test. RESULTS Majority of patients belonged to the borderline spectrum. Delay in starting anti-leprosy treatment ranged from 2 months to 12 years. The main reasons for the delay in treatment are the patients ignored the lesions because they are asymptomatic or treatment with other modalities like homeo/ayurvedic drugs. 92% of patients studied were not practicing feet care. Common site of ulcer was beneath the heads of metatarsals and big toe. Foot drop was seen in 15% and claw toes in 33%. Osteomyelitis observed in 20% of patients. Common pathogen isolated was staphylococcus seen in 75% of cases followed by Streptococcus and Klebsiella. 50% of Staphylococci isolated were found to be penicillin resistant. CONCLUSION The occurrence of plantar ulcers and its complications are not an inevitable sequelae of leprosy and is totally preventable if appropriate measures are undertaken.

  19. Study Of Socio- Economic Factors In Relation To Leprosy

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    Alam Mahjabeen

    1998-01-01

    Full Text Available Research question: what are the socio-economic factors in relation to leprosy and their implications? Objectives: (i To study the socio-economic factors in relation to leprosy.(ii To assess the impact of disease on patients’ job/income. Study design: Cross-sectional. Setting and Participants: Patients attending the dermatology OPD, J.N. Medical college hospital, A.M.U., Aligarh. Sample size: 200 leprosy patients. Study variables: education, occupation, social class, incapacitation, change in job, reduction in income. Statically analysis: Chi-square test Results: 46% of the leprosy patients were illiterate. A large majority of patients (78% were involved in heavy manual work as farmers and labourers. 68.5% patients belonged to low social classes (IV and V. More males (26.3% suffered from incapacitation than females (8.5%. 2.5% patients lost their job or were unable to work and 11.5% had to change their jobs due to the disease or disability caused by it. 17.5% patients had a history of reduction in their income after occurrence of leprosy.

  20. Citrus leprosis and its status in Florida and Texas: past and present.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Childers, C C; Rodrigues, J C V; Derrick, K S; Achor, D S; French, J V; Welbourn, W C; Ochoa, R; Kitajima, E W

    2003-01-01

    According to published reports from 1906 to 1968, leprosis nearly destroyed the Florida citrus industry prior to 1925. This was supported with photographs showing typical leprosis symptoms on citrus leaves, fruit, and twigs. Support for the past occurrence of citrus leprosis in Florida includes: (1) presence of twig lesions in affected orange blocks in addition to lesions on fruits and leaves and corresponding absence of similar lesions on grapefruit; (2) yield reduction and die-back on infected trees; and (3) spread of the disease between 1906 and 1925. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) examination of tissue samples from leprosis-like injuries to orange and grapefruit leaves from Florida in 1997, and fruits from grapefruit and sweet orange varieties from Texas in 1999 and 2000 did not contain leprosis-like viral particles or viroplasm inclusions. In contrast, leprosis viroplasm inclusions were readily identified by TEM within green non-senescent tissues surrounding leprosis lesions in two of every three orange leaf samples and half of the fruit samples obtained from Piracicaba, Brazil. Symptoms of leprosis were not seen in any of the 24,555 orange trees examined across Florida during 2001 and 2002. The authors conclude that citrus leprosis no longer exists in Florida nor occurs in Texas citrus based on: (1) lack of leprosis symptoms on leaves, fruit, and twigs of sweet orange citrus varieties surveyed in Florida: (2) failure to find virus particles or viroplasm inclusion bodies in suspect samples from both Florida and Texas examined by TEM; (3) absence of documented reports by others on the presence of characteristic leprosis symptoms in Florida; (4) lack of its documented occurrence in dooryard trees or abandoned or minimal pesticide citrus orchard sites in Florida. In view of the serious threat to citrus in the U.S., every effort must be taken to quarantine the importation of both citrus and woody ornamental plants that serve as hosts for Brevipalpus

  1. Simple and fast lateral flow test for classification of leprosy patients and identification of contacts with high risk of developing leprosy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bührer-Sékula, S.; Smits, H. L.; Gussenhoven, G. C.; van Leeuwen, J.; Amador, S.; Fujiwara, T.; Klatser, P. R.; Oskam, L.

    2003-01-01

    The interruption of leprosy transmission is one of the main challenges for leprosy control programs since no consistent evidence exists that transmission has been reduced after the introduction of multidrug therapy. Sources of infection are primarily people with high loads of bacteria with or

  2. Pattern of Disabilities among Leprosy Patients in Abia State, Nigeria - a Retrospective Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onyeonoro, U U; Aguocha, G U; Madukwe, S O; Nwokeukwu, H I; Nwamoh, U N; Aguocha, B U

    2016-01-01

    Early case detection and prompt treatment have been identified as key strategies for effective control and elimination of leprosy disease. Hence, control efforts should include among others treatment of the disease and disability prevention. This study is aimed at determining prevalence and pattern of disability among leprosy patients treated in a Leprosy Center in Abia State, Nigeria. Records of 287 leprosy patients treated in Uzoakoli Leprosy Center, Abia State between 2002 and 2006 were reviewed and analysed. Findings showed 23 (9.9%) with childhood leprosy, 206 (83.7%) multi-bacillary type and 64 (28.4%) with grade 2 disability among the leprosy cases.Four children (15.4%) presented with grade 2 disability at diagnosis. Prior to treatment 80 (27.9%) had grade 2 disability, while 11 (6.6%) at the end of the treatment.,Based on EHF score 85 patients (50.9%) out 167 patients who completed treatment had impairment before treatment; on completion of treatment 133 (89.9%) of them improved, while 5 (3.4%) deteriorated. The lower limb (92.6%) was the most affected site in the leprosy patients,, while the eye (3.4%) was the leastaffected. The current leprosy control efforts should be intensified to ensure early case detection and prompt treatment in order to reduce the leprosy burden, including disabilities in individuals and community at large.

  3. Manufacturing technology, manufacturing consumers : the making of Dutch consumer society

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Albert de la Bruhèze, A.A.; Oldenziel, R.

    2009-01-01

    In the twentieth century, production and consumption rapidly grew, accompanied by businesses’ frantic search for new markets. Many new institutions, corporations, interest groups, research organizations, trade groups, shops, and laboratories were involved in the search. Twentieth-century European

  4. [German research institute/Max-Planck Institute for psychiatry].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ploog, D

    1999-12-01

    The Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Psychiatrie (DFA, German Institute for Psychiatric Research) in Munich was founded in 1917 bel Emil Kraepelin. For a long time it was the only institution in Germany entirely devoted to psychiatric research. Because of its strictly science-oriented and multidisciplinary approach it also became a model for institutions elsewhere. Kraepelin's ideas have certainly had a strong influence on psychiatry in the twentieth century. The fascinating and instructive history of the DFA reflects the central issues and determinants of psychiatric research. First, talented individuals are needed to conduct such research, and there was no lack in this regard. Second, the various topics chosen are dependent on the available methods and resources. And finally, the issues addressed and the ethical standards of the researchers are heavily dependent on the zeitgeist, as is evident in the three epochs of research at the DFA, from 1917 to 1933, from 1933 to 1945, and from the postwar period to the present. With the introduction of molecular biology and neuroimaging techniques into psychiatric research a change in paradigm took place and a new phase of the current epoch began.

  5. De Facto Versus de Jure Political Institutions in the Long-Run: A Multivariate Analysis, 1820-2000.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foldvari, Peter

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we use the components of the PolityIV project's polity2 and Vanhanen's Index of Democracy indicators to analyse the relationship between de jure and de facto political institutions from 1820 until 2000 with a canonical correlation method corrected for the sample selection bias. We find considerable fluctuation in the relationship between the two measures. After a moderate positive correlation found during the first half of the nineteenth century, the two measures become statistically unrelated until the 1940s. The relationship becomes strong and positive only in the second half of the twentieth century. The relationship between de jure and de facto political institutions hence can be described as a U-curve, reminiscent to an inverse Kuznets-curve.

  6. Study of serum lipids in leprosy

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    Gupta Anju

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Fifty fresh and untreated patients of leprosy constituted the study group. Fifty, age and sex matched healthy individuals formed the controls. Ridly and Jopling system of classification was used in the study. Majority i.e 21 cases were of BT group, 12 of BB, 7 of BL, 9 of LL and one case was of TT leprosy. The serum triglyceride level was lower than normal in TT, showed no alteration in BT or BB and was insignificantly increased in bL and LL patients. The total cholesterol was lowerthan normal in TT, showed no alteration in BT or BB and was insignificantly increased in Bland LL patients. The total cholesterol was lower than normal in TT, whereas in BT, BB, BL and LL groups the levels were statistically decreased. The HDL cholesterol was within normal range in TT, significantly decreased in BT and LL patients, showed no significant alteration in BB and was insignificantly decreased in BL group. The LDL cholesterol in TT was low but was not so low statistically when compared with the controls, whereas in BT, BB, BL and LL groups the levels were statistically decreased. The VLDL cholesterol was within normal range in TT and BT, was raised insignificantly in 3 of 12 cases of BB, was within normal range in BL and in LL leprosy it was raised in one out of 9 cases. In the absence of any derangement of liver function tests, it can be concluded that leprosy per se leads to alterations in lipid metabolism. However, no correlation could be established between the group/type of leprosy, bacterial indices and levels of different lipid fractions in the present study.

  7. Host Lipid Mediators in Leprosy: The Hypothesized Contributions to Pathogenesis

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    Carlos A. M. Silva

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The spectrum of clinical forms observed in leprosy and its pathogenesis are dictated by the host’s immune response against Mycobacterium leprae, the etiological agent of leprosy. Previous results, based on metabolomics studies, demonstrated a strong relationship between clinical manifestations of leprosy and alterations in the metabolism of ω3 and ω6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs, and the diverse set of lipid mediators derived from PUFAs. PUFA-derived lipid mediators provide multiple functions during acute inflammation, and some lipid mediators are able to induce both pro- and anti-inflammatory responses as determined by the cell surface receptors being expressed, as well as the cell type expressing the receptors. However, little is known about how these compounds influence cellular immune activities during chronic granulomatous infectious diseases, such as leprosy. Current evidence suggests that specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs are involved in the down-modulation of the innate and adaptive immune response against M. leprae and that alteration in the homeostasis of pro-inflammatory lipid mediators versus SPMs is associated with dramatic shifts in the pathogenesis of leprosy. In this review, we discuss the possible consequences and present new hypotheses for the involvement of ω3 and ω6 PUFA metabolism in the pathogenesis of leprosy. A specific emphasis is placed on developing models of lipid mediator interactions with the innate and adaptive immune responses and the influence of these interactions on the outcome of leprosy.

  8. Thermographic analysis and autonomic response in the hands of patients with leprosy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavalheiro, Aretusa Lopes; Costa, Debora Tacon da; Menezes, Ana Luiza Ferro de; Pereira, Janser Moura; Carvalho, Eliane Maria de

    2016-01-01

    Low temperatures and slow blood flow may result from peripheral neuropathy caused by leprosy, and the simple detection of cold fingers could already be a preliminary classification for these patients. To investigate whether infrared thermography would be able to measure this change in temperature in the hands of people with leprosy. The study assessed 17 leprosy patients who were under treatment at the National Reference Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Leprosy, Uberlândia/MG, and 15 people without leprosy for the control group. The infrared camera FLIR A325 and Therma CAM Researcher Professional 2.9 software were used to measure the temperature. The room was air-conditioned, maintaining the temperature at 25°C; the distance between the camera and the limb was 70 cm. The vasomotor reflex of patients was tested by a cold stress on the palm. The study showed a significant interaction between the clinical form of leprosy and temperature, where the control group and the borderline-borderline form revealed a higher initial temperature, while borderline-lepromatous and lepromatous leprosy showed a lower temperature. Regarding vasomotor reflex, lepromatous leprosy patients were unable to recover the initial temperature after cold stress, while those with the borderline-tuberculoid form not only recovered but exceeded the initial temperature. Thermography proved a potential tool to assist in the early detection of neuropathies, helping in the prevention of major nerve damage and the installation of deformities and disabilities that are characteristic of leprosy.

  9. Autochthonous Leprosy without Armadillo Exposure, Eastern United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rendini, Tina; Levis, William

    2017-11-01

    Autochthonous leprosy has been reported in New York City, where there are no wild armadillos. Recent autochthonous cases also have been reported in Georgia and Florida and blamed on armadillos, including cases with no known armadillo exposure. International migration needs to be considered as a cause of autochthonous leprosy.

  10. The architecture and artistic features of high-rise buildings in USSR and the United States of America during the first half of the twentieth century

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    Golovina Svetlana

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Skyscraper is a significant architectural structure in the world's largest cities. The appearance of a skyscraper in the city's architectural composition enhances its status, introduces dynamics into the shape of the city, modernizes the existing environment. Its architectural structure which can have both expressive triumphal forms and ascetic ones. For a deep understanding of the architecture of high-rise buildings must be considered by several criteria. Various approaches can be found in the competitive development of high-rise buildings in Moscow and the US cities in the middle of the twentieth century In this article we will consider how and on the basis of what the architectural decisions of high-rise buildings were formed.

  11. The architecture and artistic features of high-rise buildings in USSR and the United States of America during the first half of the twentieth century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golovina, Svetlana; Oblasov, Yurii

    2018-03-01

    Skyscraper is a significant architectural structure in the world's largest cities. The appearance of a skyscraper in the city's architectural composition enhances its status, introduces dynamics into the shape of the city, modernizes the existing environment. Its architectural structure which can have both expressive triumphal forms and ascetic ones. For a deep understanding of the architecture of high-rise buildings must be considered by several criteria. Various approaches can be found in the competitive development of high-rise buildings in Moscow and the US cities in the middle of the twentieth century In this article we will consider how and on the basis of what the architectural decisions of high-rise buildings were formed.

  12. The individual’s triumph: the eighteenth-century consolidation of authorship and art historiography

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    David Pullins

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The eighteenth-century consolidation of authorial identity – apparent in Salon livrets, art criticism, sales catalogs, inventories, the theoretical development of maniera, signing and hanging practices – was crucial to subsequent, nineteenth-century Romantic notions of what constituted individual authorship and to the kinds of eighteenth-century painting that were eventually written into or out of art history. Situating eighteenth-century paintings and drawings executed by multiple hands in a longue durée between workshop and court artisan practices on one hand and nineteenth-century singularity on the other, this article recovers an alternate thread of authorial identity. Having failed to find a place in art historiography as it developed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, these examples in fact find sympathetic counterparts in late twentieth-century theories of the author function. Reconsidering both these multi-authored works and writing about them helps to clarify the historical specificity with which we conceive of the relationship between object and maker.

  13. Elimination of Leprosy as a public health problem by 2000 AD: an ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Elimination of Leprosy as a public health problem by 2000 AD: an ... the scientific (the natural history of leprosy at the present state of knowledge), ... the relationship between leprosy and poverty, prevention of disabilities, lack of a reliable ...

  14. Leprosy of the Larynx: A Case Report

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    Mansoureh Momen Heravi

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Leprosy is an ancient deforming disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, which is still poorly understood and often feared by the general public and even by some in the health care professions Fortunately, the outlook for patients has dramatically improved over the last three decades with the introduction of multi-drug treatment and management strategies that have somewhat diminished the stigma of this diagnosis. We report a rare case of leprosy of larynx. A 45 year old man presented with complaints cough, dyspnea and hoarseness since many years ago. Because of demonstration of acid fast bacilli in smear of his sputum, the diagnosis of tuberculosis was made and anti tuberculosis treatment was initiated. But he developed fever and his symptoms exacerbated. In examination there was a tender erythematous nodule on right supraclavicular region, loss of eyebrows and lashes and disseminated hyper and hypo pigmented cutaneous lesions on abdomen, thorax, back with normal chest x ray. Laryngoscopy to rule out laryngeal tuberculosis was done and granulomatous lesion was seen. Laryngeal and skin biopsy was performed which numerous acid fast bacilli, macrophages and foamy cells suggestive of lepromatous leprosy were demonstrated in both specimens. Treatment was started on multi bacillary regime of WHO multidrug therapy. In conclusion, this report highlights the importance of systemic involvement in lepromatous leprosy especially when the initial presentation is laryngitis or respiratory symptoms. Laryngeal leprosy may mistaken with tuberculosis laryngitis due to respiratory problems and existence of acid fast bacilli in respiratory secretions.

  15. The History, Biology and Medical Aspects of Leprosy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eichman, Phillip

    1999-01-01

    Presents information about the history, biology, and medical aspects of leprosy, including its description in historical documents, its cause and effects, statistics on its prevalence, and various attempts at treatment. Notes that leprosy is one of the few infectious diseases that, although treatable with medication, remains incurable. Contains 30…

  16. Microfasciculation: a morphological pattern in leprosy nerve damage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antunes, Sérgio L G; Medeiros, Mildred F; Corte-Real, Suzana; Jardim, Márcia R; Nery, José A da Costa; Hacker, Mariana A V B; Valentim, Vânia da Costa; Amadeu, Thaís Porto; Sarno, Euzenir N

    2011-01-01

    To study Microfasciculation, a perineurial response found in neuropathies, emphasizing its frequency, detailed morphological characteristics and biological significance in pure neural leprosy (PNL), post-treatment leprosy neuropathy (PTLN) and non-leprosy neuropathies (NLN). Morphological characteristics of microfascicles were examined via histological staining methods, immunohistochemical expression of neural markers and transmission electronmicroscopy. The detection of microfasciculation in 18 nerve biopsy specimens [12 PNL, six PTLN but not in the NLN group, was associated strongly with perineurial damage and the presence of a multibacillary inflammatory process in the nerves, particularly in the perineurium. Immunoreactivity to anti-S100 protein, anti-neurofilament, anti-nerve growth receptor and anti-myelin basic protein immunoreactivity was found within microfascicles. Ultrastructural examination of three biopsies showed that fibroblast-perineurial cells were devoid of basement membrane despite perineurial-like NGFr immunoreactivity. Morphological evidence demonstrated that multipotent pericytes from inflammation-activated microvessels could be the origin of fibroblast-perineurial cells. A microfasciculation pattern was found in 10% of leprosy-affected nerves. The microfascicles were composed predominantly of unmyelinated fibres and denervated Schwann cells (SCs) surrounded by fibroblast-perineurial cells. This pattern was found more frequently in leprosy nerves with acid-fast bacilli (AFB) and perineurial damage while undergoing an inflammatory process. Further experimental studies are necessary to elucidate microfascicle formation. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Limited.

  17. Inheritance and heritability of resistance to citrus leprosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bastianel, Marinês; de Oliveira, Antonio Carlos; Cristofani, Mariângela; Filho, Oliveiro Guerreiro; Freitas-Astúa, Juliana; Rodrigues, Vandeclei; Astúa-Monge, Gustavo; Machado, Marcos Antônio

    2006-10-01

    ABSTRACT The genetic inheritance of resistance to leprosis, the most important viral disease of citrus in Brazil, was characterized through the phenotypic assessment of 143 hybrids resulting from crosses between tangor 'Murcott' (Citrus sinensis x C. reticulata) and sweet orange 'Pêra' (C. sinensis), considered to be resistant and susceptible to the disease, respectively. All plants were grafted onto Rangpur lime (C. limonia) and inoculated with Citrus leprosis virus, cytoplasmic type through the infestation with viruliferous mites, Brevipalpus phoenicis. The experiments were arranged in a completely randomized block design with 10 replicates. Incidence and severity of the disease in leaves and stems as well as plant growth parameters (plant height and stem diameter) were recorded for 3 years after the infestation with the viruliferous mites. The average values of all variables were analyzed using principal component analysis, discriminant factorial analysis, estimation of the clonal repeatability coefficients, and frequency of the distributions of the average values for each measured variable. The principal component analysis resulted in the identification of at least two groups with resistance and susceptibility to leprosis, respectively. About 99% of all hybrids were correctly classified according to the discriminant factorial analysis. The broad-sense heritability coefficients for characteristics associated with incidence and severity of leprosis ranged from 0.88 to 0.96. The data suggest that the inheritance of resistance to leprosis may be controlled by only a few genes.

  18. LEPROSY NEPHROPATHY: A REVIEW OF CLINICAL AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL FEATURES

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    Geraldo Bezerra da Silva Junior

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Leprosy is a chronic disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, highly incapacitating, and with systemic involvement in some cases. Renal involvement has been reported in all forms of the disease, and it is more frequent in multibacillary forms. The clinical presentation is variable and is determined by the host immunologic system reaction to the bacilli. During the course of the disease there are the so called reactional states, in which the immune system reacts against the bacilli, exacerbating the clinical manifestations. Different renal lesions have been described in leprosy, including acute and chronic glomerulonephritis, interstitial nephritis, secondary amyloidosis and pyelonephritis. The exact mechanism that leads to glomerulonephritis in leprosy is not completely understood. Leprosy treatment includes rifampicin, dapsone and clofazimine. Prednisone and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be used to control acute immunological episodes.

  19. Leprosy and Armadillos

    Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

    2016-02-18

    Dr. Richard Truman, Chief of the National Hansen’s Disease Program Laboratory Research Branch, discusses leprosy and armadillos.  Created: 2/18/2016 by National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID).   Date Released: 2/18/2016.

  20. DISABILITIES OF HANDS, FEET AND EYES IN NEWLY-DIAGNOSED LEPROSY PATIENTS IN EASTERN NEPAL

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    SCHIPPER, A; LUBBERS, WJ; HOGEWEG, M; DESOLDENHOFF, R

    The objective of the study was to determine the magnitude of hand/feet/eye disabilities in newly diagnosed leprosy patients by examining all newly diagnosed leprosy patients who presented at the Eastern Leprosy Control Project (supported by The Netherlands Leprosy Relief Association), made up of a

  1. Prevalence and Correlates of Leprosy in a High-Risk Community Setting in Sri Lanka.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dabrera, Thushani Marie Elizabeth; Tillekeratne, L Gayani; Fernando, M S Nilanthi; Kasturiaratchi, S T Kaushlya; Østbye, Truls

    2016-10-01

    Leprosy is caused by the Mycobacterium leprae bacillus. Pockets of high endemicity remain in a number of countries including Sri Lanka, in spite of the fact that elimination has been achieved at the national level. In 2012, in a village in the Puttlam district, dermatologists reported an increase in individuals with leprosy. This village had been established in the 1990s for people displaced from Northern Sri Lanka during a civil war. A comprehensive household survey was conducted by district health officials from June to July 2012, and all household members present during the survey period were examined for leprosy lesions. Patients with suspected leprosy were referred to a dermatology clinic for clinical or pathological confirmation. The prevalence of leprosy was high (511 per 10 000 population). Household contact with another patient with leprosy increased the risk of leprosy (odds ratio = 6.69; P leprosy at bay in high-risk communities.

  2. Evaluation of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR with Slit Skin Smear Examination (SSS to Confirm Clinical Diagnosis of Leprosy in Eastern Nepal.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shraddha Siwakoti

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Detection of Mycobacterium leprae in slit skin smear (SSS is a gold standard technique for the leprosy diagnosis. Over recent years, molecular diagnosis by using PCR has been increasingly used as an alternative for its diagnosis due to its higher sensitivity. This study was carried out for comparative evaluation of PCR and SSS microscopy in a cohort of new leprosy cases diagnosed in B. P. Koirala Institute of health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal.In this prospective crossectional study, 50 new clinically diagnosed cases of leprosy were included. DNA was extracted from SSS and PCR was carried out to amplify 129 bp sequence of M. leprae repetitive element. Sensitivity of SSS and PCR was 18% and 72% respectively. Improvement of 54% case detection by PCR clearly showed its advantage over SSS. Furthermore, PCR could confirm the leprosy diagnosis in 66% of AFB negative cases indicating its superiority over SSS. In the paucibacillary (PB patients, whose BI was zero; sensitivity of PCR was 44%, whereas it was 78% in the multibacillary patients.Our study showed PCR to be more sensitive than SSS microscopy in diagnosing leprosy. Moreover, it explored the characteristic feature of PCR which detected higher level of early stage(PB cases tested negative by SSS. Being an expensive technique, PCR may not be feasible in all the cases, however, it would be useful in diagnosis of early cases of leprosy as opposed to SSS.

  3. Evaluation of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with Slit Skin Smear Examination (SSS) to Confirm Clinical Diagnosis of Leprosy in Eastern Nepal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siwakoti, Shraddha; Rai, Keshav; Bhattarai, Narayan Raj; Agarwal, Sudha; Khanal, Basudha

    2016-12-01

    Detection of Mycobacterium leprae in slit skin smear (SSS) is a gold standard technique for the leprosy diagnosis. Over recent years, molecular diagnosis by using PCR has been increasingly used as an alternative for its diagnosis due to its higher sensitivity. This study was carried out for comparative evaluation of PCR and SSS microscopy in a cohort of new leprosy cases diagnosed in B. P. Koirala Institute of health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal. In this prospective crossectional study, 50 new clinically diagnosed cases of leprosy were included. DNA was extracted from SSS and PCR was carried out to amplify 129 bp sequence of M. leprae repetitive element. Sensitivity of SSS and PCR was 18% and 72% respectively. Improvement of 54% case detection by PCR clearly showed its advantage over SSS. Furthermore, PCR could confirm the leprosy diagnosis in 66% of AFB negative cases indicating its superiority over SSS. In the paucibacillary (PB) patients, whose BI was zero; sensitivity of PCR was 44%, whereas it was 78% in the multibacillary patients. Our study showed PCR to be more sensitive than SSS microscopy in diagnosing leprosy. Moreover, it explored the characteristic feature of PCR which detected higher level of early stage(PB) cases tested negative by SSS. Being an expensive technique, PCR may not be feasible in all the cases, however, it would be useful in diagnosis of early cases of leprosy as opposed to SSS.

  4. Kinship and Leprosy in the Contacts of Leprosy Patients: Cohort at the Souza Araújo Outpatient Clinic, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 1987–2010

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daiane Santos dos Santos

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A broad variety of factors have been associated with leprosy among contacts, including socioeconomic, epidemiological, and genetic characteristics. Data from 7,174 contacts of leprosy patients from a leprosy outpatient clinic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1987–2010, were analyzed to investigate the effects of kinship, individual, and contextual factors on leprosy. Multivariate analyses were performed using a robust estimation method. In the prevalence analysis, close kinship (sibling OR = 2.75, offspring OR = 2.00, and other relatives OR = 1.70, socioeconomic factors, and the duration of exposure to the bacillus were associated to leprosy. In the incidence analysis, significant risks were found for all categories of kinship (parents RR = 10.93, spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, and bride/groom RR = 7.53, sibling RR = 7.03, offspring RR = 5.34, and other relatives RR = 3.71. Once the treatment of the index case was initiated, other factors lost their significance, and the index case bacteriological index and BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine protection had a greater impact. Our findings suggested that both genetic susceptibility and physical exposure play an important role in the epidemiology of leprosy, but it was not possible establishing the role of genetic factor. Analyses of other factors related to the genotype of individuals, such as genetic polymorphisms, are needed.

  5. Kinship and Leprosy in the Contacts of Leprosy Patients: Cohort at the Souza Araújo Outpatient Clinic, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 1987–2010

    Science.gov (United States)

    dos Santos, Daiane Santos; Duppre, Nadia Cristina; Nery, José Augusto da Costa; Sarno, Euzenir Nunes; Hacker, Mariana Andréa

    2013-01-01

    A broad variety of factors have been associated with leprosy among contacts, including socioeconomic, epidemiological, and genetic characteristics. Data from 7,174 contacts of leprosy patients from a leprosy outpatient clinic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1987–2010, were analyzed to investigate the effects of kinship, individual, and contextual factors on leprosy. Multivariate analyses were performed using a robust estimation method. In the prevalence analysis, close kinship (sibling OR = 2.75, offspring OR = 2.00, and other relatives OR = 1.70), socioeconomic factors, and the duration of exposure to the bacillus were associated to leprosy. In the incidence analysis, significant risks were found for all categories of kinship (parents RR = 10.93, spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, and bride/groom RR = 7.53, sibling RR = 7.03, offspring RR = 5.34, and other relatives RR = 3.71). Once the treatment of the index case was initiated, other factors lost their significance, and the index case bacteriological index and BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine) protection had a greater impact. Our findings suggested that both genetic susceptibility and physical exposure play an important role in the epidemiology of leprosy, but it was not possible establishing the role of genetic factor. Analyses of other factors related to the genotype of individuals, such as genetic polymorphisms, are needed. PMID:23690793

  6. Probabilistic precipitation and temperature downscaling of the Twentieth Century Reanalysis over France

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caillouet, Laurie; Vidal, Jean-Philippe; Sauquet, Eric; Graff, Benjamin

    2015-04-01

    considered to correct monthly precipitation and temperature time series. The first one applies two new analogy steps, using the sea surface temperature (SST) and the large-scale two-meter temperature. The second method is a calendar selection that keeps the closest analogue dates in the year for each target date. A sensitivity study has been performed to assess the final number of analogues dates to retain for each method. A comparison to Safran over 1958-2010 shows that biases on the interannual cycle of precipitation and temperature are strongly reduced with both methods. Using two supplementary analogy levels moreover leads to a large improvement of correlation in seasonal temperature time series. These two methods have also been validated before 1958 thanks to both raw observations and homogenized time series. The two post-processing methods come with some advantages and drawbacks. The calendar selection allows to slightly better correct for seasonal biases in precipitation and is therefore adapted in a forecasting context. The selection with two supplementary analogy levels would allow for possible season shifts and SST trends and is therefore better suited for climate reconstruction and climate change studies. Compo, G. P. et al. (2011). The Twentieth Century Reanalysis Project. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 137:1-28. doi: 10.1002/qj.776 Radanovics, S., Vidal, J.-P., Sauquet, E., Ben Daoud, A., and Bontron, G. (2013). Optimising predictor domains for spatially coherent precipitation downscaling. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 17:4189-4208. doi:10.5194/hess-17-4189-2013 Vidal, J.-P ., Martin, E., Franchistéguy, L., Baillon, M., and Soubeyroux, J.-M. (2010). A 50-year high-resolution atmospheric reanalysis over France with the Safran system. International Journal of Climatology, 30:1627-1644. doi:10.1002/joc.2003

  7. Biography of a technology: North America's power grid through the twentieth century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohn, Julie A.

    North Americans are among the world's most intense consumers of electricity. The vast majority in the United States and Canada access power from a network of transmission lines that stretch from the East Coast to the West Coast and from Canada to the Mexican Baja. This network, known as the largest interconnected machine in the world, evolved during the first two thirds of the twentieth century. With the very first link-ups occurring at the end of the 1890s, a wide variety of public and private utilities extended power lines to reach markets, access and manage energy resources, balance loads, realize economies of scale, provide backup power, and achieve economic stability. In 1967, utility managers and the Bureau of Reclamation connected the expansive eastern and western power pools to create the North American grid. Unlike other power grids around the world, built by single, centrally controlled entities, this large technological system emerged as the result of multiple decisions across eighty-five years of development, and negotiations for control at the economic, political, and technological levels. This dissertation describes the process of building the North American grid and the paradoxes the resulting system represents. While the grid functions as a single machine moving electricity across the continent, it is owned by many independent entities. Smooth operations suggest that the grid is a unified system; however, it operates under shared management and divided authority. In addition, although a single power network seems the logical outcome of electrification, in fact it was assembled through aggregation, not planning. Interconnections intentionally increase the robustness of individual sub-networks, yet the system itself is fragile, as demonstrated by major cascading power outages. Finally, the transmission network facilitates increased use of energy resources and consumption of power, but at certain points in the past, it also served as a technology of

  8. Commerce and morality in eighteenth-century Italian political thought

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    K.H. Stapelbroek (Koen)

    2005-01-01

    textabstractThis special issue presents a number of studies by young scholars in the history of eighteenth-century Italian political thought, a field that was put on the map in the second half of the twentieth century by the efforts of Franco Venturi. By taking up the theme of commerce and morality,

  9. Anthropocene landscape change and the legacy of nineteenth- and twentieth-century mining in the Fourmile Catchment, Colorado Front Range

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dethier, David P.; Ouimet, William B.; Murphy, Sheila F.; Kotikian, Maneh; Wicherski, Will; Samuels, Rachel M.

    2018-01-01

    Human impacts on earth surface processes and materials are fundamental to understanding the proposed Anthropocene epoch. This study examines the magnitude, distribution, and long-term context of nineteenth- and twentieth-century mining in the Fourmile Creek catchment, Colorado, coupling airborne LiDAR topographic analysis with historical documents and field studies of river banks exposed by 2013 flooding. Mining impacts represent the dominant Anthropocene landscape change for this basin. Mining activity, particularly placer operations, controls floodplain stratigraphy and waste rock piles related to mining cover >5% of hillslopes in the catchment. Total rates of surface disturbance on slopes from mining activities (prospecting, mining, and road building) exceed pre-nineteenth-century rates by at least fifty times. Recent flooding and the overprint of human impacts obscure the record of Holocene floodplain evolution. Stratigraphic relations indicate that the Fourmile valley floor was as much as two meters higher in the past 2,000 years and that placer reworking, lateral erosion, or minor downcutting dominated from the late Holocene to present. Concentrations of As and Au in the fine fraction of hillslope soil, mining-related deposits, and fluvial deposits serve as a geochemical marker of mining activity in the catchment; reducing As and Au values in floodplain sediment will take hundreds of years to millennia. Overall, the Fourmile Creek catchment provides a valuable example of Anthropocene landscape change for mountainous regions of the Western United States, where hillslope and floodplain markers of human activity vary, high rates of geomorphic processes affect mixing and preservation of marker deposits, and long-term impact varies by landscape location.

  10. Clinical, bacteriological, and histopathological characteristics of newly detected children with leprosy: A population based study in a defined rural and urban area of Maharashtra, Western India

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    Vanaja P Shetty

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Leprosy has been a major public-health problem in many developing countries for centuries. According to the National Leprosy Elimination Programme report of March 2012, there were a total of about 0.13 million cases of leprosy in India, 9.7% of which were children. Numerous studies have investigated child leprosy amongst reported cases however, studies pertaining to proportion and characteristics of undetected childhood cases in the community are very few. Aim: To examine the clinical, bacteriological, and histopathological characteristics of newly detected child leprosy cases in the community. Methods: The population survey conducted from June to September 2007 and the defined rural areas, which included five primary health centers of Panvel Taluka, in Raigad district and urban areas, which included M-east ward of the municipal corporation of greater Mumbai of western Maharashtra, India. Results: House-to-house survey yielded 32 and 37 so far, undetected child cases of leprosy in the rural and urban region, and the prevalence rate was 10.5 and 1.5 per 10,000, respectively. The age of child leprosy cases detected, ranged from 3 to 14 years with a mean of 10.06 ± 3.35 years in the rural and 9.97 ± 3.12 years in the urban area. Most of the cases were paucibacillary (62%. A large proportion of children (49% had single skin lesion (SSL. Of the 19 SSL cases examined histopathologically, 15 (99% showed features of borderline tuberculoid, 1 (5% borderline lepromatous and 3 (16% had indeterminate type of leprosy. Tuberculoid leprosy was not seen in any, indicating less likelihood of self-healing. Overall, three cases had deformity (grade 1 = 1 and grade 2 = 2 and 31% of multibacillary cases were smear positive. Conclusion: The clinical, bacteriological, and histopathological characteristics of newly detected child cases in the community evidently indicate the grave nature of the problem of undetected child leprosy, recent active

  11. Clinical-epidemiological characterization of leprosy cases with physical disabilities

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    Gleciane Costa de Sousa

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available To characterize the clinical-epidemiological profile of cases of multibacillary leprosy, diagnosed with physical disabilities. Methods: this is a cross-sectional and retrospective study. The sample consisted of 276 cases of diagnosed leprosy. Results: leprosy mainly affects males, of brown skin color, low education and with a mean age of 51.96 years old (standard deviation, SD=20.33 years old. The Virchowian and dimorphic clinical forms are mainly responsible for the transmission of the disease and the development of physical disabilities. Decreased or lost sensation in hands and feet, trophic ulcers and traumatic injuries, as well as clawed hands were the physical disabilities prevalent in the study. Conclusion: the cases with physical disabilities are predominantly affected by multibacillary clinical forms, and they can be inferred in the maintenance of the transmission chain and the late detection of severe forms of leprosy.

  12. Genetics Home Reference: leprosy

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... condition occurs worldwide, but is most common in India, Brazil, and other areas with warm climates. Between ... the differential clinical outcomes of leprosy. Infect Dis Poverty. 2017 Feb 6;6(1):5. doi: 10. ...

  13. miRNome Expression Analysis Reveals New Players on Leprosy Immune Physiopathology

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    Claudio Guedes Salgado

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Leprosy remains as a public health problem and its physiopathology is still not fully understood. MicroRNAs (miRNA are small RNA non-coding that can interfere with mRNA to regulate gene expression. A few studies using DNA chip microarrays have explored the expression of miRNA in leprosy patients using a predetermined set of genes as targets, providing interesting findings regarding the regulation of immune genes. However, using a predetermined set of genes restricted the possibility of finding new miRNAs that might be involved in different mechanisms of disease. Thus, we examined the miRNome of tuberculoid (TT and lepromatous (LL patients using both blood and lesional biopsies from classical leprosy patients (LP who visited the Dr. Marcello Candia Reference Unit in Sanitary Dermatology in the State of Pará and compared them with healthy subjects. Using a set of tools to correlate significantly differentially expressed miRNAs with their gene targets, we identified possible interactions and networks of miRNAs that might be involved in leprosy immunophysiopathology. Using this approach, we showed that the leprosy miRNA profile in blood is distinct from that in lesional skin as well as that four main groups of genes are the targets of leprosy miRNA: (1 recognition and phagocytosis, with activation of immune effector cells, where the immunosuppressant profile of LL and immunoresponsive profile of TT are clearly affected by miRNA expression; (2 apoptosis, with supportive data for an antiapoptotic leprosy profile based on BCL2, MCL1, and CASP8 expression; (3 Schwann cells (SCs, demyelination and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT, supporting a role for different developmental or differentiation gene families, such as Sox, Zeb, and Hox; and (4 loss of sensation and neuropathic pain, revealing that RHOA, ROCK1, SIGMAR1, and aquaporin-1 (AQP1 may be involved in the loss of sensation or leprosy pain, indicating possible new therapeutic targets

  14. Disability prevention and management in leprosy: A field experience

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    Ganapati R

    2003-11-01

    Full Text Available Bombay Leprosy Project has conducted operational research into cost effective ways of using therapeutic management for prevention of disabilities (POD. The goal of achieving this are broadly divided as 1 prevention of impairments and disabilities [POID] and 2 prevention of worsening of disabilities [POWD]. About 33-56% of newly registered leprosy patients already have clinically detectable nerve function impairment [NFI], often no longer amenable to MDT. An analysis of 892 leprosy cases treated with WHO-MDT stresses the need to focus attention on leprosy patients having > 5 skin lesions and multiple nerve thickening. Assessment of 454 disabled leprosy patients after 4 years indicated that the compliance for the services offered was good and it helped to improve the disability status in more than 50% of patients. In terms of effectiveness of the services, it was found to be effective in preventing worsening of deformities in hands and healing of trophic ulcers in feet. The methodology adopted has also helped us to develop an operational research model about the necessity to systematize the assistance and support to be given if the services can be routed through a public health facility. Because of the large numbers of leprosy patients with disability living in this region and the limited resources available, the services have to be targeted towards those who are most in need. The major advantage of such community based program is an attempt to eliminate the social stigma in the patients′ families and the education of the community.

  15. Dental caries and risk indicators for patients with leprosy in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Yue; Tian, Li-Li; Zhang, Feng-Yi; Bu, Yan-Hong; Feng, Yun-Zhi; Zhou, Hou-De

    2017-02-01

    In leprosy, oral health is often neglected and poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and risk indicators of dental caries in patients with leprosy in China. This cross-sectional, multicentre study included 613 patients with leprosy and 602 control subjects. Based on the established standards of the World Health Organization, we investigated dental caries in cluster samplings from six so-called 'leprosy villages' in three Chinese provinces. Clinical oral examinations were performed and data were reported as decayed (D), missing (M) and filled (F) teeth (DMFT scores). The average DMFT scores were 10.39 in patients with leprosy (D = 4.43; M = 5.94; and F = 0.02) and 4.39 in control individuals (D = 2.29; M = 2.02; F = 0.08). The DMFT scores were statistically significantly different in patients with different ages, educational backgrounds and daily brushing frequency (P leprosy have a high prevalence of severe dental caries. Effective therapy and oral health education should be enhanced for this group of patients. © 2016 The Authors. International Dental Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of World Dental Federation.

  16. Leprosy Associated with Atypical Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Nicaragua and Honduras.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soto, Lucrecia Acosta; Caballero, Nelson; Fuentes, Lesny Ruth; Muñoz, Pedro Torres; Gómez Echevarría, Jose Ramón; López, Montserrat Pérez; Bornay Llinares, Fernando Jorge; Stanford, John L; Stanford, Cynthia A; Donoghue, Helen D

    2017-10-01

    In Central America, few cases of leprosy have been reported, but the disease may be unrecognized. Diagnosis is based on clinical criteria and histology. Preliminary field work in Nicaragua and Honduras found patients, including many children, with skin lesions clinically suggestive of atypical cutaneous leishmaniasis or indeterminate leprosy. Histology could not distinguish these diseases although acid-fast organisms were visible in a few biopsies. Lesions healed after standard antimicrobial therapy for leprosy. In the present study, patients, family members, and other community members were skin-tested and provided nasal swabs and blood samples. Biopsies were taken from a subgroup of patients with clinical signs of infection. Two laboratories analyzed samples, using local in-house techniques. Mycobacterium leprae , Leishmania spp. and Leishmania infantum were detected using polymerase chain reactions. Mycobacterium leprae DNA was detected in blood samples and nasal swabs, including some cases where leprosy was not clinically suspected. Leishmania spp. were also detected in blood and nasal swabs. Most biopsies contained Leishmania DNA and coinfection of Leishmania spp. with M. leprae occurred in 33% of cases. Mycobacterium leprae DNA was also detected and sequenced from Nicaraguan and Honduran environmental samples. In conclusion, leprosy and leishmaniasis are present in both regions, and leprosy appears to be widespread. The nature of any relationship between these two pathogens and the epidemiology of these infections need to be elucidated.

  17. Increased plantar foot pressure in persons affected by leprosy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Slim, Frederik J.; van Schie, Carine H.; Keukenkamp, Renske; Faber, William R.; Nollet, Frans

    2012-01-01

    Although foot pressure has been reported to be increased in people affected by leprosy, studies on foot pressure and its determinants are limited. Therefore, the aim was to assess barefoot plantar foot pressure and to identify clinical determinants of increased plantar foot pressure in leprosy

  18. Antioxidant factors, nitric oxide levels, and cellular damage in leprosy patients

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    Taysa Ribeiro Schalcher

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction The immune response caused by Mycobacterium leprae is a risk factor for the development of oxidative stress (OS in leprosy patients. This study aimed to assess OS in leprosy patients before the use of a multidrug therapy. Methods We evaluated the nitric oxide (NO concentration; antioxidant capacity; levels of malondialdehyde, methemoglobin and reduced glutathione; and the activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD in leprosy patients. Results We observed lower SOD activity in these leprosy patients; however, the NO levels and antioxidant capacity were increased. Conclusions The infectious process in response to M. leprae could primarily be responsible for the OS observed in these patients.

  19. Patterns of migration and risks associated with leprosy among migrants in Maranhão, Brazil.

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    Christine Murto

    Full Text Available Leprosy remains a public health problem in Brazil with new case incidence exceeding World Health Organization (WHO goals in endemic clusters throughout the country. Migration can facilitate movement of disease between endemic and non-endemic areas, and has been considered a possible factor in continued leprosy incidence in Brazil. A study was conducted to investigate migration as a risk factor for leprosy. The study had three aims: (1 examine past five year migration as a risk factor for leprosy, (2 describe and compare geographic and temporal patterns of migration among past 5-year migrants with leprosy and a control group, and (3 examine social determinants of health associated with leprosy among past 5-year migrants. The study implemented a matched case-control design and analysis comparing individuals newly diagnosed with leprosy (n = 340 and a clinically unapparent control group (n = 340 without clinical signs of leprosy, matched for age, sex and location in four endemic municipalities in the state of Maranhão, northeastern Brazil. Fishers exact test was used to conduct bivariate analyses. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to control for possible confounding variables. Eighty cases (23.5% migrated 5-years prior to diagnosis, and 55 controls (16.2% migrated 5-years prior to the corresponding case diagnosis. Past 5 year migration was found to be associated with leprosy (OR: 1.59; 95% CI 1.07-2.38; p = 0.02, and remained significantly associated with leprosy after controlling for leprosy contact in the family, household, and family/household contact. Poverty, as well as leprosy contact in the family, household and other leprosy contact, was associated with leprosy among past 5-year migrants in the bivariate analysis. Alcohol consumption was also associated with leprosy, a relevant risk factor in susceptibility to infection that should be explored in future research. Our findings provide insight into patterns

  20. Patterns of Migration and Risks Associated with Leprosy among Migrants in Maranhão, Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murto, Christine; Chammartin, Frédérique; Schwarz, Karolin; da Costa, Lea Marcia Melo; Kaplan, Charles; Heukelbach, Jorg

    2013-01-01

    Leprosy remains a public health problem in Brazil with new case incidence exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) goals in endemic clusters throughout the country. Migration can facilitate movement of disease between endemic and non-endemic areas, and has been considered a possible factor in continued leprosy incidence in Brazil. A study was conducted to investigate migration as a risk factor for leprosy. The study had three aims: (1) examine past five year migration as a risk factor for leprosy, (2) describe and compare geographic and temporal patterns of migration among past 5-year migrants with leprosy and a control group, and (3) examine social determinants of health associated with leprosy among past 5-year migrants. The study implemented a matched case-control design and analysis comparing individuals newly diagnosed with leprosy (n = 340) and a clinically unapparent control group (n = 340) without clinical signs of leprosy, matched for age, sex and location in four endemic municipalities in the state of Maranhão, northeastern Brazil. Fishers exact test was used to conduct bivariate analyses. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to control for possible confounding variables. Eighty cases (23.5%) migrated 5-years prior to diagnosis, and 55 controls (16.2%) migrated 5-years prior to the corresponding case diagnosis. Past 5 year migration was found to be associated with leprosy (OR: 1.59; 95% CI 1.07–2.38; p = 0.02), and remained significantly associated with leprosy after controlling for leprosy contact in the family, household, and family/household contact. Poverty, as well as leprosy contact in the family, household and other leprosy contact, was associated with leprosy among past 5-year migrants in the bivariate analysis. Alcohol consumption was also associated with leprosy, a relevant risk factor in susceptibility to infection that should be explored in future research. Our findings provide insight into patterns of

  1. Radioactivity in the twentieth century and some of its implications for the third millennium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paschoa, Anselmo S.

    1997-01-01

    Radioactivity has always been present in the Earth, as well in the Universe at large. However, the discovery of the phenomenon of radioactivity occurred just over 100 years ago. It is well known today that nuclear processes are directly related to the nucleosynthesis in starts. As a matter of fact, all types of nuclear reactions, like fission and captures, occur in stars at different stages of stellar evolution. The sequence of episodes that took place between 1896 and 1898, involving Henry Becquerel, and Marie and Pierre Curie, led to the discover of the phenomena that would greatly influence the twentieth century. It took, however, until 1939 for the phenomenon of fission to be explained by Otto Frish and Lise Meitner, based on experimental results obtained earlier by Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman. Aware of the potential military implications of fission Leo Szilard exhorted Albert Einstein to write a letter to the President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Such letter is regarded as the initial step of the mammoth Manhattan Project to build the first nuclear weapons. The aftermath of nuclear attacks to Japan, at the end of the Second World War, created dramatic changes in the relations among the nations. The escalation of the nuclear arsenals throughout the world created peculiar and secretive that, by and large, produced wastes of many kinds and a variety of radioactive concentrations which were held by the governments and/or the military industries themselves. The paper will discuss some possible international cooperative efforts to reduce some of the deleterious implications for the third millennium of the inheritance left behind by the military nuclear programs. (author)

  2. T-cell regulation in lepromatous leprosy.

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    Kidist Bobosha

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Regulatory T (Treg cells are known for their role in maintaining self-tolerance and balancing immune reactions in autoimmune diseases and chronic infections. However, regulatory mechanisms can also lead to prolonged survival of pathogens in chronic infections like leprosy and tuberculosis (TB. Despite high humoral responses against Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae, lepromatous leprosy (LL patients have the characteristic inability to generate T helper 1 (Th1 responses against the bacterium. In this study, we investigated the unresponsiveness to M. leprae in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC of LL patients by analysis of IFN-γ responses to M. leprae before and after depletion of CD25+ cells, by cell subsets analysis of PBMC and by immunohistochemistry of patients' skin lesions. Depletion of CD25+ cells from total PBMC identified two groups of LL patients: 7/18 (38.8% gained in vitro responsiveness towards M. leprae after depletion of CD25+ cells, which was reversed to M. leprae-specific T-cell unresponsiveness by addition of autologous CD25+ cells. In contrast, 11/18 (61.1% remained anergic in the absence of CD25+ T-cells. For both groups mitogen-induced IFN-γ was, however, not affected by depletion of CD25+ cells. In M. leprae responding healthy controls, treated lepromatous leprosy (LL and borderline tuberculoid leprosy (BT patients, depletion of CD25+ cells only slightly increased the IFN-γ response. Furthermore, cell subset analysis showed significantly higher (p = 0.02 numbers of FoxP3+ CD8+CD25+ T-cells in LL compared to BT patients, whereas confocal microscopy of skin biopsies revealed increased numbers of CD68+CD163+ as well as FoxP3+ cells in lesions of LL compared to tuberculoid and borderline tuberculoid leprosy (TT/BT lesions. Thus, these data show that CD25+ Treg cells play a role in M. leprae-Th1 unresponsiveness in LL.

  3. Leprosy trends at a tertiary care hospital in Mumbai, India, from 2008 to 2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muthuvel, Thirumugam; Isaakidis, Petros; Shewade, Hemant Deepak; Kattuppara, Lucy; Singh, Rajbir; Govindarajulu, Srinivas

    2016-01-01

    Leprosy remains an important cause of preventable disabilities. After the advent of multidrug therapy, new leprosy cases have come down dramatically. Despite this achievement, India, which contributes 60% of the global leprosy burden, faces some challenges to eliminate the disease, including active transmission in the community and delayed diagnosis of leprosy patients. The objectives of the study were 1) to determine sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of newly diagnosed adults and children (less than 15 years) with leprosy and their trends over time (2008-2015) and 2) to describe the profile of surgical procedures among leprosy patients registered for reconstructive surgeries during 2006-2015. Retrospective descriptive study was conducted involving a record review of new patients with leprosy registered in Vimala Dermatological Centre, Mumbai. A total of 578 new leprosy cases were registered in the hospital during 2008-2015. There has been a steady increase in the trend of child cases (less than 15 years) registered in the facility (from 3% in 2008 to 18% in 2015), x 2 =12.11, p< 0.01. The majority of the patients (68%) were migrants of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Targeting children and migrants and ensuring early diagnosis and treatment initiation are essential components for leprosy elimination in an urban metropolis in India.

  4. Patient contact is the major determinant in incident leprosy: implications for future control

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Beers, S. M.; Hatta, M.; Klatser, P. R.

    1999-01-01

    Notwithstanding the elimination efforts, leprosy control programs face the problem of many leprosy patients remaining undetected. Leprosy control focuses on early diagnosis through screening of household contacts, although this high-risk group generates only a small proportion of all incident cases.

  5. BCG and Adverse Events in the Context of Leprosy

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    Renate Richardus

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundNotwithstanding its beneficial immunoprophylactic outcomes regarding leprosy and childhood TB, BCG vaccination may cause adverse events, particularly of the skin. However, this local hyper-immune reactivity cannot be predicted before vaccination, nor is its association with protection against leprosy known. In this study we investigated the occurrence of adverse events after BCG (revaccination in contacts of leprosy patients and analyzed whether the concomitant systemic anti-mycobacterial immunity was associated with these skin manifestations.MethodsWithin a randomized controlled BCG vaccination trial in Bangladesh, 14,828 contacts of newly diagnosed leprosy patients received BCG vaccination between 2012 and 2017 and were examined for adverse events 8 to 12 weeks post-vaccination. From a selection of vaccinated contacts, venous blood was obtained at follow-up examination and stimulated with Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae antigens in overnight whole-blood assays (WBA. M. leprae phenolic glycolipid-I-specific antibodies and 32 cytokines were determined in WBAs of 13 individuals with and 13 individuals without adverse events after vaccination.ResultsOut of the 14,828 contacts who received BCG vaccination, 50 (0.34% presented with adverse events, mainly (80% consisting of skin ulcers. Based on the presence of BCG scars, 30 of these contacts (60% had received BCG in this study as a booster vaccination. Similar to the pathological T-cell immunity observed for tuberculoid leprosy patients, contacts with adverse events at the site of BCG vaccination showed elevated IFN-γ levels in response to M. leprae-specific proteins in WBA. However, decreased levels of sCD40L in serum and GRO (CXCL1 in response to M. leprae simultaneously indicated less T-cell regulation in these individuals, potentially causing uncontrolled T-cell immunity damaging the skin.ConclusionSkin complications after BCG vaccination present surrogate markers for protective

  6. Modeling both of the number of pausibacillary and multibacillary leprosy patients by using bivariate poisson regression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winahju, W. S.; Mukarromah, A.; Putri, S.

    2015-03-01

    Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by bacteria of leprosy (Mycobacterium leprae). Leprosy has become an important thing in Indonesia because its morbidity is quite high. Based on WHO data in 2014, in 2012 Indonesia has the highest number of new leprosy patients after India and Brazil with a contribution of 18.994 people (8.7% of the world). This number makes Indonesia automatically placed as the country with the highest number of leprosy morbidity of ASEAN countries. The province that most contributes to the number of leprosy patients in Indonesia is East Java. There are two kind of leprosy. They consist of pausibacillary and multibacillary. The morbidity of multibacillary leprosy is higher than pausibacillary leprosy. This paper will discuss modeling both of the number of multibacillary and pausibacillary leprosy patients as responses variables. These responses are count variables, so modeling will be conducted by using bivariate poisson regression method. Unit experiment used is in East Java, and predictors involved are: environment, demography, and poverty. The model uses data in 2012, and the result indicates that all predictors influence significantly.

  7. Leprosy, a Pleitropic infectious disease: a challenging diagnosis

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    Manal El Meniawy

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This is a case report of 22-year-old man who was suffering from epididymo-orchitis for more than 2 years. Several months after the onset of the condition, the patient developed bilateral upper-limb and lower-limb numbness and tingling sensation with hypothesia, which was further complicated by nonhealing foot ulcer, arthralgia, and generalized maculopapular skin rash. The patient was initially managed as rheumatoid arthritis associated with vasculitis, which was later diagnosed as lepromatous leprosy. Musculoskeletal complaints are not exclusive to only autoimmune diseases; it can also be observed in several disorders, such as infectious diseases. It is challenging for any physician to properly diagnose patients with leprosy as differentiating leprosy from other systemic rheumatic disease is pivotal.

  8. Oral coinfection can stress peripheral lymphocyte to inflammatory activity in leprosy

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    Ana Carolina Fragoso Motta

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: This study evaluated the intracellular profile of interleukin-2 (IL-2, interleukin-4 (IL-4, interleukin-10 (IL-10 and interferon-γ (IFN-γ in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs from leprosy patients based on oral infections presence to determine whether these coinfections could be associated with pro-inflammatory activity in leprosy. METHODS: Leprosy patients regardless of clinical form and specific leprosy treatment (n=38 were divided into two groups: Group I - leprosy patients with oral infections (n=19, and Group II - leprosy patients without oral infections (n=19. Non-leprosy patients presenting oral infections were assigned to the control Group (n=10. Intracellular IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and IFN-γ production was evaluated by flow cytometry (FACS before and 7 days after controlling the oral infection in the Group I, before and 7 days after dental prophylaxis in the Group II, and during oral infection process in control Group. RESULTS: Low percentages of CD3+ lymphocytes bearing IL-2, IL-10 and IFN-γ were observed in the Group I and Group II at baseline and 7 days after therapy or prophylaxis compared to controls. Group I showed reduced percentages of IL-4 at baseline and 7 days after therapy compared to controls, or at baseline of Group II, and the Group II showed reduced percentages of CD3+ cells bearing IL-4 compared to control. An increase of the percentages of CD3+cells bearing IL-4 was observed in the Group I after the oral infections treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of oral infections favors the intracellular cytokines expression and, probably, the inflammatory reaction operating as a stimulatory signal triggering the leprosy reactions.

  9. Dwudziestowieczna filozofia analityczna. O pewnej próbie całościowego ujęcia (TWENTIETH-CENTURY ANALYTIC PHILOSOPHY. ON A RECENT ATTEMPT OF ITS GENERAL ACCOUNT

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    Tadeusz Szubka

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Although analytic philosophy is a major movement shaping contemporary philosophy, there are not too many historical accounts of that movement which would be comprehensive, unified and sufficiently detailed. An impressive attempt to fill in this lacuna is the two-volume book 'Philosophical Analysis in the Twentieth Century', modestly described by its author Scott Soames (renowned mainly for his work in the philosophy of language as 'an introductory overview of the analytic tradition in philosophy covering roughly the period between 1900 and 1975'. The first volume discusses the philosophy of G.E. Moore, the most influential views of Bertrand Russell, Ludwig Wittgenstein's 'Tractatus', logical positivism (including emotivism in ethics and reaction against it, as well as the early philosophy of W.V. Quine. The second volume continues the story of analytic philosophy by providing an account of the later philosophy of Wittgenstein, the ordinary language philosophy and its demise, the philosophical naturalism of W.V. Quine, the theory of meaning of Donald Davidson, and finally Saul Kripke's seminal philosophy of language and its wide-ranging implications. The book contains also a short epilogue outlining the direction taken by analytic philosophy in the last quarter of the twentieth century. The two volumes of Soames' account of contemporary analytic tradition are packed with lucid, sophisticated and detailed discussions of various views of major thinkers of that tradition. However, besides these merits the book by Soames has several weaker points. It defines analytic philosophy in a rather loose and unspecific manner, as well as gives an arbitrarily selective and unbalanced account of its recent developments.

  10. Mycobacterium leprae–host-cell interactions and genetic determinants in leprosy: an overview

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinheiro, Roberta Olmo; de Souza Salles, Jorgenilce; Sarno, Euzenir Nunes; Sampaio, Elizabeth Pereira

    2011-01-01

    Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae in which susceptibility to the mycobacteria and its clinical manifestations are attributed to the host immune response. Even though leprosy prevalence has decreased dramatically, the high number of new cases indicates active transmission. Owing to its singular features, M. leprae infection is an attractive model for investigating the regulation of human immune responses to pathogen-induced disease. Leprosy is one of the most common causes of nontraumatic peripheral neuropathy worldwide. The proportion of patients with disabilities is affected by the type of leprosy and delay in diagnosis. This article briefly reviews the clinical features as well as the immunopathological mechanisms related to the establishment of the different polar forms of leprosy, the mechanisms related to M. leprae–host cell interactions and prophylaxis and diagnosis of this complex disease. Host genetic factors are summarized and the impact of the development of interventions that prevent, reverse or limit leprosy-related nerve impairments are discussed. PMID:21366421

  11. “Gate and Port of the South of Argentina”? Nuances and Debates in the Image of Bahia Blanca City in Its Regional Context in the Mid-twentieth Century

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    Juliana López Pascual

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available For over a century the people of Bahia Blanca, Argentinian port city located at the south west of the province of Buenos Aires, they have imagined it and defined it not only as part of the Patagonian territories but also as their legitimate political, economic and cultural center. The aim of historicizing and questioning this idea, trying to account for the interests that were mobilized, the ideological postures that hinted, and the impact it had on the effective regional layout, is what motivates our research. To that end, this article does focus on economic and infrastructural dimension that some debates of mid-twentieth century used simultaneously as evidence and as ultimate goal of this alleged hegemony. For this purpose, we will analyze the writings of Domingo Pronsato and Ricardo M. Ortiz whom, from different geopolitical perspectives, devised specific roles for the city that suited their plans for the regional development of Patagonia.

  12. Dehabilitation in the era of elimination and rehabilitation: a study of 100 leprosy patients from a tertiary care hospital in India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seshadri, Divya; Khaitan, Binod K; Khanna, Neena; Sagar, Rajesh

    2015-03-01

    To study the clinical profile of leprosy patients; to assess dehabilitation in leprosy patients and to study the factors affecting dehabilitation. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was carried out on 100 leprosy patients visiting the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi between February 2009 and February 2010. Demographic and clinical data were collected and subjects were administered the 52-item Anandaraj Dehabilitation scale which measures the negative impact of leprosy on family relationships, vocational condition, social interaction and self-esteem. The mean patient age was 30.9 years, 81% were males, 51% were at the lepromatous end of the spectrum, 87% had multibacillary leprosy, 22% each had Type 1 and Type 2 reactions, 22% had Grade 1 disability and 39% had Grade 2 disability. The mean duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 20 months. On the Anandaraj scale, 23% had high levels of dehabilitation; on an average, scores were in the range of medium level dehabilitation. Nearly 80% of patients avoided meeting friends, one-third hid the diagnosis from their families and worried about losing their jobs due to the disease, while around a quarter avoided sexual relations, used separate utensils and avoided touching children. Over 40% of unmarried patients faced matrimonial difficulty due to leprosy. Anxiety and guilt were common and incidence of suicidal ideas was much higher than the lifetime incidence in general population. Lack of education, Type 2 reactions, Grade 2 disability and lower age were predictors of greater dehabilitation. Dehabilitation of leprosy patients continues in this post-elimination era of rehabilitation. A large segment of preventable disability and resultant dehabilitation is likely being missed. There is an urgent need for corrective and preventive measures.

  13. Creeping, drinking, dying: the cinematic portal and the microscopic world of the twentieth-century cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landecker, Hannah

    2011-09-01

    Film scholars have long posed the question of the specificity of the film medium and the apparatus of cinema, asking what is unique to cinema, how it constrains and enables filmmakers and audiences in particular ways that other media do not. This question has rarely been considered in relation to scientific film, and here it is posed within the specific context of cell biology: What does the use oftime-based media such as film coupled with the microscope allow scientists to experience that other visualization practices do not? Examining three episodes in the twentieth-century study of the cell, this article argues that the apparatus ofmicrocinematography constitutes what might be thought of as a technical portal to another world, a door that determines the experience of the world that lies on the other side of it. In this case, the design of apparatuses to capture time-lapsed images enabled the acceleration of cellular time, bringing it into the realm of human perception and experience. Further, the experience of the cellular temporal world was part of a distinct kind of cell biology, one that was focused on behavior rather than structure, focused on the relation between cells, and between the cell and its milieu rather than on cell-intrinsic features such as chromosomes or organelles. As such, the instruments and technical design of the microcinematographic apparatus may be understood as a kind of materialized epistemology, the history of which can elucidate how cinema was and is used to produce scientific knowledge.

  14. The Innovative Work of S. S. Glagolev: Theism in Russian Theological Academies of the Beginning of the Twentieth Century and Its Focusing on the Problem of Man

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    Marjana Ershova

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The author details the results of her study of the works of Sergey Sergeyevich Glagolev, a prominent professor of the Moscow Theological Academy. Glagolev’s heritage produces a profound impression by means of its versatility, its original way of looking at diverse problems as well as his unique solutions to the same problems. For this reason, it possesses enduring relevance. Despite this fact, his correspondence is still not well known nor understood. The author focuses on Glagolev’s analysis of the human problem. This choice may be explained by the fact that Sergey Sergeevich considered the problem of man to be the key issue behind the collision of religion and science taking place during the early twentieth century. Glagolev attempted to solve this problem by focusing on certain aspects of the subject: the origin of mankind, the interaction of the spirit and the body, the immortality of the soul, the origin of religion, as well as the way in which religious faith came about. A vital aspect of Glagolev’s treatment of the problem of man is his criticism of Charles Darwin and Darwinism, and thereby of the entire theory of evolution. Glagolev disagreed with the basic premises of this theory as well as with some of its specific conclusions. While opposing the concept of anthropo-genesis, Glagolev formulated his own theory regarding the origins of mankind. Thus, Glagolev viewed the origins and later history of mankind through the prism of his theory of degradation, which allowed him to seamlessly link the biblical narrative of the origins of man with contemporary scientific data. The author concludes that Glagolev was a major influence in the development of Russian theology during the first years of the twentieth century.

  15. Mast cell heterogeneity and anti-inflammatory annexin A1 expression in leprosy skin lesions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, Maurício B; Mimura, Kallyne K O; Freitas, Aline A; Hungria, Emerith M; Sousa, Ana Lúcia O M; Oliani, Sonia M; Stefani, Mariane M A

    2018-03-29

    Mast cells (MCs) have important immunoregulatory roles in skin inflammation. Annexin A1 (ANXA1) is an endogenous anti-inflammatory protein that can be expressed by mast cells, neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes, epithelial and T cells. This study investigated MCs heterogeneity and ANXA1 expression in human dermatoses with special emphasis in leprosy. Sixty one skin biopsies from 2 groups were investigated: 40 newly diagnosed untreated leprosy patients (18 reaction-free, 11 type 1 reaction/T1R, 11 type 2 reaction/T2R); 21 patients with other dermatoses. Tryptase/try+ and chymase/chy + phenotypic markers and toluidine blue stained intact/degranulated MC counts/mm 2 were evaluated. Try + /chy + MCs and ANXA1 were identified by streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase immunostaining and density was reported. In leprosy, degranulated MCs outnumbered intact ones regardless of the leprosy form (from tuberculoid/TT to lepromatous/LL), leprosy reactions (reactional/reaction-free) and type of reaction (T1R/T2R). Compared to other dermatoses, leprosy skin lesions showed lower numbers of degranulated and intact MCs. Try + MCs outnumbered chy + in leprosy lesions (reaction-free/reactional, particularly in T2R), but not in other dermatoses. Compared to other dermatoses, ANXA1 expression, which is also expressed in mast cells, was higher in the epidermis of leprosy skin lesions, independently of reactional episode. In leprosy, higher MC degranulation and differential expression of try + /chy + subsets independent of leprosy type and reaction suggest that the Mycobacterium leprae infection itself dictates the inflammatory MCs activation in skin lesions. Higher expression of ANXA1 in leprosy suggests its potential anti-inflammatory role to maintain homeostasis preventing tissue and nerve damage. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Prevalence and risk factors for hepatitis B and C viruses in patients with leprosy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, J E F; Morais, V M S; Gonçales, J P; Silva, D M; Coêlho, M R C D

    2017-08-01

    It has been reported a higher seroprevalence of HBV and HCV in leprosy patients than in the general population, but the reasons for these findings are not yet clear. On the other hand, there is evidence that these viruses may influence the onset of leprosy reactional episodes, an important cause of neurological sequelae. This study aimed to determine seroprevalence and risk factors for HBV and HCV in leprosy patients and to investigate its association with leprosy reactions. Patients attended from 2015 to 2016 at a Reference Center in Leprosy in Northeastern region of Brazil, were interviewed, had their records reviewed to investigate biological, clinical, behavioral and socioeconomic factors, and underwent blood sample collection. Biological samples were tested for HBV (HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBs) and HCV (anti-HCV) serological markers by ELISA and, in anti-HCV positive samples, HCV RNA was screened by real time PCR. SPSS program was used to analyze the data. A total of 403 leprosy patients were included. Although anti-HBc was positive in 14.1%, there was no detection of HBsAg, which contradicts the hypothesis that leprosy patients have immune deficit that make them more prone to chronic HBV infection. Multibacillary leprosy (0.057), health-related work (0.011) and lower educational level (0.035) were associated with anti-HBc positivity. Anti-HCV was positive in 0.5%, with no detection of HCV RNA. No association was identified between anti-HCV and the epidemiological analyzed factors. There was also no association of anti-HBc or anti-HCV with type 1 or type 2 leprosy reactions. Thus, the seroprevalence of HBV and HCV in leprosy patients was similar to that of the general population of Northeastern region of Brazil, and no association of HBV or HCV with leprosy reactions was observed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Book Review Imaginary modernity and tradition. Architecture of the twentieth century in Latin America / Reseña del Libro Imaginarios de modernidad y tradición. Arquitectura del siglo XX en América Latina

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    Adolfo Benito Narváez Tijerina

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Book Review Imaginary modernity and tradition. Architecture of the twentieth century in Latin America Reseña del Libro Imaginarios de modernidad y tradición. Arquitectura del siglo XX en América Latina. Ettinger, Catherine R. (coord. (2015. Imaginarios de modernidad y tradición. Arquitectura del siglo XX en América Latina. México: Miguel Ángel Porrúa, 259 páginas. ISBN: 978-6074019681.

  18. Integration of leprosy in general health system vis-à-vis leprosy endemicity, health situation and socioeconomic development: observations from Chhattisgarh & Kerala.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandey, Aparna; Rathod, Harish

    2010-06-01

    This study looked at the integration of leprosy services in the GHS in context of health and socioeconomic situations using predefined indicators. It also looked at clients' perception of MDT services. The Indian states of Chhattisgarh and Kerala, which are at two extremes in leprosy endemicity, health situation and socioeconomic development, have been compared using predefined integration indicators related to the training of health workers, availability of MDT services, maintenance of MDT stock and involvement of Sub-centres in leprosy care. Data was collected by surveys of health facilities, sub-centres and communities in the two states, during 2006-2007. Information was collected by interviewing health personnel and clients, checking of records and on the spot observations using specifically designed formats. Results showed that integration is more inclusive in Chhattisgarh and has reached up to Sub-centre level. Both the community and health systems are sensitive and responsive to leprosy as it is perceived to be a major public health threat. But in Kerala, despite integration, it continues as a vertical programme with dependence on specialists and districts hospitals for diagnosis and treatment. MDT stock management is even poorer. Clients' perception towards MDT services are similar in both states.

  19. Anti-natural octyl disaccharide-leprosy IDRI diagnostic (NDO-LID) antibodies as indicators of leprosy reactions and neuritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serrano-Coll, Héctor; Muñoz, Mónica; Camilo Beltrán, Juan; Duthie, Malcolm S; Cardona-Castro, Nora

    2017-03-01

    Leprosy is a complex infectious and neurological disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Nerve damage is related to immunological hypersensitivity responses known as leprosy reactions (LRs). Diagnostic tools to predict LRs are not available. We hypothesized that natural octyl disaccharide-leprosy IDRI diagnostic (NDO-LID) would be helpful as an indicator of LRs and neuritis. To assess the utility of NDO-LID in indicating reactions, ELISA were used to detect specific antibodies in serum samples from 80 Colombian leprosy patients (40 with and 40 without history of LRs). Responses were detected using a range of detection reagents detecting IgG, IgM or both isotypes. Patients with a history of LRs had an increased seropositivity rate for anti-NDO-LID antibodies compared to patients without (anti-NDO-LID protein A [p=0.02], IgG anti-NDO-LID [p=0.01] and IgM anti-NDO-LID [p=0.01]). Further analyses of patients with a history of LRs indicated that both seropositivity rate and magnitude of responses were elevated among patients with neuritis versus those without neuritis (anti-NDO-LID protein A [p=0.03], IgG anti-NDO-LID [p=0.001] and IgM anti-NDO-LID [p=0.06]). Our data indicate that testing for serum anti-NDO-LID antibodies can be a useful screen to identify patients at risk of developing LRs and neuritis. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  20. Four centuries of translocal development in cities and regions in Northwest Germany

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    Terlouw, K.

    2013-01-01

    This paper analyses how the fates of different peripheral localities (Emsland, Gütersloh, and Lippe in Germany) were linked to the outside world in the course of the seventeenth to twentieth centuries. In the first centuries, these localities' translocal relations with the world economy were

  1. Osteological, biomolecular and geochemical examination of an early anglo-saxon case of lepromatous leprosy.

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    Sarah A Inskip

    Full Text Available We have examined a 5th to 6th century inhumation from Great Chesterford, Essex, UK. The incomplete remains are those of a young male, aged around 21-35 years at death. The remains show osteological evidence of lepromatous leprosy (LL and this was confirmed by lipid biomarker analysis and ancient DNA (aDNA analysis, which provided evidence for both multi-copy and single copy loci from the Mycobacterium leprae genome. Genotyping showed the strain belonged to the 3I lineage, but the Great Chesterford isolate appeared to be ancestral to 3I strains found in later medieval cases in southern Britain and also continental Europe. While a number of contemporaneous cases exist, at present, this case of leprosy is the earliest radiocarbon dated case in Britain confirmed by both aDNA and lipid biomarkers. Importantly, Strontium and Oxygen isotope analysis suggest that the individual is likely to have originated from outside Britain. This potentially sheds light on the origins of the strain in Britain and its subsequent spread to other parts of the world, including the Americas where the 3I lineage of M. leprae is still found in some southern states of America.

  2. Osteological, biomolecular and geochemical examination of an early anglo-saxon case of lepromatous leprosy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inskip, Sarah A; Taylor, G Michael; Zakrzewski, Sonia R; Mays, Simon A; Pike, Alistair W G; Llewellyn, Gareth; Williams, Christopher M; Lee, Oona Y-C; Wu, Houdini H T; Minnikin, David E; Besra, Gurdyal S; Stewart, Graham R

    2015-01-01

    We have examined a 5th to 6th century inhumation from Great Chesterford, Essex, UK. The incomplete remains are those of a young male, aged around 21-35 years at death. The remains show osteological evidence of lepromatous leprosy (LL) and this was confirmed by lipid biomarker analysis and ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis, which provided evidence for both multi-copy and single copy loci from the Mycobacterium leprae genome. Genotyping showed the strain belonged to the 3I lineage, but the Great Chesterford isolate appeared to be ancestral to 3I strains found in later medieval cases in southern Britain and also continental Europe. While a number of contemporaneous cases exist, at present, this case of leprosy is the earliest radiocarbon dated case in Britain confirmed by both aDNA and lipid biomarkers. Importantly, Strontium and Oxygen isotope analysis suggest that the individual is likely to have originated from outside Britain. This potentially sheds light on the origins of the strain in Britain and its subsequent spread to other parts of the world, including the Americas where the 3I lineage of M. leprae is still found in some southern states of America.

  3. Humanities: The Unexpected Success Story of the Twenty-First Century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Virginia

    2012-01-01

    Humanities within universities faced challenges in the latter half of the twentieth century as their value in the modern world was questioned. This paper argues that there is strong potential for the humanities to thrive in the twenty-first century university sector. It outlines some of the managerial implications necessary to ensure that this…

  4. Taking Up Space: Museum Exploration in the Twenty-First Century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutton, Tiffany

    2007-01-01

    Museums have become a crucible for questions of the role that traditional art and art history should play in contemporary art. Friedrich Nietzsche argued in the nineteenth century that museums can be no more than mausoleums for effete (fine) art. Over the course of the twentieth century, however, curators dispelled such blanket pessimism by…

  5. From Science to Industry: The Sites of Aluminium in France from the Nineteenth to the Twentieth Century.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Roux, Muriel

    2015-05-01

    This paper explores the history of the isolation and industrial production of aluminium in France, from the work of Henri Sainte-Claire Deville in the 1850s to the latter part of the twentieth century, focusing on the relationships between academic research and industrial exploitation. In particular, it identifies a culture and organisation of research and development, "learning-by-doing," that emerged in the French aluminium industry following the establishment of the first electrolytic production facilities in the late 1880s by Paul Héroult, who, along with the American Charles Hall, patented the electrolytic method of producing the metal. This French method of R&D was a product both of a scientific culture that saw a continuity between scientific research and industrial application, and of a state policy that, unlike in Germany or the United States, was late to recognise the importance of fostering, on a large scale, the relations between academic chemistry and industry. It was only after World War II that the French state came fully to recognise the importance of underpinning industry with scientific research. And it was only from the 1960s, in the face of intensifying global competition, the risks of pollution, and the cost of energy, that the major aluminium firm Pechiney et Cie was able to replace a culture of "learning-by-doing" by one that integrated fundamental science with the production process.

  6. Commodity Price Fluctuations: A Century of Analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Walter Labys

    2005-01-01

    Commodity prices again! The twentieth century has only been the latest spectator to the impacts and importance of commodity price fluctuations. It is reasonably well known that commodity price records have come down to us from the ancient civilizations of India, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome. Earlier in the century, formal research began on the relationships between agricultural demand, supply and prices in a market context. This research not only evolved in sophistication but extended ...

  7. The GATA3 gene is involved in leprosy susceptibility in Brazilian patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medeiros, Priscila; da Silva, Weber Laurentino; de Oliveira Gimenez, Bruna Beatriz; Vallezi, Keren Bastos; Moraes, Milton Ozório; de Souza, Vânia Niéto Brito; Latini, Ana Carla Pereira

    2016-04-01

    Leprosy outcome is a complex trait and the host-pathogen-environment interaction defines the emergence of the disease. Host genetic risk factors have been successfully associated to leprosy. The 10p13 chromosomal region was linked to leprosy in familial studies and GATA3 gene is a strong candidate to be part of this association. Here, we tested tag single nucleotide polymorphisms at GATA3 in two case-control samples from Brazil comprising a total of 1633 individuals using stepwise strategy. The A allele of rs10905284 marker was associated with leprosy resistance. Then, a functional analysis was conducted and showed that individuals carrying AA genotype express higher levels of GATA-3 protein in lymphocytes. So, we confirmed that the rs10905284 is a locus associated to leprosy and influences the levels of this transcription factor in the Brazilian population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Is Leprosy Control In Urban Slums Possible ? - A Study In Bombay

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    Ganapati R

    1989-01-01

    Full Text Available Effectiveness of community-based leprosy control operations spanning almost a decade in two locations, a small self settled leprosy colony (I of about 800 subjects as well as a large slum (II with a population of about 20,000 in the metropolitan city of Bombay are compared. New case detection through survey in location I and voluntary reporting in location II during the period 1982-86 is taken as an index of the impact of the intervention, which consisted of field based administration of multi-drug therapy. Though the leprosy colony concentrates an abnormal reservoir of infectious cases in a small population, it was relatively easier to achieve success in reducing the transmission rate through field-based chemotherapy programme. The same degree of success however, could not be achieved in a normal slum. Health care delivery system in relation to leprosy eradication at the grass-root levels has to be planned giving maximum importance to cost-effective methods of identification of multi-bacillary leprosy patients and monitoring their movements carefully during the treatment phase.

  9. Global and local contexts: the Northern Ogoja Leprosy Scheme, Nigeria, 1945-1960

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    Manton John

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Deriving funding from missionary sources in Ireland, Britain and the USA, and from international leprosy relief organizations such as the British Empire Leprosy Relief Association (BELRA and drawing on developing capacities in international public health under the auspices of WHO and UNICEF through the 1950s, the Roman Catholic Mission Ogoja Leprosy Scheme applied international expertise at a local level with ever-increasing success and coverage. This paper supplements the presentation of a successful leprosy control programme in missionary narratives with an appreciation of how international medical politics shaped the parameters of success and the development of therapeutic understanding in the late colonial period in Nigeria.

  10. Radiological changes in the paranasal sinuses in lepromatous leprosy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barton, R.P.E.

    1979-01-01

    In view of the high incidence of nasal involvement in lepromatous leprosy and the production of a highly infectious discharge from the nasal mucosa, it seemed pertinent to investigate the paranasal sinuses whose lining greatly increase the surface area of mucous membrane in the upper respiratory tract. Sinus radiographs were taken of 16 patients diagnosed, clinically and bacteriologically, as having lepromatous leprosy with nasal involvement. All 16 patients showed radiological abnormalities which are summarized. The most constant finding was mucosal thickening of the maxillary antra. The significance of these results is discussed. Sinus X-rays, while not diagnostic for leprosy may give additional information to both the leprologist and the ENT surgeon. (author)

  11. The impact of leprosy on health-related quality of life

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    Anselmo Alves Lustosa

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Leprosy is a potentially disabling infectious disease that evolves into emotional issues due to the prejudice that persists about the illness. The endemic has declined substantially with multidrug therapy (MDT in the 80's; however, new demands associated with the reduction of stigma and the improvement of the affected people's quality of life have emerged. In Brazil, leprosy is still a public health problem. Piauí is the second state in the Northeast in prevalence and detection, and Teresina is a hyperendemic city. This study aimed to analyze the health-related quality of life (HRQoL of people in treatment for leprosy in Teresina/PI. METHODS: An observational study was conducted using the SF-36 (a specific questionnaire for assessing quality of life, which sought the determinants of poor quality of life among people with leprosy, outlining the sociodemographic, clinical, and epidemiological characteristics of the 107 patients interviewed. RESULTS: The correlations between the variables showed five determinants of HRQoL: late diagnosis, multibacillary forms, reactions, disability diagnosis grade II, and prejudice. The profile of the participants showed that leprosy still affects the lower social classes in historically endemic areas, causing high percentages of secondary injuries that compromise the work capacity and quality of life of the affected people, perpetuating the stigma associated with the disease. CONCLUSIONS: The study reinforces the need to implement more effective strategies of disease control, due to the development of severe and disabling forms of leprosy is directly related to poor HRQoL in the same cured patient.

  12. Role of HLA, KIR, MICA, and Cytokines Genes in Leprosy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jarduli, Luciana Ribeiro; Sell, Ana Maria; Reis, Pâmela Guimarães; Ayo, Christiane Maria; Mazini, Priscila Saamara; Alves, Hugo Vicentin; Teixeira, Jorge Juarez Vieira; Visentainer, Jeane Eliete Laguila

    2013-01-01

    Many genes including HLA, KIR, and MICA genes, as well as polymorphisms in cytokines have been investigated for their role in infectious disease. HLA alleles may influence not only susceptibility or resistance to leprosy, but also the course of the disease. Some combinations of HLA and KIR may result in negative as well as positive interactions between NK cells and infected host cells with M. leprae, resulting in activation or inhibition of NK cells and, consequently, in death of bacillus. In addition, studies have demonstrated the influence of MICA genes in the pathogenesis of leprosy. Specifically, they may play a role in the interaction between NK cells and infected cells. Finally, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines have been influencing the clinical course of leprosy. Data from a wide variety of sources support the existence of genetic factors influencing the leprosy pathogenesis. These sources include twin studies, segregation analyses, family-based linkage and association studies, candidate gene association studies, and, most recently, genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The purpose of this brief review was to highlight the importance of some immune response genes and their correlation with the clinical forms of leprosy, as well as their implications for disease resistance and susceptibility. PMID:23936864

  13. BEYOND GUNS AND BUTTER: Finnish Central Government Spending Patterns the in Twentieth Century

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jari Eloranta

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper explains the long-run demand for central government spending in Finland by analyzing quantitative and qualitative changes in the spending behavior, examining possible links between variables in a VAR-framework, and performing multivariate analysis of the demand factors. The results was shoved that a explained  by a lack of military versus social spending tradeoff effect. Even though certain other variables were found to be relevant in explaining this demand, this lack of a tradeoff increased the Finnish spending levels substantially during the twentieth centurt welfare state expansion.

  14. Imunologia da hanseníase Immunology of leprosy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vanessa Amaral Mendonça

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available A hanseníase é doença crônica infecciosa que se caracteriza por apresentar formas clínicas contrastantes, que são dependentes da interação do bacilo com a resposta imune do hospedeiro. O estudo dos processos imunológicos torna-se fundamental para o entendimento dos mecanismos envolvidos na apresentação e no desenvolvimento da doença. Neste artigo, é revisada a imunopatogênese da hanseníase.Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease characterized by contrasting clinical forms that are dependent on the interactions between the bacillus and the host immune response. Thus, the study of the immunological process is extremely relevant for the comprehension of the mechanisms involved in leprosy presentation and development. In this paper, the immunopathogenesis of leprosy is reviewed.

  15. Longitudinal assessment of anti-PGL-I serology in contacts of leprosy patients in Bangladesh.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardus, Renate A; van der Zwet, Konrad; van Hooij, Anouk; Wilson, Louis; Oskam, Linda; Faber, Roel; van den Eeden, Susan J F; Pahan, David; Alam, Khorshed; Richardus, Jan Hendrik; Geluk, Annemieke

    2017-12-01

    Despite elimination efforts, the number of Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) infected individuals who develop leprosy, is still substantial. Solid evidence exists that individuals living in close proximity to patients are at increased risk to develop leprosy. Early diagnosis of leprosy in endemic areas requires field-friendly tests that identify individuals at risk of developing the disease before clinical manifestation. Such assays will simultaneously contribute to reduction of current diagnostic delay as well as transmission. Antibody (Ab) levels directed against the M.leprae-specific phenolic glycolipid I (PGL-I) represents a surrogate marker for bacterial load. However, it is insufficiently defined whether anti-PGL-I antibodies can be utilized as prognostic biomarkers for disease in contacts. Particularly, in Bangladesh, where paucibacillary (PB) patients form the majority of leprosy cases, anti-PGL-I serology is an inadequate method for leprosy screening in contacts as a directive for prophylactic treatment. Between 2002 and 2009, fingerstick blood from leprosy patients' contacts without clinical signs of disease from a field-trial in Bangladesh was collected on filter paper at three time points covering six years of follow-up per person. Analysis of anti-PGL-I Ab levels for 25 contacts who developed leprosy during follow-up and 199 contacts who were not diagnosed with leprosy, was performed by ELISA after elution of bloodspots from filter paper. Anti-PGL-I Ab levels at intake did not significantly differ between contacts who developed leprosy during the study and those who remained free of disease. Moreover, anti-PGL-I serology was not prognostic in this population as no significant correlation was identified between anti-PGL-I Ab levels at intake and the onset of leprosy. In this highly endemic population in Bangladesh, no association was observed between anti-PGL-I Ab levels and onset of disease, urging the need for an extended, more specific biomarker

  16. Elimination of Leprosy as a public health problem by 2000 AD: an epidemiological perspective

    OpenAIRE

    Nsagha, Dickson Shey; Bamgboye, Elijah Afolabi; Assob, Jules Clement Nguedia; Njunda, Anna Longdoh; Kamga, Henri Lucien Foumou; Zoung-Kanyi Bissek, Anne-C?cile; Tabah, Earnest Nji; Oyediran, Alain Bankole OO; Njamnshi, Alfred Kongnyu

    2011-01-01

    Introduction Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium leprae and manifests as damage to the skin and peripheral nerves. The disease is dreaded because it causes deformities, blindness and disfigurement. Worldwide, 2 million people are estimated to be disabled by leprosy. Multidrug therapy is highly effective in curing leprosy, but treating the nerve damage is much more difficult. The World Health Assembly targeted to eliminate leprosy as a public health problem from the world by 2000. The objective...

  17. Integrative literature review of the reported uses of serological tests in leprosy management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fabri, Angélica da Conceição Oliveira Coelho; Carvalho, Ana Paula Mendes; Vieira, Nayara Figueiredo; Bueno, Isabela de Caux; Rodrigues, Rayssa Nogueira; Monteiro, Thayenne Barrozo Mota; Correa-Oliveira, Rodrigo; Duthie, Malcolm S; Lana, Francisco Carlos Félix

    2016-04-01

    An integrative literature review was conducted to synthesize available publications regarding the potential use of serological tests in leprosy programs. We searched the databases Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde, Índice Bibliográfico Espanhol em Ciências da Saúde, Acervo da Biblioteca da Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Hanseníase, National Library of Medicine, Scopus, Ovid, Cinahl, and Web of Science for articles investigating the use of serological tests for antibodies against phenolic glycolipid-I (PGL-I), ML0405, ML2331, leprosy IDRI diagnostic-1 (LID-1), and natural disaccharide octyl-leprosy IDRI diagnostic-1 (NDO-LID). From an initial pool of 3.514 articles, 40 full-length articles fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Based on these papers, we concluded that these antibodies can be used to assist in diagnosing leprosy, detecting neuritis, monitoring therapeutic efficacy, and monitoring household contacts or at-risk populations in leprosy-endemic areas. Thus, available data suggest that serological tests could contribute substantially to leprosy management.

  18. Spatial clustering and local risk of leprosy in São Paulo, Brazil.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antônio Carlos Vieira Ramos

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Although the detection rate is decreasing, the proportion of new cases with WHO grade 2 disability (G2D is increasing, creating concern among policy makers and the Brazilian government. This study aimed to identify spatial clustering of leprosy and classify high-risk areas in a major leprosy cluster using the SatScan method.Data were obtained including all leprosy cases diagnosed between January 2006 and December 2013. In addition to the clinical variable, information was also gathered regarding the G2D of the patient at diagnosis and after treatment. The Scan Spatial statistic test, developed by Kulldorff e Nagarwalla, was used to identify spatial clustering and to measure the local risk (Relative Risk-RR of leprosy. Maps considering these risks and their confidence intervals were constructed.A total of 434 cases were identified, including 188 (43.31% borderline leprosy and 101 (23.28% lepromatous leprosy cases. There was a predominance of males, with ages ranging from 15 to 59 years, and 51 patients (11.75% presented G2D. Two significant spatial clusters and three significant spatial-temporal clusters were also observed. The main spatial cluster (p = 0.000 contained 90 census tracts, a population of approximately 58,438 inhabitants, detection rate of 22.6 cases per 100,000 people and RR of approximately 3.41 (95%CI = 2.721-4.267. Regarding the spatial-temporal clusters, two clusters were observed, with RR ranging between 24.35 (95%CI = 11.133-52.984 and 15.24 (95%CI = 10.114-22.919.These findings could contribute to improvements in policies and programming, aiming for the eradication of leprosy in Brazil. The Spatial Scan statistic test was found to be an interesting resource for health managers and healthcare professionals to map the vulnerability of areas in terms of leprosy transmission risk and areas of underreporting.

  19. Spatial clustering and local risk of leprosy in São Paulo, Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramos, Antônio Carlos Vieira; Yamamura, Mellina; Arroyo, Luiz Henrique; Popolin, Marcela Paschoal; Chiaravalloti Neto, Francisco; Palha, Pedro Fredemir; Uchoa, Severina Alice da Costa; Pieri, Flávia Meneguetti; Pinto, Ione Carvalho; Fiorati, Regina Célia; Queiroz, Ana Angélica Rêgo de; Belchior, Aylana de Souza; Dos Santos, Danielle Talita; Garcia, Maria Concebida da Cunha; Crispim, Juliane de Almeida; Alves, Luana Seles; Berra, Thaís Zamboni; Arcêncio, Ricardo Alexandre

    2017-02-01

    Although the detection rate is decreasing, the proportion of new cases with WHO grade 2 disability (G2D) is increasing, creating concern among policy makers and the Brazilian government. This study aimed to identify spatial clustering of leprosy and classify high-risk areas in a major leprosy cluster using the SatScan method. Data were obtained including all leprosy cases diagnosed between January 2006 and December 2013. In addition to the clinical variable, information was also gathered regarding the G2D of the patient at diagnosis and after treatment. The Scan Spatial statistic test, developed by Kulldorff e Nagarwalla, was used to identify spatial clustering and to measure the local risk (Relative Risk-RR) of leprosy. Maps considering these risks and their confidence intervals were constructed. A total of 434 cases were identified, including 188 (43.31%) borderline leprosy and 101 (23.28%) lepromatous leprosy cases. There was a predominance of males, with ages ranging from 15 to 59 years, and 51 patients (11.75%) presented G2D. Two significant spatial clusters and three significant spatial-temporal clusters were also observed. The main spatial cluster (p = 0.000) contained 90 census tracts, a population of approximately 58,438 inhabitants, detection rate of 22.6 cases per 100,000 people and RR of approximately 3.41 (95%CI = 2.721-4.267). Regarding the spatial-temporal clusters, two clusters were observed, with RR ranging between 24.35 (95%CI = 11.133-52.984) and 15.24 (95%CI = 10.114-22.919). These findings could contribute to improvements in policies and programming, aiming for the eradication of leprosy in Brazil. The Spatial Scan statistic test was found to be an interesting resource for health managers and healthcare professionals to map the vulnerability of areas in terms of leprosy transmission risk and areas of underreporting.

  20. Strategic Management of Financial Institutions-Survival in the 21st Century

    OpenAIRE

    Arshad Khan, Muhammad

    2006-01-01

    In this paper in attempt has been made to propose some strategic measures which are important for the survival of financial institutions in the 21st century. The study points out that liberalization and globalization offered many opportunities to financial institutions to provide wider range of financial and adviser services for their management. The study stressed that banks and NBFIs in Pakistan must used the modern communication, human resource management should be strengthen, SMEs, rural ...

  1. Household expenditure on leprosy outpatient services in the Indian health system: A comparative study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tiwari, A. (Anuj); Suryawanshi, P. (Pramilesh); Raikwar, A. (Akash); Arif, M. (Mohammad); J.H. Richardus (Jan Hendrik)

    2018-01-01

    textabstractBackground: Leprosy is a major public health problem in many low and middle income countries, especially in India, and contributes considerably to the global burden of the disease. Leprosy and poverty are closely associated, and therefore the economic burden of leprosy is a concern.

  2. Neuropathic pain in leprosy: symptom profile characterization and comparison with neuropathic pain of other etiologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raicher, Irina; Stump, Patrick Raymond Nicolas Andre Ghislain; Harnik, Simone Bega; de Oliveira, Rodrigo Alves; Baccarelli, Rosemari; Marciano, Lucia H S C; Ura, Somei; Virmond, Marcos C L; Teixeira, Manoel Jacobsen; de Andrade, Daniel Ciampi

    2018-03-01

    Previous studies reported a high prevalence of neuropathic pain in leprosy, being especially present in "pharmacologically cured" patients. The presence of neuropathic pain in leprosy poses a supplementary burden in patient's quality of life, daily activities, and mood. The aim of this study was to assess whether neuropathic pain in leprosy has similar symptom profile as neuropathic pain of other etiologies and to retrospectively assess the efficacy of neuropathic pain medications regularly prescribed to leprosy. Leprosy and nonleprosy patients had their neuropathic pain characterized by the neuropathic pain symptom inventory (NPSI, ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 being the maximal neuropathic pain intensity) in a first visit. In a second visit, leprosy patients who had significant pain and received pharmacological treatment in the first evaluation were reassessed (NPSI) and had their pain profile and treatment response further characterized, including information on drugs prescribed for neuropathic pain and their respective pain relief. The pain characteristics based on NPSI did not significantly differ between leprosy and nonleprosy neuropathic pain patients in visit 1 after correction for multiple analyses, and cluster analyses confirmed these findings (ie, no discrimination between leprosy and nonleprosy groups; Pearson χ2 = 0.072, P = 0.788). The assessment of pain relief response and the drugs taken by each patient, linear regression analysis showed that amitriptyline, when effective, had the highest percentage of analgesic relief. Neuropathic pain in leprosy is as heterogeneous as neuropathic pain of other etiologies, further supporting the concept that neuropathic pain is a transetiological entity. Neuropathic pain in leprosy may respond to drugs usually used to control pain of neuropathic profile in general, and amitriptiline may constitute a potential candidate drug for future formal clinical trials aimed at controlling neuropathic pain in leprosy.

  3. Science Policy at the Wrong Scale and Without Adequate Political Institutions: Parallels between the U.S. 19th Century and the 21st Century Global Contexts

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCurdy, K. M.

    2012-12-01

    The Constitution of the United States is a document for economic development written by people wary of government failure at the extremes, whether too heavy handed a central government or too loose a confederation. The strong central government favored by Hamilton, Industrialists and later by forward thinking men of the 19th century created a discontinuity wherein government institutions designed to facilitate agriculture were incapable of regulating corporations operating on a national scale, which made mineral and other natural resource exploitation needed to support industrialization enormously profitable. At the same time, Agriculturalists and other conservative citizens sought to control the economy by protecting their rural interests and power. The political institutional power remained with states as agriculturalists and industrialists struggled for economic superiority in the 19th century. As Agriculture moved west, Science warned of the dangers of extending Homesteading regulations into arid regions to no avail. The west was settled in townships without concern for watersheds, carrying capacity, or climatic variability. Gold seekers ignored the consequences of massive hydraulic mining techniques. The tension resident in the Constitution between strong local control of government (states' rights) and a strong central government (nationalism) provided no institutional context to resolve mining problems or other 19th century policy problems linked to rapid population expansion and industrialization. Environmental protection in the late 20th century has been the last wave of nationalized policy solutions following the institution-building blueprint provided by electoral successes in the Progressive, New Deal, and Great Society eras. Suddenly in the 21st century, scientific warnings of dangers again go unheeded, this time as evidence of global warming mounts. Again, tension in policy making exists in all political arenas (executive, legislative and judicial at

  4. Gender and leprosy: case studies in Indonesia, Nigeria, Nepal and Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varkevisser, Corlien M; Lever, Peter; Alubo, Ogoh; Burathoki, Kamala; Idawani, Cut; Moreira, Tatiana M A; Patrobas, Phillip; Yulizar, Media

    2009-03-01

    There appear to be regional differences in gender ratios of leprosy patients being diagnosed and treated. In Asian countries, more men than women are registered whilst in Africa female patients outnumber males. The Netherlands Leprosy Relief (NLR) therefore initiated research into factors underlying these regional gender differences. Between 1997 and 1999, leprosy control teams in Indonesia, Nigeria, Nepal and Brazil supported by social/public health scientists, conducted comparative exploratory research. They looked at three groups of potential explanatory factors: biological, socio-cultural/economic and service-related. The studies were partially quantitative (analysis of the records of patients who according to prescription could have completed treatment) and partially qualitative (interviews/focus group discussions with patients, their relatives, community members and health staff on perceptions of leprosy, its socio-economic consequences, treatment and cure). Biological factors appeared similar in the four countries: irrespective of the M/F ratio, more men than women were registered with multibacillary (MB) leprosy. Strong traditions, the low status of women, their limited mobility, illiteracy and poor knowledge of leprosy appeared to be important sociocultural factors explaining why women were under reporting. Yet, accessible, well reputed services augmented female participation and helped to diminish stigma, which in three out of the four societies seemed greater for women than for men. These positive effects could still be higher if the services would enhance community and patient education with active participation of patients and ex-patients themselves.

  5. Minocycline in leprosy patients with recent onset clinical nerve function impairment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narang, Tarun; Arshdeep; Dogra, Sunil

    2017-01-01

    Nerve function impairment (NFI) in leprosy may occur and progress despite multidrug therapy alone or in combination with corticosteroids. We observed improvement in neuritis when minocycline was administered in patients with type 2 lepra reaction. This prompted us to investigate the role of minocycline in recent onset NFI, especially in corticosteroid unresponsive leprosy patients. Leprosy patients with recent onset clinical NFI (Minocycline 100mg/day was given for 3 months to these patients. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with 'restored,' 'improved,' 'stabilized,' or 'deteriorated' NFI. Secondary outcomes included any improvement in nerve tenderness and pain. In this pilot study, 11 patients were recruited. The progression of NFI was halted in all; with 9 out of 11 patients (81.82%) showing ?restored? or ?improved? sensory or motor nerve functions, on assessment with MFT and VMT. No serious adverse effects due to minocycline were observed. Our pilot study demonstrates the efficacy and safety of minocycline in recent onset NFI in leprosy patients. However, larger and long term comparative trials are needed to validate the efficacy of minocycline in leprosy neuropathy. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. PCR-based techniques for leprosy diagnosis: from the laboratory to the clinic.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alejandra Nóbrega Martinez

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available In leprosy, classic diagnostic tools based on bacillary counts and histopathology have been facing hurdles, especially in distinguishing latent infection from active disease and diagnosing paucibacillary clinical forms. Serological tests and IFN-gamma releasing assays (IGRA that employ humoral and cellular immune parameters, respectively, are also being used, but recent results indicate that quantitative PCR (qPCR is a key technique due to its higher sensitivity and specificity. In fact, advances concerning the structure and function of the Mycobacterium leprae genome led to the development of specific PCR-based gene amplification assays for leprosy diagnosis and monitoring of household contacts. Also, based on the validation of point-of-care technologies for M. tuberculosis DNA detection, it is clear that the same advantages of rapid DNA detection could be observed in respect to leprosy. So far, PCR has proven useful in the determination of transmission routes, M. leprae viability, and drug resistance in leprosy. However, PCR has been ascertained to be especially valuable in diagnosing difficult cases like pure neural leprosy (PNL, paucibacillary (PB, and patients with atypical clinical presentation and histopathological features compatible with leprosy. Also, the detection of M. leprae DNA in different samples of the household contacts of leprosy patients is very promising. Although a positive PCR result is not sufficient to establish a causal relationship with disease outcome, quantitation provided by qPCR is clearly capable of indicating increased risk of developing the disease and could alert clinicians to follow these contacts more closely or even define rules for chemoprophylaxis.

  7. Global elimination of leprosy by 2020: are we on track?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    D.J. Blok (David); S.J. de Vlas (Sake); J.H. Richardus (Jan Hendrik)

    2015-01-01

    textabstractBackground: Every year more than 200,000 new leprosy cases are registered globally. This number has been fairly stable over the past 8 years. WHO has set a target to interrupt the transmission of leprosy globally by 2020. The aim of this study is to investigate whether this target,

  8. DNA amplification for detection of leprosy and assessment of efficacy of leprosy chemotherapy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kampirapap, K.; Singtham, N.; Klatser, P. R.; Wiriyawipart, S.

    1998-01-01

    Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of Mycobacterium leprae was applied to fresh skin biopsies and slit-skin smears from 122 untreated leprosy patients. The PCR positivity rates in biopsies were 95.6% in multibacillary (MB) cases and 44.2% in paucibacillary (PB) cases. Following 1

  9. Technological Readiness of the UAE Higher Education Institutions for the 21st Century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al Blooshi, Asma; Ezziane, Zoheir

    2013-01-01

    Educational institutions are considered as main indicator of a nation's competitiveness and the excellence of implementing their goals and objectives increase a nation's sense of competitiveness. Thus, it is important to receive a progress report showing how close the educational institutions are in accomplishing the 21st century visions and…

  10. Leprosy reactions: coinfections as a possible risk factor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Carolina F. Motta

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the frequency of coinfections in leprosy patients and whether there is a relationship between the presence of coinfections and the development of leprosy reactional episodes. METHOD: A cross-sectional study based on an analysis of the medical records of the patients who were treated at the Leprosy Clinics of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, was conducted from 2000 to 2010. Information was recorded regarding the age, sex, clinical status, WHO classification, treatment, presence of reactions and coinfections. Focal and systemic infections were diagnosed based on the history, physical examination, and laboratory tests. Multinomial logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations between the leprosy reactions and the patients' gender, age, WHO classification and coinfections. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-five patients were studied. Most of these patients were males (155/225 = 68.8% of an average age of 49.31±15.92 years, and the most prevalent clinical manifestation was the multibacillary (MB form (n = 146, followed by the paucibacillary (PB form (n = 79. Erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL was more prevalent (78/122 = 63.9% than the reversal reaction (RR (44/122 = 36.1%, especially in the MB patients (OR 5.07; CI 2.86-8.99; p<0.0001 who exhibited coinfections (OR 2.26; CI 1.56-3.27; p,<0.0001. Eighty-eight (88/225 = 39.1% patients exhibited coinfections. Oral coinfections were the most prevalent (40/88 = 45.5%, followed by urinary tract infections (17/88 = 19.3%, sinusopathy (6/88 = 6.8%, hepatitis C (6/88 = 6.8%, and hepatitis B (6/88 = 6.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Coinfections may be involved in the development and maintenance of leprosy reactions.

  11. Zoonotic Leprosy in the Southeastern United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Rahul; Singh, Pushpendra; Loughry, W.J.; Lockhart, J. Mitchell; Inman, W. Barry; Duthie, Malcolm S.; Pena, Maria T.; Marcos, Luis A.; Scollard, David M.; Cole, Stewart T.

    2015-01-01

    Nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) are naturally infected with Mycobacterium leprae and have been implicated in zoonotic transmission of leprosy. Early studies found this disease mainly in Texas and Louisiana, but armadillos in the southeastern United States appeared to be free of infection. We screened 645 armadillos from 8 locations in the southeastern United States not known to harbor enzootic leprosy for M. leprae DNA and antibodies. We found M. leprae–infected armadillos at each location, and 106 (16.4%) animals had serologic/PCR evidence of infection. Using single-nucleotide polymorphism variable number tandem repeat genotyping/genome sequencing, we detected M. leprae genotype 3I-2-v1 among 35 armadillos. Seven armadillos harbored a newly identified genotype (3I-2-v15). In comparison, 52 human patients from the same region were infected with 31 M. leprae types. However, 42.3% (22/52) of patients were infected with 1 of the 2 M. leprae genotype strains associated with armadillos. The geographic range and complexity of zoonotic leprosy is expanding. PMID:26583204

  12. Radiologic changes of ulcerated foot in leprosy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoo, Jung Hyun; Ahn, Eun Joo; Chung, Eun Chul; Rhee, Chung Sik [Ewha Woman' s University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Sung Jun [Institute for Leprosy Research, KLCA, Uiwang (Korea, Republic of)

    1990-12-15

    There are radiologically characteristic bone changes on the foot and tarsus in leprosy. The bone changes are primarily due to Mycobacterium leprae infection and secondarily to the injurious effect, such as trauma, and infection on the denervated tissue. 117 bone changes of 100 leprosy patients with plantar ulcerations from Jan. 1984 to Oct. 1989 in the Korean Leprosy Control Center were analyzed. Male to female ratio was about 2 : 1 and the most prevalent age was 41 to 60 years, and according to Ridley-Jopling's classification. L-type was most common (46%). One hundred and eleven cases (94.9%) showed bone changes, suggesting high incidence of bone changes in patients with plantar ulcers. Specific findings were observed in two cases(1.7%). One hundred and nine cases showed nonspecific bone changes, which were osteomyelitis(23.1%), neurotrophic changes(39.3%), periostitis(5.1%) and arthritis(12.8%). Extensive bone involvement was seen in neurotrophic changes involving forefoot and metatarsal in 22 of 46 cases, and in secondary changes involving metatarsal bone in 23, tarsus in 20 of 49 cases.

  13. Leprosy frequency in the world, 1999-2010

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Lúcia Fernandes Penna

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available In 1991, the World Health Organization (WHO committed to reducing the prevalence of leprosy to below 1 in 10,000 inhabitants by 2000. Significant improvements in leprosy control have occurred, but leprosy remains a public health problem in many countries due to its high incidence and rate of transmission. This paper reviews data published by the WHO in the years 2000, 2005 and 2010. These data sets included 148 countries or territories that reported to the WHO at least once. Only four countries reported higher prevalence rates in 2010 than in 2000 and eight reported higher case detection rate (CDR in 2009 than in 1999. Prevalence rate reductions were greater for the first five-year period examined, while CDR reductions were greater in the second five-year period. Thirty-six countries and territories reported at least one prevalence value higher than 1 per 10,000 inhabitants and 32 reported at least one CDR value higher than 9 per 100,000 inhabitants. A total of 39 countries fit at least one of these criteria and all were located in tropical regions.

  14. Radiologic changes of ulcerated foot in leprosy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoo, Jung Hyun; Ahn, Eun Joo; Chung, Eun Chul; Rhee, Chung Sik; Choi, Sung Jun

    1990-01-01

    There are radiologically characteristic bone changes on the foot and tarsus in leprosy. The bone changes are primarily due to Mycobacterium leprae infection and secondarily to the injurious effect, such as trauma, and infection on the denervated tissue. 117 bone changes of 100 leprosy patients with plantar ulcerations from Jan. 1984 to Oct. 1989 in the Korean Leprosy Control Center were analyzed. Male to female ratio was about 2 : 1 and the most prevalent age was 41 to 60 years, and according to Ridley-Jopling's classification. L-type was most common (46%). One hundred and eleven cases (94.9%) showed bone changes, suggesting high incidence of bone changes in patients with plantar ulcers. Specific findings were observed in two cases(1.7%). One hundred and nine cases showed nonspecific bone changes, which were osteomyelitis(23.1%), neurotrophic changes(39.3%), periostitis(5.1%) and arthritis(12.8%). Extensive bone involvement was seen in neurotrophic changes involving forefoot and metatarsal in 22 of 46 cases, and in secondary changes involving metatarsal bone in 23, tarsus in 20 of 49 cases

  15. HLA Alleles are Genetic Markers for Susceptibility and Resistance towards Leprosy in a Mexican Mestizo Population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilar-Medina, Maribel; Escamilla-Tilch, Monica; Frías-Castro, Luis Octavio; Romero-Quintana, Geovanni; Estrada-García, Iris; Estrada-Parra, Sergio; Granados, Julio; Arambula Meraz, Eliakym; Sánchez-Schmitz, Guzman; Khader, Shabaana Abdul; Rangel-Moreno, Javier; Ramos-Payán, Rosalío

    2017-01-01

    Despite the use of multidrug therapy, leprosy remains endemic in some countries. The association of several human leucocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and gene polymorphisms with leprosy has been demonstrated in many populations, but the major immune contributors associated to the spectrum of leprosy have not been defined yet. In this study, genotyping of HLA-A, -B, -DR, and -DQ alleles was performed in leprosy patients (n = 113) and control subjects (n = 117) from the region with the highest incidence for the disease in México. The odds of developing leprosy and lepromatous subtype were 2.12- and 2.74-fold higher in carriers of HLA-A*28, and 2.48- and 4.14-fold higher for leprosy and dimorphic subtype in carriers of DQB1*06. Interestingly, DQB1*07 was overrepresented in healthy individuals, compared to patients with leprosy (OR = 0.08) and the lepromatous subtype (OR = 0.06). These results suggest that HLA-A*28 is a marker for predisposition to leprosy and the lepromatous subtype and DQB1*06 to leprosy and the dimorphic subtype, while DQB1*07 might be a resistance marker in this Mestizo population. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/University College London.

  16. Association of a new FCN3 haplotype with high ficolin-3 levels in leprosy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrade, Fabiana Antunes; Beltrame, Marcia Holsbach; Bini, Valéria Bumiller; Gonçalves, Letícia Boslooper; Boldt, Angelica Beate Winter; Messias-Reason, Iara Jose de

    2017-02-01

    Leprosy is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae that mainly affects the skin and peripheral nervous system, leading to a high disability rate and social stigma. Previous studies have shown a contribution of genes encoding products of the lectin pathway of complement in the modulation of the susceptibility to leprosy; however, the ficolin-3/FCN3 gene impact on leprosy is currently unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate if FCN3 polymorphisms (rs532781899: g.1637delC, rs28362807: g.3524_3532insTATTTGGCC and rs4494157: g.4473C>A) and ficolin-3 serum levels play a role in the susceptibility to leprosy. We genotyped up to 190 leprosy patients (being 114 (60%) lepromatous), and up to 245 controls with sequence-specific PCR. We also measured protein levels using ELISA in 61 leprosy and 73 controls. FCN3 polymorphisms were not associated with disease, but ficolin-3 levels were higher in patients with FCN3 *2B1 (CinsA) haplotype (p = 0.032). Median concentration of ficolin-3 was higher in leprosy per se (26034 ng/mL, p = 0.005) and lepromatous patients (28295 ng/mL, p = 0.016) than controls (18231 ng/mL). In addition, high ficolin-3 levels (>33362 ng/mL) were more common in leprosy per se (34.4%) and in lepromatous patients (35.5%) than controls (19.2%; p = 0.045 and p = 0.047, respectively). Our results lead us to suggest that polymorphisms in the FCN3 gene cooperate to increase ficolin-3 concentration and that it might contribute to leprosy susceptibility by favoring M. leprae infection.

  17. Association between the degree of physical impairment from leprosy and dependence in activities of daily living among the elderly in a health unit in the State of Minas Gerais.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Alisson da Costa; Ferreira, Raquel Conceição; Ferreira, Maria Aparecida Alves; Ribeiro, Marco Túlio de Freitas

    2014-01-01

    In addition to the common alterations and diseases inherent in the aging process, elderly persons with a history of leprosy are particularly vulnerable to dependence because of disease-related impairments. determine whether physical impairment from leprosy is associated with dependence among the elderly. An analytical cross-sectional study of elderly individuals with a history of leprosy and no signs of cognitive impairment was conducted using a database from a former leprosy colony-hospital. The patients were evaluated for dependence in the basic activities of daily living (BADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), respectively) and subjected to standard leprosy physical disability grading. Subsequently, descriptive and univariate analyses were conducted, the latter using Pearson's chi-squared test. A total of 186 elderly persons were included in the study. Of these individuals, 53.8% were women, 49.5% were older than 75 years of age, 93% had four or less years of formal education, 24.2% lived in an institution for the long-term care of the elderly (ILTC), and 18.3% had lower limb amputations. Among those evaluated, 79.8% had visible physical impairments from leprosy (grade 2), 83.3% were independent in BADL, and 10.2% were independent in IADL. There was a higher impairment grade among those patients who were IADL dependent (p=0.038). The leprosy physical impairment grade is associated with dependence for IADL, creating the need for greater social support and systematic monitoring by a multidisciplinary team. The results highlight the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of leprosy to prevent physical impairment and dependence in later years.

  18. Chinese Avant-garde Art in the Late Twentieth Century

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nataša Vampelj Suhadolnik

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The main topic of the present paper is the '85 Art Movement, which was the first significant nationwide Avant-garde art movement in China. This movement, which arose in the mid-80s, defined the aesthetic foundations and identity of contemporary Chinese art, and represented Chinese globalized society on the threshold of the 21st century. Whilst focusing on China’s specific cultural and political contexts, the present paper analyses the concepts of humanism (renwen 人文 and idea (guannian 觀念. The spirit of humanism, with a rationalist connotation, and the desire for a revolution of ideas were the two main factors underpinning the Chinese Avant-garde movement and its artistic expressions. The paper also shows that the '85 Art Movement did not stem solely from the socio-political challenges of the 1980s, but should be regarded in the wider context of the “modernization project of Chinese art”, in the early 20th century.

  19. Mathematics of the 19th century mathematical logic, algebra, number theory, probability theory

    CERN Document Server

    Yushkevich, A

    1992-01-01

    This multi-authored effort, Mathematics of the nineteenth century (to be fol­ lowed by Mathematics of the twentieth century), is a sequel to the History of mathematics fram antiquity to the early nineteenth century, published in three 1 volumes from 1970 to 1972. For reasons explained below, our discussion of twentieth-century mathematics ends with the 1930s. Our general objectives are identical with those stated in the preface to the three-volume edition, i. e. , we consider the development of mathematics not simply as the process of perfecting concepts and techniques for studying real-world spatial forms and quantitative relationships but as a social process as weIl. Mathematical structures, once established, are capable of a certain degree of autonomous development. In the final analysis, however, such immanent mathematical evolution is conditioned by practical activity and is either self-directed or, as is most often the case, is determined by the needs of society. Proceeding from this premise, we intend...

  20. SUMMARY REPORT OF THE DOE DIRECT LIQUEFACTION PROCESS DEVELOPMENT CAMPAIGN OF THE LATE TWENTIETH CENTURY; FINAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    F.P. Burke; S.D. Brandes; D.C. McCoy; R.A. Winschel; D. Gray; G. Tomlinson

    2001-01-01

    Following the petroleum price and supply disruptions of 1973, the U.S. government began a substantial program to fund the development of alternative fuels. Direct coal liquefaction was one of the potential routes to alternative fuels. The direct coal liquefaction program was funded at substantial levels through 1982, and at much lower levels thereafter. Those processes that were of most interest during this period were designed to produce primarily distillate fuels. By 1999, U.S. government funding for the development of direct coal liquefaction ended. Now that the end of this campaign has arrived, it is appropriate to summarize the process learnings derived from it. This report is a summary of the process learnings derived from the DOE direct coal liquefaction process development campaign of the late twentieth century. The report concentrates on those process development programs that were designed to produce primarily distillate fuels and were largely funded by DOE and its predecessors in response to the petroleum supply and price disruptions of the 1970s. The report is structured as chapters written by different authors on most of the major individual DOE-funded process development programs. The focus of the report is process learnings, as opposed to, say, fundamental coal liquefaction science or equipment design. As detailed in the overview (Chapter 2), DOE's direct coal liquefaction campaign made substantial progress in improving the process yields and the quality of the distillate product. Much of the progress was made after termination by 1983 of the major demonstration programs of the ''first generation'' (SRC-II, H-Coal, EDS) processes

  1. Atraumatic Main-En-Griffe due to Ulnar Nerve Leprosy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aswani, Yashant; Saifi, Shenaz

    2016-01-01

    Leprosy is the most common form of treatable peripheral neuropathy. However, in spite of effective chemotherapeutic agents, neuropathy and associated deformities are seldom ameliorated to a significant extent. This necessitates early diagnosis and treatment. Clinical examination of peripheral nerves is highly subjective and inaccurate. Electrophysiological studies are painful and expensive. Ultrasonography circumvents these demerits and has emerged as the preferred modality for probing peripheral nerves. We describe a 23-year-old male who presented with weakness and clawing of the medial digits of the right hand (main-en-griffe) and a few skin lesions since eighteen months. The right ulnar nerve was thickened and exquisitely tender on palpation. Ultrasonography revealed an extensive enlargement of the nerve with presence of intraneural color Doppler signals suggestive of acute neuritis. Skin biopsy was consistent with borderline tuberculoid leprosy with type 1 lepra reaction. The patient was started on WHO multidrug therapy for paucibacillary leprosy along with antiinflammatory drugs. Persistence of vascular signals at two months’ follow-up has led to continuation of the steroid therapy. The patient is compliant with the treatment and is on monthly follow-up. In this manuscript, we review multitudinous roles of ultrasonography in examination of peripheral nerves in leprosy. Ultrasonography besides diagnosing enlargement of nerves in leprosy and acute neuritis due to lepra reactions, guides the duration of anti-inflammatory therapy in lepra reactions. Further, it is relatively inexpensive, non-invasive and easily available. All these features make ultrasonography a preferred modality for examination of peripheral nerves

  2. Integrative literature review of the reported uses of serological tests in leprosy management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angélica da Conceição Oliveira Coelho Fabri

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract: An integrative literature review was conducted to synthesize available publications regarding the potential use of serological tests in leprosy programs. We searched the databases Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde, Índice Bibliográfico Espanhol em Ciências da Saúde, Acervo da Biblioteca da Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Hanseníase, National Library of Medicine, Scopus, Ovid, Cinahl, and Web of Science for articles investigating the use of serological tests for antibodies against phenolic glycolipid-I (PGL-I, ML0405, ML2331, leprosy IDRI diagnostic-1 (LID-1, and natural disaccharide octyl-leprosy IDRI diagnostic-1 (NDO-LID. From an initial pool of 3.514 articles, 40 full-length articles fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Based on these papers, we concluded that these antibodies can be used to assist in diagnosing leprosy, detecting neuritis, monitoring therapeutic efficacy, and monitoring household contacts or at-risk populations in leprosy-endemic areas. Thus, available data suggest that serological tests could contribute substantially to leprosy management.

  3. Locating therapeutic vaccines in nineteenth-century history.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gradmann, Christoph

    2008-06-01

    This essay places some therapeutic vaccines, including particularly the diphtheria antitoxin, into their larger historical context of the late nineteenth century. As industrially produced drugs, these vaccines ought to be seen in connection with the structural changes in medicine and pharmacology at the time. Given the spread of industrial culture and technology into the field of medicine and pharmacology, therapeutic vaccines can be understood as boundary objects that required and facilitated communication between industrialists, medical researchers, public health officials, and clinicians. It was in particular in relation to evaluation and testing for efficacy in animal models that these medicines became a model for twentieth-century medicine. In addition, these medicines came into being as a parallel invention in two very distinct local cultures of research: the Institut Pasteur in Paris and the Institut für Infektionskrankheiten in Berlin. While their local cultural origins were plainly visible, the medicines played an important role in the alignment of the methods and objects that took place in bacteriology research in France and Germany in the 1890s. This article assesses the two locally specific regimes for control in France and in Imperial Germany. In France the Institut Pasteur, building on earlier successful vaccines, enjoyed freedom from scrutinizing control. The tight and elaborate system of control that evolved in Imperial Germany is portrayed as being reliant on experiences that were drawn from the dramatic events that surrounded the launching of a first example of so-called "bacteriological medicine," tuberculin, in 1890.

  4. Expression of interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 in leprosy reactions in patients with human immunodeficiency virus coinfection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pires, Carla Andréa Avelar; Quaresma, Juarez Antônio Simões; de Souza Aarão, Tinara Leila; de Souza, Jorge Rodrigues; Macedo, Geraldo Mariano Moraes; Neto, Fernando Octávio Machado Jucá; Xavier, Marília Brasil

    2017-08-01

    Previous studies suggest that coinfection of leprosy and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) does not decrease the frequency and intensity of leprosy reactions. However, the immunological aspects of leprosy reactions in coinfected patients remain obscure, with a limited number of studies showing contradictory results. Observational study using tissue samples collected during leprosy reactions from 15 patients coinfected with leprosy and HIV and from 15 patients with leprosy alone. Patients were part of a prior larger cohort study of leprosy patients with and without HIV coinfection. Specific antibodies were used to detect IL-1β and IL-6 expression in skin biopsy tissue cells. IL-1β and IL-6 expression was similar between leprosy patients with and without HIV coinfection (p>0.05). Coinfected and non-coinfected tissues showed similar levels of IL-1β and IL-6 expression for type 1 reactions. A trend towards increased levels of IL-1β and IL-6 expression was observed in tissue from coinfected patients (p=0.0024). The expression of IL-1β and IL-6 during leprosy reactions did not differ significantly between tissues obtained from leprosy patients with and without HIV coinfection. Therefore, we conclude that HIV coinfection does not affect the immunological pattern of leprosy reactions. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  5. - ED ITO RIAL - A Century's Perspective

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    broke out on the subcontinent of southern Africa that was to have a profound effect ... This war, historicised as the Second Anglo-Boer War, was a watershed ... this was one of the first 'total' wars of the twentieth century and its impact on ... The Union Defence Force, an essentially unhappy marriage between the British and.

  6. Gender and leprosy: case studies in Indonesia, Nigeria, Nepal and Brazil

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Varkevisser, C.M.; Lever, P.; Alubo, O.; Burathoki, K.; Idawani, C.; Moreira, T.M.A.; Patrobas, P.; Yulizar, M.

    2009-01-01

    There appear to be regional differences in gender ratios of leprosy patients being diagnosed and treated. In Asian countries, more men than women are registered whilst in Africa female patients outnumber males. The Netherlands Leprosy Relief (NLR) therefore initiated research into factors underlying

  7. Holocaust and strategic bombing: case studies in the psychology, organization, and technology of mass killing in the twentieth century

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Markusen, E.R.

    1986-01-01

    After preliminary discussion of the unprecedented scale of mass killing in the twentieth century, the threat of nuclear war, and the widespread neglect of these issues, the literature on two major types of government sanctioned mass killing is reviewed; genocide, in which a government slaughters its own citizens or subjects, and total war, in which two or more governments slaughter each other's civilian citizens or subjects. This literature review reaches two basic conclusions: (1) there is considerable inconsistency and ambiguity among definitions of genocide and total war; and (2) there is a controversy regarding how distinct or similar the two forms of mass killing actually are. A comparative historical analysis was undertaken in which the Nazi Holocaust was selected as an example of genocide, and the Allied strategic bombing campaigns during World War II were selected to exemplify total war. The two cases are compared in terms of a conceptual framework of five hypothesized facilitating factors. On the basis of this comparative analysis, four or the five hypothesized facilitating factors are found to have played important roles in both cases. The findings of the study are discussed, and their implications for the threat of nuclear holocaust are explored.

  8. Medical rehabilitation of leprosy patients discharged home in abia and ebonyi States of Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enwereji, Ezinne Ezinna; Ahuizi, Eke Reginald; Iheanocho, Okereke Chukwunenye; Enwereji, Kelechi Okechukwu

    2011-11-01

    To examine the extent to which medical coverage is available to discharged leprosy patients in communities. Evidence has shown that after care services, follow-up visits and national disease prevention programs are important components of medical rehabilitation to leprosy patients discharged home after treatment. Denying them accessibility to these services could expose them to multiple disabilities as well as several disease conditions including HIV/AIDS. These adverse health conditions could be averted if health workers extend healthcare services to discharged leprosy patients. This study was conducted to examine the extent to which discharged leprosy patients have access to healthcare services in the communities. All 33 leprosy patients who were fully treated with multi-drug therapy (MDT) and discharged home in the two leprosy settlements in Abia and Ebonyi States of Nigeria were included in this study. The list of discharged leprosy patients studied and their addresses were provided by the leprosy settlements where they were treated. Also, snowball-sampling method was used to identify some of the leprosy patients whose addresses were difficult to locate in the communities. Instruments for data collection were questionnaire, interview guide and checklist. These were administered because respondents were essentially those with no formal education. Analysis of data was done quantitatively and qualitatively. Findings showed that 20 (60.6%) of discharged patients did not receive health programs like HIV/AIDS prevention or family planning. Also, follow-up visits and after-care services were poor. About 14 (42.4%) of the patients live in dirty and overcrowded houses. On the whole, discharged patients were poorly medically rehabilitated (mean score: 4.7±1.1 out of total score of 7). Denying discharged leprosy patients opportunity of accessing health care services could increase prevalence of infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS among them. There is need to extend

  9. Morphea simulating paucibacillary leprosy clinically and histopathologically

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Saulo Torres Delgado

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Clinically and histopathologically paucibacillary leprosy shows similar features with initial morphea. In this case we report a 24 yr-old male patient who presented to our dermatology department with diagnosed paucibacillary leprosy by his local dermatologist, and confirmed by perineurovascular lymphocytic infiltrate in the histopathological exam. On physical examination we found new plaque lesions that were suggestive of morphea with alteration of sensitivity. A new biopsy was performed showing sclerotic superficial dermis with thickening of the collagen bundles in deep dermis and linear arrays lymphocytic infiltrate between the collagen bundles that confirm the diagnosis of morphea.

  10. Twentieth-century warming revives the world's northernmost lake

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Perren, Bianca B.; Wolfe, Alexander P.; Cooke, Colin A.

    2012-01-01

    lake to explore this question. Microfossils indicate that siliceous diatoms and chrysophytes were abundant initially, but disappeared 2400 yr ago in concert with Neoglacial cooling. Microfossils reappear in 20th-century sediments and reach unprecedented concentrations in sediments deposited after ca. A.......D. 1980, tracking increasing summer temperatures in the absence of evidence for atmospheric nutrient subsidies. These results indicate that current warming in northern Greenland is unprecedented in the context of the past 2400 yr, and that climate change alone is responsible for the marked biological...

  11. Meaning of leprosy for people who have experienced treatment during the sulfonic and multidrug therapy periods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karen da Silva Santos

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available AbstractObjective: to analyze the meanings of leprosy for people treated during the sulfonic and multidrug therapy periods.Method: qualitative nature study based on the Vigotski's historical-cultural approach, which guided the production and analysis of data. It included eight respondents who have had leprosy and were submitted to sulfonic and multidrug therapy treatments. The participants are also members of the Movement for Reintegration of People Affected by Leprosy.Results: the meanings were organized into three meaning cores: spots on the body: something is out of order; leprosy or hanseniasis? and leprosy from the inclusion in the Movement for Reintegration of People Affected by Leprosy.Conclusion: the meanings of leprosy for people submitted to both regimens point to a complex construction thereof, indicating differences and similarities in both treatments. Health professionals may contribute to the change of the meanings, since these are socially constructed and the changes are continuous.

  12. Il futurismo polacco nella critica letteraria dell’epoca [Polish Futurism in Literary Criticism of the Early Twentieth Century

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    Andrea F. De Carlo

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The article analyses the critical voices raised against the young poets and artists who promoted Futurism in Poland during the first half of the Twentieth century. Futurist manifestos influenced the new Polish poetry, stimulating a lively debate among intellectuals of the calibre of Stefan Żeromski and Karol Irzykowski. In general, the coeval criticism of Polish Futurism focused on three main points: the lack of originality and servile imitation of foreign literary models; the repudiation of the past and national traditions; Futurism as an expression of ideologies such as Fascism in Italy and Bolshevism in Russia. In this article, specific attention is devoted to an analysis of the essay Snobizm i postęp (Snobbery and Progress, 1923 by Żeromski. The writer, criticising Polish imitators of Russian Futurism, affirmed that Polish literature and culture, in the context of national reconstruction after three partitions of Poland, needed to maintain its natural connection with the past and at the same time, without losing its national nature, to weave some universal suggestions into the plot of purely Polish themes. The goal of this article is to reveal that Żeromski and Irzykowski’s critical stance towards the Polish Futurists, which influenced the critics of the next generation, was dictated by a shallow analysis of Futuristic works and by their inability to understand Futuristic efforts to modernise Polish art and literature.

  13. Expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 on lymphocytes of leprosy patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V.A. Mendonça

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium leprae, which induces chronic granulomatous infection of the skin and peripheral nerves. The disease ranges from the tuberculoid to the lepromatous forms, depending on the cellular immune response of the host. Chemokines are thought to be involved in the immunopathogenesis of leprosy, but few studies have investigated the expression of chemokine receptors on leukocytes of leprosy patients. In the present study, we evaluated 21 leprosy patients (M/F: 16/5 with a new diagnosis from the Dermatology Outpatient Clinic of the University Hospital, Federal University of Minas Gerais. The control group was composed of 20 healthy members (M/F: 15/5 of the community recruited by means of announcements. The expression of CCR2, CCR3, CCR5, and CXCR4 was investigated by flow cytometry on the surface of peripheral blood lymphocytes. There was a decrease in percentage of CD3+CXCR4+ and CD4+CXCR4+ lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of leprosy patients (median [range], 17.6 [2.7-41.9] and 65.3 [3.9-91.9], respectively compared to the control group (median [range], 43.0 [3.7-61.3] and 77.2 [43.6-93.5], respectively. The percentage of CD4+CXCR4+ was significantly lower in patients with the tuberculoid form (median [range], 45.7 [0.0-83.1] of the disease, but not in lepromatous patients (median [range], 81.5 [44.9-91.9]. The CXCR4 chemokine receptor may play a role in leprosy immunopathogenesis, probably directing cell migration to tissue lesions in tuberculoid leprosy patients.

  14. Comparison between histopathologic features of leprosy in reaction lesions in HIV coinfected and non-coinfected patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pires, Carla Andréa Avelar; Miranda, Mario Fernando Ribeiro de; Bittencourt, Maraya de Jesus Semblano; Brito, Arival Cardoso de; Xavier, Marília Brasil

    2015-01-01

    Leprosy and HIV are diseases that have a major impact on public health in Brazil. Patients coinfected with both diseases, appear to be at higher risk to develop leprosy reactions. The aim of this study is to describe the histopathological aspects of cutaneous lesions during reactional states in a group of patients with HIV-leprosy coinfection, compared to patients with leprosy, without coinfection. Two groups were established: group 1 comprised of 40 patients coinfected with HIV-leprosy; group 2, comprised of 107 patients with leprosy only. Patients presenting reactional states of leprosy had their lesions biopsied and comparatively evaluated. Reversal reaction was the most frequent feature in both groups, with dermis edema as the most common histopathological finding. Giant cells were seen in all group 1 histopathological examinations. Dermis edema was the most common finding in patients with erythema nodosum leprosum. Few histopathological differences were found in both groups, with reversal reaction as the most significant one, although this fact should be analyzed considering the predominant BT clinical form in the coinfected group and BB form in the group without HIV. Larger prospective studies in patients with HIV-leprosy coinfection are needed to confirm and broaden these results.

  15. Recent food shortage is associated with leprosy disease in Bangladesh: a case-control study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sabiena G Feenstra

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Leprosy is remaining prevalent in the poorest areas of the world. Intensive control programmes with multidrug therapy (MDT reduced the number of registered cases in these areas, but transmission of Mycobacterium leprae continues in most endemic countries. Socio-economic circumstances are considered to be a major determinant, but uncertainty exists regarding the association between leprosy and poverty. We assessed the association between different socio-economic factors and the risk of acquiring clinical signs of leprosy. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We performed a case-control study in two leprosy endemic districts in northwest Bangladesh. Using interviews with structured questionnaires we compared the socio-economic circumstances of recently diagnosed leprosy patients with a control population from a random cluster sample in the same area. Logistic regression was used to compare cases and controls for their wealth score as calculated with an asset index and other socio-economic factors. The study included 90 patients and 199 controls. A recent period of food shortage and not poverty per se was identified as the only socio-economic factor significantly associated with clinical manifestation of leprosy disease (OR 1.79 (1.06-3.02; p = 0.030. A decreasing trend in leprosy prevalence with an increasing socio-economic status as measured with an asset index is apparent, but not statistically significant (test for a trend: OR 0.85 (0.71-1.02; p = 0.083. CONCLUSIONS: Recent food shortage is an important poverty related predictor for the clinical manifestation of leprosy disease. Food shortage is seasonal and poverty related in northwest Bangladesh. Targeted nutritional support for high risk groups should be included in leprosy control programmes in endemic areas to reduce risk of disease.

  16. Association of Nitric Oxide Synthase2 gene polymorphisms with leprosy reactions in northern Indian population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubey, Amit; Biswas, Sanjay Kumar; Sinha, Ekata; Chakma, Joy Kumar; Kamal, Raj; Arora, Mamta; Sagar, Harish; Natarajan, Mohan; Bhagyawant, Sameer S; Mohanty, Keshar Kunja

    2017-07-01

    The pathogen Mycobacterium leprae causes leprosy that affects mainly skin and nerves. Polymorphisms of certain genes are substantiated to be associated with the susceptibility/resistance to leprosy. The present investigation addressed the association of Nitric Oxide Synthase2 gene polymorphisms and leprosy in a population from northern part of India. A total of 323 leprosy cases and 288 healthy controls were genotyped for four NOS2 promoter variants (rs1800482, rs2779249, rs8078340 and rs2301369) using FRET technology in Real Time PCR. None of these SNPs in promoter sites was associated with susceptibility/resistance to leprosy. NOS2 rs1800482 was found to be monomorphic with GG genotype. However, NOS2-1026T allele was observed to be in higher frequency with leprosy cases (BL and LL) who were not suffering from any reactional episodes compared to cases with ENL reaction {OR=0.30, 95% CI (0.10-0.86), p=0.024}. NOS2-1026GT genotype was more prevalent in cases without reaction (BT, BB and BL) compared to RR reactional patients {OR=0.38, 95% CI (0.17-0.86), p=0.02}. Although haplotype analysis revealed that no haplotype was associated with leprosy susceptibility/resistance with statistical significance, GTG haplotype was noted to be more frequent in healthy controls. These SNPs are observed to be in linkage disequilibrium. Although, these SNPs are not likely to influence leprosy vulnerability, -1026G>T SNP was indicated to have noteworthy role in leprosy reactions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Cost-effectiveness of a chemoprophylactic intervention with single dose rifampicin in contacts of new leprosy patients.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Willemijn J Idema

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: With 249,007 new leprosy patients detected globally in 2008, it remains necessary to develop new and effective interventions to interrupt the transmission of M. leprae. We assessed the economic benefits of single dose rifampicin (SDR for contacts as chemoprophylactic intervention in the control of leprosy. METHODS: We conducted a single centre, double blind, cluster randomised, placebo controlled trial in northwest Bangladesh between 2002 and 2007, including 21,711 close contacts of 1,037 patients with newly diagnosed leprosy. We gave a single dose of rifampicin or placebo to close contacts, with follow-up for four years. The main outcome measure was the development of clinical leprosy. We assessed the cost effectiveness by calculating the incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER between the standard multidrug therapy (MDT program with the additional chemoprophylaxis intervention versus the standard MDT program only. The ICER was expressed in US dollars per prevented leprosy case. FINDINGS: Chemoprophylaxis with SDR for preventing leprosy among contacts of leprosy patients is cost-effective at all contact levels and thereby a cost-effective prevention strategy. In total, $6,009 incremental cost was invested and 38 incremental leprosy cases were prevented, resulting in an ICER of $158 per one additional prevented leprosy case. It was the most cost-effective in neighbours of neighbours and social contacts (ICER $214, slightly less cost-effective in next door neighbours (ICER $497 and least cost-effective among household contacts (ICER $856. CONCLUSION: Chemoprophylaxis with single dose rifampicin given to contacts of newly diagnosed leprosy patients is a cost-effective intervention strategy. Implementation studies are necessary to establish whether this intervention is acceptable and feasible in other leprosy endemic areas of the world.

  18. Leprosy and the elusive M. leprae: colonial and imperial medical exchanges in the nineteenth century A lepra e o evasivo M. leprae: a troca de informações médicas nos períodos colonial e imperial do século XIX

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jo Robertson

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available In the 1800s, humoral understandings of leprosy successively give way to disease models based on morbid anatomy, physiopathology, and bacteriology. Linkages between these disease models were reinforced by the ubiquitous seed/soil metaphor deployed both before and after the identification of M. leprae. While this metaphor provided a continuous link between medical descriptions, Henry Vandyke Carter's On leprosy (1874 marks a convergence of different models of disease. Simultaneously, this metaphor can be traced in popular and medical debates in the late nineteenth century, accompanying fears of a resurgence of leprosy in Europe. Later the mapping of the genome ushers in a new model of disease but, ironically, while leprosy research draws its logic from a view of the world in which a seed and soil metaphor expresses many different aspects of the activity of the disease, the bacillus itself continues to be unreceptive to cultivation.No século XIX, abordagens humorais da lepra deram origem a sucessivos modelos da doença baseados na anatomia patológica, na fisiopatologia e na bacteriologia. As relações entre esses modelos da doença foram reforçadas pela onipresente metáfora 'da semente e do solo', difundida tanto antes quanto depois da identificação do M. leprae. À época em que a metáfora fornecia um elo de ligação contínuo entre as várias descrições médicas da doença, Henry Vandyke Carter publicava On leprosy (1874, estabelecendo uma convergência de seus diferentes modelos. Simultaneamente, a metáfora se fazia presente nos debates médicos e populares de fins do século XIX, juntamente com o medo do surgimento da lepra na Europa. Mais recentemente, o mapeamento do genoma humano determinou a formulação de um novo modelo para a doença. Mas, ironicamente, enquanto as pesquisas concernentes a ela se apóiam numa visão de mundo em que a metáfora da semente e do solo ainda expressa diferentes aspectos da ação da doença, o pr

  19. US and MR imaging of peripheral nerves in leprosy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinoli, C.; Derchi, L.E.; Gandolfo, N.; Bertolotto, M.; Bianchi, S.; Fiallo, P.; Nunzi, E.

    2000-01-01

    Objective. To analyze peripheral nerves with ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MR) in leprosy and assess the role of imaging in leprosy patients. Results. Leprosy nerves were classified into three groups based on imaging appearance: group I consisted of 17 normal-appearing nerves; group II, of 30 enlarged nerves with fascicular abnormalities; group III, of 11 nerves with absent fascicular structure. Group II nerves were from patients subjected to reversal reactions; 75% of patients with group III nerves had a history of erythema nodosum leprosum. Nerve compression in osteofibrous tunnels was identified in 33% of group II and 18% of group III nerves. Doppler US and MR imaging were 74% and 92% sensitive in identifying active reactions, based on detection of endoneural color flow signals, long T2 and Gd enhancement. In 64% of cases, follow-up studies showed decreased color flow and Gd uptake after steroids and decompressive surgery.Conclusions. US and MR imaging are able to detect nerves abnormalities in leprosy. Active reversal reactions are indicated by endoneural color flow signals as well as by an increased T2 signal and Gd enhancement. These signs would suggest rapid progression of nerve damage and a poor prognosis unless antireactional treatment is started. (orig.)

  20. US and MR imaging of peripheral nerves in leprosy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martinoli, C. [Department of Radiology ' ' R' ' , DICMI, University of Genoa, Genoa (Italy); Cattedra di Radiologia ' ' R' ' , Universita di Genova, Largo Rosanna Benzi, 8, I-16132 Genoa (Italy); Derchi, L.E.; Gandolfo, N. [Department of Radiology ' ' R' ' , DICMI, University of Genoa, Genoa (Italy); Bertolotto, M. [Department of Radiology, University of Trieste, Strada di Fiume, I-34149 Trieste (Italy); Bianchi, S. [Division de Radiodiagnostic. Hopital Cantonal Huniversitaire, Rue Micheli du Crest, Geneva (Switzerland); Fiallo, P.; Nunzi, E. [Department of Tropical Medicine, University of Genoa, Largo Rosanna Benzi 8, I-16132 Genoa (Italy)

    2000-03-30

    Objective. To analyze peripheral nerves with ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MR) in leprosy and assess the role of imaging in leprosy patients. Results. Leprosy nerves were classified into three groups based on imaging appearance: group I consisted of 17 normal-appearing nerves; group II, of 30 enlarged nerves with fascicular abnormalities; group III, of 11 nerves with absent fascicular structure. Group II nerves were from patients subjected to reversal reactions; 75% of patients with group III nerves had a history of erythema nodosum leprosum. Nerve compression in osteofibrous tunnels was identified in 33% of group II and 18% of group III nerves. Doppler US and MR imaging were 74% and 92% sensitive in identifying active reactions, based on detection of endoneural color flow signals, long T2 and Gd enhancement. In 64% of cases, follow-up studies showed decreased color flow and Gd uptake after steroids and decompressive surgery.Conclusions. US and MR imaging are able to detect nerves abnormalities in leprosy. Active reversal reactions are indicated by endoneural color flow signals as well as by an increased T2 signal and Gd enhancement. These signs would suggest rapid progression of nerve damage and a poor prognosis unless antireactional treatment is started. (orig.)

  1. Vagabond Figures in Slovenian Visual Art and Literature at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Simonišek

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available The article explores the relationship between visual and literary motifs in Slovenian painting (and illustration, graphics, and drawing and literature (both prose and poetry at the beginning of the twentieth century. It uses examples to show the popularity and rich variety of vagabond figures and their transformations and reciprocity at the level of the painting/text. However, a distinctive feature of this article is that it places the subject within the context of hermeneutics, a method that has not been used in Slovenian art history. In addition, it also reveals the symbolic complexity of the vagabond figure in the context of writers, other works, and social-historical circumstances. The emphasis is placed on artists that showed enthusiasm for this figure as a subject during the Belle Époque and also those that followed the very popular bohemian lifestyle in their everyday lives. The reception of Slovenian folk and traditional motifs from the past produced visual and semantic oscillation in which the phenomena of vagabond figures were systematized and interpreted. Many painters (e.g., Gvidon Birolla, and Maksim Gaspari and writers (e.g., Oton Župančič, Cvetko Golar, and Ivan Cankar clung to the Slovenian tradition with romantic overtones and, in line with their artistic atmosphere, integrated vagabond figures into typical Slovenian landscapes or environments. Some of them followed Symbolism and modernized the figures with autobiographical references (e.g., Fran Tratnik. The situation among the youngest generation of artists in particular showed that they managed to “escape” from copying traditional motifs and instead used them in a modern form in the “here and now” (e.g., Ivan Cankar. The discrepancy between the lack of the vagabond theme in oil painting and strong diversification in illustration, drawing, graphics, and literature could be explained by consumers’ perceived difference between “high” and “popular” art.

  2. Human migration, railways and the geographic distribution of leprosy in Rio Grande do Norte State – Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nobre, Mauricio Lisboa; Dupnik, Kathryn Margaret; Nobre, Paulo José Lisboa; De Souza, Márcia Célia Freitas; Dűppre, Nádia Cristina; Sarno, Euzenir Nunes; Jerŏnimo, Selma Maria Bezerra

    2016-01-01

    Summary Introduction Leprosy is a public health problem in Brazil where 31,044 new cases were detected in 2013. Rio Grande do Norte is a small Brazilian state with a rate of leprosy lower than other areas in the same region, for unknown reasons. Objectives We present here a review based on the analysis of a database of registered leprosy cases in Rio Grande do Norte state, comparing leprosy's geographic distribution among municipalities with local socio-economic and public health indicators and with historical documents about human migration in this Brazilian region. Results The current distribution of leprosy in Rio Grande do Norte did not show correlation with socio-economic or public health indicators at the municipal level, but it appears related to economically emerging municipalities 100 years ago, with spread facilitated by railroads and train stations. Drought-related migratory movements which occurred from this state to leprosy endemic areas within the same period may be involved in the introduction of leprosy and with its present distribution within Rio Grande do Norte. Conclusions Leprosy may disseminate slowly, over many decades in certain circumstances, such as in small cities with few cases. This is a very unusual situation currently and a unique opportunity for epidemiologic studies of leprosy as an emerging disease. PMID:26964429

  3. Survey on child leprosy patients and problems resulted from the disease in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Liangbin; Shen, Jianping; Zhou, Min; Zhang, Guocheng

    2015-03-01

    To understand the situation of child leprosy patients in the low prevalence situation pertaining in China. A retrospective survey by questionnaire was carried out in all 32 provinces of mainland of China in 2011. All data concerning child cases detected from January 2005 to December 2009 were collected by professional health workers working at county level. During the study, only 165 questionnaires were collected for analysis. Among 165 child cases, 96 were boys, 69 were girls with an average age of 11-7 years old. 80% of child cases were members of families with other leprosy affected people. 145 (85%) child cases took their MDT secretly (nobody outside the family knew the child suffered from leprosy), and three (1.8%) children died, one each from dapsone syndrome, suicide and severe pneumonia. During follow-up, four child cases developed new disability increasing the Grade 2 disability rate to 13.3% (22/165). At end of the study, 8.2% of children had discontinued their study at school, and 7.5% had moved to a remote place to do casual work, while 6.3% stayed at home. 31% of child patients thought that leprosy caused a negative impact on their daily life. Two children had a hostile attitude toward society due to the stigma caused by leprosy. In both high and low endemic areas, as long as there is an infectious source of leprosy in the family, there is a possibility for children to develop leprosy. Contact surveys should be done to detect early disease, especially when there are children in the household.

  4. Comparison between histopathologic features of leprosy in reaction lesions in HIV coinfected and non-coinfected patients*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pires, Carla Andréa Avelar; de Miranda, Mario Fernando Ribeiro; Bittencourt, Maraya de Jesus Semblano; de Brito, Arival Cardoso; Xavier, Marília Brasil

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND Leprosy and HIV are diseases that have a major impact on public health in Brazil. Patients coinfected with both diseases, appear to be at higher risk to develop leprosy reactions. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to describe the histopathological aspects of cutaneous lesions during reactional states in a group of patients with HIV-leprosy coinfection, compared to patients with leprosy, without coinfection. METHODS Two groups were established: group 1 comprised of 40 patients coinfected with HIV-leprosy; group 2, comprised of 107 patients with leprosy only. Patients presenting reactional states of leprosy had their lesions biopsied and comparatively evaluated. RESULTS Reversal reaction was the most frequent feature in both groups, with dermis edema as the most common histopathological finding. Giant cells were seen in all group 1 histopathological examinations. Dermis edema was the most common finding in patients with erythema nodosum leprosum. CONCLUSION Few histopathological differences were found in both groups, with reversal reaction as the most significant one, although this fact should be analyzed considering the predominant BT clinical form in the coinfected group and BB form in the group without HIV. Larger prospective studies in patients with HIV-leprosy coinfection are needed to confirm and broaden these results. PMID:25672296

  5. [Active search for leprosy and other skin diseases in school children from Agua de Dios, Colombia].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez, Gerzaín; González, Rosalba; Gonzalez, Deysy; Granados, Carolina; Pinto, Rafael; Herrera, Hilda; Gutiérrez, Luisa F; Hernández, Elkin; López, Fernando; Gómez, Yenny

    2007-01-01

    Actively searching for leprosy, other skin diseases and BCG vaccination scars amongst school children from Agua de Dios, the municipality having the highest prevalence of leprosy in Colombia. A clinical examination of the children was carried out by nurses, interns, general practitioners and experts on leprosy. Skin smear tests and skin biopsies were performed when the clinical findings suggested leprosy. Anti-phenolic glycolipid antibodies in blood were determined in special cases. 86 % of the 2 844 school children were examined; 833 had skin diseases and 16 % of these required evaluation by specialists. Four new cases of paucibacillary leprosy, two indeterminate and two primary polyneuritic cases were found. Pediculosis capitis, pityriasis alba, tinea versicolor, hypopigmented nevus, insect bites and miliaria were frequently detected. BCG vaccination scars were absent in 387 children; following several logistical problems, they were vaccinated. Four children had signs of childhood abuse. An 11-year-old girl presented hypopigmented mycosis fungoides. All diseases and conditions found were treated. The community received information regarding the results, emphasising the importance of an early diagnosis of leprosy. The incidence of leprosy found (16/10,000) was 123 times higher than the rest of the country's incidence. It is advisable to continue clinical examinations in Agua de Dios and research into risk factors for acquiring leprosy.

  6. Factors preventing early case detection for women affected by leprosy: a review of the literature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, Victoria Grace

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Background: Although leprosy can affect both sexes equally, it is globally reported that men are affected, or simply report, more often than females at the average ratio of 2:1. If cases are simply not being reported, women may be suffering in silence more often than men, and, therefore, understanding the social reasons for this in a number of countries could support the prevention of long-term disabilities caused as a result of leprosy. Objectives: The objective of this review is to recognise the current academic literature surrounding the potential factors for late diagnosis of women affected by leprosy, giving possible explanations for the 2:1 gender disparity observed in case detection globally. It is hoped that health practitioners will become more equipped to recognise these barriers and ensure they are doing whatever possible to encourage women to report the early symptoms of leprosy. Methods: The review used a systematic search process in order to identify gender-related publications using robust research, useful for gleaning a cross-cultural perception of issues women may confront on the prospect of a diagnosis of leprosy. Results: Identifying 12 publications from just five countries, the review found there to be four overarching areas which may be considered barriers more often faced by women: societal stigma; women’s dependence and low status; self-stigmatising attitudes; and the gender insensitivity of leprosy services. Conclusion: Stigma surrounding leprosy experienced from these four overarching areas can all be attributed to the later diagnosis of women affected by leprosy, in relation to their male counterparts. The need for future research surrounding the specific experience of women affected by leprosy is pressing. PMID:28853325

  7. Evidence of hidden leprosy in a supposedly low endemic area of Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernardes, Fred; Paula, Natália Aparecida de; Leite, Marcel Nani; Abi-Rached, Thania Loyola Cordeiro; Vernal, Sebastian; Silva, Moises Batista da; Barreto, Josafá Gonçalves; Spencer, John Stewart; Frade, Marco Andrey Cipriani

    2017-12-01

    Show that hidden endemic leprosy exists in a municipality of inner São Paulo state (Brazil) with active surveillance actions based on clinical and immunological evaluations. The study sample was composed by people randomly selected by a dermatologist during medical care in the public emergency department and by active surveillance carried out during two days at a mobile clinic. All subjects received a dermato-neurological examination and blood sampling to determine anti-PGL-I antibody titers by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). From July to December 2015, 24 new cases of leprosy were diagnosed; all were classified as multibacillary (MB) leprosy, one with severe Lucio's phenomenon. Seventeen (75%) were found with grade-1 or 2 disability at the moment of diagnosis. Anti-PGL-I titer was positive in 31/133 (23.3%) individuals, only 6/24 (25%) were positive in newly diagnosed leprosy cases. During the last ten years before this study, the average new case detection rate (NCDR) in this town was 2.62/100,000 population. After our work, the NCDR was raised to 42.8/100,000. These results indicate a very high number of hidden leprosy cases in this supposedly low endemic area of Brazil.

  8. Moral Psychology for the Twenty-First Century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haidt, Jonathan

    2013-01-01

    Lawrence Kohlberg slayed the two dragons of twentieth-century psychology--behaviorism and psychoanalysis. His victory was a part of the larger cognitive revolution that shaped the world in which all of us study psychology and education today. But the cognitive revolution itself was modified by later waves of change, particularly an "affective…

  9. Molecular detection of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium leprae from Indian leprosy patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavania, Mallika; Singh, Itu; Turankar, Ravindra P; Ahuja, Madhvi; Pathak, Vinay; Sengupta, Utpal; Das, Loretta; Kumar, Archana; Darlong, Joydeepa; Nathan, Rajeev; Maseey, Asha

    2018-03-01

    The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms for any infectious disease is a public health concern. Global efforts to control leprosy by intensive chemotherapy have led to a significant decrease in the number of registered patients. Currently recommended control measures for treating leprosy with multidrug therapy (MDT) were designed to prevent the spread of dapsone-resistant Mycobacterium leprae strains. Here we report the identification of MDR M. leprae from relapse leprosy patients from endemic regions in India. Resistance profiles to rifampicin, dapsone and ofloxacin of the isolated strains were confirmed by identification of mutations in genes previously shown to be associated with resistance to each drug. Between 2009-2016, slit-skin smear samples were collected from 239 relapse and 11 new leprosy cases from hospitals of The Leprosy Mission across India. DNA was extracted from the samples and was analysed by PCR targeting the rpoB, folP and gyrA genes associated with resistance to rifampicin, dapsone and ofloxacin, respectively, in M. leprae. M. leprae Thai-53 (wild-type) and Zensho-4 (MDR) were used as reference strains. Fifteen strains showed representative mutations in at least two resistance genes. Two strains showed mutations in all three genes responsible for drug resistance. Seven, seven and one strain, respectively, showed mutations in genes responsible for rifampicin and dapsone resistance, for dapsone and ofloxacin resistance and for rifampicin and ofloxacin resistance. This study showed the emergence of MDR M. leprae in MDT-treated leprosy patients from endemic regions of India. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Chemotherapy of Infection and Cancer. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Nineteenth century early childhood institutions in Aotearoa New Zealand: Legacies of enlightenment and colonisation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    May Helen

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The nineteenth century colonial setting of Aotearoa NZ is the most distant from the cradle of European Enlightenment that sparked new understandings of childhood, learning and education and spearheaded new approaches to the care and education of young children outside of the family home. The broader theme of the Enlightenment was about progress and the possibilities of the ongoing improvement of peoples and institutions. The young child was seen as a potent force in this transformation and a raft of childhood institutions, including the 19th century infant school, kindergarten, and crèche were a consequence. The colonisation and settlement of Aotearoa NZ by European settlers coincided with an era in which the potency of new aspirations for new kinds of institutions for young children seeded. It is useful in the 21st century to reframe the various waves of colonial endeavour and highlight the dynamic interfaces of being colonised for the indigenous populations; being a colonial for the settler populations; and the power and should be purposed of the colonising cultures of Europe. It can be argued that in the context of ECE neither the indigenous nor settler populations of Aotearoa NZ were passive recipients of European ECE ideas but, separately and together, forged new understandings of childhood and its institutions; enriched and shaped by the lessons learned in the colonial setting of Aotearoa NZ.

  11. A Century of Change: The Evolution of School Library Resources, 1915-2015

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamb, Annette

    2015-01-01

    School libraries have been in existence since at least the eighth century. However, it wasn't until the twentieth century that the school library was seen primarily as "a source of enrichment for the curriculum, and a means of developing reading and study habits in the pupils" (Clyde 1981, 263). While the formats available and tools for…

  12. An Employee With Undiagnosed Leprosy: Are Other Employees at Risk?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lurati, Ann R

    2017-07-01

    MJ is a janitor working in an office building for the past 5 years. He sustained a third-degree burn with a secondary infection and was sent to the county hospital. He was diagnosed with leprosy. The employees in the office building were concerned with the risk of transmission. This article reviews leprosy, and implications for occupational health nurses are discussed.

  13. Migration among individuals with leprosy: a population-based study in Central Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christine Murto

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available This study investigates social and clinical factors associated with migration among individuals affected by leprosy. A cross-sectional study was conducted among those newly diagnosed with leprosy (2006-2008, in 79 endemic municipalities in the state of Tocantins, Brazil (N = 1,074. In total, 76.2% were born in a municipality different from their current residence. In the five years before diagnosis 16.7% migrated, and 3.6% migrated after leprosy diagnosis. Findings reflect aspects associated with historical rural-urban population movement in Brazil. Indicators of poverty were prominent among before-diagnosis migrants but not after-diagnosis migrants. Migration after diagnosis was associated with prior migration. The association of multibacillary leprosy with migration indicates healthcare access may be an obstacle to early diagnosis among before-diagnosis migrants, which may also be related to the high mobility of this group.

  14. Factors contributing to delay in diagnosis and start of treatment of leprosy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nicholls, P.G.; Chhina, N; Aaen, Karen Bro

    2005-01-01

    The objective of our research was to identify factors contributing to delay in diagnosis and start of treatment in leprosy, focussing on patients' narratives of help-seeking behaviour. Our research took place in Purulia, West Bengal, India and in Nilphamari, northern Bangladesh. Between January...... and August 2000, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 104 patients that explored each individual's narrative of help-seeking behaviour and the context of beliefs and attitudes towards leprosy. Subsequently we surveyed 356 patients currently receiving treatment for leprosy and recorded specific...... aspects of each help-seeking action and their reports of local beliefs and attitudes towards leprosy. Delay was estimated from time of first symptoms through to start of effective treatment (mean 18 months, median 9 months in Purulia and mean 20 months, median 12 months in Nilphamari). The number of help...

  15. White supremacism and Islamic astronomy in history of astronomy texts from the eighteenth century to the present day

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lockard, Joe

    2018-04-01

    This paper reviews manifestations of racism in European and American histories of Arab and Persian astronomy from the eighteenth century to the present day. Its first section discusses representation of Islamic astronomy from Adam Smith to late Victorian writers, particularly tracing ideas of Arab unoriginality and scientific incapacity. The second section first relates the appearance of scientific racism in the early twentieth-century historiography of astronomy, then how the rise of scientifically and linguistically competent scholarship in the latter twentieth century provided much-improved information on Islamic achievements in astronomy. The paper’s conclusion underlines the importance of avoiding ethnic supremacism and integrating research on Islamic astronomy into teaching and publishing on the history of astronomy.

  16. [Analysis of the geographical distribution of cases of leprosy. Rio de Janeiro, 2001-2012].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gracie, Renata; Peixoto, Julia Novaes de Barros; Soares, Fabiane Bertoni Dos Reis; Hacker, Mariana de Andrea Vilas-Boas

    2017-05-01

    Studies have demonstrated that the geographical distribution of leprosy is related to different socioeconomic factors. This article aims to study the geographical distribution of leprosy in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The cases of leprosy reported in the 2001-2012 period were mapped according to municipality. Epidemiological and socioeconomic indicators were calculated. The ArcMap program was used for the construction of maps and Earth View to calculate the Bayesian rate. It was observed that leprosy is presented in hyper-endemic levels especially in the metropolitan area. However, there is also a reduction of the detection rate in the most recent study period. In municipalities in the metropolitan region and the north western region detection in children under 15 is high, indicating an active transmission situation. In municipalities in the south-central region and especially in the coastal region, there was a high proportion of cases diagnosed with level II disability, reflecting late diagnosis. There was no linear correlation between socioeconomic indicators and leprosy rate. These results contribute to the analysis of the geographical distribution of leprosy, important for the identification of areas for resource allocation, aiming to control and eliminate the disease.

  17. A Century of Plant Pathology: A Retrospective View on Understanding Host-Parasite Interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keen, N T

    2000-09-01

    ▪ Abstract  The twentieth century has been productive for the science of plant pathology and the field of host-parasite interactions-both in understanding how pathogens and plant defense work and in developing more effective means of disease control. Early in the twentieth century, plant pathology adopted a philosophy that encouraged basic scientific investigation of pathogens and disease defense. That philosophy led to the strategy of developing disease-resistant plants as a prima facie disease-control measure-and in the process saved billions of dollars and avoided the use of tons of pesticides. Plant pathology rapidly adopted molecular cloning and its spin-off technologies, and these have fueled major advances in our basic understanding of plant diseases. This knowledge and the development of efficient technologies for producing transgenic plants convey optimism that plant diseases will be more efficiently controlled in the twenty-first century.

  18. History and development of Carboniferous palynology in North America during the early and middle twentieth century

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cross, A.T.; Kosanke, R.M. [Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (United States). Dept. of Geological Sciences

    1995-12-31

    Three main roots of upper Palaeozoic palynology in North America date from the opening of the twentieth century. These are Gresley`s recognition of spores in Iowa coal balls in 1901, analyses of spores by Sellards from Mazon Creek compressions in 1902, and Thiessen`s analyses of dispersed spores from coal maceration and thin sections in 1913. The Pollen Analysis Circular brought workers into contact in the 1940s and generated interest in older fossils. The Paleobotanical Section of the Botanical Society of America (1936) and the Coal Geology Division of the Geological Society of America (1955) encouraged palynologists to participate in meetings and field trips. Fundamental papers by Schopf et al. in 1944 and Kosanke in 1950 established Carboniferous palynology in North America. Active teaching and research centers at the University of Chicago in the 1920s and the University of Illinois and Coe College in the 1930s spawned new palynological centers, particularly throughout the Midwest. Palynological contributions on dispersed spores, mainly from coals and associated rocks, appeared from educational centers from 1929 through the 1950s. Limited reviews of early researches at early palynologic centers are here included by region. Palynology applied to petroleum exploration appeared in the 1940s and major petroleum companies had palynology laboratories in place by 1960. The first international palynology journals appeared in the 1950s and catalogs first appeared in the mid-1960s, except the Catalog of Fossil Spores and Pollen, which began in 1957. The first specific palynology organization, the American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologisst, was founded in 1968. 304 refs., 38 figs

  19. Leprosy. An update: definition, pathogenesis, classification, diagnosis, and treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eichelmann, K; González González, S E; Salas-Alanis, J C; Ocampo-Candiani, J

    2013-09-01

    Leprosy is a chronic granulomatous disease caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium leprae. It primarily affects the skin and peripheral nerves and is still endemic in various regions of the world. Clinical presentation depends on the patient's immune status at the time of infection and during the course of the disease. Leprosy is associated with disability and marginalization. Diagnosis is clinical and is made when the patient has at least 1 of the following cardinal signs specified by the World Health Organization: hypopigmented or erythematous macules with sensory loss; thickened peripheral nerves; or positive acid-fast skin smear or skin biopsy with loss of adnexa at affected sites. Leprosy is treated with a multidrug combination of rifampicin, clofazimine, and dapsone. Two main regimens are used depending on whether the patient has paucibacillary or multibacillary disease. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. and AEDV. All rights reserved.

  20. [Study of leprosy at the "Emilio d'Audinot" polyclinic].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guerra Núñez, M; Mora Castillo, N; Abijana Damien, G

    1993-01-01

    A study on the prevalence of leprosy is performed in "Emilio Daudinot" polyclinics, Guantanamo. The behaviour of leprosy according to clinical manifestations and results showing that lepromatous leprosy is the most frequent form, as well as the number of positive patients and the ones who present reactional status, are reported. The clinical course according to skin and general manifestations is analyzed, and it was determined that the greatest number of cases improved with treatment. Likewise, it was found that the greatest number of positive patients require a 1-4 year period for becoming negative. The immunologic status of cases studied according to the different clinical forms is reported and it was observed that the greatest number of cases are immunologically depressed which agrees with the fact that most of patients have the lepromatous form. Nurses play a very important role for the control and treatment of these patients.