378 research outputs found
Maternal betamethasone administration reduces binucleate cell number and placental lactogen in sheep
No full textThe placenta may mediate glucocorticoid-induced fetal growth restriction. Previous studies have examined effects of fetal cortisol in sheep, which reduces placental binucleate cell (BNC) number; the source of ovine placental lactogen (oPL). The effects of maternal GC are unknown. Therefore, this study examined the effects of maternal betamethasone (BET) administration on BNC number, distribution, placental oPL protein levels, and maternal and fetal plasma oPL levels. Pregnant ewes were randomized to receive injections of saline or one (104 days of gestation; dG), two (104 and 111 dG), or three (104, 111, and 118 dG) doses of BET (0.5 mg/kg). Placental tissue was collected before, during, and after the period of BET treatment. Fetal (121-146 dG) and placental (121 dG) weights were decreased after BET when compared with controls. In controls, the mean number of BNCs increased until 132 dG and decreased thereafter. Placental oPL protein levels peaked at 109 dG and remained stable thereafter. Maternal plasma oPL levels in controls increased across gestation; fetal plasma oPL levels decreased. BNCs were reduced by 24% to 47% after BET when compared with controls at all ages studied. Placental oPL protein levels, maternal, and fetal plasma oPL levels were also reduced after BET injections, but recovered to values that were not different to controls near term. BET disrupted the normal distribution of BNCs within the placentome. These data may suggest a placental role in growth restrictive effects of prenatal maternal BET exposure through alterations in placental output of oPL, a key metabolic hormone of pregnancy
Dissent and disparagement: Dealing with conflict and the pain of rejection in John
No full textThis article addressed the issue of how the author of the Gospel according to John portrayed dissent, in particular, how the author had his protagonists respond to the experience of rejection by those typically designated as ‘the Jews’. Research thus far has usually focused on the identity of the dissenters but rarely on the way dissent was handled. This article’s aim was to examine the range of responses to dissent. It employed a sequential reading of the text to identify the various responses and then brought these findings into comparison with the way dissent was handled in related documents of the time, Matthew and Hebrews. It found that responses included not only argument and blame, including threat of divine wrath but also, beyond these, ad hominem allegations that those who dissent were inherently bad or beholden to the devil or had not been predestined or chosen by God to respond. Such categories were, however, not absolute, because the author assumed that people could choose to respond positively and so move from one apparently fixed and predetermined category to another. They served a rhetorical function. A further ploy was to reduce Israel’s tradition to witness and foreshadowing within the tension of asserting both continuity and discontinuity.
Contribution: The article concluded that such strategies served in part to comfort and reassure hearers engaged in the process of grief at rejection. As such they warranted critical reflection
Obituary − Emeritus Professor Dr John Davidson McCraw (1925−2014) MBE, MSc NZ, DSc Well, CRSNZ, FNZSSS.
No full textJohn McCraw was an Earth scientist who began working as a pedologist with Soil Bureau, DSIR, then became the Foundation Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, inspiring a new generation to study and work in Earth sciences . In retirement, John McCraw was an author and historian with a special emphasis on Central Otago as well as the Waikato region. Throughout his career, marked especially by exemplary leadership, accomplished administration, and commitment to his staff and students at the University of Waikato, John McCraw also contributed to the communities in which he lived through public service organizations and as a public speaker. He received a number of awards including an MBE, fellowship, and companionship, and, uniquely, is commemorated also with a glacier, a fossil, and a museum-based research room named for him. Emeritus Professor John McCraw passed away on the 14th of December, 2014. An obituary, entitled “Dedicated to earth science and his students”, was published in the Waikato Times on the 10th of January, 2015
Vasodilator response to exogenous adrenocorticotropic hormone in fetal adrenal cortex precedes increased steroidogenesis in sheep at 105–112 days gestation
No full text
Callers’ experiences of contacting a national suicide prevention helpline
No full textBackground: Helplines are a significant phenomenon in the mixed economy of health and social care. Given the often anonymous and fleeting nature of caller contact, it is difficult to obtain data about their impact and how users perceive their value. This paper reports findings from an online survey of callers contacting Samaritans emotional support services. Aims: To explore the (self-reported) characteristics of callers using a national suicide prevention helpline and their reasons given for contacting the service, and to present the users’ evaluations of the service they received. Methods: Online survey of a self-selected sample of callers. Results: 1,309 responses were received between May 2008 and May 2009. There were high incidences of expressed suicidality and mental health issues. Regular and ongoing use of the service was common. Respondents used the service for complex and varied reasons and often as part of a network of support. Conclusions: Respondents reported high levels of satisfaction with the service and perceived contact to be helpful. Although Samaritans aims to provide a crisis service, many callers do not access this in isolation or as a last resort, instead contacting the organization selectively and often in tandem with other types of support
- …
