Pub Date : 2015-07-23DOI: 10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-CHEM.AGZIIB.V3
M. Guidotti, Chiara Palumbo
Abstract Organocatalysis, that is the use of small organic molecules to catalyze organic transformations, has been included among the most successful concepts in asymmetric catalysis, and it has been used for the enantioselective construction of C–C, C–N, C–O, C–S, C–P and C–halide bonds. Since the seminal works in early 2000, the scientific community has been paying an ever-growing attention to the use of organocatalysts for the synthesis, with high yields and remarkable stereoselectivities, of optically active fine chemicals of interest for the pharmaceutical industry. A brief overview is here presented about the two main classes of organocatalysis which are respectively characterized by covalent and non-covalent activation of the substrate. More detailed information about non-covalent interactions for organocatalysis are given. Finally, some successful examples of heterogenisation of organocatalysts are also discussed, in the view of a potential industrial exploitation.
{"title":"Organocatalysts for enantioselective synthesis of fine chemicals: definitions, trends and developments","authors":"M. Guidotti, Chiara Palumbo","doi":"10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-CHEM.AGZIIB.V3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-CHEM.AGZIIB.V3","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract\u0000Organocatalysis, that is the use of small organic molecules to catalyze organic transformations, has been included among the most successful concepts in asymmetric catalysis, and it has been used for the enantioselective construction of C–C, C–N, C–O, C–S, C–P and C–halide bonds. Since the seminal works in early 2000, the scientific community has been paying an ever-growing attention to the use of organocatalysts for the synthesis, with high yields and remarkable stereoselectivities, of optically active fine chemicals of interest for the pharmaceutical industry. A brief overview is here presented about the two main classes of organocatalysis which are respectively characterized by covalent and non-covalent activation of the substrate. More detailed information about non-covalent interactions for organocatalysis are given. Finally, some successful examples of heterogenisation of organocatalysts are also discussed, in the view of a potential industrial exploitation.","PeriodicalId":91169,"journal":{"name":"ScienceOpen research","volume":"82 1","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83768742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-06-10DOI: 10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-EDU.AJRG23.V1
K. Geschuhn
{"title":"Disrupting the subscription journals’ business model for the necessary large-scale transformation to open access: A Max Planck Digital Library Open Access Policy White Paper","authors":"K. Geschuhn","doi":"10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-EDU.AJRG23.V1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-EDU.AJRG23.V1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":91169,"journal":{"name":"ScienceOpen research","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84682396","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-05-29DOI: 10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-LIFE.ALCJCN.V1
T. Tullius, S. Ingle, Robert N. Azad
We describe here a detailed protocol for the synthesis of ribonucleotides specifically deuterated at each ribose carbon atom. We synthesized 20 specifically deuterated ribonucleotides: ATP, CTP, GTP, and UTP, each of which contained one of five deuterated riboses (either 1′-D, 2′′-D, 3′-D, 4′-D, or 5′,5′′-D2). Our synthetic approach is inspired by the pioneering work of Tolbert and Williamson, who developed a method for the convenient one-pot enzymatic synthesis of nucleotides (Tolbert, T. J. and Williamson, J. R. (1996) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 118, 7929–7940). Our protocol consists of a comprehensive list of required chemical and enzymatic reagents and equipment, detailed procedures for enzymatic assays and nucleotide synthesis, and chromatographic procedures for purification of deuterated nucleotides. As an example of the utility of specifically deuterated nucleotides, we used them to synthesize specifically deuterated sarcin/ricin loop (SRL) RNA and measured the deuterium kinetic isotope effect on hydroxyl radical cleavage of the SRL. INTRODUCTION Nucleoside 5′-triphosphates (NTPs) in which the ribose is specifically deuterated are valuable in structural and biochemical studies of nucleic acids. They can be used, for example, to reduce the complexity of NMR spectra [1] and to discern mechanistic details of nucleic acid cleavage [2]. Such studies provide information not otherwise obtainable. For example, we used specifically deuterated deoxynucleotides to probe the mechanism of DNA cleavage by the hydroxyl radical [3]. The ability to chemically synthesize specifically deuterated DNA allowed us to determine quantitatively which hydrogen atoms of deoxyribose are abstracted by the hydroxyl radical from duplex DNA. This work both elucidated the chemical and structural mechanism of a widely used chemical footprinting agent and contributed to a more detailed understanding of ionizing radiation-induced DNA damage. Despite wide interest in the results of this work, the methods we described have seldom been used because of the difficulty of producing specifically deuterated NTPs by chemical synthesis [4]. Chemical routes to NTP synthesis require multiple steps that often are laborious and time-consuming. The consequence is that specifically deuterated nucleotides have been largely inaccessible to the structural and molecular biologists who would be most interested in using them. A breakthrough in making specifically deuterated nucleotides more widely available came from Williamson and coworkers, who developed an enzymatic approach for the synthesis of deuterated ribonucleoside 5′-triphosphates from isotopically labeled glycerol or glucose [5–7]. Their scheme was able to produce milligram quantities of NTPs sufficient for preparing RNA by in vitro transcription for use in NMR spectroscopy. They showed that the enzymes did not have to be highly purified to be effective, which significantly reduced the effort and cost of NTP synthesis. Their synthesis is conveni
我们在这里描述了合成核糖核苷酸的详细方案，特别是在每个核糖碳原子上氘化。我们合成了20种特殊的氘化核糖核苷酸:ATP, CTP, GTP和UTP，每个都含有五种氘化核糖(1 ' -D, 2 ' -D, 3 ' -D, 4 ' -D或5 '，5 " -D2)中的一种。我们的合成方法受到Tolbert和Williamson开创性工作的启发，他们开发了一种方便的一锅酶促核苷酸合成方法(Tolbert, T. J. and Williamson, J. R.(1996))。化学。Soc. 118, 7929-7940)。我们的方案包括所需的化学和酶试剂和设备的全面列表，酶分析和核苷酸合成的详细程序，以及氘化核苷酸纯化的色谱程序。作为特异性氘化核苷酸应用的一个例子，我们利用它们合成了特异性氘化sarcin/ricin loop (SRL) RNA，并测量了氘动力学同位素对SRL羟基自由基裂解的影响。核苷5 ' -三磷酸(NTPs)，其中核糖被特异性氘化，在核酸的结构和生化研究中很有价值。例如，它们可用于降低核磁共振光谱的复杂性[1]，以及辨别核酸裂解的机理细节[2]。这些研究提供了其他途径无法获得的信息。例如，我们使用特殊的氘化脱氧核苷酸来探索羟基自由基切割DNA的机制[3]。化学合成氘化DNA的能力使我们能够定量地确定哪些脱氧核糖的氢原子是由双链DNA中的羟基自由基提取出来的。这项工作不仅阐明了一种广泛使用的化学足迹剂的化学和结构机制，而且有助于更详细地了解电离辐射诱导的DNA损伤。尽管人们对这项工作的结果有广泛的兴趣，但我们所描述的方法很少被使用，因为通过化学合成难以生产特异性氘化的ntp[4]。化学途径到NTP合成需要多个步骤，往往是费力和耗时的。其结果是，对于那些对氘化核苷酸最有兴趣的结构和分子生物学家来说，它们在很大程度上是无法接近的。Williamson和他的同事开发了一种酶法，用同位素标记的甘油或葡萄糖合成氘化核糖核苷5 ' -三磷酸，在使氘化核苷更广泛地获得方面取得了突破[5 - 7]。他们的方案能够产生毫克量的ntp，足以通过体外转录制备RNA，用于核磁共振波谱。他们表明，酶不需要高度纯化就能有效，这大大减少了NTP合成的工作量和成本。它们的合成很方便，因为ntp是在涉及多种酶的“一锅”反应中产生的。Williamson和同事使用这种方法生产具有多个氘化核糖残基的ntp，因为他们在合成方案中使用了市售的均匀氘化葡萄糖或甘油[6,7]。虽然多次氘化的ntp对核磁共振实验很有用，但我们的早期工作[3]和其他人的工作[2]表明，在特定的脱氧核糖碳SOR-LIFE上选择性氘化
{"title":"Deuterated nucleotides as chemical probes of RNA structure: a detailed protocol for the enzymatic synthesis of a complete set of nucleotides specifically deuterated at ribose carbons","authors":"T. Tullius, S. Ingle, Robert N. Azad","doi":"10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-LIFE.ALCJCN.V1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-LIFE.ALCJCN.V1","url":null,"abstract":"We describe here a detailed protocol for the synthesis of ribonucleotides specifically deuterated at each ribose carbon atom. We synthesized 20 specifically deuterated ribonucleotides: ATP, CTP, GTP, and UTP, each of which contained one of five deuterated riboses (either 1′-D, 2′′-D, 3′-D, 4′-D, or 5′,5′′-D2). Our synthetic approach is inspired by the pioneering work of Tolbert and Williamson, who developed a method for the convenient one-pot enzymatic synthesis of nucleotides (Tolbert, T. J. and Williamson, J. R. (1996) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 118, 7929–7940). Our protocol consists of a comprehensive list of required chemical and enzymatic reagents and equipment, detailed procedures for enzymatic assays and nucleotide synthesis, and chromatographic procedures for purification of deuterated nucleotides. As an example of the utility of specifically deuterated nucleotides, we used them to synthesize specifically deuterated sarcin/ricin loop (SRL) RNA and measured the deuterium kinetic isotope effect on hydroxyl radical cleavage of the SRL. INTRODUCTION Nucleoside 5′-triphosphates (NTPs) in which the ribose is specifically deuterated are valuable in structural and biochemical studies of nucleic acids. They can be used, for example, to reduce the complexity of NMR spectra [1] and to discern mechanistic details of nucleic acid cleavage [2]. Such studies provide information not otherwise obtainable. For example, we used specifically deuterated deoxynucleotides to probe the mechanism of DNA cleavage by the hydroxyl radical [3]. The ability to chemically synthesize specifically deuterated DNA allowed us to determine quantitatively which hydrogen atoms of deoxyribose are abstracted by the hydroxyl radical from duplex DNA. This work both elucidated the chemical and structural mechanism of a widely used chemical footprinting agent and contributed to a more detailed understanding of ionizing radiation-induced DNA damage. Despite wide interest in the results of this work, the methods we described have seldom been used because of the difficulty of producing specifically deuterated NTPs by chemical synthesis [4]. Chemical routes to NTP synthesis require multiple steps that often are laborious and time-consuming. The consequence is that specifically deuterated nucleotides have been largely inaccessible to the structural and molecular biologists who would be most interested in using them. A breakthrough in making specifically deuterated nucleotides more widely available came from Williamson and coworkers, who developed an enzymatic approach for the synthesis of deuterated ribonucleoside 5′-triphosphates from isotopically labeled glycerol or glucose [5–7]. Their scheme was able to produce milligram quantities of NTPs sufficient for preparing RNA by in vitro transcription for use in NMR spectroscopy. They showed that the enzymes did not have to be highly purified to be effective, which significantly reduced the effort and cost of NTP synthesis. Their synthesis is conveni","PeriodicalId":91169,"journal":{"name":"ScienceOpen research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89891203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-05-25DOI: 10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-SOCSCI.AOWNTU.V1
Bernhard Mittermaier
The pros and cons of hybrid open access are heavily disputed. A main point of discussion is whether ‘double dipping’ takes place, i.e. paying twice to publish and read the same article. To examine publishers’ assertions that they do not double dip, a survey was conducted of 24 publishers with detailed questions about their pricing policy using hypothetical examples of hybrid open access publication in their journals. The outcome is quite sobering: while a small number of publishers appear to be fully offsetting their hybrid open access income, or making no additional charge for hybrid open access at all, for the rest of those surveyed no clear evidence could be gathered that double dipping does not take place, and many appeared to be double dipping to some extent.
{"title":"Double Dipping in Hybrid Open Access – Chimera or Reality?","authors":"Bernhard Mittermaier","doi":"10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-SOCSCI.AOWNTU.V1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-SOCSCI.AOWNTU.V1","url":null,"abstract":"The pros and cons of hybrid open access are heavily disputed. A main point of discussion is whether ‘double dipping’ takes place, i.e. paying twice to publish and read the same article. To examine publishers’ assertions that they do not double dip, a survey was conducted of 24 publishers with detailed questions about their pricing policy using hypothetical examples of hybrid open access publication in their journals. The outcome is quite sobering: while a small number of publishers appear to be fully offsetting their hybrid open access income, or making no additional charge for hybrid open access at all, for the rest of those surveyed no clear evidence could be gathered that double dipping does not take place, and many appeared to be double dipping to some extent.","PeriodicalId":91169,"journal":{"name":"ScienceOpen research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90775360","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-05-20DOI: 10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-MED.AVUQD7.V1
J. Kranenburg
Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) made good process on improving the health of their populations; but concerns exist when it comes to meeting changing health needs. Due to remoteness and limited resources it is difficult to respond to high rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Furthermore, little is known about how primary care (PC) is organised and how this responds to current health issues. This study focused on gaining insights in the organisation of PC of Caribbean SIDS based on currently available literature. This literature review was an explorative multiple case study, where structure of PC and health status of 16 Caribbean SIDS were reviewed using available scientific and grey literature between the years 1997 and 2014. Thirty documents were used to analyse 20 indicators for the dimensions “Structure of Primary Care” and “Health Status”. Results were mapped in order to identify if there is a possible relation between structures of PC to the health of the populations. When reviewing the structure of PC, the majority of information was available for “Economic conditions of PC” (78%) and the least information was available for “Governance of PC” (40%). With regards to health status, all islands show improvements on “Life expectancy at birth” since 2007. In contrast, on average, the mortality due to NCDs did not improve. Saint Lucia performs best on “Structure of PC”. The British Virgin Islands have the best health status. When both dimensions were analysed, Saint Lucia performs best. There is still little known on the responsiveness of PC of Caribbean SIDS to NCDs. There is a need for elaborate research on: (1) If and how the functioning of these health systems relate to the health status; (2) What islands can learn from an analysis over time and what they can learn from cross-island analysis; and (3) Filling the gaps of knowledge which currently exist within this field of research. INTRODUCTION Small Island Developing States (SIDS) made good progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However, concerns exist regarding the health of the population of these islands, in particular, the Caribbean SIDS, who have transitioned from high communicable diseases region to an increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The prevalence of obesity in the Caribbean is amongst the highest of the world [1, 2]. The five-year evaluation of the Mauritius Strategy of Implementation (MSI+5) for the Caribbean showed that health standards have worsened for NCDs. Patients complain about the deterioration of quality of health services and there is an inability of health administrations to respond to changing needs of patients [1, 2]. In addition, health systems of SIDS face the persistent challenge of limited capacity and skills of health care workers due to emigration, the remoteness, the size and the economic opportunities [1–6]. Health is not solely evaluated within in the MSI and MSI+5. Health system performanc
{"title":"Primary care in Caribbean Small Island Developing States","authors":"J. Kranenburg","doi":"10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-MED.AVUQD7.V1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-MED.AVUQD7.V1","url":null,"abstract":"Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) made good process on improving the health of their populations; but concerns exist when it comes to meeting changing health needs. Due to remoteness and limited resources it is difficult to respond to high rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Furthermore, little is known about how primary care (PC) is organised and how this responds to current health issues. This study focused on gaining insights in the organisation of PC of Caribbean SIDS based on currently available literature. This literature review was an explorative multiple case study, where structure of PC and health status of 16 Caribbean SIDS were reviewed using available scientific and grey literature between the years 1997 and 2014. Thirty documents were used to analyse 20 indicators for the dimensions “Structure of Primary Care” and “Health Status”. Results were mapped in order to identify if there is a possible relation between structures of PC to the health of the populations. When reviewing the structure of PC, the majority of information was available for “Economic conditions of PC” (78%) and the least information was available for “Governance of PC” (40%). With regards to health status, all islands show improvements on “Life expectancy at birth” since 2007. In contrast, on average, the mortality due to NCDs did not improve. Saint Lucia performs best on “Structure of PC”. The British Virgin Islands have the best health status. When both dimensions were analysed, Saint Lucia performs best. There is still little known on the responsiveness of PC of Caribbean SIDS to NCDs. There is a need for elaborate research on: (1) If and how the functioning of these health systems relate to the health status; (2) What islands can learn from an analysis over time and what they can learn from cross-island analysis; and (3) Filling the gaps of knowledge which currently exist within this field of research. INTRODUCTION Small Island Developing States (SIDS) made good progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However, concerns exist regarding the health of the population of these islands, in particular, the Caribbean SIDS, who have transitioned from high communicable diseases region to an increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The prevalence of obesity in the Caribbean is amongst the highest of the world [1, 2]. The five-year evaluation of the Mauritius Strategy of Implementation (MSI+5) for the Caribbean showed that health standards have worsened for NCDs. Patients complain about the deterioration of quality of health services and there is an inability of health administrations to respond to changing needs of patients [1, 2]. In addition, health systems of SIDS face the persistent challenge of limited capacity and skills of health care workers due to emigration, the remoteness, the size and the economic opportunities [1–6]. Health is not solely evaluated within in the MSI and MSI+5. Health system performanc","PeriodicalId":91169,"journal":{"name":"ScienceOpen research","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90427250","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-05-13DOI: 10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-MED.ACOXMI.V1
Annika Schmöker, Faustine-Kyungu Nkulu-Kalengayi
Abstract Female genital mutilation (FGM) includes all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. FGM is practised in many parts of the world – including 28 African countries, some countries in the Middle East and Asia, and some population groups in Central and South America. Its prevalence rates range from 0.6% up to 97.9%, and it has been classified as a violation of human and children’s rights. Consequently, several countries have passed laws against the practice and many international programmes have been implemented to abandon it. Yet, FGM still prevails in many countries. This literature review aimed at identifying the underlying reasons for the perpetuation of FGM, ascertaining forces that foster its promotion and persistence and who is responsible for pushing its continuation. The main goal was to try to understand the underlying causes that make FGM resistant against initiatives and campaigns targeting its elimination. A literature search was carried out using several databases. All sources that approached the topic of FGM were incorporated including literature reviews, systematic reviews, qualitative and quantitative as well as mixed-method studies that described attitudes towards FGM and factors associated with its practice. Different factors that were interlinked could be identified at the individual, interpersonal, organisational/institutional as well as the community/societal level as the underlying causes of the perpetuation for FGM. These factors varied within and between different settings, and include individual characteristics such as parents’ level of education, place of residence, personal beliefs (aesthetics, health benefits, hygiene) about FGM as well as the medicalisation of FGM and the involvement of health care professionals at the institutional level. Cultural factors like gender inequality, social norms and pressure also played an important role. Surprisingly, no evidence that supported religious motives could be found in any of the three monotheistic religions. This review suggests that the reasons behind the performance of FGM differ between and within countries and contexts, but cannot be found in the scriptures even though it is mainly practiced by Muslims. Girls with low education living in small Muslim communities, in rural areas in Africa and whose parents especially the mother had a low educational level, were at increased risk of undergoing FGM. Successful actions to eliminate this practice require a balance between respect of culture and human rights. Practising communities should be involved in each step of every programme. Finally, it is crucial to target the young generations through education, women empowerment and reduction of gender inequality.
{"title":"Female genital mutilation – why does it still exist in Africa?","authors":"Annika Schmöker, Faustine-Kyungu Nkulu-Kalengayi","doi":"10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-MED.ACOXMI.V1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-MED.ACOXMI.V1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract\u0000Female genital mutilation (FGM) includes all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. FGM is practised in many parts of the world – including 28 African countries, some countries in the Middle East and Asia, and some population groups in Central and South America. Its prevalence rates range from 0.6% up to 97.9%, and it has been classified as a violation of human and children’s rights. Consequently, several countries have passed laws against the practice and many international programmes have been implemented to abandon it. Yet, FGM still prevails in many countries. This literature review aimed at identifying the underlying reasons for the perpetuation of FGM, ascertaining forces that foster its promotion and persistence and who is responsible for pushing its continuation. The main goal was to try to understand the underlying causes that make FGM resistant against initiatives and campaigns targeting its elimination. A literature search was carried out using several databases. All sources that approached the topic of FGM were incorporated including literature reviews, systematic reviews, qualitative and quantitative as well as mixed-method studies that described attitudes towards FGM and factors associated with its practice. Different factors that were interlinked could be identified at the individual, interpersonal, organisational/institutional as well as the community/societal level as the underlying causes of the perpetuation for FGM. These factors varied within and between different settings, and include individual characteristics such as parents’ level of education, place of residence, personal beliefs (aesthetics, health benefits, hygiene) about FGM as well as the medicalisation of FGM and the involvement of health care professionals at the institutional level. Cultural factors like gender inequality, social norms and pressure also played an important role. Surprisingly, no evidence that supported religious motives could be found in any of the three monotheistic religions. This review suggests that the reasons behind the performance of FGM differ between and within countries and contexts, but cannot be found in the scriptures even though it is mainly practiced by Muslims. Girls with low education living in small Muslim communities, in rural areas in Africa and whose parents especially the mother had a low educational level, were at increased risk of undergoing FGM. Successful actions to eliminate this practice require a balance between respect of culture and human rights. Practising communities should be involved in each step of every programme. Finally, it is crucial to target the young generations through education, women empowerment and reduction of gender inequality.","PeriodicalId":91169,"journal":{"name":"ScienceOpen research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84940046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract This paper makes the strong, fact-based case for a large-scale transformation of the current corpus of scientific subscription journals to an open access business model. The existing journals, with their well-tested functionalities, should be retained and developed to meet the demands of 21st-century research, while the underlying payment streams undergo a major restructuring. There is sufficient momentum for this decisive push toward open access publishing. The diverse existing initiatives must be coordinated so as to converge on this clear goal. The international nature of research implies that this transformation will be achieved on a truly global scale only through a consensus of the world’s most eminent research organizations. All the indications are that the money already invested in the research publishing system is sufficient to enable a transformation that will be sustainable for the future. There needs to be a shared understanding that the money currently locked in the journal subscription system must be withdrawn and re-purposed for open access publishing services. The current library acquisition budgets are the ultimate reservoir for enabling the transformation without financial or other risks. The goal is to preserve the established service levels provided by publishers that are still requested by researchers, while redefining and reorganizing the necessary payment streams. By disrupting the underlying business model, the viability of journal publishing can be preserved and put on a solid footing for the scholarly developments of the future.
{"title":"Disrupting the subscription journals’ business model for the necessary large-scale transformation to open access","authors":"Ralf Schimmer, K. Geschuhn, A. Vogler","doi":"10.17617/1.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17617/1.3","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract\u0000This paper makes the strong, fact-based case for a large-scale transformation of the current corpus of scientific subscription journals to an open access business model. The existing journals, with their well-tested functionalities, should be retained and developed to meet the demands of 21st-century research, while the underlying payment streams undergo a major restructuring. There is sufficient momentum for this decisive push toward open access publishing. The diverse existing initiatives must be coordinated so as to converge on this clear goal. The international nature of research implies that this transformation will be achieved on a truly global scale only through a consensus of the world’s most eminent research organizations. All the indications are that the money already invested in the research publishing system is sufficient to enable a transformation that will be sustainable for the future. There needs to be a shared understanding that the money currently locked in the journal subscription system must be withdrawn and re-purposed for open access publishing services. The current library acquisition budgets are the ultimate reservoir for enabling the transformation without financial or other risks. The goal is to preserve the established service levels provided by publishers that are still requested by researchers, while redefining and reorganizing the necessary payment streams. By disrupting the underlying business model, the viability of journal publishing can be preserved and put on a solid footing for the scholarly developments of the future.","PeriodicalId":91169,"journal":{"name":"ScienceOpen research","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90566681","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-03-26DOI: 10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-CHEM.AGZIIB.V2
Shouyun Yu
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Pub Date : 2015-03-26DOI: 10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-MED.ASNJHF.V1
Ramanah Rajeev, Eckman, Tholozan Anne-Sarah, M. Fourel, Levy Galya, N. Mottet, D. Riethmuller
Didelphys uterus results from an incomplete fusion of mullerian ducts and corresponds to the class III of mullerian abnormalities of the American Fertility Society. We describe the case of a spontaneous twin pregnancy developed in each cavity of a didelphys uterus. At 29 weeks of gestation and 6 days, the patient had preterm rupture of membranes in the right horn. She went into spontaneous labor and delivered vaginally the first “right” twin. Delivery was complicated with post-partum hemorrhage on uterine atonia treated with a Bakri balloon. She was tocolyzed to pursue the fetal lung maturity of the second twin. She had a rupture of the second membranes at 30 weeks and 3 days and had a preterm vaginal delivery at 32 weeks and 1 day of the second twin. Twin pregnancy in both horns of a uterus is extremely rare, about 1 in 1,000,000. Pregnancies on congenital abnormalities of the paramesonephric duct present frequently poor obstetrical outcomes and many complications. There are no guidelines about the follow-up of these high-risk patients or the mode of delivery. INTRODUCTION Didelphys uterus results from a complete failure of fusion of the two mullerian ducts in the female genital tract formation during the embryonic development. There is then two hemiuterus, each one with a uterine cavity, two cervices, and a vaginal septum. Twin pregnancies with a fetus in each cavity are extremely rare, approximately 1 in 1,000,000. We describe the case of a spontaneous twin pregnancy developed in each cavity of a didelphys uterus, with a premature vaginal delivery, and a delayed interval delivery of 16 days between the two twins. CASE The 26-year-old woman, gravida 2, para 0 has a bicornis bicollis uterus with a vaginal septum and initially an imperforated obstructed hemivagina on the right side which was diagnosed at the age of 14 following chronic pelvic pain. She had a vaginal septum resection at the age of 25. Diagnosis of an evolutive dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy with a fetus in each horn of the uterus was made on ultrasound at 8-week gestation (Figure 1). By convention, we named TA the fetus in the right horn, and TB the fetus in the left horn. This situation being of high risk of premature delivery, the patient was monthly followed by a clinical and sonographic evaluation. At 25 weeks, fetal lung maturation was undertaken by an injection of 12 mg of betamethasone repeated 24 hours later. She had a premature rupture of the membranes on TA at 29 weeks and 6 days. On digital cervical examination the right cervix was posterior, short, soft, admitting one finger, and the right fetus cephalic presentation was high and mobile (Bishop score = 3). The left cervix was the same as the right one. Speculum examination Figure 1. Ultrasound at eight gestational weeks. SOR-MED
{"title":"Twin pregnancy in each half of a didelphys uterus with delayed delivery and review of literature","authors":"Ramanah Rajeev, Eckman, Tholozan Anne-Sarah, M. Fourel, Levy Galya, N. Mottet, D. Riethmuller","doi":"10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-MED.ASNJHF.V1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-MED.ASNJHF.V1","url":null,"abstract":"Didelphys uterus results from an incomplete fusion of mullerian ducts and corresponds to the class III of mullerian abnormalities of the American Fertility Society. We describe the case of a spontaneous twin pregnancy developed in each cavity of a didelphys uterus. At 29 weeks of gestation and 6 days, the patient had preterm rupture of membranes in the right horn. She went into spontaneous labor and delivered vaginally the first “right” twin. Delivery was complicated with post-partum hemorrhage on uterine atonia treated with a Bakri balloon. She was tocolyzed to pursue the fetal lung maturity of the second twin. She had a rupture of the second membranes at 30 weeks and 3 days and had a preterm vaginal delivery at 32 weeks and 1 day of the second twin. Twin pregnancy in both horns of a uterus is extremely rare, about 1 in 1,000,000. Pregnancies on congenital abnormalities of the paramesonephric duct present frequently poor obstetrical outcomes and many complications. There are no guidelines about the follow-up of these high-risk patients or the mode of delivery. INTRODUCTION Didelphys uterus results from a complete failure of fusion of the two mullerian ducts in the female genital tract formation during the embryonic development. There is then two hemiuterus, each one with a uterine cavity, two cervices, and a vaginal septum. Twin pregnancies with a fetus in each cavity are extremely rare, approximately 1 in 1,000,000. We describe the case of a spontaneous twin pregnancy developed in each cavity of a didelphys uterus, with a premature vaginal delivery, and a delayed interval delivery of 16 days between the two twins. CASE The 26-year-old woman, gravida 2, para 0 has a bicornis bicollis uterus with a vaginal septum and initially an imperforated obstructed hemivagina on the right side which was diagnosed at the age of 14 following chronic pelvic pain. She had a vaginal septum resection at the age of 25. Diagnosis of an evolutive dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy with a fetus in each horn of the uterus was made on ultrasound at 8-week gestation (Figure 1). By convention, we named TA the fetus in the right horn, and TB the fetus in the left horn. This situation being of high risk of premature delivery, the patient was monthly followed by a clinical and sonographic evaluation. At 25 weeks, fetal lung maturation was undertaken by an injection of 12 mg of betamethasone repeated 24 hours later. She had a premature rupture of the membranes on TA at 29 weeks and 6 days. On digital cervical examination the right cervix was posterior, short, soft, admitting one finger, and the right fetus cephalic presentation was high and mobile (Bishop score = 3). The left cervix was the same as the right one. Speculum examination Figure 1. Ultrasound at eight gestational weeks. SOR-MED","PeriodicalId":91169,"journal":{"name":"ScienceOpen research","volume":"77 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79244055","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2015-03-23DOI: 10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-MATSCI.A0Z6OM.V1
Joan Comenge
Although nanoparticles have been traditionally modified with a single ligand layer, mixture of ligands might help to combine different functionalities and to further engineer the NP surface. A detailed study of the competition between an alkanethiol (11-mercaptoundecanoic acid) and SH-PEG for the surface of AuNPs and the resultant behaviors of this model nanoconjugate is presented here. As a result, the physicochemical properties of these conjugates can be progressively tuned by controlling the composition and especially the conformation of the mixed monolayer. This has implications in the physiological stability. The controlled changes on the SH-PEG conformation rather than its concentration induces a change in the stabilization mechanism from electrostatic repulsion to steric hindrance, which changes the biological fate of NPs. Importantly, the adsorption of proteins on the conjugates can be tailored by tuning the composition and conformation of the mixed layer.
{"title":"The role of PEG conformation in mixed layers: from protein corona substrate to steric stabilization avoiding protein adsorption","authors":"Joan Comenge","doi":"10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-MATSCI.A0Z6OM.V1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-MATSCI.A0Z6OM.V1","url":null,"abstract":"Although nanoparticles have been traditionally modified with a single ligand layer, mixture of ligands might help to combine different functionalities and to further engineer the NP surface. A detailed study of the competition between an alkanethiol (11-mercaptoundecanoic acid) and SH-PEG for the surface of AuNPs and the resultant behaviors of this model nanoconjugate is presented here. As a result, the physicochemical properties of these conjugates can be progressively tuned by controlling the composition and especially the conformation of the mixed monolayer. This has implications in the physiological stability. The controlled changes on the SH-PEG conformation rather than its concentration induces a change in the stabilization mechanism from electrostatic repulsion to steric hindrance, which changes the biological fate of NPs. Importantly, the adsorption of proteins on the conjugates can be tailored by tuning the composition and conformation of the mixed layer.","PeriodicalId":91169,"journal":{"name":"ScienceOpen research","volume":"156 1","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75749164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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