Book review: Fractured identities: changing patterns of inequality by Harriet Bradley (2nd Edition)

With inequality one of the pressing concerns of the contemporary moment, a new edition of Fractured Identities: Changing Patterns of Inequality seeks to contextualise its analyses amidst processes of globalisation, the aftermath of the financial crisis and the widespread implementation of austerity policies. Harriet Bradley uses an intersectional framework to examine inequalities relating to class, gender, ethnicity and age, and also presents a new chapter attending to disability, sexuality and religion. This text continues to inspire and educate and remains a valuable undergraduate social science resource, writes Andreea Ciurea

Bidirectional remittance flows: the experience of Romanian students and migrant care workers in the United Kingdom

This thesis examines a new concept of asymmetrical bidirectional remittance, set within a transnational social fabric encompassing the emotional aspects of family practices that shape an asymmetrical remittance exchange. Through the lens of the New Economics of Labour Migration (NELM) theory and transnationalism, as well as the experiences of Romanian students and migrants working in care, we explore the bidirectional and asymmetrical nature of remittances. Historically, the frame of analysis of migrant remittances typically focuses on the remittance exchange between the migrant and the household of origin. The novelty brought by this thesis comes from the fact that most Romanian migrant remittance literature and research focuses on one side of the remittance spectrum, or more recently, on the reverse remittance patterns that do not examine the asymmetrical cyclical nature of bidirectional remittance flows. The thesis also adds a new dimension to the NELM debate by exploring the impact of emotional practices and emotional support, as well as duty, obligation and moral aspects such as shame, guilt, pride or unrelinquished ownership on the need to reciprocate in the form of remittances. In addition, this thesis builds on Carling’s (2008) work on the motives and determinants of the migrants’ remitting behaviour by developing the concept of a bidirectional asymmetrical remittance exchange and exploring its ties to the emotional support shared within the transnational family. The data analysis findings support the conceptualisation of a bidirectional asymmetric remittance flows notion, while at the same time challenging the construction of non-migrant social actors as passive receivers of migrants’ financial investments. Not only are asymmetrical bidirectional remittance flows empirically observable in the Romanian student and migrant care workers’ narratives analysed as part of this thesis, but they are also a key element of a more extensive system of overlapping processes: emotional support, complex identity construction, transnational social networks, social capital utility, and subordinate roles especially for women. Ultimately, a holistic form of remitting behaviour has been identified in the narratives collected in this research, distinguished by bidirectional patterns of exchange between the migrant and the household

Romanian neurosurgery at European standards: The 45th Congress of the “Romanian Society of Neurosurgery”

Sibiu, 201

Historical vignette: The first brain surgery performed by the first woman neurosurgeon in Romania, Dr. Sofia Ionescu-Ogrezeanu

Introduction. Sofia Ionescu-Ogrezeanu (b. April 25, 1920, F?lticeni - d. March 21, 2008, Bucharest), also known as the Lady of Romanian Neurosurgery, became the first woman neurosurgeon in the world after performing a brain surgery during World War II, a fact recognized as a world premiere during the 13th World Congress of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) in Morocco, in 2005. [1] Materials and methods. Sofia Ionescu is the first woman neurosurgeon. She was born on the fields of Bucovina, in F?lticeni, and became part of the "golden team" of the Romanian neurosurgery of the pioneering period. The decisive moment of her career took place in 1944, during the war when she was forced to perform an emergency operation on a child, a victim of the bombing. The article coagulates the reports regarding the description of the first brain surgery performed by the first woman neurosurgeon with the continuous activity integrated with the field of neurosurgery. Both specialized articles, biographical books, and television interviews were used as references. Results. The operation performed in the fifth year of faculty was the first step of a journey of 47 years of neurosurgical career, practised with high morality and devotion. The sacrifice of the pioneer of the first woman neurosurgeon was recognized in the press in the country and abroad, as well as by the recognition of different titles and distinctions

The effect of glucosamine, chondroitin and harpagophytum procumbens on femoral hyaline cartilage thickness in patients with knee osteoarthritis– An MRI versus ultrasonography study

Background: the evaluation of cartilage thickness has become possible with new techniques such as musculoskeletal ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imagining (MRI), making the evaluation of the treatment response and the progression of the disease more accurate. Objective: to evaluate the efficacy of a Symptomatic Slow Acting Drug for Osteoarthritis using both US and MRI for measuring cartilage thickness at baseline and after 1 year. Methods: The study included the clinical evaluation of 20 patients at baseline, at 6 and 12 months as well as imaging exams (US and MRI) at baseline and after 1 year. Measurements were performed in both knees, in lateral and medial condyles, and in the intercondylar area. After the baseline visit, patients underwent a SYSADOA treatment which included Harpagophytum procumbens (HPc) administered on a daily basis, in a specific regimen. Results and discussions: The US examination permitted the detailed evaluation of the femoral hyaline cartilage thickness, with statistically significant differences before and after treatment at the level of the medial compartment, both in the dominant (1.59±0.49 vs. 1.68±0.49, p=0.0013) and non-dominant knee (1.73±0.53 vs. 1.79±0.52, p=0.0106). The US and the MRI correlated well (r=0.63) and showed no radiographic progression in knee osteoarthritis after one year of treatment with specific SYSADOA. Moreover, the US showed improvement in the cartilage thickness of the medial compartment. Conclusions: The combination with HPc could increase the delay in the radiographic progression of the knee osteoarthritis, with improvement of femoral hyaline cartilage thickness in the medial and lateral compartment. The US might be an important tool in OA evaluation and monitoring

CLINICAL ALGORITHM FOR DIRECT RESTORATION OF CLASS II CAVITIES

Direct dental restorations are probably the most common procedures performed daily by the practitioners, and the alert rhythm with which restorative materials appear on the dental market, makes it difficult to choose a material that will ensure the clinical succes. Direct class II restorations can sometimes be a real challenge, in terms of choosing the right matrix system, the restorative material and its application. Thus, the purpose of this article is to provide for the practitioners, two different restoration techinques with two ormocer type materials

Triple valve infective endocarditis - a late diagnosis

Behcet\u27s disease is a systemic vasculitis of unknown aetiology with cardiac involvement as well as damage to other organs. Whether the sterile valvular inflammation which occurs in this autoimmune disease predisposes to bacterial adhesion and infective endocarditis is not yet established. We present the case of a patient with Behcet disease in which transthoracic echocardiography showed mobile masses on the aortic, tricuspid, and mitral valves, leading to multivalvular infective endocarditis diagnosis, possibly in the context of valvular inflammation. The case presented in this article confirms observation of other studies, namely that ultrasonography plays an important role in the diagnosis and evaluation of rheumatic diseases and permits optimal management in daily practice

Alveolar ridge preservation following tooth extraction – basic concepts

After tooth extraction due different clinical situations, there are some physiological changes that include volumetric resorption of the bone, leading to changes in the dimensions and contours of the alveolar ridge that can negatively impact the aesthetic outcome of an implant or of a conventional prosthetic rehabilitation. In order to prevent and minimize adverse consequences from such dimensional changes, the present review aims to present some fundamental basis regarding alveolar ridge preservation and biomaterials used to prevent bone resorption