Riding the wheels of change?: Young bike riders and the “crisis of youth” in Sierra Leona

En este artículo consideramos el conflicto armado (1991-2002) en Sierra Leona como el resultado violento de la “crisis de la juventud” (crisis of youth) generada por un estado patrimonial en colapso y las habituales prácticas de explotación por parte de las autoridades tradicionales en las áreas rurales, que afectaban particularmente a la población joven procedentes de linajes débiles. El rápido aumento en la posguerra del número de “mototaxis” –un sector dominado por excombatientes inmediatamente después de la guerra, pero que ahora emplea a decenas de miles de jóvenes – se presenta como un ejemplo de una nueva y espontánea actividad, más basada en la regla del contrato y en los principios igualitarios de los tiempos de guerra que en principios patrimoniales. ¿Puede ser esta actividad una respuesta que haga frente a los modos organizativos explotadores del periodo anterior a la guerra y a la subsiguiente crisis de la juventud? ¿O ya está siendo corrompida por ésta?In this article we consider the armed conflict (1991-2002) in Sierra Leone as the violent product of a ‘crisis of youth’, generated by a collapsing patrimonial state and exploitative customary practices of traditional authorities in rural areas, affecting young people from weak lineages in particular. Post war, the rapid growth in the number of motorbike taxies – a sector dominated by ex-combatants straight after the war but now employing tens of thousands of ordinary youth – is presented as an example of a new and spontaneous activity, based more on the rule of contract and wartime egalitarian principles than on patrimonial ones. Could this be an answer to pre-war exploitatively organisational modalities and the subsequent crisis of youth, or is it already getting corrupted by it

Acute dystonia due to aripiprazole use in two children with autism spectrum disorder in the first five years of life

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by impairment in social interactions, in verbal and non-verbal communication, and restricted and stereotyped patterns of interest and behavior within the first 3 years of life. Pharmacologic interventions may be needed for the treatment of temper tantrums, aggression, hyperactivity, and stereotypes in children with ASD. The approval of aripiprazole by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for the treatment of temper tantrums in children and adolescents with ASD has gained increased interest for the use in these patients. Aripiprazole is a partial agonist for the dopamine D2, serotonin 5-HT1A receptors, and an antagonist for 5HT2A receptors. Because aripiprazole is a partial agonist, it has been is speculated that aripiprazole has a protective effect for extrapyramidal side effects, movement disorders, and metabolic problems. But the increased use in children and adolescents is associated with an increase in the number of case reports related with such problems. Nevertheless, our review of the literature uncovered limited data regarding the association between acute dystonia and aripiprazole use in ASD children under five years of age is. In this paper, we present two cases of autistic spectrum disorder children with ages under 5 years that developed acute dystonia taking aripiprazole

Ulcère de Buruli: éléments déterminant l'itinéraire thérapeutique des personnes atteintes en Afrique : travail de Bachelor

Introduction : L’ulcère de Buruli est une maladie entraînant la destruction de la peau et des tissus mous par des ulcérations étendues et pouvant mener à des déformations et des incapacités permanentes si elle n’est pas prise en charge précocement. Objectif : Déterminer ce qui influence positivement et négativement les malades vers un traitement biomédical spécifique, afin de proposer des outils pouvant mener à des soins précoces. Méthode : Revue de la littérature qualitative. Deux articles ont été sélectionnés : un article qualitatif et un article à méthode mixte. L’analyse des données a été faite suivant la démarche de synthèse thématique. Résultats : La synthèse thématique des données extraites nous mène à sept thèmes analytiques : la banalisation des symptômes au début de la maladie, l'impact physique et psychologique de la maladie comme déclencheur du recours aux soins, l'influence des tiers, le système de santé, les obligations socio-économiques, les représentations des causes de la maladie et l'envie de guérir rapidement. Discussion : Nous avons organisé ces thèmes analytiques dans une certaine logique chronologique. Deux périodes se dégagent : celle qui précède le recours aux soins et celle qui fait suite au premier recours aux soins. Dans chacune de ces périodes, les déterminants de l'itinéraire thérapeutique sont différents. Conclusion : Les facteurs déterminant l’itinéraire thérapeutique sont variés et forment un système d’influences complexe. De plus, les obstacles au recours aux soins biomédicaux sont plus importants que les éléments facilitateurs. Il est intéressant de comprendre ce système, afin d’établir des programmes visant à réduire la morbidité en permettant aux patients et aux personnes à risque d’avoir un meilleur contrôle sur leur santé

Thérapie par la contrainte ou thérapie intensive bi-manuelle dans la rééducation des activités bi-manuelles chez les enfants paralysés cérébraux unilatéraux: une revue de la littérature : travail de Bachelor

Introduction : La paralysie cérébrale est la cause la plus fréquente d’invalidité neurologique chez les enfants. Un tiers de ces enfants sont atteints de paralysie cérébrale unilatérale, dont le symptôme le plus gênant est le membre supérieur déficient. Récemment, de nombreuses thérapies intensives émergent, cherchant à pallier cette dernière. La plus connue d’entre-elles est la thérapie par la ontrainte, mais elle présente certains inconvénients, qui pourraient être évités avec une alternative comme la thérapie intensive bi-manuelle. Objectif : L’objectif de ce travail est donc de voir laquelle de ces thérapies intensives des membres supérieurs, améliore le plus les activités bi-manuelles chez les enfants paralysés cérébraux nilatéraux. Méthode : Nous avons fait nos recherches sur les bases de données Medline via Pubmed, PEDro, Cochrane, Embase et Cinahl avec les mots-clefs suivants : Cerebral Palsy (Mesh Term) AND constraint-induced movement therapy AND bimanual intensive training. Par la suite, nous avons effectué une recherche manuelle dans la bibliographie des articles sélectionnés après lecture de titre et d’abstract. La qualité des articles sélectionnés, pour lecture du texte entier, a été évaluée grâce à l’échelle PEDro, puisque toutes étaient des études randomisées contrôlées. Résultats : Les deux groupes ont amélioré leurs résultats sur l’échelle du « assisting hand assessment » de manière statistiquement significative. Il n’y a pas eu de différence intergroupe notable. Ces améliorations sont maintenues au long-terme (6mois, 1an). Conclusion : Les deux thérapies entrainent une amélioration équivalente de la capacité à effectuer des activités bi-manuelles. L’intensité semble donc être l’élément clef de ces traitements. Le choix de l’une ou l’autre se fera donc plutôt par rapport à d’autres facteurs internes et/ou externes, qui doivent être étudiés de manière plus approfondie. Comme la tolérance de la contrainte ou la disponibilité des thérapeutes, par exemple

Catastrophic futures, anxious presents: lifestyle activism and hope in the permaculture movement in Turkey

This thesis presents a critical exploration of the permaculture movement in Turkey from various interlocking angles. An ecological landscape design system that functions with the ethical values of caring for people and for Earth as well as sharing the surplus, permaculture was introduced in Australia in the 1970s, and became a worldwide movement which refrains from using a political language despite its ultimate desire to establish a “global alternative nation” that consists of ecological and self-sufficient communities. Through ethnographic fieldwork with permaculture groups, I explore the reflections of this movement and its post-ideological language in the post-coup neoliberal context in Turkey. I first describe the process of becoming a permaculturist through the narratives of my interlocutors who are mostly educated, middle and uppermiddle class urbanites. Exploring how their consumer habitus shifts to an ecological habitus, I argue that this transformation is already enabled by the privileged positions occupied by permaculturists in society. I then evaluate the lifestyle strategies that they employ to enact change in the world, and I claim that the conception of social change in permaculture replicates Bourdieu’s theory of practice. I then examine the post-political nature of permaculture and discuss its transformative potential. Finally, I turn to the catastrophic scenarios that circulate among permaculturists about the future of the Earth, and argue that permaculturists produce two forms of hope, anxious hope and catastrophic hope, the interaction of which places hope both in the present and the future

Wie kann die Weiterbildung «Kita-MOVE» erfolgreich in der Praxis umgesetzt werden? : eine Analyse der Weiterbildung «Kita-MOVE» anhand eines Fokusgruppengesprächs mit Fachpersonen

Einleitung: Diese Bachelorarbeit befasst sich mit der mit Weiterbildung “Kita-MOVE“, die sich an Fachpersonen aus dem Frühbereich richtet und verschiedene dialogische Methoden beinhaltet, welche die Kommunikation zwischen Fachpersonen und (schwer erreichbaren) Eltern erleichtern sollen. Ziel: Mit dieser Arbeit wird untersucht, inwiefern ein Transfer von theoretischen Inhalten der Weiterbildung in die berufliche Praxis erfolgen kann. Methode: Eine qualitative Datenerhebung erfolgte mittels Fokusgruppengespräch und Kurzinterviews mit vier Absolventinnen der Weiterbildung. Zusätzlich wurde eine selektive Literaturrecherche durchgeführt, die mögliche Parallelen zwischen Motivierender Gesprächsführung und der Positiven Psychologie in klinischen Settings untersuchte und Meta-Studien einschloss. Ergebnisse: Die meisten vermittelten Kommunikationsmodelle und -strategien waren neu für die Fachpersonen. Die Fachpersonen binden nun regelmässig vereinzelte Modelle und Strategien in die Gesprächsführung mit Eltern ein. Die Analyse der Meta-Studien ergab, dass die Positive Psychologie und die Motivierende Gesprächsführung über wirksame Ansätze zur Verbesserung von psychischen und physischen Symptomen verfügen. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Partizipation von Teilnehmenden ist ein entscheidender Faktor für den Erfolg und die Weiterentwicklung der “Kita-MOVE“ Weiterbildung. Die Nutzung von interprofessionellen Austauschplattformen könnten den Transfer und die Multiplikation von theoretischen Inhalten in die Praxis erleichtern

Fluid intake and changes in limb volumes in male ultra-marathoners: does fluid overload lead to peripheral oedema?

An increase in body mass due to oedema has been previously described. The aim of this study was to investigate a potential association between both fluid and electrolyte intake and the formation of peripheral oedemas. Fluid and electrolyte intakes and the changes in limb volumes in 50 male 100-km ultra-marathoners were measured. Pre- and post-race serum sodium concentration ([Na+]), serum aldosterone concentration, serum copeptin concentration, serum and urine osmolality and body mass were determined. Fluid intake, renal function parameters and urinary output, as well as the changes of volume in the extremities, were measured. The changes of volume in the limbs were measured using plethysmography. Serum [Na+] increased by 1.6%; body mass decreased by 1.9kg. Serum copeptin and aldosterone concentrations were increased. The change in serum copeptin concentration and the change in serum [Na+] correlated positively; the change in serum [Na+] and body mass correlated negatively. A mean fluid intake of 0.58L/h was positively related to running speed and negatively to post-race serum [Na+]. Total fluid intake was positively related to the changes in both arm and lower leg volumes. Running speed was positively associated with the changes in arm and lower leg volumes; race time was related to the changes in serum copeptin or aldosterone concentrations. To conclude, fluid intake was related to the changes in limb volumes, where athletes with an increased fluid intake developed an increase in limb volume

Decision support for the selection of reference sites using 137Cs as a soil erosion tracer

The classical approach of using 137Cs as a soil erosion tracer is based on the comparison between stable reference sites and sites affected by soil redistribution processes; it enables the derivation of soil erosion and deposition rates. The method is associated with potentially large sources of uncertainty with major parts of this uncertainty being associated with the selection of the reference sites. We propose a decision support tool to Check the Suitability of reference Sites (CheSS). Commonly, the variation among 137Cs inventories of spatial replicate reference samples is taken as the sole criterion to decide on the suitability of a reference inventory. Here we propose an extension of this procedure using a repeated sampling approach, in which the reference sites are resampled after a certain time period. Suitable reference sites are expected to present no significant temporal variation in their decay-corrected 137Cs depth profiles. Possible causes of variation are assessed by a decision tree. More specifically, the decision tree tests for (i) uncertainty connected to small-scale variability in 137Cs due to its heterogeneous initial fallout (such as in areas affected by the Chernobyl fallout), (ii) signs of erosion or deposition processes and (iii) artefacts due to the collection, preparation and measurement of the samples; (iv) finally, if none of the above can be assigned, this variation might be attributed to "turbation" processes (e.g. bioturbation, cryoturbation and mechanical turbation, such as avalanches or rockfalls). CheSS was exemplarily applied in one Swiss alpine valley where the apparent temporal variability called into question the suitability of the selected reference sites. In general we suggest the application of CheSS as a first step towards a comprehensible approach to test for the suitability of reference sites

Frailty as a Predictor of Poor Rehabilitation Outcomes among Older Patients Attending a Geriatric Day Hospital Program: An Observational Study.

BACKGROUND The Geriatric Day Hospital (GDH) is an important outpatient geriatric service, but there are few data on the role of frailty as a potential predictor of poor outcomes in this setting. METHODS Data were analyzed from 499 patients aged ≥ 60 years attending a 12-week GDH program between 2018 and 2021. Frailty status was defined as non-frail (68, 13.6%), mild/moderate frailty (351, 70.3%), and severe frailty (80, 16.0%) based on the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). Outcomes were defined as (1) poor outcome (hospital readmission, death, or medical deterioration) during the program and (2) admission to permanent nursing home care upon completion of the program. Multivariate logistic models were used for predictive analyses. RESULTS The mean age was 80.3 (standard deviation 7.0); 58.3% were women. Overall, 77 patients (15.4%) had a poor outcome, and 48 (9.6%) were admitted to permanent nursing home care. Poor outcome was experienced by none of the non-frail patients (0%), by 49 (14.0%) patients with mild/moderate frailty, and 22 (27.5%) patients with severe frailty (adjusted OR, 2.0; 95% CI 1.3, 3.2; p < 0.01). Admission to a permanent nursing home care was experienced by none of the non-frail patients (0%), 20 (5.7%) of those with mild/moderate frailty, and 28 (35.0%) with severe frailty (adjusted OR, 2.9; 95% CI 1.3, 6.3; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The CFS is a promising risk predictor of poor outcome and admission to permanent nursing home discharge among older patients attending a GDH program

Simplified Bioprinting-Based 3D Cell Culture Infection Models for Virus Detection

Studies of virus–host interactions in vitro may be hindered by biological characteristics of conventional monolayer cell cultures that differ from in vivo infection. Three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures show more in vivo-like characteristics and may represent a promising alternative for characterisation of infections. In this study, we established easy-to-handle cell culture platforms based on bioprinted 3D matrices for virus detection and characterisation. Different cell types were cultivated on these matrices and characterised for tissue-like growth characteristics regarding cell morphology and polarisation. Cells developed an in vivo-like morphology and long-term cultivation was possible on the matrices. Cell cultures were infected with viruses which differed in host range, tissue tropism, cytopathogenicity, and genomic organisation and virus morphology. Infections were characterised on molecular and imaging level. The transparent matrix substance allowed easy optical monitoring of cells and infection even via live-cell microscopy. In conclusion, we established an enhanced, standardised, easy-to-handle bioprinted 3D-cell culture system. The infection models are suitable for sensitive monitoring and characterisation of virus–host interactions and replication of different viruses under physiologically relevant conditions. Individual cell culture models can further be combined to a multicellular array. This generates a potent diagnostic tool for propagation and characterisation of viruses from diagnostic samples.Peer Reviewe