On Gender Neutrality: Derrida and Transfeminism in Conversation

There is already a long history of conversation between feminism and deconstruction, feminist theorists and Derrida or Derrideans. That conversation has been by turns fraught and constructive. While some of these interactions have occurred in queer feminism, to date little has been done to stage an engagement between deconstruction and transfeminism. Naysayers might think that transfeminism is too recent and too identitarian a discourse to meaningfully interact with Derrida’s legacy. On the other hand, perhaps Derrida’s work was too embedded in second wave feminism, and in some cases implicit misogyny and transphobia, to meet transfeminism on its own playing field. And yet, I think both suspicions shortchange these discourses. In this article, I stage a conversation between Derrida and two writers working in the area of trans feminism: Paisley Currah and Julia Serano. I explore, in particular, how their conceptions of gender neutrality or gender pluralism are complementary and together change the so-called “question of woman,” from a philosophical and political perspective

The Effect of Empowerment Program for Nurses Regarding Management of Children with Phenylketonuria

Context: Phenylketonuria (commonly known as PKU) is an inherited disorder that increases the levels of a substance called phenylalanine in the blood. If PKU did not diagnose early in life or the affected children with PKU do not be compliant with the treatment regimen (food), it leads to severe cognitive or behavioral problems, seizures, and autistic symptoms.Aim: The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of an empowerment program on nurses' management of children with phenylketonuria. Methods: Quasi-experimental research (one group pre/post-test) design was used to conduct this study. The study was carried out in the hereditary unit, and hereditary outpatient clinics at Ain Shams Specialized Hospital for children affiliated to Ain shams University. A convenient sample of all available nurses working in the previously mentioned study settings (80 male and female bedside nurses) from the beginning of May 2018 to the end of October 2018. Two tools were utilized for data collection for the current study. They are the structured interview questionnaire to assess the nurses' knowledge regarding the management of children with phenylketonuria and the nurses’ performance observation checklists regarding nursing care provided for children with phenylketonuria Results: nurses' knowledge regarding phenylketonuria was unsatisfactory before the empowerment program, while there is a statistically significant improvement between pre and post empowerment program implementation. Nurses' practice regarding phenylketonuria was incompetent before the empowerment program compared to post empowerment program. There is a positive statistical relationship between nurses' knowledge and practice post-program implementation. Conclusion: The study revealed that the empowerment program had a positive effect on the nurses' knowledge and practice towards the management of children with phenylketonuria. The current study recommended continuous education and training sessions about the management of children with phenylketonuria that should be provided to upgrade the knowledge and improve the practice of nurses caring for PKU children. Availability and accessibility of printed guidelines, posters, and simple handouts regarding the management of children with phenylketonuria

Effect of Supportive Educational Intervention for Mothers of Female Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy on Their Caring Practices

Context: Cerebral palsy is a major cause of poor physical, mental, and social health and one of the biggest risk factors for underachievement in later life. Mothers caring for children with disabilities experience several challenges. Parents of children with cerebral palsy (CP) must know about the disease and its management to improve the outcome.Aim: To assess the effect of a supportive educational intervention for mothers of female adolescents with cerebral palsy on their caring practices. Methods: A quasi-experimental (pre/post-test) design was employed at the neurology outpatient clinic at Pediatric Hospital, Ain Shams University, with a convenience sample of 50 mothers of female adolescents with cerebral palsy. The researcher used two tools: A predesigned questionnaire includes three parts to assess the demographic characteristics of the mothers and their daughters with cerebral palsy and their knowledge regarding the disease. The second tool is a mothers’ reported practice checklist regarding caring for a female adolescent with CP. Results: There was a highly significant difference between mothers' knowledge about normal physical and physiological needs of adolescents, physical needs and problems of handicaps, menstrual-related discomfort, and premenstrual manifestation between pre and post-intervention at a p-value <0.001 except for problems related to adolescent period. There was a highly significant difference between mothers' reported practice of routine care and routine perineal care during and after menstruation at a p-value <0.001. Conclusion: Implementing a supportive educational program for mothers regarding the care of their female adolescents with cerebral palsy had a positive effect on their knowledge and reported practice. The study recommended continuous training for mothers related to managing the child's physical needs and psychosocial ones. Future studies to examine the relationship between maternal psychological well-being and CP severity, using standard measures for CP severity. Further studies are needed to assess predictive factors affecting mothers' knowledge and practice regarding the care of an adolescent with cerebral palsy

Traditional Versus Objective Structured Clinical Examination on Pediatric Nursing Students’ Performance

Context: The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) method is an effective tool for evaluating the clinical nursing skills of nursing students. OSCE is an assessment technique in which the student demonstrates their competence under a variety of simulated conditions Aim: This study aimed to compare objective structured clinical examinations versus traditional clinical examinations on pediatric nursing students' performance. Methods: A quasi-experimental research design (study and control group) was used to conduct this study. The study was conducted in the laboratory of pediatric nursing skills at the faculty of nursing, Benha University. All male and female pediatric nursing students in the 3rd year (n. =228), who were studying in the academic year 2018-2019, first semester, faculty of nursing, Benha University, was recruited. A simple random sample chose to achieve the aim of this study. The odd number was for the OSCE group and the even number for the traditional clinical examination (TCE) group. Four tools were utilized to collect data for the current study. A Structured Questionnaire Sheet, A modified Self-administered Questionnaire, Pediatric Nursing Students' Practice Observational Checklists, and Clinical Scenarios were designed to assess the pediatric nursing student OSCE exam and compare between the traditional method and OSCE method of exams. Results: The current study discovered statistically significant differences were found with a high percentage of agreement responses among pediatric nursing students for related items of OSCE method compared to those in TCE. Additionally, the results clarify a highly statistically significant difference between the studied pediatric nursing students' in TCE and OSCE total performance scores. Conclusion: Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) was opinioned as a tool for clinical evaluation. This finding appeared in pediatric nursing students' responses, which confirmed their acceptance of OSCE. The OSCE subsequently remains a more objective method of assessment than the traditional clinical forms of the exam that was previously used. OSCE can be used most effectively in undergraduate nursing curricula to assess fair practice. This type of exam provided an accurate measure of clinical skill competencies. Therefore, OSCE should be adopted as a strategy for examining clinical skills for students in all academic years. The current study recommended that Objective Structured Clinical Examination can be used as effective and meaningful assistance to fitness for practice, and OSCE should be adopted as a strategy f

Determination of NKR-P1B Receptor Expression and Its Function in Liver-Resident NK Cells

Background: The liver harbours a large population of immune cells, which is selectively enriched in natural killer (NK) cells. NK cells represent a lymphoid population with a potent cytolytic activity, which play critical roles in immune defense against invading pathogens. Two distinct NK cell subsets, liver-resident NK (lrNK) cells and conventional NK (cNK) cells, are present in the liver. NK cell functions are regulated by an array of activating and inhibitory receptors. NKR-P1B is one of the earliest expressed NK cell receptors that inhibits NK cell functions upon binding to its cognate C-type related ligand, Clr-b. Purpose: Determine expression of NKR-P1B receptor in liver NK cells, and its role in the development and function of liver-resident NK cells. Experimental Design: We used a multiparametric flow cytometry technique to analyze the phenotype, distribution, and homeostatic differences between lrNK cells and cNK cells in the livers from wild-type (WT) and knockout NKR-P1B (KO) mice. Results: Preliminary results suggest that, WT lrNK cells exhibit a more mature phenotype compared to NKR-P1B KO lrNK cells. There were no significant differences in the distribution of NK cells in the livers from WT and NKR-P1B KO mice. As compared to cNK cells, lrNK cells displayed higher expression of granzyme B, an enzyme required for cytotoxic activity of NK cells. Conclusion: The findings from this work will provide new insights about the expression and function of NKR-P1B receptor in lrNK cells and a better understanding of the distinguishing behavior of lrNK cells compared to cNK cells

Effect of Nursing Protocol Regarding Nasal Skin Breakdown for Preterm Infants Receiving Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

Context: Neonates, particularly those born premature, may require ventilation assistance immediately after birth since their lungs may not be fully developed. The use of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is increasing as a means of respiratory support in many premature infants. So, the presence of nasal skin breakdown may be seen as a complication.Aim: Evaluate the effect of nursing protocol regarding nasal skin breakdown for preterm infants receiving nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Methods: A quasi-experimental research design was utilized to conduct the current study. The study was conducted at Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) and Surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit "SNICU" of Benha Specialized Pediatric Hospital at Benha city. A convenient sample of nurses (70) working in NICU and SNICU and a purposive random sample of (77) preterm infants were included from the settings mentioned above. Those premature infants were divided into two groups (study and control) (35) in the control group and (42) in the study group, who were selected according to the power analysis equation based on the total number of preterm infants admitted to the setting mentioned above during 2017. Three tools were used. A structured interviewing questionnaire was designed to assess nurses' sociodemographic characteristics, nurses' knowledge regarding CPAP, care provided to preterm infants undergoing CPAP, and nasal skin breakdown. The second tool was a nursing practice observation checklist to assess nurses' practice regarding nasal CPAP. The third tool was Preterm Medical Assessment Record. It is designed to assess the characteristics of preterm infants and medical data of preterm infants. The last tool was the Neonatal Skin Condition Score (NSCS) scale, designed to assess the neonates' skin condition. Results: Findings of the present study revealed a statistically significant difference (P<0.05) pre and post-nursing protocol implementation regarding CPAP, the role of the nurse caring for preterm infants undergoing nasal CPAP, and nasal skin breakdown. The results also revealed a highly statistically significant difference in nursing practice regarding care for preterm infants undergoing nasal CPAP pre and post-nursing protocol implementation at (p<0.001). Nasal Skin Breakdown in the study group was significantly less than in the control group at a different time of assessment at (p˂0.001). Conclusion: It can be concluded that the research hypothesis is accepted; the nursing protocol implemented for nurses improved their knowledge and practice as well as reduced nasal skin breakdown in the preterm newborns receiving NCPAP. The study recommended applying the nursing protocol for nurses caring for preterm infants to reduce nasal skin breakdown during CPAP ventilation, an effective and safe non-invasive intervention in all NICUs as a standard of care for all preterm infants

Effect of Educational Empowerment on Student Nurses’ Knowledge, Practice, and Attitude toward Genomic Counselling

Context: All over the world, the increased awareness of the importance of early diagnosis of genetic diseases has given them priority in primary health care. However, more recent surveys indicate that genetics content is still lacking in nursing curricula.Aim: Evaluate the effect of educational empowerment on student nurses' knowledge, practice, and attitude toward genomic counseling. Methods: Quasi-experimental (pre/post-test) design was utilized to collect the data for this study. The study was conducted at the Faculty of Nursing affiliated to Ain Shams University. The subjects were all available adolescent nursing students who enrolled in the pediatric and obstetric course in the third year. The study sample was composed of 340 nursing students. Researchers used a self-administered questionnaire that includes characteristics of subjects and the assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice of students. Results: 47.65% of the studied students had poor knowledge at the pre-educational program phase, while 55.88% had good knowledge at the post educational program, with a highly significant difference at p-value <0.01. There was a highly significant difference between studied students' attitudes toward genetic disease, health history benefits, genetic examination benefits, genomic counseling, follow-up, and decision-making process domains in pre and post-educational program at p-value <0.001. Also, the results reveal that 79.41% of studied students had unsatisfactory practice in the pre-educational program, while 70.59% of them had satisfactory practice in post educational program. There was a highly positive correlation between knowledge, practice, and attitude of studied students about genomic counseling at the pre-educational program. Conclusion: Educational empowerment positively affected the knowledge, attitude, and practice of adolescent nursing students regarding genomic counseling. The study recommended continuous training for adolescent nursing students about genetic counseling to prepare them for their future roles. Future studies are needed to examine the relationship between knowledge, attitude, and practice of adolescent nursing students regarding genomic counseling

Burning it in? Nietzsche, Gender, and Externalized Memory

In this article, I extend the feminist use of Friedrich Nietzsche’s account of memory and forgetting to consider the contemporary externalization of memory foregrounded by transgender experience. Nietzsche’s On the Genealogy of Morals argues that memory is “burnt in” to the forgetful body as a necessary part of subject-formation and the requirements of a social order. Feminist philosophers have employed Nietzsche’s account to illuminate how gender, as memory, becomes embodied. While the account of the “burnt in” repetitions of gender allows us to theorize processes of embodied identity on an individual level, analyzing gender today requires also accounting for how gender is externalized. I take up this question through the specific examples of identity documents and sex-segregated bathrooms. Returning to Nietzsche’s call to practice a resistant forgetting, I conclude by exploring the distinct strategies required to disrupt externalized memory. These strategies include contesting the use of past gender assignments in data collection and rewriting architectural reminders of gender

Elevated serum KL-6 in pediatric asthma exacerbation: a proof of alveolar injury

Background: Asthma is one of the most popular chronic diseases in children. It is defined as a complicated inflammatory disorder in which the patient suffers from chronic and persistent inflammation of the airways. The sialylated glycoprotein Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6), one of the lung epithelium-specific proteins, has been recognized as a significant biomarker which directly associates with interstitial lung disease (ILD) pathogenesis, indicating the extent of damage and regeneration of type II pneumocytes. Objective: the aim of this study is to investigate the degree of alveolar damage in asthmatic children with acute exacerbation as reflected by serum KL-6 levels. Methods: This cross-sectional controlled study included 50 patients with acute asthma exacerbation diagnosed as per the GINA guidelines definition and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy children as controls. Spirometry was done for all participants. Serum KL-6 level was estimated by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), and total serum IgE level was measured via the electrochemiluminescence technology. Results: The asthma patients included 35 (70%) males and 15 (30%) females with mean age of 10.76 ±1.9 years. Forty-seven patients (94%) had a positive family history of bronchial asthma and 32 (64%) had other atopic manifestations The mean serum KL-6 level in patients was more than double the mean level of the control group (115.79 vs 55.64). No significant relation was observed between KL-6 serum level and age, family history of asthma, seasonal variation, or atopic manifestation among the cases. Serum total IgE levels were significantly higher in cases compared to controls (P<0.05). Conclusion: Serum KL-6 levels in pediatric asthma patients may be a useful diagnostic tool for detecting and monitoring the severity of airway inflammation. The use of serum KL-6 alone may help to differentiate between asthmatic patients in exacerbation and healthy controls