The role and scope of practice of midwives in humanitarian settings:a systematic review and content analysis

Abstract Background Midwives have an essential role to play in preparing for and providing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in humanitarian settings due to their unique knowledge and skills, position as frontline providers and geographic and social proximity to the communities they serve. There are considerable gaps in the international guidance that defines the scope of practice of midwives in crises, particularly for the mitigation and preparedness, and recovery phases. We undertook a systematic review to provide further clarification of this scope of practice and insights to optimise midwifery performance. The review aimed to determine what SRH services midwives are involved in delivering across the emergency management cycle in humanitarian contexts, and how they are working with other professionals to deliver health care. Methods Four electronic databases and the websites of 33 organisations were searched between January and March 2017. Papers were eligible for inclusion if they were published in English between 2007 and 2017 and reported primary research pertaining to the role of midwives in delivering and performing any component of sexual and/or reproductive health in humanitarian settings. Content analysis was used to map the study findings to the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for SRH across the three phases of the disaster management cycle and identify how midwives work with other members of the health care team. Results Fourteen studies from ten countries were included. Twelve studies were undertaken in conflict settings, and two were conducted in the context of the aftermath of natural disasters. We found a paucity of evidence from the research literature that examines the activities and roles undertaken by midwives across the disaster management cycle. This lack of evidence was more apparent during the mitigation and preparedness, and recovery phases than the response phase of the disaster management cycle. Conclusion Research-informed guidelines and strategies are required to better align the scope of practice of midwives with the objectives of multi-agency guidelines and agreements, as well as the activities of the MISP, to ensure that the potential of midwives can be acknowledged and optimised across the disaster management cycle

Indian retailing entrepreneurs. An analysis of migrant entrepreneurship in the Spanish market for retail payment service

Indian migrants have become one of the leading groups of retail entrepreneurs in Spain in payment services. We have found that 310 Indian entrepreneurs are agents of payment institutions in Spain, and that they have a strong preference for Spain’s Mediterranean regions: 256, or 82% of them are b..

Viscoelastic gels of guar and xanthan gum mixtures provide long-term stabilization of iron micro- and nanoparticles

Iron micro- and nanoparticles used for groundwater remediation and medical applications are prone to fast aggregation and sedimentation. Diluted single biopolymer water solutions of guar gum (GG) or xanthan gum (XG) can stabilize these particles for few hours providing steric repulsion and by increasing the viscosity of the suspension. The goal of the study is to demonstrate that amending GG solutions with small amounts of XG (XG/GG weight ratio 1:19; 3 g/L of total biopolymer concentration) can significantly improve the capability of the biopolymer to stabilize highly concentrated iron micro- and nanoparticle suspensions. The synergistic effect between GG and XG generates a viscoelastic gel that can maintain 20 g/L iron particles suspended for over 24 h. This is attributed to (i) an increase in the static viscosity, (ii) a combined polymer structure the yield stress of which contrasts the downward stress exerted by the iron particles, and (iii) the adsorption of the polymers to the iron surface having an anchoring effect on the particles. The XG/GG viscoelastic gel is characterized by a marked shear thinning behavior. This property, coupled with the low biopolymer concentration, determines small viscosity values at high shear rates, facilitating the injection in porous media. Furthermore, the thermosensitivity of the soft elastic polymeric network promotes higher stability and longer storage times at low temperatures and rapid decrease of viscosity at higher temperatures. This feature can be exploited in order to improve the flowability and the delivery of the suspensions to the target as well as to effectively tune and control the release of the iron particle

Bosc ancestral

“Bosque ancestral» es un mural de 60 metros obra de Anna Rierola instalada desde febrero de 2019 en la fachada del Centre Mediterrani d’Investigacions Marines i Ambientals (CMIMA), sede del Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) y la Unitat de Tecnologia Marina (UTM-CSIC).-- 4 pages, figures[ES] Un mundo microscópico bajo la superficie del mar. Acostumbrados a ver peces, algas, medusas y otros seres marinos de magnitudes apreciables al ojo humano, olvidamos que bajo la superficie del mar se esconde un inmenso mundo microscópico formado por virus, bacterias, flagelados, microalgas, ciliados, pequeños crustáceos, etc. Esta comunidad compleja de microorganismos del plancton desempeña funciones esenciales para la vida marina y el equilibrio de los ecosistemas. «Bosque ancestral” se inspira en el papel fundamental que juegan los organismos del fitoplancton marino en el funcionamiento global de nuestro planeta: constituyen la base de la cadena trófica, son los protagonistas de ciclos naturales básicos y generan el 50% del oxígeno del planeta, que nosotros respiramos. Además del papel funcional, esta obra artística también reivindica el papel ancestral de estos organismos: la historia de la vida en la Tierra empezó en los océanos con organismos muy simples, y las primeras formas fotosintéticas marinas originaron la atmósfera oxigénica en la que vivimos hoy en día. Los progatonistas. Diatomeas, dinoflagelados y cocolitoforales son eucariotas unicelulares fotosintéticos pertenecientes al reino Protista. Son los componentes más abundantes del fitoplancton, se encuentran ampliamente distribuidos por todo el océano y juegan un papel fundamental en la base de la cadena trófica marina, además de ser importantes productores de oxígeno atmosférico. Las primeras evidencias de estos organismos se encuentran en sedimentos y fósiles de hace 200 millones de años. Son, por lo tanto, organismos primitivos testigos del pasado de nuestro planeta. [...][CAT] Un món microscòpic sota la superfície del mar. Acostumats a veure peixos, algues, meduses i altres éssers marins de magnituds apreciables a l’ull humà, oblidem que sota la superfície del mar s’amaga un immens món microscòpic format per virus, bacteris, flagel·lats, microalgues, ciliats, petits crustacis, etc. Aquesta comunitat complexa de microorganismes planctònics marins exerceix funcions essencials per a la vida marina i l’equilibri dels ecosistemes. “Bosc ancestral” s’inspira en el paper fonamental que juguen els organismes del fitoplàncton marí en el funcionament global del nostre planeta: constitueixen la base de la cadena tròfica, són els protagonistes de cicles naturals bàsics i generen el 50% de l’oxigen del planeta, que nosaltres respirem. A més del paper funcional, aquesta obra artística també reivindica el paper ancestral d’aquests organismes: la història de la vida a la Terra va començar als oceans amb organismes molt simples, i les primeres formes fotosintètiques marines van originar l’atmosfera oxigènica en la qual vivim avui dia. Els protagonistes. Diatomees, dinoflagel·lades i coccolitoforals són eucariotes unicel·lulars fotosintètics pertanyents al regne Protista. Són els components més abundants del fitoplàncton, es troben àmpliament distribuïts per tot l’oceà i juguen un paper fonamental a la base de la cadena tròfica marina, a més de ser importants productors d’oxigen atmosfèric. Les primeres evidències d’aquests organismes es troben en sediments i fòssils de fa 200 milions d’anys. Són, per tant, organismes primitius testimonis del passat del nostre planeta. [...]Peer reviewe