Meaning and components of Quality of Life among individuals with spinal cord injury in Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia

Purpose: Knowledge on the meaning of quality of life in individuals with spinal cord injury in developing countries is limited. This study aims to explore the meaning and components of quality of life for individuals with spinal cord injury in a rural area in Indonesia. Method: Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with 12 individuals with paraplegia (8 males, 4 females) aged 24–67 years. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes that constitute meaning and components of quality of life. Results: Quality of life was not an easily understood concept, while “life satisfaction” and “happiness” were. Life satisfaction was associated with a person’s feeling when achieving goals or dreams and related to fulfillment of needs. Thirteen components of life satisfaction were identified and categorized into five domains as follows: (1) participation: earning income and work, being useful to others, community participation, and having skills and knowledge, (2) social support: social support, social relationship, (3) relationship with God: injury is God’s will, praying, (4) independence: being independent, mobility and accessibility, and health, and (5) psychological resources: accepting the condition, maintaining goals and motivation. Conclusions: Social, cultural and religious influences were prominent in the perception of life satisfaction. The measurement of quality of life for individuals with spinal cord injury in Indonesia needs to consider locally perceived meaning and components of quality of life. Implications for Rehabilitation Financial, social and health needs of individuals with spinal cord injury in Indonesia must be immediately addressed. To increase financial independence, rehabilitation professionals should equip individuals with spinal cord injury with adequate self-employment skills. Sociocultural and religious aspects should be considered in the measurement of quality of life

Zoonotische Nematoden-Infektionen des Hundes - Ausbreitung von Thelaziose und kutaner Dirofilariose

Die Liste praxisrelevanter, durch Vektoren übertragener Infektionskrankheiten des Hundes (CVBDs) wächst stetig. Ursachen sind die Ausbreitung von Vektoren und die Einschleppung von ­Erregern, poten­ziell begünstigt durch den Klimawandel, insbesondere aber durch die Haltergewohnheiten (Mitnahme des Hundes auf Reisen, Importe von „Tierschutzhunden”). Gerade bei zoonotisch bedeutsamen Krankheiten ist in der Praxis erhöhte Wachsamkeit geboten, um mit den gegebenen Optionen in Prophylaxe und Therapie dieser CVBDs eine Endemisierung zu verhindern. Die Liste möglicher Canine Vector-borne Diseases (CVBDs) bei Hunden in Deutschland ist durch erste autochthone Fälle der Thelaziose (hervorgerufen durch den ­Augenwurm Thelazia callipaeda) und der kaninen kutanen Dirofilariose (verursacht durch Dirofilaria repens) zu ergänzen. Das Verbreitungsgebiet des Augenwurms weitet sich offenbar zunehmend nach Norden aus, und Dirofilaria repens wird vermehrt durch „Tierschutzhunde” nach Deutschland importiert. Beide Helminthosen haben Zoonosepotenzial

Morphometric analyses of canine blood microfilariae isolated by the Knott's test enables Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens species-specific and Acanthocheilonema (syn. Dipetalonema) genus-specific diagnosis

BACKGROUND: Considering the increasing importance of small animals travel medicine and the spread of filariae with zoonotic potential to non-endemic European areas, routine filarial diagnosis in dogs is becoming important. Dirofilaria immitis, D. repens, Acanthocheilonema dracunculoides and A. reconditum are the most common canine filarial nematodes presenting blood circulating microfilariae (mf) which can be differentiated to species level by the acid phosphatase activity patterns or by PCR. Available data on the size of the mf vary considerably in the literature. The aim of this study was to validate morphometric criteria for filarial identification in blood samples of dogs after concentration of mf with the modified Knott's technique. METHODS: Morphometric analysis of 10 mf from samples identified to species level by acid phosphatase activity and partially confirmed by PCR were performed with specimens from 377 dogs. RESULTS: The mean length and width of D. immitis mf from 60 dogs were 301.77±6.29 μm and 6.30±0.26 μm, of D. repens mf from 171 dogs 369.44±10.76 μm 8.87±0.58 μm, of A. dracunculoides mf from 133 dogs 259.43±6.69 μm and 5.09±0.47 μm and of A. reconditum mf from 13 dogs 264.83±5.47 μm and 4.63±0.52 μm.For a subset of 30 samples, morphometric analysis was repeated with identical results in two laboratories. Furthermore, the size of mf concentrated and fixed by the Knott's technique was shown to be stable over 105 days. CONCLUSIONS: The Knott's test enables to clearly distinguish between D. immitis, D. repens and Acanthocheilonema spp. However, due to the overlapping size ranges of A. dracunculoides and A. reconditum, biochemical or molecular methods are required to distinguish these two species

Chemical and physical characterization and acid hydrolysis of a mixture of Jatropha curcas shells and husks

Jatropha curcas L. is a tropical plant with considerable potential for producing biodiesel and other products of high economic and social interest. During the biodiesel production process from J. curcas different residues, such as shells and husks are generated. In this work, the physical characterization of J. curcas fruits was performed, and the chemical composition of a mixture of shells and husks was determined. The physical characterization revealed that shells and husks account, respectively, for 25.0 and 27.8% of the fruit weight. The compositional analyses of the material showed a rather high content of glucans (32.8% w/w) and xylans (16.4% w/w), which indicates the potential of J. curcas shells and husks for production of ethanol, xylitol and other glucose- and xylose-derived products. Acid hydrolysis was applied to a mixture of shells and husks under different sulphuric acid concentrations (from 0.5 to 4.5%), temperatures (170 – 220ºC) and time (10 – 20 min), and the hydrolytic conversion of xylan was evaluated. A zone of experimental conditions giving maximal xylan conversion was identified at around 4% H2SO4, 180ºC and reaction time below 10 min

Local transmission of the eye worm Thelazia callipaeda in southern Germany

This report describes the first assumed locally transmitted case of the eye worm Thelazia callipaeda in a dog living in southern Germany. A four year old, male golden retriever from the town of Bühl in north eastern Baden-Württemberg, about 10 km from the German-French border, showed one sided lacrimation for over two weeks. Despite the application of antibiotics, there was no improvement, and the dog additionally showed blepharospasmus, epiphora and red conjunctivas. A deepened eye inspection revealed five whitish, filiform parasites which were morphologically identified as T. callipaeda. The partial sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox1, 605 bp) from one specimen revealed a novel haplotype, which differs by 1.3% from the only one (haplotype 1) identified in Europe so far. Since the infected dog had never been abroad with the exception of two daytrips to the close Alsace region in France, the transmission of T. callipaeda most probably was domestic. With the presence of end hosts and Phortica flies nourishing on lachrymal secretions acting as intermediate hosts, and an increasing number of dogs travelling to and coming from endemic regions in the South, the establishment of T. callipaeda in large parts of Europe cannot be excluded