Between the lines: an analysis of the language of Indonesian reporting of military clashes in Aceh

[extract] Kompas Cyber Media is the online presence of the leading Indonesian daily Kompas and it was on the small screen that I first read about the kidnapping on 29 June, 2003 of television journalist Ersa Siregar, camera operator Ferry Santoro, their driver Rahmatsyah and two female passengers, sisters Safrida and Soraya. The online version of this drawn out story of reporters hostage to the Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, GAM) stripped down the news stories that appeared in the broadsheet. I was struck by the more than usually limited information value of the hostage headlines and stories from June through to December 29, 2003, when Ersa Siregar was shot dead in a fire fight between GAM and Indonesian National Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia TNI). It was as if the web presence of the newspaper reduced both the size and the resonances of this tragic event, the most serious case of violence against the press since the military imposed martial law in Aceh on 19 May 2003 (Presidential Decree 28/2003)

Exploring renewable energy powered reverse osmosis desalination plants in South Africa: a costing analysis of Reverse Osmosis desalination plants powered by renewable energy and their potential for South Africa

The desalination process requires large amounts of energy, either in the form of waste heat or grid electricity. If conventional grid electricity sources are used to power desalination plants, the burning of fossil fuels will contribute towards the release of greenhouse gasses

Changing peer’s attitudes towards accommodations for disabled students

Previous research on attitudes towards accommodations given to university students with disabilities has examined three groups: Faculty, disabled students, and their non-disabled peers. In general, faculty members have positive attitudes about implementing accommodations as long as they do not drastically change the curriculum. Both disabled and non-disabled students had similar positive attitudes for external disabilities such as visual impairment, cerebral palsy, and brain injury but less positive attitudes towards non-physical disabilities like depression. The purpose of this study was to see if an online educational intervention could change attitudes towards accommodations of disabilities. Participants (N = 122) were divided into four groups: one read a brief educational module on depression, one read a module on Traumatic Brain Injury, one read both the depression and TBI modules, and one read a control. They were then asked to rate the helpfulness of 10 accommodations for students with disabilities on a scale of 1 to 7, 1 being extremely unhelpful and 7 being extremely helpful. They were then asked to rate the fairness of those accommodations on the same scale. There were three disabilities rated: TBI, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and depression. Results showed that there was a significant, positive main effect for fairness among those who read about depression. (F[1,121] = 4.10, p = 0.045, eta-squared = .03). This result shows that even with a modest intervention, attitudes towards accommodations can be changed. All other hypotheses failed to reach significance; however, some possible reasons for this could be the small sample size, the short length of the intervention, and high endorsements of accommodations for students with TBI

Urologic surgery and COVID-19: How the pandemic is changing the way we operate

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a global impact on all aspects of healthcare, including surgical procedures. For urologists, it has affected and will continue to influence how we approach the care of patients pre-operatively, intra-operatively, and post-operatively. A risk-benefit assessment of each patient undergoing surgery should be performed during the COVID-19 pandemic based on the urgency of the surgery and the risk of viral illness and transmission. Patients with advanced age and comorbidities have a higher incidence of mortality. Routine preoperative testing and symptom screening is recommended to identify those with COVID-19. Adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for the surgical team is essential to protect healthcare workers and ensure an adequate workforce. For COVID-19 positive or suspected patients, the use of N95 respirators is recommended if available. The anesthesia method chosen should attempt to minimize aerosolization of the virus. Negative pressure rooms are strongly preferred for intubation/extubation and other aerosolizing procedures. Although transmission has not yet been shown during laparoscopic and robotic procedures, efforts should be made to minimize the risk of aerosolization. Ultra low particulate air filters are recommended for use during minimally invasive procedures to decrease the risk of viral transmission. Thorough cleaning and sterilization should be performed post-operatively with adequate time allowed for the operating room air to be cycled after procedures. COVID-19 patients should be separated from non-infected patients at all levels of care including recovery to decrease the risk of infection. Future directions will be guided by outcomes and infection rates as social distancing guidelines are relaxed and more surgical procedures are reintroduced. Recommendations should be adapted to the local environment and will continue to evolve as more data becomes available, the shortage of testing and PPE is resolved, and a vaccine and therapeutics for COVID-19 are developed

Neuromyelitis optica MOG-IgG causes reversible lesions in mouse brain.

INTRODUCTION: Antibodies against myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG-IgG) are present in some neuromyelitis optica patients who lack antibodies against aquaporin-4 (AQP4-IgG). The effects of neuromyelitis optica MOG-IgG in the central nervous system have not been investigated in vivo. We microinjected MOG-IgG, obtained from patients with neuromyelitis optica, into mouse brains and compared the results with AQP4-IgG. RESULTS: MOG-IgG caused myelin changes and altered the expression of axonal proteins that are essential for action potential firing, but did not produce inflammation, axonal loss, neuronal or astrocyte death. These changes were independent of complement and recovered within two weeks. By contrast, AQP4-IgG produced complement-mediated myelin loss, neuronal and astrocyte death with limited recovery at two weeks. CONCLUSIONS: These differences mirror the better outcomes for MOG-IgG compared with AQP4-IgG patients and raise the possibility that MOG-IgG contributes to pathology in some neuromyelitis optica patients

Neuromyelitis optica MOG-IgG causes reversible lesions in mouse brain.

INTRODUCTION: Antibodies against myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG-IgG) are present in some neuromyelitis optica patients who lack antibodies against aquaporin-4 (AQP4-IgG). The effects of neuromyelitis optica MOG-IgG in the central nervous system have not been investigated in vivo. We microinjected MOG-IgG, obtained from patients with neuromyelitis optica, into mouse brains and compared the results with AQP4-IgG. RESULTS: MOG-IgG caused myelin changes and altered the expression of axonal proteins that are essential for action potential firing, but did not produce inflammation, axonal loss, neuronal or astrocyte death. These changes were independent of complement and recovered within two weeks. By contrast, AQP4-IgG produced complement-mediated myelin loss, neuronal and astrocyte death with limited recovery at two weeks. CONCLUSIONS: These differences mirror the better outcomes for MOG-IgG compared with AQP4-IgG patients and raise the possibility that MOG-IgG contributes to pathology in some neuromyelitis optica patients