Thrombocytopenia in malaria: who cares?

Despite not being a criterion for severe malaria, thrombocytopenia is one of the most common complications of both Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum malaria. In a systematic review of the literature, platelet counts under 150,000/mm³ ranged from 24-94% in patients with acute malaria and this frequency was not different between the two major species that affected humans. Minor bleeding is mentioned in case reports of patients with P. vivax infection and may be explained by medullary compensation with the release of mega platelets in the peripheral circulation by megakaryocytes, thus maintaining a good primary haemostasis. The speculated mechanisms leading to thrombocytopenia are: coagulation disturbances, splenomegaly, bone marrow alterations, antibody-mediated platelet destruction, oxidative stress and the role of platelets as cofactors in triggering severe malaria. Data from experimental models are presented and, despite not being rare, there is no clear recommendation on the adequate management of this haematological complication. In most cases, a conservative approach is adopted and platelet counts usually revert to normal ranges a few days after efficacious antimalarial treatment. More studies are needed to specifically clarify if thrombocytopenia is the cause or consequence of the clinical disease spectrum

Expert advice on daytime talk television: A beneficial source of information for the general public?

Experts on talk television have an opportunity to disseminate useful information to the general public. However, many negative claims have been made about experts on talk television, including that experts are not utilized effectively by being delegated to the end of talk shows, by not being given much time to present advice, and by not providing useful advice. None of these claims have been examined utilizing empirical evidence. This study seeks to correct this deficiency. It examines 78 talk show transcripts for expert advice. Results indicated that talk shows utilized a small portion of their potential as a source of useful information; however, the analysis also suggested changes which talk shows could implement to increase the effectiveness of expert advice

The impact of guilt and type of compliance-gaining message on compliance

Consistent with Cialdini's Negative State Relief Model it has been established repeatedly that targets of compliance-gaining attempts comply with a request to help more frequently when those targets feel guilty than when they do not feel guilty. Expanding upon this result it was predicted that to the extent that a compliance-gaining message serves as a cue to link compliance with the restoration of positive or neutral affect, the compliance rate would vary. Building upon this reasoning it was hypothesized that a positive self-feeling compliance-gaining message would be more effective in producing target compliance than would a direct request message when the target felt guilty, but that the opposite relationship would hold when the target was not feeling guilty. An experiment in which both guilt and message type were varied was designed to test this hypothesis. In the main, the data were consistent with these predictions

The nature of close relationships as presented in television talk show titles

Although much controversy exists about the value of television talk shows, there is an absence of empirical investigation into the nature of these shows. The goal of this research was to analyze the titles from six months of the eleven top-rated television talk shows and corresponding content from one month of these shows. Results indicated that family relationships tended to be portrayed in predominantly negative ways. Personal relationships tended to be portrayed as neutral or negative. Analyses of corresponding content in the form of types of disclosures were conducted. On average, viewers were exposed to over 13 sexual activity, sexual orientation, embarrassing situation, abuse, and criminal disclosures per one hour talk show. Sexual activity disclosures occurred significantly more often in personal relationship shows, sexual orientation and embarrassing situation disclosures occurred significantly more often in positive topic personal relationship shows, while abuse disclosures occurred significantly more often in negative relationship topic shows. Individual attributes most often portrayed were sexual activity, personality traits, criminal behavior, celebrity status, anger, and appearance. An analysis of the valence of personality traits revealed that they, too, were portrayed predominantly in a negative manner. The findings are discussed in terms of the ways that television talk show events may function to distort viewer's judgments about close relationships

Memorable Messages and Newcomer Socialization on Campus: Messages About Body Image Among Student Athletes, Sorority Members, and Freshmen

College females report greater body dissatisfaction than in high school, and a majority of college women report engaging in occasional to regular extreme measures of weight control. The college campus is an important agent for organizational socialization, and messages received during these times may foster internalized and lasting effects on body perceptions. Thus, this study employs the concept of memorable messages to examine how messages received by members of three distinct sociocultural groups (student athletes, freshmen, and sorority females) impact perceptions of body image. It was found that memorable messages received at these critical junctures share thematic similarity but significantly differ in the context of being received. The current study analyzed the content of the memorable messages as well as their sources and context

Global impact of the first coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic wave on vascular services

This online structured survey has demonstrated the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vascular services. The majority of centres have documented marked reductions in operating and services provided to vascular patients. In the months during recovery from the resource restrictions imposed during the pandemic peaks, there will be a significant vascular disease burden awaiting surgeons. One of the most affected specialtie

Memorias. Encuentro de Experiencias en Inventarios y Monitoreo Biológico

Las discusiones temáticas alrededor de la consolidación del Inventario Nacional de Biodiversidad para Colombia y la Red de Monitoreo de Biodiversidad como una estrategia de largo plazo, sin duda temas complejos que requerirán de grandes esfuerzos, coordinación y generosidad institucional y personal, los podrá apreciar el lector a lo largo del presente documento, esperando que pueda entender también la importancia que tienen los resultados y la agenda propuesta si en el futuro queremos tomar decisiones con bases científicas