bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A study skills course for First-Year Medical Students: Experience of a Private Medical School in Pakistan
Authors: Ali Sobia , Tabassum Afifa , Hashmi Muhammad Suleman Sadiq , Huda Nighat
Published: December 2020

Objectives: To share the experience of study skill module development and implementation for first year MBBS students at Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College (LNH&MC). To compare the change in students’ self- assessment of their knowledge of study skills before and after the course.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted from November 2019 to April 2020. A structured study skills course was offered to 100 first year MBBS students of Liaquat National Hospital & Medical College, Karachi. Steps involved in the development included identification of outcomes, instructional objectives, content and instructional strategies. Students were given two questionnaires. In the first questionnaire, students rated their interest in implementing the learning techniques learnt. In the second questionnaire, students rated their level of knowledge of effective study skills before and after the course. Analysis included computing percentages for students’ preferred study skill technique. Change in knowledge was assessed by comparing retrospective pre-post self-rating using Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test (two-tailed).

Results: Analysis of survey forms showed that more than 50% of the students were willing to implement active listening techniques, metacognitive note taking and writing reflections in their future study practice.There was also a statistically significant change in students’ self-rating of their knowledge about study skills (pre-test median 3, post-test median 4, p0.00).

Conclusion: This study provides an insight of structured study skills course development and implementation in early medical college studies that could help them in combating academic stress. In addition, students’ response about their preferred technique and their feedback comparison concluded their positive attitude towards the course.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.2772

How to cite this:Ali S, Tabassum A, Hashmi MSS, Huda N. A study skills course for First-Year Medical Students: Experience of a Private Medical School in Pakistan. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):65-70. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.2772

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
High frequency of simultaneous presence of ESBL and carbapenemase producers among nosocomial coliform isolates in Faisalabad, Pakistan
Authors: Irfan Sofia , Azhar Aysha , Awan Asad Bashir , Ahmad Salman , Haque Abdul
Published: December 2020

Objectives: The objective of the current study was to find prevalence of relevant ESBL and carbapenemase producing genes in nosocomial E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates and to check phenotypic susceptibility of all ESBL positive isolates to carbapenems.

Methods: Forty ESBL producing clinical isolates of Escherichia coli (n=33) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n=7) were examined for the presence of β-lactamase genes (CTX-M, CTX-M-1, 2, 3, 4 and TEM). Carbapenem resistance was checked phenotypically and by presence of blaNDM-1 gene.

Results: Nine (27%) were positive for CTX-M genes, and 10 (30%) for TEM among E. coli isolates. Importantly, six isolates showed co-existence of CTX-M and TEM genes. In K. pneumoniae, two (28%) isolates were positive for CTX-M and one (14%) for TEM genes. Eight (24%) E. coli and one (14%) K. pneumoniae isolates were positive for CTX-M-1. Respective figures for CTX-M-4 were three (10%) and one (14%). CTX-M-2 and CTX-M-3 groups were not represented. Twenty (50%) isolates were resistant to both imipenem and meropenem out of which only four isolates expressed blaNDM-1 gene.

Conclusions: The significant presence of both ESBL and carbapenemase producers and co-existence of ESBL and carbapenemases in the same isolates is worrisome.

Abbreviations: ESBL: Extended spectrum β-lactamase. MBL: Metallo-betlactamase. PCR: Polymerase chain reaction.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.3192

How to cite this:Irfan S, Azhar A, Bashir A, Ahmed S, Haque A. High frequency of simultaneous presence of ESBL and carbapenemase producers among nosocomial coliform isolates in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):34-39.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.3192

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Presentation and outcome of femoral infected non-unions in children and adolescents
Authors: Bakhsh Karim , Zimri Faridullah Khan , Mohammad Eid , -Ur-Rehman Atiq , Saaiq Muhammad
Published: December 2020

Objectives: To document the presentation of infected non-unions of femur in pediatric and adolescent population and evaluate the outcome of segmental bone transport with the Ilizarov method.

Methods: This prospective case series study was carried out over a period of five years, from January 01, 2015 to December 31, 2019. The study included all children and adolescent patients who presented with femoral infected non unions. The study excluded patients above the age of 16 years and those who had pathological fractures secondary to bone pathologies such as cysts, tumors or metabolic bone diseases.

Results: Out of 31 patients, 27(87.09%) were males and 4(12.90%) were females. The mean age was 13.48±1.98 years. The underlying mechanisms that lead to the causation of fractures included road traffic accidents (n=23;74.19%), fall from height (n=7;22.58%) and firearm injuries (n=1;3.22%). The bone gaps ranged from 3-5 cm with a mean of 4.00± 0.856 cm. Bone union was achieved among 28(90.32%) patients. Infection was eradicated among 27(87.09%) patients whereas the remaining patients continued to suffer persistent infection. The most common complications included pin tract inflammation/ infection among (n=31;100%) patients and stiffness of knee joint among (n=19;61.29%) patients.

Conclusion: Majority of the patients were males, aged 9-16 years. Road traffic accidents were the commonest cause of the fractures. The Ilizarov method of segmental bone transport was effective in treating the majority of infected non-unions.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.3354

How to cite this:Bakhsh K, Zimri FK, Mohammad E, Atiq-Ur-Rehman, Saaiq M. Presentation and outcome of femoral infected non-unions in children and adolescents. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):201-205. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.3354

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
ABO / Rh-D Blood types and susceptibility to Corona Virus Disease-19 in Peshawar, Pakistan
Authors: Rahim Fawad , Amin Said , Bahadur Sher , Noor Mohammad , Mahmood Afsheen , Gul Huma
Published: December 2020

Objectives: To determine the association between ABO/Rh-D blood types and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection in Pakistan.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1935 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were included using consecutive sampling. Age and gender-matched sample of 1935 blood donors was used as a comparison group. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were used for inferential statistics.

Results: Significantly higher proportion of blood type-B was observed in COVID-19 group (35.9% vs 31.9%, p=0.009). Blood type-AB was found more frequently (14.2% vs 11.8%, p=0.03) in the comparison group. The Rh-D Positive blood types were 93.3% in COVID-19 group and 94.9% in comparison group (p=0.03). The odds of blood type-B, AB and Rh-D positive to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 were 1.195 (95% CI 1.04 – 1.36, p=0.009), 0.80 (95% CI 0.66 – 0.97, p=0.03) and 0.75 (95% CI 0.57- 0.98, p = 0.03), respectively. Blood types A and O did not have significant association with SARS-CoV-2 PCR result (p = 0.22 and 0.88, respectively).

Conclusions: There is significant association between blood types B & AB and susceptibility to COVID-19. There is no association between blood types A and O with COVID-19. Rh- D positive blood types are less susceptible to COVID-19.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.3655

How to cite this:Rahim F, Amin S, Bahadur S, Noor M, Mahmood A, Gul H. ABO / Rh-D Blood types and susceptibility to Corona Virus Disease-19 in Peshawar, Pakistan. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):4-8. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.3655

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Short term outcomes of three dimensional versus two-dimensional laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Authors: Shaikh Abdul Razaque , Shaikh Aaijaz Ahmed , Abbasi Mujib Rehman
Published: December 2020

Objective: To compare the short-term outcomes of three dimensional (3D) versus two dimensional (2D) laparoscopic procedures used for cholecystectomy.

Methods: This study was conducted at minimally invasive surgery center of Liaquat University of Medical Health and Sciences (LUMHS) Jamshoro Pakistan, between 15th May 2017 to 16th December 2017 after taking informed consent. All patients were diagnosed cases of cholelithiasis without any complications. Patients having risk factors for inability to get access to gall bladder via laparoscope and in whom the chances of conversion to open cholecystectomy were greater were not included as part of study. One group of patients underwent cholecystectomy under 3D laparoscopy while other group underwent 2D laparoscopy. Surgeons included in the study were all well-trained. The short-term outcome noted were intraoperative and postoperative complications, conversion to open, operative time, mortality and hospital stay. Visual strain and headache for the surgeon in three D laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Results: A total of one hundred forty patients were included in the study. Group-A consists of sixty two females and eleven males whereas Group-B comprised of fifty eight females and fifteen males. Eight percent of patients in Group-A whereas in Group-B two percent had gallbladder rupture. Fifteen percent of patients in Group-A whereas 5.4% from Group-B had bleeding from liver bed. One patient from Group-A had CBD (Common Bile Duct) injury. Post-operatively two (2.73%) patients from Group-A had port site bleeding. Six (8.21%) patients had port site infection in Group-A.

Conclusion: Three dimensional was found to have low incidence of intra-operative and post-operative complications compared to 2D laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.3721

How to cite this:Shaikh AR, Shaikh AA, Abbasi M. Short term outcomes of three dimensional versus two-dimensional laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):162-166. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.3721

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
A collaborative approach to exercise provision for people with Parkinson’s – a feasibility and acceptability study of the PDConnect programme
Authors: Jones Julie , Alexander Lyndsay , Hancock Elizabeth , Cooper Kay
Published: December 2020

Background: Exercise has been shown to be beneficial for people with Parkinson’s (PwP), limiting the rate of decline of motor and non-motor symptoms, with emerging evidence associating exercise with a neuroprotective effect. Current exercise provision is time-limited, and delivered in the absence of strategies to support long-term adherence to exercise. With a growing Parkinson’s population, there is a need to develop long-term sustainable approaches to exercise delivery. The primary aim of this study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a multicomponent intervention (PDConnect) aimed at promoting physical activity, and self-management for PwP.

Methods: A convergent fixed parallel mixed methods design study will be undertaken. The study aims to recruit 30 PwP, who will be randomly allocated into two groups: (i) the usual care group will receive physiotherapy once a week for six weeks delivered via Microsoft Teams. (ii) The PDConnect group will receive physiotherapy once a week for six weeks which combines exercise, education and behaviour change interventions delivered by NHS Parkinson’s specialist physiotherapists via Microsoft Teams. This will be followed by 12 weekly sessions of group exercise delivered on Microsoft Teams by fitness instructors specially trained in Parkinson’s. Participants will be then contacted by the fitness instructors once per month for three months by video conferencing to support exercise engagement. Primary feasibility data will be collected during the study, with acceptability assessed via semi-structured interviews at the end. Secondary outcomes encompassing motor, non-motor and health and well-being measures will be assessed at baseline, at six, 18, and 30 weeks.

Discussion: This pilot study will establish whether PDConnect is feasible and acceptable to PwP. This will provide a platform for a larger evaluation to assess the effectiveness of PDConnect at increasing exercise participation and self-management within the Parkinson’s Community.

Trial registration: Registered on ISRCTN (ISRCTN11672329, 4th June 2020).
The efficacy of acupuncture as a complementary treatment for pain and anxiety after breast cancer surgery: Study protocol for a pragmatic randomized control trial
Authors: López de San Román-Fernández Cristina , Fernández-Jané Carles , Cusidó Maite , Cosata-Tutusaus Lluís
Published: December 2020

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide. Fortunately, survival has improved in recent years thanks to its early detection and curative treatments such as mastectomy. However, this medical procedure is associated with a range of unwanted effects such as postoperative pain and anxiety. Some studies have reported that acupuncture could be an effective treatment to control these types of symptoms, although only few studies have been conducted on women undergoing mastectomy. 

Methods:  This is a pragmatic randomized controlled trial with blind assessors. The study will be conducted in the Breast Unit of Hospital Universitario Sagrado Corazon of Barcelona (Spain).  A sample of 40 women will be recruited and randomized to receive acupuncture treatment in addition to standard care procedures, or standard care procedures alone. The main outcome, pain, will be assessed after the surgical intervention and 4, 10 and 30 days later using the numerical rating scale. Secondary outcomes include anxiety, use of analgesics, nausea, adverse effects, and surgical complications.

Discussion: Acupuncture is a low-cost non-pharmacological strategy. This study will help to clarify its possible role in controlling post-mastectomy adverse effects.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04608175 29/10/2020
Software tools for practical application of human nutrient requirements in food-based social science research
Authors: Schneider Kate , Herforth Anna
Published: December 2020

This article focuses on the use of human nutrition requirements for applied social science research by non-nutrition experts.  Our motivation is to provide the data and default nutrient requirements to calculate the Cost of Nutrient Adequacy (CoNA) least-cost diet meeting specified nutrient requirements. The final format of the resulting datafile is ready for use in the CoNA protocol. However, we expect this article and associated software tools to be generally useful to social science researchers interested in nutrition-related research questions and the potential implications of food systems’ changes for nutrition.

We provide readily usable data files (Supplement 1) containing the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) and guide non-nutrition experts through appropriate use to establish the nutrient needs and assess the adequacy of diets for populations and groups. We complement the DRIs with companion data files (Supplement 2) containing the WHO Child Growth Standards and WHO Growth References for School-Aged Children and Adolescents percentiles tables of anthropometric measures, extract the median heights and weights, and calculate median reference values for the age-sex groups consistent with the DRIs nutrient requirements. We provide calculations of energy requirements using the DRIs Estimated Energy Requirement (EER) equation and WHO growth references for all age-sex groups and physical activity levels. We also calculate the protein Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) per kilogram body weight according to the WHO growth references. For children under two, we provide nutrient needs required from food in Supplement 3. We provide Stata code and R syntax (Supplements 4 and 5) to compile the single data files into usable datasets for statistical analysis. Finally, we also provide data files (Supplement 6) with the recently proposed harmonized average values and upper levels and briefly discuss their potential application.
Hospital performance and payment: impact of integrating pay-for-performance on healthcare effectiveness in Lebanon
Authors: Khalife Jade , Ammar Walid , Emmelin Maria , El-Jardali Fadi , Ekman Bjorn
Published: December 2020

Background: In 2014 the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health integrated pay-for-performance into setting hospital reimbursement tiers, to provide hospitalization service coverage for the majority of the Lebanese population. This policy was intended to improve effectiveness by decreasing unnecessary hospitalizations, and improve fairness by including risk-adjustment in setting hospital performance scores.

Methods: We applied a systematic approach to assess the impact of the new policy on hospital performance. The main impact measure was a national casemix index, calculated across 2011-2016 using medical discharge and surgical procedure codes. A single-group interrupted time series analysis model with Newey ordinary least squares regression was estimated, including adjustment for seasonality, and stratified by case type. Code-level analysis was used to attribute and explain changes in casemix index due to specific diagnoses and procedures.

Results: Our final model included 1,353,025 cases across 146 hospitals with a post-intervention lag-time of two months and seasonality adjustment. Among medical cases the intervention resulted in a positive casemix index trend of 0.11% per month (coefficient 0.002, CI 0.001-0.003), and a level increase of 2.25% (coefficient 0.022, CI 0.005-0.039). Trend changes were attributed to decreased cases of diarrhea and gastroenteritis, abdominal and pelvic pain, essential hypertension and fever of unknown origin. A shift from medium to short-stay cases for specific diagnoses was also detected. Level changes were attributed to improved coding practices, particularly for breast cancer, leukemia and chemotherapy. No impact on surgical casemix index was found.

Conclusions: The 2014 policy resulted in increased healthcare effectiveness, by increasing the casemix index of hospitals contracted by the Ministry. This increase was mainly attributed to decreased unnecessary hospitalizations and was accompanied by improved medical discharge coding practices. Integration of pay-for-performance within a healthcare system may contribute to improving effectiveness. Effective hospital regulation can be achieved through systematic collection and analysis of routine data.
Tiempo de trabajo y crisis sanitaria: adaptación y reducción de jornada y permiso obligatorio recuperable
Authors: Morales Ortega José Manuel
Published: December 2020

La crisis provocada por el COVID-19 ha conllevado que el Gobierno, a golpe de reales decretos leyes, haya adoptado una batería de medidas para combatir las consecuencias tanto sanitarias como de empleo y económicas; y, entre ellas, en estas páginas, se va a centrar la atención en las conectadas con el tiempo de trabajo, que han permitido, en unos supuestos, que el trabajador haya podido protegerse y cuidar a las personas con las que convive, y, en otros, evitar la propagación de los propios contagios. Por tanto, unos objetivos loables, lo que no significa, por supuesto, que el planteamiento normativo haya respondido, siempre y en todo caso, a una impecable técnica jurídica no exenta de ciertos problemas aplicativos e interpretativos.
El nuevo ingreso mínimo vital estatal: régimen jurídico y retos pendientes
Authors: Gala Durán Carolina
Published: December 2020

El ingreso mínimo vital, regulado por el reciente RDL 20/2020, constituye una nueva prestación del sistema de Seguridad Social dirigida a las personas que se encuentran en una situación de vulnerabilidad económica; incidiéndose, de esta manera, en un ámbito que, hasta el momento, se había dejado en manos de las comunidades autónomas a través de las rentas mínimas de inserción. Esta nueva prestación, de una gran relevancia social, plantea, sin embargo, algunos interrogantes como es su necesaria y eficaz coordinación con las rentas mínimas autonómicas y las ayudas que prestan las entidades locales, la escasa importancia que se le da a las medidas de inserción laboral de sus beneficiarios, el control de la economía sumergida o el impacto económico que la misma puede tener para un sistema de Seguridad Social falto de recursos. Nos encontramos también ante una prestación que supone un giro en la lógica que había seguido el sistema de Seguridad Social en los últimos 30 años, al ampliar claramente su vertiente no contributiva. Habrá que ver cuál es su evolución futura.
Objectively measured physical activity according to the periods of the day in the Pelotas Cohort
Authors: Wendt Andrea , Wehrmeister Fernando C. , Ricardo Luiza I. C. , Silva Bruna Gonçalves C. da , Martins Rafaela C. , Gonçalves Helen , Reichert Felipe F. , Crochemore-Silva Inácio
Published: December 2020

This study aims to describe objectively measured physical activity (PA) in different periods of the day in young adults according to sex, socioeconomic position and during weekdays and weekends. This is a cross-sectional analysis carried out with the participants of the 1993 Pelotas Birth Cohort at 22 years. PA was assessed by triaxial accelerometer. Descriptive analyses were performed presenting the time spent on light PA (LPA) and bouted moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) in different periods of the day (morning - 6am to 11:59 am, afternoon – 12pm to 7:59 pm and night – 8pm to 11:59pm). The present study included 2,766 individuals (48.2% male and 51.8% female). LPA was higher among women, while bouted MVPA levels were higher among men. The median of  PA was higher on weekdays compared to weekends for all intensities. The bouted MVPA medians in the morning and at night were zero minutes for all days and both sexes. The richest group presented a higher percentage of individuals with zero minutes. PA may vary according to different periods of the day and intensity. The absence of PA practice was markedly influenced by sex and socioeconomic position.
Validação de tecnologia educacional para implementar um programa comunitário na saúde pública
Authors: Konrad Lisandra Maria , Ribeiro Cezar Grontowski , Tomicki Camila , Benedetti Tânia Rosane Bertoldo
Published: December 2020

O objetivo do estudo foi validar o treinamento on-line para implementar o Programa Vida Ativa Melhorando a Saúde “VAMOS”, versão 3.0, na Atenção Primária à Saúde. Participaram 48 profissionais (especialistas = 22; profissionais da saúde = 26) que utilizaram o Suitability Assessment of Materials – SAM para avaliar a adequação do material e o System Usability Scale – SUS para a usabilidade do treinamento. As análises incluíram o Índice de Validade de Conteúdo (IVC ≥ 0,75) e Coeficiente Kappa (k = ≥ 0,61). A adequação do material (SAM = 92,92 ± 4,60; 95,59 ± 4,59) e a usabilidade (SUS = 96,14 ± 5,83; 97,40 ± 3,24) apresentaram escores gerais altos para os dois grupos de avaliadores. O IVC (> 0,80) e a consistência interna (k = 0,60 a 0,77) mostraram percentuais de concordância entre 70 e 84%. Assim, o treinamento on-line foi validado para capacitar profissionais da saúde para implementação do Programa VAMOS.
Os governos do PT e as agências de rating: os percalços de treze anos de relação
Authors: Machado Pedro Lange Netto
Published: December 2020

Este artigo analisa a relação entre os governos do PT e as agências de rating. Diante de uma realidade em que agendas de esquerda são vistas como de maior risco pelo mercado financeiro, propõe-se o argumento de que as agências de rating exerceram maior pressão, atuando como agentes disciplinadores em prol dos interesses do mercado financeiro, nos dois momentos em que vislumbraram a possibilidade de abandono dos preceitos neoliberais macroeconômicos por parte dos governos petistas. Essa hipótese é trabalhada a partir da análise dos movimentos do rating brasileiro e de declarações tanto das agências quanto do governo, que, posteriormente, são confrontados com a literatura especializada acerca da política econômica implementada pelos governos do PT. Uma vez comprovada, este artigo contribui para uma maior compreensão acerca da viabilidade de governos de esquerda em meio às pressões exercidas pelo mundo financeiro.
O Movimento Brasil Livre E O Ativismo Online De Inspiração Liberal/Conservadora
Authors: De Mattos Renan Alfenas
Published: December 2020

O Movimento Brasil Livre, cuja origem remete às Jornadas de Junho de 2013, teve importância recente no país ao ajudar a convocar protestos a favor do impeachment de Dilma Rousseff, a partir, principalmente, das mídias sociais da Internet. Ao investigarmos as origens do MBL, notamos conexões com uma rede global de think tanks orientados pela defesa do liberalismo econômico. Já quando analisamos suas performances, notamos um discurso anticorrupção tendo como foco o antipetismo, aliado a influências de um discurso liberal na economia e conservador nos costumes. Sendo assim, o objetivo do estudo é refletir sobre o ativismo de inspiração liberal/conservadora do MBL. Pretende-se analisar o surgimento do movimento, bem como sua forma de atuação, por meio da análise de postagens no YouTube, levando-se em conta o contexto dos protestos pró-impeachment e do surgimento de uma nova direita no Brasil.
ENTRE RIOS, PONTES E OVERDRIVES: ACESSO E PERMANÊNCIA DE MULHERES NOS SERVIÇOS DA RAPS DIANTE DO DESMONTE DAS POLÍTICAS SOBRE DROGAS DO RECIFE
Authors: Rayane Carvalho de Amorim Brunna , Lima de Moraes Pergentino Paula Regina
Published: December 2020

Considerando as relações de sexo/gênero como relações estruturantes, consubstanciadas com os conflitos de classe e raça, esse artigo tem como objetivo refletir sobre o impacto do desmonte das Políticas Sobre Drogas do Recife no acesso e permanência de mulheres exploradas sexualmente e que fazem uso de crack nos serviços da Rede de Atenção Psicossocial (RAPS). Por estarem inseridas em um sistema patriarcal, sexista, proibicionista e classista, essas mulheres têm seus direitos ainda mais violados pelo crescente conservadorismo e criminalização das suas vidas e dos seus corpos. Trata-se de um estudo de abordagem qualitativa, realizado através de pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, bem como pesquisa de campo.
Considerações exploratórias sobre a atualidade da temática do Planejamento Público: uma homenagem ao economista Celso Furtado
Authors: Sobral Bruno
Published: December 2020

O artigo busca fazer um diálogo aberto conceitualmente com a obra de Celso Furtado e trazê-la para um exercício reflexivo independente sobre uma temática que lhe foi cara: o planejamento público. Considerando este como o exercício de elaboração e execução de planos de modernização que se reconheça a condição histórica de trajetória e garanta uma unidade de ação baseada numa dimensão participativa, alguns aspectos do planejamento serão abordados. Espera-se assim enfatizar a relação do planejamento com um grande desafio de compartilhar socialmente responsabilidades sobre a prática de gestão pública orientada pararesultados, no qual o planejamento se revela o instrumento técnico-político de transformação.
Sobre “ser mulher e mãe” em situação de rua: invisibilidade na sociedade brasileira
Authors: Moreira Tabita Aija Silva , Cavalcante Carmem Plácida Sousa , Ferreira Deyze Da Silva , Paiva Ilana Lemos de
Published: December 2020

Este estudo apresenta como objetivo averiguar a vivência da gravidez por um casal de mulheres em situação de rua no município de Natal (RN). Trata-se de uma investigação de cunho social, cuja metodologia é definida por um estudo de caso, no qual foi utilizada a entrevista em profundidade. A literatura aponta que estas mulheres são invisibilizadas pelas políticas, sendo vistas apenas quando há associação com drogas ou criminalidade. A vivência da gestação é permeada por estigmas e preconceitos que reforçam a crença da sociedade, na incapacidade delas para exercerem a maternidade. Assim, o Estado, operando sob o modo de produção capitalista, apresenta mais mecanismos para a separação entre mãe e bebês do que de apoio para a superação da situação de rua. Os resultados sugerem que estas mulheres se organizam junto à família, aos movimentos sociais e às redes de solidariedade para resistirem à separação de seus filhos. Palavras-Chave: mulheres em situação de rua; maternidade; homomaternidade; direitos sexuais e reprodutivos; políticas públicas.
Feminismo e mulheres na resistência à ditadura brasileira de 1964-1985
Authors: Alves Maria Elaene Rodrigues
Published: December 2020

Este artigo tem o objetivo de explicitar a participação política das mulheres na ditadura civil-militar no Brasil, tendo como referência a história do feminismo em seus vários períodos, leitura particular para se abordar a luta do movimento de mulheres no contexto ditatorial. As ações políticas das mulheres foram marcadas por recortes de classes, perspectivas teóricas distintas e formas diversas de engajamento. Este artigo é resultado de uma pesquisa cujo estudo se pautou em pesquisa bibliográfica, pesquisa documental no Centro de Referência das Lutas Políticas no Brasil de 1964-1985 – Arquivo Nacional do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, e entrevistas com mulheres que viveram as resistências e violências na ditadura brasileira de 1964-1985. Palavras-Chave: ditadura civil-militar; política; feminismo; movimento de mulheres; relações patriarcais.
Deu ruim na hashtag! Bots e pandemia de fake news em tempos de COVID-19: o caso #FechadoComBolso(L)naro
Authors: Teixeira Marcelle Medeiros , Couto Junior Dilton Ribeiro
Published: December 2020

O texto analisa o uso da hashtag #FechadoComBolsolnaro, uma das mais disseminadas no twitter em abril de 2020. Em meio a uma crise política no seu mandato presidencial, Jair Bolsonaro vira alvo de memes em função do erro de digitação de seu sobrenome na hashtag, sugerindo o uso de bots (robôs) na tentativa de alavancar sua popularidade. Pesquisar fake news e bots mediante a utilização do método cartográfico convida a uma reflexão sobre o uso indiscriminado das redes para a formação da opinião pública, principalmente em tempos de pandemia, quando a população encontra-se mais vulnerável. Dessa forma, argumentamos que precisamos colocar em prática uma educação implicada no combate às fake news que comprometem a democracia brasileira.
A PANDEMIA DA COVID-19 COMO VITRINE DA PRECARIZAÇÃO DO TRABALHO DOCENTE E DA EDUCAÇÃO: DESAFIOS PARA O ENSINO EM UMA DEMOCRACIA FRAGILIZADA
Authors: Insfran Fernanda Fochi Nogueira , Prado Paulo Afonso , Faria Samela Estéfany Francisco , Ladeira Thalles Azevedo , Sentinelli Tiago Afonso , Barcellos Jr. Waldyr
Published: December 2020

Motivados por uma pesquisa em andamento sobre educação e pandemia, objetivamos debater o processo antidemocrático construído nas entranhas da educação pública, que responde por seu estrangulamento. Em meio à pandemia do Covid-19, vozes docentes rompem as mordaças para denunciar as impossibilidades de uma educação democrática, após a intensificação dos desmontes, das ameaças de perda de autonomia e da precarização das condições de trabalho/ vida com a imposição intencional, atabalhoada e excludente do ensino remoto. Assim, reflexões teóricas e dados sobre a crise sanitária e o desigual acesso à tecnologia e direitos básicos, apontam para a necessidade de uma democracia participativa mais forte, com debate e elaboração coletiva de políticas públicas que garantam saúde e educação para todos.
As políticas de memória, verdade, justiça e reparação no primeiro ano do governo Bolsonaro: entre a negação e o desmonte | The politics of memory, truth, justice and reparation in the first year of the Bolsonaro government: between denial and dismantling
Authors: Benetti Pedro Rolo , Cateb Caio , Franco Paula , Osmo Carla
Published: December 2020

O ano de 2019 marcou o início do primeiro governo pós-redemocratização a articular um discurso público abertamente contrário aos direitos humanos. A nova conjuntura impõe a abertura de uma nova agenda de pesquisa em torno dos discursos, estratégias políticas e recursos administrativos empregados no enfrentamento aos direitos humanos enquanto conjunto de princípios, mas também enquanto uma série de políticas públicas construídas pelo Estado brasileiro ao longo das últimas três décadas. O presente artigo pretende definir contornos para esta investigação ao explorar o caso específico do campo de memória, verdade, justiça e reparação. De fato, uma das marcas da inserção pública de Jair Bolsonaro, a exaltação à ditadura militar (1964-1985), se converteu, no primeiro ano de seu governo, em ações no sentido de reorientar os órgãos do Estado responsáveis por trabalhar com a memória e reparação das graves violações aos direitos humanos ocorridas no período autoritário por responsabilidade de agentes do Estado brasileiro.Palavras-chave: Direitos Humanos; Autoritarismo; Memória, verdade e justiça.ABSTRACT2019 marked the beginning of the first post-redemocratization government to articulate a public discourse openly contrary to human rights. The new conjuncture imposes the opening of a new research agenda around the speeches, political strategies and administrative resources used to confront human rights as a set of principles, but also as a series of public policies built by the Brazilian State over the last three decades. This article intends to define outlines for this investigation by exploring the specific case of the field of memory, truth, justice and reparation. Indeed, one of the hallmarks of Jair Bolsonaro's public insertion, the exaltation of the military dictatorship (1964-1985) became, in the first year of his government, actions aimed at reorienting the State organs responsible for working with the memory and repair of serious human rights violations that occurred in the authoritarian period.Keywords: Human Rights; Authoritarianism; Memory, truth and justice. Recebido em 29 jan. 2020 | Aceito em 30 jun. 2020.
O APAGAMENTO DE VIRGÍNIA LEONE BICUDO E SEUS TRABALHOS SOCIOLÓGICOS
Authors: Schechter Rosa Coutinho , Vidal Paulo Eduardo Viana
Published: December 2020

Este artigo tem como objetivo fazer um percurso através da vida e das obras sociológicas de Virgínia Leone Bicudo, uma importante intelectual brasileira, socióloga e psicanalista. Ao acompanhar a sua trajetória, identificamos o seu valor para o estudo das relações raciais em São Paulo no século XX, para a instituição da psicanálise no Brasil e outros diversos feitos nos quais sempre esteve à frente do seu tempo. Perguntamos os motivos de Virgínia Bicudo ser pouco conhecida e, por isso, analisamos o seu apagamento enquanto uma mulher negra brasileira. Concluímos que, após uma retomada da figura histórica de Virgínia Bicudo nos últimos anos, ainda pequena quando reconhecemos toda a sua importância, ainda há muita pesquisa a ser feita para que a sua história continue viva entre nós.
Effect of strengthening exercises in Hirayama disease: a case study
Authors: Sethi Tinu , Rawat Sushma , Munde SL
Published: December 2020

Background/Aims

The effects of strengthening exercises in patients with Hirayama disease are not well documented. This case study examined the effect of strengthening exercises on hand functions in a patient with Hirayama disease.

Methods

An 18-year-old man with weakness in the right hand was given a hand-function strengthening programme consisting of 40 minutes of exercises, which were performed 5 days a week over an 8-week period. The patient used theraputty, a gel ball, finger dexterity board, gym kit and hand grip exerciser. The effects of the programme were evaluated using manual muscle testing, a hand-held dynamometer, pinchometer and the Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test.

Results

The patient's manual muscle testing grades improved following the strengthening programme. Results from the Dynamometer, pinchometer and Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test objectively exhibited increased muscle strength and improved hand functions.

Conclusions

Strengthening exercises are effective in alleviating muscle weakness and improving hand functions associated with Hirayama disease.
Pilot trial of speed-intensive gait training on balance and walking in people with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Karpatkin Herb I , Benson Allison , Gardner Nolan , Leb Naomi , Ramos Nicole , Xu Huiman , Cohen Evan T
Published: December 2020

Background/Aims

Diminished walking speed and endurance is commonly experienced by individuals with multiple sclerosis. Speed-intensive gait training has led to improvements in walking speed and endurance in other neurological populations; however, its effect in persons with multiple sclerosis is unknown. This pilot study examined the feasibility, safety and efficacy of speed-intensive gait training in a sample of people with multiple sclerosis.

Methods

A total of eight participants (five women, median Expanded Disability Status Scale 3.5) underwent a 6-week, twice weekly speed-intensive gait training programme. Walking speed and endurance, balance and fatigue were measured pre- and post-intervention.

Results

Speed-intensive gait training was feasible, with excellent adherence and safety. It proved effective, with improvements in walking speed (P=0.05), walking endurance (P=0.036) and balance (P=0.041) without an increase in fatigue.

Conclusions

The intermittent design of speed-intensive gait training may enable individuals with multiple sclerosis to achieve higher training volumes than traditional models. Although further study is warranted, rehabilitation clinicians should consider adding speed-intensive gait training as an intervention to improve walking and balance in this patient group.
The short war of a Quaker Ambulance Unit
Authors: Chadkirk James
Published: December 2020

James ‘Bill’ Chadkirk is retired and is a historian of Quaker involvement in Russia. He is currently researching a comprehensive study of the topic and works closely with a Quaker charity in Russia.
The Challenges of the Redevelopment of Old and Dilapidated Buildings in Mumbai: A Policy Perspective
Authors: Satish M.
Published: December 2020

Affordable housing is the biggest challenge being faced by the city of Mumbai, which styles itself as an emerging Global Financial Centre. The city has the image of being home to a stark dualism, with slums abutting modern skyscrapers. Over the years, adequate policy attention has been given to slums and with the implementation of the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme slum dwellers are being provided with housing in multi-storey buildings and are being granted tenancy rights to the dwellings. However, an emerging area of concern is the large housing stock that is non-slum but is old and dilapidated. The collapse of an old and dilapidated building in Dongri in July 2019 that killed twelve people and the one at Bhendi Bazaar in 2017 that killed thirty-three has brought this problem into the mainstream and new policies have been initiated to address the problem. Implementing these policies seems to be a challenge, and this is the result of different factors. This article looks at the housing problem in Mumbai from a policy perspective and analyses the implementation challenges of the new policy aimed at redeveloping the old and dilapidated housing stock.
Refined Sellmeier equations for AgGaSe2 up to 18  µm
Authors: Kato Kiyoshi , Miyata Kentaro , Petrov Valentin
Published: December 2020

We present refined Sellmeier equations for

A
g
G
a
S
e

2

that provide good reproduction of the phase-matching angles for frequency upconversion of

C
O

2

laser radiation in the 1.7652–10.5910 µm range and for frequency downconversion in the 1.85–18 µm range thus far reported in the literature.
Farewell message from the Editor-in-Chief: editorial
Authors: Driggers Ron
Published: December 2020

Outgoing Editor-in-Chief Ron Driggers shares his parting thoughts and hopes for the Applied Optics community in the coming year.
Introduction to the OFC 2020 Special Issue
Authors: Simmons Jane M.
Published: December 2020

This special issue includes extensions of invited and top-scored optical networking papers that were presented at the Optical Fiber Communication (OFC) Conference, held in San Diego, CA, March 8–12, 2020. We present an overview of the major topics covered in the papers.
Bayesian reconstruction of fluorescent molecular tomography via iteration of measurements
Authors: Zou Wei , Wang Jiajun , Hu Danfeng , Pan Xinyu
Published: December 2020

Fluorescent molecular tomography (FMT) is an important molecular imaging technique for medical diagnosis and treatment. In FMT, a typical forward model is the diffusion approximation. However, this approximation is not valid in biological tissues with low-scattering regions. To overcome this problem, a Bayesian method in combination with the model error is proposed. Further, an iteration method of boundary measurements is incorporated into the reconstruction process to improve the efficiency of reconstruction for FMT. Simulation results obtained demonstrate that the proposed approach can effectively improve the quality of the reconstructed results and speed up the reconstruction process.
Robust underwater image enhancement method based on natural light and reflectivity
Authors: Deng Xiangyu , Zhang Yongqing , Wang Huigang , Hu Hao
Published: December 2020

The poor visibility of underwater images is caused not only by scattering and absorption effects but is also related to light conditions. To improve robustness, a novel underwater image enhancement method based on natural light and reflectivity is proposed. Aiming at the scattering effects of reflectivity, a dehazing process based on the non-correlation of a foreground scene and background light is first conducted. Then, a more precise reflectivity can be estimated by substituting the captured image with the dehazed image. Moreover, classical methods often regard the dehazed image as the final result, but ignore the fact that attenuated natural light and nonuniform artificial light, which lead to insufficient brightness and halo effects, are included in the dehazed image, and are not robust to all scenes. This phenomenon enables us to remove the artificial light disturbance by introducing the dehazed image in the Lambertian model, and compensate for the loss of natural light energy by exploiting the light attenuation ratio map. Thus, the least-attenuated natural light can be further derived. Experimental results demonstrate that our method is satisfactory in producing more pleasing results under various circumstances.
Simple and analytical method for controlling the trajectory and branching of optical beams
Authors: Zamboni-Rached Michel
Published: December 2020

In this paper, a simple, analytical, and very efficient method capable of providing control of an optical beam’s intensity over an arbitrary curvilinear (planar) trajectory is developed. The same method also provides the possibility of managing branchings of the optical beam. The results presented here can have valuable applications in fields like optical tweezers, optical lithography, atom optical guiding, and structured light.
InAs/GaAs quantum dot single-section mode-locked lasers on Si (001) with optical self-injection feedback
Authors: Wang Zi-Hao , Wei Wen-Qi , Feng Qi , Wang Ting , Zhang Jian-Jun
Published: December 2020

Silicon based InAs quantum dot mode locked lasers (QD-MLLs) are promising to be integrated with silicon photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for optical time division multiplexing (OTDM), wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) and optical clocks. Single section QD-MLL can provide high-frequency optical pulses with low power consumption and low-cost production possibilities. However, the linewidths of the QD-MLLs are larger than quantum well lasers, which generally introduce additional phase noise during optical transmission. Here, we demonstrated a single section MLL monolithically grown on Si (001) substrate with a repetition rate of 23.5 GHz. The 3-dB Radio Frequency (RF) linewidth of the QD-MLL was stabilized at optimized injection current under free running mode. By introducing self-injection feedback locking at a feedback strength of −24dB, the RF linewidth of MLL was significantly narrowed by two orders of magnitude from 900kHz to 8kHz.
Direct comparison with terahertz metamaterials and surface-enhanced Raman scattering in a molecular-specific sensing performance
Authors: Lee Soo Hyun , Roh Yeeun , Lee Sang-Hun , Ryu Yong-Sang , Ju Byeong-Kwon , Seo Minah
Published: December 2020

Signal enhancement of spectroscopies including terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a critical issue for effective molecular detection and identification. In this study, the sensing performance between THz-TDS and SERS individually accompanied by the proper plasmonic subwavelength structures was compared. For the precisely quantitative study on the optical properties of rhodamine 6G (R6G) dyes, SERS incorporates with the non-linearly enhanced Raman emissions at the molecular characteristic peaks while THz-TDS refers to the transmittance change and the shift of the spectral resonance. The local molecular density-dependent trade-off relationship between limit-of-detection and quenching was observed from both measurements. The specificity for two samples, R6G and methylene blue, is determined by the discriminations in spectral features such as the intensity ratio of assigned peaks in SERS and transmittance difference in THz-TDS. The comprehension of field enhancement by the specific nanostructures was supported by the finite-element method-based numerical computations. As a result, both spectroscopic techniques with the well-tailored nanostructures show great potential for highly sensitive, reproducible, label-free, and cost-effective diagnosis tools in the biomedical fields.