bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Current state and prospects of gout treatment in Korea
Authors: Park Eun Hye , Choi Sang Tae , Song Jung Soo
Published: June 2022

Effective management of gout includes the following: appropriate control of gout flares; lifestyle modifications; management of comorbidities; and long-term urate-lowering therapy (ULT) to prevent subsequent gout flares, structural joint damage, and shortening of life expectancy. In addition to traditional treatments for gout, novel therapies have been introduced in recent years. Indeed, new recommendations for the management of gout have been proposed by various international societies. Although effective and safe medications to treat gout have been available, management of the disease has continued to be suboptimal, with poor patient adherence to ULT and failure to reach serum urate target. This review outlines recent progress in gout management, mainly based on the latest published guidelines, and specifically provides an update on efficient strategies for implementing treatment, efficacy and safety of specific medications for gout, and cardiovascular outcomes of ULT. In particular, we reviewed gout management approaches that can be applied to a Korean population.
Vers un régime de responsabilité de l’État pour risques globaux
Authors: Cassella Sarah
Published: June 2022

Les changements climatiques constituent un risque global difficilement appréhendé par les régimes traditionnels de responsabilité. Le vaste contentieux climatique qui se développe actuellement dans de nombreux États, mais aussi aux niveaux régional et international, conduit à l'émergence de solutions communes aux différentes juridictions qui esquissent les éléments d'un régime de responsabilité globale pour risque climatique. Ces recours concernent aussi bien les entreprises que les États, mais nous nous intéressons ici spécifiquement à la responsabilité de l'État pour négligence dans le contrôle des activités polluantes dans son domaine de compétence. La responsabilité climatique se caractérise ainsi par la prise en compte du lien entre l'État et le risque, d'un dommage probable et par sa fonction anti-cipatoire. Elle pourrait à terme constituer un modèle pour la responsabilité de l'État à l'égard d'autres types de risques globaux.
Une ou deux périphrases à valeur progressive en français québécois de tous les jours ? ‹ Être après INF› et ‹ être en train de INF›
Authors: Dostie Gaétane
Published: June 2022

Cet article traite des périphrases à valeur progressive ‹ être après  INF› et ‹ être en train de  INF›. La première était en usage dans les français d’Europe au temps de l’extension coloniale au xvii e  siècle. Elle s’entend sporadiquement, encore aujourd’hui, en français québécois spontané, en parallèle à ‹ être en train de  INF›. On s’intéresse ici aux valeurs exprimées par ces deux périphrases, à quelques décennies d’intervalle. La comparaison porte sur leur utilisation au début des années 1970 et à l’époque actuelle. Par-delà un renversement de leur fréquence d’usage durant cette période, les périphrases étudiées ont été et sont toujours conceptuellement équivalentes. On considère que la faible fréquence de la catégorie « progressivité » en français a facilité l’abandon graduel de ‹ être après  INF› au profit de ‹ être en train de  INF›, qui s’est peu à peu imposée comme forme normée.
De l’extraction à la génération
Authors: Cot Guillaume
Published: June 2022

Cet article part d’une expérience personnelle, celle de dramaturge au cours de la création de Battre le Silence, une pièce de l’Inverso-Collectif qui s’articule autour de la mort d’un jeune homme, qui se laisse mourir du sida. Nous proposons ici une étude génétique d’un texte écrit collectivement, liée à des éléments anecdotiques de la création du spectacle. Il s’agit, à partir de ces éléments, comprendre la genèse du texte. Nous nous proposons ici de penser la manière dont l’écriture collective trouble la figure même de l’auteur. L’auteur du texte apparaît alors moins comme figure que comme agentivité.
Manifeste de la Coopérative d’écriture
Authors: d’écriture La Coopérative
Published: June 2022

La Coopérative d’écriture réunit depuis 2005 treize autrices et auteurs de théâtre animés par un même projet d’expérimentation de dispositifs d’écriture collective : Marion Aubert, Mathieu Bertholet, Enzo Cormann, Natacha de Pontcharra, Rémi De Vos, Nathalie Fillion, Samuel Gallet, David Lescot, Fabrice Melquiot, Yves Nilly, Eddy Pallaro, Christophe Pellet et Paulines Sales. Ce manifeste donne les règles du jeu – au conditionnel - de cette expérience collective.
Jouer collectif : autorités et identités dans Le Monde renversé du Collectif Marthe
Authors: Bahier-Porte Christelle , Schweitzer Zoé
Published: June 2022

Le Collectif Marthe composé de quatre comédiennes, autrices et metteuses en scène (Clara Bonnet, Marie-Ange Gagnaux, Aurélia Luscher, Itto Medhaoui) s’est inspiré de la figure, historique et mythique, de la sorcière pour son premier spectacle Le Monde renversé (2018). Fruit d’une écriture collective, le texte et le spectacle interrogent et thématisent le phénomène même de pluralité, par le choix d’une écriture polyphonique qui met joyeusement en tension des paroles différentes : récits, discours, citations, fictions, documents d’archives ou ouvrages savants se répondent et « se complètent », selon une expression récurrente du texte. La figure de Marthe, nourrie de l’histoire des sorcières aussi bien que du quotidien des comédiennes, devient emblématique d’une identité féminine non normative qui porte avec elle des enjeux politiques modernes. L'écriture collective n'est pas seulement une solution dramatique adaptée à un travail collectif mais comporte un enjeu éthique qui s'avère particulièrement fécond pour penser une identité plurielle.
Au sujet du « pluriel » : Une « didactique de la Relation » à la lumière de Jean-Luc Nancy (Être singulier pluriel, 1996).
Authors: Claude SPRINGER , Frédérique LONGUET
Published: June 2022

Suite à la publication de leur dernier ouvrage sur la « didactique de la Relation », les auteurs proposent un éclairage complémentaire à partir du livre de Jean-Luc Nancy, Être singulier pluriel. Le but de cet article est d’expliciter le terme « pluriel » qui caractérise la didactique du « pluri »linguisme en l’élargissant à la question ontologique de l’« être pluriel ». La didactique des langues-cultures est ainsi invitée à faire sa « révolution copernicienne » en s’inscrivant explicitement dans des approches sociales fondées sur la collaboration et les médiations réticulées.
Relating Digital Active Methodologies and Inter-, Multi-, and Trans-Disciplinary Perspectives
Authors: Jamil George Leal
Published: June 2022

Active methodologies are proposed to allow, through social students' engagement, a new way to improve educational activities, resulting in a productive and continuous scenario where knowledge is communitarely shared. Answering social demands for a more inclusive education, the market sector, composed of public and private organizations, is enhancing the adoption of active methodologies. As in any action like these, there is a risk of focus loss, aiming more to the technologies applied than to the educational process itself. This chapter proposes a study of multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, and transdisciplinarity paradigms as a source of thinking to support educational planning to adopt active methodologies, offering a robust way to plan their practice. Emerging technologies support, as resources which can favor the introductions of active methodologies are also evaluated, as they also offer a risk for planning when thought as the final objectives of these educational plans, instead of the indisputable social results of education.
Social Media for Business Purposes
Authors: Nunez-Zabaleta Aitziber
Published: June 2022

This article analyses the specific work tasks that 302 professional workers from the Basque region in Spain perform on social media (SM) for attaining their objectives, together with the work satisfaction they gain. The target population consisted of 23,000 professional workers in the Spanish Basque Country region, both employees and self-employed, with a particular interest in the use of new technologies. A sample of 302 professional workers were surveyed. The author found that professional workers are using SM applications to accomplish a wide range of objectives. Employees themselves are using SM for business purposes with their own strategy and on behalf of the company they work for. In addition to the SM strategy of the employees being integrated within the overall business strategy, managers should encourage them to use SM as this all contributes to the better performance of the company.
The Role of Motivational Factors for Determining Attitude Towards eWOM in Social Media Context
Authors: Bilal Muhammad , Jianqiu Zeng , Akram Umair , Tanveer Yasir , Sohaib Muhammad , Raza Muhammad Ahsan Ali
Published: June 2022

Social media channels provide a critical opportunity for sharing electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication. eWOM has been considered a prominent factor in shaping consumer behavior. The purpose of this is to examine the effect of website quality, social support, emotional experience, and subjective norms on the attitude of eWOM. Furthermore, the personal interactivity role as moderator is examined. An online survey was conducted from 756 consumers in China. Structure equation modeling (SEM) was employed for data analysis by using AMOS 23. The results indicate that above-mentioned determinants positively influence on attitude and eWOM. Personal interactivity significantly moderates the relationship between attitude toward eWOM and eWOM. Perceived behavioral control (PBC) has a positive direct effect on eWOM. This study provides useful and valuable insights regarding potential determinants of eWOM in Chinese perspective. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.
Tactics for Influencing the Consumer Purchase Decision Process Using Instagram Stories
Authors: Yüksel Hale Fulya , Akar Erkan
Published: June 2022

The purpose of this study is to put forth tactics to influence the consumer purchase decision process by using Instagram Stories tools. The tactics are handled with successful examples from around the world. Analysis of the examples reveal that many powerful tools of Instagram Stories such as different camera modes, face filters, stickers, live video, “see more” links, shopping stickers, hashtags, etc. can be used to accomplish business goals like driving online and in-store sales, promoting apps, raising brand awareness, generating leads, gathering follower feedback, and retaining customers by influencing consumers at every stage of the purchase decision process.
Social Media Advertisements and Buying Behaviour
Authors: Gupta Yuvika , Shome Samik
Published: June 2022

Advertising patterns are making significant shifts towards social media from their traditional format. Social media has become a norm for the majority of companies due to progressive change in the mindset of consumers. In the current scenario, working women play an important role in the purchase decision of the family. Moreover, some studies revealed that in some cases working women solely make product purchases. According to the Pew Research, women (73%) lead over men (65%) in the use of social media. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that are influencing the working women purchase behaviour. The paper witnessed that demographic variables such as age and income of working women do play a significant role in online purchase. The key contribution of this paper is to provide the corporate houses an assessment of the extent to which the working women in India are influenced by social media in their online buying behaviour.
Social Media as a Marketing Tool
Authors: Krishnamurthy Rajeshwari
Published: June 2022

This chapter talks about how social media can be used as a marketing tool. Right from describing the various forms of social media, it touches upon the different methods by which social media are engaged with by a marketer. The tasks of creating awareness, generating interest, encouraging action, resulting in purchase, and doing brand advocacy are all covered. There is also a section on how the marketer can evaluate the effectiveness of these social media options both in comparison with traditional media as well as in isolation.
Communicating and Building Destination Brands With New Media
Authors: Goyal Anita
Published: June 2022

The chapter aims to discuss building destination brands with the use of brand placements, like in movies and in songs, brand communities, and storytelling through new media options. The objective is to share how these three tools using new media can help build a destination's brand awareness, brand recognition, brand associations, and brand personality. The chapter presents the meaning of new media and old media and then details the meaning and applications of brand placements, brand community, and storytelling. There is a discussion to understand how these three tools help build a destination brand by sharing information with consumers. The use of three techniques will help gain consumers' attention and may develop their attitudes in favour of destination brands to visit the destination.
Consumer Socialization Process for the Highly Connected Customers
Authors: Ho Ree C. , Teo Teck Choon
Published: June 2022

Over the past two decades, social media has developed exponentially and significantly changed the customers' shopping behavior. Social media apps enable customers to interact with retailers and other customers closely, and influences their purchase decision. Hence, it is small wonder that businesses are investing time and resources to promote their products and brand image on social media applications. Instagram is best known for its enriched visual features in both image and footage and suitable for developing strong brand engagement. It is a viable platform for businesses to promote their products to customers. This chapter proposes a framework of product learning process with the use of Instagram. It contributes in effective management of social media marketing and provides marketers with the guidelines in using Instagram creatively to roll out customer engagement strategies.
The Video-on-Demand Market in Germany
Authors: Lindstädt-Dreusicke Nadine , Budzinski Oliver
Published: June 2022

The markets for audiovisual content are subject to dynamic change. Where once “traditional” television was dominating, i.e. linear audiovisual media services, markets display nowadays the strong growth of different types of video-on-demand (VoD), i.e. nonlinear audiovisual media services including paid-for VoD such as Netflix and advertised-financed VoD like YouTube. This article aims at providing insights into the VoD market in general and the competitive environment in particular. For doing so, the authors first present recent developments in the German VoD market. In the second part of this article, the authors focus on the (perhaps special) role of YouTube in the market for audiovisual (online) services. Thereby arguments for and against YouTube exerting competitive pressure on i) other non-linear audiovisual media services (e.g. Netflix) as well as ii) on other linear audiovisual media service providers (TV stations) are discussed. The article concludes that there are numerous pros and cons speaking for a relevant role of YouTube for both markets.
Consumers' Stickiness to Mobile Payment Applications
Authors: Matemba Elizabeth D. , Li Guoxin , Maiseli Baraka J.
Published: June 2022

WeChat wallet incorporates compelling features facilitating users to conduct financial transactions more conveniently. The authors' survey discovered that most users appreciate WeChat wallet services. Previous studies, however, inadequately address critical factors that motivate consumers' stickiness to this promising technology. Scholars concentrate only on the technological features and considers societal traditional practices. This work establishes a psychometric theoretical model that integrates novel constructs, which balances technological features and traditional values, predicting WeChat wallet customers' stickiness. To this end, a questionnaire, with Likert scale items, was administered to 450 Chinese and foreigners in China. The authors measured their model's reliability and validity using composite reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. The study applied the common latent factor approach to test the common method bias. Structural equation modeling and SPSS were used for data analysis. The study reveals that perceived availability of merchant support, convenience, social influence, and red envelope (traditional Chinese culture for sharing monetary values during festivals and special events) preference promote consumers' stickiness behaviors to WeChat wallet. In addition, perceived security insignificantly moderates the relationships between convenience/social influence and consumers' stickiness. This study gives scholars an important research avenue to explore further the relationships between traditions and diffusion of technology.
Celebrity Endorsement and Impulsive Buying Intentions in Social Commerce - The Case of Instagram in Indonesia
Authors: Zhu Yu-Qian , Amelina Dinna , Yen David C.
Published: June 2022

Based on the source credibility model and social network aspects, the authors investigated how endorsement on social media affects consumers' perception of the brand, attractiveness of the product, and ultimately, their impulse to buy. It was postulated that the endorsers' attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness, along with their interactivity with followers to be positively related with consumers' attitude toward the brand and merchandise attractiveness, which in turn led to impulse to purchase. These hypotheses were tested by conducting online survey with 204 participants in Indonesia. Study findings indicate that attitude toward brand was influenced by attractiveness and trustworthiness of the endorser, product attractiveness was positively associated with expertise and trustworthiness of the endorser. Brand attitude and merchandise attractiveness, in turn, are positively related to impulse to purchase.
Play It Like Burberry!
Authors: Khelladi Insaf , Castellano Sylvaine
Published: June 2022

Some firms and industries were not willing to take full advantage of the internet and its endless opportunities, mainly because they rather focused on the inherent risks and challenges. However, when taking into consideration the specificities of the connected generation, the question is not anymore whether to go online or not, but rather to understand how, when, and where, especially in a luxury context. More specifically, the digital natives represent tomorrow's customers. This new market segment represents a main reason for luxury firms to adopt online strategies. Still, further analysis is needed to uncover the main objectives when firms decide to engage in digital activities. The authors herein investigate the concept of e-reputation. The authors expand on their initial study that focused on brand image and social media as determinants of online reputation. Recommendations and future research directions are suggested.
The Influence of Customers Social Media Brand Community Engagement on Restaurants Visit Intentions
Authors: Alnsour Muhammed , Al Faour Hadeel Rakan
Published: June 2022

The purpose of this article is to study the relationships between brand community engagement of customers on social media networks and customer behavioral intentions with regard to visiting restaurants where the theory of planned behavior was applied. A conclusive-descriptive, cross-sectional research design was selected in order to determine the degree to which Brand Community Engagement, Attitude (ATT), Subjective Norms (SN), Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC), Restaurant's Visit Intentions (INT) and Visit Behavior (B) are interrelated and associated. The results indicated that BCE does affect customers attitude towards dining out and visiting restaurants and that SN cannot moderate the strong relationship between ATT and intention. In addition, customer intention can weakly predict their behavior of visiting restaurants. The results of this study suggest that management of restaurants should pay attention to their marketing communication strategies through social media restaurant's communities and should focus on how to increase the engagement levels of customers beside understanding and may be changing their attitudes towards experiences in restaurants. This study examined the relationship between Restaurants Brand Community Engagement on social media and customer intentions to dine out and visit restaurants.
Social Media and E-Commerce
Authors: Costa Tiago Da , Casais Beatriz
Published: June 2022

Several studies have approached the link between social media and e-commerce with different lenses, however, the study of motivations for sharing content specifically from e-commerce websites into social media has not been thoroughly approached and provides fertile ground for further exploration. This chapter uncovers which motivations serve as a background for individuals sharing intentions of e-commerce content. After a focus group with 7 individuals, results indicate participants focus more on intrinsic rewards than extrinsic ones when sharing, that self-interest is more predominant than reciprocity as a motivator for sharing, one-to-one exchanges are the preferential direction of exchange. Also, websites with cleaner designs and higher usability positively impact sharing intentions, experiences tend to be more likely shared than physical products, and participants are purposeful in their selection of sharing channels.
Using Social Media and Digital Marketing Tools and Techniques for Developing Brand Equity With Connected Consumers
Authors: Kumar Pawan , Singh Gursimranjit
Published: June 2022

This chapter provides a theoretical analysis on the role of digital marketing, social media, and digital marketing tools and techniques (DMTT) in developing customer-based brand equity (CBBE). The chapter discuses different types of digital marketing tools and techniques. The review has found that the consumer's behavioural engagement with brands via social media has a positive effect on customer-based brand equity. Digital media has a positive effect on buyer's intentions because it creates a strong connection between customers and business. Web 2.0-based technologies let users create and collaborate and exchange information and values. This has further led to consumers participating in the process of production of goods and services, as co-creators. Customer engagement, co-creating, and sharing of information via online platforms enhances customer relationship and brand equity.
Lucky Reply Effect
Authors: Chen Ming , Huang Yidan , Yu Shih-Heng , Wu Chia-Huei
Published: June 2022

As social media has developed, online interaction between consumers and companies has increased rapidly. This research explores how companies' replies to consumers' past online comments affect consumers' predictions of their chances of winning randomly determined associated rewards (e.g., a random drawing). The results of two studies show that consumers who left positive comments (encouragement/appreciation) and then received a reply from the company predicted a higher likelihood of winning a random drawing than those whose comments did not receive company replies. Both the boundary and the underlying mechanism of the effect are discussed in the research. The present research contributes to the literature on companies' online reply patterns by linking their online replies with consumer predictions concerning randomly determined rewards, extends consumer efforts from offline purchases to online comments, and provides insights into the differences between consumer predictions regarding traditional offline promotional events and online promotional events.
Return on Investment of Display Advertising
Authors: Balça Joana , Casais Beatriz
Published: June 2022

This research compares the effectiveness of display advertising using Google Ads and Facebook Ads, regarding the outcomes both in digital interaction and conversion metrics. The business manager's perception of profitability is also studied and compared with digital analytics. The authors selected the case of a specific company and researched the attraction of consumer attention of display advertising using both tools in two different markets – Portuguese and Argentinean. The authors conducted digital analytics of the outcomes of advertising campaigns and analyzed an interview with the manager of the studied company. Findings illustrate that Facebook Ads is the most profitable platform for the company, and Argentina is the market that generates higher return in this tool, comparing with the Portuguese market. However, both platforms complement each other in different conversion metrics. Manager's perceptions may not be aligned with the evidences of digital analytics, leading to incorrect decisions.
Understanding the Role of Social Networks in Consumer Behavior in Tourism
Authors: Ferreira Luís , Sousa Bruno Barbosa
Published: June 2022

This research seeks to understand the type of influence that the hotel sector in Portugal can achieve in its consumers, being the tourism sector an area in constant growth. To that end, a qualitative methodology was adopted, using semi-structured interviews, as a data collection tool to understand the type of use that hotels attribute to social networks, as well as the results obtained from their practices. In the investigation nine hotels were analyzed, presenting a diversified sample between the participants in terms of capacity, as well as recognition, proving that, in a general way, social networks help in the divulgation of the hotel, presenting these as a direct channel for consumers, facilitating brand exposure as well as interaction with customers.
Will Social Media and Its Consumption Converge or Diverge Global Consumer Culture?
Authors: Kang Yowei , Yang Kenneth C. C.
Published: June 2022

Social media have been claimed to homogenize human and consumer behaviors around the world – in other words, to make people think, feel, and act alike regardless of national borders. Scholars often debate this claim from either a convergence or a divergence perspective from the marketing and consumer behavior literature. The theoretical foundation will be based on the convergence-divergence debates that postulate universal consumption patterns and values are made possible, due to the industrialization, modernization, technology, and wealth accumulation. The authors use perceptions of online privacy among users of privacy-invasive technologies as an example to discuss why people will think the same about their own privacy could be a myth for the failure to consider the unique socio-cultural characteristics of each nation. This study begins with a global consumption analysis of social media around the world. Then, they examine how privacy concerns may help account for the homogenization or heterogenization trend of global consumer culture. Discussions and implications are provided.
Is mRNA indeed Useful in Clinical Management of Cervical Pathology?
Authors: Cherouveim Panagiotis , Athanasiou Antonios , Paraskevaidis Evangelos
Published: June 2022

Personalised medicine and precision medicine are being applied in more medical fields in the last years. The need for personalisation is especially pronounced in cervical pathology, since in the majority of cases an abnormal screening test does not necessarily imply high-grade lesion, regardless of whether the screening test is cytology or HPV testing. The chapter aims to summarize the exact added value that mRNA presents for management in clinical practice as well as highlight comparative advantages and disadvantages with other triage strategies.
vNotes (Vaginal Natural Office Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery)
Authors: Baekelandt Jan
Published: June 2022

vNOTES or vaginal Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic surgery is a new paradigm shift in gynaecological surgery. A first paradigm shift from conventional surgery into laparoscopic surgery was firstly observed in the 1980s and 1990s. vNOTES may represent a shift from 90° to parallel surgery. Almost all benign gynaecological operations can be performed via vNOTES. The chapter presents the technique of vNOTES along with results of various benign and mainly malignant cases. In parallel, the clinical approach of endometrial cancer is widely discussed.
Overcoming Strategies of Behavior of Women With Endometriosis
Authors: Subbotina Ruzanna , Akopyan Anna , Ilina Irina , Ivashkina Marina , Bondaruk Ekaterina
Published: June 2022

The article highlights psychosomatic diseases in gynecology. A review of the literature indicates that the nature of psychosomatic relationships is largely determined by the personality, which should be considered taking into account the characteristics of his socialisation. Many diseases are increasingly viewed from the point of view of experiences, processing of experiences, mental and psychosocial conflicts. In gynecological diseases, in particular, various manifestations of psycho-emotional disorders, disorders of the system of significant relationships are possible. At the same time, the circle of contacts with people is narrowed, the importance of the female and social role, position in relation to all life situations is changing. One of the effective directions in the study of human psychosomatics can be the analysis of psychosomatic disorders, taking into account coping strategies in the period of overcoming stressful situations. An analysis of coping strategies for overcoming stress opens up the possibility of identifying its features that determine the nature of psychosomatic disorders.
Breast Cancer With Relevance for Heavy Metals, Mycotoxines, and Pesticides
Authors: Malika Ait Sidi Brahim , Hajar Kiai , Loubna Benidire , El Hiba Omar , Rachida Makbal , Leila Benidire , Souad Sellami , Hanane Rais S
Published: June 2022

Certain environmental contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, and mycotoxins are presumed to play a crucial role in the etiology of breast cancer, which is the most common tumor in women worldwide. In fact, the exposure to heavy metals poses risk in causing human cancers. Several investigations indicated strong contribution of heavy metals especially copper, arsenic, zinc, cadmium, lead, and aluminum in breast cancer. Furthermore, it has been reported that the excessive use of pesticides in agriculture in order to improve the productivity contaminates food materials and can be responsible to induce breast cancer in women. It is also noted that some fungi produce several type of mycotoxins such us zearalenone, aflatoxin, and ochratoxin that are dangerous for human health and can especially cause breast cancer. Thus, the objective of this chapter is to discuss the experimental data regarding the involvement of heavy metals, pesticides, and mycotoxins as well as the recent insights on the molecular mechanisms involved in the progress of breast cancer.
Education, Social Capital, Physical, and Psychological Access to Healthcare Among Female Migrants in Informal Settlements in Accra City, Ghana
Authors: Boateng John Kwame
Published: June 2022

This chapter reports on a study carried out by the Department of University of Ghana Learning Centers regarding the factors influencing migrant women's access to healthcare, lifelong learning, and the kind of link existing between this access and livelihood creation in six informal settlement areas of Accra city. The findings showed positive correlation between women's level of education and both physical and psychological access to healthcare. It was equally found that access to a regular source of income built a high level of self-determination in women of the informal settlements. Armed with this high level of self-determination, women were able to access healthcare and lifelong learning without needing the permission of husbands or members of family. Policies aimed at strengthening training attendants in pre- and post-natal emergency life-saving care are recommended for the informal settlement areas.
Environmental Phthalate Exposure in Relation to Reproduction Outcomes and Health Endpoints
Authors: Afshan Anjum , Ali Md Niamat , Bhat Farooz Ahmed
Published: June 2022

Environmental pollutants, like xenobiotic substances released as byproducts of anthropogenic actions, naturally lead to pollution of the environment. They negatively affect the environment through unfavorable impacts on growth, development, and reproduction of organisms including humans. One of the outstanding examples of xenobiotics is endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) such as phthalate esters (PEs), which have the efficacy to disturb numerous biological systems including the invertebrate, reptilian, avian, aquatic, and also the mammalian systems. Phthalates are family of xenobiotic hazardous compounds amalgamating in plastics to intensify their plasticity, flexibility, longevity, versatility, and durability. Ignoring the rising issue on the hazardous nature of various phthalates and their metabolites, ruthless usage of phthalates as plasticizer in plastics and as additives in innumerable consumer products continues due to their low eminent properties, their cost-effectiveness, and lack of suitable alternatives. Globally epidemiological human studies showed various phthalates and their metabolites ingested passively by man from the general environment, foods, drinks, breathing air, and routine household products cause various dysfunctions. This comprehensive chapter on the hazards of phthalates would benefit the general population, academia, scientists, clinicians, environmentalists, and law or policymakers to decide upon whether usage of phthalates to be continued swiftly without sufficient deceleration or regulated by law or to be phased out from earth forever.
Prenatal Development
Authors: Karaca Nezahat Hamiden
Published: June 2022

The prenatal period is a vital process for the mother and father to become conscious about the development of the baby. Particularly in this process, in which mental and physical changes are observed in the mother, both the mother and father should be supported in order for the baby in the mother's womb to have a healthy gestation and to prevent a risky pregnancy. In this regard, particularly with the impact of recent technological innovations and with the increasing awareness of parents through increasing literacy, it is reported that the mortality rate is decreased; however, it is also reported that severe injuries during pregnancy and disabled babies still exist. From this point of view, the basic concepts related to development, developmental areas, developmental principles, factors affecting development and prenatal development will be explained in detail in the antenatal development section.
Production of Evidence-Based Informed Consent (EBIC) With Meaning Equivalence Reusable Learning Objects (MERLO)
Authors: Reyna Vargas Myrtha Elvia , Lou Wendy , Kenett Ron S.
Published: June 2022

Apparently, during an informed consent, patients remember little of the information given and their comprehension level is often overestimated by physicians. This study measures level of understanding of informed consent for elective cesarean surgery using an evidence-based informed consent (EBIC) model based on six MERLO assessments. MERLO recognition and production scores and follow-up interviews of 50 patients and their partners were recorded. Statistical comparison of scores within couples was performed by weighted kappa agreement, t-tests, and Ward's hierarchical clustering. Recognition score means were high for patients and partners with low standard deviation (SD), while production scores means were lower with higher SD. Clustering analysis showed that only 70% (35/50) of couples were assigned to the same cluster and t-test yields significant difference of scores within couple. Kappa yields moderate agreement levels on all items except for items D and C, which are lower. Follow-up interviews show that participants consider MERLO assessments to be helpful in improving comprehension.
Indigenous Language Media and Safe Motherhood Practices
Authors: Ifeanyichukwu Aloysius Chukwuebuka
Published: June 2022

The chapter focuses on safe motherhood practices in Africa and how indigenous language media can be utilized to achieve the prevalence of safe maternal health. While highlighting the deplorable state of maternal health in Africa, the chapter recognized that to a large extent the success of safe motherhood initiative depends on effective communication. It reiterated the fact that communication is said to have taken place only when the sender and receiver have understood each other, and in this case indigenous language appears to be the right fit for the less literate mothers in communicating the message of safe motherhood practice. The chapter adopted the health belief model to drive its point home while recommending intense government action to achieve safe maternal health. It concluded by adjudging indigenous language an effective means of achieving the goals of safe motherhood initiative.
Dipo and the Adolescent Krobo Girl
Authors: Kutufam Doreen Vivian
Published: June 2022

Contemporary Christian/secular/social trends and beliefs about religion, the rights of women, and the privacy of their bodies have been used to challenge the Dangme people of Ghana's continued adherence to the Dipo puberty rite. Without judging the Dipo rite but focusing on its intended value systems, this research argues that contemporary societal problems can harness the beneficial qualities of various traditional rituals to help solve specific societal issues. This chapter sets out to explore how the value systems of a contested puberty rite like the Dangme people's Dipo can help address sexual health issues prevalent in the Dangme communities. This chapter discusses how repurposing of Dipo's existing educational platform and value systems can contribute to the eradication or reduction of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic among members of the Dangme tribes.
Marriage and Reproductive Choice
Authors: Musingafi Maxwell Constantine Chando , Mafumbate Racheal , Khumalo Thandi Fredah
Published: June 2022

This chapter discusses marriage and reproductive choice issues. The chapter argues that feminists have seen marriage and reproduction as playing a crucial role in women's oppression and thus a central topic of justice. The chapter starts by defining and setting out the historical development of the philosophy of marriage, which shapes today's debates. The chapter argues that many of the ethical positions on marriage can be understood as divided on the question of whether marriage should be defined contractually by the spouses or by its institutional purpose. The debate further divides on whether that purpose necessarily includes procreation or may be limited to the marital love relationship. The chapter closes by discussing reproduction choice, specifically abortion and commercial surrogacy.
From Early Marriage to Adolescent Pregnancy in Turkey
Authors: Yildirim Filiz , Abukan Bilge , Oztas Duygu
Published: June 2022

Early marriages/child marriages, defined as formal marriages or informal unions before age 18, have been studied within other adolescence issues in Turkey. Adolescence pregnancies resulting from early marriages in Turkey should not be evaluated without considering the socio-cultural context. This is because this problem occurs mostly under the marriage structure even if it is too early (under the age of 18) and families approve of such marriages. The purpose of this study is to discuss adolescent pregnancies as a result of early marriages in Turkey in accordance with the socio-cultural context pertaining to the social structure of Turkey.
Gender, Education, and Careerism
Authors: Swartz Omar , Nunag Tardío Candace
Published: June 2022

The statuses of women as intellectuals and political agents have been devalued due to the ancient prejudice that, because women are able to bear children, they are unsuited for the rigors of professional and/or public life. Arguments made for the subordination of women included natural or divine law, moral necessity, and economic realism; in addition, biologically essentialist reasons suggested that women were physically unable to handle the strain of the man's world of work, both due to their overall constitution and to their presumed “delicate” reproductive functions. It is this last concern, the physiological argument, that the authors study in this chapter, as it is one that people still make today—albeit more subtly; they argue, therefore, that there is a deeply ingrained belief in Western society that there is some sort of natural “conflict” between ovaries and brains, that is, between male and female nature, that makes women less qualified than men for certain jobs or to serve certain roles in society.
Assisted Human Reproduction by Medical Techniques and the Respect of the Fundamental Rights and the Dignity of the Parts Involved
Authors: Wider Roberto
Published: June 2022

Dealing with the subject of the fundamental rights of people involved in medically assisted reproduction, this chapter focuses on the issues surrounding the LGBTI+ population (lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals, intersexuals, and new genders that are being recognized). Within this group, the importance of biological children, even amongst those who cannot naturally reproduce, is also highlighted. Firstly, the author points out the laws that determine the child's protection, then compares them to real-life examples of actual situations of homophobia including physical and psychological abuse, understanding that children are also subject to the same abuse, not only due to sexual orientation discrimination and gender identity but also from having to grow up in a so-called unusual family structure. The author looks for an answer that will help strengthen the child's fundamental rights both before and after birth.
Implementing UN CRDP Through Human Interface Equivalencies (HIEs) With Semantic Interoperability
Authors: Knoppers Jake V. T. , Andres Frederic , Dhamdhere Sangeeta
Published: June 2022

The introduction of the UN CRDP provided the first common international basis of legal and regulatory requirements for individual accessibility as a human right. The international ISO/IEC standard committee in the field of e-learning (i.e., ISO/IEC JTC1/SC36) responded by developing an international standard ISO/IEC 20016-1 to address semantic interoperability requirements of language accessibility, in the form of human interface equivalents (HIEs). The authors identify and summarize key aspects of this ISO/IEC 20016-1 standard including fundamental principles governing individual accessibility requirements, based on the UN CRDP doing so in an ITLET and commitment exchange context. The concept of semantic interoperability (in an ITLET context) is defined and supports the same through the constructs of level and degrees of semantic equivalency. It is based on best practices of translation theory, applied linguistics, and existing applicable international standards, which already address various aspects of language accessibility requirements in a generic manner.
Innovative Systems Structure for Real Corporate Governance
Authors: Baporikar Neeta
Published: June 2022

All around the world, trends of globalization and industrialization have been experienced both in the development of large corporations and conglomerates. These larges firms contribute enormously to the socio-economic development of countries. Adopting a systematic literature review method with in-depth content analysis, the paper explores the concept of corporate governance holistically from systems lens and proposes an innovative systems structure-based framework namely Cultural Legal Oriented Value Embedded (CLOVE) for corporate governance to enable better decision making. In this paper, the structure proposed refers to components of culture, legal, orientation, value embeddedness that may be internal or external to the firm and these components are those, which will have a role in undertaking effective corporate governance and wealth creation for shareholders and the firm.
Myopia prevalence in school-aged children in Garki District of Abuja, Nigeria
Authors: Akinbinu Tope R. , Naidoo Kovin S. , Wajuihian Samuel O.
Published: June 2022

Background: Prevalence of myopia is increasing globally, hence it poses a significant public health risk due to the association of high myopia with debilitating eye disorders.Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of myopia in school children.Setting: The study was conducted in primary and secondary schools in Garki district, Abuja, Nigeria.Methods: A cross-sectional, multistage, random sampling involving 1028 school children (aged 5–14 years), comprising 484 boys (47.1%) and 544 girls (52.9%), was conducted. Examination performed included visual acuities, pen torch and ophthalmoscopy examination of the anterior and posterior segments, retinoscopy under cycloplegia and subjective refraction.Results: The prevalence of myopia (−0.50 dioptre [D] or more) in this study was 3.5%. Approximately 3.4% of the children had mild myopia (−0.50 to −3.00 D), 0.1% had moderate myopia (−3.25 D to −6.00 D) and none had high myopia. Myopia ranged from −0.50 D to −4.25 D. The mean spherical equivalent for myopia (right eye) was −1.11 D. The prevalence of hyperopia, astigmatism and amblyopia was 5.8%, 1.9% and 0.7%, respectively. Overall, the prevalence of refractive error was 11.2%.Conclusion: The prevalence of myopia is relatively low in a sample of school children in Garki district of Abuja, Nigeria. However, the majority of myopic children in this study without spectacles (88.9%) are a cause for concern, which could reflect the low usage of refractive error services among school children in the district.
Sperm DNA fragmentation does not affect the clinical outcomes in the cumulative transfers of an ICSI cycle along with blastocyst transfers in couples with normozoospermic male patients
Authors: Repalle Deepthi , Saritha K. V. , Bhandari Shilpa
Published: June 2022

Objective:

To know whether sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) affects the clinical outcomes in the cumulative transfers of an intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycle along with blastocyst transfers in couples with normozoospermic males.

Methods:

The study included 252 couples who underwent their first ICSI cycles along with blastocyst transfer and whose male partner semen samples were normozoospermic according to the World Health Organization 2010 criteria. All the couples were classified into two groups based on the SDF: the low SDF group (SDF≤30%, n=162) and the high SDF group (SDF>30%, n=90). Clinical as well as laboratory outcomes were correlated between the two groups. Sperm DNA fragmentation was assessed on the post-wash semen samples by acridine orange test. The main outcome measures were the live birth rate and miscarriage rate.

Results:

A significant decrease in the live birth rates was observed in the high SDF group compared to the low SDF group in fresh embryo transfer cycles (P<0.05). However, no significant difference was observed in the clinical outcomes either in the frozen embryo transfer cycles or in the overall cumulative transfer cycles (P>0.05). No significant difference was observed in the laboratory outcomes between the two SDF groups. A remarkable decrease in sperm motility was observed in the high SDF group compared to the low SDF group (P<0.05).

Conclusions:

Sperm DNA fragmentation does not affect the clinical outcomes in the cumulative transfers of an ICSI cycle along with blastocyst transfers in couples with normozoospermic males.