Sana’a and Women in Al-Maqalih’s Book of Sana’a Yemen

This paper aims to find out Sana'a's imageries in Al-Maqalih's book of Sana’a. It argues that Al-Maqalih has intensely and extensively used Sana’a as a metaphor. The analytical method has been used to analyze the Al-Maqalih's poems. Interviews with Al-Maqalih was carried out to clarify ambiguity in some of his poems. This study finds that Sana’a is metaphorically used by Al-Maqalih as poet’s beloved, as Ageless (Eternal Beautiful woman) and as a revolutionary and fighter woman, as Eve the wife of Adam (Ghaiman), the mother of poets and poetry, as a nymph, and an older woman.

Kidney trajectory charts to assist general practitioners in the assessment of patients with reduced kidney function: a randomised vignette study

ObjectiveTo investigate the decisional impact of an age-based chart of kidney function decline to support general practitioners (GPs) to appropriately interpret estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and identify patients with a clinically relevant kidney problem.Design and settingRandomised vignette studyParticipants372 Australian GPs from August 2018 to November 2018.InterventionGPs were given two patient case scenarios: (1) an older woman with reduced but stable renal function and (2) a younger Aboriginal man with declining kidney function still in the normal range. One group was given an age-based chart of kidney function to assist their assessment of the patient (initial chart group); the second group was asked to assess the patients without the chart, and then again using the chart (delayed chart group).Main outcome measuresGPs’ assessment of the likelihood—on a Likert scale—that the patients had chronic kidney disease (CKD) according to the usual definition or a clinical problem with their kidneys.ResultsPrior to viewing the age-based chart GPs were evenly distributed as to whether they thought case 1—the older woman—had CKD or a clinically relevant kidney problem. GPs who had initial access to the chart were less likely to think that the older woman had CKD, and less likely to think she had a clinically relevant problem with her kidneys than GPs who had not viewed the chart. After subsequently viewing the chart, 14% of GPs in the delayed chart group changed their opinion, to indicate she was unlikely to have a clinically relevant problem with her kidneys.Prior to viewing the chart, the majority of GPs (66%) thought case 2—the younger man—did not have CKD, and were evenly distributed as to whether they thought he had a clinically relevant kidney problem. In contrast, GPs who had initial access to the chart were more likely to think he had CKD and the majority (72%) thought he had a clinically relevant kidney problem. After subsequently viewing the chart, 37% of GPs in the delayed chart group changed their opinion to indicate he likely had a clinically relevant problem with his kidneys.ConclusionsUse of the chart changed GPs interpretation of eGFR, with increased recognition of the younger male patient’s clinically relevant kidney problem, and increased numbers classifying the older female patient’s kidney function as normal for her age. This study has shown the potential of an age-based kidney function chart to reduce both overdiagnosis and underdiagnosis.

Crusted Scabies as a Suitable Disease for Teledermatology: A Study of 2 Cases

Background Teledermatology has been available for several years now, but the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted its importance, especially in remote communities. Crusted scabies (CS) presents a unique clinical picture that favors telediagnosis. Patients with neurological diseases, as well as homeless, HIV-infected patients and people with impaired immunological function, are at risk. Clusters of CS have been reported in French Guyana, and these were associated with human T-lymphotropic virus infections. CS has also been reported in Aboriginal Australian communities. Objective Teledermatology is especially useful in cases of CS, as it is a disease that affects areas that are in need of medical services. At the same time, CS presents a unique clinical picture. The objective of this presentation is to fuel the clinical suspicion and detection of patients with this debilitating condition. Methods Relatives of patient 1 contacted our clinic for teledermatology appointments. General practitioners from health services sent images of the second patient. Results Case 1 involved an older woman living in a nursing home with Alzheimer disease, which was severe enough to constrain her to bed. We recommended that her relatives (who had sent images) collect skin scrapings in a container. These scrapings were sent to a clinical analysis laboratory where microscopic potassium hydroxide preparation revealed the presence of Sarcoptes mites. Treatment with oral ivermectin and topical permethrin resulted in the complete resolution of the lesions. Case 2 involved a homeless, HIV-positive, 42-year-old male. The images were sent by clinicians from local health services. This patient was also treated with oral ivermectin and permethrin lotion. We recognize that this case would need further diagnostic workup, but it is highly indicative of CS. Conclusions CS is one of the most suited diseases for the practice of teledermatology for widespread, large, hyperkeratotic fissured plaques covered with abundant, silvery scales for which the expression “once seen, never forgotten” is highly applicable. These cases are gratifyingly simple to treat, and patients benefit from rapid clinical improvement. Prompt diagnoses prevent outbreaks of scabies for relatives and medical personnel, since these skin crusts contain large numbers of scabies mites. CS has been increasingly reported but poorly recognized, and it has often been misdiagnosed as psoriasis. Images, such as those shown in this presentation, are unique and are enough to raise strong clinical suspicion. Conflicts of Interest None declared.

Crusted Scabies as a Suitable Disease for Teledermatology: A Study of 2 Cases (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Teledermatology has been available for several years now, but the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted its importance, especially in remote communities. Crusted scabies (CS) presents a unique clinical picture that favors telediagnosis. Patients with neurological diseases, as well as homeless, HIV-infected patients and people with impaired immunological function, are at risk. Clusters of CS have been reported in French Guyana, and these were associated with human T-lymphotropic virus infections. CS has also been reported in Aboriginal Australian communities. OBJECTIVE Teledermatology is especially useful in cases of CS, as it is a disease that affects areas that are in need of medical services. At the same time, CS presents a unique clinical picture. The objective of this presentation is to fuel the clinical suspicion and detection of patients with this debilitating condition. METHODS Relatives of patient 1 contacted our clinic for teledermatology appointments. General practitioners from health services sent images of the second patient. RESULTS Case 1 involved an older woman living in a nursing home with Alzheimer disease, which was severe enough to constrain her to bed. We recommended that her relatives (who had sent images) collect skin scrapings in a container. These scrapings were sent to a clinical analysis laboratory where microscopic potassium hydroxide preparation revealed the presence of <i>Sarcoptes</i> mites. Treatment with oral ivermectin and topical permethrin resulted in the complete resolution of the lesions. Case 2 involved a homeless, HIV-positive, 42-year-old male. The images were sent by clinicians from local health services. This patient was also treated with oral ivermectin and permethrin lotion. We recognize that this case would need further diagnostic workup, but it is highly indicative of CS. CONCLUSIONS CS is one of the most suited diseases for the practice of teledermatology for widespread, large, hyperkeratotic fissured plaques covered with abundant, silvery scales for which the expression “once seen, never forgotten” is highly applicable. These cases are gratifyingly simple to treat, and patients benefit from rapid clinical improvement. Prompt diagnoses prevent outbreaks of scabies for relatives and medical personnel, since these skin crusts contain large numbers of scabies mites. CS has been increasingly reported but poorly recognized, and it has often been misdiagnosed as psoriasis. Images, such as those shown in this presentation, are unique and are enough to raise strong clinical suspicion.

Conceptualizing the Value of Aging: What is it Like to Be An Older Woman in the 21st Century?

The basis for this hermeneutic phenomenological research was to identify common themes in women 65 years of age and older and determine whether these women felt valued in ageing. The best description of this research becomes the study of the phenomena as real living or “entering the lifeworld “(Finlay, 2012). The research sought to increase the knowledge of how older women feel about their own ageing and the effect of society’s response to them. The participants covered a large age range of 66 to 93 years of age all of which experienced physical, emotional, and social changes involving age. The participants' response to these changes of ageing and society’s response to them ranged from very positive to very distressing. Twelve women were interviewed from a vast range of locations throughout the United States through zoom due to COVID 19. Their responses reflect four main categories: ageism, successful ageing, active engagement, and social support. The interviews focused on seven main questions: Tell me about being your age? Is there a time you can recall when you first felt older? Have you ever felt mistreated as an older adult? Have you ever felt you were discounted or ignored as being an older woman? Have you done anything to maintain your youth? Have you done anything to feel youthful? Have you ever felt dismissed related to your age? Utilizing seven questions and the conversation with these questions brought forth this study. This became a platform for these women to tell their stories.

Why older rural women in Ireland want to work: it's not all about the money

This paper extends our understanding of employment and gendered rural ageing by examining the latent benefits of paid work for mid-life women in rural Ireland. Existing social gerontology literature deals extensively with manifest financial reasons to work, consequences of gendered pay and pension inequalities, work-related health concerns and the negative impacts to an extended working life for women. However, there is much less focus on the latent non-financial positive contributions that work provides for the older woman, especially within a rural context. Findings from this study show how mid-life women, even if in lower-paid, precarious work or in poorer health may choose to continue working into older age. Paid work provides not only financial autonomy, but also temporal structure, life purpose, personal agency, social connectivity and a self-identity that most women are reluctant to relinquish to retirement. Meaningful work plays a critical role in the ageing experience of older rural women. A qualitative study of 25 women aged 45–65 in Connemara, Ireland was undertaken from a lifecourse perspective and analysed using constructivist grounded theory to allow rich, novel narrative to emerge. Narrative from seven, who best represent all participants, are utilised in this paper. Conclusions suggest that the latent benefits of paid work are at least as, if not more important than financial gain for rural mid-life women.

Changing Motivations for Woman-to-Woman Marriages among the Nandi of Kenya

In Africa, marriage was only seen to be complete if there were offspring and for that matter, male offspring. In cases of childlessness or bearing of only girls, woman-to-woman marriages were explored as an alternative to siring of a male offspring. An elderly childless lady or one bearing only girl children would marry a young girl who for one reason or another would be able to get offspring to inherit the name and the property of the older woman. However, in the present situation the practice of woman-to-woman marriage is facing various challenges, health, legal, economic, social and religious implications. In this paper we will look at the past and present status of the practice and then give a summary of the practice in the African continent in general, in Kenya and within the Nandi community in Nandi in particular. We will show how this practice was done in the past as discussed by the ethnographies and we will show some of the changes that have come up in the modern context. We will also use two modern case studies to highlight the challenges that this practice is facing in the modern situation. We will specifically discuss the challenge that this poses to the church and how the church can respond to it. In the end we will provide some theological guidelines to the church even as they provide guidance for the adherents who are faced with challenges on this matter