Marginalized Selfhood of Women in Tehmina Durrani's Blasphemy

This paper investigates into Durrani’s Blasphemy to scrutinize Heer's marginalized individuality. Heer is forced to marry a man, Pir Sain, with a high position in the society. Hermarriage proves a source of troubles and repression of self-satisfaction. When Heer fails to tolerate severe torture and exploitation, she revolts against patriarchy that pushes the female sex to the margin in the name of religious norms and values. Hence, this article exposes the desperate condition of women and their sufferings in Pakistan as depicted in the novel. The paper questions the system that does not allow women like Heer to make decisions in either household chore, not in the public affairs.

ASSESSING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CARE QUALITY AND HOUSEHOLD CHORE RULES IN RESIDENTIAL CARE INSTITUTIONS IN JAPAN

The performance of household chores by children in Japanese residential care institutions has been widely accepted as a practice that fosters children’s independence and self-sufficiency. However, children coming from neglectful or dysfunctional families often require sensitive, individualized care, which they did not receive from their family of origin. While a shift away from large-scale institutions has begun, with smaller units or group homes now accounting for 40% of all care institutions, it is not clear that family-like, individualized care has been achieved in these smaller group homes. This study involved 61 participants aged 10 to 15 years and their care workers from six residential care institutions in the greater Tokyo area. It explored what aspects of care quality were related to the presence of certain characteristics of traditional management-oriented care: fixed rules for household chores and lack of choice in daily living. Care workers were asked whether children washed their own dishes, did their own laundry, chose their own clothes when shopping, and had mandatory events to attend in the residential care institutions. Care quality was assessed using the Early Adolescent HOME (Home Observation for Measurement of Environment) developed for Japanese residential care institutions (EA-HOME-JP). The findings suggest that care workers should re-examine their intentions in setting and applying household chore rules while exploring which aspects of child care, including regulatory activities and modeling, should be emphasized in order to actualize family-like and individualized care in institutions.

Fremanezumab for preventive treatment of migraine

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of fremanezumab on the functional status on headache-free days in phase 2 episodic migraine (EM) and chronic migraine (CM) studies.MethodsFunctional status data were collected prospectively via the electronic headache diary on all headache-free days by patients answering questions regarding work/school/household chore performance, speed of work completion, concentration, and feeling of fatigue. Individuals with EM receiving monthly doses of fremanezumab 225 mg (n = 96) or 675 mg (n = 97) or placebo (n = 104) were compared. Individuals with CM receiving fremanezumab 675 mg followed by monthly 225 mg (n = 88) and 900 mg (n = 86) were also independently compared to those receiving placebo (n = 89).ResultsIn patients with EM, compared to patients receiving placebo, those receiving fremanezumab experienced an increased number of headache-free days with normal function in work/school/household chore performance and concentration/mental fatigue measures compared to their baseline over the entire treatment period (all p < 0.005). An increased number of headache-free days with normal functional performance for some measures was also found in the CM group in those treated with fremanezumab.ConclusionThere was an increased number of headache-free days with normal functional performance on all measures for the patients with EM and some measures for patients with CM in the fremanezumab-treated groups. Further research is required to confirm these findings in a prospective study and to clarify the underlying mechanism(s).ClinicalTrials.gov identifier:NCT02025556 and NCT02021773.Classification of evidenceThis study provides Class II evidence that for patients with migraine, fremanezumab increases normal functional performance on headache-free days.

Multidimensional Intergenerational Instrumental Support and Self-Rated Health Among Older Adults in Rural China: Trajectories and Correlated Change Over 11 Years

Objectives: This study investigated the dynamic relationship between multidimensional intergenerational instrumental support and health over time. This approach is of theoretical, methodological, and practical significance in gerontological research. Method: Data came from The Well-Being of Older People in Anhui Province in 2001, 2003, 2006, 2009, and 2012. Of the 1,636 participants at baseline, a working sample of 1,557 older adults was used. Trajectories and correlated change were estimated using parallel latent growth curve modeling with maximum likelihood estimation. Results: “Received household-chore help” decreased over time, whereas “received personal-care help” increased over time. “Provided household-chore help” and “provided personal-care help” increased and then decreased over time. Increasing receipt of “household-chore help” and “personal-care help” were associated with faster decline in health over time. Discussion Findings suggest distinctive patterns of changes for different dimensions of intergenerational instrumental support and their relationship with changes in perception of health over time in later life.