Effects of Pasturella Multocida B:2 and its immunogens (LPS and OMP) on reproductive hormones in Nili-Ravi Buffaloes

Livestock is a fundamental part of the agriculture industry in Pakistan and contributes more than 11.53% to GDP. Among livestock species, the buffaloes are regarded as the black gold of Pakistan. Being the highest milk producers globally, Nili-Ravi buffaloes are the most famous ones. Buffaloes are affected by many endemic diseases, and "Hemorrhagic septicemia" (HS) is one of them. This study was designed to ascertain the effects of experimental exposure ofP. multocida B:2 (oral) and its immunogens, i.e., LPS (oral and intravenous) and OMP (oral and subcutaneous) on reproductive hormonal profiles in Nili-Ravi buffaloes. Repeated serum samples were collected from the jugular vein of experimental animals for 21 days (0, 02, 04, 08, 12, 16, 20, 24, 36, 48, 72, 120, 168, 216, 264, 360, 456 and 504 hours). Hormonal assays to determine the serum concentrations of Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), Luteinizing hormone (LH), Estrogen (E2) and progesterone (P4) were performed using (MyBioSource) commercial Elisa kits. The hormonal profile of all treatment groups of the buffalo heifers exhibited significant (P<0.05) variations as compared to the control group (G-1). These results indicate suppression in Nili-Ravi buffaloes' reproductive hormonal profile on exposure to P. multocida B:2 and its immunogens. This influence warrants that exposure to H.S may be a possible reason for delayed puberty and poor reproduction performance in Nili-Ravi buffaloes.

Metalepsis in a Narrative Piece by M. S. Lourenço

This article is focused on the role performed by metalepsis in a short narrative piece by the Portuguese writer and philosopher M. S. Lourenço (1936–2009). In the first section an explanation of the ways metalepsis and leitmotif interact is provided, whereas the second section turns to the metaleptic short circuit between fiction and reality. In the discussion of these issues the analysis of textual variation, which is carried out according to textual genetics, plays a fundamental part.

Carol Leigh, a.k.a. Scarlot Harlot

Carol Leigh (also known as Scarlot Harlot) is an artist, author, filmmaker, and sex workers’ rights activist. She famously coined the term sex work, a fundamental part of the lexicon regarding all workers’ rights, owed in large part to Leigh’s artistic and activist career. Working primarily through the medium of performance and video, her work attempts to educate and broaden audiences’ understanding of sex work and the fundamental rights sex workers deserve. Carol’s Curated Spaces feature takes the form of a visual essay comprising images from her archive, along with an introductory statement from Carol, giving an overview of her trajectory as an artist and activist.

Digital Peer Support for People With Severe Mental Illness

The literature has recognized peer support as a fundamental part of the recovery process for people with severe mental illness (SMI). These populations frequently experience barriers related to (self)stigmatization, social relationship, poor friendship quality, ostracism, isolation, and fear of being rejected or embarrassed. Scientific research suggests those individuals are more willing to share personal and sensitive details through digital technologies, building friendships and using the internet to access health information rather than their peers who do not experience SMI. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the digital-based peer programs and to analyze scientific evidence behind the alternative paradigm, related concepts, intervention designs, and results.

A Pedagogical Paradigm Shift

This chapter provides an insight into the theoretical perspectives which form the foundation of extended reality (XR) and its emergence in practice as a fundamental part of medical and healthcare curricula. Issues such as the authenticity of learning, the validity and reliability of XR within processes of assessment, and the theoretical underpinnings of pedagogical approaches in health professions pedagogy are illuminated. Also considered are the implications of XR within the context of non-patient-based learning and the delineation of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains of learning in relation to patient outcomes at the front line of care in applied practice. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has impacted all global higher education institutional (HEI) learning since March 2020, is also considered in the context of moves to ensure that medical and healthcare education can continue, albeit via hybrid models of learning as opposed to traditional pedagogical approaches, which have remained little altered over the last century.

Imaging the tarsal plate: A Mini-Review

Imaging the tarsal plate and the meibomian glands (MG) grants new opportunities for ophthalmic practitioners who work in the field of the ocular surface and dry eye across the globe. The secretory role of MG plays a fundamental part in protecting the moisture in front of the eye surface by creating an active shield made of meibum (lipid) which prevents tear evaporation and causes dry eye. Evidence from the most popular Dry Eye Workshop reports (2007 and 2016) demonstrate that MG dysfunction is the first cause of evaporative dry eye which is also the most common cause of dry eye and ocular surface discomfort. Fortunately, during the last years, a plethora of new devices for MG observation, diagnosis and follow-up have been made available in the market. These devices range from invasive to minimally invasive, high to low-tech and from being expensive to low-cost. The objective of this mini-review is to condense the latest evidence in MG imaging by providing a narrative overview on the most common technologies plus some other newer aspects which might guide clinicians and researchers in the field of the ocular surface and dry eye.

A Comprehensive Study on Safety of New Energy Vehicles

New energy vehicles (NEVs) have become a fundamental part of transportation system. Performance of an NEV is hugely determined by batteries, motors, and embedded electric control units. In this paper, a comprehensive study that covers all these key components is presented. Mechanisms and characterizations of failures are given in detail. On top of these, algorithms for fault diagnosis are established based on big data of real-world NEVs with joint considerations of design flaws, usage behaviors, and environmental conditions. In this way, multiple types of faults can be detected ahead of time to avoid accident. Proposed methods have been verified by real-world operational data, indicating effectiveness while providing insights for NEV design optimization.

Age-based Analysis of the Perceptions of Aging and Successful Aging in Malaysia

Given that ageism could have detrimental effects on the aging society, knowing how people of different age groups perceive aging and successful aging is important. This study collected data from 648 respondents aged between 18 and 80 years old for an age-based analysis of the perceptions toward aging and successful aging. The findings revealed that generally, being healthy, happy, and physically active are considered important aspects of successful aging. Regardless of age, health is perceived as the most fundamental part of life. Both the psychosocial and health factors are critical aspects of successful aging. Hence, it is critical to look into the provision of better healthcare and public facilities for older adults, to find ways to reduce negative attitudes toward older people and to assist older adults to live successfully at old age.

Lipidic Profiles of Patients Starting Peritoneal Dialysis Suggest an Increased Cardiovascular Risk Beyond Classical Dyslipidemia Biomarkers

Background. Lipids are molecules that constitute a fundamental part of the plasma. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) produces profound changes in lipid metabolism, and associated lipid disorders, in turn, contribute to the progression of CKD. Patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) have more atherogenic lipid profiles than non-dialysis-dependent CKD patients. Methods. Single-center prospective observational study of a cohort of CKD patients who started renal replacement therapy with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. The differences in the lipid profile and analytical variables before and six months after the start of peritoneal dialysis were analyzed. Samples were analyzed on an Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography system. Results. Thirty-nine patients were enrolled in this study. Their mean age was 57.9 ± 16.3 years. A total of 157 endogenous lipid species of 11 lipid subclasses were identified. There were significant increases in total free fatty acids (p< 0.05), diacylglycerides (p <0.01), triacylglycerides, (p <0.01), phosphatidylcholines (p <0.01), phosphatidylethanolamines (p <0.01), ceramides (p <0.01), sphingomyelins (p <0.01), and cholesterol esters (p<0.01) from baseline to 6 months. However, there were no differences in the classical lipid markers, neither lysophosphatidylcholines, monoacylglycerides, and sphingosine levels. Conclusions. Patients on PD present changes in the lipidomic profile beyond the classic markers of dyslipidemia, that suggest an increased cardiovascular risk in them.

Appealing to Tacit Knowledge and Axiology to Enhance Medical Practice in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Hermeneutic Bioethical Analysis

Background: The pressure of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, epidemiological and demographic changes, personnel-patient relationship in healthcare, and the development of biotechnologies do not go unnoticed by the healthcare professional. Changes are so wide and at a high rate that guidelines and mere scientific knowledge, which are represented by evidence-based medicine, are not sufficient to lead actions, thus the experiential aspects in the configuration of an ethos present as a fundamental part of the resources to deal with critical scenarios, such as a pandemic. In this regard, the recognition of tacit knowledge as a way of teaching and learning skills related to ethical aspects such as principles, virtues, and values, revealed as a fundamental part of the clinical field. The challenge is to strengthen binomial evidence-based medicine and values-based in order to achieve excellence in the health care of the patients and the well-being of the clinical personnel.Method: A 2-fold analysis was conducted taking pediatric endocrinology as an example. First, a systematic review was carried out in electronic databases BIREME, PubMed, and PhilPapers following PEO and PRISMA approaches. A total of 132 articles were garnered. After reading their title and abstract, 30 articles were obtained. Quantitative information was arranged in an Excel database according to three themes: ethics, axiology, and tacit knowledge. A quality criterion that meets our research question was assigned to each article and those which had a quality criterion of 3 (9) were taken to carry out the hermeneutic bioethical analysis, which consisted of three stages, namely naïve reading, codification, and interpretation. The results were analyzed in Atlas.ti. to elucidate the relations between the three main themes in accordance with the objective.Results: Although there was no difference in the frequency of tacit knowledge skills, including cognitive, social, and technical, for medical practice, there is an intrinsic relationship between epistemic and ethical values with cognitive skills, this means that professionals who practice honesty, authenticity and self-control are capable of seeing patients as persons and thus respect their dignity. This suggested that there is a strong partnership between evidence-based medicine and value-based medicine, which reinforced this binomial as the two feet on which medical practice decisions rested. With regard to tacit knowledge in terms of the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges refer to (1) adapting and learning a new way of establishing trust with the patient and (2) how to capitalize on the new knowledge that new experiences have posed.Discussion: The analysis of ethical-tacit knowledge in medicine is a recent phenomenon and is in full development. Although no references were found that dealt with any of the main topics in pediatric endocrinology, there is an interest in pediatrics to explore and discuss educational strategies in ethics related to its tacit dimension as a vector of enhancement in the clinical practice. Educational strategies ought to take into consideration the development of skills that promote reflection and discussion of experiences, even more vigorously in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.