Role of l-arginine in the prevention of pre eclampsia in high-risk pregnancies.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of L-Arginine versus placebo in the prevention of pre eclampsia in high-risk pregnancies. Study Design: Randomized Control Trial. Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nishtar Hospital Multan. Period: November 2019 to February 2019. Material & Methods: A total of 130 women were included in the study. 65 patients were in L-arginine group or Group A while 65 patients were in placebo group or Group B. In group A, women were prescribed L-arginine 300 grams (Amino Whey Sachet) once a day until delivery and in group B; women were given homologated placebo (starch) once a day until delivery. Efficacy (no preeclampsia occurs during pregnancy) was noted from both groups and recorded. Mean ±SD was presented for quantitative variables like age, gestational age, parity, duration of chronic hypertension, weight, height and BMI. Variables such as age, parity, hypertension, body mass index, gestational age and duration of hypertension were stratified to assess their effect on efficacy. Chi square test was used to make comparison of the efficacy in both groups as well as for post-stratification for both groups. A p value of less than or equal to 0.05 was taken as significant. Results: In L-arginine group efficacy was 92.3% as compared to 69.2% in placebo group (p< 0.000) Table-IV. Conclusion: It can be concluded that L-arginine when given orally at the dose of 300g daily has a considerable role in prevention of pre-eclampsia in pregnant patients with high risk and also has a role in reduction of severity of pre-eclampsia.

Comparison of current and emerging strategies for treating hepatic encephalopathy.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of rifaximin and metronidazole which are the most commonly used antibiotics used in treating this disorder. Study Design: Randomized Controlled Trial. Setting: Department of Medicine, Sharif Trust Hospital. Period: Jan 2018 to July 2018. Material & Methods: In this study cirrhotic patients irrespective of etiology were enrolled. West Haven Criteria (WHC) was utilized for grading the symptoms of HE at baseline and after 7 days of treatment. The study subjects were further subdivided into two groups: rifa group and metro group, and were given rifaximin and metronidazole respectively along with lactulose. The efficacy of the treatment and adverse effects in both the groups were estimated. Results: Total 180 subjects with HE (grade- III or IV) were selected, 90 subjects were subdivided into each group. Out of 90 subjects of Rifa group, efficacy of treatment was noted in 14 (15%) patients and out of 90 subjects of Metro Group, treatment was found effective in 45 (50%) patients with p value of 0.0001. Conclusion: The conclusion of this study is that metronidazole is superior to rifaximin in terms of efficacy in the management of an acute phase of hepatic encephalopathy due to chronic liver cirrhosis. Hence, due to its cheaper cost and a good safety margin its use is recommend in poor resource settings.

It’s About Time! Identifying and Explaining Unique Trajectories of Solidarity-Based Collective Action to Support People in Developing Countries

Social change occurs over years and decades, yet we know little about how people sustain, increase or diminish their actions over time, and why they do so. This article examines diverging trajectories of solidarity-based collective action to support people in developing nations more than 5 years. We suggest that sustained, diminished, and/or increased action over time will be predicted by identification as a supporter, group efficacy beliefs, and discrete emotions about disadvantage. Latent Growth Mixture Models ( N = 483) revealed two trajectories with unique signatures: an activist supporter trajectory with a higher intercept and weakly declining action; and a benevolent supporter trajectory with a lower intercept but weakly increasing action. The activist trajectory was predicted by social identification, outrage, and hope, whereas the benevolent supporter trajectory was predicted by sympathy. The results highlight the role of combinations of emotions and the need for person-centered longitudinal methods in collective action research.

The Moderating Role of Attachment in the Associations Between Group Variables and OCB

The current study expands previous knowledge by investigating the moderating role of attachment styles in the associations between perceived group cohesion, perceived collective efficacy, and changes in the individual report of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Data were collected from 180 employees, who took part in a 9-week organizational training course. Upon start of training, participants completed questionnaires assessing their attachment orientations and their individual-level OCB. Upon conclusion, participants completed questionnaires assessing their perceived group cohesion, perceived group efficacy, and OCB. Using hierarchical linear modeling, both group cohesion and efficacy explained the changes in the individual OCB. In addition, attachment anxiety moderated the associations between group efficacy, group cohesion and the changes in OCB. The results emphasize the joint effects of group-and individual-level variables in predicting OCB in a longitudinal design. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

‘Searching for Roots’: Exploring the Idea of Home in Tibetan Refugee Youth Living in Delhi, India

Home is a key aspect of place attachment signified by rootedness and ease; it is operationalised as a sense of being rooted to and feeling at ease in a particular place. Two studies were done to gain a nuanced idea of the concept of home as understood by Tibetan refugee youth living in Delhi. In study 1, based on in-depth interviews on 20 students of ages 18–25 years, a thematic analysis resulted in the global theme of ‘community as home’ indicating the central position of the community while talking about home. On the basis of this study, four variables were identified as key to the concept of home: in-group identification, group efficacy, social well-being and rootedness (home). Study 2 was designed to understand the relationship between these identified variables. Around 103 refugee youth (controlled for gender) aged 18–25 years completed the questionnaire. It was found that most of the variables were positively correlated to one another, except for group efficacy and social well-being. Further, the mediation analysis indicated that in the context of the community, higher levels of social well-being explained increased in-group identification, particularly when mediated by the presence of group efficacy. Overall, it was found that community seems to be integral to the concept of home for Tibetan refugee youth living in Delhi. Both studies expand upon existing literature on the concept of home and have further implications for the notion of home and the social well-being of Tibetan refugees.

EIMECA: A Proposal for a Model of Environmental Collective Action

The deterioration and destruction of the environment is becoming more and more considerable and greater efforts are needed to stop it. To accomplish this feat, all members of society must identify with solving environmental problems, environmental collective action being one of the most relevant means of doing so. From this perspective, the analysis of the psychosocial factors that lead to participation in environmental collective action emerges as a priority objective in the research agenda. Thus, the aim of this study is to examine the role of “environmental identity”, as conceptualized by Clayton, as a central axis for explaining environmental collective action. The inclusion of the latter in the theoretical framework of the SIMCA (social identity model of collective action) model gives rise to the model that we have called EIMECA (environmental identity model of environmental collective action). Two studies were conducted (344 and 720 participants, respectively), and structural equation modeling was used. The results reveal that environmental identity and a variety of negative emotional affects, as well as group efficacy, accompanied by hope for a simultaneous additive effect, are critical when it comes to predicting environmental collective action.