Crisis Research Articles

Unique challenges and opportunities faced by pain physicians during COVID-19 crisis

The COVID pandemic has affected pain practice throughout the world. It has now become amply clear that the pandemic is here to stay for long. Pain physicians have a very important role to play in the pandemic and that is taking care of the chronic pain patients to avoid complications. This responsibility falls in the essential service category and cannot be shrugged off the shoulders by practitioners of pain medicine. Initially, various associations, societies, and organizations came up with various guidelines recommending management options following a conservative approach. However, the stance has changed almost on a real-time basis, and the current approach is to decide management on a case-to-case basis. This unique scenario has put up a lot of challenges ahead for the budding superspecialty of pain medicine. However, it also offers some opportunities which can pave the way for a bright future for the pain physicians and more importantly for their patients.

The Daytop crisis and its impact on the global Therapeutic Community movement

PurposeThe Therapeutic Communities (TCs) movement tends to become from a revolutionary answer to the problem of addiction to another mainstream therapeutic proposal. The author considers that the crisis in 1968 in the seminal TC of Daytop was a pivotal event of this transition. This study aims to evaluate the impact of this historical crisis on the course of the TCs movement, assuming that, to enter into a constructive dialogue that can lead to the overcoming of today’s deadlocks of the movement, an awareness of the history is needed.Design/methodology/approachThe present paper is a perspective/opinion paper and starts with a brief review of the origins of the first TCs for addicts. Emphasis is placed on their inevitable, according to the author, confrontation with the political and scientific status quo of that time. Then, it focuses on the period of the crisis in Daytop TC. The author interprets the events under a whole new scope, based on conversations he personally had with pioneers of that time, on his longstanding experience on the field, and the available literature.FindingsThe author attempts a historical and sociological analysis of the course of TCs and the Daytop TC. He concludes with a dispute of the prevailing idea that the Daytop crisis was a product of the confrontation between personal ambitions. He maintains that the collision that took place in Daytop TC was a confrontation between two antipodal perspectives over the notion of therapy. In any case, the subsequent estrangement of the movement from the groundbreaking attributes of the first TCs did not prove to be in the best interests of addicts; it was rather dictated by the need of the leaders of TCs to rescue their professional career.Originality/valueThe present paper attempts to offer a different view from the conventional reading of TCs’ history and their present situation for today’s predicaments of this proposal to be understood and possibly overcome.

ERCP in Wuhan During the COVID-19 Crisis

During the COVID-19 crisis, most endoscopy procedures have been cancelled or deferred. However, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

Everyday Europe and Tomorrow's Europe: Is There a Future for Social Transnationalism? A Response to Readers

We thank our respondents for a set of very interesting commentaries As with our own text, these thoughts and insights have themselves inevitably been overtaken by events outside our immediate academic control As we write, the world has been enveloped in a pandemic that apparently strikes at the heart of globalisation (as it was), after a decade in which the growing threat of impending or emergent crises to it has been heavily signalled on all sides Ironically — in terms of our core concerns — the present crisis, itself a truly global event, clearly intertwines with the mobilities and transactions that most defined our now lost era A disease that has spread through expansive human travel and unconstrained human interaction has been tackled everywhere with immobility and social lockdown Most likely, mobilities — and Europe itself — will not be the same after the coronavirus and the new and revised forms of governance it has imposed Just how different it will be remains to be seen It may not be right just yet to lament Die Welt von Gestern in despairing Stefan Zweig-like mode (Zweig 1942), but surely neither can we count on Europe or the world going back to “business as usual” Nearly everything everywhere currently seems to be defaulting to highlybounded, primarily nationalised forms of governance, that may well veer towards extreme nationalist governmentality and even eugenics depending on the severity of the crisis The pandemic is thus raising echoes of the Dark Continent—that is, Europe’s dismal pre-1945 past (see Mazower’s prescient work, 1998)—as well as many revived utopian ideas about community, collective responsibility, ecological consciousness, or a new and proactive focus on welfare coverage and public health We will not be able to adjudicate on all this, but these stakes do need to be evoked What is clear is that Everyday Europe, which was published in early 2019, written 2015 to 2019, and based on research conducted from 2010 to 2014, will now assuredly be a timepiece, the portrait of a decade and a lost world But for that reason its chapters and its readers’ responses may have a great value in specifying the extent to which mobilities and cross-border “social transnationalism”, as we call it, had transformed and was transforming the continent before the fateful year 2020 It may then become a yardstick of what we are losing as we speak

Mask crisis during the COVID-19 outbreak.

On December 31, 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. As of February 29, 2020, the National Health Commission of China has reported 79,389 confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in 34 provinces. The masks can be used to block respiratory transmission from human to human, and are an effective way to control influenza. It is, therefore, necessary to wear a mask when respiratory infectious diseases are prevalent. China has a population of 1.4 billion. Assuming that two-thirds of the people in China must wear a mask every day, the daily demand for masks will reach 900 million. The Chinese government has taken many measures to solve these problems. Additionally, more measures should be taken to properly dispose of mask garbage. Although the outbreak originated in China, person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has been confirmed, which means that it can be spread to anywhere in the world if prevention measures fail. The issues regarding face mask shortages and garbage in China, therefore, deserve worldwide attention.

Policy Framing and Party Competition: The Italian Political Debate on Local Public Services since the Economic Crisis

In recent years many European governments reacted to the economic crisis introducing austerity measures that particularly affected Local Public Services (LPSs) through outsourcing, privatization and marketization. While several studies have analysed the logics of instruments choice also in this policy sector, the political discourses and policy frames that accompanied the tools selection for the management of LPSs in the last years have been paid limited attention in the scholarly literature. Starting from these premises, the article analyses the debate on LPSs that has developed in Italy since 2008, reconstructing the frames used by the main parties through the analysis of both electoral manifestos and press reviews of articles relevant to LPSs in three newspapers. Particular attention is paid to the 2011 referendum against the privatization of LPSs and the 2018 referendum on local public transportation management in Rome. The paper concludes that the economic crisis and subsequent transformations of party politics and participation encouraged a politicization of the issues around local public services, as well as a shift in the related policy discourse. The parties' choices and policy frames were guided mainly by a strategic logic defined in relation to the salience of the LPS issue and the competitive context.

Setting the scene: Filling the Gaps in Populism Studies

This article introduces the conceptual and analytical framework for the special issue, which explores the cultural side of populism: the relationships between politics, emotions, music, and subcultures in populist contexts. We highlight the role that cultural and symbolic 'products' (such as music, emotions, narratives, and visual symbols) play in the emergence and spread of populism. First, we explore the opportunities afforded by understanding the concept of populism from a cultural/symbolic point of view, reaching beyond the traditional party politics literature to which it is usually confined. Second, we suggest different ways in which populism has been articulated in various European countries (e.g. popular cultures, subcultures) since the economic crisis of 2008, emphasizing music, narratives, visuals, and emotions as means of the populist symbolic construction of the political and social reality. Third, from a social movement perspective, we reflect on the mechanisms (cognitive, emotional, normative) that may help understanding the current populist 'momentum', as well as on the methods to empirically grasp them.

The Paradox of Everyday Europe: The Crisis of the European Project in the Context of Widespread Transnationalism

The Paradox of Everyday Europe: The Crisis of the European Project in the Context of Widespread Transnationalism

Rethinking Money, Rebuilding Communities. A Multidimensional Analysis of Crypto and Complementary Currencies

In the current scenario of global crisis, our official monetary system's inadequacy to provide solutions to the numerous serious problems affecting our society has become increasingly evident. This has led to the emergence of an astonishing number of projects that aim to rethink money. In order to make sense of these projects, it is necessary to explore the deepest meanings of money, as a multidimensional institution whose concrete nature and functioning are still object of a whole set of unsolved disputes. Under these premises, this article proposes an interdisciplinary reading of crypto and complementary currencies. The goal is twofold: on the one hand, the authors aim to shed light on the conditions which have to be met for the establishment of a sustainable monetary innovation; on the other hand, the article constitutes an attempt to use ongoing experiences as a lens through which to gain new insights into the general phenomenon of money and as a laboratory for exploring the possibility to move towards new socio-economic paradigms.

Geopolitics of Monetary Innovation in the Longue Durée. Financialization, Digitalization and the Crisis of the Global Hegemony

Since the beginning of the new millennium, a great variety of experiences of monetary innovation has taken place worldwide. Actually, very assorted types of social agents, at very different levels of interaction and with very diverse purposes and results, are creating a plethora of global, macro-regional, local or deterritorialized currencies seriously defying both the hegemonic role of the US dollar, and the traditional agents, methods and criteria related to money's creation and circulation. Given such a picture, the main aim of this essay is to characterize and valuate the principle features of the ongoing process of monetary innovation, in light of its modern and contemporary history. We adopt an interdisciplinary theoretical frame, based on the ground of the political sociology and the world system theory, and a genealogical method focused on the monetary history of the United States. The main result here presented is the centrality of the dialectic between innovation and regulation, and of their social and institutional forces. Actually, it can help the comprehension about where, when and why new forms of money appear, as well as the individuation of the main traits characterizing the current stage of global crisis and of its risky implications.

Serologic Evidence of Pancreatic Injury in COVID-19

As the COVID-19 crisis unfolds, some data regarding gastrointestinal manifestations of the infection are becoming available. Early reports noted that

COVID-19 - Considerations and Implications for Surgical Learners.

COVID-19 - Considerations and Implications for Surgical Learners.

COPING MECHANISMS OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL (JHS) TEACHERS IN FACING CHALLENGES SURROUNDING CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT, TEACHING STRATEGIES, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Coping mechanism proves the condition of professional crisis and identifies teachers a significant reduction and experiences level of orientation in life that leads to the process of reflection and intensification. The study examines the coping mechanisms of the respondents in terms of classroom management, teaching strategies, and professional development. Descriptive quantitative method of research is utilized in the study because it aims systematically and accurately to describe the situation phenomenon and population of the study. The subjects of the study are the Licensed Professional TLE Junior High School Teachers. The study comprised of 22 respondents and is conducted during the academic year 2019-2020. Results show that coping style is commonly thought of the cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses used by an individual to deal with problems encountered in the school and involving students in making decisions about classroom discipline and organizing the class to work out the rules for good behavior in terms of classroom management, effective coping mechanism teaching strategies make the effects of stress less damaging and knowledge that makes a teacher to help students develop in their learning process in terms of teaching strategies, and upgrade knowledge in the teaching profession and what they are expected to teach, knowing the structure, organization and culture of the school helped students feel comfortable in that environment and adapts professional qualities and professional development through training, seminars, and innovations in the teaching profession in terms of professional development. Article visualizations:

New Diagnosis of Myasthenia Gravis Following Magnesium Replacement

A 29-year-old female G2P2 with a past medical history of hyperthyroidism and depression was admitted for 2-months of progressively worsening weakness of her bilateral upper and lower extremities. Initial investigations were unremarkable, and the patient’s weakness improve the next morning. The patient was thought to have a Somatoform Disorder and was planned for home discharge, however on the day of discharge her magnesium was 1.2 mg/dL. After repletion, she developed seizure-like activity and respiratory failure, requiring mechanical ventilation and transfer to the ICU. In ICU, patient received another dose of replacement magnesium that caused another seizure, code blue and re-intubation. Subsequent lab work revealed reactive Acetylcholine receptor antibodies and subsequent chest imaging demonstrated thymoma, confirming a diagnosis of Myasthenia Gravis in Crisis. The patient improved following plasma exchange and was discharged home with outpatient follow up.

Barns deltagande i förskole- och daghemskontext under inledningen av coronavirusets utbrott i Finland och Sverige

Coronapandemin är en ny samhällskris som är sparsamt beforskad varför olika perspektiv på coronaviruset behövs. Denna artikel bidrar till att fördjupa kunskapen om barns uttryck om coronaviruset bland annat genom att analysera personalens beskrivningar av barns uttryck kring coronavirusets utbrott i Finland och Sverige i daghems- och förskolekontext i mars 2020. Det empiriska materialet består av 79 enkätsvar från personal i förskola och daghem. Begreppen deltagande och resiliens har använts som teoretisk bakgrund och dessa diskuteras i artikeln. Barnen visar på fyra olika former av deltagande i daghem och förskola. Artikeln bidrar till att sätta barns deltagande i relation till en samhällskris som coronapandemin samt visar på ett mångfacetterat deltagande. Resultatet av studien kan få implikationer både på förhållningssätt och arbetsmetoder i samband med kriser.

SARS-CoV-2 causing pneumonia-associated respiratory disorder (COVID-19): diagnostic and proposed therapeutic options.

SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the outbreak of severe respiratory illness (COVID-19) in Wuhan City, China and is now spreading rapidly throughout the world. The prompt outbreak of COVID-19 and its quick spread without any controllable measure defines the severity of the situation. In this crisis, a collective pool of knowledge about the advancement of clinical diagnostic and management for COVID-19 is a prerequisite. Here, we summarize all the available updates on the multidisciplinary approaches for the advancement of diagnosis and proposed therapeutic strategies for COVID-19. Moreover, the review discusses different aspects of the COVID-19, including its epidemiology; incubation period; the general clinical features of patients; the clinical features of intensive care unit (ICU) patients; SARS-CoV-2 infection in the presence of co-morbid diseases and the clinical features of pediatric patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2. Advances in various diagnostic approaches, such as the use of real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), chest radiography, and computed tomography (CT) imaging; and other modern diagnostic methods, for this infection have been highlighted. However, due to the unavailability of adequate evidence, presently there are no officially approved drugs or vaccines available against SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, we have discussed various therapeutic strategies for COVID-19 under different categories, like the possible treatment plans with drug (antiviral drugs and anti-cytokines) therapy for disease prevention. Lastly, potentials candidates for the vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection have been described. Collectively, the review provides an overview of the SARS-CoV-2 infection outbreak along with the recent advancements and strategies for diagnosis and therapy of COVID-19.

Distribución geográfica y factores de riesgo de tuberculosis multidrogorresistente en el centro de Perú

Introducción. Se estima que el tratamiento para la tuberculosis multidrogorresistente (TB-MDR) fracasa en el 46% de los pacientes, situación que representa una crisis para la salud pública. En Perú, 6 personas se enferman de tuberculosis (TB) cada hora y de los 27 000 casos notificados de enfermedad activa por año, el 10% corresponde a TB-MDR.Objetivo. Determinar la distribución geográfica de la TB-MDR y los factores de riesgo de esta enfermedad en la región de Junín, ubicada en el centro de Perú. Materiales y métodos. Estudio longitudinal retrospectivo de casos y controles que incluyó 3 602 personas con diagnóstico de tuberculosis confirmado con cultivo positivo para Mycobacterium tuberculosis entre enero y diciembre de 2016. Los casos fueron los pacientes con diagnóstico de TB-MDR y los controles, los demás pacientes.Resultados. Se encontró una mayor prevalencia de casos de TB-MDR en la selva central de Perú, zona con alta incidencia de TB. Al realizar el análisis multivariado, se encontraron los siguientes factores de riesgo de multidrogorresistencia: antecedente de tratamiento de la TB (OR: 1.61, IC95%: 1.14-3.26), fracaso del tratamiento previo (OR: 5.84, IC95%: 4.03-8.21) y contacto intradomiciliario con personas con TB-MDR (OR: 91.57, IC95%: 34.56-289.14).Conclusiones. La distribución geográfica de la TB-MDR es de tipo no heterogéneo con alta incidencia en la selva central. En pacientes con diagnóstico reciente de TB, se debe considerar la posibilidad de TB-MDR si presentan alguno de los factores de riesgo identificados aquí y proceden de alguna zona de alta prevalencia de esta enfermedad.

GDC respond to crisis

GDC respond to crisis

Psicología ambiental y ecopsicología en edad evolutiva: aspectos cognitivos, afectivos y relacionales

Ecopsicología y psicología ambiental estudian la relación individuo-medio ambiente, poniendo de relieve los efectos beneficiosos que el contacto con la naturaleza puede generar en los sujetos a nivel cognoscitivo, afectivo, individual y relacional.Los objetivos que la investigación se ha propuesto conseguir son: explorar las relaciones y vivencias que los niños tienen con respecto a las plantas, espacios abiertos naturales y animales; desarrollar el sentido de pertenencia al territorio; evaluar la percepción del grado de conexión con la naturaleza; evaluar si el contacto con la naturaleza modifique y facilite procesos de aprendizaje, modalidades relacionales; ofrecer un espacio lúdico recreativo-relacional naturalista a niños de escuelas primarias; favorecer recorridos culturales que apunten a la valorización y “re-descubrimiento” de la naturaleza. Crear y ofrecer los espacios naturalistas donde los niños puedan expresar vivencias, emociones, necesidades; sensibilización a la cuestión medioambiental; evaluar la sensibilidad y el conocimiento que los niños tienen con respecto a la crisis medioambiental; evaluación de los efectos que los laboratorios naturalistas tienen en el bienestar de los niños; evaluación del impacto educativo y “re-equilibrador” de la naturaleza.La investigación ha previsto la activación de laboratorios naturalistas en una cuarta y una quinta de una escuela pública primaria del municipio de Palermo, durante un año escolar con una frecuencia semanal (grupo experimental). Al final de la investigación-intervención se han suministrado la CNS (Connectedness to Nature Escalera) y la NRS (Nature Relatedness Escaleras) a las dos muestras de la investigación: el grupo experimental, y un grupo de control homogéneo por edad, sexo, clases.Los resultados muestran una significativa diferencia estadística entre los dos grupos, a prueba del hecho, la investigación-intervención ha logrado validar la hipótesis de base y perseguir los objetivos.

Mainstream Satanic Cinema in the Seventies: A Generational Crisis of Assimilation

Mainstream Satanic Cinema in the Seventies: A Generational Crisis of Assimilation