Future Partners Research Articles

Assessing Business Viability for a Production Joint Venture in the Indonesian Medical Device Industry

Research Aims: This study examines the viability of a joint venture between Daenamic Health Inc., a South Korean medical device manufacturer, and PT. Kenari Jaya Perkasa, an Indonesian medical device importer, to establish a local production facility for high-end medical devices in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach: The research follows a structured approach involving the analysis of business model compatibility, external market dynamics, and the financial and operational viability of the joint venture. Employing qualitative analysis from discussions, VRIO Framework, and quantitative analysis from Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the study evaluates market conditions and strategic fit between the partners. Research Findings: Findings indicate that Daenamic Health Inc. and PT. Kenari possess complementary strengths, forming a synergistic partnership poised to become a leading local brand for high end medical technology, as well as enabling access to more export market. Motivated by the need to reduce Indonesia's dependency on import, especially highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, this venture aligns with government policies to enhance local manufacturing and healthcare infrastructure. However, challenges such as navigating regulatory landscapes, managing a layered cost structure, and training local human capital must be addressed. Theoretical Contribution/Originality: Preliminary assessment for the joint venture’s establishment helps the partners to comprehensively assess their internal situation both as individual business and as future partners, prior to capitalizing the opportunity that comes with Indonesia’s vision towards healthcare self-sufficiency. As a result, partners’ synergistic strengths and aligned individual business needs positions the venture for competitive pricing and expansion in Southeast Asia and beyond. Keywords: Medical Devices; Joint Venture; Local Manufacturing; Market Dynamics; Strategic Fit

Phenomenological Study of Fatherlessness in the Lives of Daughters

In a family, both the mother and father’s roles are equally important. A father's role goes beyond being the breadwinner or the head of the family; he is also expected to play a complete role in supporting a child's development and sharing responsibilities with the mother as a wife. When a father doesn't fulfill his role effectively, the issue of "fatherless" arises in the family, which has long-term impacts on the child, including a daughter's perception of her future life partner. Previous research has shown that the absence of a father's role at home (fatherlessness) can influence how a child interacts and shapes a child's preferences in choosing a partner or determining their romantic relationships. This study, employing phenomenology and in-depth interviews with four female informants who have experienced fatherlessness, draws on family communication, attachment theory, penetration theory, and gender role theory. The research findings highlight that the experience of fatherlessness becomes a major communication barrier, affecting the informants in initiating romantic relationships. Respondents express difficulties in trusting and maintaining open communication with close friends. They state that disappointment in their father figure leads them to seek a partner to fulfill their psychological needs related to the missing fatherly figure. The study also confirms factors influencing the perceptions of fatherless daughters in choosing life partners, including a father's involvement in child-rearing, healthy communication between father and child, traumatic experiences, and current parent-child communication relationships. This research can serve as a reference for further studies interested in examining family communication from the perspective of the father's role and the communication between daughters and their fathers.

Exploring the Pharmacological Effects of Bioactive Peptides on Human Nervous Disorders: A Comprehensive Review.

A family of peptides known as bioactive peptides has unique physiological properties and may be used to improve human health and prevent illness. Because bioactive peptides impact the immunological, endocrine, neurological, and cardiovascular systems, they have drawn a lot of interest from researchers. According to recent studies, bioactive peptides have a lot to offer in the treatment of inflammation, neuronal regeneration, localized ischemia, and the blood-brain barrier. It investigates various peptide moieties, including antioxidative properties, immune response modulation, and increased blood-brain barrier permeability. It also looks at how well they work as therapeutic candidates and finds promising peptide-based strategies for better outcomes. Furthermore, it underscores the need for further studies to support their clinical utility and suggests that results from such investigations will enhance our understanding of the pathophysiology of these conditions. In order to understand recent advances in BPs and to plan future research, academic researchers and industrial partners will find this review article to be a helpful resource.

Examining Childhood Trauma Experiences in Relation to Women’s Attachment Style, Exposure to Violence and Partner Characteristics

Main emphasis of this research is to illuminate the intertwined cycles of neglect/abuse and violence that women experience throughout their lives and to identify potential strategies for social work interventions in this context. At this point, the study explains that violence can perpetuate itself in a cyclical manner from childhood and that this has effects on future partner relationships and partner characteristics in the case of Turkiye. The study also examines women’s self-assessed characteristics of their partners. The study was conducted within the scope of cross-sectional descriptive model and 260 women participated in the study. The participants were mostly exposed to emotional neglect during childhood. The attachment style of most of the participants was anxious ambivalent. In addition, they also experienced emotional violence from their spouses the most. The spouses of the participants were directive. There is a significant relationship between childhood trauma and exposure to violence. Adverse childhood experiences have an effect on the participants’ attachment style, partner characteristics and exposure to violence. In order for women to have safe and nonviolent partner relationships in adulthood, it is recommended that the quality and quantity of studies focusing on the family in childhood and the prevention of neglect/abuse be increased.

Analisis Kepuasan Mitra Driver Gojek Terhadap Aplikasi Gopartner Dengan Metode End User Compunting Satisfaction (EUCS)

GoJek's GoPartner application has many obstacles so this application does not fully provide service satisfaction to driver partners. The problem is the high level of complaints from driver partners on the GoPartner application which has the potential to reduce the quality of delivery services. Based on concerns and facts in the field regarding the GoPartner Application, it is necessary to analyze the satisfaction of Gojek driver partners as an object to find out what factors influence user satisfaction. This research aims to analyze the satisfaction of Gojek driver partners with the GoPartner application. This research was conducted by taking a sample of 94 drivers in the Kebagusan and Jagakarsa areas. The research results show that all factors simultaneously have an influence on user satisfaction. However, in the results of this research, there are only 3 variables that show that accuracy, format and timelines have a significant effect on user satisfaction, therefore there is a need to improve and increase several factors that have not had a significant effect, namely the Content and Ease of use variables due to these factors. is very important in influencing the satisfaction of GoPartner application users, so that in the future Gojek driver partners can provide maximum service

Endogenous monitoring through voluntary reporting in an infinitely repeated prisoner's dilemma game: experimental evidence

AbstractExogenous reputational information is known to improve cooperation. This study experimentally investigates how people create such information by reporting their partner's action choices, and whether endogenous monitoring helps to sustain cooperation, in an indefinitely repeated prisoner's dilemma game with random matching. The experimental results show that most subjects report their opponents' action choices, thereby successfully cooperating when reporting does not involve costs. However, when reporting is costly, participants are strongly discouraged from doing so. Consequently, they fail to achieve strong cooperative norms when the reported information is conveyed privately only to their next‐round interaction partners. Costly reporting occurs only occasionally even when there is a public record whereby all future partners can check the reported information, but significantly more frequently relative to the condition in which it is sent to the next partner only. With public records, groups can foster cooperative norms aided by reported information that gradually accumulates and becomes more informative over time.

Pedagogical strategies in the cotaught K–12 inclusive setting: role responsibility for teacher partners and leaders

ABSTRACT Knowledge of instructional strategies in cotaught K–12 classrooms raises awareness of this unique collaboration for benefitting students with disabilities. The purposes of this qualitative study were to (1) identify pedagogical strategies that facilitate coteaching in inclusive environments and (2) explore the relevance of coteaching teams and administrative support for these partnerships. Interviewing during the coronavirus pandemic involved nine experienced general and special educators (coteachers) from elementary, middle, and secondary schools in Virginia, USA. Practices of inclusive education and leaders’ involvement in coteaching were revealed. Coteaching strategies, administrative needs, and tips for future partners were probed in the interviews. Individual partners’ communication, responsibilities, tasks, and expectations were other areas of interest. Investigating how coteaching teams instruct and perceive administrative support contributes to the research. Importantly, the relationship of coteaching to leadership is crucial to the viability and effectiveness of instructional collaboration.

"Time is a Big Factor": Aged-Care Workforce Perspectives on Communication Partner Training for Working With Residents With Dementia.

Many individuals who reside in permanent residential aged care (RAC) have a diagnosis of dementia, with the majority experiencing a communication disorder. Existing literature has placed an emphasis on the need for staff to undertake communication partner training. This study aimed to investigate the preferences of RAC staff, and their perceived barriers and facilitators to workplace training. Through an exploratory cross-sectional online survey, a sample of RAC workers in Australia were recruited (n = 104). Descriptive statistics revealed that the majority of participants preferred training to be delivered face to face and being paid for participation. Through content analysis of open-ended questions, seven categories were identified regarding perceived barriers and facilitators for communication partner training in the workplace. These included staff shortages, time pressures, remuneration and training delivery method, and quality of the educators. Additionally, management attitudes were pertinent. These findings may inform the development and outcomes of future communication partner training in RAC.

Agriculture-driven deforestation in Ecuador's Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve: The farmers' perspective

Tropical rainforests serve as invaluable global carbon stocks with long-term climate mitigation potential and important ecosystem functions and biodiversity. Recent scholarship has identified agriculture as the main driver of tropical rainforest deforestation worldwide, yet effective policy action needs to understand why farmers continue to clear land, beyond broad-brush attributions of blame. This study highlights the constellation of social forces that drive deforestation in a subsection of the Mache Chindul Ecological Reserve (REMACH) in northwest Ecuador. Rather than simply assuming that farmers are either indifferent to or ignorant of the effects of deforestation, we highlight the perspective of farmers themselves as they reflect on, both, their relationship with other key actors and the broader contextual factors informing their own land-use decisions. We surveyed 70 rural households using a 45-question data collection tool, conducted semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders such as local conservation practitioners and community elders, employed participant observation and reviewed government documents.We find that colonist farmers who live in and around the REMACH clear land because they view doing so as their most reliable means of securing a livelihood for themselves and their children in a context of political and economic hardship and uncertainty. A history of government incentives to clear land, a deeply ambiguous land tenure system, and a sudden influx of externally-funded conservation NGOs to the region have all contributed to exclude farmers from the decision-making process, while simultaneously exacerbating the conditions that make deforestation farmers' most practical option—despite their awareness of its environmental impact. The data underscore that locals are, in fact, highly invested in the idea of conserving a healthy environment for future generations, but are nonetheless driven to act against this interest by their own precarity. By helping governmental and non-governmental conservation practitioners better understand farmers’ land-use decisions, the study reframes the latter group not as the problem, but as vital future partners.

Abstract 6357: Establishing a reverse translational platform to dissect mode of action and mechanisms of resistance to GUCY2C-CD3 T cell engager

Abstract PF-07062119 (GUCY2C x CD3), a bispecific T cell engager (TCE) targeting Guanylyl Cyclase C (GUCY2C), a GI tumor associated antigen, is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial in colorectal cancer (CRC) and other GI malignancies. Improved pre-clinical understanding of the correlates of PF-07062119 resistance mechanisms and PD in a human disease relevant context is critical to better inform drug combination and patient selection strategy. Due to limited translatability of mouse syngeneic tumor models, establishing a more human disease-relevant platform leveraging tumor patient material to better inform PF-07062119 clinical strategy is needed. Here, we will discuss our efforts to perform immune profiling of T cell and myeloid tumor infiltrates, and to evaluate tumor cell depletion and cytokine production of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) samples treated ex vivo with PF-07062119. This platform may be leveraged to 1) provide clinically relevant disease insights to the effect of TCEs across a range of tumor indications; 2) determine impact of different combinatorial partners on tumor cell killing to inform clinical decisions; 3) address questions related to the minimal efficacy of TCEs in the solid tumor space; and 4) provide potential solutions for future combination partners to overcome immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment. Citation Format: Joana Borlido, Jade Lolarga, Rachael Whaley, Michael A. Damore, Cen Guo, Keith Abayasiriwardana, Xiaojun Xu, Maggie Liu, Gosia Nocula-Lugowska, Sam Stoner, Christopher Kraser, Ioanna Cheronis, Maria Delioukina, Lee Clark, Raj Bhadra, Murali Gururajan. Establishing a reverse translational platform to dissect mode of action and mechanisms of resistance to GUCY2C-CD3 T cell engager [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 6357.

Care Partner Experiences in Supporting Deaf and Hard of Hearing Adults With Diabetes

OBJECTIVE Care partners play an important role in diabetes management of people with diabetes. Although deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) adults experience diabetes at a higher rate than their hearing counterparts, there is a lack of information regarding the experience of care partners assisting those in the DHH community. There is a need to identify intentional support for this population. The purpose of this study was to explore how care partners of DHH people with diabetes provide helpful and unhelpful support, the care partner experience of providing support, and care partners’ perceived diabetes self-management education, support needs, and recommendations. METHODS We engaged a community advisory board of care partners to DHH people with diabetes to explore how care partners provide support, their individual experiences in providing support, and their suggestions for diabetes self-management education. We used thematic analysis to analyze individual and collective responses. RESULTS Three emergent themes were identified suggesting that care partners give support in a variety of ways, are often overwhelmed in meeting the demanding and ongoing needs of DHH people with diabetes, and have a multitude of suggestions for implementing a future diabetes care partner education program. We also identified some DHH population-specific challenges to diabetes care, including communication barriers with health care providers, inability to use hearing cues if a person with diabetes experiences a fall, and limited access to diabetes care education in sign language. CONCLUSION These findings highlight a need to provide more support for care partners of DHH people with diabetes and to address the needs of DHH populations to ensure more equitable diabetes care. Further research is needed to adequately inform successful interventions for DHH people with diabetes and their care partners.

Identifying communication difficulty and context-specific communication supports for patient-provider communication in a sub-acute setting: A prospective mixed methods study

Purpose To identify the sub-acute rehabilitation inpatients who have communication difficulty and the range of communication supports that can facilitate communicative success. Method A prospective cohort mixed methods study was conducted on two inpatient sub-acute rehabilitation wards. Nurses screened all new admissions for communication difficulty using the Inpatient Functional Communication Interview, Screening Questionnaire (IFCI-SQ). Patients identified as having communication difficulty were interviewed by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) using the Inpatient Functional Communication Interview (IFCI). During the interview, the SLP trialled different communication supports. The number of patients who had communication difficulty on the IFCI-SQ was calculated. The number and type of communication supports that improved communication within the patient-SLP interview were calculated. Deductive-dominant qualitative content analysis was conducted on the communication supports used during the IFCI. Result Seventy patients were screened. Nurses reported communication difficulty in 45/70 (64%) of patients. A total of 15/45 patients were interviewed by an SLP using the IFCI. The provision of communication supports improved communication for all patients within the context of the patient-SLP interview. Conclusion Many sub-acute rehabilitation inpatients have communication difficulty in the hospital setting. A range of communication supports facilitated communication. These insights could inform future communication partner training (CPT) programs.

Unveiling the critical nexus: Volatility of crude oil future prices and trade partner’s cash holding behavior in the face of the Russia–Ukraine conflict

This study investigates the spillover effects of the Russia–Ukraine conflict on corporate finance, particularly focusing on cash-holding decisions of Chinese-listed firms from Q1 2020 to Q1 2023. Utilizing a Difference-in-Difference approach, we analyze how firms with trade links to Russia and Ukraine adjust their cash holdings in response to the conflict. A significant aspect of our analysis is the emphasis on Shanghai crude oil futures prices, alongside West Texas Intermediate (WTI) prices, to understand the impact of oil market volatility on these decisions. Our findings reveal that such volatility, especially in Shanghai crude oil futures, significantly influences firms’ cash holdings, with an increased tendency to hoard cash in times of rising uncertainties. This behavior is particularly pronounced in non-state-owned, general trade, and export firms. The study highlights how geopolitical tensions and fluctuating oil prices affect corporate financial strategies, offering insights for policymakers and corporate managers in navigating economic uncertainties.

Building a reputation for trustworthiness: Experimental evidence on the role of the feedback rate

In 25 years, research on reputation-based online markets has produced robust evidence on the existence of the so-called reputation effect, that is the positive relation between online traders’ reputations and these traders’ market success in terms of sales and prices. However, there is an ongoing debate on what the size of the reputation effect means. We argue that the rate of truthful feedback that traders leave after completed transactions is negatively related to the size of the reputation effect. The higher the rate of truthful feedback, the quicker will untrustworthy traders be screened and disincentivized to enter the market. With mostly trustworthy traders entering the market, buyers will demand smaller price discounts from market entrants without a good reputation. We test this mechanism empirically in two laboratory experiments. In both experiments, we systematically vary the probability with which information about sellers’ behavior in an economic trust game is recorded and shown to future interaction partners of these sellers. In the second experiment, we introduce competition among sellers by allowing buyers to choose one of two sellers in each interaction. We find that sellers give discounts to buyers to build or repair their reputation and that sellers who give discounts or have a good reputation are trusted more. However, we do not find support for our hypothesis that a higher feedback rate significantly decreases sellers’ propensity to give discounts. We argue and show in exploratory analyses that this is likely due to the high level of unconditional trust buyers exhibit towards sellers without a reputation. Yet, seller competition increases the propensity to offer discounts among sellers without a reputation the most.

(375) Assessing Infertility Literacy and Knowledge Gaps Amongst Patients with Cystic Fibrosis

Abstract Introduction As patients with cystic fibrosis live longer into their reproductive years, fertility concerns are rising. We hypothesized that while patients with CF may be informed of the impact of their disease on their reproductive potential, they remain unaware of the promising role of assisted reproductive technology (ART) in helping them conceive biological children. Objective Employ a cross-sectional survey to understand experiences, preferences, and current concerns in the CF community around infertility education and infertility healthcare access. Methods This study was reviewed and approved as exempt status by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) exemption as non-human research. We distributed a voluntary and anonymous Qualtrics survey to CF patients and CF advocacy organizations to assess patient understanding of infertility within CF. The survey consisted of 21 questions and aimed to capture demographics, reproductive education specific to CF, preferences on infertility education, current conception practices, and any infertility treatment. Preference questions were assessed using the Likert Scale, and personal experiences questions were answered through free text. Results Forty-one respondents completed the survey (median age of 36 ± 14 years). The median age reported for learning about CF-associated infertility was 18 years. Respondents preferred that reproductive and infertility education be provided early; 43% reported the optimal age of education was younger than 18 years while 50% reported between 18-24 years. Of the respondents trying to conceive, 43% of patients have been trying to conceive for 1-3 years qualifying for infertility. Yet, the majority of those patients (69%) have not been offered semen analysis and 90% have not had previous fertility treatments. Conclusions Patients with CF are highly educated and empowered regarding the chronic treatment of their disease. Historically, issues regarding infertility and conception have been cast to the side, given the severity of other issues, such as lung function and survival. As CF patients live longer and healthier lives, they seek healthcare in other facets, including reproduction and infertility. The findings in our study highlight the importance of discussing reproduction and its limitation in CF at a young age to preemptively empower and prepare patients and their future partners. Furthermore, our study demonstrates a strong need to strengthen the communication between CF care teams and fertility specialists. Both men and women with CF would benefit from receiving respective guidance from embryologists and andrologists to maximize their chances of conception. Disclosure Yes, this is sponsored by industry/sponsor: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Clarification: No industry support in study design or execution.

(335) Motivation for Vasectomy Reversal Among U.S. Military Population

Abstract Introduction Vasectomy is a relatively common procedure performed for the purposes of sterilization; however, an estimated up to 6% of men that undergo vasectomy wish for reversal at some point. Few studies have examined the motivation behind vasectomy reversal, and very limited research within special populations, such as U.S. military members. Objective The aim of this study was to explore the motivations of U.S. military servicemen who opted for vasectomy reversal (VR) surgery, considering their unique access to this surgical care. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of patient records of microsurgical vasectomy reversal performed by a single surgeon (DJH) between 2020 and 2023. We evaluated the age at which vasectomy was performed, age at vasectomy reversal, reasons for seeking VR surgical care, number of children fathered before the vasectomy, and the age of the current partner. Results During the specified period, 106 patients underwent vasectomy reversal, and 102 of them had their medical records available for evaluation. The average age at the time of vasectomy was 31.3 years, while the average age at vasectomy reversal was 40.2 years. The average age of the partners they were with at the time of seeking care was 34.8 years. Before undergoing vasectomy, the subjects had fathered an average of 2.7 children. Among the patients, 73% (76) cited having a new partner after divorce as the primary motivation for seeking vasectomy reversal. Within this group, 57 mentioned remarriage, 3 were newly engaged, and 15 were in a new relationship. One individual mentioned seeking VR after their spouse's passing to explore the possibility of fertility with a potential future partner. Additionally, 20.6% (21) of the subjects sought vasectomy reversal to have more children with the same spouse as before vasectomy. Among them, 2 men mentioned an improvement in their financial status, and 2 cited an improvement in their wife's health condition as reasons for seeking VR. Two patients opted for vasectomy reversal due to non-fertility reasons, such as scrotal pain that affected their quality of life, and one patient cited religious beliefs as their motivation. Conclusions The primary driver for seeking VR surgical care among these men was the desire for fertility with a new partner, often after divorce. However, approximately 20% of the men cited the wish to have more children with the same partner as their motivation. Non-fertility reasons, such as religious beliefs and scrotal pain after vasectomy, were also observed as motivations for seeking VR, albeit less frequently. Disclosure No.

Проектный метод как технология создания языковой образовательной среды для овладения русским языком как иностранным: опыт российско-венгерского учебного проекта

The article presents the results of the implementation of a Russian-Hungarian educational project, conducted in the form of a remote Russian conversation club in 2021–2023. The participants of the project were master’s students from Tomsk State University (TSU) and students from Budapest Business University (BBU), who joined the project with their goals and achieved results important to both of the sides. The methodological basis of the study was scientific works on project-based learning. At BBU, Russian is taught as a specialty language. Many students have to start studying Russian at the university; they know very little about Russia, and their knowledge often diverges from reality. This fact makes it difficult to study the language and understand Russian culture. The training should be comprehensive. It is not enough for future economists and partners of Russian business people to learn a set of phrases and expressions used in the field of business communication. They are in need of knowledge about the Russian reality and cultural life of modern Russia. Thus, Hungarian students have a need to communicate with native speakers of the language they study. TSU master’s students studying philology, specializing in Russian as a foreign language, also need contact with their potential students and broaden their information about foreign students from different countries. It was decided to organize a club. The conversation club has become a multicultural space for thematic conversational online meetings using multimedia technologies (presentations, video and audio materials), in which not only representatives of Russia and Hungary, but also TSU undergraduates from other countries participated. They joined the project as part of the course Project and Research Activities in Philology. Creating a favourable atmosphere contributes to more successful learning. In accordance with the curriculum, the first block of this course involves studying the specifics of organizing project activities in education; design technologies; principles of organizing project activities, conditions and results of project activities; features of organizing project activities in the aspect of Russian as a foreign language. The objective of the project was to create optimal conditions for solving the above-mentioned tasks. The authors of the article emphasize that the Russian Club for Hungarian students became an opportunity to practice speaking skills in Russian with native speakers and became a guide to Russian culture. The particular significance of the project for undergraduates from TSU is that the project provides an opportunity to demonstrate both creative and role-based research activities based on interaction with young foreigners studying Russian. The project can be recommended as an effective technology for developing communicative competence among all project participants and professional competencies among future teachers of Russian as a foreign language.

Patient Perspectives on Intimate Relationship Outcomes After Labiaplasty: A Preliminary Qualitative Analysis.

The popularity of labiaplasty has increased over the last decade and patients consistently report high levels of satisfaction with outcomes. Specifically, patients generally experience improved sexual satisfaction, but there is very limited research on the impacts on intimate relationships more broadly, even though these experiences are often crucial to women's lives. The aim of this study was to conduct an in-depth qualitative exploration of the impacts of labiaplasty on intimate relationship quality. Qualitative semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with adult women (n = 15), who had undergone labiaplasty between 1 and 72 months previously (mean [standard deviation], 28.1 [24.3] months). Participants were asked about any perceived changes to their intimate relationships and how labiaplasty may have influenced those changes (if any). Thematic analysis of the transcribed interview data was performed. The results showed that most women reported greater confidence engaging in new relationships, and partaking in subsequent sexual experiences was also commonly reported. However, other women reported no changes to their intimate relationship quality after labiaplasty. Over half of the women reported concerns that their current or a future partner may perceive their postsurgery genital appearance as not "natural." The current study adds some novel depth and nuance to the impacts of labiaplasty on intimate relationship quality. Although most women experience improved sexual confidence in their intimate relationships, a proportion may also experience concerns around their partner's reactions to the surgery.

Assessment of Plasmodium falciparum drug resistance associated molecular markers in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, India

BackgroundResistance against artemisinin-based combination therapy is one of the challenges to malaria control and elimination globally. Mutations in different genes (Pfdhfr, Pfdhps, Pfk-13 and Pfmdr1) confer resistance to artesunate and sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine (AS + SP) were analysed from Mandla district, Madhya Pradesh, to assess the effectiveness of the current treatment regimen against uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum.MethodsDried blood spots were collected during the active fever survey and mass screening and treatment activities as part of the Malaria Elimination Demonstration Project (MEDP) from 2019 to 2020. Isolated DNA samples were used to amplify the Pfdhfr, Pfdhps, Pfk13 and Pfmdr1 genes using nested PCR and sequenced for mutation analysis using the Sanger sequencing method.ResultsA total of 393 samples were subjected to PCR amplification, sequencing and sequence analysis; 199, 215, 235, and 141 samples were successfully sequenced for Pfdhfr, Pfdhps, Pfk13, Pfmdr1, respectively. Analysis revealed that the 53.3% double mutation (C59R, S108N) in Pfdhfr, 89.3% single mutation (G437A) in Pfdhps, 13.5% single mutants (N86Y), and 51.1% synonymous mutations in Pfmdr1 in the study area. Five different non-synonymous and two synonymous point mutations found in Pfk13, which were not associated to artemisinin resistance.ConclusionThe study has found that mutations linked to SP resistance are increasing in frequency, which may reduce the effectiveness of this drug as a future partner in artemisinin-based combinations. No evidence of mutations linked to artemisinin resistance in Pfk13 was found, suggesting that parasites are sensitive to artemisinin derivatives in the study area. These findings are a baseline for routine molecular surveillance to proactively identify the emergence and spread of artemisinin-resistant parasites.

Feeling known predicts relationship satisfaction

Two forms of subjective relationship knowledge—the belief that one is known and knows one's partner—have separately been shown to positively predict relationship satisfaction, but which is more important for relational wellbeing? Seven studies show that believing one is known by their partner (i.e., “feeling known”) predicts relationship satisfaction more than believing that one knows their partner (i.e., “felt knowing”). In Studies 1a-c, feeling known predicted relationship satisfaction more than felt knowing among family, romantic partners, and friends. Feeling known also causally influenced expected relationship satisfaction more than felt knowing in Studies 2a-b. Study 3 suggests a potential reason why feeling known is more closely associated with relationship satisfaction – because people value receiving support in their relationships. Finally, the desire to feel known may lead people to “undersell” themselves to potential partners. In Study 4, when people wrote dating profiles to attract potential romantic partners, they more strongly expressed their desire to be known than to know their potential future partner. Yet, readers of these profiles were more attracted to those who professed interest in knowing them. Overall, this research suggests that feeling known is an important ingredient in the recipe for relationship joy.