Main Family Research Articles

CONFLITOS FAMILIARES E SAÚDE EMOCIONAL

This study sought to identify the relationship between family conflict and the emotional health of those involved. It was about family relationships and emotional health, highlighting the main family conflicts and their emotional consequences on the members. Authors report that family disagreements can cause countless psychological harm to those involved, affecting emotional health. It was noted in the literature that a healthy family climate with the presence of support and lower levels of conflict and violence contribute to the good development of psychological well-being and minimize psychopathological factors. Other studies are essential to better elucidate and deepen knowledge in understanding the impacts of family conflicts on the emotional health of those involved.

Insidious Dispossession and Defence of Land Ownership – Tsolo Farms, 1880–1917

ABSTRACT After the Mpondomise Rebellion of 1880–1881 in the Tsolo district in the Transkei, a number of black citizens were rewarded with grants of farms for their loyalty to local Cape officials. Within a generation, half of these farms were lost by the grantees and their descendants. This was because of indebtedness and manipulation by a magistrate and by an attorney who was a member of the main local trading family. This occurred at a time when black franchise rights in the Cape were under attack and economic and professional opportunities for the emerging black propertied class were being eliminated. Dispossession and the wider onslaught on black advancement determined defensive attitudes involving land segregation and led to bitter controversy.

Exploring the Application of Digital Nostalgia System in Dementia Care from the Perspective of Narrative Gerontology

In recent years, modern medical technology has advanced significantly, increasing the average lifespan of Taiwanese individuals. However, dementia, a common disease among the elderly, has also become more prevalent. The cognitive decline caused by dementia can severely impact the physical, mental, and spiritual health of patients. This study aimed to explore the impact of using digital nostalgia technology to provide cognitive stimulation for patients with dementia, specifically through the use of the "Recall" system developed by our research team. We analyzed the narrative context of patients and employed a pre-test and post-test experimental design, inviting five mild dementia patients to participate. The research methodology mainly involved qualitative research, and we conducted semi-structured interviews with patients using nostalgic photos, divided into four topics: personal background description, most memorable experiences, specific themes, and personal photo sharing. We used NVivo qualitative analysis software to analyze the interview transcripts by coding and classifying the nodes to explore the differences in the patient's narrative context before and after the intervention. This study found that patients participating in the digital experimental activities were more eager to share their old photos. These stimulated memories and led to good subjectivity, continuity, coherence, and correspondence with autobiographical memory. Compared with the non-digital group, patients in the digital group were more willing to share their memories and stories from the past, and they provided positive feedback on the presentation of digital photos and the use of Taiwanese voiceovers. In terms of narrative context, this study identified six main narrative contexts, including contentment, achievement, positivity, social interaction, family affection, and instability. Most patients focused on the "contentment," "family affection," and "achievement" parts. This study can serve as a useful reference for applying digital nostalgia technology to improve the quality of life and mental health of dementia patients, as it provides a deeper understanding of their narrative content and needs.

Contraceptive use in the Gaza Strip: A systematic review

Background: Between 2017-2019, the average total fertility rate in Gaza was 3.9 births per woman, which is significantly higher than the average global total fertility rate at 2.4 births per woman in 2018. Reliable family planning methods allow women and men to avoid unintended pregnancies and reduce maternal mortality. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine what is known about contraceptive use in the Gaza Strip, including: 1) common contraceptive methods used, 2) access to contraceptive services, and 3) barriers impacting family planning services.Methods: The review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Articles published in the English language within the last 10 years (2013 to 2023) were screened from the following databases: CINAHL, PubMed, and Google Scholar.Results: Seven articles were included in the final analysis. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was found to be the main family planning service provider in the Gaza Strip (61%). Intrauterine devices (35.4%) were found to be the main method of contraception. Factors identified that impact contraceptive use included: 1) access to contraceptives, 2) cultural beliefs, 3) demographic characteristics (e.g., occupation and education), and 4) healthcare provider (HCP) and system influence. The restriction of goods into the Gaza Strip continues to impact contraceptive accessibility. Educational interventions should focus on addressing contraceptive misconceptions among Gazan women and HCPs while giving special attention to cultural beliefs (e.g., desire for several children) and demographic characteristics, specifically relating to occupation and education status.Conclusion: Unintended pregnancies are preventable through the effective use of contraceptives. Future studies should prioritize interventions aimed at overcoming barriers to contraceptive use in the Gaza Strip, thereby promoting and safeguarding Gazan individuals' ability to exercise their reproductive health rights freely.

Two newly established and mutually related subfamilies GH13_48 and GH13_49 of the α-amylase family GH13

Currently, the main α-amylase family GH13 has been divided into 47 subfamilies in CAZy, with new subfamilies regularly emerging. The present in silico study was performed to highlight the groups, represented by the maltogenic amylase from Thermotoga neapolitana and the α-amylase from Haloarcula japonica, which are worth of creating their own new GH13 subfamilies. This enlarges functional annotation and thus allows more precise prediction of the function of putative proteins. Interestingly, those two share certain sequence features, e.g. the highly conserved cysteine in the second conserved sequence region (CSR-II) directly preceding the catalytic nucleophile, or the well-preserved GQ character of the end of CSR-VII. On the other hand, the two groups bear also specific and highly conserved positions that distinguish them not only from each other but also from representatives of remaining GH13 subfamilies established so far. For the T. neapolitana maltogenic amylase group, it is the stretch of residues at the end of CSR-V highly conserved as L-[DN]. The H. japonica α-amylase group can be characterized by a highly conserved [WY]-[GA] sequence at the end of CSR-II. Other specific sequence features include an almost fully conserved aspartic acid located directly preceding the general acid/base in CSR-III or well-preserved glutamic acid in CSR-IV. The assumption that these two groups represent two mutually related, but simultaneously independent GH13 subfamilies has been supported by phylogenetic analysis as well as by comparison of tertiary structures. The main α-amylase family GH13 has thus been expanded by two novel subfamilies GH13_48 and GH13_49.Key points• In silico analysis of two groups of family GH13 members with characterized representatives• Identification of certain common, but also some specific sequence features in seven CSRs• Creation of two novel subfamilies—GH13_48 and GH13_49 within the CAZy database

Investigating communication actions in successful marriages:A Qualitative study

Aim: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the communication actions of successful marriages Method: This study was conducted in a qualitative manner based on grounded theory. Society: The research includes successful couples based on their own admission, examining the achievements of their joint lives and implementing the Enrich Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire (1993), the short form of which was validated by Alidousti et al successful and satisfied were selected. In total, (10 couples) were studied in Ahvaz city in 1401 by purposeful sampling until the theoretical saturation of the data. The data collection tool was a semi-structured interview using Strauss and Corbin's method of constant comparison analysis. Findings: The analysis of the findings showed that communication actions in successful marriages have four main components including, main family functions, suitable marriage formation factors; Effective communication skills and character formation in childhood. Conclusion: A successful marriage is related to the family structure of people. Therefore, experts can use the concepts extracted in this research to identify and examine the communication characteristics of successful families, which is a guide in couples therapy and pre-marital counseling.

Perception of diagnosis by family caregivers in severe brain injury patients in China

ObjectivesSurrogate decision-making by family caregivers for patients with severe brain injury is influenced by the availability and understanding of relevant information and expectations for future rehabilitation. We aimed to compare the consistency of family caregivers’ perceptions with clinical diagnoses and to inform their expectation of prognosis in the future.MethodsThe Coma Recovery Scale-Revised was used to assess the diagnosis of inpatients with severe brain injury between February 2019 and February 2020. A main family caregiver was included per patient. The family caregiver’s perception of the patient’s consciousness and expectations of future recovery were collected through questionnaires and compared consistently with the clinical diagnosis.ResultsThe final sample included 101 main family caregivers of patients (57 UWS, unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, 37 MCS, minimally conscious state, 7 EMCS, emergence from MCS) with severe brain injury. Only 57 family caregivers correctly assessed the level of consciousness as indicated by the CRS-R, showing weak consistency (Kappa = 0.217, P = 0.002). Family caregivers’ demographic characteristics and CRS-R diagnosis influenced the consistency between perception and clinical diagnosis. Family caregivers who provided hands-on care to patients showed higher levels of consistent perception (AOR = 12.24, 95% CI = 2.06-73.00, P = 0.006). Compared to UWS, the family caregivers of MCS patients were more likely to have a correct perception (OR = 7.68, 95% CI = 1.34–44.06). Family caregivers had positive expectations for patients’ recovery in terms of both communication and returning to normal life.ConclusionNearly half of family caregivers have inadequate understanding of their relative’s level of consciousness, and most of them report overly optimistic expectations that do not align with clinical diagnosis. Providing more medical information to family caregivers to support their surrogate decision-making process is essential.

Contribution to knowledge of the oribatid mite family Epactozetidae (Acari, Oribatida), with description of a new species of Truncozetes from Guatemala

ABSTRACT The family Epactozetidae (Oribatida) is recorded in Guatemala for the first time. A new epactozetid species of the genus Truncozetes – T. izabalensis sp. nov. – is described, based on adults collected from the Guatemalan rainforest litter. It is characterized by: number of leg claws (leg I monodactylous, legs II–IV tridactylous); medium-sized lamellar seta inserted in anterolateral part of the lamella; straight translamella; the location of notogastral setae lm and lp (shifted in dorsolateral part from dorsocentral part of notogaster); and the absence of epimeral longitudinal stria. Main family and generic traits are provided. The identification key, distribution and habitat to the known representatives of Epactozetidae are presented. https://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DF36574B-188B-42B5-8057-2FA34BB759A7

The Evolution of the Phase Space Structure Along Pitchfork and Period-Doubling Bifurcations in a 3D-Galactic Bar Potential

We investigate how the phase space structure of a Three-Dimensional (3D) autonomous Hamiltonian system evolves across a series of successive Two-Dimensional (2D) and 3D pitchfork and period-doubling bifurcations, as the transition of the parent families of Periodic Orbits (POs) from stability to simple instability leads to the creation of new stable POs. Our research illustrates the consecutive alterations in the phase space structure near POs as the stability of the main family of POs changes. This process gives rise to new families of POs within the system, either maintaining the same or exhibiting higher multiplicity compared to their parent families. Tracking such a phase space transformation is challenging in a 3D system. By utilizing the color and rotation technique to visualize the Four-Dimensional (4D) Poincaré surfaces of section of the system, i.e. projecting them onto a 3D subspace and employing color to represent the fourth dimension, we can identify distinct structural patterns. Perturbations of parent and bifurcating stable POs result in the creation of tori characterized by a smooth color variation on their surface. Furthermore, perturbations of simple unstable parent POs beyond the bifurcation point, which lead to the birth of new stable families of POs, result in the formation of figure-8 structures of smooth color variations. These figure-8 formations surround well-shaped tori around the bifurcated stable POs, losing their well-defined forms for energies further away from the bifurcation point. We also observe that even slight perturbations of highly unstable POs create a cloud of mixed color points, which rapidly move away from the location of the PO. Our study introduces, for the first time, a systematic visualization of 4D surfaces of section within the vicinity of higher multiplicity POs. It elucidates how, in these cases, the coexistence of regular and chaotic orbits contributes to shaping the phase space landscape.

Status of pink ear emperor (Lethrinus lentjan) fishery in the Sinjai and Bone waters, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

The pink ear emperor (Lethrinus lentjan) is a type of coral fish belonging to the Lethrinidae family, they usually eat mainly at night, namely benthic invertebrates or fish. L. lentcan included in the main family of food coral fish that live in coral reef ecosystems and in sandy bottom coastal waters. Good management of fisheries resources is by utilizing fish populations without having to deplete fishery resources. If fishing is carried out continuously without taking into account the ability to renew, over exploitation will occur. The research was conducted from March to May, 2023, in Sinjai and Bone waters, south sulawesi Indonesia which focused on fishing ports with L. lentjan landing potential. The highest class length was obtained in Sinjai Regency and in Bone regency which was negative allometric. Lc in Sinjai regency uses basic gillnet, and in Bone regency 21.9 uses basic longline. Gender comparison between L. lentjan males and females in Sinjai regency is 45% : 55%. Meanwhile for Bone regency it is 41% : 59%. L. lentjan males and females have a ratio of 1: 1.43 with the results of the chi square test tcount < ttable, this condition shows that H0 accepted, there is no real difference between the number of male and female biota. gonad maturity level L. lentjan in Sinjai regency it is 24 cm with a length range of 23 – 25 cm, and in Bone regency it is 24.6 cm with a length range of 24-25 cm.

‘Only my family can help’: the lived experience and care aesthetics of being resident on an NHS psychiatric/mental health inpatient dementia assessment ward – a single case study

Abstract In the United Kingdom, people living with dementia admitted to National Health Service (NHS) psychiatric/mental health inpatient dementia assessment wards (dementia assessment wards) are nearly always compulsorily detained under a section of the Mental Health Act 1983 owing to the risk and complexity of the presenting condition. As such, dementia assessment wards admit some of the most vulnerable patients in society, yet these environments of care are under-researched and under-reported in the literature. Using care aesthetics as an overarching explanatory lens, this article focuses on the care of one patient (Charlotte – not her real name) resident on a dementia assessment ward and uses a range of qualitative methods to illuminate that experience, including ethnographic observations and a care record review. To further develop the reach of the case study, interviews were also conducted with Charlotte's husband as her main family carer and key ward staff involved in Charlotte's care. Data were analysed using a sensory and narrative-based method to provide a sequential, embodied, individually positioned and storied account of Charlotte's care and interpreted experience on the ward. The analysis revealed that Charlotte's presentation of dementia was complex insofar as she resisted any attempt by the ward staff to offer her food or drink or to help with washing and dressing. Charlotte also swore frequently and loudly and spent time actively ‘watching’ and ‘looking’ at people and the environment in which she was now living. The findings contribute to the fields of critical dementia studies, dementia education, health-care practice and policy making, and may be used to highlight the value of sensory and embodied approaches to capturing a caring dynamic.

Fascin-induced bundling protects actin filaments from disassembly by cofilin.

Actin filament turnover plays a central role in shaping actin networks, yet the feedback mechanism between network architecture and filament assembly dynamics remains unclear. The activity of ADF/cofilin, the main protein family responsible for filament disassembly, has been mainly studied at the single filament level. This study unveils that fascin, by crosslinking filaments into bundles, strongly slows down filament disassembly by cofilin. We show that this is due to a markedly slower initiation of the first cofilin clusters, which occurs up to 100-fold slower on large bundles compared with single filaments. In contrast, severing at cofilin cluster boundaries is unaffected by fascin bundling. After the formation of an initial cofilin cluster on a filament within a bundle, we observed the local removal of fascin. Notably, the formation of cofilin clusters on adjacent filaments is highly enhanced, locally. We propose that this interfilament cooperativity arises from the local propagation of the cofilin-induced change in helicity from one filament to the other filaments of the bundle. Overall, taking into account all the above reactions, we reveal that fascin crosslinking slows down the disassembly of actin filaments by cofilin. These findings highlight the important role played by crosslinkers in tuning actin network turnover by modulating the activity of other regulatory proteins.

Divergent role of Mitochondrial Amidoxime Reducing Component 1 (MARC1) in human and mouse.

Recent human genome-wide association studies have identified common missense variants in MARC1, p.Ala165Thr and p.Met187Lys, associated with lower hepatic fat, reduction in liver enzymes and protection from most causes of cirrhosis. Using an exome-wide association study we recapitulated earlier MARC1 p.Ala165Thr and p.Met187Lys findings in 540,000 individuals from five ancestry groups. We also discovered novel rare putative loss of function variants in MARC1 with a phenotype similar to MARC1 p.Ala165Thr/p.Met187Lys variants. In vitro studies of recombinant human MARC1 protein revealed Ala165Thr substitution causes protein instability and aberrant localization in hepatic cells, suggesting MARC1 inhibition or deletion may lead to hepatoprotection. Following this hypothesis, we generated Marc1 knockout mice and evaluated the effect of Marc1 deletion on liver phenotype. Unexpectedly, our study found that whole-body Marc1 deficiency in mouse is not protective against hepatic triglyceride accumulation, liver inflammation or fibrosis. In attempts to explain the lack of the observed phenotype, we discovered that Marc1 plays only a minor role in mouse liver while its paralogue Marc2 is the main Marc family enzyme in mice. Our findings highlight the major difference in MARC1 physiological function between human and mouse.

Mimicking the Shape and Function of the ClC Chloride Channel Selective Pore by Combining a Molecular Hourglass Shape with Anion-π Interactions.

ClC is the main family of natural chloride channel proteins that transport Cl- across the cell membrane with high selectivity. The chloride transport and selectivity are determined by the hourglass-shaped pore and the filter located in the central and narrow region of the pore. Artificial unimolecular channel that mimics both the shape and function of the ClC selective pore is attractive, because it could provide simple molecular model to probe the intriguing mechanism and structure-function relevance of ClC. Here we elaborated upon the concept of molecular hourglass plus anion-π interactions for this purpose. The concept was validated by experimental results of molecular hourglasses using shape-persistent 1,3-alternate tetraoxacalix[2]arene[2]triazine as the central macrocyclic skeleton to control the conductance and selectivity, and anion-π interactions as the driving force to facilitate the chloride dehydration and movement along the channel.

Resisting the coloniality of language through languaging and making of a multilingual <i>ikhaya </i>in South Africa

Multilingualism as a consequence of transnational mobility and migration is prominent in studies of language socialization and family multilingualism in the Global North. While mobility within and between the various regions in South Africa sustains multilingualism and aligns with the global dynamic of mobility, Indigenous multilingualism is inherently the norm. The officiation of 11 named languages positions the country as linguistically diverse. However, dominant ideologies from the coloniality of language continue to reinforce the power of colonial languages while African languages used by numerical majorities remain marginalized, especially in high-status domains such as education. In this article, we present ethnographic data from a case study of a Xhosa multilingual family traversing between their urban (township) homes and the main family homestead in a rural setting. The family includes a child who attends a suburban historically whites-only English medium school. Reflecting on the non-hierarchical use of languages within their homes, or their languaging, we show how they use their linguistic/semiotic and spatial repertoires to make family as well as to resist the hierarchical positioning of the colonial languages, English and Afrikaans, above isiXhosa (prefix isi- indicates the language of Xhosa people) at school. Informed by Siqwana-Ndulo’s (1998) challenge to the Western idea of the nuclear family, our analysis demonstrates how family is distributed across kinship ties and households. We introduce the notion of ikhaya – the isiXhosa word for both family and home (see Molate, forthcoming) – as a useful southern concept for accounting for the expansive nature of family kinship systems in African families.

How important are family issues politically? Public opinion in the context of economic and cultural political cleavages

ABSTRACT How politically important are family issues to voters overall and in the context of economic and cultural political opinion cleavages? We use data from the 2014 New Zealand Election Study to answer these questions. More than 60% of respondents claim that family issues – generally defined – were ‘somewhat’ or ‘very important’ when deciding whom to vote for in the 2014 elections, suggesting that family issues are viewed as politically significant. Many respondents have clear political issues in mind when it comes to family and there is a strong connection between believing family issues are important and holding more economic left-wing attitudes and cultural authoritarian attitudes. Qualitatively, there is strong agreement on the main family issues of importance among those who argue that their vote was influenced by family issues, with education and healthcare defined as the most important. However, crucial differences in the most commonly listed family issues occur between citizens depending on their positions on the economic and cultural left-right dimensions. Arguably, the relative importance of family issues opens a unique cross-cutting view into the socioeconomics of vote choice.

Identification of the first selective bioluminescent probe for real-time monitoring of carboxylesterase 2 in vitro and in vivo.

Carboxylesterase (CES), a main hydrolysis enzyme family in the human body, plays a crucial role in drug metabolism. Among them, CES1 and CES2 are the primary subtypes, and each exhibits distinct distribution and functions. However, convenient and non-invasive methods for distinguishing them and the real-time monitoring of CES2 are relatively rare, hindering the further understanding of physiological functions and underlying mechanisms. In this study, we have designed, synthesized, and evaluated the first selective bioluminescent probe (CBP 1) for CES2 with high sensitivity, high specificity and rapid reactivity. This probe offers a promising approach for the real-time detection of CES2 and its dynamic fluctuations both in vitro and in vivo.

New group IIIA metal phosphate-oxalates containing dimethylammonium cations with proton conductivity.

Three new group IIIA metal phosphate-oxalate (MPO) compounds, namely [(CH3)2NH2]2[M2(HPO4)2(H2PO4)2(C2O4)] (M = Al (1), Ga (2)) and [(CH3)2NH2]2[In2(HPO4)2(H2PO4)2(C2O4)]·H2O (3), have been synthesized. Their crystal structures feature an anionic layer with the sql topology net. In particular, 1 displays a proton conductivity (σ) of 9.09 × 10-3 S cm-1 at 85 °C and under 98% relative humidity, which is the highest among MPOs. This study not only endows the main group metal-based MPO family with new members, but also contributes to further understanding of the structure-directing roles of amines and provides a feasible idea for improving the proton conductivity of MPOs.

Evolution of shallow volcanic seismicity in the hydrothermal system of La Soufrière de Guadeloupe following the April 2018 Mlv 4.1 earthquake

La Soufrière de Guadeloupe volcano is characterized by seismo-volcanic activity dominantly linked to an active hydrothermal system. This microseismicity is shallow, mainly triggered in swarms and characterized by repeating earthquakes. Four recurrent families of Volcano-Tectonic (VT) repeaters have been identified and the main repeater accounts for 80% of detections. Stacking repeating seismic waveforms produces MASTER events with a high Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and thanks to the deployment of a temporary seismic nodal array, their absolute locations can be better constrained. Because we observe systematic positive residuals of P-wave arrival times at almost all stations, we investigate potential bias in the velocity model in the shallow part of the dome. By increasing the P-wave velocity and decreasing the VP/VS ratio from 1.8 to 1.69, we reduce these residuals and improve the local velocity model. We use this new velocity model to locate each VT event relatively to is own MASTER hypocenter. This procedure offers a new image of the hydrothermal seismic activity that we locate under the acid lake of the summit Tarissan crater, along a sub-vertical conduit. We also define a linear relationship between the logarithm of the peak amplitude of seismic events and their duration to obtain a pseudo local magnitude. The approach enables to accurately and automatically estimate the magnitude during the event detection. We show that after the occurrence in April 2018 of the largest earthquake (Mlv 4.1) since the last phreatic eruption in 1976–1977, the swarm frequency and amplitude increased significantly, and a new family of VT repeater emerges, accounting for up to 14% of detections. We show a quiescence in the main repeaters activity in the month following the April 2018 earthquake, suggesting a significant stress release within the volcanic system, which is likely related to dynamic stress changes rather than static stress variations caused by the earthquake. Moreover, we detect the emergence of a new family of repeaters 3 months after the event, located ∼100 m above the main repeater family, that could be related to a fluid pressure increase induced by the regional hydrological cycle, superimposed to the internal forcing driven by the hydrothermal system. Finally, using a statistical approach, we highlight seasonal periodicities in the number of events and the released seismic moment at La Soufrière de Guadeloupe, with a dominant peak of seismic activity in October–November and a second, less significant, peak of in April.

Identification of Floral Resources Used by the Stingless Bee Melipona beecheii for Honey Production in Different Regions of the State of Campeche, Mexico

The stingless bee Melipona beecheii is experiencing colony decline due to floral resource scarcity caused by deforestation. A study was conducted to identify the floral resources used by M. beecheii using honey samples collected in four regions of the state of Campeche, Mexico. A melissopalynological analysis of sixteen collected honey samples identified 69 plant species from 24 families, and established that Fabaceae was the main plant family visited. Based on botanical origin, seven samples were classified as monofloral and nine as multifloral. The predominant species were Bursera simaruba, Lonchocarpus longistylus, Piscidia piscipula, Senna pallida and Senna racemosa. Shannon diversity index values (2.06–2.55) indicated moderate diversity in floral resources and Simpson diversity index values (0.82–0.89) indicated a moderate dominance of plant species in the studied regions. The results suggest M. beecheii is polylectic with some degree of specialization. The plant species identified as predominant in the studied honey samples are candidates for use in strategies intended to conserve the food resources used by M. beecheii on the Yucatan Peninsula.