Negative Way Research Articles

From NAFLD to MAFLD and MASLD: a tale of alcohol, stigma and metabolic dysfunction

Liver steatosis is a frequent finding in clinical practice and it is estimated to affect 30% of the general adult population worldwide. It became one of the leading causes of end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. From its first description, a diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) required the exclusion of excessive alcohol consumption and concomitant chronic liver diseases of different origins, making it a diagnosis of exclusion. In recent years, the need to stress the strict association between liver steatosis and metabolic dysfunction (i.e., insulin resistance, overweight/obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome), as well as the desire to define a condition in a positive rather than negative way, led to new definitions and new diagnostic criteria. Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) was proposed by Eslam et al. in 2020. More recently, a Delphi consensus endorsed by several international hepatologic societies proposed a new terminology [metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)] and a new set of diagnostic criteria. The MAFLD and MASLD definitions have a good degree of concordance. They mainly differ in the number of metabolic derangements needed to define “metabolic dysfunction” in normal-weight individuals and in alcohol consumption. Indeed, while MAFLD does not exclude patients with significant alcohol consumption, the recent Delphi consensus included the metabolic dysfunction and alcohol-related liver disease (MetALD) disease entity, a condition in which steatosis, metabolic dysfunction, and moderate alcohol intake coexist. In the present narrative review, we underline the strengths and possible limitations of each definition and summarize available evidence from epidemiologic studies evaluating the clinical usefulness of each set of diagnostic criteria.

The Efficacy Of Continuous Non-Inhaled Intranasal Carbon Dioxide (CO2) In The Abortive Treatment Of Migraine: Results From Three Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trials

Objective: Determining the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of continuous non-inhaled intranasal carbon dioxide (CO2) in the acute or abortive treatment of migraine. Background: Carbon dioxide gas infused in the nose and sinuses potentially blocks trigeminal nerve activation and subsequent neuropeptide release, probably through inhibition of voltage-gated channels. The pathogenesis of the migraine headache involves activation of the trigeminocervical system, which establishes the nociceptive innervation of the head through the trigeminal and occipital nerves. Methods: In three randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trials, we randomized 350 subjects with migraine as defined by the International Headache Society (intent-to-treat population). We determined tolerability and safety in the 317 subjects who we exposed to treatment up to 24 hours post-dose (modified intent-to-treat population). We determined efficacy in the modified intent-to-treat and per-protocol populations at 15 minutes, half, one, two, and twenty-four hours post-dose in terms of pain freedom, freedom from headache-associated symptoms, and headache relief, treating migraine headaches of mild, moderate, or severe intensity. Results: We did not observe clinically significant systemic effects, either on blood carbon dioxide pressure or on the cardiovascular or respiratory system. No serious or clinically significant adverse events occurred and those reported were predominantly local, transient, and short-lived. Headache intensity strongly and in a negative way determined the efficacy of treatment with carbon dioxide but not with placebo, and even when placebo consisted of no gas, blinding seemed adequate. Conclusions: Continuous non-inhaled intranasal carbon dioxide seems safe, relatively well tolerated, and moderately effective for the acute or abortive treatment of migraine.

Nationalism on Social Media: The impacts of comments on ASEAN Football Pages on mental health

Background: As a modern communication medium, Facebook provides a new place to people who live far apart to interact and discuss on the same topic, such as football. This research examines how the nationalism is generated through Facebook. From the perspective of social realities, Facebook is observed as a channel of communication utilized by football lovers. However, communication through Facebook also causes conflicts among its users. Aims: This study aims to investigate how nationalism is expressed through communication on Facebook and how conflicts affect mental health but can also build and perpetuate a sense of nationalism and strengthen group identities. Methods: To achieve the objectives, content analysis is used to examine the manifestation with regard to the context of generating a spirit of nationalism through the communication interaction process of Facebook users. Data collection in this study was conducted through ASEAN football page on Facebook. Posts, images and comments left under the related posts were then selected when they are regarding only the spirit of nationalism. Results: Results show that Facebook is not only a social medium but also, a means of generating nationalism through conversations. As nationalism is expressed both in a positive and negative way on ASEAN football page, it, of course, leads to conflicts because of the differences in the orientation of values and interest when the conflicting sides hold different background. Conclusion: By exploring how nationalism is expressed through Facebook comments on ASEAN football page, the research provides insights into how digital platforms shape and amplify nationalistic sentiments. This understanding is crucial in an era where social media plays a significant role in public discourse and it also highlights the mental health impacts of online nationalistic comments. This is significant for developing strategies to address and mitigate the negative psychological effects that such interactions can have on individuals. Received: 31 July 2024, Reviewed: 4 August 2024, Revised: 22 August 2024, Accepted: 24 August 2024.

The impact of early-life conditions on visual discrimination abilities in free-ranging laying hens

Conditions during incubation and rearing can greatly affect the developmental trajectory of chickens, in a positive and negative way. In this study, the effect of early-life conditions on the visual discrimination abilities of adult, free-ranging laying hens was examined. These early-life treatments entailed incubation in a 12/12h green light/dark cycle and rearing with Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) as foraging enrichment. Through a modified pebble-floor test, 171 hens of 41 to 42 wk old, housed in mobile stables with outdoor access, were tested for their ability to discriminate between food and nonfood items (mealworms and decoy mealworms). Each hen was allowed 60 pecks during the trial, from which the overall success rate, as well as within-trial learning was investigated. The latter was accomplished by dividing the 60 pecks into 3 blocks of 20 pecks and comparing the success rate between these blocks. Due to another ongoing experiment on range use, roughly half the hens received range enrichment (mealworms) at the time of testing, so this was included as a covariate in the analysis. Incubation with green light did not have an effect on the visual discrimination abilities of adult laying hens. Rearing with BSFL did have a limited beneficial effect on the visual discrimination abilities, as evidenced by a higher success rate during the first block of the visual discrimination trial. These enhanced visual discrimination abilities might be useful in a more complex free-range setting, where the animals have more foraging opportunities. Hens that received range enrichment at the time of testing, also had a higher success rate during the visual discrimination test, though they had a lower degree of test completion, likely due to habituation to the mealworms as an enrichment. The positive effects of BSFL during rearing and mealworms during the laying period stress the importance of enrichment throughout the life of the hens.

Nursing interventions for the proposed nursing diagnosis of puerperal fatigue: An integrative review.

The postpartum period is considered a phase of many physiological and hormonal changes that affect the individual. Fatigue is something present and can influence the postpartum woman in a negative way. In this way, the nurse has an essential role, and the nursing process can be used to establish an efficient care plan. To present the main nursing interventions and activities of the nursing diagnosis (ND) fatigue (00093) in individuals/people in the immediate postpartum period obtained through an integrative literature review and correlate with the proposed ND puerperal fatigue/excessive burden of fatigue in the postpartum period. Integrative literature review, carried out in the databases Cochrane, Scopus and Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Web of Science (WoS), Virtual Health Library (VHL), and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), following rigorous methodological standards. Six articles were included that identified the main nursing interventions related to the proposed ND puerperal fatigue. The integrative review highlighted the main nursing interventions and activities, and this study will be the basis for the next stages of the validation process for the ND puerperal fatigue/excessive fatigue in the postpartum period. This work can help nurses in clinical practice establish an efficient care plan through the most accurate nursing interventions and thus improve the quality of nursing services.

Patient perspectives on systematic client feedback in Dutch outpatient mental healthcare, a qualitative case reports study

ObjectiveThe added value of systematic client feedback (SCF) to psychotherapy can be affected by patient perspectives, both in a positive and negative way, and is influenced by cultural factors as well. Current study explores patients’ perspectives on use and optimization of SCF in Dutch outpatient mental healthcare. Primary aim of present study is to generate implications for daily practice and optimize SCF implementation, particularly for the Netherlands.MethodFour patients suffering from mild to moderate psychological disorders were in-depth interviewed on their perspective on the use of SCF, when the Partners for Change Outcome Management System (PCOMS, high frequent), the Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45, low frequent) and the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF, low frequent) was added to treatment as usual in two Dutch outpatient mental healthcare centers offering brief psychological treatment. Interview topics were (a) SCF in general; (b) type of questionnaires; (c) frequency of use; (d) effect of SCF on therapy; and (e) perceived added value of SCF. A SCF expert team analyzed the data through reflexive Thematic Analysis.ResultsWe identified three themes, all of which have two sub-themes: (a) Requirements to use SCF, with sub-themes (a1) Balance between effort to complete SCF and perceived validity, and (a2) Balance between used frequency and perceived validity; (b) Modifiers for test-taking attitude, with subthemes (b1) SCF as an embedded part of therapy, and (b2) Quality of Therapist-Client alignment; and (c) Effects on therapeutic process, with subthemes (c1) Focus on task and goals, and shared responsibility, and (c2) Effects on outcome and satisfaction.ConclusionsAdding SCF to therapy can be perceived as helpful by patients in psychotherapy if two conditions are met: (1) Creating a right balance between effort and yield for SCF to be used at all; and (2) embedding SCF as an integral part of therapy, through therapist-client alignment. Throughout the progression of therapy, it might be useful to perceive SCF and therapy as communicating vessels; according to patients it is not only necessary to adjust therapy based on SCF, but also to adjust SCF based on the course of therapy.Trial RegistrationThis trial was registered on September 30, 2015 in the Dutch Trial Register NTR5466. The Medical Ethics Committee of the University of Twente (Enschede) approved this study (registration number: K15-11, METC Twente).

A Negative Way: Dionysian Apophaticism and the Experiential

The experiential bias in modern understandings of spirituality has led to readings of the pre-modern texts of Pseudo-Dionysius as referring to “negative experiences” of faith. Denys Turner, Bernard McGinn, and others have outlined the mistaken “spiritual positivism” of such readings and their contrast with the negative dialectics of the classical apophatic tradition. Indeed, the philosophical parameters of the Christian mysticism of the Dionysian tradition would deny “mystical experience” to be “experience” as such. Nevertheless, several modern theologians have attempted to integrate interpretations of the experiential in Christian mysticism into their theology. These include Sara Coakley in the idea of spiritual sense in her theology of the body, Karl Rahner in the conception of spiritual touch within his theology of grace, and Louis Dupré’s view that there is religious significance in the experience of “emptiness” in modern-day atheism. I shall contrast these attempted integrations with the critique of “mystical experience” within classical understandings of apophaticism.

Foreign Language Learners' Uncertainty Experiences and Uncertainty Management.

Uncertainty is unavoidable in life; it is also an indispensable characteristic of educational settings. The process of learning a foreign language naturally involves interaction and coconstruction of knowledge. During this process, students may encounter uncertainty from a variety of sources, including the course, context, friends, or the teacher. Besides, to communicate meaningfully, the mutual effort of both the listener and the speaker is needed to deal with uncertainty. Considering this, the present study makes an effort to comprehend how learners appreciate and manage uncertainty in language learning environments. Although uncertainty is considered a multidisciplinary research topic, a limited number of studies are found in the literature which examine how students experience uncertainty and how they react to it. Regarding foreign language learning, related research focused on a specific form of uncertainty, Tolerance of Ambiguity, which is conceptualized as a cognitive style. In-class pen-and-paper surveys, reflective journals, video recordings, and stimulated recall interviews were the instruments used to gather data. The findings demonstrate that language learners frequently encounter uncertainty during the language learning process due to course-related, cognitive, and social factors, and learners may appreciate uncertainty in both positive and negative ways. Additionally, learners' emotional reactions to uncertainty depend on their positive or negative appraisals of uncertain situations. By recognizing and embracing uncertainty, language learners will adapt to it and be able to handle it through a variety of techniques. The results suggest that learners employ a variety of strategies, such as reducing, maintaining, and resolving uncertainty as well as ignoring uncertainty.

Conazoles

Conazoles belong to the group of azole-based fungicides and pharmaceutical preparations that are widely used in agriculture for crop protection and in human and veterinary medicine for the treatment of oropharyngeal and urogenital mycotic infections. The antifungal mode of action consists in the inhibition of certain cytochrome c-oxidase enzymes leading to disruption of the ergosterol metabolic pathway, which plays a similar role in cholesterol synthesis in mammals. Some conazoles possess hepatotoxic properties, some are mutagenic and tumorigenic, some are only carcinogenic and some do not act in these negative ways. In addition, their potential for cumulative exposure and deposition of residues in the human body could contribute to an increased risk of certain diseases and adverse health conditions, particularly during the foetal development. For these reasons, the risk assessment of the use of conazoles in human medicine and plant protection requires harmonisation and further research.

Infectious disease responses to human climate change adaptations.

Many recent studies have examined the impact of predicted changes in temperature and precipitation patterns on infectious diseases under different greenhouse gas emissions scenarios. But these emissions scenarios symbolize more than altered temperature and precipitation regimes; they also represent differing levels of change in energy, transportation, and food production at a global scale to reduce the effects of climate change. The ways humans respond to climate change, either through adaptation or mitigation, have underappreciated, yet hugely impactful effects on infectious disease transmission, often in complex and sometimes nonintuitive ways. Thus, in addition to investigating the direct effects of climate changes on infectious diseases, it is critical to consider how human preventative measures and adaptations to climate change will alter the environments and hosts that support pathogens. Here, we consider the ways that human responses to climate change will likely impact disease risk in both positive and negative ways. We evaluate the evidence for these impacts based on the available data, and identify research directions needed to address climate change while minimizing externalities associated with infectious disease, especially for vulnerable communities. We identify several different human adaptations to climate change that are likely to affect infectious disease risk independently of the effects of climate change itself. We categorize these changes into adaptation strategies to secure access to water, food, and shelter, and mitigation strategies to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. We recognize that adaptation strategies are more likely to have infectious disease consequences for under-resourced communities, and call attention to the need for socio-ecological studies to connect human behavioral responses to climate change and their impacts on infectious disease. Understanding these effects is crucial as climate change intensifies and the global community builds momentum to slow these changes and reduce their impacts on human health, economic productivity, and political stability.

Correlation between psychological well-being and the use of video games

The video games had won popularity in the last decades, their impact in the current society is a target for investigation from some years ago. When talking about psychological well-being we refer to how the subject feels within his own reality perceived, some people even associate it with the happiness concept. To measure the psychological well-being variable, we used the Ryff scales of psychological well-being, adding an own survey to get the time the participants use the video games, they answered the survey remotely through Google forms. When we analyzed the results with the program IBM SPSS, we found how video games can be associated in a negative way to some of the mental welfare´s subscales. We consider than the main factor to determine if the videogames become harmful is the time spent on them.

THE INFLUENCE OF WORKLOAD AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT ON CYBERLOAFING BEHAVIOR MEDIATED BY JOB STRESS IN 74 AND 58 STATE PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN BENGKULU CITY

Respondents to this study are provided with questionnaires as part of a quantitative methodology. Eighty teachers from Bengkulu City's State Elementary Schools 74 and 58 participated in this study. The data in this study are analyzed using the Partial Least Square (PLS) with Structural Equation Model (SEM). The results of this study showed that: (1) the work environment influences work stress in a significant and negative way; (2) job stress influences work stress in a significant and positive way; (3) job stress has the ability to mediate the relationship between workload and cyberloafing behavior (4) job stress has the ability to moderate the impact of the workplace on the behavior of cyberloafing; and (5) job stress influences cyberloafing behavior in a positive and significant way. The managerial implications in this research show that there is a need for optimization in maintaining workload and always striving for a conducive work environment. This will support teachers at SD Negeri 74 and SD Negeri 58, Bengkulu City in increasing their work productivity. Having a conducive work environment and not excessive workload on teachers can reduce work stress and reduce cyberloafing behavior in teachers.

Solar energy feasibility for power generation in lower shire districts: A case study of Chikwawa District

Background: Electricity availability is an essential part of both economic and non-economic activities in any country. Malawi being one of the developing nations experiences a lot of challenges both in its economic and non-economic activities due to unlimited levels of electric supply in its country. This inadequacy of limited supply has remained a challenge for a longer period of time to the effect that the country Malawi for a longer period of time has an overwhelming record of blackouts and load shedding. Consequently, this has affected in a negative way the economic activities of this nation such as low productivity in the production of goods and services making livelihood a difficult. Similarly, noneconomic activities such social interactions seem to be challenging due to lack of electricity. In this regard an investigation in determining new innovations towards electricity production remained one of the most important aspects in this county of Malawi. Method: This study was conducted in Chikwawa district, Malawi, to assess the feasibility of solar energy production. The methods used include temporal variability, correlation, trend, and spatial analysis to assess solar radiation, sunshine hours, and their distribution in the area. Result: As a result, the study was established with the purpose to assess feasible regions within the country of Malawi to innovate solar energy production to boost high levels of solar energy production. This study was conducted in the lower shire district and to be specific in Chikwawa district. The objectives of the feasibility in Chikwawa district included; assessing solar radiation and sunshine hours towards solar energy production, the spatial distribution of solar radiation and sunshine hours towards solar energy production, the trend of sunshine and solar radiation towards solar production and at the end to map the areas in Chikwawa District where solar energy production could be harnessed. Through the use of temporal variability, correlation analysis, trend analysis, and spatial analysis, the findings of this investigation established that harnessing solar energy is much more possible in areas of the lower shire which is the among others include Chikwawa district of Malawi as most areas currently in this region has less places with solar energy production but with high availability of solar radiation. Conclusion: For the fact that the findings reveal more feasible places to establish solar energy production, this study recommends commitment by government and private sector to greatly establish solar energy production units in this area whilst focusing on identifying other potential areas where solar energy production can be harnessed in Malawi. In this regard, this exposition has achieved its purpose of fostering renewable energy production through innovating and investing in solar energy production. Novelty/Originality of this study: This detailed spatial and temporal analysis study has identified optimal locations for solar energy production, providing a new approach to renewable energy planning in developing countries.

Unravelling the Impact of COVID-19 on The Turkish Banking Sector: An Empirical Analysis

This study aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 on the Turkish Banking Index of the Istanbul Stock Exchange. Bayer-Hanch Cointegration Test, a Canonical Cointegrating Regression, and a Fully Modified Least Squares test were examined. Gold price, Repo, exchange rate, and the COVID-19 cases exhibit a long-run relationship with the banking index. During the pandemic, COVID-19 cases affected banks' performance in a negative way at the Istanbul Stock Exchange. No study in the literature has specifically examined the impact of COVID-19 on the Turkish Banking Index using the Bayer Hanch Co-integration strategy. Therefore, this study provides valuable insight into the literature.

Reprogramming macrophages with R848-loaded artificial protocells to modulate skin and skeletal wound healing.

After tissue injury, inflammatory cells are rapidly recruited to the wound where they clear microbes and other debris, and coordinate the behaviour of other cell lineages at the repair site in both positive and negative ways. In this study, we take advantage of the translucency and genetic tractability of zebrafish to evaluate the feasibility of reprogramming innate immune cells in vivo with cargo-loaded protocells and investigate how this alters the inflammatory response in the context of skin and skeletal repair. Using live imaging, we show that protocells loaded with R848 cargo (which targets TLR7 and TLR8 signalling), are engulfed by macrophages resulting in their switching to a pro-inflammatory phenotype and altering their regulation of angiogenesis, collagen deposition and re-epithelialization during skin wound healing, as well as dampening osteoblast and osteoclast recruitment and bone mineralization during fracture repair. For infected skin wounds, R848-reprogrammed macrophages exhibited enhanced bactericidal activities leading to improved healing. We replicated our zebrafish studies in cultured human macrophages, and showed that R848-loaded protocells similarly reprogramme human cells, indicating how this strategy might be used to modulate wound inflammation in the clinic.

Bullying Detection Solution for GIFs Using a Deep Learning Approach

Nowadays, technology allows people to connect and communicate with each other even from miles away, no matter the distance. With the increased use of social networks that were rapidly adopted in human beings’ lives, they can chat and share different media files. While the intent for which they have been created may be positive, they can be abused and utilized in a negative way. One form in which they can be maliciously used is represented by cyberbullying. This is a form of bullying where an aggressor shares, posts, or sends false, harmful, or negative content about someone else by electronic means. In this paper, we propose a solution for bullying detection in GIFs. We employ a hybrid architecture that comprises a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and three Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs). For the feature extractor, we used the DenseNet-121 model that was pre-trained on the ImageNet-1k dataset. The obtained results give an accuracy of 99%.

Student-teacher relational entitlement and its association with students' and teachers' characteristics.

One's sense of entitlement-the subjective perception of what one deserves from another person-can contribute to social attitudes and behaviour in positive or negative ways, depending on the way in which one construes this subjective sense. Previous work has examined how adolescents' sense of entitlement towards their parents contributes positively or negatively to their well-being. In this study, we extend this line of research and focus on adolescents' sense of entitlement towards another important authority figure-teachers, while examining its associations with both students' and teachers' characteristics and implications for students' functioning at school. We adapted the Adolescents' Sense of Relational Entitlement towards Parents scale to tap students' relational entitlement towards their teachers. We then examined the factor structure of the adapted scale and its associations with students' and teachers' relevant psychological measures in three samples (N = 1588). Findings confirmed the three-factor structure of student-teacher entitlement. Studies 2-3 also revealed that students' sense of entitlement was associated with both students' variables (e.g., psychological well-being, self-esteem, perceptions of teachers' acceptance of them and students' school engagement) and teachers' emotional difficulties. Study 3's findings indicated that students' sense of entitlement was associated with their school engagement. Students' sense of entitlement towards teachers seems to be associated with teachers' emotional makeup and attitudes towards students. In addition, this subjective sense is associated with students' school engagement. These findings suggest that there is theoretical value and practical implications for further unpacking both teachers' and students' factors associated with students' sense of entitlement and examining its association with academic functioning at school.

Self-described religious and spiritual identities of patients receiving gender-affirming surgeries: Implications for chaplaincy practice

Studies of the U.S. population in general and transgender and gender diverse (TGD) communities specifically suggest that religion and spirituality (R/S) can function in both positive and negative ways, including on health outcomes. Patients recovering from gender-affirming surgeries were asked by chaplains, during the course of spiritual care visits, to describe their R/S identities in their own words. Seventy-five responses were included in the study and were coded. Six themes and 10 sub-themes were identified. The themes were (1) centeredness in self; (2) transcendent belief system; (3) non-religious belief systems; (4) importance of prayer; (5) R/S identity and practice as fixed and consistent; and (6) R/S identity and practice as flexible, contextual, and transforming. The findings broadly reflected national data about R/S belonging, including trends related to the growing share of the population that identifies as atheist, agnostic, or spiritual but not religious; ambivalent relationships with R/S communities due to transphobia; and R/S beliefs and practices as supportive. Implications for chaplaincy practice are discussed, including the need for chaplains to understand both demographic trends and the intersections of R/S and transphobia.

Experiences of Irish Advanced Nurse Practitioners Delivering Nursing Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: The objective of this research was to explore ANP's experience in the delivery of advanced nursing care to patients and how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the day-to-day work of ANPs as well as gaining an understanding of ANPs’ perceptions of how the pandemic has influenced the delivery of care to patients and the personal impact of working as an ANP during the Covid-19 pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affects healthcare staff and patients worldwide. Many studies have looked at the experiences of nursing staff during the pandemic but very few have examined the experiences of ANPs. Study design and methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted examining the experiences of Irish ANPs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 ANP participants. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts was performed using a Castleberry and Nolan’s (2008) five-step thematic analysis. Results: Three themes and four sub-themes were found through thematic interview analysis. These themes were, 1. Adapting to COVID with subthemes fear and anxiety of covid, feeling supported, the advent of telehealth, 2. Impact of redeployment with subtheme not prepared for redeployment, 3. Primary Care and General Practitioners. Conclusion: The identified themes provided insight into the experiences of Irish advanced nurse practitioners caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each theme shed a personal light on the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the professional working lives of nurses working at an advanced level within Ireland. The finding of this study adds to a growing body of literature on the impact COVID-19 had on nursing. Advanced nurse practitioners are a cohort of nurses who had to adapt to the challenges of COVID-19 which impacted their professional and their personal lives. Implications for research, policy, and practice: Understanding how ANPs experienced the COVID-19 pandemic as a group of healthcare professionals allows for better planning for future pandemics or crises using the skills of these professionals to better serve their patient populations as well as planning healthcare workforce more effectively. What is already known about the topic? • COVID-19 has had a great impact on nursing in both positive and negative ways. • Nurses have had to adapt to challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. What this paper adds • An insight into how COVID-19 impacted advanced nurse practitioners within Ireland. Keywords: Nurse practitioner; Nurse; COVID-19; Qualitative Research; Ireland Objective

Themes Used to Discursively Construct the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kenya’s Newspaper Headlines

This study investigates the themes that discursively construct the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya’s newspaper headlines, specifically focusing on their role in structuring communication related to the COVID-19 pandemic. While prior research has examined news discourse in various contexts, thematic analysis in Kenya’s news reporting has received limited attention. The study examines 59 COVID-19-related headlines drawn from The Standard and the Daily Nation newspapers. The methodology draws from the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) model, and specifically employs the Top-Down Approach of sampling texts as espoused by Mautner. Van Dijk argues that those who control discourse indirectly manipulate people’s thoughts and actions. This observation is corroborated by the study’s findings which reveal that Kenya’s print media shaped the COVID-19 discourse through the choice and framing of themes such as bondage, death, economy, education and COVID-19 research and search for vaccines. The analysis shows that Kenya’s print media largely constructed the themes in a negative way and this created a sense of crisis and fear among the populace. These feelings of fear and crisis were exacerbated because the themes encompassed aspects that are crucial to Kenyans, all of which were threatened by COVID-19. Proactive measures such as online learning during the pandemic were almost wholly excluded from the COVID-19 discourse. The media created unequal power relation with the readership by constructing itself as the reservoir of knowledge about COVID-19. The reader was positioned as subordinate and in dire need of guidance. This was an important discursive strategy for legitimizing the authority of the media about the pandemic. It is hoped that this study will make significant contribution to the fields of discourse, communication and media, as it reveals how media discourse plays a key role in shaping our understanding of pandemics.