Ongoing Experience Research Articles

The Widening Care Gap in VAD Therapy: An Analysis of the STS Intermacs and Pedimacs Database

<h3>Purpose</h3> The removal of the HVAD (HW) due to inferior outcomes cf. to Heartmate 3 (HM3) in adults has created a care gap for younger patients (pt). It is unclear if HW survival differs by age and if the initial experience with HM3 can bridge the gap. <h3>Methods</h3> Using the STS Intermacs/Pedimacs registry, durable implants between 09/12-08/21 where identified. Young adults (YA) were <40yrs old. Pt were excluded with an isolated RVAD or implanted as DT. Survival analysis by Kaplan Meier (KM) and Competing Outcomes Curves (COC) were performed and 1-year survival is reported. <h3>Results</h3> The Intermacs cohort consisted of 11569 pt with 1817 (15.7%) YA [HW n=817; HM3 n=372]. The median age of YA was 31.2 yrs (IQR 26.5-36.2) and wt 83Kg (IQR 68-104Kg). Most had cardiomyopathy (CM) (92.2%). The Pedimacs cohort was 660 pt [median age 9.4yrs (IQR 1.8-14.3), wt 27 Kg (IQR 10-57.2), CM (70.3%)]. Device breakdown included: HW (n=328), EXCOR (n=275) and HM3 (n=57). Fig 1 shows distribution of devices by wt. HW survival in adults differed by age, with YA fairing better (88.9% vs 79.4% at 1 yr, p<0.0001). YA survival was also better compared to Pedimacs pt (88.9 vs 83.7%, p=0.0002) but when competing events were analyzed, mortality was similar to YA (9.2% vs 9.5%, p=0.1) with a higher proportion undergoing transplant in Pedimacs (74% vs 31.2 %, p<0.0001). Survival by device did differ between HW and HM3 in YA (88.9% vs 95%, p=0.0006), but the difference was less than in older adults (79.4% vs 86.9%, p<0.001). This difference in survival was not seen in children (73.9% vs 84.8%, p=0.56), despite 31.7% of the HW implanted in pt <10 yrs compared to 14% of the HM3 (p=0.03). <h3>Conclusion</h3> The removal of the HW device may result in a care gap in younger pt whose survival outcomes do not mirror that of adults. The HM3 can fill a portion of this gap but there remains a subset of pediatric pt that based on initial HM3 use may no longer have access to intracorporeal support. However, it is likely with ongoing experience that a better understanding of the lower weight limit for HM3 will be determined.

Supportive interactions with primary care doctors are associated with better mental health among transgender people: results of a nationwide survey in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

BackgroundPast research has established that transgender people experience significant disparities in mental health outcomes and healthcare dissatisfaction compared with cisgender people, but more research is needed on how supportive healthcare interactions relate to the mental health of transgender people.ObjectivesThe 2 main aims of our analyses were: (i) to establish the most common negative experiences in healthcare and the most common supportive experiences specifically with primary care doctors for transgender people; and (ii) to examine the association of supportive experiences with mental health variables after controlling for demographic factors.MethodsData from the 2018 Counting Ourselves nationwide survey of transgender people were analysed using regression modelling. The 948 participants with a primary care doctor or general practitioner were included in analyses. Participants were aged 14–83 years old (mean 30.20).ResultsThe most common supportive experiences involved primary care doctors treating transgender people equitably, with competence, and with respect. Participants with more negative healthcare experiences had higher psychological distress as well as higher likelihood of reporting nonsuicidal self-injury and suicidality. Conversely, participants with more experiences of supportive primary care doctors had lower psychological distress and were less likely to have attempted suicide in the past 12 months.ConclusionWhen transgender people receive supportive care from their primary care providers they experience better mental health, despite ongoing negative healthcare experiences. Future research is needed to confirm ways of supporting positive trajectories of mental health for transgender people but these findings demonstrate the importance of positive aspects of care.

Understanding inequality: The experiences and perceptions of equality, diversity, and inclusion of those working or studying within sport and exercise psychology

Discrimination and inequality are ever present in today’s society, with athletes facing racial abuse and LGBTQ+ individuals fearing for their safety at international events. Due to these additional stressors, the role of sport psychologists becomes increasingly important when supporting athletes from minority groups. An online questionnaire was developed to gain greater understanding of the equality, diversity, and inclusion (ED&amp;I) knowledge, perceptions, and experiences of those working, studying or researching in the field of sport and exercise psychology. The findings of the current study highlight the ongoing experiences of sexism, racism, homo/transphobia, and ableism experienced by participants, as well as the need for more suitable, in-depth training around ED&amp;I subjects and guidance on meaningful action to combat inequality and discrimination in the field. The involvement of individuals from minority groups in the development, delivery and evaluation of training and research is necessary to move towards true inclusion.Keywords:Quality; diversity; inclusion; sport; education.

Historical trauma and oppression: Associations with internalizing outcomes among American Indian adults with type 2 diabetes.

American Indian (AI) people experience disproportionate exposure to stressors and health inequities, including type 2 diabetes (T2D) and mental health problems. There is increasing interest in how historical trauma and ongoing experiences of discrimination and marginalization (i.e., historical oppression) interact to influence AI health. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between historically traumatic experiences (i.e., boarding schools, relocation programs, and foster care), current reports of historical cultural loss, microaggressions, and their relationship to internalizing symptoms among AI adults living with T2D. This community-based participatory research study with five AI tribal communities includes data from 192 AI adults with T2D recruited from tribal clinics. Results from structural equation modeling revealed that personal experiences in foster care and ancestral experiences in boarding schools and/or relocation were associated with increased reports of historical loss, and indirectly associated with internalizing symptoms through racial microaggressions and historical losses. The findings highlight the importance of considering multiple dimensions of historical trauma and oppression in empirical and practice-based assessments of mental health problems.

Decolonizing Coptic (Music) Studies

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; In this discussion, I consider the rising ambivalences of situating Coptic (music) studies within their lived encounters of Western colonialism and continued Western cultural imperialism. In many ways, Coptic (music) studies is the direct result of Coptic colonial encounters, as Western scholars first categorized, transcribed, and studied Coptic music and Copts as colonial subjects. In turn, Copts too have strategized their subaltern status as a beleaguered religious minority in Egypt to cultivate a critical indigeneity movement that continues today. Here, I argue that to dismiss Coptic ongoing experiences of coloniality, both in Egypt and in Copts’ new North American homelands, exacerbates the gendered and classed exclusions of non-canonical voices in Coptic music’s lived experiences, in this case, women’s voices. Only by situating Coptic scholarship, histories, and music culture within these larger contexts can we begin to reckon with how European powers, extractive scholarly wealth, and Eurocentric imperial structures continue to shape the ways in which we engage with Coptic Christianity, either as pious believers, clerics who administer the Church’s most Holy rites, or as scholars both within and outside of the community. In the end, we may even work towards decolonizing ourselves and learn how to be active allies and advocates for others who, like us, share an ongoing and dialectical history with coloniality and cultural sovereignty.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Moses’ Embodied Encounter

Abstract This article investigates the implications of Moses’ unshod feet within the Burning Bush pericope (Exodus 3.1–4.17). Traditionally, scholars observe that the act of removing one’s shoes is merely a sign of ancient honour, conveying to Moses that he is on holy ground. Here, the author suggests, however, that through a narrative-geographical reading, additional insights can be gleaned – specifically, that Moses is being asked to participate as an embodied person, with all his senses. He is literally being ‘grounded’ in this experience, through his unshod feet. The author also argues that a larger creational relationship is implied – expressly, that Moses is the new (re)creational partner (adam), and through this bare-footed encounter is being connected back to creational purposes, via the adamah. Finally, inasmuch as Pentecostal readers of the Bible seek an ongoing experience of the Spirit, the author suggests that this narrative-geographical reading complements and re-energizes our whole-bodied spirituality and expectations of divine encounter.

Association of leucocyte levels in urine with tissue PD-L1 status and immune infiltration into basal bladder cancer subtype in the prospective real-world clinicopathological register trial Bladder BRIDGister.

560 Background: The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether preoperative standard urine parameters such as leucocyte count in urine samples dominate in particular molecular subtypes of bladder cancer and reflect the immune infiltration status in the tissue in matched urine and TUR biopsy samples from patients being suspicious of bladder cancer and undergoing first TURB within the prospective Real World Experience registry trial "BRIDGister". Methods: For this pilot study paraffin fixed pretreatment tissue samples from the first TURB of 48 pts participating in the BRIDGister trial and matched urine samples were prospectively collected and analyzed. RNA from FFPE tissues were extracted by commercial kits- Relative gene expression of subtyping markers (KRT5, KRT20) by standardized RT-qPCR systems for PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA4 (STRATIFYER Molecular Pathology GmbH, Cologne). In addition urine samples were analyzed for leucocyte and erythrocyte count. Spearman correlation, Kruskal-Wallis, MannWhitney and Sensitivity/Specificity tests were done by JMP 9.0.0 (SAS software). Results: The pilot cohort of the BRIDGister trial consisted of 48 patients (median age: 77, male 65% vs. female 35%) of diverse clinical stages (Benign lesions/no tumor 38%, pTa 23%, pT1 20%, pT2 19%) and WHO 1973 grade (G1 11%, G2 43%, G3 23%). Presence of leucocytes but not erythrocytes was negatively associated with KRT20 (r=-0.4249, p=0.0216) but positive with KRT5 (r=0.3704, p=0.0479). Moreover high levels of leucocytes in urine were positively associated with tumor expression of PD-L1 (r=0.5081, p=0.0041), PD-1 (r=0.5342, p=0.00024) and CTLA4 (r=0.4244, p=0.0194). In contrast there was no significant association of tumor PDL-1, PD-1 and CTLA4 expression with erythrocyte count in urine. Conclusions: Presence of leucotytes in urine is strongly associated with basal subtype and immune cell infiltration into early bladder cancer. As the presence of erythrcytes did not reveal these significant associations, the presence of leucocytes is not due to simple bleeding or tissue vulnerability. Moreover, the strong tumor subtype specificity further demonstrate the basal tumor specificity of urine leucocytes and therefore may be helpful for detecting and monitoring basal bladder cancer in a non invasive fashion. Given the prognostic value of tissue determination of PD-L1, PD-1 and CTLA4 quantitation on mRNA level, these results warrant further investigation to conclude on its impact on outcome prediction (BCG responsiveness, recurrence, progression, etc.), which will be prospectively analyzed in the framework of the ongoing multicenter BRIDGister Real World Experience trial.

Learner Experiences During the Design-Based Research Process for a Problem-Based Instructional Design Course

The discrepancy between students’ understanding of domain knowledge and their actual competencies to use tacit knowledge for a given task has been an issue to consider when instruction is designed, implemented, and revised. In this study, the researcher examines teaching and learning processes in which a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) design model was crafted and used for an advanced instructional design course in the educational technology field. The focus is on the researcher‘s ongoing and recursive reflective experiences in reviewing design components of the model, analyzing the motivators and difficulties students faced, and offering alternative methods to improve the initial design. The findings show that the PBL approach played an instrumental role in creating real challenges that the target professionals may experience. On the other hand, observed difficulties in PBL include intrinsic and extrinsic cognitive loads associated with the complexity of the instructional design process, self-regulated learning skills, learning beliefs, and supporting strategies used for team dynamics. The patterns identified in the behaviors and perceptions of effective and struggling students are interpreted. Based on the findings, new constructs of the model were suggested for further improvement.

Abstract TP162: Long-term Experience With Resolute Onyx Balloon Mounted Stent For Medically Refractory Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease Evaluated By Wingspan Stent System Post Market Surveillance (WEAVE) Methodology

Background and Purpose: Angioplasty and stenting is a therapeutic option for patients with medically refractory intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD). We previously demonstrated the feasibility of using Resolute (R) Onyx Stent, a drug-eluting balloon mounted coronary stent (DES), for ICAD patients. WEAVE (Wingspan Stent System Post Market Surveillance) trial assessed the periprocedural safety of Wingspan Stents in ICAD patients. We present our on-going experience with R-Onyx in ICAD patients integrating WEAVE styled methodology to assess outcomes in our cohort. Methods: A prospectively maintained neuro-endovascular database was queried for intracranial angioplasty and stenting cases from October 2019 to June 2021. Patients with symptomatic ICAD despite maximum medical management with &gt;70% stenosis who were treated with R-Onyx DES were included. Primary outcomes were assessed according to WEAVE trial criteria (ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke or death within 72 h of the procedure). Secondary outcomes were assessed by occurrence of stroke and/or in-stent restenosis evaluated 30 days post-procedure clinically or angiographically. Results: A total of 58 patients were eligible for analysis with a mean age of 63.66 years, and 63.8% (n=37) were males. A total of 42 patients had an indication for treatment consisting of recurrent stroke while 16 had recurrent transient ischemic attacks. A total of 62 R-onyx DES stents were used to treat 58 patients with symptomatic lesions with an average stenosis of 84.7%. All procedures were completed successfully with &lt;30% residual stenosis and 1.7% (n=1) of patients having hemorrhage and death within 72 h. Out of 41 patients who had a long-term follow-up, 0 had a stroke. In terms of 6-month angiographic follow-ups, 1 patient had in-stent restenosis treated via angioplasty. Conclusion: Our study reinforces the feasibility of R-Onyx DES for treatment of ICAD refractory to maximal medical management by reporting low periprocedural complication rates (1.7%) according to WEAVE methodology, which itself had a periprocedural complication rate of 2.6%, and low long-term frequencies of indications such as strokes and restenosis. These findings perhaps warrant randomized comparative studies between the stents.

The seven pillars of a winning strategic architecture in emerging markets

PurposeThis viewpoint reflection draws upon the authors’ ongoing experience and research in the agribusiness sector and aims to propose a framework for succeeding in emerging markets and offer some insights that run counter to traditional approaches and practices. Despite its economic, social and political significance, the agribusiness sector remains neglected in mainstream academic scholarship. Additionally, much research presents an MNC-centric view, despite the success of several local firms. The framework presented in this viewpoint reflection identifies seven pillars of a winning strategic architecture to succeed in emerging markets and encourages future scholarship that theoretically elaborates and specifies boundaries for each of the practices that underpin it.Design/methodology/approachThis viewpoint draws upon our experience, case studies, and ongoing primary research on the agribusiness sector. It is meant to be a “call for future research” as opposed to testing or elaborating theory.FindingsThis paper proposes a framework on seven pillars of a winning strategic architecture – benefits of centralization, satisficing, avoiding short-term myopia, developing own talent, more playfulness and experimentation, customer-driven product development and novel types of process innovation – and encourage future scholarship to theoretically elaborate and specify boundaries for each of these practices.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper offers a winning architecture template of seven practices and urges future theory to test, elaborate and establish boundaries for these practices.Practical implicationsThe seven practices offered in this paper will allow managers to question prior assumptions and rethink their business models.Social implicationsAlthough the agribusiness sector is one of the largest and most important sectors in emerging markets, it remains neglected in much scholarship. This sector employs large numbers of people and focuses on one of the most important aspects of society (i.e. food).Originality/valueThis paper offers several country intuitive insights on the seven elements of a winning strategic architecture. Examples include: advocating centralization and/or vertical integration, building as opposed to buying talent, satisficing as opposed to excelling and a greater focus on long-term and relational approaches even though they might appear to be inefficient in the short term.

EMPOWERING WOMEN AS LEADERS AMONG RELOCATED INFORMAL SETTLERS

This paper explores the degree of empowerment among women volunteers in the Hope Day Care Center (HDCC) in the informal relocation site in Southville 8, Cabuyao, Laguna by determining the role of HDCC in promoting women empowerment; identifying women empowerment measured in the Familial, Socio-cultural, Psychological and Political dimensions; and, describing how HDCC teachers become empowered women leaders in the community. The study used the mixed method employing quantitative-qualitative approach. A survey was conducted to determine the impact of the program on the respondents. The findings revealed that HDCC plays a vital role in promoting women empowerment. It provides opportunities for simple women to become more confident among themselves and become trusted community leaders through trainings, on-going formation programs and experiences while teaching. Based on the four dimensions, the results showed that in terms of the familial dimension, women volunteers have become a source of pride among the family members and are treated with more respect and equal dignity. In the socio-cultural dimension, the women feel the value of empowerment and the need to share it because of its positive impact on them and the community. In the psychological dimension women shared their dreams for a better future and acknowledge the values of unity, cooperation, role modelling and wholehearted service as the key to achieve this. In the political dimension, the volunteers believed that they possess the necessary skills to become good leaders. Women volunteers are empowered through the HDCC program. Despite attaining lesser than the required college education, they have been empowered to teach basic education, are more self-confident, have a voice in decision making and are independent-minded.

Understanding patterns of family support and its role on viral load suppression among youth living with HIV aged 15 to 24 years in southwestern Uganda.

BackgroundActive family support helps as a buffer against adverse life events associated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) uptake and adherence. There is limited data available to explain how family support shapes and affects individual healthcare choices, decisions, experiences, and health outcomes among youth living with HIV (YLWH). We aimed to describe family support patterns and its role in viral load suppression among YLWH at a rural hospital in southwestern Uganda.MethodsWe performed a mixed‐method cross‐sectional study between March and September 2020, enrolling 88 eligible YLWH that received ART for at least 6 months. Our primary outcome of interest was viral load suppression, defined as a viral load detected of ≤500 copies/mL. Data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. Fifteen individuals were also purposively selected from the original sample and participated in an in‐depth interview that was digitally recorded. Generated transcripts were coded and categories generated manually using the inductive content analytic approach. All participants provided written consent or guardian/parent assent (those <18 years) to participate in the study.ResultsForty‐nine percent of YLWH were females, the median age was 21 (IQR: 16‐22) years. About half of the participants (53%) stayed with a family member. A third (34%) of participants had not disclosed their status to any person they stayed with at home. Only 23% reported getting moderate to high family social support (Median score 2.3; IQR: 1.6‐3.2). Seventy‐eight percent of YLWH recorded viral load suppression. Viral load suppression was associated with one living with a parent, sibling, or spouse (AOR: 6.45; 95% CI: 1.16‐16.13; P = .033), having a primary caretaker with a regular income (AOR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.09‐4.17; P = .014), and living or communicating with family at least twice a week (AOR: 4.2; 95% CI: 1.65‐7.14; P = .003). Other significant factors included youth receiving moderate to high family support (AOR: 12.11; 95% CI: 2.06‐17.09; P = .006) and those that perceived family support in the last 2 years as helpful (AOR: 1.98; 95% CI: 1.34‐3.44; P = .001). HIV stigma (AOR: 0.10; 95% CI: 0.02‐0.23; P = .007) and depression (AOR: 0.31; 95% CI: 0.06‐0.52; P = .041) decreased viral load suppression. Qualitative data showed that dysfunctional family relationships, economic insecurity, physical separation, HIV‐ and disclosure‐related stigma, past and ongoing family experiences with HIV/ART affected active family support. These factors fueled feelings of abandonment, helplessness, discrimination, and economic or emotional strife among YLWH.ConclusionOur data showed that living with a family member, having a primary caretaker with a regular income, living or communicating with family members regularly, and reporting good family support were associated with viral load suppression among YLWH in rural southwestern Uganda. Experiencing depression due to HIV and or disclosure‐related stigma was associated with increased viral load. All YLWH desire ongoing emotional, physical, and financial support from immediate family to thrive and take medications daily and timely. Future interventions should explore contextual community approaches that encourage acceptance, disclosure, and resource mobilization for YLWH who rely on family support to use ART appropriately.

War-related quality of life is associated with depressive symptoms and hopelessness among Palestinians: sense of belonging and resilience as mediating variables.

The current study was designed to test the correlation between quality of life, depressive symptoms, and hopelessness, and whether sense of belonging and resilience mediating the correlation between quality of life, depressive symptoms, and hopelessness in a society characterized by high level of political violence and prolonged trauma. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to test the conceptual model, where quality of life was identified as a predictor variable, sense of belonging and resilience as mediating variables, and depressive symptoms and hopelessness as outcome variables. The participants of the study were 437 Palestinian adults: 190 males and 247 females, they were recruited using online methods; emails, Facebook, and Twitter. Results indicated that quality of life negatively correlated with depressive symptoms (r = -0.603; p < 0.01), and hopelessness (r = -0.453; p < 0.01), and positively correlated with resilience (r = 0.534; p < 0.05), and sense of belonging (r = 0.428; p < 0.01). Results of SEM indicated the correlation between quality of life, depressive symptoms, and hopelessness was fully mediated by the sense of belonging and resilience. Our study sheds light on resilience and sense of belonging as protective factors against ongoing traumatic experiences among Palestinians. Future research should be addressed to understand better the features of resilience and sense of belonging that can help maintain psychological functioning in conditions of chronic and ongoing violence, the personal and historical antecedents of such protective factors, and the factors that can directly or indirectly undermine them.

Variations in the Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation Among Reproductive-aged Women in Nigeria Across Three Generations.

Background and Objective:Female genital mutilation (FGM) is widespread mainly in low and middle-income countries. Nigeria is one of the countries with the highest prevalence of FGM, accounting for about one of every four cases globally. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of FGM among three generations in Abuja, the federal capital city of Nigeria.Methods:This is a cross-sectional study among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) within two area councils of Abuja (Bwari and Abuja Municipal) and Nyanya suburban district adjoining the federal capital territory in Nigeria. The respondents are pregnant women attending antenatal care at four selected health facilities. Data were collected using Google Forms and were analyzed with SPSS for Windows version 25.Results:This study comprised data from 634 females (who had an average age of 33±6.0 years) from four major healthcare facilities in Abuja. The most common age group was 30 – 34 years (29.2%). The prevalence of FGM in the first generation (37.7%) was significantly higher than in the second (28.5%) and the third generations (8.7%) (p<0.01). The prevalence of FGM in the second generation was also significantly higher than in the third (p<0.01). The predictors of women circumcising their daughters include primary/no-education AOR 1.48 (95% CI: 0.41-5.31; p<0.05), being a traditionalist 4.94 (95% CI: 0.29-84.56; p<0.05), or Muslim 2.27 (95% CI: 0.94-5.49; p<0.05), respondent’s mother being circumcised 1.69 (95% CI: 0.26-10.85, p<0.05) or mother’s circumcision unknown 5.41 (95% CI: 0.78-37.34; p<0.05), respondents being circumcised 54.71 (95% CI: 0.78-37.34; p<0.001), culture 2.48 (95% CI: 1.00-6.19; p<0.05), and ignorance of adverse psycho-social/emotional effects of FGM 4.39 (95% CI: 1.46-13.17; p<0.05).Conclusion and Global Health Implications:Although there is a decline in FGM prevalence from the first generation to the third generation in Nigeria, the current prevalence of 8.7% remains a public health concern. Nigerian women’s ongoing experience of FGM requires both individual and stakeholders’ involvement to eradicate health-related problems such as tissue damage, infection, scarring, infertility, and pains during sexual intercourse, urination, and menstruation.

Value representation in the monkey hippocampus.

The hippocampus is thought to form cognitive maps across different domains of experience, including space and time. Recent work by Knudsen and Wallis identifies a map of abstract value space in the monkey hippocampus. We consider how these abstract variables might contribute to a comprehensive hippocampal representation of ongoing experience.

Indigenizing Decolonial Media Theory

This essay examines how “decolonization” has become a buzzword, arguing that its trajectory follows that of “intersectionality,” another term popularized in media spaces and embraced by white leftist activists both in and outside of the academy. I propose that discursive activism online can be understood through two modes: extractive currency and redistributive currency. Exposing extractive media practices, this essay considers how “decolonization” has become commodified and stripped of its connection to the vital work of Indigenous people, transformed into what I call an “extractive currency” that promotes self-styled white “radical” voices at the expense of Indigenous sovereignty. Decolonial feminist media theory, I suggest, has a crucial role to play in undoing the power of this extractive currency in favor of a redistributive currency by unveiling the role of media in creating it and, instead, centering models of decolonial feminist activism. This exploration of #MMIW, the social media hashtag drawing attention to missing and murdered Indigenous women, demonstrates how media can be used in tactical ways to transform local activism into transnational phenomena while insisting on the need to attend to the ongoing experience of colonial violence, born from Indigenous dispossession and genocide, that threatens the lives of Indigenous women. In this way, I suggest, decolonial feminist media theory has a crucial role to play in reimagining the economies of media activism.

Differential Experiences of Social Distancing: Considering Alienated Embodied Communication and Racism

In this musing we consider how social distancing, the primary public health measure introduced to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus, is creating social encounters characterized by a self-and-other-consciousness and an atmosphere of suspicion, leading to what we call “alienated embodied communication.” Whilst interaction rituals dominated by avoidance, fear and distrust are novel for many individuals who occupy positions of social privilege, Black and ethnic minority writers have demonstrated that the alienated bodily communication of COVID-19 social distancing is “nothing new” for people who routinely experience marginalization as a result of racism. Our aim in this musing, then, is to reflect on how on-going experiences of stigma, shame, and marginalization can shape how social distancing is registered on an embodied and existential level, and therefore how social distancing may differentially impact individuals with lived experiences of racism.

Support Needs and Interventions for Family Caregivers of Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): A Narrative Review with Report of Telemedicine Experiences at the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic.

Family caregivers of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a severely disabling neurodegenerative disease due to the degeneration of both upper and lower motor neurons, have a very demanding role in managing their relatives, thereby often experiencing heavy care burden. Previous literature has widely highlighted that this situation reduces caregivers’ quality of life and increases their psychological distress and risk of health problems, but there are relatively few studies that focus on psychological interventions for these situations. Family support is more—not less—important during crisis. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining public safety has required restricting the physical presence of families for hospitalized patients. Caregivers of ALS patients felt increased sense of loneliness and experienced greater difficulties in the access to both hospital and home assistance. In response, health systems rapidly adapted family-centric procedures and tools to circumvent restrictions on physical presence. In this regard, internet-based and telehealth solutions have been adopted to facilitate the routine, predictable, and structured communication, crucial to family-centered care. This narrative review aims at addressing more current matters on support needs and interventions for improving wellbeing of caregivers of ALS patients. In particular, we aimed at highlighting several gaps related to the complex needs of caregivers of ALS patients, to the interventions carried out in order to respond to these needs, and to the changes that COVID-19 pandemic caused from 2020 to nowadays in clinical managing of ALS patients. Finally, we report ongoing experiences of psychological support for family caregivers of ALS patients through telehealth solutions, which have been reinforced in case of needing of physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Post-pandemic scenarios and design strategies for public spaces transformation

Almost two years later of a pandemic condition, one thing is sure: the pandemic will change permanently the world and its systems. Nowadays, the reflection on public space is crucial within a more sustainable and inclusive development at urban scale, amplified also by the ongoing experience of the pandemic that still presents. Public space is a real opportunity to test new urban and social models, thus becoming a principal catalyst for positive changes in the entire urban context. It is therefore necessary to re-establish a relationship between the public space and its inhabitants, providing a system of proximity by highlighting the human and non-human dimensions and consequently connecting services, relationships, and opportunities. Acting in public space is the first step in the development of innovative urban transformations, generated by collaborative phenomena working in the collective interest. The use of participatory practices within the design processes favors the reconnection between people and territory, generating a shared sense of belonging that leads to taking care of one's own places. The reversibility of the intervention and its adaptability are key characteristics that allow experimenting with new ways of experiencing public spaces and responding to unforeseen experiences, thus accommodating the inevitable changes in society.&#x0D; This scientific contribution aims to set forward distinctive points of view on the planning strategies implemented in the pandemic and post-pandemic period to achieve intelligent transformations on a small and large urban scale with an impact from short to long-term; hence shaping the future cities.

Co-development of aggression in elementary school children: The predictive roles of victimization experiences.

Aggression among peers is a common and serious problem in school-age children. Physical, relational, and cyber aggression often occur simultaneously but may exhibit heterogeneous developmental patterns. We aimed to identify heterogeneous co-developmental patterns of physical, relational, and cyber peer aggression and to investigate the contributions of victimization experiences to co-developmental trajectories. Participants were 2869 elementary school students (56.2% boys), initially in fourth grade (Mage = 10.51 years) in China. Longitudinal data on peer aggression were collected from participants semiannually for 2 years. Data on victimization experiences were collected in the initial measurement wave. Parallel process latent curve growth modeling produced four co-developmental trajectories of peer aggression: High Desisting group, Moderate-Increasing group, Moderate-Physical and Relational Aggression group, and Low Stable group. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that childhood emotional abuse, psychological maltreatment by teachers, as well as physical peer victimization, and cyber peer victimization, served as risk factors for severe co-developmental trajectories. The findings highlight the co-development of physical, relational, and cyber aggression. The identification of risk factors for co-developmental trajectories points to the need for continued monitoring and protection from ongoing victimization experiences in the family and school settings to prevent or ameliorate aggressive behavior.