Suchergebnisse

In this study the as-deposited and heat treated at 423K of conductive blend graphene oxide (GO)/ poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) thin films was prepared with different PEDOT:PSS concentration (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1)w/w on pre-cleaned glass substrate by spin coater. The XRD analysis indicate the existence of the preffered peak (001) of GO around 2θ=8.24° which is domain in all GO/ PEDOT:PSS films characterized for GO, this result approve the good quality of the PEDOT:PSS dispersion in GO, this peak shifted to the lower 2θ with increasing PEDOT:PSS concentration and after annealing process. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and atomic force microscopy (AFM) clearly show the GO flakes and go to disappear with increasing the PEDOT:PSS concentration.

Objective: The study aimed to investigate neonatal nurses' knowledge and practices related to pain assessment and management that may contribute to improve the quality of pain management by nurses at Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) of governmental hospitals in Gaza Strip. Design: The study design was quantitative, descriptive cross sectional, conducted at the NICUs affiliated to the governmental hospitals "Al Shifa Hospital - Al Nasser Pediatric Hospital - European Gaza Hospital". Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of all nurses working in NICUs. The total number of nurses was 102. The data were collected from study participants by using a self-administered questionnaire. The response rate was 100%. The data collected were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistical tests with level of statistical significance at p < 0.5. Results: The results showed that nurses had very low of knowledge level with mean percentages (59.42%) and very low of practice level with mean percentages (58.33%). Conclusion: Therefore, the study recommended to developing course or educational program related to assessment and management of neonatal pain to promote their integrated pain management care for neonates.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neuro-inflammatory disorder in which the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is proposed to have a pathogenic role. Therefore, a case-control study was performed (93 patients with relapsing-remitting MS and 113 healthy controls (HC) to analyze the prevalence and viral load of EBV infection using real time-polymerase chain reaction. Prevalence of EBV infection was lower in patients compared to HC but the difference was not significant (12.9 vs. 21.2%; probability [p] = 0.187). EBV-positive MS cases were more common in females than in males (83.3 vs. 16.7%), while an opposite distribution was observed in HC (37.5 vs. 62.5%), and the difference was significant (p = 0.041). Blood group O frequency was higher in EBV-positive patients compared to the corresponding HC but the difference was not significant (33.3 vs. 20.8%; p = 0.443). EBV-positive MS cases showed similar frequency in the two groups of the expanded disability status scale (EDSS: < 3.0 and ≥ 3.0; 50% each). EBV load was significantly elevated in EBV-positive MS cases compared to EBV-positive HC (94.6 ± 84.2 vs. 17.0 ± 16.3 DNA copy/100 cells; p = 0.009). When EBV-positive MS cases were classified by gender, EDSS groups or ABO blood groups, there were no significant differences between EBV loads in each stratum. However, a significant correlation between EBV load and EDSS was found (correlation coefficient = 0.620; p = 0.031). In conclusion, the prevalence of EBV infection showed no significant differences between MS patients and HC, while EBV load was significantly higher in patients.

AbstractIn Bangladesh and globally, microcredit has been recognized as a key development tool in the alleviation of poverty. Many international development agencies and donor countries prioritize microcredit to alleviate poverty because of reported success stories of microcredit nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in mobilizing poor women to participate in incomegenerating activities. Microcredit NGOs construct success stories of alleviating poverty and gender equity in relation to the repayment rate, but little is known about how they deploy strategies to collect loan installments from borrowers. Using ethnographic data collected in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh, I examine how microcredit NGOs create unequal power relations between fieldworkers and borrowers to facilitate secure loan recovery. Reflecting on the women's experiences with microcredit programs, I demonstrate how these microcredit NGOs impose the provision of group liabilities, a 'forced choice,' upon the borrowers and how they socialize the borrowers into a culture of shaming to enforce repayment obligations. Instead of contributing to the development of norms of cooperation and solidarity that socially and economically empower the entire community, I argue that NGOs instead empower a group of female borrowers, serving their capitalistic interests, which often stimulates social conflict and negatively affects social solidarity.