South African abortion attitudes from 2007-2016: the roles of religiosity and attitudes toward sexuality and gender equality

ABSTRACT

Abortion is legal in South Africa, but negative abortion attitudes remain common and are poorly understood. We used nationally representative South African Social Attitudes Survey data to analyze abortion attitudes in the case of fetal anomaly and in the case of poverty from 2007 to 2016 (n = 20,711; ages = 16+). We measured correlations between abortion attitudes and these important predictors: religiosity, attitudes about premarital sex, attitudes about preferential hiring and promotion of women, and attitudes toward family gender roles. Abortion acceptability for poverty increased over time (b = 0.05, p < .001), but not for fetal anomaly (b = ?0.008, p = .284). Highly religious South Africans reported lower abortion acceptability in both cases (Odds Ratio (OR)_anomaly = 0.85, p = .015; OR_poverty = 0.84, p = .02). Premarital sex acceptability strongly and positively predicted abortion acceptability (OR_anomaly = 2.63, p < .001; OR_poverty = 2.46, p < .001). Attitudes about preferential hiring and promotion of women were not associated with abortion attitudes, but favorable attitudes about working mothers were positively associated with abortion acceptability for fetal anomaly ((OR_anomaly = 1.09, p = .01; OR_poverty = 1.02, p = .641)). Results suggest negative abortion attitudes remain common in South Africa and are closely tied to religiosity, traditional ideologies about sexuality, and gender role expectations about motherhood.     

Isolation and characterization of cellulose from date palm tree spathe sheath

This study deals with a series of operations to isolate the micro-cellulose from the palm tree spathe sheath by using a modified chemical method to take into account the low cost and the completion speed and its characterization using X-ray diffraction technique (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope coupled with element analyzer (SEM/EDX). The results showed that the extraction method succeeded in obtaining very pure microscopic fibers with a width of 2–10 μm with a crystallinity index equal to 79.21%, containing the two cellulose features Iβ and II, that, the conversion ratio of the first to the second was estimated at 32, 87%.     

Cognition in breast cancer survivors: A pilot study of interval and continuous exercise

Objectives

The current study investigated the effects of two exercise interventions on cognitive function amongst breast cancer survivors.

The detection and management of complications following the treatment of liver metastases

While once considered as incurable systemic disease, treatment options for liver metastases have increased over the last 30 years and safety has improved dramatically, such that for a selected group of patients the hope of cure can now be offered with radical treatment, and low morbidity interventions can be offered which prolong survival, even in patients with more widely disseminated disease. Advances have been made in selection and surgical technique for liver resection and several adjuncts to resection now exist in the form of portal vein embolization, thermal ablation and targeted drug or radiotherapy delivery options. A natural consequence of these developments has been the delivery of services within fewer specialist units, with the result that later complications of therapy may present to local hospitals, rather than directly to the specialist centres. This article will describe the current common liver-directed therapies and outline the presentation and management of their complications.     

Insights from examination of hearts from adults dying suddenly to the understanding of congenital cardiac malformations

Congenital heart disease is a rare but important finding in adults who experience sudden death. Examination of the congenitally malformed heart has historically been considered esoteric and best left to those with expertise. The Cardiac Risk in the Young cardiovascular pathology laboratory based at St George's University of London has now received over 6,000 cases. Of these, 21 congenitally malformed hearts were retained for research and educational purposes. Hearts were assessed using sequential segmental analysis, and causes of death were adjudicated based on thorough macroscopic examination and histology. Congenital malformations that were encountered included atrial septal defects, ventricular septal defects, tetralogy of Fallot, and transposition of the great arteries in both its regular and congenitally corrected variants. Findings also included hearts with mirror-imaged and isomeric atrial appendages. Direct causes of death included myocardial fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, and hemorrhage. A small but notable proportion did not reveal a substrate for arrhythmia, raising the question of whether the terminal event was due to the congenital heart disease itself, or an underlying channelopathy. Here, we demonstrate the value of simple sequential segmental analysis in describing and categorizing the cases, with the concept of the “morphological method” serving to identify the distinguishing features of the cardiac components. Clin. Anat. 33:394–404, 2020. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

起搏治疗遗传性长QT间期综合征23例

目的:评价VVI起搏治疗遗传性长QT综合征的疗效. 方法:对23例有尖端扭转性室速发作,且经正规药物治疗无效或无法耐受的遗传性长QT综合征患者,植入了VVI起搏器.随访这23例患者术后心电图及心脏事件发生率. 结果:QT间期平均值由术前(638.0±55.7)ms缩短至术后的(471.3±48.9)ms,QTc平均值为由0.627±0.07缩短至0.519±0.06.心脏事件的发生率由术前的(0.353±0.46)次/年降至术后(0.111±0.24)次/年,(P=0.039).其中77.5%的患者随访期间无晕厥或猝死等心脏事件发生.90.91%患者存活.2例患者因尖端扭转性室速恶化为室颤抢救无效死亡. 结论:VVI起搏治疗可以有效地减少长QT综合征患者恶性心律失常的发生,是治疗长QT综合征的重要方法之一.     

劳累性心绞痛患者冠脉病变和抑郁障碍相关性分析

目的比较劳累性心绞痛患者抑郁障碍与冠状动脉粥样硬化程度的相关性，以进一步明确两者之间关系。方法将146名劳累性心绞痛患者根据汉密尔顿抑郁量表评分分为无抑郁症状组、可疑抑郁症状组、明确抑郁症状组。比较三组冠脉Gensini积分。结果3组之间Germini积分值存在统计学差异（P〈0．05）。HAMD量表评分与Gensimi评分成正相关（r=0．244，P〈0.01）。结论劳累性心绞痛患者冠脉粥样硬化程度与抑郁障碍程度成正相关，抑郁障碍对冠脉粥样硬化的发展可产生不良影响。     

脉冲微波治疗前列腺炎的临床疗效观察

目的探讨脉冲微波治疗前列腺炎的效果。方法收治前列腺炎病人532例。用南京亿高ECO—100型电脑微波前列腺炎治疗仪,经肛门途径发射脉冲微波,前列腺部位温度控制在41℃~42℃,每次持续45~60min,共七次。以显效、有效为判断疗效标准。结果17~25岁组显效47.93%,有效52.07%,26~45岁组显效52.06%,有效47.94%,两组有效率100%。结论脉冲微波经肛门途径治疗前列腺炎效果明显,有推广价值。     

Self-regulation and social and behavioral functioning following childhood traumatic brain injury.

This study examined the impact of childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI) on self-regulation and social and behavioral functioning, and the role of self-regulation as a predictor of children's social and behavioral functioning. Participants included 65 children with moderate to severe TBI and 65 children without TBI, all between 6 and 11 years of age. Self-regulation and social and behavioral functioning were assessed 2 to 5 years following injury. Children with TBI displayed deficits in self-regulation and social and behavioral functioning, after controlling for socioeconomic status (SES), although the magnitude of the deficits was not related to injury severity. Self-regulation accounted for significant variance in children's social and behavioral functioning, after controlling for SES and group membership. Self-regulation may be an important determinant of children's social and behavioral functioning following TBI.