Social relations and exclusion among people facing death

In line with current policies and service developments related to palliative care, more people are dying at home. This situation has provoked discussions about the importance of non-medical issues related to death. The process of dying is often long, with many phases, and the social aspect is a major part of it. Our focus in this article is on dying as a social process. Social relationships are significant and play a meaningful role in enhancing the well-being of older adults approaching the end of life. Meaningful social relationships tend to change over time; however, and the process of dying may exacerbate such changes in and challenge these relationships. The aim of our study was to examine how social relationships are experienced and (re)constructed among older adults (70–83 years old) during the process of dying, in a Finnish context. We were interested in the nature and type of these relationships, and in the possible new forms of expression that may emerge during this process. Our empirical data were based on interviews with seven older adults who were close to death. The analysis revealed processes of exclusion from existing relations. At the same time, we observed new and unexpected relations being initiated, which sometimes became meaningful and supportive. The results highlighted the role of expectations and importance of analysing exclusion from a life-course perspective.     

Sol-Gel-Derived Fibers Based on Amorphous α-Hydroxy-Carboxylate-Modified Titanium(IV) Oxide as a 3-Dimensional Scaffold

The development of novel fibrous biomaterials and further processing of medical devices is still challenging. For instance, titanium(IV) oxide is a well-established biocompatible material, and the synthesis of TiO_x particles and coatings via the sol-gel process has frequently been published. However, synthesis protocols of sol-gel-derived TiO_x fibers are hardly known. In this publication, the authors present a synthesis and fabrication of purely sol-gel-derived TiO_x fiber fleeces starting from the liquid sol-gel precursor titanium ethylate (TEOT). Here, the α-hydroxy-carboxylic acid lactic acid (LA) was used as a chelating ligand to reduce the reactivity towards hydrolysis of TEOT enabling a spinnable sol. The resulting fibers were processed into a non-woven fleece, characterized with FTIR, ¹³C-MAS-NMR, XRD, and screened with regard to their stability in physiological solution. They revealed an unexpected dependency between the LA content and the dissolution behavior. Finally, in vitro cell culture experiments proved their potential suitability as an open-mesh structured scaffold material, even for challenging applications such as therapeutic medicinal products (ATMPs).     

The Role of Social Support in Machismo and Acceptance of Violence Among Adolescents in Europe: Lights4Violence Baseline Results

PurposeTo analyze the potential association between social support, experiences of violence, and sociodemographic characteristics of adolescents and the likelihood of acceptance of violence and machismo in different European countries.MethodsCross-sectional design. We recruited 1,555 participants ages 13–16 from secondary schools in Alicante (Spain), Rome (Italy), Iasi (Romania), Matosinhos (Portugal), Poznan (Poland), and Cardiff (UK). We used linear regression models to identify how social support from teachers and parents, experiences of violence—dating violence, bullying, cyberbullying, abuse in childhood—and sociodemographic characteristics were associated with violent thinking, specifically: machismo and acceptance of violence. The analysis was stratified by sex.ResultsAcceptance of violence was higher for those who had lower perceived social support from parents (β_girls = ?154, p < .001; β_boys = ?.114, p = .019) for both sexes. Perpetration of bullying and/or cyberbullying was associated with higher scores for machismo and acceptance of violence for both sexes (β_girls = .067, p = .035; β_boys = .225, p < .001; (β_girls = .118, p < .001; β_boys = .210, p < .001). Being the victim of dating violence, having suffered physical and/or sexual abuse in childhood, and lower perceived social support from teachers were associated with higher scores for both machismo and acceptance of violence. These associations differed between girls and boys.ConclusionsMachismo and acceptance of violence are widely present amongst adolescents in different European countries. Our results suggest the importance of providing educational/psycho-educational interventions with boys and girls to prevent these attitudes and, in turn, prevent interpersonal violence, including bullying and dating violence.     

SARS-CoV-2 host diversity: An update of natural infections and experimental evidence

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is now a pandemic threat. This virus is supposed to be spread by human to human transmission. Cellular angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the receptor of SARS-CoV-2 which is identical or similar in different species of animals such as pigs, ferrets, cats, orangutans, monkeys, and humans. Moreover, a recent study predicted that dogs might be secondary hosts during the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 from bat to human. Therefore, there is a possibility of spreading SARS-CoV-2 through domestic pets. There are now many reports of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases in dogs, cats, tigers, lion, and minks. Experimental data showed ferrets and cats are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 as infected by virus inoculation and can transmit the virus directly or indirectly by droplets or airborne routes. Based on these natural infection reports and experimental data, whether the pets are responsible for SARS-CoV-2 spread to humans; needs to be deeply investigated. Humans showing clinical symptoms of respiratory infections have been undergoing for the COVID-19 diagnostic test but many infected people and few pets confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 remained asymptomatic. In this review, we summarize the natural cases of SARS-CoV-2 in animals with the latest researches conducted in this field. This review will be helpful to think insights of SARS-CoV-2 transmissions, spread, and demand for seroprevalence studies, especially in companion animals.     

Allopurinol-Induced Recurrent DRESS Syndrome: Pathophysiology and Treatment

Hyperuricemia is present in approximately 5% of the population. The vast majority is asymptomatic and at no clinical risk. Allopurinol, an analog of hypoxanthine, has been widely used in clinical practice for more than 30 years for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout. Two percent of patients develop a mild exanthema when on this drug, which usually resolves after withdrawal of the drug. A syndrome characterized by exfoliative dermatitis, hepatitis, interstitial nephritis, and eosinophilia, termed allopurinol hypersensitivity syndrome, has been described, and its etiology related to the accumulation of one of allopurinol's metabolites, oxypurinol, of which clearance is decreased in the setting of renal insufficiency and the use of thiazide diuretics. The term DRESS (Drug Rash with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms) Syndrome has been recently used to describe an entity presenting with similar features.