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Teaching exchange programmes involving United Kingdom Higher Education delivered in the People’s Republic of China were directly impacted by Covid-19, requiring the immediate adoption of alternative plans of delivery for both teaching and assessment. In examining the impact this reflective analysis suggests that in a global crisis the educational world becomes a smaller more unified place of collective cross border experience.

Female squirrelfish (Fam. Holocentridae) can accumulate and temporarily sequester copious amounts of zinc (Zn) in their livers. There, it is initially compartmentalized before a subsequent, estrogen-triggered redistribution to the ovaries. Here we show that cellular uptake of Zn is also influenced by estrogen signaling, and that estrogen increases concentrations of the plasma Zn-binding protein vitellogenin (VTG). However, estrogen-mediated increases in VTG are not sufficient to accommodate the magnitude of hepato-ovarian Zn transfer in female squirrelfish (Holocentrus adscensionis). These findings suggest that holocentrids have acquired the ability to use hormonal cues to drive hepatic uptake and storage of Zn, signal for its physiological redistribution, and influence the capacity for systemic transport of Zn beyond the mediation of increased plasma VTG concentrations. Such specific adaptations suggest an advantage for the oocyte, which is corroborated in further studies where we determined that oocyte Zn concentrations are positively correlated with egg viability in captive-spawned squirrelfish. The novel nature of these findings underlies the importance of Zn in squirrelfish reproductive biology.

Objectives: The objective of this review was to present the best available evidence on the effect of multisensory therapy in adult clients with developmental disabilities on the frequency of challenging behaviour, the frequency of stereotypic self-stimulating behaviour, and the frequency of relaxing behaviour INCLUSION CRITERIA: The review summarised all the relevant studies relating to the multisensory therapy intervention., Types of Participants: Trials which included adult clients (aged 18-60) diagnosed with mental retardation according to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: IV Classification or those with an Intelligence Quotient < 70 and who stayed in institutions.Types of interventions: Multisensory therapy/ multisensory environment/ SnoezelenTypes of outcomes measures: Outcome measures of interest were challenging behaviour, stereotypic self-stimulating behaviour and relaxing behaviour.Types of studies: This study considered any randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials that investigated the effectiveness of multisensory therapy on adult clients with developmental disabilities. Due to a limited number of high quality RCT's on this subject, papers using other experimental or observational designs were also included., Search Strategy: Electronic databases were used to search for primary publications. The reference lists and bibliographies of retrieved articles were reviewed to identify research not located through other search strategies., Critical Appraisal: Two reviewers assessed all identified abstracts and full reports were retrieved for all studies that met the inclusion criteria of the review. Studies identified from bibliography searches were assessed on the study title. Methodological quality was assessed by two reviewers using a checklist. Disagreements between reviewers were resolved by discussion with a third reviewer., Data Extraction: Data were extracted independently by two reviewers using a data extraction tool. A third reviewer dealt with disagreements., Data Synthesis: In all studies percentages of clients in each category and/or change in group mean score for outcomes were reported. If appropriate, results from comparable groups of studies were pooled in statistical meta-analysis using Review Manager Software from the Cochrane Collaboration. Odds ratio (for categorical outcome data) or weighted mean differences (for continuous data) and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated for each analysis. Heterogeneity between combined studies was tested using standard chi-square test. For the purpose of this review, where possible, intention to treat and/or completer analysis were performed. Where statistical pooling was not appropriate or possible, the findings were summarised in narrative form., Results: 130 publications were identified through the various database searches and review of reference list and bibliographies. However, only 15 English publications were included in the review. The present evidence showed that multisensory therapy promoted participants' positive emotions and they reported being happier and more relaxed. Evidence also indicated that participants' had displayed more positive emotions and less negative emotions after therapy sessions., Conclusions: This systematic review demonstrated a beneficial effect of multisensory therapy in promoting participants' positive emotions. Out of the 15 reviewed studies, 12 studies had a single treatment group only. While the reviewers acknowledge the difficulty in carrying out randomised controlled trial in people with developmental disabilities and challenging behaviour, the lack of trial-derived evidence makes it difficult to produce a strong conclusion to show the effectiveness of the multisensory therapy.

Purpose: The case of a patient who developed acute renal failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, and cardiac arrhythmia after receiving arsenic trioxide for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is described., Summary: An 84-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of osteoarthritis sought medical attention for relapse of her APL, which had initially been diagnosed approximately 30 months earlier. Complete remission was accomplished with three cycles of i.v. daunorubicin for 3 days and oral tretinoin for 28 days. After 19 months in remission, she was noted to have increased bruising and blood test values consistent with APL relapse. Two additional trials of oral tretinoin were unsuccessful, and arsenic trioxide was initiated at a daily dosage of 0.15 mg/kg of actual body weight. Less than 24 hours after receiving arsenic trioxide, the patient had "bile-like emesis" and her hemoglobin level decreased. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding was suspected and managed aggressively with transfusions of platelets and fresh frozen plasma and i.v. desmopressin. She became anuric, and her serum creatinine level more than doubled. Hemodialysis was started due to a sudden increase in potassium and fluid overload that did not respond to i.v. furosemide. One hour after hemodialysis, the patient was found pulseless and unresponsive by nursing staff. The cardiac arrest team rapidly responded and noted atrial fibrillation with a fast ventricular rate. Postresuscitation, the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit. Despite aggressive life-support therapy, the patient remained unresponsive., Conclusion: An 84-year-old woman developed acute renal failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, and cardiac arrhythmia after receiving arsenic trioxide for the treatment of APL.

An integrated analysis of large-scale survey data and detailed ethnography is presented to examine the patterns of women's mobility and their relationships with contraceptive and antenatal care use in Pakistan. Findings confirm that women's mobility is circumscribed but also illustrate the complex and contested nature of female movement. No direct relationship between a woman's unaccompanied mobility and her use of either contraception or antenatal care is found. In contrast, accompanied mobility does appear to play a role in the uptake of antenatal care, and is found to reflect the strength of a woman's social resources. Class and gender hierarchies interact to pattern women's experience. Poor women's higher unaccompanied mobility was associated with a loss of prestige and susceptibility to sexual violence. Among richer women, such movement did not constitute a legitimate target for male exploitation, nor did it lead to a loss of status on the part of their families. The findings caution against the use of western notions of 'freedom of movement' and associated quantitative indicators. At the same time, the wider impact of mobility restrictions on women's reproductive health is acknowledged and policy implications are identified.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the role of sense of coherence (SOC) in the relationship between household income and self-rated health among Canadian women. SOC is a global orientation that enables one to perceive events of the world as comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful., Methods: A secondary data analysis was conducted using the National Population Health Survey 1994-95. Only women between the ages of 20 and 64 (n = 6748) were selected for this study. Data were analysed using multivariate path analyses., Results: SOC is a psychosocial factor that intervenes in the income and health relationship. It did not function, however, as an interaction buffer to ameliorate the adverse effects of low income on health., Conclusion: This study lends support for public health interventions that target the socioeconomic conditions that influence health, and for strategies that foster the development of a strong SOC.

This article describes the implementation and evaluation of a Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI) by the David Thompson Health Region in central Alberta, Canada. The HCI model provided for a facilitated, community-based, strategic planning process. Its key steps include development of a shared vision of health, assessment of needs and strengths, selection of key priority areas for action, and implementation of strategies to achieve change. A three-level evaluation model was developed, which incorporates project-level evaluation, cluster-level evaluation, and critical reflection on the David Thompson Health Region's own capacity to engage in community development work.