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This article discusses the findings of qualitative case-study research that looks at pedagogical contexts of adult education programs for migrants in Cyprus, Scotland, Malta, and Estonia. The goal of this research is to understand how Learner-Centered Education (LCE) is promoted within a human-rights framework and implemented as an approach to emancipatory social change. The findings show significant discrepancies in the implementation of LCE. Differences emerged between educational interventions that influence the language-learning and assimilation-integration processes of adults with migrant backgrounds. Informed by these findings, this article builds a case for Emancipatory Learner-Centered Education (ELCE)--a pedagogical approach that goes beyond course adaptations, to engage migrants in consciousness-raising and confidence-building, while fostering communal action between migrants and adult educators.

The paper explores the experiences and perceptions of older adults and their young educators regarding Intergenerational Learning (IGL) in the course of a non-formal adult education programme in Cyprus. It aims to identify the forms that IGL takes in the programme as well as any possible components of the programme that foster IGL. The research was located in the Adult Education Centres (AECs), a non-formal adult education programme, offered in the Republic of Cyprus. It is based on a qualitative research design and adopts a bottom-up approach, as it gives voice to older adults and their educators and makes meaning out of their IGL experiences. The results of the study present the different forms that IGL take in the programme under three different axes: the cognitive, the social and the psychological. They view IGL as a multilevel mutual beneficial form of learning for both the older adults and their younger educators. They also highlight the necessity of a learner-centered and cooperative learning approach for fostering IGL.

The paper reports findings from a research study carried out with adult education professionals working in Adult Education Centres (AECs) in Cyprus. It aims to explore how they experience their professional status in the programme as well as identify barriers that hinder their professionalisation and particular barriers caused in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study harnesses qualitative methodology and adopts a bottom-up approach as it gives voice to adult educators and makes meaning out of their working experiences. It makes suggestions for the improvement of their professional status based on the idea of humanisation, a multifaceted process in which both the state and adult educators themselves should become communions.

Migration as a political process and migrants as political subjects or as active participants in the educational process are largely absent from the adult education system in the Cypriot context. This article attempts to inquire on this absence by offering a critical analysis of key policy texts and proposals as well as prominent programmes and initiatives that have shaped the recent transformations of adult education in Cyprus. On the one hand, it is important to reflect on the gaps, mishaps and silences of Cypriot educational policies in relation to the challenges posed by migration in the era of globalised mobility. On the other, it is also critical to highlight the connections between adult education policies and the formulation of the state's policy towards adults' migration and its concrete initiatives towards fostering a politics of integration. The article offers a critique of the presence situation in Cyprus, arguing that it confines adult migrants to a position where they cannot play a significant role in co-shaping how adult learning is organised, structured and implemented in Cyprus.

Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis is a severe cutaneous adverse reaction characterized by the rapid onset of nonfollicular, sterile pustules on an erythematous base, typically accompanied by fever (≥38 °C), neutrophilia (7.0 × 10⁹/L), and characteristic histopathological features. This case report presents the first documented instance of acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis after hyaluronic acid viscosupplementation. A 61-year-old female developed a pruritic, erythematous rash that rapidly evolved into generalized erythroderma with systemic manifestations after receiving intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections for knee osteoarthritis. Initial physical examination and diagnostic workup, including biopsy and blood tests, were performed to exclude other differential diagnoses such as generalized pustular psoriasis, subcorneal pustular dermatosis, and immunoglobulin A pemphigus. The temporal association with hyaluronic acid injections and the patient's positive response to treatment with systemic corticosteroids and antihistamines supported the definitive diagnosis of drug-induced acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis. The patient was managed with the withdrawal of the offending agent, and supportive care was provided. She did not require rehabilitation and experienced no adverse events during the recovery period. Follow-up visits confirmed the absence of recurrence and complete resolution of symptoms, with no lasting sequelae. This case underscores the importance of recognizing acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis' acute manifestations and potential triggers, even with treatments generally considered safe. ED personnel, including advanced practice registered nurses and other clinicians, must include acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis in their differential diagnoses of severe cutaneous disorders to initiate prompt and appropriate management. The development of atrial fibrillation during hospitalization in this patient raises questions about the systemic effects of acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis, suggesting an area for further research. Early detection and treatment of acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis are crucial for favorable outcomes, illustrating the vital role ED personnel play in managing this condition. Awareness of rare triggers such as hyaluronic acid is essential for preventing and effectively treating such severe adverse reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soil pool is the primary sink for carbon in mangrove wetlands and plays a major role in mitigating climate change. However, aquaculture pond expansions go further to disrupt carbon storage in mangroves. The aim of this study is to estimate the stock of soil organic carbon (SOC) in the mangrove area of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The mangroves of Sinjai District in South Sulawesi are a disturbed region with no previous study on SOC stock. We implemented a line transect method at five study sites, collected 15 soil cores at a depth of 0–15 cm, 15–30 cm, and 30–50 cm, and performed soil analysis using the Loss on Ignition method. We find that the mean value of SOC stock is 413.10±12.37 Mg C ha–1. More attention to the conservation and restoration of lost mangrove areas is a high priority. It may also increase the stock of SOC to mitigate climate change. This study will help to preserve the remaining mangroves.

This paper presents a critical account of the extent and the ways in which learner-centred education approaches are used as a tool for enhancing adult learning in distance learning universities as well as the conditions and restrictions they face. The exploration is illustrated by qualitative data from interviews with eight adult educators and 16 adult learners/students and adopts a case study approach within a phenomenological mode. In this study, learner-centred education approaches are seen as being at one end of the educational practice continuum and comprise of a number of elements, namely: motivation, epistemology, techniques and relationships that are used as a conceptual framework to guide data analysis and interpretation. Findings reveal the partial and unintentional use of learner-centred education approaches in the distance learning programmes explored and make recommendations for the implementation of learner-centred education in the teaching of adults in distance education universities.

From the beginning of public vaccinations until the relaxation of COVID-19 measures, many case reports, case series and case–control studies have been published indicating cutaneous side effects of COVID-19 vaccination. Post-vaccination pustular eruption was reported as well, with a challenging differential diagnosis between pustular psoriasis, AGEP (acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis) and neutrophil pustular eruptions. We report a case of 56-year-old woman presented with acute generalized pustular flare up culminated 5 days after the second dose of BNT162b2(Pfizer) vaccination. She was diagnosed with pustular psoriasis flare and due to the regulating role of IL-1 in pustular psoriasis and in the cytokine storm observed in cases of COVID-19 postvaccination inflammation; we decided to treat the patient with an IL-1 antagonist, subcutaneous anakinra (100 mg daily) along with acitretin. One week later, after anakinra withdrawal, she presented a pustular psoriasis flare and a 7-day anakinra re-administration led to a satisfactory improvement in the skin lesions. We also reviewed the medical literature and found 28 case reports with pustular eruption after the COVID-19 vaccination. We compared the patients reported, regarding sex, age, number of doses, post-vaccination period and vaccine brand, and compared those results with our patient. Finally, as indicated by our case and other cases with similarly treated pustular eruptions. targeted therapy to this cytokine imbalance such as anakinra (IL-1) antagonist can improve the clinical course of the patient.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether and through what mechanisms vulnerable adults are empowered through a second-chance education programme. At the same time, the paper aims at unveiling the obstacles hindering learners' empowerment process and making suggestions for the improvement of the educational programme fostering further empowerment of the learners. To achieve the objectives set by the research, a hybrid methodological design was applied combining hermeneutic phenomenology and critical discourse analysis. Data collection was performed using three tools: semi-structured interviews, reflective journals and document analysis. The results led to the emergence of a multilevel empowerment scheme of vulnerable adults in the programme. The empowerment mechanisms that emerged were as follows: (a) empowerment through participation as a self-value, (b) empowerment through the reconstruction of past experiences, (c) empowerment through the strengthening of their social capital and (d) empowerment through literacy skills. At the same time, the study shed light on a number of factors that inhibit the process of learners' empowerment, which unveil structural and operational weaknesses of the programme as well as of the policies pursued by the State.

BackgroundB-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (B-NHL) is one of the major complications of primary Sjögren’s syndrome (SS). Chronic inflammation and macrophages in SS minor salivary glands have been previously suggested as significant predictors for lymphoma development among SS patients. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2)—a product mainly of tissue macrophages—is found in the circulation associated with lipoproteins and has been previously involved in cardiovascular, autoimmune, and malignant diseases, including lymphoma.ObjectiveThe purpose of the current study was to investigate the contributory role of Lp-PLA2 in B-NHL development in the setting of primary SS.MethodsLp-PLA2 activity in serum samples collected from 50 primary SS patients with no lymphoma (SS-nL), 9 primary SS patients with lymphoma (SS-L), and 42 healthy controls (HC) was determined by detection of [3H]PAF degradation products by liquid scintillation counter. Moreover, additional sera from 50 SS-nL, 28 SS-L, and 32 HC were tested for Lp-PLA2 activity using a commercially available ELISA kit. Lp-PLA2 mRNA, and protein expression in minor salivary gland (MSG) tissue samples derived from SS-nL, SS-L patients, and sicca controls (SC) were analyzed by real-time PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry.ResultsSerum Lp-PLA2 activity was significantly increased in SS-L compared to both SS-nL and HC by two independent methods implemented [mean ± SD (nmol/min/ml): 62.0 ± 13.4 vs 47.6 ± 14.4 vs 50.7 ± 16.6, p-values: 0.003 and 0.04, respectively, and 19.4 ± 4.5 vs 15.2 ± 3.3 vs 14.5 ± 3.0, p-values:

Introduction Mesothelioma remains a lethal cancer. To date, systemic therapy with pemetrexed and a platinum drug remains the only licensed standard of care. As the median survival for patients with mesothelioma is 12.1 months, surgery is an important consideration to improve survival and/or quality of life. Currently, only two surgical trials have been performed which found that neither extensive (extra-pleural pneumonectomy) or limited (partial pleurectomy) surgery improved survival (although there was some evidence of improved quality of life). Therefore, clinicians are now looking to evaluate pleurectomy decortication, the only radical treatment option left.Methods and analysis The MARS 2 study is a UK multicentre open parallel group randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of surgery—(extended) pleurectomy decortication—versus no surgery for the treatment of pleural mesothelioma. The study will test the hypothesis that surgery and chemotherapy is superior to chemotherapy alone with respect to overall survival. Secondary outcomes include health-related quality of life, progression-free survival, measures of safety (adverse events) and resource use to 2 years. The QuinteT Recruitment Intervention is integrated into the trial to optimise recruitment.Ethics and dissemination Research ethics approval was granted by London – Camberwell St. Giles Research Ethics Committee (reference 13/LO/1481) on 7 November 2013. We will submit the results for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.Trial registration numbers ISRCTN—ISRCTN44351742 and ClinicalTrials.gov—NCT02040272.