Religious act, public space: reflections on some Geertzian concepts

This paper examines theoretical and methodological implications of Clifford Geertz's approach to religion as he formulated it in 'Religion as a cultural system' (Geertz 1966), where religion and culture seem to be defined as functional equivalents. The paper considers religious symbols in the public space, using two examples from contemporary reality - one being a certain expression spoken by the copilot of Egypt Air Flight 990, the other being the headscarf controversy in France - in order to explore how the anthropologist relates the microsituations he observes to an all-embracing context

Traumatic mitral valve injury after blunt chest trauma: a case report and review of the literature.

Mitral valve injury after blunt chest trauma is a rare occurrence. We recently admitted a patient with severe traumatic mitral regurgitation who was successfully treated with surgery. Review of the literature aimed at taking an inventory of cases of traumatic nonpenetrating mitral insufficiency that were operated on, since the earliest report in 1964. Eighty-two cases were found and analyzed allowing for a better understanding of the epidemiology, etiology, natural history, pathology, and treatment of this rare condition. The most common lesions reach the papillary muscles (PM), followed by the chordae and then the mitral valve leaflets. Among the 82 cases reported that have been treated with surgery, 57% required a valve replacement. More than half of the patients had a PM injury with a complete or partial rupture. When the rupture is complete, and especially when it involves the anterior PM, the clinical picture is most always acute with clinically important hemodynamic repercussions, often necessitating emergency surgery, most of the time with mitral valve replacement. One must always suspect traumatic mitral injury after blunt chest trauma. The most common mitral lesions affect the PM. The clinical course can be indolent or devastating, and most often requires urgent or delayed surgical treatment, either with mitral valve repair or replacement.

La palce de la spiritualité dans les soins infirmiers: une revue de littérature [The role of spirituality in nursing care: a literature review].

Spirituality addresses the need to give meaning to life events and is characterized by the relationship with oneself, others and the universe. This article aims to provide an overview of the empirical knowledge, and the prevailing thoughts about spirituality in nursing and suggest perspectives for future directions. The literature review was conducted using the main databases; 36 articles, published between 2008-2013, were selected. The themes covered include the definitions of the spirituality, the spiritual care and the spiritual well-being. Spirituality differs from, yet is not opposed to religion and takes different forms in multicultural and secular societies. Cancer incites existential questions and impacts quality of life, and spiritual well-being is recognized as a good indicator of quality of life for people living with cancer. Professional caregivers are concerned about the needs and spiritual well-being of their patients and often consider interventions to address them. This article reflects the depth of thought and research in nursing and touches on both discipline-specific and interdisciplinary issues.

Surgery for Hirschsprung's disease: comparison between the Duhamel method and the transanal endorectal pull-through based on 59 patients and a review of the literature

Background:¦Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) is a congenital malformation of the enteric nervous system due to the¦arrest of migration of neural crest cells to form the myenteric and submucosal plexuses. It leads to an anganglionic intestinal segment, which is permanently contracted causing intestinal obstruction. Its incidence is approximately 1/5000 birth, and males are more frequently affected with a male/female ratio of 4/1. The diagnosis is in most cases made within the first year of life. The rectal biopsy of the mucosa and sub-mucosa is the diagnostic gold standard.¦Purpose:¦The aim of this study was to compare two surgical approaches for HSCR, the Duhamel technique and the transanal endorectal pull-through (TEPT) in term of indications, duration of surgery, duration of hospital stay, postoperative treatment, complications, frequency of enterocolitis and functional outcomes.¦Methods:¦Fifty-nine patients were treated for HSCR by one of the two methods in our department of pediatric¦surgery between 1994 and 2010. These patients were separated into two groups (I: Duhamel, II: TEPT), which were compared on the basis of medical records. Statistics were made to compare the two groups (ANOVA test). The first group includes 43 patients and the second 16 patients. It is noteworthy that twenty-four patients (about 41% of all¦patients) were referred from abroad (Western Africa). Continence was evaluated with the Krickenbeck's score.¦Results:¦Statistically, this study showed that operation duration, hospital stay, postoperative fasting and duration of postoperative antibiotics were significantly shorter (p value < 0.05) in group II (TEPT). But age at operation and length of aganglionic segment showed no significant difference between the two groups. The continence follow-up showed generally good results (Krickenbeck's scores 1; 2.1; 3.1) in both groups with a slight tendency to constipation in group I and soiling in group II.¦Conclusion:¦We found two indications for the Duhamel method that are being referred from a country without¦careful postoperative surveillance and/or having a previous colostomy. Even if the Duhamel technique tends to be replaced by the TEPT, it remains the best operative approach for some selected patients. TEPT has also proved some advantages but must be followed carefully because, among other points, of the postoperative dilatations. Our postoperative standards, like digital rectal examination and anal dilatations seem to reduce the occurrence of complications like rectal spur and anal/anastomosis stenosis, respectively in the Duhamel method and the TEPT technique.

Molecular and clinical characterization of 25 individuals with exonic deletions of NRXN1 and comprehensive review of the literature.

This study aimed to elucidate the observed variable phenotypic expressivity associated with NRXN1 (Neurexin 1) haploinsufficiency by analyses of the largest cohort of patients with NRXN1 exonic deletions described to date and by comprehensively reviewing all comparable copy number variants in all disease cohorts that have been published in the peer reviewed literature (30 separate papers in all). Assessment of the clinical details in 25 previously undescribed individuals with NRXN1 exonic deletions demonstrated recurrent phenotypic features consisting of moderate to severe intellectual disability (91%), severe language delay (81%), autism spectrum disorder (65%), seizures (43%), and hypotonia (38%). These showed considerable overlap with previously reported NRXN1-deletion associated phenotypes in terms of both spectrum and frequency. However, we did not find evidence for an association between deletions involving the β-isoform of neurexin-1 and increased head size, as was recently published in four cases with a deletion involving the C-terminus of NRXN1. We identified additional rare copy number variants in 20% of cases. This study supports a pathogenic role for heterozygous exonic deletions of NRXN1 in neurodevelopmental disorders. The additional rare copy number variants identified may act as possible phenotypic modifiers as suggested in a recent digenic model of neurodevelopmental disorders. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

"Quitter le milieu" Une étude sociologique des processus de désaffiliation religieuse du milieu évangélique suisse

La thématique des désaffiliations religieuses du milieu évangélique est le parent pauvre des études faites jusqu'à ce jour sur ce courant religieux. En effet, l'accent est généralement mis sur son développement en termes d'affiliation faisant alors l'impasse sur les pertes qu'il connaît pourtant. De plus, la question des désaffiliations religieuses est un angle d'approche sociologique particulièrement fécond pour étudier les groupes religieux en permettant, entre autres, de cerner plus en profondeur leur identité, les mécanismes qui favorisent leur pérennisation, mais aussi leur rapport à la société environnante. Dans ce travail, qui s'inscrit en sociologie des religions et qui puise autant dans la littérature sur les désaffiliations religieuses que dans celle des désengagements militants, l'analyse s'est focalisée sur les processus de désengagement au niveau microsociologique : quels sont les motifs qui président les désaffiliations, comment se déroulent ces dernières, quels effets ont-elles sur l'individu en termes identitaires et comment sont-elles perçues par ceux qui restent ? Ces principales questions ont permis de (re] questionner des éléments constitutifs de l'engagement évangélique : les processus de socialisation ; la structuration des liens intragroupe développés par le milieu et son rapport à l'extérieur ; son système normatif; son système de représentation du monde et la démarche religieuse qu'il valorise, qui sont autant d'aspects qui jouent un rôle dans les processus de désaffiliation. Plus précisément, ces éléments agissent en tant que mécanismes de rétention tant sociaux que psychologiques compliquant ainsi le désengagement. Cette thèse s'est construite sur dix-sept entretiens semi directifs menés auprès de personnes ayant grandi pour la plupart dans une famille évangélique et qui ont décidé, un jour, de ne plus fréquenter ce milieu religieux. Pour élargir la perspective analytique et pour permettre de comprendre et d'expliquer les processus de désaffiliation en lien avec le groupe quitté, un ensemble de septante-huit entretiens semi directifs et de mille cent questionnaires standardisés de membres d'Eglises évangéliques a été mobilisé. Partant des logiques du désengagement, cette thèse affine les connaissances actuelles sur l'évangélisme dans le contexte de la modernité, grâce à l'éclairage inédit qu'elle lui donne. Elle développe également le champ des connaissances sur les désaffiliations religieuses en lui fournissant un nouvel exemple de cas tout en lui offrant une autre façon de théoriser les sorties de groupes religieux qui valorisent un engagement de type militant. - Religious disaffiliations from the evangelical milieu have not yet been investigated. Indeed, former studies have usually focused on the development of the milieu by looking at conversions. However, it appears that the study of the disaffiliation processes may not only give results on the reasons and experiences of those disaffiliating, but also shed light on the attributes and the development of the evangelical milieu itself. The main goal of this thesis was to fill this gap in the literature. From a microsociological approach, this thesis sought to answer the following central question : Why, how and with what effects do individuals leave the evangelical milieu and how is this phenomenon perceived, interpreted and managed by the individuals who leave the evangelical community and by the members of the evangelical milieu? These questions enabled me to investigate the functioning of the evangelical milieu : its processes of socialization ; internal and external relationships ; normative system ; belief system or its religious engagement. This set of aspects can influence and complicate the processes of disaffiliation. The analysis of religious disaffiliation was based on seventeen qualitative interviews with former members of evangelical chrurches who decided, one day, not to attend an evangelical church anymore and who question more or less strongly the « system of evangelical thought ». Seventy-eight qualitative interviews with members of evangelical free churches and a representative survey with members of evangelical free churches (N = 1100] completed the analysis and inserted the individual disengagement in the « milieu's logics ». This thesis complements and enriches the literature on evangelism as well as on religious disaffiliation in general.

Pulsatile tinnitus caused by an aneurysm of the transverse-sigmoid sinus: a new case report and review of literature.

A 28-year-old woman consulted for disabling pulsatile tinnitus. Clinical examination suggested a venous etiology. An aneurysm of the transverse-sigmoid sinus was identified on computed tomography angiography (CTA) and confirmed by digital subtraction angiography. Endovascular occlusion of the aneurysm with detachable coils permanently eliminated the bruit. Thus, this report is of a new case of pulsatile tinnitus caused by an aneurysm of the transverse-sigmoid sinus, with a focus on a literature review and etiopathophysiology. Embryological studies suggest that these aneurysms represent a partial remnant of the petrosquamous sinus.

Giant extra-hepatic thrombosed portal vein aneurysm: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Extrahepatic Portal vein aneurysm (EPVA) is a rare finding that may be associated with different complications, e.g. thrombosis, rupture, portal hypertension and compression of adjacent structures. It is being diagnosed more frequently with the advent of modern cross-sectional imaging. Our review of the English literature disclosed 13 cases of thrombosed EPVA. CASE PRESENTATION: A 50-years-old woman presented with acute abdominal pain but no other symptom. She had no relevant medical history. Palpation of the right upper quadrant showed tenderness. Laboratory tests were unremarkable. A computed tomography showed portal vein aneurysm measuring 88 × 65 mm with thrombosis extending to the superior mesenteric and splenic vein. The patient was treated conservatively with anticoagulation therapy. She was released after two weeks and followed on an outpatient basis. At two months, she reported decreased abdominal pain and her physical examination was normal. A computed tomography was performed showing a decreased thrombosis size and extent, measuring 80 × 55 mm. CONCLUSIONS: Although rare, surgeons should be made aware of this entity. Complications are various. Conservative therapy should be chosen in first intent in most cases. We reported the case of the second largest thrombosed extra-hepatic PVA described in the literature, treated by anticoagulation therapy with a good clinical and radiological response.