bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Serotype diversity of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae detected by real-time PCR in clinical and subclinical samples from Spanish pig farms during 2017–2022
Authors: Arnal Bernal José Luis , Gottschalk Marcelo , Lacotoure Sonia , Sanz Tejero Celia , Chacón Pérez Gema , Martín-Jurado Desiree , Fernández Ros Ana Belén
Published: December 2024

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is the causative agent of porcine pleuropneumonia, a challenging respiratory disease for the global swine industry. Variations in the serotypes associated with clinical disease have been observed in different regions worldwide. This study aimed to provide an updated epidemiological assessment of A. pleuropneumoniae serotypes in Spain, incorporating bacterial characterization through serotyping and toxinotyping. Serotypes 9/11, 2, 4, 5, 17, and 13 were frequently identified in diseased animals. Furthermore, qPCR of lung samples from an outbreak, even when samples were pooled, emerged as a robust diagnostic tool, enabling the rapid detection of A. pleuropneumoniae and their serotypes without the need for microbiological isolation. This technology also facilitates serotype monitoring of apparently healthy herds through the testing of oral fluids. The study revealed the frequent simultaneous presence of diverse serotypes within a farm. Serotypes 1, 7, 10, 12, 18, and 19 were frequently found in subclinically infected animals but were rarely detected in acute pleuropneumonia outbreaks in the current study. These results provide valuable information for interpreting the potential virulence of the different serotypes in Spain. However, other predisposing factors and the immune status of the herds such as type of vaccines used when appropriate, should be carefully considered before drawing definitive conclusions. Nevertheless, the study offers valuable insights that underscore the necessity for detailed regional data to contribute toward a comprehensive understanding of the disease dynamics and toward formulating effective control measures for porcine pleuropneumonia.
A finite element approach to the Keller–Segel Chemotaxis system with impact of nonlocal diffusion
Authors: Baskar A. , Parthiban V.
Published: December 2024

This paper presents the investigation of a boundedness solution for a Keller–Segel chemotaxis (KSC) system with nonlocal diffusion. In order to achieve boundedness, we derive the necessary and sufficient condition based on the assumption of ensuring a unique classical global bounded solution for the proposed KSC system. In this work, the proposed system’s boundedness condition is determined based on three particular situations: when $\chi <\chi ^{*}$
χ
<

χ
∗

, $\chi <\kappa $
χ
<
κ
, and when $\chi =\kappa $
χ
=
κ
. Finally, the effectiveness of the nonlinear and nonlocal diffusion terms in the KSC system is demonstrated through numerical simulations under consideration of the values of system parameters. From the simulation results, we can confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Weapon use during the index offense: a study among forensic psychiatry patients in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Kaggwa Mark Mohan , Davids Arianna , Mohibi Parwiz , Erb Bailea , Bradford John , Chaimowitz Gary Andrew , Olagunju Andrew Toyin
Published: December 2024

Background

Understanding the nature and circumstances around the use of weapons to perpetrate an offense among individuals with mental illness is crucial for evidence-informed policies and actions. However, little is known about the prevalence and factors associated with weapon use during index offenses among patients in the forensic system. Therefore, the present study was designed to address this gap and determine the prevalence and the patient and victim characteristics associated with weapon use during the index offense in a Canadian province.

Methods

This retrospective exploratory study utilized data extracted from the Ontario Review Board reports of 2014/15. Data was analyzed using Stata, and logistic regression was employed to determine the factors associated with weapon use.

Results

Approximately half (48.11%) of the individuals included in this analysis (n = 819) used weapons during their index offense as an instrument of violence. Both patient-related and victim-related factors had a statistically significant association with weapon use during index offenses. Specifically, two patient-related factors (including a history of hospitalization prior to the index offense and diagnosis of personality disorder) were associated with lower odds of weapon use during the index offense. However, only prior hospitalization remained statistically significant after adjusting for victims’ factors. Victim-related factors were associated with both lower and higher odds of weapon use during the index offense. The highest odds of weapon use were found if the victim was an extended family member of the patient, followed by sibling, lover/partner/spouse, parent, and then adult acquaintance. The odds of weapon use during the index offense were lower if victims were healthcare workers, law enforcement professionals, and females when compared to adult strangers.

Conclusion

The study highlights the significant role of both patients’ and victims’ characteristics as important factors associated with weapon use during index offenses among forensic patients. Notably, prior hospitalization emerged as a crucial factor with a reduced likelihood of weapon use. Implicitly, this underscores the importance of risk mitigation strategies.
Paleomagnetic study of the 30 ka Aira caldera-forming eruption and 60–45 ka Iwato pyroclastic flow deposits, southern Kyushu, Japan
Authors: Hasegawa Takeshi , Mochizuki Nobutatsu , Shibuya Hidetoshi , Nishihara Ayumu , Kusu Chie , Shibata Shohei , Okada Makoto , Nishiki Kuniaki , Sato Yuki
Published: December 2024

To constrain the age and duration of large-scale caldera-forming eruptions, we measured paleomagnetic directions of pyroclastic deposits from the 30 ka Aira caldera eruption sequence, and the 60–45 ka Iwato pyroclastic flow deposits around Aira caldera in southern Kyushu, Japan. The 30 ka Aira caldera eruption sequence consists of Osumi pumice fall (OS), Tarumizu pyroclastic flow deposit (TM), Ito ignimbrite (IT) and co-ignimbrite ash (AT), in ascending order. Oriented samples were collected by drilling for OS, TM and welded ignimbrites, and by cubing for non-welded (unconsolidated) pyroclastic flow deposit. We systematically sampled Ito ignimbrite with the degree of welding as: non-welded (IT1), moderately welded (IT2), and strongly welded (IT3) facies that is limitedly distributed in north of Aira caldera. Mean paleomagnetic directions of OS, TM, IT1 and IT2 are consistent with those previously reported for AT and welded facies of IT. Although OS samples were collected from multiple pumice clasts at proximal locations, we obtained well-defined mean paleomagnetic directions corresponding to those of co-eruptive pyroclastic flow (TM). This suggests that even clast-supported and non-welded pumice fall can retain thermoremanent magnetization at the time of deposition. Significance tests for our mean paleomagnetic directions showed that of all sequential units of the Aira caldera-forming eruption deposits, only IT3 has a different paleomagnetic direction. Based on reported paleosecular variation changing rates in Japan, and on the angular difference associated with error of the two paleosecular directions, we estimate the time gap between IT3 and IT2, to be 24.3 ± 16.3 years. A conductive cooling model explains this time difference as due to differences in cooling time between quickly, and slowly cooled parts of a thick single ignimbrite unit. Although the possibility that multiple flow units occurred within tens of years of each other cannot be excluded, there are no observations of clear flow unit boundaries in the Ito ignimbrite to support the suggestion that the Aira caldera-forming eruption sequence was deposited within a shorter time than years. In addition, the age of Iwato pyroclastic flow deposit, which has been situated between 60 and 45 ka, was estimated by calculating the angular distance between the mean paleomagnetic direction and the modeled secular variation curve from the GGF100 ka. As the result, we determine the most probable age to be around 56 ka.

Graphical abstract
Terrestrial-origin O+ ions below 1 keV near the Moon measured with the Kaguya satellite
Authors: Yamauchi D. , Nosé M. , Harada Y. , Yamamoto K. , Keika K. , Nagamatsu A. , Yokota S. , Saito Y. , Glocer A.
Published: December 2024

In this study, we investigated terrestrial-origin O+ ions below 1 keV around the Moon using data from the Kaguya satellite between December 2007 and June 2009. These terrestrial-origin low-energy O+ ions were identified based on three parameters: the periodicity of O+ ion count enhancement corresponding to Kaguya’s 2-h orbital period, the count ratio of O+ ions to Na+ and Al+ ions, and the direction of ion bulk velocity in the Sun–Earth direction. We identified three intervals that included such O+ ions: 14:30–20:30 UT on June 19, 2008, 19:00 UT on July 16, 2008 to 03:00 UT on July 17, 2008, and 14:00–24:00 UT on June 7, 2009. These intervals were found in the dawn sector, the dusk sector, and the midnight to dawn sector within the magnetotail, respectively. We examined the relation between geomagnetic storm conditions and increases in terrestrial-origin O+ ion counts and found that all three intervals occurred during the late recovery phase of moderate/weak magnetic storms. Since moderately/weakly disturbed conditions (Dst = –40 nT to –20 nT) account for approximately 21% of the total time between 1957 and 2016, we suggest that low-energy O+ ions from the Earth have a non-negligible impact on the ion composition and the ion mass density in the lunar plasma environment.

Graphical abstract
Once-weekly semaglutide doubles the five-year risk of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy in a Danish cohort of 424,152 persons with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Grauslund Jakob , Taha Andreas Abou , Molander Laleh Dehghani , Kawasaki Ryo , Möller Sören , Højlund Kurt , Stokholm Lonny
Published: December 2024

Background

Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is an untreatable condition often causing severe and irreversible visual loss in the affected eye. As it has recently been implied that the use of semaglutide associates with NAION, the aim of the present study was to evaluate this risk prospectively in all persons with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Denmark.

Methods

In a five-year longitudinal cohort study, we identified all persons with T2D in Denmark (n = 424,152) between 2018 and 2024. Patients were stratified according to exposure (n = 106,454) or non-exposure (n = 317,698) to once-weekly semaglutide, and incidence rates and hazard ratios (HR) of NAION were estimated in a multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model.

Results

At baseline, median age and hemoglobin A1c were 65 years and 50 mmol/mol, and 54·5% were male. During 1,915,120 person-years of observation, 218 persons developed NAION. Semaglutide exposure was associated with a higher incidence rate (0·228 vs. 0·093 per 1000 person-years, p < 0·001) and independently predicted a higher risk of upcoming NAION (HR 2·19, 95% confidence interval 1·54 − 3·12), even when multiple other factors were taken into account. Overall, 67 persons exposed to semaglutide developed NAION with a median time from first prescription to event of 22·2 months (interquartile range 10·2–37·8 months).

Conclusions

During five years of observation of all persons with T2D in Denmark, use of once-weekly semaglutide independently more than doubled the risk of NAION. Given the irreversible nature of NAION, it is important to acknowledge this risk, and upcoming studies should aim to identify high-risk subgroups.
Relation of skinfold thickness with the serum lipids, glucose and blood pressure among Indian sedentary office workers
Authors: Naik Nikhil Gopal , Chandrasekaran Baskaran , Patil Rakshith N. , Kamath Saritha U.
Published: December 2024

Background:

Serum glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and high-density lipoproteins (HDL) are established cardiovascular disease (CVD) markers, however accessibility to these markers is less in individuals from low-middle income countries. The non-invasive CVD risk marker especially skinfold measured fat percentages are less explored for its relevance with established serum biochemistry markers.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 70 sedentary office workers (aged 30–40 years) who were healthy. Peripheral fat percentages were estimated from four skinfold thickness measurements and biochemistry markers were measured and analysed using standard laboratory measurements. Blood pressure was also measured. Multivariate linear regression models were drawn to establish the association between the non-invasive and invasive CVD risk markers.

Results:

The skinfold measured fat percentage was negatively associated with the HDL (coefficient β = -0.15, standard error SE = 0.07, p < 0.05). No significant relation between the other biochemistry parameters with the skinfold thickness. Age and BMI were found to be mediating the above relationship.

Conclusions:

Skinfold thickness derived fat percentage is associated with the few of the CVD markers (especially HDL). Age and BMI are crucial mediating factors for the fat measurement. Skinfold measurements could be included as part of routine primary care screening for CVD risk, alongside invasive biochemistry parameters.
Adult-based Genetic Risk Scores for Insulin Resistance Associate With Cardiometabolic Traits in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Suleman Sufyan , Huang Yun , Jensen Rasmus Tanderup , Poggi Axel Illeris , Christensen Sara Bech , Fraulund Maria Martens , Anderson Louise Vølund , Stinson Sara Elizabeth , Fonvig Cilius Esmann , Pedersen Oluf , Holm Jens-Christian , Hansen Torben , Grarup Niels
Published: December 2024

Context

Insulin resistance (IR) is a key factor in the development of cardiometabolic diseases. While genetic risk scores (GRSs) for IR have been developed and validated in adult populations, it is unclear if they can be used for risk assessment in youth.

Objective

Our objective was to investigate whether adult-derived GRSs for IR associate with cardiometabolic traits in children and adolescents.

Methods

We studied a group of children and adolescents with obesity (n = 1680) and a group without obesity (n = 1804). We constructed 3 GRSs based on fasting (IR-GRS27), oral glucose tolerance test (IR-GRS8), and IR-related phenotypes (IR-GRS51) from previous genome-wide association studies. Using an additive genetic model, we calculated weighted GRSs and analyzed their associations with cardiometabolic traits using linear and logistic regression models.

Results

The IR-GRS27 was associated with higher serum concentrations of fasting insulin, C-peptide, triglycerides (TG), gamma-glutamyl transferase and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance. The IR-GRS27 was furthermore associated with a higher prevalence of IR and ALT. IR-GRS51 was associated with higher TG and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, while IR-GRS8 associated with lower total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and increased ALT. IR-GRS27 and IR-GRS8 were additionally associated with a higher prevalence of IR and steatotic liver disease, respectively.

Conclusion

Adult-derived GRSs for IR are significantly associated with cardiometabolic traits in children and adolescents. If validated in independent study samples, our findings suggest the contribution of adult-based GRSs in assessing IR-related cardiometabolic risk in youth.
Temple Syndrome: Comprehensive Clinical Study in Genetically Confirmed 60 Japanese Patients
Authors: Ogawa Tomoe , Narusawa Hiromune , Nagasaki Keisuke , Kosaki Rika , Naiki Yasuhiro , Aramaki Michihiko , Matsubara Keiko , Nakamura Akie , Fukami Maki , Ogata Tsutomu , Kagami Masayo
Published: December 2024

Objective

Temple syndrome (TS14) is a rare 14q32.2-related imprinting disorder. Here we report comprehensive clinical findings in TS14.

Methods

We obtained detailed clinical findings in 60 Japanese patients with genetically confirmed TS14, using a questionnaire to attending physicians. The 60 patients consisted of 31 with maternal uniparental disomy 14 [UPD(14)mat], 22 with epimutation, 5 with deletions, and 2 with UPD(14)mat or epimutation.

Results

Small for gestational age, postnatal (∼2 years of age) short stature, and central precocious puberty (CPP) were identified in 88.3%, 87.0%, and 86.0% of patients, respectively. GH therapy was performed in 32 patients, increasing the median height SD score for height from −3.4 to −2.4, and GnRH analog therapy was performed in 32 patients, ameliorating CPP. Furthermore, the survey showed intellectual and developmental disabilities in 21.6% of patients, neurodevelopmental disorders in 21.6% of patients, obesity in 20.0% of patients, hypercholesterolemia in 26.5% of patients aged ≥6 years, diabetes mellitus in 12.8% of patients aged ≥9 years, and Silver-Russell syndrome-like and/or Prader-Will syndrome-like phenotypes in 87.7% of patients in infancy. Notably, 42.9% of patients were enrolled in special classes in childhood, whereas 98.2% of patients attended college or had jobs in adulthood. Hypercholesterolemia and diabetes mellitus were observed before the development of obesity in a substantial fraction of TS14 patients and were controlled by oral medications in most affected patients.

Conclusion

These results clarify the detailed clinical characteristics of TS14. On the basis of these findings, we propose an efficient diagnostic approach and pertinent clinical management for TS14 patients.
Does the unusual phenomenon of sustained force circumvent the speed–endurance trade-off in the jaw muscle of the southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata)?
Authors: Nguyen Allyn , Leong Kyle , Holt Natalie C.
Published: December 2024

The jaw muscles of the southern alligator lizard, Elgaria multicarinata, are used in prolonged mate-holding behavior, and also to catch fast prey. In both males and females, these muscles exhibit an unusual type of high endurance known as sustained force in which contractile force does not return to baseline between subsequent contractions. This phenomenon is assumed to facilitate the prolonged mate-holding observed in this species. Skeletal muscle is often subject to a speed–endurance trade-off. Here, we determined the isometric twitch, tetanic and isotonic force–velocity properties of the jaw muscles at ∼24°C as metrics of contractile speed and compared these properties with a more typical thigh locomotory muscle to determine whether endurance by sustained force allows for circumvention of the speed–endurance trade-off. The specialized jaw muscle was generally slower than the more typical thigh muscle: time to peak twitch force, twitch 90% relaxation time (P<0.01), and tetanic 90% and 50% relaxation times (P<0.001) were significantly longer, and force–velocity properties were significantly slower (P<0.001) in the jaw than the thigh muscle. However, there seemed to be greater effects on relaxation rates and shortening velocity than on force rise times: there was no effect of muscle on time to peak, or 50% of tetanic force. Hence, the jaw muscle of the southern alligator lizard does not seem to circumvent the speed–endurance trade-off. However, the maintenance of force rise times despite slow relaxation, potentially enabled by the presence of hybrid fibers, may allow this muscle to meet the functional demand of prey capture.
Racial and Gender Differences in Factors Associated with Research Engagement and Research Mistrust in a Gait Analysis Study
Authors: Brisbane Julia Machele , Queen Robin M. , McCullough Matthew B. A. , Baker Charlotte , London Jeremi S.
Published: December 2024

Introduction

There is a history of research mistrust and lack of engagement in clinical research among Black people due to centuries of racism and medical neglect. However, it is critical that Black people are included in research, especially in gait analysis research, because we know there are racial differences in gait. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine if Black research participants have the same attitudes toward research engagement and research mistrust as their White counterparts while participating in gait analysis research.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted. This work focuses on one portion of a larger study in which individuals were asked to complete two surveys related to research participation and mistrust and complete a gait assessment. Data were collected from 106 participants, 44 of whom identified as Black or African American. Wilcoxon rank sum and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to determine if significant differences existed in responses by racial and racial–gender groups.

Results

Wilcoxon rank sum tests found that factors associated with research engagement and feelings of research mistrust differed significantly between Black and White research participants. Additionally, Kruskal–Wallis tests and Dunn tests found significant differences among the racial–gender groups, especially when comparing White men and Black women.

Conclusion

The findings show that in a gait analysis study, Black people have higher feelings of mistrust in medical research than White people and will likely be less willing to participate. These results could improve our understanding of why Black people are less likely to participate in research than White people, even in a gait analysis study. This work can provide insights into how to modify recruitment practices to increase participation of underrepresented groups in exercise science and biomechanics, such as racial concordance and promoting transparency.
Η επίδραση του λινελαίου ως συνδετικού υλικού στο χάρτινο υπόστρωμα του αρχειακού υλικού, των βιβλίων και των έργων τέχνης
Authors: Μπάνου Πηνελόπη
Published: December 2024

Σκοπός της παρούσας διδακτορικής διατριβής είναι η συστηματική διερεύνηση της επίδρασης του λινελαίου, το οποίο θεωρείται ο πιο αντιπροσωπευτικός εκπρόσωπος των λιπαρών συνδετικών που έχει χρησιμοποιηθεί στα χρώματα ελαιογραφίας και στα παραδοσιακά μελάνια τυπογραφίας και χαρακτικής στο πέρασμα των αιώνων, στο χάρτινο υπόστρωμα του αρχειακού υλικού, των βιβλίων και των έργων τέχνης. Η έρευνα εστιάζει στις αλλαγές που προκύπτουν στις οπτικές, μορφολογικές, μηχανικές και χημικές ιδιότητες του συστήματος χαρτιού-λινελαίου κατά την εξέλιξη της γήρανσης. Η μεθοδολογία περιλαμβάνει την υποβολή δοκιμίων σε τεχνητή γήρανση, χρωματομετρία (CIE Lab), φασματοσκοπικές τεχνικές (SEM-EDAX, FTIR, μέτρηση διάχυτης ανάκλασης και αδιαφάνειας), μέτρηση του pH, του αριθμού των υπεροξειδίων και της εφελκυστικής αντοχής, ανάλυση των πτητικών οργανικών ενώσεων με αέρια χρωματογραφία – φασματομετρία μάζας (GC-MS) και θα ακολουθήσει στατιστική ανάλυση των αποτελεσμάτων. Στα αρχικά κεφάλαια πραγματοποιείται επισκόπηση της ξενόγλωσσης και ελληνικής βιβλιογραφίας που πραγματεύεται τους τύπους λινελαίου και χαρτιού που έχουν χρησιμοποιηθεί στην ελαιογραφία, τη χαρακτική και την τυπογραφία. Ακόμα, παρουσιάζονται φθορές που έχουν καταγραφεί σε περιοχές του χάρτινου υποστρώματος, σε έργα τέχνης, βιβλία και τεκμήρια, που έχουν απορροφήσει το λιπαρό συνδετικό, ενώ διατυπώνονται υποθέσεις για τις παραμέτρους που επηρεάζουν την έκταση και την ένταση των αλλοιώσεων. Στα επόμενα κεφάλαια αναπτύσσεται η μεθοδολογία έρευνας, οι τεχνικές και οι μέθοδοι που εφαρμόστηκαν για τη μελέτη των αλλαγών που εξελίσσονται στο σύστημα χαρτί-λινέλαιο κατά την πρόοδο της τεχνητής γήρανσης και τα αποτελέσματά τους. Τα αποτελέσματα που προέκυψαν παρείχαν ενδείξεις για το ρόλο των διάφορων τύπων λινελαίου και χαρτιού στην εξέλιξη των αλλαγών στο σύστημα χαρτί-λινέλαιο. Η αξιολόγηση και η συγκριτική μελέτη των αποτελεσμάτων συντελούν στην ερμηνεία προβλημάτων φθοράς, τα οποία σχετίζονται με την απορρόφηση του λινελαίου, ως συνδετικού υλικού σε ελαιοχρώματα και μελάνια, από τα χάρτινα υποστρώματα έργων τέχνης και τεκμηρίων. Ταυτόχρονα, υποδεικνύουν «στάδια γήρανσης» και τα κριτήρια για τον προσδιορισμό τους, τα οποία καθορίστηκαν από τις χαρακτηριστικές αλλαγές στις ιδιότητες του συστήματος χαρτί-λινέλαιο κατά την εξέλιξη της τεχνητής γήρανσης.
Ανάπτυξη διατάξεων και εφαρμογών σε τεχνολογίες αναγνώρισης μέσω ραδιοσυχνοτήτων (RFID)
Authors: Μεγάλου Σπυρίδων
Published: December 2024

Αντικείμενο της παρούσας διατριβής αποτελεί η ανάπτυξη διατάξεων και εφαρμογών σε τεχνολογίες αναγνώρισης μέσω ραδιοσυχνοτήτων (RFID) με σκοπό την εφαρμοσμένη έρευνα στους βασικούς άξονες της τέταρτης Βιομηχανικής Επανάστασης. Το ενδιαφέρον εστιάζεται κυρίως στην εξέλιξη των εφαρμογών RFID συνδυάζοντας σημαντικές τεχνολογίες όπως η Ρομποτική, το Διαδίκτυο των Πραγμάτων, η Ανάλυση Δεδομένων και η Μικροκυματική τεχνολογία. Στα πλαίσια της διατριβής: (i) προτείνεται ένας πρωτότυπος επαναλήπτης για την αύξηση της εμβέλειας των παθητικών συστημάτων UHF-RFID . (ii) Διερευνάται το μοντέλο οπισθοσκέδασης των παθητικών ετικετών RFID και πραγματοποιείται ο χαρακτηρισμός τους συναρτήσει των ενσωματωμένων ολοκληρωμένων κυκλωμάτων και των κεραιών τους. (iii) Αναπτύσσεται αλγόριθμος εύρεσης θέσης στατικών ετικετών στο χώρο αξιοποιώντας τεχνικές δακτυλικών αποτυπωμάτων (Fingerprinting) εστιάζοντας στην απογραφή προϊόντων. (iv) Εξετάζεται το πρόβλημα του εντοπισμού θέσης κινητών ετικετών με την ανάπτυξη μιας νέας μεθόδου παρακολούθησης που βασίζεται στον υπερβολικό εντοπισμό θέσης και τα Νευρωνικά Δίκτυα για την εξαγωγή στατιστικών επισκεψιμότητας στο Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Θεσσαλονίκης. (v) Παρουσιάζεται το GuideAndTrack, μια πρωτότυπη μέθοδος για την καθοδήγηση ενός ανθρώπου σε μία ετικέτα-στόχο κάνοντας χρήση ενός πρωτότυπου χειροκίνητου αναγνώστη RFID και τεχνικές φίλτρου σωματιδίων. (vi) Τέλος εισάγεται η ιδέα των λωρίδων RFID για την καθοδήγηση και εντοπισμό τόσο σε εσωτερικούς όσο και σε εξωτερικούς χώρους και εξετάζεται η πιθανή χρήση τους για την καθοδήγηση τυφλών κατά μήκος «RFID-διαδρομών».
Μοντελοποίηση, ανάλυση και βελτιστοποίηση συστημάτων εξυπηρέτησης-παραγωγής
Authors: Κεχαγιάς Ιωάννης
Published: December 2024

Σκοπός της παρούσας διδακτορικής διατριβής είναι η ανάλυση, η προτυποποίηση, η εκτίμηση της απόδοσης και η βελτιστοποίηση συστημάτων υπηρεσιών υγείας και βιομηχανικών συστημάτων, στα οποία οι αποφάσεις επηρεάζουν ουσιαστικά το συνολικό κόστος. Ειδικότερα μελετάται ένα σύστημα επείγουσας ιατρικής υπηρεσίας για το όποιο καθορίζονται αποφάσεις σχετικά με το στόλο των ασθενοφόρων και την απόκριση του συστήματος στις εισερχόμενες κλήσεις, βελτιστοποιείται ένα σύστημα διαχείρισης της συντήρησης ενός βιομηχανικού συστήματος με σταδιακή επιδείνωση της λειτουργίας για το οποίο ανάλογα με τον βαθμό φθοράς του λαμβάνονται αποφάσεις σχετικά με την προτεινόμενη συντήρηση, την αντικατάσταση του εξοπλισμού ή τη συνέχιση της λειτουργίας του και υπολογίζονται τα μέτρα απόδοσης ενός συστήματος παραγωγής με δυο σταθμούς εργασίας που αποτελούνται από παράλληλες μηχανές, οι οποίες επιδεινώνονται με την πάροδο του χρόνου και επιδέχονται συντηρήσεων.
Innovando en la Enseñanza de Literatura Española: Los comentarios de textos narrativos a través del Ciclo de Mejora en el Aula (CIMA)
Authors: Caño Rivera Claudia
Published: December 2024

Este artículo presenta un Ciclo de Mejora en el Aula (CIMA) centrado en la
elaboración de comentarios de textos narrativos. Se implementa en la asignatura de Literatura Española del grado en Educación Primaria, abordando distintas
preguntas clave (¿Quién cuenta una historia? ¿Cómo se organiza una historia? y
¿Cuáles son las partes de un comentario de texto narrativo?) a través de actividades de contraste. El diseño incluye un mapa de contenidos y un modelo metodológico corto y versátil, lo que que facilita la implementación del CIMA. El progreso
de los estudiantes se evalúa mediante un cuestionario que se pasará al comienzo
y al final del CIMA y cuyas respuestas analizaremos en escaleras de aprendizaje.
Por último, se incluye una valoración general del CIMA, los aspectos a mejorar y
aquellos con los que nos quedaremos para futuras aplicaciones.
Innovación metodológica en la asignatura Idioma Moderno II (Inglés) aplicada a delitos y lenguaje periodístico
Authors: Ruiz Narbona Esaúl
Published: December 2024

El presente CIMA está enfocado en una mejora metodológica en la asignatura Idioma moderno II (inglés). Un porcentaje alto de estudiantes asocia las clases de lengua extranjera a una sucesión de ejercicios gramaticales y ejercicios de
comprensión lectora u oral que muchos prefieren hacer en casa. En este CIMA se
implementa un cambio en la metodología, centrando el proceso de enseñanzaaprendizaje en el alumnado. Aun usando el material tradicional en buena parte
de las sesiones, éstas se centran en la resolución de problemas y en enlazar los
contenidos, tanto procedimentales, conceptuales y actitudinales, con situaciones
reales de uso en lugar de limitarse a una lista de ítems que los estudiantes usan
en un contexto artificial y limitado sin comprender realmente las aplicaciones en
la comunicación diaria en inglés. Con este CIMA se pretende poner al estudiante
en el centro del aprendizaje y hacer que vea claramente la relación de los contenidos con el uso que se hace de la lengua extranjera en un contexto real.
Ciclo de Mejora en el Aula en la Asignatura de Termodinámica
Authors: Aranda Pérez Nicolás
Published: December 2024

Este capítulo se centra en la descripción del diseño, implementación y evaluación de un Ciclo de Mejora en el Aula en la asignatura de segundo curso de Ingeniería Química Termodinámica donde se analiza tanto el modelo metodológico,
como el mapa de contenidos y la secuencia detallada de actividades, así como el
cuestionario inicial y final como parte del proceso de diseño y aplicación del ciclo
en ocho horas de clase y terminando con la evaluación del mismo.
Ciclo de Mejora en el Aula en la asignatura de Análisis y Diseño de Datos y Algoritmos: Complejidad y árboles
Authors: Martínez Rojas Antonio
Published: December 2024

En esta contribución se aborda la mejora de la docencia en la asignatura de
Análisis y Diseño de Datos y Algoritmos (ADDA) mediante la implementación de
un Ciclo de Mejora en el Aula (CIMA). Este ciclo se aplica promoviendo el aprendizaje activo y colaborativo. La metodología incluye la presentación de problemas
prácticos, debates abiertos y actividades de contraste, seguidos de la exposición
de conceptos teóricos y la implementación de soluciones. Los resultados indican
una mayor implicación y motivación de los estudiantes, quienes mejoraron significativamente su comprensión de conceptos complejos. No obstante, se enfrentaron desafíos como la resistencia inicial a participar y la necesidad de supervisión
constante durante las actividades independientes. Aun así, la implementación del
CIMA demostró ser efectiva, resultando en una mejora sustancial en la enseñanza
y el aprendizaje de AD-DA. La experiencia y las lecciones aprendidas proporcionan una base para futuras mejoras en estrategias educativas.
Abordaje del paciente anciano y cuidados al final de la vida
Authors: García García José Ángel
Published: December 2024

En este trabajo se recoge el diseño, metodología y puesta en marcha de un
Ciclo de Mejora en Aula en la asignatura de Geriatría y Cuidados Paliativos del
5º curso del Grado de Medicina de la Universidad de Sevilla. El objetivo fue mejorar
el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje mediante la introducción de herramientas
innovadoras que permitan al estudiante desarrollar competencias conceptuales,
actitudinales y habilidades instrumentales en el abordaje del paciente anciano y
de los cuidados al final de la vida. Para ello, nos hemos basado en la elaboración
y selección de contenidos audiovisuales y en la presentación de casos clínicos,
como pilares a través de los que el estudiante de medicina pueda desarrollar su
mapa de conocimientos. Hubo un elevado porcentaje de participación en las distintas actividades desarrolladas. La satisfacción del alumnado fue alta.
Ciclo de mejora en el Aula para el aprendizaje del Enlace Químico
Authors: Morales Barroso Arturo
Published: December 2024

El Ciclo de Mejora en el Aula (CIMA) se aplicó en la asignatura de Fundamento
de Ciencia de la Materia, del Grado de Educación Primaria y se centró en el aprendizaje del enlace químico. Las clases son de 70 alumnos, pero asisten unos 50
alumnos. Los alumnos poseen niveles muy diferentes de conocimientos debido
a su forma de acceso al grado. Se realizaron 4 sesiones de 1,5 horas y el modelo
metodológico se basó en una pregunta /problema (P) seguido de diferentes actividades de Ideas de Alumnos (IA) y de Actividades de Contraste (AC) en grupo
buscando el desarrollo de nuevas ideas personales. Durante el proceso el número
de alumnos descendió de 50 a 20 alumnos debido a factores internos y externos.
El resultado final fue positivo, aunque no perfecto, pasando de un 70%/80% de
alumnos con conocimientos casi nulos, a un 50%/60% de alumnos que superaron los obstáculos de aprendizaje al terminar el CIMA.
Sé un superhéroe. Vías para crear una intervención psicopedagógica que promueva la resiliencia en el entorno escolar.
Authors: Weschenfelder Gelson , Anselmo Guilherme Alexandre
Published: December 2024

Since the emergence of comic books, storylines with superheroes have focused on community spirit,
mutual trust, strength, courage, and resilience, inspiring themes for the fields of Education.
However, little is known about the stage entitled pre-cover/pre-mask of the superheroes' lives. This
stage indicates that most fictional characters have experienced risky situations prior to the
empowerment stage. This study examined relationships between real-life adversities of
psychosocially disadvantaged children and the adversities of the fictional lives of superhero characters, in their Pre-Cover/Pre-Mask phases. This still unexplored resource presents potential
to be developed in psychoeducational interventions and to subsidize public policies for the
promotion of resilience and empowerment in this population. The findings support the potential
for the development of psychoeducational intervention programs with superhero themes in
educational settings.
Cuban medical tourism: exploring new frontiers
Authors: Erisman H. Michael
Published: December 2024

This article explores Cuba’s efforts to develop the island as a vibrant medical tourism centre. The key topics which it addresses are a general overview of the medical tourism industry, background information on medical tourism in Cuba, and Cuban medical tourism’s challenges and prospects. The key challenges analysed are the US sanctions (seen as the primary obstacle to future development), Havana’s lack of extensive marketing experience (especially with respect to efforts in countries with highly competitive domestic economies), and possible discontent in Cuban society rooted in perceptions that tourists are receiving privileged treatment. The main advantages that Cuba enjoys in its developmental efforts are seen as the low-cost of its medical services (e.g. up to 90 per cent savings over identical private pay treatments in the US), the high priority that the island’s government is currently giving to medical tourism, and the repeal of the Roe v Wade decision by the US Supreme Court.
Conversations with Marília Guimarães: “I spent the best years of my life in Cuba”
Authors: Lamrani Salim
Published: December 2024

In these conversations, Marília Guimarães recounts her militant commitment against the military power in Brazil and details the odyssey that led her to Havana, and then her life in 1970s Cuba.
"Past lives live in us, through us": African American Authorship and the PEN/Faulkner Prize
Authors: Wright Laura A.
Published: December 2024

Abstract: Describing the night of David Bradley's acceptance of the 1982 PEN/Faulkner prize in the Washington Post , reporter Curt Suplee claims that this moment demarcates the start of a new world order and upsets the previous hierarchies indicated by the "vast domed radiance" of Jefferson's structure through an ushering in of an African American writer into a newly established elite. Suplee suggests that Bradley's PEN/Faulkner prize upsets the previous racial hierarchies symbolized by Jefferson's Rotunda building; however, within Bradley's novel, the historian protagonist shows a genealogy of oppression that persists across generations, from before the Civil War to 1979. The tension between these two narratives of Bradley's prize emerges through the increased visibility enabled by the PEN/Faulkner prize. This particular prize highlights Bradley, and his fellow African American prizewinner John Edgar Wideman, during a particularly contentious period for African American writers. In this article, I examine how the first African American recipients of the PEN/Faulkner prize use their fiction to critique the promises of multiculturalism, particularly in response to the culture wars.
Playing Hamlet to Miss Havisham's Ghost: Theatricality and Embodied Allegory in Great Expectations
Authors: Fanucchi Sonia
Published: December 2024

Abstract: Dickens's attitude to the theater was contradictory: at times he took the position of a realist, uncompromisingly mocking the sensational and uncanny dimensions of Melodrama, but at other times he was drawn precisely to the mystique of the stage. In this paper I explore the "ghostly" dimensions of Miss Havisham in Great Expectations , suggesting that she invokes the haunting, allegorical power of the melodramatic actress. I argue that her self-assigned role as an actress renders her simultaneously supernaturally vivid and fraudulent, connecting her with the theatrical imposters mocked in Wopsle's Hamlet spoof. This has broader implications for what have been described as the unreal and transcendent qualities of Dickens's characters.
Sin as a Tropos: The Ontology of Human Action in Maximus the Confessor
Authors: Mateiescu Sebastian
Published: December 2024

Abstract: One of Maximus the Confessor’s fundamental distinctions is that between logos and tropos . The former is being used by Maximus for explaining the rationality of creation as based in the divine Logos, while the latter is employed for the description of a set of non-essential properties which nevertheless remain enigmatic in their character. The nature of these tropoi -properties is often understood through negative terms as they are frequently described as making no part of the essence of beings, which is rather governed by the logoi of beings. This paper aims to overcome this explanatory gap by focusing on sin as a paradigmatic tropos -property in Maximus’s ontology. By taking its starting point in Maximus’s explicit exclusion of sin from the classical list of the categories of being, the argument focuses on Stoic philosophy as the closest theory to Maximus’s view on human action and evil. First, some key similarities between Maximus’s idea of tropos and the Stoic notion of use of the natural capacities of beings are identified in order to show the deep conceptual overlap between Maximus’s and the Stoic psychology of action. Second, the peculiar Stoic idea of having impulses towards predicates is further shown to correspond to Maximus’s idea of tropoi as properties obtainable about individuals through concrete volitional actions. In light of this interpretation, sin appears as a real property and yet a non-essential one. It is a causally driven Stoic-like predicate which results from the individuals’ modes of entering causal relations with God and with creation.
Only God Knows: Maximus the Confessor’s Theological Epistemology in the Context of His Revision of the Origenist Myth
Authors: Lopez Eric
Published: December 2024

Abstract: Polycarp Sherwood’s work, The Earlier Ambigua of Saint Maximus the Confessor and his Refutation of Origenism , set the tone for scholarship’s investigation of the terms οὐσία, δύναμις, and ἐνέργɛια in the Confessor’s writings and their use in relation to his late antique context. Since then, scholars have further explored mostly philosophical and some early Christian writings in efforts to locate the usage of the terms amidst changing conceptions of Origenism, Maximus’s relation to Origenism, and expanded studies on their use in philosophical contexts. This study argues that while Maximus was likely aware of many of these philosophical and early Christian writings, the concerns and literature in and around the Council of Constantinople 553 c.e. are the most fitting context for why he chose to develop the sequence. This claim is supported by Maximus’s use of two other terms in his engagement with Origenist doctrines, γνῶσις and ἕνωσις, which also appear in the literature of the 553 Council. A closer look at the terms οὐσία, δύναμις, and ἐνέργɛια highlights a causal relationship that has import for all the ways Maximus employs the terms and puts in relief an irreducible contrast between Creator and creation. Additionally, an investigation into Maximus’s understanding of γνῶσις and ἕνωσις reveals the development of what could be characterized as a divine theological epistemology which functions as another argument supporting the above contrast.
De la subalternité à la « reconnaissance » : L'histoire de la lutte identitaire du Marocain noir d'après Le Lutteur de My Seddik Rabbaj
Authors: Elhachimi Rachid , El Ouardirhi Sanae
Published: December 2024

Résumés: La question des personnes à la peau noire au Maroc est importante, mais souvent négligée dans les études littéraires. Cet article examine comment Le Lutteur (2015), roman historique de My Seddik Rabbaj, représente cette minorité marginalisée et résiliente qui utilise la force physique comme moyen de libération et la musique gnaoua comme refuge face à la discrimination ethnique. L'étude débute par une analyse des caractéristiques de la littérature marocaine concernant les Noirs, en mettant en lumière le roman comme un exemple significatif de la lutte contre la subalternité. Elle révèle ensuite les épreuves auxquelles les Marocains noirs ont fait face, notamment l'esclavage et la pauvreté, avant d'atteindre une certaine paix. Enfin, elle souligne que la bravoure et la musique gnaoua sont deux éléments essentiels qui permettent à cette minorité de revendiquer un statut revalorisé au sein de la société marocaine. Abstracts: The issue of dark-skinned people in Morocco is important, but often neglected in literary studies. This article examines how Le Lutteur (2015), a historical novel by My Seddik Rabbaj, represents this marginalized and resilient minority who use physical force as a means of liberation and Gnaoua music as a refuge from ethnic discrimination. The study begins with an analysis of the characteristics of Moroccan literature concerning Black people, highlighting the novel as a significant example of the struggle against subalternity. It then reveals the hardships faced by Black Moroccans, including slavery and poverty, before achieving a measure of peace. Finally, it points out that bravery and Gnaoua music are two essential elements that have enabled this minority to claim an enhanced status within Moroccan society.
La Méditerranée dans L'Italie pittoresque (1834) et dans L'Italie d'après nature (1868): Une mer sans bornes
Authors: Leopizzi Marcella
Published: December 2024

Résumé: Les tableaux descriptifs et les récits de voyage des écrivains de ces deux ouvrages citent très souvent la mer Méditerranée. Ces renvois constituent un fil rouge caractérisé par une manière commune de regarder la mer. Ils offrent une approche de la Méditerranée sans bornes : cette mer apparaît comme un lieu sans frontières spatiales, temporelles et mentales. Les descriptions de la mer Tyrrhénienne, Ionienne et Adriatique présentent des caractéristiques communes ; de plus, l'observation de la mer et/ou l'allusion à la mer fournit aux auteurs l'occasion de songer au passé dans une optique historique et mythologique voire réelle et imaginaire. La mer dans ces textes est ainsi à la fois un lieu du paysage entourant la plume de l'auteur et un lieu créé par la plume poétique autrement dit une source créant des paysages mentaux si ce n'est une mer-mère de merveilles.
D'Annunzio's Epiphanic Mediterraneanism
Authors: Fogu Claudio
Published: December 2024

Abstract: Around the turn of the twentieth century a new discourse about the Mediterranean emerged from within Mediterranean-area European nations, in particular, Spain, France, and Italy. As distinct from the "Mediterranean passion" of Victorian and Edwardian tourists, this new Mediterranean imaginary from the European south projected a notion of Mediterranen-ness as a cultural form of identity built on history or geography that was supposed to unite (some of) the peoples who inhabited (some of) " les pays " (the territories) bordering the "liquid continent"—as Gabriel Audisio famously referred to the Mediterranean region—despite the fact that they were divided into different nations. Among the major contributors to this discourse was Gabriele D'Annunzio whose Mediterraneanism was deeply resonant with the imperialist turn in Italian nationalism (1911 invasion of Libya) and theories of the "Mediterranean race" penned by his contemporary Giuseppe Sergi. Focusing on both D'Annunzio's writings in the 1910s and his involvement in the military take-over of Fiume in 1919–20 ( Avventura fiumana ), and in dialogue with Roger Griffin's exploration of political modernism(s), the article argues that D'Annunzio's Mediterraneanism was distinct from its southern European counterparts because of its "epiphanic" character, and its oscillation between imperialist and syncretistic conceptions of Mediterranean-ness.
The Prix Femina Vie Heureuse Anglais, 1919–1940
Authors: Jones Clara
Published: December 2024

abstract: Working with the archive of the Prix Femina Vie Heureuse (1919–40) at Cambridge University Library, this article reconstructs the intellectual and administrative labor of the prize's all-women committee of literary judges. I study the Femina from several angles: its uneasy status as a middlebrow cultural institution; the committee's position as a group of professional literary women reading other women's writing; and its negotiation of the period's political writing. Considering the role committee work like this played in "making modernism" involves a shift in emphasis from individual moments of creative rapture to the humdrum work of collective reading and consensus building. This article argues that the Femina committee, with its compelling combination of institutional history and women's labor, can "weaken" other "muscular" narratives of modernism.
Jesus' Performative Messianic Call of Peter, James, and John as His Three Mighty Men
Authors: Wenkel David H.
Published: December 2024

Abstract: This paper argues that Jesus intentionally evoked the pattern of King David's kingdom by selecting Peter, James, and John to form his inner circle. Jesus' performative actions in establishing this entourage drew supportive attention to his messianic identity as the Son of David. One of the distinguishing characteristics of King David's was his use of three mighty men: Josheb-Basshebeth (Jashobeam), Eleazar, Shammah. These three mighty men formed a distinct group within David's hierarchy of command and were known as "the Three." They were distinguished by zeal, great victories, and loyalty—features similar to Jesus' own disciples.