bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DECIPHERING THE IMPACT OF COLLAGENASE TREATMENT DURATION ON PRIMARY BREAST CANCER CELL PROTEOME: A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY
Authors: Bal Albayrak Merve Gulsen , Kasap Murat , Akpınar Gürler , Yanar Sevinc , Şimşek Turgay , Cantürk Zafer
Published: September 2024

Aim: Primary cell isolation is essential for studying cellular behavior and disease mechanisms, with collagenase-mediated tissue dissociation playing a critical role in the process. However, the impact of collagenase treatment duration on the proteome of primary cells, particularly in breast cancer research, remains underexplored. This study aims to investigate the effects of collagenase II treatment duration on the proteomic profiles of primary breast cancer cells.
Materials and Methods: Breast cancer tissues from patients diagnosed with infiltrating ductal carcinoma were treated with collagenase II for either 1 or 3 hours. Subsequent proteomic analysis was performed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Identified proteins were subjected to bioinformatic analyses to determine the functional implications of the proteomic changes induced by the different treatment durations.
Results: Bioinformatic analyses showed that 1-hour treatment predominantly affected proteins involved in cytoskeletal organization and cell adhesion, with significant enrichment in actin cytoskeleton dynamics and structural molecule activity. In contrast, 3-hour treatment led to significant metabolic reprogramming, with enhanced regulation of pathways involved in energy production, including the TCA cycle and glycolysis.
Conclusion: This study reveals for the first time that, collagenase II treatment duration significantly alters the proteomic profile of primary breast cancer cells, with shorter durations affecting structural proteins and longer durations inducing metabolic changes. Optimizing treatment time is crucial for targeted proteomic studies.
ANÁLISE EPIDEMIOLÓGICA DOS ÓBITOS POR NEOPLASIA MALIGNA DE ESÔFAGO NO BRASIL, NOS PERÍODOS PRÉ E DURANTE A PANDEMIA.
Authors: Firmino Deborah Raabe Rocha , Feitosa Diala Aretha de Sousa , Ribeiro Nathalia Cristina Domingues , Silva Julia Alves da , Araújo Marcelo Motta Tapajós , Kairala Ana Beatriz Ballester Mellem
Published: September 2024

Introdução: A neoplasia maligna de esôfago é uma das mais letais, com alta mortalidade e prognóstico desfavorável. A pandemia de COVID-19 afetou diretamente o atendimento oncológico, com atrasos no diagnóstico e tratamento, especialmente em países em desenvolvimento. Objetivo: Investigar o impacto da pandemia de COVID-19 nos óbitos por neoplasia maligna de esôfago, comparando os períodos antes e durante a pandemia no Brasil. Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo epidemiológico, transversal, descritivo e retrospectivo, com dados secundários de óbitos por neoplasia maligna de esôfago entre 2017 e 2022. Os dados foram obtidos das bases do SIH/SUS, SIM/SUS e SINAN-Net/SUS via DATASUS. Foram analisados o número de óbitos por ano, a faixa etária, o sexo, a cor/raça e a região. Resultados: Entre 2017 e 2019, ocorreram 7.320 óbitos por neoplasia maligna de esôfago, e de 2020 a 2022, 7.109, totalizando 14.429 óbitos. A faixa etária mais afetada foi entre 60 e 69 anos, representando 32,74% dos óbitos. O sexo masculino predominou com 77,71% das mortes e a região Sudeste apresentou a maior mortalidade, com 51,47% dos óbitos. Discussão: Apriorização da COVID-19 durante a pandemia impactou na redução de diagnóstico e tratamento das neoplasias malignas de esôfago, levando a possíveis subnotificações. No caso do câncer de esôfago, que já apresenta uma taxa de sobrevivência limitada, esses atrasos podem ter contribuído para uma aparente estabilização ou até redução do número total de óbitos, visto que muitos casos não foram devidamente confirmados ou tratados no tempo adequado. A predominância de óbitos em homens e em idosos reforça a necessidade de políticas públicas voltadas para esses grupos. Conclusão: A mortalidade por câncer de esôfago no Brasil é resultado de uma interação complexa entre fatores epidemiológicos, sociais e estruturais. A pandemia da COVID-19 influenciou na mortalidade por câncer de esôfago, exacerbou as desigualdades existentes, afetando desproporcionalmente populações vulneráveis ​​e regiões com menor infraestrutura de saúde, principalmente pela interrupção nos cuidados oncológicos, ressaltando a importância de melhorar a resiliência dos sistemas de saúde em crises futuras.
GESTÃO DA MUDANÇA E A IMPLEMENTAÇÃO DE NOVAS ESTRATÉGIAS ADMINISTRATIVAS
Authors: Pimentel Alexandre José Meirelles , Filho Valmir Gomes da Silva
Published: September 2024

A gestão da mudança emergiu como um tema importante para organizações que enfrentam o dinamismo do mercado atual, caracterizado por globalização, avanços tecnológicos e mudanças no comportamento dos consumidores. Este artigo explora a gestão da mudança na implementação de novas estratégias administrativas, destacando a resistência como um desafio significativo. A pesquisa visa identificar os principais fatores que influenciam a gestão da mudança e avaliar o impacto de diferentes abordagens de liderança na eficácia desse processo. A metodologia adotada foi bibliográfica e exploratória, analisando literatura especializada para construir um arcabouço teórico sólido. Os resultados evidenciam que a resistência à mudança, muitas vezes originada de medo e insegurança, pode ser superada com uma comunicação clara e uma liderança eficaz. A importância de alinhar a cultura organizacional com novas estratégias também foi destacada, sugerindo que uma abordagem integrada e holística é essencial para o sucesso das mudanças. As contribuições teóricas ampliam a compreensão sobre a gestão da mudança, enquanto as práticas fornecem insights valiosos para gestores e líderes. Futuras pesquisas poderiam beneficiar-se de estudos de caso empíricos para validar as estratégias discutidas.
USO DO TOPIRAMATO PARA O TRATAMENTO DA SÍNDROME DE LENOXX-GASTAUT EM CRIANÇAS: UMA REVISÃO SISTEMÁTICA
Authors: Freitas Rogerio Luiz dos Santos , Ferreira Caroline de Abreu , Magno Enildo Amazonas , Pereira Marcos Alex Ascenio , Campos Mariana Hipólito , Horta Wagner Gonçalves
Published: September 2024

Objetivo: Este estudo visa fornecer uma análise abrangente sobre a patologia e o tratamento baseado na administração do topiramato em crianças diagnosticadas com Síndrome de Lennox, contribuindo para uma melhor compreensão e manejo dessa patologia complexa. Metodologia: Foi realizada uma revisão bibliográfica minuciosa na base de dados PubMed, incluindo artigos originais e revisões sistemáticas publicadas entre 2004 e 2024. Resultados: Os estudos analisados revelam que a síndrome de Lennox-Gastaut é uma encefalopatia epiléptica de início infantil caracterizada por múltiplos tipos de convulsões, atividades anormais no eletroencefalograma e comprometimento cognitivo. Essa síndrome é resistente a muitos tratamentos convencionais com medicamentos anticonvulsivantes, tornando o manejo das convulsões, especialmente tônicas e atônicas, desafiador. O topiramato surge como uma opção terapêutica relevante no tratamento adjuvante de crianças com LGS, conforme destacado em diversos estudos.
PANORAMA DA FISIOTERAPIA OFERTADA A PACIENTES COM SEQUELAS DE QUEIMADURA
Authors: Santos Ryanne Marjory Sena , Silva Emília Pio da
Published: September 2024

Introduction: Burns are thermal, electrical, chemical or radioactive traumas that damage body tissues and can lead to death. Objective: To analyze the data and information collected in the system, referring to the quantity of physiotherapeutic care offered, by the SUS, to patients with burn sequelae, in Brazil, in the last 10 years. Materials and methods: Data were obtained from the DATASUS database. The collected data was organized in an Excel spreadsheet, displayed in graphs and analyzed based on scientific literature. Result: In Brazil, in the last 10 years, 97,685 physiotherapeutic services were offered to medium and large burn patients, through the SUS. The largest number of care for medium and large burn patients was concentrated in the northeast region of Brazil and the smallest number in the Central-West region. Conclusion: The study provided a broad overview of the physiotherapeutic care provided to patients with burns in Brazil over the last ten years.
A IMPORTÂNCIA DA CONTROLADORIA E AUDITORIA NA CONTABILIDADE PÚBLICA
Authors:   Elaine De Oliveira Silva, Martins Lindomar Araujo
Published: September 2024

A pesquisa desenvolvida foi pontuada mediante o objetivo central em promover uma análise mediante a importância da Controladoria bem como da Auditoria destinada ao campo do Contabilidade Pública. A contabilidade em linhas gerais tem a premissa de servir de esteio para uma determinada organização empresarial com vistas em fornecer elementos que proporcionem a economia bem como a redução de custos para então a obtenção de lucros. Não diferente a Contabilidade Pública tem essa premissa, entretanto quando a remessa é ao liame público, exsurge então um apreço que ressoa a interesse público, desta forma a contabilidade aqui sugestiona que todas as realizações efetuadas pelo ente governamental que seja observado o mesmo apreço na contabilidade privada. Haja vista na percepção da Controladoria e assim como da Auditoria esses mecanismos sugerem uma espécie de controle que visa subsidiar essa mencionada economia. Logo é vislumbrada a referida importância tanto da Controladoria quanto a Auditoria ao liame da Contabilidade Pública além de promover esse conteúdo de controle, assegurara também a eficiência e a transparência na Administração Pública.
APRENDIZAGEM E VIVÊNCIAS DISCENTES NA AMAZÔNIA: O PROTAGONISMO DOS ALUNOS NA EXPOSIÇÃO MUNICIPAL DA FEIRA DE CIÊNCIAS
Authors: Xavier Lígia Naíme da Silva , Monteiro Carlos Alberto Saraiva , Assis Eliane Bizantino Américo de
Published: September 2024

Resumo: Este artigo tem por objetivo trazer um relato de como a Feira de Ciências, espaço que pode ser formal ou não formal de ensino, contribui para o protagonismo do aluno do 3º ano. O ambiente de investigação se deu inicialmente na escola com o tema “Alimentação equilibrada e saudável” que, posteriormente, foi selecionado para participar da V Exposição de Ciências, Robótica, Educação Ambiental, Tecnologia e Inovação - EXPOCRAT. Realizado pela Secretaria Municipal de Educação, em Manaus/AM no ano de 2023. Em destaque, a participação de três alunas no 3º ano do Ensino Fundamental I que apresentaram as competências necessárias para exposição como o domínio da oralidade, dos procedimentos metódicos e o “espírito” científico. Todo o protagonismo dos alunos se tornou possível devido à Feira de Ciências, um evento científico que permite aos alunos adquirir vivências enriquecedoras para além da sala de aula, envolvendo a participação dos professores e a comunidade escolar.
WARRIORS AND OTHERS: THE IDENTITY OF A ROMAN SOLDIER IN THE PROVINCES OF SERBIA
Authors: B. Vujović Miroslav
Published: September 2024

Roman soldiers and veterans settled in the Danube provinces formed one of the most important pillars of Roman rule, economic development, urbanization and Romanization. Tombstones are the best evidence of the image that the Roman soldiers wanted to show and permanently record. This paper is dedicated to the relief representations on the tombstones of Roman soldiers and members of their families, that reflect the way in which this significant part of the provincial population regarded themselves in relation to others and society as a whole. Although their form and volume depended on current fashion or established customs and conventions, and were conditioned by various factors: social and material position of the individual and his origin, cultural and intellectual preferences, the tombstone was supposed to mark not only the place of burial of the deceased’s earthly remains, but also to perpetuate his earthly appearance, achievements and heritage. At a time when literacy was not a widespread phenomenon, such visual representations were of great importance for marking the graves of prominent individuals and emphasize their professions and reputations. The display of soldiers often in a dominant and even arrogant position, with exposed weapons, various military insignia, decorations, but also recognizable signs of authority (sticks, beneficiary spears, scrolls, fibulae...) indicated their high status, honorable service and the appropriate salary grade (sesquiplicarii, duplicarii) clearly distinguishing them from the rest of the population.
FORMIRANJE NACIONALNOG IDENTITETA SRBA NA PODRUČJU HABZBURŠKE I AUSTROUGARSKE CAREVINE I PRAVA KOJA SU STICALI
Authors: M. Radulović Dejan , Radulović Sofija
Published: September 2024

This study analyzes the formation of the national identity of Serbs in the Habsburg and Austro-Hungarian empires. The traditional elements that formed the national identity of Serbs in these areas are the orthodox religion, alphabet, military past, language, literature, civic, social and political values, people’s organizations, concern for the status of the people. The importance of the Serbian community on the territory of the Habsburgs and Austro-Hungary and its contribution to the development of national thought for independence and the creation of the Serbian state in the Ottoman Empire is also analyzed. The study should contribute to the realization of how great an influence the Serbian intellectuals, who lived outside Serbia, had in that period of the creation of the Serbian state and participated directly in its origin and development. They were the head and the Serbs in Serbia the body, forming a unity whose success was inevitable when they united in their desires.
IZMEĐU PORODIČNIH SEĆANJA I KULTURNOG PAMĆENJA: PODUNAVSKE ŠVABE ZA VREME DRUGOG SVETSKOG RATA I NAKON TOGA (ANALIZA IZABRANIH SAVREMENIH ROMANA)
Authors: Marija Haibl Liza
Published: September 2024

The history of Danube Swabians located in the territory of the former Yugoslavia goes back to the 18th century and ends after the Second World War with the displacement of the majority of their descendants. During these times their life circumstances changed multiple times. The original contribution of the paper is found in the analysis of Danube Swabians identities and their connection with recollection and remembrance in three contemporary literal works: Zavičaj, zaborav (Ludwig Bauer, 2010), Rod (Miljenko Jergović, 2013) and Doba mjedi (Slobodan Šnajder, 2015). All three look into a matter that questions the own national and cultural sense of belonging. The identity models are complex and cannot be reduced to nation state wise and ethnical classification. Individual rememberance and collective memory take a big part in coping with their identities. Memories that were communicated within the families after the Second World War differed from those memories that found their way into the cultu ral memory after 1945. The alternative stories complete and revise prevailed narratives of Danube Swabians as Hitler’s collective collaborators. The problem with these persons’ identity crisis partly leads back to this difference.
ULOGA IGRANOG FILMA U PROMOVISANJU OSEĆAJA NACIONALNOG IDENTITETA
Authors: Petrović Ljijana
Published: September 2024

The study is based on the recreation of issues of national identity, multiple social identities and memories, which are in complex interactions and constant change, touching on the relationship between audio-visual art and ideological mythomania. The starting point is in the McLuhan’s hypothesis (Marshall Mc Luhan, Understanding the Media) that every form of media incorporates itself into the message it conveys and influences the way the message is interpreted, but also that the multiple functions of the message indicate something in order to establish psychological contact with the recipient. Reference examples are focused on the reception and perception of chronologically determined films made in the former Yugoslavia, from the constitution of Yugoslav cinematography to more recent films made in the region, which confirm that conflicts have penetrated everywhere, into the themes of films also, and that every new generation of directors has the right to recycle the forgotten memory, read and interpret the past and its mythical patterns. The approach to the analysis of the work is based on the observation of films as media presentations and interpretations of national contents by genre conventions on which they are based and with which the authors play or violate them. Considering war as a pattern, state or consequence, the films continued the war by other means after which tensions are raised or are an attempt at dialogue between different layers of individual and collective memory that the film suggestively provides. Inevitably, the film must communicate with the audience and it is questionable whether a film in which ideology is dominant and that reflects propaganda, forms an ecstatic understanding of reality and ideas about ourselves and our lives, has the power to become a social event, to have artistic value and its inherent esthetic experience.
ČUDOTVORNOST I IDENTITET: ODNOS SUBJEKTA I OBJEKTA U BOKI KOTORSKOJ XVII VIJEKA
Authors: Ulčar Milena
Published: September 2024

In the year of 1672 several members of Pavlićević family in Prčanj witnessed miraculous transformation of the Madonna icon inside their household. Sacred image produced loud sounds, changed colors of the skin and grow a pair of legs which helped her moving away from the usual place that it inhabited. This behavioral animism of the artifact produced a very specific biological and ritual response in the observers. The clear line between humans with nonhuman features and nonhuman agency was blurred, allowing the analysis of tripartite relational structure of subject-object interactions. Convertibility of person and thing in the case of the miraculous event in Prčanj is rather eloquent example of an identity fashioning in the early modern religious context. The discourses of „life of things“, viewed from the point of new anthropology, studies in material culture and art historical approaches were used to inspect animistic psychological and cultural habits in 17th century Bay of Kotor. The experience of dissolving margins of a person and a thing was analyzed as crucial aspect in understanding the problems of identity, seen as a composite of relationships, instead of bounded and integrated entity.
DIGITAL GAMES AS HERITAGE SAFEGUARDING AND/OR (RE)PRESENTATION TOOL
Authors: Gavrilović Ljiljana
Published: September 2024

The accelerated development of digital games over the past few decades, together with the expansion of the range of devices on which they can be used (mobile games), the huge growth of the industry, and the constantly rising gaming population make digital games an ideal tool for popularizing heritage (natural, cultural, tangible and intangible), although this potential is still underutilized. The use of digital games in the representation of heritage would serve as a good combination of protection and promotion of heritage on the one hand, and creative industries on the other, because the use of heritage in digital (re)interpretations of reality in no way endangers real preserved spaces, objects and/or relationships, although their different uses and readings are possible. This could also give (relatively) small and unknown independent studios the opportunity to attempt a new approach in digital game design and thus break into the market more easily.
CULTURAL HERITAGE IN MIXED REALITY SPACES
Authors: Jokanović Milena
Published: September 2024

The last several decades can certainly be recognized by increasingly frequent and innovative approaches in the interpretation and use of cultural heritage in the context of cultural and creative industries, i.e. creative economy. At the same time, accelerated technological development and the wide availability of devices such as mobile phones and tablets, along with the growing production and use of VR glasses and headsets, which very easily move us from physical to virtual reality, have led to a more frequent presentation of heritage using new media. Thus, such initiatives could be recognized as a special branch of creative industries that responds to the needs of new generations of digital natives and increasingly present transmedia communication. The application of modern augmented (AR) and virtual (VR) reality technologies in the presentation of cultural heritage contributes not only to the preservation of heritage, but also to the strengthening of the tourism offer, and increases the accessibility and visibility of many sites. The aim of this paper is to examine the potential for the interpretation and presentation of Serbian heritage in mixed reality spaces through a brief overview of the previous application of the above technologies in the cultural heritage sector and an analysis of selected examples. Special emphasis is placed on the study of the Holograd XR (mixed reality) platform for creating virtual spatial narratives and new forms of communication at the border between the physical and digital world.
PRESENTATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE THROUGH DIGITAL VISUALIZATIONS: AN EXAMPLE OF GOOD PRACTICE THROUGH THE DANUBE’S ARCHAEOLOGICAL eLANDSCAPES PROJECT
Authors: Rakvin Marta , Šćukanec-Rezniček Porin , Balen Jacqueline
Published: September 2024

The great potential of archaeological heritage for the development of sustainable cultural tourism is thwarted by its insufficient visibility to the general public. The desire to make archaeological heritage, particularly the archaeological landscapes of the Danube region, more visible, and therefore more attractive for its integration into the flows of sustainable tourism, is the backbone of the Danube’s Archaeological eLandscapes project. In this project, frames of reference have been developed for the presentation of archaeological heritage using digital technologies in the Danube region. This paper presents the process of the development of digital visualizations of three prehistoric sites in Croatia for the purpose of presenting and promoting heritage, along with the challenges the authors faced during the various stages of development – from site selection and consultations with the interested public (public involvement), to designing the visualizations, and the actual development of applications.
CREATIVE INDUSTRIES AND CULTURAL HERITAGE: CREATIVITY INSPIRED BY GLASSMAKING TRADITION
Authors: Mikić Hristina
Published: September 2024

This paper presents an analysis of integration of creative industries in the processes of preservation and revitalisation of cultural heritage, using the example of glassmaking. The first part of the paper discusses the basic concepts of creative industries and their models of development driven by the changes in the socioeconomic environment. The second part of the paper presents a short history of the economic development of Paraćin and its glass industry, with special emphasis on glassmaking as an unwanted heritage, burden and obstacle to local development. The third part of the paper uses the project “Digital Glass Serbia” as a case study to illustrate the dimensions, possibilities and challenges of applying creative industries in the revitalisation and affirmation of cultural heritage.
COAL JEWELRY: TOWARDS ADDING NEW MEANINGS
Authors: Banović Branko
Published: September 2024

As coal combustion is one of the main global pollutants, the EU is trying to reduce the use of this fossil fuel and stimulate the production of electricity from renewable sources. In the Pljevlja region, traces of mining can be found dating back to distant past, but coal exploitation did not start to play a key role in the town’s development until the socialist period. In the years when the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant is facing the threat of shutdown due to the hours of operation provided by the EU’s Large Combustion Plants Directive, and when the future of coal exploitation in Pljevlja and its whole economy have been put into question, local artists and entrepreneurs gathered in the NGO "Umbrella for the Sun" („Kišobran za Sunce“) have begun to manufacture jewellery and other items decorated with pieces of local coal. Based on a broad theoretical framework of creative industries, the paper analyses this interesting and innovative project of female entrepreneurship and focuses on the process of creating a new symbolic cultural identity and an aesthetic experience of coal.
GREEN ENERGY TRANSITION: JUSTICE AND CHALLENGES 2022
Authors: Mišić Bojana
Published: September 2024

Energy has always been one of the main drivers of economic development in all countries. Energy needs are continuously rising, as are the needs and demands for environmentally sustainable solutions. The green energy transition is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century, given that it should be implemented in a way that respects the basic principles of sustainable development. It is not easy to reconcile the demands of economic development, environmental protection and the achievement of intergenerational and intragenerational justice. Adding to this the current global events that have a strong impact on even the most stable economies in Europe and worldwide, it becomes clear that the energy transition will have to adapt to new circumstances as well.
RUSSIAN AGGRESSION: CONTINUED IMPACT ON EUROPEAN SECURITY
Authors: Cassidy Jennifer
Published: September 2024

This speech examines the profound impact of Russia’s continued aggression, particularly the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, on the security landscape of Europe, with a specific focus on Kosovo. As the war in Ukraine reshapes global power dynamics, Kosovo finds itself at the crossroads of regional tensions, aligning its security and policy-making with Western and European Union (EU) strategies. The speech will address how Kosovo’s history of conflict, pursuit of sovereignty, and quest for EU integration influence its strong support for Ukraine and condemnation of Russian aggression. It will explore Kosovo's engagement in sanctions against Russia, the challenges of navigating its relationship with Serbia amidst Serbia's alignment with Russia, and Kosovo's aspirations for NATO membership in an increasingly volatile region. Furthermore, it will highlight how the conflict has shaped Kosovo’s domestic policies, from energy security to countering hybrid warfare tactics. Drawing parallels with Ireland’s peace process and geopolitical navigation, the speech will argue for the critical role Kosovo plays in strengthening European security and stability. Through this exploration, the speech underscores the importance of multilateral efforts and collective defense in countering Russian influence and safeguarding European values.
KUALITAS PELAYANAN KRL COMMUTER LINE DI YOGYAKARTA
Authors: Hakim Anisa , Ari Fatun Nisa Faradillah , Bahrun Muzaki Muhammad , Mulyo Sejati Wahyu , Aliyah Nailil , Tri Nugraha Joko
Published: September 2024

KRL Commuter Line Yogyakarta adalah salah satu mode transpontası publik yang penting di Yogyakarta. Kualitas Pelayanan KRL Comuniter Line Yogyakarta sangat penting untuk meningkatkan kepuasan pengguna. Tujuan dari penelitian ini yaitu untuk menganalisis kualitas pelayanan KRL Commuter Line di Yogyakarta. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif, mengumpulkan data dengan kuesioner yang disebar secara online. Hasil dari penelitian ini dapat disimpulkan bahwa pelayanan KRL Commuter Line di Yogyakarta secara keseluruhan layanan yang diberikan sudah cukup baik. Namun terdapat satu aspek yang perlu diperhatikan yaitu tentang keamanan. Secara keseluruhan pengguna merasa bahwa layanan yang diberikan sudah cukup memadai dan memfasilitasi kebutuhan mobilitas mereka dengan efektif.
Is the trocar through which the gallbladder is removed during cholecystectomy important for potential complications?
Authors: Erdogan Emre , Turkoglu Furkan
Published: September 2024

Objective: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is considered the gold standard for the treatment of gallstone disease and complications can develop at trocar sites following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This study aims to evaluate the impact of extracting the gallbladder through either the umbilical or epigastric ports during laparoscopic cholecystectomy on the complications observed after gallbladder extraction.
Methods: Symptomatic cholelithiasis patients who had four port laparoscopic cholecystectomy included to the study. Individuals were divided into two groups based on gallbladder removal site: umbilical or epigastric. Medical records were reviewed for post-surgical complications within 30 days and incisional hernias within one year. The age, gender, operation duration, BMI and the largest stone dimentions of the patients were also noted.
Results: A total of 112 patients were included in the study, with 45 patients in the umbilical group and 67 patients in the epigastric group. No significant differences were observed in age, gender, body mass index and stone dimentions between groups. Port site hernia and port site infection developed more frequently but not significantly in umblical group. When examined the stone dimention and BMI based on the presence of a port site hernia and port site infection, BMI and stone dimention were significantly higher in port site infection and hernia patients.
Conclusion: Using umbilical port for removing gallbladder, carried a higher risk of infection and hernia development. Additionally, regardless of which trocar is used, patients with a high BMI and large stone dimensions have a higher risk of port site infection and hernia. Patients should be informed about these risks during the preoperative period.
Sedation with chloral hydrate and melatonin in childhood electroencephalography
Authors: Diler Durgut Betül , Tekin Emine
Published: September 2024

Objective: Recording an electroencephalography (EEG) in children is challenging due to their restlessness during the procedure and inability to follow the required instructions. Sleep deprivation and the use of sedative agents are necessary to perform the recording. This study aims to compare the success of sedation with chloral hydrate and melatonin.
Methods: Patients who underwent EEG recording between December 2023 and March 2024 were retrospectively evaluated. The chloral hydrate and melatonin groups were formed for the patients requiring sedation. According to the protocol applied in our clinic, chloral hydrate was administered orally at a dose range of 30-50 mg/kg (max 1500 mg), while melatonin was given orally at a dose of 1-3 mg. The sociodemographic information of the patients was recorded from hospital charts, sleeping rates and EEG recording duration were compared.
Results: Of the 471 patients EEG performed, 240 (51%) were female and 231 (49%) were male. The mean age was 9.1±5.1 years, with a median age of 9.5 years. Sleep deprivation was appropriately carried out in 434 patients (92.3%), while 37 patients did not achieved sleep deprivation. Among the 76 patients who received sedation, chloral hydrate was used in 45 (59.2%) and melatonin in 31 (40.8%). Sleeping ratio were 82.2% and 80.6% in the chloral hydrate and melatonin groups respectively; there was no statistically significant difference in sleeping rates (p: 0.86). No serious drug-related side effects were observed in either group. Rare gastric complaints, such as gastric discomfort and nausea/vomiting were noted in the chloral hydrate group.
Conclusion: Melatonin and chloral hydrate provided similar rates of sedation. This study showed either drug can be choosen for the sedation in pediatric EEG recordings.
Turkish soap operas in the Arab world: social liberation or cultural alienation?
Authors: Buccianti Alexandra
Published: September 2024

In 1980 oil magnate J.R. Ewing was shot and injured in the hit series Dallas, which featured an unconventional family’s struggles over power, wealth and sex. The shot was heard around the world, with millions of fans desperately wondering “Who shot J.R.?”. It was the first time that a TV series had captivated simultaneously so many people around the world. Five years later, the Arabs were shooting at the stars with the launch of the first Arab satellite system, Arabsat-1. Except for experts and visionaries, no one was predicting that it was “the beginning of the end” for the state domination of television in the Arab world. Almost a quarter of a century later, on August 30, 2008, 85 million Arab viewers were glued to their TV sets for the finale of the Syrian-dubbed Turkish soap opera, Gümüş1 (Noor2 in Arabic), a Kanal D production that received little attention in its homeland in 2005. After falling in the past for Victoria Principal, Ridge Forrester, and Latin American telenovela characters Kassandra and Rosalinda , Arab audiences are now turning to Turkey, a close yet estranged neighbor with whom they share a tumultuous history. The mastermind behind this phenomenon has been the MBC (Middle East Broadcasting Center) media empire, a combination of Saudi capital and Middle Eastern know-how, and a success story that started in the 1990s with the birth of a private Arab media field. As Naomi Sakr explains, many factors fuel the field’s potential including the fact that “Media flows are (…) facilitated where the language is shared3”. The Arab market is indeed unique: a large and essentially young audience with some 20 countries sharing a common language. Researchers have thus observed a relative “depoliticization” of media over the years with the progressive development of mass entertainment programming.
The Media Reality in Iraqi Kurdistan
Authors: Hlidkova Alice
Published: September 2024

Eight years after the United States and its allies invaded Iraq, the country’s transition to a functioning democracy with press freedom is far from accomplished, even in the northern region that U.S. officials have sometimes touted as model for the country. Shortly after the February demonstrations in Suleymaniyah, Kurdistan, which left eight people dead, Reporters Without Borders (RWB) wrote to Kurdistani President Massoud Barzani to say that despite improvements in the representation of democratic voices in the region, the organization was concerned about the deterioration in the situation of journalists there since February 17. In the aftermath of the 2003 invasion, Iraq underwent a media boom. Hundreds of new publications, television and radio stations sprang up across the country, and Iraqis gained access to satellite dishes and the Internet. In Kurdistan, the semi-autonomous and federal region of Iraq, independent media flourished. But in the years since the occupation, the media has fallen short of the promise. A power vacuum bred violence and later civil strife made Iraq the deadliest country in the world for journalists between 2003 and 2008, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Even after security improved in 2008 and a new coalition government was formed in Kurdistan in 2010, restrictive legislation and other barriers denied journalists the right to access information.
The Narrative of Resistance – Bahrain and Iraq
Authors: Hagood Anne
Published: September 2024

The protests in Bahrain reflect demands for long overdue changes in a country where social and class divisions have often been formulated in sectarian terms. While in relatively homogeneous countries such as Tunisia and Egypt, protest movements have overthrown longstanding leaders and taken important steps towards political freedom, Bahrain has proven a challenging environment for change, although political unrest is nothing new there. Bahraini Shi'a, who represent 70 percent of the population and are ruled by a minority Sunni elite close to Saudi Arabia and the United States, have been in the vanguard of protest movements in the 1980s, the 1990s and again today. The Bahraini government has historically been unable or unwilling to follow through on promises of reform, exacerbating tensions and resentment in a way that resonates with other groups in the region. Attempts at political reform in 2002, when the government converted Bahrain from an emirate to what it called a constitutional monarchy, have so far failed to yield meaningful changes.
Imagining Identities: Television Advertising and the Reconciliation of the Lebanese Conflict
Authors: Nasr Assem
Published: September 2024

The Middle East has seen much social change in recent decades of turmoil. On one hand, some communities have embraced Westernness as part of an inevitable path to development and modernization. On the other hand, other communities have resisted global trends mainly dominated by the West. The latter deemed influences from the West as a threat to native cultures, religious values and local traditions. This has made the Arab world a ground for constant redefinition of identity. Of the countries in the region undergoing a turbulent debate over what constitutes a national identity, Lebanon serves as a unique example. Ever since its independence, Lebanon has been a nation-state with no sense of nationality to unite its people. Some communities saw themselves as more francophone than Arab, while others felt a close connection to a pan-Arab nation. Arguably, the Lebanese people found themselves in tension between the two poles. Defining one’s identity required negotiation between the two extremes. Not only did this negotiation demand a thorough investigation of one’s beliefs, social networks, and history, but it also necessitated a diligent ‘performance’ of identity. An individual represented her identity by habits and expressions that she associated with that particular identity.
Book review – Aaron Wenner on (Un)Civil War of Words by Mamoun Fandy
Authors: Wenner Aaron
Published: September 2024

(Un)Civil War of Words attempts to locate the Arab media, particularly the Arabic-language satellite news stations Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya, within the region’s broader political, social, and historical context. Motivated by the frequently reductionist approaches to Arabic-language media that aim to explain it purely in terms of a particular bias, Mamoun Fandy instead emphasizes how overlapping local, national, regional, and transnational groups use the media to advocate their own interests. The result, he argues, is a media that, while inherently political, defies easy efforts to map it to a specific political polarity. Fandy, a media analyst and Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, uses the post 9/11 debates over Al Jazeera’s perceived anti-Americanism — and in particular, its role as the exclusive vehicle for Osama Bin Laden’s video messages — to spur a larger discussion on how best to think about the Arab media’s role in Arab discourse. His basic theoretical assumption is that existing methodologies for analyzing the Arab media are based on models derived from European and North American experiences that cannot accurately capture the complexity and regional specificity of the Arabic-speaking world. In contrast to these models, in the Arab world “the state, not market forces, is the main player” in shaping the medium.
Saudi bloggers, women’s issues and NGOs
Authors: Bernardi Chiara
Published: September 2024

This paper examines how women’s issues in Saudi Arabia have been articulated in several parts of cyberspace and how they have been ‘rendered public’ (this research will use the term ‘public-ise’ as defined by Noortje Marres1) by Saudi women’s blogs, news media outlets and regional or international organizations that cover women’s issues. In particular, it will analyze how women’s issues in Saudi Arabia are articulated on social media platforms that fall under the Web 2.0 umbrella, and see if and how those same issues are comparably articulated by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international government organizations (IGOs), and media outlets. This paper does not aim to analyze whether the Internet is a catalyst for policy-making changes or only another tool activated through human interaction. Instead it aims to investigate how certain controversies (issue language, issue formation in cyberspace and network formation around the issue: ‘women’s issues in Saudi Arabia’) are articulated and developed through Web 2.0 platforms, namely blogs and other tools (YouTube, RSS feeds, Diggit).
Catch & Release: Evaluating the Free Kareem Campaign
Authors: Radsch Courtney C.
Published: September 2024

The case of Kareem Amer, the first Egyptian blogger to be prosecuted for the content of his writings, suggests that although cyberactivists and rights organizations are capable of sustained campaigns in defense of freedom of expression, some governments at least are almost impervious to the pressure, even at the cost of significant damage to their international image. Kareem Amer, the first Egyptian blogger to be prosecuted for the content of his writings, was released Tuesday after serving a four-year sentence for defaming Islam and President Hosni Mubarak. His sentence expired Nov. 5 but upon being released he was immediately re-arrested, pretty par for the course in terms of Egypt’s approach to dealing with its ‘problematic’ bloggers and digital activists. Amer was a student at Al Azhar University studying law and growing increasingly disillusioned with his religion and his government. The 24-year-old started his blog in April 2005, in the height of the Kefaya movement, the genesis of cyberactivism and in the midst of a series of protests against constitutional amendments and for the independence of the judiciary. “I am down to earth Law student; I look forward to help humanity against all form of discriminations,” Kareem wrote in his Blogger profile. “I am looking forward to open up my own human rights activists Law firm, which will include other lawyers who share the same views. Our main goal is to defend the rights of Muslim and Arabic women against all form of discrimination and to stop violent crimes committed on a daily basis in these countries.”
Iraq: A Diverse Media
Authors: Rousu David A.
Published: September 2024

In 2004, William Rugh published an influential and comprehensive study of Arab newspapers, radio and television. His book, Arab Mass Media, examines the media organizations in 18 Arab countries and places each country into one of four categories, based upon varying degrees of government influence, freedom of the press and other factors (Rugh, 25). When Rugh came out with this study, the removal of Saddam Hussein’s regime, and the accompanying transformation of the media scene, was hardly a year old. Rugh separated Iraq into two time periods and classified the Iraqi media prior to the 2003 invasion as the quintessential “mobilization media”, due to its complete manipulation by the government. The Iraqi media which arose subsequent to the invasion was classified as a “diverse media”. However, too little time had transpired since the invasion for Rugh to confidently declare Iraq a diverse media, or discuss at great length the most successful newspapers, radio stations or television broadcasters which have emerged and dominate the Iraqi media environment today. This paper is an attempt to pick up where Rugh’s study left off in 2004, and analyze the most successful media sources in the new Iraq and effectively demonstrate that Iraq is indeed home to a “diverse media” similar to those found in Lebanon, Kuwait, Morocco and Yemen.
Media Can Serve the Cause of Peace
Authors: Schechter Danny
Published: September 2024

With new suicide bombings reported in Israel, more violence threatens. Can this conflict be reported differently? Can the media play a more pro-peace role? I was asked to write about that possibility for the Palestine-Israel Journal, jointly edited by Israelis and Palestinians and published in East Jerusalem. Thanks to Common Ground, here's a summary of my piece from a just published issue that looks at Media and the Second Intifada. For more information, write pij@palnet.com. Every time I see Jerrold Kessel I know what he's going to tell us. He is the "breaking news" bearer of bad tidings. He gets automatic face time on CNN every time there is a suicide bombing. You can close your eyes and hear him cite the body count, and then describe the retaliation already underway, as in "Israeli Defense Forces are already responding with tanks and planes and armed intervention." The media focus on these incidents, on the bloodshed, just reinforces the sense of tragedy and futility of two peoples pictured only as hating each other. The cumulative impression: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is beyond redemption, beyond solution.
Digital Shahid – From Broadcast Media to Citizen Journalism in Palestine
Authors: Iazzolino Gianluca
Published: September 2024

In January 2007, a video a few minutes long sparked stark outrage in Israel. At first it circulated on the Internet and soon after was broadcast by several TV channels around the world. It showed a woman from the Jewish settlement of Tel Rumeida, in the Old City of Hebron, West Bank, cursing a young Palestinian girl. The woman, later identified as Yifat Alkobi, was one of the 500 radical settlers dwelling in the heart of one of the most volatile Palestinian cities, where, despite the presence of almost 2,000 Israeli soldiers, the constant friction between the Jewish and the Arab communities has created a highly explosive situation. The incident was filmed with a handy camera by the sixteen-year-old daughter of the Abu Eishe family from within the metallic grid that protects her house from the frequent attacks of neighboring settlers. The footage captured the woman shouting to the girl's sister the Arabic and Hebrew term for whore, sharmouta. The word become a label for the video and it was referred to as such in the debates that stirred up Israeli public opinion. Because of the ban on traveling to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, that footage gave many Israelis their first ever insight into an aspect of Palestinian daily life under occupation. For them, it was a shock. For B'tselem, a Jerusalem-based advocacy organization which relies on a network of activists campaigning for the respect of human rights in the Occupied Territories, and which produced and posted the video online, it was a success. Then Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz spoke publicly about the sharmouta video, condemning the behavior of the settler and ordering an investigation. Moreover, a ministerial committee was established to address issues in Hebron, highlighting the so-called 'quiet transfer' of Palestinians from the Old City, which has turned the once vibrant area into a ghost town. Since then, this sort of grassroots reporting, otherwise called citizen journalism and made possible by the penetration of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the emergence of Web 2.0, has enabled and empowered many Palestinians, for the first time, to show their daily plight: to be the makers, and not only the protagonists, of the headlines.