bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A prospective, single-centre, randomized, double-blind controlled study protocol to study whether long-term oral metronidazole can effectively reduce the incidence of postoperative liver metastasis in patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Gao Rui Qi , Mo Zhen Chang , Zhou Hai Kun , Yu Peng Fei , Wang Wei Dong , Dong Dan Hong , Yang Xi Sheng , Li Xiao Hua , Ji Gang
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Fifteen to 25% of patients with colorectal cancer have combined liver metastases at the time of diagnosis, whereas an additional 15 to 25% will develop liver metastases after curative resection of primary colorectal cancer, with the vast majority (80–90%) of liver metastases unresponsive to curative resection at first. Colorectal cancer liver metastasis is also the leading cause of death in patients with colorectal cancer. In recent years, several studies have demonstrated that intestinal flora, especially Fusobacterium nucleatum, plays a crucial role in the development of colorectal cancer liver metastasis, so we hypothesized that long-term metronidazole use could effectively reduce the incidence of postoperative liver metastasis in colorectal cancer patients.

Methods/design

This study is a prospective, single-centre, randomized, double-blind controlled study in which 300 patients will be randomly assigned to the test group or the control group in a 1:1 allocation ratio. The aim of this trial is to demonstrate that long-term oral antibiotics can effectively reduce the incidence of postoperative liver metastasis in patients with colorectal cancer.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee at the Chinese Ethics Committee of Registering Clinical Trials (ChiECRCT20210229). The results of this study will be disseminated at several research conferences and as published articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100046201. Registered on July 05, 2021.
The effect of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) on abdominal pain in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial (EMDR4IBS)
Authors: Wertheim B. , Aarts E. E. , de Roos C. , van Rood Y. R.
Published: December 2023

Background

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a highly prevalent disorder for which treatment options such as medication, diets, and hypnotherapy either have shown limited effect or relieve symptoms in only a limited subset of patients. Abdominal pain is the key criterion for the diagnosis and is deemed the most distressing IBS symptom, and the most disruptive of everyday life. A growing body of research demonstrates the effect of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) on chronic pain. EMDR is known as a safe and successful treatment for disorders in which unresolved traumatic memories play a role in the cause or maintenance of symptoms. In IBS, activated memories may increase pain through pain flashbacks and the stress generated by unresolved memories. The aim of this study is to ascertain whether applying EMDR to traumatic memories including pain memories will reduce abdominal pain in IBS patients.

Methods

This study is a randomized controlled trial which will be conducted at a city hospital in the Netherlands. Adult patients with considerable IBS pain (pain intensity at least 60/100 during at least 5/10 days) will be randomly assigned to either EMDR therapy or the wait list. We aim to include 34 participants. The EMDR condition comprises seven sessions, around 90 min in length delivered weekly, the first of which is a case conceptualization session. All participants will be assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and at 3 months follow-up. The primary outcome measure is pain intensity on a Likert scale which is self-reported daily during a 2-week period. Secondary outcomes include similar daily ratings on other IBS symptoms and reported hindrance of valued activities, and also standardized questionnaires on IBS symptoms and Quality of Life. Data will be analyzed by a Linear Mixed Effects Model for repeated measures.

Discussion

The results are expected to gain insight into the effectiveness of EMDR treatment on abdominal pain in IBS. As there are very few effective treatment options for IBS-related abdominal pain, this study could have important implications for clinical practice.

Trial registration

Human ethics committee MEC-U NL71740.100.20. International Clinical Trial Registry Platform: NL8894. Prospectively registered on 28 January 2020.
Borrelia puertoricensis in opossums (Didelphis marsupialis) from Colombia
Authors: López Yesica , Faccini-Martínez Álvaro A. , Muñoz-Leal Sebastián , Contreras Verónica , Calderón Alfonso , Rivero Ricardo , Muñoz Marina , Ramírez Juan David , Mattar Salim
Published: December 2023

Background

The genus Borrelia comprises pathogenic species of bacteria that pose a significant risk to public health. Borrelia spp. are emerging or reemerging infectious agents worldwide with complex transmission cycles, and many species use rodents as vertebrate reservoir hosts. Spirochetes morphologically compatible with Borrelia have been recurrently observed in opossums; however, there is currently a lack of genetic evidence confirming infection or supporting that these marsupials are hosts of Borrelia spirochetes.

Methods

During 2017, 53 serum samples of Didelphis marsupialis from the municipality of Colosó (department of Sucre, Colombia) were collected and allocated in a serum bank. DNA extracted from the serum samples was submitted to a Borrelia genus-specific real-time PCR targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Positive samples were subsequently derived from semi-nested PCR protocols to obtain large fragments of the 16S rRNA and flaB genes. Obtained amplicons were subjected to Sanger sequencing. One positive sample was randomly selected for next-generation sequencing (NGS). Obtained reads were mapped to genomes of Borrelia spp. and sequences of two genes used in a multilocus sequence typing scheme retrieved for taxonomic assignment and phylogenetic analyses.

Results

Overall, 18.8% (10/53) of the samples were positive by qPCR. Of them, 80% (8/10) and 60% (6/10) were positive for the 16S rRNA and flaB genes after semi-nested PCRs, respectively. Bioinformatic analysis of one sample sequenced with NGS yielded 22 reads of genus Borrelia with different sizes. Two housekeeping genes, rplB and pyrG, were recovered. Nucleotide pairwise comparisons and phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA, flaB, rplB and pyrG genes showed that the Borrelia sp. found in opossums from Colosó corresponded to Borrelia puertoricensis.

Conclusions

We describe the first molecular evidence to our knowledge of B. puertoricensis in Colombia, specifically in opossums, and the first detection of this spirochete in a vertebrate host since its isolation from Ornithodoros puertoricensis in Panama. This detection is also relevant because of the epidemiological importance of opossums as reservoirs of zoonotic diseases to humans.

Graphical abstract
Disease aggravation following surgery in a rare patient suspected to Fibrodysplasia (Myositis) ossificans progressiva: a case report
Authors: Zarei Amir , Rahimi Foad , Khadem Mehryar , Moradi Mansour , Rahmani Khaled
Published: December 2023

Background

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) as a rare and heritable disorder with the infrequent genetic transmission of the condition is a catastrophic disorder of heterotopic ossification (HO) and a cause of extraskeletal bone formation in humans. Given the lack of effective treatment for this disease, the important point is to avoid aggravating factors such as bone biopsy, surgery, and intramuscular injection.

Case presentation

In this report, we present a 52-year-old female patient, Kurdish ethnic, suspected to FOP who had a surgical intervention on the second toe of the right foot, which subsequently, it caused further deterioration of the disease in the person including necrosis and amputation of the distal phalanx of the second toe.

Conclusions

Although, based on our investigation and the available scientific evidence, surgery may a cause for faster progression and worsening of the FOP disorder, but its proof requires further studies.
Sharpness of some Hardy-type inequalities
Authors: Persson Lars-Erik , Samko Natasha , Tephnadze George
Published: December 2023

The current status concerning Hardy-type inequalities with sharp constants is presented and described in a unified convexity way. In particular, it is then natural to replace the Lebesgue measure dx with the Haar measure $dx/x$
d
x
/
x
. There are also derived some new two-sided Hardy-type inequalities for monotone functions, where not only the two constants are sharp but also the involved function spaces are (more) optimal. As applications, a number of both well-known and new Hardy-type inequalities are pointed out. And, in turn, these results are used to derive some new sharp information concerning sharpness in the relation between different quasi-norms in Lorentz spaces.
Association between dietary insulin index and load with cardiometabolic risk factors and risk of metabolic syndrome among the patients with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Arabshahi Vajeheh , Amiri Roksaneh , Ghalishourani Samira Sadat , Hasaniani Nazila , Nozarian Shadi , Tavasolian Ronia , Khiabani Alireza , Rahimlou Mehran
Published: December 2023

Background

This study aims to investigate the association between dietary insulin index (DII) and load (DIL) with cardiometabolic risk factors and the risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS) among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 T2DM patients. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire, and DII and DIL were calculated based on insulin response and energy content. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the odds ratios (ORs) for MetS.

Results

Participants in the highest quartile of DIL had significantly higher odds of MetS (OR: 2.16; 95% CI: 1.02–4.25, P = 0.039) and hyperglycemia (OR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.08–4.96, P = 0.032). We also discovered that patients in the highest quartile of DII had higher odds of MetS (OR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.08–4.96, P = 0.034) and hyperglycemia (OR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.04–4.12, P = 0.019). Furthermore, participants in the highest quartile of DIL (OR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.00-2.59, P = 0.03) and DII (OR: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.05–1.95, P = 0.026) had higher odds of high waist circumference. When it came to hypertriglyceridemia, we found a significant association between DII and DIL only in the crude model, not the fully adjusted model. However, we didn’t observe any significant association between DII and DIL with hypercholesteremia, Low HDL, and high blood pressure (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Our study provides evidence suggesting that a higher DII and DIL may be associated with an increased risk of cardiometabolic risk factors and MetS in patients with T2DM.
Two cases of vitamin B12 deficiency in patients with beta-thalassemia trait: lessons in diagnosis
Authors: Chauhan Kriti , Shandilya Nikhil
Published: December 2023

Background

Coexisting pathologies is not a new phenomenon and can cause diagnostic difficulties when they overshadow one another. They may alter the cytomorphology of cells and the machine readings to an extent that the actual diagnosis is missed. One such scenario is created by coexisting megaloblastic anemia and beta-thalassemia trait where the RBC indices and the hemoglobin chromatogram findings conform to neither of the two.

Case presentation

We present two cases of anemia presenting with normocytic normochromic indices, increased red cell distribution width (RDW), elevated HbA2 levels and moderately high HbF levels in both of them and an additional low HbA1c in case 2. Upon evaluation of peripheral smear and biochemical tests, a non-immune hemolytic component was also identified with deficient Vit B12 levels in case 1 and highly elevated levels post-supplementation in case 2.

Conclusions

Taking together the peripheral smear, erythrogram, chromatogram and biochemical findings, it was deduced that the alterations were caused by coexisting beta-thalassemia trait and megaloblastic anemia. Vit B12 deficiency was the cause behind hemolysis owing to intramedullary destruction of abnormal precursors. Upon supplementation in case 2, the immediate reticulocyte response was the reason behind spuriously low HbA1c.
Centimeter-level-precision seafloor geodetic positioning model with self-structured empirical sound speed profile
Authors: Xue Shuqiang , Li Baojin , Xiao Zhen , Sun Yue , Li Jingsen
Published: December 2023

In-field Sound Speed Profile (SSP) measurement is still indispensable for achieving centimeter-level-precision Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-Acoustic (GNSS-A) positioning in current state of the art. However, in-field SSP measurement on the one hand causes a huge cost and on the other hand prevents GNSS-A from global seafloor geodesy especially for real-time applications. We propose an Empirical Sound Speed Profile (ESSP) model with three unknown temperature parameters jointly estimated with the seafloor geodetic station coordinates, which is called the 1st-level optimization. Furthermore, regarding the sound speed variations of ESSP we propose a so-called 2nd-level optimization to achieve the centimeter-level-precision positioning for monitoring the seafloor tectonic movement. Long-term seafloor geodetic data analysis shows that, the proposed two-level optimization approach can achieve almost the same positioning result with that based on the in-field SSP. The influence of substituting the in-field SSP with ESSP on the horizontal coordinates is less than 3 mm, while that on the vertical coordinate is only 2–3 cm in the standard deviation sense.
Unusual presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus in a male child: a case presentation
Authors: Gupta Khyati , Sawant Vishal Dnyaneshwar , Save Sushma
Published: December 2023

Background

Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune connective tissue disorder that is common among women of age group 15–40 years. The novelty in our case is owed to the deceptive demographic characteristics, not only the sex (F >  > M) but also of the age profile (common in 15–44 years age group) along with deviation from typical disease presentation of skin rash/arthritis/nephritic syndrome. We aim to emphasize the importance of having a high index of suspicion in any child presenting with nephrotic range proteinuria in order to prevent delay in diagnosis.

Case presentation

Eight-year-old boy presented with generalized swelling, proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia and hypertriglyceridemia and was found to be unresponsive to systemic steroid therapy. Further testing revealed low complement levels(C3/C4) along with ANA positive, homogenous pattern (titre ≥ 1:80) and anti-dsDNA positive (titre 229:24) pointing towards the diagnosis of childhood SLE, which was made based on EULAR/ACR criteria. Subsequent renal biopsy was done in order to stage the disease and for initiation of appropriate treatment protocol.

Conclusions

SLE is a highly heterogenous disorder in terms of clinical presentation. All patients with steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome should undergo renal biopsy as a part of their workup. This case is a learning opportunity which demonstrates that even in absence of typical disease manifestations and demographic profile, a high index of suspicion will help in rapid diagnosis and prevention of complications. Knowledge about the varied presentations of renal lupus is of utmost importance for the same.
The effect of a structured running exercise intervention on non-exercise physical activity and sedentary behaviour in persons with mild Multiple Sclerosis and healthy controls
Authors: Nieste Ine , Spaas Jan , Franssen Wouter M. A. , Asch Paul V. , Savelberg Hans H. C. M. , Eijnde Bert O.
Published: December 2023

Background

Exercise interventions fail to increase objective physical activity (PA) in persons with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS), while they self-report higher exercise participation. This suggests that PwMS change their non-exercise PA (NEPA). We aimed to explore NEPA changes of PwMS and healthy controls (HC), and whether these constrain exercise adaptations.

Methods

Twenty-nine mildly-disabled PwMS and 26 HC completed a 10-month home-based running program. A non-randomised controlled study design was used. The primary outcome was time in different NEPA intensities (light intensity PA [LIPA] and moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA [MVPA]) and in sedentary behaviour ([SB]; total and uninterrupted SB) at baseline (T1), after 5 (T2) and 10 (T3) months of exercise. Data were averaged over days with and without exercise sessions (EX and NONEX days). Secondary outcomes included patient-reported and physical exercise adaptations (fatigue, walking mobility, blood pressure, body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness).

Results

A significant reduction in non-exercise MVPA was observed from T1 to T2 (− 113 ± 31 min/week, p < 0.01) and from T1 to T3 (− 95 ± 26 min/week, p < 0.01) in PwMS, which approximately matched the weekly exercise duration at those time points. PwMS also increased their uninterrupted SB on NONEX days compared to EX days (+ 0.7 ± 0.3 h, p < 0.01). There were no changes in MVPA or SB of HC (group × time effect MVPA: p < 0.05; group × EX day effect uninterrupted SB: p < 0.01). Secondary outcomes improved similarly in both groups and were not associated with NEPA/SB changes.

Conclusions

In contrast to HC, PwMS significantly changed their NEPA and the pattern in which they accumulated SB in response to structured exercise. This might be a necessary behavioural compensation in order to adhere to the exercise intervention and did not constrain patient-reported and physical outcomes. Future research is warranted to unravel the underlying causes and to investigate the effects on other exercise adaptations, such as cardiometabolic health.

Trial registration The present study was registered (December 10, 2019) at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04191772
Closing the patient-provider gap along the surgical journey one click at a time: results of a phase I pilot trial of a patient navigation tool
Authors: Shoucair Sami , Downing Gregory , O’Rourke Jacqueline , Greenberg Liza , Yea Mike , Vatas Gunjan , Kim Paula , Fishbein Thomas , Unger Keith , Winslow Emily
Published: December 2023

Background

Patients diagnosed with complex hepato-pancreaticobiliary (HPB) conditions experience a challenging journey through the healthcare system. Patient navigation is commonly offered to patients and their caregivers throughout this process. Here, we report on the development and phase I testing of a prototype web-based dual (patient and provider) navigation application ‘PatientNav.’

Methods

Evidence-based recommendations were determined through a needs assessment. The PatientNav app was designed to be a highly customizable tool based on the needs of the patients, the care team, and the characteristics of the institution. Our phase I pilot trial targeted adult patients who reported the capacity to use a mobile app or desktop website presenting to our HPB transplant clinic at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital/Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center over two months. Usability, functionality, and reliability testing were conducted by applying multiple strategies, including biometric data analysis, task completion, questionnaires, and interviews.

Results

Out of 22 patients, 18 (81.8%) completed the in-app survey whose responses were included in the analysis. The usability rate of PatientNav among patient app users was 95.4%. Among patient app users who completed the in-app survey questionnaire, 66.6% reported that the content in the PatientNav app was relevant. In terms of the app's reliability, none of the patient app users reported technical issues with accessing PatientNav throughout the study period. To further elucidate the characteristics of individuals who exhibited high usage of the PatientNav assigned task functions, we divided our cohort based on the median number of tasks used (N = 75 total tasks). The univariable comparison showed that high function users were older, with a median (IQR) age of 61.5 (57.8, 71.3) compared to 52.2 (34.5, 65.7) years among low function users. No differences were observed based on gender, racial distribution, living condition, or occupation. However, 41.7% of low function users had Medicare/Medicaid insurance, whereas all high function users had private or combined insurance.

Conclusion

Our phase I pilot study showed that PatientNav is a feasible, usable, and functional technological tool that enables patients with complex HPB diagnoses and their care team to interface in real-time using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). PatientNav is a reliable tool that can be used by clinical and support staff to help navigate patients through surgery and aftercare and by patients to assist in navigation and self-management.

Trial registration

The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov; Registration number: NCT04892927; date of registration: 5/19/2021.
Revealing the psychopathological pathway linking trauma to post-traumatic stress disorder: longitudinal network approach
Authors: Chen Chen , Cao Chengqi , Fang Ruojiao , Wang Li , Borsboom Denny
Published: December 2023

The present study investigated the psychopathological processes of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the network approach to psychopathology. The directed acyclic graph model was employed to analyse a large longitudinal data-set of Chinese children and adolescents exposed to a destructive earthquake. It was found that intrusion symptoms were first activated by trauma exposure, and subsequently activated other PTSD symptoms. The data are consistent with the idea that symptoms may form a self-sustaining dynamic network by interacting with each other to promote or maintain the chronicity of PTSD. The findings advance the current understanding about the psychopathological processes of PTSD, and inform further research and clinical practices on post-traumatic psychopathology.
Natural Language Processing–Assisted Classification Models to Confirm Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance and Progression in Veterans' Electronic Health Records
Authors: Wang Mei , Yu Yao-Chi , Liu Lawrence , Schoen Martin W. , Kumar Akhil , Vargo Kristin , Colditz Graham , Thomas Theodore , Chang Su-Hsin
Published: December 2023

PURPOSE

To develop and validate natural language processing (NLP)–assisted machine learning (ML)–based classification models to confirm diagnoses of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and multiple myeloma (MM) from electronic health records (EHRs) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We developed precompiled lexicons and classification rules as features for the following ML classifiers: logistic regression, random forest, and support vector machines (SVMs). These features were trained on 36,044 EHR documents from a random sample of 400 patients with at least one International Classification of Disease code for MGUS diagnosis from 1999 to 2021. The best-performing feature combination was calibrated in the validation set (17,826 documents/200 patients) and evaluated in the testing set (9,250 documents/100 patients). Model performance in diagnosis confirmation was compared with manual chart review results (gold standard) using recall, precision, accuracy, and F1 score. For patients correctly labeled as disease-positive, the difference between model-identified diagnosis dates and the gold standard was also computed.

RESULTS

In the testing set, the NLP-assisted classification model using SVMs achieved best performance in both MGUS and MM confirmation with recall/precision/accuracy/F1 of 98.8%/93.3%/93.0%/96.0% for MGUS and 100.0%/92.3%/99.0%/96.0% for MM. Dates of diagnoses matched (±45 days) with those of gold standard in 73.0% of model-confirmed MGUS and 84.6% of model-confirmed MM.

CONCLUSION

An NLP-assisted classification model can reliably confirm MGUS and MM diagnoses and dates and extract laboratory results using automated interpretation of EHR data. This algorithm has the potential to be adapted to other disease areas in VHA EHR system.
New distributional records of Mollusca from Sunderban Biosphere Reserve, India
Authors: Yogesh Kumar Joseph Stanley , Panda Pradip , Sen Arya
Published: December 2023

Sunderban Biosphere Reserve (SBR) is the largest existing mangrove ecosystem in the world harbouring 177 species of Mollusca. During several surveys in Sunderban Biosphere Reserve to record the faunal diversity, five molluscan species, namely Dosinia tumida (Gray, 1838), Babylonia spirata (Linnaeus, 1758), Babylonia zeylanica (Bruguière, 1789), Indothais gradata (Jonas, 1846), Architectonica perdix (Hinds, 1844) have been identified as new records from the region. Also, D. tumida and B. zeylanica have been identified as new for the faunal diversity of West Bengal. Another one, I. gradata is being recorded from India by this communication for the first time. The recorded molluscan diversity from Indian Sunderban and these present findings imply that malacofaunal study from SBR need to be reassessed for an updated malacofaunal diversity status for implementing better conservation tactics in SBR.
Operação Fiscal Queijo Suíço
Authors: Costa Adaílton Moreno Cunha da , Carvalho Breno Campos de , Zimmermann Vinícius de Souza
Published: December 2023

Este caso aborda a dicotomia entre política e administração na elaboração de uma política pública voltada à fiscalização das rodovias nas fronteiras do Estado de Genebra, a Operação Fiscal Queijo Suíço. Objetivo: arrecadar mais recursos para atender aos programas sociais em vigor e realizar obras para grandes eventos esportivos. Resultados: aumento de arrecadação, invasão de competência, usurpação de função, abuso de autoridade e quebra de sigilo fiscal. Os conflitos na Operação culminam na prisão de dois auditores fiscais. Diante do problema, o Governador tem um impasse com relação ao futuro do Programa. Às vésperas das eleições ele precisa decidir e, ao mesmo tempo, equilibrar os diversos interesses.
O CABIMENTO DE AÇÕES RESCISÓRIAS EM VIRTUDE DA INOBSERVÂNCIA A PRONUNCIAMENTO JUDICIAL VINCULANTE
Authors: Paulo Lucas Moreschi , Gavião Filho Anizio Pires
Published: December 2023

Contextualização: A ação rescisória é medida cabível contra decisão judicial transitada em julgado que viole manifestamente norma jurídica, assim, necessário questionar se a inobservância a precedente dá azo ao manejo da ação rescisória, uma vez que os precedentes alteram o núcleo interpretativo da norma jurídica.Objetivo: O objetivo deste artigo é o de postular uma hipótese de cabimento da Ação Rescisória à luz dos objetivos postos pelo Código de Processo Civil de 2015 (“CPC”), explicitado em seu artigo 926, de manter um sistema jurídico estável, íntegro e coerente.Método: O presente estudo foi conduzido por meio da revisão da legislação, bem como da doutrina nacional e internacional, utilizando-se do método dedutivo.Resultados: A preocupação da temática não é apenas de ordem tópica, acerca de casos isolados, mas se dá como reflexão lógica de um sistema jurídico que se queira coerente, estável e harmônico, como preconizado em CPC de 2015.Conclusões: Finalmente foi percebido que há alcance normativo das regras processuais já postas para que seja encaminhada a conclusão pelo cabimento das ações rescisórias para a tutela do direito coerente, estável e íntegro, em virtude da inobservância de pronunciamento judicial vinculante, desde que observados os prazos estabelecidos.
Ο τουρισμός στη σύγχρονη συγκυρία και τα νέα τουριστικά προϊόντα ως εργαλεία βιώσιμης περιφερειακής και τοπικής ανάπτυξης
Authors: Τσολακάκη Παναγιώτα
Published: December 2023

Ο σχεδιασμός και η ανάπτυξη νέων τουριστικών προϊόντων είναι ένα πολυδιάστατο εγχείρημα που συνδέεται με την ύπαρξη τουριστικών πόρων και μία σειρά άλλων πολύ συγκεκριμένων κριτηρίων που πρέπει να πληρούνται. Ο τουρισμός εν γένει κι η ανάπτυξη τουριστικών προϊόντων, επιλέγεται συχνά ως πολιτική, ως μέσο περιφερειακή και τοπικής ανάπτυξης, ανά τον κόσμο κι ιδιαιτέρως στις αναπτυγμένες χώρες. Η ανάπτυξη τουριστικών προϊόντων είναι στην ουσία η εισαγωγή νέων και καινοτόμων προϊόντων και εμπειριών στην αγορά για κατανάλωση, που όμως κατ επέκταση, ως βιωματικές εμπειρίες, έχουν ευρύτερες επιπτώσεις από τον οικονομικό τομέα. Στη σημερινή εποχή, ο τουριστικός τομέας είναι πολύπλοκος και έχει επηρεαστεί σημαντικά από τις συγχρονες συνθήκες ζωής, τις νέες τεχνολογίες, την οικονομική κρίση αλλά και άλλους αστάθμητους παράγοντες όπως ο πιο προσφατος της πανδημίας του COVID-19. Η ευθραυστότητα (vulnerability) του και η αμφίδρομη σχέση του με μία σειρά επιμέρους δραστηριοτήτων και άλλων τομέων της οικονομίας, έχει φανερώσει τα τελευταία χρόνια έναν πιο οικοσυστημικό χαρακτήρα του φαινομένου που έως σήμερα μπορεί να χαρακτηρίζεται ενίοτε χωρικό ή κοινωνικό φαινόμενο. Η παρούσα έρευνα διερευνα ταυτόχρονα και τον νέο χαρακτήρα του φαινομένου με τα συγχρονα δεδομένα των τελευταίων ετών και εξετάσει τον βαθμό επιρροής αυτών στον σχεδιασμό τουριστικών προϊόντων. Ετσι στοχεύει κατά ένα μέρος στη συλλογή των κριτηρίων που σχετίζονται με την ανάπτυξη νέων τουριστικών προϊόντων, και ειδικότερα χρησιμοποιεί ως μελέτη περίπτωσης στον Β’ Μέρος της έρευνας την Βιομηχανική Κληρονομιά και την Πόλης της Ελευσίνας. Λαμβάνοντας υπόψη τις προκλήσεις που αντιμετωπίζει ο τομέας, η έρευνα επικεντρώνεται στην κατανόηση των τρεχουσών τάσεων της αγοράς, των κινήτρων των ταξιδιωτών και άλλων σχετικών παραγόντων. Το κύριο ερώτημα που απαντά η έρευνα είναι το πώς και γιατί να αναπτύξουμε ένα τουριστικό προϊόν, τα στάδια της ανάπτυξης, και την αναγνώριση των τουριστικών πόρων. Η σύγκριση των περιπτώσεων και τα εκάστοτε εργαλεία που χρησιμοποιούνται αποτελούν μέσα επαλήθευσης της μεθοδολογίας και μπορούν να συμβάλλουν στον στρατηγικό σχεδιασμό για την ορθή εκμετάλλευση της κληρονομιάς στη σημερινή εποχή, με αναπτυξιακούς όρους.
Οι δια Χριστόν σαλές αγίες στην Ορθόδοξη Ρωσική Εκκλησία
Authors: Κυνηγού-Γιεβτουσένκο Ελισάβετ
Published: December 2023

Το φαινόμενο της γυναικείας δια Χριστόν σαλότητας άγει τις ρίζες του στη πρωτοβυζαντινή περίοδο και κατά την νεότερη εποχή απεδείχθη ιδιαίτερα ανθηρό στο ρωσικό χώρο. Η παρούσα Διατριβή με τίτλο «Οι δια Χριστόν σαλές αγίες στην Ορθόδοξη Ρωσική Εκκλησία» έχει ως στόχο τη παρουσίαση της γυναικείας δια Χριστόν σαλότητας στη Ρωσία από την εποχή της επίσημης εμφάνισής της, δηλαδή από τον 17ο αιώνα, έως τον 20ο αιώνα έτσι όπως διαμορφώθηκε μέσα από σειρά ανακηρύξεων των τελευταίων πενήντα ετών. Τα προς εξέταση πρόσωπα είναι στον αριθμό δέκα: Μάρθα της Μόσχας, Ευδοκία του Σούζνταλ, Ξένια της Αγίας Πετρούπολης, Ευφροσύνη του Κολιουπάνοβο, Δόμνα του Τομσκ, Πελαγία του Ντιβέγεβο, Πάσα του Σαρόβ, Μαρία του Ντιβέγεβο, Λιουμπόβ του Ριαζάν, Βαρβάρα της Σκβορτσίχα. Η επιλογή των παραπάνω προσώπων έγινε με γνώμονα την συναρίθμησή τους μεταξύ των αγίων δια Χριστόν σαλων. Η διδακτορική διατριβή αποτελείται από τρία κύρια μέρη. Στο πρώτο εκφράζονται απόψεις και προβληματισμοί γύρω από το ερώτημα τι είναι η δια Χριστόν σαλότητα, πραγματοποιείται μία σύντομη ιστορική αναδρομή του φαινομένου στο Βυζάντιο, αναλύεται το εννοιολογικό περιεχόμενο των όρων «σαλός» και «μακάριος» στην ρωσική ορθόδοξη παράδοση και η ετυμολογική τους σχέση, παρουσιάζεται η ιστορική εξέλιξη του φαινομένου της δια Χριστόν σαλότητας από τον 14ο έως τον 20ο αιώνα, γίνεται αναφορά στις διαδικασίες αναγνώρισης των δια Χριστών σαλών γυναικών από την ορθόδοξη ρωσική Εκκλησία. Το δεύτερο μέρος περιλαμβάνει δέκα κεφάλαια. Κάθε κεφάλαιο αποτελεί τη συντετμημένη βιογραφία έκαστης αγίας. Το τρίτο μέρος χωρίζεται σε πέντε κεφάλαια που αφορούν ποικίλες πτυχές της ζωής των δια Χριστών σαλών γυναικών. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, στο τρίτο μέρος εξετάζονται οι περιπτώσεις κλήσης στη δια Χριστόν σαλότητα. Διερευνώνται οι συνθήκες μέσα στις οποίες γαλουχήθηκε η εμφάνιση της γυναικείας δια Χριστόν σαλότητας. Πραγματοποιείται η εξέταση της «δια Χριστόν σαλής» μέσα από το πρίσμα του γυναικείου επαναστατικού πνεύματος και της ανάγκης για απελευθέρωση από κοινωνικά στερεότυπα, πραγματοποιείται σύγκριση σαλών με άλλες ιδιαίτερες περιπτώσεις άσκησης. Διερευνώνται οι λόγοι για τους οποίους μεγάλο μέρος των σαλών δεν κατέφυγε σε μοναστήρια. Εξετάζεται το ενδεχόμενο η επιλογή τόπου άθλησης να σχετίζεται με το βαθμό αποδοχής της σαλής από το κοινωνικό της περιβάλλον. Αναλύεται η εξωτερική εμφάνιση των σαλών γυναικών και για πρώτη φορά αντικρούεται η άποψη ότι οι σαλές πάντα έκρυβαν το σώμα τους κάτω από τα ενδύματα σε αντίθεση με τους άνδρες. Αναδεικνύονται οι σχέσεις και ομοιότητες των σαλών με όμοιούς τους και οι σχέσεις των σαλών γυναικών με τα άλλα πλάσματα του Θεού, με τα ζώα. Παρουσιάζονται τα χαρακτηριστικά και οι ιδιαιτερότητες του ασκητικού βίου των δια Χριστόν σαλών, η θέση και η προσφορά τους στη κοινωνία.
Gaming in multicultural classrooms with refugee and migrant children: Exploring the potential of culturally tailored serious games as spaces for second language acquisition
Authors: Panagou Konstantina , Brailas Alexios
Published: December 2023

Due to the emergence of technology and people’s dependence on it, coupled with global human flows causing intense student mobility in schools, the need for a new educational paradigm arises. On the one hand, people are becoming increasingly reliant on the satisfaction modern screens provide, and all other stimuli seem uninteresting and dull. In these terms, traditional educational methods appear outdated and ineffective for the modern classroom. Today, education is a critical factor influencing and preparing people to become citizens of a world without borders. Moving in this direction, educational tools should be diversified and adjusted to a multicultural context so that all students can emotionally relate and identify themselves with the knowledge they are taught. The use of gaming in education is a popular new addition to modern classrooms. This article will present the results of a research project that investigated the potential use of serious games in multicultural environments as a space for the acquisition of English as a second language. More precisely, the study focused on the culturally-tailored content of serious games and their ideal design features, according to English teacher practitioners working with refugee and migrant populations in Trikala, Greece.
Balancing Business Objectives and Shareholders’ Rights in Voluntary Delisting: a Comparative Analysis of Selected Legal Jurisdictions
Authors: Alzumai Fahad A. , Alshammari Fahad N.
Published: December 2023

Delisting a company from the stock market often negatively affects the interests of all related parties. For shareholders, the main detriment is their loss of the ability to trade and sell their shares on the open stock market. As voluntary delistings become a more prevalent market phenomenon worldwide, countries are seeking to implement regulatory protections during the process. The aim of this paper is to make a comparative analysis of the protection of shareholders during delisting across multiple jurisdictions including the United States, the UK, Germany, India, and Thailand that have adopted different regimes for protecting shareholders during a company’s voluntary delisting. The goal is to answer the question of which shareholder protection instruments in the covered jurisdictions have adopted to protect shareholder and company interests during delisting, and also to question the effectiveness of investor protection in voluntary delisting. The paper offers potential ways to better protect the rights of shareholders during the voluntary delisting process to achieve a balanced regulation of different corporate actors’ interests.
Motivating Experts to Contribute to Digital Public Goods: A Personalized Field Experiment on Wikipedia
Authors: Chen Yan , Farzan Rosta , Kraut Robert , YeckehZaare Iman , Zhang Ark Fangzhou
Published: December 2023

We conducted a large-scale personalized field experiment to examine how match quality, recognition, and social impact influence domain experts’ contributions to Wikipedia. Forty-five percent of the experts expressed willingness to contribute in the baseline condition, whereas 51% (a 13% increase over the baseline) expressed interest when they received a signal that an article matched their expertise. However, none of the treatments had a significant effect on actual contributions. Instead experts contributed longer and better comments when the actual match between a recommended Wikipedia article and an expert's expertise, measured by cosine similarity, was higher, when they had higher reputation, and when the original article was longer. These findings suggest that match quality between volunteers and tasks is critically important in encouraging contributions to digital public goods and likely to volunteering in general.

This paper was accepted by David Simchi-Levi, behavioral economics and decision analysis.

Funding: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation through [Grant SES-1620319] awarded to Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Michigan.

Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4852 .
Pemanfaatan Software SPSS untuk Analisis Instrument Penelitian Dalam Penelitian Tindakan Kelas
Authors: Mutakin Deden
Published: December 2023

Dalam kegiatan PTK instrument tes (soal) yang digunakan sebagai alat ukur untuk mengukur keberhasil suatu metode atau tindakan perlu diuji kualitasnya. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kuantitatif dengan metode deskriptif. Penelitian ini dimaksudkan untuk mencari informasi dan data yang dapat digunakan untuk mendeskripsikan kualitas instrumen tes secara empiris berdasarkan unsur validitas, reliabilitas, indeks kesukaran, dan daya pembeda soal yang diolah dengan bantuan software SPSS versi 16.0. Diagnostik soal dengan menguji cobakan soal kepada 42 siswa kelas VIII B Madarash Muallimin Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta. Hasil uji coba didapatkan 20 item soal baik instrument tes subtema 1 dan 2 kesemuanya valid dan reliable. Tingkat kesukaran instrument tes subtema 1 terdapat 4 soal kategori sedang dan 16 soal kategori mudah. Instrumen tes subtema 2 terdapat 10 soal kategori sedang dan 10 soal kategori mudah. Uji daya pembeda instrument tes subtema 1 kesemua soal dalam kategori baik. Instrument tes subtema 2 terdapat 19 soal dengan kategori baik dan 1 soal dengan kategori tidak baik.  Manfaat setelah dilakukan analisis instrumen soal menggunakan SPSS ini adalah dapat membantu dalam evaluasi atas tes yang digunakan, mendukung penulisan butir soal yang efektif, menentukan apakah suatu fungsi butir soal sesuai dengan yang diharapkan, dan merevisi materi yang dinilai atau diukur.
Los mamíferos de los bosques secos de Mesoamérica
Authors: Prieto-Torres David A. , Martinez Badillo Hannia , Hernández-Romero Pablo César
Published: December 2023

Aunque los bosques secos pudiesen parecer ambientes inhóspitos en determinados momentos del año, presentan una alta riqueza de especies. Tan sólo en Mesoamérica se han reportado más de 380 especies de mamíferos en este tipo de ecosistema, lo cual equivale a un 6% de toda la biodiversidad de mamíferos del mundo. No obstante, estos bosques y su biodiversidad se encuentran amenazados por la deforestación y el cambio climático global.
Murciélagos futuristas: de la inspiración a la innovación
Authors: Vargas-López Luis David , MacSwiney G. M. Cristina , Ospina Garcés Sandra Milena
Published: December 2023

Inspirados en la asombrosa capacidad de vuelo y el sofisticado sistema de ecolocalización de los murciélagos, los científicos e ingenieros están enfocados en el diseño de micro vehículos, tanto terrestres como aéreos, que imiten el movimiento de las alas y la emisión de sonidos de estos mamíferos.
A PRIMEIRA ESCRITORA DO MUNDO: NOTAS SOBRE ENREDUANA, DE ROGER MELLO E MARIANA MASSARANI
Authors: Passos Ramalhete Mariana , Gonçalves Marotto Rafael
Published: December 2023

Este artigo se propõe a discutir a importância do livro Enreduana, escrito por Roger Mello e ilustrado por Mariana Massarani, publicado em 2018, para a formação estética de jovens leitores. Trata-se de um livro que aborda a história da primeira escritora e filósofa do mundo. Por sua notória qualidade, o livro foi finalista do prêmio Jabuti em 2019, nas categorias Melhor livro infantil e Melhor ilustração, laureado com a melhor ilustração e Hors-Concours na categoria Jovem do Prêmio da Fundação Nacional do Livro Infantil e Juvenil (FNLIJ) de 2019 e na categoria "melhor obra estrangeira" recebeu o Prêmio Internacional de Literatura Infantil Chen Bochui (Cicla) (REIS, 2019).  Categoriza-se metodologicamente como uma pesquisa qualitativa de procedimento documental. Apresenta, inicialmente, considerações inerentes às mudanças da literatura infantojuvenil, quer seja no deslocamento de viés pedagógico que lhe deu origem, quer seja na abordagem temática. São contempladas também as discussões inerentes à formação de leitores, à temática da obra, ao projeto gráfico, às ilustrações, em diálogo com questões de gênero. A pesquisa conclui que o rico trabalho materializado em Enreduana justifica sua necessidade de abordagem também no contexto educacional, uma vez que em diálogo com a história e por meio da linguagem metafórica utilizada, plurissignificativa, desconstrói a abordagem uma marginalizada do gênero feminino, imposta pelo patriarcado.
MINISTÉRIO PÚBLICO DO PARANÁ: ATUAÇÃO COLABORATIVA DOS AGENTES EM TERRITÓRIOS DE VULNERABILIDADE SOCIOAMBIENTAL
Authors: Sartori Régis Rogério Vicente , Grimm Isabel Jurema
Published: December 2023

O artigo analisa a capacidade de comunicação, diálogo e colaboração entre os membros do Ministério Público do Estado do Paraná (MPPR), para a persecução do desenvolvimento mais sustentável, em território de vulnerabilidade socioambiental. Aborda-se a situação de fragilidade do bairro Caximba, localizado no município de Curitiba, onde se desenvolve o Projeto do Bairro Novo Caximba, acompanhado pelo MPPR que atua no fomento e fiscalização da implementação de políticas públicas, bem como no levantamento das reivindicações da comunidade local. Para alcançar o objetivo proposto investigou-se a possibilidade de atuação conjunta e trabalho colaborativo através do instrumento Agenda Caximba, observada a independência funcional de cada agente do MPPR, por meio da coleta de dados e informações, utilizando-se a técnica do grupo focal. Por fim, aborda-se a relevância da introdução de uma atuação colaborativa no MPPR para a persecução dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS), em especial para a erradicação da pobreza (ODS 1), redução das desigualdades (ODS 10) e promoção de sociedades pacíficas e inclusivas por meio de instituições mais justas e eficazes (ODS16). Como resultados, foi constatado que, a partir do desenvolvimento de uma atuação conjunta entre os membros do Ministério Público, pode haver aumento da colaboração entre os agentes dentro de determinada política pública, o que comumente não se verifica na tradicional atuação individual.
Aproximaciones sobre lo jurídico en el campo del hábitat. Caso: Normativas locales de construcción con tierra en Argentina
Authors: Pasquale María Florencia , Mandrini Maria Rosa
Published: December 2023

En este trabajo buscamos reflexionar sobre el rol del derecho en vinculación al reconocimiento de la arquitectura y construcción con tierra. Para esto se recupera parte del abordaje de Santos relativo al enfoque de derechos humanos. Sobre este bagaje conceptual nos preguntamos si las normativas técnicas y jurídicas locales contribuyen al reconocimiento de tecnologías tradicionales con sus respectivos saberes y prácticas constructivas, y de qué modo podrían nutrirse del aporte desde un enfoque de derechos. Analizamos el caso de estudio de la Red Protierra Argentina haciendo foco en el proceso de elaboración del proyecto de Ordenanza y Anexo Técnico de Arquitectura y Construcción con Tierra (AyCcT) y su aplicación en tres experiencias municipales. Nos centramos en indagar el modo en que se expresa en este proceso colectivo la tensión entre regulación y emancipación, entre otros interrogantes. Arribando a la conclusión de que, efectivamente las normativas locales pueden actuar como un instrumento de resistencia, reafirmando un carácter insurgente y emancipatorio, al mismo tiempo que pueden ser capaces de promover sinergias emancipadoras en las ecologías de saberes.
De la ordenanza a su aplicación efectiva: luces y sombras en el recupero de valorizaciones inmobiliarias. Los casos de Santa Fe, Santo Tomé y Esperanza (Argentina) entre 2011 y 2022
Authors: Carné Martín Alberto
Published: December 2023

La investigación asume el objetivo de caracterizar las experiencias recientes de captación de plusvalías urbanas por parte de tres Estados locales del Área Metropolitana Santa Fe (Argentina): Santa Fe, Esperanza y Santo Tomé. De perfil exploratorio, las fuentes de información consultadas a tal fin son: a) ordenanzas y convenios urbanísticos que regulan tal captación; b) entrevistas semiestructuradas con funcionarios y concejales responsables de dichas ordenanzas y c) registros periodísticos. La evidencia obtenida informa que los Departamentos Ejecutivos de los Estados locales observados hacen un uso de la normativa que desnaturaliza su potencial redistributivo: vetos parciales que reducen la tipificación de hechos generadores pasibles de pagar plusvalía urbana; no reglamentación -y consecuente no aplicación- de la normativa disponible; no publicidad del nivel de dinero o especies recuperado ni del destino dado. Así, instrumentos que con otra aplicación podrían contribuir a que los Estados locales amplíen bancos de tierra, urbanicen suelo o provean infraestructura en áreas urbanas carentes de ellas, son utilizados para afrontar obras menores que alteran sólo en el margen la marcada desigualdad socioespacial propia de las tres ciudades estudiadas, de modo que la renta creada por la expansión urbana es mayoritariamente apropiada por los actores ligados al desarrollo inmobiliario.
Expansão e evasão: as ambivalências do ensino superior no Brasil
Authors: Trindade Prestes Emilia Maria da , Pfeiffer Dietmar , Batista dos Santos José Lucas
Published: December 2023

Nas sociedades modernas, a educação ocupa uma função estratégica, tanto para o desenvolvimento econômico, cultural e social, como na construção de identidades individuais e suas chances na vida. A Educação Superior (ES) é nas sociedades atuais, o principal responsável pela formação pessoal e profissional de indivíduos para o desenvolvimento científico-tecnológico, cuja expansão se tornou um fenômeno global que abrange todos os países do mundo. O Brasil, nas últimas décadas, impulsados por uma política educacional expansionista, apresentou um crescimento extraordinário de matrículas e instituições de ES, conduzido, sobretudo, pelo setor privado. No entanto, se observou, por outro lado, um forte crescimento das taxas de evasão em todos os setores do ES. Frente a essa situação, o presente estudo objetiva analisar, mediante um modelo longitudinal dinâmico, a relação entre expansão e evasão universitária no Brasil até o ano 2019, bem como desenvolver uma hipótese no tocante às causas subjacentes desse fenômeno.
Contribuições da Iniciação Científica para a área de educação agrícola: formação inicial de agrônomos no Instituto Federal Goiano campus Urutaí
Authors: Gonçalves Suzany Faíny , Goulart Silvia Moreira
Published: December 2023

Buscamos trazer à discussão as contribuições da atividade de iniciação científica para a formação inicial no ensino superior. Focalizamos o curso de bacharelado em agronomia ofertado pelo IF Goiano Campus Urutaí. Análises da participação nas atividades de IC têm sido insuficientemente estudadas no âmbito do IF Goiano. Em um estudo de caso qualitativo, combinamos pesquisa bibliográfica e documental. A análise de dados aponta para a emergência de uma cultura científica no âmbito do curso de Agronomia intimamente associada à articulação de atividades curriculares e extracurriculares, na tríade ensino-pesquisa-extensão, que fomentam a consolidação de um ethos da pesquisa científica na instituição, e que se traduz no envolvimento dos estudantes numa prática investigativa.