bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chinua Achebe's No Longer at Ease: The Conflict of Values in Post-colonial History of Nigeria
Authors: Thanwan Rustam IAneed
Published: August 2022

As a reaction to the European dominance on the African continent, African novelists showed a nationalistic feeling in their novels, and this national awareness gave them the opportunity to present the contemporary African experience. In the region that was occupied by the British, Nigeria in particular, the novelists’ interest was to show the impacts of the settlement period on the peoples of that region. Chinua Achebe was one of the most prominent Nigerian novelists who dedicated their novels to represent the psychological, social and cultural conflicts that Africans experienced as a result of the European intrusion into African life. The events and scenes of his novels were taken more from the reality of African life than from the world of imagination. His No Longer at Ease provides a critique of post-independence Nigerian life and an assessment of what it inherited from the European settler. The events of the novel deal with an African young man and the crisis he experienced as a result of the conflict between the European intellectual culture that he acquired during his studies in England and what he inherited of tribal and family traditions and values. The novel reveals the protagonist's lack of the moral courage to face the pressures of the conflict between the European materialistic ideals and the African traditions, which leads to his failure and moral downfall. The novel thus becomes an invitation, on the level of values ​​, for an assessment of the behavior of the cultural elite that will take over the leadership of modern Nigeria and their ways to deal with the legacy of settlement.
Is tracking all that it takes? Exploring the validity of news media exposure measurements created with metered data
Authors: Bosch Oriol J. , Revilla Melanie
Published: August 2022

Metered data, also called “web-tracking data”, is generally collected from a sample of participants who willingly install or configure, into their devices, technologies that track digital traces left when people go online (e.g. URLs visited). Since metered data allows observation of web browsing unobtrusively and without relying on self-reports, it has been proposed as a potentially useful tool to measure online behaviours.As survey data, metered data is normally used to measure specific constructs, and then make inferences for a target population. To operationalize these constructs into measurements, researchers must specify the pieces of information from participants’ tracked online behaviors that will be used. For instance, to measure the “number of visits to political articles”, a list of visits to URLs considered as containing “political articles” must be defined and added up. While previous research shows that most survey design decisions can affect the validity of survey questions, little is known for metered data. Using a three-wave online survey conducted in opt-in panels in 2021 in Spain, Portugal and Italy, matched at the individual level with metered data, we first discuss the design decision that should be considered when creating metered data measures (e.g. how much time should a visit take to be considered?). Second, by operationalizing a set of specific constructs (e.g. time spent visiting political articles) using different combinations of design decisions, we estimate the convergent and discriminant validity of an extensive range of measurements (up to 432 per concept). Though the application of random forests of regression trees, finally, we estimate the influence of the different design choices on the validity of measurements. Our results can help researchers deciding what to consider when operationalizing constructs into metered data measurements, by shedding light on the mechanisms in which different design decisions can affect their validity.
Clinician Perception of the Utility of the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) System
Authors: Balling Caroline , South Susan Carol , Lynam Donald , Samuel Douglas B
Published: August 2022

AbstractThe Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) has been criticized through evidence suggesting it lacks appropriate validity, reliability, and clinical utility, and the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) has been offered as a solution to these criticisms. The goal of the present study was to compare clinician perceptions of these systems for the conceptualization of outpatient clinical cases. A sample of actively practicing clinicians (n = 143) rated one of three clinical vignettes using both diagnostic systems then rated the two approaches on seven indices of clinical utility. HiTOP was favored for overall clinical utility score as well as utility for formulating effective intervention, communicating clinical information to the client, comprehensively describing psychopathology, describing global functioning, and ease of application. There was no preference between HiTOP and the DSM for communicating with other mental health providers. The DSM was not favored for any clinical utility outcome. Statement of Relevance The standard of diagnosing and categorizing mental disorders in the USA has long been the DSM, but the manual has been criticized through evidence suggesting it is not clinically nor empirically useful. HiTOP was introduced in 2017 as an evidence-based reorganization of the signs, symptoms, and traits of mental illness and a potential solution to the limitations of the DSM. The recommendation to move away from the DSM and towards HiTOP has been met with criticism by others in the field, and a common concern is the lack of empirical evidence that the HiTOP approach is clinically useful or that clinicians would be open to applying it. However, in the present study, a sample of 143 actively practicing clinicians displayed preference for HiTOP over the DSM in measures of clinical utility. From this vantage point, it appears that when it comes to HiTOP, clinicians are capable and interested.
Perceptions of a robot’s mental states influence performance in a collaborative task for males and females differently
Authors: Siri Giulia , Abubshait Abdulaziz , De Tommaso Davide , Cardellicchio Pasquale , D'Ausilio Alessandro , Wykowska Agnieszka
Published: August 2022

With the increasing use of social robots and automated machines in our daily lives, roboticists need to design robots that are suitable for human-robot collaboration. Prior work suggests that robots that are perceived to be intentional (i.e., are able to experience mental life capacities), can, in most cases, positively affect human-robot collaboration. With studies highlighting the importance of individual differences and how they drive our perception, we aimed to investigate how individual differences in gender moderate the relationship between subjective perceptions of robots and behavioral performance in a human-robot collaborative task. Participants rated a humanoid robot (i.e., iCub) on whether it can experience mental life capacities and completed a collaborative task with it. We correlated their subjective ratings with the completion time of the collaborative task and found a positive correlation between perceiving iCub to experience basic and social emotion with their performance (i.e., movement times). This relationship, however, was evident for males but not females. The results of this study suggest that perceiving a humanoid robot as capable of experiencing mental states can influence the human-robot collaborative performance and that this effect is modulated by individual differences in gender. These findings can be relevant for the field of social robotics and to successfully design robot interaction partners for workplaces.
Differential expression of LINC00487 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Authors: Mamoor Shahan
Published: August 2022

Neurodegenerative diseases that affect the motor neurons, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), have little treatment options and are generally rapidly fatal (1, 2). We harnessed the power of unbiased, whole transcriptome differential gene expression analysis, utilizing primary patient cells and tissues to discover genes whose expression defines sporadic ALS using published data (3, 4). We found significant differential expression of LINC00487, encoding long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 487, in primary fibroblasts of patients with sporadic ALS (SALS). LINC00487 transcript was present at significantly lower levels in SALS patient fibroblasts as compared to control, non-diseased fibroblasts. These analyses will begin to define the transcriptional landscape of sporadic ALS.
Drawing as an efficient encoding tool in younger but not always older adults: The case of associative memory
Authors: Ovalle-Fresa Rebecca , Martarelli Corinna
Published: August 2022

Episodic memory strongly declines in healthy aging, at least partly because of reduced abilities to create and remember associations (associative memory) and to use efficient memory strategies. Several studies have shown that drawing the to-be-remembered material is a reliable encoding tool to enhance memory of individual items (item memory) because it simultaneously integrates elaborative, pictorial, and motoric processes. These processes in isolation can enhance associative memory in older adults. Nevertheless, their simultaneous impact on associative memory has never been investigated in drawing as an encoding tool. We aimed to investigate whether drawing as an encoding tool not only enhances item memory, but whether its benefit extends to associative memory in younger and older adults. Therefore, we tested 101 older and 100 younger participants in two online experiments and one in-person experiment. Using a memory task for unrelated word-pairs, we compared relational drawing and repeatedly writing (non-relational) as encoding tools and assessed immediate recognition memory of items and associations. In Experiment 2, we additionally assessed recognition memory after one week. The findings were consistent across the three experiments: while younger participants benefited from drawing over writing in item and associative memory, older participants benefited in item but not in associative memory. The observed effects remained after one week. Thus, we could extend the benefit of drawing to relational drawing in associative memory in younger adults. The lack of benefit in older adults’ associative memory might be explained by age-related difficulties in benefiting from memory strategies, and in creating and retrieving associations.
The mindset of birth predicts birth outcomes: Evidence from a prospective longitudinal study
Authors: Hoffmann Lisa , Hilger Norbert , Banse Rainer
Published: August 2022

In this paper we explore whether mental representation about birth (birth-related mindset) assessed during pregnancy can predict labor and birth in the sense that the perception of birth as a natural (vs medical) event increases the probability of a low-intervention birth. Birth in turn might affect short- and long-term psychological well-being. These assumptions were tested in a longitudinal study (N = 311), spanning the first half of pregnancy up to six months after birth. Results of a Single Indicator Model displayed a sequential process: women who held a more natural mindset prenatally were more likely to have low-intervention births, which resulted in a more positive evaluation of the birth experience, which in turn predicted well-being in the first weeks after birth (measured with Ecological Momentary Assessment), and subsequently postpartum depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms eight weeks after birth as well as mother-infant bonding six months after birth. The study demonstrates the relevance of psychological factors for childbirth. The construct of a birth-related mindset could contribute to a better understanding of childbirth and help to make women’s birth experiences safer and more satisfying and to improve the transition to motherhood.
Intelligence Offloading and the Neurosimulation of Developmental Agents
Authors: Alicea Bradly , Pang Angela , Parent Jesse
Published: August 2022

Cognitive offloading occurs when environmental affordances expand cognitive capacity while facilitating spatial and social behaviors. Capacity-related constraints are also important, particularly as embodied agents come online during development. Vast differences in brain size and offloading capacity exist across the tree of life. We take from multiple perspectives to understand the proportional contributions of internal models (brain) and externalized processing (offloading) in developing embodied computational agents. As developing nervous systems scale with body size and/or functional importance, offloading is also driven by neural capacity. Cognitive capacity is ultimately determined by various innate and environmental constraints. We propose a similar model for computationally developing cognitive agents. A regulatory model of cognition is proposed as a means to build cognitive systems that interface with biologically-inspired substrates. Multiple tradeoffs result from energetic, innate, and informational constraints, and determine the proportion of internal to external information processing capacity. As growth of a biologically-inspired substrate accelerates or decelerates over developmental time, it changes the acquisitional capacity of the agent. Our agent’s capacity limitations determine externalization potential, which is characterized by three parameters and two mathematical functions. The neurosimulation approach to intelligence offloading can be applied to a broad range of agent-based models and Artificial Intelligences.
Fellow Creatures in War with Humans: Status Quo Struggle in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds
Authors: Dahal Madhav Prasad
Published: August 2022

This article examines the intricate matrix of human and non-human relations to explore the symbolic essence of war of birds with the humanity in Alfred Hitchcock’s movie ‘The Birds’. This movie contains a plot in which nature strikes back to humanity. The everyday life is terrorized by the flocks of birds that attack people forcing them to think of their hostile relationship with other creatures. The study concentrates on exploring the reasons of havoc caused by the mute creatures, specially the birds that behave strangely. It analyses the film from an ecocritical insight envisioned by the theorists Arne Naess, Vandana Shiva, and Lawrence Buell. As it is a thematic interpretation of the movie, it reviews the scholarly comments of different critics and sets to explore the avian status quo struggle departing from the criticisms. Its finding suggests that anthropocentric hubris is the reason behind the dystopic state of the planet and the animals and birds are ultimately struggling for their own position on earth. It challenges the human claim that they are the most powerful creatures of this universe to keep everything under their control.
Nepali Medical Students’ Knowledge and Attitude towards LGBT Population
Authors: Pandey Radha Acharya , Shrestha Anupa , Chalise Hom Nath
Published: August 2022

The umbrella term “lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)” is widely used to denote sexual and gender minority individuals. But the discrimination still exists in the medical community regarding the sexual identity because the knowledge about those rights is insufficient. Further, the skills and techniques to provide social and psychological support are not scientific in the medical community. The aim of the study was to assess the medical students’ knowledge and attitude towards LGBT population. This cross-sectional study was carried out in 2017 at Kathmandu University with a sample size of 180 undergraduate and medical intern students. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test, t-test and ANOVA). Finding shows the mean score of knowledge was 12.32 (±3.7), and attitude was 73.04 (±9.82). The mean coefficient attitude score was 13.44. Being female students and those who were very frank to teacher had a higher knowledge of LGBT. Similarly, internship medical students had a better attitude towards LGBT than other students. This study found higher knowledge and attitude were highly correlated. Being female students had higher knowledge of LGBT and Internship medical students had better attitude towards LGBT population.
Connecting Cultural Knowledge with Western-Based School Science: Experiences of Marginalized Students
Authors: Koirala Kamal Prasad , Parajuli Kharika
Published: August 2022

This study focuses on interactive, creative, collaborative, and inclusive science teaching environments both in school and at home to create and extend multicultural science knowledge based on the experience of culturally marginalized students toward science learning. This case study explored the knowledge construction system of students. Two culturally and economically marginalized students of a public secondary school located at Gorkha Municipality were purposively selected. To collect information in-depth interview was taken with two students jointly, and classroom teaching activities were observed and noted in the diary. The transcription of interviews and field notes taken from the classroom observation were coded, categorized and three global themes were identified. Based on global themes, the data were analyzed according to the view of participants compared to the culturally relevant pedagogy and cultural theories. The selected students were not satisfied with their teacher’s teaching strategies. The study found that culturally relevant science teaching is mainly affected by pedagogical, environmental, and strategic problems. Teachers and the school culture are seen as the main problem in implementing and braiding culturally relevant science teaching in the multicultural classroom. Science teacher is found to fail to link modern science teaching with community knowledge of culturally and economically marginalized students. Underestimating the other cultural students’ participation and teachers’ voices in science teaching is the limitation of this study.
Accountability of unaccountable institutions: oversight of the press, social networks, and the Spanish Parliament over the Spanish king emeritus
Authors: Martín-Llaguno Marta , Berganza Rosa , Navarro-Beltrá Marián
Published: August 2022

Convictions of political corruption depend on public communication, since for citizens, to perceive deviant behaviours, these must receive attention. In Spain, this type of behaviour is part of the agendas of citizens, media, and politicians and, to fight against it, accountability is essential. In addition to the judiciary and legislature (in their oversight role), the media and social media help voters, MPs and others to make informed decisions and press for action. However, the interrelationships between different agents, types, and forms of control for accountability are a rather unexplored research topic, especially when considering non-accountable institutions (those that have power, but are not directly accountable to the electorate, such as the monarchy). The debate on the inviolability of the emeritus presents a perfect scenario to describe what formulas and what kind of sanctions (legal, labour, reputational or personal) for accountability have occurred in Spain in the case of a non-accountable institution. This study explores the agendas of media, Parliament, and Twitter (and their inter-influences) during the Geneva papers scandal. We analyzed 189,037 tweets, 1,220 journalistic pieces and 78 parliamentary initiatives related to the former monarch. The main results show that the media, social networks, and Parliament have acted as agents of accountability with Juan Carlos I, as if it were an accountable institution. Online newspapers and Twitter have led the oversight, while the parliamentary initiative has been ineffective and has essentially served as an instrument of partisan communication.
Phoinix ve Tymnos’un Çiftlik Yapıları Işığında Bozburun Yarımadası Kırsal Yerleşim Düzenlemesi (İ.Ö. 4. Yüzyıl-Geç Antik Çağ)
Authors: DEMİRCİLER Volkan , OĞUZ KIRCA E.deniz
Published: August 2022

Çalışmada, Bozburun Yarımadası’nın güney ve orta sektörlerinde iki demos olan Phoinix ve Tymnos territoryumlarında tespit edilen çiftlik yerleşimlerinin, Geç Klasik Dönem’den Geç Antik Çağ’a (dâhil) kadarki süreçte kullanım ve gelişim desenleri, yerleşim düzenindeki rolü ve büyüklüklerine göre etki/ beslenme alanları irdelenmektedir. Klasik Dönem’de yerlilerce, Hellenistik Dönem’den itibaren Rodos Devleti gölgesinde işletilmeye devam eden çiftlik yapıları, Karya elit ekonomisinin belkemiğini oluşturmuştur. Olgun dönemlerinde etki alanları geniş yapı komplekslerine bürünmüşken zamanla yerlerini tarım teraslarıyla çevrili çöküntü alanlarda öbeklenen daha sıradan tekil yapılara bırakmıştır. Teras ekonomisine bağlı yerleşimlerin büyük bölümü coğrafi ve iklimsel kriterlere göre tasarlanmış görünmektedir. Erken dönemde büyük ölçekli tekil örnekler, yakın çevredeki üretimi ve fazlasını gözetip hasılatı kontrol edecek şekilde, khoranın sağladığı esnekliği kullanan küçük yapılar daha sıkışık düzende; ekonomik-politik şartlara göre değişen daha geç dönem yapıları ise sezonluk tarıma da yönlenecek şekilde seyrek ancak düzenli aralıklarla uydu yerleşimlerine benzer konumlanmıştır.
Coaching: uma ferramenta percursora capaz de (re)criar o ambiente organizacional e gerar benefícios significativos
Authors: Vesoloski Simone Paula , Garcia Lucimar Nelson
Published: August 2022

Na contemporaneidade empresarial o coaching vem assumindo um papel importante. Entende-se que o processo de coaching foca em maximizar e aperfeiçoar a performance do indivíduo, de um grupo ou de uma organização. O problema que orienta a pesquisa é: qual o papel do coaching na maximização dos resultados de uma organização? Alinhado ao problema de pesquisa, o objetivo geral consiste em analisar a aplicabilidade e os benefícios do coaching dentro de uma organização. Os objetivos específicos propõem: pesquisar a conceituação, a finalidade e a aplicabilidade do coaching; verificar qual o papel do coach e quais as ferramentas capazes de maximizar os resultados dentro de uma organização; investigar quais as tendências e quais os desafios do coaching na contemporaneidade. Desse modo, na perspectiva de cumprir o que foi proposto nesta pesquisa, o método utilizado foi o indutivo, com pesquisa bibliográfica, doutrinaria e fontes indiretas. O resultado da pesquisa indica que o coaching (re)cria novas expectativas dentro das organizações, alinhando caminhos, preparando e acompanhando pessoas, traçando objetivos atingíveis e garantindo a longevidade do negócio.
Políticas de assistência estudantil em tempos de covid-19: desdobramentos sobre a permanência de graduandos da UFFS
Authors: Rohrbeck Lilian , Bonamigo Irme Salete
Published: August 2022

O presente artigo analisa as políticas de assistência estudantil (PAE) da Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul (UFFS), em tempos de Covid-19 e seus desdobramentos sobre a permanência dos estudantes de graduação. Para alcançar o objetivo proposto realizou-se uma pesquisa mista (quali-quanti) composta por: (a) levantamento documental com base em dados primários relativos à situação de matrícula dos estudantes ao término do semestre letivo 2020/1; (b) levantamento documental com base em dados secundários; (c) pesquisa bibliográfica apoiada em autores que já pesquisaram sobre permanência e/ou evasão na UFFS e outros que discutiram a educação superior no contexto da pandemia. Com base na análise mista (quali-quanti) das informações, fundamentada em Minayo, constatou-se que a UFFS reorganizou a sua PAE para o enfrentamento da pandemia da Covid-19: manteve a maioria dos programas que estavam em andamento, adaptou ou descontinuou outros e implementou novos, a saber: auxílio complementar; auxílio inclusão digital; auxílio reparos/aquisições de acessórios de informática; em nível institucional, criou o programa de ampliação e consolidação de tecnologias e inovação no contexto educacional - PRACTICE. A PAE implementada produziu desdobramentos significativos na permanência estudantil, pois, os seus beneficiários cancelaram, trancaram, jubilaram e desistiram menos que os estudantes não beneficiários.
Comparação orçamentária entre lajes de concreto armado e lajes planas lisas protendidas
Authors: Amanda Mosele Tonin  , Baruffi Diniane , Silveira Gabriele Rech , Soares Gilson Francisco Paz , Rigotti Thomas Bertochi Rigotti
Published: August 2022

Concreto protendido é uma técnica crescente na engenharia civil. Visa a diminuir e/ou eliminar as tensões de tração no concreto, aproveitando ao máximo as tensões de compressão resistente pelo concreto simples, possibilitando estruturas com vãos maiores. Este artigo apresenta uma comparação orçamentária em relação ao custo dos materiais, aço, fôrma e concreto, entre o concreto armado e protendido, em lajes maciças. Foi utilizado um estudo de caso de um edifício multifamiliar, com a estrutura em concreto protendido, concebida com lajes planas lisas e a estrutura em concreto armado composta pelo sistema laje-viga-pilar. Para a análise de materiais obteve-se o quantitativo global a partir do projeto estrutural com a utilização do software TQS, para o Concreto Armado (CA). Já o projeto em Concreto Protendido (CP) foi disponibilizado pela empresa responsável pelo dimensionamento, utilizando-se dos softwares Eberick e ADAPT. Elaborou-se um orçamento comparativo, utilizando os valores disponibilizados pela construtora responsável pelo estudo de caso. Os resultados apresentaram um custo de R$ 1.248.780,22 para o CP e R$ 1.038.298,54 para o CA, sendo o método construtivo de lajes maciças em CA, 20 % mais econômico.
Análise da eficiência de diferentes métodos de execução de consoles pré-moldados
Authors: Jonatan Dom Centenaro  , Baruffi Diniane , Gabriele Rech Silveira  , Deise Trevizan Pelissaro
Published: August 2022

A indústria dos pré-moldados vivencia transformações importantes   para atender as exigências do mercado. É de  grande importância a preocupação de métodos e modelos de execução dos sistemas construtivos tradicionais. As estruturas de concreto pré-moldado possuem rapidez na execução, propiciada pela facilidade que os consoles trazem no encaixe das peças. Devido a alta produtividade, as empresas de estruturas pré-fabricadas vêm adotando formas alternativas para solucionar a execução dos consoles em pilares pré-fabricados, dadas as dificuldade existentes, já que a NBR 9062 (ABNT, 2017) não menciona esta questão. O trabalho realiza um estudo experimental de diferentes métodos executivos de consoles, sendo eles, o método da concretagem simultânea, método das barras amarradas e método da concretagem posterior, mostrando a execução das ligações nas estruturas pré- moldadas e analisando o comportamento frente às cargas aplicadas. Os resultados demonstram que o método da concretagem simultânea pilar e console é mais eficaz, juntamente ao método da concretagem posterior. Todavia, há necessidade de precaução na execução do método das barras amarradas, que apesar de ter suportado a carga considerada no cálculo estrutural, não deixou margens de segurança como os demais métodos.
Análise estrutural de lajes pré-fabricadas utilizando vigotas protendidas e tavelas de EPS
Authors: Carlos Paza Jean , De Mattos Marchetto Murillo , Baruffi Diniane , Vanzetto Suelen
Published: August 2022

As lajes pré-fabricadas protendidas vem ganhando espaço na construção civil substituindo as lajes maciças moldadas in loco devido ao crescimento do concreto protendido que possibilita a execução de elementos estruturais com grandes vãos e a necessidade de realizar obras em períodos mais curtos. Esse artigo tem como objetivo avaliar o desempenho estrutural de laje pré-fabricada com vigotas de concreto protendidas, elementos de preenchimento de EPS (poliestireno expandido) e capa de concreto. Para fins de comparação foram ensaiados dois sistemas, o primeiro com vigotas em arranjo simples e o segundo com vigotas em arranjo duplo. Os protótipos em escala real foram submissos a carregamentos para verificar os deslocamentos no centro do vão e compará-los com os deslocamentos admissíveis segundo a NBR 6118/2014. A partir dos resultados obtidos, foi constatado que os deslocamentos para os dois protótipos se mostraram duas vezes inferiores aos deslocamentos admissíveis, apresentando um desempenho estrutural adequado; porém quando ambos sistemas são comparados entre si, para as mesmas condições de sobrecarga e vãos, a laje com vigotas protendidas em arranjo duplo não apresenta um ganho resistivo satisfatório, tendo em vista seu alto custo devido ao material empregado, em comparação com a laje com vigotas protendidas simples.
A Case Series of Septic Abortion During Covid-19 Pandemic at A Tertiary Care Centre in New Delhi, India
Authors: Chopra Kanika
Published: August 2022

Background: Developing countries accounts for 56% of unsafe abortions as compared to 6% in developed countries and leads to high maternal morbidity and mortality. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted from March 2021 to June 2021 during covid pandemic. All women presenting with diagnosis of septic abortions to our hospital were included in the study. The details of all the patients including their demography, clinical presentation and outcome were collected and subjected to statistical analysis. Results: The incidence of septic abortion in our study was estimated to be 4.4%. Age range of the patients was between 15 to 45 years. Majority of the patients were grand multigravida, belonging to lower socioeconomic group. The main reason behind getting abortion done was unprotected intercourse. Unauthorized place and person carrying out the abortion was seen in 61% women. Most common presenting complaint was fever and the majority underwent laparotomy for uterine perforation. Maternal mortality was seen in 2 out of 13 cases i.e. ,15.4%. Conclusion: Unsafe abortion is still prevalent in developing countries. Septic abortions contribute significantly to maternal morbidity and mortality. All attempts should be made on improving access to contraceptive and safe abortion practices to curtail this menace.
Efficacy Of Progestins in The Treatment of Functional Ovarian Cyst
Authors: Aly Rania Hamdy
Published: August 2022

Background: Ovarian cysts are frequently common in practice at reproductive age. The management of the cystic adnexal mass in women of reproductive age remains a common gynaecological problem. It is widely accepted that many adnexal cysts represent a persistence of an ovarian follicle or cystic corpus luteum. Aim of the work: The aim of the study is to determine the usefulness of use of progestins over expectant management in treatment of functional ovarian cyst. Methods: 90 women with ovarian cysts were recruited and divided into either control group or progesterone group. The patients were monitored after 6 to 8 weeks. Results: The percentage of 50% or more reduction in cyst width in progesterone group was 35.6% while the control group was 17.8%. The percentage of 50% or more reduction in cyst length in progesterone group was 24.4% while the control group was 15.6%. The percentage of 50% or more reduction in cyst depth in progesterone group was 24.4% while the control group was 17.8%. After testing, there no significant difference detected between both treatment modalities regarding cyst length (p = 0.097), cyst width (p = 0.385), cyst depth (p = 0.204). Cysts resolved completely in 26/45 (57.9%) and 17/45 (37.8%) in groups progesterone and control respectively, However, there was no significant difference regarding content (p = 0.059) and cyst disappearance (p = 0.058). Conclusion: Progestin therapy in functional cysts could be effectively used as expectant management at least among women who are having spontaneous ovulation.
Optimized synthesis of mullite ceramics in thermal plasma
Authors: Shekhovtsov V. V. , Skripnikova N. K. , Gafarov R. E. , Volokitin O. G.
Published: August 2022

Mullite has low thermal expansion coefficient, thermal conductivity and excellentresistance to thermal shock, and plays therefore an important role in the synthesis of modern ceramic materials. The paper presents the experimental results of mullite ceramics synthesis using thermal plasma. The ceramic samples are obtained from natural raw materials such as boehmite and silica sand in the stoichiometric Al2O3/SiO2 ratio of 1.86, 3 and 5.67. It is shown that the optimal operation mode of the arc plasma torch in the synthesis of mullite-containing samples from an 8 g charge weighing includes 80 A current, 100 V voltage, and 60 s exposure time. With such technological parameters, the melting product is a hemisphere with diameter 23 mm and thickness 11 mm, which indicates to a complete transition of the initial components to the molten state. The synthesized ceramic samples are characterized by the crystalline phase of mullite 3Al2O3 ·2SiO2. At the same time, at the Al2O3/SiO2 ratio of 1.86, cryptocrystalline diffraction maxima are observed at 2θ = 53–54° and 69–76° due to the increased content of SiO 2 . According to morphological studies performed for the Al 2O3/SiO2 ratio of 3, which is the traditional stoichiometric ratio for the mullite phase synthesis, the matrix of the synthesized sample is represented by the amorphous phase penetrated by filamentary single crystals of mullite with the average length of 3.3 μm and 0.86 μm thickness. It is found that the transition layer between these phases has a glass-ceramic structure, which is consistent with the results of the X-ray phase analysis.
Structure influence of portland cement clinker on its hydraulic activity
Authors: Krutilin A. A. , Krapchetova T. V. , Inkova N. A. , Pakhomova O. K.
Published: August 2022

Research into the dependence between the clinker activity and its fine structure and mineralogical composition shows that at the constant conditions of clinker baking and cooling in a particular furnace for a certain period of time, the clinker structure can be considered as unchanged. This paper studies the dependence of the clinker activity of Portland cement on its structure based on the data obtained during the study of the main clinker minerals. The study of six polymorphic modifications of alite and the lattices parameter measurement help to obtain X-ray diffraction patterns, which identify polymorphic modifications of alite.
Configurational analysis of Novosibirsk's development area using Depth Map software
Authors: Begey E. D. , Smolina O. O.
Published: August 2022

The purpose of this work is to develop a methodology for the renovation of open urban space in the development area of the city of Novosibirsk using Depth Map software, which allows for the pedestrian traffic analysis.

   Methodology/approach: The analysis of Russian and foreign data, 2) study of software for conducting required research, 3) theanalysis of field research data, 4) urban planning and configurational analyses.

   Research findings: Russian studies do not offer such a configurational approach. Most of the studies that consider pedestrian space, represent pedestrian traffic from point A to point B, while in other studies the movement is a more complex symbiosis of social activities not only without goal-setting, but also without specific choice.

   Practical implications: A hypothesis is suggested for future research, which implies the usefulness of the analytical apparatus of spatial theory to determine the metric and topological integrity of locally integral urban formations.

   Originality/value: Classification proposed for open space of typical development areas using data on spatial characteristics obtained by the configurational analysis.
Producción social de hábitats. El caso de las “mingas de bioconstrucción” en dos zonas costeras de la provincia de Buenos Aires
Authors: Blanco Vanesa , D'Angelo Ana Carla , Gil Gastón Julián
Published: August 2022

En este artículo se analiza la relevancia de las “mingas de bioconstrucción” como proyectos alternativos comunitarios con capacidad de generar soluciones habitacionales, ecológicamente sostenibles y participativas. Este estudio está sostenido por un trabajo de campo intensivo desarrollado en las zonas suburbanas de las ciudades de Mar del Plata y Santa Clara del Mar en el periodo 2019-2020. En el marco de estas “mingas” se desarrollan ocupaciones que dan cuenta de cosmovisiones y simbolismos que configuran un estilo de vida particular que además favorecen la participación y el trabajo comunitario. A su vez, en torno a la construcción natural de viviendas se configuran una variedad de actividades que fomentan la autonomía de las personas y el cuidado medioambiental y de la propia salud en un sentido integral. Los grupos que llevan a cabo esta actividad se encuentran principalmente constituidos por adultos jóvenes, tanto hombres como mujeres, de diferentes oficios y profesiones. Este texto se plantea como una contribución al estudio de los estilos de vida en nuestras sociedades contemporáneas, con sus consecuentes potencialidades para la formulación de políticas públicas (salud y vivienda, entre otras).
Transgressive dimension of the information society in the context of sustainable development: philosophical and praxeological analysis
Authors: Naichuk Anton , Vinnichuk Olha , Suliatytska Tetyana , Chabanov Vasyl
Published: August 2022

In the second half of the twentieth century in the socio-political, economic, cultural life of society began transgressive changes that opened new prospects for the development of society in general and man in particular. The main civilizational tendencies that prompted these changes and continue to be affirmed in the 21st century are: firstly, the tendency towards global social development; secondly, humanity’s acquisition of the ability to self-derail, which is associated with the development of nuclear technologies and global environmental problems; thirdly, the transition of humanity from industrial to scientific and information technologies. It was these trends that initiated the transition to a new type of organization of public life of people, which was called “information society”. Informationism is a strategy to focus on information technologies development, to create multiple ways of accumulation of knowledge and to provide increasingly complex information processing. However, when it comes to the formation of an information society, it is understood not only as a stage of technological development, but as a new stage of spiritual development of mankind. For the first time, the information society produces in the general social volume such features of social existence, which require new approaches to the formation of structural, functional and value components of the social organism. The education system within the framework of the new paradigm is designed to function as a direct generator of new social realities that produces social changes. Accordingly, the educational circuit, as the institutional functioning of a certain value system, should cover all spheres of life, become the core of sustainable social development in general.
Ukrainian Present in the mirror of the Past – a problem of multi-layeredness
Authors: Dovgopolova Oksana
Published: August 2022

The article is devoted to actualization of the problem of multilayered nature of Ukrainian history in the situation of wide-scale Russian-Ukrainian war. Ukrai­nian heritage includes the layers of few empires, namely two of them (Russian empire and USSR) create associations with the state, attacking Ukraine now. Under the influence of history, modern Ukrainian society is often characterized by cultural fragmentation and existence in the regime of a cultural frontier: next to the actual Ukrainian culture and history, there is a legacy of imperial culture, and imperial history has become an integral part of the history of Ukraine itself. The multi-layered nature of Ukraine’s history is reflected in the complex political landscape of Ukrainian society and shapes it in many respects. Discussions about the interpretation of the history of Ukraine are conducted not only by historians, but also by politicians. This significantly affects the study of historical memory in Ukraine, but also gradually changes the collective memory of Ukrainians. The policy of historical memory is largely influenced by the historical policy of the state and other political forces. The main lesson for Ukraine is the need for a clear definition not only of the evaluation of certain periods of the history of Ukraine, but also of the methodology of providing historical evaluations. In addition, it is necessary to take as a basis the special laws of Ukraine devoted to specific issues of the policy of historical memory. The former semi-colonial status of Ukraine as part of Tsarist Russia and the USSR actualizes the problem of overcoming the remnants of the influence of this colonial past. Therefore, working with historical memory in Ukraine requires an obligatory appeal to post-colonial studies. The strategy of memorizing of the empire past ought to include the instruments of working through the memory of these periods: it is necessary to provide a proper assessment and to distance oneself from such a past. Author observes the dynam­ics of working with the imperial past in recent decades.
Lessons of war for the formation of the strategy of Ukrainian eastern policy: philosophical considerations
Authors: Volkovskyi Volodymyr
Published: August 2022

The article analyzes the issues in political philosophy related to the attitude towards russians and everything russian in the context of a new phase of russian aggression against Ukraine. This attitude is polarized around two extremes – the total denial, deleting and canceling of everything associated with russia and the USSR, on the one hand, and the distinction and justification of russian culture or “ordinary people”, on the other. According to the classical polarization effect and the confirmation bias, social attitudes are polarized, centrist moderate at­titudes are deleted, and extreme attitudes prevail, which is detrimental to social stability and dialogue. If in Ukraine prevails the principle of total canceling of a russian, then outside Ukraine, especially in countries far from the war, the wrong approach of so-called prudence and moderation leads to the false contraposi­tion of the “Ukrainian” radical attitude of canceling and russian propaganda as two equal approaches, which is wrong from factual and logical side. Instead, the “moderate” position of distinction ignores some factual, historical, and political issues that relate to the genesis of russia’s ideology of war, the doctrine of “russian World.” These discussions are proof that Ukraine needs to develop a new clear strategy for russia and a russian, based on the rejection of the black-and-white approach, the provincial postcolonial complex, the attitude to russia not as “our one” but as “other one”, while Ukraine will considered as a center of thought and action, treating russia as a completely external factor. This strategy requires a dif­ferentiated approach to different strata of russian society, a critical attitude to russian civil religion, and must be based on the values of humanity and freedom, which in turn should be the leading narrative of russia’s transformation.
A randomized, controlled trial on the effectiveness of a proprietary marine lipo-peptide formula vs omega-3 on cytokines profile, anxiety, and pain symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia
Authors: Rastmanesh Reza , Solimene Umberto , Lorenzetti Aldo , Marotta Francesco , Fang HE , Aperio Cristiana , Anzulovic Nevenka , Cervi Giuseppe , Zerbinati Nicola
Published: August 2022

Objective: The aim of the present study in an RCT manner (physicians and patients) a novel lipo-peptide marine compound, LD-1227, on physical-, emotional- and functional-related symptomatic complaints in fibromyalgia patients as well as inflammatory cytokines profile and gene expression while using omega-3 as a control group.Methods: The following questionnaire-based or clinical evaluation-based parameters were evaluated: widespread pain index [WPI] patient global impression of change, total tender points [TTP], fibromyalgia impact questionnaire, Beck depression inventory, fatigue severity ratings, cognitive symptom severity, symptom severity score [SSS] and weekly pain intensity ratings. Additional biochemical and gene expression analysis of cytokines (IL6, TNF-α, IL-1β, MCP-1, IL-8, IL-13, IL-1α, and GM-CSF) was performed as well. Data were analyzed with either a paired t-test or the Wilcoxon signed rank test depending on the parametric or non-parametric distribution.Results: Comparing the data from before and after treatment for Group B indicated a statistically significant reduction (p=0.05) in TTP, WPI score, and SSS score. These data suggest a positive effect of a 3-month treatment with the LD-1227 but not omega-3 treatment on Fibromyalgia pain and related anxiety/depressive symptoms. Inspections of HRV and Cytokines found a statistically significant improvement after LD1227 treatment. Unlike the group supplemented with omega-3, the treatment with LD-1227 brought about a decrease in WPI and weekly pain intensity symptoms for the majority of participants. The pre-and post-treatment data for Group B indicated a statistically significant reduction (p=0.05) in TPC, WPI, and SSS scores. No adverse events were reported.Conclusion: These results provide the first indications that the LD-1227 treatment has a statistically significant effect on the recognized fibromyalgia diagnosis metrics of WPI, TTP, and SSS as well on inflammatory markers and parasympathetic balance.Keywords: fibromyalgia, marine compound, lipopeptide, cytokines, anxiety, pain, LD-1227.
Designing framework to secure data using K Means clustering based outlier Detection (KCOD) algorithm
Authors: Nithinsha S. , Anusuya S.
Published: August 2022

The objective of the research work is to propose an intrusion detection system in a cloud environment using K-Means clustering-based outlier detection. In the open access and dispersed cloud architecture, the main problem is security and confidentiality because these are easily susceptible to intruders. Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is a commonly used method to identify the various attacks on the cloud which is easy to access from a remote area. The existing process can’t provide the data to transmit securely. This work describes and notifies the modernly established IDS and alarm management methods by giving probable responses to notice and inhibit the intrusions in the cloud computing environment and to overcome the security and privacy issue. Proposed K-means Clustering based Outlier Detection (KmCOD) is used to detect the intruders and efficiently secure the data from malicious activity, where it is formulated respectively to increase the trustworthiness of the system by using applying intrusion detection techniques to virtual machines thus keeping the system safe and free from intrusion also provides system reliability. The parametric measures such as the detection rate, trace preprocessing, and correctly identified and incorrectly identified malicious activity are chosen. The performance analysis shows the accuracy of outlier detection as 81%, detection rate achieves 76%, packet arrival rate reaches 79%, pre-processing trace achieves 74%, and malicious activity rate of 21%.