bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical presentation and pattern of care for sarcomatoid variant of squamous cell carcinoma of the head-and-neck region
Authors: Chakraborthy Adhara , Thiagarajan Shivakumar , Bal Munita , Chaukar Devendra
Published: March 2024

Background:

The sarcomatoid variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an uncommon variant of head-and-neck cancer with a clinically aggressive course and poor outcomes. The data on the clinical presentation and pattern of treatment received by patients with sarcomatoid variant of SCC are scarce.

Objectives:

In this study, we aimed to assess the clinical presentation, intent of treatment, and the subsequent treatment-related outcomes of patients with sarcomatoid variant of SCC of the head-and-neck region.

Materials and Methods:

This retrospective study was conducted among treatment-naïve patients with sarcomatoid variant of SCC of the head-and-neck region who presented to the Tata Memorial Center, a tertiary care center, in Mumbai, India, between January 2012 and December 2018. The primary objective was to evaluate the stage at presentation and the intent of treatment received. The secondary outcome was disease-free survival (DFS). Variables were analyzed using simple descriptive statistical methods. DFS was calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results:

A total of 60 patients with sarcomatoid variant of SCC were included in the study. The median age of the patients was 51 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 5:1. The oral cavity was the most common subsite, reported in 39 (65%) patients. A total of 43 (71.6%) patients presented with advanced-stage disease, and 41 (68.3%) received curative-intent treatment. The DFS of patients who received curative treatment was 76.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 60.3–92.4) and that of patients who received palliative-intent treatment was 11.6 months (95% CI, 9.2–14).

Conclusions:

Sarcomatoid variant of SCC of the head-and-neck region usually presents with advanced-stage disease, however, has a reasonable DFS when treated appropriately with curative intent.
Retrospective analysis of histopathological spectrum of premalignant and malignant colorectal lesions
Authors: Tahiliani Henisha T. , Purohit Asha P. , Desai Shashank C. , Jarwani Puja Bhavesh
Published: March 2024

Background:

Colorectal cancers (CRCs) arise due to the progression of acquired or hereditary premalignant lesions. Therefore, an early diagnosis is essential to devise suitable preventive strategies against CRC.

Objectives:

We aimed at determining the prevalence and pattern of distribution of premalignant and malignant colorectal lesions and to assess their histopathological features.

Materials and Methods:

This retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Pathology at the Gujarat Cancer Society Medical College, Hospital and Research Center, a tertiary care hospital in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, between August 2018 and July 2020. Patients with malignant or premalignant lesions in the colorectal region who underwent biopsy and surgical resection were included, regardless of their age and sex. They were categorized as premalignant or malignant after the histopathological examination. The clinical history and details related to the age, gender, and anatomical site were obtained from the hospital records. The findings were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results:

A total of 150 colorectal biopsies and resected specimens with premalignant and malignant lesions were included in the analysis. Of these, 36 (24%) were benign and 114 (76%) were malignant. There were 98 (65.3%) male and 52 (34.7%) female patients in the cohort. There were 34.7% of the patients who were in the sixth decade of life and only 0.7% were in the first decade. The most commonly involved site was the rectum (32.7%). Ulcerative colitis (UC) (63.8%) was the most common premalignant lesion, and adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified (79.8%) was the most common malignant colorectal lesion.

Conclusions:

Premalignant and malignant colorectal lesions usually develop in older persons and have a male predilection, with the rectum being the most commonly involved site. UC is the most common premalignant colorectal lesion, and adenocarcinoma is the most common malignant colorectal lesion.
Protecting Wilderness or Cultural and Natural Heritage? Insights from Northern Patagonia, Chile
Authors: Bachmann-Vargas Pamela , Koppen C.S.A. (Kris) van , Lamers Machiel
Published: March 2024

Protecting 30% of the planet’s terrestrial and marine ecosystems by 2030 (30x30) is the most recent call for global conservation action. Toward this end, the creation of protected areas is a central strategy. The various parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have committed to this global goal, including Chile. Against this backdrop, this article explores current narratives and practices around five protected areas in northern Patagonia, Chile. We argue that environmental discourses are key to understanding these narratives and practices. Environmental discourses influence the values central to the creation and development of protected areas, as well as the prevailing management approaches for these areas. Our findings show that two discourses are of particular importance: the ‘Patagonian wilderness’ discourse and the ‘cultural and natural heritage’ discourse. Based on our findings, we also discuss three emerging topics: the rewilding and rebranding of Patagonia, optimism around nature-based tourism, and implementation of global conservation goals within the national context. We reflect on the implications of our findings for further developments in Patagonia and for the global conservation debate. We contend that the future of protected-area management in northern Patagonia will depend on how community-based management initiatives are fostered and argue that aligning with such inclusive conservation approaches will be a critical requirement for the implementation of the 30x30 goal moving forward.]

Spanish abstract:
rb.gy/gmaziq
The role of electrophysiology tests and multimodal imaging in evaluation of nystagmus
Authors: Shehab Azza A. , Abdelrahman Amr A.M. , Abdelshafy Marwa , Abdelgawad Randa H.A. , El-Mofty Randa M.A.M.
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This work aimed to highlight the role of electrophysiology testing and multimodal imaging in evaluation of nystagmus.

Patients and methods

This is a retrospective multi-centered analytic study that recruited patients with nystagmus from the outpatient clinics referred to the electrophysiology units of the hospitals of the University of Minia, Ain Shams, Banha, and Cairo, Egypt. The study included 60 (120 eyes) patients. The performed investigations included full-field electroretinography (ffERG), pattern electroretinography, flash visual evoked potential (FVEP), pattern visual evoked potential, optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT-angiography (OCT-A), and fundus autofluorescence (FAF), whenever possible.

Results

There were no or minimal detectable fundus changes in 78 (65%) eyes, of which 40 (33.3%) eyes showed severe loss of photopic responses on ffERG, with Bull’s eye pattern observed on FAF and loss of foveal photoreceptors in OCT, while 18 (12.5%) eyes showed reduced photopic and scotopic responses in ffERG with loss of foveal photoreceptors and thinned parafovea in OCT, 14 (11.7%) eyes showed average photopic and scotopic responses with different stages of foveal hypoplasia in OCT and OCT-A, and six (5%) eyes showed normal results in tests assessing the function and structure of the macula and optic nerve, including ERG, FVEP, and OCT. On the other hand, macular or optic nerve abnormalities were observed in 42 (35%) eyes, of which 20 (16.7%) eyes showed significant loss of photopic responses in ffERG and abnormal fovea in OCT and FAF tests, 10 (8.3%) eyes showed loss of photopic and scotopic responses in ffERG and abnormal results in the OCT and FAF, four (3.3%) eyes had normal results in ERG and FVEP, but showed fovea hypoplasia in OCT, and eight (6.7%) eyes had normal photopic and scotopic responses by ffERG, but with abnormal visual evoked potential responses and thinning of the nerve fiber layer in the OCT.

Conclusion

Electrophysiological tests and multimodal imaging are crucial to diagnosing the underlying causes of nystagmus, especially in patients with normal fundus.
Pediatric ocular trauma: insights from a tertiary care hospital in Northern India
Authors: Jabeen Asma , Nazir Arjumand , Kaur Anureet
Published: March 2024

Background

Childhood ocular trauma has major consequences since it can lead to lifelong blindness and visual impairment.

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess the burden of pediatric ocular trauma and to identify its important determinants.

Patients and methods

This prospective study included all individuals (N=124) less than 18 years old who experienced eye injuries and sought treatment at the Outpatient or Emergency Services of the Department of Ophthalmology, Government Medical College, Jammu, India. The collected data included a detailed history of the injury, including systemic factors. The demographic and clinical information, such as age, sex, urban or rural residence, injury date and time, and previous treatments were also recorded.

Results

A total of 523 children (0–18 years old) with a mean age of 10.96±0.24 years were included in the study. Among these, 124 (23.71%) children with a mean age of 9.86±1.23 years had ocular injuries. The highest incidence of ocular trauma (68.54%) was observed in the 6–12-year-old age group. Boys accounted for the majority of cases (74.19%), and rural children were disproportionately affected (69.35%). Open globe injuries were more prevalent (62.9%) than closed globe injuries (25.0%). Perforating corneal injuries were the most common type of open globe injury (70.51%), while bat/ball injuries (38.70%) and falls (22.58%) were the leading causes of closed globe injuries. Zone I injuries were the most frequent location for both open and closed globe injuries. The Ocular Trauma Score was used to predict the injury severity, demonstrating an accuracy of 80%. The visual acuity data were available for 63 (57.79%) children at the initial presentation. Among these, 14 (22.22%) had no light perception, 23 (36.51%) had light perception, and 26 (41.27%) demonstrated a best-corrected visual acuity of 0.2±0.1 (0.1–0.3). At the final follow up at 6 months, five (7.94%) eyes experienced a vision of no light perception attributed to optic nerve avulsion, one (1.59%) eye retained light perception, two (3.17%) eyes demonstrated counting fingers acuity, and 55 (87.3%) eyes achieved a best-corrected visual acuity of 0.8±0.6 (range: 0.8 to ≥0.9).

Conclusion

The current study highlighted the substantial impact of pediatric ocular trauma, with a focus on open globe injuries and prevalent risk factors. The observed improvement in visual acuity underscores the significance of timely intervention, yet the 7.94% incidence of monocular blindness signals the ongoing need for targeted prevention strategies in this vulnerable population.
Anxiety during Pregnancy among Women Attending Al-Karkh Primary Health Care Centers, Baghdad
Authors: Jebur Marwa Salah , Jassim Sawsan Ghazi , Al-Rubaey Mazin Ghazi
Published: March 2024

Background:

Prenatal maternal anxiety is significant because of increasingly strong evidence that women who experience high stress or anxiety during pregnancy are more likely to deliver preterm or low birth weight infants, autistic disorder, schizophrenia, and depression in infancy and childhood.

Objectives:

The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of anxiety during pregnancy among women attending Al-Karkh primary health care (PHC) centers, Baghdad, and to study its associated factors.

Methodology:

This study is a cross-sectional with analytic components conducted among 500 pregnant women from Baghdad city, Al-Karkh directorate primary heath care centers, during the period extended between August 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021. A simple random sampling was used to select the PHC centers from each sector in Al-Karkh directorate. Interview was done with each woman with three questionnaires (sociodemographic questionnaire, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [Fourth Edition], and Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire).

Results:

The mean age was 26.63 ± 6.811 years. There were 145 (29%) pregnant women live in rural area and 355 (71%) live in urban area. There were 155 (31%) anxious women, 21% with mild anxiety. There was a significant association with previous abortions, null parity, and less parity. In addition, rural area pregnant women, younger pregnant women, and unemployed pregnant women were more anxious.

Conclusion:

There was a relatively high prevalence of anxiety during pregnancy among women attending Al-Karkh PHC centers (31%). Twenty-one percent of them were with mild anxiety.
Descriptive Study on Urinary Tract Infections among Children
Authors: Hassan Khadija Shaban , Noori Tabarek A.
Published: March 2024

Background:

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most prevalent bacterial infections affecting approximately 1.7% of boys and 8.4% of girls.

Objectives:

The objective of this study was to determine different variables that are associated with an increased risk of UTI in children.

Subjects and Methods:

A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted on 150 convenient urine samples were obtained from Child’s Teaching Hospital in Baghdad city from children under 12 years during period of September 20, 2021–December 20, 2021. The inclusion criteria include children between 1 and 12 years old for both sexes with clinical evidence of UTIs diagnosed by physicians attending this hospital. The exclusion criteria were children under 1 year and those with genetic defect of UTI.

Results:

Highest rates of UTIs were in the age group (<1–4 years); 77 (51.3%) of them were male with a male-to-female ratio of 1.05:1. About 16.7% of children whose mothers had primary education were diagnosed with UTIs. Twenty-two percentage of positive culture tests occur in those wiping from the front as compared with 27.3% wiping from the back from behind. The positive culture test was found in 33.7% of those not circumcised in comparison with 19.4% of those undergone circumcision. Escherichia coli was detected in 31 (20.7%) of the studied sample.

Conclusion:

UTIs are most prevalent among boys under 12 years, in particular those who did not undergone circumcision. E. coli is among the highest frequent bacteria detected in the urine cultures of children. It is recommended to educate mothers during pregnancy and after delivery regarding the importance of circumcision to boys and proper washing methods.
Recalibration of Framingham Risk Score for predicting 10-year cardiovascular disease risk in a South Indian population
Authors: Thirunavukkarasu Sathish , Sasikumar Midhun , Demissie Getu Debalkie , Pramodkumar Thyparambil Aravindakshan , Oldenburg Brian , Oommen Anu Mary
Published: March 2024

Background:

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality in India. Guidelines recommend using tools, such as the Framingham Risk Score (FRS), to predict the 10-year CVD risk of adults for primary prevention of CVDs. However, FRS was developed based on data from a predominantly White population in the United States, limiting its applicability to other regions.

Objectives:

This study aimed to recalibrate the FRS equations among adults in Kerala, India.

Materials and Methods:

Baseline survey data from the Kerala Diabetes Prevention Program were analyzed: 921 males and 567 females for lipid-based FRS scores and 1042 males and 646 females for body mass index (BMI)-based FRS scores. Recalibration of the original FRS scores was performed using local data on CVD risk factors and CVD mortality.

Results:

Among males, the median 10-year CVD risk with the recalibrated lipid-based FRS score was 7.34 (interquartile ranges [IQR] 4.33–12.42), compared with the original score of 8.88 (5.23–14.87) (P < 0.001). For BMI-based FRS scores, the median 10-year CVD risk was 7.40 (4.27–11.83) for the recalibrated score, compared with 9.32 (5.40–14.80) for the original score (P < 0.001). In females, the median 10-year CVD risk was 4.83 (2.90–8.36) for the recalibrated score, compared with 2.85 (IQR 1.71–4.98) for the original score (P < 0.001). Similarly, the median 10-year CVD risk was 4.66 (2.74–8.81) for the recalibrated BMI-based FRS score, compared for 2.95 (1.72–5.61) with the original score (P < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Recalibrated FRS scores estimated a significantly lower 10-year CVD risk in males and a higher risk in females than the original FRS scores.
Expert consensus recommendations on the evaluation and management of hypoglycemia in diabetes: DGENius Group Diabetes India
Authors: Dey Amit Kumar , Gokalani Rutul , Kale Mayura , Sankar Prasanth , Saboo Bharat , Maheshwari Anuj , Jaggi Shalini , Jagadeesha Aravinda , Panchal Dharmendra , Chawla Manoj , Sahay Rakesh , Joshi Shashank , Saboo Banshi
Published: March 2024

Background and Aim:

Hypoglycemia, marked by low blood glucose levels, presents significant challenges in diabetes care. This review outlines the evidence-based recommendations formulated by the DGENius Experts Consensus Group for managing hypoglycemia in people with diabetes. The goal was to furnish well-defined, evidence-based recommendations for addressing and comprehending hypoglycemia within diverse contexts, encompassing diabetes management, and various medical conditions.

Materials and Methods:

The consensus statement was crafted through an extensive literature review involving peer-reviewed articles, clinical guidelines, and relevant publications. A diverse panel of experts with broad knowledge and experience convened for structured deliberation, followed by multiple rounds of rigorous review and meetings to reach the final consensus statement.

Results:

The consensus introduces the importance of effective hypoglycemia in people with diabetes management, addressing both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus separately, with tailored recommendations. It also covers impact of hypoglycemia on cardiovascular health and related recommendations. The document extends its scope to co-existing medical conditions, encompassing chronic renal dysfunction, hepatic and neoplastic disorders; hypoglycemia in specialized circumstances, such as during physical exertion, administration of oral antidiabetic agents, fasting periods, hospital-based care, reduced symptomatic awareness, nocturnal episodes, alcohol intake, pregnancy, and following metabolic surgical interventions; hypoglycemia in the context of nonantidiabetic medications; and hypoglycemia among the elderly. Quality of life and patient awareness are emphasized, and the statement concludes with prevention, treatment, and technology utilization recommendations.

Conclusion:

This comprehensive consensus statement is designed to guide healthcare professionals in managing hypoglycemia optimally. The goal is to heighten awareness of this critical condition, improve patient outcomes, and enhance their quality of life.
Diabetic mastopathy: A review of a breast carcinoma mimic
Authors: Salati Sajad Ahmad , AlSulaim Lamees
Published: March 2024

Diabetic mastopathy is a rare fibro-inflammatory breast disease that closely mimics breast carcinoma. The disease predominantly affects insulin-dependent diabetics, and the etiology is still unclear. A proper physical examination, imaging, and core-needle biopsy usually lead to a diagnosis. Management is conservative and revolves around counseling the patient to allay fears and regular follow-up. In this review, we highlight the recent information on diabetic mastopathy with emphasis on historical background, epidemiology, etiopathogenesis, diagnostic approaches, and treatment choices.
Designing Automation for Pickup and Delivery Tasks in Modern Warehouses Using Multi Agent Path Finding (MAPF) and Multi Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) Based Approaches
Authors: Mishra Shambhavi , Dwivedi Rajendra Kumar
Published: March 2024

A warehouse pickup and delivery problem finds its solution using multi agent path finding (MAPF) approach. Also, the problem has been used to showcase the capabilities of the multi agent reinforcement learning (MARL). The warehouse pickup and delivery work needs the agent to pick up a requested item and successfully deliver it to the intended location within the warehouse. The problem has been solved based on two approaches that include single shot and lifelong problem solution. The single shot solution has the delivery as the final goal and thus once it reaches the delivery address, it stops whereas in case of lifelong, the agent needs to deliver the item which it had picked, deliver it to the required place and then again pick up new item until requests are satisfied. The strategy used by multi agent path finding (MAPF) approach aims at constructing collision free paths to reach the delivery location but in case of multi agent reinforcement learning (MARL), the agents’ decision making tactics (or policies) are learned which are then used to help agents decide path to be followed based on environment state and agent’s position. The results show that the lifelong conflict based search (CBS) is a better option when the agents are less in number as in that case, the re-planning will take overall less time but when the agents are large in number then this re-planning can take very long to produce conflict free paths from source to goal nodes. In this case, shared experience action critic (SEAC) which is based on multi agent reinforcement learning (MARL) approach can be more efficient choice as it takes the current environment state to give the most suitable action for that time t. For this study the agents taken for learning are homogeneous in nature that can pickup and deliver any type of requested item. We can address the same pickup and delivery problem when the agents are not all same and differ in their capabilities and the type of item they can handle.
Liver tumor segmentation method based on U-Net architecture: a review
Authors: Wang Biao , Yang Chunfeng
Published: March 2024

Liver cancer is a disease with a high incidence and high probability of deterioration, and for the rapid diagnosis of liver disease, CT scans must be used to segment the liver tumors. For the past few years, with the rapid development of deep learning, many deep learning methods for liver tumor segmentation using abdominal computed tomography (CT) images have appeared, and the clinical application of these methods is of important significance for computer-aided diagnosis of liver tumors. The U-Net, with its unique U-shape network structure, exhibits excellent performance in medical image segmentation field and has been extensively utilized in various medical image segmentation applications. In this paper, we summarize the researches of U-Net and its improved networks in CT image segmentation of liver tumors by deep learning methods and classify various U-Net-based convolutional neural networks (CNNs) into 2D (two-dimensional), 3D (three-dimensional), and 2.5D (2.5-dimensional). In this paper, 2D, 3D, and 2.5D convolutional neural networks are summarized. In addition, this paper summarizes the advantages and disadvantages as well as the improvement methods of each type of network, which provides a useful reference for the studies of deep learning based on liver tumor segmentation field. Finally, this paper envisions future research trends for deep learning segmentation methods in the context of liver tumors.
COVID-19 and Suicide Tendency: Prediction and Risk Factor Analysis Using Machine Learning and Explainable AI
Authors: Khalid Been Badruzzaman Biplob  , Musabbir Hasan Sammak  , Abu Kowshir Bitto  , Imran Mahmud
Published: March 2024

INTRODUCTION: Pandemics and epidemics have frequently led to a significant increase in the suicide rate in affected regions. However, these unnecessary deaths can be prevented by identifying the risk factors and intervening earlier with those at risk. Numerous empirical studies have exhaustively documented multiple suicide risk factors. In addition, many evidence-based approaches have employed machine learning models to diagnose vulnerable groups, a task that would otherwise be challenging if only human cognition were employed. To date, to the best of our knowledge, no research has been conducted on COVID-19-related suicide prediction.OBJECTIVES: This research, aims to develop a machine-learning model capable of identifying individuals who are contemplating suicide due to COVID-19-related complexities and assessing the potential risk factors.METHODS: We trained a gradient-boosting model based on tree-based learners on 10067 data consisting of 76 features, which were primarily responses to socio-demographic, behavioural, and psychological questions about COVID-19 and suicidal behaviours.RESULTS: The final model predicted individuals at risk with an auROC score of 0.77 and a 95% confidence interval of 0.77 to 0.88. The optimal cutoff produced a sensitivity of 31.37 percent and a specificity of 82.35 percent in predicting suicidal tendencies. However, the auPRC was only 0.26, with a 95 percent confidence interval of 0.13 to 0.38, as the class distribution was extremely unbalanced. Consequently, the scores for precision and recall were 0.35 and 0.31, respectively.CONCLUSION: We investigated the risk factors, the majority of which were associated with sleeping difficulties, fear of COVID-19, social interactions, and other socio-demographic factors. The identified risk factors can be considered when formulating a policy to prevent COVID-19-related suicides, which can impose a long-term economic and health burden on society.
Clinical Support System for Cardiovascular Disease Forecasting Using ECG
Authors: Ahmed Mohammed Altaf , Naz Q S Tasmeem , Agarwal Raghav , Yesubabu Mannava , Tulasi Rajesh
Published: March 2024

INTRODUCTION: Heart failure is a chronic condition that affects many people worldwide. Regrettably, it is now the biggest cause of mortality globally, and it is becoming more common. Before a cardiac event, early diagnosis of heart disease is challenging. Although healthcare institutions like hospitals and clinics have access to a wealth of heart disease data, it is rarely used to uncover underlying trends.
OBJECTIVES: Algorithms for machine learning (ML) can turn this medical data into insightful information. These methods are used to create decision support systems (DSS) that can gain knowledge from the past and advance. It is essential to use an effective ML-based technique to identify early heart failure and take preventive action to address this worldwide issue. Accurately identifying heart illness is our main goal in this study.
METHODS: For this work, we benchmark different datasets on heart illness, and we use feature engineering approaches to pick the most pertinent qualities for improved performance. Additionally, we assess nine ML methods using critical parameters including precision, f-measure, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy.
RESULTS: Iterative tests are carried out to evaluate the efficacy of different algorithms. With a flawless cross-validation accuracy score of 99.51% and 100% in all other metrics, our suggested Decision Tree approach performs better than other ML models and cutting-edge studies.
CONCLUSION: Each methodology used in our study is validated using cross-validation techniques. The medical community benefits greatly from this research study.
La Padova di Petrarca, la Padova dei Polacchi: il De viris illustribus e la nuova concezione di ritrattistica virile
Authors: Lokaj Rodney John
Published: March 2024

Petrarch’s Padua, the Poles’ Padua: the De viris illustribus and virile portraiture

The article illustrates how visitors coming to Padua could learn about Italian humanism by studying Petrarch, not only where he had lived and what he had written but also how his legacy was represented and thus perpetuated under the direction of Petrarch’s former secretary and copyist, Lombardo della Seta, particularly in the fresco by Altichiero in the Oratory of Saint George to the right of the façade of the Basilica of Saint Anthony.
Marco Mantova Benavides, amico e protettore dei polacchi, promotore delle traduzioni latine di Petrarca
Authors: Wrana Magdalena
Published: March 2024

Marco Mantova Benavides, friend and protector of the Poles, promoter of Latin translations of Petrarch

The present paper aims to investigate the phenomenon of Latin translations of vernacular works on the example of the Latinisations of Petrarch’s Rerum vulgarium fragmenta, contained in the commentary on Petrarch’s work by Marco Mantova Benavides, entitled Annotationi brevissime, sovra le rime di Messer Francesco Petrarca (1566). The Latin translations of Petrarchan texts included in the commentary are RVF 126, Chiare fresche e dolci acque, by Marcantonio Flaminio, RVF 128, Italia mia, and RVF 366, Vergine bella, by Pietro Amato and RVF 291, Quand’io veggio dal ciel, by Francesco Luigini. Marco Mantova Benavides, a humanist from Padua, jurist, lover and collector of antiquities and works of art, and professor at the Studio patavino, had friendly relations with Polish scholars, notably Jan Kochanowski and Andrzej Patrycy Nidecki. The exegetical activity of Mantova Benavides and the Latin translations of Petrarch’s texts belong to the colourful cultural context that Polish students in Padua had to deal with.
“Paduans” among the ranks of the professors at the University of Krak ów in the early years of elective monarchy in Poland
Authors: Graff Tomasz
Published: March 2024

The author analyses the career and academic work of those distinguished professors at the University of Krakow who studied in Padua in the age of first elective monarchs (from the 1570s to ca. mid-17th century). One of the key questions in the article is to what extent the Paduan stage of education influenced the university career and intellectual culture of the Polish academics. More broadly, the author tries to indicate future research prospects of the studies on the implications of the University of Krakow professors’ Paduan background.
Graduates of Padua in the Chancery of Sigismund III
Authors: Krawczuk Wojciech
Published: March 2024

The students educated in Padua had great influence on the royal chancery of Poland-Lithuania and it dates back to the Middle Ages. These studies offered a possibility of career, and the significance of Padua in the context of royal chancery centres around the preparation of renowned lawyers much needed in the activities of the state. The reconstructing the education of chancery secretaries or notaries requires further research on this large group of several hundred characters.
La simbologia della Polonia e dei suoi regnanti nella Dichiaratione dell’arco fatto in Padova nella venuta della Serenissima Reina Bona di Polonia
Authors: Palmarini Luca
Published: March 2024

The symbolism of Poland and its rulers in the Dichiaratione dell’arco fatto in Padova nella venuta della Serenissima Reina Bona di Polonia

The purpose of this article is to analyse the symbolism concerning Poland and the reigning house of the Jagellonian dynasty, represented, together with various symbols of other institutions, in a temporary triumphal arch, created in 1556 on the occasion of the arrival of Queen Bona Sforza in Padua. The city authorities asked Alessandro Maggi, a Paduan scholar and collector of antiquities, to take charge of the arch, designed by the Veronese architect Michele Sanmicheli, and to provide it with a symbolic-decorative apparatus. In order to immortalize the event, Maggi decided to write, in the form of an open letter, and to give to the press Dichiaratione dell’arco fatto in Padova nella venuta della Serenissima Reina Bona di Polonia, a chronicle in which he not only narrated Bona’s stay in the lands of the Venetian Republic and the festive procession that took place in Padua, but also meticulously described the structure of the arch, explaining, at least in part, its symbolism. In particular, the iconographic and iconological analysis of the allegorical representations and selected inscriptions will allow us to understand his level of knowledge of the realm of which Bona Sforza, consort of Sigismund I, had been queen for almost forty years, as well as what meanings Maggi ‒ through personal interpretations and the application of his profound knowledge of the ancient Roman world to the era contemporary to him ‒ intended to convey to onlookers.
Qualche nota sul soggiorno padovano di Mikołaj Tomicki e di alcuni suoi connazionali
Authors: Piacentini Marcello
Published: March 2024

Notes on the stay of Mikołaj Tomicki and some of his compatriots in Padua

The purpose of the work presented here is to enucleate some details of the Padua sojourn of Mikołaj Tomicki, dedicatee, moreover, as is well known, of a sonnet by Mikołaj Sęp Szarzyński, and of his friendships, on the basis of primary sources, especially the letters addressed to him by Antonio Maria Graziani and Giulio Poggiani.
Incontri nel testo. Fidus comes di Andrzej Schoen e i suoi contesti
Authors: Buszewicz Elwira
Published: March 2024

Meetings in the text: Andrzej Schoen’s Fidus comes and its contexts

The main purpose of this paper is to show how a literary work (in this case Fidus comes, published in 1601 in Kraków) mirrors non only the author’s humanist culture and worldviews, but also his intellectual and social relationships. In addition, it deals with the idea of a text as a form of making oneself present, demonstrating that Andreas Schoneus (1552‒1616), a humanist and poet from Silesia being not able to travel with his former pupil (a Polish magnate, Jan Magnus Tęczyński, 1579‒1637) to the Netherlands, makes his own book the addressee’s companion. The analysed poem displays the importance of their former journey to Italy, and Padua’s milieu is involved in its history. The book served also as a kind of “portfolio”, commending the author to the Belgian humanist Justus Lipsius. The article is divided into four parts. The first presents short biographic profiles of the Fidus comes’ author and its addressee. The second describes the work, its genesis, metamorphoses and context. The third analyses the portrayal of Tęczyński in the poem in the context of his further career. The last one explains the interplay of ideas and contexts and the main function of Schoneus’ work.
La Repubblica di Venezia: una repubblica perfetta? L’immagine di Venezia e del suo sistema politico nel De optimo senatore (1568) di Wawrzyniec Goślicki
Authors: Wojtkowska-Maksymik Marta
Published: March 2024

The Republic of Venice: A Perfect Republic? The Image of Venice and Its Political System in De optimo senatore (1568) by Wawrzyniec Goślicki

The article discusses two passages from the treatise De optimo senatore libri duo, in which Wawrzyniec Goślicki evokes Venice as a model of a mixed form of government. It is shown that the image of Venice in the work of the Polish writer does not differ from that established in Italian literature of the 15th and 16th centuries by Pier Paolo Vergerio, Gaspare Contarini, Donato Giannotti. It has been shown that Goślicki, unlike the aforementioned authors, made the prosperity of the state dependent not on the wellfunctioning governmental bodies, but on the moral excellence of the ruling class.
FAST – w kierunku nowej formy dystrybucji treści
Authors: Świerczyńska-Głownia Weronika
Published: March 2024

FAST – towards a new form of content distribution

The streaming industry is coming full circle. Compared to its early days focused primarily on access to content via subscription, ad-supported and scheduled content is now becoming more common. This is related to phenomena that are becoming more and more noticeable on the media market: the so-called subscription fatigue, as well as the so-called the great unsubscribe, as well as cord-cutting, which is causing many streaming service providers to see their subscriber numbers decline. Streaming audiences have turned to looking for alternative programming options, such as FAST (free-ad supported-streaming TV). The development of this sector does not currently revolutionize the streaming market, but it creates, on the one hand, new opportunities for content distribution and responds to audience expectations, and on the other hand, it creates additional opportunities for content monetization. The purpose of this article is to illustrate a new trend in the way both content is distributed and created in the streaming services space. For the purposes of this analysis, it was hypothesized that in the streaming industry, ad-supported services and scheduled live programming are gaining in popularity and constitute a significant alternative to existing business models. Therefore, the article is a review and is based on the analysis of available reports, practical studies, as well as expert statements. Moreover, the author’s intention is to indicate the directions and areas of changes that will become part of the Polish media landscape in the near future.
Dziennikarze na cyfrowych sterydach
Authors: Kononiuk Tadeusz
Published: March 2024

Journalists on digital steroids

The article is a media studies analysis of the processes and mechanisms of digitization as the main cause of the technological convergence from print to digital, which transformed all media, creating a new architecture of communication. The place of the old corporate media order was taken by a dozen competing concepts forming a fragmented networked media landscape. The research goal of the article is to answer the questions of how this transition from print to digital affects the status of the journalistic profession: first, what is the impact of digital on the information ecosystem and the journalist’s position in it? second, is there a relationship between the medium of press material and its quality? third, has digital acted as a steroid to accelerate the intensity of journalistic activity? These important and complex problems of modern journalism, put in the form of a metaphorical shortcut – “digital steroids” – are the subject of research in this publication.
Polityka migracyjna „bez polityki”. Antynomie tworzenia polityki migracyjnej w Polsce w okresie 2016–2022
Authors: Łodziński Sławomir , Szonert Marek
Published: March 2024

Migration policy “without policy”. Antinomies of migration policy-making in Poland in the period 2016–2022

The article focuses on the analysis of the evolution of work on Polish migration policy in the period 2016–2022. In it, we draw attention to the importance of not defining clear goals of the state’s migration policy and setting the rules for their implementation. This concerned the failure to work out a compromise between the goals related to the interests of the economy and the demographic needs of the society and the narrowly understood priorities of maintaining state security. This gave rise to both internal competition between individual institutions within the central administration, and was conducive to high political sensitivity of work on developing the program of this policy. Its effect was that the state’s migration policy took on the character of a public policy without politics, i.e. consistent actions in various fields of migration (such as the labor market, Polish diaspora policy, border protection and refugee policy) without broader political and official discussion about its long-term goals.
Is a Woman a Better Refugee Than a Man? Gender Representations of Refugees in the Polish Public Debate
Authors: Bloch Natalia
Published: March 2024

Within the framework of global mobility regimes, some bodies are encouraged to move while others are pushed back. Nation-states create control mechanisms to block those who are “undesirable”. Apart from political utility, the colour of the bodies is indicated by the critics as the main criterion of division. However, one more important dimension that intersects with race here is the gender of these bodies. A woman fits the figure of an ideal victim better due to the nationalist patterns of femininity: she is vulnerable, submissive, and deprived of agency. Contrary to a man: his duty in the context of war is to remain in his homeland and fight for it. A man who does not do that, seeking asylum in Europe, is morally doubtful: he is a migrant posing a threat to “our” prosperity and security. This is how people crossing the Polish-Belarusian border are presented to public opinion and contrasted with female Ukrainian refugees. The article offers a critical analysis of gender representations of refugees in the Polish public debate through the prism of postcolonial theory, demonstrating that gendered and racialised colonial discourses underpin rationalisations about who has and who does not have a right to be a refugee.
Families on the Border and “Families Without Borders”: Discourses on “Families” in the Context of the Crisis on the Polish-Belarusian Border
Authors: Tymińska Ada
Published: March 2024

Families, including those with children, constitute a significant group of people crossing the Polish-Belarusian border. The aim of this article is to analyse the discourse on the Polish-Belarusian border in the context of the place that the category of “family” finds in it, and what role and responsibility is assigned to children and parents. The theoretical framework for these reflections is primarily critical childhood studies. For this purpose, the author analyzed Polish-language online statements about the humanitarian crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border published between mid-August 2021 and the 1st of January 2023. The research included statements by institutional actors (e.g. Border Guard), media publications as well as public comments by social media users (Twitter). In the case of the humanitarian crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border, the term “family” is used in a variety of ways – from building a sense of symbolic solidarity (the “Families Without Borders” group), through referring this term to the presence of particularly vulnerable people among migrants, to attributing responsibility for the risks regarding the situation of children at the border to either parents or state institutions, depending on the discourse. Reflections on the Polish-Belarusian border seem to be part of the tensions related to the concepts of “family”, “parenthood” and “children”.
Belarus’s Coercive Engineered Migration Case of 2021–2022: Categorisation of State Media Narratives
Authors: Yeliseyeu Andrei
Published: March 2024

This study deploys a narrative analysis of stories on the topic of the so-called migration crisis on the EU-Belarus border published on the website of the key Belarusian publishing house Belarus Segodnya between the 1st of June 2021 and the 31st of March 2022. The key eleven narratives were deconstructed through a close engagement with and interpretation of over 1,500 topical publications. The ongoing humanitarian crisis at the EU-Belarus border which peaked in late 2021 followed from the Belarusian regime’s attempt to attain foreign policy goals, foremost the suspension of EU sanctions. The study applies the concept of coercive engineered migration proposed by Kelly Greenhill and finds that the content of most identified narratives fits Greenhill’s predictions that coercing actors focus on manipulating the ability and willingness of targeted states to accept groups of migrants and that challengers tend to impose hypocrisy costs on targets to increase coercive power. The analysis suggests that some of the major state media narratives fit into two groups of coercing strategies proposed by Greenhill while others can be accommodated in the category related to hypocrisy costs. These “blame shifting” narratives cast full responsibility for the origin and persistence of the migrant crisis on the targeted actors. An additional “triggering catastrophe” category is proposed which includes narratives which project cataclysms for the targeted actors and high cost of not hosting migrants for them.
Investigation of Patient Safety Attitudes of Operating Room Staff
Authors: BELGİN Birgül , ARSLAN Sevban
Published: March 2024

Operating rooms are one of the most chaotic work environments in a hospital. Patient-safety measures must be followed to obtain standardization in health care in the operating rooms. This study was conducted to investigate the patient safety attitudes of the staff working in operating rooms.
The study was conducted using a descriptive and cross-sectional design with staff working in central operating rooms between February 2017 and October 2017 in Balcali Hospital of the Medical Faculty of Cukurova University, and in Adana Numune Training and Research Hospital. The population of the study consisted of healthcare staff working in the operating room units. Rather than selecting a sample from the population, reaching the whole population was aimed. 254 people who accepted to participate in the study, and who met the inclusion criteria, were included in the study. Staff information forms for collecting demographic data of the staff, and the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) for assessing patient safety attitudes of the staff, were used to collect the data. SPSS version 20 software was used to analyze the data. The results were interpreted using a 95 % confidence interval and a p < 0.05 significance level.
The mean scores of the SAQ were as follows; the mean total SAQ scores were 49,58 ± 12,67, the scores for the teamwork climate dimension were 58,52±13,63, the scores for the job satisfaction dimension were 59,82±22,41, the scores for perceptions of management dimension were 44,35±22,99, the scores for safety climate dimension were 50,97±15,21, the scores for working conditions dimension were 51,35±25,01, and finally, the scores for stress recognition dimension were 36,83±16,14.
The results suggest that the patient safety attitudes of the staff working in the operating rooms were at an intermediate level. Providing necessary education and raising awareness are suggested to improve patient safety attitudes
COVID-19 FEAR AND AGGRESSION LEVELS OF NURSING STUDENTS DURING THE PANDEMIC
Authors: GÜMÜŞLER BAŞARAN Ayşe , AKIN Özlem
Published: March 2024

This study was conducted to determine the fear of COVID-19 in nursing students and to reveal its effect on aggression levels. The research was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study was conducted with 183 students in the Black Sea region in May-July 2021. The data were collected using the sociodemographic information form, the Fear of Coronavirus Scale, and the Aggression Scale: Short Form. 69% of the students were female, and their average age was 21.22±2.05. 83.6% thought that not participating in the hospital practice during the pandemic affected their readiness for the profession, and 63.4% felt inadequate. Fear and aggression levels were found to be moderate. Fear of coronavirus was significantly higher in female students, health high school graduates, unemployed students, smokers, and alcohol users. In terms of Aggression Scale total and sub-dimensions, gender, class, employment status, place of residence, mother's education level, number of siblings, and sleep pattern were the factors that led to a significant. No significant relationship was found between the fear of coronavirus and aggression scale and its sub-dimensions. Students experienced moderate levels of fear and aggression. Delivering practice-based courses with distance education negatively affected the students' readiness for the profession.