bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
QUANTIFICATION OF SONICATED IMPLANTS FROM PATIENTS WITH OSTEOARTICULAR IMPLANT INFECTIONS
Authors: Vidal Llanos Salar , Auñon Alvaro , García Antonio Blanco , Cañete Joaquín García , Parron Raul , Esteban-Moreno Jaime
Published: November 2024

Aim

To evaluate the bacterial counts of sonicatied implants in patients with osteoarticular infections. Various studies have demostrated the usefulness of sonication of retrieved implants in order to provide an accurate microbiological diagnosis. Although cutoff values for original sonicate counts have been established, the use of centrifugation may influence these values

Method

A retrospective, single-center study, including sonication fluid samples from implants removed between January 2011 and October 2023, was performed. Patients were diagnosed with implant-associated infection based on the criteria available at the time of diagnosis. Osteoarticular implants were sonicated following the protocol described by Esteban et al. Sonicated fluid was centrifuged for 20 minutes at 3000 x g, and the sediment was resuspended in 5 mL of phosphate buffer solution. Ten µl of the sample were streaked onto each medium for quantitative culture. Bacterial counts exceeding 100,000 CFU/mL were considered as 100,000 CFU/mL for statistical analysis.

Results

The study included 457 sonication fluid samples. Of these, 316 samples were from patients with prosthetic joint infection (PJI), with 26.3 % diagnosed with acute PJI and 73.7 % with chronic PJI. Additionally, 141 samples were from patients with osteosynthesis infection. The median CFU/ml in the sonication fluid was 40,000 CFU/mL (IQR 1,000 CFU/mL-100,000 CFU/mL). No statistically significant difference was observed between the different types of implants (prosthesis vs. osteosynthesis, p=0.218). A trend of higher counts was noted for acute PJI compared to chronic PJI (р=0.052). Most infections were monomicrobial, but 16.2% were polymicrobial. Statistically significant higher bacterial counts were observed in polymicrobial infections compared to monomicrobial infections (р<0.005). Among monomicrobial infections, no differences were found between Gram-negative and Gram-positive microorganisms (р=0.416). No differences were also found between joints (knee vs. hip) (p=0.353).

Conclusions

Significant variability was observed in the number of colonies detected in all samples, regardless of the type of implant, the number of microorganisms or the species identified. Higher counts were detected in polymicrobial infections, and a trend was also noted for higher counts in acute infections.
CONTRIBUIÇÃO AO ESTUDO FITOQUÍMICO DE FOLHAS DE Vatairea macrocarpa (Fabaceae)
Authors: De Jesus Ferreira Pedro Emanuel , Alexandre de Freitas Espeleta
Published: November 2024

Na sociedade contemporânea, o reino vegetal se formaliza enquanto tesouro de novas moléculas com potencial terapêutico, desempenhando também um papel importante como matriz de novos fármacos (NEWMAN; CRAGG, 2020). Assim, a pesquisafitoquímica é essencial quando ainda não são dispostos todos os estudos químicos com espécies de interesse popular, tendo como objetivo conhecer os compostos químicos das espécies vegetais e examinar sua presença nos mesmos, identificando grupos de metabólitos secundários relevantes (SIMÕES et al., 2017).
Dualism in Vietnam-China Relations: Vietnam's Diplomatic Interactions with Chinese Envoys from the 10th to the 19th Century
Authors: Hanh Nguyen Thi My
Published: November 2024

Abstract: The article examines the reception of Chinese ambassadors by Vietnamese dynasties after 938, marking Vietnam's liberation from over a millennium of Chinese dominance. In its diplomatic engagements with Chinese envoys, Vietnam adopted a stance of respect, humility, and conciliation to foster a harmonious relationship with the powerful nation of China. However, alongside these diplomatic efforts, Vietnam consistently strived to enhance its prestige, safeguard its independence, promote self-reliance, and pursue prosperity. This conduct served as evidence that Vietnam was a 'civilized' nation that did not require the 'civilizing' influence of China. Additionally, the article highlights how these diplomatic practices demonstrated the coexistence of two distinct tendencies, namely 'Heavy sinicization' and 'Heavy cultural resistance', as well as the concept of 'dualism' in Vietnam's relationship with China during that era. Those diplomatic behaviors have contributed to shaping Vietnam's diplomatic culture throughout its history of relations with China.
"She Was Just a Chorus Girl, Baby": Nina Mae McKinney and the Hollywood Supernova
Authors: Payton Philana
Published: November 2024

abstract: This article confronts stardom and its historically inadequate application to Black women performers by centering Nina Mae McKinney, Hollywood's first Black woman lead in a feature-length synchronized sound film. I argue that McKinney's role as Chick in the 1929 film Hallelujah (King Vidor) functioned as the cinematic representation of the Black chorine just as the iconography of the chorus girl became representative of modernity's failures. Juxtaposing Production Code Administration (PCA) archival documents with a close reading of McKinney's performance, I situate McKinney as the progenitor of an alternative framework that redefines Black women's relationship to Holly-wood stardom.
A Defense of Buddhist Foundationalism against Nāgārjuna's Causal Arguments for Emptiness
Authors: Guerrero Laura P.
Published: November 2024

Abstract: Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadyamakakārikā argues against the Abhidharma view that their putatively fundamental entities—the dharmas —can enter into causal relationships. The Ābhidharmikas maintain that the mark of fundamentality is having a particular kind of nature called svabhāva —a Sanskrit term that roughly translates to "own-nature." Nāgārjuna's arguments target svabhāva , attempting to show that any entity that has a svabhāva could not enter into causal relations. Nāgārjuna's arguments, however, fail against the foundationalism of the Vaibhāṣika Sarvāstivāda Ābhidharmikas because he targets a notion of svabhāva that they do not hold. This essay defends Abhidharma foundationalism against four of Nāgārjuna's causal arguments by clarifying the Vaibhāṣika understanding of svabhāva and demonstrating how their view avoids Nāgārjuna's objections. I argue that the Vaibhāṣika characterize svabhāva only as a nature that does not reductively supervene on other entities. This characterization allows for various other dependence relations among dharmas , including causal dependence. Furthermore, the Sarvāstivāda view that entities exist in the past, present, and future, if interpreted as a form of ontological pluralism, avoids Nāgārjuna's criticism that causation's temporal process must involve change, inconsistent with svabhāva 's immutability.
Tanabe Hajime's Critical Engagement of Nietzsche's Will-to-Power in His Philosophy of Metanoetics
Authors: Stromback Dennis
Published: November 2024

Abstract: As a Mahāyāna response to Nietzsche's critique of Buddhism, this article will explore Tanabe Hajime's philosophy of metanoetics in a way that addresses the Nietzschean dilemmas. Within his critique of Nietzsche, Tanabe contends that Nietzsche only advances principles of absolute being that lead to an affirmation of life indicative of self-power and thus forecloses any sense of an absolute critique that could awaken a surrendering to Other-power. According to Tanabe, upon letting go of one's clinging to the logic of non-contradiction expressed within self-power is an emerging unshakable faith to Other-power through which the negated self is transformed into an affirmation of life realized as "being as upāya " ( hōben sonzai 方便存在). The transformation of the heart that comes from Tanabe's philosophy of metanoetics therefore converts the hidden inclination to dominate oneself and the other in cycles of ressentiment into a world of love and compassion for the other. The "will-to-power" that lies at the basis of Nietzschean subjectivity is thereby amended by Tanabe's standpoint of metanoetics that is a "philosophy that is not a philosophy."
Operationalizing borrowability:
Phonological segments as a case study
Authors: Moran Steven , Eisen Elad , Nikolaev Dmitry , Grossman Eitan
Published: November 2024

This study provides two mathematical formalizations of borrowability. These operationalizations
allow us to quantitatively evaluate the borrowability of phonological segments and to
make predictions about the likelihood that speech sounds will be borrowed in language contact
situations. Our approach departs from traditional borrowability hierarchies based on qualitative
observations and instead provides empirically motivated models based on probability theory and
statistics. Our study uses as input two large crosslinguistic segment inventory databases, and our
results show that segments have markedly different borrowability profiles, highlighting their different
diffusion patterns through space and time.
Juan Rulfo’s El Llano en llamas (1953) as Literary Expression of Agrarian Protest
Authors: Kaewert Rebecca
Published: November 2024

Abstract: The history of Mexico in the first half of the 20th century is almost completely dominated by the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920/40). Revolutionary events continue to shape Mexican society up to the present day. Due to the unequal distribution of resources and land and political instability, persistent social tensions have developed, resulting primarily from a collective impoverishment accompanied by de facto lawlessness, violence, and oppression of the Mexican rural population, and a rising elite in the cities. Mexican author Juan Rulfo (1917–1986) experienced violent clashes between social revolutionary and state actors in which around two million people died. These events fundamentally shaped Rulfo’s literary works, El Llano en llamas (1953), an anthology of short stories, and the novel Pedro Páramo (1955). This article focuses on El Llano en llamas , understanding the collection of short stories as an aestheticization of the structural grievances suffered by the Mexican rural population at the beginning of the 20th century and regards it as a form of literary protest. Showing that Rulfo’s stories are placed in a tension between ethics, aesthetics, and documentation, this article seeks to uncover the social agenda that Rulfo pursued as an author, giving voice to figures who can hardly articulate themselves outside of literature. Through literature, Rulfo appropriates, reshapes and reflects socially located power structures and socio-economic hierarchies. Finally, this article shows that the links between poverty, inequality of opportunity, structural discrimination, and spatial marginalization that Rulfo’s stories express remain virulent in the 21st century.
Narrating Threads of Transgression: Intensive Animal Agriculture in Contemporary Literature
Authors: Werner Juliane
Published: November 2024

Abstract: Since the advent of industrial animal farming in the mid-nineteenth century, works of fiction have played a vital role in bringing to light the dynamics of violence, resistance, and sabotage that inhabit its spaces. This article addresses the latest configuration of this phenomenon, examining a selection of twenty-first century novels (among them Isabelle Sorente’s 180 jours , Deb Olin Unferth’s Barn 8 , and Nadja Niemeyer’s Gegenangriff ) that confront the sites of large-scale automated breeding, feeding, slaughter, and processing that are the factory farms of today. At the core of these novels are episodes of transgression – break-ins, escapes, abductions – that implicate the whole network of actors involved: humans, animals, machines, and matter. Disrupting the flows of bodies, the rhythms of conveyor belts, and the logistics of transport, these episodes highlight not only the rigorous disciplinary power, but also the permeability of the boundaries, and the fragile interplay of kinesis and stasis that sustain modern meat production. The article thus elucidates how these works crystallize what Georges Bataille characterized as “the chaotic aspect” of abattoirs, theorizing an aesthetics of transgression as the hallmark of contemporary factory-farm fiction and the key vector of its socioethical ambitions.
Mid-infrared coherent sources and applications: introduction
Authors: Ebrahim-Zadeh Majid , Mirov Sergey B. , Schunemann Peter G. , Sorokina Irina T.
Published: November 2024

The editors of the Journal of the Optical Society of
America B feature issue on “Mid-infrared coherent sources
and applications” introduce the feature articles. The feature issue
complements the Mid-Infrared Coherent Sources (MICS) meeting held in March
2024.
Evaluation of reliability generalization of Conner-Davison Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10 and CD-RISC-25): A Meta-analysis
Authors: Wojujutari Ajele Kenni , Idemudia Erhabor Sunday , Ugwu Lawrence Ejike
Published: November 2024

Background

Resilience, a critical multi-faceted construct in psychological research, is often measured using Conner-Davison Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10 and CD-RISC-25). This reliability generalization (RG) meta-analysis delves into evaluate the level of reliability generalization estimate of both CD-RISC-10 and CD-RISC-25 in assessing resilience across diverse populations and settings.

Methods

A reliability generalization meta-analysis on the psychometric properties of CD-RISC-10 and CD-RISC-25 was conducted, encompassing 27 studies. The original versions’ psychometric properties were systematically retrieved from databases including PubMed, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Scopus, with a focus on studies published between 2018 and 2023. The study protocol, including the specific methods for the reliability generalization meta-analysis, was pre-registered in the Prospero database (registration number CRD42023479052). This pre-registration ensures transparency and minimizes the risk of bias in the study design and analysis.

Results

The analysis revealed a combined estimated overall estimate of Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.89 (95% CI [0.87, 0.91], z = 77.20, p < 0.05), indicating a high level of reliability for CD-RISC-10 and CD-RISC-25. CD-RISC-10 exhibited an overall estimate of Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.8732 (95% CI [0.85, 0.10], z = 69.81, p < 0.05), indicating a high level of reliability, while CD-RISC-25 also demonstrated an overall estimate of Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.8922 (95% CI [0.87, 0.91], z = 77.20, p < 0.001), indicating a high level of reliability. Furthermore, CD-RISC-10 displayed commendable reliability (ωα+ = 0.86), slightly lower compared to the impressive reliability of CD-RISC-25 (ωα+ = 0.89), with a significant difference (t = 0.1159, p > 0.001). The mixed-effects model revealed a non-significant moderating effect of the CD-RISC language version on reliability estimates (coefficient = -0.0017, p <0.05).

Conclusion

The results affirm the high overall reliability of both CD-RISC-10 and CD-RISC-25, with CD-RISC-25 exhibiting a slightly superior level. The non-significant moderating effect of language version suggests that the psychometric properties of these scales remain robust across different linguistic adaptations. These findings enhance our understanding of the CD-RISC scales, providing practitioners, researchers, and clinicians valuable insights for informed scale selection in diverse contexts. The commendable reliability of both scales underscores their utility in assessing and promoting resilience across varied populations and settings. Future research should explore specific contexts, demographics, and applications, enhancing their utility for diverse populations and settings.
Global prevalence of anemia in displaced and refugee children: A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Teketelew Bisrat Birke , Chane Elias , Angelo Abiy Ayele , Tamir Mebratu , Cherie Negesse , Nigus Mesele , Mulatie Zewudu , Berta Dereje Mengesha
Published: November 2024

Background

Anemia due to living condition disproportionally affects the global refugee children. Nutritional deficiency particularly iron deficiency is the primary causes of anemia. Hence, we conducted a systemic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence of anemia among refugee children.

Methods

We searched systematically all relevant studies on the prevalence of anemia among refugee children including under the age of 18 years, which were conducted between 2009 and 2023 in English from PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochran library and other gray literatures such as google scholar. Two researchers independently screened articles based on their title and abstract. The Joana Brigg’s Institute (JBI) checklist was used to assess the quality of studies. Random effect model was utilized to calculate the pooled estimate of anemia. Higgins I2 statistics and Egger’s test were analyzed to check heterogeneity and publication bias, respectively. Subgroup analysis by continent, age group of the children and year of study was employed to identify the source of heterogeneity.

Result

A total of 14 studies were included in the final meta-analysis. Most of the studies were from Asian countries followed by African countries. The pooled prevalence of anemia among global refugee children was 36.54 with (95% CI: 23.79, 49.28). There was moderate level of heterogeneity between the studies (I2 = 68.91, P<0.001). The highest pooled prevalence of anemia in refugee children was reported in African, it was 56.1%, whereas the lowest pooled prevalence of anemia was in N. America, it was 12.66%. The prevalence of anemia was highest (53.88) in studies done among under-five refugee children.

Conclusion

The global prevalence of anemia among refugee children is found to be moderate public health problem. Anemia prevalence is more common in African refugee children. Intervention and prevention for should be focused especially for refugees found in low- and middle-income countries.
Analysis of serum vitamin D and calcium levels in elderly patients with stable and unstable intertrochanteric fractures: A multi-center prospective study
Authors: Alijanpour Kamran , Afzal Sina , Alijanpour Abolhasan , Barati Hasan , Gholinia Hemmat , Tavassoli Mehdi
Published: November 2024

Background

Hip fractures are highly prevalent in the elderly, with intertrochanteric (IT) fractures of the femur constituting about half of the fractures in this region. We aimed to evaluate the levels of serum calcium and vitamin D in patients with stable or unstable IT fractures to study their contribution to the severity of IT fracture.

Materials and methods

Using a prospective cross-sectional design, we enrolled patients with IT fractures admitted to two referral orthopedic centers in 2022. Unstable IT fracture was defined as those with reverse obliquity or a trans-trochanteric pattern of fracture, a large or comminuted posteromedial fragment, and subtrochanteric extension of the fracture. Serum 25 (OH) vitamin D and calcium levels were the main study variables assessed by lab tests and compared among the two study groups: stable and unstable IT fractures.

Results

A total of 286 patients with a mean age of 70.5 ± 7.3 years and a female predominance (60.4%) were included in the final analysis. Among the patients, 139 (48.6%) had stable IT fractures, and 147 (51.4%) had unstable IT fractures. The mean serum level of vitamin D was significantly higher in the stable group (30.3 ± 7.0) compared to the unstable group (26.5 ± 6.1) (P-value = 0.007). Increasing age was associated with a decreasing level of serum vitamin D; however, the association was weak and not statistically significant (P-value = 0.319). The mean serum calcium level was higher among stable cases (8.6 ± 0.7) compared to unstable cases (8.4 ± 0.9); however, the difference was not statistically significant (P-value = 0.540). Vitamin D and calcium levels were almost similar among males and females.

Conclusion

Lower levels of serum vitamin D were significantly associated with unstable IT fractures, and supplementation with this element might prevent severe fractures of this type and other fragility hip fractures.
Early detection of plant leaf diseases using stacking hybrid learning
Authors: Sheneamer Abdullah
Published: November 2024

The early identification of pests and diseases in crops now presents a significant challenge. Different methods have been used to resolve this problem. Sticky traps and black light traps, used to identify diseases and for field monitoring, are examples of a manual procedure for analysing the diseases. A lot of time is required, and it is less effective to manually inspect larger crop fields manually. To serve requires a professional, so it is, therefore, costly. The use of sticky traps, where by bugs stick to the material upon contact, is one method of disease monitoring. A camera is used to take a picture of the sticky trap. From the picture using the average disease count, this image is then processed to ascertain the pet density for a specific time period. Such manual methods, as well as providing an effective outcome also pose a danger to the environment. This is because farmers spray pesticides in large quantities as a preventative measure. Various approaches have been used to identify diseases, including image processing and sophisticated algorithms. The most effective method of disease identification from crops is automatic detection using methods of image processing and classification algorithms for the diseases to be categorised based on different picture attributes. With a stacking stacking hybrid learning with scratch and transfer learning strategies, which is utilised in this work, a model that has already been trained is used to learn on images of diverse fruit plant leaves from the Plant Village dataset, spanning both safe samples and various illnesses. This reasearch paper used ensemble CNN and we achieved accuracy between 99.75% to 100%.
Evidence for a specific distortion in perceptual body image in eating disorders: A replication and extension
Authors: Brokjøb Lise Gulli , Cornelissen Piers L. , Gumančík Jiří , McCarty Kristofor , Tovée Martin J. , Cornelissen Katri K.
Published: November 2024

A core feature of eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, is an overestimation of body size. A key question is whether this overestimation arises solely from body image concerns typical in eating disorders, or if there is an additional perceptual disturbance. To address this question, we applied a two-component model of body size estimation that has been thoroughly replicated in the body image literature concerning healthy individuals. This model shows statistically independent, additive effects on body size estimates of: a) body image concerns, and b) a perceptual component known as contraction bias. Here body image concerns were defined by a principal components analysis (PCA) of psychometric tasks including the: Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, Body Shape Questionnaire, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4. The PCA identified three components referred to as PSYCH, FAMPEER, and ATHIN. We investigated the influence of age, personal body mass index (BMI), and these three components on body size estimation in 33 women with a current or past history of eating disorders and 100 healthy controls. Low-BMI control participants overestimated their size, while high-BMI controls underestimated their size, exhibiting the expected normal perceptual contraction bias. However, the women with a history of eating disorders showed no evidence of contraction bias, suggesting a different processing of perceptual aspects of body size estimation compared to controls. We discuss two putative mechanisms that can explain these differences in accuracy of personal body size estimation.
Vitruvian binders in Venice: First evidence of Phlegraean pozzolans in an underwater Roman construction in the Venice Lagoon
Authors: Dilaria Simone , Ricci Giulia , Secco Michele , Beltrame Carlo , Costa Elisa , Giovanardi Tommaso , Bonetto Jacopo , Artioli Gilberto
Published: November 2024

Four mortar samples were collected from a submerged Roman well-cistern (1st c. CE) in the Northern part of the Lagoon of Venice, recently investigated during underwater surveys promoted by the team of maritime archaeology of the University Ca’ Foscari of Venice. Samples were preliminary described following a standardized protocol of analytical techniques, including Polarized Light Optical Microscopy (PLM), Quantitative Phase Analysis—X-Ray Powder Diffraction (QPA-XRPD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS). Archaeometric analyses allowed the samples to be identified as lime-based mortars enriched with ceramic fragments and sand-sized particles compatible with local alluvial deposits. Moreover, pyroclastic aggregates, inconsistent with the local geology, were added to the mortars as natural pozzolans, strongly reacted with the lime binder. Their provenance was determined through geochemical analysis by using SEM-EDS (Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy) and LA-ICP-MS (Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry). The analysis targeted the inner regions of certain coarse clasts (having a grain-size ranging from approximately 450 μm to 2–3 mm), where fresh volcanic glass, unaltered by reactions, was still preserved, allowing the original geochemistry of the clasts to be delineated. The resulting fingerprints were then compared with the geochemical distribution of the pyroclastic products of the major Italian Plio-Quaternary magmatic districts. The lithological source of the analysed tephra appears to be petrochemically congruent with the Phlegraean Fields volcanic district. However, most of the volcanic clasts, especially the finer ones (< 450 μm) and shards, showed significant alteration as a result of pozzolanic reactions with the binder. The strongly alkaline anoxic underwater environment of the Venetian lagoon likely fostered the reaction kinetics, as the matrices showed a relevant development of M-A-S-H hydrates replacing the pristine Ca-bearing phases of the binder. On the other hand, the carbonation of the lime was almost null. The uniform mixture of local sands, ceramic fragments, and imported volcanic rocks, combined with brackish water, appears to have fostered pozzolanic and para-pozzolanic reactions in underwater conditions. This evidence shows, once again, how Vitruvius’ recommendations on the use of Phlegraean pozzolans (Vitr. De Arch. 5.12.2) to enhance the physical and mechanical properties of seawater concretes were firmly rooted in the advanced engineering knowledge of the ancient world.
Work-related stress among financial professionals: The impact of age, work experience and education
Authors: Kutebayev Talgat , Utaliyeva Zhanna , Sautenkova Marina , Aizhanova Gulnara
Published: November 2024

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in the level and sources of work-related stress among financial professionals regarding age, work experience, and educational level.

Methods

A cross-sectional research design was employed among 702 financial professionals in Kazakhstan who worked in different corporate and government organizations. Data on work-related stress were collected via online questionnaires using the Job Stress Survey (JSS).

Results

The results showed that young financial professionals experienced higher stress than older professionals due to the lack of opportunity for advancement. Moreover, the study findings revealed that less experienced financial professionals reported higher levels of stress than more experienced professionals due to the meeting deadlines and conflicts with other departments. The study also found that financial professionals with a postgraduate degree stressed more than professionals with an undergraduate degree on major JSS scales. Furthermore, financial professionals with a postgraduate degree experienced higher stress due to the assignment of disagreeable duties, working overtime, lack of opportunity for advancement, inadequate support by supervisor, dealing with crisis situations, lack of recognition for good work, difficulty getting along with supervisor, insufficient personnel to adequately handle an assignment, lack of participation in policy-making decisions, inadequate salary, excessive paperwork, and covering work for another employee than professionals with undergraduate and vocational degrees.

Conclusion

The findings of this study provide valuable insights for organizations to eliminate and alleviate work-related stress.
Explaining motivational factors of employees’ behavior towards customers’ satisfaction using the theory of planned behavior
Authors: Zewdie Yeshwork Gizaw , Getahun Demis Alamirew , Mengistu Yitayal Alemu , Mekonnen Sefinew Alemu , Mengstie Missaye Mulatie
Published: November 2024

Lack of customer satisfaction in public service is one of the most important problems particularly in developing countries. Despite the efforts by governments to improve public service delivery, the resulting outcomes are quite limited. This demands evidence not only on the demand side but also on the supply side of the public service delivery in that how to motivate employees to improve their performance in satisfying customers. It is believed that finishing customers’ issues within required time and serving them with impartiality are few of the many factors satisfying customers. The Theory of Planned Behavior was used to explore the intentions of employees towards finishing customers’ issues within required time and serving customers with impartiality, and to study associations between their intentions and any of three factors (attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control) that, according to the Theory of Planned Behavior, determine intentions. A total of 188 questionnaires were completed by employees in 12 organizations. Majority of the employees (88.8%) had a positive intention to serve customers with impartiality; 66.5% had the intention to finish customers’ issues within required time. Employees had a more positive attitude and perceived behavioral control but lower subjective norm toward implementing both intentions. Attitude was positively associated (P<0.05) with the intention to serve customers with impartiality. Subjective norm was negatively associated with the intention to finish customers’ issues within required time. Intervention programs aiming to increase the intention of employees toward customers’ satisfaction should primarily focus on changing employees’ attitude and secondarily on improving their subjective norms.
La ubicación geográfica de los colegios de educación especial. Una barrera adicional para la inclusión
Authors: Tárraga-Mínguez Raúl , Lacruz-Pérez Irene , Gómez-Marí Irene , Sanz-Cervera Pilar
Published: November 2024

Este estudio analiza la ubicación geográfica de los centros de educación especial (CEE) de la Comunidad Valenciana. Para ello, se comparó la situación geográfica de los CEE con la de los centros educativos ordinarios dentro de una misma localidad, considerando la titularidad pública o privada de los CEE, así como el año de construcción del centro. En total, se incluyeron 357 colegios (46 son CEE). Para el análisis, se distinguió entre (1) localidades con menos y (2) con más de 100.000 habitantes. En el primer caso, se calculó la distancia hasta el ayuntamiento de la localidad para cada uno de los centros, utilizando la unidad de distancia Manhattan y la herramienta Cartociudad. En el segundo caso, se realizó un análisis cualitativo de la ubicación de los CEE, mediante la librería Leaflet en R. Los resultados obtenidos sugieren que no se han seguido los mismos criterios para ubicar los centros educativos ordinarios que para los CEE, localizándose estos últimos mayoritariamente en las periferias. Esta ubicación resulta desfavorable para la inclusión social, dado que conlleva la invisibilidad del alumnado de dichos centros y obstaculiza su participación social. En este sentido, los CEE de reciente creación no siguen los mismos patrones de ubicación.
EMBRACING LIFESTYLE MEDICINE IN THE

MANAGEMENT OF SICKLE CELL DISEASE
Authors: Akinyemi Oluwaseun
Published: November 2024

EMBRACING LIFESTYLE MEDICINE IN THE

MANAGEMENT OF SICKLE CELL DISEASE
Accidental exposure to blood (AEB), a real public health problem for medical and paramedical staff at the university hospital of mostaganem
Authors: Bestaoui S. , Amar NH. , Bouhalloufa H. F
Published: November 2024

Accidents involving exposure to free and bodily fluids are a real problem for health professionals, especially paramedics. Several factors aggravate this situation, including the lack of protective vaccination, neglect of protective measures, overwork, e.g. The aim of our study was to identify the number of cases of AEB in the working population, as well as the main causes leading to this.
This is a retrospective study on the records of patients declared victims of AEB in the infectious diseases department of the Mostaganem University Hospital from January 2022 to December 2023. Inclusion criteria: HIV-negative patients. Have a viral load in the first month for HIV. Known vaccination status for HBS.
Forty-four patients were identified, with a predominance of more than 68% among nurses, The hollow needle was the most frequent source of contamination in 50% of cases, and the department most at risk of these accidents was medical-surgical emergencies, Overexertion was found in 48%, as well as the absence of hepatitis B vaccination, the virological status of the source was unknown in 46% of cases, ARVs were adhered to for 28 days in 85% of cases.
Exposure to blood has become one of the major problems in healthcare settings for paramedics especially, with hollow needle sticks remaining the leading cause as well as blood splashes. Even if the causes are well known and the conduct to be followed is well codified, these accidents are most often neglected and largely underreported. As a result, management is delayed and may expose patients to the risk of seroconversion for HIV, HCV, HBS.
El absurdo de la condición humana en Sartre y Camus
Authors: Naranjo Cobo Pedro , Peña Alejandro G. J.
Published: November 2024

En este artículo postulamos que en los sistemas filosóficos de Jean-Paul Sartre y Albert Camus se observa un reconocimiento del existir humano como absurdo, entendido en el primero como una condición ontológica del para-sí, y en el segundo como el divorcio entre nuestra pretensión de sentido en el mundo y la indiferencia de este. Mediante una hermenéutica comparativa de textos de ambos autores, concluiremos que el absurdo en Sartre nos aboca a crear nuestra esencia conforme existimos y puede trascenderse, mientras que, en Camus, el absurdo es insuperable, pero aprehenderlo es nuestra única vía para convivir con dicha condición.
Antropología de la realidad en Pedro Laín Entralgo
Authors: Rodriguez Acevedo Cruz Javier
Published: November 2024

La obra de Laín Entralgo se fundamenta principalmente en la preocupación por el ser humano, por sus interrogantes, sus necesidades y las respuestas que puede obtener en el transcurso de su vida. La maduración de su pensamiento hacia este tema viene dada de una estructura dinámica del ser humano. Es una crítica a Marcel y Paul Ricoeur, al desconocimiento zubiriano de una teoría filosófica del ser humano como actualización y presencia física de un animal de realidades. Para Laín la realidad humana es la compresión de la realidad del hombre a través de su realidad constitutiva, de su realidad dinámica, de su realidad copartícipe con el cosmos y de su realidad conductual.
Podcasting in a Platform Age: From an Amateur to a Professional Medium, John L Sullivan (Bloomsbury, 2024): A Review
Authors: Chambers Catherine
Published: November 2024

John L Sullivan's study of podcasting as a professional 'platformed' medium looks at how the rise of the four (Spotify, Apple, Google, Amazon) has proved a double edge sword; on the one hand thrusting podcasting in the mainstream, on the other threatening the authenticity of grass roots producers and voices which the democratisation of the medium originally sought to embrace. The review reflects on the merits of the narrative and its place alongside existing literature on the topic and in the wider context of the media ecosystem.
Quantitative Analysis of Transforming Growth Factor β Isoforms mRNA in the Human Corneal Epithelium
Authors: Strzalka Barbara , Dorecka M. , Stanik-Walentek A. , Kowalczyk M. , Kapral M. , Romaniuk W. , Mazurek U. , Swiatkowska L.
Published: November 2024

TGF-β is an important mediator of cell growth, differentiation, and proliferation and plays a significant role in both normal and pathological corneal tissue. However, the quantitative relations between TGF-β1, -β2 and -β3 isoforms in human cornea still remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the gene expression profile of TGF-βs in order to evaluate quantitative relations between the examined transcripts in human corneal epithelium. Transcriptional activity of TGF-β1, 2, 3, GAPDH and β-actin genes was estimated on the basis of mRNA copy number per 1 μg of total RNA using the real-time QRT-PCR technique with the SYBR Green I chemistry. Specificity of RT-PCR reaction was confirmed by determination of the characteristic melting temperature for each amplimer. Additionally, the RT-PCR products were separated on 6% polyacrylamide gels and visualized with silver salts. Expression of all TGF-β genes for the corneal epithelium was determined. Comparable analysis of mRNA copies/1 μg of total RNA for each TGF-β isoform showed that: TGF-β1 > TGF-β2; TGF-β3 > TGF-β2; TGF-β1 = TGF-β3 (ANOVA test P < 0.0001; post-hoc Tukey’s test: TGF-β1 and TGF-β2, P = 0.0306; TGF-β3 and TGF-β2, P = 0.0045; TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 NS). We found different expression of the TGF-β1, -2 and -3 isoforms in the human corneal epithelium. Such differential expression of TGF-βs suggests that each of them may play a specific role in corneal tissue.
Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase C677T Gene Polymorphism in Osteosarcoma and Chondrosarcoma Patients
Authors: Ozger H. , Kilicoglu O. , Yilmaz H. , Ergen H. A. , Yaylim I. , Zeybek U. , Isbir Turgay
Published: November 2024

This study was designed to investigate the association of MTHFR C677T polymorphism and the risk of two common musculoskeletal sarcomas, osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma. MTHFR genotypes were determined in 56 patients (44 osteosarcoma, 12 chondrosarcoma) and 44 controls using the PCR-RFLP technique. In the gender subgroup analysis, wild-type A allele frequency was higher in male osteosarcoma patients than in male control subjects (P = 0.064). Mutant V allele and mutant VV genotype were similar in the control group compared to the sarcoma groups (P > 0.05). No correlation could be proved between patient tumour site, presence of metastasis, and local tumour relapse and MTHFR polymorphism. The MTHFR C677T polymorphism may not be important in an individual’s susceptibility to osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma in Turkey and may not be a useful marker for identifying patients at high risk of developing sarcomas.
Nitric Oxide Induces Gene Expression of Jumonji and Retinoblastoma 2 Protein while Reducing Expression of Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Precursor Type B in Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Klassen S. S. , Rabkin Simon W.
Published: November 2024

Jumonji (JMJ, Jarid2), a prototypical member of the jumonji domain-containing protein family, plays a major role in embryonic cardiac development, but its role in the developed heart is unclear. Cardiomyocytes from neonatal mouse heart were treated in culture with NO donor SIN-1, 500 μM, for 2, 4, and 20 h. SIN-1 treatment was associated with a significant and 6.9 ± 2.5 fold increase in jmj gene expression over all time points. The expression of jmj increased markedly and significantly 4.2 ± 1.1 fold, 16.6 ± 4.1 fold, and 2.7 ± 0.3 fold, respectively, at time points 2 h, 4 h, and 20 h after treatment. The ability of the increase in gene expression to translate into an increase in cellular protein expression was ascertained by Western blotting, which showed an increase in the JMJ protein in whole-cell lysates. Because of the relationship of JMJ to Rb and ANP in the heart, gene expression of these proteins was also examined. SIN-1 produced a small but significant increase in Rb2, but not Rb1 or Rb-binding proteins 4, 6, or 7. In contrast, SIN-1 produced a marked and significant reduction in natriuretic peptide precursor type B but not type C to 0.24 ± 0.09 fold of the control. These data suggest that JMJ may be a critical, previously unrecognized factor that mediates some of the cellular effects of NO, that NO may be able to increase JMJ in diseases associated with reduced JMJ expression.
Unikatowe znalezisko przyborów kupieckich z Jaryszek. Przyczynek do studiów nad rolą peryferycznego otoczenia Poznania we wczesnym średniowieczu
Authors: Waszczuk Kamilla , Żychliński Daniel , Kuzioła Aneta
Published: November 2024

During research at an early medieval site located 11 km away from Poznań’s Ostrów Tumski (Cathedral Island), a set of tools for weighing bullion was found, consisting of balance scales, 10 standardised weights, and a decorative copper alloy necklace clasp. Due to the state of preservation, mechanical features and the place of uncovering, these artefacts prompted a multi-faceted analysis of the possible reasons why such valuable objects were left in one of the sites of the extensive settlement, located  by the Kopel and Michałówka valley. As a result, new evidence has been obtained on the links between the main strongholds of the Polish state and the subordinate settlements, as well as on the existence of possibilities of communication between them (hitherto unconsidered) and on local variations in social stratification. At the same time, the need to carry out methodical research on archaeological sites and to exercise conservation protection over them was stressed, in the face of a threat of losing ample interpretative opportunities when the sites become victims of illegal forms of exploration
Przekaz Al-Dżahiza o wierzeniach Słowian. Folklorystyka w badaniach nad prasłowiańską mitologią
Authors: Kowalski Andrzej Piotr , Rychło Mikołaj , Witczak Krzysztof Tomasz
Published: November 2024

The paper concentrates on the Slavic snake myth; it includes creatures believed to suckle milk from cattle udders. We argue that this myth (so far mainly associated with folklore) reflects very ancient beliefs held by our ancestors and can be independently confirmed in several sources. Most noteworthy among them is a ninth century note included by al-Jāḥiẓ in his Kitāb al-ḥayawān (Book of Animals) which we quote in the paper. The Arab writer reports in detail on the behaviour of cow-suckling snakes which he knew from his personal interaction with Slavs. Further evidence comes from comparative data which we adduce from our source material. These include, among others, motifs referring to snakes and cows from the Rigveda. There are also historical sources, such as a description of a cow-milking snake by Jakub Kazimierz Haur (1693), and etymological arguments. We conclude that since it is sometimes possible to find independent confirmation of what is reconstructed (as in the case of the Proto-Slavic beliefs about milk-sucking snakes), we should be less sceptical about the products of comparative methods and their value.
Konstrukcja słupowa na majdanie grodziska ze starszych faz wczesnego średniowiecza w Dakowach Mokrych, pow. nowotomyski. Rozważania dotyczące tzw. budynków halowych
Authors: Mizerka Jagoda
Published: November 2024

In the mid-1970s, a probing excavation was carried out on a hillfort at Dakowy Mokre in south-western Wielkopolska, dated by traditional and naturalistic methods to the older phases of the early Middle Ages. The results of this excavation have not yet been compiled and published. The article deals with the discovery of at least 16 post holes in the central part of stronghold, in some kind of arrangement, over an area of more than 60 m2. In the disputed part, two possible hypotheses are considered, i.e. interpreting the arrangement of the pits as the remains of a residential/farming building or as a pseudo-hall object, referring in its idea to the hall buildings recognised in Western Europe. For both, known analogies from Polish, German and Bohemian lands were collected and updated with the latest discoveries. As not a sufficient surface has been exposed, this text does not conclusively determine thenature and function of the post construction, but it does provide new information on the development of late-tribal hillfort settlements, and thus the functions they performed.
Property Rights, Fossil Fuel Imports, and Climate Change
Authors: Garcia-Gibson Francisco
Published: November 2024

Shmuel Nili claims that when a country buys fossil fuels from dictatorships it becomes complicit with property rights violations in those dictatorships. Thus, Nili argues, people who have a strong commitment to property rights should support a ban on fossil fuel imports from dictatorships, and a transition to renewable energy. This article critically discusses Nili’s argument. The argument fails to consider competing moral reasons that some people may have to oppose a ban on fossil fuel imports from dictatorships, such as moral preference for family and compatriots. The argument also mistakenly assumes that renewable energy would be overwhelmingly economically attractive when fossil fuel imports are forbidden, and that switching to renewable energy would not involve importing stolen goods too. The article ends more propositively, by elaborating an alternative argument that Nili dismisses too quickly, and which may help persuade those who are strongly committed to property rights of transitioning to renewable energy: the argument that transitioning would help avoid violating those rights through contributions to harmful climate change.
Past, Present, and Future: A Reply to Heyd and Benbaji
Authors: Zreik Raef
Published: November 2024

In this paper I respond to the replies of David Heyd and Yitzhak Benbaji to my paper ‘War and Self-Defense: Reflections on the War on Gaza’. Heyd’s relativizing of narrative overlooks the epistemic hierarchy among narratives and their important role in establishing facts, and his claim that Israel’s history is not colonialist in character fails because it is based on a misunderstanding of colonialism in general and settler colonialism in particular. Historically, I outline how Benbaji’s appeal to the legal status of the Mandate is problematic, because it ignores the illegitimacy of the legal regime behind it, such that accepting his argument would be to legitimize colonialism. Theoretically, I defend the view contrary to Benjabi, that instead of their being a moral tie between two equal sides, the Palestinians have always had fundamental legal and moral rights that the Zionist project violated ab initio and continues to violate.
Civic Friendship, the Burdens of Politics, and the Ethics of Attention
Authors: Kapelner Zsolt
Published: November 2024

In Philosophizing the Indefensible Shmuel Nili proposes strategic political theory as a productive and respectful manner for political philosophy to engage with unreasonable political views. One objection to his proposal he considers is that strategic political theory gives ‘excessive attention' to unreasonable views. In this paper I offer a perspective on this objection which Nili does not consider and which, I believe, has important consequences for his account. The strategic theorist pays engaged and respectful attention to unreasonable views for the sake of showing respect and upholding ties of civic friendship with unreasonable citizens. Yet such attention might inadvertently disrespect and damage ties of civic friendship with those disadvantaged by the indefensible policies of the unreasonable. I consider how this consideration bears on Nili’s argument for strategic theorizing based on the practical necessity to alleviate what he calls ‘the burdens of politics'.