bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
विद्यार्थी वर्ग में सोशल मीडिया जनित बदलते सामाजिक मूल्य सम्बंधी चेतना: एक समाजशास्त्रीय अध्ययन
Authors: शर्मा सुनीता , त्रिपाठी* योगेन्द्रप्रसाद
Published: September 2023

समाज में प्रारम्भ से ही मनुष्य को सामाजिक प्राणी कहा जाता है। और प्रत्येक सामाजिक व्यक्ति एक दूसरे व्यक्ति के बीच रहना पसंद करता है। क्योंकि दो या दो से अधिक व्यक्ति के अंतःक्रिया से ही समाज का निर्माण होता है। विकसित समाज के इस दौर में मनुष्य अपनी बुद्धि और कौशल से सामाजिक, सांस्कृतिक और नैतिक मूल्यों की स्थापना का प्रयास किया। जिसके द्वारा न केवल संपूर्ण समाज का विकास हो सके बल्कि समाज में व्याप्त अनैतिक और असामाजिक तत्वों पर नियंत्रण रख सके। बदलते समाज में सामाजिक, सांस्कृतिक और नैतिक मूल्यों ,आदर्शो इत्यादि मानक नियम भी तेजी से परिवर्तित हो रहे हैं। हमारे समाज में हो रहे बदलाव में सोशल मीडिया के महत्व को नकारा नहीं जा सकता है। सिर्फ इसमें सकारात्मक और नकारात्मक के प्रति ध्यान रखना है।
ग्रामीण भारत में शक्ति संरचना तथा नेतृत्वः एक समाजशास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
Authors: पाण्डेय पवन कुमार
Published: September 2023

ग्रामीण भारत में शक्ति संरचना प्राचीन काल से ही महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका में रहा है। सत्ता द्रव्य की भाँति किसी भी समाज के आर्थिक व्यवस्था और एकीकरण का आधार होता है। पारसन्स के अनुसार, सत्ता सामान्य प्रकार की क्षमता है जो किसी सामूहिक व्यवस्था में अनेक इकाइयों से उनके भूमिकाओं को बलपूर्वक करता है। इसी क्रम में मैक्सवेबर ने लिखा है कि शक्ति को एक व्यक्ति अथवा अनेक व्यक्तियों द्वारा अपनी इच्छाओं को दूसरों पर क्रियान्वित करने अथवा दूसरे व्यक्ति द्वारा विरोध करने पर भी उसे पूर्ण कर लेने की स्थिति को कहते हैं। मैकियावली ने सत्ता प्रारूप की व्याख्या करते हुए इसको व्यक्ति से सम्बन्धित बताया है कि व्यक्ति अपनी सत्ता को कैसे बनाया रखता है और उसको कैसे बढ़ाता है। उनके अनुसार सत्ता स्वयं में व्यक्ति के लिए लक्ष्य होती है। डॉ. योगेन्द्र सिंह1 ने अपने लेख रूरल सोशियोलॉजी इन इण्डिया में पूर्वी उत्तर प्रदेश के छः गांवों का अध्ययन कर यह उल्लेख किया कि ग्रामीण सत्ता संरचना में गांव के परम्परागत उभरते हुए नेतृत्व का अध्ययन आवश्यक है क्योंकि जब एक उभरते हुए नेताओं की भूमिकाओं का मूल्यांकन नहीं करेंगे तब तक शक्ति संरचना का अध्ययन अधूरा रह जाता है।
अयोध्या में संत परम्पराः एक विमर्श
Authors: त्रिपाठी अखिलेश कुमार , पाण्डेय* राघवेन्द्र
Published: September 2023

अयोध्या मथुरा माया काशी कांची अवन्तिका।

पुरी द्वारावती चैव सप्तैता मोक्षदायिकाः।।

इस श्लोक का सरल अर्थ यह है कि अयोध्या, मथुरा, माया यानी हरिद्वार, काशी, कांचीपुरम, अवंतिका यानी उज्जैन, द्वारिकापुरी ये सातों पवित्र व मोक्षदायीनी पुरियां अर्थात् नगर हैं।

अयोध्या एक नगरी ही नहीं है यह एक धार्मिक नगरी है जहां राजा इक्ष्वाकु से राजा श्रीरामचन्द्र के वंश तक का राज रहा है। अयोध्या एक आध्यात्मिक नगरी है, यहां आध्यात्म के हर पहलुओं का ज्ञान प्राप्त किया जा सकता है। अयोध्या कि बात कि जाय और अयोध्या के संतो की बात ना हो। अगर देखा जाय तो अयोध्या के संत हमेशा की तरह समाज के निर्माण, सृजन, संस्कार के साथ-साथ लोगों को अध्यात्म के प्रति प्रेरित करते रहे हैं और लक्ष्य की ओर अग्रसर भी हैं। अगर अयोध्या के शाब्दिक अर्थ की बात कि जाय तो जिसके साथ युद्ध करना असम्भव हो और जिसे पराजित न किया जा सके।
KULIAH KERJA NYATA: PENGABDIAN KEPADA MASYARAKAT MELALUI KEGIATAN PENDAMPINGAN PENDIDIKAN
Authors: Apriadi Dodi , Nurul Hidayat  , Nizhamuddin AB  , Ahmatang  , Sudarto
Published: September 2023

Kuliah Kerja Nyata (KKN) merupakan wujud nyata dari tugas dosen dan mahasiswa dalam melaksanakan Tri Dharma Perguruan Tinggi yakni aspek pengabdian. Melalui kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat desa Sentaban, maka terjadi sinergi antara perguruan tinggi dengan masyarakat sebagai wujud knowledge demokrasi. Tujuan pengabdian ini adalah memberikan pemahaman kepada masyarakat setempat tentang pentingnya pendidikan guna membantu pemerintah dalam mencerdaskan anak bangsa. Pengabdian dilakukan melalui kegiatan: Tematik Revolusi Mental, Pendidikan, Pertanian, Agen Edukasi Bankaltimtara, dan Pelestarian Budaya. Hasil pengabdian memberikan gambaran naiknya semangat dan meningkatkan pemahaman masyarakat terutama guru dan orang tua tentang pendidikan literasi keuangan orang tua siswa mengenai pentingnya menabung untuk masa depan anak, pentingnya membaca bagi anak,  pembuatan media pembelajaran bagi guru, pentingnya cara bertani yang baik dan benar, Pentingnya revolusi mental menuju dengan Program Indonesia Melayani, Indonesia Bersih dan Indonesia Bersih,  dan Pentingnya melestarikan kebudayaan yang ada di desa Sentaban.
Reflections of public healthcare nurses during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
Authors: Kelly Jane F. , Glinski Charné Dee , Laurenzi Christina A. , Mangqalaza Hlokoma , Toska Elona , Gittings Lesley , Langwenya Nontokozo , Sidloyi Lulama , Mbiko Amanda , Taleni Babalwa , Saliwe Bongiwe
Published: September 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has complicated healthcare service provision and access, yet little is known about experiences of public healthcare nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, particularly relating to health services for young people living with HIV. This study qualitatively explores the experiences, challenges and responses of nurses based in public healthcare facilities in the Eastern Cape during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In-depth, semi-structured telephonic interviews were conducted with nurses (n=13) from public healthcare facilities in a mixed urban-rural health district in the Eastern Cape. Skilled interviewers conducted interviews in English and isiXhosa. Data were analysed thematically in NVivo software using an inductive approach.

Findings highlight that the COVID-19 pandemic placed an additional burden on already resource-constrained healthcare facilities, with nurses enduring shortages of basic resources, rapid depletion and delayed restocking of COVID-19-related equipment, and additional strain due to staff shortages. Nurses also experienced daily dilemmas and internal conflicts associated with the pandemic, which affected their health and well-being, and their ability to deliver services. Despite these challenges, they shared a willingness to meet the needs of patients and documented various ways in which they went the extra mile, including forming a response committee to respond to issues arising from COVID-19, tracing patients whose treatment was interrupted, providing their personal contact information to patients, and using the services of local ‘caregivers’ to deliver medication.

As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves and continues to create challenges for healthcare service delivery, it is essential that nurses are supported in ways that avoid burnout and empower them to meet the needs of their patients.
The cost-effectiveness of in-patient care for COVID-19: implications for health technology assessment in South Africa
Authors: Cleary Susan , Wilkinson Tommy , Tchuem Cynthia T , Docrat Sumaiyah , Solanki Geetesh
Published: September 2023

Health technology assessment aims to enable the prioritisation of efficient and equitable services and enhance responsiveness to population preferences. Resting on foundations of distributive and procedural justice, it is a fundamental component of a universal health coverage system. The required decision-making for the COVID-19 response stimulated the demand for evidence-informed processes and provides an opportunity to demonstrate how health technology assessment can be conducted in the South African environment. This chapter contributes to strengthening health technology assessment by reflecting on insights gained from research on the cost-effectiveness of in-patient care for COVID-19.

Rapid economic evaluations of in-patient interventions for COVID-19, including intensive care, dexamethasone and remdesivir were conducted. These evaluations aimed to inform urgent health policy decisions related to the COVID-19 response and to demonstrate the use and feasibility of a pragmatic approach to health technology assessment. Costs from the health systems perspective, deaths, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted were estimated. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were compared to the estimated marginal productivity of the public health system to gauge cost-effectiveness. Open access models were published to encourage transparency and policy translation.

Results indicated that purchasing private sector intensive care was unlikely to be cost-effective, dexamethasone was cost-effective, and remdesivir was cost-saving. Corresponding national policy included a signed service-level agreement to purchase private ICU beds for public patients, and recommendations in favour of dexamethasone and against remdesivir. Policy decisions did not align with findings of two of the three economic evaluations.

These analyses and associated policy dissemination demonstrate that health technology assessment need not wait for the perfect system. Rigorous, transparent and rapid economic evaluation to support such assessment for urgent, priority policy decisions can be conducted in the South African context. Institutionalising health technology assessment, including strengthening capacity and funding of analyses, will assist decision-making and sustainability in the National Health Insurance environment.
Experiences of vulnerability of people with disabilities during COVID-19 in South Africa
Authors: Ned Lieketseng , McKinney Emma L , McKinney Vic , Swartz Leslie
Published: September 2023

People with disabilities are often left behind in emergencies, and this is a risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. With approximately 3.8 million people living with disabilities in South Africa, it is not clear how they were considered during the initial and ongoing stages of strict lockdown.

Through an online administered survey study, we explored the experiences of vulnerability among and the impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities in South Africa. One hundred people completed the survey with closed and open-ended questions to document their experiences related to the first and second lockdowns in South Africa.

Vital disability-specific health services were not regarded as ‘essential services’, thus placing people with disabilities at heightened risk. These included the State delivery of medication, as well as services related to sign language, assistive devices and technology, rehabilitation, and therapeutic and developmental interventions. Inadequate disability-specific information on COVID-19 left many people with disabilities and their caregivers with limited information on how to protect themselves. As a result, they experienced heightened fears, anxiety, and worry about contracting the virus, contributing to poor mental health. This growing mental health crisis is likely to burden the already inadequate health system and mental health support structures.

Emerging lessons reveal that the right to health of people with disabilities should be protected during the COVID-19 pandemic and similar emergencies. Additional efforts are needed to ensure that pandemic responses are disability-inclusive from the planning stage.
Health committee participation in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic: a shifting picture
Authors: Kannemeyer Natasha , Colvin Christopher J. , Haricharan Hanne
Published: September 2023

Background

Community participation is an important component in disease outbreak management during times of systemic disruption. However, community participation was lacking in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is known that participation at community level faces numerous barriers locally and globally, with efforts towards meaningful participation often being inadequate. The spaces (referring to invented, invited and closed spaces for participation) where participation takes place impact the level and quality of participation.

Methods

The aim of this chapter is to explore how participation in health committee spaces was affected during the pandemic, and how the relationship between the state (the Western Cape Department of Health (WCDoH)) and health committees evolved during this period. Health committees are linked to primary care facilities and include community representatives, facility managers, and municipal political representatives (ward councillors), functioning as a bridge between community and health facilities.

This qualitative study was conducted in three phases. In phases one and three, focus group discussions were held with health committees in two economically marginalised areas in Cape Town, South Africa. Phase two involved a three-month observation of committee activities. Both inductive and deductive content analysis were used to analyse the findings. In the deductive analysis, two conceptual frameworks – Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation and Gaventa’s notion of invited and invented spaces – were used to interpret the findings.

Results

During the COVID-19 pandemic, health committees responded to community needs and carried out tasks that the WCDoH failed to do. The Department recognised the limits of its pandemic response and the need for collaboration with community actors. This recognition led to an opening up of previously closed spaces to include health committees in more meaningful forms of participation. While there was an opening up, barriers in these spaces hindered participation. Health committees accordingly expanded their roles and empowered members to include themselves in WCDoH spaces and invent their own spaces for participation.

Conclusions

The COVID-19 pandemic illustrated the critical role health committees can play in disease outbreak management. The interplay between invited and invented spaces is highlighted as an important consideration for meaningful participation. Health committees should be actively involved in decision making and implementation processes for participation in invited spaces to be meaningful.
Reflections on the health system response to COVID-19 in the Western Cape Province
Authors: Vallabhjee Krish , Gilson Lucy , Davies Mary A , Boulle Andrew , Pienaar David , Reagon Gavin , Mahomed Hassan , Kaye Simon , Kariem Saadiq , Cloete Keith
Published: September 2023

In the Western Cape Province, as elsewhere in the country, the COVID-19 crisis has required an intense multi-pronged response by the provincial Government. With the aim of encouraging wider reflection, this chapter presents our experiences, focusing specifically on surveillance and planning, the outbreak and health platform response including corporate support services, and leadership and governance.

During the inter-wave periods, the Department of Health convened a series of facilitated conversations with staff to consider our responses and identify lessons that can inform our future strategy.

The Western Cape COVID-19 response showed that government can be adroit and responsive to shocks. We drew on the pre-existing health system foundations of trusting relationships, collaboration and networking. The responses were also underpinned by decisive and distributed leadership and stewardship − mobilising a range of actors within, across and outside government around a common purpose; using routine information and evidence in continuously adapting to emergent conditions; and decentralised approaches that enabled local responsiveness. Responsive corporate support services (infrastructure provision, oxygen supply and staffing support) have been critical. Developing agile inter-disciplinary and cross-functional mechanisms for rapid decision-making, such as huddles, were instrumental. We also specifically sought to: address staff safety in all sectors; use digital technologies to do business differently; and develop a culture of learning and constant improvement. Areas for future improvement include strengthening community connectedness, managing ‘policy overload’ on frontline managers, and empowering middle management in their mediating role between frontline staff, the community and senior management.

It is critical to strengthen the health system to manage both everyday challenges and extraordinary adverse events like COVID-19. Organisational muscle and resilience are built through collaborative relationships, flexibility and agility, and the ability to learn, improve and adapt.
Leveraging Community Health Workers for intensified case-finding: experience from South Africa’s COVID-19 response
Authors: Madikizela Lindiwe , Matlala Marang , Mosikare Ofentse
Published: September 2023

On 30 March 2020, the South African President proclaimed the need for intensive community screening and testing, utilising community health workers to curb the spread of COVID-19 and to scale up and expand local, district and provincial case investigation. The objectives of community screening and testing were to: facilitate early identification of probable COVID-19 cases and early referral for testing; identify people sick at home and facilitate their referral to Primary Health Care facilities or hospitals; and provide health education on COVID-19 so as to increase awareness and promote behaviour change and prevention.

CST included a series of approaches, namely door-to-door-screening, a cluster approach, and a targeted-area approach. The targeted-area approach was the last to be introduced, with screening and testing teams deployed to identified COVID-19 hotspot areas and individuals with medical needs prioritised for clinical diagnosis, including contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Implementation of the targeted screening approach was effective in identifying a higher yield of positive COVID-19 cases, and in strengthening the integration of CHWs into facilities for service delivery at community level.

The Community Screening and Testing programme has provided evidence that Community Health Workers play a crucial role in undertaking community-based activities to address behaviour change, case-identification, and referrals for testing and linkage to health facilities.

This chapter provides a descriptive analysis of South Africa’s community screening and testing strategy, and outlines the impact of its implementation on case-finding at community level. A comparison of active and passive case-finding was used to illustrate the outcomes of using community health workers to conduct screening in the community.
Towards Housing First and harm reduction: addressing opioid dependence and homelessness in Tshwane during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Scheibe Andrew , Gloeck Natasha , Madela-Mntla Edith , Renkin Wayne , Shelly Shaun , Lalla Sasha , Kroukamp Lorinda , de Beer Stephan , Hugo Jannie
Published: September 2023

Pandemics can increase mortality and drug-related harms among people experiencing homelessness. The Housing First approach prioritises housing and service access. Harm reduction, a principle of Housing First, minimises the consequences of drug use. This chapter presents lessons learnt from the application of Housing First and harm reduction principles with homeless people in Tshwane, South Africa, between April 2020 and March 2021.

Quantitative service delivery data were retrospectively reviewed and analysed using descriptive statistics. Accounts by authors who participated in the COVID-19 response were collectively discussed in relation to the Housing First and harm reduction actors and process. Issues were synthesised in relation to two six-month periods.

A task team was established to co-ordinate Tshwane’s response. In the first six months, 1 440 temporary bed-spaces were created at 25 shelters, and 2 066 people at shelters received food, social support and on-site healthcare services. Across shelters, 1 076 residents were started on methadone to manage opioid withdrawal. By the second six-month period, many gains were lost. Changes in political leadership stalled plans to reintegrate people housed in temporary shelters, and reduced funding led to shelter closures. By April 2021, more shelters operated than in pre- COVID-19 times, harm reduction capacitation for shelter staff continued, and local government committed to establish a street homelessness unit.

Through a combination of funding and collaboration, progress was made towards Housing First and harm reduction for homeless people in Tshwane. A national policy on homelessness should be developed, funded and implemented. This should be informed by additional research, developed in partnership with affected populations, and built on a common understanding of Housing First and harm reduction.
Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s, maternal and child health services in Tshwane District, South Africa
Authors: Kruger Annelet , Letebele-Hartell Manei , Tshukudu Mphailele , Moshime-Shabangu Mpho , Manyane Tabea , Van der Westhuizen Maria , Mlangeni Mary , Phoshoko Setlola , Makau Rebecca , Mfolo Vivian , Masha Maureen , Ramokolo Vundli , Botha Tanita , Feucht Ute
Published: September 2023

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted healthcare service delivery globally. The aim of this study was to assess effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the uptake of routine healthcare services related to maternal, newborn, child, and women’s health (MNCWH) in Tshwane District, an urban locality in Gauteng Province, South Africa.

Methods

As part of the observational Tshwane Maternal-Child COVID-19 study, routine data sources, including the District Health Information System and other district-based datasets, were studied from April 2019 to March 2022, to describe the impact of the first four COVID-19 waves in Tshwane District. The year pre-pandemic was used as a baseline. Data included MNCWH data elements/indicators, child health data elements/indicators, and COVID-19 surveillance data. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, together with visual analysis of trends over time. Statistical investigation included testing of differences between data from the pre-pandemic year (as baseline) and data from the following two pandemic years (2020/2021 and 2021/2022), as per the National Department of Health’s financial years (from April to March of the following year).

Results

Multiple MNCWH health elements/indicators showed major decreases during the COVID-19 pandemic period, with preventive services rendered at primary healthcare and community level more severely affected than facility-based clinical services. The most significant decreases were recorded during the first pandemic year, most notably during the first strict lockdown period, with partial or complete recovery in the second pandemic year, while selected indicators saw large impacts during the actual COVID-19 waves.

Conclusions

The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the ability of women and children to access healthcare services in this large urban district in South Africa. Health system strengthening measures and adequate planning for future emergency situations are crucial to mitigate the negative impact on maternal and child health, as South Africa strives to move towards reaching its Sustainable Development Goals.
The Western Cape Surgical Recovery Project: experience at Groote Schuur Hospital
Authors: Peters Shrikant M. , Nel Daniel , Cairncross Lydia , Hofmeyr Ross , Arends Pierre , Chigumadzi Farai , Watson Janine , Anthony Deidre , Davids Melinda , Ganief Zainap , Panieri Eugenio , Patel Bhavna , Eick Bernadette , Jacobs Belinda , Evans Kristy , Strathie Grant , Van Dyk Dominique , Nejthardt Marcin Bartosz , Llewellyn Richard , Biccard Bruce M.
Published: September 2023

Background

Data from six Western Cape secondary-level hospitals have shown that during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (which lasted from May to July of 2020), total surgeries decreased by 44%, and elective surgeries by 74%, due to secondment of nursing, anaesthetic and surgical staff to COVID high-care and intensive-care services. At Groote Schuur Hospital, the loss of surgical output over the two years of the pandemic-related surgical service de-escalation (2020-2021) was estimated at 10 000 cases, with 6 000 patients with progressive disease waiting for elective surgical care.

Methods

In early May 2022, a Surgical Recovery Project was initiated; funding from the Western Cape Department of Health, and donations from the Gift of the Givers Foundation, private individuals, businesses, and other non-governmental organisations were used to build, staff, and equip a Day-Case Surgery Suite.

Results

By the Project midway point (end October 2022), a total of 800 extra cases had been completed, and the Project is currently on track to exceed the target of 1 500 cases in a calendar year by at least 10%. The largest number of procedures done were eye cases (n = 191), followed by cases involving surgery to the integumentary system (n = 141), and musculoskeletal system cases (n = 123). There were a total of 30 patient cancellations. While the Project expectedly had poorer on-time-start statistics in the first quarter of operation (range 0.0 - 6.9%), the percentage of on-time-start statistics improved markedly over the second quarter (range 43.3 - 56.5%). World Health Organization checklists were completed for 85.1% of operations performed at the Day-Case Surgery Suite, and no adverse incidents or mortalities were recorded at the Unit.

Conclusions

This project demonstrates that the volume of services provided in the public sector can be escalated with the use of external funding of capital for human resources, equipment and consumables. However, these services become truly effective when there is sufficient multi-disciplinary planning, alignment and support, at operational, strategic and executive levels of healthcare facilities.
Studying the effect of inhaled corticosteroids on the larynx in bronchial asthma patients using videostroboscopy
Authors: Almaraghy Atef AbdAlla , Seliem Ahmed , Khalifa Rana Ahmed
Published: September 2023

En

Abstract

Introduction

The frequent use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), especially at higher doses, has been accompanied by concern about both systemic and local side effects. The systemic complications of ICS have been extensively studied and are well documented in the literature. There are comparatively few studies reporting on the local complications of ICS. Compared with systemic side effects, the local side effects of ICS are considered to constitute infrequent and minor problems. However, although not usually serious, these local side effects are of clinical importance.

Aim of the work

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the effect of ICS on the larynx using videostroboscopy in patients suffering from bronchial asthma in order to avoid these effects on the patients in further protocols of treatment.

Patients and methods

This study was carried out on 50 patients suffering from bronchial asthma. They were divided into two groups. Group A included 25 patients suffering from bronchial asthma treated using ICS (budesonide) for 1 year at a dose of 1600 μg/day. Group B included 25 patients having bronchial asthma and not receiving ICS. Each patient was subjected to the following protocols of assessment: (i) elementary diagnostic procedures such as (a) patient interviews, (b) auditory perceptual assessment, and (c) laryngeal visualization. (ii) Clinical diagnostic aids: laryngovideostroboscopy was carried out using a digitalized stroboscopy system to examine the vocal fold mobility, congestion, hypertrophy, ventricular folds hypertrophy, glottic gap, and glottic closure. The following acoustic parameters were measured: fundamental frequency, jitter (cycle-to-cycle variation in frequency), shimmer (cycle-to-cycle variation in amplitude), and noise-to-harmonic ratio (N/H). (iii) Additional instrumental diagnostic measures: the acoustic signals were recorded from each patient. The results of this study revealed more laryngeal abnormalities in group A than in group B. Dysphonia was found in 76% of the patients in group A, in which voice was perceived as either strained, leaky, or of rough qualities. The following changes in the glottis were observed in some patients: either localized or diffuse congestion of the vocal folds, hypertrophy in the ventricular bands, incomplete glottic closure, and glottic gap. In addition, there were also decreases in glottic wave and amplitude. Acoustic analysis showed significant increase in the jitter and shimmer values.
A case of rhinolaryngoscleroma in a patient with neurofibromatosis type 1
Authors: Effat Kamal G.
Published: September 2023

En

Abstract

Introduction

Scleroma is a chronic-specific granuloma of the nose and it may involve other parts of the respiratory tract. The condition is endemic in Egypt. Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) is one of the most common genetic conditions of the nervous system. Before this report, no case had been published documenting scleroma in a patient with NF-1.

Aim

To describe a case of rhinolaryngoscleroma in a patient with NF-1.

Methods

Case report and literature review.

Results

Presentation of clinical, imaging and pathological findings, as well as management considerations.

Conclusion

This is the first case to be reported in the literature documenting the coexistence of rhinolaryngoscleroma and NF-1. The biological events in the immune system await further studies.
Terroirizing North Sea Cheese
Authors: Ostrowski Kasper
Published: September 2023

This paper investigates the construction of the geographical claim that “the cheese has terroir”. Drawing on food-centered science and technology studies and on actor-network theory, I first propose terroirizing – a verbal noun for enacting terroir – as an analytic device in the exploration of how the origins and history of food are made tangible and how place and imaginaries are invoked to bind and fasten products and produce within specific geographical and sociocultural settings. Terroirizing, I argue, is a valuable analytic device for investigating enactments of place and the practice of terroir in regard to food and foodstuffs. The paper goes on to investigate the geographical claims promoted by a Danish dairy in order to terroirize a cheese and thus to advance a particular coastal place-specificity in a Danish foodscape with few strong affiliations with geographical claims. The terroirizing of Thise Dairy’s North Sea Cheese reveals that terroir and place are heterogenous constructs which are dependent not just on microclimate or measurable ecosystems, but also on the construction and circulation of specific imagery and materials. I demonstrate how cheese wrappings, advertisements, the North Sea itself, a ventilation technology, aerosols (sea-spray particles), and salt crystals are all brought together to form an assemblage – a cheese with a Nordic coastal terroir.
‘The Sustainable State’ of STS
Authors: Blok Anders
Published: September 2023

What is the role of science & technology studies (STS) in the collective search for a new ‘constitutional vision’ of the sustainable state, one that respects planetary ecological boundaries and enacts a ‘great green transformation’ of state, society, and its infrastructures? In this text – originating as a keynote presentation to the 2022 DASTS conference – I discuss, first, the kind of socio-technical imagination needed for STS research to navigate this contested knowledge-political terrain. Second, based on my co-authored book The Sustainable State (“Den bæredygtige stat”), I suggest four dimensions and collective research agendas that builds on and extends STS’s contribution: new ecological citizenships, new civil society transition alliances, new institutions of ecological democracy, and new socio-ecological markets. In extending established and fostering new analytical proclivities in alliance with other select knowledge practices, STS research will be key, I claim, to this collective building-site, arguably the overarching challenge facing our more-than-human societies.
The Mixed Blessings of an Iterative Design Strategy
Authors: Elgaard Jensen Torben , Thorsen Ann-Sofie
Published: September 2023

In design research, it is widely accepted that an ‘incremental build’ or iterative style of development will allow users to offer feedback at key points in the design process, therefore, creating a more user-oriented type of design. This paper presents a case that complicates and challenges this view. Based on a 12-month ethnographic field study of a design team, we argue that certain aspects of the iterative organization of design work may in fact impede the objective of incorporating user-feedback into the design process. The article explains this surprising finding by tracing how a variety of material and rhetorical representations of users were handled and incorporated by a design team. It explores how different prevailing agendas facilitated the adoption and rejection of user representations, and it reflects on the role played by the design team’s efforts to speed up the development process by using so-called out-of-the-box features – pieces of ready-made third-party software.
Introduction DASTS 2022 special issue
Authors: Danholt Peter , Kirch Kirkegaard Julia , Ostrowski Kasper , Papazu Irina
Published: September 2023

This STS Encounters special issue is a collection of articles that has been developed from conference papers presented at the bi-yearly Danish Association for Science and Technology studies (DASTS) conference in 2022. The conference was held at the Department of Digital Design and Information studies, Aarhus University and hosted by the STS center at Aarhus University on June 2-3. 2022. The theme of the conference was: 'Living with Ruptures: Repair, Maintenance, and (Re)Construction'.
Digital Storytelling in Economics Subjects and its Effectiveness on Student Learning Outcomes by Gender and Different Economic Knowledge
Authors: Nunvarova Jana , Poulova Petra , Prazak Pavel
Published: September 2023

Digital storytelling (DST) is one of the alternative teaching methods and previous research shows its positive impact on students’ motivation and learning outcomes, especially in humanities subjects. In vocational subjects such as economics, the effectiveness of this method is questionable. 856 respondents aged 15 to 19 from six business academies in the Czech Republic took part in the testing, which focused on the effectiveness of digital storytelling in economics. This paper presents other possible factors that may have influenced students' performance in the post-test. A comparison of the results from the pre-tests and post-tests of the experimental and control groups showed that the students from the experimental group reached higher mean values in the post-test than the students from the control group. It was also found that in the group that used digital storytelling, the year of study and the initial knowledge of the students assessed in the pre-test influenced the mean post-test scores. On the other hand, the factor of students' gender was not demonstrated. At the end of the testing, a questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate students' views on digital storytelling and their preferences for teaching methods.
The Complex Evaluation of the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic at Universities: A Soft Computing Approach
Authors: Zapletal František , Hudec Miroslav , Švaňa Miloš , Chytilová Lucie , Hlaváček Karel , Lokaj Aleš , Urbanek Anna , Glova Jozef , Samartinho João Paulo , Rodriguez Cristina Maria Costa , Guðnason Stefán
Published: September 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the educational process since the teaching process has been forced to go online in many countries. This enforced change revealed the weaknesses and strengths of the national educational systems and particular institutions. This article aims to analyse the impact of COVID-19 at selected European universities and assess the satisfaction of students, teachers, IT staff and management. This study is unique for its systematicity and complexity – it aggregates the opinions of all interested groups of stakeholders, distinguishes several time periods (before, during and after the pandemic), and allows the respondents to express hesitance in their evaluation. The evaluation model uses fuzzy sets to capture the uncertainty and to aggregate the opinions of different stakeholder groups. The empirical results show that most of the satisfaction development is the same or similar for all institutions examined. Then, the pandemic strongly influenced the satisfaction of all stakeholder groups at the universities examined. This impact was mostly negative, however, several lessons learnt have been revealed. Therefore, it was shown that it is highly beneficial to include these aspects to obtain a reliable picture of overall satisfaction.
Contribution of Locus of Control, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation to Student Achievement: A Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modelling
Authors: Haidari Sayed Masood , Koçoğlu Ayhan , Kanadlı Sedat
Published: September 2023

This meta-analysis examined whether motivation mediated the relationship between self-efficacy, locus of control, and academic achievement. Thirty-seven studies providing correlation estimates for 40 different samples were included in the analysis. The data from these studies were fitted to three models using a two-stage structural equation modelling method. In stage 1, a total correlation matrix was created by combining the correlations. In stage 2, this matrix was used for examining the models. First, a proposed model was fitted to examine the effect of self-efficacy and locus of control on achievement through motivation. Second, an alternative model was tested by drawing a direct line from self-efficacy to achievement. Third, another model was tested by examining the mediating role of motivation between self-efficacy and achievement. The analyses suggested that academic achievement significantly correlates with self-efficacy (r=0.218) and motivation (r=0.237). Motivation significantly correlates with self-efficacy (r=0.415) and locus of control (r=0.216). However, locus of control does not correlate with self-efficacy and achievement (p>0.05). Self-efficacy and locus of control positively influence motivation. Self-efficacy influences achievement both directly and indirectly through motivation. The findings provide a general overview of how these variables correlate and affect student achievement.
Effects of cholecalciferol and omega-3 fatty acids on hepcidin levels in 5/6 nephrectomy rats
Authors: Jeong Yu In , Jung Hyo Jin , Lee Mi Hwa , Son Young Ki , Kim Seong Eun , An Won Suk , Lee Su Mi
Published: September 2023

Background: Anemia is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD). In patients with CKD-related anemia, an inverse relationship between vitamin D and hepcidin levels has been observed. Hepcidin is a key regulator of iron homeostasis, mediated via binding to ferroportin. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of cholecalciferol and omega-3 fatty acids (FA) on hepcidin levels using 5/6 nephrectomized (Nx) rats.Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: sham control, 5/6 Nx, 5/6 Nx treated with cholecalciferol, 5/6 Nx treated with omega-3 FA, and 5/6 Nx treated with both cholecalciferol and omega-3 FA. We measured the hepcidin and ferroportin levels in the kidney and liver by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and Western blots. We evaluated hepcidin expression in the kidney by immunohistochemical staining.Results: Among the five groups, 5/6 Nx rats exhibited the worst kidney function. Compared with the sham controls, 5/6 Nx rats showed significantly increased serum hepcidin levels and decreased vitamin D levels. Supplementation with either omega-3 FA or cholecalciferol decreased hepcidin and increased vitamin D levels, with a concurrent improvement of anemia. Furthermore, 5/6 Nx rats treated with omega-3 FA/cholecalciferol showed decreased ferroportin and ferritin levels, while iron and total iron-binding capacity levels increased.Conclusions: Treatment with a combination of cholecalciferol and omega-3 FA may improve anemia in a CKD rat model by decreasing hepcidin levels.
Rahab, prostituée cananéenne, impulsion décisive pour la conquête de la terre promise
Authors: Vialle Catherine
Published: September 2023

L’histoire de la prostituée Rahab qui vient au secours de deux espions israélites en les cachant, et qui confesse sa foi en la victoire de YHWH sur Jéricho, est propre à retenir l’attention. Pourtant, ce petit récit parait, à première vue, mal à sa place dans le livre de Josué. Situé au début de la conquête, il interrompt la marche triomphante de Josué et des fils d’Israël par un épisode pour le moins burlesque. Quelle est la fonction de cet épisode ? Qu’apporte-t-il à l’intrigue du récit, à la caractérisation des personnages principaux et à la théologie du livre de Josué ? Cet article propose de relire l’histoire de Rahab sous un angle avant tout synchronique, en essayant de répondre à ces questions.
Jos 10,1-15, le miracle de Gabaon, un salut pour Israël
Authors: Nocquet Dany
Published: September 2023

L’étude proposée tente de mieux comprendre le miracle de Gabaon (ville étrangère et cananéenne) en Jos 10,1-15 ses intentions narratives suite à Jos 9, et sa visée historique dans le cadre du livre de Josué.

Après Jos 9,1-27 qui raconte l’alliance des Israélites avec les Gabaonites, leur délivrance et leur intégration au service du temple, Jos 10,1-15 montre comment Gabaon, lieu d’une manifestation divine, devient indispensable pour l’installation d’Israël en Canaan. Au salut de Gabaon est lié le salut d’Israël : s’en prendre à Gabaon, c’est s’en prendre à Israël. En soulignant combien ces deux nations sont unies dans un même peuple, Jos 10,1-15 affirme l’unité plurielle d’Israël depuis ses origines.

Discutant l’appartenance rédactionnelle de Jos 10,1-15, et l’étonnante position de Jérusalem opposée à Josué, l’étude montre que ce texte tardif provient de la communauté samarienne, reflétant le climat de l’époque perse, marquée par la reconnaissance de la pluralité linguistique et religieuse. En plus de la victoire spectaculaire d’Israël, ce passage prend une certaine distance avec la théologie deutéronomiste. Il met dès lors en valeur une autre théologie yahwiste plus intégrative avec la légitimation de la cohabitation pacifique entre Israélites et Gabaonites.
Mapping Artificial Intelligence Use in the Government of Canada
Authors: Daly Paul
Published: September 2023

On the one hand, technological advances and their enthusiastic uptake by government entities are seen as a push toward a Canadian dystopic state, with friendly bureaucrats being replaced by impassive machines. On the other hand, embracing technology is considered a confident move of the Canadian administrative state toward an utopian low-cost, high-impact decision making process. I will suggest in this paper that the truth—for the moment, at least—lies somewhere between the extremes of dystopia and utopia. In the federal public administration, technology is being deployed in a variety of areas, but rarely, if ever, displacing human decision making. Indeed, technology tends to be leveraged in areas of public policy that don’t involve any settling of benefits, statuses, licenses, and so on. We are still a long way from sophisticated machine learning tools deciding whether marriages are genuine, whether taxpayers are compliant or whether nuclear facilities are safe. The reality is more down to earth. In this paper, I map out the uses of algorithms and machine learning in the federal public administration in Canada. I will briefly explain my methodology in Part I; in Part II, I identify seven different use cases, which I describe with the aid of representative examples, and offer some critical reflections.
Same Old Piano, Playing the Blues
Authors: Joyce Justin A.
Published: September 2023

Justin A. Joyce introduces the ninth volume of James Baldwin
Review with a discussion of I Heard It Through the
Grapevine (1982), “The Uses of the Blues” (1964),
Florida, and Fox News.
“This Loaded Present”
Authors: Houck Davis W.
Published: September 2023

1963 was a defining year in James Baldwin’s life as a public intellectual.
Beginning in January with a trip to Jackson, Mississippi, and closing at a
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee conference in Washington, DC, Baldwin
often frequented the speaking rostrum. On October 7, he spoke at a Freedom Day
event organized by SNCC’s Jim Forman in Selma, Alabama. That speech,
recorded by a private citizen and heretofore unremarked upon, can be
productively read as part of Baldwin’s ongoing radicalization, away from
a solution that privileged rhetorical (re)invention and toward destructive and
collective acts designed to subvert American capitalism. At another register,
Baldwin’s speech functioned as an important culmination to an eight-month
campaign to bring voting rights—and the federal government—to
Dallas County, Alabama.
Adolescent neurostimulation of dopamine circuit reverses genetic deficits in frontal cortex function
Authors: Mastwal Surjeet , Li Xinjian , Stowell Rianne , Manion Matthew , Zhang Wenyu , Kim Nam-Shik , Yoon Ki-jun , Song Hongjun , Ming Guo-li , Wang Kuan Hong
Published: September 2023

Dopamine system dysfunction is commonly implicated in adolescent-onset neuropsychiatric disorders. Although psychosis symptoms can be alleviated by antipsychotics, cognitive symptoms remain unresponsive to such pharmacological treatments and novel research paradigms investigating the circuit substrates underlying cognitive deficits are critically needed. The frontal cortex and its dopaminergic input from the midbrain are implicated in cognitive functions and undergo maturational changes during adolescence. Here, we used mice carrying mutations in the
Arc
or
DISC1
genes to model mesofrontal dopamine circuit deficiencies and test circuit-based neurostimulation strategies to restore cognitive functions. We found that in a memory-guided spatial navigation task, frontal cortical neurons were activated coordinately at the decision-making point in wild-type but not
Arc
mutant mice. Chemogenetic stimulation of midbrain dopamine neurons or optogenetic stimulation of frontal cortical dopamine axons in a limited adolescent period consistently reversed genetic defects in mesofrontal innervation, task-coordinated neuronal activity, and memory-guided decision-making at adulthood. Furthermore, adolescent stimulation of dopamine neurons also reversed the same cognitive deficits in
DISC1
mutant mice. Our findings reveal common mesofrontal circuit alterations underlying the cognitive deficits caused by two different genes and demonstrate the feasibility of adolescent neurostimulation to reverse these circuit and behavioral deficits. These results may suggest developmental windows and circuit targets for treating cognitive deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders.