bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physical performance status predicts mortality in aging patients undergoing pacemaker implantation
Authors: Balla Cristina , Passarini Giulia , Bonsi Beatrice , Pavasini Rita , Tonet Elisabetta , Malagú Michele , Campo Gianluca , Bertini Matteo
Published: May 2021

Aims

To assess whether frailty or reduced physical performance status may have an impact on clinical outcomes after pacemaker implantation in aging patients.

Methods

A prospective cohort of patients aged more than 70 years, admitted to the hospital for pacemaker implantation, was enrolled. Patients were evaluated with the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and Handgrip Strength Test at hospital discharge and at 1 year. Overall mortality was the primary study endpoint.

Results

Out of the 119 patients, the majority (71%) of patients had reduced physical performance (defined by an SPPB score <10 points). After a median follow-up of 46 months, the mortality was 31% of the population. SPPB value at discharge predicted death even after adjusting for pertinent confounders (adjusted hazard ratio 0.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84–0.99, P = 0.02). Patients with a poorer SPPB score at discharge (SPPB 0–3) had also an increased risk of death or rehospitalization at 1 year compared with patients with highest SPPB score (odds ratio OR 4.05, 95% CI 1–16.6).

Conclusion

Reduced physical performance is associated with increased mortality in aging patients with bradyarrhythmia requiring pacemaker implantation. The identification of patients with poor SPPB may tailor specific interventions to improve physical performance and outcomes after pacemaker implantation.

The trial was registered in clinicaltrial.gov with the identifier NCT02386124
Diagnostics of Swimming Skills in Preparatory Swimming Teaching of Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Hubená Kristýna
Published: May 2021

Aim: The aim of this study is to present the results of the evaluation of the Preparatory Swimming Intervention Programme for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (PAS).

Methods: The study used a method of participating observation by which evaluators diagnosed swimming skills. The diagnostic tool was Štochl’s scale of swimming skills evaluation (Štochl et al. 2005). A nonparametric sign test was chosen for the analysis of the results.

Results: The results of the sign test showed that all probands studied had an overall improvement in all skills between measurements 1 and 2, 3 and 4 and also 1 and 4. In a comparison of individual probands, swimming skills improved between the 1st and 2nd measurements in two of them. The third proband achieved the greatest improvement between the 3rd and 4th measurements, the fourth between the 1st and 4th measurements. The fifth proband did not achieve a statistically significant improvement in the acquisition of swimming skills.

Conclusions: The results of this study show that for the area of preparatory swimming lessons for children with PAS, it is possible to use the Štochl scale (Štochl 2002) for diagnosing swimming skills, thus enabling quantitative data to monitor the level of acquired swimming skills in these individuals.
Preliminary Design for Segmental Joint of Precast Tunnel Liner
Authors: Pethrung Sirichai , Teachavorasinskun Supot , Keawsawasvong Suraparb
Published: May 2021

Responses of the segmental tunnel liner to external forces are primarily dependent on complicated interactions among construction process, soil structural interactions, segmental (longitudinal) joint characteristic etc. However, most proposed liner’s design procedures and recommendations are basically empirical and experience based, especially when the roles of tunnel joint are concerned. In the present study, a preliminary design calculation for the segmental joint with consideration of three practical conditions was proposed. The method adopts two main assumptions; the stiffness reduction factor and simplified pre-stressed concrete blocks, so that the flexural capacity of the segmental joint and its interactions to the main reinforced concrete segment body can be designated. Calculation examples are given for three most probable cases, namely, 1) the unbolted joint without joint opening, 2) the bolted joint without joint opening and 3) the unbolted segmental joint with allowing joint opening. Based on these calculations, the required compressive strength of concrete, thickness of liner, steel reinforcement, bolts and number of segments of the liner could be specified. The proposed method could well provide an engineer a tool to determine the initial joint configuration and its interaction to the overall tunnel lining.
Risk Management Process on the Property Development of NUSA DUA Resort Bali Indonesia
Authors: Muka I Wayan , Wibowo Agung
Published: May 2021

This research identifies risk sources, identifies risk factors, identifies the level of danger, identifies the level of vulnerability, identifies the level of capacity and determines risk priorities. Data collection was carried out through interviews and filling out questionnaires by resource persons involved in property development in the tourism area of Nusa Dua Resort ITDC Bali Province. The results showed that the risk factors that receive priority to be continuously mitigated and monitored are: interest rate and inflation risk, design risk, land maturation risk, and development financing risk. The level of risk in the development of the Nusa Dua Resort area is in the acceptable category so that it is feasible to build. The risk management process in this research can be applied to property development projects to help interested parties make investment decisions.
Fundamental Material Characteristics of Traditional Windows Components as an Input for the Resilience Increasing
Authors: Ščotka Martin , Kuchárová Daniela
Published: May 2021

The aim of the paper is to make an overview of standard windows system used in Slovak Republic. The investigation of the most common traditional wooden window is presented in this paper as a representative sample. These parts of building facades are the most vulnerable areas due to dynamic impact loads. Identification of the basic materials behavior is necessary for effective design of window system resilience. This research is divided to analysis of mechanical properties of components, their connections and boundary conditions. Research in this specific area helps to improve safety against unexpected extreme dynamic load such as explosions and shock impacts.
Stiffness of Concrete-Filled Thin-Walled Steel Tubular Slender Columns
Authors: Bahrami Alireza , Mahmoudi Kouhi Ali
Published: May 2021

Concrete-filled thin-walled steel tubular slender columns are studied in this paper to evaluate their stiffness. The slender columns have various steel tube thicknesses, length/diameter (width) ratios, and concrete compressive strengths. The columns are loaded by axial and eccentric loads. Two experimental tests of the slender and stub columns are described. Also, the finite element software ABAQUS is utilised to simulate and analyse the columns. The tested columns are simulated taking into account all their features in the tests to verify the simulation of the columns. The simulation results are compared with the tests results which reveal that good agreements exist between them. Thus, the proposed simulation method of the columns is verified. In order to assess the stiffness of the columns under different conditions, various load eccentricities (0 mm, 25 mm, and 50 mm), cross-sectional configurations (circular, rectangular, and square), and steel tube thicknesses (2 mm, 3.35 mm, and 5 mm) are adopted for the developed columns. The columns are simulated and analysed based on the verified simulation method considering the mentioned conditions. As a conclusion, the stiffness of the columns is generally reduced by the increase of the load eccentricity from 0 mm to 25 mm and 50 mm. Further, more uniform distribution of the stiffness is witnessed for the columns with lower eccentricities. In addition, the enhancement of the load eccentricity increased the reduction slope of the stiffness graph for the columns. Although the initial stiffness of the circular column is slightly lower than the rectangular and square columns, the stiffness has more uniform distribution which is preferred. Larger stiffness is achieved for the columns by increasing the steel tube thickness from 2 mm to 3.35 mm and 5 mm.
Numerical Analysis of Corrosion Reinforcements in Fibrous Concrete Beams
Authors: Taqi Faten Y. , Mashrei Mohammed A. , Oleiwi Hayder M.
Published: May 2021

This paper offers a finite element method (FEM) to simulate the behavior of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams with corrosion of the longitudinal reinforcement using the ABAQUS package. This work was undertaken with the concrete damaged plasticity model (CDP). The expansion of corrosion product was utilized to represent the steel-concrete boundary to study the behavior of SFRC beams. Three beams with three volume fractions of steel fiber (0.8 %, 1.2 %, and 1.8 %) and three reinforced concrete (RC) beams with and without stirrups were created and tested under four-point loading to assess the shear capacity of beams. Corrosion of rebars at one of the RC beams that does not contain shear reinforcements will be studied. The crack patterns and load deflections of these beams were compared with experimental results found by the authors. The conclusions of this analysis will be valuable in considering the structural behavior of SFRC structures with uniform steel bar corrosion using FEM. Analytical results showed that the suggested model is qualified in better simulation and in accuracy of numerical and experimental results. The differences between analytical and experimental results were less than 8 % for load carrying capacity and 14 % for deflection; these differences are also satisfactory within the limits of the engineering conclusion.
Experimental Study of Hollow Slender Reinforced Concrete Columns Subjected to Eccentric Loads
Authors: Sahi Alaa Mohammed , Ali Mohammed Salih Abd
Published: May 2021

This paper was focused on the investigating on the behavior of hollow slender reinforced concrete columns subjected to the axial loads. A total of seven specimens were designed as slender reinforced columns and these were divided into two groups. Each column is symmetrical and had a rectangular cross section of 140 × 80 mm and 2000 mm in length. The column was reinforced by 6Ø6mm for longitudinal reinforcement and Ø6@6 mm bars were used for transverse reinforcement ties. The effect of strengthening by CFRP sheet on the buckling of column, eccentricity 20, 40 and 120 mm and opening shape were studied. The results showed that the strengthened columns by CFRP caused an in the ultimate load CFRP were 26.3 % and 76.3 % for strengthened lengths of L/4 and L respectively compared with the un-strengthened column. The ultimate load of columns is reduced with existing the load eccentricity and amount of losses in strength increased with increasing the eccentricity. Also, it was found the hollow columns having circular holes had better performance compared to hollow columns having rectangular hole
Compressive Strengths of Pavement Recycling Materials and New Approach for Cement Content Determination
Authors: Noulmanee Amorndech , Prongmanee Nutthachai , Pukdee Wannapa , Singhan Pattarapong
Published: May 2021

This research investigated the compressive strengths of cement treated with three types of aggregates (lateritic soil; crushed rock-blended reclaimed asphalt pavement; and a mixture of crushed rock, reclaimed asphalt pavement and lateritic soil). The strength was evaluated through a series of unconfined compression tests in the laboratory. Then, the test results were analyzed using statistical analysis. The results and analysis indicated that the strength of the cement-treated coarse-grained materials was controlled by the plasticity index and the water to cement ratio. Base on the results and analysis, this research developed a new approach for cement content determination. In addition, the proposed method should be useful for determining the proper cement content, as it requires less time and a smaller number of tests by using only two trials. A practical method to evaluate the cement content is thoroughly explained and verified in this study.
Stimuli contributing to local property taxation – with the focus on spatial effects of industry and functional urban areas
Authors: Zdražil Pavel , Pernica Bohuslav
Published: May 2021

In this study, we argue that a historical background of the region matters in tax mimicking and yardstick competition as a matter of principle. We seek to determine factors supporting the policy of the high local property tax in the Czech Republic. Based on the statistical and spatial data of 6,258 municipalities between 2009 and 2019, the results show that the municipalities burdened by large industrial facilities, as well as municipalities in the functional urban areas (FUAs), apply the policy of higher property taxation twice frequently than the rest. On the other hand, the industrial stimuli keep enfeebling after 2010, and the number of local governments preferring high property taxation is variegated across different FUAs. The causal analysis based on Granger's approach concludes an existence of cumulative effects of both industry and the FUAs, which push the municipalities with large industrial facilities located within an FUA to increase the property taxes. From the mimicking point of view, we found that mimicking policy is an important phenomenon among the municipalities of Czech Republic; however, it has different impacts on both stimuli (Industry and FUA). The analysis suggests that it rather incites the municipalities within the FUA to increase the local property taxes.
Light Fidelity (Li-Fi) overview and investigation into connection speed
Authors: Sharma Mithun , Sharma Shilpi
Published: May 2021

The overarching aim was to reduce the frequency of connection failures that occur due to the connection speed and reliability, and identify, characterise and optimise the key process input variables (KPIVs). An experimental research approach with an inbuilt planned manipulation to one or more variables in the experimental data set was adopted. Key elements of the Six-Sigma methodology were applied to resolve the issue of high failures due to connection speed and reliability between two Li-Fi transceivers. KPIVs were successfully identified, characterised and optimised to implement a permanent corrective action to ensure a reduction in connection failures from 17% to 0%. The alignment between two Li-Fi transceivers along with Li-Fi cut-out was found to be critical in achieving good connection speed and reliability. The interference due to ambient visible spectrum lighting found to be statistically insignificant. This study explored the application and benefits of accessible wireless data communication technologies. Moreover, it sheds light on the probable factors that may influence Li-Fi connection speed and areas for future research. The current research provides a Six-Sigma based solution to high connection failure rates while using an infrared-based Li-Fi transceiver. Results also offer insights into the analytical tools that were found to be effective during the problem-solving process.
Research insights: Global mobility in a post-covid world1
Authors: Collings David G , Sheeran Ruthanna
Published: May 2021

How multinational enterprises staff their global operations has been a key question for researchers in international human resource management (IHRM) for a number of decades. It is widely recognised that getting staffing right on the global scale is key in enabling multinational enterprises (MNEs) to deliver on their strategic objectives. However the landscape of global staffing has been evolving considerably over recent decades with a much more complex landscape of global mobility emerging. The COVID-19 pandemic poses a significant challenge for the future of global mobility and amplifies a number of trends already challenging our understanding of global staffing arrangements. In this paper, we reflect on these challenges and the likely future for global mobility. We also identify some critical areas of focus for scholars in researching global mobility moving forward.
A New Citation Recommendation Strategy Based on Term Functions in Related Studies Section
Authors: Chen Haihua
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Researchers frequently encounter the following problems when writing scientific articles: (1) Selecting appropriate citations to support the research idea is challenging. (2) The literature review is not conducted extensively, which leads to working on a research problem that others have well addressed. The study focuses on citation recommendation in the related studies section by applying the term function of a citation context, potentially improving the efficiency of writing a literature review.

Design/methodology/approach

We present nine term functions with three newly created and six identified from existing literature. Using these term functions as labels, we annotate 531 research papers in three topics to evaluate our proposed recommendation strategy. BM25 and Word2vec with VSM are implemented as the baseline models for the recommendation. Then the term function information is applied to enhance the performance.

Findings

The experiments show that the term function-based methods outperform the baseline methods regarding the recall, precision, and F1-score measurement, demonstrating that term functions are useful in identifying valuable citations.

Research limitations

The dataset is insufficient due to the complexity of annotating citation functions for paragraphs in the related studies section. More recent deep learning models should be performed to future validate the proposed approach.

Practical implications

The citation recommendation strategy can be helpful for valuable citation discovery, semantic scientific retrieval, and automatic literature review generation.

Originality/value

The proposed citation function-based citation recommendation can generate intuitive explanations of the results for users, improving the transparency, persuasiveness, and effectiveness of recommender systems.
Di bụ ugwu nwanyị (Husband is the dignity of a woman): Reimagining the Validity of an Igbo Aphorism in Contemporary Society
Authors: Wariboko Onyinyechi Priscilla Christian , Mbonu Caroline N.
Published: May 2021

Cultural aphorisms tend to sustain gender disparity. There are certain cultural expressions which tend to sustain gender disparity and oppression among the Igbo of Nigeria. One of such is di bụ ugwu nwanyị, literally translated ‘husband is a woman’s dignity’. This Igbo maxim tends to foster gendered marginalization and oppression in contemporary Igboland. The saying reinforces the status of the husband as requisite for the visibility and pride of the woman. Perhaps this may explain why some marital issues such as husband infidelity, wife-battering, are culturally underplayed for protection of the man. Thus women are forced to endure abuses in their marriages. There exist a plethora of other gender related issues that are rooted in the di bụ ugwu nwanyị metaphor. This paper engages the implications of this Igbo cultural expression amidst the advocacy of gender justice and inclusivity in Igbo land. As qualitative study that adopts the phenomenological approach, this paper, draws insight from interviews, observations, oral histories and extant Igbo literature. Akachi Ezeigbo’s snail-sense feminism and Obioma Nnaemeka’s negofeminism undergird the theoretical framework. The paper advocates for the obliteration, or reinterpretation of di bụ ugwu nwanyị that honours dignity for gender equity and inclusivity so as to valorize the status of women in Igboland.
Mobility Trope: Travelling as a Signature of the Afropolitan Female Quest for Existential Subjectivity in Chika Unigwe’s On Black Sisters’ Street
Authors: Anasiudu Okwudiri
Published: May 2021

The mobility trope is a key aesthetic feature in Afropolitan fiction and it crystalizes as the act of travelling which has become an important subject-matter in postnationalist African fictions by women such as Chimamanda Adichie, Noviolet Bulawayo or Chika Unigwe as a way of intervention on the debate of the Afropolitan female quest for existential subjectivity in 21st century African fiction. This is against the backdrop of negative essentialism and the exertions of patriarchy evident in the representation of African women’s in 20th century African fiction. Drawing from the foregoing, this paper interrogates Chika Unigwe’s On Black Sisters’ Street (Hence OBSS) to demonstrate how the writer deploys mobility trope which manifest as travelling as a signature of the Afropolitan female quest for existential subjectivity. I argue in this paper that, though existing studies on OBSS portray Efe, Sisi, Ama and Joyce as exported commodities in neoliberal sex market, their relocation however opens up a new vista to understanding their motivation and quest for new subjectivity, empowered fluid agency, individual autonomy and translation into Afropolitans. This is within Achille Mbembe’s phenomenological criticism of Afropolitanism and a methology that is based on qualitative content analysis of the text—OBSS. On the long run, the identity which travelling confers on the female characters is fluid, as they represent an African being in a globalized world and a strong sense of cultural mobility.
Torturing the helpless: A review of PCOS induced infertility from a gender perspective
Authors: Atijosan Ayobami Basirat
Published: May 2021

This paper reviewed the abuse of infertile women suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) from a gender perspective. Infertility is a prevalent, presenting feature of PCOS with 75% of women experiencing infertility due to anovulation, making PCOS the most common cause of anovulatory infertility. Increased awareness of PCOS, its causes, and its symptoms may help the process of early diagnosis, appropriate care and mitigation of violence arising from infertility hence, this study. In many countries’ infertility among married couples especially for women is a sentence to stigmatization, loss of social status, marital conflicts and violence. All this stems from prevailing socio-cultural norms and gender inequalities inimical to women. PCOS is a syndrome without much public awareness and PCOS patients often do not seek care. Where they seek care, they are often not immediately diagnosed with PCOS. Due to some prevailing cultural norms and general lack of awareness they are often tortured and abused. Outcomes from this study shows that there is need to intensify public awareness on the various factors contributing to infertility such as PCOS which has been identified as a major contributing factor. Also, harmful socio-cultural norms and practices that encourages gender inequalities and violence against infertile women should be eradicated with strong policies put in place and perpetrators severely punished. Early diagnosis and a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of PCOS is also crucial. Finally, proactiveness by implementing working strategies that will help improve treatment and mitigate violence against women suffering from PCOS should be embrace by all.
Trade wars and the changing international order: a crisis of globalization?
Authors: Mihaylov Valentin , Sitek Sławomir
Published: May 2021

Increased geopolitical competition and growing economic nationalism after 2014 have gradually started to slow the trend of liberalization of international trade. Relations among certain national states have turned into trade wars – a hybrid phenomenon shaped at the intersection of geopolitics and geoeconomics. The paper explores global and regional trends in trade regulations introduced by the world's largest economies and, at the same time, its major military powers. The G20 countries’ role in these processes was illustrated through references to empirical data on the dynamics of the introduced trade regulations in 2009–2018. The effectiveness of the regulations index is proposed. Apart from the harm that deepening such negative trends in the global geostrategic balance does to broader bilateral relations, the role of trade wars in re-shaping globalization's established conditions is also discussed.
Aqueous C60 Fullerene Solution Effects on Cell Viability
Authors: Sokolovska Lība , Čistjakovs Maksims , Sultanova Alīna , Murovska Modra
Published: May 2021

Fullerenes are carbon nanoparticles with the ability to quench reactive oxygen species. The biomedical potential of fullerenes is diminished by their low solubility in water, but many approaches have been developed to bypass this problem, like chemical modification of the carbon cage and the use of the solvent exchange method to transfer fullerenes from one solvent to the other. These two approaches were used in this study. Carboxylated fullerene aqueous solution was acquired using solvent exchange method transferring fullerene nanoparticles (C60) from toluene to water. Effects of varying concentration (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 5, 10 µM) of aqueous fullerene solution on cell viability and their antioxidative capabilities were evaluated on PC-3 and on monocytes isolated from a blood donor using Resazurin Cell Viability Assay. PC-3 cell viability was drastically affected by the 10 µM fullerene solution but remained relatively stable when treated with other concentrations even after longer periods of incubation with resazurin dye. Elevated cell viability was observed in monocytes treated with various fullerene concentrations, possibly indicative of fullerene protective activity against oxidative stress.
Does the Course of Disease Influence the Development of Fatigue in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients?
Authors: Kadiša Anda , Nora-Krūkle Zaiga , Sokolovska Lība , Grāvelsiņa Sabīne , Vecvagare Katrīne , Svirskis Šimons , Lejnieks Aivars , Murovska Modra
Published: May 2021

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) typically have many permanently inflamed joints. The inflammation inside the body can lead to general physical weakness, exhaustion, and drowsiness. This feeling of extreme tiredness is also called “fatigue”. Some people find this to be the worst symptom of the disease. However, the clinical significance of fatigue and its pathogenesis have not been recognised. This study aimed to determine the development of fatigue depending on activity and aggressiveness of RA. To achieve the goal, patients were interviewed and indicators of disease activity and aggressiveness were determined: rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP), immunoglobulins IgA RF, IgM RF, IgG RF and anti-carbamylated protein antibodies (anti-CarP). Based on the results of the survey, RA patients were divided into two groups — with and without fatigue. In the group of RA patients with fatigue, statistically more often an increase in IgA RF, IgM RF, and IgG RF levels was observed in those with elevated RF level, higher IgM RF and IgG RF levels were associated with increase in IgA RF level, and increase in the IgG RF and anti-CarP levels with elevation in the IgM RF level. A higher IgG RF level contributed to a higher anti-CarP level increase. Significant differences in the levels of clinical and laboratory inflammatory markers were not observed between the RA patients with and without fatigue. The obtained data suggest that the aggressive course of RA, more than inflammation, may contribute to the development of fatigue in RA patients.
Site characterization for engineering purposes using geophysical and geotechnical techniques
Authors: Alabi Aderemi A.
Published: May 2021

Geophysical and geotechnical techniques were applied to determine the suitability of the sub-surface structure of Akole community area, Abeokuta, Nigeria, for the construction of engineering structures (CES). Four vertical electrical soundings (VES) were carried out, and 10 samples from different points at 1 m depth were analysed to determine soil moisture content, specific gravity (SG), Atterberg limits and California bearing ratio (CBR). The geoelectric sections revealed a maximum of five layers with the typical sounding curves of AKH and HKH types. Sieve analysis and tests for compaction limit, Atterberg limits, SG, optimum moisture content and maximum dry density for compaction limit revealed that samples SP2, SP3, SP4, SP6, SP7, SP8, SP9 and SP10 are of low plasticity with SG values that fall within the permissible range, while SP1 and SP5 are of medium plasticity and their SG values fall below the range of standard specifications. CBR analysis showed that SP1 and SP5 have low load-bearing capacities. VES 1 and 2, linked with SP1 and SP5, are considered unstable and unsuitable to support the CES with shallow foundations; however, excavation of weak layers up to a depth of 5 m and reinforcement will enable the support.
„Brak” państwa czy jego „nadmiar” – wyzwania i zagrożenia współczesnej demokracji
Authors: Kiwior-Filo Małgorzata
Published: May 2021

The changes taking place in the modern world, their character and dynamics determine the need to verify the role and tasks of the most important institution of political life, in particular the state. However, the multitude of positions in this regard, from extremely libertarian, aimed at eliminating the state as an organization using coercion, promoting “philosophy of strength” instead of “philosophy of freedom”, to voices demanding “strengthening” the state - a guarantor of security (on various levels: military, economic , social, social, cultural etc.), especially in the face of challenges such as migration crisis or modern terrorism. The dilemma of limiting the state or strengthening it, which has always been present in political discourse, deepens the crisis of values and the difficulty in defining concepts of fundamental importance, including democracy itself. Question asked by Chantal Delsol What do we care about? it seems so current in the face of many contemporary paradoxes.
Estetyzacja polityki: między jednostkowym doświadczeniem… a upolitycznieniem wartości estetycznych
Authors: Pierzchalski Filip
Published: May 2021

The aim of this paper is to conduct meta-analysis. The author will focus on explaining the multi-dimentional mechanism of aesthetisation of politics. In this understanding, the starting point for scientific explanation of the phenomenon of aesthetisation in public sphere is the mechanism of internalization, expression and sharing aesthetic values for individual and collective political actors. Therefore, aesthetic values in political practices will be defined as crucial factor of political change and meaningful element of shaping social structure. In this matter the article undertakes the following issues: the notion of aesthetic experience; aestethis values and their political functions of public sphere; the mechanism of politicization of aesthetic values.
Rytualizm jako praktyczna forma estetyzacji polityki
Authors: Karwat Mirosław
Published: May 2021

The aesthetisation of politics is reflected not only in its propaganda exaltation (as expressed in the pathos of political rhetoric and symbolism), in the excess ceremonial and pomp, in the domination of rituals over the pragmatic, factual style of action, but also in enforcing the desired attitudes of loyalty, conformism, obedience through ideological conventionalisation and ritualisation of everyday behaviour. This trend can reach as far as greetings and farewells etiquette in daily human contacts. Forced uniformity of such behaviours is an effective tool for the appropriation of public space, as well as for indoctrination. An example of this is the “German greeting” – mandatory in the Third Reich.
Homo Cōnsūmēns. Kulturowy model człowieka… w epoce zglobalizowanego kapitalizmu kognitywnego
Authors: Rutkowski Piotr
Published: May 2021

The purpose of the article is to make an attempt to understand (in the hermeneutical sense) modern man. According to the author that kind of reflection can lead to many explanations when it comes to the changes in the world and various trends in politics. This task is of course very difficult or even impossible (what author points out) however it is not the reason to fully resing from that kind of reflection. Author indicates that modern technics has a large impact on today’s Homo Cōnsūmēns. He notes that currently perceived phenomena of neuropower and psychopower create a man, adapting him to both the consumer-technical society and the system. In the last part ot the article author reflects on characteristic of Homo Cōnsūmēns functioning in the conditions of modern technics.
O heterogenicznym statusie filmu politycznego
Authors: Minkner Kamil
Published: May 2021

The purpose of the paper is to reflection on the status of political film and the political status of film. It is about proposing boundary categories that can provide a theoretical basis in detailed analyzes of the film’s political core. The political nature of the films has been filtered, in the article, by the concept of circulation of meanings in the cultural circuit of Paul du Gay, Stuart Hall and others. This approach shows that the specific political significance of the film is not simply given, but is constructed and understood differently at the level of different instances of social communication: producers, creators, audiences, film critics, creators of advertising messages, etc. The author of the article assumed that the political status of the film is associated not with specific political references, but with modality of film. Two types of film were presented: as a work and social practice. It was only in this context that specific variants of the political film were ordered.
Craxi-Andreotti a włoska Ostpolitik
Authors: Landoni Enrico
Published: May 2021

The intense period of Craxi’s government (1983-1987) was characterised by a new, even unique activity of Italy on the international scene. In that very period, the country tried to assume a role guaranteeing the “international concert”, significantly weakened earlier by the mechanisms of the Cold War. The goal of this new policy of détente was – both for Bettino Craxi and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giulio Andreotti – a greater engagement of Italy in the relations with the countries from behind the Iron Curtain. This is the origin of the Italian Ostpolitik, which – seen in this text both as a whole and as a collection of its particular stages of growth – finds a lasting and unique understanding of its basic qualifications in the easing of bilateral relations with Jaruzelski’s Poland and their further development.
Krzywa Gaussa a opozycja binarna. Zmiany rozkładu przekonań i postaw politycznych we współczesnym społeczeństwie
Authors: Majcherek Janusz
Published: May 2021

For many decades after II World War the differentiation of political standpoints and attitudes in modern societies could be described according to a normal curve (bell curve). But for several years this interpretation has become inadequate because of the increasing polarization of political preferences in contemporary societies, leading to bipolar opposition inside them. The explanation of this change by economical agents is not satisfying, because similar processes have been noticed in many societies quite different from the economic standpoint. The reason of social polarization and bipolar opposition is cultural one and reflecting tension between tradition and innovation, especially in the age of globalization, escalating this process.
Związek publicznej obecności Kościoła w Polsce z preferencjami wyborczymi elektoratu w 2011 roku
Authors: Dłuska Karolina
Published: May 2021

The author of the article tries to indicate the relationship between the perceived presence of the Catholic Church in public life and the election preferences of Poles. The subject of the research here is the parliamentary elections in Poland in 2011 in the context of the perception by the electorate of the individual parties of the public presence of the Catholic Church in the selected aspects. Among them, the author points to: the issue of crosses and other religious symbols in public space, including the issue of a cross in the Sejm meeting room. She also recalls such matters as: religion lessons in schools, the religious nature of the military oath, priests appearing on public television, the Church taking a stand on laws passed by the Sejm and priests telling people how to vote in elections. The presented analysis is based on the results of the Polish General Election Study 2011.
National Minorities in the Western Borderlands of Czech Silesia from the Perspective of State Security Corps in 1945
Authors: Hlavienka Lubomír
Published: May 2021

In May 1945, Western Silesia, originally inhabited predominantly by the German population, found itself in a completely new situation. The region was once again controlled by the Czechoslovak state power, which wanted to re-organise life in the borderlands. Therefore, it was necessary to handle the issue of the German population, as well as the influx of new settlers from the Czechoslovak inland and abroad. Changes took place on the other side of the border as well, and neighbouring Germany was replaced by Poland. These aspects gave rise to a completely new security situation that the newly formed security corps had to address. The article attempts to follow the relationship of the Czechoslovak security corps to the members of other nationalities who lived in the researched area or with those whom they came into contact while guarding the non-fixed state borders. Research shows that, in 1945, the National Security Corps (SNB) indeed took qualitatively different approaches to various nationalities, ranging from strong hostility and distrust towards the Germans, through vigilance towards the Polish, to an ambiguous attitude towards re-emigrants.
Where there is a will, there is a way: some remarks on institutional distance in the Polish-German borderland
Authors: Wróblewski Łukasz
Published: May 2021

This study concerns the problem of institutional distance between local government units, and its impact on the cross-border cooperation of regional and local authorities in the Polish-German borderland. Contrary to cross-border cooperation per se, the analyzed notion is not featured regularly in the subject literature. Above all, the existing studies focus on the forms of, barriers to, and conditions for cross-border cooperation, the assessment of cross-border cooperation projects co-financed by the EU, and the broadly conceived social and economic cross-border ties. On the other hand, there is a shortage of studies analyzing the competencies of various local government units with regard to cross-border cooperation. Hence, this article examines the competencies of local government units with respect to cross-border cooperation based on the example of the Polish-German borderland. The adopted research method involves the analysis of the subject literature, domestic legislation in Poland and Germany, and the documents and legal acts of the Council of Europe and the EU.
Effect of Pelvic Floor Symptoms on Women's Participation in Exercise: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review With Meta-analysis
Authors: Dakic Jodie G. , Hay-Smith Jean , Cook Jill , Lin Kuan-Yin , Calo Marlena , Frawley Helena
Published: May 2021

Objective

To (1) review the effect of pelvic floor (PF) symptoms (urinary incontinence [UI], pelvic organ prolapse, and anal incontinence) on exercise participation in women, and (2) explore PF symptoms as a barrier to exercising.

Design

Mixed-methods systematic review with meta-analysis.

Literature Search

Eight databases were systematically searched up to September 2020.

Study Selection Criteria

We included full-text, peer-reviewed observational, experimental, or qualitative studies in adult, community-dwelling women with PF symptoms. Outcomes included the participant-reported effect on exercise or the perception of PF symptoms as an exercise barrier. Study quality was assessed using a modified version of the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.

Data Synthesis

Meta-analysis was performed where possible. Deductive and inductive content analysis was used to synthesize qualitative data. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework and the GRADE-Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research (CERQual) guided interpretation of the certainty of evidence.

Results

Thirty-three studies were included. In 47% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 37%, 56%; I2 = 98.6%) of women with past, current, or fear of PF symptoms, UI symptoms adversely affected exercise participation (21 studies, n = 14 836 women). Thirty-nine percent (95% CI: 22%, 57%; I2 = 93.0%; 6 studies, n = 426) reported a moderate or great effect on exercise. Pelvic organ prolapse affected exercise for 28% of women (95% CI: 24%, 33%; I2 = 0.0%; 2 studies, n = 406). There were no quantitative studies of anal incontinence.

Conclusion

For 1 in 2 women, UI symptoms negatively affect exercise participation. Half of women with UI reported either stopping or modifying exercise due to their symptoms. Limited data on pelvic organ prolapse also demonstrated adverse exercise effect. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2021;51(7):345–361. Epub 10 May 2021. doi:10.2519/jospt.2021.10200
Distúrbios da coagulação em pacientes obstétricas infectadas pelo SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)
Authors: Bahia Laila Naiane da Silva , Artiaga Lavínia Prado , Almeida Mariana Souza , Paula Thaynara Rodrigues de , Carvalho Pablinny Moreira Galdino de
Published: May 2021

Objetivo: Analisar os distúrbios coagulativos que ocorrem em grávidas infectadas pelo SARS-CoV-2, com o intuito de verificar quais são os fatores que predispõem as gestantes ao agravamento da COVID-19. Revisão bibliográfica: Ao analisar se a COVID-19 pode influenciar nos processos coagulativos que ocorrem fisiologicamente durante a gestação, constatou-se que a “tempestade de citocinas”, ou seja, o estado hiperinflamatório causado pelo vírus, contribui para o agravamento da situação hipercoagulativa da gestação. Evidenciou-se, também, que há uma elevação de D-dímero acima do esperado para a gestação, com formação de microtrombos placentários, indicando um pior prognóstico materno e fetal. Verificou-se que há maiores desfechos negativos envolvidos, porém não está esclarecido que o agravo ocorra, necessariamente, por conta da infecção pelo SARS-CoV-2. Considerações finais: Ainda há uma carência de estudos sobre os agravos da COVID-19 em gestantes, porém, é importante ressaltar a necessidade de uma atenção maior para essas pacientes, em decorrência das alterações gestacionais que podem agravar o quadro da doença.
Çocuklarda Antropometrik Özellikler ve Fiziksel Uygunluk Parametreleri Yüzme Performansı ile İlişkili midir?
Authors: BOZKURT Elzem , GÖRAL Kemal
Published: May 2021

Bu çalışmada, yüzme sporu yapan çocuklarda antropometrik özellikler, bazı fiziksel uygunluk parametreleri ve yüzme performansları arasındaki ilişkilerin ortaya konulması amaçlanmıştır. Bu çalışmada araştırma grubunu, yaş ortalamaları 10,00±0,83 yıl olan 24 lisanslı kız çocuk ile yaş ortalamaları 9,91±0,82 yıl olan 24 lisanslı yüzücü erkek çocuk oluşturmuştur. Araştırmada, yüzücü çocukların seçilmiş antropometrik özellikleri, bazı fiziksel uygunluk özellikleri ve 50 metre yüzme performansları ölçülmüştür. Kız çocukların, 50 metre serbest stil yüzme performansı ile el uzunluğu, el genişliği, oturma yüksekliği, kulaç ve ayak uzunluğu değişkenleri arasında negatif yönde anlamlı ilişkiler bulunurken (p<0,05), ayak genişliği ile 50 metre yüzme performansı arasında anlamlı bir ilişkiye rastlanmamıştır (p>0,05). Kız çocukların, 50 metre serbest stil yüzme performansı ile sağ el kavrama kuvveti, sol el kavrama kuvveti, esneklik, durarak uzun atlama ve denge arasında negatif yönde anlamlı ilişkiler bulunmuştur (p<0,05). Erkek çocukların, 50 metre serbest stil yüzme performansı ile kulaç uzunluğu arasında negatif yönde anlamlı bir ilişki bulunurken (p<0,05), diğer antropometrik özellikler ile 50 metre yüzme performansı arasında anlamlı bir ilişkiye rastlanmamıştır (p>0,05). 50 metre serbest stil yüzme performansı ile durarak uzun atlama değerleri arasında negatif yönde anlamlı ilişki bulunmuştur (p<0,05). Sonuç olarak, bu yaş grubu yüzücü çocuklarda antropometrik özellikler ile bazı fiziksel uygunluk özelliklerinin yüzme performansı üzerinde belirleyici rol oynadığı, yapılacak antrenmanlarda bu özelliklerin gelişimi üzerine düzenli şekilde uygulanacak çalışmalarla yüzme performansında da istenilen yönde bir gelişim sağlanabileceği söylenebilir.
Another Form of Modified, Highly-Active 6-Phosphofructo-1-Kinase in Cancer Cells
Authors:   National Institute of Chemistry, Slovenia, A Kristl , K Camernik ,   National Institute of Chemistry, Slovenia, Š Avbelj ,   National Institute of Chemistry, Slovenia, M Legiša ,   National Institute of Chemistry, Slovenia
Published: May 2021

Enhanced glycolytic flux is a hallmarks of cancer cells. Posttranslational modification of the key regulatory enzyme of glycolysis, 6-Phosphofructo-1- Kinase (Pfk1) might trigger metabolic flux deregulation. In the cancer cells the human 85 kDa muscle type nPfk-M enzyme can be proteolytically cleaved to form highly-active 47 kDa shorter fragments that retain activity but become resistant to feed-back inhibition. In several tumorigenic cell lines, no native 85 kDa liver type nPfk-L isoforms could be either found and only 70 kDa shorter fragments were detected by immune-blotting. To learn more about the cancer-specific modified sfPfk-L enzyme, the truncated human sfPfk-L gene encoding 70 kDa fragments was inserted into the pfk null yeast S.cerevisiae cell. The recombinant modified enzyme showed higher affinity toward the substrate fructose-6-phosphate, reduced sensitivity toward the citrate and ATP inhibition in respect to the recombinant native PFK-L enzyme. Partially purified cancer-specific sfPfk-L fragments lacking the C-portion of the enzyme showed some instability under the diluted conditions in the buffer in respect to the tetrameric native nPfk-L enzyme. Growth characteristics of the yeast transformant encoding short sfPfk-L enzymes were similar to those encoding shorter sfPfk-M enzymes. No growth of the transformant with the sfPfk-L gene was observed on glucose but it grew faster than the transformant with the native human nPfk-L enzyme in a narrow ecological niche with low maltose concentration and 10 mM of ethanol in the medium. Similar to modified 47 kDa sfPfk-M fragments, also the short 70 kDa nPfk- Lfragments might cause deregulation of the glycolytic flux in the yeast and in the cancer cells. In yeast, deregulated metabolic flux unbalances redox potential that results in reduced growth rate. However, the cancer cells beat the redox unbalance by rapid re-oxidation of redundant NADH that results in lactate formation while the growth rate remains high.