bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ovarian tissue cryopreservation in a patient with breast cancer during pregnancy: a case report
Authors: Cheng Jiaojiao , Ruan Xiangyan , Du Juan , Jin Fengyu , Li Yanglu , Liu Xiaowei , Wang Husheng , Gu Muqing , Mueck Alfred O.
Published: December 2021

Background

Fertility preservation using ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) in patients with certain diseases, especially those needing chemo- or radiotherapy, is becoming routine in various Western countries. Our hospital is the first and until now the only centre in China to use this method. The question of whether treatment of breast cancer during pregnancy (PrBC) should be similar to non-pregnant young patients with breast cancer is controversial. To our knowledge, this is the first report worldwide to use OTC as fertility preservation for PrBC.

Case presentation

During the 29th week of pregnancy, a 24-year-old woman underwent needle aspiration cytology of a left breast tumour. Ultrasound and cytology revealed BI-RADS 4a grade. Oncologists recommended termination of the pregnancy. Caesarean section was performed at week 32, and ovarian tissue samples were collected for OTC to preserve fertility and ovarian endocrine function. Twenty-three ovarian cortex slices were cryopreserved. It is estimated that 13,000 follicles were cryopreserved. Breast nodules and sentinel lymph node biopsy suggested invasive micropapillary carcinoma. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was started within 1 week after diagnosis. After six courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy and goserelin acetate, left mastectomy and left axillary lymph node dissection were performed. In total, 23 doses of radiotherapy, eight trastuzumab targeted therapy treatments, and 17 pertuzumab + trastuzumab double targeted therapy treatments were performed after breast cancer surgery. Until now, more than 2 years after delivery, the ovarian function still is good, and no signs of a negative impact of OTC have been observed. Goserelin acetate injections, administered every 28 days, are planned to last for the next 5 years. In addition, endocrine therapy with anastrozole was started after breast cancer surgery and also is scheduled for 5 years.

Conclusion

OTC for fertility preservation in patients with PrBC does not delay breast surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, which is essential for effective treatment of breast cancer. We assess this method as a promising fertility preservation method which was used here for the first time worldwide in a patient who developed breast cancer during pregnancy.
Tiotropium bromide as adjunct therapy in children with asthma: a clinical experience
Authors: Ridha Zainab , Bédard Marc-Antoine , Smyrnova Anna , Drouin Olivier , Pruteanu Aniela , Essouri Sandrine , Ducharme Francine M.
Published: December 2021

Background

The Global Initiative for Asthma has only recently added tiotropium bromide as adjunct controller therapy in severe asthma (Step 4 or 5) in adults (2015) and children (2019). Although not yet approved for pediatric use by Health Canada, it has been occasionally offered by asthma specialists as a therapeutic trial in children with troublesome asthma or treatment for adverse effects. The objective of this study was to describe the indications and real-life clinical experience in initiating tiotropium in children with asthma.

Methods

We designed a retrospective mixed-method case series study of children aged 1–17 years who initiated tiotropium in our tertiary-care centre between 2013 and 2020. Clinical information was extracted from electronic medical records and tiotropium dispensing, from drug claims. Parents/children and physicians independently completed a questionnaire about treatment goals, perceived efficacy, safety, satisfaction, and lessons learned.

Results

The 34 (11 females; 23 males) children had a median (range) age of 9.1 (1.4–17.8) years. Children were primarily on Step 4 (85%) or 5 (6%) prior to tiotropium initiation, yet most (84%) did not increase their treatment step after tiotropium initiation. The physicians’ treatment goals were to improve asthma control, alleviate adverse effects of current therapy, and/or improve lung function. The most improved symptoms were coughing/moist cough, difficulty breathing, whistling breath, and bronchial secretions/mucus. Although most parents and physicians reported a significant benefit with tiotropium bromide, physicians particularly remarked, as their “lesson learned’, on the improvement in chronic symptoms in asthmatic children, particularly those with prominent moist cough and in lung function, in those with seemingly none (or incompletely) reversible obstruction as well as the ability to decrease the ICS and/or LABA dose to lessen adverse effects. A few physicians raised caution on the risk of lower adherence with an additional inhaler.

Conclusion

In children with severe asthma on Step 4 or 5, tiotropium bromide was primarily used as substitute, rather than additional, adjunct therapy to improve asthma control, alleviate adverse effects, and/or to improve lung function. The latter two indications, combined with its perceived effectiveness in children with prominent moist cough, also suggest additional indications of tiotropium to be formally explored.
A polygenic risk score predicts mosaic loss of chromosome Y in circulating blood cells
Authors: Riaz Moeen , Mattisson Jonas , Polekhina Galina , Bakshi Andrew , Halvardson Jonatan , Danielsson Marcus , Ameur Adam , McNeil John , Forsberg Lars A. , Lacaze Paul
Published: December 2021

Background

Mosaic loss of Y chromosome (LOY) is the most common somatic change that occurs in circulating white blood cells of older men. LOY in leukocytes is associated with increased risk for all-cause mortality and a range of common disease such as hematological and non-hematological cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and cardiovascular events. Recent genome-wide association studies identified up to 156 germline variants associated with risk of LOY. The objective of this study was to use these variants to calculate a novel polygenic risk score (PRS) for LOY, and to assess the predictive performance of this score in a large independent population of older men.

Results

We calculated a PRS for LOY in 5131 men aged 70 years and older. Levels of LOY were estimated using microarrays and validated by whole genome sequencing. After adjusting for covariates, the PRS was a significant predictor of LOY (odds ratio [OR] = 1.74 per standard deviation of the PRS, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.62–1.86, p < 0.001). Men in the highest quintile of the PRS distribution had > fivefold higher risk of LOY than the lowest (OR = 5.05, 95% CI 4.05–6.32, p < 0.001). Adding the PRS to a LOY prediction model comprised of age, smoking and alcohol consumption significantly improved prediction (AUC = 0.628 [CI 0.61–0.64] to 0.695 [CI 0.67–0.71], p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that a PRS for LOY could become a useful tool for risk prediction and targeted intervention for common disease in men.
A generalization to the log-inverse Weibull distribution and its applications in cancer research
Authors: Kumar C. Satheesh , Nair Subha R.
Published: December 2021

In this paper we consider a generalization of a log-transformed version of the inverse Weibull distribution. Several theoretical properties of the distribution are studied in detail including expressions for its probability density function, reliability function, hazard rate function, quantile function, characteristic function, raw moments, percentile measures, entropy measures, median, mode etc. Certain structural properties of the distribution along with expressions for reliability measures as well as the distribution and moments of order statistics are obtained. Also we discuss the maximum likelihood estimation of the parameters of the proposed distribution and illustrate the usefulness of the model through real life examples. In addition, the asymptotic behaviour of the maximum likelihood estimators are examined with the help of simulated data sets.
Melatonin attenuates radiation-induced cortical bone-derived stem cells injury and enhances bone repair in postradiation femoral defect model
Authors: Hu Wei , Liang Jia-Wu , Liao Song , Zhao Zhi-Dong , Wang Yu-Xing , Mao Xiao-Fei , Hao Si-Wei , Wang Yi-Fan , Zhu Heng , Guo Bin
Published: December 2021

Background

The healing of bone defects can be challenging for clinicians to manage, especially after exposure to ionizing radiation. In this regard, radiation therapy and accidental exposure to gamma (γ)-ray radiation have been shown to inhibit bone formation and increase the risk of fractures. Cortical bone-derived stem cells (CBSCs) are reportedly essential for osteogenic lineages, bone maintenance and repair. This study aimed to investigate the effects of melatonin on postradiation CBSCs and bone defect healing.

Methods

CBSCs were extracted from C57BL/6 mice and were identified by flow cytometry. Then CBSCs were subjected to 6 Gy γ-ray radiation followed by treatment with various concentrations of melatonin. The effects of exogenous melatonin on the self-renewal and osteogenic capacity of postradiation CBSCs in vitro were analyzed. The underlying mechanisms involved in genomic stability, apoptosis and oxidative stress-related signaling were further analyzed by Western blotting, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence assays. Moreover, postradiation femoral defect models were established and treated with Matrigel and melatonin. The effects of melatonin on postradiation bone healing in vivo were evaluated by micro-CT and pathological analysis.

Results

The decrease in radiation-induced self-renewal and osteogenic capacity were partially reversed in postradiation CBSCs treated with melatonin (P < 0.05). Melatonin maintained genomic stability, reduced postradiation CBSC apoptosis and intracellular oxidative stress, and enhanced expression of antioxidant-related enzymes (P < 0.05). Western blotting validated the anti-inflammatory effects of melatonin by downregulating interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels via the extracellular regulated kinase (ERK)/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling pathway. Melatonin was also found to exhibit antioxidant effects via NRF2 signaling. In vivo experiments demonstrated that the newly formed bone in the melatonin plus Matrigel group had higher trabecular bone volume per tissue volume (BV/TV) and bone mineral density values with lower IL-6 and TNF-α levels than in the irradiation and the Matrigel groups (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

This study suggested that melatonin could protect CBSCs against γ-ray radiation and assist in the healing of postradiation bone defects.
Revisiting the Quantum Open System Dynamics of Central Spin Model
Authors: Bhattacharya Samyadeb , Banerjee Subhashish
Published: December 2021

In this work, we revisit the theory of open quantum systems from the perspective of fermionic baths. Specifically, we concentrate on the dynamics of a central spin half particle interacting with a spin bath. We have calculated the exact reduced dynamics of the central spin and constructed the Kraus operators in relation to that. Further, the exact Lindblad type canonical master equation corresponding to the reduced dynamics is constructed. We have also briefly touched upon the aspect of non-Markovianity from the backdrop of the reduced dynamics of the central spin.Quanta 2021; 10: 55–64.
Comparative typological method as a tool for teacher training philologist in the process of teaching the Russian language
Authors:   State Institution Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, Shpetna Svitlana , Kirichenko Оlha ,   State Institution Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University
Published: December 2021

The article considers some aspects of the use of comparative-typological method in the process of studying the educational component «Russian language» by applicants for higher education from Turkmenistan, the role and significance of the comparative characteristics of Turkmen and Russian language to solve a specific methodological task: teaching students the language to master the future profession of teacher of Russian language and literature. In practice, it is proved that the complete exclusion of the native language in the process of learning Russian (as a foreign) language is impossible. Assimilation of Russian by Turkmen students occurs in most cases through the structure of the native Turkmen language, taking into account typological properties in phonetics, lexicology, phraseology, morphology, based on linguistic, cultural, mental features, which affects not only the mastery of a foreign language but and for a better understanding of the native language, thanks to the knowledge of different language cultures, national peculiarities of perception of the world and determination of one's place in it. One of the conditions for effective teaching of Russian to foreign students is the use of comparative-typological method, which allows the teacher to explain language features, clarify similarities and differences between contact language systems, taking into account the processes of interference of native language in Russian. By gradually involving students in such activities, we increase the level of motivation to learn a foreign language, stimulate the improvement of communication skills, as well as the ability to abstract thinking, analysis and synthesis, clear and precise expression, ability to argue and support facts. This approach helps students to more easily learn the material, structure it, organize knowledge of native and Russian languages, which significantly improves the understanding of language as such and linguistic phenomena in general. The use of the method of comparison helps Turkmen students to adapt more quickly to the language environment, to adequately understand and master the material of lectures and practical classes, to prevent typical language mistakes, and in general to overcome difficulties in the learning process. Language comprehension gives students the opportunity to form linguistic and communicative competence in the areas of professional and situational communication in oral and written forms, and thus to be successful in the profession.
Dialect as a crossroads of local and interlocal (Bukovyna dialect of the village Hrozyntsi)
Authors:   Institute of the Ukrainian Language of the NAS of Ukraine, Koliesnik Liudmyla
Published: December 2021

The article deals with description of one dialect as a system. The purpose of of this study is to describe the main features of the dialect v. Hrozyntsi, manifested in oral dialectal speech, at all language levels. Attention is drawn to typical phonetic, morphological and syntactic dialectal features. The author’s own records from this dialect (2010), dictionary materials (2005, 2006) and lexical materials of this village are the source base of the study. The interview method was used to record the material. The features of word change of noun parts of speech and conjugation of verbs, morphological features of nouns (vacillation in the genus), adjectives (creation of degrees of comparison), dialectal forms of pronouns and adverbs are characterizes for the dialect morphological system. Some previously unknown words have been found, they enriches the vocabulary of the dialect. This material supplement the Dictionary Bukovyna Dialects of with new information: new words, original semantics of famous words, new word forms, expands the idea of the localization of individual words. Among the dialect words there are a number of literary names that have passed into the passive, but continue to function in the dialect. This fact testifies to the connection between literary language and its dialectal variants. The obtained results make it possible confirm that this dialect is Bukovyna dialect with the features of Podillia dialect.
Attributive function of the instrumental case in the dialects of Transcarpathia (noun and adverbial position)
Authors:   Institute for the Ukrainian Language of the NAS of Ukraine, Yusikova Olena
Published: December 2021

The article is devouted to the attributive function of the instrumental case in the dialects of Transcarpathia region. The article clarifies the structural and semantic features of the attributive in the form of the instrumental case in the dialects of the Transcarpathia. The attributives, which are called signs of individual actions, situations of objective reality, are considered. The functional essence of the attributive creative in the adjective and adverbial positions is highlighted. The purpose of this article is to highlight the formal syntactic features and semantic manifestations of the peripheral zone of attributiveness, namely, the intrinsic attributive with possessive semantics, with the semantics of comparison, adverbial attributives with the semantics of the mode of action in the form of the instrumental case. Attributive syntaxemes in the studied dialects characterize various situations and retain semantic and morphological connections with output words, phrases and sentences. They can be synonymous with nouns in other indirect cases or verb constructions in the forms of subordinate attributive sentences. Their property to convey variable, temporary, situational signs is associated with a specific subject correlation by the attributive in the form of the instrumental case. Achieving this goal involves solving the following tasks: 1) to establish the original semantically elementary sentence that underlies the attributive syntaxeme, the lexical meanings of the supporting and dependent components; 2) find out the functional and semantic meaning of the attributive syntaxeme. Within the framework of the attributive components in the form of the instrumental case, groups distinguished, among which: the names of the characteristic features of a person's appearance, the names of the methods of production processes, the names of the external characteristics of movement in space, parts of clothing, shoes, parts of objects household items, characteristics as a result of an action, the name of a generalized characteristic of an action and a situation as a whole, an external characteristic of a person or animal, the name of an external characteristic of a plant, the name of a qualitative characteristic of an individual action, and the like.
Spontaneous dialect texts about residential and commercial buildings
Authors:   State Institution Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, Hlukhovtseva Kateryna
Published: December 2021

The article analyzes the features of uncluttered spontaneous dialect texts about the construction of housing, outbuildings, interiors, recorded at different times in the Ukrainian East Slobozhan dialects. The author focuses on identifying features of their cognitive and lexical-semantic structure. It is proved that dialect text (DT) is a semantic phenomenon. That is why, depending on the content of the report, you can select several parts. Consequently, it is analyzed in terms of semantics and structure. This allows you to combine dialect texts depending on the topic in them. It is noteworthy that in the texts of one topic can be identified micro-themes that unfold more broadly or more narrowly. Memorable texts are generally characterized by ease of communication, generalization of information associated with the use of imperfective verbs of the past tense plural or singular, which convey long repetitive actions, processes or states, dissected or undissected, occurring in a certain period of time before speech. Usuality, generalization are also conveyed by present tense verbs of the third person plural with indefinite-personal meaning. Spontaneously modeled texts update the nominative chain of vocabulary associated with common names of housing, farm buildings, their parts, etc. The meaning of tokens is usually specified in relation to the features of the denotation, time slice, syntagmatics, formal structure. These units make up the lexical-semantic matrix of the text, which is closely connected with the culture and way of life of the inhabitants of the region. DT accumulates and transmits information about the patterns of spontaneous (without external interference) text and demonstrates the trends of its development. In general, the structure of the text, trends in its creation and selection of structural elements often show patterns of systemic organization of speech, consisting in a verbal presentation of collective and individual experience of housing, farm buildings, established forms of mutual assistance, production of building materials, management principles.
Tracing the lexical features of Marko Kropyvnytskyi’s works
Authors:   Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University, Verbovyi Mykola
Published: December 2021

The article analyzes the most important lexical features of Marko Kropyvnytskyi’s works of art. The researcher concludes that the playwright in his texts used words or individual forms characteristic of the steppe subdialects of the late nineteenth – early twentieth century. The analysis of words is made with the involvement of a wide range of factual material extracted from various lexicographical, ethnographic sources, as well as artistic texts of other authors. It has been established that the lexical composition of Marko Kropyvnytskyi’s works reveals organic connections with the vocabulary of the adjacent Poltava and Podil dialects, and more broadly with the eastern and western dialects of the Ukrainian language. It is also noted that the analyzed words show a significant influence on the steppe subdialects and on the Ukrainian language in general Polish, Russian and Romanian. Thus, the study suggests that the playwright’s literary texts recorded and preserved the original local phonetic, word-forming or semantic derivatives that complement and deepen our knowledge of general trends in the lexical systems of Eastern Ukrainian dialects and the Ukrainian literary language. Consideration of only a small number of words (approximately 20 nouns) that function in the works of Marko Kropyvnytskyi, determines the prospects for further research to establish the quantitative composition of such names and a systematic description of phonetic, word-forming or semantic features in connection with other dialects and literary language. It follows from the above that the texts of M. Kropyvnytskyi are an important source for the study of linguistic features and steppe subdialects, and the Ukrainian literary language of the early twentieth century.
Variant-synonymous varieties of generally used phrases in the works of M. Rudenko (lexical, morphological and phonetic)
Authors:   Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University, Hlukhovtseva Iryna
Published: December 2021

The article analyzes the variant-synonymous varieties of commonly used phrases used by M. Rudenko in his works, determines their functional load in the structure of the literary text. The subject of consideration are modified units that form variant or synonymous pairs with codified forms. In prose works, the author often uses variants of commonly used codified phraseological units or their synonyms. In the scientific literature, unfortunately, there are no clear criteria for distinguishing between variants and synonyms of phrases. Therefore, following V. Uzhchenko, we use the terms variant-synonymous pair (pair of phrases that are in synonymous relations or are considered as variants) or variant-synonymous type of phraseological unit (a type of commonly used expression that is its variant or synonym). The emergence of these units of the phraseological system is mainly due to the substitution of one structural component of the expression to another. Most often in a stable combination of words the verb is replaced (there are 19 such phrases), less often the noun (15 units). Adjectives or verbs, pronouns can also be replaced. Rudenko skillfully uses also known methods of creative comprehension of phraseology in the fabric of a work of art. First of all, he resorted to expanding the component composition of a stable combination of words, so that the newly introduced author’s words complicate the traditional formula of phraseology, while enhancing their expressiveness. By actualizing the statement, the author reduces the component composition of the phrase, because a short version of the phraseology involves knowledge of a more complete form and thus intrigues the reader. The general meaning of the whole image of the phrase is often conveyed by the author descriptively, which creates a new expression. Rudenko rarely introduces formal variants, but in artistic texts we find morphological and phonetic variants of commonly used phrases.
Linguistic means of expression in a religious media text
Authors:   Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University, Zhyla Tetiana
Published: December 2021

Religious discourse in recent decades belongs to the productive approaches of linguistic researches. Linguists study the genre varieties of a religious discourse, the pragmatics of language units in a religious text, there is an intensification of the description of religious discourse on the material of media texts. The research material in this article was the texts of printed and electronic Ukrainian Christian religious media. Evaluation is qualified as an intentional text-forming category of a journalistic text, a discursive dominant, a component of the linguistics of persuasion. The choice of the object of evaluation is important for the study of a religious text. In the texts of the religious media, the evaluation primarily includes sincerity and depth of faith, the conformity of worldviews to religious beliefs, actions of a person, an individual, including contemporaries of readers, or saints who have made a name for themselves in the name of the Christian faith as well as events related to political life. The linguistic presentation of the evaluation in the studied texts takes place by using the means of different levels of the language. First of all, the authors of publications in the religious media express evaluation by lexical means, adjectives show significant productivity in the implementation of evaluation value. The studied texts testify to the use of the phraseological resource of the language to express evaluation. We observe that a common means of expressing evaluation of human actions and deeds are constructions by which the authors of publications encourage certain actions, approve of an act that is evidence of a positive evaluation, or condemn certain actions, express prohibition, caution, which is a means of expressing negative evaluation. Evaluation in the texts of religious media is a linguistic means of expressing a pragmatic orientation towards the formation of Christian moral qualities.
An Algorithm of Automated Identification of the Metaphors (based on the novels written by Oksana Zabuzhko)
Authors:   Lviv Polytechnic National University, Levchenko Olena , Karasov Vitalii ,   Lviv Polytechnic National University
Published: December 2021

An Algorithm of Automated Identification of the Metaphors (based on the novels written by Oksana Zabuzhko) The thesis is a complex study in which the creation of a model of automatic identification of the metaphor is represented. Analysis of models of metaphor, one of the elements of which is the token «думка» made it possible to identify and classify constructions that could potentially be a metaphor. It is emphasized that the study of the linguistic picture of both the individual writer and the ethnic group as a whole, focused on the study of metaphor as a mechanism of cognition and reproduction of the surrounding world, as a key to understanding human thought processes. A search was conducted in GRAK, and a list of collocations of two structural models was compiled: noun думка + component and component + noun думка. The total number of results for these two models is 234. It is revealed that one of the most productive models of metaphorization of the concept ДУМКА is the models думка + verb / verb + думка and думка + adjective / adjective + думка. Personalized properties of «думка» are often associated with the rapid movement: думка набігає, думка доганяє, думка догнала, думка петляла, думка звернула, which can be interpreted as a special feature of idiostyle O. Zabuzhko and as the author's rethinking of the idea of thought as a process, movement, action. The process of identifying a metaphor will have features and specific stages depending on the model of the metaphor under consideration. An important step is to create the appropriate tags and variants to get the most accurate results possible. Attempts to concretize abstract concepts using metaphors is a natural process but complex and involves many results. Since this type of research in Ukrainian linguistics is at an early stage, the «manual» analysis and screening of results by the researcher himself occupy a prominent place and require a lot of time.
Emotional expressiveness of the vocalist: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Shpyrka Alina , Bondarenko Larysa , Kondratenko Ganna , Shpyrka Alexandr
Published: December 2021

In modern society musical art develops and transforms as a means of influencing the formation of the individual, an activator of its cultural development. The predominance of emotional factors in musical art requires purposeful development of the emotional sphere of students. The powerful communicative ability of musical, in particular vocal performance, opens up new ways for scientific research because vocal art is constantly being transformed depending on the needs of the modern world. The article dwells on the results of an experimental test of the levels of formation of emotional expressiveness of future vocalists. A theoretical analysis of Ukrainian and foreign scientific literature is carried out to define the concept of "emotional expressiveness of a vocalist". The article clarifies the essence and structure of the vocalist's emotional expressiveness. The survey, testing, and observation were used as the main methods in the experiment.
Crisis u oportunidad: impacto de la migración venezolana en la productividad colombiana
Authors: Mutis O. Olga María , Ríos I. Camilo José , Montaño G. Laura María , Monroy R. Vanessa
Published: December 2021

Venezuelan migration to Colombia has mobilized nearly 1.8 million Venezuelans and Colombian returnees to Colombia. Using a data panel with fixed effects, we estimate the difference in the contribution to productivity of the migrant and non-migrant population for two periods, 2013-2019 and 2015-2019, considering educational level, geographic department, and economic sector. In 2015-2019, migrant with a higher level of education contributed more to productivity than the non-migrant population with a low level of education. There is a self-selection bias given that migrants sought to work in departments with the higher levels of productivity. This bias is corrected with an instrumental variable that exploits the regional variation of the migrant networks existing in 2005 and the timing and intensity of the Venezuelan economic crisis. This analysis shows that Venezuelan migration positively affects Colombian labor productivity in the short term and works as an input to develop migratory policies.
Einstaklingsfrelsi og þjóðmenning: Um mannanöfn og íslenska þjóðernishyggju
Authors: Hermannsson Birgir
Published: December 2021

Tilgangur þessarar greinar er í fyrsta lagi sá að gera grein fyrir þróun löggjafar um mannanöfn, í öðru lagi að greina bakgrunn þessarar löggjafar í íslenskri þjóðernishyggju og í þriðja lagi að setja þessa umræðu í samhengi við ólík sjónarmið stjórnmálaheimspekinga um tengsl menningar og einstaklingsfrelsis. Lög um mannanöfn voru sett árið 1913 til að tryggja festu í nafngiftum, en árið 1925 voru ný lög sett til að ná þeim markmiðum að vernda íslenska nafnahefð og tungu. Þessi sjónarmið tengdust þjóðernishyggju með áherslu á sögulegt samhengi menningarinnar og mikilvægi óspilltrar menningar og tungu fyrir sjálfstæði þjóðarinnar. Mikilvægasta gagnrýni á lögin er sú að hún skerði frelsi einstaklinga um of og síðar að verndun tungunnar og verndun íslenskra mannanafna séu tvö aðskilin fyrirbæri. Þegar mannanöfn eru aðskilin vernd tungunnar og sérstökum þjóðernishugmyndum má líta á íslenska mannanafnakerfið sem sérstakan menningararf sem þarfnast verndar. Rökin að baki lögum um mannanöfn má tengja við hugmyndastrauma sem leggja áherslu á frumlega og einstaka þjóðmenningu sem rétt sé og eðlilegt að ríkið styðji. Þessar hugmyndir má tengja við einstaklingsfrelsi með ýmsu móti, t.d. mikilvægi þess að tilheyra menningu og að fjölbreytileg menning sé forsenda frelsis og ólíkra lífshátta. Hugmyndir um sjálfræði einstaklinga setja einstaklinginn og val hans í forgrunn, menningin gegnir því hlutverki að vera farvegur fyrir mikilvæga valkosti. Ríkisvaldinu ber því að vera hlutlaust um menningu, m.a. mannanöfn. Erfitt er gera upp á milli þessara tveggja hefða, hér stangast einfaldlega á ólík gildi.
Defining Publicness in Service Contracts. Adding Colour to the Grey
Authors: Kristjánsdóttir Margrét Vala
Published: December 2021

The objective of this paper is to identify the circumstances under which general principles of public administrative law apply to services delivered by private entities under service contracts with public authorities. Relying on a functional approach to public administration, it builds on the notion that public administration in the substantive sense is the key to the applicability of general principles of administrative law in service contract situations. It seeks criteria usable to define a function as “public” and so determine the applicability of such principles in the relations between the user and a private body carrying out services under a service contract. Icelandic law is used as test case, though guidance is sought from other sources and theories. Certain factors are deduced from judgements of the Icelandic Supreme Court, opinions of the Parliamentary Ombudsman and from theories on private liability for human rights violations. Together these form the grounds of a general holistic threephased test, the initial points, the material points and the supporting points, for the definition of “publicness”. Application of the test may help clarify the “grey zone” between public and private law.
Reglur um viðbrögð og úrræði vegna óæskilegrar hegðunar alþingismanna á vettvangi starfsins
Authors: Friðriksson Hirst Friðrik Árni , Benediktsdóttir Kristín
Published: December 2021

Í greininni er fjallað um hvaða reglur gilda um óæskilega hegðun alþingismanna á vettvangi Alþingis, á borð við einelti, kynferðislega og kynbundna áreitni og ofbeldi. Verður sjónum beint að ákvæðum siðareglna fyrir alþingismenn sem leggja áherslu á heilbrigt starfsumhverfi innan þings sem utan og leggja bann við einelti, kynferðislegri og kynbundinni áreitni sem og annarri vanvirðandi framkomu af hendi alþingismanna í garð annarra þingmanna, starfsmanna þingsins og gesta þess. Jafnframt verður tekin afstaða til þess hvort og þá hvernig ákvæði laga og reglna á sviði vinnuverndar sem ætlað er að sporna gegn slíkri háttsemi á vinnustöðum eigi við um Alþingi og alþingismenn og hvernig þessar reglur spila saman við fyrrnefndar siðareglur. Þá verður varpað ljósi á hvort og þá með hvaða hætti hegðun sem siðareglurnar leggja bann við samkvæmt framansögðu geti varðað alþingismenn refsiábyrgð og skaðabótaábyrgð. Meginniðurstöður greinarinnar eru þær að í siðareglum fyrir alþingismenn felist sambærilegar kröfur til alþingismanna að þessu leyti og gilda um starfsfólk Alþingis samkvæmt lögum og reglum á sviði vinnuverndar. Þá geta alþingismenn bakað sér refsiábyrgð samkvæmt hegningarlögum sem og skaðabótaábyrgð vegna háttsemi sem lagt er bann við í viðkomandi ákvæðum siðareglnanna, að uppfylltum skilyrðum slíkrar ábyrgðar. Þótt alþingismenn njóti vissrar friðhelgi samkvæmt stjórnarskránni er umfang hennar takmarkað auk þess sem Alþingi getur ávallt ákveðið að aflétta henni.
Fæðingar- og foreldraorlof: Aðdragandi, breytingar og árangur laga sem er ætlað að stuðla að orlofstöku beggja foreldra
Authors: Arnalds Ásdís A. , Eydal Guðný Björk , Gíslason Ingólfur V.
Published: December 2021

Í maí 2000 samþykkti Alþingi einróma lög nr. 95/2000 um fæðingar- og foreldraorlof. Lögin fólu í sér afar róttækar breytingar á aðstæðum nýbakaðra foreldra. Samkvæmt markmiðum laganna áttu þau að stuðla að því að börn nytu samvista við foreldra sína og auðvelda konum og körlum að samþætta atvinnuog fjölskyldulíf. Þessi lög voru í gildi þar til heildarendurskoðun leiddi til laga nr. 144/2020. Í þessari grein er spurt að hvaða leyti löggjöfin hafi náð hinu tvíþætta markmiði. Gögn, sem aflað með könnunum meðal foreldra á fjórum tímapunktum yfir tæplega 20 ára tímabil, voru nýtt til að greina breytingar á þátttöku mæðra og feðra í umönnun fyrsta barns og breytingar á vinnumarkaðsþátttöku mæðra og feðra ári fyrir fæðingu barnsins og þar til það nær þriggja ára aldri. Niðurstöður sýna að frá gildistöku laganna hafa feður aukið þátttöku sína í umönnun barna sinna og dregið hefur saman með foreldrum hvað varðar atvinnuþátttöku og vinnutíma.
An Explorations in Media Ecology appreciative inquiry: Onward and upward
Authors: Cheyunski Fred
Published: December 2021

This article combines appreciative inquiry (AI) as well as digital object interviewing and other constructs from the field to examine Explorations in Media Ecology (EME) in its online format. It provides an in-depth review of the journal and its issues produced over the past twenty years. The article surveys EME’s editorial advances and transitions, its coverage of the media environment, its interdisciplinary range, along with its demographics and reach. Throughout this article, EME’s digital publication speaks for itself describing its own strengths and opportunities as manifested since its origination. Along the way, this article utilizes anecdotes and quotes from EME’s contributors that illuminate and support the survey results. Finally, this article through these quotes, gives EME a voice; it offers suggestions to build on its strengths and make use of opportunities for an onward and upward future.
Jacques Ellul’s influence on Neil Postman
Authors: Forsberg Geraldine E.
Published: December 2021

This article discusses the intellectual relationship between Jacques Ellul and Neil Postman and addresses the question: How did the French philosopher influence the writings and ideas of the leading media ecologist Neil Postman? The author traces the historical development of Postman's books and examines his writings for reference to Jacques Ellul. Through this analysis it becomes apparent that Ellul had a major influence on Postman's ideas, his books, and the direction of his scholarship. Thus, one can more fully understand the contribution that Ellul has had to media ecology.
McLuhan on Shakespeare and Shakespeare as McLuhan
Authors: Linton David
Published: December 2021

Over 400 years ago, during the early days of the print revolution, William Shakespeare offered insights into the media environment of his times. Though he was a poet and playwright, his observations were strikingly similar to those of Marshall McLuhan in the twentieth century. In every one of his plays there appear media references: books, letters, reading and writing. This essay examines how he viewed the impact of literacy and printing on both individuals and the society at large.
Remediating McLuhan, Richard Cavell (2016)
Authors: Rose Phil
Published: December 2021

Review of: Remediating McLuhan, Richard Cavell (2016)

Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 201 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-58423-582-8, h/bk, $110
Making visible the invisible: Exploring McLuhan’s figure/ground in digital citizenship education
Authors: Forsler Ingrid , Ciccone Michelle
Published: December 2021

Figure and ground are analytical concepts used to discuss how some elements of a lived situation dominate perception, while others remain in the background. This applies not least to media and research from the medium theoretical tradition as well as later scholarship on media infrastructures, which have been keen to explore the taken for granted or invisible aspects of the media landscape. In media education, however, there is still a tendency to focus on thefigureof digital media by treating media technologies as tools or to focus on the critical evaluation of media content. This article draws on McLuhan’s co-authored textbookCity as Classroomto suggest a pedagogical turn towards thegroundof the internet. Based on concrete examples from middle school digital citizenship education, the article shows how a focus on the ground of digitalization actualizes topics such as environmental concerns, global inequalities and data privacy. These topics are conceptualized and discussed through the environmental/spatial metaphorsclouds, exhaustandarchitecture.
Hey Google: A thematic analysis of Twitter users’ comments on the privacy of AI devices in the home
Authors: Riddell Heather , Fenner Christopher
Published: December 2021

The advancement of technology has been accompanied by the rise of data breaches and privacy concerns. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI)-based virtual assistants into society has led to smart homes that enable users to complete commands instantly. This project uses the diffusion of innovation theory to explain why consumers adopt the technology. A thematic analysis was conducted on Twitter news stories, and open coding showed a strong negative reaction to the stories, with users concluding that privacy was too essential to purchase a virtual assistant for their home. These findings have implications for the future rate of adoption of AI and virtual assistant technology.
The energic economy of cyberchronotopia
Authors: Zhang Peter
Published: December 2021

As social media, virtual reality, the internet of things, artificial intelligence, mobile computing, cloud computing, virtual collaboration platforms and other new technologies become an integral part of our life, more and more of us are facing a practical issue: insufficiency of psychic energy. Approaching the cyberneticization of the human condition from the perspective of psychic energy makes for a sorely needed critical intervention. This article reveals the vampiric nature of cyberspacetime, looks into vitalistic philosophy and spiritual praxes for coping strategies, and calls for homo ludens to rise above apparatuses of capture and conserve psychic energy for negentropic endeavours, psychosomatic events and spiritual awakening. It proceeds with the assumption that news about one’s autopoiesis and becoming is the most important news. Part of the motive is to demonstrate media theory and time-tested spiritual praxes as equipment for living.
EXPLORING CENTENARIANS’ PERCEPTION OF NUTRITION
Authors: Holston E.C. , Callen B.
Published: December 2021

Background/Objective: Centenarians’ dietary habits have been associated with healthy aging, although it is centenarians’ perceptions about their diet that influence what they eat and in what amounts. However, there is little research on centenarians’ viewpoints about their past and current eating patterns and their impact on centenarians’ current nutritional status. Thus, this study explored the perceptions about lifetime dietary habits of community-dwelling Appalachian centenarians. Design: A qualitative descriptive design. Setting: Home or the facility where participants lived. Participants: A convenience sample of community-dwelling centenarians. Measurements: Face-to-face interviews were used. Transcripts were analyzed with the Nuendorf’s method of content analysis. Results: Emerging themes were source of food, food preferences, food consumption, balanced diet, food preparation & storage, responsibility for nutrition of family, and longevity. Conclusion: Centenarians’ perceptions about their dietary behaviors need to be considered when adjusting their diets and eating patterns for clinical purposes.
ACCURACY OF 24-HR FOOD-REGISTRY METHOD IN ELDERLY SUBJECTS: ROLE OF A SURROGATE RESPONDENT
Authors: Pardío J. , Arroyo P. , Loría A. , Torres-Castro S. , Agudelo-Botero M. , Jiménez Herrera B.L. , Serrano Miranda A.T.
Published: December 2021

Importance: There are problems in the dietary assessment of elders due to the aging process. Objective: To assess the comparativity of dietary diversity reported by an elder with that reported independently by his/her Caregiver. Design: Comparison of foods consumed by elder in the previous 24-h reported by elder and caregiver. Outcome variable: % of foods reported and unreported by either. Setting: A Housing Development Unit, and a Geriatric Rehabilitation Clinic. Participants: 26 elders of 65-94 years of age, plus 26 caregivers. Results: The %foods unreported was more than double in elders than in caregiver (37% vs 17%). Regression models using sociodemographic variables of elders and caregivers as predictor variables showed only one significant variable [Caregiver cooked for the elder] associated with %unreported by caregiver and with %reported by either. No association with age, sex, being next-of-kin, schooling, cognitive level or setting was observed. Conclusion: The use of surrogates in dietary evaluation of elders should be carried out using the person in charge of preparing foods for the elder.
PLASMA LEVELS OF INTERLEUKIN-6 AND SOLUBLE TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR RECEPTOR ARE ASSOCIATED WITH MUSCLE PERFORMANCE IN PRE-FRAIL COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER WOMEN?
Authors: Paccini Lustosa L. , Souza Máximo Pereira L. , Parreira Batista P. , Gomes Pereira D.A. , Domingues Dias J.M. , Netto Parentoni A.
Published: December 2021

Aim: Increased plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α have been associated with frailty syndrome and reduced muscle strength in older. Sarcopenia influenced loss of mobility and functional independence, and contributed to frailty syndrome. Furthermore, sarcopenia mainly entails a decrease in type II muscle fibers, with consequent loss of muscle power; this could occur as a result of a lack of physical activity. Objective: To examine the correlation of muscular performance and the plasma levels of IL-6 and soluble TNF receptor (sTNFr) in pre-frail community-dwelling women. Methods: The study included 32 pre-frail women (≥ 65ys). The measurements were plasma concentrations of IL-6 and sTNFr1 (ELISA); muscle strength (isokinetics Biodex System). The muscle resistance program constituted 75% of maximum load (3 times/week, 10 weeks). Statistical analysis were made through Pearson and Spearman correlation (α = 5%). Results: There was a significant inverse correlation between sTNFr1 and muscle strength, pre- (r = −0.36, P = .04) and post-training (r = −0.37, P = .04) and, a significant positive correlation between IL-6 and muscle strength (r = 0.45, P = .01). Conclusion: The correlations found between the inflammatory mediators and the measures of muscular performance evaluated before and after training suggest that, as the muscles increase their ability to generate power, sTNFr concentrations decrease, and the levels of IL-6 increase. Muscle resistance exercises should be encouraged in pre-frail older women to induce the release of cytokines.