bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Close to the Heart or Close to the Home? Motivational Factors Influencing EFL Teaching as a Career Choice among Female Arab-Israeli Students
Authors: Alloush Iman , Chaleila Wisam , Watted Abeer
Published: December 2020

The purpose of this study is to examine Israeli-Arab pre-service teachers’ motivations for choosing English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching as their future profession. Data were gathered using the adapted Factors Influencing Teaching Choice (FIT-Choice) scale. Study participants (a cohort of N = 100) responded to a questionnaire of 38 motivational factors that had influenced them to choose English teaching as a future profession when entering education colleges. In addition, 20 of the participants took part in semi-structured interviews. Results revealed that the reasons Arab students become English teachers are based on a combination of intrinsic, extrinsic, and altruistic motivations. As all study participants were women, our results provide an initial indication of what draws Arab-Israeli women to the profession.
A educação social como eixo de trabalho nas medidas socioeducativas de semiliberdade
Authors: Marra Natalia Cardoso
Published: December 2020

Os adolescentes que cometem atos infracionais cumprem medidas socioeducativas. Estas têm a finalidade de orientá-los e responsabilizá-los, apresentando outras oportunidades para a vida. A escola é um instrumento fundamental para que a medida socioeducativa gere os efeitos esperados. Assim, esta pesquisa visa discutir como uma escola que recebe vários jovens em cumprimento de medida de semiliberdade lida com os mesmos, tendo em vista a gestão escolar e a relação estabelecida entre os adolescentes e a instituição de ensino. Para a obtenção dos resultados analisados foram feitas entrevistas, visitas a campo e o acompanhamento de medidas socioeducativas de semiliberdade.
Direito à educação e sua judicialização: aspectos fundamentais
Authors: Ribeiro Marcelo Costa , Pena Neide , Baganha Ronaldo Júlio
Published: December 2020

O artigo discute a judicialização do direito à educação no Brasil e seus aspectos social, jurídico e político-administrativo. Justifica-se por ser a educação um dever, constitucionalmente reconhecido pelo Poder Público, representado pelo Estado e os entes federados ante a responsabilidade de prover a sociedade de recursos necessários para garantir o direito à educação, conforme Constituição Federal de 1988, art. 205. Observa-se que os direitos educacionais são amplamente garantidos na legislação brasileira, mas nem sempre são respeitados por aqueles que têm o dever de garantir políticas públicas consoantes a esse fim. O objetivo deste artigo é evidenciar a importância da “judicialização” como um conjunto de procedimentos jurídicos cujo propósito é garantir o direito subjetivo público do cidadão, com vistas a exigir o cumprimento do dever do Poder Público em qualquer instância federativa. Quando, em algum aspecto, a efetivação desse direito não é atendida pelas políticas públicas, a judicialização pode ser um meio ou uma estratégia pela via jurídica, capaz de compelir o poder público em questão a cumprir seu dever estatuído na Constituição Federal quanto à garantia do direito à educação. A pesquisa teve caráter exploratório, abordagem qualitativa, com finalidade explicativa, e sua realização se deu por meio da revisão documental, articulando aspectos jurídicos, via atos normativos, políticas e legislação vigentes, além do estado da arte sobre o tema “judicialização”, realizada por meio de uma Revisão Sistemática (RS), considerando o percurso histórico da educação no Brasil.
Formação continuada e trabalho didático: metodologia com base na pedagogia histórico-crítica
Authors: Bezerra Kleiton Ramires Pires
Published: December 2020

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar e tecer algumas considerações sobre os aspectos do trabalho didático, a interação educacional, os recursos pedagógicos e o espaço escolar, durante o processo de formação continuada dos professores de educação física da Rede Municipal de Ensino de Campo Grande/MS (REME). Durante acompanhamento pedagógico dos professores de educação física da REME, pela equipe de professores-técnicos de educação física da Gerência do Ensino Fundamental e Médio da Secretaria Municipal de Educação de Campo Grande/MS, houve a seguinte problemática: dificuldade dos professores de educação física na organização e sistematização de planos de aula, estabelecimento de objetivos relacionados com o trabalho didático, a explicação da metodologia utilizada e os procedimentos avaliativos – uso de instrumentos de avaliação e de categorias avaliadas. A formação continuada com base na pedagogia histórico-crítica, segundo as etapas mencionadas, se mostrou significativas, no sentido de introduzir de maneira metodológica o assunto planejamento escolar.
Letramento acadêmico: a prática da leitura no desenvolvimento acadêmico de alunos do curso de engenharia civil
Authors: Leite Felipe Correa da Rosa , Silva Veronice Camargo da
Published: December 2020

A presente pesquisa trata-se de um estudo sobre a prática da leitura e da escrita objetivando analisar de que forma as práticas de letramentos acadêmicos podem implicar no desempenho dos acadêmicos de um curso de Engenharia Civil. A metodologia tem como base a pesquisa aplicada mista, utilizando questionários, aplicados com setenta e cinco alunos do curso de Engenharia Civil do Centro Universitário da Região da Campanha, RS. A análise quanto ao propósito da leitura é pertinente, uma vez que os alunos salientaram sua relevância, pois aprimora o vocabulário e permite uma melhor comunicação e uma melhor escrita. Já para a presença da leitura nos cursos de engenharia, os alunos ressaltam que contribui para a interpretação e resolução de cálculos. Dessa forma, é perceptível que os alunos que demonstraram ler mais, apresentaram melhor desenvoltura na escrita de suas respostas, enquanto os que não leem, apresentaram dificuldades em responder as questões propostas.
Gestão de processos na administração pública: o caso da Diretoria de Cálculos e Perícias do município de Belo Horizonte
Authors: Melo Lyllian Nietzsch Lima , Monteiro Daniel Francisco Bastos
Published: December 2020

Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar como o processo de trabalho dos calculistas é desenvolvido na Diretoria de Cálculos e Perícias da Procuradoria Geral do Município de Belo Horizonte. Optou-se por desenvolver um trabalho de abordagem qualitativa, utilizando o estudo de caso como estratégia de pesquisa. A coleta de dados foi realizada por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas e observação não participante direta. Foram entrevistados cinco calculistas, integrantes do quadro funcional da Diretoria de Cálculos, e selecionou-se uma amostra não probabilística intencional. Os dados coletados foram analisados e interpretados a partir da técnica de Análise de Conteúdo. Como principais resultados, constatou-se que, para ter distribuição equânime dos pedidos de conferência entre os calculistas, as ações judiciais teriam que ser mapeadas e agrupadas em níveis, de baixa, média e alta complexidade. Também foi identificada a necessidade de criação de uma equipe de suporte aos procuradores para realizar uma análise minuciosa das ações judiciais visando indicar as atividades a serem executadas e estabelecer prazos a serem cumpridos. E, por fim, evidenciou-se a necessidade de aprimorar a comunicação e integrar as partes envolvidas na execução das ações judiciais. A pesquisa concluiu que o mapeamento e a padronização dos processos devem ser realizados levando em consideração o conhecimento de cada servidor e buscando representar um conjunto de soluções adequadas à otimização de recursos e redução de prazos, proporcionando, assim, produtos e resultados com qualidade e eficiência.
Expectativas dos key-users quanto à adoção de sistema de controle financeiro
Authors: Malanovicz Aline Vieira
Published: December 2020

Entre os fatores que podem motivar o sucesso dos projetos de desenvolvimento e aplicação de tecnologia estão as expectativas e a aceitação da implantação de novos sistemas de informação. Nessas condições, o objetivo desta pesquisa é identificar, no contexto de uma empresa pública do setor financeiro, quais são as expectativas dos usuários-chaves em relação à implantação de um novo sistema de informação, analisando-as segundo o modelo da Teoria Unificada de Aceitação e Uso da Tecnologia (UTAUT). A coleta de dados foi realizada através de entrevistas johpor telefone e de questionário enviado por e-mail em março de 2019 para os sujeitos selecionados – usuários-chaves dos processos que devem ser suportados pelo novo sistema. Como resultado, foram identificadas, na pesquisa, as variáveis do modelo UTAUT para intenção de uso, quais sejam: expectativa de desempenho (confiabilidade das informações, utilidade do sistema, agilidade na realização das tarefas, melhoria geral no trabalho), expectativa de esforço (interação com o novo sistema, agilidade no uso do sistema, facilidade de uso do sistema, dificuldade em aprender) e influência social (opinião das pessoas influentes, prestígio das pessoas que utilizam o sistema, auxílio do gestor, apoio geral da empresa). Também foram identificadas variáveis moderadoras (sendo elas: gênero, idade, experiência, voluntariedade) e expectativas positivas quanto às condições facilitadoras (suporte para a escolha do sistema, suporte técnico e operacional na implementação, suporte técnico no uso). Conclui-se que os resultados qualitativos parecem se adequar ao modelo. O estudo dos fatores referentes ao efetivo comportamento de uso é proposto como interesse para pesquisa futura.
Análise da utilização de pagamentos móveis no contexto brasileiro: percepção de usuários e não usuários
Authors: Braido Gabriel Machado , Klein Amarolinda Zanela
Published: December 2020

O objetivo deste artigo consistiu em analisar a percepção dos usuários e não usuários quanto à utilização de pagamentos móveis no Brasil. Os pagamentos móveis (mobile payments) podem ser definidos como pagamentos de bens, serviços e contas por meio de um dispositivo móvel, utilizando redes de comunicação sem fio. Analisando-se as pesquisas acadêmicas já realizadas sobre essa temática, não foi identificado estudo semelhante no Brasil até o momento, o que justifica a pesquisa. Para alcançar seu objetivo, o estudo adotou o método survey, com uma amostra de 580 pessoas. Os resultados obtidos, com a aplicação de questionário, fornecem dados para a compreensão da difusão da utilização de pagamentos móveis no contexto brasileiro a partir do ponto de vista de pessoas que realizam esses pagamentos e outras que, ainda, não os utilizam, apontando benefícios percebidos, bem como barreiras para a sua difusão no contexto nacional.
Proposta para o alinhamento entre o plano estratégico institucional de um laboratório farmacêutico oficial e o departamento de ti
Authors: Da Silva Saulo Moura , Figueiredo Tatiana Aragão , De Magalhães Jorge Lima
Published: December 2020

As organizações, quer sejam públicas ou privadas, necessitam de estratégias bem definidas para seus negócios, bem como um plano de gestão de seus recursos. Para o setor farmacêutico, não é diferente, haja vista que se trata de um setor que movimenta US$ 1,3 trilhões anualmente Quintiles and IMS Health, Inc. [IQVIA] (2019). Os Laboratórios Farmacêuticos Oficias (LFO) entram nesse contexto, com maior responsabilidade, pois gerenciam recursos públicos como devolutiva à Sociedade de medicamentos negligenciados pelas empresas farmacêuticas privadas. Contudo, a estratégia também deve estar alinhada com os demais setores da corporação, já que é sabido que falta de alinhamento estratégico em empresas acaba fazendo com que muitos recursos humanos e financeiros sejam empregados em projetos e iniciativas não tão relevantes para o negócio. Nesse sentido, a Tecnologia da Informação (TI) deve estar não só nas corporações, como também alinhada ao negócio de fato. Na busca pelo alinhamento entre a área de TI e o núcleo do negócio de um LFO, este trabalho pretende propor um modelo de alinhamento estratégico, tomando por base pontos dos modelos de Broadbeck e Hoppen (2003) e Kearns e Sabherwal (2006) estruturados sob a ideia trazida pelo modelo sistemático de Moreira (2002). Como resultado, uma sistemática para o alinhamento foi montada, assim como aplicada de maneira parcial no LFO em questão. O presente trabalho, portanto, além de contribuir diretamente para a estratégia organizacional do LFO, também contribui socialmente para todas as demais empresas ou setores públicos que desejarem aplicar o método para otimizar seus processos e práticas gerenciais e estratégicas.
Post-structuralist genealogical discourse analysis of NSC 68
Authors: Kalický Juraj , Ondrejmišková Ivana
Published: December 2020

The article aims at providing a genealogical discourse analysis of the document United States Objectives and Programs for National Security, known as NSC 68, with a particular focus on the role that the discourse of NSC 68 played at the outset of the Cold War. The analytical basis of the research is the post-structuralist Foucauldian discourse analysis and the realist paradigm of international relations theory. These tools are applied to reveal the repercussions that the discourse of this document constituted, and, at the same time, the subject knowledge it offered to the U.S. political leaders. Via the scientific method of comparison, analysis and synthesis, the paper highlights the importance and role of the aforementioned discourse in formulating ideological differences and in the interpretation of threats when identifying state’s attitude and position in a new world of bipolar division.
Alternative approach to security – soft power
Authors: Maciejewski Jan , Borowska Donata
Published: December 2020

The purpose of the article is to describe, from the perspective of political science and sociology, an alternative approach to security connected with soft power in the context of the endeavour to ensure security to every human being. The authors propose to consider security-related alternatives of the second half of the 21st century as a combination of soft power and hard power – that is, smart power – applied in the area of social and political relations. Conducting politics in the spirit of soft power seems particularly justified and substantial in the face of the contemporary immigration and refugee crisis. Modern states, especially European states and the US, are security subjects that both defend security and seek it using soft power with potential support – when necessary – on the part of hard power. The authors discuss this phenomenon on the example of the US. The article shows, in a manner substantive for security sciences, the relations between knowledge and power, because it is them that determine contemporary societies. An approach to security in the spirit of soft power is becoming a significant factor shaping security culture.
Ethics in the public services – selected aspects
Authors: Raźny Bartosz
Published: December 2020

The article discusses various aspects of the theoretical foundations and genesis of the canon of ethics of the Polish public services. A well-functioning public administration is the foundation of the modern state. Working in the public services entails a great deal of responsibility as administration employees must meet certain special requirements. Society expects that the administration, serving its citizenry, act with the common good in mind, which requires that the officials possess a degree of ethical awareness. Officials responsible for decision-making must adhere to applicable laws, in addition to taking into consideration the public interest and the rights of citizens, which frequently leads to conflicts of interest, in particular on the interface of the administration, economy and politics. The purpose of this paper is to present the role of ethics in the functioning of public administration organs in a modern democratic state adhering to the rule of law. Ethical issues are closely related to the legal and institutional aspects of public administration – and should be analysed as such. The article discusses various theoretical and general aspects of the relations between law, morality and ethics, the role of ethics infrastructure in public administration and the institutional and legal instruments used to prevent pathological behaviours.
Mezi Afrikou a Evropou: Etnografická studie ze života iregulérních imigrantů z Afriky, žijících v Neapoli
Authors: Hojgrová Kateřina
Published: December 2020

Případová studie se zaměřuje na téma iregulérních imigrantů z Afriky (immigrante clandestini) žijících v Neapoli, v tendencích novelizace migračního zákona tzv. Salviniho dekretem. Studie diskutuje nad konceptem iregulérní a ilegální migrace a přibližuje jejich alternativu v rámci italského prostředí. Kvalitativní metoda etnografického výzkumu s prvky fenomenologie umožnila identifikovat hlavní faktory života iregulérních imigrantů (tzv. clandestinů) v Neapoli, a to na základě dat sebíraných v rámci 23 polostrukturovaných rozhovorů, které byly provedeny na podzim roku 2019. Studie mapuje proces, kterým tito imigranti procházejí od svého příjezdu do Itálie, podmínky jejich života v příjímacích centrech prvního a druhého řádu, jejich participaci na neformální ekonomice jako hlavního pull faktoru, vzájemné vztahy uvnitř africké komunity a v neposlední řadě také sleduje jejich vztahy s majoritní italskou společností.
Subsidiarita trestní represe v nálezu Ústavního soudu ČR ze dne 26. 5. 2020, sp. zn. Pl. ÚS 46/18
Authors: Kotlán Pavel
Published: December 2020

Článek se zabývá nedávným rozhodnutím Ústavního soudu ČR ze dne 26. 5. 2020, sp. zn. Pl. ÚS 46/18. Rozhodnutí se rovněž dotýká principu subsidiarity trestní represe. Hlavním cílem této práce je právě správná interpretace tohoto principu, s ohledem na základy trestní odpovědnosti. Metody právní interpretace vedou k závěru, že subsidiarita může být aplikována pouze prostřednictvím zákonných znaků trestného činu.
El poema “Vida” de José Hierro. Análisis métrico-estilístico
Authors: Begines Hormigo José Manuel
Published: December 2020

El poema “Vida” de José Hierro cierra Cuaderno de Nueva York, el último poemario del poeta santanderino. La particularidad métrica de este soneto reside, por una parte, en el empleo de las rimas idénticas (las palabras “todo” y “nada”) y, por otra parte, en el manejo de las diferentes posibilidades que ofrecen el ritmo endecasilábico y el simbolismo fónico. Igualmente, el manejo de los verbos y de los tiempos verbales, junto con la rima y el ritmo, permite configurar todo un entramado lírico que convierten el poema en un texto retóricamente eficaz.José Hierro’s poem “Vida” closes Cuaderno de Nueva York, the last collection of poems by the Santander poet. The metric peculiarity of this sonnet resides, on the one hand, in the use of identical rhymes (the words “everything” and “nothing”) and, on the other hand, in the management of the different possibilities offered by the hendecasyllabic rhythm and the phonic symbolism. Likewise, the use of verbs and verb tenses, together with rhyme and rhythm, allows configuring a whole lyrical framework that turns the poem into a rhetorically effective text.
Reseña de "Las cartas de Elena Francis. Una educación sentimental bajo el franquismo"
Authors: Polo Artal Alba
Published: December 2020

RESEÑA del libro Las cartas de Elena Francis. Una educación sentimental bajo el franquismo de ARMAND BALSEBRE Y ROSARIO FONTOVA.
Medier, medicin og medikalisering
Authors: Klausen Maja , Christensen Christa Lykke
Published: December 2020

Siden 2000 er receptpligtig kolesterolsænkende medicin, også kaldet statiner, blevet stadig mere almindeligt at få udskrevet. Denne artikel er interesseret i kolesteroldebattens tilstedeværelse i medierne og overvejer, om medierne kan tilskrives en rolle for, hvordan kolesterolsænkende medicin er blevet accepteret som standardtil- bud af både læger og lægfolk. På baggrund af en indholdsanalyse af kolesterol-debatten i danske, landsdækkende trykte aviser i perioden 2000-2017 peger artiklen på, at dækningen af statiner har haft avisernes opmærksomhed i hele undersøgelsesperioden med en stigning i antal artikler i periodens sidste halvdel fra 2009-2017. Analysen viser også, at aviserne B.T. og Ekstra Bladet har stået for hovedparten af dækningen fra 2009-2017, samt at et flertal af artikler formidlede en positiv holdning til statiner. Såvel tilstedeværelsen som fraværet af en sådan mediedebat kan have betydning for folks holdning og adfærd i forhold til risikoen for lidelsen forhøjet kolesterol, og debatten kan potentielt bidrage til tendensen mod ’medikalisering’, dvs. medicinsk intervention ved risiko for sygdom.
Revitalisering af inuitisk tradition i Grønland
Authors: Johannsen Sidse Birk
Published: December 2020

ABSTRACT: The revitalization process among indigenous people on the North American continent has been increasing since the beginning of the 20th century, especially after 1960 (Paldam 2017, 136 Fonda 2012, 172, Wallace 1956). In Greenland, there are examples of cultural revitalization dating back to the 1970s, but interest in Inuit culture and religion has especially increased over the past decade (Krutak 2014, 55 Pedersen 2014, 51). The purpose of this paper is to clarify the differences and variations of where and how the flourishing of Inuit traditions is expressed in today’s Greenlandic society. The paper highlights variations and differences between mainstream culture and niche religiosity and presents a model for categorizing different groupings in the field. Finally, the revitalization process is discussed as respectively an ethno particular niche religion or a New Age tendency with a global outlook.

DANSK RESUME: Revitaliseringstendensen blandt oprindelige folk har været stigende på det nordamerikanske kontinent siden begyndelsen af 1900-tallet og særligt efter 1960 (Paldam 2017, 136; Fonda 2012, 17, Wallace 1956). I Grønland findes der eksempler på kulturel revitalisering tilbage til 1970’erne; men opblomstringen af inuitiske traditioner og religion er særligt højnet det seneste årti (Krutak 2014, 55; Pedersen 2014, 51). Denne artikels formål er at tydeliggøre de forskellige variationer af, hvor og hvordan opblomstringen af inuitiske traditioner kommer til udtryk i nutidens grønlandske samfund. Artiklen fremhæver variationer og forskelle imellem mainstreamkultur og nichereligiøsitet og præsenterer en model til kategorisering af forskellige grupperinger i feltet. Afsluttende diskuteres revitaliseringsprocessen som henholdsvis etnopartikulær nichereligion eller New Age-tendens med globalt udsyn.
Der nordische Fremde: Historische Untersuchung des medialen Schwedenbildes im Heiligen Römischen Reich (1500–1721)
Authors: Hämmerle Tobias E.
Published: December 2020

Until to the beginning of the 17th century the North was rather an unknown and abstract space for the average German-speaking recipient of early modern mass media (for example illustrated broadsheets, newspapers, pamphlets). In the course of the 17th century due to Denmark’s and Sweden’s participation in the Thirty Years War, the northern regions became a central topic in the early modern mass media and therefore forced the recipient to be more aware of it. In the course of the second half of the 17th century the northern kingdoms became less important for the publicists in the Holy Roman Empire and instead they laid their focus on the politics of French and the Ottoman Empire. Thus, the image of the northerners and their stereotypes, which had been introduced to the German speaking readers in the course of the Thirty Years War, lived on until the beginning of the 18th century. Nevertheless, the Great Northern War (1700–1721) brought the people from the northern regions back to the media landscape of the Holy Roman Empire and about the same time the illustrated broadsheet – an almost antiquated genre of mass media that had struggled with the upcoming of the new modern genre ‘newspaper’ – experienced a kind of a renaissance.

The aim of this article is to describe how the northern region, with a focus on Sweden, was depicted in early modern mass media between the 15th and the 18th centuries. I will show continuities and changes of the visual and textual representation of ‘northerners’ and ‘Sweden’ in early modern mass media, which were published in the Holy Roman Empire between around 1500 until the end of the Great Northern War in 1721.
The Imaginary North in Finnish Comics on Migration
Authors: Kauranen Ralf , Löytty Olli
Published: December 2020

This article analyses three comics published in Finland that are focused on migration and offer differing insights into the representation of ‘the north’: Pentti Otsamo’s Kahvitauko (2012), Leen van Hulst’s Maitoa ja lunta / Milk and Snow (2011) and Lauri Ahtinen’s Elias (2018). These albums are both representative of the field in general and unique with respect to their treatment of the connections between place and migration. The analysis of the imaginary north is structured around the three tropes of the northern suburb, the northern climate, and the northern natural environment. What is common to them all is a construction of the north as a place without clear limitations and as an amalgamation of various relationships.

A central aspect of what a place is in the globalized world is that it constitutes a meeting place. In Kahvitauko, the drinking of coffee is used to show how ‘north’ and ‘south’ are connected on a global scale. In Elias, the symbols of the north, the snow, and the bear, are tied together with Afghanistan. Maitoa ja lunta / Milk and Snow provides another viewpoint, as it lacks the representation of xenophobia. Read in parallel with the other two comics it not only shows that migrants of different kinds are treated differently, but also highlights how a place such as the north is defined in different terms depending on reasons for migration, race and ethnicity, and privilege in general.

A place is precisely a place for articulation of networks of meanings, experiences, and people. In addition, the three albums are posited in the broader field of Finnish comics on migration. This is carried out with a focus on how the very concrete places in the comics in the field are named and visually anchored.
Kevin O’Connell’s North: Modernism, Sibelius, and Identity
Authors: McCay Jennifer
Published: December 2020

The influence of Jean Sibelius and Scandinavian modernism can show up in unexpected quarters: the Northern Irish composer Kevin O’Connell (b. 1958) names the Finnish great as one of his crucial influences, particularly evident in the composition North. Having grown up under the shadows of the Northern Irish Troubles since the late 1960s, O’Connell’s music can be read as a way to engage with this specific identity crisis. Another northern influence on this piece, albeit non-musical in topic, includes Seamus Heaney’s collection of poetry of the same title and structure, with Heaney also hailing from Derry in Northern Ireland.

Alongside such issues of identity, this article assesses the determinacy of Kevin O’Connell's orchestral composition, entitled North (1997–98), on Sibelius’s Symphony No. 4. North displays motivic transformation as a significant element of O’Connell’s orchestral style and the central element utilized to construct an extended and coherent piece of music. 

As mentioned, Sibelius’s influence is not only musical; in his position as a composer from northern Europe negotiating a path between nationalist political movements and the productive engagement with the central European artistic tradition, in the process laying claim to full membership of the exclusive club of European composers – all of which contribute to ‘Conceptualizing the North’.
Banlieue Nord: A Brief Contribution to How We Inhabit the North and How the North Inhabits Us
Authors: Gudd Lena , Pons Braley Antonin
Published: December 2020

Beyond its many simplified representations such as cold, hostile, uninhabited, or unknown, the north reveals itself as a complex and multiple space of interwoven geographical, cultural, social, and conceptual dimensions. Influenced by world views, the power of maps and myths as well as the very relation to the landscape itself as one of extraction or attraction, humans subjectively apprehend these multiple norths. By dwelling in the northern lands through experience or imagination, ‘southerners’ and ‘northerners’ alike do not simply inhabit the north; they are in turn inhabited by it. Situated at the ‘gates of the north’ in subarctic Canada, the mono-industrial company town Fermont fits its town centre entirely under a single roof. Planned and commissioned in the 1970s by a mining company, the town’s Utopian purpose was to ‘make a society’ in an inhospitable climate, while serving the exploitation of the mine. Fermont’s case serves here as a laboratory to understand the complexities of the north in more general terms. At the crossroads of image-based practices and the humanities, this contribution engages with the question of how humans inhabit the north and how they are inhabited by it.
Kuuk, Skrap, and the Resistance Vernacular
Authors: Ålvik Jon Mikkel Broch
Published: December 2020

How are gendered identities enabled, contested, and performed through Nordic popular music? Building on relevant approaches in popular music analysis, this article offers an investigation into the function/s of language and musical style in enabling and engendering agency and subjectivity via two case studies in Norwegian popular music.

Gender and language are crucial factors in this. In a global context of popular music, bands and artists who choose to sing in their local language may be seen to take up marginal positions compared to artists who choose to sing in English, as the choice of language would naturally limit their audience. I argue that this overlooks the efficacy of using one’s local language to express points of view that are relevant on a local level; what is more, it overlooks the possibility of subverting globalized trends and using these to one’s own ends.

In this article, I offer close readings of Norwegian-language albums by two all-female groups: the hip-hop duo Kuuk (Live fra Blitz) and the electronica duo Skrap (Atlantis). Applying Russell A. Potter’s (1995) concept of the ‘resistance vernacular’ as it has been expanded and operationalized by Tony Mitchell (2004), I contend that the bands’ use of their local language opens their music to a broader set of possibilities when it comes to subverting gender and genre norms at the same time as it enhances the music’s political potential.

Working in discernible genres enables both bands to create music that expresses a feminist stance; in the case of Kuuk, deconstructing and subverting expectations of gendered behaviour through parodying hip-hop misogyny, and in the case of Skrap, drawing on strategic naïvety to steer clear of gender stereotypes.
Correlation of Erectile Dysfunction and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms among Men at Urology Clinic of a Tertiary Care Institute in South-East Nigeria
Authors: Abiahu Joseph Amauzo , Mbaeri Timothy Uzoma , Orakwe Jideofor Chukwuma , Nwofor Alexander Maduaburochukwu Ekwunife
Published: December 2020

Introduction: Available literature suggests an association between Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) and sexual dysfunction especially Erectile Dysfunction (ED). LUTS, either alone or in combination with ED, represents a considerable problem for ageing men. An understanding of correlation between LUTS and ED in these ageing men will be useful in their routine care. Aim: To determine the incidence of ED and its correlation with LUTS in adult male patients attending the Urology clinic in a Tertiary Care Hospital. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 110 consecutive patients with LUTS recruited from the urological clinic. The data were collected, while ED and LUTS were assessed with the 5-Item Version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) and International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire forms respectively. Findings were subjected to linear regression and Pearson’s chi-square tests, using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17. Results: The mean age of patients was 65.8±7.95 years. The incidence of ED among LUTS patients was 63.6%. There was positive correlation between ED scores and voiding phase, filling-storage phase and total LUTS scores. The severity of ED and graded LUTS score revealed no significant association between the severity of ED and that of voiding phase and filling-storage phase LUTS. Conversely, severity of ED was significantly related to the severity of total LUTS score. Conclusion: ED is common amongst adult patients with LUTS. Its severity worsens with worsening LUTS. The management of patients with LUTS should therefore involve evaluation and treatment for ED. This calls for increased awareness of these conditions to both the doctor and the patient.
Additive Manufacturable Materials for Electrochemical Biosensor Electrodes
Authors: Elbadawi Moe , Ong Jun Jie , Pollard Thomas D. , Gaisford Simon , Basit Abdul W.
Published: December 2020

With the impending Industrial Revolution 4.0, the information produced by sensors will be central in many applications. This includes the healthcare sector, where affordable healthcare and precision medicine are highly sought after. Electrochemical sensors have the potential to produce affordable, high sensitivity and specificity, intuitive, and rapid point‐of‐care diagnostics. Underpinning these achievements is the choice of material and the fabrication thereof. In this review, the different types of materials used in electrochemical biosensors are reported, with a focus on synthetic conductive materials. The review demonstrates that there is an abundance of materials to select from, and compositing different types of materials further widens their applicability in biosensors. In addition, the fabrication of such materials using the state‐of‐the‐art of fabrication technology, additive manufacturing (AM), is also detailed. The need for compositing is evident in AM, as the feedstock for certain AM technologies is inherently nonconductive. Both material choice and fabrication technologies limitations are also discussed to highlight opportunities for growth. The review highlights how recent technological advancements have the potential to drive the healthcare industry toward achieving its primary goals.
Near‐Infrared Light Triggered Silk Fibroin Scaffold for Photothermal Therapy and Tissue Repair of Bone Tumors
Authors: Miao Hao , Shen Runqing , Zhang Wenhai , Lin Zaifu , Wang Hao , Yang Likun , Liu Xiang‐Yang , Lin Naibo
Published: December 2020

Silk fibroin (SF) has attracted great interest in bone tissue engineering due to its extraordinary characteristics in terms of mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. SF scaffolds are assembled by biocompatible polydopamine nanoparticles at mesoscopic scale, which endows the scaffolds with a near‐infrared (NIR) light response for the treatment of bone tumors. The functionalized SF scaffold not only enhances the significant structure and performance of native SF scaffold for bone treatment and reconstruction, such as primary and mesoscopic structure, multi‐level pores, and biodegradation, as well as biocompatibility but also have excellent photothermal effect leading a significant cytotoxicity to MG63 cancer cells after NIR laser irradiation. Moreover, the penetration of NIR light in tissue is improved using an optical fiber, which demonstrates the obtained scaffolds’ great potential in the application of photothermal therapy.
Flexible Hybrid Sensor Systems with Feedback Functions
Authors: Xu Kaichen , Lu Yuyao , Takei Kuniharu
Published: December 2020

Skin‐like wearable sensors are regarded as key technologies toward home‐based healthcare, human–machine interfaces, robotics, prostheses, and enhanced augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR). Inspired by human somatosensory functions, artificial sensory feedback systems play vital roles in shaping interactions with complex environments and timely decision‐making. This study presents an overview of recent advances in feedback‐driven, closed‐loop skin‐inspired flexible sensor systems that make use of emerging functional nanomaterials and elaborate structures. Drawing on feedback solutions, four categories of sensor systems are highlighted, which include prosthesis‐ and AR/VR‐based human–machine interfaces, smartphone‐based approaches for point‐of‐care detection, and smart wearable displays for direct signal visualizations. Furthermore, the progress of machine learning on the reliable recognition of massive quantities of signals generated by flexible sensor networks is briefly discussed. The state‐of‐the‐art hybrid sensor techniques, along with other emerging strategies, will enable total sensory feedback loop systems to be developed for next‐generation electronic skins.
Bifunctional Perovskite‐BiVO4 Tandem Devices for Uninterrupted Solar and Electrocatalytic Water Splitting Cycles
Authors: Pornrungroj Chanon , Andrei Virgil , Rahaman Motiar , Uswachoke Chawit , Joyce Hannah J. , Wright Dominic S. , Reisner Erwin
Published: December 2020

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) fuel synthesis depends on the intermittent solar intensity of the diurnal cycle and ceases at night. Here, an integrated device that does not only possess PEC water splitting functionality, but also operates as an electrolyzer in the nocturnal period to improve the overall capacity factor is described. The bifunctional system is based on an “artificial leaf” tandem PEC architecture that contains an inverse‐structure lead halide perovskite protected by a graphite epoxy/parylene‐C coating (conferring 96 h stability of operation in water), and a porous BiVO4 semiconductor. The light‐absorbers are interfaced with a H2 evolution catalyst (Pt) and a Co‐based water oxidation catalyst, respectively, which can also be directly driven by electricity. Thus, the device can operate in PEC mode during irradiation and switch to an electricity‐powered mode in the dark through bypassing of the semiconductor configuration. The bifunctional perovskite‐BiVO4 tandem provides a solar‐to‐hydrogen efficiency of 1.3% under simulated solar irradiation and an onset for water electrolysis at 1.8 V. The compact design and low cost of the proposed device may provide an advantage over other technologies for round‐the‐clock fuel production.
Fast and High‐Strain Electrochemically Driven Yarn Actuators in Twisted and Coiled Configurations
Authors: Aziz Shazed , Martinez Jose G. , Salahuddin Bidita , Persson Nils‐Krister , Jager Edwin W. H.
Published: December 2020

Commercially available yarns are promising precursor for artificial muscles for smart fabric‐based textile wearables. Electrochemically driven conductive polymer (CP) coated yarns have already shown their potential to be used in smart fabrics. Unfortunately, the practical application of these yarns is still hindered due to their slow ion exchange properties and low strain. Here, a method is demonstrated to morph poly‐3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene:poly‐styrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) coated multifilament textile yarns in highly twisted and coiled structures, providing >1% linear actuation in <1 s at a potential of +0.6 V. A potential window of +0.6 V and –1.2 V triggers the fully reversible actuation of a coiled yarn providing >1.62% strain. Compared to the untwisted, regular yarns, the twisted and coiled yarns produce >9× and >20× higher strain, respectively. The strain and speed are significantly higher than the maximum reported results from other electrochemically operated CP yarns. The yarn's actuation is explained by reversible oxidation/reduction reactions occurring at CPs. However, the helical opening/closing of the twisted or coiled yarns due to the torsional yarn untwisting/retwisting assists the rapid and large linear actuation. These PEDOT:PSS coated yarn actuators are of great interest to drive smart textile exoskeletons.
Implantable Cisplatin Synthesis Microdevice for Regional Chemotherapy
Authors: Campbell Rebecca , Shim Hyunji , Choi Je , Park Moonchul , Byun Eunjeong , Islam Sayemul , Song Seung Hyun , Kim Albert
Published: December 2020

Cisplatin, the first platinum chemotherapy agent to obtain Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 1978, is widely used for a number of cancers. However, the painful side effects stemming from systemic delivery are the inevitable limitation of cisplatin. A possible solution is regional chemotherapy using various drug delivery systems, which reduces the systemic toxicity and increases drug accumulation in the tumor. In this paper, a rice‐grain sized, ultrasonically powered, and implantable microdevice that can synthesize cisplatin in situ is presented. The microdevice produces 0.7 mg of cisplatin within 1 h under ultrasonic irradiation (400 mW cm−2). The effect of the microdevice‐synthesized cisplatin is evaluated using in vitro murine breast cancer cells and ex vivo liver tissue. The results suggest that cytotoxic activities of the microdevice‐mediated cisplatin delivery are significantly higher in both in vitro and ex vivo experiments. Overall, the proposed cisplatin synthesis microdevice represents a strong alternative treatment option for regional chemotherapy
Which is Better for Nanomedicines: Nanocatalysts or Single‐Atom Catalysts?
Authors: Zhao Mengyang , Zhang Nan , Yang Ruigeng , Chen Deliang , Zhao Yongxing
Published: December 2020

With the rapid advancements in nanotechnology and materials science, numerous nanomaterials have been used as catalysts for nanomedical applications. Their design and modification according to the microenvironment of diseases have been shown to achieve effective treatment. Chemists are in pursuit of nanocatalysts that are more efficient, controllable, and less toxic by developing innovative synthetic technologies and improving existing ones. Recently, single‐atom catalysts (SACs) with excellent catalytic activity and high selectivity have attracted increasing attention because of their accurate design as nanomaterials at the atomic level, thereby highlighting their potential for nanomedical applications. In this review, the recent advances in nanocatalysts and SACs are briefly summarized according to their synthesis, characterizations, catalytic mechanisms, and nanomedical applications. The opportunities and future scope for their development and the issues and challenges for their application as nanomedicine are also discussed. As far as it is known, the review is the systematic comparison of nanocatalysts and SACs, especially in the field of nanomedicine, which has promoted the development of nanocatalytic medicine.
mir15a/mir16‐1 cluster and its novel targeting molecules negatively regulate cardiac hypertrophy
Authors: Guo Hongchang , Ma Ke , Hao Wenjing , Jiao Yao , Li Ping , Chen Jing , Xu Chen , Xu Fu‐jian , Lau Wayne Bond , Du Jie , Ma Xin‐liang , Li Yulin
Published: December 2020

In response to pathological stimuli, the heart develops ventricular hypertrophy that progressively decompensates and leads to heart failure. miRNAs are increasingly recognized as pathogenic factors, clinically relevant biomarkers, and potential therapeutic targets. We identified that mir15a/mir16‐1 cluster was negatively correlated with hypertrophic severity in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The mir15a/mir16‐1 expression was enriched in cardiomyocytes (CMs), decreased in hypertrophic human hearts, and decreased in mouse hearts after transverse aortic constriction (TAC). CM‐specific mir15a/mir16‐1 knockout promoted cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction after TAC. CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP)β was responsible for the downregulation of mir15a/mir16‐1 cluster transcription. Mechanistically, mir15a/mir16‐1 cluster attenuated the insulin/IGF1 signal transduction cascade by inhibiting multiple targets, including INSR, IGF‐1R, AKT3, and serum/glucocorticoid regulated kinase 1 (SGK1). Pro‐hypertrophic response induced by mir15a/mir16‐1 inhibition was abolished by knockdown of insulin receptor (INSR), insulin like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R), AKT3, or SGK1. In vivo systemic delivery of mir15a/mir16‐1 by nanoparticles inhibited the hypertrophic phenotype induced by TAC. Importantly, decreased serum mir15a/mir16‐1 levels predicted the occurrence of left ventricular hypertrophy in a cohort of patients with hypertension. Therefore, mir15a/mir16‐1 cluster is a promising therapeutic target and biomarker for cardiac hypertrophy.
Associations of coffee and tea consumption with lung cancer risk
Authors: Zhu Jingjing , Smith‐Warner Stephanie A. , Yu Danxia , Zhang Xuehong , Blot William J. , Xiang Yong‐Bing , Sinha Rashmi , Park Yikyung , Tsugane Shoichiro , White Emily , Koh Woon‐Puay , Park Sue K. , Sawada Norie , Kanemura Seiki , Sugawara Yumi , Tsuji Ichiro , Robien Kim , Tomata Yasutake , Yoo Keun‐Young , Kim Jeongseon , Yuan Jian‐Min , Gao Yu‐Tang , Rothman Nathaniel , Lazovich DeAnn , Abe Sarah K. , Rahman Md Shafiur , Loftfield Erikka , Takata Yumie , Li Xin , Lee Jung Eun , Saito Eiko , Freedman Neal D. , Inoue Manami , Lan Qing , Willett Walter C. , Zheng Wei , Shu Xiao‐Ou
Published: December 2020

Associations of coffee and tea consumption with lung cancer risk have been inconsistent, and most lung cancer cases investigated were smokers. Included in this study were over 1.1 million participants from 17 prospective cohorts. Cox regression analyses were conducted to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Potential effect modifications by sex, smoking, race, cancer subtype and coffee type were assessed. After a median 8.6 years of follow‐up, 20 280 incident lung cancer cases were identified. Compared with noncoffee and nontea consumption, HRs (95% CIs) associated with exclusive coffee drinkers (≥2 cups/d) among current, former and never smokers were 1.30 (1.15‐1.47), 1.49 (1.27‐1.74) and 1.35 (1.15‐1.58), respectively. Corresponding HRs for exclusive tea drinkers (≥2 cups/d) were 1.16 (1.02‐1.32), 1.10 (0.92‐1.32) and 1.37 (1.17‐1.61). In general, the coffee and tea associations did not differ significantly by sex, race or histologic subtype. Our findings suggest that higher consumption of coffee or tea is associated with increased lung cancer risk. However, these findings should not be assumed to be causal because of the likelihood of residual confounding by smoking, including passive smoking, and change of coffee and tea consumption after study enrolment.
The impacts of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and of cytoreductive surgery on 10‐year survival from advanced ovarian cancer
Authors: Kim Soyoun Rachel , Kotsopoulos Joanne , Sun Ping , Bernardini Marcus Q. , Laframboise Stephane , Ferguson Sarah E. , Rosen Barry , Narod Steven A. , May Taymaa
Published: December 2020

Objective

To compare the long‐term survival outcomes for women with advanced ovarian cancer treated with chemotherapy either before or after surgery (neoadjuvant chemotherapy vs primary cytoreductive surgery) at a single tertiary cancer center.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study of 326 patients with Stage IIIC or IV high‐grade serous ovarian cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy or primary cytoreductive surgery between 2001 and 2011. Clinical treatments were recorded and 10‐year survival rates were measured.

Results

A total of 183 women (56.1%) underwent primary cytoreductive surgery and 143 women (43.9%) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Women who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy were more likely to have no residual disease than those who underwent primary cytoreductive surgery (51.4% vs 41.5%; P = 0.030) but experienced inferior 10‐year overall survival (9.1% vs 19.3%; P < 0.001). Among those who had primary cytoreductive surgery, those with no residual disease had superior 10‐year overall survival than those who had any evidence of residual disease (36.0% vs 7.2%; P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Among women with advanced ovarian cancer, those who underwent primary cytoreductive surgery had better survival than those who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy should be reserved for those in whom optimal primary cytoreductive surgery is not feasible.