bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Method for Evaluating Mobile Apps (App Rating Inventory): Development Study
Authors: Mackey Rachel , Gleason Ann , Ciulla Robert
Published: February 2022

Background

Selecting and integrating health-related apps into patient care is impeded by the absence of objective guidelines for identifying high-quality apps from the many thousands now available.

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the App Rating Inventory, which was developed by the Defense Health Agency’s Connected Health branch, to support clinical decisions regarding app selection and evaluate medical and behavioral apps.

Methods

To enhance the tool’s performance, eliminate item redundancy, reduce scoring system subjectivity, and ensure a broad application of App Rating Inventory–derived results, inventory development included 3 rounds of validation testing and 2 trial periods conducted over a 6-month interval. The development focused on content validity testing, dimensionality (ie, whether the tool’s criteria performed as operationalized), factor and commonality analysis, and interrater reliability (reliability scores improved from 0.62 to 0.95 over the course of development).

Results

The development phase culminated in a review of 248 apps for a total of 6944 data points and a final 28-item, 3-category app rating system. The App Rating Inventory produces scores for the following three categories: evidence (6 items), content (11 items), and customizability (11 items). The final (fourth) metric is the total score, which constitutes the sum of the 3 categories. All 28 items are weighted equally; no item is considered more (or less) important than any other item. As the scoring system is binary (either the app contains the feature or it does not), the ratings’ results are not dependent on a rater’s nuanced assessments.

Conclusions

Using predetermined search criteria, app ratings begin with an environmental scan of the App Store and Google Play. This first step in market research funnels hundreds of apps in a given disease category down to a manageable top 10 apps that are, thereafter, rated using the App Rating Inventory. The category and final scores derived from the rating system inform the clinician about whether an app is evidence informed and easy to use. Although a rating allows a clinician to make focused decisions about app selection in a context where thousands of apps are available, clinicians must weigh the following factors before integrating apps into a treatment plan: clinical presentation, patient engagement and preferences, available resources, and technology expertise.
Clinicians’ Perceptions of the Benefits and Challenges of Teleoncology as Experienced Through the COVID-19 Pandemic: Qualitative Study
Authors: Alpert Jordan M , Taylor Greenberry , Hampton Chelsea N , Paige Samantha , Markham Merry Jennifer , Bylund Carma L
Published: February 2022

Background

COVID-19 thrust both patients and clinicians to use telemedicine in place of traditional in-person visits. Prepandemic, limited research had examined clinician-patient communication in telemedicine visits. The shift to telemedicine in oncology, or teleoncology, has placed attention on how the technology can be utilized to provide care for patients with cancer.

Objective

Our objective was to describe oncology clinicians’ experiences with teleoncology and to uncover its benefits and challenges during the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

In-depth, semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with oncology clinicians. Using an inductive, thematic approach, the most prevalent themes were identified.

Results

In total, 21 interviews with oncology clinicians revealed the following themes: benefits of teleoncology, such as (1) reducing patients’ travel time and expenses, (2) limiting COVID-19 exposure, and (3) enabling clinicians to “see” a patients’ lifestyle and environment, and challenges, such as (1) technological connection difficulties, (2) inability to physically examine patients, and (3) patients’ frustration related to clinicians being late to teleoncology appointments.

Conclusions

Teleoncology has many benefits and is well suited for specific types of appointments. Challenges could be addressed through improved communication when scheduling appointments to make patients aware about what to expect. Ensuring patients have the proper technology to participate in teleoncology and an understanding about how it functions are necessary.
Habit and Automaticity in Medical Alert Override: Cohort Study (Preprint)
Authors: Wang Le , Goh Kim Huat , Yeow Adrian , Poh Hermione , Li Ke , Yeow Joannas Jie Lin , Tan Gamaliel , Soh Christina
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND

Prior literature suggests that alert dismissal could be linked to physicians’ habits and automaticity. The evidence for this perspective has been mainly observational data. This study uses log data from an electronic medical records system to empirically validate this perspective.

OBJECTIVE

We seek to quantify the association between habit and alert dismissal in physicians.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis using the log data comprising 66,049 alerts generated from hospitalized patients in a hospital from March 2017 to December 2018. We analyzed 1152 physicians exposed to a specific clinical support alert triggered in a hospital’s electronic medical record system to estimate the extent to which the physicians’ habit strength, which had been developed from habitual learning, impacted their propensity toward alert dismissal. We further examined the association between a physician’s habit strength and their subsequent incidences of alert dismissal. Additionally, we recorded the time taken by the physician to respond to the alert and collected data on other clinical and environmental factors related to the alerts as covariates for the analysis.

RESULTS

We found that a physician’s prior dismissal of alerts leads to their increased habit strength to dismiss alerts. Furthermore, a physician’s habit strength to dismiss alerts was found to be positively associated with incidences of subsequent alert dismissals after their initial alert dismissal. Alert dismissal due to habitual learning was also found to be pervasive across all physician ranks, from junior interns to senior attending specialists. Further, the dismissal of alerts had been observed to typically occur after a very short processing time. Our study found that 72.5% of alerts were dismissed in under 3 seconds after the alert appeared, and 13.2% of all alerts were dismissed in under 1 second after the alert appeared. We found empirical support that habitual dismissal is one of the key factors associated with alert dismissal. We also found that habitual dismissal of alerts is self-reinforcing, which suggests significant challenges in disrupting or changing alert dismissal habits once they are formed.

CONCLUSIONS

Habitual tendencies are associated with the dismissal of alerts. This relationship is pervasive across all levels of physician rank and experience, and the effect is self-reinforcing.
The Effects of mHealth-Based Gamification Interventions on Participation in Physical Activity: Systematic Review (Preprint)
Authors: Xu Linqi , Shi Hongyu , Shen Meidi , Ni Yuanyuan , Zhang Xin , Pang Yue , Yu Tianzhuo , Lian Xiaoqian , Yu Tianyue , Yang Xige , Li Feng
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND

It is well known that regular physical exercise has associated benefits; yet, participation remains suboptimal. Mobile health (mHealth) has become an indispensable medium to deliver behavior change interventions, and there is a growing interest in the gamification apps in mHealth to promote physical activity (PA) participation. Gamification could use game design elements (such as points, leaderboards, and progress bars), and it has the potential to increase motivation for PA and engagement. However, mHealth-based gamification interventions are still emerging, and little is known about the application status and efficacy of such interventions.

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review aims to investigate gamification apps in mHealth for improving PA levels and simultaneously summarize the impact of gamification interventions on PA participation.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL (EBSCO host), and IEEE Xplore from inception to December 20, 2020. Original empirical research exploring the effects of gamification interventions on PA participation was included. The papers described at least one outcome regarding exercise or PA participation, which could be subjective self-report or objective indicator measurement. Of note, we excluded studies about serious games or full-fledged games.

RESULTS

Of 2944 studies identified from the database search, 50 (1.69%) were included, and the information was synthesized. The review revealed that gamification of PA had been applied to various population groups and broadly distributed among young people but less distributed among older adults and patients with a disease. Most of the studies (30/50, 60%) combined gamification with wearable devices to improve PA behavior change, and 50% (25/50) of the studies used theories or principles for designing gamified PA interventions. The most frequently used game elements were goal-setting, followed by progress bars, rewards, points, and feedback. This review demonstrated that gamification interventions could increase PA participation; however, the results were mixed, and modest changes were attained, which could be attributed to the heterogeneity across studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, this study provides an overview of the existing empirical research in PA gamification interventions and provides evidence for the efficacy of gamification in enhancing PA participation. High-quality empirical studies are needed in the future to assess the efficacy of a combination of gamification and wearable activity devices to promote PA, and further exploration is needed to investigate the optimal implementation of these features of game elements and theories to enhance PA participation.
Improving Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Adherence Among Pregnant Women: Validation Study (Preprint)
Authors: Jaffar Aida , Mohd-Sidik Sherina , Foo Chai Nien , Admodisastro Novia , Abdul Salam Sobihatun Nur , Ismail Noor Diana
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND

Mobile health apps, for example, the Tät, have been shown to be potentially effective in improving pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) among women, but their effectiveness in pregnant women was limited. Adherence to daily PFMT will improve pelvic floor muscle strength leading to urinary incontinence (UI) improvement during the pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to document the validation process in developing the Kegel Exercise Pregnancy Training app, which was designed to improve the PFMT adherence among pregnant women.

METHODS

We utilized an intervention mapping approach incorporated within the mobile health development and evaluation framework. The framework involved the following steps: (1) conceptualization, (2) formative research, (3) pretesting, (4) pilot testing, (5) randomized controlled trial, and (6) qualitative research. The user-centered design-11 checklist was used to evaluate the user-centeredness properties of the app.

RESULTS

A cross-sectional study was conducted to better understand PFMT and UI among 440 pregnant women. The study reported a UI prevalence of 40.9% (180/440), with less than half having good PFMT practice despite their good knowledge. Five focus group discussions were conducted to understand the app design preferred by pregnant women. They agreed a more straightforward design should be used for better app usability. From these findings, a prototype was designed and developed accordingly, and the process conformed to the user-centered design–11 (UCD-11) checklist. A PFMT app was developed based on the mHealth development and evaluation framework model, emphasizing higher user involvement in the application design and development. The application was expected to improve its usability, acceptability, and ease of use.

CONCLUSIONS

The Kegel Exercise Pregnancy Training app was validated using a thorough design and development process to ensure its effectiveness in evaluating the usability of the final prototype in our future randomized control trial study.

CLINICALTRIAL
Boundary Objects as Dialogical Learning Accelerators for Social Change in Design for Health: Systematic Review (Preprint)
Authors: Terlouw Gijs , Kuipers Derek , Veldmeijer Lars , van 't Veer Job , Prins Jelle , Pierie Jean-Pierre
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND

Boundary objects can add value for innovative design and implementation research in health care through their organizational focus and the dynamic structure between ill-structured and tailored use. However, when innovation is approached as a boundary object, more attention will need to be paid to the preimplementation phase. Research and design thinking pay attention to the preimplementation stage but do not have a social or organizational focus per se. The integration of boundary objects in design methodologies can provide a more social and organizational focus in innovative design projects by mapping out the mechanisms that occur at boundaries during design. Four dialogical learning mechanisms that can be triggered at boundaries have been described in the literature: identification, coordination, reflection, and transformation. These mechanisms seem suitable for integration in innovative design research on health.

OBJECTIVE

Focusing on innovation in health, this study aims to find out whether the different learning mechanisms can be linked to studies on health innovation that mention boundary objects as a concept and assess whether the related mechanisms provide insight into the stage of the design and implementation or change process.

METHODS

The following 6 databases were searched for relevant abstracts: PubMed, Scopus, Education Resources Information Center, PsycINFO, Information Science and Technology Abstracts, and Embase. These databases cover a wide range of published studies in the field of health.

RESULTS

Our initial search yielded 3102 records; after removing the duplicates, 2186 (70.47%) records were screened on the title and abstract, and 25 (0.81%) papers were included; of the 13 papers where we identified 1 mechanism, 5 (38%) described an innovation or innovative project, and of the 12 papers where we identified more mechanisms, 9 (75%) described the development or implementation of an innovation. The reflective mechanism was not identified solely but was present in papers describing a more successful development or implementation project of innovation. In these papers, the predetermined goals were achieved, and the process of integration was relatively smoother.

CONCLUSIONS

The concept of boundary objects has found its way into health care. Although the idea of a boundary object was introduced to describe how specific artifacts can fulfill a bridging function between different sociocultural sites and thus have a social focus, the focus in the included papers was often on the boundary object itself rather than the social effect. The reflection and transformation mechanisms were underrepresented in the included studies but based on the findings in this review, pursuing to trigger the reflective mechanism in design, development, and implementation projects can lead to a more fluid and smooth integration of innovation into practice.
Development of the Self-Reporting Technique-Based Clinical Trial Service Platform for Real-Time Arrhythmia Detection (Preprint)
Authors: Kim Heejin , Huh Ki Young , Piao Meihua , Ryu Hyeongju , Yang Wooseok , Lee Seung Hwan , Kim Kyung Hwan
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND

The analysis of the electrocardiogram (ECG) is critical for the diagnosis of arrhythmias. Recent advances in information and communications technology (ICT) have led to the development of wearable ECG devices. Accordingly, several patient monitoring systems have been proposed to automatically detect arrhythmia using wearable ECG data.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop an ICT-based clinical trial service platform using a self-reporting technique for real-time arrhythmia detection.

METHODS

A mobile application (app), used as an external network, a demilitarized zone (DMZ), an internal network, and Amazon web services virtual private cloud (AWS-VPC) were developed to establish a clinical trial service platform.

RESULTS

A single-channel, wearable ECG device was used on the platform. The acquired ECG data were transmitted to the mobile app, which collected the participants’ self-reported information. The mobile app transmitted raw ECG and self-reported data to the AWS-VPC and DMZ, respectively. In the AWS-VPC, the live streaming and playback reviewer services were operational to display the currently and previously acquired ECG data to clinicians through the web client. All the measured data were transmitted to the internal network, in which the arrhythmia detection algorithm was executed repeatedly. The entire data, including the raw ECG, arrhythmia detection results, and self-reported data, were saved. The interworking experiment showed that data transfer and saving were performed accurately without losses or delays.

CONCLUSIONS

An ICT-based clinical trial service platform was developed to detect eight types of arrhythmia from data obtained by a wearable ECG device. The information of multiple participants can be easily collected using a self-reporting technique. These features enable early diagnosis, which is particularly of critical importance for treating painless, sparsely occurring arrhythmias. This platform has the potential to be utilized in decentralized clinical trials, telemedicine services, and for monitoring other diseases.

CLINICALTRIAL

None
Impact of Mobile Game FightHPV on Cervical Cancer Screening Attendance: Retrospective Cohort Study (Preprint)
Authors: Orumaa Madleen , Campbell Suzanne , Støer Nathalie C , Castle Philip E , Sen Sagar , Tropé Ameli , Adedimeji Adebola , Nygård Mari
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND

The availability of mobile phones has made the dissemination of health-related information easy and accessible. With gamification, mobile apps can nudge people to make informed health choices, including attending cervical cancer screening.

OBJECTIVE

This matched retrospective cohort study examined the association between exposure to the FightHPV mobile app gamified educational content and having a cervical exam in the following year.

METHODS

Women aged 20–69 years who signed an eConsent after downloading the FightHPV app in 2017 (intervention group) were 1:6 matched with women who have had the same age and the same screening history (reference group) in 2015. To estimate the FightHPV app impact, we estimated cumulative incidence and hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We used data from the Norwegian Cervical Cancer Screening database and Statistics Norway.

RESULTS

For 658 women in the intervention group, we matched 3860 controls. 1-year after enrollment 44.2% (95% CI 30.3–47.9%) in the intervention group and 27.0% (95% CI 25.6–28.4%) in the reference group underwent a cervical exam (p<0.01). 6 months after enrollment, women exposed to the FightHPV app were 2-times more likely to attend any type of cervical exam (adjusted HR 2.3, 95% CI 2.0–2.7) during which they were almost 13-times more likely to be diagnosed with high-grade lesions (adjusted HR 12.7, 95% CI 5.0–32.5) compared the women in the reference group.

CONCLUSIONS

FightHPV app exposure significantly increased the number of cervical exams across the various analyses. For the first time, we demonstrated the effectiveness of gamification combined with mobile technology in cancer prevention by empowering women to make active health-related decisions. Gamification can significantly improve the understanding of complicated scientific concepts behind interventions and increase the acceptance of proposed cancer control measures.
Health Care Seeking Behavior for Neonatal Danger Sign and Associated Factors Among Mothers in Jigjiga city Administration, Somali Region, Eastern Ethiopia. (Preprint)
Authors: HASHI MAHAMED HUSSEN , Farah Alinoor Mohamed , Ibrahim Seada Jama
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND

Background: Neonatal mortality, accounting for an estimated 4 million deaths worldwide each year, constitutes 40% of under-5 mortalities and approximately 57% of infant mortality. Most neonatal deaths (99%) arise in low-income and middle-income countries, and approximately half occur at home. In the past two to three decades, neonatal mortality rates have shown a slow decline in developing countries whereas infant and under-5 mortality rates have declined significantly.

OBJECTIVE

Objective: To assess the healthcare-seeking behavior for neonatal danger signs and its associated factors among mothers in Jigjiga city administration, Somali region, Eastern Ethiopia.

METHODS

Methods: Community-based cross-sectional study was carried from April to May, 2020G.C. A structured pre-tested questionnaire was used, with a sample size of 408mothers/caretakers to collect data. Data entering, coding, and clearing were performed using Epi data version 3.1 and analyzed by using SPSS version 23, bivariate and multivariate analysis was conducted considering significance. A p-value of less than 0.05 was taken as a significant association.

RESULTS

Result in About 250(62.5%) of the mothers have no healthcare-seeking behavior while 150(37.5%) of the mothers have healthcare-seeking behavior for neonatal danger sign 54(26%) of neonates manifested difficulty/fast breathing. having information about neonatal danger signs was 5 times more likely to seek health care for their sick neonate than those who did not have information about neonatal danger sign 5.21(AOR:5.21,95%CI:0.86,31.41)and being knowledgeable about complications of neonatal danger signs were 11 times more likely to seek neonatal medical care compared to mothers who did not know11.35(AOR:11.35,95%CI:2.31,55.61). Those mothers who believe neonate or child can be treated with traditional were 3 timeless likely to have healthcare-seeking behavior for neonatal danger sign.3.61 (AOR: 3.61 95% CI: 1.19,10.95).

CONCLUSIONS

Conclusion: knowing neonatal danger signs and the source of information have a strong association with healthcare-seeking behavior, and seeking suitable and timely care-seeking for neonatal danger signs is positively related to children`s healthy life.
Cryptographic Tokens as an Incentive Mechanism for Patient-reported Outcome Measures Surveys: a proof-of-concept (Preprint)
Authors: Hasselgren Anton , Wu Shuang , Jiang Galteland Yao
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND

As Patient-reported outcome measures face challenges with low response rate on sur- veys, different incentive mechanism have been proposed to achieve a higher response rate. However, it seems that monetary incentives are the only mechanism with proven effect. Nevertheless, it is less likely to be used than other mechanisms due to the monetary cost.

OBJECTIVE

Explore a cryptographic scheme for incentives PROMs responses.

METHODS

In this research work, a cryptographic scheme for rewarding patients with cryptographic tokens is developed and implemented on the Ethereum test network.

RESULTS

The model is able to distribute decentralised tokens to patients who complete the PROMs in a fair, private, decentralised approach. The token can be further used by patients to exchange more healthcare services, encouraging more patients to participate in PROMs. At the same time, an IER detection method is built to improve the quality of PROMs, avoiding the healthcare provider paying for meaningless PROMs from patients who barely participate for incentives.

CONCLUSIONS

This work shows that smart contracts on a decentralised platform is a feasible method to give incentives to patients for completing PROMs surveys. Future research should test this with real patients to measure the effect of such incentive system.
Development of an online system navigation database to support equitable access to assistive technology in Canada: A usability evaluation study (Preprint)
Authors: Jarvis Tamika , Mah Allison ML , Wang Rosalie H. , Wilson Michael G.
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND

Assistive technology (AT) can contribute to how individuals participate and engage in their everyday activities, such as in communication and mobility, and facilitates access to services they require. In Canada, there are over 220 government and charitable-organization programs that provide funding and services to AT across Canada; however, navigating the system that has been described as fragmented and complex results in inequitable access for those who need AT. The AccessATCanada website was developed as a centralized online resource to address challenges with access to AT, by providing information about existing jurisdictional AT funding programs and services across Canada.

OBJECTIVE

The study’s objectives were to evaluate and enhance usability of the AccessATCanada website by gathering feedback about its features and functionality from potential users, and present key usability themes.

METHODS

A mixed-methods usability testing study was conducted with a purposive sample of participants to measure effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction, and to identify issues with the interface during user interaction. A qualitative thematic analysis of the usability testing sessions and semi-structured interviews were used to generate qualitative insights and core themes. User feedback was used to inform subsequent updates of the database with the goal of enhancing website friendliness and functionality prior to its official launch.

RESULTS

A total of 10 participants were included in the study with two rounds of usability testing. Overall, the majority of the tasks were able to be completed successfully by participants and demonstrated few issues with website effectiveness or user efficiency. The website received an overall System Usability Score 62.22, ranked as ‘OK/fair to good’. Common themes regarding strengths and areas for improvement were revealed during qualitative analysis. The strengths of the website were noted as ease of navigation and value for users such as health care professionals new to the field of AT. Core themes related to usability challenges were related to presentation, functionality, and language. The majority of identified challenges were reported as minor and included issues such as colour and size of text, the functionality of the filters, and terms that were not in lay language.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the value of usability testing, and elements that are key in the creation of user-centered resources. The creation and development of a centralized, user-friendly resource, AccessATCanada, fills a gap that expands the reach of AT programs and services across Canada, assists with navigating the current complex funding systems, and helps to improve equity of funding access.
Безперервний професійний розвиток лікаря-стоматолога у 2022 році
Authors: Pozhevilova A. , Pozhevilova K.
Published: February 2022

У 2022 році атестація лікарів відбуватиметься відповідно до Наказу МОЗ України від 22.02.2019 р. № 446 «Деякі питання безперервного професійного розвитку лікарів» (зі змінами) та постанови Кабінету Міністрів України від 14 липня 2021 р. № 725 «Про затвердження Положення про систему безперервного професійного розвитку медичних та фармацевтичних працівників», яка набирає чинності з 1 січня 2022 року. До 1 березня 2022 року лікарю-стоматологу необхідно скласти особисте освітнє портфоліо за результатами безперервного професійного розвитку (БПР) та підтвердити 50 балів. БПР працівників сфери охорони здоров’я здійснюється шляхом здобуття неформальної освіти під час проходження навчання на заходах БПР. В статті надана інформація щодо механізму нарахування балів БПР, проведення їх щорічної перевірки та підготовки до атестації.
DEVELOPMENT OF NANO BASED FILM FORMING GEL FOR PROLONGED DERMAL DELIVERY OF LULICONAZOLE
Authors: SUBAIR T. K. , MOHANAN JISHA
Published: February 2022

Objective: Luliconazole (LZL) has low aqueous solubility that limits its dermal bioavailability and acts as a barrier to topical delivery. The conventional topical formulations have a limited ability to retain the drug over the skin for a prolonged period. The main objective of the study was to formulate and characterize LZL loaded ethyl cellulose (EC) nanoparticles and formulate them as a film-forming gel (FFG) for prolonged delivery in fungal skin infections.Methods: The solvent evaporation technique was used for the preparation of nanoparticles of LZL by using EC as a polymer. The prepared nanoparticles were evaluated for physical appearance, production yield, entrapment efficiency, drug content, particle size, zeta potential, Polydispersity index (PDI), and in vitro drug release. Then the nanoparticles were incorporated into FFG formulation by using polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the gelling agent. The prepared FFG was evaluated for pH, Viscosity, Spreadability, in vitro drug release studies, in vitro antifungal studies, and release kinetic studies.Results: The optimized nanoparticle formulation F5 having drug to polymer ratio of 1:2 showed satisfactory production yield (86.32%), entrapment efficiency (83.36%), drug content (42.86), particle size (125.3), and 93.72% of in vitro drug release after 24 h (h). The optimized FFG formulation FFG4 showed the shortest film-forming time of 5.06 min (min), percentage Cumulative drug release of 92.18% after 24 h, and had promising in vitro antifungal activity.Conclusion: The prepared FFG could be used with promising potential for fungal infection of the skin.
Exploring of Tibetan-Language Texts: The Corpus Approach (A Case Study of 600 Publications Issued over 40 Years)
Authors:   Northwest University for Nationalities
Published: February 2022

Introduction. This article is the result of a research project to create a corpus of the Tibetan language based on the measurement of the lexical composition of 600 Tibetological works published over the past 40 years. The language corpus of this article consists of 642 articles in Tibetan from 25 Tibetan journals published from 1978 to 2018. Goals. This work introduces a classification words, division into parts of speech, uses statistical data based on the literary monuments, measures syllabic and lexical compositions in literary works, vocabulary and syllabic compositions, etc. Results. The paper makes it possible to follow the situation in Chinese Tibetology over the past 40 years, the main directions of research and development trends.
Contemporary Life of Rural Kalmykia: On-Site Observations
Authors:   Kalmyk Scientific Center of the RAS, Namrueva Ludmila
Published: February 2022

Introduction. Small household farms are widespread enough in Kalmykia’s agricultural industry. Quite a share of local livestock products are those manufactured by such individual and household farms. Goals. The article aims to introduce outcomes of the expert survey, observations and interviews. Results. The work analyzes telephone survey data collected in the summer of 2020. The survey was attended by 100 proactive rural residents and ex-villagers that still stay in direct contact with their native rural localities. The paper also employs some unpublished materials collected during the research expeditions of 2019 and 2020, the latter being most useful in exploring daily practices of household farmers. The answers to our questions make it possible to assess their life satisfaction and current economic conditions. Special attention is paid to opinions of local rural experts regarding further development trends for corresponding communities.
Woman as Head of Incomplete Family in Modern Russian Society: Self-Determination Strategies Revisited
Authors:   Southern Scientific Center of the RAS, Gritsenko Galina , Maslova Tatiana ,   Stavropol State Pedagogical University
Published: February 2022

Introduction. Large-scale sociocultural transformations of the late 20th – early 21st centuries affected the life of Russian family. The period witnesses the shaping of the so-called post-nuclear family characterized by the blurring of parental statuses and roles resulting, in particular, from the spread of incomplete families. Goals. According to official data, in Russian society, as a rule, incomplete family with a child (children) is headed by woman, and her adaptation to the conditions of incomplete family takes shape via one or another self-determination strategy. So, there emerges a need to study adaptive strategies that allow women from incomplete families to self-actualize. Methods. In terms of methodology, the study focuses on the microsociological level, namely, the ‘doing family’ microtheory which provided a turn towards the study of family practices. Results. The results of our sociological survey make it possible to delineate three main types of such strategies, namely: 1) ‘innovative, or proactive one’, 2) ‘traditional, or support-oriented one’, 3) and ‘patriarchal, or passive-reproductive one’. The first self-determination strategy is recognized as prevailing, which corresponds to sociocultural transformations experienced by the contemporary world and Russian society proper. Conclusions. The article also notes that each of the self-determination strategies adopted by women from incomplete families implies a dysfunction of education and socialization processes, which requires that the Government and related structures aimed at beneficial socialization of children take systemic measures to minimize negative consequences inherent to the phenomenon of incomplete family.
Notes to Kalmyk Proverbs and Saying Collected in Ulan Kheech Sovkhoz, 1935–[19]42: The Manuscript by D. S. Bembeev-Salmin Revisited
Authors:   Kalmyk Scientific Center of the RAS, Mandzhikova Larisa , Mandzhieva Lyubov ,   Kalmyk Scientific Center of the RAS
Published: February 2022

Introduction. The article continues to explore folklore materials recorded by D. S. Bembeev-Salminduring the pre-war years (1935–1942) in the territory of Kalmykia. The collected data, scientific works and biographical documents are currently stored at Kalmyk Scientific Center of the RAS and comprise his personal collection (call no. Ф. 10), the latter numbering a total of 12 items dated 1931–1962. Goals. The study aims at analyzing and introducing a complete manuscript of D. S. Bembeev-Salmin’s folklore survey conducted among residents of Ulan Kheech Sovkhoz (Tsentralny District of Kalmyk Autonomous Oblast) from 1935 to 1942. Materials. The paper examines manuscript documents of D. S. Bembeev-Salmin that contain Kalmyk proverbs and sayings, a word list and notes to the collection. The scholar’s papers are regularly explored by researchers and some of the former’s findings have been published already. The unpublished ones are Oirat triads recorded by D. S. Bembeev-Salmin from shepherds of Ulan Kheech Sovkhoz in 1931. Results and Conclusions. Quite a number of renown scientists have explored and published Kalmyk proverbs and sayings. Such publications comprise translations, interpretations, comments — but fail to provide any essential stories behind the idioms. The more reason why the presented D. S. BembeevSalmin’s notes to proverbs that briefly outline such stories are that interesting.
Gender Asymmetries of Modern Tuvan Family Revisited
Authors:   Tuvan Institute for Humanities and Applied Socioeconomic Research, Natsak Organa
Published: February 2022

Goals. The article attempts an analysis of gender asymmetries in Tuvan family in the context of Russian sociological studies of the family. Results. The study of gender aspects inherent to the sociodemographic development of the region identifies the current family gender-related transformation trends resulting from economic factors, primarily that of labor market and employment. The article presents a gender analysis of possible risks associated with the reduced role and status of man in the family.
Ethnic Kalmyk Bokshurga Nazarov and His Application for Joining the Bashkirs of Tersyatskaya Volost
Authors:   Bashkir State University, Institute of History and Public Administration, Aznabaev Bulat , Rakhimov Ramil ,   Bashkir State University, Institute of History and Public Administration
Published: February 2022

Introduction. The article examines such phenomenon of 17th–18th century Bashkir society as incorporation of individuals representing other ethnic groups. Goals. The study aims at transcribing the process of incorporating foreigners into Bashkir clan structures. And in this regard Kalmyks are of special interest since they were distinct not only from Bashkirs proper but rather from all peoples of the Southern Urals both linguistically and confessionally. However, those were Kalmyks who would get integrated into Bashkir clans most frequently, even as compared to ethnically close and neighboring groups. Materials and Methods. The work focuses on documents of management and record keeping contained in collections dealing with Ufa Governorate Senate at the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts. The source analysis was performed through the methods of historical criticism and diplomacy most instrumental in examining such documents. The explored papers of the 1733 Bashkir embassy to St. Petersburg describe a case of Bokshurga Nazarov, ethnic Kalmyk, who applied for joining a Bashkir community. Results. The study shows reasons and procedures of incorporating foreigners into Bashkir clans. The analysis attests to that the applicant was virtually a land holder already, and the Bashkirs had recognized him as their relative. Nazarov himself was just seeking for a legal confirmation of the accomplished fact, i.e. a ‘guardian law’. Conclusions. The work reveals that incorporation into Bashkir communities in the 17th – early 18th centuries was largely determined by the applicant’s nomadic life style (backgrounds) — and his ability to promptly adapt to alert living conditions within the militarized society — rather than by ethnic affinity (common faith, origins, or language). According to the documents, the request was satisfied, and the ex-captive was not only granted the status of a Bashkir land owner but even became a foreman of the vast Tersyatskaya Volost. Later he took an active part in the Bashkir Rebellion and was executed.
Public Healthcare System of Elista, Late 1950s to Early 1960s: Memoirs of RSFSR Honored Physician Maria K. Ubushieva
Authors:   Kalmyk Scientific Center of the RAS, Baduginova Margarita
Published: February 2022

Introduction. The Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 witnessed a collapse of Kalmykia’s public healthcare system and its facilities that had been constructed for decades. The liberation of the republic from Nazi occupation was followed by a period of restoration interrupted by the dramatic Kalmyk deportation. Goals. The article introduces memoirs (interview) of Maria K. Ubushieva, an honored physician of the RSFSR, covering the earliest years of her work in Elista after the 1957 rehabilitation and return of Kalmyks. Results. The interviewee describes the actual conditions of Kalmykia’s public healthcare during the restoration period in great detail, outlines the difficulties that were there for the arrived health workers to tackle. The narrative is full of emotions, sincere concerns about her patients, and her cause. Special attention is paid to memoirs about cooperation with colleagues and duty trips to rural areas of the region.
Alexander N. Veselovsky and Scientific Controversy about Genesis of Heroic Epic
Authors:   A. M. Gorky Institute of World Literature of the RAS, Govenko Tatiana ,   Moscow Pedagogical State University, Institute of Philology
Published: February 2022

Introduction. The article analyzes attitudes of the outstanding Russian scholar Alexander N. Veselovsky (1838–1906) towards the scientific controversy to have arisen in the early 19th century around the theory of origin of heroic epic. Goals. The breadth of academic expertise and sophisticated methodologies made A. N. Veselovsky a recognized leading scientist of his era both in Russia and worldwide. Distinguished by spacious mind and fluency in multiple languages, he would fearlessly tackle textual experiments, skillfully use tools of different scientific schools, spontaneously work in interdisciplinary space to surprise colleagues with bright though not always appreciated hypotheses. So, the article aims at revealing foundations of A. N. Veselovsky’s theory of origin of heroic epic, clarifying whether it was further accepted by scientific community, specifying which scientists came to similar conclusions, and adjusting the perception of A. N. Veselovsky’s theory. Materials and methods. The study provides an insight into scientific heritage of the scholar with the aid of textual, retrospective methods, and that of historical comments. Results. The article concludes as to the significance of that scientific discussion in an attempt to identify common patterns and its place in A. N. Veselovsky’s historical poetics in general.
Ethnicity Related Social Conflicts: Concept Variations and Interpretation Gaps
Authors:   Institute of Philosophy and Law, Siberian Branch of the RAS, Persidskaya Olga
Published: February 2022

Introduction. Contemporary Russian ethnic conflictology is characterized by conceptual ambiguity that somewhat hampers further scientific progress. This is explained by the multiplicity of concepts employed by various authors to denote conflicts arising between representatives of different ethnic groups. Goals. The article aims to identify such conceptual gaps and reviews potential solutions. Results. So, the paper examines a number of key concepts from Russian scholarly discourse, such as ‘межнациональный конфликт’ (Russ. ‘nation to nation conflict’), ‘этнополитический конфликт’ (‘ethnopolitical conflict’), ‘этнический конфликт’ (‘ethnic conflict’), and ‘межэтнический конфликт’ (‘interethnic conflict’). The detected conceptual interpretation gaps often making the terms inadequate and controversial are as follows: categorial synonymity, theoretical and methodological reduction, epistemological abstractedness, and ideological overload. Conclusions. The paper proposes to abandon any unified concept (term) since none can be viewed satisfactory enough — but rather to focus on analysis of social conflict as such with due regard of its diverse and essential ethnic components. It is presumed that the perspective change shall deepen analyses of certain conflict episodes to clarify what stages of conflict dynamics are most vividly dominated by ethnic elements to be further replaced by other factors. Such an approach may be instrumental in widening the field of observation and involve the analysis of differing conflict episodes.
Gramática y significado
Authors: López Olea Moisés
Published: February 2022

La Lingüística Cognitiva ha impactado en la enseñanza del español como segunda lengua (López y Ruíz, en prensa); prueba de ello son las múltiples publicaciones sobre el tema, las cuales muestran, teórica y empíricamente, las ventajas de adscribirse a este marco teórico en el actuar docente (Lam, 2007; Llopis-García, 2016, 2018; Castañeda, 2019; Colasacco, 2019; Ibarretxe-Antuñano, Cadierno y Castañeda, 2019). Por lo anterior, surge un interés por indagar cuál ha sido la influencia de la Lingüística Cognitiva en un centro como el CEPE, en el que se enseña español a extranjeros. El artículo tiene como objetivo mostrar un recorrido monográfico entre el número 1 y el número 23 de Decires para sintetizar cómo ha sido empleada esta teoría lingüística en dicha publicación, ya que en sus páginas se ha dado cuenta, en gran medida, de las ideas, experiencias y propuestas de los profesores del CEPE. Después de la revisión, se hace mención a tres artículos, con especial atención en los aspectos gramaticales que se pueden explicar en clase desde una perspectiva cognitiva, en particular: el pretérito y el copretérito, los verbos ser, estar y haber, y las preposiciones por y para (Jurado, 1998, 2007 y 2019). Estos tres artículos reflejan la influencia de la Lingüística Cognitiva en la revista. En ellos se subraya, de manera evidente, que la gramática tiene significado, lo cual debe hacerse notar en el aula de ELE. Además, son una muestra del legado que Martha Jurado Salinas, autora de los tres artículos, dejó en el CEPE.
El aprendizaje del léxico y la utilidad didáctica de recursos lexicológicos y lexicográficos
Authors: De los Santos Brito María Cruz Elena
Published: February 2022

El propósito del artículo es reafirmar la utilidad didáctica de recursos lexicológicos y lexicográficos en la enseñanza y el aprendizaje del léxico del español. Como muestra, proponemos bases didácticas para el aprendizaje del léxico con actividades de nuestra creación, que ejemplificamos con unidades léxicas en las que se consideran el enfoque cultural, los factores sociolingüísticos y se atienden algunos saberes. Las unidades léxicas son representativas de tres de los dieciocho temas o centros de interés que constituyen el corpus del léxico disponible de informantes mexicanos. Se trata de una recomendación con un marco interdisciplinario que se centra en la didáctica como puente de unión con la lexicología y la lexicografía, lo cual nos aleja del reduccionismo didáctico tradicional, a la vez que se amplían  los campos de actuación (Cabré y Gómez de Enterría, 2006: 7; Calahorro Merino, 2015: 180). Finalmente, hacemos una breve descripción de las principales obras lexicográficas y del banco de datos de los corpus de la lengua española.
El español como lengua de herencia ¿un asunto de importancia para México?
Authors: Stransky Daniela , Cuartero Marco Marina
Published: February 2022

En el presente trabajo reportamos nociones fundamentales para comprender los sistemas lingüísticos de los hablantes de herencia del español. Presentamos los aspectos más característicos de estos hablantes: sus sistemas lingüísticos, posibles explicaciones teóricas, identitarias, sociales y la evolución en la educación para el español de herencia en Estados Unidos. Con esta información, nuestro objetivo es fomentar aproximaciones pedagógicas en la educación superior mexicana que satisfagan las necesidades particulares lingüísticas y socioafectivas de un perfil de hablante que hasta la fecha se ha equiparado con hablantes monolingües y aprendices de español como segunda lengua. Es necesario reflexionar al respecto y proveer a los hablantes de herencia que se encuentran en las instituciones formativas de México con una pedagogía particular que les permita ser incluidos tanto en la vida educativa como laboral del país para así evitar, por un lado, la discriminación estructural a la que se ven expuestos cotidianamente por su condición bilingüe y, por otro, la estigmatización relacionada con su variante dialectal del español.
Can “Vastu Shastra” (Vedic Architecture) help in the planning of “Green Energy Building?”
Authors: Naik Anirudha
Published: February 2022

Abstract: This paper aims to present the need of Vastu Shastra (Vedic Architecture) for Planning various buildings planning and construction work. With the help of Vastu Shastra principles, we can reduce water pollution, air pollution, sound pollution, and increasing temperature on earth. It is important to control various man-made energies. Vastu Shastra is based on various energies that come from the atmosphere like solar energy from the sun, cosmic energy, lunar energy, thermal energy, magnetic energy, light energy & wind energy. Vastu Shastra is an ancient building construction science and it also explains philosophy about the human settlement. 19 In the Indian context we found that Vastu Shastra is a science that was developed by various sages in the thousands of years. Vastu Shastra is also called the mother of sustainable architecture. The article has four main parts. At the start, it gives a brief about the importance of Vastu Shastra planning in today’s life. And in the Second part, it shows the various environmental issues that can be reduced by Vastu Shastra. The third part explains the important role of Vastu Shastra in sustainable architecture. The last part is on Green Energy Building and Vastu Shastra.