bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eggplant turbinoplasty: how I do it
Authors: Abdel-Aziz Mosaad , Nassar Ahmed , Yousef Ahmed Ibrahim , Sabry Omar Aly
Published: November 2024

Key points

1. The inferior turbinate is a static structure with a dynamic function as it plays a major role in the formation of nasal valve and laminar airflow.

2. The inferior turbinate resembles an eggplant: it has head, body, and tail; and it is formed of 3 layers which are an outer covering mucosa, an intermediate submucosal connective tissue, and an inner bony concha.

3. Eggplant turbinoplasty technique involves removal of the infero-lateral part of the inferior turbinate longitudinally.

4. The excised part consists of soft tissue and bone, and the raw area is covered with a medial soft tissue flap.

5. The medial turbinate mucosa is preserved which is very important for warming and humidification of the inspired air.

6. The procedure decreases the size of the turbinate without major changes in the shape to maintain the laminar airflow.

7. Intraoperative bleeding is usually minimal as the inferior turbinate artery enters the turbinate through its upper surface.

8. Postoperative crustations is avoided as the raw area is completely covered with a medial soft tissue flap.

9. The procedure does not need special equipments.

10. This turbinate reduction technique respects both the anatomical shape to maintain normal laminar airflow, and the physiologic concepts with preserving the medial mucosa for airway protection.
The Role of Amphiphilic Compounds in Nasal Nanoparticles
Authors: Quoc Thinh To , Bíró Krisztina , Pető Ágota , Kósa Dóra , Haimhoffer Ádám , Lekli István , Pallér Ádám , Bak István , Gyöngyösi Alexandra , Fehér Pálma , Bácskay Ildikó , Ujhelyi Zoltán
Published: November 2024

Nasal medications hold significant importance and are widely utilized due to their numerous advantageous properties, offering a compelling route for both local and systemic therapeutic effects. Nowadays, the development of nasal particles under 1 micrometer is in the focus of much scientific research. In our experiments, the use of innovative nanotechnology to increase the effectiveness of the active substance was of paramount importance. Our aim was to create solid nanoparticles that enable targeted and effective delivery of the active ingredient into the body. The innovation of this experimental series lies not only in highlighting the importance of amphiphilic compounds in enhancing penetration, but also in the fact that while most nasally administered formulations are in liquid form, our formulation is solid. Liquid formulations frequently suffer from the disadvantage of possible leakage during administration, which can reduce the bioavailability of the active ingredient. In our experiments we created novel drug delivery systems of finely divided powders, which, thanks to the penetration enhancers, can be successfully administered. These enhancers facilitate the swift disintegration and penetration of the particles through the membrane. This represents a new direction in nasal drug delivery methods. The results of our trials are promising in the development of innovative pharmaceutical products and outline the role of amphiphilic compounds in more efficient utilization and targeted application of active substances. According to our results it can be concluded that this innovative approach not only addresses the common issues associated with liquid nasal formulations but also paves the way for more stable and effective delivery methods. The use of finely divided powders for nasal delivery, enabled by penetration enhancers, represents a major breakthrough in the field, providing a dependable alternative to conventional liquid formulations and ensuring improved therapeutic results.

Graphical Abstract
Multispectral Fluorescence Imaging as a Tool to Distinguish Pelvic Lymphatic Drainage Patterns During Robot-assisted Lymph Node Dissection in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Berrens Anne-Claire , Buckle Tessa , van Oosterom Matthias N. , Slof Leon J. , van Leeuwen Pim J. , Wit Esther M. K. , de Barros Hilda A. , Nieuwenhuijzen Jakko A. , Bekers Elise M. , Donswijk Maarten L. , van Leeuwen Fijs W. B. , van der Poel Henk G.
Published: November 2024

Background

The invasive nature of extended pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND) prompts the need for alternative lymphatic mapping technologies. To change the focus to “sparing nodes that are not involved,” the first step is to research the feasibility of intraoperatively distinguishing the lymph drainage patterns of the prostate from healthy organs.

Methods

We performed a prospective study (NCT05120973) that included 16 patients who underwent a robot-assisted radical prostatectomy + ePLND + sentinel node (using indocyanine green-99mTc-nanocolloid). After general anesthesia, a second fluorescent dye (fluorescein) was injected unilaterally in two deposits into the intradermis of the upper leg (n = 8) or abdominal wall (n = 8), because these are the most common locations of lymphedema in prostate cancer surgery. To distinguish between the drainage patterns, in vivo and ex vivo multispectral fluorescence imaging was performed by using a fluorescence endoscope.

Results

Indocyanine green and fluorescein were visible in the same regions within the ePLND-template and co-accumulated in lymph vessels in vivo. At histopathology, fluorescein was seen in only 10 of 370 lymph nodes (possibly owing to tracer properties), none of which overlapped with indocyanine green and none were tumor-positive. Administration of fluorescein did not result in discomfort or abnormal postoperative recovery.

Conclusions

Multispectral imaging can be used to distinguish lymphatic drainage patterns. Our in vivo findings indicate that within the ePLND-template, lymphatic drainage patterns of the prostate at least partly overlap with those of upper leg and abdominal wall. The properties of fluorescein render it unsuitable for confirmation of fluorescence at histopathology.
Οι εξωτερικοί όροι του αξιοποίνου στους Ιερούς Κανόνες της Ορθοδόξου Εκκλησίας
Authors: Χατζηευαγγέλου Παναγιώτης-Ευάγγελος
Published: November 2024

Η παρούσα διατριβή υιοθετεί την άποψη ότι κατά την απονομή της εκκλησιαστικής δικαιοσύνης χωρεί η εφαρμογή της διδασκαλίας των εξωτερικών όρων του αξιοποίνου του κοινού ποινικού δικαίου για τη διαμόρφωση της κανονικής θεωρίας των εξωτερικών όρων του κανονικού αξιοποίνου, καθώς στους ιερούς Κανόνες εντοπίζονται αντίστοιχες περιπτώσεις με όμοια χαρακτηριστικά με αυτά που ορίζει το κοινό ποινικό δίκαιο, αρκεί η κανονική θεωρία περί εξωτερικών όρων του αξιοποίνου να μην υιοθετεί άκριτα την κοσμική ποινική θεωρία, αλλά, όπου απαιτείται να διαφοροποιείται προκειμένου να εναρμονίζεται με τις εκ φύσεως διαφοροποιήσεις της εκκλησιαστικής δικαιοσύνης σε σχέση με την κοσμική, και των συνεπαγόμενων κανονικών δογμάτων σε σχέση με τα δόγματα του κοινού ποινικού δικαίου.
Χαρακτηρισμός και μελέτη πράσινων σύνθετων πολυμερών με μικρο-ή νανο-σωματίδια κυτταρίνης
Authors: Πατσιαούρα Δήμητρα
Published: November 2024

Το αυξανόμενο παγκόσμιο ενδιαφέρον για τα περιβαλλοντικά ζητήματα έχει οδηγήσει την επιστημονική κοινότητα και τη βιομηχανία στην αναζήτηση νέων υλικών από ανανεώσιμες πηγές, που μπορούν να ενσωματωθούν σε πολυμερικές μήτρες προσδίδοντάς τους βελτιωμένες ιδιότητες και "πράσινο" χαρακτήρα. Παραδοσιακά πληρωτικά είναι οι φυτικές ίνες και η μικροκρυσταλλική κυτταρίνη, ενώ τα πιο καινοτόμα υλικά είναι οι νανοκυτταρίνες. Σκοπός αυτής της διατριβής είναι η παρασκευή και μελέτη νέων "πράσινων" (νανο)σύνθετων πολυμερικών υλικών με κυτταρινικά πληρωτικά σε μικροκλίμακα και νανοκλίμακα, με έμφαση στις θερμικές και μηχανικές τους ιδιότητες. Αρχικά, παρασκευάστηκαν και μελετήθηκαν σύνθετα υλικά με πολυαιθυλένιο υψηλής πυκνότητας (HDPE) ως μήτρα και φυτικές ίνες (kenaf, hemp, ramie, flax) σε ποσοστά 10, 20 και 30 wt%. Σκοπός ήταν ο συγκριτικός προσδιορισμός των ιδιοτήτων που κάθε ίνα προσδίδει στη μήτρα. Διαπιστώθηκε ότι τα σύνθετα πολυμερή με διαφορετικές φυτικές ίνες, και κατ’ επέκταση διαφορετικό ποσοστό κυτταρίνης, παρουσιάζουν διαφοροποιήσεις, με τη βέλτιστη απόδοση στα σύνθετα πολυμερή με ίνες υψηλότερης περιεκτικότητας σε κυτταρίνη. Στη συνέχεια, παρασκευάστηκαν σύνθετα υλικά με γραμμικό πολυαιθυλένιο χαμηλής πυκνότητας (LLDPE) και μικροκρυσταλλική κυτταρίνη (MCC) σε ποσοστά 5, 10, 20 και 30 wt%, χρησιμοποιώντας μηλεϊνικό ανυδρίτη (MA) ως συμβατοποιητή. Παράλληλα, παρασκευάστηκε μια ομάδα υλικών χωρίς συμβατοποιητή, ώστε να μελετηθεί η επίδραση της χημικής τροποποίησης στις ιδιότητες των υλικών. Οι μελέτες έδειξαν ότι η βέλτιστη απόδοση παρουσιάζεται στα σύνθετα υλικά με συμβατοποιημένη MCC. Ακολούθως, παρασκευάστηκαν σύνθετα υλικά με πολύ(ηλεκτρικό βουτυλενεστέρα) (PBSu) και δύο τύπους νανοκυτταρίνης (σε ποσοστά 0.5, 1, 2.5, 3.5 και 5 wt%), τη νανοκρυσταλλική κυτταρίνη (CNC) και τα νανοϊνίδια κυτταρίνης (CNF), για να μελετηθεί η επίδραση της γεωμετρίας των νανο-πληρωτικών στην κρυστάλλωση των σύνθετων υλικών και την κινητική των πολυμερών, κατανοώντας έτσι τις αλληλεπιδράσεις και τη μορφολογία των υλικών. Η επίδραση διαφορετικών ρυθμών ψύξης στην πυρήνωση και την ανάπτυξη των κρυστάλλων του PBSu και των νανοσύνθετων δειγμάτων εξετάστηκε με διαφορική θερμιδομετρία σάρωσης (DSC), αποκαλύπτοντας ελαφρώς αρνητική επίδραση των νανο-κυτταρινικών πληρωτικών στην κρυστάλλωση από το τήγμα. Τέλος, βασισμένοι στα προηγούμενα ευρήματα, παρασκευάστηκαν και μελετήθηκαν σύνθετα υλικά με πολυαιθυλένιο χαμηλής πυκνότητας (LLDPE) ως πολυμερική μήτρα, νανοκρυσταλλική κυτταρίνη (CNC) σε ποσοστά 0,5, 1 και 2,5 wt% και μηλεϊνικό ανυδρίτη (MA) ως συμβατοποιητή, επιτυγχάνοντας βελτίωση των θερμικών και μηχανικών ιδιοτήτων των υλικών.
Traditional opal mining practice in Ethiopia, challenges and its economic impact on rural households: the case of wollo opal mining
Authors: Abate Tadesse Wudu , Sisay Addise Zemelak
Published: November 2024

Background The discovery spurred further exploration, leading to the expansion of opal mining into neighboring districts. Numerous cooperative groups, composed of small-scale miners, traditionally explore, develop, and extract significant amounts of rough opal gemstones. This study tries to investigate the challenges and economic impacts of traditional opal mining practice in wollo province of Ethiopia. Methods The study used in this study is primary data collected from rural households, which are living in five districts of north wollo zone, in Amhara regional state. The data was collected using field observation, focus grouped discussion, interview, and questionnaire from sampled households. The study uses both descriptive and econometric methods of data analysis to achieve its objective. Results Among the challenges of traditional opal mining, primitive way of exploring and extraction, limited access to market and low institutional support in terms of training and finance are identified. The probit model reveals that, increased education, access to training, and access to credit positively influence the likelihood of engaging in opal mining. The ESR model shows that, the average treatment effect on the treated (ATT) indicates that participating in opal mining increases monthly income by 31,380 ETB, while the average treatment effect on the untreated (ATU) shows a potential income increase of 31,625 ETB for non-miners if they engaged in mining. Conclusion The study identifies three main categories of challenges faced by traditional opal miners: exploration and extraction issues, market limitations, and regulatory and institutional shortcomings. Exploration and extraction challenges include the lack of modern mining tools and knowledge, as well as difficult terrain, leading to inefficient and hazardous mining practices. Market-related challenges involve limited access to broader markets and lack of value addition, resulting in miners selling raw opals at significantly lower prices compared to polished ones.
Strożyska wieś z okresu późnego średniowiecza w Dolinie Nidy
Authors: Lewek Konrad , Mazur Anna , Mazur Krzysztof
Published: November 2024

Dear Reader, in your hands you are holding a work that is a detailed study of archaeological monuments from the medieval village of Strożyska. Here you will find detailed information about the discovered remains of houses, pits and places associated with production (workshops). Medieval material products such as elements of clothing, tools, everyday objects and – the most common – ceramic products were also taken into account.  A lot of attention was paid to the subject of the production of vessels, of which several thousand fragments were found. All of them were described, and a significant part was graphically edited. Based on their analysis, it was possible to obtain a handful of information about medieval rural pottery production. This is all the more important because this subject has not been discussed in the context of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship so far. Excavations in Strożyska, conducted in the so-called rescue mode, show how much valuable evidence of past times is still hidden underground and how methodical study of them allows us to learn about our past.
Badanie środowiska przyrodniczego w naukach humanistycznych, społecznych i przyrodniczych
Authors: Piasek Wojciech , Oliński Piotr , Kleśta-Nawrocki Rafał
Published: November 2024

This is the next volume in the series "Nature – Homines – History" which contains articles addressing the issue of nature as a subject of research that is located inter – between, among various scientific disciplines. One of the problems noticed in the study of the natural environment is the hermetic nature of the language of the disciplines that undertake studies on it. This is an inevitable phenomenon that escalates with the development of science, the growing number of different specialisations and increasingly diverse scientific methods. It also has a deeper cause, resulting from the functioning of researchers in different thinking styles. However, this does not exempt researchers from building the most comprehensive possible picture of various problems that are key to reality within one thinking style or from the obligation to seek platforms of scientific communication between different styles. Another problem is related to the opening of disciplinary boundaries, which has intensified the phenomenon of various connections between disciplinary “orders” in nature studies, which so far have built their object of knowledge and methods on the principle of opposition – humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. This is undoubtedly most visible in posthumanism.  Among the authors of the volume are representatives of such disciplines as history, archival studies, ethnology and cultural anthropology, cultural studies, geography, and geology.
Wspomnienia o życiu codziennym Torunian w okresie stanu wojennego
Authors: Głuchowski Jan
Published: November 2024

This book is based on facts written down by the author almost daily from December 13, 1981, to December 31, 1982, to save them from oblivion. His intention was to record the everyday life of Toruń exclusively during this difficult period, using not only his own example, but also that of his acquaintances and friends. Martial law was introduced by decree of the State Council at a time of economic collapse. There was a shortage of basic food products on the market – they were rationed under the rationing system. There was no fuel, clothing or shoes, medicines, hygiene products, or even toilet paper. Long and endless queues formed in front of the shops. The opposition was completely taken by surprise. Leaders and activists were arrested all over Poland, including Lech Wałęsa at the forefront. Thousands of people were interned or imprisoned. Regime newspapers, radio and television affirmed this state of affairs. As a result, the only reliable source of news was Radio Free Europe, and the church became the meeting place, where masses for the Fatherland were particularly popular. Resistance and civil disobedience were expressed through writings on walls, the distribution of leaflets and underground press, going for a walk during the broadcast of the official Television News at 7:30 p.m., or lighting candles in windows on important anniversaries.
Z genealogii medialności. Pismo o presemiotyce
Authors: Hudzik Jan Paweł
Published: November 2024

"From the internal split between what is universal and individual, necessary and changeable, communication is born, the goal of which is reconciliation, allowing the extraction of what is pre-conceptual. […] However, the communication process requires mediating means, requires mediation […] So where is the place for directness and the promise of the truth about being? We place these hopes in pre-semiotics, the traces of which we have been tracked since the beginnings of the formation of human culture. […] Because what else do the participants of communication want, if not to achieve a sense of communication, and this is called into existence in the space between me, you and the world, which create one. Pre-semiotics therefore consists a valuable complement in understanding what communication is and how it is possible, regardless of the ultimately unclear ontological status of directness. Because we begin to understand that when we want to fully reveal the essence of communication, we must grasp it holistically; just as speech is complemented by silence, and the meaning of the image is complemented by the accompanying passpartout, so the mediation necessary for communication must be complemented by at least an imagined sense of unity in directness." (Excerpt from the review)
Krytyka naturalizmu pedagogicznego w ujęciu Wasilija Zieńkowskiego (1881–1962)
Authors: Aleksiejuk Elżbieta
Published: November 2024

Celem artykułu jest prezentacja rozważań Wasilija Zieńkowskiego (1881–1962) na temat naturalizmu pedagogicznego. W swojej krytyce Zieńkowski koncentruje się przede wszystkim na wskazaniu konsekwencji tego podejścia dla rozumienia człowieka jako podmiotu wychowania. Podkreśla, że pedagogika zbudowana na antropologii naturalistycznej nie jest zainteresowana „tajemnicą” człowieczeństwa, a proponowane przez nią rozwiązania są raczej tresurą niż wychowaniem. W ramach pedagogiki naturalistycznej człowiek jest obiektem, a nie podmiotem wychowania, ponieważ jest ona zbudowana na antropologii sprzyjającej dezintegracjiczłowieka jako osoby i psychosomatycznej jedności. Według Zieńkowskiego przezwyciężenie naturalizmu jest możliwe tylko na gruncie religii chrześcijańskiej, chrześcijańskiego personalizmu i sofiologii.
Benefits of Astaxanthin supplementation: selected issues
Authors: Małek Natalia , Emerla Sara , Brożyna Aleksandra , Kwiatkowska Anita , Bydliński Arkadiusz , Karłowicz Konrad , Hermanowska Maria , Lubomirska Julia , Figurowska Patrycja , Ciulkiewicz Łukasz
Published: November 2024

INTRODUCTION: Astaxanthin, a carotenoid compound belonging to the xanthophyll group, occurs naturally in algae, yeast, and marine organisms such as shrimp, trout, lobster, and krill. Renowned for its antioxidant prowess, astaxanthin shields mitochondria from harm caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Its exceptional antioxidant potency is noteworthy, surpassing that of α-tocopherol (Vitamin E) by 100-fold and eclipsing over 600 other recognized natural carotenoids.
REVIEW METHODS: The article was complied by analyzing data from PubMed and Google Scholar data regarding the benefits of astaxanthin supplementation.
THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE: Astaxanthin, offers a range of health benefits. It modulates immune responses, inhibits cancer cell growth, reduces bacterial presence and gastric inflammation. With potent antioxidant properties, it also serves as a neuroprotective agent by combating neuroinflammation. Additionally, astaxanthin shows promise in preventing and treating liver diseases, thanks to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and signaling pathway regulation properties. Overall, antioxidants like astaxanthin, whether from diet or supplements, help combat lipid and protein oxidation, thereby slowing down the progression of atherosclerosis.
CONCLUSION: Astaxanthin emerges as a promising candidate for treating various pathological conditions linked to oxidative damage and impaired mitochondria function. These conditions span across cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders and liver diseases. It could also help healthy people like athletes in enhancement of overall quality of life.
Role of metabolic syndrome and lifestyle factors in endometrial cancer risk and prevention
Authors: Kwiatkowska Anita , Małek Natalia , Emerla Sara , Brożyna Aleksandra , Bydliński Arkadiusz , Karłowicz Konrad , Hermanowska Maria , Lubomirska Julia , Figurowska Patrycja , Ciulkiewicz Łukasz
Published: November 2024

Introduction: The incidence of endometrial cancer, the sixth most common cancer among women, has been rising, especially in developed countries, possibly due to the obesity and diabetes pandemic. The aim of this review is to investigate the connection between metabolic syndrome, its individual components and endometrial cancer risk and to explore the role of lifestyle factors in endometrial cancer prevention.
Materials and methods: For this review, we included studies regarding endometrial cancer and metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes and hyperglycemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia and several lifestyle factors, from 1994 to 2024.
State of knowledge: This paper reviews existing literature on the relationship between metabolic syndrome and endometrial cancer, highlighting the significant role of central obesity, hyperglycemia and diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension as risk factors. Evidence consistently demonstrates that individuals with metabolic syndrome, and its components individually, are at a heightened risk of developing endometrial cancer compared to those without metabolic abnormalities. Biological mechanisms linking metabolic syndrome’s components to endometrial cancer involve complex interplays between metabolic, hormonal or inflammatory factors and signalling pathways. Lifestyle interventions focusing on weight management, physical activity, and eating habits play an important role in reducing endometrial cancer risk and improving overall health outcomes.
Conclusion: An understanding of the relationship between metabolic syndrome and endometrial cancer is crucial for improving risk stratification, early detection, and prevention strategies. Addressing metabolic abnormalities and promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours are essential actions against the rising incidence and burden of endometrial cancer.
Successful surgical and multidisciplinary treatment for complex regional pain syndrome resulting from simple hand laceration: a case report
Authors: Park Ji Hwan , Kim Dong Yeon
Published: November 2024

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain syndrome characterized by intense hyperalgesia and allodynia, with an unclear etiology and limited definitive treatments. This case involves a 23-year-old female patient who developed CRPS following a simple hand laceration from wine glass shards. After initial primary closure, the patient developed scar contracture at the thumb metacarpophalangeal crease, accompanied by erythema, warmth, heaviness, and hypersensitivity throughout the hand, leading to a CRPS diagnosis. A multidisciplinary approach, including anesthesiology and rehabilitation, confirmed nerve adhesion from scar contracture. Surgical intervention successfully released the adhered scar tissue, fascia, and nerve, followed by rehabilitation therapy. The patient’s functional recovery took nearly 6 months. This case highlights that CRPS can result from minor injuries due to scar-induced nerve entrapment and emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and interdisciplinary treatment for gradual recovery.
Seeing more at Silmo
Authors: Harvey Bill
Published: November 2024

Bill Harvey is pleasantly surprised to discover an excellent day of education at Silmo Paris last month
Burnout high among optical professionals
Authors: McClean Andrew
Published: November 2024

Andrew McClean explores the findings of a health and wellbeing survey taken by optical practice staff
Revolution in services with tech
Authors: White Emma
Published: November 2024

Emma White speaks to Dr Martin Smith about investing in state-of-the-art technology, modern optometry and future goals
View from the consulting room
Authors: Kirkpatrick Nigel
Published: November 2024

Nigel Kirkpatrick is concerned about glaucoma and how we are coping with it nationally
Building better relationships
Authors: Hale Mike
Published: November 2024

Positive Impact took home the trophy for Optical Supplier of the Year at the Optician Awards 2021. Mike Hale reports on the story behind the win
Combining education and business
Authors: McClean Andrew
Published: November 2024

Andrew McClean visits the new optometry clinic at University Valli Opticians in Huddersfield
Frontline developments
Authors: Harvey Bill
Published: November 2024

In the second of two features, Bill Harvey reports on some of the latest technology and instrumentation on show at the recent American Academy of Optometry annual conference
CPD: BCLA Clear 6
Authors: Mojarrad Neema Ghorbani , Coverdale Sophie
Published: November 2024

The sixth in a series of articles summarising the key findings of the BCLA CLEAR publication, a major review of the published evidence relating to all aspects of contact lens practice, Dr Neema Ghorbani Mojarrad and Sophie Coverdale offer an overview of the BCLA CLEAR section relating to orthokeratology. (C104271, suitable for one distance learning CPD point for optometrists, contact lens opticians and dispensing opticians)
The evolution of macular management
Authors: Kirkpatrick Nigel
Published: November 2024

Nigel Kirkpatrick considers the recovery of eye surgery services since the pandemic
Getting support for all
Authors: Raino Deepika
Published: November 2024

Deepika Raino asks whether the General Optical Council has adequately addressed some of the challenges facing those undergoing investigation
Hiding in plain sight
Authors: Bernstein Adam
Published: November 2024

Adam Bernstein finds out how to best deal with employee fraud and theft
Driving data shows neglect on sun protection
Authors: Jones Simon
Published: November 2024

New research shows drivers are not taking road safety as seriously as they should. Simon Jones reports
Subsurfaces Modeling Based on Integrated Geophysics Method to Identify Mineralization Zone In "X" Area, West Java, Indonesia
Authors: Yuliwardana Arditiya Tri , Yatini* Yatini
Published: November 2024

Ring of fire passes through Indonesia, causing the presence of abundant mineral resource potential. Potential minerals in Indonesia are formed by hydrothermal processes. One of the hydrothermal deposits is a high-sulfidation epithermal (HSE) deposit. The appropriate geophysical methods can be used to find potential mineral resources. The geomagnetic method can detect mineralization by analyzing the development of structural pattern control. Tilt derivative filters used in magnetic data can clarify anomalous boundaries, especially structural straightness boundaries. The analysis showed that the mineralized zone had a distribution of low susceptibility values of 0.0054 to -0.0178cgs. due to destructive magnetite minerals in the advanced argillic alteration zone. Tilt derivative analysis shows the shape of a low circular anomalous pattern that extends north-south towards the boundary of the left horizontal fault, which develops into a faulty fault complex as control of mineralization. The method integration produces an HSE precipitate conceptual model, in which the presence of alteration and mineralization is controlled by a left horizontal fault zone that forms a fault complex descending in it and develops into a northwest-southeast tension vein plating dipping opening as estimation of mineralized pathways in the "X" Region, West Java, Indonesia.
The Double Rhetorical Life of Father Abram Ryan
Authors: Cesarini Patrick
Published: November 2024

Abstract: This essay makes a case for re-examining the writerly life of the 19th-century poet and Catholic priest, Father Abram J. Ryan. The argument is prompted by recent controversies over the status of monuments to Confederate heroes and by the broader contest over the nation’s public memory of the American Civil War, Reconstruction, and their aftermath. As someone who lives and works in Mobile, Alabama, I am particularly motivated by the conjunction of Abram Ryan’s activities while he served for almost a decade after the war as a parish priest in Mobile with current debates over the monument to him erected in the city in July 1913. That monument refers to Ryan as “The Poet-Priest of the Confederacy,” an informal title that had been conferred on him in his lifetime and one with which many still honor him. Even though Ryan is a fairly minor figure in Confederate history, his double life as an ambiguous propagandist of the Lost Cause makes him a rich figure for studying the relationships between politics, poetics, and rhetoric in the United States.
Postnaturalist Monstrosity in Rivers Solomon’s Sorrowland
Authors: Mayne Michael
Published: November 2024

Abstract: This paper centers on reading the trans author Rivers Solomon’s 2021 novel Sorrowland through the lens of postnaturalism—particularly as it is figured in the monstrous—and thereby helping readers understand the crux of transphobia specifically and conservative politics more generally. In this two-part goal, the term transphobia illuminates both how conservative revanchism involves a static social order governed by an orthodoxy that trans people can never affirm even while trans identities threaten the legitimacy of this orthodoxy in revealing the ability of individuals to exceed social categories in a praxis of being.
Transforming British Literature Pedagogy
Authors: Slavin Molly
Published: November 2024

Abstract: Although teaching literature in the American university has been informed in recent years by ideas involving critical race studies, postcolonial theory, gender studies, and ecocriticism, one part of the curriculum that has remained relatively unchanged is the British literature survey course. This paper explores how such surveys can be transformed so that experiences of race—and particularly Blackness—are included, with particular attention paid to the HBCU institutional context.
The Specter of War: Memorialization at the Site of the 1968 My Lai Massacre
Authors: Wright Elizabethada A.
Published: November 2024

Abstract: This paper analyzes the Vietnamese memorialization of the horrific massacre at My Lai, contrasting it against many physical memorials across the globe. Using M. Elizabeth Weiser’s analysis of twenty-first century public history museums, the article suggests the memorialization illustrates a use of the epideictic that strives for peace and reconciliation rather than valorization or blame. First summarizing Weiser’s exploration of these museums, the article moves to briefly overview the events of March 16, 1968 at My Lai, before it analyzes the rhetoric of the memorialization to illustrate the memorial’s efforts at reconciliation.
Engaging Students and Expanding the Canon of Knowledge through Empathy-Based Pedagogy
Authors: Venegas Kristen
Published: November 2024

Abstract: Traditional classroom pedagogies often place implicit pressures on students to connect their own experiences with assigned texts and materials, all under the guise of fostering intellectual investment and engagement. While the development of a narrative identity is vital for personal growth, an excessive focus on identity can reinforce cultural divides and exclude students who might not relate directly to the material, ultimately hindering their learning. This paper explores how the incorporation of empathy-based pedagogy can help teachers transform traditional learning styles and bridge the gap between (sometimes resistant) student engagement and course material.
Before Twilight, and: Putting Violence Down in Poetry, and: Closer, and: Brother
Authors: Matthews Thea
Published: November 2024

Abstract: “Before Twilight” is a poem that personifies a bullet, and underscores the pervasiveness of this country’s gun culture. This poem also addresses the gun violence in communities of color, gangs, and survival crimes that permeate impoverished and systemically neglected communities in the U.S. “Putting Violence Down in Poetry” converses with the work of Douglas Kearney and holds an eerie rageful tone recalling the warnings given from his performance with his titled work of Putting Violence Down in Poetry. The poem braids familial and racial violence with the violent origins of this country.
Moriviví, and: When He Leaves, and: Reunion
Authors: Perez Miguel Martin
Published: November 2024

Abstract: “Moriviví”: The speaker considers his parents’ immigration from the Dominican Republic to the United States, and what his life could have been if he were not born in the U.S. He addresses this alternate version of himself as ghost, mirror, memory, and brother. “When He Leaves”: A reflection on the speaker’s damaging sexual experiences with men. He considers his own condition in the aftermath of two failed attempts at queer love: abandoned, exposed, and wanting. “Reunion”: A nocturne in which a drunken speaker reckons with mortality, the bittersweet nature of memory, and being away from home as the sun goes down and stars appear.
The Swamp, and: Superbloom, and: The Ride, and: Fallen Poem, and: Fight
Authors: Prescott Catherine Esposito
Published: November 2024

Abstract: “The Swamp”: The speaker contemplates her son’s life and the tendency to reduce it to his final year and the cause of his death. She reimagines him in the Ten Thousand Islands (Everglades National Park). “Superbloom”: The speaker walks along Santa Barbara’s shore and discusses the current superbloom within the context of finding a cure for her son’s cancer. “The Ride”: The speaker ponders love and loss, birth and death, and the end of her son’s life. She rides her bike into the swamp until her body surrenders to grief and her heart finds a way to open again.
Only the Mother
Authors: Graybeal Sara Heise
Published: November 2024

Abstract: “Only the Mother” follows the author and her son through his many illnesses during his second year of life. This personal essay probes the sacrifices and limits of motherhood, ultimately asking what makes a mother, and what it means to forge our own answers to that question.
An Insignificant Loss, and: While Putting in My Dilator My Bluetooth Headphones Pick Up My Neighbor’s Porn, and: Bite
Authors: Rico Monica
Published: November 2024

Abstract: These poems are about cancer, survival, hair loss, diagnosis, wonder, nature, and love
Stars Rotate in the Sky, and: West Mesa, and: Topaz, Petals
Authors: Olivares Sara Lupita
Published: November 2024

Abstract: “West Mesa” is a poem that explores the exploitation and disappearances of land and people within the southwest region. It focuses on societal cognitive distancing regarding these violences. “Stars Rotate in the Sky” is a pantoum that focuses on the intersections between the past and present in terms of environmental destruction. It explores the presence of wildfires and the impact of climate change. “Topaz, Petals” is a poem that questions one’s position amidst climate change. It explores the loss of places and animals.
A Porch for Ursula
Authors: Stevens Sammy
Published: November 2024

Abstract: “A Porch for Ursula” follows a young family discovering problems in their home. The story explores themes of familial discord, frailty of the body, and links between our conscious and subconscious selves.
Oh Infectious Diseases 2, and: Since There Is Nothing New Under the Sky, and: The Person Sitting in the Front, and: Rising Every Day Like Clear Glass
Authors: Hyesoon Kim
Published: November 2024

Abstract: “Oh Infectious Diseases 2”: A poem on the end of death. “Since There is Nothing New Under the Sky”: A poem on the possibility of language’s originality. “The Person Sitting in the Front”: A poem on the travel of death. “Rising Every Day like Clear Glass”: A poem on special encounters.
Big White Tent
Authors: Blum Nathan
Published: November 2024

Abstract: A coming-of-age short story following Roselle, a young Jewish girl in suburban New York wrestling with loss and the desire to fit in. On the day of Yom Kippur, her yearning exposes her to the hidden inequities, injustices, and hypocrisies embedded in the fabric of her community. short story; fiction; child; girl; Jewish; temple; tent; Yom Kippur; fasting; tablet; shofar;
Why Do We Dislike Inflation?
Authors: Stantcheva Stefanie
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACT: This paper provides new evidence on a long-standing question asked by Shiller (1997): why do we dislike inflation? I conducted two surveys on representative samples of the US population to elicit people's perceptions about the impacts of inflation and their reactions to it. The predominant reason for people's aversion to inflation is the widespread belief that it diminishes their buying power, as neither personal nor general wage increases seem to match the pace of rising prices. As a result, respondents report having to make costly adjustments in their budgets and behaviors, especially among lower income groups. Inflation also provokes stress, emotional responses, and a sense of inequity, as the wages of high-income individuals are perceived to grow more rapidly amid inflation. Many respondents believe that firms have considerable discretion in setting wages, opting not to raise them in order to boost profits, rather than being compelled by market dynamics. The potential positive associations of inflation, such as with reduced unemployment or enhanced economic activity, are typically not recognized by respondents. Inflation ranks high in priority among various economic and social issues, with respondents blaming the government and businesses for it. I also highlight a substantial polarization in attitudes toward inflation along partisan lines, as well as across income groups.
The Emergence of a Uniform Business Cycle in the United States: Evidence from New Claims-Based Unemployment Data
Authors: Fieldhouse Andrew J. , Munro David , Koch Christoffer , Howard Sean
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACT: Using newly digitized unemployment insurance claims data, we construct historical monthly unemployment series for US states going back to January 1947. We validate our series, showing that they are highly correlated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state-level unemployment data, which are only available since January 1976, and capture consistent business cycle dynamics. We use our claims-based unemployment rates to study the postwar evolution of labor market adjustments to local demand shocks and state unemployment fluctuations around national recessions. We document: (1) a trend decrease in the dispersion of relative employment growth and unemployment across states; (2) an attenuation of relative employment, unemployment, and population responses to state-specific demand shocks in recent decades; and (3) a convergence across states in both the speed and degree to which unemployment recovers after recessions. These trends show the emergence of a national business cycle experienced more uniformly across US states, particularly since the 1960s. We present evidence suggesting that a convergence in states' industrial composition helps explain why a more uniform business cycle emerged when it did. And states' increasingly similar experience in recessions may help explain why interstate migration became a weaker adjustment mechanism in recent decades.
Infrastructure: A Useful Anachronism?
Authors: Alff David , Guldi Jo
Published: November 2024

Abstract: This essay introduces our special issue by arguing that the concept of infrastructure can help us better understand eighteenth-century culture and history even if the word did not exist in that period. It shows moreover how scholars of the eighteenth-century world can contribute to the burgeoning field of infrastructure studies.
A Tale of Two Maps: Archaeological Consideration of Two Danish Colonial Enclaves During the Long Eighteenth Century
Authors: Hauser Mark W.
Published: November 2024

Abstract: In this essay I compare cartographic and archaeological records to explore the landesque capital of long-term residents in two Danish colonial enclaves, Tharangambadi (Tranquebar) in present day Tamil Nadu and St. John in present day US Virgin Islands. While we tend to think of "infrastructure" as a modern phenomenon, one that comes into being with the emergence of modern technologies, administrations, financial systems, and social structures—not to mention global empires—much of the infrastructure in colonies was built on existing infrastructures created by long-term, local residents, Indigenous peoples, and in the case of the Caribbean, refined further by enslaved populations.
Samuel Johnson, Infrastructure, and the Spirit of Progress
Authors: Hudson Nicholas
Published: November 2024

Abstract: Samuel Johnson advocated the building and maintenance of roads, bridges, canals and other infrastructure as the defining difference between "civilized" and "barbaric" or "feudal" societies. His promotion of infrastructure is most clearly shown in his Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland (1775) where he comments repeatedly on roads or their absence, implying that only improved means of transport and communication will bring the Highlands into the fold of modern civilization, exemplified by England. Johnson added something of his own in his promotion of what I call "literary infrastructure," meaning his Dictionary and other works that he describes as roads to linguistic and scholarly progress.
The "Social Kingship of Christ" and Religious Pluralism: A Comparison of Two Broad Approaches
Authors: DeSantis Cole M.
Published: November 2024

precis: The titles of "Lord" and "King" have been applied to Christ since the earliest days of Christianity. Many have interpreted these titles as implying that Christ, as the God-human, is the only human to contain the fullness of the divine authority. In the Catholic tradition, this was also interpreted in a political sense, as implying that Christ is the highest authority in both the spiritual and the socio-political realms and that all authority, whether religious or secular, is derived from that of Christ. This implies a belief in the finality of Christ, that is, of Christ as the most definitive revelation of God to humankind and, therefore, as the highest authority. This essay examines different views of how to reconcile the belief in the finality of Christ with the reality of life in a pluralistic society, comparing two broad approaches put forward by Christians in recent decades—a confessional, and a more ecumenical approach.
The Smallest Cut: The Ethics and (Surprising) Implications of Hatafat Dam Brit for the Ongoing Genital Cutting Debate
Authors: Buckler Max
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACT: This essay applies an ethical analysis of the Jewish religious rite of hatafat dam brit to the ongoing debate on child genital cutting. Recent scholarship on the ethical and legal status of "de minimis" or "symbolic" involuntary genital cutting practices features disagreement over what, if anything, grounds their wrongfulness given that they are (relatively) physically superficial. Hatafat dam brit ("the drawing of covenantal blood") is even less physically intrusive than the most minor of the other practices commonly debated (e.g., "ritual nicking" of the vulva) yet still, as I will show, elicits moral concern—including from within the practicing religious community. As a type of genital cutting ritual that does not, in fact, modify the body, hatafat dam brit challenges those on both sides of the debate to clarify the basis for their moral objection or approval. I argue that debates about involuntary genital cutting of minors should focus on the ethics of these practices considered as (sexually) embodied interpersonal interactions , rather than as body modifications .
The Sanjaya Myth: Sanjaya Belatthiputta and the Catuskoti
Authors: Copeland B. Jack , Nizar Syed Moynul Alam
Published: November 2024

Abstract: Respected scholars regard pre-Buddhist philosopher Sañjaya Belaṭṭhiputta as originator of the catuṣkoṭi and catuṣkoṭi vinirmukta. We argue that the early texts do not support this view; the question of the origin of these argument-forms is open. While the Sāmaññaphala Sutta and some of its parallels portray Sañjaya as deploying the catuṣkoṭi, nothing in these passages suggests he was its originator. The situation concerning the catuṣkoṭi vinirmukta is even more surprising: There is nothing in the early Pāli texts and their parallels—nor in Buddhagosa's famous commentary on the early texts—to show that Sañjaya even deployed the catuṣkoṭi vinirmukta, let alone originated it. Our investigations also call into question the standard portrayal of Sañjaya as an obfuscator and prevaricator. He may have been a more interesting and able philosopher than the Sāmaññaphala Sutta, and modern accounts based on it, maintain.
"You Are a Puzzle-lock": A Heideggerian Analysis of Perplexity in Nāz Khayālawī's Sufi Poem
Authors: Iyer Bharatwaj
Published: November 2024

Abstract: This article is a phenomenological analysis of the Urdu poem Tum ek gōrakh dhandā hō by the Pakistani Sufi poet Nāz Khayālawī (d. 2010). It approaches the poet's engagement with perplexity ( ḥayrah ), as an ontological feature of reality, through the lens of Heidegger's understanding of truth where concealment ( lēthe ) is central to the event of unconcealment ( alētheia ). The article demonstrates how a Heideggerianphenomenological exploration enables us to uncover the dynamic of un/concealment (or un/veiling) in the Sufi tradition's understanding of Being and intelligibility. The rich possibilities of interpretative pluralism and polysemy—through the explorative nonfinality evoked by Being as ḥayrah —are explored as well. The article's argument not only allows for fresh extensions of Heidegger's phenomenological approach to unexplored cultural and historical territory, but also adds to Heidegger scholarship's recent tentative attempts at bringing together Heidegger and Sufi poetry.
Watsuji Tetsurō's "Climate" and its Kyoto School Critics
Authors: Peters Kyle
Published: November 2024

Abstract: This article situates Watsuji Tetsurō's philosophical conception of "climate" within the context of both its historical development and its critical reception by Watsuji's Kyoto School peers. Part one moves across lecture notes, articles, and book editions to historicize and contextualize climate within its four aspects of development: cultural history, hermeneutic phenomenology, "relational in-betweenness," and socio-historical development. Part two develops critical responses to each of these four aspects by Watsuji's Kyoto School peers: Nishida Kitarō, Miki Kiyoshi, Hayashi Tatsuo, Tosaka Jun, and Nakai Masakazu. It ends by briefly considering how these historical and critical considerations might serve as guideposts for contemporary philosophical reconstructions of climate.
Is Shape Real? Controversies Over the Nature and Reality of Shape in the Works of Vasubandhu and His Commentators
Authors: Szanyi Szilvia
Published: November 2024

Abstract: The classification of sense objects, especially visible objects, is a controversial issue in Abhidharma philosophy, with a significant part of the debate revolving around the nature and reality of shape ( saṃsthāna ). The purpose of this article is to expose the dynamics of the Abhidharmic debates over shape and unpack the laconic arguments we find in various works attributed to Vasubandhu and his commentators Yaśomitra and Sthiramati. Studying these arguments is essential not only to gain a better understanding of Abhidharma metaphysics. They also illuminate important aspects of the Abhidharmic theories of perception, such as their views on common sensibles or the relationship between perception and inference. Furthermore, as I point out at the end of the essay, appreciating the Abhidharmic debate over the reality of shape also sheds more light on the cryptic arguments Vasubandhu puts forward in verse 15 of the Viṃśikā .