bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The significance of the idea of impetus for the development of natural science
Authors: Slipkauskaitė Julita ,   Lobachevsky State University Press
Published: November 2019

In the discourse around theories explaining scientific progress, natural philosophy of the Late Medieval Period is seen as playing the role of apologetics. For philosophers of science, with their repudiation of metaphysics, the task of providing a rational reconstruction of how scientific progress has occurred is nigh on impossible. Even explanations such as the Popperian and the Kuhnian strain under great difficulty and provide only partly satisfactory results. In his “Logik der Forschung” (1934) Karl Raimund Popper argues that metaphysics plays an accidental part in the emergence of new scientific ideas. Correspondingly, in “Structure of Scientific Revolutions” (1962), by carrying out theoretical interpretations and classification of empirical facts without their metaphysical premises, Thomas Kuhn comes to the conclusion that natural science was formed under the influence of erroneous interpretations of Aristotelian natural philosophy presented by medieval natural philosophers. These are some of the reasons why medievalists are still made to defend late medieval natural philosophy from shallow convictions that at medieval universities nothing of any significance to contemporary science and philosophy took place at all. Seeking to render a fragment of a coherent reconstruction of the development of natural philosophy, I will investigate one idea of late medieval philosophy – the explanation of motion (impetus). The main statement of the paper holds that the ideas of late medieval natural philosophy have a decisive significance for the development of modern natural science instead of accidental or negative one. In the paper, following Aristotelian philosophical approach, premises of Jean Buridan’s theory of impetus will be exposed. Then, debates over the explanation of projectile motion are going to be presented, and finally, the necessary significance of this metaphysical idea on the modifications of natural philosophy is going to be ascertained.
Этические нормы Science Communication: проблемы и перспективы
Authors: Шибаршина Светлана Викторовна ,   Lobachevsky State University Press
Published: November 2019

В данной статье исследуется ряд основных проблем в области этики внешней научной коммуникации (science communication), для которой на данный момент не существует специального общепринятого свода этических норм. Частично это связывается с тем, что понятие “science communication” в теоретическом плане представляет собой междисциплинарную область научных исследований, а в практическом включает ряд смежных областей профессиональной деятельности. Кроме того, исследована проблема эпистемического доверия и ряд путей ее решения (эпистемическое разделение труда vs. эпистемическое равенство и равноуважение). Показано, что, вопервых, использование на практике этических принципов, предписываемых science communication, оказывается проблематичным и демонстрирует наличие постоянной амбивалентности (понятие Р. Мертона) в выборе императивов этичного поведения; вовторых, актуальность того или иного принципа для каждого конкретного случая зависит от особенностей аудитории научного коммуникатора и целей коммуникации. В описании и оценке данных вопросов автор опирается на работы Стивена Джона, а также Роберта Кохейна и его коллег.
Colonialism and Ressentiment
Authors: Haro José A. ,   The Society for Philosophy in the Contemporary World
Published: November 2019

In this paper I apply Friedrich Nietzsche’s critique of European morality to the Western colonial context. I specifically focus attention on his notions of ressentiment and slave morality, and how his critique implicates these as being exported and imposed upon the people Western powers colonized. However, the process of colonization reveals that the imposed morality is transformed into a distinct type of ressentiment that Nietzsche does not to consider. I call this type of ressentiment “colonial ressentiment” in distinction to Nietzsche’s slave morality. To provide the content to clearly distinguish colonial ressentiment from that of slave morality, I utilize Frantz Fanon’s description of the colonial drama to help illuminate their differences. To conclude the paper, I discuss some of the upshots of colonial ressentiment and their relation to present day struggles.
“Technological Object” in Gilbert Simondon’s Philosophy
Authors: Guchet Xavier ,   DePaul University
Published: November 2019

For the last twenty years, the philosophy of technology has firmly taken an “empirical turn” and has been strongly pervaded with Science and Technology Studies (STS) lessons, focusing on the social consistency of technical beings. In this context, Simondon’s approach to technology may appear a bit dated. A major issue of On the Mode of Existence of Technical Objects (MEOT) is indeed to theorize technology beyond any reference to social commitments: Simondon distinguishes “pure technicity,” amenable to rational analysis, from “psychosocial overdeterminations” that contaminate technical objects with exogenous concerns. Thus, Simondon may prove behind the times when he claims to analyze technology as a non-social realm. This article intends to demonstrate that Simondon can nevertheless fruitfully feed current debates related to technological developments. More precisely, the difference between several concepts of technological objects in MEOT proves to be of major interest for clarifying current issues related, in particular, to ethics.
Use of Imaging During Staging and Surveillance of Localized Colon Cancer in a Large Insured Population
Authors: Durani Urshila , Asante Dennis , Halfdanarson Thorvardur , Heien Herbert C. , Sangaralingham Lindsey , Thompson Carrie A. , Peethambaram Prema , Quevedo Fernando J. , Go Ronald S.
Published: November 2019

Background: Adherence to surveillance guidelines in resected colon cancer has significant implications for patient morbidity, cost of care, and healthcare utilization. This study measured the underuse and overuse of imaging for staging and surveillance in stage I–II colon cancer. Methods: The OptumLabs database was queried for administrative claims data on adult patients with stage I–II colon cancer who underwent surgery alone in 2008 through 2016. Use of PET and CT imaging was evaluated during both initial staging (n=6,921) and surveillance for patients with at least 1 year of follow-up (n=5,466). “High use” was defined as >2 CT abdominal/pelvic (CT A/P) or PET scans per year during surveillance. Results: Overall, 27% of patients with stage I–II colon cancer did not have a staging CT A/P or PET scan and 95% did not have a CT chest scan. However, rates of staging CT A/P and CT chest scans increased from 62.0% (2008) to 74.8% (2016) and from 2.3% (2008) to 7.1% (2016), respectively. Staging PET use was overall very low (5.2%). During surveillance, approximately 30% of patients received a CT A/P or PET and 5% received a CT chest scan within the first year after surgery. Of patients who had surveillance CT A/P or PET scans, the proportion receiving >2 scans within the first year (high use) declined from 32.4% (2008) to 9.6% (2016) (P = .01). Conclusions: Although PET use remains appropriately low, many patients with stage I–II colon cancer do not receive appropriate staging and surveillance CT chest scans. Among those who do receive these scans during surveillance, high use has declined significantly over time.
Sociodemographic Disparities in the Receipt of Adjuvant Chemotherapy Among Patients With Resected Stage I–III Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Sanford Nina N. , Aguilera Todd A. , Folkert Michael R. , Ahn Chul , Mahal Brandon A. , Zeh Herbert , Beg Muhammad S. , Mansour John , Sher David J.
Published: November 2019

Background: Adjuvant therapy for resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma was given a category 1 NCCN recommendation in 2000, yet many patients do not receive chemotherapy after definitive surgery. Whether sociodemographic disparities exist for receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy is poorly understood. Methods: The National Cancer Database was used to identify patients diagnosed with nonmetastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma who underwent definitive surgery from 2004 through 2015. Multivariable logistic regression defined the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and associated 95% CI of receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy. Among patients receiving chemotherapy, multivariable logistic regression assessed the odds of treatment with multiagent chemotherapy. Results: Among 18,463 patients, 11,288 (61.1%) received any adjuvant chemotherapy. Sociodemographic factors inversely associated with receipt of any adjuvant chemotherapy included uninsured status (aOR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.50–0.74), Medicaid insurance (aOR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.57–0.77), and lower income (P<.001 for all income levels compared with ≥$46,000). Black race (aOR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.57–0.90) and female sex (aOR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.65–0.86) were associated with lower odds of receiving multiagent chemotherapy. There was a statistically significant interaction term between black race and age/comorbidity status (P=.03), such that 26.4% of black versus 35.8% of nonblack young (aged ≤65 years) and healthy (Charlson-Deyo comorbidity score 0) patients received multiagent adjuvant chemotherapy (P=.006), whereas multiagent adjuvant chemotherapy rates were similar among patients who were not young and healthy (P=.15). Conclusions: In this nationally representative study, receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy appeared to be associated with sociodemographic characteristics, independent of clinical factors. Sociodemographic differences in receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy may represent a missed opportunity for improving outcomes and a driver of oncologic disparities.
Contribution of Geographic Location to Disparities in Ovarian Cancer Treatment
Authors: Villanueva Carolina , Chang Jenny , Bartell Scott M. , Ziogas Argyrios , Bristow Robert , Vieira Verónica M.
Published: November 2019

Background: More than 14,000 women in the United States die of ovarian cancer (OC) every year. Disparities in survival have been observed by race and socioeconomic status (SES), and vary spatially even after adjusting for treatment received. This study aimed to determine the impact of geographic location on receiving treatment adherent to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for OC, independent of other predictors. Patients and Methods: Women diagnosed with all stages of epithelial OC (1996–2014) were identified through the California Cancer Registry. Generalized additive models, smoothing for residential location, were used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for receiving nonadherent care throughout California. We assessed the impact of distance traveled for care, distance to closest high-quality hospital, race/ethnicity, and SES on receipt of quality care, adjusting for demographic and cancer characteristics and stratifying by disease stage. Results: Of 29,844 patients with OC, 11,419 (38.3%) received guideline-adherent care. ORs for nonadherent care were lower in northern California and higher in Kern and Los Angeles counties. Magnitudes of associations with location varied by stage (OR range, 0.45–2.19). Living farther from a high-quality hospital increased the odds of receiving nonadherent care (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.07–1.29), but travel >32 km to receive care was associated with decreased odds (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.70–0.84). American Indian/other women were more likely to travel greater distances to receive care. Women in the highest SES quintile, those with Medicare insurance, and women of non-Hispanic black race were less likely to travel far. Patients who were Asian/Pacific Islander lived the closest to a high-quality hospital. Conclusions: Among California women diagnosed with OC, living closer to a high-quality center was associated with receiving adherent care. Non-Hispanic black women were less likely to receive adherent care, and women with lower SES lived farthest from high-quality hospitals. Geographic location in California is an independent predictor of adherence to NCCN Guidelines for OC.
La práctica docente reflexiva en profesores mexicanos ante los retos de la nueva ciudadanía
Authors: Osuna Lever Cecilia , Díaz López Karla María
Published: November 2019

Los docentes llevan sobre sí el peso de lograr una verdadera formación integral y por si fuera poco, deben además entregar reportes administrativos, realizar gestiones escolares, desarrollar investigación o vinculación con diversos sectores, etc. Lo anterior, deja poco tiempo para hacer un alto en la enseñanza a fin de reflexionar sobre ¿cómo lograr realmente que sus estudiantes se involucren en sus aprendizajes? ¿Cómo hacer para que éstos tengan sentido para el alumno? El docente debe recapacitar continuamente sobre su labor profesional con objeto de innovarla y mejorarla (Galbán, 2016). Frente al mundo cada vez más deshumanizado, la educación se perfila como el único medio para promover y fortalecer la formación valoral, la conciencia de la dignidad de las personas así como, el servicio a los demás (Patiño, 2015). Por lo tanto, en este trabajo se presentan los resultados de un estudio de caso en el que 26 profesores que imparten clases en los diversos niveles del sistema educativo mexicano, realizaron un ejercicio de auto-observación y reflexión de su práctica docente, con objeto de detectar cuáles factores están limitando el aprendizaje. El análisis de las observaciones permitió identificar que hay aspectos no necesariamente vinculados a los contenidos, que impiden que los objetivos formativos se logren. En particular, sobresalieron los relacionados con el proceso grupal (motivación, trabajo en equipo e integración) que prevalece en el aula, mismo que podría obstaculizar el fortalecimiento de la formación integral entre los educandos de cara a la nueva ciudadanía.

Teachers bear the burden of achieving a true integral education and, if that were not enough, they must also submit administrative reports, carry out school management, develop research or establish linkages with various sectors, etc. Do all these tasks keep teachers from reflecting on how to really get their students involved in their learning? How can teachers help students make sense of their own learning? Teachers must continually rethink their professional work in order to innovate and improve (Galbán, 2016). Faced with an increasingly dehumanised world, education is emerging as the only means to promote and strengthen education in values, awareness of the dignity of people as well as service to others (Patiño, 2015). Therefore, this paper presents the results of a case study in which 26 teachers who teach at various levels of the Mexican educational system, did an exercise of self-observation and reflection of their teaching practice, in order to detect which factors are limiting learning. The analysis of the observations made it possible to identify that there are aspects, not necessarily linked to the contents, that prevent the training objectives from beingachieved. Specifically, those aspects are related to group process (motivation, team work and integration) and they might hinder the strengthening of comprehensive training among students.
El no-saber en las cartografías sobre nuestro aprender como investigadores: una mirada post-cualitativa
Authors: Canales Carlos , Padilla-Petry Paulo , Gutiérrez Luispe
Published: November 2019

Partimos de un proyecto sobre cómo aprenden los docentes a partir de la creación de cartografías sobre sus escenarios de aprendizaje, los tránsitos y la relación dentro-fuera de la escuela/instituto. Antes de empezar nuestra investigación con el profesorado de educación infantil, primaria y secundaria, nuestro grupo de investigación empezó construyendo sus propias cartografías. Éstas son entendidas como una metodología de investigación narrativa y artística que nos ha permitido explorar intersticios, desplazamientos, trayectorias inestables, maneras de saber, montajes y enredos a través de los cuales los profesores siguen sus caminos de aprendizaje. El proceso de construcción de la cartografía sobre cómo, dónde y porqué aprendemos a ser investigadores nos obligó a cambiar el foco de la investigación. También nos obligó a cambiar la lente con la que miramos y el ángulo desde el que observamos. Investigarse para posteriormente investigar partiendo de metodologías artísticas: un paradigma que coloca al investigador en una posición de inseguridad y fragilidad. En el artículo partimos desde una posición de no-saber para realizar una revisión y estudio sobre la construcción de nuestras propias cartografías. Por otro lado, intentamos dar cuenta de muestras del proceso de cuestionamiento epistemológico, ontológico, ético y metodológico que parten de nuestro acercamiento a postulados de investigación post-cualitativos.

The starting point of this article is a project about how teachers learn using cartographies to represent their learning scenarios, their transits and the relations of schools with what is outside them. Before beginning our research with kindergarten, primary and secondary school teachers, our group built their own cartographies.  They are understood as an investigation methodology that is both narrative and artistic and allows us to explore interstices, displacements, unstable trajectories, forms of knowing, assemblages and plots which teachers use for learning. The process of building cartographies about how, where and why we learn how to be researchers made us change the focus of our research. It also made us change the lens through which we look and the angle from which we observe. We did research about ourselves with a view to inquiring through artistic methods. This paradigm puts the researcher in a position of fragility and insecurity. In the article we situated ourselves in an unknown position with a view to reviewing and studying the process of building our cartographies. On the other hand, we tried to explain samples of our epistemological, ontological, ethical and methodological processes which stemmed from post-qualitative investigation assumptions.
Cartografías en torno a los tránsitos en el aprender de docentes en educación infantil y primaria
Authors: Gutiérrez-Cabello Barragán Aingeru , Aberasturi-Apraiz Estibaliz
Published: November 2019

El aprendizaje del profesorado continúa siendo pensado bajo causalidades simples y en términos lineales. Sin embargo, el contexto de incertidumbre y diversidad actual al que deben hacer frente las maestras en sus escuelas nos invita a tener que desarrollar una conceptualización mucho más compleja de su aprendizaje. Mediante un abordaje de investigación basado en metodologías artísticas y visuales hemos intentado profundizar sobre la experiencia de aprendizaje de las maestras de educación primaria e infantil. Bajo una perspectiva de investigación que ubicamos dentro de los nuevos materialismos, abordamos una temática de estudio que requiere ser explorada bajoenfoques más holísticos y problematizadores. Nuestra aproximación a las experiencias de las maestras nos ha permitido pensar acerca de tres tránsitos en las formas en que se desarrolla su aprendizaje en la actualidad, vinculados a su agencia, el papel de lo experiencial y las nuevas formas de auto-organización.

Teacher learning continues to be thought under simple causalities and in linear terms. However, the current context of uncertainty and diversity which teachers must face in their schools encouraged us to develop a much more complex conceptualization of their learning. Through a research approach based on artistic and visual methodologies, we tried to deepen the learning experience of primary and infant education teachers. From a research perspective that we located within new materialism, we looked at teacher learning from more holistic and problematizing approaches. Our approximation to the experiences of teachers allowed us to identify three transits regarding how their learning takes place. Such transits are related to teachers’ agency, the role of the experiential and new ways of self-organization.
El portafolio como recurso didáctico en el proceso de aprendizaje del alumnado con trastorno por déficit de atención/hiperactividad
Authors: Martínez-Frutos María Teresa , Herrera-Gutiérrez Eva
Published: November 2019

En este trabajo realizamos una propuesta de portafolio como recurso educativo para atender algunas de las dificultades que presentan los niños con trastorno por déficit de atención/hiperactividad (TDAH) en la escuela. Partiendo de la conceptualización actual del trastorno y considerando las necesidades y problemas de estos alumnos en el ámbito académico, sugerimos un modelo de portafolio que facilite el trabajo coordinado familia-escuela, la organización de los contenidos de las materias escolares por parte del menor, su implicación y motivación por aprender, el desarrollo y expresión de la creatividad, así como el fomento y adquisición de hábitos de estudio. Aspectos todos ellos que favorecen el proceso de aprendizaje y contribuyen a la mejora del rendimiento escolar y la autoestima.

This article looks at portfolios as an educational resource to attend to some of the difficulties presented by school children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Based on the current conceptualization of this disorder and considering the needs and problems of these students within academic settings, we suggest a model of portfolio which facilitates coordinated work between families and schools, the organization of the contents of subjects by children themselves, their involvement and motivation in learning, the development and expression of creativity, as well as the generation and acquisition of study habits. All of these aspects will favor the learning process and will contribute to improving school performance and self-esteem.
El reto de la expresión oral en Educación Primaria: características, dificultades y vías de mejora
Authors: Níkleva Dimitrinka G. , López-García María Pilar
Published: November 2019

Existen numerosos estudios sobre la competencia comunicativa y la enseñanza de la expresión e interacción oral en el aula. La destreza lingüística de la expresión oral es la más difícil de conseguir en el aprendizaje de la lengua materna y extranjera. Por tanto, hay que dedicarle especial atención y una cuidadosa planificación. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo la reflexión crítica sobre los fundamentos teóricos que diferencian la modalidad oral de la modalidad escrita y las dificultades que se presentan para la enseñanza de la expresión oral en el aula de Educación Primaria. Para ello, hemos observado una serie de fundamentos teóricos para el desarrollo de la expresión oral, y nos hemos detenido en las dificultades metodológicas de esta destreza, entre otras, en la complejidad de su evaluación. Asimismo, hemos definido una serie de objetivos para cada ciclo educativo en los que se incluyen aspectos pragmáticos y en los que se describen actividades y procedimientos didácticos para ejercitar diferentes estrategias para el desarrollo de la competencia comunicativa, considerándola uno de los objetivos primordiales de la lengua.

There have been numerous studies on communicative competence and the teaching of oral expression and interaction in the classroom. The linguistic skills inherent in oral expression are the most difficult to achieve in the learning of both the mother tongue and foreign languages. Therefore, it needs special attention and careful planning. The aim of the present work is to make a critical reflection upon the theoretical basis that differentiate the oral modality from the written modality and the difficulties that arise in teaching oral expression in the primary education classroom. In order to achieve this, we have looked at a series of theoretical bases for the development of oral expression, paying particular attention to the methodological difficulties of this skill, such as the complexity of its assessment, among other aspects. Similarly, we have defined a series of objectives for each educational stage, including pragmatic aspects. Activities and didactic procedures are described in order to highlight different strategies for the development of communicative competence, considering it to be one of the fundamental objectives of language learning.
Loving Monsters—The Curious Case of Patricia Piccinini’s Posthuman Offspring
Authors: Biscaia Maria Sofia Pimentel
Published: November 2019

Patricia Piccinini’s work has been described as disquieting, compelling and grotesque. Other adjectives often used include disturbing, visceral, monstrous, chimerical but also cute and beautiful. The reason for the encounter of such descriptions which are typically found in separate realms is precisely that Piccinini seeks to fracture unitarian conceptualisations of humanness as she strives to materially debate issues of posthuman ethics. Her concerns relate to issues of breeding, mutation, biotechnology, motherhood/childhood, eco-philosophy and speciesism. In this paper, I will set off from the works of Donna Haraway and Rosi Braidotti to discuss Piccinini’s posthuman aesthetics and ethics. I propose to investigate the affirmative posthuman predicament which she has creatively designed for the art gallery space, reflecting the technocultural fabrications of our natureculture continuum. I will focus my attention on three posthuman propositions as they relate to the discourses of motherhood and reproduction: the cyborgian realities of the human and the animal; the organism and the machine; as well as the human, the animal and the vegetable. Piccinini’s reconfigurations are created into a world of tenderness and imbued with an ethics of care as she, unlike Victor Frankenstein, aims to love her creatures.
Exploring Cultural Memory Through Political Economy—Manufacturing History in the Documentary The Battle for Hitler’s Supership (2005)
Authors: Bockwoldt Juliane C.
Published: November 2019

This article suggests supplementing Astrid Erll’s framework for analysis of memory making media with key insights from Herman and Chomsky’s propaganda model. An analysis of the documentary The Battle for Hitler’s Supership that portrays the story of the German battleship Tirpitz, which the British Royal Air Force sunk in Tromsø in 1944, will illustrate the benefits of this approach. The combination of a formal analysis with an examination of the structural conditions that predispose the medium’s appearance provide valuable insights into how and why a specific dominant message that is conveyed by the documentary emerges. I show that the political economy behind the TV production has an impact on the documentary’s content and form and argue that the evolving narrative not only depicts a story about the specific events of November 1944 but also about current national self-perceptions and self-presentations.
Manufacturing Consent in Video Games—The Hegemonic Memory Politics of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015)
Authors: Hammar Emil Lundedal
Published: November 2019

In this article I argue that the structural conditions of global capitalism and postcolonialism encourage game developers to rearticulate hegemonic memory politics and suppress subaltern identities. This claim is corroborated via an application of Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky’s propaganda model to the Japanese-developed video game Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. This case study highlights that the hegemonic articulations of colonial histories are not exclusive to Western entertainment products where instead modes of production matter in the ‘manufacturing of mnemonic hegemony’. I also propose that the propaganda model, while instructive, can be improved further by acknowledging a technological filter and the role of the subaltern. Thus, the article furthers the understanding of the relation between production and form in contemporary technological phenomena like video games and how this relation motivates hegemonic articulations of the past in contemporary mass culture.
Norway’s New(s) Wars—Syria in the Norwegian Mass Media
Authors: Ottosen Rune
Published: November 2019

Through two case studies, this article will explore how Norwegian news media framed the Norwegian military presence in Syria. Earlier research by the author has shown how the legal aspects of NATO’s out-of-area operations have been ignored by mainstream media. In this study, emphasis will be put on self-censorship among Norwegian journalists, ignoring the fact that Norwegian special forces took part in military operations inside Syria from May 2017 to March 2018. The hypothesis based on Johan Galtung’s (2002) theory of peace journalism is that mainstream media refused to see the connection between Norway’s bombing of Libya and the escalation of the ‘civil war’ in Syria. According to legal experts, the Norwegian military presence in Syria was a violation of international law, as it supported rebel groups in armed confrontation with the Assad government, recognized by the Norwegian state through diplomatic relations. The hypothesis of the study—based on an explorative investigation of selected Norwegian news media—is that Norwegian politicians, silently supported by the media, have changed basic principles of Norwegian security policy without an open public debate. Before 1999, Norway was a loyal NATO member based on the notion that NATO was a ‘defense alliance’. After the change in NATO strategy to the new out-of-area policy, Norway has in practice become a ‘military tool’ in the geopolitical strategy of the US. This change of policy has, to a large extent, happened without critical investigation by mainstream media. The article presents two case studies of how Norwegian media dealt with the legal issues when Norway was asked to contribute in Syria, and how the Norwegian military presence was reported by Norwegian media in the periods December 2015 to January 2016, as well as May 2017 to March 2018.
The Costly and Demanding—Exploring Solution-Based Othering of ‘Non-European Immigrants’ in Norwegian Policy Recommendations
Authors: Andreasen Søren Mosgaard
Published: November 2019

This article examines the Norwegian scholarly report titled NOU 2017:2—Integration and Trust: Long-Term Consequences of High Immigration (English translation; chapter 1.1) to unpack how ‘non-European immigrants’ are constructed as an economic and social challenge for the welfare state. Principles from discourse theory (DT) and the conceptual framework of othering are applied to discuss how the designation of this category of people as objects of qualification/integration may serve to reify racialized relations of inferiorized difference between white Norwegian majorities and societal newcomers from the Global South. The author tracks this dynamic to a discourse in which the relationship between the Norwegian state and immigrants from countries outside of Europe is organized as a binary opposition between a vulnerable self and an overwhelming, inherently faceless ‘other’. It is suggested that the othering enabled in the NOU (Norges Offentlige Utredninger) report can be viewed as a specific production of monstrosity: a horror-vision of a failing, unintegrated welfare state that needs safeguarding against abnormal, ‘huge waves’ of immigrants from ‘further south’. The argument is finally presented that the report’s vision of integration, by being coded with the logic of presenting a necessary response to an existential threat to welfare state structures, engenders a precarious form of social distancing that is theorized as solution-based othering.
Scythes, sickles and other blades: defining the diversity of pectoral fin morphotypes in Pachycormiformes
Authors: Liston Jeff J. , Maltese Anthony E. , Lambers Paul H. , Delsate Dominique , Harcourt-Smith William E.H. , van Heteren Anneke H.
Published: November 2019

The traditional terminology of ‘scythe’ or ‘sickle’ shaped is observed to be flawed as an effective descriptor for pectoral fin shape in pachycormids. The diversity of pachycormid pectoral fin shapes is assessed across the 14 recognised genera that preserve complete pectoral fins, and improved terms are defined to more effectively describe their form, supported by anatomical observation and aspect ratio analysis of individual fins, and corroborated by landmark analysis. Three clear and distinct pectoral fin structural morphotypes emerge (falceform, gladiform, falcataform), reflecting a diversity of pachycormid lifestyles throughout the Mesozoic, from agile pursuit predator to slow-cruising suspension feeder.
The urban-rural disparity in the prevalence and risk factors of hypertension among the elderly in China—a cross-sectional study
Authors: Song Hongxun , Feng Da , Wang Ruoxi , Yang Jian , Li Yuanqing , Gao Junliang , Wang Zi , Yan Ziqi , Long Chengxu , Zhou Jiawei , Feng Zhanchun
Published: November 2019

Introduction

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of hypertension and to explore the disparities of its risk factors among urban and rural elderly.

Method

Data of hypertensive patients were collected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2015. Stratified sample households were selected from 450 villages or communities of 150 counties from 28 provinces. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to analyze the factors correlated with hypertension.

Results

Prevalence of HBP was 47.6% (95% CI [45.2%–50.1%]) in total and it was close between urban and rural population (48.6% vs 47.2%). Factors associated with HBP were different between urban and rural areas. In urban areas, hypertension was significantly associated with literacy and diabetes in both genders, high BMI level and smoke quitters in males, and physical activity and dyslipidemia in females. In rural areas, hypertension was significantly associated with older age, higher BMI level in both males and females, and dyslipidemia in males.

Conclusions

The prevalence are about the same among urban and rural residents, but their risk factors vary from each other. Disparity in the risk factors between urban and rural population should be taken into consideration for further intervention.
Competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) hypothetic model based on comprehensive analysis of long non-coding RNA expression in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Wang Xiwen , Su Rui , Guo Qiqiang , Liu Jia , Ruan Banlai , Wang Guiling
Published: November 2019

Background

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a major subtype of lung cancer with high malignancy and bad prognosis, consisted of lung adenocarcinomas (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinomas (LUSC) chiefly. Multiple studies have indicated that competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network centered long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) can regulate gene expression and the progression of various cancers. However, the research about lncRNAs-mediated ceRNA network in LUAD is still lacking.

Methods

In this study, we analyzed the RNA-seq database from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and obtained dysregulated lncRNAs in NSCLC, then further identified survival associated lncRNAs through Kaplan–Meier analysis. Quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to confirm their expression in LUAD tissues and cell lines. The ceRNA networks were constructed based on DIANA-TarBase and TargetScan databases and visualized with OmicShare tools. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed to investigate the potential function of ceRNA networks.

Results

In total, 1,437 and 1,699 lncRNAs were found to be up-regulated in LUAD and LUSC respectively with 895 lncRNAs overlapping (|log2FC| > 3, adjusted P value <0.01). Among which, 222 lncRNAs and 46 lncRNAs were associated with the overall survival (OS) of LUAD and LUSC, and 18 out of 222 up-regulated lncRNAs were found to have inverse correlation with LUAD patients’ OS (|log2FC| > 3, adjusted P value < 0.02). We selected 3 lncRNAs (CASC8, LINC01842 and VPS9D1-AS1) out of these 18 lncRNAs and confirmed their overexpression in lung cancer tissues and cells. CeRNA networks were further constructed centered CASC8, LINC01842 and VPS9D1-AS1 with 3 miRNAs and 100 mRNAs included respectively.

Conclusion

Through comprehensively analyses of TCGA, our study identified specific lncRNAs as candidate diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for LUAD. The novel ceRNA network we created provided more insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying LUAD.
Chronic trace metals effects of mine tailings on estuarine assemblages revealed by environmental DNA
Authors: Bernardino Angelo F. , Pais Fabiano S. , Oliveira Louisi S. , Gabriel Fabricio A. , Ferreira Tiago O. , Queiroz Hermano M. , Mazzuco Ana Carolina A.
Published: November 2019

Mine tailing disasters have occurred worldwide and contemporary release of tailings of large proportions raise concerns of the chronic impacts that trace metals may have on the aquatic biodiversity. Environmental metabarcoding (eDNA) offers an as yet poorly explored opportunity for biological monitoring of impacted aquatic ecosystems from mine tailings and contaminated sediments. eDNA has been increasingly recognized to be an effective method to detect previously unrecognized small-sized Metazoan taxa, but their ecological responses to environmental pollution has not been assessed by metabarcoding. Here, we evaluated chronic effects of trace metal contamination from sediment eDNA of the Rio Doce estuary, 1.7 years after the Samarco mine tailing disaster, which released over 40 million m3 of iron tailings in the Rio Doce river basin. We identified 123 new sequence variants environmental taxonomic units (eOTUs) of benthic taxa and an assemblage composition dominated by Nematoda, Crustacea and Platyhelminthes; typical of other estuarine ecosystems. We detected environmental filtering on the meiofaunal assemblages and multivariate analysis revealed strong influence of Fe contamination, supporting chronic impacts from mine tailing deposition in the estuary. This was in contrast to environmental filtering of meiofaunal assemblages of non-polluted estuaries. Here, we suggest that the eDNA metabarcoding technique provides an opportunity to fill up biodiversity gaps in coastal marine ecology and may become a valid method for long term monitoring studies in mine tailing disasters and estuarine ecosystems with high trace metals content.
Isolation and Identification of Antibiotic Producing Bacteria from Soil Samples of Abattoir in Lapai, Niger State, Nigeria
Authors: Uwalaka E. I. , Kassim Z. J. , Abdulmumin A. R. , Hamzat A.
Published: November 2019

Antimicrobial agents or antibiotics are the most significant commercially available and utilized secondary metabolites, which are highly produced by the soil microbes (bacteria and fungi) and found to be effective and broad spectrum. Microbes produce metabolic products (antimicrobial agents) through the process called antibiosis. Majority of the classes of antibiotics used are derivatives of animals (microbes) and floras (plants). But currently, the microbial resistance is at the top gear which requires more effort to come up with novel structure, effectual, toxic free and reasonable cost of new antimicrobial products against microbial infections. In the present study, a trial was made to isolate, identify and characterize the antibiotic producing bacteria from the soil samples collected from different sites of abattoir in Lapai, using the standard microbiological techniques. A total of nine (9) bacterial of both groups (Gram positive and negative) which includes Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogene, Clostridium specie, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas species, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae were isolated in the course of the study. Pseudomonas species was the most frequently isolated bacteria (33.33%) while the rest of the isolates were 8.33% across the five different sampling sites. These isolates were further screened against some pathogenic microbes viz, Salmonella sp, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. Three of the bacterial isolates isolated from the abattoir were found to exhibits antimicrobial activity against two pathogenic bacteria used in this study. This study indicates that some of the soil microorganisms could be an interesting source of antimicrobial bioactive substances.
Zika Virus in Africa: Epidemiology and Determinants
Authors: Obore Nathan , Papabathini Shireen Salome , Ghimire Upama , Kawuki Joseph , Musa Taha Hussein
Published: November 2019

Zika virus (ZIKV) that was less known for decades suddenly became a global health emergency at the beginning of 2016. The virus was first discovered in the Zika forest of Uganda in 1947, and the first confirmed human infection was reported in Uganda between1962-1963. From its origin in East Africa, ZIKV then spread to West and Central Africa with a limited occurrence in North Africa. ZIKV has been circulating in Africa for over 60 years, but less attention had been given, not until its recent outbreaks outside Africa and its discovered association with adverse congenital disabilities. ZIKV is known to cause several debilitating neurological complications, including microcephaly in newborns and Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) in adults.

This review thus aims to highlight the epidemiological evidence and distribution of ZIKV in Africa with a focus on determinants, complications as well as management. We used literature searched from key databases such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, among others, to collect relevant current information about ZIKV in Africa.

Climate, sociodemographic factors, and increasing human density impact the spread of ZIKV in Africa, as in other areas. Furthermore, ZIKV transmission is affected by several unique factors, including the potential risk of sexual transmission, as well as vast numbers of refugees and other travellers from ZIKA endemic areas across Africa, and all over the world.

The review identifies the need to improve surveillance mechanisms and focusing on vector control as critical steps to enable prompt detection and avert potential outbreaks of the disease in the continent.
Emergency Readiness in Primary Health Care – A Case Study of Seven Health Centers with Family Medicine Residents in Guyana
Authors: Jagnarine Tariq Azar
Published: November 2019

Objectives: To understand emergency response in primary health care, to investigate the frequency and status of emergency preparedness at seven healthcare centres in Guyana with Family Residents.

To enquire if the seven centres are equipped with human and other resources to respond to emergencies and to suggest measures to improve emergency responses at the seven centres.

Design and Method: This study was based on a case-study research. The sample population consisted of 39 Family Residents and other Doctors whose experience with emergency preparedness at the facilities were analysed. Nurses, non-medical personnel and other staff at the Centres under study were excluded. The period of study was for one fiscal year- January-December 2018. Questionnaires were utilized as the primary research instrument and data was analyzed using SPPSS 23.

Results: Emergency cases were very frequent 69,4 % of the respondents indicated that emergency cases were frequent with 1-3 cases per week. The most common emergencies were asthmatic attacks, chest pain and severe trauma and lacerations. Most of the respondents have 3-5 years of medical experience while 72% been fully registered. The study shows 88.9% of the respondents indicating that there are no existing emergency protocols at the centres and 5.6% conducted case simulations.

Conclusion: There exist a need to better integrate and mainstream optimally emergency medical response at the seven centres. The centres are not prepared with the necessary drugs and equipment to respond to emergencies.

Recommendation: The study recommends making the necessary equipment and drugs, support facilities and training readily available at the Centres to respond to emergencies. Further studies are necessary.
From Best Evidence to Best Practice – Implementation of a Hand Washing Campaign in the Accident and Emergency Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation
Authors: Meter Jessica Van , Dye Sally , Amsterdam Natansa , Dani Gangapattie , Hamilton Le-Ann , Sookdeo Bhumika
Published: November 2019

Objective: Hand washing compliance amongst emergency healthcare providers is complicated by limited supplies, patient volume, mal-positioning of hygiene materials, and lack of education on the importance of hand hygiene.

Design and Methods: A survey was distributed to A&E healthcare staff to determine baseline knowledge about the importance of hand hygiene. Participants were asked to identify departmental obstacles to the practice of proper hand hygiene. Using World Health Organization teaching materials, a hand hygiene clinical observation tool was implemented to determine compliance prior to delivery of tailored education. Education was done utilizing posters, flyers, and powerpoint presentation. Hand sanitizer stations were installed to improve compliance. Finally, the clinical observation tool was implemented following the education initiative to determine impact on provider compliance. A post-implementation survey was distributed to determine if increased education and supplies impacted baseline knowledge and compliance.

Results: Only 88% of surveyed providers recognized that the A&E has a current hand hygiene policy with 64% noting GPHC does not stress hand hygiene enough. Providers reported they utilize hand hygiene 75% yet all participants acknowledged that proper hand washing greatly reduces the spread of infection. 53% of providers surveyed felt comfortable encouraging their peers to wash their hands.

Conclusions: Initial provider hand hygiene within the A&E was abysmal. Though identified as a predominant barrier, supplies were readily available throughout the observation window. Educational materials placed throughout the department improved both the perception and compliance of hand hygiene. The importance of provider hand hygiene must be continually stressed in order to maintain optimal compliance.
What is the Prevalence of Use of Herbal Medicine When Compared to Prescribed Medications in Diabetic Patients at Enmore Polyclinic?
Authors: Moore Aneisha , Daniels-Williams Tamica
Published: November 2019

Objective: To investigative the prevalence of herbal products used among Diabetic patients of Enmore Polyclinic and correlate with socio - demographic data and to find out the various types of herbal medicines used.

Methods: A cross sectional study conducted at Enmore Polyclinic from April to June, 2019. Data were collected using a preset data collection sheet and analyzed using Microsoft Excel.

Results: From a sample size of three hundred and eleven (311) participants, two hundred and thirty (230) - 74.2% used herbal medicine to control Diabetes; which was used predominantly by females. East Indians used more herbal products. The 51 – 60 years age group recorded the highest use of herbal medicine, with corilla being the most widely used herbal product was corilla.

Conclusion: The Use of Herbal Medicine in the control of Diabetic patients at Enmore Polyclinic is similar to that of the United States and Dubai, but slightly higher than that of tropical Sub-Saharan Africa and Trinidad.

Recommendation: Similar studies should be carried out in other areas of Guyana so as to ascertain the country’s prevalence of the use of Herbal Medicine in the control of Diabetes. Additionally, the adherence to prescribed medication should be enforced: while the effects of these herbal products should be investigated.