bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrating deep learning to achieve phase compensation for free-space orbital-angular-momentum-encoded quantum key distribution under atmospheric turbulence
Authors: Wang Xingyu , Wu Tianyi , Dong Chen , Zhu Haonan , Zhu Zhuodan , Zhao Shanghong
Published: November 2020

A high-dimensional quantum key distribution (QKD), which adopts degrees of freedom of the orbital angular momentum (OAM) states, is beneficial to realize secure and high-speed QKD. However, the helical phase of a vortex beam that carries OAM is sensitive to the atmospheric turbulence and easily distorted. In this paper, an adaptive compensation method using deep learning technology is developed to improve the performance of OAM-encoded QKD schemes. A convolutional neural network model is first trained to learn the mapping relationship of intensity profiles of inputs and the turbulent phase, and such mapping is used as feedback to control a spatial light modulator to generate a phase screen to correct the distorted vortex beam. Then an OAM-encoded QKD scheme with the capability of real-time phase correction is designed, in which the compensation module only needs to extract the intensity distributions of the Gaussian probe beam and thus ensures that the information encoded on OAM states would not be eavesdropped. The results show that our method can efficiently improve the mode purity of the encoded OAM states and extend the secure distance for the involved QKD protocols in the free-space channel, which is not limited to any specific QKD protocol.
Clinical characteristics and online mental health care of asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients with coronavirus disease 2019
Authors: Jeong Su Jin , Chung Won Suk , Sohn Yujin , Hyun Jong Hoon , Baek Yae Jee , Cho Yunsuk , Kim Jung Ho , Ahn Jin Young , Choi Jun Yong , Yeom Joon-Sup
Published: November 2020

Comparing to data in patients with severe coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19), there are few studies on the prevalence anxiety and/or depression in patients with asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic COVID-19. We investigated the clinical characteristics and the prevalence of anxiety and/or depression among asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients with COVID-19 and monitored their mental health using an online assessment. An online survey for monitoring and assessing the mental health of patients with COVID-19 using a mobile phone was conducted. We used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to measure anxiety and/or depression levels. Of the 234 patients, 66 patients were asymptomatic (28.2%), while the remaining 168 patients were mildly symptomatic. The prevalence of anosmia (p = 0.001) and ageusia (p = 0.008) significantly decreased with the increasing age. In addition, 19.8% and 14.0% patients had anxiety and/or depression in the first survey, and one week after the first survey, respectively. Compared to patients without anxiety and/or depression, those with anxiety and/or depression had a longer quarantine duration. We found that anomia and ageusia were relatively common in the young age group. Furthermore, one-fifth asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients with COVID-19 had anxiety and/or depression.
Time to treatment disruption in children with HIV-1 randomized to initial antiretroviral therapy with protease inhibitors versus non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors
Authors: Yin Dwight E. , Ludema Christina , Cole Stephen R. , Golin Carol E. , Miller William C. , Warshaw Meredith G. , McKinney Ross E. ,   on behalf of the PENPACT-1 (PENTA 9 / PACTG 390) Study Team
Published: November 2020

Background

Choice of initial antiretroviral therapy regimen may help children with HIV maintain optimal, continuous therapy. We assessed treatment-naïve children for differences in time to treatment disruption across randomly-assigned protease inhibitor versus non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based initial antiretroviral therapy.

Methods

We performed a secondary analysis of a multicenter phase 2/3, randomized, open-label trial in Europe, North and South America from 2002 to 2009. Children aged 31 days to <18 years, who were living with HIV-1 and treatment-naive, were randomized to antiretroviral therapy with two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors plus a protease inhibitor or non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor. Time to first documented treatment disruption to any component of antiretroviral therapy, derived from treatment records and adherence questionnaires, was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier estimators and Cox proportional hazards models.

Results

The modified intention-to-treat analysis included 263 participants. Seventy-two percent (n = 190) of participants experienced at least one treatment disruption during study. At 4 years, treatment disruption probabilities were 70% (protease inhibitor) vs. 63% (non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor). The unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) for treatment disruptions comparing protease inhibitor vs. non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based regimens was 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88–1.61 (adjusted HR 1.24, 95% CI 0.91–1.68). By study end, treatment disruption probabilities converged (protease inhibitor 81%, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor 84%) with unadjusted HR 1.11, 95% CI 0.84–1.48 (adjusted HR 1.13, 95% CI 0.84–1.50). Reported reasons for treatment disruptions suggested that participants on protease inhibitors experienced greater tolerability problems.

Conclusions

Children had similar time to treatment disruption for initial protease inhibitor and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based antiretroviral therapy, despite greater reported tolerability problems with protease inhibitor regimens. Initial pediatric antiretroviral therapy with either a protease inhibitor or non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor may be acceptable for maintaining optimal, continuous therapy.
Self-complementarity in adeno-associated virus enhances transduction and gene expression in mouse cochlear tissues
Authors: Casey Graham , Askew Charles , Brimble Mark A. , Samulski R. Jude , Davidoff Andrew M. , Li Chengwen , Walters Bradley J.
Published: November 2020

Sensorineural hearing loss is one of the most common disabilities worldwide. Such prevalence necessitates effective tools for studying the molecular workings of cochlear cells. One prominent and effective vector for expressing genes of interest in research models is adeno-associated virus (AAV). However, AAV efficacy in transducing cochlear cells can vary for a number of reasons including serotype, species, and methodology, and oftentimes requires high multiplicity of infection which can damage the sensory cells. Reports in other systems suggest multiple approaches can be used to enhance AAV transduction including self-complementary vector design and pharmacological inhibition of degradation. Here we produced AAV to drive green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in explanted neonatal mouse cochleae. Treatment with eeyarestatin I, tyrphostin 23, or lipofectamine 2000 did not result in increased transduction, however, self-complementary vector design resulted in significantly more GFP positive cells when compared to single-stranded controls. Similarly, self-complementary AAV2 vectors demonstrated enhanced transduction efficiency compared to single stranded AAV2 when injected via the posterior semicircular canal, in vivo. Self-complementary vectors for AAV1, 8, and 9 serotypes also demonstrated robust GFP transduction in cochlear cells in vivo, though these were not directly compared to single stranded vectors. These findings suggest that second-strand synthesis may be a rate limiting step in AAV transduction of cochlear tissues and that self-complementary AAV can be used to effectively target large numbers of cochlear cells in vitro and in vivo.
Effects of Bacillus cereus and coumarin on growth performance, blood biochemical parameters, and meat quality in broilers
Authors: Duskaev Galimzhan , Rakhmatullin Shamil , Kvan Olga
Published: November 2020

Background and Aim: Progressive antibiotic resistance has become the primary threat to public health. The search for alternative substances with similar effects is now a global challenge for poultry farming. The aim of this study was to investigate the action of the probiotic Bacillus cereus (BC) and coumarin (CO) on broiler productivity, biochemical indicators of blood, and muscular and liver tissues.

Materials and Methods: The trial of this study included Arbor Acres cross broiler chickens that were grown up to the age of 42 days. The experiment was conducted on 200 broiler chickens divided into four experimental groups of 50 individuals each: The control group received ration without additives (main ration [MR]), the first experimental group received MR+BC, the second received MR+CO, and the third received –MR+BC+CO. A biochemical and hematological analyzer was used to estimate elemental concentrations using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry.

Results: Inclusion of CO and CO+BC in the diet improved growth rates and reduced feed consumption (FC) per kg of live weight gain. Decreased white blood cell count, increased creatinine and triglycerides (CO), changes in aminotransferase and transpeptidase activity, and increases in chemical elements in the liver and pectoral muscles (BC+CO) were observed. The inclusion of BC+CO in the diet contributed to increases in a greater number of chemical elements in the liver (calcium [Ca], K, magnesium, Mn, Si, and Zn) and the pectoral muscles (Ca, Na, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn).

Conclusion: The inclusion of CO and CO+BC in the diet improves growth rates and reduces FC in broilers against a background of the absence of mortality during the experiment.
Exploring the Transition to Eudaimonic Tourism: A Case Study of Bali
Authors: Simandjuntak Djisman , Desfiandi Alvin , Lukas Erica , Setiawati Isti , Sabrina Nakita , Makalew Stanley
Published: November 2020

Growing population with rising income, advances in information and transportation technologies, preventive medicine, moderated nationalism that translate into less restrictive border measures against people flows have combined to fuel a durable progressive growth in tourism, domestic and international. As tourism grows, carrying capacity is stretched or even overstretched in some places and industries. The overcrowding of a destination in the latter’s life cycle is familiar to popular tourist sites. Energy consumption, CO2 emission, non-degradable and toxic wastes, biodiversity loss and loss of cultural diversity add to the downside of growing tourism. We doubt the inclusivity and sustainability of the current dominant design of tourism in developing economies such as Indonesia. A shift toward more eudaimonic tourism is needed. The innovative elements of eudaimonia include geographical treasure, biodiversity, and local deep culture. Indonesia is well endowed with peculiar geographical resources which in turn result in rich biodiversity. A long history of migration has also accumulated Indonesia’s cultural diversity. Bali offers an imperfect road to eudaimonic tourism as will be discussed as evidence that the shift away from exclusive and unsustainable tourism to a more inclusive and sustainable one is a realistic option.

 

Keywords: eudaimonic; tourism; inclusivity; sustainability
Cellular Angiofibroma Presenting as a Subepithelial Rectal Mass
Authors: Bloom Jennifer , Jordan Eric , Baratta Vanessa M. , Zhang Xuchen , Saha Atin , Yavorek George , Kurbatov Vadim
Published: November 2020

A very rare case of cellular angiofibroma arising from the rectum in a 62-year-old man with a normal colonoscopy 2 years earlier is reported. To our knowledge, this is the first such case reported in the literature. The tumor was transanally excised with clear margins, and the patient had no postoperative complications. It is key to accurately differentiate this lesion from other subepithelial rectal tumors and more aggressive genital soft tissue tumors because clinical management varies. We performed a review of clinical records and pathology as well as an extensive literature review.
The Spectrum of Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Patients With Coronavirus Disease-19: Predictors, Relationship With Disease Severity, and Outcome
Authors: Ghoshal Uday C. , Ghoshal Ujjala , Mathur Akash , Singh Ratender K. , Nath Alok , Garg Atul , Singh Dharamveer , Singh Sanjay , Singh Jasmeet , Pandey Ankita , Rai Sushmita , Vasanth Shruthi , Dhiman Radha Krishan
Published: November 2020

INTRODUCTION:

We prospectively studied the frequency, spectrum, and predictors of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms among patients with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) and the relationship between GI symptoms and the severity and outcome.

METHODS:

Consecutive patients with COVID-19, diagnosed in a university hospital referral laboratory in northern India, were evaluated for clinical manifestations including GI symptoms, their predictors, and the relationship between the presence of these symptoms, disease severity, and outcome on univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS:

Of 16,317 subjects tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in their oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal swabs during April–May 2020, 252 (1.5%) were positive. Of them, 208 (82.5%) were asymptomatic; of the 44 symptomatic patients, 18 (40.9%) had non-GI symptoms, 15 (34.1%) had a combination of GI and non-GI symptoms, and 11 (25.0%) had GI symptoms only. Thirty-three had mild-to-moderate disease, 8 severe, and 5 critical. Five patients (1.98%) died. On multivariate analysis, the factors associated with the presence of GI symptoms included the absence of contact history and presence of non-GI symptoms and comorbid illnesses. Patients with GI synptoms more often had severe, critical illness and fatal outcome than those without GI symptoms.

DISCUSSION:

Eighty-two percent of patients with COVID-19 were asymptomatic, and 10.3% had GI symptoms; severe and fatal disease occurred only in 5% and 2%, respectively. The presence of GI symptoms was associated with a severe illness and fatal outcome on multivariate analysis. Independent predictors of GI symptoms included the absence of contact history, presence of non-GI symptoms, and comorbid illnesses.

JOURNAL/cltg/04.03/01720094-202012000-00003/inline-graphic1/v/2023-10-30T213551Z/r/image-tiff
Current Management Strategies in Patients with Heart Failure and Atrial Fibrillation: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Parker Alex M. , Vilaro Juan R. , Ahmed Mustafa M. , Aranda Juan M.
Published: November 2020

Heart Failure (HF) and Atrial Fibrillation (AF) are common diseases which lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Each disease can be a challenge to treat clinically, especially when they present together. We performed a review of the literature including clinical trials, metanalyses, and guidelines regarding the management of patients with HF and AF. This review describes the pathophysiologic mechanisms behind each disease state, their associated prognosis, and epidemiologic features. Strategies for prevention of stroke in patients with AF, including use of novel oral anticoagulants as well as prevention of the development of AF are discussed. We review the medical and catheter-based therapies for AF and present an original algorithm for the management of AF in patients with HF.
An Exercise on Data-Based Decision Making
Authors: Fiebelkorn Florian , Puchert Nils , Dossey Aaron T.
Published: November 2020

The ability to make criteria-based and thought-out decisions in everyday life as well as to answer questions pertaining to society at large, such as those regarding climate change and the loss of biodiversity, is becoming more and more important against the backdrop of an increasingly complex world with a wide range of options for action or inaction. Using the method of “data-based decision making,” this article presents a decision-making strategy for improving the evaluation competence of students that is particularly suitable for teaching socioscientific issues in the context of sustainable development. Using the example of human consumption of insects (sometimes termed “entomophagy,” although this term is defined as the consumption of insects by any organism), the students will evaluate the potential for insects as an alternative, sustainable source of protein as compared with conventional meat.
Sorting Fact from Fiction
Authors: Proudfit Molly
Published: November 2020

The purpose of the proposed lesson is to help students develop media literacy skills, which are necessary across the curriculum and in students’ everyday lives. Students will do so by evaluating a provided conspiracy theory and, later, a pseudoscience claim (alternatively, students may supply either material). In order to thoroughly evaluate the claim, students will generate and answer media literacy questions, with instructor or peer support as needed. Once students have practiced using the media literacy questions to evaluate the conspiracy theory, they will progress to more challenging material, such as a pseudoscience claim about a fad diet. Finally, the instructor may choose to extend the lesson to allow students time to apply their media literacy skills to a curricular pseudoscience claim, perhaps regarding climate change or the efficacy of vaccines. To complete the lesson, students will reflect on the content of the claims, why the misinformation matters, and the process of evaluating the material to draw appropriate conclusions.
Two-dimensional hydraulic modelling of submerged river training structures
Authors: Kvočka Davor
Published: November 2020

River training structures, such as dikes and chevrons, are commonly used for improving riparian navigation conditions. These structures are usually submerged under most flows and are aligned at variable angles to the main river flow direction. In this study, two different approaches for two-dimensional hydraulic modelling of submerged dikes and chevrons in MIKE 21 Flow Model FM have been analysed: (i) by representing the geometry of the structures explicitly in the bathymetry of the river channel (i.e. bathymetry approach), and (ii) by utilising the “dike” sub-grid module, where the flow past a structure is calculated by employing an empirical discharge relationship (i.e. dike module approach). The model results have been compared to theoretical and empirical studies, as well as to field observations and measurements. The obtained results indicate that the bathymetry approach is the more appropriate method for simulating predominantly submerged river training structures. However, these types of models should be used only for general assessment of potential river engineering solutions. For more detailed analysis of solution options, more complex models are recommended, e.g. three-dimensional hydrodynamic models.
Análisis de datos cuantitativos con SPSS en investigación socioeducativa
Authors: Murillo Torrecilla F. Javier , Martínez-Garrido Cynthia
Published: November 2020

Solo si somos capaces de conocer/explicar/comprender los fenómenos sociales y educativos que inciden en los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje, en la organización de los centros docentes y en la configuración de los sistemas educativos formales e informales, será posible transformar la educación para que se constituya en un motor de cambio para la construcción de sociedades más justas, equitativas e inclusivas. Bajo ese planteamiento, desde el Área de Métodos de Investigación y Diagnóstico en Educación de la Facultad de Formación de Profesorado en Educación se diseña esta obra "Análisis de datos cuantitativos con SPSS en investigación socioeducativa" que sirve de guión formativo en las diversas aplicaciones de técnicas estadísticas multivariantes de análisis de datos, mediante el uso del program Statistical Package for the Social.
Fruit waste valorization for biodegradable biocomposite applications: A review
Authors: Gowman Alison C. , Picard Maisyn C. , Lim Loong-Tak , Misra Manjusri , Mohanty Amar K.
Published: November 2020

Currently, food waste is a major concern for companies, governments, and consumers. One of the largest sources of food waste occurs during industrial processing, where substantial by-products are generated. Fruit processing creates a lot of these by-products, from undesirable or “ugly fruit,” to the skins, seeds, and fleshy parts of the fruits. These by-products compose up to 30% of the initial mass of fruit processed. Millions of tons of fruit wastes are generated globally from spoilage and industrial by-products, so it is essential to find alternative uses for fruit wastes to increase their value. This goal can be accomplished by processing fruit waste into fillers and incorporating them into polymeric materials. This review summarizes recent developments in technologies to incorporate fruit wastes from sources such as grape, apple, olive, banana, coconut, pineapple, and others into polymer matrices to create green composites or films. Various surface treatments of biofillers/fibers are also discussed; these treatments increase the adhesion and applicability of the fillers with various bioplastics. Lastly, a comprehensive review of sustainable and biodegradable biocomposites is presented.
Armed drones: can civilians be protected?
Authors: Šniutė Vincas , Šniutė Danas
Published: November 2020

Armed drone is a military technology that is being used not only for surveillance but also in combat operations. In some military operations the distinctive technological features of drones offer an advantage compared to manned aircraft. Most of the military operations which are conducted by drones fall under Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and Relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol II). The use of military drones in non-international armed conflicts causes many legal problems in the international humanitarian law, concerning the protection of civilians. Nevertheless, armed drones are legal under international humanitarian law. The most relevant principles of international humanitarian law concerning the use of armed drones are distinction and proportionality. These principles can be fulfilled more effectively by drone operators because of the advanced technology of drones. However, the use of armed drones in real life operations usually violate the international humanitarian law and its core principles. Thus, existing regulation cannot protect the lives of civilians. Additional regulation of armed drones at the UN level could create international legal mechanism which would protect the civilians. However, the current political situation, as well as the difficult decision-making procedures at the UN institutions, suggest that future legal regulation is not likely to be enacted anytime soon.
Blocking access to websites as a measure of copyright protection
Authors: Urbavičiūtė Monika , Petreikis Laimonas
Published: November 2020

The research is mainly focused on blocking acces to websites as one of the main measure of copyright protection in the online space. The concept and content of this copyright measure have been disclosed. The effectiveness and efficiency of website blocking has been thoroughly analyzed. From the practical aspect, the mechanism of blocking acces to a website has been disclosed. Italian and French ways of copyright protection on the internet were compared with the Lithuanian model. The legal relationship between the court and the public administration entity as the role of these entities were also examined. The rullings of the Lithuanian Supreme Court and the case law of the European Court Of Justice have been systematically reviewed. The problem of implementing such a measue in the context of human rights was analyzed. The transfer of such a regulatory mechanism to other legal spheres and its implementation therein was discussed.
Digital business taxation issues and threats abstract
Authors: Gulbinas Alanas , Jogminaitė Kamilė
Published: November 2020

“Article of digital business taxation issues and threats”, analyzes the impact of the digitalization in modern society and the changes of corporate profit tax. This article has been concentrated on the regulation of the European Union but mentions the international adjustments as well. The article has been written in a discussion of national law and bilateral agreements, which apply to the traditional permanent headquarters concept. This article discusses the current situation, where digital businesses are not being taxed with corporate profit tax, and possibilities to change it according to the needs of the digital economy In addition, when digital businesses emerged, the permanent headquarters concept, which taxed based on the permanent location, required further discussion and a new definition. Therefore, the article talks over the proposals of the European Union to equalize corporate profit taxation. The article analyzes the possible consequences and issues of the adaptation of the EU directive. In question of regulating the corporate profit tax, the authors discussed the competence of the EU.
El estatus de arte del CG-art desde un modo de existencia de tipo-natural
Authors: Arriagada Beltrán Leonardo Salvador
Published: November 2020

La introducción de las redes generativas antagónicas en el mundo del arte ha revitalizado la clásica pregunta: ¿puede una máquina crear arte? Estos algoritmos requieren una mínima intervención humana para funcionar, por lo que sus creaciones se consideran CG-art. En esta clase particular de arte los computadores no son una herramienta al servicio humano, sino un agente creativo autónomo. Por otro lado, estudios cognitivos recientes han demostrado que las personas son escépticas ante la idea de que una máquina pueda crear arte. Este artículo tiene como objetivo mostrar que el CG-art no puede excluirse arbitrariamente del dominio artístico. Para ello se utiliza la distinción hecha por Dickie entre teorías del arte de tipo natural y cultural. Luego, utilizando el concepto función de estatus de Searle, se propone considerar al arte como un fenómeno independiente del lenguaje. Complementando ambos enfoques sostengo que, la teoría idónea para explicar el fenómeno del CG-art es del tipo natural. Esto implica que la sociedad no puede negar el carácter de arte a estas creaciones algorítmicas. Así, la idea de que las máquinas pueden crear arte es fortalecida.

Palabras clave: CG-art, teoría de arte, filosofía social, Searle, función de estatus
Effectiveness of a Hungarian peer education handwashing programme in primary and secondary schools
Authors: Molnár ZS. , Varga L. , Gyenes G. , Lehotsky Á. , Gradvohl E. , Lukács Á.J. , Füzi R.A. , Gézsi A. , Falus A. , Feith H.J.
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Proper handwashing helps prevent the spread of communicable diseases. The aim of our study was to analyse and compare children's knowledge and skills in hand hygiene before and after school interventions in order to evaluate the effectiveness of our peer education programme.

Materials/methods

In our longitudinal study, short- and long-term changes in the knowledge, hand-washing skills and health behaviour of 224 lower, upper and secondary school students were assessed. Our measurements were performed with a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire and the Semmelweis Scanner.

Results

As a result of the intervention, the proportion of correct answers increased significantly both in the short term and in the long run compared to the input measurements, but age differences did not disappear for most variables. There is a difference in the process of learning theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Areas not used for handwashing in the paediatric population are different from those described for adults in the literature. There was no significant difference between the mean scores of the right and left hands.

Conclusions

There was a significant positive change in both theory and practice of handwashing. In education, emphasis should also be put on long-term retention of theoretical knowledge in age-specific health promotion programmes within the paediatric population.
Critical Thinking in Medical Education Missions
Authors: Phillips J. Dwight , Hermiz Mary , Smelter Laura , Smith James
Published: November 2020

Critical thinking, an essential skill for the transformation of medical knowledge into practice, should be a key component of medical education, even in cross-cultural training situations. Critical thinking is the use of purposeful, self-regulatory judgment which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference as well as the explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, or contextual considerations upon which that judgment was based. Critical thinking is important because the healthcare workplace and the science on which healthcare is based continue to advance and evolve. Those who teach healthcare cross-culturally may experience challenges in teaching critical thinking to cross-cultural learners, challenges in the areas of language/communication, cultural differences, customary education approach, and educator factors. The challenges may be identified, addressed, and overcome. Tangible means of implementing training in critical thinking include the use of questions and discussions during educational sessions as well as structured systems for reflecting on causes and treatment of medical conditions.
Judeo-Christian Influence on Global Health, Human Rights, and Justice
Authors: Patrick John
Published: November 2020

An essay on the historical significance of Judeo-Christian influence on the development of modern human rights, justice and global health policies, and a caution regarding the importance of transcendend moral law on subsequent generations for sustainable human flourishing.
Adapting Care Groups to Urban Slums: A Case Study of a Church-Based Effort to Improve Maternal and Child Health Outcomes in Mathare, Nairobi, Kenya
Authors: Opiyo Judith Siambe , Fast Paul Shetler
Published: November 2020

Progress on maternal and child health has been slow and uneven in Africa, with widening geographic and socio-economic disparities despite economic growth and continued investments in health systems. In Kenya, modest national-level gains mask wide disparities in progress, with near stagnation among the very poor, those with the least education, and those living in either extremely rural contexts or dense informal urban slums. Progress toward Kenya’s maternal and child health Sustainable Development Goals will depend on finding new ways to work effectively in dense urban slums where poverty and ill-health are increasingly concentrated. Effective approaches require addressing significant knowledge, behavior, and trust gaps, especially with the most vulnerable residents of slum communities like Nairobi’s Mathare. Care groups were designed to address these gaps but have only been effectively tested and scaled in rural and peri-urban environments. The Center for Peacebuilding and Nationhood’s Maternal and Child Health Care Group project supported by Mennonite Central Committee in Mathare, one of the largest informal settlements in Kenya, was one of the first to adapt the Care Group model to an urban slum. Adapting the model was necessary in this challenging context characterized by high population density, crowding, extremely transient and unstable populations, low social trust, lack of traditional social structures, high crime, political disruption, and frequent rapid onset disasters. This study shows the pilot’s success and challenges in adapting care groups to the realities of a dense African urban slum, the innovative strategies the project has used, and the unique benefits of doing this work on a small scale rooted in a local church organization.
Separated but Whole: Pursuing Health and Redefining Community amidst COVID-19
Authors: Millhollin Jordan
Published: November 2020

In his speech “Health is Wholeness,” Wendell Berry says that when we are healthy, we are unconscious of our bodies—only sickness brings our attention to them. He also says that people’s sense of wholeness is tied to community, and any removal from common life together is a denial of wholeness and a removal of health. As we find ourselves in this strange COVID-19 moment, we are wrestling with a sudden awareness and anxiety about our own bodies while also hearing the call for social separation that takes us apart from the communities which provide us meaning. This is precisely the type of issue that Berry describes; a closer look at Berry’s theological leanings may give us the resources we need to find hope and meaning during this crisis. Within COVID-19’s clear violation of wholeness, Berry’s understanding of health as interconnection and orientation toward one another under God’s divine love is a faithful and loving way to find meaning during this crisis. If we follow Berry's assertion that under Christ the community is the smallest unit of health, then observing social distancing for the sake of public health is faithfully in line with a theological vision of health as wholeness.
When demand outstrips supply: A Christian view of the ethics of healthcare resource allocation during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Haslam James , Redman Melody
Published: November 2020

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic presents the greatest challenge to global healthcare systems in living memory. This article deals with the ethics of rationing the supply of scarce healthcare resources, such as ventilators, during periods of high demand, such as the current pandemic. Existing ethical guidelines and commentaries are cited and critiqued from a Christian ethics viewpoint.
Hospital Readiness for COVID-19: The Scenario from India with Suggestions for the World
Authors: Seshadri Mandalam , John T. Jacob
Published: November 2020

Lessons learned from Italy regarding hospitals and health care facilities as important sources of disease spread for COVID-19, and ways to mitigate this in India and other countries.
Health systems strengthening through the faith-based sector: Critical analysis of facilitators and inhibitors of nationalization of mission hospitals in India
Authors: Jansen Perry
Published: November 2020

Introduction: The extensive network of Christian mission hospitals in India faced an abrupt loss of financing and supply of medical missionaries during and after independence in 1947. Many of the remaining went on to become indigenously owned Christian hospitals and prestigious medical colleges that maintained the heart for the poor and for spiritual care that was inspired by their founders. The aim of this critical analysis is to explore the literature to understand what helped these hospitals survive when others failed and lessons that can be learned to help direct future investment and programs for health systems strengthening.
Methods: A literature review was conducted utilizing PubMed and Google Scholar and combinations of keywords (mission, hospital, India, independence, indigenization, sustainability, history, health system). The initial list of 785 articles was filtered down to 28 that specifically address the research questions. Excerpts from these articles were annotated, coded, and evaluated for core themes.
Results: The following core themes arose as factors that contributed to their success: 1) shared mission, vision, and core values, 2) early emphasis on medical education, especially for women, 3) local champions, patrons, and governance, 4) strong community linkages, 5) strategic collaborations, and 6) healthy systems and infrastructure.
Recommendations: Most international investment in health systems strengthening has focused on short- and medium-term health outcome goals. While these have certainly saved the lives of millions, we must also consider what will be required to foster healthy healthcare systems. Long-term investment in building committed healthcare leaders and healthy institutions is challenging, but necessary, to meet long-term health goals. Faith-based hospitals are key allies in this endeavor.
Mission hospital responses to challenges and implications for their future role in India’s health system
Authors: Long Katelyn N.G. , Chandy Sujith J. , Feeley Rich , Laing Richard O. , Laird Lance D. , Wirtz Veronika J.
Published: November 2020

Background: India’s health system is currently experiencing rapid change. Achieving India’s aspirations for improved population health and universal health coverage will require the contribution of all health providers; public, private-for-profit, not-for-profit, and charitable providers. Among the largest charitable providers in India are Christian mission hospitals, who have played a historic role in healthcare delivery to the poor and underserved. This study explored the main internal and external challenges facing mission hospitals, their response to those challenges, and the role they might play in the broader health system going forward.
Methods: The study employed interdisciplinary methodology to assess the top challenges and responses between 2010-2017. The theory of everyday resilience was used to categorize challenges as chronic stresses or acute shocks and to explore features of resilience in responses to challenges, along with the underlying capabilities that enable resilience responses.
Results and Discussion: Mission hospitals were impacted by social, political, and health system challenges. Most operated as “stressors,” for example, strained governance structures and human resource shortages. “Shocks” included major changes in health policy and increasing competition from for-profit providers. In response, some mission hospitals exhibited features of everyday resilience, traversing between absorptive, adaptive, and transformative strategies. Among mission hospitals that appeared to be successfully navigating challenges, three core capacities were present: 1) cognitive capacity, understanding the challenge and developing appropriate response strategies; 2) behavioral capacity, having agency to deploy context-specific responses; and 3) contextual capacity, having adequate resources, including hardware (e.g., money, people, infrastructure) and software (e.g., values, relationships, networks), to exercise the first two capacities. Building on their history and current examples of everyday resilience, mission hospitals can contribute to the larger health system by attending to health and well-being at the margins of society, encouraging innovation, developing human resources, and engaging in policy and advocacy.
Conclusion: While mission hospitals face pressing internal and external challenges, many exhibit features of everyday resilience and retain strong commitment to population health and service to the poor. These features make them potentially strong actors in their local contexts as well as potential partners in the realization of improved population health across India.
The role of a mission organization in building a sustainable government hospital in Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Lindtjørn Bernt
Published: November 2020

In 1950, the Norwegian Lutheran Mission (NLM) began holistic mission work, including health work in Yirga Alem in Sidama in Southern Ethiopia. The hospital, which had served as a military hospital during the Italian war (1936-41), became a mission hospital. This paper presents some historical developments of a government hospital managed by a mission organization, the story of its medical work, and how the NLM functioned under varying political regimes and societal environments in Southern Ethiopia. At the same time, societal changes occurring in Norway with the weakening of mission organizations and the Norwegian government’s policy that influenced external financial support for the hospital are presented and discussed. The key message of the paper is that it is possible under challenging external politics for a mission organization to collaborate with government entities even with difficult regimes. In the area of Yirga Alem Hospital, this was done without compromising the basics of mission, but rather readjusting comparative strategies while ensuring sustainability and local ownership. The uniqueness of this work is that it explores a mission, i.e., the NLM, which developed health work within the context of a nationally owned health service. Moreover, this fruitful collaboration persists until this day and previous missionaries still work to strengthen public health programs that target such major areas as tuberculosis and HIV control, maternal health, childcare, and nutrition.
Historical Note: A Missiologist’s View of Medical Missions from 1978
Authors: Hudson Paul J
Published: November 2020

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The future of health in mission starts with reading the story together
Authors: Dahlman Bruce
Published: November 2020

A call to bring together healthcare and mission endeavors in a seamless service using Jesus' life and ministry as a model.
Mission hospitals as vital capacity builders in the Majority World
Authors: Dahlman Bruce
Published: November 2020

Editorial on mission hospitals as key contributors to capacity-building in underserved areas through discipleship and education for a dedicated healthcare work force.
Promoting inclusive early childhood development under the SDG era
Authors: Olusanya Bolajoko O.
Published: November 2020

Guest editorial which relates early childhood emphases in the SDGs with the the Church's critical response toward transformative change.
Response of a non-governmental organisation to COVID-19
Authors: Varughese Sara
Published: November 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a global impact with local or national lockdowns imposed in 172 countries. Morbidity and mortality due to the virus has seriously damaged both the health of populations and the economy. Government and non-governmental agencies (NGOs) have been hard pressed to respond meaningfully in the global crisis, the likes of which have not been experienced in recent times. A disability and development organization in India, a branch of a global non-governmental organization, reflects on the challenges and lessons learnt in responding to the crisis. The need to be alert, responsive, and consultative is highlighted.
Um outro quinhão de imagens: Audiovisual on-line e Multi-Channel Networks
Authors: Martins Ladeira João Damasceno
Published: November 2020

Este artigo investiga uma experiência específica para a criação de conteúdo voltado ao streaming, em sua busca por construir outras dimensões para a imagem on-line. A análise recai sobre os multi-channel networks (MCNs), produtores de conteúdo nativo que, diferenciando-se em relação ao broadcast convencional e à televisão segmentada, contam com o envolvimento tanto de conglomerados globais de comunicação, como a Disney e a Time Warner, quanto de operações de tecnologias de informação, com destaque para o Google. Construídos segundo esta associação diversa, alimentam plataformas como o YouTube, mas não apenas. Os MCNs ordenam uma lógica para a imagem que, como outras tentativas de definir a televisão do séc. XXI, inserem-se num diagrama de controle pautado pela lógica do protocolo, com conteúdo diversificado trafegando livremente por espaços variados.
Intra-organizational antecedents of talent management in the context of positive organizational scholarship: a study of companies operating in Poland
Authors: Chodorek Monika , Haffer Rafał , Lis Andrzej
Published: November 2020

Purpose: The aim of the study is to empirically validate the influence of talent management antecedents identified in the literature. The concept of talent management is discussed in the context of Positive Organizational Scholarship. This idea helped to prepare a more accurate enumeration of the antecedents of talent management presented in the literature. The analysis of the literature was the basis for developing a set of propositions which constitute the model to be tested empirically. Methodology: The analyses presented in this paper were supported by the data collected in the questionnaire survey conducted among companies operating in Poland in 2012. The examined sample consisted of 73 organizations. Pearson correlation and partial least squares (PLS) path modelling were applied to analyze the causal relations between the variables. Findings: The analysis positively validated the cause-effect relationships between talent management and the following antecedents: talent management infrastructure and organizational culture, organization strategy, and internal communication. Research limitations: The study was limited to companies operating in Poland which established a specific cultural context. The relatively small research sample was another constraint. Therefore, the findings cannot be automatically extended to other organizations. Moreover, in order to reduce the observed ambiguity between causes and effects, quantitative studies should be supported by qualitative surveys based on the case study methodology. Originality/value: The outcomes of the study contribute to the field through the empirical testing of the theoretical assumptions concerning the antecedents of talent management
Finding opportunity windows in time series data using the sliding window technique: The case of stock exchanges
Authors: Gürsakal Necmi , Yilmaz Fırat Melih , Uğurlu: Erginbay
Published: November 2020

Data have shapes, and human intelligence and perception have to classify the forms of data to understand and interpret them. This article uses a sliding window technique and the main aim is to answer two questions. Is there an opportunity window in time series of stock exchange index? The second question is how to find a way to use the opportunity window if there is one. The authors defined the term opportunity window as a window that is generated in the sliding window technique and can be used for forecasting. In analysis, the study determined the different frequencies and explained how to evaluate opportunity windows embedded using time series data for the S&P 500, the DJIA, and the Russell 2000 indices. As a result, for the S&P 500 the last days of the patterns 0111, 1100, 0011; for the DJIA the last days of the patterns 0101, 1001, 0011; and finally for the Russell 2000, the last days of the patterns 0100, 1001, 1100 are opportunity windows for prediction
Corporate social responsibility as a way to sustainable employment
Authors: Muszyńska Karolina
Published: November 2020

The purpose of this article is to identify the relationship between the declared activities in line with corporate social responsibility and the implementation of diversity management concepts. The paper presents the essence of corporate social responsibility as an element of company strategy, and the importance of the concept of managing diversity of employees in building an organizational culture based on mutual respect and a sense of security of employees, and thus increasing the efficiency and innovation of the company, by recognizing the individual characteristics of the people employed. An in-depth interview method was used, conducted on the basis of a non-standardized interview questionnaire with HR directors of domestic companies. The obtained empirical material was presented as a case study
Koleksiyon Yönetiminde Ödünç Verme İstatistiklerinin Kullanımı: Hacettepe Üniversitesi Örneği
Authors: Al Umut , Soydal İrem
Published: November 2020

Bu çalışmada Türkiye’deki en büyük kitap koleksiyonlarından bir tanesine sahip olan ve çok farklı türde fakültelere hizmet veren Hacettepe Üniversitesi Kütüphanelerinin kitap koleksiyonu incelenmektedir. Çalışmanın amacı, ödünç verme istatistiklerine dayalı olarak gerçekleştirilen koleksiyon analizi çalışmalarının, kütüphanelerin kendi koleksiyonlarını yakından tanımalarına, yeni kaynak seçimi ya da mevcut kaynakların ayıklanması konularında karar alma süreçlerine nasıl yardımcı olabileceğini göstermektir. Bu bağlamda Hacettepe Üniversitesi Kütüphaneleri kullanıcıları tarafından en sık talep edilen kitaplar saptanmış ve ödünç verme istatistiklerine dayalı olarak koleksiyon analiz edilmiştir. Araştırmada Kongre Kütüphanesi (LC) Sınıflama Sistemine dayalı olarak konu alanları arasında kullanım farklılığı bulunup bulunmadığı da test edilmektedir. Araştırmanın bulguları, ortalama ödünç verme sayıları bakımından Dil ve Edebiyat alanı ile Güzel Sanatlar alanı arasında hemen hemen yedi katlık bir farklılık olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır.