bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sonographic Resolution of B-Lines after Diuresis in a Pregnant Patient with Preeclampsia Associated Pulmonary Edema
Authors:   Department of Anaesthesiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, NY., Ayoub Mohamad Ibrahim , Padilla Cesar ,   Department of Anaesthesiology, Stanford Hospital, CA., Gonzalez Justo ,   Department of Anaesthesiology, Cleveland Clinic, OH., Taleb Husien ,   Department of Anaesthesiology, Cleveland Clinic, OH., Geara Elie ,   Department of Anaesthesiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, NY., Oweidat Adeeb ,   Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Lowa City, US.
Published: October 2023

We describe a case of preeclampsia where lung ultrasonography facilitated the diagnosis of pulmonary edema while also showing real-time resolution of B-lines after diuresis. The diagnostic accuracy of B-line clearance using lung ultrasonography across diverse patient populations (heart failure, renal failure) holds promise for use in the obstetric patient population. To our knowledge this is the first report which shows real-time resolution of B-lines using lung ultrasonography in a pregnant patient with preeclampsia associated pulmonary edema. Given the established validity of this tool, we believe lung ultrasonography holds promise in the management of critically ill obstetric patients. Keywords: Preeclampsia, TTE (transthoracic echocardiography), POCUS (point-of-care ultrasonography), FRC (functional residual capacity), B-lines, A-lines
Two-stage Partial Component Retention and Interim Cemented Liner for Infected Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Case Report
Authors: Luk Michelle Hilda , Fu Henry , Chan Ping Keung , Ng Fu Yuen , Chiu Kwong Yuen
Published: October 2023

Introduction: There is interest in partial exchange for infected total hip arthroplasty, as an alternative to complete removal of components in a traditional two-stage revision. Partial exchange avoids the difficulty of removing a well-fixed component and its associated bone loss. Case Report: We report a case of a 61-year-old male patient with an infected total hip arthroplasty, who underwent a two-stage partial exchange, with retention of the well-fixed femoral stem, and an interim cemented liner. He had excellent function and no infection recurrence at 4 years of follow-up. Conclusion: Two-stage partial exchange with interim cemented liner could be an effective option for infected total hip arthroplasty. Keywords: Infection, prosthetic joint infection, two-stage revision, partial exchange, total hip arthroplasty, component retention.
Unique Procedure to Remove Pedicle Screw without Compatible Instrumentation: Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Singh Jagdeep , Gupta Pranav , Bahadur Raj , Kumar Sameer
Published: October 2023

Introduction: As the number of patients undergoing spine fixation has increased, the requirement for revision surgery has also increased. Difficulty faced while doing revision surgery is mostly in removing polyaxial pedicle screws, especially if we do not have the desired instrumentation. Case Report: A 55-year-old patient previously operated for D12 fracture presented to us with implant failure due to backing out of pedicle screws. Compatible instrumentation to remove the implant was not available as even the cap screw could not be removed due to screwdriver mismatch. Hence, we had to design our own method to address the problem which we did successfully. At present, the patient is on our regular follow-up, is pain free, is able to walk without support, and has not reported any new complaints. Conclusion: Method used in our case simplifies and accelerates the screw removal process and provides guidance to any surgeon who faces a similar problem. Keywords: Implant failure, jumbo cutter, pedicle screw.
Mid-resection Workflow for Robotic-assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty in a Stiff Knee
Authors:   Department of Orthopaedics, Sunshine Bone and Joint Institute, Secunderabad, Telangana, India., Vecham Ratnakar , Manohar J.S S N ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Sunshine Bone and Joint Institute, Secunderabad, Telangana, India., Karumuri Kishore ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Sunshine Bone and Joint Institute, Secunderabad, Telangana, India., Reddy A V Gurava ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Sunshine Bone and Joint Institute, Secunderabad, Telangana, India.
Published: October 2023

Introduction: With the growing prevalence of robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty (RATKA), the significance of effectively addressing complex deformities using this approach is gaining widespread recognition. This article underscores the importance of a novel mid-resection workflow specifically tailored for RATKA in cases with complex deformities. Case Report: A 58-year-old female patient diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis in both knees and a stiff left knee underwent RATKA utilizing a mid-resection workflow. The surgery resulted in favorable intraoperative stability and achieved a satisfactory range of motion. Follow-up at the 1-year post-operative mark demonstrated a range of movement of 110° and a positive functional outcome for the patient. Conclusion: Severe knee arthritis with flexion deformity represents a common condition encountered in surgical practice. The advent of RATKA has provided us with an opportunity to assess and establish the effectiveness of mid-resection workflow in managing such cases. Keywords: Stiff knee, mid-resection workflow, osteoarthritis, robotic assisted.
Long-segment Continuous Multi-level Spinal Tuberculosis without Bony Destruction Leading to Rapid Paraplegia in an Immunocompetent Patient
Authors:   Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India., Rath Sutapa , Jain Mantu ,   Department of Orthopaedics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha India., Mohanty Monalisa ,   Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India., Naik Suprava ,   Department of Radiodiagnosis, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India., Mishra Baijayantimala ,   Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
Published: October 2023

Introduction: Spinal tuberculosis (STB) accounts for 1% of all tuberculosis (TB) cases and 50% of skeletal TB. The classic presentation is a paradiscal involvement leading to the destruction of bodies, progressive kyphosis that can end with neurological weakness. The advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has made detection early but at the same time, we find multilevel involvement which can be continuous/noncontinuous. Case presentation: A 26-year-old male, non-alcoholic, non-smoker presented with complete paraplegia involving the bladder and bowel. His clinical examination did not show any gibbus. He was started on empirical antitubercular therapy and then referred to us as he failed to show improvement. An MRI of the spine showed extensive long-segment continuous spinal involvement with epidural abscess. The patient was taken for surgery with posterior decompression and instrumentation which was proven to be TB. He received complete treatment of 1 year and had complete recovery of his sensory and incomplete recovery of motor of lower limbs (became a wheelchair ambulator) with regain of bowel and bladder control at the end of treatment. Conclusion: This case report revealed that long-segment continuous STB without extensive destruction is atypical presentation. The clinical findings of paraplegia helped us to evaluate and clinch the diagnosis on MRI. However, the prognosis of rapid paraplegia remains guarded and patient had partial recovery of motor so he could become wheel chair ambulator only. Keywords: Spinal tuberculosis, long segment, continuous, magnetic resonance imaging.
Optical pilot tone correction of phase errors in photodetection chains
Authors: Schultze Alexander , Weise Dennis , Braxmaier Claus , Sell Alexander
Published: October 2023

The phase delay introduced by photodetectors can be affected by intensity, reverse bias, and temperature through different effects. An optical pilot tone superimposed on the detected signal allows an independent measurement of such phase errors in the complete photodetection chain and provides an opportunity to correct them. This allows to further separate readout noise from the measurement, providing a more performant and intensity-invariant phase readout. We test the functional principle on a setup demonstrating an improved phase noise performance and a reduced phase walk below 10 mHz in particular. This benefits applications that require accurate timing or signal phase determination with photodiodes.
Symplectic numerical methods in optics and imaging: ray tracing in spherical gradient-index lenses and computer-generated image rendering
Authors: McKeon Ben , Goncharov Alexander V.
Published: October 2023

This paper provides an introduction to symplectic numerical integration techniques and examines various optical applications. We first outline the fundamentals of Hamiltonian optics and detail the construction of a symplectic method via the splitting technique. Numerical experiments involving a selection of spherically symmetric gradient-index lenses compare the accuracy of various first-, second-, and fourth-order symplectic methods with equivalent nonsymplectic methods. The best-performing methods are then further tested as part of an image rendering task involving nonlinear ray tracing, comparing the trace time required by each method. Future improvements, recommendations, and uses for symplectic ray tracing are also considered.
Multikernel positional embedding convolutional neural network for photoacoustic reconstruction with sparse data
Authors: Li Jiayi , Meng Yi-Chao
Published: October 2023

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is an emerging noninvasive imaging modality that merges the
high contrast of optical imaging with the high resolution of
ultrasonic imaging. Low-quality photoacoustic reconstruction with
sparse data due to sparse spatial sampling and limited view detection
is a major obstacle to the popularization of PAI for medical
applications. Deep learning has been considered as the best solution
to this problem in the past decade. In this paper, we propose what we
believe to be a novel architecture, named DPM-UNet, which consists of
the U-Net backbone with additional position embedding block and two
multi-kernel-size convolution blocks, a dilated dense block and
dilated multi-kernel-size convolution block. Our method was
experimentally validated with both simulated data and in vivo data, achieving a SSIM of 0.9824 and a
PSNR of 33.2744 dB. Furthermore, the reconstructed images of
our proposed method were compared with those obtained by other
advanced methods. The results have shown that our proposed DPM-UNet
has a great advantage in PAI over other methods with respect to the
imaging effect and memory consumption.
Appearance of mollusk shells related to reflection by absorbing periodically stratified media
Authors: Lekner John
Published: October 2023

The theory of the optical properties of an absorbing periodically stratified medium is applied to the spectral and angular dependence of the reflectivity of mollusk shells, which are almost-periodic structures of aragonite plates alternating with thinner organic layers. The reflectivity of s and p polarizations show strong variation as the angle of incidence passes through the stop bands of the corresponding ideal non-absorbing periodic structure. For both polarizations of incident light, and at most angles of incidence, the blue and green wavelengths are reflected more than the red—hence the blue-green appearance of mollusk shells.
Learning the imaging mechanism directly from optical microscopy observations
Authors: Wang Ze-Hao , Shan Long-Kun , Weng Tong-Tian , Chen Tian-Long , Chen Xiang-Dong , Wang Zhang-Yang , Guo Guang-Can , Sun Fang-Wen
Published: October 2023

The optical microscopy image plays an important role in scientific research through the direct visualization of the nanoworld, where the imaging mechanism is described as the convolution of the point spread function (PSF) and emitters. Based on a priori knowledge of the PSF or equivalent PSF, it is possible to achieve more precise exploration of the nanoworld. However, it is an outstanding challenge to directly extract the PSF from microscopy images. Here, with the help of self-supervised learning, we propose a physics-informed masked autoencoder (PiMAE) that enables a learnable estimation of the PSF and emitters directly from the raw microscopy images. We demonstrate our method in synthetic data and real-world experiments with significant accuracy and noise robustness. PiMAE outperforms DeepSTORM and the Richardson–Lucy algorithm in synthetic data tasks with an average improvement of 19.6% and 50.7% (35 tasks), respectively, as measured by the normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) metric. This is achieved without prior knowledge of the PSF, in contrast to the supervised approach used by DeepSTORM and the known PSF assumption in the Richardson–Lucy algorithm. Our method, PiMAE, provides a feasible scheme for achieving the hidden imaging mechanism in optical microscopy and has the potential to learn hidden mechanisms in many more systems.
Spin-decoupled meta-coupler empowered multiplexing and multifunction of guided wave radiation
Authors: Fang Bin , Wang Zhizhang , Li Yantao , Ji Jitao , Xi Kelei , Cheng Qingqing , Shu Fangzhou , Jin Zhongwei , Hong Zhi , Zhan Chunlian , Shen Changyu , Li Tao
Published: October 2023

Employing couplers to convert guided waves into free-space modes and flexibly control their wavefront is one of the key technologies in chip-integrated displays and communications. Traditional couplers are mainly composed of gratings, which have limitations in footprint, bandwidth, as well as controllability. Though the resonant/geometric metasurface newly emerges as a promising interface for bridging guided waves with free-space ones, it either relies on complex optimizations of multiple parameters, or is subject to the locked phase response of opposite spins, both of which hinder the functional diversity and practical multiplexing capability. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate an alternative with a spin-decoupled meta-coupler, simultaneously integrating triple functions of guided wave radiation, polarization demultiplexing, and dual-channel wavefront manipulation into a single device. By endowing polarization-dependent functionalities into a pure geometric metasurface, the out-coupled left-handed and right-handed circular polarization guided waves intelligently identify the predesigned phase modulation and reconstruct desired wavefronts, like bifocal focusing and holography multiplexing, with a polarization extinction ratio over 13.4 dB in experiments. We envision that the robust, broadband, and multifunctional meta-coupler could pave a way for the development of versatile multiplexed waveguide-based devices.
Assessment of online patient education material for eye cancers: A cross-sectional study
Authors: van Ballegooie Courtney , Wen Jasmine
Published: October 2023

The objective of this study was to assess online American patient education material (PEM) related to eye cancers in order to determine the quality of the content and appropriateness of the contents’ reading level as it relates to the American population. PEMs were extracted from fifteen American cancer and ophthalmology associations and evaluated for their reading level using ten validated readability scales. PEMs then had all words extracted and evaluated for their difficulty and familiarity. The quality of the PEMS were assessed according to DISCERN, Heath On the Net Foundation Code of Conduct (HONCode), and JAMA benchmarks. Overall, online PEMs from the associations were written at a 11th grade reading level, which is above the recommended 6th grade reading level. The difficult word analysis identified that 26% of words were unfamiliar. Only one of the fifteen association held a HONCode certification while no organization met the standards of all four JAMA benchmarks. The average score for DISCERN was 2.4 out of a total of 5 for the fifteen questions related to treatment option information quality. Consideration should be made to create PEMs at an appropriate grade reading level to encourage health literacy and ultimately promote health outcomes. Associations should also focus on incorporating easily identifiable quality indicators to allow patients to better identify reputable resources.
Fatal acute undifferentiated febrile illness among clinically suspected leptospirosis cases in Colombia, 2016–2019
Authors: Parra Barrera Eliana L. , Reales-González Jhonatan , Salas Daniela , Reyes Santamaría Elizabeth , Bello Solmara , Rico Angélica , Pardo Lissethe , Parra Edgar , Rodriguez Karina , Alarcon Zonía , Guerra Vega Angela Patricia , Porras Mayra A. , Gomez-Rangel Sergio Yebrail , Duarte Carolina , Moreno Jaime
Published: October 2023

Background

Acute undifferentiated febrile illness is a common challenge for clinicians, especially in tropical and subtropical countries. Incorrect or delayed diagnosis of febrile patients may result in medical complications or preventable deaths. Common causes of acute undifferentiated febrile illness in Colombia include leptospirosis, rickettsioses, dengue fever, malaria, chikungunya, and Zika virus infection. In this study, we described the acute undifferentiated febrile illness in postmortem patients reported as suspected cases of leptospirosis through the national leptospirosis surveillance in Colombia, 2016–2019.

Methodology/principal findings

We retrospectively analyze human fresh and formalin-fixed tissue samples from fatal suspected leptospirosis cases reported by the Public Health Laboratories in Colombia. Leptospirosis confirmation was made by immunohistochemistry, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the tissue samples. In some cases, the serum sample was used for confirmation by Microagglutination test (MAT). Simultaneously, tissue samples were tested by PCR for the most common viral (dengue, Zika, and chikungunya), bacterial (Brucella spp., and Rickettsia spp.), and parasitic (malaria). Fresh tissue samples from 92 fatal suspected leptospirosis cases were reported to the National Reference Laboratory from 22/32 departments in Colombia. We confirmed leptospirosis in 27% (25/92) of cases. Other pathogens identified by real-time PCR were Brucella spp. (10.9%), Rickettsia spp. (14.1%), and dengue (2.2%). Dengue (6.9%), hepatitis (3.5%), and Yellow Fever cases (2.2%) were detected by the pathology. All patients were negative for chikungunya and Plasmodium spp. Most cases were classified as undifferentiated febrile illnesses (45.7%; 42/92).

Conclusions/Significance

This study underscores the importance of early and accurate recognition of leptospirosis to prevent mortalities. Moreover, it draws attention to the existence of other febrile syndromes in Colombia, including rickettsiosis and brucellosis, that currently lack sufficient human surveillance and regular reporting. Expanding laboratory surveillance to include viruses such as Hantavirus, Mayaro virus, Oropouche virus, and West Nile virus is crucial.
Common institutional investors and the quality of management earnings forecasts—Empirical and machine learning evidences
Authors: Yang Shanshan , Li Xiaohan , Jiang Zhenhua , Xiao Man
Published: October 2023

Based on the data of the Chinese A-share listed firms in China Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchange from 2014 to 2021, this article explores the relationship between common institutional investors and the quality of management earnings forecasts. The study used the multiple linear regression model and empirically found that common institutional investors positively impact the precision of earnings forecasts. This article also uses graph neural networks to predict the precision of earnings forecasts. Our findings have shown that common institutional investors form external supervision over restricting management to release a wide width of earnings forecasts, which helps to improve the risk warning function of earnings forecasts and promote the sustainable development of information disclosure from management in the Chinese capital market. One of the marginal contributions of this paper is that it enriches the literature related to the economic consequences of common institutional shareholding. Then, the neural network method used to predict the quality of management forecasts enhances the research method of institutional investors and the behavior of management earnings forecasts. Thirdly, this paper calls for strengthening information sharing and circulation among institutional investors to reduce information asymmetry between investors and management.
Hacia el ecocentrismo. Deconstrucción del antropocentrismo en Cuentos de la naturaleza de José María Merino, desde una perspectiva ecocrítica
Authors: Nallet Thierry
Published: October 2023

En los Cuentos de la naturaleza de José María Merino, seleccionados y editados por Natalia Álvarez Méndez, destaca el entorno natural no como mero trasfondo sino como protagonista de unos relatos escritos por el escritor leonés a lo largo de su exitosa trayectoria literaria. En la forma fantástica y sobrenatural en que es un maestro, José María Merino enuncia a través de sus cuentos o microcuentos, con tono de fábulas o apólogos, las implicaciones éticas de la consideración de la naturaleza como un ecosistema, es decir, una entidad absoluta y vital. Este artículo indaga en la perspectiva naturocentrista, y a la postre ecocéntrico, propuesta por el escritor. En ella, el ser humano está integrado en la naturaleza, pero la naturaleza se ha convertido, además, con el Antropoceno y el cambio climático, en el núcleo de la historia de la humanidad. Los Cuentos de la naturaleza juegan simbólicamente con los tiempos, las edades a escala humana de la infancia a la madurez, así como la historia futura condicionada por la ficción científica y la anticipación de lo que podría pasar. Asimismo, el tratamiento del espacio a diversos niveles, del cosmos al virus, conduce al relativismo que pone en tela de juicio el antropocentrismo. De hecho, esta poética de la naturaleza gira en torno a una temática más extensa, la de la conciencia: conciencia ecológica con textos que hacen reflexionar al lector, conciencia ética con respecto al medio ambiente y conciencia de la propia naturaleza humanizada. Al fin y al cabo, se parte del supuesto de que esos cuentos, impostando de cierto modo la voz imaginaria de la naturaleza, procuran y logran deconstruir la visión antropocéntrica tradicional del universo.
978-84-1311-860-4
Authors: Hernández-Serrano María José
Published: October 2023

Both the value of difference and the value of lifelong learning align with the broader goal of creating inclusive and equitable societies, where every citizen has access to education and the opportunity to realize their full potential along life (SDG 4, for 2030). Contemporary pedagogy requires educators to be the transformative forces in enriching the potential of learners, encouraging them to develop a growth mindset and to view learning as an ongoing journey of exploration and discovery throughout life. Like the brushstrokes of a painter, educators create different meanings, giving value to differences in lines, layouts, colors or shades, allowing art to flourish in an endless process. Educators and policymakers will find in this handbook a springboard for thinking about education as a collective capital rich in transformative experiences and processes of lifelong learning. Divided into three sections, the book explores in depth the value of difference, the value of lifelong learning, and presents proposals for achieving these values in different educational scenarios, addressing some of the multiple educational needs in the global and interconnected societies.
Influencia de la trayectoria de aprendizaje de la metodología Self Directed Based Learning en el éxito académico
Authors: Alsina-Claret Maria , Canaleta-Llampallas Xavier , Torres-Kompen Ricardo , De-Torres-Gómez Eduard , Fonseca-Escudero David
Published: October 2023

Este artículo presenta los resultados de un estudio realizado con el objetivo de validar el impacto que tiene el comportamiento de un estudiante sobre su éxito académico en un programa diseñado con la metodología Self Directed Based Learning. Esta metodología docente, pensada para estudiantes de programas de posgrado en modalidad online, fue diseñada en 2013 con el propósito de generar una dinámica de trabajo que oriente al estudiante en su trayectoria de aprendizaje. El diseño de esta metodología busca aumentar el compromiso del estudiante con el aprendizaje, mejorando así tanto su progreso como su éxito académico. El objetivo de este estudio es identificar qué tipo de actividades formativas dentro de la trayectoria de aprendizaje del estudiante determinan la consecución de los resultados de aprendizaje propiciando así el proceso de asimilación. El análisis se basa en la aplicación de herramientas de Educational Data Mining a datos de aprendizaje obtenidos de una promoción de un programa de posgrado; a través de estas herramientas, se analizan las actividades formativas que están asociadas con el éxito académico del estudiante, permitiendo así determinar la relación entre ellas. Con estos resultados sería posible validar el diseño y la construcción de esta metodología docente desde la perspectiva del propósito para el que fue diseñada: lograr que la trayectoria de aprendizaje del estudiante sea exitosa.
Does China’s Rise influence anti-Americanism? Evidence from Colombia
Authors: Johnson Gregg , Lin Zhimin
Published: October 2023

China greatly expanded its presence in Latin America over the last several decades, with most researchers examining China’s economic and political efforts. Many U.S.-based researchers, pundits, and policymakers saw China as a potential rival and threat to U. S. hegemony. However, few researchers have examined how average Latin Americans viewed these changes. Building on theories of anti-Americanism, we examine whether views of China are associated with anti-Americanism in Colombia. Drawing on an original survey of Colombians, we find that China’s economic model, respondent ideology, and views of Chinese trade and business are weakly associated with anti-Americanism. Other factors have no association. Our findings provide an important early look into the effectiveness of China’s soft power in the region and contribute to the field’s understanding of anti-Americanism in the region.
Meningkatkan Minat dan Hasil Belajar Matematika Melalui Model Pembelajaran Problem-Based Learning Siswa SMP Negeri 4 Batam
Authors: Rusniati Rusniati
Published: October 2023

Students with low mathematical talent need help in learning mathematics. Therefore, schools must implement various methods to maintain students' interest in mathematics. One method that can be used is Problem-Based Learning (PBL). PBL aims to enhance students' interest and learning outcomes in mathematics. This classroom action research aims to improve learning and strengthen mathematics learning outcomes. The subjects of this study are 39 students from class IXG of SMP Negeri 4 Batam, in the odd semester of the academic year 2022/2023, comprising 21 female students and 18 male students. The data collection instruments used are observation sheets and mathematics learning outcome tests. Data from the observation sheets are analyzed descriptively narratively, while data from the mathematics learning outcome tests are analyzed descriptively statistically. The analysis results show an improvement in the learning process from pre-action to cycles I and II. The implementation of PBL achieved a good category with an increase of 4.10 points. The average score in cycle I was 76.94 and increased to 81.52 in cycle II. Thus, it can successfully enhance students' interest and learning outcomes in mathematics. This is evident from the attainment of the learning mastery target of 70 and the classical learning outcomes that reached or exceeded 85%.
Investigating the Effect of Knot Configuration and Suture Diameter on the Knot Performance of Silk Sutures
Authors: Natarajan S. , Ramesh Babu V. , Ariharasudhan S. , Chandrasekaran P. , Sundaresan S.
Published: October 2023

Knot configurations serve as the foundation for postoperative tissue repair. Loosening surgical knots during or after tying might lead to an unsuccessful suture and compromise the outcome. This investigation was car­ried out to study the mechanical properties of knotted silk sutures that are made from braided structures with three different diameters. A maximum tensile strength (33.24 N) and minimum breaking elongation (15%) of dry suture, maximum tensile strength (22.6 N) and minimum breaking elongation (13.6%) of wet suture were achieved with five throws and a diameter of 0.3 mm with surgeon’s square knot.
Adhesion and Stab-resistant Properties of FDM-printed Polymer/Textile Composites
Authors: Cakar Siver , Ehrmann Andrea
Published: October 2023

Stab-resistant clothing has been used for centuries by soldiers. Today, it is also used by policemen and other people in dangerous jobs or situations. While chain-mail or metal inserts in protective vests are heavy and uncomfortable, lightweight and bendable alternatives are currently the subject of investigation. Special textile fabrics offer a certain level of stab-resistance that can be improved by different coatings. In this study, we investigated composites of different flexible 3D printing materials, used for the fused deposition modelling (FDM) technique, on woven fabrics. Besides the adhesion between both parts of these composites, the quasi-static stab-resistant properties were investigated and compared with those of pure textile fabrics and 3D prints, respectively.
Památce Ivana Dubského
Authors: Karfík Filip
Published: October 2023

Obituary
T. Hejduk, Nepolitická politika v díle Ladislava Hejdánka
Authors: Němec Václav
Published: October 2023

Book review: Tomáš Hejduk, Nepolitická politika v díle Ladislava Hejdánka, Praha (Filosofia) 2021, 455 p.
L. Karfíková, Látka, tělo, vzkříšení podle starokřesťanských autorů
Authors: Vopřada David
Published: October 2023

Book review: Lenka Karfíková, Látka, tělo, vzkříšení podle starokřesťanských autorů, Praha (Karolinum) 2022, 203 p.
An update review of biological activity of essential oils from Curcuma genus
Authors: Hong Thien Van , Hong Thia Le
Published: October 2023

Curcuma L. is one of the largest genera (about 108 species) belonging to Zingiberaceae family. Many Curcuma plants have been used for many purposes, including possessing preservative, flavoring, and medicinal properties. Curcuma plants are a prominent material for extracting essential oils (EOs). Over the last five years, many studies have been reported for the biological effects of the EOs isolated from Curcumaplants such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammation, anti-trypanosomal, antileishmanial, anti?acetylcholinesterase, antiproliferative, cytotoxic, larvicidal, and insecticidal activities. In this brief review, an updated version of the bioactivities of EOs from different species belonging to Curcuma genus are presented.
W sprawie obywatelskiego projektu ustawy „W obronie chrześcijan”
Authors: Pańczyk Filip
Published: October 2023

Crimes against freedom of religion or belief, codiﬁed in Chapter XXIV of the Criminal Code, have not been amended for a quarter of a century. This situation may be changed by a citizen’s bill to amend the Criminal Code, affirmed by politicians associated with the Suwerenna (formerly: Solidarna) Polska party and the Ministry of Justice. Considering that the legislative project (Parliamentary Paper No. 2756 of the 9th term of the Sejm) proposes signiﬁcant changes to criminal law protection of freedom of religion and belief, it demands extensive study. This article is the most detailed analysis of the project so far. It discusses the most important assumptions of the draft bill, such as introducing a new “justiﬁcation”, removing the element of malice from Article 195 of the CC, relinquishing the necessity of conﬁrming an insult to religious feelings for the existence of a crime under current Article 196 of the CC, and introducing a new criminal offence, unknown in the current Code, of lionising or ridiculing a religious association along with a regulated legal situation, its dogmas or rites. The motives guiding the project’s proponent and justifying, in his opinion, the necessity of proposed amendments are also analyzed. What distinguishes this article from previous analyses of the draft is also that it considers of changes that were made to it at the parliamentary stage. The analysis carried out unequivocally indicates that it is questionable whether the draft complies with constitutional principles of the state’s relations with churches and religious associations. The project’s provisions lead to the entanglement of state bodies in ideological disputes, also undermining the mutual independence of the state and religious associations. Moreover, the project’s entry into force may cause a freezing effect, endangering the implementation of the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech. Finally, the draft is legislatively controversial and some of its provisions do not comply with the principle of deﬁniteness of criminal law.
Wpływ pandemii COVID-19 na wykonywanie kompetencji przez miejskich (powiatowych) rzeczników konsumentów
Authors: Żądło Adrian
Published: October 2023

The article aims to discuss the competencies of municipal and county consumer ombudsmen and how they were exercised by both before and under the conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic. The text presents the majority of the results of a survey conducted between 18 February and 4 March 2021, which involved submitting 142 requests for public information consisting of seven questions about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the activities of consumer ombudsmen and their offices. Based on the criterion of population, requests were sent via email to consumer ombudsmen operating in most Polish cities with over 22,000 inhabitants. Requests were standardized as far as possible to obtain an unadulterated response from the ombudsmen. The research material consists of responses to requests for public information. The article is divided into several parts. The first discusses the position, competencies of ombudsmen and the ways in which they perform the tasks entrusted to them, drawing on legal acts, legal doctrine and reports on their activities published by the OCCP on the basis of annual reports submitted by them. The second part presents the results of a study on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the ombudsmen’s activities, particularly focusing on the ways in which they perform their tasks and the changes implemented by them. Finally, based on the considerations made and the results of the research, conclusions are drawn regarding the activities undertaken by consumer ombudsmen in response to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the frequency of choosing specific communication methods and channels used to deliver consumer advices, and the types of new activities undertaken as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions. An attempt is made to formulate de lege ferenda conclusions regarding the competence in question.
What Does Aristotle’s Craftsperson Understand?
Authors: Kietzmann Christian
Published: October 2023

I argue for the claim that for Aristotle, the content of productive understanding primarily concerns the nature of the object a craftsperson aims to bring into existence as well as its material requirements, and only derivatively things she might do with a view to producing that object. I explain why technê is a form of understanding, by considering what it shares with and how it differs from its practical and theoretical cousins. I give four arguments for my claim. The analogy of craft and nature suggests that a craftsperson understands the nature of their product and the material necessities required by the product’s existence. Further evidence comes from some of Aristotle’s remarks on the practical syllogism, from considerations concerning capacities for change in general, and from his views on why it is a two-way capacity. I end by mentioning several respects in which technê goes beyond productive understanding.
How ‘good-enough’ is second language comprehension? Morphological causative and suffixal passive constructions in Korean
Authors: Lee Chanyoung , Shin Gyu-Ho , Jung Boo Kyung
Published: October 2023

The ‘good-enough’ processing account argues that, given the parallel activation of two parsing routes—algorithmic and heuristic parsing, the processor prefers heuristics over algorithms when unfolding incoming input. Literature on L2 ‘good-enough’ processing conjoins with this argument, also claiming that various factors may modulate how the L2 processor adjusts its way to heuristic or algorithmic parsing. The present study investigates how L2 learners with contrastive L1 backgrounds (Czech; English) achieve ‘good-enough’ comprehension in Korean, a popular L2 target but understudied for this topic. We focus on morphological causative and suffixal passive constructions, which differ in terms of the alignment between thematic roles and case-marking and the interpretive computation that verbal morphology invites. Participants joined acceptability judgement and self-paced reading tasks, with manipulation of word order (verb-final vs. verb-initial). Results from these tasks suggest two aspects of L2 comprehension. First, L1 and L2 comprehension do not qualitatively differ regarding ‘good-enough’ processing: the L2 processor utilises both parsing routes to reduce the burden of work at hand at the earliest opportunity. Second, the divergence of L1 and L2 processing behaviours during comprehension may originate from various factors surrounding L2 learners (e.g., L2 usage, L1–L2 interface, task types), anchoring the noisy representations of L2 knowledge.
The Reproductive Future: “Space Babies” in Chinese Posters 1950s–1980s
Authors: Jin Yu
Published: October 2023

This paper focuses on the visual depiction of children venturing into space in China during the late 20th century. I investigate how children are portrayed in Chinese posters and their space exploration themes by comparing them with similar art forms in the Soviet Union and the United States during the 1950s–1980s. Moreover, the study examines how these posters both shaped and reflected the political, social, and gender discourses of the period and served as means of reinforcing the reproductive future while interacting with Chinese historical myths. The study also considers the motivations for including chubby babies in Chinese posters, noting that this primarily resulted from Chinese moral beliefs. By historicizing the meaning-making process behind the “space babies” in Chinese posters, I argue that the depiction of children venturing into space helped in two distinct ways. First, it helped shift traditional immortality ideology into new forms of living and delimit the Chinese’s vision of the reproductive future: a desire to create better futures for our children/humanity by participating in politics. Furthermore, these visualizations apply the form of children as citizens to represent the mother country’s wishes while reflecting the corresponding Chinese national policy and fear of anthropic population expansion.
Interdisiplinary and intraobserver reliability of the Greulich-Pyle method among Turkish children
Authors: Sariyilmaz Kerim , Abali Saygin , Ziroglu Nezih , Cingoz Tunca , Ozkunt Okan , Abali Zehra Yavaş , Kalayci Cem Burak , Hayretci Merve , Semiz Serap
Published: October 2023

Objectives

Greulich-Pyle (GP) is one of the most used method for bone age determination (BAD) in various orthopedic, pediatric, radiological, and forensic situations. We aimed to investigate the inter- and intra-observer reliability of the GP method between the most relevant disciplines and its applicability to the Turkish population.

Methods

One-hundred and eighty (90 boys, 90 girls) patients with a chronological age younger than 18 (mean 9.33) were included. X-rays mixed by the blinded investigator were evaluated by two orthopedists, two radiologists, and two pediatric endocrinologists to determine skeletal age according to the GP atlas. A month later the process was repeated. As a statistical method, Paired t-test was used for comparison, an Intraclass Correlation Coefficients test was used for reliability and a 95 % confidence interval was determined. Results were classified according to Landis-Koch.

Results

All results were consistent with chronological age (p<0.001), according to the investigators’ evaluations compared with chronological age. At the initial evaluation, the interobserver reliability of the method was 0.999 (excellent); at the second evaluation, the interobserver reliability was 0.997 (excellent). The intra-observer reliability of the method was ‘excellent’ in all observers. When results were separately evaluated by gender, excellent intraobserver correlation and excellent correlation with chronological age were found among all researchers (>0.9). When X-rays were divided into three groups based on age ranges and evaluated, ‘moderate’ and ‘good’ correlations with chronological age were obtained during the peripubertal period.

Conclusions

The GP method used in skeletal age determination has excellent inter- and intra-observer reliability. During the peripubertal period, potential discrepancies in bone age assessments should be kept in mind. This method can be used safely and reproducibly by the relevant specialists.
Populations of Neurons and Rocks? Against a Generalization of the Selected Effects Theory of Functions
Authors: Roloff Jakob
Published: October 2023

Millikan’s (1984.Language, Thought, and Other Biological Categories: New Foundations for Realism. MIT Press) selected effects theory of functions states that functions are effects for which the ancestors of a trait wereselected for. As the function is an effect a thing’sancestorsproduced, only things that are reproductions in some sense can have functions. Against this reproduction requirement, Garson (2019.What Biological Functions Are and Why They Matter. Cambridge University Press) argues that not only processes of differential reproduction but also processes ofdifferential persistencecan lead to new functions. Since such “persistence functions” have the same explanatory power as traditional selected effects functions, selected effects theorists should include them in their theory. In this paper, I will defend Millikan’s theory against this argument. I will show that the proponents of the generalized theory have yet to provide a working notion of populations that avoids a liberality problem. Further, I will argue that persistence functions are at best a marginal case of functions due to their restricted explanatory power.
Labour institutions and the dynamic production of informality: collective organisation of hard-to-reach workers in Tanzania
Authors: Steiler Ilona
Published: October 2023

This paper discusses the role of labour regulation and trade unions in collective organisation of workers in non-standard, diffuse and informal labour relations in the Global South. The central argument is that labour institutions interlink with and co-create different configurations of informality and hence possibilities for collective organisation. This argument responds to calls in global labour studies for new conceptions of labour struggles that go beyond Eurocentrism and a narrow focus on traditional tools and institutions of workers’ power in the global context. Challenging the formal-informal dualism, the empirical material presented in this paper suggests a more nuanced understanding of the role of labour regulation and trade unions as sites for both the production and the contestation of the category of informal work. This is illustrated by efforts for collective organisation of hard-to-reach workers in the two dissimilar sectors of street vending and domestic work in Tanzania. Using the power resources approach as a conceptual framework for structuring the analysis, the paper examines how collective organisation interlinks dynamically with specific configurations of labour informality which derive from the labour and employment relations, labour legislation, trade union strategies, and public discourses in each sector.
Match-Play External Load and Internal Load in NCAA Division II Women's Soccer
Authors: Choice Erin E. , Tufano James J. , Jagger Kristen L. , Cochrane-Snyman Kristen C.
Published: October 2023

Choice, EE, Tufano, JJ, Jagger, KL, and Cochrane-Snyman, KC. Match-play external load and internal load in NCAA Division II women’s soccer. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000–000, 2023—The purpose of this study was to describe average match-play demands for NCAA DII women's soccer, including positional and time-specific differences, and relationships between variables. External load was assessed using total distance, relative distance, sprint distance, number of power plays, peak speed, and Player Load. Internal load was assessed using session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE). Mixed factor analysis of variance was used to assess time by position (midfielder, forward, or defender) for dependent measures. Correlations were assessed between separate pair groups. Average match-play demands included 9,463 ± 2,591 m total distance, 172 ± 48 m·min−1 relative distance, 531 ± 301 m sprint distance, peak speeds of 26 ± 1.6 kph, 46.71 ± 21.75 power plays, and 457.84 ± 121.78 AU Player Load. Significant (p < 0.05) positional differences were found for total distance, Player Load, match load, and peak speed. Significant, moderate correlations were found between relative distance and match load, and sRPE and total distance, Player Load, and power plays (all p < 0.001). Results indicate there are positional differences within a women's DII soccer team, with midfielders accumulating the longest distances (10,509 ± 2,913 m) and greatest Player Load (527.79 ± 130.5 AU) and match load (576 ± 343 AU), forwards running the fastest peak speeds (26.8 ± 1.5 kph), and defenders maintaining most consistent performance. Match-play external and internal load data should be monitored by player position and half for DII women's soccer.