bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Analysis of the Socio-cultural Implications of Orality in Iran
Authors: Yeganeh Kia Hamid
Published: April 2023

This article relies on a leading line of anthropological research on the socio-cultural implications of orality in Iran. The analyses reveal that the prevalence of oral language in Iran is associated with a wide range of implications, such as redundancy, emotionality, ambiguity, high-context culture traits, the lack of critical thinking, the gap between speech and writing, the importance of poetry, restricted scientific and technical knowledge, religiosity, traditionalism, the centrality of negotiating, old-fashioned entrepreneurship, and authoritarian governance and leadership. The article examines the practical consequences of orality on Iranian culture, social relations, and politics.
From resistance to transformation – The journey to develop a framework to explore the transformative potential of environmental resistance practices
Authors: Cui Mengmeng , Brombal Daniele
Published: April 2023

Standing in front of perhaps the most crucial decade of the future to come, when mankind has just experienced three years of global pandemic, a raging war, extreme climate events and mass extinction of animals and plants, we have arrived at a crossroads. Decisions must be made on whether we charge at full speed to explore alternative social-ecological systems that lead to human well-being and regeneration of nature; or continue down a pathway built on resource extraction, unsustainable and unethical urbanization and destruction of nature and lives. Recently, as countries seek to recover from the pandemic, many are contemplating large-scale infrastructure schemes and projects, which have been tried and proven means to drive extraction-based economic growth. This highlights the importance of environmental justice and resistance – an area from which voices are not often heard loud enough, yet offers fertile ground where radical, sustainable alternatives may emerge among people and communities that refuse to comply with the unjust development imposed on them. Our work seeks to contribute to research studying the potential of such phenomena, by designing a framework to capture key organizational, political and ethical features that make resistance a transformative practice. The outcome of this effort is a Resistance-Based Transformative Alternative (ReBasTA) Framework, which can be employed to inform both desktop-based data collection and analysis on resistance practices, as well as in-depth field research on deep drivers and leverage points for transformation. Moreover, the framework makes longitude study of transformative practice possible, by using a consistent set of criteria. This paper introduces the conceptual and methodological approach underlying our framework and the collaborative process employed in designing it and its key criteria. In the final section, we also discuss possible applications, with particular reference to resistance movements triggered by large-scale infrastructures.
COVID-19 Crisis and the Association Between Inequality and Economic Growth
Authors: Chahine Salim , Chahine Adam
Published: April 2023

In this paper, we investigate the macroeconomic response to exogenous shocks, namely the COVID-19. We conjecture that the sensitivity of an economic system to an exogenous shock is endogenous on its characteristics and ability to counter a shock. We use the COVID-19 crisis as an exogenous shock, and we argue that a higher income inequality is likely to lead to a greater negative impact of an exogenous shock on economic growth. We validate our expectations using different inequality indexes. In further robustness tests, we confirm our conclusions using different proxies for economic conditions.

JEL Codes: A10, I14, I15
Obesity and Food Access: Do Consumer Preferences Matter
Authors: Coyle Sara , Keehan Sean , Schwartz Jeremy
Published: April 2023

The existing literature is mixed on the degree and type of food access that matters for obesity. This may be because studies do not consider the degree that consumers are satisfied with the local food establishments. For instance, a supermarket may have little impact on obesity if consumers prefer to go elsewhere. This paper contributes to the literature by disaggregating different aspects of the food environment, exploring smaller geographic areas than many other studies, and examining whether consumer preferences for different food establishments matter. We find evidence that the benefits of supermarkets in reducing obesity are concentrated in those preferred by consumers. In addition, while less robust, we find the negative effects of convenience stores, and takeout restaurants are mostly attributable to poorly rated establishments. Policy should focus on not only addressing food deserts but also areas that have supermarkets that consumers feel are poor options.

JEL Codes: I12, D12, Q18, R3
Design and disturbance rejection control of a piezoelectric nanopositioning stage
Authors: Wu Gaohua , Yang Yiling , Li Guoping , Cui Yuguo , Du Huilin , Wei Yanding
Published: April 2023

The article covers structural design and disturbance rejection control of a flexure-based compliant piezoelectric nanopositioning stage. The stage is devised using four-bar amplification mechanisms, auxiliary guiding mechanisms, and a compound parallelogram mechanism. Static and dynamic models of compliant mechanisms are analyzed based on a compliance matrix method. A modified Prandtl-Ishlinskii (PI) model with dead zone operators is used to describe the asymmetric hysteresis. Then, a global electromechanical dynamic model is built and identified. A comprehensive disturbance rejection controller (CDRC) combining a robust H∞ control and a disturbance observer-based (DOB) control is proposed for high trajectory tracking accuracy and anti-disturbance performance. The trajectory tracking accuracy of the stage can be up to 3 nm in experiments. As amplitudes of reference signals increases, relative tracking errors gradually decrease. System instability and oscillation caused by strong external disturbances are also reduced. Experimental results prove the effectiveness of the developed CDRC.
Effect of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) plant into water bodies and its composite materials for commercial applications
Authors: Arivendan Ajithram , Jebas Thangiah Winowlin Jappes , Das Ranjan , Ahamad Desai , Chithra Gandhapodi Kothandaraman
Published: April 2023

Water Hyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes) is a free-floating aquatic plant that is commonly found in local water bodies. Its quick emergence and rapid expansion are the main advantages, allowing it to cover entire water surfaces. The government considers the plant to be waste and has invested a significant amount of money to remove it from water bodies. This paper provides a brief overview of the effective use of water hyacinth in wastewater treatment, converting it into WH fiber. By utilizing the water hyacinth fiber and an epoxy matrix, a WH composite is produced. The hyacinth fiber reinforced composite samples attained 27.06 MPa tensile strength and 43.51 MPa flexural strength, and 1.25 J impact strength. Water hyacinth plant presented water bodies water level parameters are tested with the help of the suitcase method. Essential tests, such as mechanical testing, thermal behavior, and characterization techniques (XRD, FTIR, SEM, optical microscope inspection, and water and chemical absorption tests), are conducted. In conclusion, the results suggest that the water hyacinth plant could be better utilized in the production of commercial household applications and lightweight materials in the field of natural fiber composites.
Civil aviation safety risk intelligent early warning model based on text mining and multi-model fusion
Authors: Hou Zhaoguo , Xiong Minglan , Wang Huawei , Lv Shaolan , Chen Lingzi
Published: April 2023

Aviation unsafe events often lead to major casualties and property losses. Aviation safety risk intelligent early warning is an important means to ensure the safe and reliable operation of aircraft. Therefore, an intelligent early warning model is urgently needed to quickly predict the risk level and identify potential risks to take targeted measures to realize the active management of safety. To realize the above process, the text mining method is used to extract key risk information from unsafe event reports and input it into the intelligent early warning model to predict its risk level, further constructing the priority processing index to achieve a rapid decision, and finally realize the intelligent safety management process of features extraction to early warning levels identification and then to priority processing. First, domain dictionary and Chinese stop word list are constructed to process the massive text data in the unsafe event’s report. Further, TF-IDF and TextRank are fused to extract key risk information and convert it into feature vectors. Second, the IHT algorithm is used to alleviate the sample class imbalance problem. After that, input the balanced risk information into an improved stacking multi-model fusion algorithm to accurately identify the early warning level and improve the level of active management and control via priority processing index ranking. The effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method are demonstrated by testing the unsafe event text data of some aircraft maintenance companies and airlines, which promotes the practical application value of text mining technology in the aviation field.
An enactivist account of the dynamics of lying
Authors: Kronsted Christian , Gallagher Shaun , Tollefsen Deborah , Windsor Leah
Published: April 2023

Enactivist accounts of communication have focused almost exclusively on honest, cooperative communication. However, much of human life involves deception and lies. Using the generally agreed upon definition of lying, we here develop an enactive account of the dynamics of lying. At face, lying poses a problem for enactive theories of cognition since lying seemingly requires the ability to represent counterfactual states of affairs and implant those representations in other agents' belief systems. On our account, lying involves the active manipulation of the short- and long-term dynamics of social cognitive systems so that agents have access to different sets of affordances from the one’s they counterfactually would have had access to without the lie. Representing truths and falsehoods are replaced with competency within social-cultural and material practices.
The Effect of Endoscopic Partial Plantar Fasciotomy on Morphologic and Functional Properties of the Foot
Authors: Johannsen Finn , Konradsen Lars , Hansen Philip , Brinch Signe , Nybing Janus Uhd , Krogsgaard Michael Rindom
Published: April 2023

Background:

The lifetime risk of plantar fasciitis is 10%, and operative treatment in the form of endoscopic partial plantar fascia release are often performed in cases refractory for nonsurgical treatment. The effect of the operation on the biomechanical properties of the foot has only been sparsely studied.

Methods:

This is a prospective, observational study of 25 patients with plantar fasciitis, for a minimum of 3 months, verified by ultrasonographic scanning, who had endoscopic partial fasciotomy. A bony spur was resected if present. At the calcaneal insertion, the medial half of the central band of the plantar fascia was excised in full thickness. The biomechanical properties of the foot were evaluated before surgery and 12 months postoperatively.

Results:

Foot length increased 0.17 cm ( P = .03), the width of the central zone 0.35 cm ( P = .019), the modified arch index 0.05 ( P = .032), and the Foot Posture Index 1.0 ( P = .0014). There were no significant changes in rearfoot eversion angle, ankle dorsiflexion and jump distance, or in magnetic resonance imaging–measured 3D navicular position from pre- to postoperation, with or without loading, and no changes in ultrasonographically measured heel pad thickness. A tantalum bead (0.7-mm-diameter) was inserted during operation into the most proximal part of the released medial plantar fascia. Radiographs obtained few days postoperatively and 1 year later revealed no changes in the tantalum-calcaneus distance in supine position, but an increase from 48.3 to 50.7 mm ( P = .045) in one-leg standing, suggesting a higher flexibility of the remaining fascia. Patients with a body mass index above and below 27.0 demonstrated no significant differences in any of the assessments at 12 months.

Conclusion:

There were minimal changes in the measured foot morphologic and functional properties at 1-year follow-up, after endoscopic partial plantar fascia release.

Level of Evidence:

Level II, prospective cohort study.
Anticipated affordances: Understanding early reactions to new technologies
Authors: Johannessen Lars EF
Published: April 2023

This article proposes the concept of anticipated affordances as an analytical supplement to affordance theory. ‘Anticipated affordances’ refers to how actors anticipate or speculate on a technology’s affordances before they have any direct use experience with it. To demonstrate the consequences of such speculation on the social life of new technologies, the article analyses why teachers in Norwegian schools have expressed scepticism towards AV1: a telepresence robot meant to reconnect ‘homebound’ children with their school. Drawing on qualitative interviews, the article finds that teachers anticipated three undesirable affordances from having AV1 in their classrooms: peeping, broadcasting, and parental auditing. The article also discusses how these anticipations intersected with issues of domestication, gatekeeping and experiences of AV1’s actual affordances. In sum, the article advances anticipated affordances as a central topic of inquiry for new media studies, which can complement existing analytical foci and shed new light on the (non)adoption of technology.
Model validation and 2-D hygrothermal simulations of wetting and drying behavior of cross-laminated timber
Authors: Wang Lin , Ge Hua , Wang Jieying
Published: April 2023

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is one of the most important mass timber materials that are commonly used in mid-rise or even high-rise timber buildings. However, exposure to moisture during construction may increase the moisture damage risks, and impact the durability performance of CLT buildings. To investigate potential solutions for avoiding wetting of CLT components during construction, CLT specimens having different moisture protection measures were tested in the damp and mild wintertime climate in Vancouver. This follow-up work focuses on two-dimensional (2-D) hygrothermal modeling of the wetting and drying behavior of bare CLT (without any protection) and the validation with measurements from the field exposure test, emphasizing the influence of material properties. The hygrothermal models are firstly calibrated for two CLT specimens positioned horizontally, with and without a butt joint, by using material properties from different laboratory tests, and assuming different rain penetration paths. The calibrated models are then applied to simulate CLT specimens positioned vertically, which have end grain directly exposed to rain or damp concrete in the test. The work reveals that the moisture storage function above RH 95%, which includes the saturation water content reported in different literature, has a significant influence on the hygrothermal simulation results; meanwhile, assigning different water absorption coefficients for the transverse and longitudinal directions of wood significantly improves the accuracy of the hygrothermal model created for simulating rainwater penetration into the CLT panel. This paper provides a recommendation on how to properly model the CLT panels exposed to rainwater, which often occurs during construction.
Decoding a Doctor’s Prescription: A Study
Authors: Silveira Cedric Thomas
Published: April 2023

Doctors today have very little time to listen to a medical representative. They have become patient-centric and feel that listening to a medical representative is a waste of their time. Wishing to learn what could make a doctor prescribe a drug when visited by the medical representative, I drew up a questionnaire consisting of product-centric variables and non-product-based variables. The questionnaire had six variables, which had to be ranked from 1 to 6, with 1 being the most important and 6 being the least important. The variables were easy availability, economical drugs, company name, sponsorships, medical representative’s dedication, and samples among the non-product-based variables and safety, efficacy, tried and tested, less drug interactions, good reviews of the drug, and less adverse effects among the product-based factors. A total of 100 doctors were interviewed. A personal interview was conducted wherein the questionnaire was direct and structured. The results were such that in Thurstone Case V Scaling, economical drugs were considered as the most effective way to get doctors to prescribe, followed by easy availability, company name, medical rep dedication, samples, and sponsorships among the non-product-centric factors, whereas in the product-centric factors, it included efficacy, followed by time tested, less adverse effects, safety, less drug interactions, and good drug reviews. In Karl Pearson’s coefficient of correlation, it was found that a high, positive correlation existed between economical drugs and efficacious drugs and a medium, positive correlation existed between economical drugs and safe drugs. Similarly, a medium–high correlation existed between company name and time-tested drugs.
Exploring the factors influencing meaningful engagement of persons living with advanced dementia through the Namaste Care Program: a qualitative descriptive study
Authors: Yous Marie-Lee , Boamah Sheila A. , Hunter Paulette V. , Coker Esther , Hadjistavropoulos Thomas , Sussman Tamara , Kaasalainen Sharon
Published: April 2023

Background:

Meaningful engagement has been described as active participation based on a person’s interests, preferences, personhood, or perceived value. It has many benefits for persons living with dementia in long-term care (LTC) homes, including improvement in physical and cognitive function, and mental health. People with advanced dementia continue to need and benefit from inclusion and social contact in LTC, yet there is not a well-developed understanding of how to support this. A tailored intervention called Namaste Care has been shown to be an effective approach to meaningfully engage residents in LTC, decrease behavioral symptoms, and improve their comfort and quality of life. There is a need to consider how best to deliver this intervention.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to describe environmental, social, and sensory factors influencing meaningful engagement of persons with advanced dementia during Namaste Care implementation in LTC.

Methods:

In this qualitative descriptive study, focus groups and interviews were conducted with families, volunteers, staff, and managers at two LTC homes. Directed content analysis was conducted. The Comprehensive Process Model of Engagement was used as a coding framework.

Results:

With respect to environmental attributes, participants emphasized that a designated quiet space and a small group format were helpful for engagement. In terms of social attributes, participants emphasized Namaste Care staff capacity to deliver individualized care. Regarding sensorial factors, familiarity with the activities delivered in the program was emphasized.

Conclusion:

Findings reveal the need to offer small group programs that include adapted recreational and stimulating activities, such as Namaste Care, for residents at the end of life in LTC. Such programs facilitate meaningful engagement for persons with dementia as they focus on individual preferences, comfort, and inclusion while recognizing changing needs and abilities of residents.
Argyrophilic grain disease is common in older adults and may be a risk factor for suicide: a study of Japanese forensic autopsy cases
Authors: Yoshida Koji , Hata Yukiko , Ichimata Shojiro , Okada Keitaro , Nishida Naoki
Published: April 2023

Background

Neuropathological diagnosis of argyrophilic grain disease (AGD) is currently based primarily on the combination of argyrophilic grain (AG) visualized using Gallyas–Braak silver staining, phosphorylated tau-positive pretangles, coiled bodies, and ballooned neuron detection. Although AGD is common in patients with dementia and/or prominent psychiatric symptoms, whether it is a distinct neurological disease entity or a by-product of the aging process remains unclear.

Methods

In 1449 serial forensic autopsy cases > 40 years old (823 males and 525 females, aged 40–101 years, mean age 70.0 ± 14.1 years), we examined the frequency and comorbid pathology of AGD cases and investigated the clinical appearance by comparing those with non-AGD cases using the propensity score.

Results

Of the 1449 cases, we detected 342 AGD cases (23.6%; mean age 79.7 years; 177 males and 165 females). The AGD frequency and stage increased with age (P < 0.001). Among AGD cases, 80 (23.4%) patients had dementia, and 51 (15.2%) had a history of psychiatric hospital visits. The frequency of suicide and history of psychiatric disorders were significantly higher in AGD cases than in AGD-negative cases, matched for age, sex, and comorbidity pathology, with a relative risk of suicide of 1.72 (1.30–2.26). The frequency of suicide was significantly higher in AGD cases than in non-AGD cases in female but not male cases. The relative risk of suicide increased to 2.27 (1.20–4.30) and 6.50 (1.58–26.76) in AGD patients with Lewy and progressive supranuclear palsy pathology, respectively, and decreased to 0.88 (0.38–2.10) in those with advanced AD pathology. In AGD cases, 23.4% had dementia; however, the difference was not significant after controlling for age, sex, and comorbid pathology.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated that AGD is a significant and isolated risk factor for psychiatric hospital visits and suicide completion. In older adults, AGs may contribute to the progression of functional impairment of the limbic system, which leads to psychiatric disorders and suicide attempts.
Serum uric acid to creatinine ratio is a useful predictor of all-cause mortality among hypertensive patients
Authors: Kawamoto Ryuichi , Kikuchi Asuka , Ninomiya Daisuke , Tokumoto Yoshio , Kumagi Teru
Published: April 2023

Background

Many of the existing research studies have shown that serum uric acid (SUA) is a predictor of renal disease progression. More recently, studies have suggested an association between renal function-normalized SUA and all-cause mortality in adults. This study aims to examine the association between the ratio of SUA to creatinine (SUA/Cr) and all-cause mortality with a focus on hypertensive patients.

Methods

This study is based on 2,017 participants, of whom 916 were male (mean age, 67 ± 11 years) and 1,101 were female (mean age, 69 ± 9 years). All participants were part of the Nomura Cohort Study in 2002 (cohort 1) and 2014 (cohort 2), as well as the follow-up period (2002 follow-up rate, 94.8%; 2014 follow-up rate, 98.0%). We obtained adjusted relative risk estimates for all-cause mortality from a basic resident register. In addition, we employed a Cox proportional hazards model and adjusted it for possible confounders to determine the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

Of the total participants, 639 (31.7%) were deceased; of these, 327 (35.7%) were male and 312 (28.3%) were female. We found an independent association between a higher ratio of SUA/Cr and a higher risk of all-cause mortality in female participants only (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.02–1.18). The multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CI) for all-cause mortality across quintiles of baseline SUA/Cr were 1.28 (0.91–1.80), 1.00, 1.38 (0.95–1.98), 1.37 (0.94–2.00), and 1.57 (1.03–2.40) for male participants, and 0.92 (0.64–1.33), 1.00, 1.04 (0.72–1.50), 1.56 (1.06–2.30), and 1.59 (1.06–2.38) for female participants. When the data were further stratified on the basis of age (< 65 or ≥ 65 years), body mass index (< 22.0 or ≥ 22.0 kg/m2), estimated glomerular filtration rate (< 60 or ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2), and presence of SUA-lowering medication, trends similar to those of the full population were found in all groups.

Conclusion

Baseline SUA/Cr is independently and significantly associated with future all-cause mortality among hypertensive patients.
The morphological diversity of pollen in the genus Gossypium
Authors: CAI Xiaoyan , HOU Yuqing , MUHAMMAD Umer Jawad , WANG Heng , XU Yanchao , ZHENG Jie , WANG Yuhong , LIU Fang , ZHOU Zhongli , HUA Jinping , WANG Kunbo
Published: April 2023

Background

Plant pollen has diverse morphological characteristics that can be consistently passed down from generation to generation. Information on pollen morphology is thus immensely important for plant classification and identification. In the genus Gossypium, however, in-depth research on pollen morphology is lacking, with only few reports on limited cotton species. To evaluate the diversity of pollen in Gossypium, we therefore conducted a comprehensive analysis of the pollen morphology of 33 cotton species and varieties using scanning electron microscopy.

Results

The 33 analyzed cotton samples exhibited common pollen morphological features, including spherical shapes, radial symmetry, echination, panporation, and operculation, while the pollen size, spine shape, spine density and length showed distinctive features. Pollen size varied significantly among species, with diameters ranging from 62.43 μm in G. harknessii to 103.41 μm in G. barbadense. The exine had an echinate sculptural texture, and spines were mostly conical or sharply conical but occasionally rod-like. Spine density varied from 173 in G. incanum to 54 in G. gossypioides, while spine length ranged from 3.53 μm in G. herbaceum to 9.47 μm in G. barbadense. In addition, the 33 cotton species and varieties were grouped at a genetic distance of 3.83 into three clusters. Cluster I comprised five allotetraploid AD-genome cotton species, four D-genome species, and one K-genome species. Cluster II included 13 diploid species from A, B, D, E, and G genomes, whereas Cluster III only consisted one E-genome species G. incanum.

Conclusions

Although pollen characteristics alone are not enough to resolve taxonomic and systematic relationships within the genus Gossypium, our results add to knowledge on palynomorphology and contribute to phenological information on these taxa. Our findings should aid future systematic and phylogenetic studies of the Gossypium genus.
Stanisław Salmonowicz – pożegnanie
Authors: Wyrowiński Jan
Published: April 2023

Artykuł poświęcony Stanisławowi Salmonowiczowi, współzałożycielami Fundacji Archiwum Pomorskie Armii Krajowej.
Land-Use/Land Cover Analysis Through Object Based Technique: A Case Study of Shahrah-e-Faisal
Authors: Kausar Anila , Afzal Ambreen , Saeed Ghuffran , Maqsoom Asad , Khan Owais Iqbal , Afsar Sheeba , Anis Yasmeen , Zehra Syeda Marium , Vambol Viola , Vambol Sergij
Published: April 2023

Karachi is the major financial hub of Pakistan. The urban sprawl generates many sub financial hubs as well e.g. Saddar which is consider as CBD of metropolitan, specifically area along I.I. Chundrigar road is almost have offices and business set-up. The similar pattern has been emerged in many other places e.g. Shahrah-e-Faisal and Tariq road. Along all three major roads mixed-used development particularly commercialization has taken place prominently and these sectors emerged as main business Centre. The present study was aimed to assess the Land-Use/Land Cover (LU/LC), green cover and air quality index analysis through object based analysis on very high-resolution satellite imagery at Shahrah-e-Faisal. The obtained results showed that the combine three activities such as Shopping, Business and Trade (SBT), Social, Institutional and Infrastructure related activities (SII), and travel or movement (ToM) were occupied on 51.34% of land. The residential activities also make an attractive volume of proportion was up to 47.11%. Therefore, it can be the perfect example of smart growth if introduction greenways initiate more effectively along with some attraction spots for Leisure.
Sacred groves: the gene banks of threatened and ethnomedicinal flora, associated taboos and role in biodiversity conservation in the Peer Panchal range of North Western Himalayas, India
Authors: AHMED MUSHTAQ , SHARMA VANDANA , DHIMAN MANJUL
Published: April 2023

Sacred groves are the traditionally managed small or large patches of relict vegetation conserved on religious beliefs and representing the climax vegetation. These sacred patches have some set of traditional rules or protocols called taboos, which are key to the conservation of the sacred groves and the diversity within. Interestingly, every sacred grove has its legends, myths, taboos, and lores which are an integral part of the sacred groves. Sacred groves act as a gene bank for the threatened and endemic flora and fauna diversity, which are either diminishing from the open forest areas are somewhere some species get cleared however, these are still found in good numbers in the sacred groves. The sacred forests are the powerhouse of important ethnomedicinal flora, and several important medicinal plants are housed in these sacred patches. In the Peer Panchal region, these sacred patches play a pivotal role in the conservation of vegetation, however, in the present era of modernity and development, these sacred patches are facing high anthropogenic pressure due to the erosion of traditional knowledge and beliefs, leading to high rate of deteriorations of these life savior patches of forests. The present work reviews the sacred groves in the Peer Panchal region of Northwestern Himalayas, intending to highlight their role in maintaining a balance in our ecosystem and the need to recognize their values and the proper need for the conservation of these life-savior patches of forests.
Agroecological characteristics of the effect of a mixture of probiotic preparations with concomitant formation water on soil microorganisms
Authors: Pysarenko Pavlo , Samojlik Maryna , Galytskaya Maryna , Tsova Yuriy , Pischalenko Maryna
Published: April 2023

In the context of energy and environmental crisis, the search for new substances ensuring the formation of microbial cenosis with a rich composition of agronomically valuable groups of bacteria, the optimal level of humification, and the increase of organic matter in the soil will allow to substantiate innovative environmentally safe types of fertilizers and plant protection under specific soil and climatic conditions. Therefore, the aim of the research was to study the peculiarities of the formation and functioning of microbial cenosis of podzolic chernozem soil and the intensity of soil-biological processes upon application of a mixture of probiotic preparations and concomitant formation water in different concentrations. Different concentrations of concomitant formation water (СFW) and probiotic preparations were applied to the soil in the selected plots, and the soil microbial cenoses of farmland were evaluated in the spring and autumn periods on days 15, 30, and 60 after application of the mixtures. Soil without the application of any substances was considered a control variant. The most effective impact is observed on day 30 after application, there is an activation of microbiological processes on day 15, and a significant decrease is observed on day 60, although higher than the control due to the prolonged action of СFW. It was determined that the best variant of the experiment in both spring and autumn periods to improve the viability of soil microbial cenosis is the option of joint use of СFW at a concentration of 900 L ha-1 and probiotic Sviteco-Agrobiotic-01 diluted in a ratio of 1:10 (dose 100 L ha-1). In particular, the total number of all groups of bacteria in the soil increases with the use of probiotics diluted in a ratio of 1:10 (15-31% compared to control) and is the maximum when using a mixture of СFW at a dose of 900 L ha-1 and 10% probiotic (by 82-102% compared to control). Based on the analysis of the coefficients of mineralization-immobilization, oligotrophy, and pedotrophy, it was found that the application of СFW mixture and probiotic increases the soil nutrient content for different ecological and trophic groups of bacteria, reduces the rate of humus decomposition and creates favorable conditions for the development of soil bacteria.
An ecological study of Indian open drain sewage and it’s treatment
Authors: Vikramaditya
Published: April 2023

The disposal of a large volume of untreated and partially treated domestic wastewater is causing pollution of various water sources. Sewage treatment involving conventional wastewater treatment technologies is costly. In the present study, in-situ treatment of sewage using a commercially effective microbial consortium was investigated in two community open drains of Chanarthal village in Haryana state of India. The pH, turbidity, BOD, and COD were determined in accordance with standard methods. The optimum dose for treatment in the batch study was 1ml/L, and the optimum time for treatment was 5 days. The batch study results were used for continuous in-situ treatment study performed in drains over a period of six weeks. The turbidity, BOD, and COD removal were 60.1, 82.1, and 64.7% in the batch study and 40.1, 61.1, and 56.4% in the continuous in-situ treatment study. It was also observed that a higher dose of microbial consortia gives the same performance as low doses at a later stage of the study.
Influence of Bacillus subtilis on soil microbiocenosis
Authors: Pysarenko Pavlo , Samojlik Maryna , Galytskaya Maryna , Tsova Yuriy , Mostoviak Ivan
Published: April 2023

The peculiarities of the formation and functioning of the microbial coenosis of podzolized chernozem soil and the intensity of soil-biological processes when using probiotic preparations in different concentrations containing Bacillus subtilis were studied.
Probiotic preparations were applied to the soil in different concentrations and doses in separate areas, and the viability of the soil microbial coenosis of agricultural land was assessed in the spring and autumn periods on the 15th and 30th days after the application of the mixtures. The soil without any substances was considered a control option.
The analysis of the coefficients of mineralization - immobilization, oligotrophicity and pedotrophicity determined that the use of probiotics helps to increase the content of nutrients in the soil for various ecological and trophic groups of microorganisms, showed that the best result for the functioning of the microbial coenosis of podzolic chernozem soil is observed when using a probiotic in a dilution of 1:10 in a dose of 100 l ha-1. Thus, the use of probiotics in a dilution of 1:10 at a dose of 100 l ha-1 can be used as an environmentally friendly fertilizer in organic farming, which will improve the biological parameters of the soil
Polska w okowach lodu zimą 1946/1947 roku. Gospodarcze i społeczne konsekwencje kłopotów w funkcjonowaniu transportu i komunikacji
Authors: Miernik Grzegorz
Published: April 2023

Artykuł zawiera wyniki badań dotyczących funkcjonowania transportu i komunikacji w warunkach surowej i długiej zimy 1946/1947 r. W pierwszej części starano się przedstawić dynamiczną zmienność warunków pogodowych. Zasadnicza część zawiera ustalenia dotyczące transportu drogowego, kolejowego i wodnego w pierwszych trzech miesiącach 1947 r. Przedstawiono także działania służące utrzymaniu przejezdności lądowych szlaków komunikacyjnych i dostępu do portów morskich. Pozwoliło to zaprezentować na wybranych przykładach wpływ ciężkiej zimy na funkcjonowanie państwa i życie codzienne.
Stosunki polsko-belgijskie w apogeum zimnej wojny i w okresie „odwilży” 1948–1956 (główne problemy)
Authors: Jarosz Dariusz , Pasztor Maria
Published: April 2023

Artykuł przedstawia wyniki badań nad stosunkami polsko-belgijskimi w latach 1948– 1956. Został oparty przede wszystkim o dokumenty odnalezione w archiwach obu krajów. Celem badawczym była odpowiedź na pytania: jak kształtowały się wzajemne relacje w okresie apogeum zimnej wojny (1948–1952) i w okresie ograniczonej liberalizacji w stosunkach międzynarodowych lat 1953–1956 oraz czy można udowodnić, że w relacjach Warszawy i Brukseli nastąpiły w tych latach jakieś istotne zmiany.
Do góry nogami. PZPR na Politechnice Warszawskiej w czasach odwilży 1956 roku
Authors: Ośko Piotr
Published: April 2023

W artykule pokazano rolę uczelnianej komórki partyjnej Politechniki Warszawskiej w kryzysie 1956 r. Chociaż trudno uchwytna w źródłach, była ona zauważalna, gdyż na tej uczelni odbywały się wiece poparcia dla nowego kierownictwa PZPR w trakcie słynnego VIII Plenum. Autor starał się rozpoznać sympatie polityczne działaczy Politechniki dla frakcji partyjnych. W dalszej części omówiono proces odchodzenia od Października, który w PZPR nastąpił bardzo szybko i przejawiał się w tłumieniu oddolnych inicjatyw oraz odejściu od demokratycznych zasad wyłaniania władz.
Uprawnienie sądu do uzyskania informacji objętych tajemnicą bankową w sprawie o zachowek (cz. 2)
Authors: Łukańko Bernard
Published: April 2023

Przedmiotem opracowania jest analiza możliwości zakwalifikowania sprawy o zachowek jako „postępowania spadkowego” w rozumieniu przepisów ustawy Prawo bankowe z 1997 r. o tajemnicy bankowej i wynikającego stąd obowiązku udzielenia przez bank sądowi informacji objętych tajemnicą w postępowaniu cywilnym. Przeanalizowano poglądy orzecznictwa i doktryny odnoszące się do instytucji tajemnicy bankowej i rozważono argumenty zarówno przemawiające za zasadą maksymalizacji tajemnicy bankowej i odwołaniem do postępowań spadkowych w rozumieniu art. 627 i n. k.p.c., wykluczające ekstensywną wykładnię wyjątków, jak i stanowisko przeciwne. Przeprowadzona analiza objęła także motywy ustawodawcze, które przyświecały wprowadzeniu wyjątku art. 105 ust. 1 pkt 2 lit. d ustawy Prawo bankowe. Istotne wartości, również o charakterze konstytucyjnym, stojące za efektywnością roszczenia o zachowek, przesądziły o potrzebie objęcia przez ww. przepis ustawy Prawo bankowe także spraw o zachowek.
Glosa do wyroku Sądu Apelacyjnego w Gdańsku z dnia 14 marca 2022 r., III AUa 319/22
Authors: Lewandowski Piotr
Published: April 2023

Glosowany wyrok wydany w postępowaniu apelacyjnym dotyczy tzw. sprawy dezubekizacyjnej zawisłej w związku obniżeniem świadczenia emerytalnego byłemu funkcjonariuszowi na podstawie zarzutu służby na rzecz państwa totalitarnego. Sąd Apelacyjny uchylił korzystny dla funkcjonariusza wyrok sądu I instancji w oparciu o tzw. notoria, które pozwalają na ustalenie faktu bezdowodowo. Glosator dowodzi, że doszło do tego z naruszeniem przepisów postępowania i przepisów prawa materialnego.
Rekolekcje narodowe z aktem zawierzenia św. Józefowi Kościoła i Narodu Polskiego centralnym wydarzeniem Roku św. Józefa w Diecezji Kaliskiej
Authors: Kwiatkowski Dariusz
Published: April 2023

Artykuł opisuje bardzo ważne historyczne wydarzenie dla Kościoła w Polsce, którym był uroczysty akt zawierzenia św. Józefowi Kościoła i Narodu Polskiego. Wydarzenie to było poprzedzone rekolekcjami narodowymi, w których dzięki transmisjom medialnym mogli uczestniczyć wierni z całej Polski. Rozważania rekolekcyjne, głoszone od w dniach od 03 do 07 października 2021 roku przez znanych teologów i kaznodziejów polskich ukazywały św. Józefa jako Opiekuna Kościoła Powszechnego, Patrona małżeństwa i rodziny ze szczególnym wskazaniem na rolę ojca w rodzinie oraz jako obrońcę życia od poczęcia aż do naturalnej śmierci. W trudnych czasach dla Kościoła i świata św. Józef może być pomocą w rozwiazywaniu najtrudniejszych problemów, które dotykają współczesnego człowieka. Wpatrywanie się i naśladowanie życia Patriarchy z Nazaretu i jego relacji z Jezusem i Maryją, są bardzo aktualne we współczesnym świecie, który tak bardzo potrzebuje miłości, sprawiedliwości, pokoju i jednoznacznych postaw moralnych.
Carbon Emissions and Urbanization in ASEAN-5 Countries
Authors: Perwithosuci Winny , Hadibasyir Hamim Zaky , Arif Muhammad
Published: April 2023

The population in the world reach 7.5 billion in 2019. Population living in urban area is one of the drivers of cabon emissions. This study aims to estimate the relationship between urbanization, GDP, trade openness, and coal consumption on carbon dioxide emissions in ASEAN-5 countries which are Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, and Vietnam from 1990 to 2020. The data generated from British Petroleum and World Bank. This current study employs Fixed-Effect estimation model to estimate the data. The result revealed there is positive relationship between urban population as proxy of urbanization, GDP, trade openness, and coal consumption. Policies should highlight the utilization of low-carbon techlonogies and renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions.
Efficacy of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis in elective soft-tissue-only wrist arthroscopy
Authors: Wachtel Nikolaus , Meyer Emanuel , Volkmer Elias , Knie Nina , Lukas Bernhard , Giunta Riccardo , Demmer Wolfram
Published: April 2023

Aims

Wrist arthroscopy is a standard procedure in hand surgery for diagnosis and treatment of wrist injuries. Even though not generally recommended for similar procedures, general administration of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (PAP) is still widely used in wrist arthroscopy.

Methods

A clinical ambispective dual-centre study was performed to determine whether PAP reduces postoperative infection rates after soft tissue-only wrist arthroscopies. Retrospective and prospective data was collected at two hospitals with departments specialized in hand surgery. During the study period, 464 wrist arthroscopies were performed, of these 178 soft-tissue-only interventions met the study criteria and were included. Signs of postoperative infection and possible adverse drug effects (ADEs) of PAP were monitored. Additionally, risk factors for surgical site infection (SSIs), such as diabetes mellitus and BMI, were obtained.

Results

The overall infection rate of SSI was zero. Neither in the PAP group (n = 69) nor in the control group (n = 109) were signs of postoperative infection observed. Observed symptoms of ADEs were three-times higher in the PAP group when compared to the control-group (16.3 vs 5.5%; p = 0.043). No major ADEs were observed, but one in ten patients in the PAP group reported mild to severe intestinal or hypersensitivity symptoms.

Conclusion

We demonstrate that the number needed to treat (NNT) with PAP to prevent one postoperative infection in soft-tissue arthroscopies of the wrist is > 109. Conversely, symptoms of ADEs were reported by one out of ten patients given PAP. Considering the high NNT to prevent postoperative infection and the large number of ADEs caused by PAP, we recommend not to use PAP routinely in soft-tissue arthroscopies of the wrist. Subsequent large-scale studies should be conducted to substantiate these results.

Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(4):219–225.
Transformation of Community-based Research in Higher Education
Authors: Carolissen Ronelle , du-Toit Nadine Bowers
Published: April 2023

University transformation assumes social justice foundations that include equity, recognition, asymmetries of power, representation and voice. In this article we revisit, as a case study, the notorious “coloured women” article published by a team of white women researchers from Stellenbosch University in March 2019. The authors perpetuated stigmatising deficit narratives about Black women where “coloured” women were depicted as a homogeneous, intellectually deficient group. The university appointed a formal investigation committee (FIC) to investigate the claims of inherent racism and sexism lodged against the university, the ethics committee, and the authors of the article. We discuss the narratives inherent in the final institutional outcome and their implications for research engagement with marginalised communities. We discuss, through decolonial feminist and critical diversity literacies lenses (CDL), four narratives: the “sweeping under the carpet” narrative, the “kiss and make up” narrative, the “race as taboo” narrative and the “missing persons” narrative. We consider the challenges that remain; institutional racism, dealing with this case from a perspective of minimising institutional risk, the misrecognition of deep-seated internalised racism, an interrogation of personal and institutional ethics in community-based research. Transformation in research cannot be a legal procedure only. Personal and institutional reflexivity should inform meaningful restorative interventions.
Changing the Visual Landscape
Authors: de Villiers Gera , van Rooi Leslie , Biscombe Monique , Costandius Elmarie
Published: April 2023

The national #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall student protests of 2015–2016 at universities across South Africa foregrounded the need for the transformation, decolonisation, redress and Africanisation of the country’s higher education institutions. One of the ways that Stellenbosch University (SU) has endeavoured to address transformation-related challenges linked to symbols and names is with the Visual Redress Project, whose aim is to change the visual landscape of the university’s campuses. This paper explores the reactions of students and staff to initiatives carried out thus far by the Visual Redress project on SU’s Stellenbosch campus. It attempts to contribute to the discourse around the transformation of higher education in South Africa through a look at how social cohesion and the sharing of stories and identities could be achieved on SU’s campus through visual redress. It draws upon and expands on the existing research on visual redress conducted at the University (Fataar & Costandius, 2021; Costandius et al., 2020; Clarke & Costandius, 2019). The paper aims not only to provide insight into SU’s transformation efforts but to also use these responses and reactions to potentially inform future transformation imperatives and redress initiatives in particular on this and other campuses locally and globally.
April 2023 Imaging Case of the Month: Large Impact from a Small Lesion
Authors:   Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, AZ USA, Gotway Michael
Published: April 2023

No abstract available. Article truncated after 150 words. History of Present Illness: A 65-year-old woman with a history of diabetes mellitus complained of worsening fatigue with a 20 lbs. weight gain over the last year as well as shortness of breath. The patient also complained of bruising without recalling specific injury and complained her complexion had changed recently, becoming “ruddier”, accompanied by increasing growth of facial hair. Her past medical history was remarkable for hypertension, including a previous hospitalization for a hypertensive emergency. The patient’s diabetes had become more difficult to control in recent months, with labile blood glucose levels requiring escalating insulin doses. The patient denied recent changes in sleep, worsening anxiety or depression, or changes in mood. PMH, SH, FH: The patient’s past medical history was also notable for diastolic dysfunction and hyperlipidemia, and she required oxygen use at night. Her past surgical history was significant for a previous hysterectomy and a knee arthroplasty. Her family …