bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Erroneous Classification of Brassica juncea L. in South African Studies: Consequences for Agricultural Extension Services
Authors: Fanadzo M. , Dube E.
Published: April 2024

Agricultural extension services play a crucial role by providing expert guidance on enhancing production and processing and facilitating the dissemination of knowledge and scientific findings into practical use. For this reason, researchers must generate accurate information for agricultural extension officers to relay to the ultimate beneficiaries - the farmers. In this paper, we highlight an instance of misidentification by researchers about one of South Africa's extensively researched vegetables, Brassica juncea L. Due to its broad adaptability, this crop has been the focus of numerous South African studies aimed at maximising its production for resource-poor farmers. Regrettably, the accumulated research on B. juncea reveals a prevalent issue of inconsistent naming and classification, leading to confusion with Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subs. chinensis). Such inaccurate species identification fosters a disjointed body of knowledge, potentially generating conflicting results and thereby restricting the applicability of the research findings to farmers and other stakeholders. This literature review examines 20 years of South African research to guide future studies and extension efforts on B. juncea. It underscores the necessity for accurate species identification and nomenclature, thereby enhancing the reproducibility and relevance of research outputs.
Hydropedology of South African soil forms and families
Authors: JJ van Tol  , D Bouwer
Published: April 2024

Hydropedology is an interdisciplinary field that studies the interactions between soil and water, recognizing that soils influence hydrological processes through their hydraulic properties, and serve as indicators of hydrological behaviour through their morphological properties that are shaped by water regimes. Given the practical implications of hydropedology and its integration into South Africa's latest soil classification system, an updated categorization of soil forms and 1 657 (1 629 + 28) families was necessary, organizing them into three overarching response groups based on their predominant hydrological responses: recharge, interflow, and responsive. Within these groups, recharge soils are further classified into deep, shallow, and slow subgroups, interflow soils encompass soil/bedrock, shallow, and slow categories, while responsive soils are subdivided into responsive shallow and responsive wet. This paper aims to enhance the reader's comprehension of hydrological responses and simplify the intricacies integrated into South Africa's official soil classification system.
Eliza Gerner; Croatian theatre; autobiographic prose; memoirs; cultural memory
Authors: Ljubić Lucija
Published: April 2024

Eliza Gerner (Sombor, 1920 – Zagreb, 2013) is the first Croatian actress to publish her memoirs. The paper contextualises eight memoirs by Eliza Gerner within the genre characteristics of autobiographic prose. Gerner’s memoirs are social memoirs rooted in the author’s polydiscursivity and fragmentary self-representation. The paper then explores the memoirs, focusing on specific topics: Gerner’s professional engagement, the life and work of Tito Strozzi, her association with Bela and Miroslav Krleža and portraits of Croatian actresses. The analysis focuses on Gerner’s discourse on the status of women and specifically actresses in the 20th century, which reveals Gerner’s partial reinterpretation of the history of Croatian theatre, and establishes her books as a contribution to cultural memory in Croatia. Martina Petranović Dinka Jeričević – the Iron Lady of Croatian Stage Design Dinka Jeričević – Željezna dama hrvatske scenografije
(Re)shaping the Associations of University Women in Zagreb (1931-1955)
Authors: Ograjšek Gorenjak Ida
Published: April 2024

This paper explores the way that professional, feminist and national political processes and events shaped and reshaped the organizational structure, goals and membership of Zagreb Section of the Association of University Women in Yugoslavia and its successors.
Women Editors in Interwar Yugoslavia Between the Struggle to Write and the Struggle for Rights: Katarina Bogdanović and Paulina Lebl Albala
Authors: Simić Zorana
Published: April 2024

What did it mean to be a woman periodical editor in the Kingdom of SCS/Yugoslavia? What was the price of constant efforts made by some women periodical editors to reconcile the private and public, individual and collective, the desire for creative freedom or belonging to the literary community on the one hand, and feminist engagement on the other? How were their habitus and identity shaped between the struggle to write and the struggle for (women’s) rights? In this paper, I partially answer these and similar questions – which I cover more extensively in my doctoral dissertation in progress Women Periodical Editors in the Kingdom of SCS/Yugoslavia: Biographical, Literary-Historical and Typological Aspects – using the magazine Ženski pokret (Women’s Movement, 1920–1938) and the (auto)biographies of its founders and first editors, Katarina Bogdanović and Paulina Lebl Albala, as the subject of a case study. The interdisciplinary framework in which I operate consists of periodical studies, gender studies, intellectual history and literary studies.
The Ladies Society and Ladies Club: Two Examples of Women’s Associations in Zagreb
Authors: Piškor Martina , Sabotič Ines
Published: April 2024

Membership in the Territorial Ladies Society for Women’s Education and Enrichment in Croatia and Slavonia (1900) and the Ladies Club in Zagreb (1901) was restricted to women, who, in fact, mostly belonged to the social elite. The Society and the Club were linked organizations exclusively saw to the needs of women and were particularly dedicated to the education of young schoolgirls. While the Society was dedicated to women’s philanthropy, the Club dedicated special care to the sociability of its members. The beneficiaries of philanthropic work, as well as the women who managed it, greatly benefited from the work of these associations. By helping schoolgirls from lower social classes, the female members of the elite were helping themselves as well. They participated in public life and were able to gain management and decision-making experience. In the broadest sense, they actively involved in political issues, i.e., social policies.
The female Body between Consumer culture and Traditional Roles: Redefining Gender Patterns through the Interwar Croatian Women’s Press
Authors: Blagojević Mirjam Vida
Published: April 2024

In the interwar period, the women’s press served as a venue for displaying various aspects of the female body. The analyzed textual and visual material in Ženski list, Svijet, and Naša žena reveals a juxtaposition of a modern, consumer culture worldview with the patriarchal representation of the female body, which primarily emphasizes its maternal role. This paper aims to explore how media, tradition, modernity, economic progress, and public medicine impacted the shaping, redefinition, and control of the female body in consumer society.
The Emotions of Protest: Some Examples of Anti-Yugoslav Demonstrations in Australia, Canada and the USA in 1972
Authors: Bukvić Nenad
Published: April 2024

The aim of the article is to describe some examples of anti-Yugoslav demonstrations in Australia, Canada and the USA during 1972 from the perspective of the history of emotions. Those demonstrations were a reaction to the repression that had been exerted in Croatia against students, cultural activists, scholars and other participants in the Croatian Spring. The research was based on unpublished archival documents and the Croatian political émigré press, primarily the periodical Nova Hrvatska edited by Jakša Kušan. The conclusions are based on an analysis of available textual and photographic materials.
Cionističko djelovanje mladoga Ericha Fromma
Authors: Akrap Domagoj
Published: April 2024

U članku se analizira sve rane radove Ericha Fromma koje je pisao kao gimnazijalac i student. Svi tekstovi objavljeni su u njemačkim studentskim cionističkim časopisima. Točnija analiza tekstova jasno pokazuje da je Fromm već tada u cionističkom omladinskom pokretu zastupao načela autentičnog života i socijalne pravde – za njega iskonski židovske vrednote. Kasnije će se u svojim poznatim djelima zalagati za ista ta načela i primijeniti ih na čovjeka općenito.
The Muslim Women’s Question and the Emancipatory Potential of Nafija Sarajlić’s Literary Work in South Slavic and European Context
Authors: Omeragić Merima
Published: April 2024

The birth of modern identity in the field of literature can be found in the topics elaborated by the first Bosnian Muslim woman writer, Nafija Sarajlić (1893-1970). Set at the onset of World War I, in a cultural milieu in which the values of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires intermingled and confronted each other, these topics represented the growth and functioning of the concept of a woman. A comprehensive and emancipatory discourse and the writer’s awareness have been defined in light of the impact of Europeanization and also as essentially deductive content, reflecting the fluidity between self-preservation and destruction as well as rejection by (traditional) society. The author’s work is read through the prism of its correlation to writers from Serbian and Croatian cultural circles, with whom she shared not only a social experience, but also her vocation (teacher), as well as literary descriptions of the resistance to the emancipatory practices that they promoted. Sarajlić established herself as a writer who, in her biography and prose work, bore witness to the processes that accompanied the rise of the Muslim women’s question. This paper’s focus is on the issue of Muslim women’s education at that time, which was not only a crucial question inside the Muslim community, but also a problem that official Austro-Hungarian policies were supposed to address in Bosnia. To that end, an interpretation of the writer’s intimate experiences, as one of the first formally educated teachers, and her exclusion from her profession, her writing and narrative style, as well as her approach to specific motifs, will be examined with regard to how they underscored the modes and avenues for the emancipation of Muslim woman. Despite traditionalisation and patriarchal and clerical processes, which reasserted themselves in the Muslim community, particularly after World War II, it is crucial to emphasize the tremendous importance of Sarajlić’s work. The latter, for all the reasons noted above, with its text and context, functions as a starting point in the real path towards shaping a model of a modern South-Slavic and European Muslim woman.
Female Desire in the Epistolary Novels of South Slavic Women Writers (Hanka by Slovene Croat Writer Zofka Kveder and Jedno dopisivanje by Serbian writer Julka Chlapec-Đorđević)
Authors: Jensterle Doležal Alenka
Published: April 2024

This paper, which deals with Central European literature in the comparative perspective, contains an analysis of the representation of intimacy and love (female desire) in the epistolary novels Hanka (1918) written by the Slovene Croat writer and feminist Zofka Kveder (1878-1926) and Jedno dopisivanje. Fragmenti romana (A Correspondence. Fragments of a Novel, 1932) by the Serbian writer and feminist Julka Chlapec-Đorđević (1882-1969). Both of these South Slavic women writers and feminists were cultural nomads with multiple linguistic identities, part of the Habsburgian myth, and they lived for a time in Prague, then an important city of European modernism and the avant-garde. In the novels, they created a picture of a new woman and her intimate world, focusing on the motifs of love and extramarital affairs. In the novel Hanka, readers follow the thematization of the new independent woman and her intimacy in the chaos of the apocalypse of the First World War, focusing on representations of the idealized love of a woman for a man and a woman’s suppressed desire. Julka Chlapec-Đorđević inherited the legacy of Zofka Kveder in Prague, and her novel Jedno dopisivanje is an homage to Kveder’s artistic achievements. The writer depicts gender intimacy in fictitious letters between Marija Prohasková from Prague and her lover Oton Šrepan, a doctor from Slovenia. In both case studies, the representation of the secret love affair and writer´s understanding of intimacy and romantic love as the key concepts of modernity will be examined.
Сравнительная характеристика парагенетических особенностей состава гранатов из некоторых кимберлитовых тел Мирнинского поля
Authors: Чугуевская Эльвира Александровна , Хмельков Александр Михайлович , Иванов Александр Сергеевич
Published: April 2024

Введение: Проведены исследования составов гранатов по трем кимберлитовым телам Мирнинского поля (трубки Мир, Интернациональная и Дачная). Данное поле расположено в пределах МалоБотуобинского алмазоносного района Западной Якутии. Методика: Парагенетическая принадлежность гранатов определена на основе их химического состава с использованием программы «MineralogicalAnalyse». Всего было изучено 3263 зерна гранатов. Изучение составов гранатов было выполнено на электронно-зондовом анализаторе. Результаты и обсуждение: Результаты исследований показывают, что кимберлитовые тела Мирнинского поля, несмотря на схожий набор различных гранатовых парагенезисов, существенно различаются их процентным соотношением. Характерной особенностью гранатов изученных тел является довольно высокое суммарное содержание разностей эклогитового парагенезиса, особенно гранатов из слабоалмазоносных магнезиальных эклогитов. Выводы: С помощью программы «MineralogicalAnalyse» предоставляется возможность не только надежно определять парагенетическую специализацию гранатов, но и проводить идентификацию шлиховых ореолов в процессе поиска новых кимберлитовых тел.
An Evaluation of ChatGPT's Translation Accuracy Using BLEU Score
Authors: Ghassemiazghandi Mozhgan
Published: April 2024

Traditional views have long held that machine translation cannot achieve the quality and accuracy of human translators, especially in complex language pairs like Persian and English. This study challenges this perspective by demonstrating that ChatGPT-4, with access to vast amounts of multilingual data and leveraging advanced large language model algorithms, significantly outperforms widely utilized open-source machine translation tools and approaches the realm of human translation quality. This research aims to critically assess the translation accuracy of ChatGPT-4 against a traditional open-source machine translation tool from Persian to English, highlighting the advancements in artificial intelligence-driven translation technologies. Using Bilingual Evaluation Understudy scores for a comprehensive evaluation, this study compares the translation outputs from ChatGPT-4 with MateCat, providing a quantitative basis for comparing their accuracy and quality. ChatGPT-4 achieves a BLUE score of 0.88 and an accuracy of 0.68, demonstrating superior performance compared to MateCat, with a 0.82 BLUE score and 0.49 accuracy. The results indicate that the translations generated by ChatGPT-4 surpass those produced by MateCat and nearly mirror the quality of human translations. The evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness of OpenAI's large language model algorithms in improving translation accuracy.
Chesterman’s Pragmatic Strategies in Translating Sundanese Folklore Into English
Authors: Mahmud Erlina Zulkifli , Sobarna Cece , Hartono Rudi , Moriyama Mikihiro
Published: April 2024

English scholar and translator Andrew Chesterman offers three major strategies of translation when dealing with any kind of source texts: syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic. Moreover, these three strategies can be applied either separately or with two or all three of them used together depending on the need to get a natural equivalent in the target text. This article is about the emergence of one of Chesterman’s strategies – the pragmatic strategies - in the translation of Sundanese folklore from the Sundanese language into the English target text. The Sundanese language is a local language spoken by Sundanese people mostly living in West Java, Indonesia. Its existence is in such a critical situation that if there are no efforts from any communities, institutions, or government to preserve it, this local language will gradually go extinct. This research is one of the ways to participate in preserving the language. Using Chesterman’s concept of pragmatic strategies, this research aims to reveal the emergence of each type of pragmatic strategy in the English target text and identify the most dominant strategy used. The method used is a descriptive qualitative method focusing on the use of words either in the linguistic unit of the clause, the phrase or the word itself. The efforts made by the translator in giving the closest natural equivalent in the target text can be observed in the results of this research. The results show that all types of pragmatic strategies were used, but the strategy used most frequently was the explicitness change strategy.
The Syntax of ʔiˈða al-fud͡ʒɑːʔiːja ‘If of Surprise’ in Classical Arabic
Authors: Abdelhady Saleem
Published: April 2024

This scholarly investigation deals with the intricacies surrounding the syntactical nature of the phenomenon known as “If of Surprise” in the context of Classical Arabic, employing a methodological lens derived from the Minimalist framework. The “If of Surprise” construct represents a unique form of expression that incorporates a particle phonetically resembling the conditional particle “if” in Classical Arabic, yet its underlying structure diverges from establishing genuine conditional relationships. By employing the analytical tools provided by the Minimalist Program, this study scrutinizes the data associated with “If of Surprise” constructions, utilizing several syntactic diagnostics to uncover their distinctive characteristics. The findings of this study unequivocally demonstrate that “If of Surprise” exhibits remarkable traits that set it apart from conventional syntactic patterns. By shedding light on the mechanisms through which these projections operate, the study provides a comprehensive understanding of the sudden interpretive nature exhibited by “If of Surprise” By delving into the intricacies of its syntactic structure and exploring the role of Speech Act Projections, this research contributes to the broader field of linguistic inquiry and aids in unraveling the complexities inherent in the syntax of Classical Arabic.
A Visual Analysis of Male Characters in Disney Animated Movies
Authors: Al-Taleb Anna O. , Hamdan Jihad M.
Published: April 2024

This study investigates the visual features of male characters of nine Disney animated movies taken from the last three decades 1990-1999, 2000-2009 and 2010-2019. Aley and Hahn’s (2020) framework of men’s portrayal (developed from Goffman, 1976) is applied. The qualitative analysis reveals that the physical appearance of Disney male characters has changed over time. Body image changed from an unrealistic large body with big muscles to a realistic body type with logical body proportions. Heroes started to be seen as powerful gentlemen rather than heroes with physical strength. Moreover, the heroes, especially in third decade, no longer depended on their physical attire to reflect their ranks. This shift may indicate a change of how people tend to see heroes. In term of masculine touch, male characters used to touch their female companions in a controlling manner. However, in the second and third decade, their touch started to change to protection rather than control. Finally, eye withdrawal remained the same over time because men withdrew their eyes for reasons connected to man’s nature and feelings.
The Dignity of Women in Marriage: Comparative Study of Indonesian and Malaysian Folk Tales
Authors: Sudaryani Rina Ratih Sri , Suwondo Tirto , Astari Rika
Published: April 2024

The dignity of Indonesian and Malaysian women is reflected in various sources, including oral and written literary works. The purpose of this study is to identify the position of women in marriage in folktales. The object of the research is the dignity of women reflected in Indonesian and Malaysian folktales. Data collection was conducted by studying four folktales from both countries. Data analysis was done by comparing and interpreting the folktales to obtain meanings. The findings of this study indicate the values of women's protection and the right to vote for women idealized by society, both in Indonesian and Malaysian folktales. This study confirms that women's dignity needs to be empowered through self-determination and representation to build confidence and the ability to make decisions in their marriage.
An Exploratory Analysis of Linking Adverbials in Research Articles Across Different Disciplines
Authors: Alanazi Zaha
Published: April 2024

Writing empirical research papers that comply with disciplinary conventions is a goal that many students, especially at the tertiary level, aspire to achieve. While playing a crucial role in constructing coherent texts, linking adverbials are typically depicted as a static collection of interchangeable elements lacking inherent meaning, and often receiving minimal consideration for their discipline-specific functions. Most of the previous studies on linking adverbials have focused on the frequency of use across different proficiency levels; there has been little corpus-based research on how these connectives function across different disciplines. This paper examines the potential variations in the use of linking adverbials in Nursing and Applied Linguistics empirical research articles. Using AntConc software, a corpus of eighty research articles, 40 articles in Nursing and another 40 in Applied Linguistics, were compared in terms of their frequency use, function, and placement preferences of linking adverbials. Findings revealed that the two corpora differ considerably in frequency, semantic function, and, to a lesser extent, the placement of linking adverbials in each discipline. Such variations are attributed mainly to the way linking adverbials are used to present and strengthen authors' arguments in each discipline.
Persuasion Strategies in Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 Document: A Critical Discourse Analysis Approach
Authors: Alqahtani Fahhad
Published: April 2024

By adopting a critical discourse analysis (CDA) approach, this paper explores the strategies of persuasion employed in the Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 document. More specifically, the paper attempts to identify the various persuasion strategies used in the document of the 2030 Vision, the way through which these persuasion strategies are linguistically manifested, and the different modes of persuasion used in the document. The primary research questions of this study are: first, what are the different modes of persuasion employed in the Saudi Arabia 2030 Vision? Second, what are the strategies of persuasion used in the document under investigation? Third, how are these strategies linguistically manifested in the document at hand? Findings reveal that there are five strategies that are highly representative as persuasion conduits in the Saudi Arabia 2030 Vision. These include lexical choices, the inclusive ‘we’, religionization, future promises, and compositional summarization. The five strategies accentuate the assumption that the process of persuasion is successfully communicated at the various levels of linguistic analysis: lexically, semantically, pragmatically, and stylistically.
Objectification Theory in History and Class Consciousness and Its Implications for Ideology Construction
Authors: Zhang Jiayi
Published: April 2024

As the pioneer and forerunner of Western Marxism, Lukács’ ideas have had a significant impact on the development of Western Marxism and even Western philosophy. History and Class Consciousness, consisting of eight essays, is the most important work of Lukács’s life. The objectification theory elaborated in the book has important implications for the critique of capitalist ideology and the reconstruction of the consciousness of the proletariat, as well as for contemporary ideological construction.
The Use of Interactive Metadiscourse in Research Articles: A Corpus-Based Case Study of Astronautics
Authors: Sun Yue
Published: April 2024

Based on Hyland’s interpersonal model of interactive metadiscourse, this study adopts astronautics as a research case to investigate the textual features of research articles, aiming to investigate the use of metadiscourse in research articles and assist academic writing for students who major in astronautics. A corpus consisting of 43 research articles published in Journal of Guidance, Control and Dynamics (JGCD) in 2020 and 2021 was built. AntConc 3.5.9 was utilized for searching and counting the standardized frequency results, so as to identify the most frequently used expressions. Results show that transition markers are most frequently used (35.72 per 1,000 word tokens), accounting for 65.62% of the total amount of interactive metadiscourse. The frequency of evidentials is the lowest, i.e., 0.26 per 1,000 word tokens, accounting for 0.48%. These indicate that transition markers play an important role in research articles in astronautics owing to the high requirement of logical expression. The low frequency of evidentials reflects low-level of dependency from others’ opinions, focusing on own experiments and argumentations. The relatively high frequencies of frame markers and endophoric markers confirm that straightforward logic and clear structure together with transparent figures are preferred in research articles in astronautics.
Initial experience of endovascular aneurysm repair at the Dr. Eduardo Liceaga General Hospital of Mexico
Authors: Sierra-Juárez Miguel A. , Valderrama-Treviño Alan I. , González-Martínez Itaty C. , Mendoza-Barrera German E. , Ramos-Peralta Mariely  I.
Published: April 2024

Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is the permanent and irreversible dilation of the lower part of the aorta where the vessel expands, making it susceptible to rupture, which represents a high mortality incident.
Methods: A review of clinical records was carried out from September 2021 to March 2023, patients who were diagnosed with aortic aneurysm were included in whom endovascular exclusion of abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysm was performed at the General Hospital of Mexico by the angiology vascular and endovascular surgery department.
Results: 18 endovascular repairs of aortic aneurysms were performed, of which 15.4% were female (n=6) and 84.6% male (n=12). The average proximal neck diameter in the thoracic aorta was 31 mm, average proximal neck diameter in infrarenal AAA 22.2 mm, average aneurysmal diameter in infrarenal segment 63.8 mm, thoracic 31 mm. Regarding the type of endovascular procedure, 11.1% were repaired with the fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR) technique, and the same proportion with chimney endovascular aneurysm repair (ChEVAR), for a resolution with conventional EVAR of 77.7%. Complications occurred in 3 patients, 2 of which resulted in type 1a and 1b endoleaks that were reoperated and repaired with a proximal cuff, balloon angioplasty, and embolization of the aneurysmal sac with coils.
Conclusions: Aortic aneurysm remains a major cause of death in adults because of aortic rupture despite advances over the past two decades that have been made in the endovascular management of large, symptomatic, and ruptured. Timely treatment is essential to prevent rupture and poor patient outcomes.
Laparoscopic management of benign gastric outlet obstruction: a case series with review of literature
Authors: Nagula Mounish R. , Joshi Abhijit S.
Published: April 2024

Surgery for peptic ulcer disease has since long become a thing of the past, in the era of proton pump inhibitors. Today, it is difficult to believe that these were common operations about 6-7 decades ago. Such has been the impact of proton pump inhibitors (PPI), that, surgery for peptic ulcer has been relegated to the realms of history. However, even in present day, in some rare clinical situations, surgeons may have to resort to surgery for patients suffering from peptic ulcer disease. Herein, we present our experience of laparoscopic surgical management of one of those rare clinical scenarios related to severe peptic ulcer disease. The clinical condition in discussion is gastric outlet obstruction caused by severe peptic ulcer disease in the first part of duodenum. We identified 8 patients (7 males and 1 female) who underwent laparoscopic vagotomy with gastrojejunostomy for benign gastric outlet obstruction, at our institution, operated upon by a single surgeon, between 2004 to 2023. All patients had undergone oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (OGD scopy), and contrast enhanced computerised tomography (CECT) of the abdomen. The patients were analysed for age, sex, symptoms, pre-operative evaluation, morbidity/mortality and functional outcomes. They were also reviewed to examine the length of stay, length of procedure, complications and recurrent symptoms on follow-up.
Situs inversus totalis with esophageal cancer: a case report
Authors: Sabireen  , Patel Gaurav , Patil Prakash K. , Vala Azad , Reelkar Aditya
Published: April 2024

Situs inversus is a rare disorder and its association with esophageal cancer is seldom encountered in clinical practice. Its incidence is 1/8000 to 1/25000 live births. Only 12 cases have been reported in the literature so far. Here, we report a case of esophageal cancer with situs inversus totalis, which was successfully managed by esophago-gastrectomy via a high right thoracoabdominal approach and review the relevant literature. Although the surgery was technically challenging due anatomic reversal of organs, it did not differ from the routine surgery. Moreover, it was observed that with careful recognition of mirror image anatomy preoperatively and during surgery, complications can be avoided.
A rare differential of acute abdomen: a case of internal hernia presenting as small bowel obstruction
Authors: S. Shahid Afridi , Banerjee Divya Jyoti
Published: April 2024

Internal hernias, though uncommon, are crucial to consider when diagnosing intestinal obstruction. They typically arise from developmental abnormalities, less frequently from acquired issues. Developmental causes include abnormal or incomplete development of the mesentery or gut rotation. Surgery is the most common cause of acquired internal hernias, particularly laparoscopic gastrojejunostomy or duodenojejunostomy repair procedures. Internal hernias usually present with intestinal obstruction symptoms. Imaging plays a vital role in diagnosis. While an upright abdominal X-ray may show signs of obstruction, CT scanning is the definitive investigation. This report describes an 18-year-old male who presented with generalized abdominal pain for eight days and no stool or gas passage for the past three days. After confirmation of a mesenteric hernia through ultrasound and CT imaging, emergency laparotomy surgery was performed. Due to gangrenous bowel, resection was not possible, so an ileostomy was created. The tissue sample was sent for histological examination. Surgery remains the definitive treatment for internal hernias.
Endovascular penile revascularization improves erectile dysfunction in patients with penile arterial insufficiency
Authors: Masabni Khalil , Diehm Nicolas
Published: April 2024

In most institutions, patients with erectile dysfunction due to penile arterial insufficiency are offered palliative treatments like vacuum constrictor devices, intraurethral alprostadil, intracavernosal injection of prostaglandins, and/or implantation of penile prosthesis when these patients can be treated by endovascular penile revascularization. 50% of patients with erectile dysfunction are non-responders to phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors. 70% of non-responders to phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors have penile arterial insufficiency that can be treated with endovascular penile revascularization. Patients who are non-responders to phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors should be screened for penile arterial insufficiency using penile duplex scan. If penile artery peak systolic velocity is <35 cm/s, then arterial insufficiency is suspected, and computed tomography (CT) angiogram is obtained to confirm presence of significant stenosis in iliac-pedundle-penile arterial system. Patients with penile arterial insufficiency should be offered endovascular penile revascularization. This minimally invasive procedure has minimal perioperative complications (<1%) and has significant clinical improvement in erectile function in >60% of patients at 12 months. Endovascular penile revascularization is safe and has long term clinical improvement in erectile function. This minimally invasive procedure can result in improved erectile function and preserves penile size and shape in most non-responders to phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors.
Carotid body tumors: a review
Authors: Valderrama-Treviño Alan I. , Correa-Posada Martha O. , García-Velez John F. , Sierra-Juárez Miguel A. , Barrientos-Villegas Sofia , González-Martínez Itaty C. , Durán-López Nalleli , Fernando Hernández Erick , Mendoza Barrera German E.
Published: April 2024

Carotid body tumor or paraganglioma, is located periadventitially in relation to the carotid bifurcation. Generally, the blood supply of carotid tumors is abundant, it comes mainly from the branches of the external carotid arteries, although cases have been reported where the irrigation comes from the internal carotid artery, vertebral artery, ascending pharyngeal artery and superior thyroid. Although its etiology is unknown, different factors have been associated that contribute to its incidence, such as genetic factors and states of chronic hypoxia. Histologically, they are well vascularized tumors. Between the capillaries there are groups of tumor cells known as Zellballen's pseudoalveolar pattern. These are cells with eosinophilic granular cytoplasm and small round or oval nuclei. The tumor is mobile, but with limitation to mobilization in the cephalocaudal direction. The mass can transmit the carotid pulse due to its proximity to the carotid, and it may also be accompanied by a murmur or thrill. Usually the carotid glomus is identified by clinical examination, so consideration of multiple differential diagnoses. The treatment of choice is surgical excision. The need for preoperative embolization is controversial. Embolization before surgery is recommended to improve surgical success with reduced blood loss as well as reduce the risk of cranial nerve injury. The decision to perform presurgical embolization or not depends on the surgeon.
Study of degenerative (non-lytic) spondylolisthesis grade 1 and 2 in axial MRI images
Authors: Surana Amit , Gadkari Alok , Gore Satishchandra
Published: April 2024

Background: The traditional imaging assessment of lumbar spondylolisthesis is in sagittal images noting movement of upper body over the lower body. It omits change at the facet.
Methods: The present observational, study included 35 patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis(non-lytic). Radiological analysis of all MRI images was done by 4 independent spinal surgeons and 2 radiologists. The study focused on the axial MRI images and changed relation between the superior articular process and inferior articular process and relation between inferior articular process and canal with thecal sac (traversing root).
Results: Majority of DS had sagittal oriented facets (71.43%). In 7 cases at the L3/4 and in 19 cases at L4/5 level both facet joints had sagittal orientation with forward (ventral) movement of IAP. The IAP was found to be encroaching or in close proximity of traversing root. In 1 patient at L3/4 and 6 patients at L4/5 joint was sagittal unilaterally, may be causing compression of the neural elements unilaterally, while on coronal side the IAP and SAP had a normal alignment and not causing neural encroachment
Conclusions: We need to concentrate on relation of IAP vs SAP at facet as seen in axial images of facet.
The study of outcome in fractures of proximal third of tibia in adults treated by expert tibia nail
Authors: B. Darshan , Abhijeet  , Bedge Vijayanand , Belaval Naveen M.
Published: April 2024

This study aims to evaluate the clinical, functional outcome and complications of fracture proximal third of tibia treated with expert tibia nail in terms of radiological union, functional outcomes by short form -36 (SF-36) score, Johner and Wruhs criteria, visual analogue score and patient satisfaction score. Twenty-five patients with fracture proximal third of tibia treated with expert tibia nail in SNMC and HSK hospital and research centre, Bagalkot were enrolled in this study. The radiological union was assessed by plain radiograph and functional outcome by SF-36 score, Johner and Wruhs criteria, visual analogue score and patient satisfaction score. The radiological union was achieved in all the patients between 14 to 26 weeks duration (mean of 19.6±2.82 weeks). The mean SF-36 score was 84.9±4.06 and the mean visual analogue score was 2±1.78 at the 22nd week of follow-up. Results based on Johner and Wruhs criteria, 17 patients had excellent, 6 had good, 1 had fair and 1 had poor results. The average patient satisfaction score was 8.88 out of 10. There were 8 cases of post-operative knee pain, 5 cases of infection, 2 cases of malunion, 1 case of shortening and 1 case of the delayed union in our study. Intramedullary fixation with expert tibia nail for fracture proximal third tibia is a safe and less invasive technique. The radiological union was achieved in all the cases. This technique ensures excellent functional outcomes and a low incidence of complications.
MÜBADELE’NİN SAKLI BELLEĞİ: MÜSLÜMANLAŞ(TIRIL)MIŞ RUMLARIN DÜNÜ VE BUGÜNÜ ÜZERİNE
Authors: Kaya Mert
Published: April 2024

Türkiye ve Yunanistan arasında imzalanan Lozan Barış Antlaşması’nın ek protokolü kapsamında, din esasına dayalı şekilde gerçekleştirilen Nüfus Mübadelesi sürecinde Mübadele’den muaf tutulanlar haricinde, gitmesi gerekirken farklı sebeplerden dolayı mübadeleye dahil olamamış, gidememiş, gitmek istememiş ve Anadolu’da yaşamaya devam etmiş insanlar olmuştur. Çoğunluğunu kadınların ve çocukların oluşturduğu ve kaçırılma, kaybolma, evlenme, evlatlık verilme, besleme alınma gibi farklı sebeplerle Mübadele’ye katılmamış ya da katılamamış bu kişiler zaman içerisinde Müslümanlaş(tırıl)mış ve bu dönüşüm hikâyelerini uzun yıllar farklı sebepler dolayısıyla gizlemek durumunda kalmışlardır. Bu makale, sözlü tarih yöntemiyle gerçekleştirilen görüşmelerden hareketle, Müslümanlaş(tırıl)mış Rumlarda belleğin aktarımına, neden bunca zaman sustuklarına, susmak istediklerine ve daha sonra neden hatırladıklarına, hatırlattıklarına ve konuştuklarına, kimliklerinin değişimine ve dönüşümüne, çok-kimlikli yaşam mücadelesine, hikâyelerinin ortak noktalarına, dünden bugüne değişen bakış açılarına, kısacası bu zamana kadar haklarında fazla bilgi sahibi olunmayan, hem Türkiye’nin hem de Yunanistan’ın resmi ve milli tarih yazımında nerdeyse hiç yer almamış, unutulmuş ya da saklı tutulmuş Müslümanlaş(tırıl)mış Rumların dünlerine ve bugünlerine odaklanmaktadır. Ulus-devletin homojen toplum yaratma ideali içinde uzun süre sessiz kalan ve asimilasyon stratejisini benimsemek durumunda kalan Müslümanlaş(tırıl)mış ilk gruptan ziyade az ve eksik de olsa aile hikâyesini bilen diğer nesillerin kimliklenerek entegrasyon stratejisini benimsediği, bireysel de olsa etnik yeniden canlanma ile tanınma mücadelesine girdikleri, bu doğrultuda belleği ve kimlik stratejilerini kullandıkları yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmelerle kayıt altına alınmıştır.
Lived experiences of mothers with newborns lodging at a public hospital in South Africa: A qualitative study
Authors: Ntuli Matshediso Julia , Spies Cynthia
Published: April 2024

Background & Aim: The challenges of mothers residing at hospital while their ill babies are admitted to a neonatal care unit are understudied and poorly documented. Unfavorable living arrangements and tension between mothers and staff can disrupt their well-being and create feelings of helplessness. This study explored how mothers experienced having to stay at a lodging residence of a public hospital while their newborns were admitted to a neonatal care unit.
Methods & Materials: This qualitative content analysis study was conducted through face-to-face, in-depth interviews between March 2021 – April 2021. Data were gathered from 13 mothers who lodged at a public hospital for at least two weeks, were able to speak Sesotho, English, and/or Afrikaans, and were above 18 years of age. Data were analyzed using Tesch's eight steps in the coding process.
Results: Data analysis resulted in five categories, each with subcategories. The main categories are "Lodging environment", "Emotional experiences", "Nursing care of babies", "Interaction with staff", and "Participant perspectives". Participants' ages ranged between 23 and 37 years. Three participants had a spouse while the other ten were unmarried and were single parents.
Conclusion: The mothers were not optimistic about their lodging experiences, the nursing care of their newborns, and their interaction with healthcare professionals. Hence, they require intervention to alleviate conditions that cause unnecessary stress and anxiety. Health professionals and hospital managers must accommodate the needs of mothers who have no choice but to reside at the hospital when their newborns are admitted for extended periods.
Primary care nurses’ knowledge of palliative care, attitude towards caring for dying patients, and their relationship with evidence-based practice
Authors: Masharipova Alexandra , Nurgaliyeva Nassikhat , Derbissalina Gulmira
Published: April 2024

Background & Aim: Palliative care is an approach designed for critically ill patients, improving their quality of life and alleviating suffering through early detection, proper assessment, and treatment of pain and other problems, whether physical, psychosocial, or spiritual. The purpose of this study was to assess nurses' knowledge of palliative care and attitudes toward caring for dying patients and their relationship with evidence-based practice.
Methods & Materials: A cross-sectional study design was employed to collect data from 565 nurses working in primary healthcare organizations from January 2022 to March 2023. An online questionnaire included four parts: demographic and professional characteristics, PCQN, FATCOD, and EBPQ questionnaires. An independent T-test, One-Way ANOVA, and Kendall tau rank correlation coefficient, hierarchical multiple regression were performed.
Results: Nurses’ palliative care knowledge level was low (mean score: 9.06±2.93). The majority of nurses (93%) have a neutral or negative attitude toward caring for dying patients (94.50±12.41). The obtained score (4.39 ±1.05) on the EBPQ scale indicates an average level of competence in evidence-based practice. Work experience (β=0.534; <0.001) and competencies in evidence-based practice (β=0.136; p=0.001) are statistically significant factors that affect knowledge of palliative care. The aspect of Knowledge/skills in EBP is the most significant (β=0.122; p=0.005).
Conclusion: An insufficient level of nurses' knowledge about palliative care and a neutral or negative attitude towards caring for dying patients were revealed. The results also indicate that much attention and resources should be directed toward improving the level of knowledge of nurses in the field of evidence-based practice.
A study on economic cooperation in the EU and East Asia: can Franco-German cooperation be a model for Japan and Korea?
Authors: Park Sang Chul
Published: April 2024

The economic integration has been the most important agenda since the Second World War particularly in Europe because many European nations were heavily destroyed and ruined. After the severe destruction, European political leaders started to rethink how to restore Europe economically and politically in order to establish a long-term peace in Europe. The two major countries, France and Germany, initiated this based on reconciliation processes and signed on the Elysee Treaty that is legally binding and known as the de jour approach. Unfortunately, East Asian countries, Japan and South Korea took a different path, without reconciliation processes, based on the de facto approach only for economic cooperation. As a result, it is not solid yet, but contains fragile risks for the two countries to cooperate in a sustainable way. This paper investigates how and why Franco-German tandem has played core roles in the EU integration. Furthermore, it argues what are successful factors for Franco-German cooperation. Last, but not least, it analyzes whether the Franco-German model can be adapted for the Japan-Korea economic cooperation or not.
Received: 31 January 2024Accepted:  05 March 2024
Effect of the High-Intensity Interval Training on BDNF Level in Ischemic Stroke Rat Model on the Recovery of Motor Function
Authors: Yani Sri , Harris Salim , Jusuf Ahmad Aulia , Goenarjo Roman , Makkiyah Feda Anisah , Sabita Rifqi , Ibrahim Nurhadi
Published: April 2024

BACKGROUND: Stroke is one of the major causes of disability in the world. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is known as a novel treatment to promote stroke recovery. However, the results differ in their effects on irisin, which is a regulator of brain-delivered neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of HIIT on BDNF and irisin levels in a rat model of ischemic stroke with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) induction on recovery motor function.METHODS: Rats were categorized into 4 groups: sham, MCAO, MCAO+moderate-intensity interval training (MIIT), and MCAO+HIIT. MCAO induction was performed to create the ischemic stroke rats model. The motor function was assessed through rotarod and footprint tests. Blood samples were obtained 6 days before MCAO and 14 days after MCAO to examine BDNF and irisin levels with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Brain tissue samples were collected 14 days after MCAO for histopathological examination of cortical tissue with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining.RESULTS: Rats in the MCAO+HIIT group exhibited an enhanced ability to walk on the rotarod (p=0.016). The stride-length hind paw right in the MCAO+HIIT group demonstrated a noteworthy increase in comparison to baseline value (p=0.036), and the stride-length fore paw right showed a significant increase in both the MCAO+HIIT (p=0.036) and MCAO groups (p=0.034). BDNF significantly improved in the MCAO+MIIT (p=0.043) and MCAO+HIIT groups (p=0.018). The irisin level only showed a significant enhancement in the MCAO+HIIT group (p=0.018).CONCLUSION: HIIT increased motor function, while BDNF level increased with HIIT and MIIT intervention. This preclinical research is useful for supporting the recovery of stroke patients by HIIT intervention.KEYWORDS: BDNF, HIIT, MIIT, irisin, ischemic stroke, MCAO