Character Of Culture Research Articles

Características, epidemiologia e riscos do consumo do narguilé

Objetivo: Apresentar informações sobre a epidemiologia, características e riscos do consumo do tabagismo no consumo de Narguilé. Revisão bibliográfica: Fumar é considerado como uma enfermidade crónica e é relacionado à ocorrência do câncer, de doenças cardíacas e morte. Nos últimos anos, pesquisadores e governos buscaram juntos combater a pandemia tabagica. Por outro lado, o tabaco continua sendo uma das drogas mais utilizadas por jovens, principalmente quando consumido de forma não convencional. O narguilé é um dispositivo para fumar característico da cultura oriental e que popularizou no ocidente a partir dos anos 90. Estudos em diversos países tem demonstrado prevalências de utilização preocupante, e apontando a juventude como principal grupo de vulnerabilidade para a experimentação. Os riscos do consumo de narguilé vão desde maior exposição a nicotina, monóxido de carbono e outros produtos químicos, à alteração de ritmo cardíaco, doenças contagiosas e canceres. Considerações finais: Informações equivocadas têm servido para mascarar os efeitos nocivos do produto, e que o narguilé pode ser mais prejudicial que o cigarro industrial.

Political Clubs and Press in Russia and England in the 20—30s of XIX Century: Russian Public Opinion about the Tory Party

The author examines the processes of institutionalization of such forms of public representation in Great Britain and Russia in the first third of the 19th century as the press and political clubs. The formation of criteria for a new type of communication characteristic of club culture is investigated: equality of participants, the quality of argumentation and problematization of public policy in relation to both countries. The relevance of the study is seen in conducting a comparative analysis and determining the features of the formation of public political discourse in Russia and Great Britain during the period under study. The novelty of the research lies in the placement of the problems considered in the article in a broader research context, as well as in the use of the methodology of critical conventionalism in the analysis of the role of the press and political clubs. Particular attention is paid to the presentation in the Russian press of the political situation in Great Britain in the first half of the 30s of the XIX century. The author’s vision of the role and place of the press in shaping public opinion in Russia in relation to the policy of the Tory party in 1831—1834 is presented. It is shown that the ideas of the Russian educated class about Tory politics during this period were fragmentary and poorly understood from the point of view of understanding British political realities. It is emphasized that the correctness of the assessment of the political situation in Great Britain in the first half of the 30s of the 19th century raises reasonable doubts in the Russian press.

Inferring time-dependent population growth rates in cell cultures undergoing adaptation

BackgroundThe population growth rate is an important characteristic of any cell culture. During sustained experiments, the growth rate may vary due to competition or adaptation. For instance, in presence of a toxin or a drug, an increasing growth rate indicates that the cells adapt and become resistant. Consequently, time-dependent growth rates are fundamental to follow on the adaptation of cells to a changing evolutionary landscape. However, as there are no tools to calculate the time-dependent growth rate directly by cell counting, it is common to use only end point measurements of growth rather than tracking the growth rate continuously.ResultsWe present a computer program for inferring the growth rate over time in suspension cells using nothing but cell counts, which can be measured non-destructively. The program was tested on simulated and experimental data. Changes were observed in the initial and absolute growth rates, betraying resistance and adaptation.ConclusionsFor experiments where adaptation is expected to occur over a longer time, our method provides a means of tracking growth rates using data that is normally collected anyhow for monitoring purposes. The program and its documentation are freely available at https://github.com/Sandalmoth/ratrack under the permissive zlib license.

Genome shuffling improves pigment and other bioactive compound production in Monascus purpureus.

Monascus purpureus, a pigment-producing ascomycetous fungus, has been traditionally used for red rice preparation using solid-state fermentation. The objective of this study was to develop an improved pigment-producing strain of M. purpureus MTCC 1090 through genome shuffling followed by detailed analytical estimations of pigments and other bioactive compounds produced by the fusant. Protoplast formation was optimum with 12h-old mycelia incubated at 30 °C with cellulase, lyticase, and chitinase (40:1:1) for 5 h. Four UV-induced mutants that produced 13.1-39.5% higher amount of yellow, orange, and red pigments in fermented low-grade (cheap) broken rice were used as parents for genome shuffling. After the first round of fusion, four fusants with 35.9-60.52% higher pigment production capabilities were fused again, and finally the fusant F2-19 with distinct culture characteristic was selected under multi-selection pressure. It consistently produced 67%, 70%, and 76% higher content of yellow, orange, and red pigments respectively ascompared to the wild-type. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis also reveals clear variation in pigment productions between wild-type and the fusant. Furthermore, HPLC analysis of F2-19 fermented rice extract confirms the production of 186 ± 8.71 and 3810 ± 29.81 mg/kg mevinolin and gamma-aminobutyric acid respectively. Citrinin was not detected. F2-19 fermented rice also has high antioxidant activity (7.92 ± 0.32 mg/g trolox equivalent), with good amount of phenolics (18.0 ± 0.95 mg/g gallic acid equivalent) and flavonoids (2.7 ± 0.26 mg/g quercetin equivalent). Thus, genome shuffling was successfully implemented on M. purpureus for the first time to develop a citrinin-free, better-performing fusant that holds future biotechnological potential. KEY POINTS: • Genome shuffling was performed by recursive protoplast fusion in Monascus purpureus. • The selected fusant, F2-19, was used in solid-state fermentation using low-grade rice. • It produced 67-76% higher content of yellow, orange, and red pigments than the wild-type. • HPLC detected 186 mg/kg mevinolin and 3810 mg/kg γ-aminobutyric acid, but no citrinin. • F2-19 shows high antioxidant activity with good amount of phenolics and flavonoids. Graphical abstract.

Infants understand collaboration: Neural evidence for 9-month-olds’ attribution of shared goals to coordinated joint actions

ABSTRACT Interpreting others’ actions as goal-directed, even when the actions are unfamiliar, is indispensable for social learning, and can be particularly important for infants, whose own action repertoire is limited. Indeed, young infants have been shown to attribute goals to unfamiliar actions as early as 3 months of age, but this ability appears restricted to actions performed by individuals. In contrast, attributing shared goals to actions performed by multiple individuals seems to emerge only in the second year of life. Considering the restrictions that this would impose on infants’ understanding and learning from interactions in their environment, we reexamine this ability by introducing 9-month-old infants to simple joint actions, in which two agents coordinate their actions toward the same goal. To establish whether infants formed an expectation about future actions of these agents, infants’ cortical activity was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The hemodynamic response, recorded in (p)STS, indicated that infants attributed goals to simultaneous and coordinated joint actions of two individuals. Thus, even prior to actively engaging in collaborative activities themselves, infants can attribute shared goals to observed joint actions, enabling infants to learn from, and about, the complementary roles of social interactions, a central characteristic of human culture.

Towards an understanding of dialectical authenticity of historic landscapes in China

AbstractThis article explores stakeholders' understandings of authenticity in a selected historic landscape of China, and focuses on views about appropriate conservation and management strategies. The World Heritage listed site, Slender West Lake Scenic and Historic Interest Area, is examined as a case study. The study shows that various stakeholders think the originality of fabric, the representation of intangible values, and social engagement are three major indicators of the authenticity of this historic landscape. The finding leads us to suggest that, in China, authenticity is significantly influenced by specific social, political, and economic factors and by native Chinese philosophies and the cultural characteristic of naïve dialecticism, which partly explains contemporary conservation practices there. The case study also demonstrates that creative reconstruction has always been an important cultural practice in the history and geography of the Slender West Lake site. However, the superficial application of this cultural practice may create challenges for contemporary landscape conservation. The concept of dialectical authenticity therefore has implications for future conservation practices of historic landscapes.

Methodological Approaches to the Continuity of an Environmental Culture Forming as a Platform of Sustainable Development Culture

The article describes the changes taking place in culture and education of the 21st century in connection with the civilization search for ways of sustainable development. The role of environmental culture as a platform for the formation of a sustainable development culture is considered. The problem of developing methodological approaches to ensuring the continuity of the formation in general education of the foundations of a culture of sustainable development based on ecological culture is actualized. The conclusion is made about the new mission of environmental education as education for sustainable development, which forms the prerequisites for the development of the foundations of sustainable development culture. A comparative characteristic of environmental culture in its classical understanding as a result of natural-scientific ecological education of schoolchildren, and ecological culture for sustainable development, as the integration of cultural results of all general education, is given. The essence of culturological, cultural-creative, value-worldview, integrative, semiotic-hermeneutic and institutional approaches to ensuring the continuity of the formation of ecological culture and culture of sustainable development is revealed. The development degree of these approaches and the pedagogical means of their implementation in the general educational process are analyzed. It is concluded that the application of the identified methodological approaches requires a rethinking of the theory of constructing the environmental education content, its sources, criteria and indicators of its results, primarily personal

Logic and Semiotic Passportization of Numbers in Different Cultures

This article is a continuation of the discussion of a new idea about the need to compile a culturological passport of each number and its symbolic sacralization in different cultures, which was proposed for an interdisciplinary study in one of his works by the co-author R. Vasko “Semiotic and Culturological Passportization of Numeric Phraseosymbols”. The team of the article authors makes convincing arguments that the symbolic parameter should be the initial criterion for systematization of numbers in such a passport-calendar (a kind of database). The source of the symbolism of the number is, first of all, the mythology of different peoples of the world, which helps to reveal through quantitative characteristics the internal properties and qualities of various events. Taking into account the mythological and semiotic sacred parameter of the passportization data of modern numbers, it is proposed to consider numbers as a configuration of the symbolism of previous and subsequent signs, which undergo further transformation and, thus, receive a new sacred component in their mythopoetic meaning, characteristic of each national culture. A preliminary conclusion is made that the process of the number symbolization from one to thirteen in the mythopoetic traditions of different cultures reflects both the paradigmatics of the numerical series (i.e., its structure and properties of its members) and syntagmatic (i.e., functioning of numbers in mythopoetic and folklore texts).

PENDIDIKAN DAN PELATIHAN DALAM MENINGKATKAN KEMITRAAN USAHA MIKRO DAN MAKRO

Digital this article direct to describe of training and education for overcome corporate small-Midle enterprises and big enterprises models. The necesary of training and education will increasing of common purpose, aim, and value of company achievment. During the last research to find structure of problems by typology and characteristic of organization culture and production factors in single model co-operate small-Midle enterprises and big enterprises, the result has find another leverage factor overview training and education. To a comprehensive result by approach input, process, and output and finded by description approach through case study strategic describe to this article. The result of cooperate by sub-contract way based on common mutual, common strange, common benefit as direct as Act Number 20/2008 (small-midle enterprises) we need training and education to input this model. Recommendation in this article not only use to optimalization supply row materials, finish production, market strategic, and minimazing over head cost by co-operate small-Midle enterprises and big enterprises benefits but training and education will over come corporate small-Midle enterprises and big enterprises models at Cikoneng District.

AXIOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF REFRAMING IN LAUGHTER CULTURE

The article is devoted to the analysis of the conceptual field of designation of axiological determinants of reframing in a laughing culture, exploring the specifics of the functional load of laughter and its manipulative potential in contemporary society. Addressing to the characteristics of the psychotechnology of semantic reformatting in a laughing culture, the axiological factors of interpretive interactions in various discursive contexts and semantic invariations are examined (examples of political laughter, actual quarantine jokes and viral memes).Conceptual inversions, which in tangible culture have tangible value dynamics, are studied in the aspect of their manipulative and actualization capabilities. It is proved that the laughable effect in reframing techniques is achieved due to an unexpected and sudden change in the stereotypical course of events based on the logic of recurrence and breakdown of expected patterns, based primarily on a change in the value perception of a particular event or phenomenon, as well as its contextual rethinking and creation of cognitive metaphors. Accordingly, the use of metaphors is defined as a special means of reframing, which actualizes the necessary cognitive parameters due to unexpected conceptual games with binary oppositions, semantic subtext, and open metaphorical profiling, which has a powerful effect of latent influence in modeling of social interaction. An analysis of the mutual influence of traditional laughing theories (contradiction, criticism and liberation) allows us to highlight such common signs of laughter as ambivalence, paradox, sociality, solidarity, conventionality, creativity, dialogism, dynamism, reflexivity. An important aspect of the axiology of laughter is defined as a focused attitude to values and anti-values, which can be a means of displaying alternative points of view on the world, giving rise to new contexts of “comic” understanding of reality in game configurations of socially-situational roles and characteristics of conceptual characters of laughter culture.

Vladimir S. Bibler: A Remarkable Russian Philosopher

ABSTRACT This article discusses a new conception of logic developed by the well-known Russian philosopher Vladimir Solomonovich Bibler. Analyzing prior methods of thinking and previous types of logics, he came to the conclusion that they were historically determined and that modern European logic was oriented toward science (which was at the center of culture in the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries) and represented a doctrine of science. This modern logic reached its supreme form in the logic of Hegel, who brilliantly presented the entire path of the cognizing mind but also considered it the sole form of comprehension. Hegel’s enormous influence found its manifestation in the treatment of all previous logics, from ancient to the medieval, viewed as preparatory stages of Hegelian logic. However, Bibler saw the limitations of Hegel’s approach to logic in the very fact that its starting point was not justified in the logic itself but accepted without reflection, just as Newton, the founder of modern European science, had abandoned consideration of the starting point of mechanics, force, analyzing only its appearances. As a result, Hegel’s logic seemed absolutely complete, requiring no further development. Bibler believes that each logic must justify its starting point extra-logically: Modern science ends up in a paradox, particularly in the logic of justifying set theory. Bibler thinks that being enters into logic in the form of another logic. Bringing the findings of Mikhail Bakhtin, who discovered the dialogical character of culture, into his own conception of logic, Bibler argues that his new logic should be dia-logic, the logic of a dialogue, rather than a mono-logic like Hegel’s. It needs to focus not on science but on culture; it could therefore be called a logic of culture and will examine understanding rather than cognition.

Eating alone, or commensality redefined? Solo dining and the aestheticization of eating (out)

Consumers’ increasing fascination with recreational eating out has contributed to numerous transformations in the upmarket restaurant practice. This paper explores such changes in regard to the “social” aspects of eating out, focusing particularly on the “cultural phenomenon” and practice of eating publicly alone (solo dining). Specifically, the paper extends previous portrayals of solo dining as a bundle of aloneness and togetherness by exploring such interplay in the context of the aestheticization of eating and/or the aesthetic food(ie) movement. Based on the interviews of Finnish food/restaurant enthusiasts and exponents of solo dining, the paper firstly depicts solo dining as a practice in which eating publicly alone is celebrated for the sake of enhanced aesthetic immersion. Secondly, the paper argues that solo dining can indeed be interpreted as a form of eating together and depicts the myriad ways, both concrete and “anonymous”, through which solo restaurant meals are shared between like-minded enthusiasts. Thus, the aesthetically oriented slice of solo dining becomes not understood as a complete departure from the ideal of shared public meals but as an alternative manifestation of commensality within an enthusiasm-based consumer group characteristic of late modern consumer culture.

Organization as an Object of Change

There is an understanding in the scientific community and business circles that the pace of change has never been as high as it is now, and organizational changes affect all organizations in all sectors of the economy. Change management involves creating appropriate representations of the organization as an object of change – hence the relevance of examining the conceptual models of organization.Aim. The presented study aims to examine the development and evolution of the conceptual models of organization in management theory and practice, with the definition of the type of organizational culture serving as a reflection of the dominant worldview that defines organizational management.Tasks. The authors systematize the conceptual models of organization, identify features and trends in the development of the conceptual models of organization, propose an information processing model for the formation of organizational management that would substantiate the diversity of the conceptual models of organization.Methods. This study uses general scientific methods of cognition and analysis of scientific works of foreign and Russian authors on management.Results. The conceptual models of organization are examined, and the type of organizational culture characteristic of each model is identified. An information processing model for the formation of organizational management is proposed, substantiating the genesis of the diversity of the conceptual models of organization. The study shows that there is no single universal model of organization.Conclusions. The concepts of “human-oriented” organizations are developing within the framework of the “entity – management entity” paradigm. The essence of “human-oriented” organizations is reflected in the following conceptual models: the learning organization (P. Senge, M. Pedler, J. Burgoyne, T. Boydell), the requisite organization (E. Jaques), the horizontal organization (F. Ostroff), the biological organization (F. Gouillart, J. Kelly), the yellow organization (C. Graves, D. Beck, C. Cowan), the green organization (C. Graves, D. Beck, C. Cowan, F. Laloux), the teal organization (C. Graves, D. Beck, C. Cowan, F. Laloux). Each organization creates its own organizational model and the corresponding organizational type of management of joint activities based on its history, cultural environment, and worldview of the organization’s members. The developed conceptual models of organization emphasize the transformative role of the organization’s members and the influence of transformative rather than reproductive processes.

Mycological and histopathological identification of potential fish pathogens in Nile tilapia

Due to recent rapid progress in the development of freshwater aquaculture in Egypt, many new and precedent fish fungal diseases have emerged. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) has been threatened by various diseases that have harmful health consequences and prone to mortalities. The current study was conducted (using 800 randomly collected diseased cultured and wild Nile tilapia) to identify the three most serious fungal pathogens that induced mortalities. The infection can be superficial as Saprolegnia spp. that is characterized by focal dermal cottony growth and is the most common in occurrence. While, systemic infection as Ichthyophonus sp. that invades the highly vascularized organs impairing their functions, Branchiomycosis is a devastating disease that affects gills obstructing blood flow. Saprolegnia spp. was identified through the morphological characters of culture on Sabouraud's dextrose agar media (SDA) and histopathological examination of tissue. Surprisingly, Saprolegnia spp. grew on Eagle's Minimum Essential Medium (MEM) at pH 7.0 only giving zoospores. Ichthyophonus sp. was isolated and is characterized by spherical double-walled multinucleate schizonts that are verified in squash preparations from infected internal organs (liver, spleen, and kidneys) and tissue sections. Additionally, it developed two different forms of growth on MEM depending on culture medium pH. Branchiomyces spp. exhibited different stages of growth in gills and so appeared congested, paled, white-colored or marbled according to the progress of infection. A key diagnostic feature to genus Branchiomyces is the branching of hyphae at their tips with the first report for a description of such branching in compression techniques from gills. Also a microscopic examination of fungal culture aids in the identification. Herein, we report Branchiomyces sanguinis for the first time and Branchiomyces demigrans in Nile tilapia in Egypt. Both species are distinguished based on the shape and diameter of hyphae in compression techniques from infected gills as well as the diameter and location of spores in histological sections. Koch's Postulate confirmed the identity of the investigated pathogens. The current research represents the first comparative mycological and histopathological study for Saprolegnia spp., Ichthyophonus sp., and Branchiomyces spp. as well as their prevalence in wild and cultured Nile tilapia throughout the different seasons in Egypt.

Kosmos zmodyfikowany — wybrane gry symulacyjne w kontekście kultury uczestnictwa

Lawrence Lessig — in the book titled Remix — indirectly defined most of the dependencies that today determine the dimension and nature of modding related to games. Mods can be considered an eloquent example of Read/ Write culture. Players are not only consumers of digital games, but creators who exert more and more influence on the character of contemporary popular culture. The examples discussed in the article show three aspects of modding. The first example, concerning the modification of XWA, shows that the re-actualisation (modding) of the original text does not de-grade it — on the contrary — it prolongs its functioning and confirms its culture-forming character. The second example — related to the X-Universe series of games — is a testimony to the cooper-ation of professional programmers and modders, in turn, is a testimony to prosumption (modding), which develops the text of culture also thanks to the “democratisation of creation tools”. The authors (Egosoft) intentionally provide script editors with, even those rather unfamiliar with programming, players can introduce their own solutions into the virtual environment and test the functionality of their ideas. In turn, the history and culture-creating dimension of Discovery Freelancer makes it clear that even the most comprehensive mods are not competing with the original text — they remain concretisation of its (presupposed) potential.

Study of the relationship between extracellular superoxide and glutathione production in batch cultures of Escherichia coli

Aerobically growing Escherichia coli generates superoxide flux into the periplasm via the oxidation of dihydromenaquinone and simultaneously carries out continuous transmembrane cycling of glutathione (GSH). Here we have shown that, under the conditions of a gradual decrease in dissolved oxygen (dO2), characteristic of batch culture, the global regulatory system ArcB/ArcA can play an important role in the coordinated control of extracellular superoxide and GSH fluxes and their interaction with intracellular antioxidant systems. The lowest superoxide production was observed in the menA and arcB mutants, while the atpA, atpC and atpE mutants generated superoxide 1.3–1.5 times faster than the parent. The share of exported glutathione in the ubiC, atpA, atpC, and atpE mutants was 2–3 times higher compared to the parent. A high direct correlation (r = 0.87, p = 0.01) between extracellular superoxide and GSH was revealed. The menA and arcB mutants, as well as the cydD mutant lacking the GSH export system CydDC, were not capable of GSH excretion with a decrease in dO2, which indicates a positive control of GSH export by ArcB. In contrast, ArcB downregulates sodA, therefore, an inverse correlation (r = −0.86, p = 0.013) between superoxide production and sodA expression was observed.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES APPLIED TO THE DOCUMENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE: THE SPECIFIC CASE OF THE TARTESSIAN BUILDINGS OF THE CENTRAL GUADIANA VALLEY (SPAIN)

Abstract. Until now, the analysis of earthen architecture, characteristic of the Tartessian culture, has been overlooked by archaeological studies. With the aim of incorporating it into historical research as another social product, the result of the society that thinks and builds it, a research project was initiated with the title "Building Tartessos: constructive, spatial and territorial analysis of an architectural model in the central Guadiana valley." This project has three well-differentiated work phases whose development and applied methodology are described in the following pages. The purpose of this method is to identify the types of construction, to characterize the raw materials used and their catchment areas, the construction techniques employed, the types of analysis carried out for the mineralogical characterization of the materials, and to present the 3D technology applied to the documentation and registration of the buildings, from photogrammetry to the virtual reconstruction of the archaeological sites. The final objective is to streamline the process, the data collection and the documentation obtained from all of them, from both a purely scientific and informative perspective, improving the publication of scientific knowledge and education through the application of new methodologies. In order to carry out this process, the Tartessian buildings hidden beneath burial mounds characteristic of the central basin of the Guadiana, dating from the 5th century BC, have been selected. Specifically, we have the excavations being carried out in the area of Casas del Turuñuelo (Guareña, Badajoz), which to date is the best preserved building in the western area of the Mediterranean, and which will undoubtedly lead to a positive result from the project. The aim of the methodology that has been designed is that it can be applied to any architectural model and to any stage of history.

Laila Lalami’s The Moor’s Account: A Lost Narrative

From the earlier times the voices of the minorities especially the Muslims have been subjugated by the forces. Many of the texts written in the olden times, whether fictional or non-fictional hardly have any mention of Muslims in them. One such text being the historical account of the Narvaez expedition that took place in 1527, which was chronicled by Cabeza de Vaca, one of the four survivors of the expedition. What is surprising is that one of the survivors was an African slave, Estabanico but he is hardly mentioned in the original, despite being part of the expedition that stretched to eight year. Fast forward to the 21st century which is the age of postcolonialism and where the once oppressed communities are finally speaking about their truth, Moroccan author, Laila Lalami through her novel, The Moor’s Account decided to give voice and a backstory to the African slave, Estabanico. The current paper deals with the complexities of the novel and tries to provide reasons as to why Cabeza de Vaca intentionally omitted the Estabanico’s account of the travels. The paper also discusses the ingenuine use of narrative tools made by the author in the retelling of the story of a forgotten Muslim slave. It also narrates the importance of women characters in the Islamic culture of those days, when the western woman was not as liberated as she is today. Lastly, the paper draws a parallel between Estabanico’s condition during the expedition and that of the Muslim population in the post 9/11 world.

За что они борются? Социокультурные аспекты экологических движений

<p>В статье рассматривается вопрос явных (связанных с понятием «природа») и неявных (имеющих социополитическое или культурное основание) требований экологических движений. В целом существующие движения базируются на характерном для европейской культуры Нового времени представлении о природе в его «просветительской» и «романтической» версиях.</p><p>Наиболее ранней является природоохранная форма энвайронментализма как прямое отражение просветительской модели природы. Природоохранная парадигма носит консервативный характер и ориентируется на традиционные практики и идею сохранения, сбережения природы.</p><p>Сложившийся в ХХ в. реформаторский энвайронментализм основывается на сходном восприятии природы, однако ставит вопрос о социальных аспектах экологического кризиса, формулирует требования экологической справедливости и равенства. Цели и стратегии в реформаторском энвайронментализме не являются гомогенными и зависят от групп участников. Институты придерживаются стратегии минимизации рисков, в том числе экономических, ориентируются на научный дискурс и политические действия. Активисты участвуют в пересмотре культурных моделей и связанных с ними социально-политических оснований (критика индустриализма, глобализма и неолиберализма). Локальные низовые инициативы ориентированы на решение конкретных проблем, угрожающих благополучию граждан. Внутри экологических движений вырабатываются новые ценности, идеологические модели и практики, становящиеся основанием личной и коллективной идентичности участников.</p><p>В статье формулируется вывод о том, что основные особенности экологических движений определяются не исключительно заботой о природе, а более глубокими конфликтами — классово-экономическим, социальным, поколенческим или культурным. Несмотря на доминирование представления о природе эпохи Модерна, в движениях вырабатываются новые культурные модели, коррелирующие с идеями глубинной экологии и «темной» экологии, пересматривающими традиционную оппозицию между человеком и природой.<strong></strong></p>

Exploring the Relationship between the Caregiver's Stress Load and Dementia Patient Behavior: A Case Study of Dementia Specialist Outpatient Data from the Southern Medical Center of Taiwan.

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between caregivers’ stress loads and dementia patient behavior, including the correlation of “patient behavior” (severity and frequency), “social care system”, and “stress levels of caregivers”. The research method was based on the analysis of survey data collected at a dementia specialist outpatient clinic of a medical center in southern Taiwan from November 2013 to May 2015. Those surveyed by the center included patients who visited the hospital, and their caregivers completed a questionnaire survey. During the study period, a total of 558 questionnaires for 279 pairs were distributed, and all questionnaires were recovered. According to the survey statistics, the average age of the caregivers interviewed was 53.1 years; women accounted for 61.3% of respondents, and the duration of care exceeded three years. In terms of education, most respondents were college/university graduates. The most common surveyed relationship was that of children acting as the caregiver to a parent, and the average age of the patients was 77.73 years. Most caregivers were found to live with the patients (75.3%). In terms of severity and frequency, the surveyed items with the highest average scores were both the “delusion” item of the “patient behavior” facet, the “mental support”(mean = 1.97; standard deviation, SD = 0.869) item of the “social care system” facet, and the “social life stress” (mean = 2.26, SD = 1.510) item of the “Stress levels of caregivers” facet. The research results show that the “patient behavior” and “Stress levels of caregivers” facets have a significant positive correlation, and the “social care system” and “Stress levels of caregivers” facets have a significant negative correlation. In the future, priority of service planning and implementation of long–term policy should be given to home care, since this is a cultural characteristic of Taiwan. In circumstances where a primary caregiver takes care of family members, the patient’s behavior, length of care, mental support, and social life issues are key items that should be considered in the social welfare control service to alleviate the load of dementia patients on family caregivers.