Individual Concepts Research Articles

Urogenital tumors following kidney transplantation-monocentric analysis of incidences and overview of urological preventive measures

Urogenital tumors are among the most common solid malignancies after kidney transplantation (TX). We analyzed the incidence and mortality of urogenital tumors after kidney TX in our own patient population as well as answered the question of recommended follow-up necessity and frequency in this cohort. Retrospective monocentric data collection of tumor diseases and the most common urogenital tumors after kidney TX at the Transplant Center Dresden between 2010 and 2020 was done. From this, we derived recommendations for auseful follow-up concept. Atotal of 13% (93/710) of kidney TX patients developed aneoplasm. Older patients (60.1 ± 10.6 vs. 53.8 ± 12.5; p < 0.001), with higher Charlson scores (≥ 4: 68% vs. 46%; p < 0.001) and aprevious tumor history (18% vs. 8%; p < 0.001) were more likely to develop aneoplasm after transplantation. In the multivariate analysis, previous tumor history was found to be an independent predictor of tumor development after renal transplantation (OR 2.2; 95%-KI [1.2-4.1]; p = 0.01). Urogenital tumors accounted for 30% (28/93) of all malignancies. Renal cell carcinoma of the native kidney was the most common (n = 12) neoplasm, followed by prostate cancer (n = 9). Most solid malignancies after kidney TX arise from the urinary tract. Due to their frequency, there is an urgent need for specialized urological therapy and long-term follow-up care. Even before listing for TX, risk factors can be recognized and individual concepts for follow-up care can be developed.

PHILOSOPHICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ORIENTATIONS OF LIFE CREATIVITY IN THE LITERARY ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE MODERN

Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. In the literature, the problem of creativity was considered by many authors, in particular, such as: E. Fromm, A. Schopenhauer, F. Nietzsche. The development of the essence of concepts in Modern literature is considered in the works of domestic authors: S. Pavlychko, D. Nalivayka, V. Morenets, T. Gundorova, M. Moklitsa, R. Movchan, A. Bychko, O. Zabuzhko, R. Semkiv. The research objective. To achieve the results of the task, a structured analysis of the formation of the concepts of individualism and subjectivity, which are the source of the problem with deep searches and reflections on the meaning of existence and human being through the prism of modern anthropogenesis, was carried out. The statement of basic materials. The article highlights the philosophical and psychological orientations of life creation in the literary anthropology of the Modern era, which involve the modern person through the prism of concepts to the understanding of his existence. Having analyzed the prose works of Ukrainian Modern authors in comparison with foreign authors, she came to the conclusion that truth exists in every subjective worldview of an individual, therefore, the importance of one's own experience and individual understanding of the world is based on these concepts.

The Actuality of Impulses, Perceptions, Manipulations and Solutions in Social Interactions among Diverse Religious Groups

This research aims to understand residents' efforts to live their daily lives and establish social relationships with individuals of different religious beliefs, as well as to explore the formation of individual concepts and thoughts in interacting with their environment. In this context, differences in religion or belief can create social interactions that are associative or dissociative in nature. The authors will answer related questions, patterns of social interaction, impulses, perceptions, manipulation of individuals in social interactions, and the resolution of final actions regarding religious differences in the Sirnagalih sub-district, Indihiang, Tasikmalaya City. This research uses qualitative research with field methods and uses a sociology of religion approach. The results of the research show that social interaction between religious communities in the Sirnagalih sub-district, Indihiang sub-district, Tasikmalaya City occurs in an associative (unification) pattern where mutually beneficial interactions occur between individuals and each other between Muslims, Protestants and Catholics. The social processes that occur in the daily lives of Muslims, Protestants and Catholics, prioritize aspects of togetherness and harmony based on common or shared interests. The emergence of a slight dispute in the process of social interaction among citizens can be resolved immediately by involving a third party, namely the local government, by prioritizing forms of interaction in accommodation, namely mediation, compromise and tolerance.

Czy postępujący indywidualizm sprzyja wytwarzaniu bezpiecznej przestrzeni społecznej? Próba określenia kierunków poszukiwań

Individualism is one of the fundamental processes changing the fabric of life in modern societies. The progressive strengthening of autonomy, independence and the individual’s right to his or her social self-determination are significantly reshaping the fundamental relationship for collective life, which is the interdependence of the individual with society. This raises two fundamental questions. The first concerns the question of what, with increasing individualism, happens in the field of normativity, while the second relates to how the integrative function of normativity is changing. The problem thus outlined is examined in relation to the theoretical concepts of individualisation and individualism, as well as to selected research results on the process of individualism in Polish society. Both frames of reference of the analysis of the problem under consideration, show certain directions of the search for an answer to the problem posed.

What is conceptual disruption?

Recent work on philosophy of technology emphasises the ways in which technology can disrupt our concepts and conceptual schemes. We analyse and challenge existing accounts of conceptual disruption, criticising views according to which conceptual disruption can be understood in terms of uncertainty for conceptual application, as well as views assuming all instances of conceptual disruption occur at the same level. We proceed to provide our own account of conceptual disruption as an interruption in the normal functioning of concepts and conceptual schemes. Moreover, we offer a multilevel taxonomy thereof, where we distinguish between instances of conceptual disruptions occurring at different levels (conceptual scheme, conceptual clusters, and individual concepts), taking on different forms (conceptual gaps and conceptual conflicts), and leading to different degrees of severity (extending from mild to severe). We also provide detailed accounts through historical examples of how conceptual gaps and conceptual conflicts can occur at different times in the very same process of conceptual disruption. Finally, we make the case that different kinds of conceptual engineering can provide meaningful ways to assess and overcome distinct types of conceptual disruption.

The Only “Worried Adult” in the Crowd?: Individuality, Terrorism, and Mass Psychology in Don DeLillo’s Mao II

This paper examines the critical tension between individuality and collectivity in Don DeLillo’s 1991 novel Mao II. While DeLillo sharpens his critique of Western capitalist homogenization and the American mass mind in Mao II, the novel fails to provide a meaningful exploration of the shared ideological mechanisms linking the loss of individuality endemic to terrorist ideology and to the conformist tendencies of Western postmodern subjects. Instead, anxiety about the potential obliteration of individuality leads Mao II to renounce collectivity altogether, which it depicts as a mere ‘crowd’ associated exclusively with the non-American and the non-Western. The individuality portrayed in Mao II expresses its identity and autonomy at the cost of extreme solitude, rejecting any possibility of connection or solidarity with others. Such a self-enclosed, self-referential concept of individuality, which is explicitly advocated by the protagonist Bill, offers no viable solution to the crisis of Western democracy diagnosed by the novel. This paper argues that the novel’s limitations stem from DeLillo’s inability to imagine alternative forms of freedom, individuality, and collectivity.

“It is Not Even My Body”: Trans Persons Experiencing Body Borders

The body is at the forefront of the relationship between space and sexuality, and its materiality is the basis on which social and individual conceptions of sex and gender are constructed. In this paper, we use the notion of body borders to approach the way trans persons experience heteronormativity in their bodies. Defined as those elements placed on body physicality that produce social distinctions and reorganize people's social conditions, body borders are important in the processes of sex differentiation and gender oppression that negatively affect trans persons’ processes of identification/disidentification. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 10 of 43 trans persons from a wider study, who expressed their gender identities at different levels of intensity, we differentiate between four important body borders: man/woman, puberty, inside/outside and liminal zone. The findings reveal that body borders rely to a great extent on the gaze of others and are problematic for trans persons, especially at the beginning of their transition processes, or when their bodies are perceived as more androgynous. Although the experience of body borders is oppressive and causes conflicts to trans persons, they do not impede them from opening up possibilities for new models of transgender identities which defy non-heteronormative ideals and subvert the current gender regulation, which supports these borders.

Good cancer follow-up for socially disadvantaged patients in general practice? Perspectives from patients and general practitioners

One of the core principles of providing care in general practice is giving more to those who need it most. We investigate some of the complexities of this ambition in the context of cancer care for patients defined as socially disadvantaged by their general practitioner (GP). We do this by exploring how care is sought, how it is offered, and what expectations patients and GPs carry with them when receiving and providing cancer care in the Danish welfare state. We carried out semi-structured interviews with eight GPs and seven socially disadvantaged cancer patients living with different types and stages of cancer. The interviews focused on needs and challenges in cancer follow-up in general practice and were thematically coded. Drawing on theoretical concepts of morality and Nordic individualism, we point to how one of the main challenges in cancer care and follow-up is to figure out how the doctor-patient relationship should be established, practiced, and maintained. Both GPs and patients stressed the importance of the relationship, but how it should be practiced amidst social norms about being a patient, a citizen and how care-seeking should unfold seems less clear. In conclusion we argue that giving more to those who need it the most is a difficult and ill-defined task that is shaped by the cultural, social, and political expectations of both GPs and patients.

Adding causality to the information-theoretic perspective on individuality

I extend work from Krakauer et al. (2020), who propose a conception of individuality as the capacity to propagate information through time. From this conception, they develop information-theoretic measures. I identify several shortcomings with these measures—in particular, that they are associative rather than causal. I rectify this shortcoming by deriving a causal information-theoretic measure of individuality. I then illustrate how this measure can be implemented and extended in the context of evolutionary transitions in individuality.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard: How Language and Societal Influences Shape Power and Discourses

The current paper aims to analyze the case of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s claims of domestic abuse, in the context of Foucault’s concepts of a socially constructed society, power, subject positions and discourses. Foucauldian Discourse Analysis goes against the westernized concept of structures such as gender, sexuality morality and norm, as it disregards the notion that these concepts are immutable and mainly biological, and suggests that society is fluid, placing the wider sociocultural and historical context of a society as the basic foundations of creating discourses, placing individual concepts and groups in hierarchies, with knowledge and power granting access to higher places in the societal hierarchy and therefore facilitating the production of discourses. In light of that, the introduction includes three qualitative studies that depict the fluidity of gender concepts regarding domestic abuse, and analyzing in the analysis section the power dynamics, subject positions and discourses created regarding the two actors, based on theoretical background around FDA analysis and social constructionism, qualitative studies, as well as recordings of the live trial in 2022 and two articles out of the four that were chosen, analyzing themes of gender differences, court environment and the media. The use of 6 analytic tools were used in order to identify the discourses, as well as explain the social constructionist perspective around gender and language. Keywords: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, FDA, Gender, Discourse, Social constructionism

Language access differentially alters functional connectivity during emotion perception across cultures.

It is often assumed that the ability to recognize the emotions of others is reflexive and automatic, driven only by observable facial muscle configurations. However, research suggests that accumulated emotion concept knowledge shapes the way people perceive the emotional meaning of others' facial muscle movements. Cultural upbringing can shape an individual's concept knowledge, such as expectations about which facial muscle configurations convey anger, disgust, or sadness. Additionally, growing evidence suggests that access to emotion category words, such as "anger," facilitates access to such emotion concept knowledge and in turn facilitates emotion perception. To investigate the impact of cultural influence and emotion concept accessibility on emotion perception, participants from two cultural groups (Chinese and White Americans) completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning session to assess functional connectivity between brain regions during emotion perception. Across four blocks, participants were primed with either English emotion category words ("anger," "disgust") or control text (XXXXXX) before viewing images of White American actors posing facial muscle configurations that are stereotypical of anger and disgust in the United States. We found that when primed with "disgust" versus control text prior to seeing disgusted facial expressions, Chinese participants showed a significant decrease in functional connectivity between a region associated with semantic retrieval (the inferior frontal gyrus) and regions associated with semantic processing, visual perception, and social cognition. Priming the word "anger" did not impact functional connectivity for Chinese participants relative to control text, and priming neither "disgust" nor "anger" impacted functional connectivity for White American participants. These findings provide preliminary evidence that emotion concept accessibility differentially impacts perception based on participants' cultural background.

Potential Problems with Having a Culture that is Too Strong in Modern Organizations

In each and every society today, culture is a very important concept for both individuals and organizations because it identifies the fundamental set of ideas, rituals, beliefs, meaning, values, norms and language, the way in which things are to be done in an organization and in the life of an individual. Therefore, organization’s culture encompasses what has been good and what has worked in the past. These practices can often be accepted within the organization by long serving members of an organization due to the fact that they have a collective interest towards building of a unified organization through shared system of beliefs, habits and traditions. In organizations there are deep-set beliefs about the way in which work should be organized, the way in which authority should be exercised and punished (Cole and Kelly, 2011). Organizational culture is not something that is written down or necessarily is easily stated. Rather, it is an intangible mixture of rules, relationships, values, custom which when taken together describe the distinctive feel of the organization. It is within this culture that individuals work and from which they learn the norms and values to which they are expected to subscribe. This is the arrangement and inter-relationship of the components parts position of an organization. Whereas culture is a hidden structure that can be seen and drawn in organization charts. Thus the organization Structure may reflect culture. This essay will describe three potential problems with having an organizational culture that is too strong.

Balanced knowledge distribution among software development teams—Observations from open‐ and closed‐source software development

SummaryIn software development, developer turnover is among the primary reasons for project failures, leading to a great void of knowledge and strain for newcomers. Unfortunately, no established methods exist to measure how the problem domain knowledge is distributed among developers. Awareness of how this knowledge evolves and is owned by key developers in a project helps stakeholders reduce risks caused by turnover. To this end, this paper introduces a novel, realistic representation of problem domain knowledge distribution: the ConceptRealm. To construct the ConceptRealm, we employ a latent Dirichlet allocation model to represent textual features obtained from 300 K issues and 1.3 M comments from 518 open‐source projects. We analyze whether the newly emerged issues and developers share similar concepts or how aligned the individual developers' concepts are with the team over time. We also investigate the impact of leaving developers on the frequency of concepts. Finally, we also evaluate the soundness of our approach on a closed‐source software project, thus allowing the validation of the results from a practical standpoint. We find out that the ConceptRealm can represent the problem domain knowledge within a project and can be utilized to predict the alignment of developers with issues. We also observe that projects exhibit many keepers independent of project maturity and that abruptly leaving keepers correlates with a decline of their core concepts as the remaining developers cannot quickly familiarize themselves with those concepts.

Scrutinizing microbiome determinism: why deterministic hypotheses about the microbiome are conceptually ungrounded

This paper addresses the topic of determinism in contemporary microbiome research. I distinguish two types of deterministic claims about the microbiome, and I show evidence that both types of claims are present in the contemporary literature. First, the idea that the host genetics determines the composition of the microbiome which I call “host-microbiome determinism”. Second, the idea that the genetics of the holobiont (the individual unit composed by a host plus its microbiome) determines the expression of certain phenotypic traits, which I call “microbiome-phenotype determinism”. Drawing on the stability of traits conception of individuality (Suárez in Hist Philos Life Sci 42:11, 2020) I argue that none of these deterministic hypotheses is grounded on our current knowledge of how the holobiont is transgenerationally assembled, nor how it expresses its phenotypic traits.

Timing theory integrated nursing combined behavior change integrated theory of nursing on primiparous influence.

The comprehension and utilization of timing theory and behavior change can offer a more extensive and individualized provision of support and treatment alternatives for primipara. This has the potential to enhance the psychological well-being and overall quality of life for primipara, while also furnishing healthcare providers with efficacious interventions to tackle the psychological and physiological obstacles encountered during the stages of pregnancy and postpartum. To explore the effect of timing theory combined with behavior change on self-efficacy, negative emotions and quality of life in patients with primipara. A total of 80 primipara cases were selected and admitted to our hospital between August 2020 and May 2022. These cases were divided into two groups, namely the observation group and the control group, with 40 cases in each group. The nursing interventions differed between the two groups, with the control group receiving routine nursing and the observation group receiving integrated nursing based on the timing theory and behavior change. The study aimed to compare the pre- and post-nursing scores of Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS), Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), breast milk knowledge, self-efficacy, and SF-36 quality of life in both groups. After nursing, the CPSS, EPDS, and SAS scores of the two groups was significantly lower than that before nursing, and the CPSS, EPDS, and SAS scores of the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P = 0.002, P = 0.011, and P = 0.001 respectively). After nursing, the breastfeeding knowledge mastery, self-efficacy, and SF-36 quality of life scores was significantly higher than that before nursing, and the breastfeeding knowledge mastery (P = 0.013), self-efficacy (P = 0.008), and SF-36 quality of life (P = 0.011) scores of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group. The integration of timing theory and behavior change integrated theory has been found to be an effective approach in alleviating negative mood and stress experienced by primipara individuals, while also enhancing their self-efficacy and overall quality of life. This study focuses on the key concepts of timing theory, behavior change, primipara individuals, negative mood, and quality of life.

Outreach Work in ‘Hard-to-Reach’ Communities: A Critical Analysis of Task Shifting, Contact Making, Establishing Credibility and on-the-Spot, Solution-Focused Assistance

Abstract Outreach—the opening up of access to social services, information and opportunities—is arguably a crucial yet understudied aspect of social work practice. This study revisits ‘outreach’ as concept, using data from ‘hard to reach’ communities, specifically refugees. Our findings illuminate ‘task-shifting’, whereby professional service providers sought the help of grassroots community leaders in reaching refugees. Findings also point to issues of bidirectionality, credibility and on-the-spot assistance as aspects of outreach work. Theoretically, we apply a structural lens to problematise ‘access’ as an individual level concept, and instead turn attention to the ‘inaccessibility’ of services instead. We problematise the ‘hard-to-reachness’ of communities, and call instead for examining our services and institutions for their limited reach.

Fast delivery, on demand: how flexibility and individualization policy are enacted in Swedish municipal adult education

ABSTRACT National policy states that Swedish adult education should be flexible and individualized, based on students’ needs. However, adult education in Sweden is a municipal responsibility with a high level of decentralization. Drawing on national policies, this study focuses on how the concepts of flexibility and individualization are enacted locally and what consequences this has for teaching and learning. Starting from a teacher perspective and based on qualitative interviews with 50 teachers, the article analyses how policy requirements for offering flexible and individualized adult education are being enacted, and what the consequences of this are for teaching and learning. The findings show how flexibility and individualization are put into practice through measures such as a fast study pace, continuous admission of students, and pressure on municipalities to maintain a broad course offer, often by turning to distance education. This enactment makes it easier for adult learners to fit education into their lives, but it also has consequences for the quality of teaching and learning. It is causing fragmentation, a learning environment where interactions mainly occur on an individual basis, an instrumental view of education, and teachers experiencing high workloads and low autonomy in making pedagogical decisions.

Implementacija politike bezbednosti hrane u Evropskoj uniji - uputstva, raznovrsnost i rešavanje izazova

The paper explores the intricate landscape of implementing food safety policies within the European Union (EU) context. Through an examination of key themes, including discretion and enforcement of policies, the EU's problem-resolution strategies, and the concept of individualization that surpasses mere adherence to laws, the paper sheds light on the complexities and nuances inherent in ensuring food safety across the diverse member states. The paper scrutinizes the role of discretion in the enforcement of food safety policies within the EU. It delves into how regulatory bodies exercise judgment in interpreting and applying policies, taking into account the varying contexts and challenges faced by member states. The discussion highlights the need for a balanced approach that considers both uniformity in enforcement and flexibility to address specific regional or sectoral requirements. Further, the paper focuses on the EU's problem-resolution strategies concerning food safety policies. It explores the mechanisms in place for identifying and addressing challenges that arise during the implementation phase. This includes an analysis of coordination among member states, collaboration with stakeholders, and the role of regulatory bodies in mitigating issues and fostering a harmonized approach to problem-solving. In the end, the paper introduces the concept of individualization, emphasizing how a diverse range of policies and practices exists beyond mere adherence to overarching laws. This section explores the unique approaches taken by member states in tailoring food safety policies to suit their specific circumstances. It investigates the benefits and potential challenges associated with such individualization, considering its impact on overall policy effectiveness and coherence.

Shifting mindsets from conference to (un)conference: A collaborative reflective perspective on conceptual disruption

The move from the traditional academic conference format to a loosely defined format of unconference can be contentious and spark a robust debate on the conceptual disruption of conferencing. As part of HELTASA’s strategic plan of re-structuring and re-imagining its vision and purpose, it initiated a new way of conferencing; participant-driven and participant-focused. Through self-reflective written narratives, this paper explores three academic development practitioners' experiences in planning and reflecting on the HELTASA’s (un)conference. We share our accounts of (un)conference as a conceptual disruption to the traditional conference format, concepts, and ways of doing and being. Qualitative data were collected from the three written narratives through a collective descriptive autoethnography research design and methodology. The insights collected are applied to the Conceptual Disruption Framework which proposes a tripartite framework for conceptual disruption, which distinguishes conceptual disruptions occurring at three levels (individual concepts, clusters of concepts, conceptual schemes), taking on two forms (conceptual gaps, conceptual conflicts), and leading to three distinct levels of severity (mild, moderate, severe). Using this framework, we describe our personal thoughts and perspectives in engaging with the novel approach of (un)conferencing. We probe into the potential of collaborative reflection to gain deeper insights and understanding of our shift from a traditional academic conference to a HELTASA (un)conference. We explore the discomfort, displacement, and learnings of the intentional disruption of our conceptual understanding of (un)conference practices. This paper highlights our shifting mindsets as we reflect and interrogate our thoughts and perspectives on the conceptual framing of (un)conferencing. The analysis of the data reveals that the engagement in the conceptual disruption of (un)conferencing together with the engagement with the concept planning and event provided the environment and atmosphere where the team appreciated brainstorming conceptual understandings, self-reflecting, and exploring different perspectives. This study provides empirical evidence of strength in collaboration, the building of conceptual disruption as a community of practice and possibility of (un)conferencing being a shape-shifter in higher education. At an interpersonal level, the process allowed us to self-interrogate the conceptual disruption, unpacking our thoughts and shaping our own thinking. The paper asserts that shifting mindsets from conference to (un)conference, involves conceptual disruption which is a messy process and requires a level of trust, openness, adaptability amongst all members of the organising team.

African Cultural Case: Reexamining Apologia in Communication Theory

The image repair theory, alluded to by the situational crisis communication theory, assumes two conditions that require a public oral rhetorical defense. The conditions are that (a) an act is reprehensible and (b) the person or organization is responsible for the act. However, those theories have been largely tested in the Western world, where individualism has primacy over the community. In this work, we argue that rhetorical defenses during image crisis and repair cannot escape the cultural dictates of its social environment. We advance situations in Africa and the United States that demonstrate the differences in the concept of collectivism and individualism and their impact on image and crisis situations. In the African example, we use Blessing Okagbare’s drug-testing case to demonstrate involvement of her community or collective, and in the Western cultural example we use Sha’Carri Richardson’s drug-test case to compare. The key point, overall, is to demonstrate that image-repair incidences in Africa and the West are not encountered similarly, and thus, a universal process of the image repair theory and situational crisis communication theory is not recommended. Instead, we recommend modification of both theories to account for the cultural differences.