Contemporary Research Articles

Masculinity: Phallogocentrism and Performativity. A Philosophical Analysis Based on the Studies of Jacques Derrida, Judith Butler and Raewyn Connell to Counter Patriarchal Hegemony

Feminist considerations have induced a rethinking of many aspects of our contemporary world, such as the concept of gender and power relations. This has led to a re-examination of the entire previous tradition of thought, finding in phallogocentrism the paradigm of reference. This term indicates, starting with Derrida's considerations, the Western tendency to have centred not only the logos, but also the phallus, weaving an intricate relationship between masculinity and language. It's precisely this bond that makes man the archetype on which society is founded, placing his supremacy in the natural order, defining power relations and nailing pre-established categories. A being-nailed in the Lévinasian sense, thus an adherence between the agreement of voices and being, which produces 'category-beings' in which pre-delineated social identity is concealed in a condition of 'nature', such as the 'being-male'. It's precisely this naturalness, discursively produced, that has made man universal. Consequently, man has convinced himself that he can speak for all humanity, becoming the logos through which he declines the rest. Declinations that have produced rigid and hierarchical categories that precede and define each person, prescribing 'consonant' ways, rhetorically assumed as 'human nature'. The "nature" of being man or woman does not, in fact, concern monolithic essentialisms, but rather movements of intertwined meanings in a process that Derrida defines as différance. A process, therefore, in becoming, which has over time produced unequal power relations, justifying them as "natural", and which daily reiterates a hegemonic and sexist social model. The aim of this analysis, hence, will be to bring phallogocentric masculinity and consequent hegemonic structures into the field of philosophical reflection, with the purpose of redirecting praxis towards performative processes of characterisation the person, rather than a pre-delineated categorisation. Thus, to release being from socio-cultural categories, which historical-performative praxis nails to each body.

On experiencing learning in an (un)known space … Review of a book by Lidia Bielinis „Uczenie się w przestrzeniach cyfrowych Uniwersytetu”.

A book „Uczenie się w przestrzeniach cyfrowych uniwersytetu. Studium teoretyczno-empiryczne” by Lidia Bielinis deserves recommendation for at least two reasons. Firstly, it constitutes a rich collection of content on technological enhancement of the process of learning in educational models addressing the challenges of contemporary world dominated by digital and social media. Secondly, it is a source of valuable reflections and observations from an innovative research project completed during academic classes and devoted to students’ experience of learning using modern technologies. The contents and message of the book is an invitation to a discussion and reflection on methods of teaching which today can be provided with the use of digital space, not only on university level.

Applying Polynomials for Developing Post Quantum Cryptography Algorithms to Secure Online Information - An Initial Hypothesis

In the contemporary era, a vast array of applications employs encryption techniques to ensure the safeguarding and privacy of data. Quantum computers are expected to threaten conventional security methods and two existing approaches, namely Shor's and Grover's algorithms, are expediting the process of breaking both asymmetric and symmetric key classical algorithms. The objective of this article is to explore the possibilities of creating a new polynomial based encryption algorithm that can be both classically and quantum safe. Polynomial reconstruction problem is considered as a nondeterministic polynomial time hard problem (NP hard), and the degree of the polynomials provide the usage of scalable key lengths. The primary contribution of this study is the proposal of a novel encryption and decryption technique that employs polynomials and various polynomial interpolations, specifically designed for optimal performance in the context of a block cipher. This study also explores various root convergence techniques and provides algorithmic insights, working principles and the implementation of these techniques, which can potentially be utilized in the design of a proposed block-cipher symmetric cryptography algorithm. From the implementation, comparison and analysis of Durand Kernal, Laguerre and Aberth Ehrlich methods, it is evident that Laguerre method is performing better than other root finding approaches. The present study introduces a novel approach in the field of polynomial-based cryptography algorithms within the floating-point domain, thereby offering a promising solution for enhancing the security of future communication systems.

Alexander Maksimovich Kolchin as a Church Artist of the Classical Era

New Age church art is one of the most dynamically developing areas of contemporary Russian art history. The constant process of reconstruction and restoration of churches requires a scientific approach and documentary substantiation. The artistic merits of church art in the Classical era are highly appreciated by specialists, but biographies of masters of mural painting and iconography are rarely published and are little known. The study of biographies and works of painters who devoted themselves entirely to temple decoration is important for compiling an objective picture of Russian culture of the 19th century.Alexander Maximovich Kolchin (1812-1866) was born and grew up in Yaroslavl, was on the staff of the bishop’s house masters, received the title of a non-class artist at the Imperial Academy of Arts (Academy of Arts) in St. Petersburg, worked in six rural and several urban churches in Yaroslavl province, renewed murals in Vologda and painted a new church in Kashin, Tver province. In this article for the first time all available information about the painter, scattered in different editions, is brought together; new archival documents are published and the artist’s work is analyzed in the context of classicism stylistics. Documents from the personal file of A.M. Kolchin from the Russian State Historical Archive are introduced into the scientific turnover, which inform that the master painted portraits from life, the whereabouts of which are still unknown. Although there are few surviving works by A.M. Kolchin, they demonstrate the high skill of the painter, which was documented by the exacting council of the Academy of Arts in 1853. A.M. Kolchin was distinguished by his knowledge of Old Russian sources of church art and full awareness of its theological and liturgical meaning; his fluent mastery of the basics of academic drawing and masterly ability to combine mural painting with architectural forms; a wide range of subject compositions and depictions of individual figures.The article allows to expand the corpus of information about the artist and his works, and this publication will serve as a basis for further research.

Reevaluate the effect of ACEI/ARB therapy at discharge on patients with STEMI in the contemporary reperfusion era.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) had beneficial effects on clinical outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in the pre-reperfusion or thrombolytic era. It is unknown if the benefits persist in the contemporary reperfusion era. We sought to determine if ACEI/ARB improves clinical outcomes of patients with STEMI in the contemporary reperfusion era according to the reperfusion strategy. 12596 patients were analyzed from the prospective, nationwide, multicenter China Acute Myocardial Infarction (CAMI) Registry. These patients were classified into the no reperfusion group (n=6004) and the primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) group (n=6592). Two-year all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) were compared. In the no reperfusion group, ACEI/ARB therapy at discharge may reduce the incidences of 30-day MACCE (4.7% vs 7.4%; adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 0.67; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.53-0.85; P<0.001), stroke (0.5% vs 1.1%; adjusted HR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.21-0.83; P=0.01), and revascularization (2.1% vs 3.1%; adjusted HR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.46-0.94; P=0.02) compared to patients not treated with ACEI/ARB. Patients treated with ACEI/ARB also showed a lower rate of two-year MACCE (17.0% versus 19.1%; adjusted HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.76-0.99; P=0.04). No differences were observed in the remaining outcomes. In the primary PCI group, no differences were observed for all examined outcomes before and after multivariate adjustments. Treatment with ACEI/ARB at discharge may reduce cardiovascular events in STEMI patients not receiving reperfusion, while no significant benefits were observed in those receiving primary PCI.

Folklore on Kayori: An Oral Tradition about Natural Disasters in Central Sulawesi

The characteristics of Indonesian society are firmly attached to the image of expressing language orally, which has been done since long ago and has survived until now. Folk beliefs and imagination are the main essences of cultured human life when creating stories. Although the current situation signifies a modern life, the researcher argued that folklore is an oral tradition still relevant to life’s context substantially and functionally, as on kayori from Central Sulawesi. This research aimed to revitalise kayori as folklore in Central Sulawesi, an oral tradition about natural disasters. The researcher generated knowledge in this research qualitatively as a method that included a literature review study. The researcher collected and used reference sources related to the variables of this study. The research showed that kayoriis a folklore that affirms oral tradition as an art to express the function of learning and remembering the messages in poems and sounds. The messages of kayori have implications for practical actions for the community regarding natural disaster mitigation related to disaster policy, ethics, religiosity, and ecological values. In the end, the verbal art of kayoriremained a part of the futuristic world because it provided knowledge on humanitarian and environmental aspects related to natural disasters in the contemporary era.

Anthropogenic climate change has reduced drought recovery probabilities across the western US

During drought, resource managers want to know when the drought will end to make informed management decisions. However, as anthropogenic climate change has intensified drought conditions, we hypothesize it has affected drought recovery. Here, we leverage monthly self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index data across the western US derived from observations and climate models, and quantify the probability of drought recovery following severe drought. We find that the probability of drought recovery is ~25–50% lower in recent decades (2000–2021) than in the historical record (1901–1980), with at least one-third of the reduced recovery probability attributable to anthropogenic climate change. Climate model ensembles show reduced recovery probabilities in the contemporary era (2000–2040), primarily due to increased evaporative demand in non-winter months, resulting in an additional 1–4 months for droughts to recover compared with the historical record. These findings suggest climate change is slowing drought recovery, with ramifications for water management decisions and drought planning.

Etirkālat talaimuṟaiyiṉariṭam Tamiḻc caiva camaya uṇarvaip perukkuvataṟkāṉa vittum viḷaivu [Strategies and methods to effectively root Saivism among our future generation

The term ‘Samayam’ in Tamil language refers to a process which nurtures souls into maturity and differentiates humans from animals. It is also said to elevate an average one to become a Godlike being. Here, Godliness is that one becomes highly aware of his/her self and the cosmological realm; realizing one’s ultimate Saviour Sivam; becoming an invincible compassionate being in this world. However, the contemporary world has brought severe abatement upon a pious lifestyle. The Saivite exponents who have foreseen these social symptoms have left us with insights and possible ways to instill Saivism to the future generations. Furthermore, Periyapuranam greatly exhibits how a child can be gradually introduced to Saivism commencing from even before the day of conception and continuing throughout life. The aim of this study is to ascertain established methods used in Periyapuranam in instilling Saivism into the future generation which are also applicable in present times.

Donor-Specific Antibody Testing is an Effective Surveillance Strategy for High-Risk Antibody Mediated Rejection in Heart Transplant Patients in the Contemporary Era.

Pathologic antibody mediated rejection (pAMR) evaluation and donor specific antibody (DSA) testing are recommended in the first year after heart transplantation (HTx) in adult patients. Whether DSA testing adds prognostic information to contemporary pAMR surveillance has not been fully studied. This was a single center study of consecutive endomyocardial biopsies (EMB) performed between November 2010 and February 2023 in adult HTx patients. The primary objective was to evaluate whether DSA testing contributes additional information to pAMR surveillance to better predict overall survival. Secondary endpoints included cardiac allograft dysfunction and loss. A total of 6,033 EMBs from 544 HTx patients were reviewed for the study. The pAMR+/DSA+ group had significantly lower overall survival versus the pAMR-/DSA- group (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35-5.11; pc = 0.013). In the pAMR+/DSA+ group, patients with cardiac allograft dysfunction, compared to those without allograft dysfunction, had significantly lower overall and cardiac survival (pc < 0.001 for both). In contrast, pAMR+/DSA+ and pAMR-/DSA- patients without cardiac allograft dysfunction showed no difference in overall and cardiac survival. Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) was a novel risk factor for development of de novo DSAs (dnDSA) three weeks post-HTx (p = 0.007). DSA testing as the primary surveillance method can identify high-risk pAMR+/DSA+ patients. Surveillance pAMR testing in the contemporary era may need to be reevaluated. Earlier DSA testing at 10-14 days post-HTx should be considered in PGD patients.

From ‘The World as a Place’ to ‘Cultures of (Un)homing in a Contemporary World’

From ‘The World as a Place’ to ‘Cultures of (Un)homing in a Contemporary World’

Multimodal Literacy in Teaching Foreign Languages: The Example of Power Point Presentations

Multimodality is a very popular issue that is discussed with reference to various disciplines. The ability to interpret and create multimodal texts is a necessary skill in the contemporary world, where texts in which verbal language is accompanied by images and other modes of expression that convey relevant information dominate. Therefore, it is necessary to equip learners of foreign languages to effectively interact with multimodal texts. The purpose of the paper is to investigate the level of multimodal literacy among L2 users in the academic setting, using the example of PowerPoint presentations, and to point out the advantages of involving multimodality in teaching foreign languages, especially in teaching writing. The results of the study show that the potential of multimodality is often overlooked by teachers and students, who tend to treat visual elements mostly as decoration instead of using them as tools for enhancing successful communication. The investigation may be useful for foreign language teachers, who should focus more on teaching multimodal literacy in their writing courses to prepare students for functioning in the contemporary world. It is also a first step in developing a new methodology for teaching L2 writing.

Uniform Civil Code in India: Issues and Challenges in Contemporary Era

Uniform Civil Code in India: Issues and Challenges in Contemporary Era

Survival After Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Bridge to Lung Retransplantation

BackgroundExtracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is increasingly used as a bridge to lung transplantation. Despite success in select populations, candidates requiring ECMO bridge to retransplantation have historically had poor 1-year survival. This study aimed to examine the characteristics of the recipient, donor, and transplant procedure type to guide selection of candidates for ECMO bridge to retransplantation. MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study of all US adult lung retransplant recipients between May 5, 2005, and December 31, 2022. We evaluated 1-year survival of ECMO-bridged retransplant patients, stratified by time from initial transplant, procedure type (single or bilateral retransplant), and ECMO era (2005-2017 vs 2018-2022). ResultsIn this national cohort, 111 of 1296 (8.6%) retransplant recipients underwent ECMO bridge. One-year survival was worse for ECMO bridge retransplant recipients (52.2% vs 74.0%; P < .001) and has worsened in the contemporary era (2018-2022) of ECMO bridge to retransplantation compared with prior years (P = .03). Time from initial transplantation and use of bilateral retransplant after an initial bilateral transplant were most strongly associated with improved 1-year survival of ECMO-bridged retransplant recipients. Of bilateral recipients bridged to bilateral transplant more than 1 year after primary transplantation, survival was 65.9% in ECMO-bridged patients as opposed to 77.2% in nonbridged patients. ConclusionsCareful selection of candidates and surgical procedure type remains essential in determining candidacy for ECMO bridge to retransplantation.

قيم الأدب الشفهي في المجتمع الأفريقي: حالة من أغاني اليوروبا الشعبية والمهرجانات التقليدية

Folksongs and traditional festivals are central to almost every activity of the Yoruba people. The contemporary world is full of pains, worries, sufferings and despair and various anti-social activities, in spite of pompous claims and glaring efforts of science and technology in solving old problems to create many new ones. Hence, every individual needs to relax, amuse, and get his or her mind off the dull struggles, worries and sorrows of life through folksongs and festivals. The Yoruba folksongs and festivals as soul-searchers and soul-menders therefore, serve the aesthetic, therapeutic and communicative purposes as tension relievers as well as elixir through which individuals are firmly reassured that there is still hope for humanity. Folksongs and traditional festivals, as manifestations of oral literary genre, possess the remarkable ability to simultaneously entertain, educate, heal and provide solace in individuals. Through them, virtues of the community are upheld and cultural values are projected. It thus concluded that Yoruba folksongs and festivals are a vital communicative instrument for pleasure and a therapy to heal and soothe individuals. Therefore, it is recommended that the Yoruba people continue to utilize folksongs as a means of entertaining, educating, consoling, and comforting themselves as the need arises. Additionally, the study underscores the importance of preserving and perpetuating traditional festival celebrations in Yoruba society, as they serve as a unifying force among the people and a potent platform for showcasing the rich culture and traditions of the Yoruba people to the wider world. Other African societies should also intensify efforts in employing folksongs and festival performances to project their respective cultural identity to the wider world.

THE IMPACT OF IMPLEMENTING TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLANS ON THE ENVIRONMENT (CASE STUDY OF NATURAL RESERVES IN NAJAF GOVERNORATE)

The research aims to know the impact of implementing tourism development plans on the natural reserve environment in Najaf Governorate. The tourism industry is one of the most important economic activities in the contemporary world, and it is one of the sources of income and a strong driver of its economic dimensions. It represents one of the tributaries of increasing economic growth, providing job opportunities, and solving the unemployment problem that most countries suffer from, including Iraq. Therefore, building foundations for comprehensive spatial development in unexploited natural areas is necessary, which helps develop plans for future tourism development to invest them environmentally and touristically. The city of Najaf has elements of tourist attractions, such as natural geographical phenomena. Still, it has yet to receive the required and appropriate attention, and tourism development faces many challenges. Based on all of this, the research problem emerged to determine the type of relationship between the research variables, which are tourism development plans, which are the independent variable, and the extent of their impact on the environment of natural reserves in Najaf Governorate, which is the dependent variable. Natural reserves are essential for preserving biological diversity, reducing the risk of extinction of threatened species, and ensuring ecosystem services. The researcher followed a methodology based on repeated field visits to the reserve and conducting personal interviews with its officials. The research sample included officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and several officials from Najaf Governorate. Among the most prominent results reached by the research is the importance of implementing tourism development plans as a mechanism through which the potential of the natural region can be exploited, contributing to its environmental and tourist development. The researcher reached a set of results and recommendations that would contribute to improving the environmental performance of the reserve.

Application of artificial intelligence in higher education institutions for developing soft skills of future specialists in the sphere of information technology

Abstract This paper aims to delineate the significant role of artificial intelligence (AI) in developing the soft skills of future information technology (IT) professionals. To achieve this goal, the authors give some relevant considerations concerning using AI in teaching humanitarian subjects and explore the use of AI to develop soft skills essential for future IT professionals. First, the analysis of the survey results confirms that students are not aware that using AI in education is very helpful. That is why many students (51.8%) do not use them at all. Therefore, we have an intention to give the examples of the use of AI tools for educational purposes to equip students, first of all, with understanding of soft skills value, and, secondly, let them complete the tasks that contribute to the development and improvement of their soft skills. Second, we defined that the soft skills (communication, negotiation, problem-solving, finding a common language with colleagues and clients, public speaking, and intercultural) are essential for conducting professional communication with colleagues in the sphere of IT to satisfy the demands of the IT industry in the modern-day world. Third, the paper contributes scientifically to investigating the integration of AI technologies in the university-level educational landscape. Integrating AI in higher education institutions offers a promising route for developing or boosting the soft skills necessary for future specialists in the field of IT. Drawing on a comprehensive review of literature focusing on the use of AI technologies in the contemporary world and considering the empirical data from the online survey, the study investigates the opportunities of AI tools to foster soft skills required to achieve the active collaboration of IT employees for companies.

Materialization of spatial identity in Slavonia and Baranja’s linguistic landscape changes

The linguistic landscape is an essential aspect of determining how language materializes in our surroundings. It is especially important in multilingual communities, as it reflects their identity. The linguistic landscape changes over time due to various factors, such as changes in politics, economics, and the national minority population. Study aims to explore how language manifested in the cultural landscape of Slavonia and Baranja, how it changed over time. Linguistic signs can also reflect the spatial identity of the population in the investigated periods (and its changes). Research compares the linguistic landscape of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries with the contemporary period. We used old postcards as sources for the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and conducted fieldwork for the modern period. The research involved analysing a vast corpus of linguistic signs in the cultural landscape. Research showed that the linguistic landscape, both in the past and present, is visible through various inscriptions on shops, craft stores, state institutions, and street names. Official inscriptions on public institutions in Croatia are written in the Croatian language, and in ethnically diverse areas, these inscriptions are bilingual, but not to the extent allowed by the Croatian Constitution. Homogeneity or heterogeneity of the linguistic landscape users determines its appearance. Croatian is the primary language in most of inscriptions. However, the status and dominance of other languages have changed, depending on the complex political and linguistic past of the region. The study has confirmed that the linguistic landscape reflects both the spatial identity as well as the heterogeneity and multilingualism of the linguistic landscape in urban and rural areas.

Long-Term Elasticity of Environmental Demand: Environmental Protection Expenditures in Sweden, 1972–2020

This study uses reconstructions of historical Environmental Protection Expenditure Accounts (EPEA) in Sweden from 1970–2020 to present a time series approach that analyses the demand for environmental services. The paper’s aim is to analyse environmental adaptation as a historical, economic and environmental process and to explore structural shifts suggestive of an overall periodisation of environmental demand. The article contributes to a deeper understanding of demand-side factors in environmental adaptation as part of contemporary economic history. The investigation also provides evidence that the income elasticity of environmental demand was slightly higher than 1.0 and largely stable over time, and even though we were able to detect trend breaks, there is insufficient evidence for major structural breaks suggesting sharp shifts in societal environmental preferences. Policies requiring sharply rising environmental expenditures should consider this level of historical stability. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0 .

META-MODULE. Contemporary modularity as generative tool for Smart Architecture.

Abstract The complexity of the contemporary era challenges traditional methods and processes in architecture, exacerbated by diverse specializations, global production, and recent cultural, social, and technological shifts. Consequently, contemporary architecture responds to societal demands through innovative methods and tools. To maintain coherence in design objectives, explicit information on addressing contemporary concerns is essential. Systematizing informational flows becomes the language of Smart Architecture, utilizing informative patterns and design variations to address these challenges effectively. Starting with an analysis of the inherent characteristics of the modular system, considered both as a regulator of complexity and in its evolution within the architectural panorama influenced by significant socio-cultural and ideological transformations, this contribution introduces the concept of the meta-module. In the era of smart architecture, the module tends to evolve into a meta-module, serving as a generative tool for Smart Architecture. The meta-module integrates interconnected information to organize contemporary complexity, employing innovative design components across multiple scales to address various concerns. The originality of this contribution lies in a process of abstraction that transforms the concept of the module into that of a ‘meta-module’, as a multi-level support matrix for design, compatible with cutting-edge computer tools, ensuring coherence between design considerations and corresponding construction choices.

Expanded visualities: Photography and emerging technologies

This editorial introduces the Special Double Issue of Philosophy of Photography (15.1&amp;2), which focuses on the impact of novel technologies on photography and through this on our understanding of the contemporary world. It sketches the contents of the featured articles and articulates some of the technical developments, concerns and questions that inform and link them.