Local Version Research Articles

Validity and reliability of local endemic language version of the SARI Sigma Scale questionnaire for assessing stigma in leprosy patients

Validity and reliability of local endemic language version of the SARI Sigma Scale questionnaire for assessing stigma in leprosy patients

“Resonance” Within and Between Generations in the Era of "Social Acceleration": In Search For a “Good Life” in the TV Series Morning Changes Everything

This paper examines the generational TV series "Morning Changes Everything", which aroused significant public attention and received critical acclaim, but it also sparked certain controversies. The series follows the lives of four young people in their early thirties over a year time period, who are striving to find a meaningful way to live their lives within the bustling capital city, caught between identity dilemmas, parental expectations, and under pressure of the local version of the neoliberal order. The study is conceived as a hybrid form that combines an anthropological exploration of the domestic media landscape with an autoethnographic analysis of the reception of a generational TV series. It incorporates a personal, reflective perspective, and analyzes the reactions of both the author and their family members to the specific ways television depicts the lifestyles and self-discovery of the generation of young adults in their early thirties. In the first place it is an attempt to interpret spontaneous reactions to how generational conflicts with parents are portrayed in the series, with which the author can identify with in terms of age. The method of presenting a generational perspective is also considered through comparisons with the approaches used in the series “The Unpicked Strawberries”. The paper further examines several underlying assumptions. The first assumption is that due to the very specific, at first glance imperceptible, but yet consistent political approach advocated in the series, it makes sense to base the interpretation on the theoretical framework offered by contemporary German sociologist and political scientist Hartmut Rosa. Namely, the series offers a critique of the consequences of "social acceleration" within the distinctive cultural milieu of transitional Serbia. The effects of social acceleration intersect with the particular challenges faced by a generation of young people experiencing "prolonged adolescence." The next assumption is that the critique of the consequences of that process is achieved, among other things, by advocating an alternative lifestyle that rejects conformism (the pursuit of social success and the adherence to imposed social and gender roles), promoting a slower and more relaxed pace of life (free from imposed goals and the notion of "success in life"), and fostering resonance among the main protagonists’ generation. Resonance, which is the next assumption, is achieved through detailed depictions of situations in which it occurs, as well as through stylistic characteristics in character development. Thus, the main protagonists are portrayed neutrally, while members of other generations are often depicted in a distorted and/or comical way, amplifying both the sense of resonance within the group (and among the generationally aligned audience), and the distance between different generations. Furthermore, the resonance within the protagonists’ generation (and its closely aligned audience) is achieved through a carefully constructed visual identity of specially selected urban spaces in Belgrade. Finally, resonance is enhanced through the use of specific both diegetic and non-diegetic music, which emphasizes the impression of generational isolation, and challenges potential realistic-documentary interpretations of the series. In this sense, as the last assumption suggests, the series can be read not only as a more or less accurate portrait of a Belgrade generation, but also as a political-psychological project envisioning a possible good (better?) life. Achieving such a life depends on fostering successful relationships of resonance within and between generations.

Strong solution of stochastic differential equations with discontinuous and unbounded coefficients

In this paper we study the existence and uniqueness of strong solution of the following d d -dimensional stochastic differential equation (SDE) driven by Brownian motion: d X t = b ( t , X t ) d t + σ ( t , X t ) d B t , X 0 = x , \begin{equation*} dX_t=b(t,X_t)dt+\sigma (t,X_t)dB_t, X_0=x, \end{equation*} where B B is a d d -dimensional standard Brownian motion; the diffusion coefficient σ \sigma is a Hölder continuous and uniformly nondegenerate d × d d\times d matrix-valued function and the drift coefficient b b may be discontinuous and unbounded, not necessarily in L p q \mathbb {L}_p^q , extending the previous works to discontinuous and unbounded drift coefficient situation. The idea is to combine the Zvonkin’s transformation with the Lyapunov function approach. Zvonkin’s transformation is a one-to-one (and quasi-isometric) transformation of a phase space that allows us to pass from a diffusion process with nonzero drift coefficient to a process without drift. To this end, we need to establish a local version of the connection between the solutions of the SDE up to the exit time of a bounded connected open set D D and the associated partial differential equation on this domain. As an interesting by-product, we establish a localized version of the Krylov estimates and a localized version of the stability result of the SDEs of discontinuous coefficients.

Corpus-based Readability Assessment of Chinese Cultural Textbooks for Middle School Students from an English Glocalization Perspective

The localized English version of Chinese cultural material has played an essential role in spreading Chinese culture worldwide. However, insufficient attention had been paid to the readability of Chinese cultural reading materials, and far less to the readability of Chinese cultural reading materials for middle school students. The readability of Chinese cultural reading materials was calculated based on a self-created corpus, considering various factors such as vocabulary, sentence structure, and comprehensive indicators to analyze the readability of these materials in English quantitatively. Two questions were addressed: 1) To what degree are the current Chinese stories in English readable to middle school students; 2) What readability of Chinese stories in English is ideal for middle school students? The results indicated significant variations in readability among the five sets. It also recognized the need for further adjustments and development of the textbooks to better align with students’ grade levels and curriculum requirements. Moreover, it is crucial to enhance students’ engagement with Chinese culture via textbooks. It helped demonstrate the lack of sufficient attention to the readability of Chinese stories in English, and it inspired future Chinese cultural texts designed for middle school students to possess good adaptability in terms of readability.

The Daugavet and Delta-constants of points in Banach spaces

We introduce two new notions called the Daugavet constant and Δ-constant of a point, which measure quantitatively how far the point is from being Daugavet point and Δ-point and allow us to study Daugavet and Δ-points in Banach spaces from a quantitative viewpoint. We show that these notions can be viewed as a localized version of certain global estimations of Daugavet and diametral local diameter two properties such as Daugavet indices of thickness. As an intriguing example, we present the existence of a Banach space X in which all points on the unit sphere have positive Daugavet constants despite the Daugavet indices of thickness of X being zero. Moreover, using the Daugavet and Δ-constants of points in the unit sphere, we describe the existence of almost Daugavet and Δ-points, as well as the set of denting points of the unit ball. We also present exact values of the Daugavet and Δ-constant on several classical Banach spaces, as well as Lipschitz-free spaces. In particular, it is shown that there is a Lipschitz-free space with a Δ-point, which is the furthest away from being a Daugavet point. Finally, we provide some related stability results concerning the Daugavet and Δ-constant.

QCD phase diagram in the T–eB plane for varying pion mass

We study the effect of a varying pion mass on the quantum chromodynamics (QCD) phase diagram in the presence of an external magnetic field, aiming to understand it, for the first time, using Nambu–Jona-Lasinio like effective models. We compare results from both its local and nonlocal versions. In both cases, we find that the inverse magnetic catalysis (IMC) near the crossover is eliminated with increasing pion mass, while the decreasing trend of crossover temperature with increasing magnetic field persists for pion mass values at least up to 440 MeV. Thus, the models are capable of capturing qualitatively the results found by lattice QCD (LQCD) for heavy (unphysical) pions. The key feature in the models is the incorporation of the effect of a reduction in the coupling constant with increasing energy. Along with reproducing the IMC effect, it enables models to describe the effects of heavier current quark masses without introducing additional parameters. For the local NJL model, this agreement depends on how the parameters of the model are fit at the physical point. In this respect, the nonlocal version, which, due to its formulation, automatically exhibits the IMC effect around the crossover region, captures the physics more naturally. We further use the nonlocal framework to determine the pion mass beyond which the IMC effect around the transition region does not exist anymore. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

The site frequency spectrum for coalescing Brownian motion

Motivated by the goal of understanding the genealogy of a sample from an expanding population in the plane, we consider coalescing Brownian motion on the circle. For this model, we establish a weak law of large numbers for the site frequency spectrum. A parallel result holds for a localized version where the genealogy is modeled by coalescing Brownian motion on the line.

Peaked Stokes waves as solutions of Babenko’s equation

Babenko’s equation describes traveling water waves in holomorphic coordinates. It has been used in the past to obtain properties of Stokes waves with smooth profiles analytically and numerically. We show in the deep-water limit that properties of Stokes waves with peaked profiles can also be recovered from the same Babenko’s equation. In order to develop the local analysis of singularities, we rewrite Babenko’s equation as a fixed-point problem near the maximal elevation level. As a by-product, our results rule out a corner point singularity in the holomorphic coordinates, which has been obtained in a local version of Babenko’s equation.

Linguistic inclusivity in the context of the Ecuadorian national version of the Spanish language

The object of this study is linguistic inclusivity in the Ecuadorian national version of the Spanish language. The subject of the study is the language practices used in the Republic of Ecuador, aimed at creating a greater level of gender inclusivity. The paper examines the influence of a number of sociolinguistic factors on language policy, as well as methods of adapting the local national version of the Spanish language, taking into account the requirements of different social groups. Special attention is paid to the study of existing forms of gender-inclusive language, such as the use of neutral endings and neologisms, as well as their perception and dissemination by the local population. In order to achieve the highest possible level of objectivity, a sociological survey was conducted within the framework of the study, which made it possible to identify differences between men and women in understanding and using an inclusive language. The following research methods were used: a sociological survey, the purpose of which was to collect data on the perception of gender inclusivity in the language among different groups of the Ecuadorian population; quantitative and qualitative methods that made it possible to interpret respondents' opinions about the importance and prevalence of inclusive language in the daily life of Ecuadorians. The results of the study clearly demonstrate the importance of the dissemination of gender-inclusive language in Ecuador due to its role in the process of achieving social equality. The novelty of the work is the sociolinguistic analysis of linguistic inclusivity in Ecuadorian Spanish. The conducted survey of the local population of the Republic showed significant differences in attitudes towards inclusive language between men and women. This fact indicates that the policy of establishing maximum inclusivity in society at the moment has not led to the complete elimination of gender inequality. Thus, the need to continue work on the introduction of gender-neutral forms in the educational environment and everyday communication is emphasized, which will contribute not only to the establishment of gender equality, but also to strengthening social solidarity in Ecuadorian society.

Exploring Stakeholder Perspectives on the Implementation of WHO iSupport for Dementia Program: A Qualitative Study.

To explore the stakeholders' perspectives and develop a conceptual framework for promotion strategies to implement the iSupport-based intervention for family caregivers of people with dementia. A descriptive qualitative design was adopted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 49 stakeholders of people with dementia from July to December 2023. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was applied to guide the development of the interview guide, data collection and analysis. Directed content analysis was employed to identify facilitators and barriers, with data analysed based on the framework and the established its codebook. These findings were then summarised into a conceptual framework of critical components. The identified 16 barriers and 28 facilitators were distributed across all Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research domains. All facilitators and barriers were integrated into a conceptual framework guiding the implementation of iSupport. This four-tier, eight-component conceptual framework guides the global promotion of the web-based dementia care model, covering state, society, hospitals, individuals and strategies. The components included comprehensive and balanced national medical guidelines, a friendly social culture, adequate hospital collaboration, cooperative healthcare workers, responsible family caregivers, a comprehensive intervention system, appropriate learning content and digital health support. The 'iSupport for Dementia' program is seen positively for its potential to improve dementia care by providing mental and technical support to family caregivers. Successful implementation requires addressing barriers, enhancing facilitators and adapting to China's conditions and policies. Mobilising local healthcare resources and gaining stakeholder recognition is crucial. This approach may help develop a localised version of iSupport that suits the needs and habits of Chinese family caregivers, with the potential for broader dissemination. The 'iSupport for Dementia' program could greatly improve dementia care in China by addressing barriers and utilising facilitators. This study offers critical insights for future policy development and effective implementation strategies. Adherence to the COREQ guidelines for reporting qualitative research was maintained. No patient or public contribution.

List-Based Threshold Accepting Algorithm with Improved Neighbor Operator for 0–1 Knapsack Problem

The list-based threshold accepting (LBTA) algorithm is a sophisticated local search method that utilizes a threshold list to streamline the parameter tuning process in the traditional threshold accepting (TA) algorithm. This paper proposes an enhanced local search version of the LBTA algorithm specifically tailored for solving the 0–1 knapsack problem (0–1 KP). To maintain a dynamic threshold list, a feasible threshold updating strategy is designed to accept adaptive modifications during the search process. In addition, the algorithm incorporates an improved bit-flip operator designed to generate a neighboring solution with a controlled level of disturbance, thereby fostering exploration within the solution space. Each trial solution produced by this operator undergoes a repair phase using a hybrid greedy repair operator that incorporates both density-based and value-based add operator to facilitate optimization. The LBTA algorithm’s performance was evaluated against several state-of-the-art metaheuristic approaches on a series of large-scale instances. The simulation results demonstrate that the LBTA algorithm outperforms or is competitive with other leading metaheuristics in the field.

Evaluating a phone-based Interactive Voice Response system for reducing misinformation and improving malaria literacy

ABSTRACT In Burkina Faso, malaria remains a major issue despite the use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), especially in underserved communities. A study assessed a mobile phone-based Interactive Voice Response (IVR) service in local languages to improve malaria health literacy. A randomized trial compared users of the local language version with those using a French version. The results showed a 30.33% increase in knowledge, 21.77% in attitude, and 35.38% in practice among the local language group, while the French group had lower improvements. Key factors for adoption included usability, privacy, trust, and compatibility. Participants preferred local language and voice interfaces, with younger users favoring games and older ones preferring text-based interfaces. This study highlights the potential of local language IVR to effectively boost malaria health literacy and combat misinformation in underserved areas.

Unshackling from Shadows of the Anisminic Orthodoxy: Reconceptualising Approaches to Ouster Clauses in Hong Kong

Abstract Ouster clauses have perennially borne the mantle of a ‘litigation minefield’, where clashes between legislative and judicial powers unfold in open fora. Recent jurisprudential advancements in the United Kingdom and Singapore demonstrate how judicial approaches to ouster clauses can evolve in the face of constitutional developments. Hong Kong has, however, remained muted while these jurisprudential advancements bear fruit in other parts of the common law world, notwithstanding the fact that its constitutional framework, umpired by the Basic Law, has been in existence for over twenty-five years. This article argues for the need to reconceptualise approaches to ouster clauses in Hong Kong, grounded firmly in its post-1997 constitutional framework. Drawing on comparative jurisprudence, it presents a spectrum of approaches, animated by the dynamic interplay between various ‘macrocontextual’ and ‘microcontextual’ factors, ranging from a localised version of Anisminic, remedial interpretation, and invalidation of ouster clauses on the grounds that they impermissibly affront the constitutional right of access to courts, allocation of judicial power, and constitutional supremacy.

Localizing Human Rights: Modeling Human Rights Cities

In recent years, increasing numbers of cities have begun addressing global threats to human rights. By cultivating a local version of citizenship (city-zenship), cities foster a collective ethos shaped around universal principles of freedom, equality, and dignity, declaring themselves human rights cities. However, despite its varied manifestations, this label remains broad, accommodating a range of interpretations. This study distinguishes between two primary models, which I conceptualize as thin and thick human rights cities, and two nested sub-models. The models encompass the efforts of city-zens and local political actors to assimilate the human rights ethos within the city through both declarative and practical approaches. Subsequently, the typology is applied to characterize the South Korean city of Gwangju, renowned as a pioneering human rights city. Drawing on documents and interviews conducted in the city, I illustrate how the specific mechanisms via which a city engages with human rights can be classified into a model, facilitating comparison with other cities.

Portals of Ani churches of the late 10th – early 11th centuries: Springing of a new typology

Portals representing iconic elements of the three-dimensional composition of the medieval churches have particularly expressive forms in the architecture of Ani. The article reveals the features of the portals of two types, successively developed by the architect Trdat for the majestic cathedrals of the Armenian capital of the late 10th – early 11th centuries. Drawing ideas from the samples of different traditions, including the ancient Greco-Roman one, new types were created, such as a perspective portal and a local medieval version of the Hellenistic portal.

Mixed- and multi-relative biological effectiveness model simultaneous optimization in carbon ion radiotherapy: A proof-of-concept

Background and purposeIn carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT), different relative biological effectiveness (RBE) models have been used for calculating RBE-weighted dose (DRBE). Conversion between current RBE predictions and introduction of novel approaches remains a challenging task. Our aim is to introduce a framework considering multiple RBE models simultaneously during CIRT plan optimization, easing the translation between DRBE prescriptions. Materials and methodsAn in-house developed Monte Carlo treatment planning system was extended to incorporate the local effect model version I (LEM-I), the modified microdosimetric kinetic model (mMKM) and the MKM-derived Japanese biological model (NIRS-MKM). Four clinical cases (two head-and-neck and two prostate patients), initially optimized with LEM-I for both targets and organs at risk (OARs), underwent two further optimizations: to fulfill mMKM/NIRS-MKM-based target prescriptions (mixed-RBE approach) or to simultaneously consider two biological models within the target regions (multi-RBE approach). Both approaches retained LEM-I-derived dose constraints for OARs. ResultsThe developed optimization strategies have been successfully applied, fulfilling all the clinical criteria for the applied RBE models. One of the RBE models showed unfavorable dose distribution when not explicitly considered in the optimization, while multi-RBE model optimization allowed meeting dose objectives for the selected OARs for both models simultaneously. ConclusionsThe introduced optimization approaches allow for mixed- or multi-RBE optimization in CIRT through the selection of RBE models independently for each region of interest. This capability addresses challenges of adhering to multiple RBE frameworks and proposes an advanced solution for tailored patient treatment plans.

Поселення та городища зарубинецької культури Черкаської області

Sites of the Zarubinets culture of the Cherkasy region constitute the southern part of the Middle Dnieper local version of this culture. In the article, a brief historiographical review of the vestiges is carried out: their topography, chronology, classification and state of study are considered. The article presents a concise catalogue of Zarubynets settlements and hillforts located in Cherkasy region. Among them are 13 settlements and 10 hillforts. The general chronological boundaries of the culture constitute in III/II cent. B.C. – I cent. A.D. The sites considered in the work represent all stages of cultural development: early – 3rd – 1st cent. B.C., middle – 1st cent. B.C. – the end of the 1st cent. A.D., late – middle of the 1st cent. B.C. – the end of the 2nd cent. A.D. Since the last period (the second half of the 1st – the 2nd cent. AD) is currently considered by most researchers to be the time of the existence of late Zarubinets vestiges, we can consider the late stage of the «classical» Zarubinets culture precisely from the middle/end of the 1st cent. B. C. – the end of the 1st cent. A.D. E.V. Maksimov identified two types of settlements of the Middle Dnieper variant of the Zarubinets culture based on topography: sites located on capes, and located in floodplains, supraflood terraces or slopes. The article considers the settlement near the villages Moshny, Mezhyrich, Zalevky, Zhabotyn, Orlovets, the Cherkasy city of the Cherkasy district; hillforts near the village Buchak, Subotiv, Sakhnivka, Trakhtemiriv, the cities of Kaniv, Cherkasy of the Cherkasy district. In contrast to the burial grounds of the Zarubinets culture, the study of settlements began exclusively in the period after the end of the Second World War. Most of the settlements and hillforts are known only from reconnaissance materials. Systematic excavations by E.V. Maksimov investigated only three hillforts: Pylypenkova Hill, Babyna Hill, and Monastyrok. During the last decades, stationary excavations of settlements were not carried out. Obviously, the mentioned sites existed throughout the entire chronological period of the development of the Zarubinets culture, i.e., during the III/II centuries B.C. – I century A.D. In order to obtain new information about the settlement sites of the Zarubinets culture, it is necessary to conduct a new stage of research using new methods and technologies. Key words: Zarubinets culture, Middle Dnieper variant, settlement, hillfort, chronology.

Feeling at home: Bildung and the clash between nostalgic and universal values: singing together in a plural world

Abstract The article explores the tensions of belonging by focusing on the clash between nostalgic and universal values. Because of the inherent tension that they share, the concepts of Bildung and nostalgia provide an opening for understanding human belonging as ranging between nostalgic rootedness and the search for universality. Johann Gottfried Herder’s and Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig’s theories of Bildung, exemplify this clash between nostalgic and universal values. Wilhelm von Humboldt’s thinking offers a theory of Bildung that transcends nostalgic values and points to the world as a place of belonging. In this article I problematize feelings of nostalgia, such as a sense of national belonging, by demonstrating how they might turn into educational values that exclude individuals who do not share the same idea of home and sense of belonging. I employ Agnes Heller’s term ‘value- orientational categories’ to understand how feelings might transform into values. I question and discuss nostalgia’s potential to uphold diversity, given human longing for local versions of home with different languages, cultures, and customs. I then suggest that embracing nostalgia in an educational context can provide a foundation for fostering universal values such as diversity, openness, and flexibility among citizens. Barbara Cassin’s vision of the ‘world freed from belonging’ and her idea of ‘airborne roots’ contribute to this discussion.

Conditional Values in Quantum Mechanics.

We consider the local value of an operator for a given position or momentum and, more generally on the value of another arbitrary observable. We develop a general approach that is based on breaking up Aψ(x) as Aψ(x)ψ(x)=Aψ(x)ψ(x)R+iAψ(x)ψ(x)I where A is the operator whose local value we seek and ψ(x) is the position wave function. We show that the real part is related to the conditional value for a given position and the imaginary part is related to the standard deviation of the conditional value. We show that the uncertainty of an operator can be expressed in two parts that depend on the real and imaginary parts. In the case of the position representation, the expression for the uncertainty of an operator shows that there are two fundamental contributions, one due to the amplitude of the wave function and the other due to the phase. We obtain the equation of motion for the conditional values, and in particular, we generalize the Ehrenfest theorem by deriving a local version of the theorem. We give a number of examples, including the local value of momentum, kinetic energy, and Hamiltonian. We also discuss other approaches for obtaining a conditional value in quantum mechanics including using quasi-probability distributions and the characteristic function approach, among others.

External Cephalic Version: A Retrospective Chart Review at a Canadian Tertiary Care Centre

ObjectivesThe primary objective is to identify our local external cephalic version (ECV) success rate, variables associated with increased likelihood of success, and complication rates. The secondary objective is to allow obstetrical care providers to accurately counsel patients undergoing a trial of ECV. MethodsWe analysed patient charts between January 2018 and December 2022 who underwent ECV. Variables included maternal age, parity, gestational age at the time of ECV attempt, breech type, anesthetic, uterine relaxant, placental location, neonatal birthweight, and provider seniority. Outcomes were ECV success, mode of delivery, emergent cesarean delivery rate due to ECV, and neonatal intensive care unit admission. Appropriate statistical analysis was performed. ResultsOverall, 258 patients were included. Overall success rate was 31%. Multiparity, transverse presentation, and neonatal birthweight >3.3 kg were associated with significantly increased success rates. Uterine relaxant use was associated with a lower success rate than no relaxant use, which is potentially explained by significantly more frequent relaxant use in non-transverse presentations and a non-significant trend in increased relaxant use in primiparous patients. Other factors including anesthetic use, maternal age, gestational age, placental location, and provider seniority did not significantly impact success. The emergency cesarean delivery rate was 10% and the neonatal intensive care unit admission rate was 8%, both of which were higher than anticipated. ConclusionsECV remains an option for the management of the term breech. Obstetrical providers at our centre and in others may use this study to more accurately counsel patients using local data and optimize the likelihood of success based on patient and peri-procedural factors.