Occidental World Research Articles

MRI Spectroscopy as a Diagnostic Model for Assessment of Liver Steatosis in NAFLD Non-Diabetic Patients

Abstract Background Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, the hepatic pandemic of the XXI century, being the number one cause of chronic hepatic disease in the occidental world. Aim of the Work To evaluate the diagnostic performance of MRI spectroscopy for assessing hepatic steatosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in non diabetic patients. Patients and Methods A case control study was conducted on 40 patients inhepatology and gastroenterology department & Radiology department ain shams university hospital from Jan 2020 to November 2020 to study role of MRI spectroscopy as adiagnostic model for assessment of liver steatosis in NAFLD non diabetic patients. Results There was statically significant Positive correlation Between hepatic steatosis score, fat peak and fat fraction %, and there was statically significant Negative correlation Between Hepatic steatosis score and water peak. Conclusion MRI Spectroscopy can be reliably used as an accurate and specific noninvasive method for the diagnosis of Nonalcoholic fatty Liver Disease.

Chronic refined carbohydrate consumption measured by glycemic load and variation in cognitive performance in healthy people

A massive diet switch has occurred in the occidental world since the second half of the 20th century, with a dramatic increase in refined carbohydrate consumption generating numerous deleterious health effects. Physiological mechanisms associated with refined carbohydrate consumption, such as hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, may impact cognition in healthy people before overt obesity, metabolic disease onset or dementia. To explore this possibility, the relationship between cognitive performance and chronic refined carbohydrate consumption was studied in healthy young adults (N = 95). Evaluation of chronic refined consumption was based on the glycemic load (a proxy of glycemic and insulinemic responses) of three mealtimes at higher glycemic risk: breakfast, afternoon snacking and between-meal snacking. Immediate consumption of refined carbohydrates was experimentally controlled. High chronic between-meal glycemic load is associated to a decrease of cognitive performance for men and women in the presence of several control variables, including energy intake. The different physiological ecologies of the three meals and the interpretation of the results in terms of adaptation or maladaptation to the modern dietary environment are discussed.

A field theory approach to international journalism: The case of Indian journalists in the middle east

Interest in Bourdieu’s field theory has been steadily growing within the field of journalism studies. Today the application of this theory is not limited to the Global North; journalism studies scholars employ it—rather unreservedly—to study news practices even in the Global South. This leads to the fundamental question whether “Western” media theories have universal relevance. Contributing to this longstanding debate, this article demonstrates one possible way in which journalism studies scholars can “provincialize” or translate Western theories for contexts outside the occidental world: by opening them up to critical ideas from and interdisciplinary scholarship on the Global South. The article operationalizes this approach by using field theory to analyze non-Western journalism cultures. It examines the range of negotiations that Indian journalists in the Middle East undertake to produce vernacular news, revealing the need to not only interrogate conventional media practices but also scholarly lenses that often guide our understanding of mediated processes.

French Encounters Of François De La Boullaye-Le Gouz In India: Hindu Mythological Illustrations and Narratives

Seventeenth-century French travellers’ records ignited the curiosity of the Occidental world, especially the French imagination, because of their commercial and religious understanding of the Orient, mainly India. Among their authors, the most unresearched traveller is François de la Boullaye-le Gouz, who wrote a fabulous account about his voyage to India. His understanding of the Hindu religion ideologies and pictorial representations require analysis based on this hitherto unused manuscript. This article examines the distorted and under-researched facts about his biography, followed by scrutinizing Gouz’s perceptions of Hindu gods and goddesses and their significance in Hindu mythology. These observations, interpretations and misrepresentations of Hindu religious illustrations through Gouz’s perception are analyzed by examining printed French untranslated memoirs (printed in 1653) in comparison with Gouz’s abridged manuscript (codex). Varied approaches of scholars such as Subrahmanyam, Sapra, Beasley, Marsh, Dew and Teltscher have criticized Said’s Orientalism. Our research contributes fresh insight by undertaking an in-depth comparative study of this Oriental knowledge (Gouz’ Hindu mythology observations) with Oriental records, his narratives and codex. This ascertains the credibility of knowledge that formulated French’s Oriental image of India in early-modern Europe.

Goji Berries Supplementation in the Diet of Rabbits and Other Livestock Animals: A Mini-Review of the Current Knowledge.

In the last decades, several nutraceutical substances have received great attention for their potential role in the prevention and treatment of different diseases as well as for their beneficial effects in promoting the health of humans and animals. Goji berries (GBs) are the fruit of Lycium barbarum and other species of Lycium, used in traditional Chinese medicine, and they have recently become very popular in the Occidental world because of their properties, such as anti-aging, antioxidant, anticancer, neuroprotective, cytoprotective, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities. These effects are essentially evaluated in clinical trials in humans; in experimental animal models, such as mice and rats; and in cell lines in in vitro studies. Only recently has scientific research evaluated the effects of GBs diet supplementation in livestock animals, including rabbits. Although studies in the zootechnical field are still limited and the investigation of the GB mechanisms of action is in an early stage, the results are encouraging. This review includes a survey of the experimental trials that evaluated the effects of the GBs supplementation on reproductive and productive performances, immune system, metabolic homeostasis, and meat quality principally in the rabbit with also some references to other livestock animal species. Evidence supports the idea that GB supplementation could be used in rabbit breeding, although future studies should be conducted to establish the optimal dose to be administered and to assess the sustainability of the use of GBs in the diet of the rabbit.

REFLECTIONS ON DEMOCRACY AND BIOETHICS: NEW DEMOCRATIC AND BIOETHICAL FUNDAMENTALISM

It is indubitable and irrefutable that democracy is the best government system that exists in the occidental world and that thanks to it, freedom of expression allows to even question it and put it on the justice balance. Similarly, bioethics born in the world of biological and health sciences, has transcended to the humanities and society has become aware that we live in a nonrenewable planet. However, we cannot overlook that both democracy and bioethics are not born from populus, but from an elite who dreams of a better world according to their dreams and not those of the vast majority of ordinary people.

The Sound Portrait of a Dictator

This article explores the process carried out by Spain’s state radio station -Radio Nacional de España- to devise the figure of Francisco Franco, first as a war hero, supreme chief of the rebel side of Spanish Civil War and, after the conflict ended, as a statesman and rebuilder of the Spanish nation, in his roles as head of state and Caudillo de España (leader of Spain). Through the examination of materials from newspapers, magazines, sound archives, censored scripts and administrative documentation, this research focuses on the capacity of state radio to adapt its discourse to convey the figure of a ‘charismatic’ ruler that satisfies the needs of the Francoist regime to survive and legitimize itself. The article shows how state radio constructs a discourse around Franco arranged to the different speeds of the national and international political context that shook Spain, Europe and the occidental world from 1937 to 1961.

Pioneers Occidentalists : The Emergence of American Occidentalism

يتناول هذا البحث جانب مهم من جوانب الدراسات ما بعد الحقبة الاستعمرارية. يحلل هذا البحث السياسة الامريكية كما هي معروضه في كل من السياسة الخارجية الامريكية والادب المكتوب حول ذلك. لقد قامت الولايات المتحدة الامريكية بأستبدال أوربا والقوى الاخرى جاعلة من نفسها القوة والوحيدة القادرة على التغلغل والتدخل في المشهد الدولي. وبذلك أصبحت الولايات المتحدة الممثل الوحيد للغرب. أن كل هذة الاراء تقود بدورها الى نتائج ومفاهيم مهمة. لقد قام بعض العلماء والمفكرين بملاحظة هذا الدور الامريكي الحاسم; وقد حاولوا ايضا تسليط الضوء على مكانه الولايات المتحدة في تقديم نفسها كممثل للعالم الغربي. ومن اجل سبر هذا كلة والوصول الى نتائج, سيتناول البحث مجموعة من رواد هذة الظاهرة: أدورد سعيد, أفرام نوام جومسكي واخرون.

Leyendas, relatos, mitos y clima

Las sociedades primitivas, en los estadios primeros de civilización han buscado explicación a los hechos de la naturaleza. Entre estos la interpretación de los signos de cielo ha ocupado una papel fundamental. Por lo demás, los panteones suelen estar presididos por una divinidad principal de la que depende la propia acción solar u otros fenómenos atmosféricos significativos. En el mundo occidental la aparición de las ideas de los presocráticos, en el s. VI a. J. C, marcará el final de la interpretación mitológica de los fenómenos meteorológicos

Tokindo S. Okada.

Tokindo S. Okada.

The role of Metacognition in eating behavior: an exploratory study

In the occidental world, feeding is not only a physiological need but it may become a compulsive behavior. In fact, the tendency to instant gratification may represent a way to escape from unpleasant moods and may lead to addictive behaviors. In this process, Metacognitions, defined as internal cognitive factors that control, monitor and evaluate thinking processes, have a central role. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between eating behavior, psychological needs and metacognitive processes. We evaluated 44 adults using the following instruments: Eating Disorders Inventory III (EDI-III), Metacognition Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30) and Frontal Lobe Score. Data analysis was performed using SPSS for Windows applying correlational analysis (Spearman’s Rho). We found that negative beliefs about worry concerning uncontrollability and danger were positive correlated with general psychological maladjustment composite (0.61 p <.01). In particular negative beliefs were positive correlated with specific subscales, such as personal alienation (0.57 p <.01) and emotional dysregulation (0.51 p <.01). Results confirmed the importance to explore metacognitive processes and to understand their role in emotional regulation, especially in overweight/obese subjects. Furthermore, we aim to examine the role of cognitive functions in eating behavior.

Textos indígenas en español (s. xviii). Un documento sobre los hechiceros de Toluca

A lo largo del periodo colonial las comunidades indígenas fueron sometidas a las formas de administración castellana, lo que provocó que éstas participaran de la confección de textos tanto en sus lenguas como en español dada la importancia del documento escrito en el mundo occidental. Esta documentación es una fuente importante tanto para la elaboración de la historia de las comunidades indígenas como para el conocimiento de los usos lingüísticos en esos años. Por esto último, en este artículo presentamos la transcripción paleográfica de un legajo escrito por indígenas del valle de Toluca en español en el siglo XVIII, así como un breve análisis que apunta hacia la posible interferencia de la lengua nahua en esa variante de español.

The role of religion in protecting older Romanian migrants from loneliness

ABSTRACTThis article explores qualitatively how and to what extent religion protects older Romanian migrants from loneliness. The analysis is based on fieldwork research in two Swiss cantons and in neighbouring France among 30 Romanian migrants aged 57+. The sample is heterogeneous, made up of persons who fled the communist regime in their youth and others who migrated later in life for work or to be with their families. The fieldwork research points towards a population that is coping successfully with migration and other challenges, many of whom did not report feelings of loneliness. In an increasingly laic occidental world, many of the Romanian participants in our research appear to be religious and go to church; this often protects them from loneliness, whether they migrated 30 years or 7 months ago. The article concludes with study limitations, implications and directions for further research.

NEPAD's Communication as an International Organization: A Cameroonian Elite and Media Perspective

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development is the full meaning of the acronym NEPAD. This later is founded in 2001, by a few African Presidents and the African Union adopts it shortly after, as an African initiative likable to uplift Africa from its economic, social and political shortcomings, while defending Africa’s interest in the global arena.Controversies surrounding this NEPAD as initiative are summarily put as unpopular, illegitimate if not illegal for Africans. Predefined categories such as NGO’s/Trade Unions, Public Sector, Private Sector, Politicians, Media, Church, Other and Not Classified via Elites and media make up the strata and epicenter and problem of this study. The statement of the problem focuses on a paradox: the continuity and of NEPAD being consulted in partnership by the occidental world and international institutions. The crux of the matter is communication of NEPAD as an international organization. The methods used include; documentary, ethnographic and face-to-face questioning, questionnaire, hence, trans-disciplinary approaches.The instrument of this study is well refined research questions, summarized into general and specific hypotheses. A 07:03 ratio respecting Cameroon’s geo-political and linguistic dispensation fashioned a 1200 questionnaire distribution giving an 87% respondent rate.Theories, paradigms and models from trans-disciplinary exploration, with agenda setting theory as that which emanates from this study’s discipline suits our context best. Arguably, this study finds international communication supposed implementation as a prerequisite upstream when addressing problems of NEPAD’s popularity. Data reveal thus; on demographic attributes, there is great gender imbalance, having male dominance over female, etc. Socialization pattern, elites militating strength, advocacy rate, media perspective of NEPAD, conflict paradigm domination are all explained following data revelations of this study.

Arqueología de las historias de la Teoría del Estado y del poder

&lt;p&gt;El artículo presenta las teorías del Estado y del poder derivadas de las obras de Hans Kelsen, Max Weber, Karl Marx, Norbert Elias, Michel Foucault y Catherine Mackinnon. Para hacerlo se tiende un puente entre literatura, historiografía y teoría política. Se trata de una reconstrucción crítica que propone una visión alter- nativa a la narración convencional de la teoría y la historia del Estado en el mundo occidental a partir de un examen riguroso de ésta, pero al tiempo, de un cuestionamiento igualmente estricto de sus fundamentos epistemológicos: muchos de ellos emparentados con políticas clasistas, etnocéntricas y sexistas.&lt;/p&gt;

Considering the Contemporary Issues and Unresolved Challenges Facing Therapeutic Communities for Clients with Alcohol and Substance Abuse

Alcohol and substance abuse remain significant public health problems in many parts of the occidental world. Some facilities that provide treatment for such abuse often refer to themselves as “Therapeutic Communities” (TCs). However, fundamental compositional differences in TCs present unresolved issues and as such, create significant implications for research, practice, education, and substance/alcohol care policy. Accordingly, this paper examines the heterogeneity and efficacy of TCs; the treatment approaches of harm reduction and abstinence; the training of TC staff and workers; and the recommended length of stay for individuals seeking recovery.

Insect Larvae: A New Platform to Produce Commercial Recombinant Proteins.

In Biotechnology, the expression of recombinant proteins is a constantly growing field and different hosts are used for this purpose. Some valuable proteins cannot be produced using traditional systems. Insects from the order Lepidoptera infected with recombinant baculovirus have appeared as a good choice to express high levels of proteins, especially those with post-translational modifications. Lepidopteran insects, which are extensively distributed in the world, can be used as small protein factories, the new biofactories. Species like Bombyx mori (silkworm) have been analyzed in Asian countries to produce a great number of recombinant proteins for use in basic and applied science and industry. Many proteins expressed in this larva have been commercialized. Several recombinant proteins produced in silkworms have already been commercialized. On the other hand, species like Spodoptera frugiperda, Heliothis virescens, Rachiplusia nu, Helicoverpa zea and Trichoplusia ni are widely distributed in both the occidental world and Europe. The expression of recombinant proteins in larvae has the advantage of its low cost in comparison with insect cell cultures. A wide variety of recombinant proteins, including enzymes, hormones and vaccines, have been efficiently expressed with intact biological activity. The expression of pharmaceutically proteins, using insect larvae or cocoons, has become very attractive. This review describes the use of insect larvae as an alternative to produce commercial recombinant proteins.

Temple and State: Religion in Enlightenment Asia

Just as diamonds are formed from intense pressure, the diamonds of human culture – religion are formed from the crucible of hardship. The most challenging global period for East Asia occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries when thousands of years of tradition came face-to-face with industrialization. During this period, Buddhism faced difficult challenges especially regarding persecution and destruction. In spite of these inimical conditions, Buddhism would become a global religion, not only experiencing a revival in East Asia but also a receptive audience in the occidental world. One important genesis and microcosm for this activity can be seen between 1868 and 1926 in Japan and Korea. Buddhism became a powerful inspiration for statehood, forming the basis of kaewha (enlightenment) thought. It inspired and drove Koreans towards modernization and development. Indeed, Buddhism was instrumental in the search for identity and common ground between these two disparate cultures. Buddhism become the cornerstone of the self-strengthening movement and the bridge between the eastern and western worlds. For instance, we can see how this period created and formed Engaged Buddhism, inspired by Christian participation in society. In Japan, movements took the form of a Buddhist reformation where many scholars searched for the essential methods of Dharma. Such searching on behalf of truth-seekers as D.T. Suzuki and Uchiyama Gudō helped promote an essentialist and modern Buddhism. Moreover, this modern Buddhism led to a renaissance of the practices and teachings of the Buddha.

Beyond the asylum -An other view on the history of psychiatry in the modern age

If one thinks medicine, madness and the past, one image immediately pops into mind: that of the mental asylum. Following the famous work by Michel Foucault, Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason, many historians have thus considered that the medicalization of insanity in the modern age had mostly led to a "great confinement" and a greater segregation of all individuals deemed mentally unfit during the "asylum era': However, new research demonstrates that this classic narrative of the psychiatric past needs to be revised. It discloses that, ever since the 191h century, a whole other medical culture existed as a challenge to asylums, a culture that advocated the integration of the mad and fought to disassociate psychiatry from the dominant model of confinement all throughout the occidental world. This article aims at presenting the results of these historical works that depict another aspect of the psychiatric history, exploring "boarding out" practices, instead of asylum ones.

Discourse about Linear Programming and Lean Manufacturing: Two Different Approaches with a Similar, Converging Rational

In recent years, the Toyota Production System has also assumed in western manufacturing plants a predominant position. Lean Manufacturing, as it is usually called in the occidental world, aims at a “Single-piece-flow” job handling and has its advantages compared to the classic “Batch and Queue” job handling. On the other hand, mathematical Linear Programming optimization techniques have passed into oblivion, having obtained the feel to be inappropriate for production planning. Although the two approaches have different aims and application, they give particular attention to scarce resources. The concepts of “bottleneck” in Lean Manufacturing and “shadow price” in Linear Programming are complementary. The paper shows the different focus of the two approaches and crystallizes their synergic values.