Form Part Research Articles

Technical Study and Re-treatment of a Renaissance Statue of Mars Forming Part of the Decoration of the Bučovice Château in Southern Moravia

ABSTRACT This article presents the results of the examination and restoration treatment of the stucco decoration of a lunette with the sculpture of Mars located in the Bučovice Château in southern Moravia. The sculptural decoration of the Château represents one of the pinnacles of Renaissance stucco art north of the Alps in the second half of the sixteenth century. A unique combination of materials and techniques was used in its creation. The figure of Mars is based on a re-purposed terracotta statue, finished with stucco, polychrome painting, gilding, and coloured glass inlays. The aim of the current restoration was to reduce an inconsiderate intervention from the 1950s and restore the original to an earlier historical form that corresponds to the artistic conception of the neighbouring statues and the rest of the decoration of the chamber. The restoration was based on an interdisciplinary analysis of the statue's original technique, material composition, and surface finishes, including gilding and glass inlays. A complex examination was undertaken as part of the larger project ‘Renaissance and Mannerist Stucco Art in Bohemia and Moravia.’ The intervention involved testing conservation methods, such as consolidating the ground layer, cleaning, removing overpaint and secondary gilding, and reintegrating missing terracotta parts and surface finishes. The choice of the method for retouching the gilded areas was of particular importance because it allowed the possibility to preserve the existing fragments of gilding and, at the same time, visually connect them as a whole.

Problems Experienced by Patients in the Clinic and at Home after Orthopedic Surgery and Their Level of Care Dependency

Background: The care needs of patients who underwent orthopedic surgery are not limited to the hospital but continue at home after discharge. Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the problems and care dependency levels of patients who has orthopedic surgery in the clinic after the surgery and at home in the first month of discharge. Methods: Between March 1, 2021 and April 18, 2022, 113 patients (aged 18 and over), who were hospitalized in the orthopedics and traumatology clinic of public hospital due to orthopedic surgery, were included in study. Data were collected using the “Patient Information Form (Part I), Follow-up Form (Part II),” and “Care Dependency Scale.” Data were evaluated using mean, standard deviation, median, minimum-maximum, number and percentage, McNemar, McNemarBrowker, eta squared (η2), Cohen’s d, Kruskal Wallis-H test, Dunn’s test for multiple comparisons and Linear regression analysis. Results: It has determined that patients who had orthopedic surgery mostly had difficulties in fulfill their self care needs and physical mobility limitations. With the relief of patients’ pain and anxiety, an increase in their belief in recovery and a decrease in their dependency levels were observed. In the linear regression model, only 17% of the changes in care dependency could be explained by independent variables, but the independent variables were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Orthopedic patients experience high levels of mobility limitation and care dependency. There was a decrease in care dependency in the first month after discharge compared to the third day in the clinic.

Review Essay: Postanthropocentric Political Theories

At least since Aristotle defined human beings as “political animals,” politics in the Western tradition has largely been defined in anthropocentric terms. Politics was a realm of distinctively human endeavors, while nonhuman nature remained outside. Nature might impinge on or set limits to political action, but was conceived as constitutively outside of politics. However else nonhuman entities might engage with humans or each other, these relations or engagements were not understood as political. Until quite recently, Western political theory was decidedly anthropocentric. The rise of environmental problematics, and particularly the political salience of the global climate crisis, however, have made the idea of a constitutive separation between (nonhuman) nature and (human) politics less tenable. Not only the material manipulation of the nonhuman world, but also its conceptual framing, are increasingly understood as political projects.1 At the same time, Western political thought has become increasingly open to non-Western cosmologies that do not posit a rigid divide between human and non- (or more-than-) human worlds. Environmental (or green) political theory has become an increasingly robust subdiscipline,2 and political theory, like a number of other humanities disciplines, has undergone an “animal turn.”3 Three of the four recent books under consideration form part of this latter animal turn while Sharon Krause’s Eco-Emancipation is firmly situated in the field of environmental political theory.

Impact of teaching style on perceived mathematics achievement of elementary education preservice teachers: the mediating roles of attitude and math self-concept

Teaching style has long been recognized as a factor influencing students’ achievement, particularly in subjects like mathematics. However, its impact on aspiring elementary mathematics teachers, often considered generalists, remains relatively underexplored. Based on the theoretical underpinning of self-determination theory, the paper examines how teaching style (autonomy support and structured), attitude towards mathematics, and math self-concept form part of the overall variations of perceived mathematics achievement of 444 preservice elementary teachers in the central Philippines. In this paper, autonomy support and structure form a second-order construct of teaching style, while attitude and math self-concept serve as mediating variables toward perceived mathematics achievement. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling demonstrated the statistical significance of all five hypothesized paths and identified two partial mediation effects within the examined relationships. This study sheds light on the importance of teaching style in promoting positive attitudes, math self-concepts, and perceived mathematics achievement among preservice elementary teachers, which has implications for the quality of mathematics education in elementary schools. Implications for teacher training programs for elementary education are discussed, and future research directions are suggested.

An integrated framework for collaborative product design and assembly based on STEP compatible ontology model in cloud manufacturing

AbstractNowadays, new product development processes are encountering fast design and development cycles. This issue has become one the main competition factors among industries. Accordingly, companies make drastic efforts to enhance the quality and speed in the realm of designing and manufacturing by taking novel approaches. Using the potential of new technologies, they design and develop products worldwide, and integrate stakeholders in the collaborative process to achieve this goal. This study has aimed at laying a foundation to fulfill the requirements for globalized collaborative product development processes. This creates an opportunity for both an integrated and collaborative environment. As first objective, the paper has proposed STEP Standard-based model in the form of a cloud service model to create an integrated data structure for product design data while giving flexibility for service-oriented access to integrated model. For second objective, using the Ontology interoperability model, the collaborative design among the stakeholders has been enabled through smart interference control. This control interprets the data semantic to an ontology structure and detects the potential conflicts. The model supports two levels of parts in singular and collective form and based on the assembly scheme for collaborative design and development. Different facets of the proposed model are addressed to fulfill the necessity of real-time distributed collaboration in designing and assembling via a case study.

'Some parts of the consent form are written using complex scientific language’: community perspectives on informed consent for research with pregnant and lactating mothers in Uganda

BackgroundAppropriate language use is essential to ensure inclusion of diverse populations in research. We aimed to identify possible language-related barriers regarding the informed consent process and propose interventions to improve clarity and understanding of pregnant and breastfeeding women participating in research.MethodsA cross-sectional qualitative study employing focus group discussions (FGD) was conducted in Uganda from August 2023 to September 2023, involving a diverse group of stakeholders from the community, including community members, research participants, and Community Advisory Board members. 19 FGD comprised adult participants representing at least six different mother tongues (Luganda, Acholi, Runyankole, Runyoro, Lugbara and English). An inductive thematic approach was utilized for data analysis using NVivo version 12 software to identify language factors that influence informed consent. A series of community validation workshops ensured concurrence.ResultsAt the individual level, language barriers, and low levels of literacy contributed to poor comprehension, thus hindering ability to achieve genuine informed consent. At the health facility level, participants reported that there was use of inappropriate, unclear language including inaccurate translations, with poor and complicated grammar in some consent forms. Participants reported that complex medical terminologies are difficult to translate to local languages. Community members highlighted that social/cultural norms in language use affected cultural perceptions of informed consent. To enhance understanding for individuals without education in science, participants suggested simplification of terminologies and avoidance of complex medical jargon. Researchers should identify participants’ preferred languages and communicate in those languages whenever possible. If researchers are not fluent, trained interpreters should be identified. Informed consent documents must be translated into local languages to ensure participants comprehend the study’s purpose, procedures, risks, and benefits. Involving community members during development and translation of these documents can provide valuable insights into local dialects and culturally specific concepts, ensuring that study tools like surveys and consent forms are accurate and respectful.ConclusionLanguage barriers influence the informed consent process within communities in Uganda. These can potentially be resolved at individual, health system and community levels. Consideration of locally understandable terms in community-facing study documentation is likely to enhance understanding and could improve research participation, although further studies are needed to assess these. The use of appropriate language ensures that informed consent is genuine in keeping with principles of Good Clinical Practice, and developing a research communication strategy should be part of inclusive research design.

Updates on Psoriasis in Special Areas.

Special areas of involvement in psoriasis include the scalp region, the palms and soles, genital areas, as well as intertriginous sites. The involvement of these topographical regions is associated with important physical and emotional implications, resulting in reduced quality of life, social isolation, and work disability. Palms and soles can be affected as part of the generalized form of psoriasis or can be exclusively affected as palmo-plantar psoriasis. Nail involvement may be encountered in 10-55% of patients with psoriasis, while scalp involvement occurs in 45-56% of individuals with psoriasis. Genital involvement may be the only manifestation of cutaneous psoriasis in 2-5% of patients. Inverse or intertriginous psoriasis represents a special variant of psoriasis as it may mimic and be difficult to differentiate from other dermatological entities that involve the intertriginous skin, such as bacterial or fungal infections, eczema, or lichen planus. Treatment of psoriasis in special areas is challenging due to the facts that special areas are more resistant to standard therapies and are more sensitive to potent local treatments. Biological therapies, proven to be more efficient than standard therapies, are not widely available in the absence of extensive skin involvement. This manuscript aims to provide an up-to-date literature review on psoriasis in special areas, benefiting the everyday clinical practice of physicians in optimizing the evaluation and treatment of their patients.

Population genetics: An introduction for physicists

Population genetics lies at the heart of evolutionary theory. This topic forms part of many biological science curricula but is rarely taught to physics students. Since physicists are becoming increasingly interested in biological evolution, we aim to provide a brief introduction to population genetics, written for physicists. We start with two background chapters: chapter 1 provides a brief historical introduction to the topic, while chapter 2 provides some essential biological background. We begin our main content with chapter 3 which discusses the key concepts behind Darwinian natural selection and Mendelian inheritance. Chapter 4 covers the basics of how variation is maintained in populations, while chapter 5 discusses mutation and selection. In chapter 6 we discuss stochastic effects in population genetics using the Wright-Fisher model as our example, and finally we offer concluding thoughts and references to textbooks in chapter 7.

Фортепианные пьесы М.П. Мусоргского. Статья I. Танцы, оперные сцены, скерцо

The article is devoted to the little–studied part of the piano heritage of M.P. Musorgsky — dance genres (Polka and Hopak), a Fair scene from the opera Sorochinskaya Fair and several plays written in the genre of Scherzo and Schercino. An attempt has been made to comprehensively present and analyze Musorgsky’s piano opuses, which are not part of large cyclic forms. The issues of genre specificity, piano stylistics and performance interpretation are discussed. The formal structure of the plays is considered by referring to the theoretical systems of A.B. Marx, I.V. Sposobin and L.A. Mazel. Textual issues are an important component of the article, since referring to the composer’s autographs makes it possible to identify features lost in publications of the XIX–XX centuries. It is concluded that the specific symphonic pianism was one of the characteristic essential properties of Mussorgsky’s piano style, expressed in various compositions (or versions of one composition) with varying degrees of strength. The study and publication were initiated by the ongoing work at the State Institute of Art Studies on the publication of the Complete Academic Collection of Works by M.P. Musorgsky.

The misclassification of depression and anxiety disorders in the multiple sclerosis prodrome: A probabilistic bias analysis.

Studies suggest that depression/anxiety form part of the multiple sclerosis (MS) prodrome. However, several biases have not been addressed. We re-examined this association after correcting for: (i) misclassification of individuals not seeking healthcare, (ii) differential surveillance of depression/anxiety in the health system, and (iii) misclassified person-time from using the date of the first MS-related diagnostic claim (i.e., a demyelinating event) as a proxy for MS onset. In this cohort study, we applied a validated algorithm to health administrative ('claims') data in British Columbia, Canada (1991-2020) to identify MS cases, and matched to general population controls. The neurologist-recorded date of MS symptom onset was available for a subset of the MS cases. We identified depression/anxiety in the 5-years preceding the first demyelinating claim using a validated algorithm. We compared the prevalence of depression/anxiety using modified Poisson regression. To account for misclassification and differential surveillance, we applied probabilistic bias analyses; for misclassified person-time, we applied time-distribution matching to the MS symptom onset date. Our cohort included 9929 MS cases and 49,574 controls. The prevalence ratio for depression/anxiety was 1.74 (95 %CI: 1.66-1.81). Following correction for misclassification, differential surveillance using a detection ratio of 1.11, and misclassified person-time, the prevalence ratio increased to 3.25 (95 %CI: 1.98-40.54). When the same correction was conducted, but a detection ratio of 1.16 was applied, the prevalence ratio increased to 3.13 (95 %CI: 1.97-33.52). Previous conventional analyses were biased towards the null, leading to an under-estimation of the association between depression/anxiety and MS in the prodromal period. This first application of probabilistic quantitative bias analysis within MS research demonstrates both its feasibility and utility.

Discovery of a Pleistocene megafaunal assemblage in a cave in Sierra de El Abra, San Luis Potosí, Mexico

The Calera cave system in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, with a large Pleistocene megafaunal assemblage is described. Hundreds of fossil bones have been found throughout the 1324 m of mapped galleries. The fossils are well preserved resulting from partial permineralization by manganese oxide. A preliminary taxonomic identification of the recovered specimens indicates Equus sp. is the most abundant taxon. Other groups include mammoths, gomphotheres, cervids, bovids, camelids, sloths, glyptodonts, felids, canids, lagomorphs, and testudines. It has been estimated that the cave would have started to form between 1.17 and 0.29 Ma. Since the fossils are found on top of or form part of the fluvial sedimentary deposits inside the cave passages, fossil deposition is much younger and probably occurred during the latest stage of cave formation and the fauna represents a time-averaged accumulation. A few specimens are covered with secondary calcite incrustations. The locality described in this study stands out because it contains one of the largest Pleistocene megafaunal assemblages of the region.

Rate-Compatible, Bandwidth-Efficient, Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) Codes for Aeronautical Telemetry.

Low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes form part of the IRIG-106 standard and have been successfully deployed for the Telemetry Group version of shaped-offset quadrature phase shift keying (SOQPSK-TG) modulation. Recently, LDPC code solutions have been proposed and optimized for continuous phase modulations (CPMs), including pulse code modulation/frequency modulation (PCM/FM) and the multi-h CPM developed by the Advanced-Range TeleMetry program (ARTM CPM), the latter of which was shown to perform around one dB from channel capacity. In this paper, we consider the effect of the random puncturing and shortening of these LDPC codes to further improve spectrum efficiency. We perform asymptotic analyses of the ARTM0 code ensembles and present numerical simulation results that affirm the robust decoding performance promised by LDPC codes designed for ARTM CPM.

Beyond sword and shield: the UN human rights system and criminal law

ABSTRACT Growth in the scope and mandate of the United Nations human rights system sees it increasingly wrestle with questions of national criminal law. The UN human rights system today forms part of a wider transnational socio-legal process that shapes decisions on whether to criminalise conduct or not. Issues such as sexual orientation, defamation, hate speech, and homelessness have emerged as key human rights (de)criminalisation debates. The notion of the human rights sword and shield continues to describe the activation or restraint of the criminal law, but human rights is not always able to provide simple criminalisation conclusions and its exact application to the criminal law often remains contested. Meeting future criminalisation challenges will likely require a more nuanced approach, such as human rights guidelines for the criminal law, informed by frameworks and inspiration from fields including criminal theory.

Probing Transition Metal Dissolution/Redeposition Dynamics of NMC 900505

Transition metal (TM) dissolution from cathode active material into the electrolyte is a well-documented phenomenon occurring across a variety of cathode active materials. These TM complexes deposit on the anode, damaging the solid electrolyte interphase and leading to irreversible capacity loss. Recent work has demonstrated that these TM species may also redeposit onto the cathode and form part of the cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI). However, the dynamics of this redeposition and its driving forces have not been well studied due to characterization challenges. The goal of our work is to better understand TM dissolution/redeposition (D/R) dynamics in NMC cathode materials spatially and as a function of voltage. Using x-ray fluorescence microscopy, we visualize operando TM D/R dynamics on the surface of an NMC 900505 cathode in an organic electrolyte. Our results show that TM redeposition is spatially anisotropic and varies throughout cycling conditions. This work represents the first operando imaging of TM D/R dynamics of an NMC cathode and provides valuable insights for future work on engineering the CEI of nickel-rich NMCs.

The Impact of Objects with a Potential Odour Nuisance on the Life Comfort of the Urban Agglomeration Inhabitants

Odour nuisance is one of the main causes of environmental complaints. People exposed to long-term odorants may experience headaches, nausea, difficulty concentrating, loss of appetite, stress, insomnia, and discomfort. Some chemical compounds, besides unpleasant odours, can cause adverse symptoms, diseases, and even death in human bodies. One of these compounds that make up BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene) is benzene, which is present in the environment, mainly in the air, because of emissions from traffic, the petrochemical industry, and combustion processes. Factories, such as refineries and petrochemicals, that form part of some urban agglomerations constitute extensive industrial facilities. This paper presents the survey research results in an urban agglomeration, which enabled, among others, an indication of significant sources of odour nuisance and the areas most exposed to this nuisance. In addition, an analysis of residents’ complaints about odour nuisance over a 10-year period was carried out, which showed, on the one hand, the variability of the number of complaints and, on the other hand, the areas of the city where there were the most complaints. This work aims to evaluate the problem of odour nuisance in an urban agglomeration and to identify its causes through the analysis of residents’ complaints and the results of surveys.

Identification of Host Factors Interacting with Movement Proteins of the 30K Family in Nicotiana tabacum.

The interaction of viral proteins with host factors represents a crucial aspect of the infection process in plants. In this work, we developed a strategy to identify host factors in Nicotiana tabacum that interact with movement proteins (MPs) of the 30K family, a group of viral proteins around 30 kDa related to the MP of tobacco mosaic virus, which enables virus movement between plant cells. Using the alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) MP as a model, we incorporated tags into its coding sequence, without affecting its functionality, enabling the identification of 121 potential interactors through in vivo immunoprecipitation of the tagged MP. Further analysis of five selected candidates (histone 2B (H2B), actin, 14-3-3A protein, eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (elF4A), and a peroxidase-POX-) were conducted using bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC). The interactions between these factors were also studied, revealing that some form part of protein complexes associated with AMV MP. Moreover, H2B, actin, 14-3-3, and eIF4A interacted with other MPs of the 30K family. This observation suggests that, beyond functional and structural features, 30K family MPs may share common interactors. Our results demonstrate that tagging 30K family MPs is an effective strategy to identify host factors associated with these proteins during viral infection.

MS O06 - HPB The ORDEAL Study: A National Survey of Surgeon Operative Preferences for Resection of Duodenal Adenocarcinoma

Abstract Background Duodenal adenocarcinoma (DA) accounts for over 50% of all small bowel adenocarcinomas, however there is a paucity of data on outcomes, no UK guidelines for surgical management, and current national standards of practice are unknown. There is ongoing debate whether long-term survival, perioperative outcomes, resection margin, and lymph node yield differ between pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPPD) and classical PD (cPD) in proximal DA (D1/D2), and between PD and limited resection (LR) in distal DA (D3/D4). The study aimed to discern current standards of practice and identify underlying reasons for operative preferences for proximal and distal DA. Method An anonymised survey was included as part of the registration form for a wider multicentre retrospective study looking at outcomes following resection for proximal and distal DA on Google Forms®. The survey was distributed via direct surgeon email correspondence, weekly newsletters and surgical society endorsement by PSGBI. Responses were collected between February-June 2024 and responses were analysed with quantitative and qualitative (inductive thematic analysis) methods. Results Responses were received from 61 surgeons across 27 centres. For proximal DA, surgeons are more likely to consider a classical Whipple’s (93.4%) compared to PPPD (29.5%). For distal DA, surgeons are equally likely to consider LR (73.8%) as PD (classical Whipple’s -37.7%, PPPD - 41%). These preferences have mostly remained consistent over time. Key themes identified from thematic analysis included oncological considerations, morbidity, surgeon preference, tumour characteristics, standards of practice, patient factors and anatomical considerations, with the former two themes being the most prominent. Conclusion For proximal DA, cPD is preferred over PPPD and for distal DA, LR and PD are equally considered, with oncological and morbidity considerations largely influencing decision making. This qualitative data will be compared to actual practice following completion of the wider ORDEAL study to identify discrepancies in practice and possible effect on patient outcomes.

Litigating the Arbitration Clause: Considering Uber-Driver Arbitration in India

In Canada, hundreds of Uber drivers came together for a class action lawsuit against Uber seeking benefits under Ontario employment laws. In India, drivers engaged by an instant delivery service platform went on strike against a new pay structure under which the minimum pay-out per delivery was reduced, leading to a drop in the earnings of the service provider by 50% per day. The terms of service form part of standard form non-negotiable agreements. Companies that include a mandatory arbitration clause with such standard form contracts are increasingly facing lawsuits across jurisdictions. The Canadian Supreme Court held such an arbitration clause invalid, largely on the ground that it was part of a ‘standard form contract’ that was ‘non-negotiable’ and ‘realistically unattainable’. Enforcing such arbitration clauses with users have had mixed success, leading to business uncertainty and raising transaction costs due to litigation across jurisdictions. This article explores implications of decisions across jurisdictions regarding such arbitration clauses in the Indian context. The article then argues for a universal harmonization of rules from a global perspective by formulating a general principle to afford certainty to businesses operating at a global level.

Novel CYCLIN-O pathogenic variants in a patient presenting with bronchiectasis secondary to reduced generation of multiple motile cilia.

Reduced generation of multiple motile cilia (RGMC) represents a rare variant of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD), associated with CYCLIN-O (CCNO) mutations. We report a novel compound mutation in the CCNO gene in an adult Chinese Singaporean exhibiting chronic productive cough since childhood and recurrent sino-pulmonary infections. Low nasal nitric oxide and bronchiectasis suggests PCD. Bronchoscopy for epithelial and nasal brushings for ciliary studies were repeated after adequate treatment of lower respiratory tract infections. Demonstration of oligo-cilia via transmission electron microscopy, and detection of CCNO mutation through genetic analysis were utilized to diagnose RGMC. Repeated courses of antibiotics including nebulised antibiotics were used to treat recurrent infections and exacerbations. Airway clearance techniques, immunizations and collaboration with otorhinolaryngologist form part of the long-term management. Heightened clinical suspicion and adherence to established diagnostic algorithms are essential for timely recognition of this entity.

Distrust and reflexive impotence in the net zero transition: findings from a longitudinal deliberative mini-public

Responding to climate change requires that people engage in different forms of climate citizenship. These span from individual consumption choices, to taking part in forms of collective action to steer the behaviour of governments and in the private sector. Here we analyse data from the Net Zero Diaries project to explore how attitudes to different forms of climate citizenship develop as people become more aware about the scale of societal change required to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Net Zero Diaries project was a deliberative mini-public, composed of 41 citizens broadly representative of the UK adult population, which convened over five months between 2021 and 2022 to debate the UK policies for reaching net zero emissions by 2050. We show that people identify government as the prime actor needed to drive the transition, but doubt that they will act due to a range of constraints vis-à-vis the public and private sector. This tension provides a novel explanation for why some people prioritise forms of individual and consumption focused climate citizenship, whilst also doubting the efficacy of such actions. We conclude by suggesting that efforts to drive more engaged forms of climate citizenship need to attend to underlying feelings about state efficacy, rather than focus on just how the issue of climate change is framed.