Tragic Situations Research Articles

A Severe Case of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in a 44-Year-Old Caucasian Woman on Return to Western Romania from a Visit to Nigeria

Malaria is currently the most prevalent life-threatening infectious disease in the world. In this case report, we present a 44-year-old Caucasian woman with a low level of education and no significant past medical history who presented to the emergency room of the Emergency County Hospital of Arad, Romania, with a general affected state, a fever of 38.5 °C, chills, weakness, headache, muscle pain, nausea, icterus, and watery diarrheal stool. A viral infection was initially suspected, and the patient was transferred to the Infectious Diseases Department. The anamnesis revealed that the patient traveled to Nigeria (Ado Ekiti) and returned to Romania 14 days before presenting to the hospital without following antimalarial prophylaxis. A peripheral blood smear was conducted and revealed parasitemia with ring forms of Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) of 10–15% within the red blood cells. Parasitemia increased within a day to 15–18%, and her health rapidly deteriorated. She was transferred to the Victor Babeș Infectious Disease Hospital in Bucharest for the urgent initiation of antimalarial treatment. The patient’s condition continued to worsen rapidly, and she succumbed to her illness due to multi-organ failure. This report details the first documented case of malaria imported from Nigeria to Romania. People traveling to malaria-endemic areas should be educated about preventing this parasitic infection, both by adopting measures to reduce the risk of mosquito bites and by using appropriate chemoprophylaxis. In the context of resuming travel after the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding and adhering to prophylactic measures is crucial to avoid tragic situations, as highlighted in this case report.

A Statement on Abortion by 170 Obstetricians/Gynecologists after the Reversal of Roe v Wade.

In a recent American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 900 professors submitted a Special Report calling for reinstating federal protection for abortion. Here, we provide an alternative consensus statement. Induced abortion is not a constitutional right. We, too, value patient autonomy, but autonomy does not allow for causing harm to another human being, in this case, the human fetus. We share concern about maternal mortality in the United States, but evidence shows that induced abortion increases, not decreases, maternal mortality. We share the authors' concern for the effect of induced abortion on minority populations and mourn the fact that the abortion rate in non-Hispanic black patients is three times that of non-Hispanic white patients and twice that of Hispanic patients. Many obstetricians/gynecologists, like ourselves, do not support abortion, and most obstetricians/gynecologists do not perform abortions. Induced abortion is not necessary to provide evidence-based care. We also have seen tragic situations and misinformation and want to work toward addressing these issues. We support the highest level of clinical practice, bodily autonomy, reproductive freedom, and evidence-based care for both our patients-the pregnant woman and the human being in utero-whom we have dedicated our lives to serving.

Investigating the role of dark personality traits in how people appreciate, share, and censor black humour in online settings

ABSTRACT People find humour in the darkest and most tragic situations. However, there is remarkable interpersonal variability when it comes to setting the so-called limits of humour. We examine how the Dark Tetrad personality traits (DT4; Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism) relate to responses to black humour jokes in online settings. A community sample of 745 adults completed the Short Dark Triad and the Assessment of Sadistic Personality inventories before rating a set of ‘black’ and neutrally humourous jokes in terms of their (a) appreciation (fun/offence), (b) likelihood of sharing, and (c) censoring them on social networks (e.g. Twitter/Facebook). After controlling for common variance, everyday sadism emerged as the strongest DT4 predictor of black humour preferences. This type of dark personality was uniquely associated with higher fun and sharing, and lower offence and censorship of black humour jokes. Machiavellianism was related to negative levels of black humour censorship and offence, whereas the opposite associations were observed for narcissism. Yet, the DT4 only showed rather modest amounts of shared variance regarding responses to black humour jokes, suggesting that interpersonal callousness is insufficient to account for the complexity of black humour interposal variability. We discuss the findings with respect to earlier humour literature.

FUTURE PROSPECTS OF BIOMATERIALS IN NANOMEDICINE

Biomaterials are materials that temporarily or permanently replace injured/lost tissue/organ functions for any reason, are used directly or are included in systems developed for this purpose. It is divided into two: natural and synthetic. Biomaterials have chemical, physical, mechanical, etc. properties to compensate for the said loss. It must have certain properties and be biocompatible. Non-biocompatible materials can have many significant negative effects on the body; for example, they can range from mild to severe, cause irritation, be allergenic or toxic and even create very tragic situations, leading to tumor formation. Biomaterials are often used temporarily for soft and hard tissue injuries/losses. Our body has the knowledge and ability to repair itself; soft tissue can usually regenerate within a few weeks, while hard tissue can regenerate within a few months or even a year. During this period, it is necessary to protect and support the injured tissue to ensure healthy regeneration (“healing”). Biomaterials are used for this purpose.

The Embodiment of the Tragic in the Qin and Peking Operas

The article is devoted to the problem of refl ecting the “tragic” in Chinese art. The tragic genre in Chinese culture dates back to antiquity, and a vivid example of its embodiment in national music are the Qin and Peking operas, in which emotions, shades of moods, feelings, images and tragic life situations are subtly expressed. The origins of the Chinese tragedy lie in the contradictory political situation and the tragic life of the people, which signifi cantly infl uenced the psychology of people. An important expressive means of the Qin opera is specifi c “bitter voices” (⧰⍽ⱘ)) and “scattered and mournful sounds” (㔖ᢔಌढ़ⱘ)), conveying tragic pictures and stories that serve as an expression of pain and bitterness. The Peking opera performance is based on the “unique descending sound of singing” (⁛․⊛)), the use of microtones and imitation of crying, which contributes to a specifi c vocal sound and creates a special atmosphere, forming a singing style with strong tragic overtones. The purpose of the article is to explore the specifi cs of refl ecting the tragic in Chinese operas.

Elements of storytelling in student essays

Using the example of essays by first-year students of the Faculty of Sociology, SPbSU, written as part of the assignments in the course “Russian Language and Culture of Speech” in 2023, the author analyzes the elements of storytelling encountered in their work. It is noted that in general students have an idea of composition, plot, characters, development of action, etc., but often they do not clearly understand the specifics of the narrative, cannot always maintain a style, cannot create a structured and logically coherent text. Dramatic, even tragic situations are used to add greater expressiveness; characters move freely in time and space; most often an internal conflict is used to develop the action; less popular are the struggle of motives and the clash with their own conscience; external conflicts (confrontation with family) are isolated. A common shortcoming of many essays is the plot and structural incompleteness, when there is no logical or compositional point that would complete the narrative.

Meaning Of Life For Mothers With Sexually-Abused Children

The meaning of life is defined as things that are perceived as necessary, felt useful, and believed to be wonderful and can be used as a life goal. The meaning of life can be discovered in joyful and tragic situations. This research aims to examine the meaning of life among mothers with children who have been sexually abused. This study employs a qualitative method with a case study approach. The research subject is a mother with two sexually abused children. Interviews, observation, and documentation were employed as data-gathering methods. The findings revealed that women who had children who were victims of sexual abuse felt embarrassed, depressed, sad, and exhausted at first. However, the subject always strives to accept what happened to her two children, seeking help from institutes specializing in children. As a result, the subject can still perform positive things like working and expressing support, attention, love, and affection for her children. The subject's meaning of life for the circumstances that occurred to her children caused the subject to grow more attached to them because she was always connected with affection, could live his life with the conditions that transpired, and finally made the subject happy with her children.Keywords: Meaning of life; children as sexual abuse victims; mothers’ meaning of life.

Virtue and Applied Military Ethics: Understanding Character-Based Approaches to Professional Military Ethics

ABSTRACT Military ethics seeks to provide practical guidance for the resolution of real ethical problems associated with the conduct of military operations. In doing so, it must reflect how actual persons give and take-up reasons when deliberating what actions to take. The Just War Tradition, for example, provides deontological and consequentialist considerations soldiers should take up when considering how to conduct operations. Sometimes, unfortunately, soldiers may find themselves in tragic situations where principles and consequences provide no clear guidance. To fill that gap, a full account of military ethics requires an account of virtue, which focuses more on the agent than the act and can provide resources necessary to avoid, or failing that, resolve, otherwise unresolvable ethical dilemmas that can arise during military operations. This point does not mean virtue ethics supersedes or assimilates other ethical approaches. Rather it means that in the context of a process aimed at establishing reflective equilibrium, it provides important beliefs, judgments, and ways of thinking about applied ethics that are critical not just to building a robust, maximally coherent equilibrium but also to maintain it. These resources are especially critical when one is faced with the kind of tragic situations soldiers confront in war.

Мистериальный метатекст в стихотворении А. Тарковского "Полевой госпиталь"

The article interprets the mystery codes in the poem “Field Hospital” by Arseny Tarkovsky. The research is based on the principles of mythopoetic and structuralsemantic analysis of the text, and provides a systematic approach to the work, taking into account the specifics of its plot-genre paradigmatics and figurative-symbolic language. The inner world of the poem is organized by the logic of the mystery topos with its key coordinates: frontier ontology; the evolving character of time and the reflection of its dynamics in the “dialectic of the soul”; existential self-reflection and detachment of the hero’s consciousness. The motivic complex of the border, repeatedly manifested in the text and culminating in the symbolism of the limb, becomes a meta-image, in the semantic field of which all the named parameters of the mystery continuum intersect. The model of reality recreated in Tarkovsky’s poem goes beyond mythological monism, but it clearly correlates with the mystery organization of the chronotope: the mystic is aware of the multidimensionality of the universe and the existence of boundaries between different spheres of reality – primarily profane-everyday and sacred – as well as the possibility of moving across these boundaries, which, ultimately, is one of the results of mystery initiations. The plot-forming meaning in “Field Hospital” is acquired by allusive references to the mystery texts of culture: the ancient Egyptian, Christian, alchemical mysteries are dialogically integrated in the act of birth – transfiguration – resurrection experienced by Tarkovsky’s hero. The central place in this paradigm is given to the mystery of Osiris and Isis, the symbolic codes of which are reflected in a number of iconic motifs, images, and details. The key among them are the motif of dismemberment and the semantic complex of the victim associated with it; the symbolism of death – resurrection; the archetypal dyad of a newborn – infant; a tree-natural code associated with the lyrical hero; the allusively designated image of Isis, personifying the female harmonizing principle of the universe. If the motif of dismemberment contains a specific reference to the theme of Osiris, then the other elements in this series also relate to the mystery of Christ and, accordingly, to the texts of culture associated with it, including the mysteries of the alchemists. The study leads to the conclusion that Tarkovsky’s “Field Hospital” is read as a metatext, where in a situation of semantic dialogue different culturological modes of mystery coexist, and the mystery consciousness itself enters into a relationship of mutual reflection with the mythological and tragic worldview. The logic of the myth is intertwined in the development of the lyrical plot with the logic of tragedy, which in turn is overcome through a detached view of the tragic situations experienced and the mystery-conscious acceptance of fate and life in all their manifestations.

판소리 문학의 ‘비극적 상황’ 관리 전략

Pansori literature depicts various tragic situations encountered by an ordinary protagonist and their emotional reactions to it, strongly evoking empathy from ordinary people who read it. This study examines the characteristics of tragic situations in Pansori literature and discusses several discourse strategies used to manage them. The tragic situation in Pansori literature always frustrates the ordinary protagonist, and has irrational and contradictory characteristics. Furthermore, their immense emotional reaction to it intensifies the tragedy. However, Pansori literature does not leave such an emotional state unattended and includes internal discourse strategies to manage it, which is deeply related to the emotional management method of the readers. The “humorous relaxation strategy,” “moral comfort strategy,” and “precognitive alternative strategy” discussed in this paper all correspond to a kind of internal defense strategy that makes the situation less sad and painful by turning one’s eyes elsewhere in tragic situations. However, this is differentiated from simply avoiding the problem. When a good individual cannot change their life immediately on their own, it allows them to imagine an optimistic future instead of being overwhelmed by negative emotions. Management strategies of tragic situations in Pansori literature are thus significant as comfort and encouragement strategies for people and for providing ideas for the ways we live and create stories today.

Towards the Application of Machine Learning in Emergency Informatics.

Emergency care is one of the cornerstone parts of the world health organization's action plan. Rapid response and immediate care are considered in agile emergency care. Artificial intelligence (AI) and informatics have been applied to fulfill these requirements through automated emergency technology. Machine learning (ML) is one of the main parts of some of these proposed technologies. There are various ML algorithms and techniques which are potentially applicable for different purposes of emergency care. AI-based approaches using classification and clustering algorithms, natural language processing, and text mining are some of the possible techniques that could prove useful for investigating models of emergency prevention and management and proposing improved procedures for handling such critical situations. ML is known as a field of AI which attempts to automatically learn from data and applies that learning to make better decisions. Decision-support tools can apply the results of either supervised or various semi-supervised or unsupervised learning methods to tackle the how decisions about emergency situations are typically handled by the best professionals at the scene of an emergency, in the pre-hospital, and in healthcare facility settings. Enhanced and rapid communication at the moment of emergency, with the most effective decision making for triaging to estimate the acute nature of injuries and possible complications, how to keep a patient stable on the way to the care facility, and also avoiding adverse drug reactions, are some of the possible directions for exploring how ML can help to gather the data and to make emergency management more efficient and effective. The wide range of scenarios present in emergency situations and the complexity of different legal and ethical constraints on what responding personnel are allowed to perform on an injured subject before reaching a hospital makes for a most challenging set of problems for investigating the components of "intelligent" decision support that could help in these highly interactive and humanly tragic situations.

Petroleum Pipeline Fire Outbreak in Communities of Delta State, Nigeria, 1997 – 2007

This study examines Petroleum pipeline fire outbreaks in the Sapele/Warri Axis of Jesse, Egborode, Oviri Court and Adeje of Delta State, which are due to oil activities causing the death of over 3000 lives and destroying communities' source of livelihood such as economic trees, food crops, farmlands, water sources, aquatic lives, among others. It further explores the cause of these fire incidents such as oil spillages in pipeline communities of Okolovu, Okuovu, Okwetolor, Oviri Court, Mereje, Egborode, Adeje, Okwejeba, Okufuoma, Okwabude, Jesse occasioned by vandalism and scooping of petroleum products, in which the latter was blamed on people outside these communities, while the former was demonstrated by members of the communities and environs. The study employs primary and secondary sources of data collection and adopts both qualitative and quantitative methods of historical research in its analysis. The study concludes that the impact of these fire incidents, particularly without adequate knowledge of the actual cause of the fire and figures of the victims remains an indelible mark on the Federal Government irresponsibility on the citizenry. Thus, except the Federal and State Governments take an extra measure particularly investigating these events, the people will continue to be affected by these tragic situations.

New Role of Bioethics in Emergency Situations on the Example of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed existing norm perception both in medical practice and in society. In the context of limited resources and absence of a known treatment protocol, this change particularly affected healthcare system, doctors, and the distribution of a life-support therapy. One of the main bioethical dilemmas presented by coronavirus epidemic is the discrepancy between public health ethics, characterized by the fair distribution of limited resources and public safety orientation, and patient-specific clinical ethics. The COVID-19 pandemic forced health workers into tragic situations that they had never previously experienced, when lack of available health care workers, ventilators, or hospital beds creates a necessity to classify and prioritize patients to determine who will get (or will not get) what type of care and where. Another important issue is the digital control of citizens who must reduce their freedom for the sake of the health of other citizens. This caused great concern among many people, who fear that the current situation will lead to their manipulation in the future. There is also a question of responsibility among politicians and authorized organizations for the health of not only the population of their country, but also the entire planet. These and other current issues require bioethical expertise.

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„Od Ognjene do Blage Marije“ u opusu Jovana Radulovića

The paper deals with the novel Od Ognjene do Blage Marije from the point of view of Radulović’s prose as a whole, and especially in the context of his novelisic work. The thematic basis of the novel is the tragic exodus of the Serbian people from the Republic of Serbian Krajina in August 1995, during the “Storm“, Croatian Army invasion on Knin. This topic, most frequently treated by the Serbian writers who have fled Croatia, has become especially important in contemporary Serbian literature. Jovan Radulović based his novel on his previous screenwriting text intended for an unrecorded TV drama. The main characters of the novel are the members of a Serbian family who leave their homeland in a long column of refugees and flee to Serbia. The voices and life stories of these char- acters and of other protagonists and witnesses of the Serbian exodus are intertwined in a polyphonic narrative sequence. Although the novel is dominated by dramatic and tragic life situations, literary characters still have hope for a new life in some other milieu. The novel is characterized by short scenes and sentences which reflect the authentic language; at the same time, the language emphasizes tragic life situation of the refugee people.

The virtue of compassion in compassionate conservation.

The role of ethics is becoming an increasingly important feature of biodiversity conservation dialogue and practice. Compassionate conservationists argue for a prohibition of, or at least a strong presumption against, the adoption of conservation policies that intentionally harm animals. They assert that to be compassionate is to care about animals and that it is antithetical to caring for animals to intentionally harm them. Compassionate conservationists thus criticize many existing conservation practices and policies. Two things together challenge the philosophical foundation of compassionate conservation. First, compassionate conservationists ground their theory in virtue ethics, yet virtue ethics permits exceptions to moral rules, so there cannot be an in-principle prohibition on adopting intentional harm-inducing policies and practices. But not all compassionate conservationists advocate for a prohibition on intentionally harming animals, only a strong presumption against it. This leads to the second point: compassion can motivate a person to adopt a harm-inducing conservation policy or practice when doing so is the best available option in a situation in which animals will be harmed no matter what policy or practice is adopted. Combining these insights with the empirical observation that conservationists regularly find themselves in tragic situations, we arrive at the conclusion that conservationists may regularly advocate for harm-inducing policies and practices from a position of compassion. Article Impact Statement: Compassionate conservationists should accept that the virtuously compassionate person may adopt harm-causing conservation policies.

‘Saying goodbye’ during the COVID-19 pandemic: A document analysis of online newspapers with implications for end of life care

Background: News media create a sense-making narrative, shaping, reflecting and enforcing cultural ideas and experiences. Reportage of COVID-related death and bereavement illuminates public perceptions of, and responses to, the COVID-19 pandemic. Aim: We aimed to explore British newspaper representations of ‘saying goodbye’ before and after a COVID-related death and consider clinical implications. Design: Document analysis of UK online newspaper articles published during 2 week-long periods in March–April 2020. Data sources: The seven most-read online newspapers were searched: The Guardian, The Daily Mail, The Telegraph, The Mirror, The Sun, The Times and The Metro. Fifty-five articles discussed bereavement after a human death from COVID-19, published during 18/03–24/03/2020 (the UK’s transition into lockdown) or 08/04–14/04/2020 (the UK peak of the pandemic’s first wave). Results: The act of ‘saying goodbye’ (before, during and after death) was central to media representations of COVID bereavement, represented as inherently important and profoundly disrupted. Bedside access was portrayed as restricted, variable and uncertain, with families begging or bargaining for contact. Video-link goodbyes were described with ambivalence. Patients were portrayed as ‘dying alone’ regardless of clinician presence. Funerals were portrayed as travesties and grieving alone as unnatural. Articles focused on what was forbidden and offered little practical guidance. Conclusion: Newspapers portrayed COVID-19 as disruptive to rituals of ‘saying goodbye’ before, during and after death. Adaptations were presented as insufficient attempts to ameliorate tragic situations. More nuanced and supportive reporting is recommended. Clinicians and other professionals supporting the bereaved can play an important role in offering alternative narratives.

Narodni balady Volyni y Zakhidnoho Polissya v zapysakh Lesi Ukrayinky ta chleniv yiyi rodyny: ukrayinsʹko-polʹsʹki paraleli

The article highlights research findings of the ballad plots from the folklore repertoire of Volyn and Western Polissia of the end of the 19th century revealed in the records of Lesya Ukrainka and her family members (Mykhailo and Olha Kosach, Olena Pchilka) and also known in close Polish analogues of those days. The ballads, recorded by the Kosachs, are dominated by stories of family relationships and conflicts caused by marriage without love, long-term separation (the topic of incest), and the mother’s interference in a marital relationship that leads to murder, poisoning, and other tragic situations. A comparative analysis of ballad variants in two languages allows identifying not only the geographical area of spreading of ballad plots in the folklore of neighbouring nations, the specifics of plots, motifs, images, but also points to the features of the Ukrainian and Polish folklore works interaction on the borderlands. In the ballads, belonging to the International Ballad Fund, the plot-lines about wanderings of a dishonoured girl, the incest-related topics, mother’s poisoning of her daughter-in-law and son, about the death of a servant because of his/her mistress’ caprices, the wife’s murder of her husband are typical and similar to various languages. Ukrainian and Polish versions of the ballad-songs have similar features in the structural components of the lyrics, describing mostly life tragic collisions, everyday situations, dialogues of the characters, and artistic details. Despite the affinity of plots, images, artistic means of expression, multilingual texts offer different, often radically different ways of resolving personal and family conflicts. In addition, they are often marked with national colouration and reflect the features of local life, the social life realities of the Ukrainians, Poles, and other ethnic groups. The study has revealed that national attribution of the characters, their specific national names (especially in the Polish texts), polarization on the principle of ours/a stranger, a native/foreigner are the most noticeable features. The Ukrainian and Polish plots express mental ethnic stereotypes of folklore carriers, in particular, regarding women’s role in family and society.

How Do Healthcare Executives Understand and Make Decisions about Spiritual Care Provision?

This pilot study explores how healthcare leaders understand spiritual care and how that understanding informs staffing and resource decisions. This study is based on interviews with 11 healthcare leaders, representing 18 hospitals in 9 systems, conducted between August 2019 and February 2020. Leaders see the value of chaplains in terms of their work supporting staff in tragic situations and during organizational change. They aim to continue to maintain chaplaincy efforts in the midst of challenging economic realities. Chaplains' interactions with staff alongside patient outcomes are a contributing factor in how resources decisions are made about spiritual care.

Medical, social and ethical issues related to COVID-19

The recent pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus strain (COVID-19) has suddenly and radically shattered all ideas about the norm, not only in medical practice but also in society. This has particularly affected the healthcare system, physicians, and the distribution of life-sustaining therapy in the context of limited resources and the absence of a known treatment protocol. One of the main ethical dilemmas of the coronavirus epidemic has been the confrontation between public health ethics, reflected in the fair distribution of limited resources and a focus on public safety, and patient-centred clinical ethics. Ultimately, the COVID-19 pandemic is putting medical staff in tragic situations that they have never faced. And in the case of a shortage of medical staff doctors and nurses, ventilators and other life-supporting devices for patients or even just beds in hospitals, it frequently becomes necessary to classify patients and decide an order to determine who, where and what kind of help will receive (or not receive) and in what queue to provide it. Another important problem was the problem of digital control of citizens, who must limit their freedoms for preserving the health of other citizens. The fear is widely shared that the situation will allow manipulation citizens in the future when there is no epidemiological need. Also, the problem of the responsibi-lity of politicians and authorized organizations for the health not only its people but all over the world arises. These and other questions today require bioethical expertise.