Unequal Groups Research Articles

Examining the Impact of Health Belief Model-Based Education on Reproductive Health and Family Planning Attitudes Among Married Women

Introduction: Reproductive health services include maternal, child, and newborn health, family planning, fertility issues, and reproductive education, primarily benefiting women. Aim: It was aimed to examine the effects of Health Belief Model based instruction on married women protective attitudes toward reproductive health. Method: The study was designed as a quasi-experimental method with unequal groups for pre-test and posttest comparison. A total of 175 women, 35 in the experimental group, 70 in the control group-1, and 70 in the control group-2, who met the study criteria and were determined by a comprehensive power analysis, were included in the study. The pre-test data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Married Women’s Reproductive Health Attitudes Determination Scale, and the Family Planning Attitude Scale. Experimental group were given a 3-month group training structured according to the health belief model. Results: Between-group differences were not statistically significant at baseline regarding mean knowledge and the constructs of the scales used (p > 0.05). After the training, it was determined that the Reproductive Health Attitudes Determination Scale and Family Planning Attitude Scale sub-dimensions and total scores of compared to the control groups, the experimental group had a significantly higher (p < 0.05). Similarly, it was noted that following the training, the experimental group's use of efficient family planning techniques and breast self-examination techniques increased noticeably (p < 0.05). Conclusion: According to the results, training was determined to have been given had a positive effect on protective attitudes towards reproductive health.

Роль современной юридической науки в жизни российского общества

The article makes an attempt to show the role of legal science in the life of Russian society using the example of criminal law science. For this purpose, the state in which criminal law science finds itself is considered. It has been established that legal science is represented by two unequal groups of people: some actually engage in scientific research, others imitate scientific activity. At the same time, publications that are imitative in nature are subject to fair criticism and are considered as a manifestation of a crisis in science. Despite the existence of negative factors, the scientific community directly or indirectly has a positive impact on the life of Russian society. In particular, criminal law science determines the ways of development of criminal legislation that performs protective and regulatory functions, thereby harmonizing conflict relations. The scientific community of law universities and faculties, being part of Russian society, not only produces and reproduces scientific knowledge, but also involves students, graduate students and doctoral students in its development in various forms. A significant role in the development and implementation of scientific knowledge into public practice is played by scientific and qualifying works in criminal law disciplines, including those not free from certain shortcomings. This study shows that the works of criminologists are also of interest among previously convicted persons and repeat offenders. In conclusion, it is concluded that the organization of legal science is far from perfect and requires significant reorganization in order to meet the expectations of society.

Inequality reduction and cooperation: Injection of additional resources

We experimentally examine if reductions in inequality that do not lower the endowments of the rich raise contributions to public goods in formerly unequal groups. Even injections of additional resources directed to the poor fail to raise cooperation to levels observed in groups that were always equal and have fewer resources. Our results suggest that the poor mimic the unchanging selfish behaviour of the rich, and divert resources to private consumption.

Русский музыкальный жаргон как предмет лингвистического изучения

e paper deals with Russian musical jargon treated as a professional sociolect of musicians. The material has been taken from the data presented in the Internet. Stylistically, musical jargon belongs to a colloquial register of the Russian language. A thematic classification of Russian musical jargon has been offered. This class of words and expressions may be subdivided into two unequal groups – specialized and non-specialized jargon units. The former comprises units reflecting the sphere of musical performance whereas the latter refer to various spheres of everyday life. Specialized musical jargon group is subdivided into three subgroups – nominations of subjects, objects and ways of musical performance. Nomination technique of the jargon described includes occasional affixal word formation, word composition, metaphorical transference, borrowings (mainly from the English language), dialectal and dated words, and onomatopoeia. Transference of musical notions into various sphere of reality is also a feature of the jargon described.

Composer Diversity in State Music Lists: An Exploratory Analysis

The selection of repertoire is a critical component of ensemble music, especially in educational contexts. Accredited music education systems often rely on required, recommended, or prescribed music lists to assist in these selections. Nonetheless, previous content analyses have primarily focused on questions of creative quality, artistic merit, and educational appropriateness while overlooking crucial demographic factors such as gender identity, ethnicity, race, and vital status of included composers. I examined gender and ethnic diversity within wind band repertoire lists from 10 states representing five geographical regions. The lists contained 17,281 total works by 1,221 identifiable composers, predominately White (92.63%) and male (95.58%). K-means clustering revealed two unequal composer groups, with the smaller, predominantly White and male subgroup accounting for 40.82% of works and a high per capita representation across lists. Principal components analysis showed composer ethnicity, gender, and vital status interrelated across data dimensions. Despite latent list differences, composer diversity across and within lists was extremely limited. If ensemble directors are to meaningfully engage in diversifying the repertoire their students perform, expanding beyond the existing collection of predominantly White and male composers is a necessity.

'Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose'?

An evolutionary approach on the study of the funerary systems in Late Prehistory allows recognizing diverse contexts of social crises in the north of Iberia. The analysis of the radio-chronological data that we have compiled indicates five phases of use—with the newness of identifying two different cycles during the Late Neolithic—and of subsequent ‘abandonment’ in the megaliths; this is reduced to two phases in the case of the sepulchral caves. We interpret the radio-chronological results through an examination of the material culture present in the graves and dynamics of the megalithic architecture. In addition, we contrast our results with different approaches, carrying out a complementary multidisciplinary approach. In this regard, we found that megalithism served as a vehicle for responding to the different crisis and changes faced by increasingly complex and unequal human groups.

Surveillance deputies: When ordinary people surveil for the state

AbstractThe state has long relied on ordinary civilians to do surveillance work, but recent advances in networked technologies are expanding mechanisms for surveillance and social control. In this article, we analyze the phenomenon in which private individuals conduct surveillance on behalf of the state, often using private sector technologies to do so. We develop the concept of surveillance deputies to describe when ordinary people, rather than state actors, use their labor and economic resources to engage in such activity. Although surveillance deputies themselves are not new, their participation in everyday surveillance deputy work has rapidly increased under unique economic and technological conditions of our digital age. Drawing upon contemporary empirical examples, we hypothesize four conditions that contribute to surveillance deputization and strengthen its effects: (1) when interests between the state and civilians converge; (2) when law institutionalizes surveillance deputization or fails to clarify its boundaries; (3) when technological offerings expand personal surveillance capabilities; and (4) when unequal groups use surveillance to gain power or leverage resistance. In developing these hypotheses, we bridge research in law and society, sociology, surveillance studies, and science and technology studies and suggest avenues for future empirical investigation.

A Novel Algorithm for Predicting Antimicrobial Resistance in Unequal Groups of Bacterial Isolates

A Novel Algorithm for Predicting Antimicrobial Resistance in Unequal Groups of Bacterial Isolates

Novel insights into the augmented effect of curcumin and liraglutide in ameliorating cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats: Effects on oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis and pyroptosis via GSK-3β

Cisplatin dose-dependent nephrotoxicity is a major issue limiting its proper use in cancer treatment. Inflammation, redox imbalance, and dysregulated cell death are the most plausible underlying pathomechanics. Curcumin and the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, liraglutide, have been investigated in various experimental models for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cell death modulatory effects. Hence, this work was designed to investigate curcumin and liraglutide nephroprotective effects and how they behave together against cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) in an experimental Wistar rat model. The study comprised 61 rats divided randomly into 6 unequal groups: control I and II, cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, curcumin-treated, liraglutide-treated, and co-treated groups. Renal index, serum nephrotoxicity markers (Cr, BUN, NGAL), renal glycogen synthase kinase-3 β (GSK-3β), oxidant/antioxidant parameters (MDA, MPO, GSH, NQO1, HO-1), and inflammatory biomolecules (TNF-α, IL-1β) were assayed. Moreover, renal cleaved-caspase3 and the pyroptotic biomolecules (nod-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3, gasdermin D N-terminal fragment) were immunoassayed. Furthermore, relative renal expression of both nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nr-F2) and caspase1 was evaluated by qRT-PCR. Histopathological examination of renal tissue was carried out along with detection of Bcl-2 and Bax immunoreactivity. Cisplatin induced acute renal damage, augmented inflammation, dysregulated redox balance and induced apoptosis and pyroptosis. On the other hand, curcumin and liraglutide corrected the dysregulated mechanisms and normalized results to a great extent. Mutual use of curcumin and liraglutide exerted the greatest effect in the co-treatment group. Nr-F2/HO-1 axis and GSK-3β play a master role in their nephroprotective effect. In conclusion, curcumin and liraglutide have an ameliorative effect against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and can be used alone or better in combination owing to their augmented effect launching promising avenues for cancer patients under cisplatin treatment, retarding AKI and enabling them to gain the best protocol effectiveness.

Effect of Flipped Learning Simulation Practice Education: Posterior Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome

This study aimed to verify the effectiveness of flipped learning simulation practice education for children with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome and to explore efficient practical education methods in pediatric nursing. The research design used a post-experimental design method with unequal groups and a time lag. The study participants consisted of 32 in the experimental group and 31 in the control group, a total of 63 participants. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS v. 21.0. The difference in baseline characteristics between the two groups was tested using t-tests, X2-tests, and Fisher's exact tests. There was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the homogeneity test. However, the group that participated in the flipped learning simulation practice education showed statistically significant results in terms of learning immersion (t=-4.083, p<.001) and problem-solving ability (t=-8.906, p<.001). However, there were no statistically significant differences in learning satisfaction (t=-1.581, p=.119) and self-efficacy (t=.144, p=.886). These results suggest that if various simulation programs applying flipped learning are developed and applied in future simulation practice education, it could potentially be utilized as an effective educational intervention. This is where the significance of this study lies.

Effects of short birth interval on different forms of child mortality in Bangladesh: Application of propensity score matching technique with inverse probability of treatment weighting.

The prevalence of Short Birth Interval (SBI) is higher in Low- and Middle-Income countries (LMICs), including Bangladesh. Previous studies in LMICs have estimated the effects of SBI on child mortality by comparing two unequal groups of mothers based on their socio-economic status. This approach may lead to overestimation or underestimation of the true effect of birth interval on child mortality, particularly when sample sizes are relatively small. We determined the effects of SBI on several forms of child mortality in Bangladesh by comparing two equal groups created by applying the propensity score matching technique. This study analyzed data from 5,941 mothers and 1,594 health facilities extracted from the 2017/18 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey and the 2017 Bangladesh Health Facility Survey. The exposure variable was SBI (defined as the interval between two subsequent births <33 months: yes, no), while the outcome variables were neonatal mortality (defined as mortality within 28 days of birth: yes, no), infant mortality (defined as mortality within 1 year of birth: yes, no), and under-five mortality (defined as mortality within 5 years of birth: yes, no). Multilevel Poisson regression based on inverse probability treatment weights was used to determine the association between exposure and outcome variables. The prevalence rates of neonatal, infant, and under-five mortality were 48.8, 30.8, and 23.1 per 1000 live births, respectively. Newborns of SBI mothers were found to have a 63% higher likelihood of neonatal mortality (aPR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.08-2.46) compared to newborns of non-SBI mothers. Furthermore, the prevalence of infant mortality and under-five mortality was 1.45 times higher (aPR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.01-2.08) and 2.82 times higher (aPR, 2.82; 95% CI, 2.16-3.70), respectively, among babies born in a short interval of their immediately preceding sibling as compared to babies born in a normal interval of their immediately preceding sibling. Findings of this study indicate that SBI is an important predictor of child mortality. Consequently, around 1 million children born in a short interval every year in Bangladesh are at risk of dying before reaching their fifth birthday. This indicates a challenge for Bangladesh to achieve the SDG 3 target to reduce neonatal and under-five mortality to 12 and 25 deaths per 1000 live births, respectively. Hence, awareness-building programs about the adverse effects of SBI and strengthening existing healthcare facilities are important.

Sex-Associated Differences in Short-Term Outcomes in Patients with Deep Sternal Wound Infection after Open-Heart Surgery.

Deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) is a feared complication after cardiac surgery. The impact of sex-related differences on wound infection prevalence is poorly understood. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of sex on short-term outcomes in patients with DSWI after open-heart surgery. The study was a retrospective cohort study. A total of 217 patients with DSWI were identified and retrospectively analyzed using our institutional database. Patients were divided into two groups: males (n = 150) and females (n = 67). This study also includes a propensity score based matching (PSM) analysis (male group (n = 62) and female group (n = 62)) to examine the unequal groups. Mean age (p = 0.088) and mean body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.905) did not significantly differ between both groups. Vacuum assisted closure (VAC) therapy was performed among most patients (82.3% (male group) vs. 83.9% (female group), p = 0.432). The most commonly isolated bacteria from the wounds were Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus in both groups. Acute renal failure was significantly higher (p = 0.010) in the male group compared to the female group. However, dialysis rate did not significantly differ (p = 0.491) between male and female groups. Further secondary outcomes showed no major differences between the groups. Likewise, in-hospital mortality rate did not differ significantly (p = 0.680) between both groups. Based on our data, sex has no impact on deep wound infection prevalence after cardiac surgery.

Эмпирическое сравнение становления субъектности студентов среднего профессионального образования в академических и практических условиях их обучения

Practical training of students in the system of secondary vocational education (SVE) is the most important condition for the development of their ability to be the subjects of the future profession and, accordingly, masters of their craft. The personal agency development is considered within the framework of an eco-psychological approach. The objective of the study is to compare the impact of academic and practical training on the students’ personal agency development in vocational training programmes. The research hypothesizes that practical training of students contributes to the development of cognitive and regulatory abilities to a greater extent than academic training. This, in turn, increases the effectiveness of the students’ personal agency development stages in their mastering of the professional activity. The study was conducted on a sample of two experimental and two control students’ groups (N = 77, 3rd-year students of technical orientation, M = 18.4, Sd = 0.8) by means of the diagnostic techniques: the questionnaire on the personal agency development stagesОСС-С4 (A.V. Kaptsov, E. I. Kolesnikova, V. I. Panov), the questionnaire on methods of performing educational actionsОСС-СФ3 (A. V. Kaptsov, E. I. Kolesnikova), the questionnaire on the style of behavior self-regulationССП-М(V. I. Morosanova) and the methodology of life-meaning orientationsСЖО(D. A. Leontiev). It has been revealed that during the academic training, ratios of manifestation of students’ personal agency development stages in secondary vocational education have no statistically significant differences. It has been found out that practical training and academic training have different predictors of the personal agency development stages that depend on the specialty the students are majoring in. The research shows that in the conditions of practical training the students’ groups are divided into two unequal informal micro groups depending on the predominance of their eco-psychological subject-joint interaction type. Moreover, the success of the development of the “Student” stage has predictors in the form of the stage manifestation ratio, and manifestation of the conscious self-regulation components and life-meaning orientations. The significance of the results obtained lies in the positive impact of practical training on the personal agency development in students of vocational training programmes.

Impact of Obesity on Early In-Hospital Outcomes after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery in Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

Recent advances in perioperative care have considerably improved outcomes after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. However, obesity can increase postoperative complication rates and can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Between June 2011 and October 2019, a total of 1375 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) underwent cardiac surgery and were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into 2 groups: non-obese (body mass index (BMI) &lt; 30 kg/m2, n = 967) and obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, n = 379). Underweight patients (n = 29) were excluded from the analysis. To compare the unequal patient groups, a propensity score-based matching (PSM) was applied (non-obese group (n = 372) vs. obese group (n = 372)). The mean age of the mentioned groups was 67 ± 10 (non-obese group) vs. 66 ± 10 (obese group) years, p = 0.724. All-cause in-hospital mortality did not significantly differ between the groups before PSM (p = 0.566) and after PSM (p = 0.780). The median length of ICU (p = 0.306 before PSM and p = 0.538 after PSM) and hospital stay (p = 0.795 before PSM and p = 0.131 after PSM) was not significantly higher in the obese group compared with the non-obese group. No significant differences regarding further postoperative parameters were observed between the unadjusted and the adjusted group. Obesity does not predict increased all-cause in-hospital mortality in patients undergoing CABG procedure. Therefore, CABG is a safe procedure for overweight patients.

Impact of Initial Operative Urgency on Short-Term Outcomes in Patients Treated with ECMO Due to Postcardiotomy Cardiogenic Shock.

The outcomes of patients with PCS and following ECMO therapy are associated with several preoperative risk factors. Our aim was to compare clinical presentation, ECMO-related data and in-hospital outcomes of patients treated with ECMO due to PCS after cardiac surgery, in regard to elective or emergent cardiac surgery procedures. Between April 2006 and October 2016, 164 consecutive patients that received VA-ECMO therapy due to PCS were identified and included in this retrospective cohort study. The patients were divided into groups based on the urgency of the initial procedures performed: elective group (ELG; n = 95) and an emergency group (EMG; n = 69). To compare the unequal patient groups, a propensity score-based matching (PSM) was applied (ELG, n = 56 vs. EMG, n = 56). The EMG primarily received ECMO intraoperatively (p ≤ 0.001). In contrast, the ELG were needed ECMO support more frequently postoperatively (p &lt; 0.001). In-hospital mortality accounted for 71% (n = 40) in the ELG and 76% (n = 43) in the EMG (p = 0.518). Outcome data showed no major differences in the (abdominal ischemia (p = 0.371); septic shock (p = 0.393): rhythm disturbances (p = 0.575); emergency re-thoracotomy (p = 0.418)) between the groups. The urgency of the initial procedures performed is secondary in patients suffering PCS and following ECMO. In this regard, PCS itself seems to trigger outcomes in cardiac surgery ECMO patients substantially.

Clinical Outcome and Quality of Life of Multimodal Treatment of Extracranial Arteriovenous Malformations: The APOLLON Study Protocol

PurposeArteriovenous malformations (AVMs) as rare diseases are diagnostically and therapeutically challenging. Due to the limited evidence regarding treatment outcome, prospective data are needed on how different treatment regimens affect outcome. The aims of this prospective trial are to determine effectiveness, safety, and clinical outcome of multimodal treatment in patients with extracranial AVMs.Materials and MethodsAfter clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based diagnosis and informed consent, 146 patients (> 4 years and < 70 years) undergoing multimodal therapy in tertiary care vascular anomalies centers will be included in this prospective observational trial. Treatment options include conservative management, medical therapy, minimally invasive image-guided procedures (embolization, sclerotherapy) and surgery as well as combinations of the latter. The primary outcome is the patient-reported QoL 6 months after completion of treatment using the short form-36 health survey version 2 (SF-36v2) and the corresponding short form-10 health survey (SF-10) for children. In addition, clinical presentation (physician-reported signs), MRI imaging (radiological assessment of devascularization), recurrence rate, and therapeutic safety will be analyzed. Further follow-up will be performed after 12, 24, and 36 months. Moreover, liquid biopsies are being obtained from peripheral blood at multiple time points to investigate potential biomarkers for therapy response and disease progression.DiscussionThe APOLLON trial is a prospective, multicenter, observational open-label trial with unequal study groups to generate prospective evidence for multimodal treatment of AVMs. A multicenter design with the potential to assess larger populations will provide an increased understanding of multimodal therapy outcome in this orphan disease.Trial RegistrationGerman Clinical Trials Register (identification number: DRKS00021019) https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00021019.

The effect of a multidimensional teaching strategy on the self-efficacy and critical thinking dispositions of nursing students: A quasi-experimental study

BackgroundInternships in pediatric nursing often reveal that nursing students lack critical thinking dispositions and self-confidence, which are important and necessary for nursing practice. Therefore, preparing nursing students to engage in critical thinking is an important goal for educators. ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to explore whether a teaching model combining the 5E learning model and self-efficacy would be effective in enhancing participants' self-efficacy and critical thinking dispositions in a course on child-friendly care. DesignThe quasi-experimental method was single-blind, as the study was conducted with two parallel and unequal groups to address the research questions. SettingTwo campuses of a university located in Northern and Southern Taiwan. ParticipantsFifty-eight participants completed this study. MethodsParticipants completed the pre-test questionnaire in Week 1, after which participants in the experimental group learned via the teaching strategy that combined the 5E learning model and self-efficacy, while participants in the control group were taught the same course via conventional teaching methods. A post-test questionnaire was completed in Week 18. An independent sample t-test was used to determine any mean differences of outcome variables between groups over time. ResultsSignificant improvements were found in self-efficacy, t (56) = 3.93, p < 0.01, but non-significant results for the outcome of critical thinking disposition t (56) = 0.88, p > 0.05. A t-test was also performed on the four subscales of critical thinking disposition for the two groups, showing that the only difference for overall reflective thinking was statistically significant, t (56) = 2.09, p < 0.05). ConclusionsThe multidimensional teaching strategy introduced in this study is more effective than conventional teaching strategies in improving students' self-efficacy and the overall reflective thinking aspect of critical thinking disposition.

Reconsidering Boccaccio: Medieval Contexts and Global Intertexts

This volume collects essays that resulted from the centennial conference Boccaccio at 700, held at Binghamton University in 2013. As such, it joins a flurry of publications that recorded the conversations of that anniversary year, as scholars here and abroad focused their collective eyes on this most alluring of Italian writers. Like other volumes, this one offers up an eclectic group of essays, ranging from the minutiae of textual practice to social and cultural themes in Boccaccio to intertextuality. As Boccaccio gives us much to think about, so do these studies.The editors have divided the fifteen essays into five unequal groups, following a defensible rubricating logic. Sometimes a single essay will intersect fruitfully with another within its group and, at other times, with an essay outside its group. Three texts remain foundational here: the De mulieribus claris; the Elegia di Madonna Fiammetta, and the Decameron. The essays on the De mulieribus join with others that address, directly or indirectly, Boccaccio's Neapolitan experience and, in particular, his relationships with Niccolò Acciaiuoli and Mainardo Cavalcanti, as well as his evolving representation of Queen Johanna and her legacy.The studies by Jason Houston and Todd Boli are biographical in nature and examine the relationship with Acciaiuoli and Cavalcanti. The former is famous, by Boccaccio's account, for having treated him poorly after inviting him to Naples; the latter was a young acolyte to whom Boccaccio would eventually dedicate the De casibus. Together they raise questions about Boccaccio for which, sadly, we will never have full answers: whether he was in fact the “uomo di vetro” that Acciaiuoli acidly claimed he was, and whether he preferred the company of slavish younger devotees to less devout contemporaries. Those who want to see the best in Boccaccio will find these essays unsettling in a salutary way. The De mulieribus claris finds its way into several essays, including those that focus on Christine de Pizan. In the latter category there is Mary Anne Case's essay, which examines Christine's treatment of women as human beings before turning to a different case, that of Madonna Filippa in Decameron 6.7; Kevin Brownlee's essay on Christine's citations of the De mulieribus; and Lori Walters's study of how Christine models her Queen Ysabel on Boccaccio's Johanna I. Finally, there is an incisive essay by Elizabeth Casteen that details Boccaccio's uneven treatment of Johanna in the De mulieribus and other texts; the essays on the Fiammetta including Alessia Ronchetti's, which explores how Boccaccio puts the experience of compassion into play in this text, and Filippo Andrei's dissection of the relationship between the Fiammetta and the Celestina.The volume opens with an essay on the Decameron by K. P. Clarke, which details Boccaccio's use of catchwords in the Hamilton 90 autograph. Sadly, there are no plates, which would have been helpful. Other essays on the Decameron address Boccaccio's use of sources. Among these are Grace Delmolino's brilliant study of how Gratian's Decretum informs Decameron 2.10, and Franklin Lewis's essay detailing the Persian and Arabic analogues to Decameron 7.9, which exposes many of the complexities of Boccaccio's compositional approach when dealing with received tales. Katherine Brown takes a similar approach in her essay on Decameron 8.5 and 8.6, both of which have roots in the same French fabliau.Finally, there are some outliers that do not conform to the model I have developed here, which I should add is not the one adopted by the editors. These include Rhiannon Daniels's essay “Reading Boccaccio's Paratexts,” a somehow misleading title since not all the paratexts studied are those written by Boccaccio: Daniels compares his own dedicatory letters to those written by sixteenth-century editors. Finally, Sara Díaz offers a fresh reading of the Trattatello in laude di Dante, arguing for a distinction between misogyny and misogamy which, in the context of the little treatise, she relates to Boccaccio's attitude toward the vernacular.These essays thus apply a variety of perspectives to the questions and problems they address. As well, they fill out details of Boccaccio's life as an itinerant writer, a keen social observer, an ingenious manipulator of textual material, and a thinker who often seems more taken with problem than bent upon a solution. The year 2013 was busy with conversations about Boccaccio, but they are far from over.

Unequal opportunities, social groups, and redistribution: Evidence from Germany

In this paper we investigate the generalizability of the role of unequal opportunities and social group membership in redistributive preferences and examine the interaction between these two dimensions. We present results from a large-scale online experiment with more than 4,000 participants from Germany. The experiment consists of a real-effort task and a subsequent dictator game with native Germans and immigrants to Germany. We find that dictator transfers to the own group by native Germans and immigrants are higher under unequal opportunities than under equal opportunities. While we confirm the main findings reported in previous literature regarding the role of inequality of opportunity in redistribution for native Germans and immigrants, we find distinctively different patterns between both groups concerning the influence of social group membership and its interaction with unequal opportunities on redistribution. In particular, contrary to natives, immigrant dictators transfer more to in-group than to out-group receivers under unequal opportunities and do not compensate for unequal opportunities of out-group members. We conclude that in order to increase the understanding of patterns reported in the literature, it is crucial to also investigate the generalizability of findings to individuals from the general population and to explicitly cover participants such as immigrants who represent important parts of our society.

Effects of Aromatherapy on the Physical and Mental Health and Pressure of the Middle-Aged and Elderly in the Community

The physical and mental health of an aging society has become a major issue, and stress reduction and the improvement of physical and mental health are important physical and mental health issues for middle-aged and elderly people. This research sought to explore the application of aromatherapy for the improvement of physical and mental health and stress levels, as well as other issues, that concern the elderly in the community. The research was based on intentional sampling. A pre- and post-test design with unequal groups was employed. The experimental treatments were divided into five groups: Group A (compound essential oil massage plus sniffing), Group B (compound essential oil massage), Group C (pure base oil massage), Group D (compound essential oil sniffing), and control Group E (without any aromatherapy intervention). To explore the effects of aromatherapy on physical and mental health and stress relief among the elderly in the community, the self-completed Mental and Physical Health Scale for the Elderly and the Stress Index Measurement Scale were used to collect data. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and by paired sample t-test. It was concluded that aromatherapy can improve the physical and mental health of the elderly in the community and can significantly reduce stress. The experimental results on aromatherapy in this study can provide a basis for home application to help the elderly in the community. They also provide a foundation for the organization of health promotion courses for the elderly and other practical applications in social welfare group planning.