Hasil untuk "American literature"

Ciprian Bratu, Dario Šokić, Naida Ademović et al.

Although the influence of infill masonry on horizontal load structure behavior is well-documented, current standards and regulations have yet to fully incorporate or explicitly define the load-bearing capacity of this complex system. Canadian and American standards present more comprehensive and specific methodologies for calculating the load-bearing capacity of infill masonry and frame systems. In contrast, European standards tend to focus on offering general guidelines for the design of these systems without delving into the detailed calculation procedures. However, extensive data and experimental studies on this topic are available in the literature. The primary aim of this paper was to compile a database of experiments involving frames with different types of infill masonry. Subsequently, the empirical results obtained through the application of analytical expressions from various standards are compared to the experimental data included in the compiled database. The obtained load-bearing values were compared to different standards and work conducted by various researchers found in the literature in order to assess their reliability. Based on the obtained results, important conclusions were drawn, specifically to the most accurate equivalent diagonal model used and the analytical expressions to be used in the assessment of the masonry-infilled steel frame behavior. The equivalent diagonal model, utilized in all analytical expressions, can provide highly accurate estimations of load-bearing capacities that closely align with the experimental results. Regardless of the type of infill element, the analytical expressions consistently overestimated the load-bearing capacity. In the presence of longitudinal force, analytical expressions tend to be conservative, providing significantly lower load-bearing values compared with experimental results, which ensures a safety margin. The database can be utilized to develop numerical models, which can subsequently serve as the foundation for probabilistic methods used in conducting reliability assessments.

Alexandra-Mădălina Sporici, Aurelian Anghelescu, Gelu Onose

The disabling nature of SCI influences the most important aspects of a patient`s life in the long term, but also their quality of life, thus placing an important responsibility on the medical staff to achieve a satisfactory level of recovery and reintegration into society[2]. We hope that with the results of this study we will bring valuable information for the design of a monitoring plan of the pathophysiological status of the myotendinous complex using MyotonPro in patients with paraplegia, before and after passive mobilization of the limbs with the Motomed Letto device. We previously carried out a systematic review of the related literature through the method of filtering and selecting profile documentary material, widely used and accepted at the international level: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Thus, we searched, using contextually, combinations/syntaxes of search keywords in the following international databases: Elsevier, PubMed, PMC, PEDro, articles published in English in ISI indexed journals Web of Knowledge/Science, during 01.01.2021-31.12.2023. The evolution of the patients will be measured, both through direct observation and through the favorable dynamic evolution of the scores of the quantification scales used: AIS-American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale, MRC scale-Medical Research Council scale, ROM- Range of Motion, VAS – Visual Analogue Scale, ADL-Activities of Daily Living, SCIM-Spinal Cord Independence Measure, Functional Classification Scales-FIM+FAC, The World Health Organization Quality of Life-WHOQOL -BREF. Through this research, which is part of the doctoral study, we hope to bring important data about the biomechanical and viscoelastic properties of the myotendinous complex, which in the future will help us optimize, streamline and personalize the neurorecovery program in patients with paraplegia after spinal cord injury.

Marco Petrelli

This essay focuses on Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects (2006) and its 2018 TV adaptation created by Marti Noxon and directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. These works cover the dark parable of Camille Preaker, a Southern émigré who is forced to go back south to face the demons of her story—and of the vaster Southern history. The homecoming turns out to be characterized by a disturbing overlap of time gone and time present—or better, of a past corroding the present—which the series present in a more distinctively Southern gothic style when compared to the novel. Coherent relations between time and space are disjointed by Camille’s past traumas and memories, resulting in a painful existential dislocation and a dialectics of constraint that questions and dismantles the traditional white Southern sense of place, bringing to light the complex conflict between a Southern and a postsouthern reality that results in a renewed ensnarement. To map Camille’s hallucinating and painfully concrete descent into the South, the essay analyzes the interconnected roles of time, space, and how they reflect and are reflected by Southern society as portrayed in the novel and series, showing how they project a dead—and deathly—chronotope that encompasses the protagonist’s story, the region’s history, and its faux-historical resurgences.

V. Daniel Rogers

Archivo histórico de Kipus: Revista Andina de Letras y Estudios Culturales, 2002.

Yuanjia Hu, Yang Lu, Chenghua Tian et al.

BackgroundAs a global medical problem, tinnitus can seriously harm human health and is difficult to alleviate, ranking among the top 3 complex diseases in the otolaryngology field. Traditional cognitive behavioral therapy and sound therapy require offline face-to-face treatment with medical staff and have limited effectiveness. Mobile health (mHealth), which, in recent decades, has been greatly applied in the field of rehabilitation health care, improving access to health care resources and the quality of services, has potential research value in the adjunctive treatment of tinnitus. ObjectiveThis study aimed to understand the research trends, product characteristics, problems, and research transformation of tinnitus treatment software by analyzing the research progress of mHealth for tinnitus treatment based on the literature and related marketed apps. MethodsBibliometric methods were used to describe the characteristics of the relevant literature in terms of the number and topics of publications, authors, and institutions. We further compared the features and limitations of the currently available tinnitus treatment software. ResultsData published until February 28, 2022, were collected. Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) standardized screening process, 75 papers were included. The country with the highest number of publications was Germany, followed by the United Kingdom and the United States, whereas China had only a single relevant study. The most frequently found journals were the American Journal of Audiology and the Journal of the American Academy of Audiology (18/75, 24%). With regard to publication topics, cognitive behavioral therapy started to become a hot topic in 2017, and research on mHealth apps has increased. In this study, 28 tinnitus treatment apps were obtained (n=24, 86% from product data and n=4, 14% from literature data); these apps were developed mainly in the United States (10/28, 36%) or China (9/28, 32%). The main treatment methods were sound therapy (10/28, 36%) and cognitive behavioral therapy (2/28, 7%). Of the 75 publications, 7 (9%) described apps in the market stage. Of the 28 apps, 22 (79%) lacked literature studies or evidence from professional bodies. ConclusionsWe found that, as a whole, the use of mHealth for treatment and intervention in tinnitus was showing a rapid development, in which good progress had been made in studies around sound therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, although most of the studies (50/75, 67%) focused on treatment effects. However, the field is poorly accepted in top medical journals, and the majority are in the research design phase, with a lack of translation of the literature results and clinical validation of the marketed apps. Furthermore, in the future, novel artificial intelligence techniques should be used to address the issue of staged monitoring of tinnitus.

Ida Ruffolo, Jean Marguerite Jimenez

The related large-scale travel restrictions ensuing the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic have had a devastating impact on the global tourism and hospitality industry. In particular, the hotel industry is proving to be the hardest hit by the pandemic due to reduced tourism and travel along with a slowdown in economic activity (Hoisington 2020). In order to attract potential guests, hotels need to focus on consumers’ changing concerns and accommodate their legitimate requests, i.e., health safety measures and cancellation policies (UNWTO 2020). In light of this, the aim of this exploratory study is to understand to what extent hoteliers are reorganizing hotel stays to satisfy consumers’ new demands while restoring travelers’ confidence and respecting the strict safety regulations. In particular, this paper explores the crucial role of language in the hospitality sector, focusing on the linguistic devices employed by hotels on their websites to promote their facilities and services, which must now respect the strict new health and hygiene regulations imposed by the pandemic. Specifically, quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyse a corpus of luxury hotel websites in Central England in order to examine: (i) the content included on the hotels’ websites; (ii) the language employed to promote stays during the Covid era. The preliminary findings contribute to an initial understanding of luxury hotel practices and initiatives during Covid-19 within the UK context. The results show that that there is a clear effort by luxury hotels to create a positive image as strong companies ready to face the challenges of a global pandemic. Specifically, the findings illustrate how hotels are using particular expressions to provide information related to the actions that they are taking to guarantee a safe environment, while highlighting the important role that visitors must also play in ensuring safety.

Angela Santese

During the 1980s, the idea that a nuclear war could materialize led not only to an unprecedented antinuclear mobilization in the US and Europe and to a public conversation on these themes, but also to a series of cultural initiatives designed to alert public opinion and politicians to the atomic peril. In this political and social context, key cultural moments can be detected in the book Fate of the Earth, in the initiatives that revolved around the Nuclear Winter Scenario, and in the TV movie The Day After. Using primary sources and through an historical approach, this article aims at analyzing how these cultural products described the consequences of a nuclear war on the planet, highlighting also the environmental costs of a nuclear war, and their impact on US public opinion and media. Moreover it discusses how the scheduled airings of The Day After in 1983 became the arena for a political and media clash between the Ronald Reagan Administration and the antinuclear movement, since both actors indeed tried to exploit the film to influence public opinion on US nuclear posture.

Jeffrey M. Ryckman, Michael Baine, Joseph Carmicheal et al.

Abstract Background The development of radiation pneumonitis (RP) after Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) is known to be associated with many different factors, although historical analyses of RP have commonly utilized heterogeneous fractionation schemes and methods of reporting. This study aims to correlate dosimetric values and their association with the development of Symptomatic RP according to recent reporting standards as recommended by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. Methods We performed a single-institution retrospective review for patients who received SBRT to the lung from 2010 to 2017. Inclusion criteria required near-homogeneous tumoricidal (α/β = 10 Gy) biological effective dose (BED10) of 100–105 Gy (e.g., 50/5, 48/4, 60/8), one or two synchronously treated lesions, and at least 6 months of follow up or documented evidence of pneumonitis. Symptomatic RP was determined clinically by treating radiation oncologists, requiring radiographic evidence and the administration of steroids. Dosimetric parameters and patient factors were recorded. Lung volumes subtracted gross tumor volume(s). Wilcoxon Rank Sums tests were used for nonparametric comparison of dosimetric data between patients with and without RP; p-values were Bonferroni adjusted when applicable. Logistic regressions were conducted to predict probabilities of symptomatic RP using univariable models for each radiation dosimetric parameter. Results The final cohort included 103 treated lesions in 93 patients, eight of whom developed symptomatic RP (n = 8; 8.6%). The use of total mean lung dose (MLD) > 6 Gy alone captured five of the eight patients who developed symptomatic RP, while V20 > 10% captured two patients, both of whom demonstrated a MLD > 6 Gy. The remaining three patients who developed symptomatic RP without exceeding either metric were noted to have imaging evidence of moderate interstitial lung disease, inflammation of the lungs from recent concurrent chemoradiation therapy to the contralateral lung, or unique peri-tumoral inflammatory appearance at baseline before treatment. Conclusions This study is the largest dosimetric analysis of symptomatic RP in the literature, of which we are aware, that utilizes near-homogenous tumoricidal BED fractionation schemes. Mean lung dose and V20 are the most consistently reported of the various dosimetric parameters associated with symptomatic RP. MLD should be considered alongside V20 in the treatment planning process. Trial registration Retrospectively registered on IRB 398–17-EP.

Gina M. Selig, Gina M. Selig, Amanda N. Netburn et al.

Pelagothuria is the only known genus of holothurian that is considered to be holopelagic. There is thought to be only one species, Pelagothuria natatrix, and little is known about its abundance and distribution throughout the global ocean. Most documented observations of Pelagothuria are in tropical regions with many in or near water masses with low dissolved oxygen concentrations, suggesting that Pelagothuria may be associated with oxygen minimum zone regions. During the spring 2017 NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer Mountains in the Deep Expedition, scientists onboard the ship and participating through telepresence noted seeing an exceptional number of Pelagothuria during ROV dives conducted at sites along a transit from Pago Pago, American Samoa to Honolulu, Hawaii. Video from all dives was later reviewed using the video replay and annotation tool SeaTube and Pelagothuria were seen at 9 of the 12 ROV dive sites explored. A total of 97 Pelagothuria were observed in depths ranging from 196 to 4,440 m, temperatures of 1.3–15.4°C, salinities of 34.5–35.2, and oxygen concentrations of 0.17–3.77 mg L−1. The vertical distribution of Pelagothuria averaged 865 m depth, and their observations occurred at means of 5.24°C, 34.56, 1.71 mg L−1 for temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen, respectively. In 30 percent (n = 27) of the occurrences of Pelagothuria, the organism was observed at or within site of the seafloor, suggesting that the species may not actually be entirely holopelagic. A literature review was also conducted to look at the biogeography of the taxon. Results suggest that the horizontal distributions of Pelagothuria may extend to the Equatorial Pacific region, and the relatively high occurrence of Pelagothuria in oxygen minimum zones indicates they may be particularly hypoxia-tolerant. There is some indication that Pelagothuria may also be associated with areas of high particle flux. The strong El Niño event that occurred shortly before the expedition and anomalously warm conditions throughout much of the Pacific could have provided conditions favorable to a Pelagothuria bloom, however the high abundances of the organism seen on a nearby 2015 expedition and a later 2019 expedition suggest that this may be a persistent feature. The water column in this region has never before been explored with ROVs, and this study demonstrated use of an archived and publicly-accessible exploratory dataset to make novel discoveries.

Terçália Suassuna Vaz Lira

This study was made to analyze the exploitation of the workforce in the dependent peripheral economies and also the current global crisis scenario and how they imply in the political crisis and coup underway in Brazil. It was sought through a review of the literature to look at the Marxist theory of dependency in order to identify the conditions that allow explaining the current setbacks that have been taking place in the Latin American scenario in which the coup in Brazil stands out. The exploitation of the working force in our current scenario is linked to the financial capital valuation process and its biggest impacts will occur in the dependent economies in order to pressure them to redefine their economic, political and labor order so they can answer to global capitalism determinations.

Regiane Nistler, Leilane Serratine Grubba

The objective of this research is to analyze the effectiveness of human rights in this era, as the phenomenon of globalization triggered the notion of transnationalism. This study starts by demonstrating the consequences of this phenomenon, such as the lessening of border importance between countries and the alteration of legitimatizing legal structures. Furthermore, important considerations should be highlighted when exploring the important issue of human rights, especially when examining regional systems of protection – among them the African, American, and European systems. This paper finalizes its thesis with the simultaneous use of case studies and theoretical research. In the end, having effective human rights protection in the modern age implies not only an efficient and outstanding protection of the private sector but it should be the State’s objective even if transnational actors are not efficient. Finally, in regards to this paper´s method, this research uses the inductive method while also using literature review.

Lu Meng, Marilyn B. Wolff, Kelly A. Mattick et al.

Chronic disease rates have become more prevalent in the modern American workforce, which has negative implications for workplace productivity and healthcare costs. Offering workplace health interventions is recognized as an effective strategy to reduce chronic disease progression, absenteeism, and healthcare costs as well as improve population health. This review documents intervention and evaluation strategies used for health promotion programs delivered in workplaces. Using predetermined search terms in five online databases, we identified 1,131 published items from 1995 to 2014. Of these items, 27 peer-reviewed articles met the inclusion criteria; reporting data from completed United States-based workplace interventions that recruited at-risk employees based on their disease or disease-related risk factors. A content rubric was developed and used to catalogue these 27 published field studies. Selected workplace interventions targeted obesity (n = 13), cardiovascular diseases (n = 8), and diabetes (n = 6). Intervention strategies included instructional education/counseling (n = 20), workplace environmental change (n = 6), physical activity (n = 10), use of technology (n = 10), and incentives (n = 13). Self-reported data (n = 21), anthropometric measurements (n = 17), and laboratory tests (n = 14) were used most often in studies with outcome evaluation. This is the first literature review to focus on interventions for employees with elevated risk for chronic diseases. The review has the potential to inform future workplace health interventions by presenting strategies related to implementation and evaluation strategies in workplace settings. These strategies can help determine optimal worksite health programs based on the unique characteristics of work settings and the health risk factors of their employee populations.

Alejandra Afanador-Villamizar, Carlos Gomez-Romero, Andres Diaz et al.

Avian influenza or bird flu is a highly contagious acute viral disease that can occur in epidemics and cross-border forms in poultry and wild birds. The characteristics of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) allow the emergence of new viral variants, some with zoonotic and pandemic potential. AIVs have been identified in Latin America; however, there is a lack of understanding of these viruses at the regional level. We performed a systematic literature review on serological or molecular evidence of AIVs circulation in Latin America. Methods were designed based on the PRISMA and STROME guidelines. Only peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 to 2015 and data was analysed based on country, viral subtype, avian species, and phylogenetic origins. From 271 studies initially found only twenty-six met our inclusion criteria. Evidence of AIVs infection was found in most Latin American countries, with Mexico as the country with the largest number of conducted studies and reported cases during the period analysed, followed by Chile and Argentina. Most of the AIVs were early reported through surveillance systems and at least 14 different subtypes of influenza viruses were reported in birds, and the presence of both low (92.9%) and high (7.1%) pathogenic AIVs was shown in Latin America. Of the reported AIVs in Latin America, 43.7% belong to migratory birds, 28.1% to local wild birds, and 28.1% to poultry. The migratory bird population mainly comprises families belonging to the orders Anseriformes and Charadriformes. We highlight the importance of epidemiological surveillance systems and the possible role of different migratory birds in the transmission of AIVs within the Americas. Our findings demonstrate the limited information on AIVs in Latin America and highlight the need of more studies on AIVs at the regional level, particularly those focused on identifying the endemic subtypes in regional wild birds.

Outi J. Hakola

Cultural traumas are social, discursive and narrative processes where traumatic events, such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and their memories are described and interpreted. In fiction, in this case in HBO’s drama series Treme (2010-2013), trauma-related experiences are given meaning through narration, and in this mediation process collective memories are constructed. In this article, I analyze the ways in which the narration of Treme represents loss and remembering. I argue that by emphasizing sentimental nostalgia and the emotional reactions of the characters, the narration aims to create sympathy and empathy in the viewers, and in this way the drama series creates an emotional public sphere for the discussions over the rebuilding of post-Katrina New Orleans.

Koushik Sinha Deb, Yatan Pal Singh Balhara

Dhat syndrome is described as a culture bound syndrome (CBS). There is an ongoing debate on the nosological status of CBS. Dhat syndrome has been found to be prevalent in different geographical regions of the world. It has been described in literature from China, Europe, Americas, and Russia at different points of time in history. Mention of semen as a "soul substance" could be found in the works of Galen and Aristotle who have explained the physical and psychological features associated with its loss. However, the current classification systems such as International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Conditions-10 (ICD-10) (World Health Organization (WHO)) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association) do not give guidelines to diagnose these culture-bound conditions in the main text. The revisions of these two most commonly used nosological systems (the ICD and DSM) are due in near future. The status of this condition in these upcoming revisions is likely to have important implications. The article reviews the existing literature on dhat syndrome.

Raúl Vallejo

Un torturador que, terminada la dictadura militar de Argentina, se refugia con una identidad falsa en Quito. Una pareja con familia que ha sido torturada por aquel y que pudo escapar del tormento hacia Ecuador. Un médico, quiteño diletante con veleidades intelectuales, que se ve envuelto en una aventura que rompe la apacibilidad de su vida burguesa. Estos son los personajes de una historia intensa, atravesada por la crueldad humana y la justicia poética, que nos es contada con maestría narrativa en Callada como la Muerte, la más reciente novela corta de Abdón Ubidia, Premio Espejo de Literatura 2012.

Sanjay Prakash, Manoj Kumar, Pooja Belani et al.

Background: Headache, musculoskeletal symptoms, and vitamin D deficiency are common in the general population. However, the interrelations between these three have not been delineated in the literature. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively studied a consecutive series of patients who were diagnosed as having chronic tension-type headache (CTTH) and were subjected to the estimation of serum vitamin D levels. The subjects were divided into two groups according to serum 25(OH) D levels as normal (>20 ng/ml) or vitamin D deficient (<20 ng/ml). Results: We identified 71 such patients. Fifty-two patients (73%) had low serum 25(OH) D (<20 ng/dl). Eighty-three percent patients reported musculoskeletal pain. Fifty-two percent patients fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology criteria for chronic widespread pain. About 50% patients fulfilled the criteria for biochemical osteomalacia. Low serum 25(OH) D level (<20 ng/dl) was significantly associated with headache, musculoskeletal pain, and osteomalacia. Discussion: These suggest that both chronic musculoskeletal pain and chronic headache may be related to vitamin D deficiency. Musculoskeletal pain associated with vitamin D deficiency is usually explained by osteomalacia of bones. Therefore, we speculate a possibility of osteomalacia of the skull for the generation of headache (osteomalacic cephalalgia?). It further suggests that both musculoskeletal pain and headaches may be the part of the same disease spectrum in a subset of patients with vitamin D deficiency (or osteomalacia), and vitamin D deficiency may be an important cause of secondary CTTH.

María Caballero Wangüemert

Au contraire de ce qui est advenu en France ou aux États-Unis, les événements politiques ont en Amérique latine, celle du Sud notamment, précédé les évolutions idéologiques, anticipant les affirmations nationales. De la sorte, « les fictions capables d’orienter un destin national ont dû être improvisées alors que l’indépendance politique était un fait accompli » (Shumway : 18). Aussi bien l’histoire que la littérature se concevaient alors comme des finalités pédagogiques, au service de la communauté, ayant pour but de former des citoyens dans les républiques naissantes qui avaient soif d’être reconnues.La communication souligne les contenus américanistes des œuvres de l’ère coloniale, en prose et en vers, tant descriptives et d’observation des conditions de la nature que de fiction. Une fois acquise l’indépendance, les écrivains assument leur office en se guidant d’après des modèles venus de l’ancienne métropole, tout en affirmant un point de vue différent. L’historiographie et la critique littéraire hispano-américaines du xixe siècle, étudiées par Beatriz González Stephan, Hugo Achúgar et Julio Ortega, entre autres, trouvent leur début dans la figure d’Andrés Bello, omniprésente dans la culture. Chacune de leur côté, l’historiographie et la poésie remplissent cette fonction identitaire qui débouche, en Espagne même, dans la création d’anthologies hispano-américaines durant la deuxième moitié du xixe siècle. Cette même étape voit se consolider aussi dans les pays hispano-américains une bibliographie positiviste.

Tereza Jiroutová Kynčlová

Border theory, an interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of cultures located (especially) on the U.S.-Mexican border, was to a great extent initiated by the publication of Gloria Anzaldúa’s multigenre masterpiece Borderlands/La Frontera – The New Mestiza (1987), which in terms of postcolonial studies resists the canon of American literature and puts forth an indigenous, geographically and culturally situated theoretical concept of Mestiza consciousness which aims to defy Western dualistic thinking. The article, rooted in postcolonial perspectives and literary studies, looks at historical concepts of the American border, investigates the metaphorization of the US-Mexican borderlands in Anzaldúa’s work and explains her notion of Mestiza consciousness.

Jan Suk

The present paper aims to explore the crucial role of the audience in the artistic strategies of Forced Entertainment, a leading contemporary British experimental theatre troupe.  The paper attempts to highlight the shift of the role of audience towards the spectator as a witness, raising thus further ethical issues. Furthermore, the company´s insistence on the presence, realness and “failure” framed by the tools of postdramatic theory and the umbrella of Live Art create a new reading of the endless interplay between the theatre and its audiences, which is illustrated on two recent performances of Forced Entertainment, Showtime (1996) and Spectacular (2008).