Hasil untuk "American literature"

Yating Xu, Juecen Liu, Yao Chen et al.

ObjectiveTo systematically review risk prediction models for surgical site infection (SSI) after abdominal surgery and to provide a reference for clinical risk management.MethodsA comprehensive search was conducted in Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Sinomed, Chinese Medical Journal Full-text Database, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang Data for studies published from January 1, 1980, to August 12, 2024. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias and applicability of the models.ResultsA total of 25 studies were included, involving 28 SSI risk prediction models after abdominal surgery. Among them, 25 models showed good predictive performance (AUC > 0.7), but all studies exhibited a high risk of bias. The most frequently included predictors were surgical duration, diabetes, BMI (body mass index), serum albumin levels, ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) physical status score, age, intraoperative blood loss, wound classification, and open surgery.ConclusionRisk prediction models for SSI after abdominal surgery are still in the developmental stage. Future studies should emphasize model construction and validation to improve their clinical utility and generalizability.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024576543, Identifier: CRD42024576543.

Ester Melo Vargas, Ester Melo Vargas, Holger Raúl Barriga Medina

This study examines wellbeing and job performance in Isolated, Confined, and Extreme (ICE) environments, using Antarctica as a case study. The research focuses on the logistical personnel of the XXVI Ecuadorian Antarctic Expedition, recognizing the distinct geographical and human dynamics involved. Its relevance stems from the absence of similar studies in Latin America and the critical role of human capital in the success of missions carried out under adverse conditions. A qualitative, cross-sectional, exploratory-descriptive design was employed. The purposive sample consisted of 17 members of the expedition's logistical team. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a thematic focus group. The analysis involved thematic coding, content analysis, and sentiment analysis using Python. Key wellbeing factors included transformational leadership, adequate infrastructure, interpersonal relationships, workload, and the ability to separate work from personal life. Job performance was shaped by role clarity, extrinsic motivation, perceived institutional support, and team dynamics. Habitability conditions, prior training, and conflict management emerged as recurrent themes. Findings confirm that wellbeing and job performance are closely interrelated and influenced by both contextual and organizational factors. The study highlights the need for tailored wellbeing strategies and leadership development programs specific to ICE environments. This research makes a pioneering contribution to human resource management in extreme settings by addressing a gap in the Latin American literature. It offers practical implications for future Antarctic expeditions and other comparable occupational contexts.

Mauricio González

Archivo histórico de Kipus: Revista Andina de Letras y Estudios Culturales, 1997.

Howard Choy

This paper is a study of humorous and satirical image-texts found in eleven Chinese women’s online diaries composed between 2020 and 2022 during the time of COVID-19, including three from Wuhan, one from Xi’an, two from Chongqing, one from Chengdu, one composed by a Shanghainese, and three by New Yorkers. The diarists’ intersectional positionings as social worker, medical practitioner, interactive designer, unemployed grassroots organizer, overseas student, filmmaker, teacher, journalists, writers, and mothers from different cities in China and the United States inform their individual articulations of concerns about sociopolitical changes, pandemic situations, everyday life, as well as gender and class issues.Epidemic humor and satire in these lockdown narratives will be introduced in light of multidisciplinary methods, including sociological studies, political philosophy, psychological theory, and literary criticism. These feminine expressions of comic feelings point to communal laughter as a strategy for survival, subversion, and nonviolent resistance against unprecedented state surveillance and interventions in everyday life. As Sinophone literature continues to go global together with the spread of the disease, the Chinese diaries tend to be more politically satiric, as seen in Fang Fang’s Wuhan Diary and its English, German, and Japanese renditions, while the American–Chinese journals are rather humorous in terms of recording life, such as daily diet and necessities during the quarantine. This is due to cultural and situational differences, yet they have all exhibited their feminine sensitivity and sensibilities and formed a structure of feeling representing popular responses to the official discourse among digital citizens in the time of coronavirus.

Dejan Grba, Vladimir Todorović

Recent advancements in generative artificial intelligence (generative AI) technologies have transformed the computer science discipline of natural language processing. However, generative AI retains the anthropomorphic model of simulating human narrative construction and verbal communication whereas, for artists, the ideational exploration is often more important than human mimicry or even plausibility in storytelling. It sometimes leads to generative experiments with non-verbal forms or events that have the potential to incite narratives through the audience’s experience of the works’ functionalities, backgrounds, and contexts. In this paper, we focus on such artistic approaches to narrativity. In five central sections, we discuss interrelated exemplars whose conceptual frameworks, methodologies, and other attributes anticipate or underscore the issues of contemporary linguistic automation based on massive datafication and statistical retrospection. In closing sections, we summarize the expressive features of these exemplars and underline their value for critically assessing generative AI’s cultural influence and fallouts.

Gerhard Bosman , Anita Venter , Phadi Mabe

The misconception that online learning and teaching for the building sciences is ineffective has been proven wrong. A blended learning technique, combining service-learning activities and research (community engaged scholarship) with Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), has shown great learning and teaching possibilities on an international digital platform. This article considers how community engaged scholarship, and COIL can support an international learning experience celebrating rural art and architecture in central parts of South Africa. The research used a qualitative Participatory Action Research approach and Social Learning Theory framework. Combining practical outcomes in service-learning activities with collaborative international desk research provided a new perspective of litema wall decorating art in rural parts of the eastern Free State Province. These activities developed into a collaboration opportunity as a COIL exchange. A novel conceptual service-learning approach requires good communication and networking, clear agendas, and dedicated staff and students. The study merged service-learning activities by South African architecture students at the University of the Free State with literature from American art history students from Colorado State University through a COIL that resulted in a collaborative exhibition of research findings. The study follows the United Nations’ 1) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of quality education and gender equality and 2) the “Art-Lab for Human Rights and Dialogue” that intervenes ethically for human rights as “activist” acts of care for rural domestic art.

Andrew Bryant, Fiona Pearson, Luke Vale et al.

Objectives To identify prognostic models for melanoma survival, recurrence and metastasis among American Joint Committee on Cancer stage I and II patients postsurgery; and evaluate model performance, including overall survival (OS) prediction.Design Systematic review and narrative synthesis.Data sources Searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Science Citation Index and grey literature sources including cancer and guideline websites from 2000 to September 2021.Eligibility criteria Included studies on risk prediction models for stage I and II melanoma in adults ≥18 years. Outcomes included OS, recurrence, metastases and model performance. No language or country of publication restrictions were applied.Data extraction and synthesis Two pairs of reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias using the CHecklist for critical Appraisal and data extraction for systematic Reviews of prediction Modelling Studies checklist and the Prediction study Risk of Bias Assessment Tool. Heterogeneous predictors prevented statistical synthesis.Results From 28 967 records, 15 studies reporting 20 models were included; 8 (stage I), 2 (stage II), 7 (stages I–II) and 7 (stages not reported), but were clearly applicable to early stages. Clinicopathological predictors per model ranged from 3–10. The most common were: ulceration, Breslow thickness/depth, sociodemographic status and site. Where reported, discriminatory values were ≥0.7. Calibration measures showed good matches between predicted and observed rates. None of the studies assessed clinical usefulness of the models. Risk of bias was high in eight models, unclear in nine and low in three. Seven models were internally and externally cross-validated, six models were externally validated and eight models were internally validated.Conclusions All models are effective in their predictive performance, however the low quality of the evidence raises concern as to whether current follow-up recommendations following surgical treatment is adequate. Future models should incorporate biomarkers for improved accuracy.PROSPERO registration number CRD42018086784.

Gilbert Singletary, Kenneth Royal, Kathy Goodridge-Purnell

The deaths of George Floyd and other African American men and women in 2020 awakened the consciousness of Americans and social justice advocates across the world. The chants of “Black Lives Matter!” echoed from the streets of Minneapolis – all the way to the shores of Cape Town, South Africa. Immense pressure from protestors and community organizers caused those in education and traditional business sectors to evaluate their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Many organizations responded by releasing statements in support of minoritized groups, often including the hashtags #BLM or #NAACP[i]. However, despite support offered via social media, consumers and social justice advocates demanded more than just words. To that end, many institutions began to establish diversity book clubs, while others created DEI committees, and/or appointed a Chief Diversity Officer to guide DEI initiatives across the institution (Byrd et al., 2021). Constructing and operating a diverse DEI committee presents significant challenges. In addition to the barriers associated with assembling diverse members, there are also methodological constraints as there is a dearth of empirical research within the extant literature that provides guidance in constructing and evaluating the effectiveness of DEI committees. To that end, the purpose of this article is three-fold: (1) to discuss the necessity of DEI committees in higher education and corporate settings; (2) to explain why DEI committees sometimes fail; and (3) to offer some suggestions for addressing ways to improve their overall effectiveness.   [i] These are the Twitter designations for Black Lives Matter and The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, respectively.

Antonios G. Katsikaros, Constantinos V. Chrysikopoulos

This review presents a compilation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) that have been detected in waters, sediments and biota of lakes throughout the world by various researchers, over a 26-year time period (1996–2021). Numerous studies published in the literature reported that 286 pharmaceuticals and 70 personal care products (PCPs) were present in waters, 101 pharmaceuticals and 50 PCPs were present in sediments, and 63 pharmaceuticals and 19 PCPs were present in biota of lakes throughout the world. Among the pharmaceuticals present in lake waters, 194 had concentrations of over 5 ng/L, 173 were present in only one continent, whereas several (e.g. caffeine, carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole) were detected in lake waters of almost every continent (6/7). Among the PCPs present in lake waters, 56 had concentrations of over 5 ng/L, whereas 41 were present in only one continent. PPCPs were found in 260 lakes, located within 44 countries, the majority of them present in Asian, European and North American lakes. Lakes with high pharmaceutical concentrations were affected by either controlled or uncontrolled wastewater originated from various types of sources. Based on this study, of high concern is the Asian continent, where PPCP pollution should be strictly controlled in order to prevent possible serious health threats to humans and living organisms.

Emron Esplin, Margarida Vale de Gato

Myriam Merchán Barros

Este ensayo revisa el concepto de mímesis que propone Platón para acercarnos al texto de José Carlos Somoza, La caverna de las ideas, releerlo desde los referentes clásicos que han servido para desarrollar el motivo del conocimiento, analizar los niveles de su construcción planteados en la filosofía platónica y cómo se recrean en la novela trabajada como eidesis, un texto ficticio que contiene un enigma como eje estructural de otro texto de ficción. Se pondrá énfasis en la función catártica del arte y en la relación no excluyente entre belleza y verdad para comprobar que la relectura de los clásicos permite descubrir siempre una novedad, un reto, una tarea que nos introduce en una aventura lectora ávida de significación.

Tiina Räisänen

This paper contributes to the growing field of research on English as a business lingua franca (BELF) and extends discussion on the role of culture and cultural knowledge in business interactions. It aims to provide insights into the relationship between cultural knowledge and professionals’ management of BELF interactions. The paper is based on a longitudinal ethnographic study of two Finnish professionals’ trajectories of socialization into global working life and their work as managers. It draws on interview data in which the research participants orient to Finnish and Chinese professional and everyday practices and differences between them and thereby display their cultural knowledge. The main aim of the paper is to investigate, using discourse analysis, how this cultural knowledge, as depicted in interviews, manifests in BELF interactions and functions as a resource for transactional and relational purposes. The findings show that cultural knowledge emerges in explicit and implicit commentary about professional and everyday practices that relate to language proficiency, understanding, interpreting, work culture, safety issues, food and business matters. The findings also show that repetition, paraphrasing, summarizing, metalanguage, local languages, directives and humour are effective resources used by the two managers at work.

Luis Alberto Navarro-Leyva, Luis Carlos Manzano-Suárez, Jesús Antonio Pichs-Romero et al.

<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%;" align="justify"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><strong>Background</strong></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US">: the temporomandibular disorders have a high prevalence both in the national and the international context. The specialized literature reports their relationship with anxiety and parafunctional habits.</span></span></span></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%;" align="justify"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><strong>Objective</strong></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US">: to identify the possible relationship of the temporomandibular disorders with anxiety and parafunctional habits of patients from the “3 de Octubre” Dental Clinic of Las Tunas, from September 2016 to April 2018. </span></span></span></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%;" align="justify"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><strong>Methods</strong></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US">:</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"> an analytic observational case-control study was carried out in patients with temporomandibular disorders seen at the department of prosthesis of the aforementioned dental clinic and during the period declared in the objective. The sample was made up in two groups, one with the cases and the other one with the controls paired up 1:2, 60 cases and 120 controls. To diagnose the temporomandibular disorders, we used the Kroug Paulsen test; and for the anxiety levels the Hispano-American version of the State/Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The statistical analysis was made using the 3.1 version of EpiData. For the association degree odd ratio was used.</span></span></span></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%;" align="justify"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><strong>Results</strong></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US">: the most significantly associated parafunctional habits were the dental grinding and creaking with (P=0,00000000, OR=11,36) and (P=0, 0002247, OR=5,78) respectively; followed by the unilateral mastication (P=0, 0045859, OR=2,49). Among the sick people high levels of anxiety were the most frequent, mostly feature anxiety (P=0,00000, OR=48,00).</span></span></span></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0.14cm; line-height: 100%;" align="justify"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"><strong>Conclusions</strong></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US">:</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US"> the study identified the relationship of temporomandibular disorders with anxiety and parafunctional habits in the research patients.</span></span></span></p>

Alessandra Marzola

Review of th volume on war-related communication in Britain, written by Sara Soncini.

Carina González

Pocos escritores llevan impreso en su nombre las contradicciones de una identidad desplazada. Calvert Casey (Baltimore 1924- Roma 1969) acentúa como ninguno su excentricidad biográfica en una escritura que no es menos polifónica. La dualidad de su origen cubano-americano se reproduce en las geografías que lo atraviesan: por un lado, la herencia paterna manifiesta en el inglés, lengua que elige para escribir sus primeros relatos que publica en New York y que usa en su trabajo como traductor en Naciones Unidas; por otro, la línea materna que lo inscribe en La Habana, en el entorno mágico de una isla que se le resiste pero a la cual siempre regresa.

Cheryl Alison

Since Ralph Ellison’s death, the draft materials of his second, unfinished novel have become available, in addition to his notes for Invisible Man (1952). This article encourages literary interpreters to exercise restraint in retroactively imposing narrative order and coherence upon the author’s incomplete work and working materials. Taking as an example the character Rinehart, who appears in varying forms throughout Ellison’s career, this article traces and interrogates the character’s treatment in the work of exemplary Ellison critic Adam Bradley to demonstrate that the urge to create a linear interpretive model diminishes not just the character but also Ellison’s considerable nuance. Focused character interpretation ultimately makes the larger case that coming to Ellison’s archive, as well as his published works, requires flexibility adequate to the author’s own mobile habits of thought and composition.

Camilla Croso, Alessia Russo

Intervista a Henry Giroux, tradotta in italiano.

Jane Mattisson Ekstam

Geneviève Susemihl

The paper discusses the immigration and assimilation experiences of German refugees to New York in the 1930s and 40s, specifically the experiences of children and teenagers. It illustrates their integration process, focussing on various aspects of assimilation such as language, friendships, social life and school, investigates into consequences and effects of Americanization and examines the immigrants’ own evaluation of adjustment.

Jason Taylor

During the heart of the Great Depression, the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) suspended U.S. antitrust laws and helped coordinate government sponsored cartels in most manufacturing industries in the American economy. The potential effect, detrimental or beneficial, of cartels is a topic of debate in the recent theoretical literature of cartels, though few historical examples of large-scale, economy-wide cartels exist. This study uses the NIRA cartel experience to test the competing hypotheses of the effects of cartels on economic variables.