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While ChatGPT has recently become very popular, AI has a long history and philosophy. This paper intends to explore the promises and pitfalls of the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) AI and potentially future technologies by adopting a speculative methodology. Speculative future narratives with a specific focus on educational contexts are provided in an attempt to identify emerging themes and discuss their implications for education in the 21st century. Affordances of (using) AI in Education (AIEd) and possible adverse effects are identified and discussed which emerge from the narratives. It is argued that now is the best of times to define human vs AI contribution to education because AI can accomplish more and more educational activities that used to be the prerogative of human educators. Therefore, it is imperative to rethink the respective roles of technology and human educators in education with a future-oriented mindset.

Transition to circular economy for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles requires integrating multiple stages of the value cycle. However, strategies aimed at extending the lifetime of batteries are not yet sufficiently considered within the European battery industry, particularly regarding repurposing. Using second-life lithium-ion batteries (SLBs) before subsequent recycling can offer several advantages, such as the development of sustainable business models, the reduction of emissions, and alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals 7, 12, and 13. Using expert and problem-centred interviews along with an exploratory workshop, this study guides stakeholders in the battery sector by illustrating the necessary changes for a more holistic circular economy. Moreover, an extended political, economic, social, technological, environmental, legal, and additionally safety-related (PESSTEL) analysis approach is carried out, which has not yet been used in this context. In this process, barriers, as well as necessary institutional framework conditions and organisational requirements for a successful market entry of SLB applications are investigated. Among others, key barriers relate to the competition with first-life applications and safety concerns. SLBs require high manual labour costs for repurposing, along with expenses for expired warranties and re-certifications. Ownership structures in traditional business models often result in SLBs and their corresponding usage data staying under the control of the manufacturers. Market viability, however, requires a level playing field for both first-life and second-life operators as well as circular battery and data-sharing business models. Gathering data on the ageing performance and performing improved safety testing according to test protocols facilitates the reliable assessment of SLBs.

Engineering plastics, such as polyoxymethylene (POM), are high-performance thermoplastics designed to withstand high temperature or mechanical stress and are used in electronic equipment, the automotive industry, construction, or specific household utensils. POM is immiscible with other plastics but due to a low volume of production, no methods were developed to separate it from the residual plastic waste stream. Therefore, POM recycling is minimal despite its high market value. This paper provides a proof of concept for tracer-based sorting (TBS) as a potential solution for increasing the separation efficiency of low-volume, high-quality polymers. For this purpose, yttrium oxide (Y2O3) and cerium (IV) oxide (CeO2) have been embedded into the POM matrix. Mechanical tests of samples at varying concentrations (0.1 to 1000 ppm) of both tracers were conducted, followed by an analysis of detectability and dispersibility using a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (p-XRF), subsequently optimizing detection time and tracer concentration. Finally, an experimental scenario was developed to test the fate and potential recovery of the tracer material after the thermal treatment of plastics. A low detectable concentration, short measurement time, low influence on mechanical parameters of the compound, and low loss ratio after simulated recycling prove Y2O3 to be a suitable tracer for the industrial implementation of TBS.

Drowning remains a significant global health concern, claiming over 300,000 lives annually, with a disproportionate impact on young individuals in low-and middle-income countries. Conventional mechanical ventilation, while common, falls short in addressing the hypoxemia and hypercapnia often observed in severe near-drowning cases. Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vvECMO) emerges as a critical intervention for cardiopulmonary failure post-drowning. This case report delves into the pivotal role of ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) in a near-drowning-related pathology. Following the initial insult, reoxygenation exacerbates the inflammatory cascade, resulting in a surge of pro-inflammatory mediators. In this context, CytoSorb®, a hemoadsorption cartridge, demonstrates promise by effectively removing these mediators from circulation. This report outlines its application in a critically ill adolescent patient who experienced near-drowning, presenting a compelling case for CytoSorb as an adjunctive therapy in managing IRI-induced hyperinflammation.

The figure of the public intellectual and the act of public pedagogy are fairly central to varieties of critical pedagogy. Public intellectuals have historically been those who speak truth to power and challenge dominant ways of thinking, and critical pedagogy argues that academics have to take up this call, leaving the ivory towers and entering the public sphere. Critical pedagogues are not alone in their concern about the retreat of intellectuals or academics from public life, yet to what extent are these notions of the public intellectual tied to a pre-digital age, and how might the digital age undermine these notions? In this paper, we argue that the digital has facilitated the death of the traditional public intellectual as the means of intellectual production have been dispersed throughout society. Turning to Paolo Virno's writing on potential and history, we examine the pedagogy of the public intellectual and present a new configuration of learning and studying that emphasizes the infinite potentiality of history and the present. Whereas most scholarship defines learning as the actualization of potential, we show that potential is never fully actualized. Such a configuration introduces the need to historically saturate political acts with meaning, which we argue is the new task of public intellectuals in the postdigital age. In order to do this, however, academics who wish to contribute to social movements must embed themselves and operate within social movements, joining the leadership of organic intellectuals and professional revolutionaries, and even viewing their own critical work not as the production of new knowledge but rather the amplification of existing knowledges generated through these struggles, shifting the educational register from epistemology to ontology, and the educational mode of operation from teaching to collective studying.

Introduction: Bronchiectasis is a chronic progressive respiratory disease characterized by permanent dilatation of the bronchi. It is a complex condition with numerous different etiologies, co-morbidities, and a heterogeneous presentation. As we know, there is a lack of studies that describe the differences and compare the characteristics between focal and multifocal bronchiectasis. The aim of this study is to identify differences in clinical characteristics presentation, severity or distribution in focal and multifocal bronchiectasis, and prognostic implications. Methods: 126 patients with computed tomography (CT)-verified bronchiectasis were enrolled. Baseline characteristics that included age, sex, smoking history, and respiratory symptoms were recorded, with special attention paid to hemoptysis appearance, body mass index, and comorbidities. The type of bronchiectasis determined by CT scan and the modified Reiff scores indicating radiological severity were recorded. Patients were divided in two groups (I is focal and II is multifocal). Results: There were no statistically significant differences in age, smoking status, comorbidity, and BMI between the two groups. Multifocality was associated with a significantly higher proportion of females (p = 0.014), the rate of hemoptysis (p = 0.023), and the number of hospitalizations, but not of exacerbations and prevalence of immunodeficiency (p = 0.049). Significantly, a high number of subjects with multifocality had bronchiectasis of moderate severity, and post-infective and asthma-associated phenotypes were the dominant in this group. Unexpectedly, the cystic and varicose radiological phenotype (which need more time to develop) were more dominant in the focal group. The cylindrical phenotype was equally observed in the multifocal and focal groups. Conclusions: Our study suggests that multifocality is not related to age, number of exacerbations, or radiological phenotype, but it seems to be associated with the clinical post-infective phenotype, immunodeficiency, frequent hospitalizations, and severity. Thus, the presence of multifocal bronchiectasis may act as a biomarker of severity and poor outcomes in these patients.

Background: Achalasia is an esophageal motor disorder characterized by aperistalsis and the failure of the relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter. We want to find out whether external compression or recurrent micro-aspiration of undigested food has a functional effect on the airway. Methods: The aim of this research was to analyze the influence of achalasia on the peak expiratory flow and flow–volume curve. All of the 110 patients performed spirometry. Results: The mean diameter of the esophagus was 5.4 ± 2.1 cm, and nine of the patients had mega-esophagus. Seven patients had a plateau in the inspiratory part of the flow–volume curve, which coincides with the patients who had mega-esophagus. The rest of the patients had a plateau in the expiration part of the curve. The existence of a plateau in the diameter of the esophagus of more than 5 cm was significant (p 0.003). Statistical significance between the existence of a plateau and a lowered PEF (PEF < 80) has been proven (p 0.001). Also, a statistical significance between the subtype and diameter of more than 4 cm has been proved. There was no significant improvement in the PEF values after operation. In total, 20.9% of patients had a spirometry abnormality finding. The frequency of the improvement in the spirometry values after surgery did not differ significantly by achalasia subtype. The improvement in FEV1 was statistically significant compared to the FVC values. Conclusions: Awareness of the influence of achalasia on the pulmonary parameters is important because low values of PEF with a plateau on the spirometry loop can lead to misdiagnosis. The recognition of various patterns of the spirometry loop may help in identifying airway obstruction caused by another non-pulmonary disease such as achalasia.

Purpose: This paper aims at exploring politics of contemporary knowledge cultures and possible directions for responding to the postdigital challenge. Design/Approach/Methods: This paper researches history and present of several prominent strands and readings of the knowledge economy. Following Caruso's work (2016), it examines more closely the differences between the managerial paradigm and the cognitive capitalism paradigm. Recognizing the postdigital nature of contemporary knowledge cultures, it points towards a postdigital merger between the managerial paradigm and the cognitive capitalism paradigm. Findings: The paper identifies individual and social tensions between industrial and post-industrial modes of production and rapidly changing dynamic of social development. It examines the relationships between knowledge cultures and digital technologies. Based on recent insights by the father of the World Wide Web Tim Berners-Lee and his non-determinist views to digital technologies, it identifies knowledge cultures as sites of political struggle against various (material and non-material, technological and non-technological) closures over access to information and knowledge. Finally, it briefly outlines possible directions for responding to the postdigital challenge of knowledge cultures. Originality/Value: The paper provides an original contribution to theory of knowledge cultures and its relationships to the postdigital condition.

Grapevines are susceptible to a wide range of fungal diseases that result in significant annual economic losses in the global wine industry. The present study uses a non-targeted mass spectrometry approach to explore metabolic profiles of healthy and infected Austrian Grüner Veltliner grapes and wine. The samples were analysed by liquid chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry and ion mobility-mass spectrometry combined with multivariate statistical data analysis. Clear differences between healthy and infected samples were observed using multivariate analysis, allowing sample classification according to infection. In total, 111 grape and wine markers were identified as a result of infection, of which 68 were identified with confidence levels 1 or 2. The statistical analysis results outlined metabolites such as (-)-epicatechin, (+)-catechin, astilbin, quercetin 3-O-glucuronide, gluconic acid, alpha-lipoic acid, caftaric acid, galactaric acid, fumaric acid, 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, indole-3-lactic acid, dipeptides and tripeptides, to be discriminant in detection of grapes and wine infection.

This article starts with a brief analysis of what it means to be an intellectual within the US tradition of critical pedagogy. Pointing toward important socio-technological transformations which have taken place in the past few decades, the article situates the concept of the intellectual into the contemporary postdigital context. The article looks into two main areas of intellectual work which seem to have undergone significant transformations--automation and post-truth. It develops possible responses to recent challenges in these areas and shows that contemporary intellectuals working in the tradition of critical pedagogy need to take technology seriously. Heading toward the conclusion, the article promotes Greta Thunberg as an important example of a postdigital intellectual. Our analyses show that critical pedagogy has an important role in the development of contemporary intellectual work. Aiming at constantly transforming challenges, however, old theories require constant reconceptualization in and for our postdigital context. Within this mash-up of questions and answers old and new, we identify a starting point for this reconceptualization in the notion of critical praxis.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) are a source of both hazardous and valuable materials that must be segregated for treatment. Previous studies addressing the use of handheld X-Ray fluorescence (h-XRF) as a sorting tool for WEEE plastics through the identification of hazardous components include plastics from mixed WEEE streams, processed material (shredded or treated plastics) and low number of samples not allowing to consider their findings for application on an industrial scale. Thus, further research is needed to establish scalable robust methods for sorting this material. We describe a study carried out on whole flat panel display equipment (FPD) plastic casings using h-XRF for the detection of total bromine (Br) and antimony (Sb) as tracers for Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) and Sb2O3 additives. The aim being to characterize the targeted material and to define the optimal analysis conditions to meet large scale throughputs. A ring trial exercise comprising 100 samples was conducted to evaluate the validity of the measurements. Results indicate that: 1) the use of h-XRF under the conditions determined in this study offers a valid technique to screen total Br and Sb in whole FPD casings at industrial scale with low uncertainty, 2) Br and Sb are found to be homogeneously distributed within the casing, 3) an optimal h-XRF analysis time of 10 seconds is suitable from both accuracy and practical implementation for LOD

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe clinical condition characterized by acute respiratory failure and a high mortality risk despite conventional mechanical ventilatory support. Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vvECMO) has emerged as an effective life-support technology for patients with ARDS. However, complications may arise following the decannulation of vvECMO, with a relatively frequent development of systemic hyperinflammation (SHI). Among the various treatment strategies for SHI, the use of hemoadsorption with CytoSorb® has shown promising results in removing excessive levels of cytokines and attenuating the hyperinflammatory response. In this case series, we present three critically ill patients with ARDS secondary to pneumonia who underwent vvECMO and subsequently received prophylactic hemoadsorption with CytoSorb® following decannulation as a part of our clinical practice. This case series aims to describe the potential positive effects of hemoadsorption in preventing the development of SHI after vvECMO decannulation in ARDS patients.

End-stage renal disease and its treatment with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) can affect almost all organs and organ systems including vascular endothelium. Consequently, disturbance in the production of vasoactive substances endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitric oxide (NO) occurs in these patients. There are only a small number of studies that investigated the impact of long-term CAPD on imbalance in production of vasoactive substances ET-1 and NO among these patients. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate the impact of duration of CAPD on potential overproduction of ET-1 and NO in uremic patients. This study included 23 uremic patients [10 males, mean age: 56.3 (±16.2) years] treated with CAPD. All studied patients were further divided into subgroups, groups A and B. Group A included patients on treatment with CAPD

Introduction: This study was carried out to investigate the impact of duration of different renal replacement therapies such as hemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis on potential overproduction of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and pulmonary function tests in these patients.Materials and methods: The study included 26 patients (14 males, mean age 54.9±16.2 years) with end stage renal diseases (ESRD) receiving regular hemodialysis (HD) and 23 patients (10 males, mean age 55.8±15.8 years) with ESRD treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). The spirometry values were recorded before the onset of HD and prior to emptying the peritoneal cavity in CAPD patients and ET-1 was measured using the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) methodology. Two groups of patients (groups 1 and 2) were further divided into subgroups (group A and group B). Groups A (1-A and 2-A) included patients treated with any type of renal replacement therapy (RRT) (HD or CAPD) less than 5 years, and groups B (1-B and 2-B) included patients treated with any type of RRT (HD or CAPD) longer than 5 years.Results: Patients treated with HD or CAPD for more than five years were found to have significantly higher serum levels of ET-1 (HD = 41.49±21.28 vs. 185.13±73.67, p

The diversity of the EU is both a strength and a weakness, with Issues of National and European identity contributing to division, marginalization and exclusion. Many European citizens have very firmly entrenched, but frequently simplistic, views about the value of the European Union as good (pro EU) or bad (anti EU). To promote a culture of increased tolerance and inclusion, EU citizens need to develop a more mature and nuanced understanding of National and European identity that considers the validity of others’ points of view. Serious Games are increasingly recognised as active and effective methods for tackling complex social problems. Therefore, the RU EU? (are you EU?) project developed a game to increase players’ awareness of the complexity of European identity and values, to help players develop a more detailed understanding of European identity and promote critical thinking about their own views, the views of others, and the wider societal consequences. In this paper we describe the RU EU? Game as a case study explaining the thinking behind the game design. We outline the early design tasks that led to development of the multicomponent model of European identity that we used in the game, the adoption of the journalist narrative and the tools that assisted the player in his goal of compiling and publishing a set of articles about European identity. We discuss the potential of the game tools and mechanics to be used more widely to promote social understanding and inclusion.

Three subtypes of achalasia have been defined using esophageal manometry. Several studies have reported that symptoms are experienced differently among men and women, regardless of subtype. All subtypes could have some impact on the appearance of respiratory symptoms and lung complications due to compression of the trachea or aspiration of undigested food. The aim of this research was to analyze the differences in respiratory symptoms and radiographic presentation of lung pathology depending on the diameter and achalasia types. One or more respiratory symptoms were reported in 48% of 114 patients, and all of them had two or more gastrointestinal symptoms. The symptom score (SS) is statistically significant for the prediction of subtype 1 (area under the curve = 0.318; p < 0.001, cut-off score of 6.5 had 95.2% sensitivity) and subtype 2 (area under the curve = 0.626; p = 0.020, cut-off score of 7.5 had 93.1% sensitivity). The most common type was subtype 2 (50.8%), and although only 14 patients had subtype 3, they had the largest esophageal diameter (mean 5.8 cm). The difference in esophageal diameter was significant between subtype 1 and 3 (p = 0.011), subtype 2 and subtype 3 (p = 0.011). Nine patients (6%) had mega-esophagus (four patients in type 1, three in type 2 and two in type 3). More than half of all patients (51.7%) had at least one parenchymal lung change on CT scan. Recurrent micro-aspirations led to changes in the structure of the airways and lung parenchyma such as ground glass (GGO) and nodular changes (12%) and fibrosis (14.5%), and they had higher esophageal diameters (p < 0.001). Patients with chronic lung CT changes had significantly higher esophageal diameter than with acute changes (p < 0.001). Awareness of the association of achalasia and lung disorders is important in early diagnosis and treatment. More than half (57.5%) of patients with achalasia had some clinical and/or structural pulmonary abnormalities. All three subtypes had similar respiratory symptoms, meaning they cannot be used to predict the subtype of achalasia; on the contrary, SS can predict the first two subtypes. A higher diameter of the esophagus is associated with chronic structural lung changes. Although unexpected, the pathological radiological findings and diameter were significantly different in subtype 3 patients, but those parameters cannot lead us to a specified subtype.

This article focuses on the early stages of an international project on gamifying national identity. It examines the production of the content required for developing a sophisticated and engaging approach to pedagogical innovation in education, through game-based learning. This will encourage individuals to think about both European and national identity, specifically within the context of the European Union (EU). At a time when the EU faces significant challenges, a better understanding and appreciation of the role of national and supra-national identity and belonging in Europe is clear. RU EU? -- an Erasmus+ funded project -- aims to develop an innovative online game to help students and others enhance their understanding of their own national and European identities and challenge attitudes and prejudices. The content development of the game has brought together experts with socio-political knowledge, pedagogical understanding and technical expertise. This article discusses the early stages in the content development process, during which we amassed material from literature reviews, academic interviews and student focus groups and surveys. We sought to ensure that the content of the game reflected the issues raised within the game development lifecycle and our article describes our engagement with this material and its integration into game content.

RESUMO Apresentamos o caso de uma paciente de 71 anos de idade admitida à unidade de terapia intensiva clínica em condição de falência de múltiplos órgãos. Após o quarto dia, com aplicação de todas as modalidades de suporte à vida (estímulo com vasopressores, ventilação mecânica, terapia com diálise contínua, terapia com antibióticos de amplo espectro e outras medidas de suporte), dados inespecíficos fornecidos por acompanhante revelaram que a paciente vinha apresentando dificuldade persistente para deglutir líquidos e alimentos sólidos por alguns dias antes da admissão ao hospital. Após a realização de procedimentos adicionais de diagnóstico radiológico e endoscópico, detectou-se a presença de um corpo estranho no esôfago: um fragmento de fio de aço com cerca de 6 cm de comprimento e dobrado ao meio, que havia penetrado a parede do esôfago e se projetava ao nível da sétima vértebra cervical. Conseguimos remover o corpo estranho por via endoscópica sem maiores complicações e, a seguir, estabilizar nossa paciente, com utilização de medidas terapêuticas adicionais, conforme necessário.

Understanding the brain changes underlying cognitive dysfunction is a key priority in multiple sclerosis (MS) to improve monitoring and treatment of this debilitating symptom. Functional connectivity network changes are associated with cognitive dysfunction, but it is less well understood how changes in normal appearing white matter relate to cognitive symptoms. If white matter tracts have network structure it would be expected that tracts within a network share susceptibility to MS pathology. In the present study, we used a tractometry approach to explore patterns of variance in white matter metrics across white matter (WM) tracts, and assessed how such patterns relate to neuropsychological test performance across cognitive domains. A sample of 102 relapsing-remitting MS patients and 27 healthy controls underwent MRI and neuropsychological testing. Tractography was performed on diffusion MRI data to extract 40 WM tracts and microstructural measures were extracted from each tract. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to decompose metrics from all tracts to assess the presence of any co-variance structure among the tracts. Similarly, PCA was applied to cognitive test scores to identify the main cognitive domains. Finally, we assessed the ability of tract co-variance patterns to predict test performance across cognitive domains. We found that a single co-variance pattern which captured microstructure across all tracts explained the most variance (65% variance explained) and that there was little evidence for separate, smaller network patterns of pathology. Variance in this pattern was explained by effects related to lesions, but one main co-variance pattern persisted after this effect was regressed out. This main WM tract co-variance pattern contributed to explaining a modest degree of variance in one of our four cognitive domains in MS. These findings highlight the need to investigate the relationship between the normal appearing white matter and cognitive impairment further and on a more granular level, to improve the understanding of the network structure of the brain in MS.

Building on Peters' and Jandric's previous work on curriculum as 'text' and 'discourse' (Peters, M. A., & Jandric, P. (2018b). The curious relationships between discourse, genre and curriculum. "Open Review of Educational Research," 5(1).), this article seeks to refresh and extend the central metaphor of 'curriculum as text' that is adopted as the organizing metaphor of William Pinar's 2006 book "Understanding Curriculum: An Introduction to the Study of Historical and Contemporary Curriculum Discourses." We undertake this analysis by referring to five theoretical notions: Jorge Luis Borges' 'The garden of forking paths' (1941), Roland Barthes' structuralism (1977), Julia Kristeva's intertextuality (1966/1986), Ted Nelson's hypertextuality (1965), and Gilles Deleuze's and Felix Guattari's extratextuality (2004/1980). In conclusion, we show that the text is neither simply an artefact nor is it simply a sequence of uttered sounds. The text does not solely reside within the domain of the reader and cannot be considered as the exclusive domain of the author. Looking at relationships between text, textuality, curriculum, and technology, we show that the metaphor of 'curriculum as text' is inherently postdigital and that it requires development of a new postdigital language of inquiry and new postdigital forms of textual and non-textual expressions of that language in the years to come.

This paper explores the central metaphors of curriculum as 'text' and 'discourse' that are adopted as the organizing metaphors for William Pinar's 2006 book "Understanding Curriculum: An Introduction to the Study of Historical and Contemporary Curriculum Discourses." Using the works of Michel Foucault, the paper explores relationships between discourse and curriculum as procedures of exclusion. Moving on to genre as a literary form, the paper analyses the pedagogical form of the essay and the rise of the article as one of the most pervasive forms that underlie academic culture. In our postdigital age, however, both the article and journal have significantly changed. This paper shows that a historicizing of the curriculum, understood as an approach to curriculum studies, is a process of denaturalization of commonly accepted assumptions about the curriculum. Therefore, problematizing the concepts of 'discourse', 'genre', and 'text' enables us to understand the historical and constructed notion of the curriculum and to examine its contemporary postdigital forms.

In the year that George Ritzer publishes the ninth edition of "The McDonaldization of Society," moving his famous theory firmly "Into the Digital Age," critical educator Petar Jandric and sociologist Sarah Hayes invited George to a dialogue on the digital transformation of McDonaldization and its critical application to Higher Education. In this article, George first traces for us the origins of his theory that has endured for four decades. A key dimension of McDonaldization is the 'iron cage' of control, via rationalization. Once contained within physical sites of bricks and mortar, now, we encounter a 'velvet cage' in sites of digital consumption, at the hands of non-human technologies, that threaten human labor and autonomy. Whilst the concept of the McUniversity is not without some critique, this interview provides compelling reasons to open new dialogue about McDonaldization in augmented settings such as Higher Education. With the rise of prosuming machines such as blockchain and bitcoin, that can both produce and consume without intervention from human 'prosumers', universities cannot afford to ignore the challenges of prosumer capitalism, which George concludes, will explode into unprecedented and unpredictable directions in the years to come.

Peer review is central to academic publishing. Yet for many it is a mysterious and contentious practice, which can cause distress for both reviewers, and those whose work is reviewed. This paper, produced by the Editors' Collective, examines the past and future of peer review in academic publishing. The first sections consider how peer review has been defined and practised in changing academic contexts, and its educational significance in the development of scholarship. The paper then explores major historical and contemporary issues around identity, diversity, anonymity, and the review process, and the related power of editors versus reviewers in academic publishing. Finally, the paper discusses the case of new scholars as reviewers engaging in neoliberal labour, before concluding with some brief recommendations based on our analysis.

Background and Objectives: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel infectious disease that has spread worldwide. As of 5 March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in approximately 111,767 cases and 6338 deaths in the Republic of Srpska and 375,554 cases and 15,718 deaths in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our objective in the present study was to determine the characteristics and outcomes of critically ill pregnant/postpartum women with COVID-19 in the Republic of Srpska. Materials and Methods: The retrospective observational study of prospectively collected data included all critically ill pregnant/postpartum women with COVID-19 in a university-affiliated hospital between 1 April 2020 and 1 April 2022. Infection was confirmed by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from nasopharyngeal swab specimens and respiratory secretions. Patients’ demographics, clinical and laboratory data, pharmacotherapy, and neonatal outcomes were analysed. Results: Out of the 153 registered pregnant women with COVID-19 treated at the gynaecology department of the University Clinical Centre of the Republic of Srpska, 19 (12.41%) critically ill pregnant/postpartum women (median age of 36 (IQR, 29–38) years) were admitted to the medical intensive care unit (MICU). The mortality rate was 21.05% (four patients) during the study period. Of all patients (19), 14 gave birth (73.68%), and 4 (21.05%) were treated with veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vvECMO). Conclusions: Fourteen infants were born prematurely and none of them died during hospitalisation. A high mortality rate was detected among the critically ill pregnant/postpartum patients treated with mechanical ventilation and vvECMO in the MICU. The preterm birth rate was high in patients who required a higher level of life support (vvECMO and ventilatory support).

Introduction: Hydrogen ion concentration which is expressed as pH value is in human blood maintained in narrow physiological range (7.36-7.44 in arterial blood). This range is crucial for normal functioning of most biochemical reactions. Extreme acidosis with pH

Research Question: The aim of this paper is to construct a numerical measure of EPL which takes into consideration the implementation of legislation and employment structure. Motivation: It is recognized in the literature that in countries with a significant share of the shadow economy the labour market flexibility is de facto higher than the original EPL index based on de iure conditions implies. Since the sub-index which refers to the workers with permanent contracts has the largest weight in the EPL index calculation, taking into consideration the share of workers with regular contracts in total employment would give a clearer picture about the real influence of individual sub-indices. Idea: For international comparisons of de iure strictness of the employment protection legislation, we use the latest official OECD data on EPL index and its sub-indices. The OECD data for Serbia shows only the values for EPR, EPC and EPRC sub-indices. After calculation of EPT sub-index and EPL index for Serbia, three adjusted indices are developed in order to capture the effective (i.e., de facto) strictness of the employment protection legislation in different countries. Data: The analysis was based on the latest available official OECD data on the EPL indices (2012 to 2015, depending on a country). For the calculation of missing sub-indices for Serbia, the main source of information was the Labour Law. Data on shadow economy are based on Krstic et al. (2013) and Schneider (2016), while the data regarding employment structure stem from Labour Force Surveys. Tools: Calculation of EPT and EPL indices was conducted in accordance with the official OECD methodology for calculating summary indicators of EPL strictness. The methodology for calculation of adjusted indices is developed on the initial basis of the previous research from Berger et al. (2016), Eamets & Paas (2007a), Boeri & van Ours (2008), Rutkowski & Scarpetta (2005) and Jandric (2014). Findings: The analysis was performed for 26 European countries. Rankings of European countries according to de facto strictness of the employment protection legislation differ significantly from the rankings made upon de iure strictness of the EPL. De facto external numerical flexibility of the labour market in Serbia is higher than when measured by the original unadjusted indices. Contribution: The main contribution of the paper is the development of the method for international comparisons of EPL, which provides a way to distinguish between de facto and de iure rigidity of employment protection legislation.

Introduction: Irritable bowel syndrome represents chronic, functional bowel disorder, without organic substrate, which manifests with abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea and/or constipation. Diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome includes anamnesis, physical examination and depending on indications, endo-scopic exam as well. Therapy includes medications and psychotherapy, during exacerbations. Case report: Female patient 26 year old, pays a visit to outpatient clinic, due to frequent stools in last couple of weeks. She has 2-4 stools a day, without mucilage or blood in the stool. She feels bloated and experiences abdominal discomfort , which subsides after emptying stool contents. She denies other symptoms and has been perfectly healthy up till now. After the examination we came up with working diagnosis-IBS and the patient was presented with the treatment plan. She disagrees with it and asks for specialist referral. From the first referral, to hospitalization, to making final diagnosis, a year has passed and the final diagnosis has been the same as the diagnosis made by the family medicine specialist. Conclusion: In order for primary care doctors to be health system gate keepers , it takes sufficient time for them to spend with a patient (reduce the number of patients seen daily), greater work autonomy and adequate health legislations, which is possible through systemic changes, as a result of a dialogue of all relevant participants in the health care system.

Plastics are a ubiquitous material with good mechanical, chemical and thermal properties, and are used in all industrial sectors. Large quantities, widespread use, and insufficient management of plastic wastes lead to low recycling rates. The key challenge in recycling plastic waste is achieving a higher degree of homogeneity between the different polymer material streams. Modern waste sorting plants use automated sensor-based sorting systems capable to sort out commodity plastics, while many engineering plastics, such as polyoxymethylene (POM), will end up in mixed waste streams and are therefore not recycled. A novel approach to increasing recycling rates is tracer-based sorting (TBS), which uses a traceable plastic additive or marker that enables or enhances polymer type identification based on the tracer’s unique fingerprint (e.g., fluorescence). With future TBS applications in mind, we have summarized the literature and assessed TBS techniques and spectroscopic detection methods. Furthermore, a comprehensive list of potential tracer substances suitable for thermoplastics was derived from the literature. We also derived a set of criteria to select the most promising tracer candidates (3 out of 80) based on their material properties, toxicity profiles, and detectability that could be applied to enable the circularity of, for example, POM or other thermoplastics.

This conversation between Peter McLaren and Petar Jandric brings about some of the most recent and deepest of McLaren's insights into the relationship between revolutionary critical pedagogy and liberation theology, and outlines the main directions of development of McLaren's thought during and after "Pedagogy of Insurrection." In the conversation, McLaren reveals his personal and theoretical path to liberation theology. He argues for the relevance of liberation theology for contemporary social struggles, links it with social sciences, and addresses some recent critiques of "Pedagogy of Insurrection." McLaren identifies the idolatry of money as the central point of convergence between liberation theology and Marxism. Developing this thought further, he asserts that Jesus was a communist. McLaren analyses the revolutionary praxis of liberation theology in Latin America, and concludes that the struggle needs to avoid violence and endure without losing tenderness. He analyzes the international politics of liberation theology and shows that liberation theology was demonized by the US administration because it works for the poor. McLaren then expands experiences from Latin America towards a global ethics of solidarity, criticizes Church positions on various matters, and insists on a critical approach to Church dogmas. He explores theoretical and practical dissonances between Marxism and Christianity, and expands them towards a more general dichotomy between the material and the spiritual. He explores the Christian eschaton--the arrival of the Kingdom of God--and links it to Marx's prophecy of the future socialist society. Finally, he explores ecumenical opportunities of liberation theology and firmly links it with the arrival of the socialist society.

Dewey was perhaps the foremost theorist and advocate of participatory democracy as an ethical ideal based on a belief and faith in human experience as a general theory of education that would generate the requisite aims and methods for what he called "organized intelligence" and what we might call today "collective intelligence"--that is, as he says, "faith in democracy is all one with faith in experience and education". In this paper we revisit Dewey's "Democracy and Education. An introduction to the philosophy of education" (1916/2001) in order to evaluate the growth and development of democracy against the decline of social democracy in the West. We identify the three turns which separate democracy of Dewey's times and democracy of today--the global, the ecological, and the digital turn--and relate them to changing notions of citizenship. We analyse complex interplay between the turns, and show that they cannot be understood and/or analysed in separation. While the identified turns have indeed significantly changed circumstances in which Dewey produced his understanding of democracy, we conclude that his work still carries a lot of value and call for its reinvention in and for the age of digital reason.

This article results from a collaborative investigation into Antipodean theory in education by members of the Editors' Collective (www.editorscollective.org.nz). The Prologue contains a brief personal account of the South Project (www.southernperspectives.net), as an example of the contemporary projects and activities falling under the banner of "Antipodean" ways of working and thinking. The Introduction briefly reviews the history of (mainly Western) ideas about the Antipodes, from classical Greek philosophy through to the contemporary globalised era. This is followed by a synopsis of the motivations, purposes and benefits of Antipodean theory, with more detailed examinations of equality, indigeneity, replication and creation as some of its central elements. We consider the role of Antipodean thinking as a located critical theory for education, and a way to defend our aspirations for equality and social justice against the incursions of neoliberalism, today and in the future.

This conversation explores unschooling through theory and personal experience of Astra Taylor, who examines deschooling alongside the continua of Freedom/Oppression, Personal Control/Personal Autonomy, Solitude/Boredom, Privilege/Social Reproduction, Socialisation/Democracy. Taylor reveals complex relationships between the main strands of her work: film-making and activism. She analyses the dual nature of the contemporary university, and defines it as a place of oppression and freedom. Taylor explains own preference for activism over academic work, talks about her involvement in Occupy Wall Street Movement, and describes her experience as one of the founders of the Rolling Jubilee campaign. Taylor moves on to argue that there is a need to augment traditional trade unions in the US, and introduces an alternative organization called the Debt Collective. In her analyses Taylor pays particular attention to digital media, which serve as important vehicles for her activism. It is here that she develops a sophisticated theory of cultural work in the digital context, the rising tensions between amateurs and professionals, market-oriented platforms for social networking, and political economy of digital work including but not limited to personal branding. Finally, Taylor shows that contemporary social movements have a lot to learn from their historical counterparts, links the past and the present of activism, and asserts that the contemporary left is going to have to refight some old battles on the new networked terrain.

In this interview Guy Standing outlines the main links between the precariat and the universal basic income. He briefly comments on the relationships of his work to traditional Marxism, and expands his critique of the precariat towards information and communication technologies. He identifies common features of the global precariat, and links them to creation of a common global class identity. Moving on to transformative potentials of the universal basic income, he dismisses ancient labels and frameworks as unnecessary and potentially misleading, and calls for reinvention of the contemporary language of progress. Finally, he seeks critical emancipation of the precariat in urgent decommodification of all aspects of education and information.

This conversation is the first systemic attempt to capture Peter McLaren's ideas about the relationships between critical revolutionary pedagogy and virtuality. It introduces the main problems with educational postmodernism, explains Peter's return towards the Marxist-humanist trajectory, and addresses contemporary challenges to Marx's dialectical thought. It analyses global changes in the structure of production, and juxtaposes the mass society shaped by one-way media such as television with the network society shaped by bi-directional communication powered by the Internet. The conversation reveals critical potentials of ecopedagogy at the intersections between education and information and communication technologies and analyses the main messages from Ivan Illich. It explores the main features of the emerging digital cultures, identifies underlying values and ideologies, and links them to the divisions between the global South and the global North. It analyses distinct features of contemporary youth movements and revisits the emerging transformations of the concept of the state. It looks into the relationships between information and power, explores algorithmic regulation through technological innovation, and analyses various challenges pertaining to "big data". Finally, it provides a brief insight into Peter McLaren's modus operandi and his personal thoughts and feelings about information and communication technologies.

This article reflects on the position of people in, against and beyond information and communication technologies. Firstly, using Jandric and Kuzmanic's work on digital postcolonialism, Raymond Williams's work on residual and emergent cultures, and Deleuze and Guattari's insights into the dynamics between territorialization, de-territorialization and re-territorialization, it develops a theoretical framework for inquiry into the hybrid identity of the contemporary university. Then, through critical discourse analysis (CDA), the article moves on to analyse the ways in which technology discourse resides in the dominating ideology of technological determinism and co-opts with neoliberal agendas by omitting humans from explicit mention in UK policy documents. It shows that true counter-hegemonic practice against dominating social practices is possible only through reinvigorating the central position of human beings in regards to information and communication technologies. Within the developed theoretical framework, it seeks openings to intervene subversively into current relationships between technologies, people, and (higher) education, and to identify opportunities for building a non-determinist identity of the contemporary university that reaches beyond the single-minded logic of techno-scientific development. In the process, it situates Paulo Freire's insights into critical pedagogy in the context of the network society, and places the relationships between human beings, language and information and communication technologies amongst central questions of today's (higher) education and society at large.

This article explores contemporary potentials for Illich's 1971 proposal to replace institutional schooling with non-institutional large-scale educational infrastructure, and shows that his visions of deschooling through technology could be embodied on the internet in the form of deschooling virtuality. This conclusion is methodologically restricted in three ways. First, the concept of deschooling heavily depends on one's views to human nature. Second, deschooling society is dialectically intertwined with the concept of conviviality, while deschooling virtuality is based on non-convivial technologies which lead directly to radical monopoly. Third, even the most developed deschooling virtuality might never transform into deschooling society. Despite those restrictions, the article concludes that Illich's deschooling has graduated from mere vision to the real opportunity. Realization of this opportunity will depend on future scientific and social developments and, ultimately, on collective human decision.

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This paper explores the philosophical background of one of the most widespread Web based sources used in contemporary education--Wikipedia. Theoretical part consists of the basic notions of anarchist philosophy of education such as human nature, work and society. Through Chomsky's prism of visions and goals, it provides the frame for further analysis. The practical part shows that Wikipedia creates a virtual anarchist society: open, ludic engagement in this society is fully interwoven with the specific kind of education of all its members. Offering an insight into the often neglected area of social and political ideas underlying the use of technology in education, this paper offers a conceptual bridge between contemporary Digital Immigrant educators and their predominantly Digital Native patrons, thus contributing to the better understanding of education in and for the third millennium. (Contains 1 figure.)

The aim of the paper was to explore the functional correlation of, on one hand,the treatment and rehabilitation duration, and, on the other hand, the length of theamputation stump in the persons with the tibia amputation after explosion or shootingwounds. The cause was obtained by the random choice method from the protocols ofthe hospitalized patients. The average stump length was 19,22±3,36 cm. The correlationmethod gave very low values of the Pearson correlation coefficient (r=0,025).Such a result shows that there is no correlation between the stump length and therehabilitation duration (to the prosthesis phase). We can conclude that the stumplength in our sample is optimal for the prosthesis and that it has not considerablyaffected the rehabilitation duration when dealing with the war injuries of this type.

Background: Diabetics have a 3-fold risk for cardiovascular diseases compared with non-diabetics. This study was designed to evaluate cerebral hemodynamic changes related to type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) with transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD). TCD is a highly sensitive and specific method of quick bedside assessment of cerebrovascular circulation hemodynamics. Patients and Methods: In a prospective study, we compared a group of 100 patients with the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (aged 48 to 67 years) and an age- and sex-matched control group of 100 healthy subjects without diabetes mellitus. We measured flow velocities (Vm) and the Gosling pulsatility index (PI) of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Results: The rate of TCD abnormalities was significantly higher in diabetic patients than in healthy control subjects (55% vs. 11%, P< 0.05). The PI was significantly higher in diabetic patients than in healthy controls (P< 0.001). Atherosclerotic changes were found in 34.0% and 71.4% of patients suffering from diabetes for < 5 and ≥5 years, respectively. Conclusion: This study suggests that TCD is a useful marker for the detection of diabetic cerebrovascular changes. The duration and type of diabetes were found to have an impact on the development of pathologic cerebrovascular changes.