Geograficzna ignorancja: ożywcza rola wiedzy geograficznej dla decydentów

The ongoing environmental, social, and cultural problems in today’s world indicate that geographic knowledge (GK) is not given sufficient importance by decision-makers. On the other hand, decision-makers, when making crucial decisions that impact competitiveness, economic well-being, and environmental stability, face significant risks and potential costs due to gaps in GK and a lack of awareness. In this context, this article presents a theoretical investigation that underscores how GK can assist decision-makers in achieving success in their decisions. We characterize GK with a mindset emphasizing the complex spatial system connections and the significant role of space in decision-making processes. The article discusses this topic at the local-regional, national, and international scales. As a result, we argue that addressing the knowledge gaps of decision-makers is impactful in enhancing their capacity to understand the mutual relationships among environmental dynamics at various scales and enables the synthesis of economic, political, social, and cultural mechanisms within human society. Considering the support of theory for empirical studies, we hope that this study will also support empirical research related to planning. Overcoming challenges requires a holistic approach that not only equips decision-makers with GK but also enables its effective implementation throughout the planning process.Bieżące problemy środowiskowe, społeczne i kulturowe we współczesnym świecie wskazują, że wiedza geograficzna nie jest wystarczająco ważna dla decydentów. Z drugiej strony, decydenci, podejmując kluczowe decyzje, które wpływają na konkurencyjność, dobrobyt gospodarczy i stabilność środowiska, stają w obliczu znacznego ryzyka i potencjalnych kosztów z powodu luk w wiedzy geograficznej i braku świadomości. W tym kontekście niniejszy artykuł przedstawia teoretyczne badanie, które podkreśla, w jaki sposób wiedza geograficzna może pomóc decydentom w osiągnięciu sukcesu w podejmowaniu decyzji. Charakteryzujemy wiedzę geograficzną, podkreślając złożone powiązania systemu przestrzennego i znaczącą rolę przestrzeni w procesach decyzyjnych. Artykuł omawia ten temat w skali lokalnej, regionalnej, krajowej i międzynarodowej. W rezultacie argumentujemy, że zajęcie się lukami w wiedzy decydentów ma wpływ na zwiększenie ich zdolności do zrozumienia wzajemnych relacji między dynamiką środowiska w różnych skalach i umożliwia syntezę mechanizmów gospodarczych, politycznych, społecznych i kulturowych w społeczeństwie. Biorąc pod uwagę znaczenie teorii dla badań empirycznych, mamy nadzieję, że badanie niniejsze będzie również wspierać badania empiryczne związane z planowaniem. Pokonywanie wyzwań wymaga holistycznego podejścia, które nie tylko wyposaża decydentów w wiedzę geograficzną, ale także umożliwia jej skuteczne wdrażanie w całym procesie planowania

F.J. Turner’s ‘frontier thesis’: the ruse of American ‘character'

American society was transformed by the expansion of capital Westward and the explosion in opportunities that ensued for land grabbing and agricultural and industrial investment. In Turner’s (1961) frontier thesis this was portrayed as resulting in the emergence of ‘the new man’ i.e. the fulfilment of American character. The frontier thesis is a neo-Darwinian contribution. It posits exceptionalism and transcendence as the keys to American character. The gene pool of the Americans, thriving in a new geographical and social environment, is depicted as achieving a higher level of development than the stratified societies of Old Europe. What the thesis ignores is the importance of orthodox Eurocentric strategies of colonization and land appropriation. Turner portrays pioneer/settler society as a heroic departure, but in many ways, it is a continuation of European precedents. Analogously, the proposition that the push West crystallized American character obscures the role of personality, especially in urban-industrial settings, in establishing the parameters of American life. Turner conceived of character as emerging from a struggle with the spatial frontier. But the struggles of personality with the social frontier of repression and establishment values is no less significant. The paper examines the tensions between character and personality by using some ideas developed by Carl Schmitt on the significance of ‘the opportunity’ in competitive advantage. The importance of the opportunity and personality in developing the American way of life are examined by the vaudeville and celebrity traditions. The exploitation of contingency for personal advantage, the use of melodrama to engineer social impact, the social validation of forthright behaviour are examined in the context of the careers of the film actress Mae West and the comedian Bob Hope

The use of vacuum fine needle aspiration biopsy of small formations in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer

Introduction. Diagnosis and treatment of lesional pathology of the thyroid are important problems in Russia and worldwide. Currently, fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is the main technique of differential diagnosis of benign and malignant tumors of the thyroid. In 2023, clinical guidelines of the European Thyroid Association (ETA) on thyroid lesion treatment were published noting possible minimally invasive treatment of benign and malignant tumors of the thyroid requiring repeat cytologic verification. Despite the proven effectiveness of FNA, its informativity and specificity vary between 60 and 100 %. Additionally, this method is associated with high risk of false negative and false positive results. Therefore, there is a need to improve FNA and minimize its disadvantages.Aim. To evaluate the capabilities of vacuum FNA of small lesions using multiparameter ultrasound in diagnosis of thyroid cancer.Materials and methods. At the scientific and practical problem laboratory Diagnostic Studies and Minimally Invasive Technologies of the Smolensk State Medical University, a device for vacuum FNA was developed. Between 2023 and 2024, patients with thyroid lesions of size <10 mm underwent 25 vacuum FNAs. Correlation analysis with 51 FNAs performed between 2020 and 2023 was performed.Results. A decrease in the number of nondiagnostic (category I per the Bethesda system, 2017) and undetermined (category III per the Bethesda system, 2017) results was observed. Comparison of preoperative cytologic conclusions (category V per the Bethesda system, 2017) with the results of postoperative histological examination in patients of the control group showed benign lesions in 2 (50 %) cases which correspond to false negative results. Vacuum FNA did not show this discrepancy. These results demonstrate a decrease in the probability of false negative results and effectiveness of vacuum FNA.Conclusion. Use of vacuum FNA expedites ultrasound-guided biopsy for small thyroid lesions. Due to high negative pressure (up to –0.8 bar), single-step retrieval of cytologic material is performed which leads to a decrease in the number of nondiagnostic and undetermined cytologic conclusions by 11.7 and 1.9 %, respectively

ADAMTS4, 5, 9, and 15 expressions in the autopsied brain of patients with Alzheimer’s disease: A preliminary immunohistochemistry study

Objective: Recent studies performed in the central nervous system highlight the pathophysiological relevance of A disintegrin-like and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS) genes and their protein products. The determination of alterations in expression profiles of ADAMTS family genes in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients may contribute to the explanation of tissue pathology and also new ideas for remedial approaches for this incurable but preventable disease. Therefore, the goal of this study was to describe and identify the distribution, characteristics, and any changes in the expression, in other words, immunoreactivity, for aggrecanases (ADAMTS4, 5, 9, and 15) proteins in AD brain. Methods: Nine cases that were autopsied in the Council of Forensic Medicine, Bursa Morgue Department in 2013, were selected. All of the cases were sent for autopsy to the institution within 8 hours after death. At autopsy, tissue samples were obtained for histopathological examination of organs for determining the cause of death. Out of these, two cases were diagnosed with AD by neurologists when they were alive. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on the brain slides by using relevant primary and secondary antibodies against aggrecanase proteins. All images were acquired using a X200 objective of a microscope (Olympus BX53) and evaluated by the staining intensity using a semi-quantitative scoring system. Results: ADAMTS4 and 5 were slightly under-expressed in the brains from autopsied AD cases compared to those of control brains and suggested that extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation was not endorsed in AD brain. On the other hand, ADAMTS9 and 15 aggrecanases were not found to be expressed in correspondent brain sections of AD and control cases. Conclusion: The current study demonstrated that some aggrecanases were found to be under-expressed in AD brains. Additional studies in which all ADAMTS enzymes will be studied in terms of mRNA and protein levels are needed to understand the relative contributions of ADAMTS genes and proteins in AD brains

The Mechanisms of Medial Pedicle Wall Violation: Insertion Method Is as Important as Correct Cannulation of the Pedicle

A cadaver study aims to determine the mechanisms of medial pedicle wall violation after a correct cannulation of the pedicle. The study presents finding out the effect of insertion angle and insertion force on medial wall violation. We used 100 lumbar pedicles of cadavers. Special wooden blocks were produced to simulate a fixed angle fault after a correct pedicle cannulation. Pedicles were divided into 4 groups: 10-degree free drive (group 10), 15-degree free drive (group 15), 10-degree push drive (group 10P), and 15-degree push drive (group 15P). After insertion of pedicle screws, laminectomies were done and the pedicles were evaluated from the inside. Pedicle complications were more in group 10P than group 10 (P=0.009). Medial wall fracture (P=0.002) and canal penetration were more in group 15P than group 15 (P=0.001). Groups 10P and 15P were similar regarding medial wall fractures but canal penetration was significantly higher in group 15P (P=0.001). Medial wall breaches can happen after correct cannulation of pedicles. Change in insertion angle is one factor but the most important factor is the use of a pushing force while inserting a screw. The pedicle seems to be extremely tolerant to insertion angulation mistakes up to 10 degrees and tends to lead the screw into the correct path spontaneously

Tools for Semi-automated Landform Classification: A Comparison in the Basilicata Region (Southern Italy)

Recent advances in spatial methods of digital elevation model (DEMs) analysis have addressed many research topics on the assessment of morphometric parameters of the landscape. Development of computer algorithms for calculating the geomorphometric properties of the Earth’s surface has allowed for expanding of some methods in the semi-automatic recognition and classification of landscape features. In such a way, several papers have been produced, documenting the applicability of the landform classification based on map algebra. The Topographic Position Index (TPI) is one of the most widely used parameters for semi-automated landform classification using GIS software. The aim was to apply the TPI classes for landform classification in the Basilicata Region (Southern Italy). The Basilicata Region is characterized by an extremely heterogeneous landscape and geological features. The automated landform extraction, starting from two different resolution DEMs at 20 and 5 m-grids, has been carried out by using three different GIS software: Arcview, Arcmap, and SAGA. Comparison of the landform maps resulting from each software at a different scale has been realized, furnishing at the end the best landform map and consequently a discussion over which is the best software implementation of the TPI method