Djinns as transformative otherness: forms of toxic kinship in postmillennial Turkish horror film

Despite the absence of horror as an established genre in the national cinema of Turkey, the djinn-themed horror films emerged as one of the most popular areas of cultural production in the early 2000s. Investing in the figure of the djinn, which originates from Anatolian folklore, Turkic shamanism, and Islamic mythology, these horror films tell paranormal stories of witchcraft, black magic, demonic possession, and exorcism. This study locates this new genre formation as a symptomatic response to, and a pragmatic appropriation of, not only the changing dynamics of identity in the dominant Turkish political culture, but also the global postmillennial revival of “folk horror”, “paranormal horror”, “occult horror”, and “found-footage horror”. Among this new culture of horror filmmaking, the Dabbe (2006-2015), Siccin (2014-2019), and Üç Harfliler (2010-2019) cycles have proved the most popular. Revenge, grief, adultery, resentment, class conflicts, segregation, and heterodoxy are recurring themes in these stories, and the horror is often located within the heteronormative family unit through representations of monstrous, demonic women who practice witchcraft and black magic – to kill, to break or restore attachments, to take revenge, and to curse or haunt households by communicating with the djinns through the laborious rituals of black magic. This study examines these horror films by addressing the ways in which they (i) represent the ideological crisis of gender identity and familialism captured in the wider generic system of postmillennial Turkish screen media; (ii) negotiate the affiliations of the djinn and the black magic with heterodoxy and religion-folklore syncretisms; (iii) use film form and style to register the horrific; and (iv) encourage their producers and directors to interpret their target audiences and reflect on the processes of production and reception

A rapid microwave approach for ‘one-pot’ synthesis of antibiotic conjugated silver nanoparticles with antimicrobial activity against multi-drug resistant bacterial pathogens

Deaths directly attributable to drug-resistant infections reached 1.27 million in 2019 and continue to rise. This escalating resistance to antibiotics has driven a resurgence in the exploration of ancient antimicrobials to develop efficacious alternatives. The modern field of nanomaterials is a promising area of research with silver nanoparticles performing well as antimicrobial agents due to their large surface area and multiple bacterial targets. In the current study antibiotic conjugated silver nanoparticles (3–35 nm) were synthesized using β-lactam antibiotic, ampicillin. The method of heating during synthesis either microwave (4 min) or convection (4 h) influenced the physical characteristics of the ampicillin coated silver nanoparticles, however both approaches produced nanomaterials with antimicrobial activity against a variety of multi-drug resistant (MDR) clinical isolates in physiologically relevant media (when present at <0.2–2.28 mg L 1 in defined media). Critically, the microwave method is five times faster than the traditional water bath method, allowing rapid synthesis of ampicillin-conjugated nanoparticles, which supports scale up processes for industry. We suggest that the combination of antibiotic and silver in these nanoparticles produces a synergistic effect that circumvents resistance mechanisms and has the potential to provide a new line of combinatorial agents able to treat multi-drug resistant infections

Alexithymia in athletic populations: prevalence, and relationship with self-control and reinvestment

Alexithymia is the inability to identify or describe feelings, with a tendency for externally oriented thinking; these facets have potential benefits for athletic performance. This study explored the prevalence of alexithymia among athletes, across different sports and athletic ability, and considered the relationship between alexithymia and trait self-control, and between alexithymia and reinvestment. Athletes (N = 787) completed a 15-min online survey which comprised self-report questionnaires (e.g., demographic, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Movement Specific Reinvestment Scale (MSRS), Decision Specific Reinvestment Scale (DSRS), and The Brief Self-Control Scale). The overall prevalence of high-alexithymia was notable in an athletic population; analyzes revealed that high-static-dynamic sports had higher alexithymia scores compared to low-static-dynamic sports. Athletes with higher alexithymia scores were related to lower trait self-control, in addition to higher MSRS and DSRS scores. The findings of the present study suggest that alexithymic athletes experience emotional dysregulation issues, are more likely to engage in risky behaviors, and engage in processes which are detrimental to their performance. This study represents an initial exploration, and future research should expand upon these findings to fully determine the performance outcomes of alexithymia in sport

Design of low-cost sensor-based solution to support thermal comfort

The effects of global warming caused by human activities have impacted people’s daily lives around the world with more frequency in the last 20 years. It is estimated that by 2050 the global temperature will increase by 3˚C with respect to 2020. These increases in temperature have been noticeable in recent years with heatwaves, extreme temperatures, and draughts, particularly affecting areas with already high temperatures. This paper presents an initial design of a low-cost sensor-based solution to support thermal comfort in homes (rooms or areas in the living space) in the northeast of Mexico, where temperatures already reached 45˚C in 2024. The solution proposed is comprised by three types of ambient sensors (movement, temperature and humidity), and a smart ring wearable sensor. The sensors will first collect data to build a profile of the environment and the users, and then to detect conditions that are not safe for the users, such as extreme high and low temperatures based on their personalised profile. This data will be complemented with thermal comfort surveys and self-perceived health surveys. Relevant information will be displayed to users in a user-friendly dashboard

When is more actually better? expert opinions on assessment of situation awareness in relation to safe driving

The use of situation awareness (SA) measures to assess relative safety in driving is common, with higher levels of SA being interpreted as safer. These relative interpretations do not allow researchers to determine whether the level of SA could be considered “safe” or “unsafe”. In contrast to such interpretations based on relative performance, the current position paper explores the potential for a normative interpretation of situation awareness with regard to safety assessment in driving. A series of expert interviews yielded viewpoints on the current relation between SA and safe driving, theoretical underpinnings for a normative approach, and potential actions towards an SA criterion for safe or unsafe driving. Methodological challenges regarding a normative approach are discussed together with considerations towards a weighted criterion-based approach to SA. The selection of SA requirements relevant for safety and the differentiation and weighting of these requirements on high and lower importance is presented. A method towards objective determination of relevance and weight of SA requirements may increase the usefulness of SA measures for assessment of safety in a driving context

Association between gambling disorder and suicide mortality: a comparative cohort study using Norwegian health registry data

Background: Gambling disorder has been consistently linked to suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, but few studies have investigated the association between gambling disorder and suicide mortality. This study examined the risk of suicide mortality associated with gambling disorder compared to the general population and other patient groups. Methods: A registry-based cohort study was conducted employing individual-level linked and aggregated data from Norwegian nationwide health registries. The study population comprised all patients with gambling disorder in Norway (n = 6899) for the period 2008 to 2021. Standardized mortality ratios were estimated to assess suicide risk among gambling disorder patients against the adult Norwegian general population. Cox regressions were used to estimate hazard ratios comparing suicide risk among patients with gambling disorder to 12 comparison groups comprising patients treated for other conditions (n = 391,897). Findings: Suicide was the leading cause of death among patients with gambling disorder (37 of 148 deaths; 25%). Patients with gambling disorder had a higher suicide risk than the general population (standardized mortality ratio = 5.12, 95% CI [3.71; 7.06]), and 5 of 12 patient groups with other conditions. Suicide risk was not significantly different when compared to that of patients with anxiety disorders, personality disorders, or depression. However, suicide risk was lower among patients with gambling disorder than patients with substance use disorders, alcohol dependence, psychotic disorders, or mood disorders. Interpretation: Norwegian patients with gambling disorder have an elevated risk of suicide mortality but the risk is similar to or lower than other patient groups known to be at increased suicide risk