GSU Professor Named to MLA Committee

Dr. Rosemary Erickson Johnsen, Assistant Professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences at Governors State University was appointed recently to the Modern Language Association’s Committee on the Status of Women in the Profession. The MLA is an international organization for university faculty in English and modern languages with more than 30,000 members in 100 countries. The association serves as a forum for the discussion and dissemination of scholarly findings, teaching experiences, and standardized writing guidelines as it works to strengthen the study and teaching of language and literature

Kinesitherapeutic Approach towards Pectus Carinatum Deformity: A Clinical Case

Introduction: A protruding chest is an overgrowth of the rib cartilage that causes protrusion of the sternum due to rapid growth during puberty, vitamin D deficiency, hereditary transmission, and others. The deformity "pectus carinatum" can be classified as chondrogladiolar or chondromanubrial, depending on the place of greatest protrusion, and lateral deformations are possible. Treatment is usually performed conservatively by corset reinforcement, but in very rare cases, surgery is required. Kinesitherapy is widely used in pectus carinatum; it combines a variety of exercises and techniques that further enhance the effect of treatment.The aim of the article is to observe the effectiveness of an individually appointed kinesitherapy program for a patient with pectus carinatum.Material and Methods: A case of a 13-year-old girl with complaints of chest and back pain is being considered. After consultation with an orthopedist, a deformity of the sternum was found, with a stronger protrusion of the right thoracic half against the background of mild S-shaped thoracolumbar scoliosis. Conservative treatment was prescribed, including exercise therapy for the spine, swimming, a dorsal corset, and a compression corset. The patient was referred to the University Center of Oriental Medicine of MU-Varna (UCOM) for the implementation of an individual rehabilitation treatment plan. A set of exercises was applied every other day for 1 month, after which the patient continued to perform them independently. After the treatment, she was recommended a visit to UCOM twice a month in order to monitor the results achieved and adapt the program to her specific condition.Results: Based on the applied plan, the following results have been achieved: an improvement in posture, muscle strengthening, and overcoming muscle imbalance.Conclusion: The selection of the right methods and materials, their proper application, and implementation, together with constancy and the desire for improvement, lead not only to visible results but also support the overall functioning of the individual

Physiotherapy for Postural Disorders in the Lumbar Region

Hypodynamia and incorrect posture determine the increasing frequency and lower age limit of spinal distortions and, in particular, of postural disorders in the lumbo-sacral region. They are one of the most common causes of musculoskeletal dysfunctions in the back area, disability, and reduced quality of life. Active kinesitherapy serves as the foundation for the treatment and prevention of postural disorders in the lumbar region and dealing with the accompanying pain and discomfort.The aim of this article is to assess postural disorders in the lumbar region among second-year students specializing in "Kinesitherapy" and propose a kinesitherapeutic methodology for their treatment and prevention.Materials and methods: The study involves a literature review on the nature and development of dorso-ventral curvatures in the lumbar spine. Second-year students specializing in "Kinesitherapy" are the subjects of the research. To evaluate postural dysfunctions, various tests were conducted, including somatoscopy, the Schober lumbar mobility test, functional muscle shortening tests in the lumbar spine and hip joint, and manual muscle testing to assess trunk muscle strength.Results: The results indicated an increased lumbar lordosis and a positive Schober test in 60% of the examined. The results of manual muscle testing showed weakness of the abdominal and gluteal muscles in 80% of the participants. Shortening tests demonstrated reduced mobility in the m. iliopsoas

Managing Risk in A Crisis Situation in The Company

Modern business organizations cannot rely on guaranteed development in an uncertain external and internal environment, generating a variety of dangers and threats, each of which requires a specific approach and a specific model of behavior. Adapting to the requirements of the external environment requires effective management of the “input-process-output” cycle. This management goes through different phases of recovery, stagnation, or crisis, requiring risk perception as an objective and permanent asset in the organization. That implies focusing of the management’s efforts on the detection of the determinants of individual types of risk, a research on possible adjustments of these determinants as well as establishment of a system allowing elimination of the existing risks. It is very important for the managers to diversify the risks which come out of the crisis. They should identify, measure, and assess the potential risks by priority, to develop program measures guaranteeing the company conditions where it could continue fulfilling its aims and tasks. The article presents the most common problems in a company’s management during crisis and focuses on the possible responses to risk, intended to minimize the consequences of events with negative effects or respectively to maximize those with positive effects

Tautomerism of 4,4′-dihydroxy-1,1′-naphthaldazine studied by experimental and theoretical methods

BACKGROUND: The title compound belongs to the class of bis-azomethine pigments. On the basis of comparative studies on similar structures, insight into the complex excited state dynamics of such compounds has been gained. It has been shown, for example, that only compounds that possess hydroxyl groups are fluorescent, and that the possibility for cis-trans isomerisation and/or bending motions of the central bis-azomethine fragment allows for different non-radiative decay pathways. RESULTS: The compound, 4,4'-dihydroxy-1,1'-naphthaldazine (1) was synthesized and characterized by means of spectroscopic and quantum chemical methods. The tautomerism of 1 was studied in details by steady state UV-Vis spectroscopy and time resolved flash photolysis. The composite shape of the absorption bands was computationally resolved into individual subbands. Thus, the molar fraction of each component and the corresponding tautomeric constants were estimated from the temperature dependent spectra in ethanol. CONCLUSIONS: According to the spectroscopic data the prevalent tautomer is the diol form, which is in agreement with the theoretical (HF and DFT) predictions. The experimental data show, however, that all three tautomers coexist in solution even at room temperature. Relevant theoretical results were obtained after taking into account the solvent effect by the so-called supermolecule-PCM approach. The TD-DFT B3LYP/6-31 G** calculated excitation energies confirm the assignment of the individual bands obtained from the derivative spectroscopy

Effectiveness Of The Application Of Kinesio Tape In Athletes

One of the most popular methods of treatment and prevention in sports and kinesitherapy practice is the application of kinesio tape. The method involves placing an elastic band on the skin, used in the recovery process of musculoskeletal dysfunctions, pain control and improvement of sports performance. The aim of the present article is to research the effectiveness of the application of kinesio tape in athletes. A review of the scientific literature related to the application of kinesio tape in different groups of athletes was carried out.  In addition, it is being investigated whether this method leads to significant changes in terms of recovery after soft tissue injuries, faster return to sports activity and better sports performance. Material and methods: a review of scientific articles, meta-analyses, surveys and studies published from 2012 to 2023 from online databases such as PubMed, National Library of Medicine, Google Scholar was performed. Results: research related to the effectiveness of kinesio tape application in athletes is contradictionary. While some studies suggest that kinesio taping may be effective in improving athletic performance, other studies find little to no benefit. Despite the disagreements, most authors are united by the fact that more studies and evidence are needed on the subject. Conclusion: based on the scientific evidence, it can be concluded that a large number of athletes find kinesio tape to be an effective method of treatment and prevention in sports practice

Qigong: essence, theory, and practice

Qigong, which contains elements of philosophy and martial arts, is part of traditional Chinese medicine. Qigong combines movement, breathing, meditation, and coordinated body posture techniques in order to achieve the targeted positive effects of relaxation, exercise, self-improvement, and martial arts training, which are all regarded as preventive and alternative medicine. Qigong finds wide application in modern times. The two main categories of Qigong practice—dynamic or active Qigong and meditative or passive Qigong—are practiced not only in China but all over the world.The aim of the following article is to study and present the impact and benefits of practicing Qigong on the human body for curative and prophylactic purposes

Relevant research questions for decentralised (personal) data governance

Protecting and preserving individuals’ personal data is a legal obligation set out by the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). However, the process of implementing data governance to support that, in a decentralised ecosystem, is still vague. Motivated by the need for lawful decentralised data processing, this paper outlines several relevant questions from legal, privacy and technology standpoints that need to be considered