Search Results (13)

Religious symbols and figures are gaining new life in popular culture. Reinterpretations of symbols rooted in the visual arts tradition are appearing in film, TV series and short audiovisual forms presented on the Internet, especially on social media. This also applies to angels, to which the author’s research would be devoted. This article discusses images of “secular angels”, decontextualized religious symbols, popularized throughout the 20th and 21st centuries in the visual media of Western culture. From the rich research material, the most characteristic images are selected for discussion and interpretation and subjected to interpretation in the spirit of discourse analysis. The images of modern “angels” in the texts of popular culture refer not so much to their biblical prototypes, but to the moral condition of man in consumerist, individualistic societies focused on living for pleasure. Film, TV series and Internet images of “angels” also show the controversies and social problems (such as racism) faced by contemporary Western societies. Full article

Objective: To better understand the strategies family caregivers of children with medical complexity (CMC) utilize to deal with the stress and challenges associated with caregiving. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional qualitative study among family caregivers of CMC receiving medical care at a children’s hospital in Western Pennsylvania. Participants completed in-depth, semi-structured interviews focused on how CMC family caregivers approach and manage caregiving-related challenges and stress. Using constant comparative methodology, we inductively analyzed deidentified transcripts for emergent themes. Results: We interviewed 19 participants (89.4% female) with a mean age of 43 years (range 32–54 years). The mean age of the participants’ children was 10.8 years (range 1–20 years). Twelve participants’ children identified as white and four identified as Black. Three central themes regarding CMC caregivers’ stress-coping strategies emerged: (1) maintaining a positive mindset, (2) developing and relying on interpersonal support networks, and (3) making time for self-preservation. All three themes were universally reported (n = 19/19) by our participants. The most common subthemes for each theme, respectively, focused on staying hopeful and celebrating moments of joy; cultivating supportive relationships with family, friends, and fellow CMC family caregivers; and finding pleasure in “little things” (e.g., everyday activities and hobbies). Conclusion: Family caregivers of CMC utilize a multi-faceted approach to cope with the stress and challenges routinely encountered in caring for CMC. This study’s findings could be used to inform future clinical efforts and research directions aiming to improve clinicians’ ability to support CMC caregivers’ well-being. Full article

In contemporary society, the discourse on body image is increasingly emerging as a notable social issue. In particular, the body positivity movement is promoting healthy body image and self-esteem through various means. This study was conducted to analyze the discourse on sustainable body image in Korean society. User-generated content from 1 January 2014 to 31 July 2023 underwent data refinement and term frequency (TF), TF–inverse document frequency (TF–IDF), and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) analyses. The number of blog posts in 2020 was nearly triple the number in 2019. Thus, the analysis period was divided into first (from 2014 to 2019) and second (from 2020 to 31 July 2023) periods. The TF–IDF analysis showed that shooting, photo, diet, exercise, goal, and challenge were among the top words in the first period, while Instagram-related words were mosr frequent in the second period. This finding suggested that social distancing policies significantly affected social media usage. The LDA analysis revealed five topics that were common in the first and second periods and three topics that emerged in the second period. Overall, while Western societies tend to idealize specific body types, body image discourse in Korea is centered around exercise as a means to achieve “photography” or “photo shoot”-related goals. Exercise is perceived as an activity performed for pleasure rather than attaining a particular body shape. Furthermore, there is a desire to document one’s body beautifully and maintain exercise habits in the long run. The results of this study could serve as foundational material for establishing and sustaining a positive body image culture. Full article

Horses are transported in the United States more than any other livestock species and co-mingle at various events; therefore, they are considered to be at an increased risk for infectious disease transmission. The fragmented movement of horses combined with numerous sites of co-mingling makes tracing the potential spread of a disease outbreak a necessary part of an infection control plan, both locally and nationally. The cross-movement of personnel with horses and the persistence of endemic diseases make biosecurity implementation an ongoing challenge. Although many of the risks for infection are known, there is limited documentation about the usefulness of prospective control measures. The objective of this survey was to determine horse owners’ understanding and knowledge of biosecurity practices for preventing infectious diseases in the United States. Questions covered owner demographic information, including horse use which was divided into 10 categories as follows: Pleasure/Trail Riding, Lessons/School, Western Show, English Show, Breeding, Farm/Ranch, Retired, Racing, Driving and Other. The survey was distributed by sending requests to a list of horse owner organizations, which then sent emails to their members. The email request described the survey and provided a website link to start the survey. A total of 2413 responses were collected. Analysis of the results included cross-tabulation to identify significant differences in biosecurity knowledge and awareness by horse use. Significant differences by horse use were identified for vaccination, biosecurity planning, use of isolation, disease risk, monitoring for diseases, co-mingling of horses, sanitation, medical decision making and health record requirements for horse events. In summary, the results suggest that most owners are not highly concerned about the risk of disease or the use of biosecurity. There are several biosecurity applications and techniques which can be increased and will benefit horse health and welfare. These include reliance on temperature monitoring, isolation of new horses at facilities, risks of horse mingling, entry requirements such as vaccination and health certificates at events, and an emphasis on having biosecurity plans for facilities and events where horses co-mingle. The information from this study will be used to create tools and information that horse owners and veterinarians can use to implement appropriate biosecurity practices for different types of horse uses and events. Full article

With the increase in life expectancy, expectation of a longer healthy life is also increasing. Importance of consumption of certain foods is confirmed to have a strong effect on quality of life. One of the healthiest dietary patterns consistently associated with a range of beneficial health outcomes is the Mediterranean diet (MD). The aim of this study was to assess MD adherence in the population over 50 years of age, in Europe, with special reference to Croatia, and to assess regional differences and investigate the association with health-related indicators (disease incidence, body mass index (BMI), grip strength measure, control, autonomy, self-realization, and pleasure scale (CASP-12)). This research uses data from the SHARE project for the population over 50 years of age. The frequency of individual responses was analyzed (frequencies, cross tables, and appropriate tests of significance, depending on the data set), and logistic regression was used to connect adherence to the Mediterranean diet with health indicators. The results of the study indicate a positive correlation between adherence to the principles of the Mediterranean diet with CASP and self-perception of health, which the followers of the MD pattern predominantly rate as “very good” or “excellent” (37.05%) what is significantly different (p < 0.05) from individuals which do not follow the patterns of MD (21.55%). The regression models indicate significant changes in the measure of maximum grip strength also among MD followers (OR_MEDIUM = 1.449; OR_HIGH = 1.293). Data for EU countries are also classified by regions (Central and Eastern; Northern, Southern and Western Europe), additionally allocating Croatia, and the trends in meat, fish and egg consumption showed the greatest differences for Croatian participants (39.6% twice a week) versus participants from four European regions. Data for Croatia deviates from the European average also in terms of the proportion of overweight and obese persons in all observed age groups, of which the largest proportion is in the 50–64 age group (normal BMI: only 30.3%). This study extended the currently available literature covering 27 European countries, placing the findings in a wider geographical context. The Mediterranean diet has once again proven to be an important factor related to health-related behavior. The presented results are extremely important for public health services, indicating possible critical factors in preserving the health of the population over 50 years old. Full article

This is a narrative review addressing the topic of romantic infidelity, its causes and its consequences. Love is commonly a source of much pleasure and fulfillment. However, as this review points out, it can also cause stress, heartache and may even be traumatic in some circumstances. Infidelity, which is relatively common in Western culture, can damage a loving, romantic relationship to the point of its demise. However, by highlighting this phenomenon, its causes and its consequences, we hope to provide useful insight for both researchers and clinicians who may be assisting couples facing these issues. We begin by defining infidelity and illustrating the various ways in which one may become unfaithful to their partner. We explore the personal and relational factors that enhance an individual’s tendency to betray their partner, the various reactions related to a discovered affair and the challenges related to the nosological categorization of infidelity-based trauma, and conclude by reviewing the effects of COVID-19 on unfaithful behavior, as well as clinical implications related to infidelity-based treatment. Ultimately, we hope to provide a road map, for academicians and clinicians alike, of what some couples may experience in their relationships and how can they be helped. Full article

The article discusses the relationship between pleasure and the Good in Levinas’s ethics. Firstly, the paper points out that, for Levinas, pleasure and the Good are both essentially related to sensibility, except that pleasure is concerned with the self-affection of sensibility, and the Good is concerned with the hetero-affection of sensibility. The self-affection of pleasure and enjoyment enables the subject to locate and contract itself, and thus to establish an inner and separated self. Meanwhile, the Good is originated from the hetero-affection of the call of the transcendent Other, and is embodied in an involuntary suffering for the other’s suffering, weakness, and needs. Secondly, the paper argues that the relationship between pleasure and the Good is highly tensional. On the one hand, the Good does interrupt the egoism of life and its pleasure. On the other hand, pleasure actually constitutes a necessary condition for the Good, rather than something that must be rejected. The intersection of pleasure and the Good constitutes an insurmountable and irreducible tension within subjectivity. Finally, the paper places Levinas’s ethics in a dialogue with hedonism, virtue ethics, asceticism, and deontology, and regards Levinas’s ethics as a new paradigm for understanding the relationship between pleasure and the Good in the history of Western ethics. Full article

To investigate differences in American Quarter Horses conformation suggesting specialization and subpopulations within the breed, a total of 45 horses were studied. These horses were classified according to their specific sport discipline: Western Pleasure (WPL, n = 15), Hunter under Saddle (HUS, n = 15), and Reining (RN, n = 15). Fifteen linear traits (comprising lengths, angles, and circumferences) were measured analogically and photometrically. Afterwards, 9 ratios and differences were calculated, so that a total of 24 traits were examined. The results showed significant differences between horses depending on their sport discipline. HUS horses were significant taller and were characterized by higher values in (nearly) all length traits; they were followed by WPL and RN horses. RN horses displayed the lowest values in length traits but the largest difference between height at withers and height at croup. Nine parameters were analyzed through correlations to the height at withers; all differences were significant, with high to moderate correlation coefficients. The detected differences between the groups support recent studies on the conformation and genotype of subpopulations within a breed and reveal new findings in relation to the selected disciplines. Image analysis worked well and provided reliable data; therefore, this method can be used to examine horses in a time-efficient manner, reducing the stress caused to the animal. Further studies are required to gain more information and to associate the features of AQH anatomic structures with successful performance. Full article

This article interprets the narratives of sex manuals produced within the Malay-Indonesian archipelago before the coming of Western colonialism and the dawn of postcolonial Islamic resurgence. In the collection of Malaysian libraries and museums, these manuscripts are largely classified as Kitab Jimak and Kitab Tib. They are all written in the Malay language with indigenous references, though the contents are likely derived from a common genre of texts transmitted from an early Arab-Islamic world and circulated within the region before the coming of European colonialism. The corpora of sexual knowledge in these texts emphasises the valorisation of sexual pleasure in conjugal relationships. Through an extensive list of prescriptions—from sexual techniques to diet, food taboos, medicine, pharmacopoeia, mantras, charms, and astrological knowledge—a near-sacral sexual experience is aspired. Couples are guided in their attainment of pleasure (nikmat) through the adherence of Islamic ethics (akhlak), rules (hukum), and etiquette (tertib). The fulfilment of women’s desire in the process is central in these observances. Nevertheless, despite placing much emphasis on mutual pleasure, these texts also contain ambiguous and paradoxical pronouncements on the position of women, wavering from veneration to misogyny. The article also highlights how intertextual studies of similar texts throughout the Islamic world can be a new focus of studies on the early history of gender and sexuality in Islam. Full article

Social media allow companies to engage with their interest groups, thus enabling them to solidify corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies. The concept of CSR is now well-established for companies in Western countries, and CSR is becoming an increasingly popular topic in developing countries. This study investigated differences in the perception of the term ‘CSR’ on Instagram between developing and developed countries. We analysed 113,628 Instagram messages from 38,590 unique users worldwide. The data were recorded between 19 November 2017 and 11 December 2018. In both developed and developing countries, charity and social good were common features. On the contrary, a difference was identified in the area of sustainability, which is an important part of communication in developed countries, and the area of education, which is an important part of communication in developing countries. Community analysis revealed four dominant communities in developed countries: (1) philanthropic responsibility, (2) environmental sustainability, (3) pleasure from working and (4) start-ups with CSR; and three in developing countries: (1) social and environmental responsibility, (2) philanthropic responsibility and (3) reputation management. These results could facilitate the strategic management of CSR to adapt communication to local environments and company contexts. Our findings could allow managers to focus CSR activities on relevant issues in developing countries and thus differentiate their CSR communication from competing organizations. Full article

This paper reports the results of a combined biometric and implicit affective priming study of the emotional consequences of being the provider or receiver of either positive or negative customer service experiences. The study was conducted in two stages. Study 1 captured the moment-by-moment implicit emotional and physiological responses associated with receiving and providing good customer service. Study 2 employed an affective priming task to evaluate the implicit associations with good and poor customer service in a large sample of 1200 respondents across three Western countries. Our results show that both giving and receiving good customer service was perceived as pleasurable (Study 1) and at the same time, was implicitly associated with positive feelings (Study 2). The authors discuss the implications of the research for service providers in terms of the impact of these interactions on employee wellbeing, staff retention rates and customer satisfaction. Full article

China has undergone rapid social transitions within the last few decades. However, mental health issues, challenges to psychological well-being, and poor dietary choices have gradually surfaced. These health concerns are related to the rapid growth of the aging population and of the fast-paced industrialized society. Nevertheless, there is little knowledge about food preferences and psychological well-being measurements in contemporary China. Applying the 2011 China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) with a cross-sectional study design (n = 7970), we conducted multinomial logistic regression models to investigate the associations of food preferences, including fast food, salty snacks, fruits, vegetables, and sweetened beverages, with psychological well-being among Chinese middle-aged and older adults (age ≥ 45). Food preferences are mostly associated with psychological well-being (p < 0.05). However, respondents’ preferences regarding fast food, salty snacks, and sweetened beverages are associated not only with poorer psychological health status, but also with positive psychological well-being. We speculate that Chinese older adults may consume Westernized fast food and salty snacks as pleasure to the palate due to the recent Westernization in modern China. We also provide practical implications of results from this preliminary study. Full article

Green infrastructure ameliorates the urban heat island effect, contributes positively to liveability and enables sustainability in higher density urban environments. Greenskins (living architectures) are a more specific form of green infrastructure, including green walls and green roofs, for dense urban areas. These offer a new approach for sustainable urban biophilia and some forms can be built using the ecological design principles of constructed wetlands. The paper compares findings from two urban centres in warm Mediterranean climates. In general from Adelaide, South Australia and more specifically from university collaborative projects on particular technical and social parameters necessary to sustain Greenskins in dense urban conditions in Fremantle, Western Australia. Results from trials of a prototype greywater Greenskin using vertical constructed wetland cells are reported. Through an experimental investigation of designing living green walls in urban Fremantle, this paper challenges the conventional “triple-bottom-line” approach to sustainable dense urban systems by addressing the greater aesthetic needs of sustainability and its thinking. Here landscape aesthetics looks to the collaborative fields of urban design, environmental engineering and landscape architecture to design new urban biophilic experiences and restorative landscapes for regenerative cultural pleasure, ecological responsibility, environmental stewardship and intellectual gain. Full article