bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mukhtār al-Thaqafī: Character versus Controversy
Authors: Inloes Amina
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACT: Considerable debate surrounds the seventh-century revolutionary Mukhtār al-Thaqafī. While some view him as a staunch supporter of the Shi'a Imams, others hold him responsible for the formation of several heterodox Islamic sects and for falsely promoting Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥanafiyyah as the Divine Saviour. This article attempts to clarify Mukhtār's role in history through an examination of his biography and the history of his socio-political movement.
The Role of the Shi'a in Preserving and Disseminating the Story of Barlaam and Ioasaph
Authors: Nozari Jalil
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACT: Barlaam and Ioasaph ranks amongst the world's most popular stories. It has been translated and rewritten numerously throughout history and across a variety of cultures. The story has become interwoven with the heritage of many cultures and has thus become inseparable from them. By introducing the key versions of the story, this article aims to raise awareness that the narrative has long been a preoccupation of the Shi'a, and that Shi'a retellings of it significantly impacted its current form.
Bale, Heywood, and the Politics of Necessity
Authors: Breen Dan
Published: October 2024

Abstract: This essay offers a reading of two well-known early sixteenth-century plays, John Bale’s Kynge Johan and John Heywood’s Play of the Wether , in terms of their Henrician (and possibly early Elizabethan) political resonances. Unlike most such critical accounts of these plays, which often consider them in terms of their relevance to specific episodes of ecclesiastical or courtly controversy, this study suggests that Bale and Heywood represent a particular political practice in order to stage a more broadly theoretical political intervention. I argue that the plays’ interest in acts of petitioning—the licit process through which English subjects may seek redress of grievances from the courts, Parliament, or the Crown—serves to legitimate the condition of need as a basis for broad political participation. In Kynge Johan and The Wether , material need and its more abstract cousin “necessity,” expressed through acts of petitioning, are capable of performing remarkable reorientations of political and ethical duty, as well as of power more generally. Not all of these reorientations, as Kynge Johan in particular demonstrates, are positive, and both plays are conscious of and hesitant about the potentially destabilizing force of need. Yet ultimately, both plays move toward a more collective and less proto-absolutist political model in which need can, through acts of petitioning, be articulated and managed.
“Strange” and “Stranger” in Philaster and Cymbeline : Influence, Response, and Redefinition
Authors: Griffiths Huw
Published: October 2024

Abstract: Critical consensus has established William Shakespeare’s Cymbeline as related to, and even in part dependent on, Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher’s tragicomedy Philaster . In an early twentieth-century account of their relationship, Ashley Thorn-dike briefly references the plays’ shared use of the words strange and stranger . Resituating that link within recent critical discourse on the shows how the plays contribute to Jacobean discussions of politics, nationhood, race, gender, and sexuality. Rather than Cymbeline borrowing from Philaster , what we see is a play that writes back to its predecessor, redefining what it might mean to be “strange” on the Jacobean stage. Particularly in terms of their shared concern with native rule, Philaster is insistent on the excision of the “strange” along with the “stranger,” where Cymbeline offers a more open and accommodating world view. While this has to be tempered by an awareness that the strange and wonderful can readily be co-opted for imperialist ends, Cymbe-line nevertheless affords us a glimpse of a world in which strangers are not always to be considered strange.
High gain distributed Raman amplifier for orbital angular momentum mode-division multiplexing and wavelength-division multiplexing in a 104-km ring-core fiber over the C + L band
Authors: Zhang Yuchen , Yan Guofeng , Zhang Xi , Yang Min , Xu Mutian , Liu Jun , Wang Jian
Published: October 2024

Mode-division multiplexing (MDM) and wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) are regarded as effective solutions for enhancing the communication capacity of fiber-optic transmission systems. To extend the transmission distance, a suitable amplification technique is required to amplify the signal light, with distributed Raman amplifier (DRA) offering a high-flat gain. In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate the transmission of 3 orbital angular momentum (OAM) mode-division multiplexing and 9 wavelength-division multiplexing ranging from 1530 nm to 1610 nm over a 104-km self-designed ring-core fiber (RCF) with the assistance of DRA. The homemade all-fiber mode selective couplers (MSCs) can (de)multiplex OAM modes (OAM01, OAM11, OAM21) efficiently in long-distance MDM + WDM fiber-optic transmission systems. The OAM-DRA provides high gain (with an on-off gain greater than 10 dB) as well as flat gain (with a differential wavelength gain of less than 0.88 dB and a differential mode gain of less than 0.28 dB) over the C + L band.
Compact multi-ring perfect vortex beam generator fabricated by laser direct writing
Authors: Ding Weiping , Lu Jiangang
Published: October 2024

Perfect vortex beams (PVBs) have received much attention in recent years since the annular intensity distributions are independent of the topological charge (TC). However, the cost-effective preparation of micrometer-scale monolithic devices capable of generating multiple PVBs through a simple approach remains a significant challenge. In this work, a design of double-ring perfect spiral phase plates (DPSPPs) is presented for the generation of PVBs at two distinct locations along the radial direction. The respective radii and spacing of the double-ring PVBs can be tuned by changing the control parameters. The proposed DPSPPs are fabricated by the flexible femtosecond laser direct writing (FsDLW) technique. The experimentally generated double-ring vortex beams with different TCs possess an almost constant radius, which is consistent with the characteristics of PVBs. Furthermore, the double-ring PVBs with different fractional and trigonometric function TCs and the multi-ring PVB are also demonstrated. The design and fabrication methods are expected to facilitate the miniaturization of the applications of PVBs in optical manipulation, optical communication, and high-capacity information storage.
Full-field and wideband surface deformation reconstruction from the Fourier domain by spatio-temporal heterodyne interferometry (STHI)
Authors: Jacquin Olivier , Ketfi Bilal , Hugon Olivier , Lacot Eric
Published: October 2024

In this paper, we propose what we believe to be a new full-field laser vibrometer designed to detect longitudinal deformations of a scattering surface, which are either harmonic, transient, stationary, or progressive (but necessarily repeatable) with a large bandwidth (10kHz – 10 MHz) using a slow camera that has a narrow detection bandwidth (<1kHz). Based on an interferometric setup, this vibrometer combines spatial and temporal beatings to access the deformation characteristics in the frequency domain. In our setup, the exposure time of the camera is used to average a heterodyne signal, giving the amplitude and phase of the deformation at a given frequency for each camera pixel. The surface under investigation is continuously illuminated, making it ideal for the study of transient or progressive vibrations. The principle and performance of our Fourier-domain laser vibrometer will be explained and illustrated by numerical and, above all, experimental examples.
Divergence of thermalization rates driven by the competition between finite temperature and quantum coherence
Authors: Wang Yuqing , Liang Libo , Zheng Qinpei , Huang Qi , Chen Wenlan , Zhang Jing , Chen Xuzong , Hu Jiazhong
Published: October 2024

The thermalization of an isolated quantum system is described by quantum mechanics and thermodynamics, while these two subjects are still not fully consistent with each other. This leaves a less-explored region where both quantum and thermal effects cannot be neglected, and the ultracold-atom platform provides a suitable and versatile testbed to experimentally investigate these complex phenomena. Here we perform experiments based on ultracold atoms in optical lattices and observe a divergence of thermalization rates of quantum matters when the temperature approaches zero. By ramping an external parameter in the Hamiltonian, we observe the time delay between the internal relaxation and the external ramping. This provides us with a direct comparison of the thermalization rates of different quantum phases. We find that the quantum coherence and bosonic stimulation of superfluid induces the divergence while the finite temperature and the many-body interactions are suppressing the divergence. The quantum coherence and the thermal effects are competing with each other in this isolated thermal quantum system, which leads to the transition of thermalization rate from divergence to convergence.
Toward video-rate compressive spontaneous Raman imaging via single-photon avalanche diode arrays
Authors: Gentner Clémence , Burri Samuel , Charbon Edoardo , Bruschini Claudio , de Aguiar Hilton B.
Published: October 2024

Spontaneous Raman microscopy is well-known for its remarkable chemical contrast yet suffers from slow acquisition speeds. Recently, the compressive Raman microspectroscopy framework has shown that a significant speed advantage is brought by leveraging shot-noise-limited detection using a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD). However, current imaging speeds of compressive Raman architectures are fundamentally limited by SPAD sensitivity and dead time. Here, we demonstrate an efficient and scalable compressive Raman parallelization scheme based on SPAD arrays. We show that parallelization using line excitation, instead of spatial multiplexing, allows to reach effective pixel dwell times (τ
pdt
) of 0.8 µs. Such fast speed represents over one order-of-magnitude speed-up over previous demonstrations. This effective parallelization not only allows for demonstrating unprecedented chemical imaging speeds using the otherwise weak spontaneous Raman effect but also paves the way for true video-rate inexpensive molecular microspectroscopy.
The development of hepatic steatosis depends on the presence of liver-innervating parasympathetic cholinergic neurons in mice fed a high-fat diet
Authors: Hwang Jiyeon , Okada Junichi , Liu Li , Pessin Jeffrey E. , Schwartz Gary J. , Jo Young-Hwan
Published: October 2024

Hepatic lipid metabolism is regulated by the autonomic nervous system of the liver, with the sympathetic innervation being extensively studied, while the parasympathetic efferent innervation is less understood despite its potential importance. In this study, we investigate the consequences of disrupted brain–liver communication on hepatic lipid metabolism in mice exposed to obesogenic conditions. We found that a subset of hepatocytes and cholangiocytes are innervated by parasympathetic nerve terminals originating from the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. The elimination of the brain–liver axis by deleting parasympathetic cholinergic neurons innervating the liver prevents hepatic steatosis and promotes browning of inguinal white adipose tissue (ingWAT). The loss of liver-innervating cholinergic neurons increases hepatic Cyp7b1 expression and fasting serum bile acid levels. Furthermore, knockdown of the G protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1 gene in ingWAT reverses the beneficial effects of the loss of liver-innervating cholinergic neurons, leading to the reappearance of hepatic steatosis. Deleting liver-innervating cholinergic neurons has a small but significant effect on body weight, which is accompanied by an increase in energy expenditure. Taken together, these data suggest that targeting the parasympathetic cholinergic innervation of the liver is a potential therapeutic approach for enhancing hepatic lipid metabolism in obesity and diabetes.
Computational joint action: Dynamical models to understand the development of joint coordination
Authors: De Vicariis Cecilia , Chackochan Vinil T. , Bandini Laura , Ravaschio Eleonora , Sanguineti Vittorio
Published: October 2024

Coordinating with others is part of our everyday experience. Previous studies using sensorimotor coordination games suggest that human dyads develop coordination strategies that can be interpreted as Nash equilibria. However, if the players are uncertain about what their partner is doing, they develop coordination strategies which are robust to the actual partner’s actions. This has suggested that humans select their actions based on an explicit prediction of what the partner will be doing—a partner model—which is probabilistic by nature. However, the mechanisms underlying the development of a joint coordination over repeated trials remain unknown. Very much like sensorimotor adaptation of individuals to external perturbations (eg force fields or visual rotations), dynamical models may help to understand how joint coordination develops over repeated trials. Here we present a general computational model—based on game theory and Bayesian estimation—designed to understand the mechanisms underlying the development of a joint coordination over repeated trials. Joint tasks are modeled as quadratic games, where each participant’s task is expressed as a quadratic cost function. Each participant predicts their partner’s next move (partner model) by optimally combining predictions and sensory observations, and selects their actions through a stochastic optimization of its expected cost, given the partner model. The model parameters include perceptual uncertainty (sensory noise), partner representation (retention rate and internale noise), uncertainty in action selection and its rate of decay (which can be interpreted as the action’s learning rate). The model can be used in two ways: (i) to simulate interactive behaviors, thus helping to make specific predictions in the context of a given joint action scenario; and (ii) to analyze the action time series in actual experiments, thus providing quantitative metrics that describe individual behaviors during an actual joint action. We demonstrate the model in a variety of joint action scenarios. In a sensorimotor version of the Stag Hunt game, the model predicts that different representations of the partner lead to different Nash equilibria. In a joint two via-point (2-VP) reaching task, in which the actions consist of complex trajectories, the model captures well the observed temporal evolution of performance. For this task we also estimated the model parameters from experimental observations, which provided a comprehensive characterization of individual dyad participants. Computational models of joint action may help identifying the factors preventing or facilitating the development of coordination. They can be used in clinical settings, to interpret the observed behaviors in individuals with impaired interaction capabilities. They may also provide a theoretical basis to devise artificial agents that establish forms of coordination that facilitate neuromotor recovery.
Ghrelin is involved in regulating the progression of Echinococcus Granulosus-infected liver lesions through suppression of immunoinflammation and fibrosis
Authors: Zhu Jiang , Zhao Hongqiong , Aierken Aili , Zhou Tanfang , Menggen Meng , Gao Huijing , He Rongdong , Aimulajiang Kalibixiati , Wen Hao
Published: October 2024

Background

CysticEchinococcosis(CE) is a zoonotic disease causing fibrosis and necrosis of diseased livers caused by infection withEchinococcus granulosus(E.g). There is evidence thatE.gis susceptible to immune escape and tolerance when host expression of immunoinflammation and fibrosis is suppressed, accelerating the progression of CE. Ghrelin has the effect of suppressing immunoinflammation and fibrosis, and whether it is involved in regulating the progression ofE.g-infected liver lesions is not clear.

Methods

Serum and hepatic Ghrelin levels were observed inE.g-infected mice (4, 12 and 36 weeks) and compared with healthy control groups. Co-localization analysis is performed between protein expression of Ghrelin in and around the hepatic lesions ofE.g-infected 12-week mice and protein expression of different hepatic histiocytes by mIHC. HepG2 cells and protoscoleces (PSCs) protein were co-cultured in vitro, as well as PSCs were alone in vitro, followed by exogenously administered of Ghrelin and its receptor blocker, [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6, to assess their regulatory effects on immunoinflammation, fibrosis and survival rate of PSCs.

Results

Serum Ghrelin levels were increased inE.g-infected 4- and 12-week mice, and reduced in 36-week mice.E.g-infected mice consistently recruited Ghrelin in and around the hepatic lesions, which was extremely strongly co-localized with the protein expression of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), T cells and the TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway. The secretion of Ghrelin was increased with increasing concentrations of PSCs protein in HepG2 cells culture medium. Moreover, Ghrelin could significantly inhibit the secretion of IL-2, INF-γ and TNF-α, as well as the expression of Myd88/NF-κB and TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway protein, and promoted the secretion of IL-4 and IL-10. Blocking Ghrelin receptor could significantly inhibit PSCs growth inin vitroexperiment.

Conclusion

Ghrelin is highly expressed in the early stages of hepaticE.ginfection and may be involved in regulating the progression of liver lesions by suppression immunoinflammation and fibrosis.
Physiological response of microalga Dunaliella parva when treated with MeJA, GA3
Authors: Ruan Lingru , Wu Lina , Liang Yanyan , Pang Bingbing , Shang Changhua
Published: October 2024

DpAP2 is a transcription factor regulating carotenoid biosynthesis pathway. It was speculated that MeJA significantly decreased expression of DpAP2 gene, then the decreasing DpAP2 expression significantly inhibited expression of some key enzyme genes such as PSY, PDS and GGPS in carotenoid biosynthesis pathway. In contrast, it was speculated that GA3 significantly increased expression of DpAP2 gene, then the increasing DpAP2 expression significantly increased expression of some key enzyme genes such as PDS and GGPS in carotenoid biosynthesis pathway. To increase the content of carotenoid, we evaluated the effect of DpAP2 overexpression on carotenoid accumulation in D. parva. Transgenic D. parva showed a higher carotenoid content (3.18 mg/g DW) compared with control group (2.13 mg/g DW) at 9 d. The dosage effects of exogenous hormones MeJA and GA3 were found in D. parva cells treated with different concentrations of MeJA (10, 20, 50, 100 μM) and GA3 (10, 20, 50, 100 μM). The high concentrations of MeJA (10–100 μM) inhibited the accumulation of carotenoid, and the relative expression of DpAP2, PSY, PDS and GGPS decreased significantly. On the contrary, the relative expression of DpAP2, PDS and GGPS increased significantly when D. parva was treated with 10, 20, 50 and 100 μM GA3, which promoted the biosynthesis of carotenoid. Therefore, we inferred that there was a hierarchical regulation from hormone, transcription factor, key enzyme gene to carotenoid accumulation in carotenoid biosynthesis. Carotenoid biosynthesis was enhanced by DpAP2 overexpression (1.4930 fold of control) and exogenous substances such as GA3 (1.5889 fold of control), which laid a foundation for massive accumulation of carotenoids in microalgae. In the future, further studies were required to demonstrate the complex regulatory network.
Development and validation of a cardiovascular risk prediction model for Sri Lankans using machine learning
Authors: Mettananda Chamila , Sanjeewa Isuru , Benthota Arachchi Tinul , Wijesooriya Avishka , Chandrasena Chiranjaya , Weerasinghe Tolani , Solangaarachchige Maheeka , Ranasinghe Achila , Elpitiya Isuru , Sammandapperuma Rashmi , Kurukulasooriya Sujeewani , Ranawaka Udaya , Pathmeswaran Arunasalam , Kasturiratne Anuradhini , Kato Nei , Wickramasinghe Rajitha , Haddela Prasanna , de Silva Janaka
Published: October 2024

Introduction and objectives

Sri Lankans do not have a specific cardiovascular (CV) risk prediction model and therefore, World Health Organization(WHO) risk charts developed for the Southeast Asia Region are being used. We aimed to develop a CV risk prediction model specific for Sri Lankans using machine learning (ML) of data of a population-based, randomly selected cohort of Sri Lankans followed up for 10 years and to validate it in an external cohort.

Material and methods

The cohort consisted of 2596 individuals between 40–65 years of age in 2007, who were followed up for 10 years. Of them, 179 developed hard CV diseases (CVD) by 2017. We developed three CV risk prediction models named model 1, 2 and 3 using ML. We compared predictive performances between models and the WHO risk charts using receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC). The most predictive and practical model for use in primary care, model 3 was named “SLCVD score” which used age, sex, smoking status, systolic blood pressure, history of diabetes, and total cholesterol level in the calculation. We developed an online platform to calculate the SLCVD score. Predictions of SLCVD score were validated in an external hospital-based cohort.

Results

Model 1, 2, SLCVD score and the WHO risk charts predicted 173, 162, 169 and 10 of 179 observed events and the area under the ROC (AUC) were 0.98, 0.98, 0.98 and 0.52 respectively. During external validation, the SLCVD score and WHO risk charts predicted 56 and 18 respectively of 119 total events and AUCs were 0.64 and 0.54 respectively.

Conclusions

SLCVD score is the first and only CV risk prediction model specific for Sri Lankans. It predicts the 10-year risk of developing a hard CVD in Sri Lankans. SLCVD score was more effective in predicting Sri Lankans at high CV risk than WHO risk charts.
Working young adults’ engagement with public and workplace health promotion efforts in Singapore: A qualitative study
Authors: Leu Jodie , Rebello Salome A. , Sargent Ginny M. , Kelly Matthew , Banwell Cathy
Published: October 2024

Young adults entering the workforce are at increased risk of becoming overweight or obese. Yet, internationally, young adults are rarely targeted in health campaigns, and little is known on how to improve their interest and participation in health promotion efforts. Through 33 semi-structured interviews with young adults working in Singapore, we explored their engagement with existing public and workplace health promotion efforts that encouraged healthy eating and increased physical activity, and their subjective health in the context of their daily lives. Interviews were coded and thematically analysed, taking an inductive and deductive approach. Despite some interest in health messaging, participating working young adults rarely adopted health-promoting activities such as meeting daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables and exercising regularly. Participants reported that the health promotion campaigns they were aware of, suggested actions that they couldn’t incorporate in their lives as they did not address the barriers that they are facing from socio-environmental contributors such as long working hours, personal and social commitments, and the food environment. Furthermore, some considered their health to be good enough and therefore had little reason to change existing practices. Affordable and accessible health screenings were an objective way for young adults to re-evaluate their perceptions of their own health which motivated some to favourably change their behaviours. Our findings suggest that future health promotion campaigns would benefit from more fully addressing some of the existing barriers that young working adults face, in tandem with policy changes to directly tackle the socio-environmental conditions for young workers.
The use of dance to improve the health and wellbeing of older adults: A global scoping review of research trials
Authors: Waugh Martha , Youdan Gregory , Casale Courtney , Balaban Rachel , Cross Emily S. , Merom Dafna
Published: October 2024

Background

Dance is a promising health resource for older adults, but empirical evidence remains inconsistent. The lack of synthesised evidence regarding program design, dose, and delivery limits understanding of factors influencing participation and health outcomes. This scoping review aimed to map the scope, range, and effectiveness of dance programs for older people, and identify gaps and opportunities for future research and practice.

Methods

Searches across five databases (September 2023) identified 148 studies evaluating 116 dance programs (≥4 weeks) for older adults (≥55 years, N = 8060), Dance interventions delivered to clinical groups were excluded. Intervention design and delivery were charted against the TIDieR reporting checklist. Program outcomes including adherence, safety, and positive tests were charted into established taxonomies.

Results

Demographic information, program details, and implementation were often insufficiently reported. Participant groups differed by age range, with underserved communities underrepresented. Programs varied extensively in key factors including dose, prospective ‘active ingredients’, delivery approach, facilitator expertise, and class size. While dance was physically safe, adherence rates in older adults are comparable to other community exercise programs. Less than 40% of health assessments showed positive change, with more consistent benefits to physical endurance, strength, and function, moderate impacts on psychosocial health, and limited benefits to cognitive and brain health, and falls and falls risk.

Conclusion

Dance is a meaningful, safe, adaptable, and low-cost health resource for older adults. Key opportunities for advancing research include improved access for underserved groups, program suitability assessments, strategies to support adherence and engagement including theory-informed approaches, and incorporation of participant and practitioner insights. Identification of key ’active ingredients’ and dance program factors may improve understanding of causal pathways and mechanisms to optimise engagement and health impacts. Stronger reporting practices will facilitate comparisons across studies and more robust evidence synthesis. This review provides a critical knowledge foundation to guide future approaches in dance for health and offers reporting recommendations.
Stress among caregivers of autistic children: Conceptual analysis and verification using two qualitative datasets
Authors: Gentles Stephen James , McLaughlin Janet , Schneider Margaret A.
Published: October 2024

In this two-part study, we first present the results of a sub-analysis of empirical data from a large grounded theory study of caregivers’ (parents) navigating autism-related care. The purpose of this analysis was to develop a conceptual overview of stress and crisis. We then describe the results and feasibility of using a framework analysis approach to verify and extend this conceptual analysis using qualitative survey data from a comparable population. Finally, we compare the conceptual findings to existing stress theory. While the grounded theory analysis was not aimed at producing a full theory of stress, multiple key elements of the resulting conceptual overview are consistent with prior stress theory. A potentially novel contribution is the conceptualization of social-psychological stress as an evolving process metaphorically analogous to a physiological model of stress that accurately fitted caregivers’ experience. Specifically, it accounts for early empowering consequences of stress in terms of caregivers’ motivation and capacity for action, the progressive destructive consequences in terms of its effects on caregivers’ emotional and even physical well-being, and the evolving and nonlinear process of stress over the life course. The definition for crisis, meanwhile, acknowledges that different systems can be in crisis from the caregiver’s perspective, and that it can be triggered by progressive buildups of stress and not just acute major triggering events. The insights from this analysis have implications for improving support professionals’ sensitivity to the empirical caregiver-perspective realities of stress at a conceptual level, and for improving assessment of crisis specifically in this population. The framework analysis exercise demonstrated some utility of the qualitative survey data for verifying and extending this theoretical analysis, despite the limitations compared to in-depth interview data discussed. This has implications for improving the utilization of qualitative data often collected in survey research.
Estrogen predicts multimodal emotion recognition accuracy across the menstrual cycle
Authors: Jang Daisung , Lybeck Max , Cortes Diana Sanchez , Elfenbein Hillary Anger , Laukka Petri
Published: October 2024

Researchers have proposed that variation in sex hormones across the menstrual cycle modulate the ability to recognize emotions in others. Existing research suggests that accuracy is higher during the follicular phase and ovulation compared to the luteal phase, but findings are inconsistent. Using a repeated measures design with a sample of healthy naturally cycling women (N = 63), we investigated whether emotion recognition accuracy varied between the follicular and luteal phases, and whether accuracy related to levels of estrogen (estradiol) and progesterone. Two tasks assessed recognition of a range of positive and negative emotions via brief video recordings presented in visual, auditory, and multimodal blocks, and non-linguistic vocalizations (e.g., laughter, sobs, and sighs). Multilevel models did not show differences in emotion recognition between cycle phases. However, coefficients for estrogen were significant for both emotion recognition tasks. Higher within-person levels of estrogen predicted lower accuracy, whereas higher between-person estrogen levels predicted greater accuracy. This suggests that in general having higher estrogen levels increases accuracy, but that higher-than-usual estrogen at a given time decreases it. Within-person estrogen further interacted with cycle phase for both tasks and showed a quadratic relationship with accuracy for the multimodal task. In particular, women with higher levels of estrogen were more accurate in the follicular phase and middle of the menstrual cycle. We propose that the differing role of within- and between-person hormone levels could explain some of the inconsistency in previous findings.
Flood Hydraulic Characteristics of Rubber Dam on Juwana River, Pati District
Authors: Halik Gusfan , Silmi Kaaffah Abdillah Tirta , Saifurridzal Saifurridzal
Published: October 2024

Pati Regency, Central Java Province is an area that frequently experiences floods, including tidal floods and flash floods during the rainy season. The Pemali-Juana River Basin Center has planned the construction of a rubber weir which will be built in 2022-2024 to overcome this problem. It is hoped that this rubber weir will be a solution for controlling floods and as a water storage system during the dry season. This research aims to model the hydraulic characteristics of the flow in Karet Juwana Dam under flood conditions (Q10, 20, 25, 50, and 100 years). Modeling of flow hydraulic characteristics using HEC-RAS 5.0.3 software. The modeling results show that when the rubber weir expands, maximum backwater occurs for 2.26 km upstream of the weir. The water level above the rubber weir is 1.0 meters with flow speeds upstream and downstream of the weir threshold of 0.40 m/s and 0.66 m/s respectively. Controlling flood levels against overtopping can be optimal if the water level is 0.60 meters above the crest. Hydraulically, the simulation results show that a deflation speed of 0.2 meters/minute can control overtopping optimally.
Ne/normativní femininita, mateřství a sexualita
Authors: Herza Filip
Published: October 2024

The aim of this paper is a critical interpretation of the career of sisters Josefa and Růžena Blažek (1878–1922), who became famous as the “conjoined twins” Blažek in the American and European mass entertainment industry at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Drawing from contemporary critical disability studies discourse, the analysis is aimed at the construction of the “different” body of Blažek sisters in various representations, such as newspaper accounts and photography. Throughout the essay, the process of ascribing meanings to the bodies of Blazek sisters is observed, focusing on the ways in which the “different” body could be used as metaphor figuring in the debates about the “collective body” of the Czech nation. Using the intersectional approach, the essay interrogates the interplay between the imaginations of a “different” body and the notions of “white”, non/normative femininity, maternity and sexuality at the time. The paper demonstrates the interconnectedness of certain notions of normative class-specific femininity and family life with the notion of a harmonious national community, showing the discursive context of this connection in the nationalist bio-political discourses. Finally, the double-figure of the Blažek sisters is presented as a “narrative prosthesis” pleading for national unity in the troubling context of the early 20th century national politics.
Proč bohemák napadá bohemáka?
Authors: Šešín Petr
Published: October 2024

The presented paper could be understood as a critical interpretation of the relations among participants on the radical scene of Bohemians 1905 Prague football fans. It also covers the development of this scene that arose in the late nineties of previous century by adopting modern elements of the hooligans subculture and lately also the ultras movement, both from other European models. However, even if this scene is perceived from the outside as an ultra-left-wing scene, there were no studies done in this field. It is not only the established or vanished, but also the “still living” terrain, which create an opportunity for ethnographic research. The chosen ethnographic approach is able to explain questions from the participants’ perspective, and therefore should help to better comprehend this phenomena inside our culture, including radical hooligans and ultras.
Ch. R. Zinzendorf
Authors: Putna Martin C.
Published: October 2024

The first modern edition of Baroque-era publication documenting the influence of Pietist religiousness in the milieu of Czech exiles. Christian Renatus Zinzendorf (1727–1752), the son of the founder of the renewed Unity of the Brethren movement, N. L. Zinzendorf, was an author of a series of songs taking the erotic mysticism of Jesus to the extreme. The Czech exile Zachariáš Jelínek (1714–1763) translated the collection into Czech for the use of the Unity of the Brethren based in Berlin. The edition presents the complete texts of this publication dating from 1758. The commentary hints at the typical characteristics of this religiousness, explains the circumstances of the origins of this almost completely unknown example of exile literature, and describes the principles of language in this edition.
Marek Skovajsa: Struktury významu. Kultura a jednání v současné sociální teorii.
Authors: Maslowski Nicolas
Published: October 2024

A review of the book by Marek Skovajsa.
Ian Hacking: Sociálna konštrukcia – ale čoho? Čo je a čo nie je sociálnou konštrukciou.
Authors: Brabec Jan
Published: October 2024

A review of the book by Ian Hacking.
Šárka Havlíčková Kysová: Hastábhinaja. Gesta rukou v tradičním divadelním umění Indie.
Authors: Ondračka Lubomír
Published: October 2024

A review of the book by Šárka Havlíčková Kysová.
Piotr Oszczanowski: Pomnik chrześcijańskiego rycerza. Nagrobek Melchiora von Redern we Frýdlancie – opus vitae Gerharda Hendrika z Amsterdamu.
Authors: Altová Blanka
Published: October 2024

A review of the book by Piotr Oszczanowski.
Václav Kaška: Neukáznění a neangažovaní. Disciplinace členů Komunistické strany Československa v letech 1948–1952.
Authors: Nešpor Zdeněk R.
Published: October 2024

A review of the book by Václav Kaška.
Migrant Labor and Temporary Work Agencies in the Case of Foxconn in the Czech Republic
Authors: Andrijasevic Rutvica , Sacchetto Devi
Published: October 2024

The role of TWAs, whether formal or informal, has been commonly seen as connected to the demand for temporary and flexible labor determined especially by seasonal aspects of production. While this is certainly true and we could observe the fluctuation of migrant workers depending on production needs, what we would like to suggest is that the role of the agencies cannot be reduced to that of supplying workers based on just-in-time production. In the case of Foxconn the role of the TWA is not only a help to meet shortages or a form of probation, after which agency workers should be hired with direct contracts. Agency workers are a steady and fundamental part of the Foxconn workforce, with a strong labor turnover.
Political Economy of Migrant Health Care in the Czech Republic
Authors: Pěničková Daniela
Published: October 2024

The present time is marked by flux in the conceptualization of social relations and the organization of health care. The last couple of decades have witnessed fundamental changes in health insurance systems worldwide. Despite the fact that Western European countries have experienced an unexpected number of problems with their systems of social insurance combined with the private sector, the post-communist countries have largely followed the suit of adopting private-sector reforms to their formerly socialist health care systems while keeping the concept of national health care. However, the private health care policies adopted by some of the post-socialist governments directly breach basic human rights and are in conflict with the current EU non-discriminatory principle of foreign law. They are, in fact, conceptualized as primary boosters not for private but for national economies. In the Czech Republic this tendency is played out by state policies towards migrants from non-EU countries. While general health insurance is available to all EU citizens and migrants with permanent residency, migrants from non-EU countries who do not have the status of an employee or who are students not covered by international agreements are excluded from participation in the Czech national health care system. Drawing on the author’s ethnography carried out among Russian-speaking migrant parents living in the Czech Republic and on case studies and information gathered by the Consortium of Migrants Assisting Organizations in the Czech Republic (of whom the author is a member), this contribution opens a crucial debate on the process of individual responsibility for health becoming enmeshed with privatization and commodification of health care based on ethnicity and migrant status.
Securitization of Migration and Human Rights
Authors: Gabrielli Lorenzo
Published: October 2024

The migratory question in Europe is increasingly viewed from a security-based approach. After analyzing the genesis of this process of securitization of the migration issue, this paper will examine how this securitization of the migration issue shapes the political debate as well as the political answer to immigration. The increasingly strong link between security and migration produces relevant consequences on the Euro-African border: a progressive militarization of the external border as well as a displacement of the latter towards the African continent. At the southern borders of the EU, the external dimension of European immigration policies focuses on the delegation of migration control towards transit spaces in the African continent, creating a number of “buffer-zones” in the continent and displacing the Euro-African border farther south. Using an approach inspired by “migration system analysis,” this paper carries out an analysis of the interactions between migration flows and the external dimension of European immigration policies in the African transit area in order to understand the threats to an effective application of human rights and of the right of asylum. The Euro-African collaboration in migration control, developed during the last decade through different initiatives, underlines the structurally ephemeral character of the short-term securitarian approach of immigration policies. Regardless of the incapability of such policies to stop the departures from the African continent, this reactive process of inter-regional migratory governance building generates significant “side-effects” vis-à-vis human security of migrants and asylum seekers as well as the respect of their rights.
Violation of Right to Liberty and Security in the Assessment of Claims for Asylum
Authors: Hrnčárová Nataša
Published: October 2024

The European Union’s asylum acquis has been built on the common understanding that some of those third country nationals who seek to enter the territory of the European Union have a well-founded fear of persecution or, due to the real risk of suffering serious harm they cannot return to their country of origin. Their background distinguishes them clearly from other migrants and has made it necessary to provide them with a special protective status. It can be assumed that, within the European Union, there exist different but overlapping legal institutions for those third country nationals seeking international protection in the European Union and are in need of international protection for the abovementioned reasons. The most important ones are the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (the Convention), the Law of the European Union (the Convention’s Protocol of 1967), and the 1950 Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“ECHR”) and its protocols.
A Reflection on Summer School on the Topic “Women in Europe: an Unfinished Revolution?”
Authors: Vrbková Tereza
Published: October 2024

This short essay is a reflection on one particular student summer school focused on gender topics. The target is not to evaluate summer schools on gender topics in general or to give an objective perspective to this specific summer school but to describe and reconsider the way of presenting the gender phenomenon at this specific school from an anthropology student’s point of view.
Evangelikalismus
Authors: Vojtíšek Zdeněk
Published: October 2024

In the course of the last two hundred years, evangelicalism has emerged as one of the most notable global phenomena. This study briefly mentions the notion of the term “evangelicalism” and its roots in pietism, puritanism, and revivalism. The main part of the study is devoted to the development of evangelicalism with special respect to its interaction with larger societies and to its differentiating. The rise and evolving of the four main branches of evangelicalism – the holiness movement, Pentecostalism, fundamentalism, and new evangelicalism – are outlined, and regarding Pentecostalism, two more streams – the charismatic and neo-charismatic movements – are distinguished. In the second and minor part of the study, the possible reasons of the relative success of evangelicalism in pluralist societies are discussed. The adjustment of evangelicalism to the conditions of pluralist societies has clearly had an impact on some other Christian and even Non Christian religious institutions, and may have helped them to survive or to gain in the conditions of contemporary world.
Druhý život kostela sv. Barbory v Kutné Hoře
Authors: Altová Blanka
Published: October 2024

At the time when images are transferred physically, as well as virtually, in time and space and are used in new contexts, we tend to perceive buildings as static images or permanent artifacts, and some of them are even set as symbols for their durability in time and space. Namely, they stand amidst the movement caused by the human need for narration. In the chapter In the Search of Not Quite Lost Time, N. N. Taleb (2011, 87–88) writes: “Our tendency to perceive – more precisely, to introduce – narrative structure and causality are a symptom of the same disease: reduction in the number of dimensions.” Reduction of the narration of the past occurs, according to Taleb, either because of our inability to remember the actual plot or because we tend to interpret past events in our own favor. Both of these general observations can (must) be applied to history, and history can be seen as a reduction of the past carried out by the historian while being determined by the objectives of constructing causal connections based on available and understandable sources. The French psychologist and historian Michele de Certeau (1925–1986) writes about the power of the narrative act, which he already observes in the descriptive text (which precedes the interpretation): “Description is a culturally creative act, it has distributive power and performative strength” (Certeau, 1996, 88). So we have many reasons to accept that the texts of historians are not innocent and cannot be objectively valid, but they represent powerful forces with more-or-less hidden individual, as well as collective, goals. In this study, I follow the use of historical narratives – arguments used in the political discourse of the 19th century with an implicit objective: to raise funds for the restoration and the extension of St. Barbara’s Church in Kutná Hora, both from the budget of the Austrian Empire and from the Provincial Assembly of the Bohemian Kingdom. This political effort reflected the process of Czech national emancipation within the Habsburg monarchy in the period of European historicism. One must admit that despite a number of substantive and conceptual reservations about these texts today, these historical and political narratives have enabled St. Barbara’s Church its significance, have kept it in religious service and in historical memory and consciousness, and have placed it on the national and world maps of art and cultural heritage. These narrations have had an undeniable impact on the practical implementation of the restoration work, i.e. what should be preserved from the past of the church and how, what should be added and what should be removed. Based on this example, it is possible to realize how narrations, for better or worse, have shaped and still shape our ideas of Czech and European identity and what affects our relationship to the nation and Europe.
„Jak ghetto – ty ublížíš mně, já ublížím tobě.“
Authors: Walach Václav , Císař Ondřej
Published: October 2024

This paper empirically examines the meaning of security within a socially excluded locality. Drawing on critical security studies and cultural criminology, ethnographic research was conducted to make sense of security from the perspective of the excluded. We provide an account of the dominant security narrative identified in the investigated discourse, where street violence is recognized as the most serious threat to the well-being of a local population. Violence is understood both as a means of satisfying drug addiction and as a mechanism of creating ’respect’. The interpretation is further analyzed through a framework inspired by the thought of Pierre Bourdieu, utilizing the concepts of street culture field, street capital, and street habitus. In the conclusion of the article, we claim that street violence is not the manifestation of the Roma ethnicity, as some put it, but that it should be approached as a symptom of social marginalization instead.