bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technology and Humanity in Chinese Christian Perspective
Authors: 賴 品超 , 鍾 俊明
Published: November 2024

The ideas of transhumanism and Anthropocene supported by contemporary technological developments seem to contradict the Christian understanding of humanity. Based on a review of the relationship between the interpretations of the doctrine of imago Dei and the developments of technology in the Western world, this essay reinterprets the concept of imago Dei in connection with the concept of the “garment of skin” by making references to the Orthodox tradition represented by Maximus the Confessor (579–662). After spelling out its implications for the understanding of the relationship between humanity and technology, this essay explains further how the Confucian understanding of humanity and technology is compatible with and can enrich the Christian understanding. The resultant Chinese Christian understanding of humanity, integrating the traditions of Christian theology and Chinese culture, supports an affirmative and yet critical view of technology and challenges transhumanism and Anthropocene by offering a more adequate and balanced view of technology and humanity.
Analyse Comparative / Comparative Perspectives
Authors: Uzelac Alan
Published: November 2024

The collection of empirical data on the functioning of national judicial systems is becoming ever more important for comparative civil procedure scholarship. Sources of information on the structural components of European judiciaries were rather limited until the establishment of the CEPEJ (European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice). In this paper, the author seeks to draw conclusions from the four evaluation rounds conducted on a biennial basis during 2004 to 2010. The paper focuses on the ‘inputs’ and ‘outputs’ in the national justice systems, in order to find out whether there is a direct relationship between investment in judiciaries (in terms of court budgets, number of judges and their salaries) and the resulting operation of the justice system. Among the results, data collected on the number of processed cases and the length of proceedings in different European countries is analysed. The author, due to the nature of the results found, limits the comparative analysis of justice systems to preliminary findings only. Relying, inter alia on European Court of Human Rights’ jurisprudence regarding excessive length of proceedings, the results show that ‘outputs’ do not always match ‘inputs’. In fact, the CEPEJ data indicates that those judicial systems with the largest number of judges and lawyers per capita are at the same time those with the gravest systemic problems, e.g., those systems which experience the most severe difficulties in safeguarding the provision of a fair trial within a reasonable time. In conclusion, further interdisciplinary in-depth research is encouraged. While it acknowledges the CEPEJ’s contribution to comparative research of European judicial system, the paper highlights a number of challenges and difficulties which may affect its work in the future.
Three New Species of Deep-Sea Wood-Associated Sea Stars (Asteroidea: Caymanostellidae) from the Eastern Pacific
Authors: SHEN ZIHUI , KOCH NICOLÁS MONGIARDINO , SEID CHARLOTTE A. , TILIC EKIN , ROUSE GREG W.
Published: November 2024

Caymanostellidae is a group of rarely collected and morphologically unusual sea stars that have been exclusively encountered on wood falls in the deep sea. There are currently three genera and seven species described, occurring in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans with a depth range between 418 and 6780 m. Three new species are here described from specimens collected from wood falls in multiple localities across the Pacific margin of Costa Rica and near the Gulf of California (Mexico): Caymanostella scrippscognaticausa sp. nov., Caymanostella davidalani sp. nov. and Caymanostella loresae sp. nov. These records expand the known geographical distribution of caymanostellids and constitute their first report from wood falls found at methane seeps. This study also includes the first descriptions of early-stage juvenile caymanostellids and reveals that traits previously considered useful for diagnosis might represent intraspecific and ontogenetic variability, with important consequences for caymanostellid taxonomy.
Dentispicotermes trapezia (Isoptera: Termitidae: Amitermitinae), a new termite species from the Pantanal-Chaco Region of South America
Authors: SCHEFFRAHN RUDOLF H.
Published: November 2024

Dentispicotermes trapezia sp. nov. is described from the soldier and worker castes of specimens collected in Pantanal-Chaco Region of Bolivia and Paraguay. The soldiers differ from its five congeners in having a trapezoidal frontal protuberance with in-line marginal teeth. A key to Dentispicotermes soldiers is provided.
Range extension of the Mexican-endemic killifish Profundulus chimalapensis (Cyprinodontiformes: Profundulidae), with comments on its phylogenetic placement and possible intergeneric hybridization with Tlaloc Álvarez & Carranza 1951
Authors: ARROYAVE JAIRO , HERNÁNDEZ-ÁVILA SONIA GABRIELA , MATUS-MARTÍNEZ MANUEL , MATAMOROS WILFREDO A.
Published: November 2024

Recent ichthyological surveys in southern Mexico resulted in the unexpected discovery of populations of P. chimalapensis outside its distribution range, broadening its extent of occurrence to a total of three river basins (Coatzacoalcos [original], Grijalva, Ostuta) and two versants (Atlantic [original] and Pacific). The taxonomic nature of these populations was further investigated using comparative genetic data in a phylogenetic framework. Our results include the first assessment of the phylogenetic position of P. chimalapensis with respect to other Profundulus species and imply a sister-group relationship with P. oaxacae. Remarkably, our results also imply a close phylogenetic affinity of some P. chimalapensis samples with the genus Tlaloc, which we interpret as possible evidence of intergeneric hybridization, a phenomenon previously unreported in the family. If our interpretation in this regard is correct, it raises several broader evolutionary and taxonomic questions, such as the role that introgressive hybridization might be playing as a driver of speciation in profundulid fishes. From a historical biogeographic perspective, the proposed expanded geographic range could be explained by inter-basin dispersal enabled by recent or historical events (e.g., paleodrainage connections, headwaters stream capture, floodings) in the same fashion as these have been invoked to explain distribution patterns in other Middle American freshwater fishes.
Six new species of the genus Meleonoma Meyrick, 1914 (Lepidoptera: Autostichidae) from China
Authors: ZHU XIAOJU , WANG SHUXIA
Published: November 2024

Six new species belonging to the malacobyrsa species group of the genus Meleonoma Meyrick (Autostichidae, Periacminae) are described from China: M. avicapitata sp. nov., M. bitaeniana sp. nov., M. dorsidentata sp. nov., M. hirsuta sp. nov., M. longibursoides sp. nov. and M. spiculata sp. nov. Images of adults and genitalia are provided.
The millipede genus Skleroprotopus Attems, 1901 (Diplopoda, Julida, Mongoliulidae) in China, with description of a new species
Authors: MIKHALJOVA ELENA V. , KAZARIN VITALY M. , MARUSIK YURY M.
Published: November 2024

The genus Skleroprotopus Attems, 1901 is represented in China by five species, all keyed and mapped, including Skleroprotopus securifer Mikhaljova sp. nov. Taxonomic and distributional remarks are provided for all of the species.
Ramificazioni e diacronie arboree: Immaginare mondi nei romanzi eco-fittivi di Giono, Powers e Moresco
Authors: Mazzola Arianna
Published: November 2024

Il contributo intende analizzare i romanzi Canto degli alberi, Il sussurro del mondo e L’uomo che piantava gli alberi da un punto di vista tematico-stilistico. La presenza delle piante, dunque di un tema, sembrerebbe definire il ritmo della temporalità, ovvero di una forma, ora proponendo scenari disabitati ma utopici, come in L’uomo che piantava gli alberi; ora arrivando a narrare realtà attuali, come in Canto degli alberi; o futuribili, come in Il sussurro del mondo. Si tratta, quindi, di esaminare la funzione della descrizione delle piante e di considerare l’approccio eco-critico come imprescindibile strumento per esaminare la funzione conoscitiva dei testi scelti.
Mapping Egyptian Translations of Israeli Literatures: Evolution, Attitudes, and Themes
Authors: Lavie Limor
Published: November 2024

This study delves into the intricate realm of Egyptian translations of Hebrew and Israeli literatures, illuminating the various attitudes of the Egyptian government, intellectual elite, and educated populace toward cultural normalization with Israel. Analyzing a corpus of over a hundred translations spanning different genres, this research outlines turning points in the evolution of translation practices from the establishment of Israel to the present day. The study unveils a complex interplay between politics, culture, and public sentiment, illustrating how translations serve various roles, ranging from instrumental polemic tools in the Israeli–Arab conflict to avenues for cultural openness and familiarity. While the prevailing norm involves refraining from publicly endorsing normalization with Israel, government policy reflects a nuanced approach that balances anti-normalization sentiments at the official level with private sector flexibility. By exploring the selection criteria governing translation, the research provides valuable insights into the preferences of the Egyptian reading public and its perceptions of Israel, peace, and intercultural exchange.
Worker co-operatives in Australia 1833–2024
Authors: Patmore Greg , Balnave Nikola , Marjanovic Olivera
Published: November 2024

While there are qualitative discussions of the history of worker co-operatives in Australia, there have been no substantial quantitative long-term studies of their development. The development of the Visual Historical Atlas of Australian Co-operatives allows long-term analysis to be undertaken of Australian worker co-operatives. This paper will examine the definitional and theoretical issues surrounding worker co-operatives before proceeding to a discussion of the development of the Atlas and the general insights it provides into the history of worker co-operatives in Australia. The paper will then examine in more detail specific periods of Australian co-operative history to provide a more detailed explanation of the fluctuating fortunes of worker co-operatives in Australia. It notes that recent development of the Earthworker co-operative in Victoria provides a pathway for the future of worker co-operatives in Australia.
To Dispose or Eat? The Impact of Perceived Healthiness on Consumption Decisions for About-to-Expire Foods
Authors: Kim Jeehye Christine , Huh Young Eun , McFerran Brent
Published: November 2024

Perceived healthiness of food is generally regarded as a positive attribute in food choices, as it positively impacts consumers’ preferences. The current research demonstrates that in contexts where there is a time delay between a food's production and its consumption (referred to as “about-to-expire” food), strong perceptions of a food's healthiness can be detrimental. This is because consumers hold a lay theory that healthy food expires more quickly. In eight studies (N  = 3,552), the authors find that merely portraying food as healthy increases the perception that it expires quickly and that this effect attenuates when consumers hold the lay theory weakly or have a high level of knowledge about food expiration. Importantly, this lay theory leads consumers to avoid consuming healthy (vs. nonhealthy) about-to-expire food, resulting in increased disposal intentions and decreased preferences. In designing sales promotions for about-to-expire food, managers should consider the healthiness of food products, as consumers prefer different types of sales promotions and require different magnitudes of price discounts for healthy (vs. nonhealthy) about-to-expire food. Finally, adding an expiration date label that provides unambiguous guidance (i.e., “consume by”) can effectively mitigate the detrimental effect of perceived healthiness on the consumption for about-to-expire food.
Racial Inequity in Donation-Based Crowdfunding Platforms: The Role of Facial Emotional Expressiveness
Authors: Yazdani Elham , Chakravarty Anindita , Inman Jeffrey
Published: November 2024

Donation-based crowdfunding platforms often claim to pursue equitable outcomes for all beneficiaries, yet many face criticism for failing to do so across different demographic profiles. In response, platform managers are eager to understand how these inequities emerge and explore solutions to address them. In this research, the authors show that the degree of facial emotional expressiveness of beneficiaries in uploaded images can differentially impact donation amounts for White versus Black beneficiaries. Drawing on social vision theory, the authors propose that facial emotional expressiveness in images, combined with the beneficiary’s race, activates racial stereotypes of emotion expression that result in differential donation amounts to Black and White individuals. Analyzing a sample of 4,153 campaigns from GoFundMe between June 2021 and September 2022, along with a follow-up experiment, the authors find that higher facial emotional expressiveness is associated with significantly lower donation amounts for Black compared with White beneficiaries. Further exploring our moderating constructs reveals that the use of call-to-action cues, affective messaging, and race-gender homophily cues can attenuate the activation of stereotypes and therefore reduce differences in donation amounts between racial groups. Based on these findings, the authors offer targeted recommendations for platform managers to reduce racial inequities in crowdfunding outcomes.
Jet age Militourism in Hawai‘i and Okinawa during the Vietnam War
Authors: Takada Kaori
Published: November 2024

The advent of the jet age enabled the massification of international travel. U.S. airlines, faced with overcapacity, sought to inaugurate the Pacific routes, especially those between the mainland U.S. and Hawai‘i. Hawai‘i represents a symbolic intersection with militarism and tourism in the Pacific. “Militourism” is a phenomenon that the military as securing tourism operations and the tourism industry as masking the violence of military including usurpation and destruction against indigenous peoples. This essay analyzes the jet age militourism in Hawai‘i and Okinawa during the Vietnam War. Both archipelagos were positioned as the Rest and Recreation (R&R) sites for the service personnel as well as military bases for the U.S. armed forces. This paper aims to clarify how the U.S.-Japan alliance and the rivalry for trade and commerce of the two countries were involved in militourism in Hawai‘i and Okinawa, while examining the development of civil aviation commerce in the Pacific.
The Impact of Unnatural Death Stigmatization on Neighboring Property Prices: Propensity Score Matching and Difference-In-Differences Analysis
Authors: Lee Chun-Chang , Yeh Wen-Chih , Lin Pei-Syuan , Lee Jing-Yi , Dai Ting- Wei
Published: November 2024

This study primarily investigated the impacts of unnatural in-house deaths on nearby property prices. Propensity score matching was used to assess the homogeneity of experimental and control groups, and the difference-in-differences (DID) method was used for their comparison. Data for real estate transactions in Taipei City from 2012 to 2022 were retrieved from the Ministry of the Interior’s real estate actual transaction price registration query system. The DID interaction variable coefficient of 0.066 was significant at the 10% level. A comparison of the experimental and control groups showed a 6.8% property price difference following an unnatural in-house death. This suggests that an unnatural in-house death has a positive impact on property prices nearby. There were four unnatural deaths at the Xining Public Housing from 2003 to 2012 and four at the Jinxing Building from 1984 to 2012. The high incidence of events and the disclosure of information may have depreciated nearby property prices. The study results show that the stigmatization of unnatural in-house deaths reduces nearby property prices. The depreciation of implicit prices reverted and followed a U-shape pattern after several years.
Relationship between mindfulness and meaning in life among university students: roles of social support and the experience of being left behind
Authors: Sun Xinlong , Zhou Shuxi , Liao Jundong , Wan Xici , Wang Jue
Published: November 2024

University students, particularly those with experiences of being left behind, face difficulties dealing with the many changes that cause psychological problems, and meaning in life plays a protective role in this process. Mindfulness and social support have emerged as potential factors influencing meaning in life. Although previous studies have revealed a link between mindfulness and meaning in life, few studies have examined this relationship from the perspective of the experience of being left behind. A sample comprising 1205 university students was used for the study. Self-report questionnaires were administered to assess the degrees of mindfulness, social support, meaning in life, and the experience of being left behind. We established four moderated mediation models to test the moderation and mediation effects. The results of a moderated mediation analysis revealed that social support and its dimensions mediated the effect of mindfulness on meaning in life. The impact of family support on meaning in life was moderated by the experience of being left behind, and friend support and other types of support had no significant moderating effects. Specifically, the moderating effect of the experience of being left behind significantly attenuated the impact of family support on meaning in life, whereas no significant weakening effect was observed for friend support or other types of support. Therefore, psychological education should emphasize the compensation role of friend support and other social connections in the psychological problems caused by the experience of being left behind, and appropriate mindfulness intervention is suggested.
A tribute to Darrell Whiteman
Authors: Bevans Stephen
Published: November 2024

Darrell Whiteman was the Lifetime Achievement Awardee of the American Society of Missiology in 2024. This brief tribute notes his academic achievements and personal qualities for which he deserves the ASM’s highest award.
Early-life temperament: A longitudinal investigation of stability and structure
Authors: Schmidt Jonathan Arthur , Aschersleben Gisa , Henning Anne
Published: November 2024

In this longitudinal study, we investigated the factor structure and stability of early-life temperament in a German sample, using three measures developed within Rothbart’s psychobiological approach. Temperament was measured using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire Revised (IBQ-R) at the ages of 6 and 12 months, the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ) at the age of 18 months, and the Child Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ) at the ages of 36 and 48 months. We assessed longitudinal stability on a scale and factor level using data from the 85 participants that took part in each measurement. The latent factor structures were analyzed at each time point using all available data, ranging from 112 to 148 participants. Modest to high degrees of stability for most scales and all three latent factors was found. Stability was highest between measurements employing the same instrument and increased with age, indicating a consolidation of temperament traits over time. Model fit for the proposed factor structure consisting of Surgency, Negative Affect, and Effortful Control/Regulatory Capacity was poor, while exploratory factor analyses revealed similar but not identical structures for each time point. The third factor of Regulatory Capacity was not found at 6 months, but at 12 months and later, as is commonly the case in German samples. These findings further contribute to our understanding of the early development of temperament and its stability from infancy and beyond as well as expand on previous literature regarding its structure in German culture.
Assessment of a Low-cost Canine Uterine Simulator as a Tool for Teaching the Ovariohysterectomy Technique to Veterinary Students
Authors: García González Melissa , Pérez Rivero Cruz y Celis Juan José , Heuze de Icaza Ivonne Michelle , Lozada Gallegos Ángel Raymundo
Published: November 2024

The acquisition of skills to perform an ovariohysterectomy (OVH) is crucial for veterinary medicine students. It has been demonstrated that the most effective way to develop these skills is through repetitive training on simulators. Unfortunately, commercial simulators are expensive, limiting their use and highlighting the need for the development of more cost-effective alternatives. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a low-cost, easily constructed textile-based simulator for the canine ovaries and uterus in training veterinary students on the OVH technique. The impact of tutor guidance on student learning was also assessed. Participants were divided into two groups: simulator and tutor guidance (SG) and simulator only (SO). Each student performed 20 repetitions of the three-clamp OVH technique, and the number of errors and execution time were quantified. The SG group reached the learning curve plateau in terms of minimum errors on the 7th repetition and attained the fastest time on the 6th repetition. The SO group reached the learning curve plateau in terms of minimum errors and attained the fastest time both on the 15th repetition. From individuals in the SG group, there were no requests for tutor guidance from the 11th attempt. This low-cost simulator is ideal for training veterinary students in the early stages of surgical learning, as it effectively facilitates learning the OVH procedure without the use of live animals.
Prevalence and risk factors of hospital acquired venous thromboembolism
Authors: Li Hai-Lei , Zhang He , Chan Yiu Che , Cheng Stephen W
Published: November 2024

Objectives

To investigate the prevalence, clinical characteristics and risk factors of hospital acquired venous thromboembolism (HA-VTE) in a Chinese Hospital.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed as HA-VTE in a single institution from January 2016 to December 2022 was performed. Patients with VTE prior to admission or within 48 h after admission were excluded. Demographic data of patients was retrieved from the electronic medical database, and parameters affecting the occurrence of HA-VTE were analyzed.

Results

4,022 patients from 321,997 episodes of medical admissions were diagnosed as VTE. Among these, 952 (23.7%) fulfilled the criteria of HA-VTE, corresponding to an incidence of 0.296%. 76% of patients presented with HA-deep vein thrombosis (DVT) alone, 13% presented with isolated HA-pulmonary embolism (PE), and 11% presented with concomitant HA- DVT and PE. Risk factor analyses showed statistically higher incidence in patients with elder age (67.5 ± 15.5 vs 48.3 ± 17.2 years, p < .001), male gender (0.346% vs 0.262%, p < .001), malignancy (0.513% vs 0.252%, p < .001), trauma (0.659% vs 0.28%, p < .001), emergency admission (0.664% vs 0.186%, p < .001), ICU stay (2.981% vs 0.226%, p < .001), and patients undergoing major surgery (0.702% vs 0.176%, p < .001). Patients with HA-VTE had longer hospital stay (22.5 ± 26.6 vs 7.21 ± 9.23 days, p < .001) and higher mortality rate (8.51% vs 1.01%, p < .001). The crude incidence rate of HA-VTE increased annually from 0.75 per 1,000 patients in 2016 to 5.89 per 1,000 patients in 2022. The subspecialties with the highest incidence rate of HA-VTE were cardiovascular surgery (1.40%), neurosurgery (1.10%), and respiratory medicine (0.72%).

Conclusion

This is one of the few large scale studies to show that HA-VTE, accounting for nearly one quarter of all VTE events, occurs in 0.296% of adult hospitalizations. Patients with elder age, malignancy, ICU stay, and undergoing major surgery require more intensive HA-VTE surveillance and prevention.
A Meta-Analytic Review of Transformational Leadership Research in Public Administration
Authors: Bao Yuanjie , Zhang Zixu , Yang Chang
Published: November 2024

Despite the increasing research attention devoted to transformational leadership in public administration, there is still concern over whether it is appropriate and effective in the public context. To answer the important question of whether and when transformational leadership is effective, this study meta-analytically reviewed transformational leadership research based on 70 primary studies that include 151 independent effect sizes from 718,601 participants. It was found that transformational leadership was significantly related to outcomes at both individual (motivations, attitudes, and behaviors) and organizational (performance and innovation) levels, and positively related to transactional leadership and leader-member exchange. Moderation analyses revealed that national cultural values and public/semipublic affiliation of the studied samples, as well as measurement scales of transformational leadership explained some of the transformational leadership-outcome relationship variations. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Toxicity and Plant Animacy in Amazonia: Cosmology, Chemosensation and Ecosemiotics
Authors: Daly Lewis , Shepard Glenn H.
Published: November 2024

In Indigenous Amazonian life-worlds, plants used for diverse purposes such as protecting, harming, seducing and curing are sometimes considered to be ‘plant persons’, imbued with special kinds of subjectivity. In examining plant animism in Amazonia, we consider case studies of the knowledge and use of toxic, medicinal and charm plants from two distinctive societies – the Makushi people of Guyana (Daly) and the Matsigenka of Peru (Shepard). We have focused on the chemosensory modes of communication (taste, odour, texture, etc.) that shape Makushi and Matsigenka interactions with plants, with a particular emphasis on bitterness, causticity and other toxic properties that often embody a plant's power to heal or harm. Here, we delve deeper into Makushi understandings and uses of shamanic plants within the category of bina ‘charms’, exploring how their animacy is entangled with chemosensory properties, phytochemical components and modes of preparation and administration. We also revisit Matsigenka knowledge, concepts and uses of various bamboo species, revealing a complex interpenetration between tactile and chemical perceptions, phenological cycles and eco-cosmological elaborations. Using these cross-cultural examples, we show plant animacy can be expressed through sensorial and ecosemiotic processes of embodiment and ensoulment which defy Cartesian mind/body, nature/culture and subject/object dualisms. In order to fully comprehend plants, we suggest a deeper engagement between anthropology and the natural sciences. Indigenous perspectives on plant animacy raise far-reaching questions about the meanings of body, soul and non-human agency in Indigenous Amazonia, contributing to the relevance of anthropology and ethnobiology in the critical context of the Anthropocene.
The overestimation of gaze for horizontal, vertical, and diagonal fixation points
Authors: Horstmann Gernot
Published: November 2024

A widely known result from gaze-perception research is the overestimation effect where gaze endpoints are seen farther to the side than they actually are. While horizontal gaze directions have been studied repeatedly, there is scarce research on other directions after early reports that vertical gaze is perceived accurately. It is argued that if participants base their judgment on the movements of the iris-pupil-complex in relation to eye size, vertical gaze should be overestimated similarly as horizontal gaze. This is what was found in the reported experiment. However, horizontal gaze was actually overestimated more than diagonal and vertical gaze. The small difference in overestimation between the axes may be explained by the horizontal-vertical illusion, entailing that horizontal extensions are seen as shorter than vertical extensions.
Technostress and employee safety performance in China: The moderating role of perceived organizational support and the mediating role of job burnout
Authors: Zhang Zhe , Wang Xinping , Su Chang , Zhang Xiaohan , Sun Linhui , Yuan Xiaofang
Published: November 2024

This study investigates the adverse effects of technostress on employee safety performance and the moderating influence of perceived organizational support in mitigating these effects. The study also investigates the mediating role of job burnout in the relationship between technostress and employee safety performance. The research highlights that sources of technostress can negatively impact safety performance, casting light on an emerging challenge posed by the rapid technological advancements in work environments. Furthermore, the results reveal that job burnout mediates the adverse effects of technological stress on employees’ safety performance and perceived organizational support can serve as a buffer, reducing the experience of technostress and thereby potentiating better safety performance. This study contributes to the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model by elucidating how personal and organizational resources protect against the negative implications of technostress in safety-sensitive work contexts. The insights gained provide a foundation for developing intervention strategies aimed at reducing job burnout and facilitating enhanced workplace safety standards.
Social geography I: Anti‐racism, implacable whiteness and decolonizing Anglo‐American geography
Authors: Nayak Anoop
Published: November 2024

Transnational events including worldwide Black Lives Matter protests, #Rhodes Must Fall and university encampments across Europe and the US in resistance to Israel’s occupation and bombing of Gaza have provided momentum for a decolonial ‘turn’ throughout the education sector. By exploring the emergence of anti-racist decolonial themes in Anglo-American geography I argue that the whiteness of the discipline, its roots in colonial modernity, as well as the neoliberal production of whiteness in Higher Education stymies decolonizing agendas. Nevertheless, I further demonstrate how anti-racist decolonial perspectives are being reconfigured by geographers with the potential to rethink geographical theory, pedagogy and practice.
Emancipation and liberation as normative horizons in critical theory
Authors: Andrade Costa José Fernando
Published: November 2024

Although they are often used as synonyms, emancipation and liberation constitute two distinct normative horizons in critical theory of society. In this article, I offer an analysis of these two concepts, including their historical and epistemological characteristics, pointing out similarities, differences and the possibilities for their combined use as basis of models of normative social criticism. I argue that the critical horizon of human emancipation emerges in post-Kantian European thought, while the horizon of liberation was developed in Latin American decolonial thinking in the second half of the 20th century. The horizon of emancipation arises with the critique of the primacy of systemic domination, while liberation emerges in the resistance to the primacy of the experience of oppression. The analytical distinction between these two normative horizons can be helpful to better understand both the foundations of epistemic decolonization and the potential for dialogue between the critical perspectives of center and periphery.
Life after exile: Introducing a new dataset on post-exile fate
Authors: Hidaka Kaoru , Kubota Masanori , Yukawa Taku
Published: November 2024

Recent research in international relations and comparative politics has highlighted the post-tenure fate of leaders, particularly exile. Scholars view exile either as a punishment or a “golden parachute” offering a safe exit with potential future power. To assess which perspective aligns with reality, we developed a dataset tracking exiled leaders’ fates across three periods: during exile, upon returning home, and beyond. Our findings reveal significant variations, but the majority of exiled leaders eventually return home and resume power. This suggests a need to reconsider research that groups exile with punishments like imprisonment or execution.
A nanofibrous polycaprolactone/collagen neural guidance channel filled with sciatic allogeneic schwann cells and platelet-rich plasma for sciatic nerve repair
Authors: Chen Wenfeng , Zheng Chenxiao
Published: November 2024

Sciatic nerve damage, a common condition affecting approximately 2.8% of the US population, can lead to significant disability due to impaired nerve signal transmission, resulting in loss of sensation and motor function in the lower extremities. In this study, a neural guidance channel was developed by rolling a nanofibrous scaffold produced via electrospinning. The scaffold’s microstructure, biocompatibility, biodegradation rate, porosity, mechanical properties, and hemocompatibility were evaluated. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) activated with 30,000 allogeneic Schwann cells (SCs) was injected into the lumen of the channels following implantation into a rat model of sciatic nerve injury. Recovery of motor function, sensory function, and muscle re-innervation was assessed using the sciatic function index (SFI), hot plate latency time, and gastrocnemius muscle wet weight loss. Results showed mean hot plate latency times of Autograft: 7.03, PCL/collagen scaffolds loaded with PRP and SCs (PCLCOLPRPSCs): 8.34, polymer-only scaffolds (PCLCOL): 10.66, and untreated animals (Negative Control): 12.00. The mean SFI values at week eight were Autograft: −49.30, PCLCOLPRPSCs: −64.29, PCLCOL: −75.62, and Negative Control: −77.14. The PCLCOLPRPSCs group showed a more negative SFI compared to the Autograft group but performed better than both the PCLCOL and Negative Control groups. These findings suggest that the developed strategy enhanced sensory and functional recovery compared to the negative control and polymer-only scaffold groups.
Persistence of the Gender Frame: Gender Perceptions of Ambiguous Chinese and Gender-Neutral American Names in the United States
Authors: Yao Man
Published: November 2024

How do people conduct gender classification in ambiguous contexts? A gender framing perspective suggests the pervasiveness and consequences of using gender in novel contexts, but there is a paucity of knowledge about how people assign a gender to ambiguous targets in interpersonal relations. This study fills in this knowledge gap by investigating how U.S. individuals classify the gender of two types of gender-ambiguous names—Chinese names written in English letters and gender-neutral American names. It also examines how respondents’ gender ideologies and racial stereotypes are associated with their perceptions of gender-ambiguous names. An online survey experiment with 795 U.S. individuals finds that respondents predominantly assign a binary gender (versus neutral or unsure) to both Chinese names (40.8 percent men and 37.4 percent women) and gender-neutral American names (41.1 percent men and 19.4 percent women). Multivariate analyses reveal that respondents with traditional gender ideologies associate a gender-binary perception with gender-neutral American names rather than Chinese names. Meanwhile, respondents who endorse the racialized stereotypes that Chinese people are socially cold and/or generally competent are more likely to perceive Chinese names as men’s names. These findings demonstrate that a gender-binary frame persists in ambiguous contexts, and that the classification outcome is conditional on contextual signals and preexisting cultural beliefs. They also deepen understanding of gender neutrality during social interactions and a gendered nature of racialized stereotypes.
Digital Labour Platforms in the Italian Domestic Sector: Approaching (In)Formalisation Processes from the Other Way Round
Authors: Dimitriadis Iraklis , Coletto Diego
Published: November 2024

In this exploratory study, we investigate the effects of digital labour platforms (DLPs) on cleaning workers. The prevalence of informality in this sector leads us to suggest analysing workers’ experiences by combining the literature on DLPs with that on the informal economy. Through in-depth interviews with cleaners in Milan and Rome, as well as DLP representatives, the article highlights on one hand, how DLPs affect informal workers and their conditions, and, on the other hand, how workers represent their work and what meanings they associate with the terms formal and informal in the location-based platform economy. The study shows that DLPs seem to play a limited role in the formalisation of work, revealing new forms of hybridisation between formal and informal labour. The use of DLPs also results in increasingly confusing perceptions of what constitutes formal (or regular) and informal work.
“Taak op, wats yu (s)touri?”: Dancehall storytelling and Tanya Stephens’ grassroots feminism
Authors: Pinnock Agostinho MN
Published: November 2024

In (re)considering the viability of Jamaican dancehall and reggae artist Tanya Stephens’s rejection of the label ‘feminist’, this paper uses her song, Wats Yu (S)touri, from her 2004 Gangster Blues album to trace several critical grassroots performativities which address popular forms of Jamaican grassroots women’s activism. These modes of activism are regarded as reflective of traditional feminist practices which carry over to dancehall. The paper is primarily concerned with the context of Stephens’s music, specifically regarding whether some of her storytelling practices conform with the vernacular tradition of taakin op (a strident retort). It offers a reading of feminism against Stephens’s claim, suggesting that dancehall practices like taakin op are also linked to longer histories of Jamaican grassroots performativities which extend beyond the dancehall itself. The aim is to understand how Stephens’s feminism, albeit disavowed, enlarges ideas about dancehall as a subversive hi/story of post/colonial Blackness in Jamaica. Accordingly, specific attention is paid to themes of romantic love, work and ‘gyangsta feminism’, a coinage following the title of a track on the same album.
Rituximab in lupus anticoagulant hypoprothrombinemia syndrome: A case report
Authors: Agnelli Giacchello Jacopo , Trincheri Nicol Francesca , Sciancalepore Patrizia , Contino Laura , Santi Roberto Mario , Pengo Vittorio
Published: November 2024

Background

Lupus anticoagulant hypoprothrombinemia syndrome (LAHPS) is a rare autoimmune condition characterized by acquired prothrombin (FII) deficiency associated with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and life-threatening bleeding. We present the case of a 34-year-old woman with heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), positive Lupus anticoagulant (LA) test, and high titer anticardiolipin antibodies Immunoglobulin G (ACA IgG) and anti-β2 glycoprotein I antibodies IgG (antiB2GPI IgG). Severe iron deficiency anemia necessitated recurrent blood transfusions and intravenous iron infusions from 2018 to 2021.

Results

In January 2022, she was admitted to our clinic. Von Willebrand disease screening and platelet function analysis (PFA100) were normal. FII and FIX deficiencies were detected, without factor IX inhibitors. Anti-phosphatidylserine/prothrombin antibodies were confirmed by Padua University lab. To reduce antibody titers and menstrual bleeding, immunosuppressive therapy (Rituximab 375 mg/m2 weekly ×4 weeks) and hormonal therapy (desogestrel 75 mcg/day) were initiated.

Conclusion

After 1-year, complete remission of clinical symptoms was achieved, with normalization of FII and FIX values and moderate reduction of aPS/PT titers, especially IgM isotype.
Institutional cooperation in handling epidemics: The case of the Misericordia of Florence during the Italian preunification period
Authors: Pozzoli Matteo , Bellucci Marco , Manetti Giacomo
Published: November 2024

The function of nonprofit organisations (NPOs) in managing healthcare and poverty relief and the role of accounting and reporting in their management control systems have many implications for accounting historians. The present research examines the relationship between NPOs and local governments in the management of public services, particularly during health emergencies. Specifically, this study examines the institutional cooperation between the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Misericordia of Florence and the Santa Maria Nuova Public Hospital during the cholera epidemic of 1855–1862. This research applies a conceptual framework based on Michel Foucault's concepts of ‘governmentality’, ‘nosopolitics’ and the ‘government of the poor’ and Mitchell Dean's ‘technologies of government’ to the study of archival primary sources. This research makes several contributions to the accounting history literature regarding the involvement of NPOs in healthcare, including an original analysis of the role of accounting and reporting in the ‘government of the sick’ from a nosopolitical perspective.
Narrative Coherence and Relational Agency: Unraveling Transitions Into and Out of Alberta Correctional Facilities for People Living With HIV
Authors: Wadams Morgan , Grekul Jana , Lessard Sean , de Padua Anthony , Caine Vera
Published: November 2024

Incarcerated populations in Canada face significant health and social challenges during transitions into and out of correctional facilities. These transitions around facilities pose disproportionate barriers to care for people living with HIV. Further research is crucial to comprehend these challenges and reimagine care concepts for people who experience structural marginalization. In this article, experiences of transitions into and out of Alberta correctional facilities for people living with HIV are explored using narrative inquiry. Conducted in a Western Canadian city from 2021 to 2022, the inquiry revolved around two men living with HIV and a history of incarceration. Through co-creating field texts and narrative accounts, their unique experiences of transitions were explored through a collaborative process of analysis. Narrative threads from Bruce and Kyle showcased a lack of narrative coherence and the presence of tensions in their lives, while also emphasizing relational agency. The findings provide avenues for health, social, and justice practitioners who support and care for individuals living with HIV and a history of incarceration to think differently about transitions. By highlighting the importance of attending to the unique identities of individuals and relationships from a position of relational agency, the study advances our understanding of transitions. Recommendations for practice and policy include (a) fostering relational agency among practitioners; (b) challenging conventional views of transitions around correctional settings; (c) incorporating peer-based programming into support services; and (d) reconsidering health, justice, and social systems to better support communities disproportionately affected by high rates of incarceration and HIV.
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor Washout Period Prior to Angiotensin Receptor/Neprilysin Inhibitor Initiation in the Inpatient Setting
Authors: Shah Kaanan , Mabhugu Stella , Obioma Jessica , Nguyen Quang , Schillig Jessica , Torres Brittany P. , Howard Meredith , Lindley Bryn
Published: November 2024

Background:

The 2022 AHA-ACC HFSA Guideline for Management of Heart Failure recommend initiating an angiotensin receptor/neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who can tolerate an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi). The manufacturer recommends initiating a 36-hour washout period when switching from ACEi to ARNI due to an increased risk of adverse effects, including angioedema. This study investigated the adherence to the washout period when transitioning from ACEi to ARNI at a community hospital.

Objectives:

The primary objective was to assess the rate of adherence to the 36-hour washout when transitioning patients from ACEi to ARNI. Secondary outcomes included heart failure exacerbation readmission rates within 90 days and the rate of adverse effects (angioedema, hypotension, acute kidney injury, and hyperkalemia).

Methods:

This was a retrospective cohort study including patients with HFrEF who were transitioned from ACEi to ARNI during their hospital stay between March 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022. Patients were excluded if they did not receive an ACEi or ARNI during their admission or if they had an ejection fraction >40%. Pearson chi-square was used to analyze categorical data.

Results:

Of 33 patients included in this study, 67% received the full 36-hour washout period when transitioning from ACEi to ARNI. There were no significant differences between the rates of hospital readmissions or adverse effects between the groups. No patients experienced hyperkalemia or angioedema.

Conclusion and Relevance:

This is the first study to our knowledge to describe real-world prescribing practices when transitioning patients from ACEi to ARNI for the treatment of HFrEF. Larger, multicenter studies are needed to provide more data on prescribing practices outside this single center. Future research should also include pharmacist’s role in adhering to the recommended washout.
From Polarities and Perspectives of Social Media: Instagram, TikTok, and Mental Well-Being in the Post-Pandemic Society
Authors: Rajaei Afarin , Abraham Danna
Published: November 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted global mental health, with social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok playing a crucial role in shaping individuals' experiences and well-being. This mixed-methods study investigates the influence of these platforms on mental health outcomes in the post-pandemic era, combining quantitative surveys ( N = 200) with qualitative interviews ( N = 15) across different age groups. The researchers explored relationships between social media use and mental health indicators, examined age-related differences in experiences, and uncovered themes related to social comparison, body image concerns, and the dual role of social media in providing both support and stress. Findings contribute to the growing body of research on social media's impact on mental health, highlighting the complex nature of social media use and its varied effects on different age groups. This study offers insights for mental health professionals, social media platforms, and policymakers in developing targeted interventions and guidelines for promoting healthy social media use and supporting digital well-being in the post-pandemic context.