bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neurigona susanrocesae, the first Neurigona species from the Philippines
Authors: Deocaris Custer , Alinsug Malona , Cabelin Gladys , Jose Reizl
Published: June 2024

The first species of the genus Neurigona is described from the Philippines. The diagnosis, description and molecular data based on the partial DNA sequence of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene were documented. The Neurigona species exhibits distinct characteristics, including a sub-apical dorsal stylus resembling an arista, a peduncle on the seventh abdominal segment, a flat dorsal postcranium, elongated legs devoid of prominent setae or bristles, and a distinctive rectangular bend in wing vein M. Based on the DNA sequence analysis, the unknown species is 90.06% similar to Cyrtona sp. and Neurigona zhejiangensis. However, 10% of its DNA sequences are significantly variable making it a totally different species. The specimen was verified by a dipterist as a species belonging to Genus Neurigona under Family Dolichopodidae. These flies are recognized for their lengthy legs and sizable yellow bodies. The species was named as N. susanrocesae as a tribute to the late Susan Roces, the “Queen of Philippine Movies”.
Potensi Kota Lama Kupang Sebagai Kawasan Cagar Budaya
Authors: Nday Rosvitayati Umbu
Published: June 2024

Kota Lama merupakan embrio perkembangan Kota Kupang. Kota Lama Kupang termasuk kawasan bersejarah yang ditandai keberadaan obyek-obyek peninggalan bangsa asing. Kawasan bersejarah merupakan aset yang perlu dilindungi, dikembangkan dan dimanfaatkan sebesar-besarnya untuk kemakmuran rakyat. Pengelolaan aset bersejarah yang tepat tidak hanya bertujuan untuk menyelamatkan dan melestarikan warisan budaya kota (urban heritage) namun dapat dioptimalkan untuk kepentingan kesejahteraan masyarakat. Menurut identifikasi dan kondisi eksisting obyek-obyek bersejarah menunjukkan Kota Lama Kupang memiliki potensi memenuhi kriteria penetapan cagar budaya sesuai dengan Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia nomor 11 tahun 2010. Cagar budaya adalah kekayaan budaya bangsa yang perlu dilestarikan dan dikelola secara tepat dalam rangka memajukan kebudayaan nasional. Namun mengacu pada pengelolaan sampai saat ini belum dikelola secara tepat dan sesuai dengan nilai sejarah dan karakter urban heritage di Kota Lama Kupang. Pengelolaan dimaksud adalah upaya terpadu untuk melindungi, mengembangkan dan memanfaatkan cagar budaya melalui kebijakan pengaturan perencanaan, pelaksanaan dan pengawasan untuk sebesar-besarnya kesejahteraan masyarakat. Oleh karena itu kajian potensi Kota Lama Kupang sebagai kawasan cagar budaya merupakan upaya untuk mendorong Pemerintah Kota Kupang untuk mengoptimalkan potensi cagar budaya yang dimiliki dengan mendayagunakan aset obyek diduga cagar budaya (ODCB). Tujuan pengembangan cagar budaya di Kota Lama Kupang adalah guna menyelamatkan dan melestarikan karakter urban heritage, meningkatkan harkat dan martabat bangsa melalui cagar budaya, memperkuat kepribadian bangsa, meningkatkan kesejahteraan Masyarakat dan pembentukan identitas Kota Kupang. Metode kajian dilakukan dengan pendekatan studi lapangan, studi sejarah dan studi karakter urban heritage dan hasil kajian menghasilkan gambaran potensi cagar budaya di Kota Lama Kupang.
Analisis Permohonan Pekerjaan Tambah
Authors: Muda Yosef Norbertus Tembu , Kartawidjaja Maria Angela , Sukwadi Ronald
Published: June 2024

Pekerjaan tambah mengakibatkan terjadinya perubahan terhadap item pekerjaan dan atau volume pekerjaan sehingga berdampak langsung terhadap biaya dan waktu. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk menganalisis dan mengetahui kesesuaian berdasarkan peraturan yang ada sehingga dapat memberikan solusi yang tepat mengenai permohonan pekerjaan tambah dari pihak kontraktor pada Proyek Perbaikan Akses Jalan di PLTD Waibalun Rayon Larantuka PT. PLN (Persero) Area Flores Bagian Timur. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode deskriptif kuantitatif dan deskriptif kualitatif, dengan tahapan melakukan analisis terhadap permohonan pekerjaan tambah berdasarkan peraturan yang berlaku, analisis terhadap bobot pekerjaan yang telah dilaksanakan sampai dengan waktu pengajuan permohonan pekerjaan tambah, analisis perhitungan biaya dari permohonan pekerjaan tambah, dan membuat kesimpulan dan saran dengan membandingkan keputusan yang telah dilaksanakan pihak konsultan pengawasan dengan hasil analisis pada artikel ini. Hasil analisis didapatkan kontrak yang digunakan merupakan jenis kontrak lump sum, deviasi antara rencana progres dan realisasi progres dari kontraktor sangat rendah dengan deviasi -11,1271 %, biaya pekerjaan tambah sebesar Rp.21.887.000,- dengan persentase total penurunan harga adalah 1,22 % dari total harga penawaran. Keputusan yang tepat terkait adanya permohonan pekerjaan tambah ini adalah tidak disetujui untuk dilanjutkan prosesnya. Keputusan pihak konsultan pada saat proyek berlangsung telah sesuai dengan hasil analisis pada artikel ini.
सामाजिक परिवर्तनामध्ये डॉ. बाबासाहेब आंबेडकर यांची भूमिका
Authors: राऊत प्रा जयंत
Published: June 2024

सामाजिक परिवर्तनामध्ये डॉ. बाबासाहेब आंबेडकर यांची भूमिका प्रा जयंत राऊत राज्यशास्त्र विभाग प्रमुख, श्री गणेश कला महाविद्यालय, कुंभारी, अकोला बी 7, निसर्गदिप गजानन पार्क जवळ, तुलशान बंगल्याचेमागे, गितानगर, अकोला 444 002, मो 9822697280 सारांश हजारो वर्षे अज्ञान, अन्याय, मानहानी व अत्याचार यांना बळी पडलेल्या अस्पृश्य बांधवांच्या मनात आत्मविश्वासाची भावना निर्माण करून आपल्या हक्कांसाठी संघटितपणे लढा देण्यास त्यांना प्रवृत्त करणारे, त्याकरिता आपले जीवनसर्वस्व वेचणारे विसाव्या शतकाच्या पूर्वार्धातील एक महान नेतृत्व म्हणजे भीमराव रावजी उर्फ डॉ. बाबासाहेब आंबेडकर. भारतीय राज्यघटनेचे शिल्पकार म्हणून डॉ. आंबेडकरांचा उल्लेख केला जातो. घटना तयार करण्याच्या संदर्भात त्यांनी बजावलेल्या कामगिरीची घटना समितीचे अध्यक्ष डॉ. राजेंद्रप्रसाद यांनी गौरवपूर्ण शब्दात प्रशंसा केली. अस्पृश्यता निर्मूलनाकरिता घटनात्मक तरतुदी करणारे व सामाजिक परिवर्तनाचे आग्रही पुरस्कर्ते म्हणून डॉ. आंबेडकरांचा उल्लेख भारतीय इतिहासात ठळकपणे केला जाईल. बीज शब्द (Keyword) : जातीय निवाडा, राखीव जागा, जातीव्यवस्था, सामाजिक परिवर्तन, घटनासमिती, गुलामगिरी, अस्पृश्यता निवारण, घटना समिती, दुर्बल घटक, सामाजिक न्याय,समता, स्वातंत्र्य, बंधूत्व
Enhancing Triangular Dimensions of Teamwork at the Top through Knowledge Donating An exploratory study
Authors: Saleh Hadi Dr. Mohammad
Published: June 2024

DOI:10.5281/zenodo.5822745
This study aimed to examine the relationship between knowledge donating and the triangular dimensions of Teamwork at the top, and to achieve this goal, the researcher conducted a survey study on a sample of its members (100) of the telecommunications company, and the number of valid forms (84) and the (84 % ) A total of 16 % of the forms are invalid.In the study of the influence of knowledge donating in the triangular dimensions of Teamwork at the top, the researcher used statistical methods to analyze the data and test hypotheses, including using the statistical program SPSS to analyze the data and descriptive statistical methods to classify the expectations of the individuals.The results show that knowledge donating variables are significant in improving team performance and that knowledge donating has a direct impact on team performance.
African Perspectives of Gender and Sex in Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo’s Trilogy
Authors: Chikamadu Dr. Patience C. Christabel , Chidi-Onwuta Dr. Gift
Published: June 2024

The notions of what is male and what is female are cultural conceptions into which all human beings are placed. These conceptions form a sex-gender view in African culture. This study examines the concept of gender and sex in Akachi Ezeigbo’s trilogy using survey method. It was discovered among other things that Ezeigbo is using these literary texts as a medium to seek for the end of oppression of women in the world outside the texts. This work analyzed issues in Akachi Ezeigbo’s trilogy from a female point of view as Njoku (2004:277) asserts, “Feminist criticism engages issues from the female point of view which reflects the changing nature of society and highlights the protest of a marginalized group (women)”. Akachi Ezeigbo's trilogy is therefore seen as a message of hope to all oppressed women in Africa; that women are already in the ascent and that total liberation is possible and at the threshold. The “benign way” to survive being the pathway of sound education and economic empowerment of women. These will help to facilitate the “coming salvation.
OVERLAP OF THE PICTURES OF COLOR TEXTS IN THE NOVEL HOT MAROC BY THE MOROCCAN WRITER YASSIN ADNAN : THE FRAGMENTED PORTRAIT AS A SAMPLE
Authors: Bakriyyeh Rajaa
Published: June 2024

This study focuses on one of the central issues that is are overlooked in the qualitative artistic research: the relationship of the literary text with the attached color text, specifically the cover text, through one sample- the novel Hot Maroc by the Moroccan writer Yassin Adnan in its two translations into French and English versus the two original Arabic texts. The study notices that the artistic overlap between the aesthetics of the textual content and the aesthetics of the textual color content constitutes an exceptional model in raising an unaddressed deep debate between form and content that concerns a broad public of recipients. The qualitative test that I conducted between the covers of the novel Hot Maroc in the forms of their artistic revelations led me to draw amazing conclusions regarding the color impact of the cover artistry on the novel's popularity. The research discusses the following issues: the artistic criteria that support the credibility of the work; the artistry of the design of the cover by the Arab publishing houses, and the rate of concordance and compatibility between the form and content to achieve the joy of the work; the criteria of the foreign publishing houses in the design of the cover; the differences between the criteria of the two cultures in producing the book covers in general and the cover of Hot Maroc in particular; the fame and spread of the work and its public spread. The study concludes that the book-cover design has a significant impact on the receivers of the work, and recommends that that the Arab publishing houses promote their paper culture, and come up with a plan of what we agree to call 'cultural marketing'.
Ambidextrous performance according to entrepreneurial vigilance Applied research in the oil products distribution company
Authors: AL Dawood Prof. Dr, Fadheelah
Published: June 2024

The research aims to define the role of entrepreneurial vigilance in its dimensions in improving the activities of the entrepreneurial vigilance in its dimensions in the researched company, and the importance of the research is evidenced by assisting the oil products distribution company / session in directing the interest of the researched company because it has a prominent role in the Iraqi industrial community to the variable entrepreneurial vigilance that contributes to Building a sustainable competitive advantage. This will happen when the company has an entrepreneurial orientation and a good strategic plan is built by the ambidextrous  leaders in the research company.   The researcher adopted the method of the analytical approach to complete the research, and the research community represented by the Petroleum Products Distribution Company was selected, and the administrative leaderships were chosen, in addition to choosing the intentional sample method, as the research sample reached (116) persons distributed to the administrative leaderships, and the questionnaire was adopted as a main tool  In the research, it was based on personal interviews, field visits, and personal observation, The results of the research indicate the convergence of the results for the entrepreneurial vigilance variable and the ambidextrous performance variable in terms of arithmetic mean and standard deviations of the petroleum products distribution company.
PRAGMATIC ISSUES ON MODERN ADVERTISEMENT SLOGANS
Authors: CHINTURU ADINDU (PhD) MARY , Chikamandu Chinyere C.
Published: June 2024

In this paper, the pragmatic issues in both print and electronic media were examined. We focused on the non-linguistic elements in targeting message. We also considered how linguistic elements interfere with non-linguistic ones in communicating message. The paper investigated some crucial pragmatic issues in modern advertisement slogan. We discovered the role of both linguistic and non-linguistic elements in conveying messages from the advertisers to their audience. We also found out that context play a vital role in the choice of language use in advertising. We discovered a drastic semantic distortion or obstacle in modern advertisement slogan as a result of some pragmatic loopholes inherent in advertisement such as ambiguities, anomalies and deifications. It was also found out that advertisers do objectify experience at the expense of their customers. We concluded that there are some pragmatic squabbles facing advertisement. Our data was collected through bill boards, graffiti news papers, magazines etc. And the work was framed on Bach and Harnish (1979) theory of mutual contextual belief.
Choline supplementation in early life improves and low levels of choline can impair outcomes in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Chartampila Elissavet , Elayouby Karim S , Leary Paige , LaFrancois John J , Alcantara-Gonzalez David , Jain Swati , Gerencer Kasey , Botterill Justin J , Ginsberg Stephen D , Scharfman Helen E
Published: June 2024

Maternal choline supplementation (MCS) improves cognition in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) models. However, the effects of MCS on neuronal hyperexcitability in AD are unknown. We investigated the effects of MCS in a well-established mouse model of AD with hyperexcitability, the Tg2576 mouse. The most common type of hyperexcitability in Tg2576 mice are generalized EEG spikes (interictal spikes [IIS]). IIS also are common in other mouse models and occur in AD patients. In mouse models, hyperexcitability is also reflected by elevated expression of the transcription factor ∆FosB in the granule cells (GCs) of the dentate gyrus (DG), which are the principal cell type. Therefore, we studied ΔFosB expression in GCs. We also studied the neuronal marker NeuN within hilar neurons of the DG because reduced NeuN protein expression is a sign of oxidative stress or other pathology. This is potentially important because hilar neurons regulate GC excitability. Tg2576 breeding pairs received a diet with a relatively low, intermediate, or high concentration of choline. After weaning, all mice received the intermediate diet. In offspring of mice fed the high choline diet, IIS frequency declined, GC ∆FosB expression was reduced, and hilar NeuN expression was restored. Using the novel object location task, spatial memory improved. In contrast, offspring exposed to the relatively low choline diet had several adverse effects, such as increased mortality. They had the weakest hilar NeuN immunoreactivity and greatest GC ΔFosB protein expression. However, their IIS frequency was low, which was surprising. The results provide new evidence that a diet high in choline in early life can improve outcomes in a mouse model of AD, and relatively low choline can have mixed effects. This is the first study showing that dietary choline can regulate hyperexcitability, hilar neurons, ΔFosB, and spatial memory in an animal model of AD.
Human immunodeficiency virus-1 induces host genomic R-loops and preferentially integrates its genome near the R-loop regions
Authors: Park Kiwon , Lee Dohoon , Jeong Jiseok , Lee Sungwon , Kim Sun , Ahn Kwangseog
Published: June 2024

Although HIV-1 integration sites favor active transcription units in the human genome, high-resolution analysis of individual HIV-1 integration sites has shown that the virus can integrate into a variety of host genomic locations, including non-genic regions. The invisible infection by HIV-1 integrating into non-genic regions, challenging the traditional understanding of HIV-1 integration site selection, is more problematic because they are selected for preservation in the host genome during prolonged antiretroviral therapies. Here, we showed that HIV-1 integrates its viral genome into the vicinity of R-loops, a genomic structure composed of DNA-RNA hybrids. VSV-G-pseudotyped HIV-1 infection initiates the formation of R-loops in both genic and non-genic regions of the host genome and preferentially integrates into R-loop-rich regions. Using a HeLa cell model that can independently control transcriptional activity and R-loop formation, we demonstrated that the exogenous formation of R-loops directs HIV-1 integration-targeting sites. We also found that HIV-1 integrase proteins physically bind to the host genomic R-loops. These findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying retroviral integration and the new strategies for antiretroviral therapy against HIV-1 latent infection.
The relationship between low energy availability, injuries, and bone health in recreational female athletes
Authors: Gimunová Marta , Bozděch Michal , Bernaciková Martina , Fernandes Romulo , Kumstát Michal , Paludo Ana
Published: June 2024

Background

Low energy availability (LEA) causes pathophysiology of the female athlete’s body affecting the bone and reproductive health and was observed to have a high prevalence in recreational female athletes previously. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between low energy availability in females questionnaire (LEAF-Q), bone mineral density (BMD), and postural stability in recreational athletes.

Methods

Recreational female athletes (n = 24, age: 23.71 ± 2.94, Tier I) completed LEAF-Q, postural stability measurement during quiet stance (Zebris platform FDM; GmbH) and their BMD was measured using DXA (Hologic QDR Horizon A). Non-parametric statistical tests were used to analyse the relationships between LEAF-Q, BMD, and postural stability and to compare differences between participants divided by the LEAF-Q score and its subscales.

Results

Risk of LEA was observed in 50% of recreational athletes participating in this study. Up to 46% of participants perceived menstrual bleeding changes related to training and 37.50% experienced menstrual dysfunction. Body composition and body weight fluctuations were observed to affect postural stability and BMD. With the risk score for LEA, the BMD and postural stability were not negatively affected in recreational athletes. However, the high number of recreational athletes in the risk score for LEA and menstrual dysfunctions highlights the need for public health programs aimed to increase awareness of LEA and its health consequences and for open communication about the menstrual cycle. Future longitudinal studies observing LEA, BMD, menstrual function, postural stability, and their interrelationship in female athletes are needed to increase the knowledge of this topic.
Text, Materiality, and Practice
Authors: Hughes April D.
Published: June 2024

What can textual combinations, format, and size tell us about the worldviews of the donors, scribes, and readers of medieval Chinese Buddhist manuscripts? How can material sources inform us about the ways adherents both perceived and actively shaped their traditions? This essay offers answers to these questions through analysis of several manuscripts of the Scripture on the Cause and Effects of Wholesome and Unwholesome Acts (Shan’e yinguo jing 善惡因果經, T no. 2881), discovered in the Dunhuang Library Cave. The text was likely composed in Chinese, and it first appears in Buddhist catalogs in the year 695 ce. Extant manuscripts of Cause and Effects appear in both scroll and booklet formats and number at least fifty-two in total, a significant number that attests to the popularity of the text. This essay analyzes the textual content and literary techniques, relating both to physical aspects of the manuscripts. It examines the textual and the material together through the mediating concept of practice—in this case, medieval Chinese reading practices.
Being a Commodity
Authors: Zhang Meimei
Published: June 2024

The qin 琴, a seven-stringed plucked musical instrument, occupies a unique status in Chinese cultural history. By the time it was established as the musical embodiment of classical tradition and literati culture in the Song dynasty, it had become an exchangeable commodity. While literary writings composed before the Song rarely focused on its monetary value, the unprecedentedly vibrant commercial world recast the qin, hitherto an aristocratic or scholarly pursuit, as a commodity that affected the life of the literati. This article examines how the literati worked through the conflicting values brought by the commodification of the qin to create and reinterpret its new meaning as an object with both cultural and monetary value. The commercial mechanism that the literati took part in also brought about changing characterizations in the connoisseurship of the qin. The astute perception of sound was no longer the sole criterion for appraisal, which now included familiarity with the qin’s physicality and knowledge of its craftsmanship. Behind the ostensible monopoly of the literati discourse on the qin, there was an economic and social network in which different groups participated—groups that together defined the cultural and commercial values of the qin.
Curious Case of the Vanished Coordinative Conjunction in Neo-Assyrian
Authors: Bjøru Øyvind , Pat-El Na'ama
Published: June 2024

While most Akkadian dialects use two coordinators, a phrase and clause level u= and a clause level =ma, in the Neo-Assyrian period both are mostly missing from native Assyrian texts. Not only is lack of overt coordination exceptional among the Semitic languages, cross-linguistically asyndeton is a rare strategy, only attested in languages with no writing tradition. In this paper, we will concentrate on u=. We sketch the various environments where u= is no longer used in Neo-Assyrian and consider what other strategies are used to mark coordination in this dialect. Finally, we propose a diachronic path to explain which processes contributed to the loss of the coordinator u=.
Naramsin’s Year Names Once More
Authors: Markina Ekaterina , Westenholz Aage
Published: June 2024

In this paper, the year names on two tablets from the reign of Naramsin of Akkad are mutually restored and their contribution to understanding the development of Old Akkadian royal iconography is considered.
Childlike Goddess
Authors: Thompson Shane M.
Published: June 2024

This article examines the derivation of toy and game imagery in “The Elevation of Ištar.” I argue that the presence of these metaphors in a first-millennium text represents a late stage in the development of Ištar’s characterization as a childlike goddess. Tracing this development from Sumerian mythological and lexical texts into the Sumero-Akkadian and Akkadian traditions reveals Inanna/Ištar’s well-known attribute of violent rage in a different manner. This suggests that the characterization of the goddess as childlike existed over a significant period of Mesopotamian history as shown by the inclusion of toy and game language in a variety of texts.
Al-Asrūshanī’s Jāmiʿ aḥkām al-ṣighār as a Source for the History of Childhood in Muslim Societies
Authors: Giladi Avner
Published: June 2024

A comprehensive compilation of legal rulings about children, one of particular historical utility and yet largely overlooked, is Muḥammad al-Asrūshanī’s Jāmiʿ aḥkām al-ṣighār. It offers a rather holistic view of the legal status of Muslim children and, more importantly, insight into common concepts of childhood and attitudes to children in premodern Muslim societies. Moreover, although drawing on the written heritage of middle-class urban scholars, the normative yet multilayered text of Jāmiʿ provides many precise details on children’s lives and their social environment. This article introduces al-Asrūshanī’s unique work—its structure, contents, and sources—and offers, as a case study, an analysis of the chapter the author dedicates to enslaved children. While al-Asrūshanī intended some, or even the majority, of instances discussed in this chapter to address theoretical legal debates, others, particularly those drawn from fatwas, mirror the real experiences of enslaved minors, concubines, and enslavers. Together they provide a picture of a moderate form of domestic slavery in the Islamic world, particularly in Central Asia of the Mongol period.
Ibn Ḥabīb’s Book of Scrupulosity
Authors: Melchert Christopher
Published: June 2024

ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Ḥabīb (d. Cordova, 238/853?), Kitāb al-Waraʿ, is a series of about 350 quotations, topically organized. Most section headings name things to avoid, waraʿ referring to scrupulosity, meaning to keep away from the forbidden by avoiding even the doubtful. Quotations go back to persons of all generations, from earlier prophets to Ibn Ḥabīb himself. Particularly notable is a section on trade, in which the Prophet calls traders and cultivators the worst of his community. It presumably reflects local, Andalusian concern with assimilation to the subject population. Ibn Ḥabīb, al-Waraʿ, cites the Prophet much more often than other collections on waraʿ. Altogether, scarcely one item in six in Ibn Ḥabīb’s collection lacks a parallel in other extant collections of pious sayings. Relatively numerous quotations of Asad b. Mūsā (d. 212/827) not found in his Kitāb al-Zuhd tend to confirm that the extant text is only a fragment of the original. However, the chief significance of Ibn Ḥabīb, al-Waraʿ, may be to confirm that other works at our disposal reliably represent the larger literature of piety in the ninth century CE.
Review of Spatial Dunhuang: Experiencing the Mogao Caves
Authors: Wang Michelle C.
Published: June 2024

Spatial Dunhuang: Experiencing the Mogao Caves. By Wu Hung. Seattle, WA: University of Washing­ ton Press, 2023. Pp. xix + 368. $65.
Review of The History of the Arthaśāstra: Sovereignty and Sacred Law in Ancient India
Authors: Lubin Timothy
Published: June 2024

The History of the Arthaśāstra: Sovereignty and Sacred Law in Ancient India. By Mark R. McClish. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019. Pp. xix + 274. $83.99 (cloth); $33.99 (paper).
Review of The Tsinghua University Warring States Bamboo Manuscripts: Studies and Translations, vol.1
Authors: Cook Constance A.
Published: June 2024

The Tsinghua University Warring States Bamboo Manuscripts: Studies and Translations, vol. 1, The Yi Zhou shu and Pseudo-Yi Zhou Shu Chapters. By Edward l. Shaughnessy. Beijing: Tsinghua University Press, 2023. Pp. 348. ¥158.
Review of Animals and Plants in Chinese Religions and Science
Authors: Sterckx Roel
Published: June 2024

Animals and Plants in Chinese Religions and Science. By Huaiyu Chen. London: Anthem Press, 2023. Pp. vii + 205. $110, £80 (cloth); $35, £25 (ebook).
Review of Researching Metaphor in the Ancient Near East
Authors: Mouton Alice
Published: June 2024

Researching Metaphor in the Ancient Near East. Edited by Marta Pallavidini and Ludovico Portuese. Philippika, vol. 141. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2020. Pp. xxi + 270, illus. €49 (paper).
Review of Sectarianism in Islam: The Umma Divided
Authors: Su I-Wen
Published: June 2024

Sectarianism in Islam: The Umma Divided. By Adam R. Gaiser. Themes in Islamic History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023. Pp. xiii + 237. $90 (cloth); $29.99 (paper and ebook).
Review of Wives and Work: Islamic Law and Ethics before Modernity
Authors: Belhaj Abdessamad
Published: June 2024

Wives and Work: Islamic Law and Ethics before Modernity. By Marion Holmes Katz. New York: Columbia University Press, 2022. Pp. viii + 320. $140, £108 (cloth); $35, £28 (paper).
Review of Agents of the Hidden Imam: Forging Twelver Shiʿism, 850–950 CE
Authors: Abdulsater Hussein Ali
Published: June 2024

Agents of the Hidden Imam: Forging Twelver Shiʿism, 850–950 CE. By Edmund Hayes. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2022. Pp. xiv + 247. $99.99.
What Counts as Buddhist Historiography and Why Does It Matter?
Authors: Teiser Stephen F.
Published: June 2024

This review article argues that John Kieschnick’s Buddhist Historiography in China (2022) constitutes a landmark in the field. The book covers a large swath of original sources, analyzes authorial strategies, and assesses the place of writing about the Buddhist past within the Sinocentric tradition of court-focused historiography. I point up the strengths of the book, identify its most significant chapters, and probe its interpretation of Buddhist historiography. I also suggest that, by including a broader range of genres within the ambit of Buddhist historiography, future scholarship might add perspectives that diverge from those of the centralized state and the Saṃgha.
Commentary on a Commentary on Ancient Mesopotamian Commentaries
Authors: Scurlock JoAnn
Published: June 2024

A gathering of the available ancient diagnostic commentaries, difficult as they are, should allow for the discovery of many interesting insights into the production of knowledge in ancient Mesopotamia. The work under review is disappointing in this regard. The presentation is cumbersome and confusing. The translations are all too often inaccurate, as are the interpretations. All in all, the work represents a step or two backward from previous editions of the texts. With these defects corrected, however, these ancient commentaries have much to offer the modern reader.
Assessing Yield, Quality and Nutrient Use Efficiency of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) with Agronomic Iron Bio-fortification
Authors: Jan Seerat , Rashid Zahida , Ahngar Tanveer Ahmad , Bhat Raies A , Mir Aamir H , Nasseer Sabina , Gul Razia
Published: June 2024

To assess the impact of foliar iron nutrition on the yield, quality, and nutrient utilization of rice variety SR-4 (Oryza sativa L.), a field experiment was conducted during the Kharif season of 2019 at the Crop Research Farm of the Division of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir Wadura. The experiment involved four levels of iron (0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1%) applied through three different sources (FeSO4. 7H2O, Na-Fe EDTA, and Ferric chloride), along with a control, arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Results showed that applying FeSO4.7H2O at 1% significantly increased crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR), net assimilation rate (NAR), grain yield, straw yield, biological yield, iron content in brown rice and straw, as well as iron uptake. However, iron chelate at 0.75% demonstrated the highest harvest index. Iron chelate at 0.25% exhibited the highest iron use efficiency, while FeSO4.7H2O at 1% resulted in the highest protein content. No significant difference was observed among treatments regarding amylose content. Consequently, it was determined that applying FeSO4.7H2O at 1% could be a promising strategy for agronomic biofortification with iron to improve both yield and quality of rice in the temperate conditions of Kashmir valley.
The Experiences of Filipino Teachers in Teaching Reading in the New Normal
Authors: Nimer Desserre Mae A. , EdD Melissa C. Napil,
Published: June 2024

This qualitative study aims to examine the experiences of Filipino language teachers in teaching reading in the context of the New Normal. The necessity for this research arises from the significant shifts in educational paradigms due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which have forced educators to adapt rapidly to new normal learning environments. Understanding these adaptations is crucial for developing effective teaching strategies that meet current and future educational demands. Based on empirical studies published from 2020 to 2023, the review aims to showcase successful strategies for phenomenological research. Interviews were used to describe themes and identify teachers' experiences, challenges, perceptions, and strategies in teaching reading. The results of the study reveal three themes. The first theme is the Teachers' Experiences in Teaching Reading in the New Normal, which encompasses opportunities and satisfaction, complications and challenges, confusion and problems, adjustments and lack of motivation, difficulties in reading and writing, divided attention, and academic transitions. Meanwhile, the second theme is the Mechanisms Employed by Teachers in Teaching Reading in the New Normal, which includes seeking inspiration, facing challenges, using eclecticism, performing duties, demonstrating altruism, and implementing collaboration. The final theme is the Perspectives Shared by Teachers in Teaching Reading in the New Normal, which includes themes such as professionalism, performance in the new context, students' needs, work-life balance, innovative language teaching methods, and broad perspectives. The study highlights the importance of educational programs in Filipino that are based on the local context of the New Normal and provides suggestions for improving reading instruction methods in Filipino schools.
Distribution and Economic Importance of Aquatic Macro Invertebrates: A Review
Authors: P. D. Rabo,
Published: June 2024

Aquatic macro-invertebrates are basic constituent of the aquatic food chain (serve as food for fish and other organisms), they aid in natural flow of energy as well as bio indicators of water quality. Others like snail are vectors of diseases- Schistosomiasis, Fascioliasis, Paragoniasis. Predatory insects and leeches damage fish eggs, fries and fingerlings. The distribution of aquatic macro-invertebrates are governed by good habitats, season of the year, physico-chemical parameters of water and sampling techniques. The factors playing a role in their distribution appears to have a role in dictating the survival and distribution of other aquatic organisms. The interplay of  distribution, abundance and economic importance of aquatic macro invertebrates and other water organisms helps check population growth, survival of the fittest, and serve as targets for conservation initiatives. Therefore a combine effort of individuals and government is needed to provide, and ensure guidelines implementation to protect the aquatic system from pollution and degradation, and ensure maximum productivity.
Characterisation and Bacteriophage Sensitivity of Enterococci Isolated from Traditional Fermented Dairy Product
Authors: Hansa Chakiyanikunnel Hameed , Anil Adithyan , Chandran Archana , Rathish Ramachandran Latha
Published: June 2024

Aims: The study aimed to detect and classify Enterococci isolates from Thayir, a traditional fermented dairy product.
Study Design: A statistically significant number of Thayir samples were collected from across the study area to isolate and characterise Enterococci.
Place and Duration of Study: The study took place in Wayanad District of Kerala, India in 2022-2023.
Methodology: The Thayir samples were aseptically collected and bacteriologically cultured to detect enterococci. The isolates obtained were tested for the ability to form biofilms and hydrolyse gelatin. The antibiotic sensitivity pattern was studied using disk diffusion assay. A simple Kmeans clustering algorithm was applied to group the isolates.  Phage-sensitive and resistant isolates were identified among the safer isolates. 
Results: Eight isolates were obtained. None of the isolates hydrolysed gelatin, but four produced biofilm. Antibiogram revealed increased sensitivity to nitrofurantoin, but most isolates were sensitive to antimicrobials. Clustering analysis revealed a set of three safer isolates, of which one was sensitive to the phage EFΦ91.
Conclusion: The study revealed the presence of Enterococcus fecalis and Enterococcus faecium in thayir samples. Analyses revealed that the isolates were diverse and continued monitoring for antimicrobial resistance against Enterococci in food samples is necessary.
Direct-seeded Rice: Potential Benefits, Constraints and Prospective
Authors: Singh Sumit Kumar , Kumar Harsh Jainth Monu , Maurya Stuti , Kumar Amit , Yadav Sachin , Sah Dinesh
Published: June 2024

Direct seeded rice (DSR) production has become a competitive substitute for traditional transplanting methods, offering several benefits such as decreased greenhouse gas emissions, labor and water savings, and improved resource efficiency. An extensive summary of the current status of DSR cultivation is given in this abstract, focusing on its agronomic, economic, and environmental aspects. This study covers the main concepts and techniques of DSR cultivation, including weed control, seed selection, land preparation, sowing techniques, and nutrient application. It examines current scientific findings and technological developments aimed at enhancing DSR systems, such as the development of high-yielding, stress-tolerant rice cultivars that can be seeded directly, with precision tools, and with integrated weed management practices. The environmental impacts of DSR cultivation are explored, highlighting its contributions to water conservation, soil health improvement, and greenhouse gas emission reduction. These benefits are examined alongside the agronomic and financial advantages, providing a holistic view of DSR's potential. However, the review also identifies several challenges and barriers to the widespread adoption of DSR, including technological constraints, gaps in farmer knowledge and expertise, and socioeconomic issues. Addressing these challenges requires significant research, extension services, policy support, and farmer capacity-building programs. The valuable insights into the potential of direct seeded rice cultivation as a sustainable, efficient, and environmentally friendly method of rice production. The implications for food security, resource conservation, and rural livelihoods are profound, suggesting that DSR could play crucial role in future agricultural practices.
An Advanced Lithium‐Sulfur Battery
Authors: Kim Junghoon , Lee Dong‐Ju , Jung Hun‐Gi , Sun Yang‐Kook , Hassoun Jusef , Scrosati Bruno
Published: May 2012

A lithium‐sulfur battery employing a high performances mesoporous hard carbon spherules‐sulfur cathode and a stable, highly conducting electrolyte is reported. The results demonstrate that the battery cycles with very high capacity, i.e., of the order of 750 mAh g−1 with excellent retention during cycling. In addition, by exploiting the high conductivity of our selected electrolyte, the battery performs very well also at low temperature, i.e., delivering a capacity of 500 mAh g−1(S) at 0 °C for over 170 charge‐discharge cycles. We believe that these results may substantially contribute to the progress of the lithium‐sulfur battery technology.
Patterning Techniques for Metal Organic Frameworks
Authors: Falcaro Paolo , Buso Dario , Hill Anita J. , Doherty Cara M.
Published: May 2012

The tuneable pore size and architecture, chemical properties and functionalization make metal organic frameworks (MOFs) attractive versatile stimuli‐responsive materials. In this context, MOFs hold promise for industrial applications and a fervent research field is currently investigating MOF properties for device fabrication. Although the material properties have a crucial role, the ability to precisely locate the functional material is fundamental for device fabrication. In this progress report, advancements in the control of MOF positioning and precise localization of functional materials within MOF crystals are presented. Advantages and limitations of each reviewed technique are critically investigated, and several important gaps in the technological development for device fabrication are highlighted. Finally, promising patterning techniques are presented which are inspired by previous studies in organic and inorganic crystal patterning for the future of MOF lithography.
Comparison of the physical properties of epoxy‐based composites filled with different types of carbon nanotubes for aeronautic applications
Authors: De Vivo Biagio , Lamberti Patrizia , Tucci Vincenzo , Guadagno Liberata , Vertuccio Luigi , Vittoria Vittoria , Sorrentino Andrea
Published: May 2012

The increased demand for high‐quality multifunctional materials in the aeronautic industry requires the formulation and preparation of advanced nanostructured composites with superior characteristics. In particular, epoxy‐based polymers, exhibiting excellent mechanical properties for structural stability, filled with carbon nanotubes (CNTs: single, double, and multiwalled—SW, DW, and MW), characterized by remarkable mechanical and electrical properties, allow us to manufacture a very versatile class of composites for structural applications in automotive, aeronautics, industry, electronics, etc. Many aspects concerning the optimization of such composite systems are still to be clarified. In this paper, the physical properties of samples based on the epoxy resin with the same weight percentage (0.5%) of different CNTs have been studied. The physical behavior of the nanocomposites resulted to be dependent on the type and on the chemical functionalization of the nanoinclusions. The elastic modulus and the electrical conductivity of composites based on unfunctionalized CNT are higher than those obtained for the functionalized systems. Moreover, the maximum electrical conductivity achieved for the composite based on unfunctionalized MWCNT is not far from the target required for aeronautic applications. The contrasting results obtained for the different physical properties enlighten the difficulty in choosing one of the CNT types for the realization of multifunctional materials. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Techn 31: 205–218, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/adv.21284
Nanostructured p‐n Junctions for Kinetic‐to‐Electrical Energy Conversion
Authors: Briscoe Joe , Stewart Mark , Vopson Melvin , Cain Markys , Weaver Paul M. , Dunn Steve
Published: May 2012

Piezoelectric ZnO nanorods grown on a flexible substrate are combined with the p‐type semiconducting polymer PEDOT:PSS to produce a p‐n junction device that successfully demonstrates kinetic‐to‐electrical energy conversion. Both the voltage and current output of the devices are measured to be in the range of 10 mV and 10 μA cm−2. Combining these figures for the best device gives a maximum possible power density of 0.4 mW cm−3. Systematic testing of the devices is performed showing that the voltage output increases linearly with applied stress, and is reduced significantly by illumination with super‐band gap light. This provides strong evidence that the voltage output results from piezoelectric effects in the ZnO. The behavior of the devices is explained by considering the time‐dependent changes in band structure resulting from the straining of a piezoelectric material within a p‐n junction. It is shown that the rate of screening of the depolarisation field determines the power output of a piezoelectric energy harvesting device. This model is consistent with the behavior of a number of previous devices utilising the piezoelectric effect in ZnO.
Polymerization on heating up of bio‐oil: A model compound study
Authors: Hu Xun , Wang Yi , Mourant Daniel , Gunawan Richard , Lievens Caroline , Chaiwat Weerawut , Gholizadeh Mortaza , Wu Liping , Li Xiang , Li Chun‐Zhu
Published: May 2012

Understanding of the condensation reactions in bio‐oil is the key for efficient conversion into transportation fuel or value‐added chemicals. In this study, the roles of the typical compounds representing the sugars, sugar derivatives, and aromatics found in bio‐oil were investigated for their contribution to condensation reactions. Glucose played a key role for the polymer formation due to its decomposition to reactive compounds with multiple hydroxyl groups, carbonyl groups or conjugated π bonds. The sugar derivatives, including furfural, hydroxyl aldehyde and hydroxyl acetone, were also found to be reactive toward polymerization. The carboxylic acids were shown to be the catalysts for polymerization and formic acid was much more efficient to catalyze polymerization than acetic acid. The phenolic compounds also promoted the acid‐catalyzed reactions. Vanillin contains reactive a carbonyl group, leading to its high tendency toward polymerization. In methanol, various kinds of methanolysis reactions dominated, which significantly suppressed the decomposition of glucose and the polymerization of other compounds. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 888–900, 2013
The Effects of Group Size and Reproductive Status on Vigilance in Captive Callithrix jacchus
Authors: Gosselin‐ildari Ashley D. , Koenig Andreas
Published: May 2012

Previous work on mammals and birds has often demonstrated a negative relationship between group size and individual vigilance. However, this relationship has received only weak support in nonhuman primates. This result may be due to the failure to distinguish different forms of vigilance such as antipredatory vigilance and social monitoring. Here, we tested the effects of group size, reproductive status (breeding vs. nonbreeding), and sex on antipredatory vigilance and social monitoring in captive common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Behavioral observations using one‐zero sampling were conducted on adult members of three captive groups of small, medium, and large size. Data were analyzed using a series of general linear models (GLMs) analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs). We found an overall negative group size effect on antipredatory vigilance and that breeders, especially breeding males, were significantly more vigilant than nonbreeders. Conversely, we found that social monitoring increased with group size. Unlike the results for antipredatory vigilance, neither breeders and nonbreeders nor males and females differed in their amounts of social monitoring. However, the effect of group size appeared to differ for nonbreeding males compared to all other adults. Our results generally support the idea that individuals in larger groups are safer with breeding males likely playing a prominent role in protection from predation. The increase in social monitoring may be related to increased reproductive competition with the presence of adult offspring, but future studies need to clarify the target of social monitoring in both breeders and nonbreeders. Overall, the study underlines the importance of distinguishing different forms of vigilance and other factors as they may confound the effects of group size on antipredatory vigilance. Am. J. Primatol. 74:613–621, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Flexibility and Persistence of Chimpanzee (Pan Troglodytes) Foraging Behavior in a Captive Environmentxht
Authors: BONNIE KRISTIN E. , Milstein Marissa S. , Calcutt Sarah E. , ROSS STEPHEN R. , Wagner Kathy E. , Lonsdorf Elizabeth V.
Published: May 2012

As a result of environmental variability, animals may be confronted with uncertainty surrounding the presence of, or accessibility to, food resources at a given location or time. While individuals can rely on personal experience to manage this variability, the behavior of members of an individual's social group can also provide information regarding the availability or location of a food resource. The purpose of the present study was to measure how captive chimpanzees individually and collectively adjust their foraging strategies at an artificial termite mound, as the availability of resources provided by the mound varied over a number of weeks. As predicted, fishing activity at the mound was related to resource availability. However, chimpanzees continued to fish at unbaited locations on the days and weeks after a location had last contained food. Consistent with previous studies, our findings show that chimpanzees do not completely abandon previously learned habits despite learning individually and/or socially that the habit is no longer effective. Am. J. Primatol. 74:661–668, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.