bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chemokine-like Orion is involved in the transformation of glial cells into phagocytes in different developmental neuronal remodeling paradigms
Authors: Perron Clarisse , Carme Pascal , Rosell Arnau Llobet , Minnaert Eva , Ruiz-Demoulin Salomé , Szczkowski Héloïse , Neukomm Lukas Jakob , Dura Jean-Maurice , Boulanger Ana
Published: September 2023

During animal development, neurons often form exuberant or inappropriate axons and dendrites at early stages, followed by the refinement of neuronal circuits at late stages. Neural circuit refinement leads to the production of neuronal debris in the form of neuronal cell corpses, fragmented axons and dendrites, and pruned synapses requiring disposal. Glial cells act as predominant phagocytes during neuronal remodeling and degeneration, and crucial signaling pathways between neurons and glia are necessary for the execution of phagocytosis. Chemokine-like mushroom body neuron-secreted Orion is essential for astrocyte infiltration into the γ axon bundle leading to γ axon pruning. Here, we show a role of Orion in debris engulfment and phagocytosis in Drosophila. Interestingly, Orion is involved in the overall transformation of astrocytes into phagocytes. In addition, analysis of several neuronal paradigms demonstrates the role of Orion in eliminating both peptidergic vCrz+ and PDF-Tri neurons via additional phagocytic glial cells like cortex and/or ensheathing glia. Our results suggest that Orion is essential for phagocytic activation of astrocytes, cortex and ensheathing glia, and point to Orion as a trigger of glial infiltration, engulfment and phagocytosis.
The CCR4–NOT complex suppresses untimely translational activation of maternal mRNAs
Authors: Soeda Shou , Oyama Masaaki , Kozuka-Hata Hiroko , Yamamoto Tadashi
Published: September 2023

Control of mRNA poly(A) tails is essential for regulation of mRNA metabolism, specifically translation efficiency and mRNA stability. Gene expression in maturing oocytes relies largely on post-transcriptional regulation, as genes are transcriptionally silent during oocyte maturation. The CCR4–NOT complex is a major mammalian deadenylase, which regulates poly(A) tails of maternal mRNAs; however, the function of the CCR4–NOT complex in translational regulation has not been well understood. Here, we show that this complex suppresses translational activity of maternal mRNAs during oocyte maturation. Oocytes lacking all CCR4–NOT deadenylase activity owing to genetic deletion of its catalytic subunits, Cnot7 and Cnot8, showed a large-scale gene expression change caused by increased translational activity during oocyte maturation. Developmental arrest during meiosis I in these oocytes resulted in sterility of oocyte-specific Cnot7 and Cnot8 knockout female mice. We further showed that recruitment of CCR4–NOT to maternal mRNAs is mediated by the 3′UTR element CPE, which suppresses translational activation of maternal mRNAs. We propose that suppression of untimely translational activation of maternal mRNAs via deadenylation by CCR4–NOT is essential for proper oocyte maturation.
Hydration and evaporative water loss of lizards change in response to temperature and humidity acclimation
Authors: Weaver Savannah J. , McIntyre Tess , van Rossum Taylor , Telemeco Rory S. , Taylor Emily N.
Published: September 2023

Testing acclimation plasticity informs our understanding of organismal physiology and applies to conservation management amidst our rapidly changing climate. Although there is a wealth of research on the plasticity of thermal and hydric physiology in response to temperature acclimation, there is a comparative gap for research on acclimation to different hydric regimes, as well as the interaction between water and temperature. We sought to fill this gap by acclimating western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) to experimental climate conditions (crossed design of hot or cool, dry or humid) for 8 days, and measuring cutaneous evaporative water loss (CEWL), plasma osmolality, hematocrit and body mass before and after acclimation. CEWL changed plastically in response to the different climates, with lizards acclimated to hot humid conditions experiencing the greatest increase in CEWL. Change in CEWL among individuals was negatively related to treatment vapor pressure deficit and positively related to treatment water vapor pressure. Plasma osmolality, hematocrit and body mass all showed greater changes in response to temperature than to humidity or vapor pressure deficit. CEWL and plasma osmolality were positively related across treatment groups before acclimation and within treatment groups after acclimation, but the two variables showed different responses to acclimation, suggesting that they are interrelated but governed by different mechanisms. This study is among few that assess more than one metric of hydric physiology and that test the interactive effects of temperature and humidity. Such measurements will be essential for predictive models of activity and survival for animals under climate change.
A Metasomatic Neural Photoreceptor in the Scorpion
Authors: Geethabali  , Rao Kandula Pampapathi
Published: September 2023

There are extraocular photoreceptors in the metasoma of different species of the scorpion Heterometrus (H. fulvipes var. I, H. fulvipes var. II and H. gravimanus). The relative sensitivity of the different parts of the metasoma differs in the different species of Heterometrus studied. The telsonic nerves, although sensitive to light, are not solely responsible for the extraocular perception of light, and cutting of the telsonic nerves does not abolish the response in any of the species of Heterometrus used. With increase in the intensity of light stimulus the latency of response decreases and the impulse frequency increases in the responding units; and a greater number of units are excited. With prolonged exposure of the receptors to light some units become adapted, and the rate of adaptation is different in the telsonic response as compared to the ganglionic response in H. gravimanus. Spectral sensitivity is the same in the different species of Heterometrus tested, and the peak response is obtained at 568 nm with a smaller peak at 440 nm.
Reconstructing financial analysis courses in higher vocational education in China: a factor analysis approach
Authors: Yan Weiwei , Sun Pengge
Published: September 2023

Background: The development of information technology has had a significant impact on traditional financial analysis. For large amounts of data and complex business environments, financial analysts are required to use technical analysis tools to process mass data and deeply integrate financial analysis and enterprise value to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises. This requires the reconstruction of the financial analysis courses in higher vocational education in China. This manuscript studies the problems existing in traditional financial analysis courses and reconstructs these.

Methods: A factor analysis approach is adopted to reconstruct the financial analysis courses. We study these courses from three perspectives — coursebooks, teachers, and teaching methods. We collected the data of relevant courses from online platforms in China and used content analysis to find the problems existing in the three areas.

Results: The authors found that the content of the coursebooks were incomplete and outdated, the teachers lacked practical ability and were unaware of data analysis tools. Furthermore, their teaching methods were inefficient.

Conclusions: The study reconstructs the financial analysis courses based on three aspects. First, the contents are supplemented with enterprise strategy, macro-environment analysis, industry analysis, business analysis, and the application of data analysis tools. Second, the teachers can work in the company to develop their vocational skills, and participate in training programs to learn data analysis tools. Third, the teaching methods can be dynamic and dual-purpose by cooperating with enterprises to enrich practical teaching. Furthermore, colleges and enterprises can make enterprise work a teaching task, develop simulation training platforms, and provide vocational skill grade certificates.
Morphometry of pyramidalis muscle and its role in reconstructive surgeries: A cadaveric study in South Indian population
Authors: Sumalatha Suhani , Rao Sharanya , Ankolekar Vrinda Hari
Published: September 2023

Background: The pyramidalis muscle is a tiny triangular-shaped muscle that is located in the anterior abdominal wall, which originates from the body of the pubis and pubic symphysis and is inserted into linea alba. This study aimed to measure the different parameters of the pyramidalis muscle in adult cadavers.

Methods: This study was carried out on 31 adults (26 males and five females) 10% formalin embalmed cadavers of both sexes from the Department of Anatomy at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal.

Results: The mean length of the right pyramidalis muscle was 64.44 ± 12.52 mm and the left pyramidalis muscle was 64.73 ± 12.81 mm. The mean width of the muscle was 15 ± 4.18 mm and 15.03 ± 3.52 mm on the right and left sides, respectively. The mean thickness of the muscle was 1.32 ± 0.55 mm and 1.4 ± 0.80 mm on the right and left sides, respectively. The distance between the umbilicus to pubic symphysis ranged from 130–192 mm and their mean was calculated to be 159.77 ± 15.36. The distance between the umbilicus and the apex of the muscle ranged from 72–123 mm.

Conclusions: The measured parameters like length, width and thickness may help the surgeons to locate the muscle during infra umbilical surgeries.
The Investment Development Path theory: Evidence from developing countries’ agricultural sector
Authors: Djokoto Justice Gameli , Agyei-Henaku Kofi Aaron A-O , Badu-Prah Charlotte
Published: September 2023

Background: We examined the investment development path (IDP) through the perspective of developing countries’ agricultural sector. Our analytical approach indirectly accounts for interactions among countries regarding cross-border resource transfers. Aside from providing knowledge on testing the IDP by inferential statistics, the information would be relevant for policymaking. Identifying the stage(s) in the IDP not only highlights the global appeal of agriculture but also guides firms seeking to expand beyond borders. This information is essential for developing an effective economic strategy.

Methods: We employed data from 1991 to 2021 for 55 countries from the Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT) and applied a fixed effects estimator corrected for serial correlation and non-constant variances.

Results and conclusions: We found that agriculture in developing countries is currently in stages I and II of the IDP. Broadly, agricultural production requires policies that would increase outward foreign direct investment and inward foreign direct investment. Domestic agricultural businesses in developing countries must develop capacity by learning from foreign multinationals. This would enable agricultural businesses to invest abroad. Such a move would lead to an increase in outward FDI. As this would have resulted from increased GDP per capita, it will lead to movement from the existing stage to higher ones.
Violence in the Education: The Post-Revolutionary Situation in Hungary (1956-1957)
Authors: Somogyvári Lajos
Published: September 2023

Background: The author attempts to introduce an unusual approach towards schools, universities, and dormitories, including their users (professors, teachers, parents, and students): How can the educational issues be seen through the lenses of special police forces in a specific historical moment? After the 1956 Hungarian revolution, a brutal pacification process took place all over the country, supported by the Soviet troops and special armed forces, police battalions of the restarting communist power.  

Methods: In this historical study, I used mainly military archive documents to show the perspective of the communist restauration and confront their viewpoints with party reports and some oral histories by eyewitnesses, who suffered several injuries during the repression. The paper is based on narrative analysis, as the official explanation presented various stories to justify their actions, while the reality in the background might be very different from this.

Results: Between November 1956 and May 1957, these soldiers or officers became a familiar image in educational institutions. They blamed teachers and professors for misleading their students and thus creating a narrative of the counter-revolution of October 1956, while they identified themselves as parents or teachers (instead of the real ones, who lost their rights to do this, due to the participation in the revolution). Conversely, physical and verbal aggression was a widespread routine of the army officers.

Conclusions: In extraordinary situations, during historical crises violence became suddenly real, allowed, and/or supported by many political actors to achieve their goals. After the consolidation of power, these special army and police forces were released and their activities were stopped by the authorities of the Ministry of National Defence because their presence was realized as an uncomfortable situation for the politicians. Such studies may give lessons us to learn, about how these scenes escalate into a point of no return.
Correlations between components of the immune system
Authors: Shabat Yehudit , Ilan Yaron
Published: September 2023

Background: No evidence of the possibility to alter a constituent of the immune system without directly affecting one of its associated components has been shown yet.

Methods: A schematic model was developed in which two triggers, fasting and splenectomy, were studied for their ability to affect the expression of cell membrane epitopes and the cytokine secretion of out-of-body autogeneic and syngeneic lymphocytes.

Results: Fasting decreased expression of CD8 and CD25 and increased TNFα levels. The effect of splenectomy as a trigger was investigated in non-fasting mice by comparing splenectomized and non-splenectomized mice. An increase in the CD8 expression and in TNFα, IFNg, and IL10 secretion was noted. The effect of splenectomy as a trigger was investigated in fasting mice by comparing splenectomized and non-splenectomized mice. Splenectomy had a significant effect on expression of CD25 and CD4 CD25 and on secretion of TNFα, IFNg, and IL10. To determine the effect of keeping the cells in an out-of-body location on the expression of lymphocyte epitopes, tubes kept on top of the cages of the fasting mice were compared with tubes kept on top of empty cages. A significant change in the CD8 expression was noted. To determine the effect of keeping cells in an out-of-body location on cytokine secretion, tubes kept on top of cages were tested for cytokine levels. A significant decrease was noted for the secretion of TNFα and IFNg.

Conclusions: The data obtained from this study characterized a system for induction of correlations between two components of the immune system without a transfer of mediators. The study showed that a mouse could affect cells at a distance and alter the expression of surface markers and cytokine secretion following two types of triggers: fasting and/or splenectomy. Thus, an out-of-body correlation can be induced between two components of the immune system.
Health issues of the indigenous communities with special reference to the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of Odisha: a review
Authors: Kanrar Priyanka , Goswami Monali , Roy Subho
Published: September 2023

As India is a country in epidemiological transition, the indigenous populations agonise from a dual burden of illnesses, including undernutrition, infectious diseases and lifestyle-related issues like hypertension, obesity and diabetes. Few concrete efforts have been made to understand these emerging public health problems with emphasis on the indigenous populations living in this country. This review paper focuses on the epidemiological transition, prevalence of communicable and non-communicable diseases, nutritional status, dual burden of malnutrition and the availability, acceptability and accessibility of the health care services among the tribal communities with special emphasis on the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of Odisha. This study is based on the review of published articles in different online databases using search engines like Google Scholar, Pub Med, INFLIBNET, JSTOR. A total of 195 articles published during the period from 1956 to 2022 were reviewed. The review is focussed on the indigenous populations living in the Indian state of Odisha. Migration and urbanization are the leading causes of epidemiological transition among them. The health scenario in terms of nutritional status, disease burden and availability of health care facilities of Odisha was found to be far behind the national average. Compared to other groups, the situation of the PVTGs of this state is the worst. The review suggests more action-oriented ground level research with targeted goals that would address the health needs of the indigenous populations at a micro level.
Analysis of delays and cost overruns of road construction projects in the Colombian Caribbean Region
Authors: Canales Fausto A. , Mora Otto , Arrieta-Castro Marco , Moreno-Natera Aníbal , Del Savio Alexandre
Published: September 2023

Construction projects are constantly threatened by delays and cost overruns that might compromise their viability. Th us, identifying the leading causes of these issues based on the experience of experienced professionals is essential to planning and reducing these risks. This research evaluates the frequency and severity of variables causing delays and cost overruns in Colombian Caribbean Region road projects. Th e nine causes studied in this research were defined through a literature review, preliminary discussion and a pilot  test. A survey directed to 42 road construction engineers allowed the authors to characterise these professionals’ perceptions regarding the frequency and severity of these variables in terms of delay and cost overruns, with a confi dence level of 80%. Statistical analyses were applied to the results of the survey to establish which variables generate the most signifi cant impacts when building roads and related works in the Colombian Caribbean Region
The importance of preventing infections related to the implantation of a cardiac implantable electronic devices in the population of Bydgoszcz
Authors: Wołowiec Łukasz , Sielski Sławomir , Żukow Xawery , Konieczny Jakub , Sawicki Przemysław , Jaśniak Albert , Grześk Grzegorz
Published: September 2023

Cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) infection, despite significant developments in medicine, is still a significant source of morbidity and mortality, occurring in the range of 1% to 4% of all implantation cases. A modern approach to reducing the risk of CIED infection is the use of an absorbable antibacterial coating, also known as an envelope in which the device is placed. The material from which the envelope is made is completely absorbed by the body approximately nine weeks after implantation, simultaneously releasing antibiotics. The presented manuscript discusses the importance of preventing infections related to CIEDs implantation and presents partial data on implanted CIEDs in the population of Bydgoszcz.
Research into infections associated with CIED implantation is highly important as it can significantly reduce the risk of complications and improve treatment outcomes. Continued research in this field is essential to refine prevention strategies and enhance the quality of care for CIED patients.
The presented data on implanted CIEDs in the population of Bydgoszcz represent a crucial step in understanding the prevalence of these devices and may provide valuable insights for further research into preventing CIED-related infections. Further analysis of this data can help develop more effective prevention strategies and improve healthcare in this area.
Risk Factors of Gambling Disorder Among Adults – Research Report
Authors: Kusztal Justyna , Piasecka Małgorzata , Nastazjak Aleksandra
Published: September 2023

The aim of the article is to present the results of research conducted in 2021 in Poland, the subject of which were risk factors of gambling disorder in selected age groups. The research was carried out by means of a systematic review of the literature on the subject, while maintainingthe necessary elements of the PRISMA standard. The research material consisted of Englishlanguage articles selected in a systematic review, published in high-rated scientific journals. The conclusions from the research, including the most common risk factors for gambling disorder, allowed for the formulation of proposals and recommendations in the field of universaland selective prophylaxis addressed to adults.
Parental Involvement in Children’s Remote Education: Examining the Case of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Olszewska-Gniadek Joanna , Ostafińska-Molik Barbara Paulina , Gaweł Anna
Published: September 2023

This paper presents the results of a study that aimed to determine how parents were involved in their children’s remote education during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, with comparisons at the beginning and at the end of the sanitary regime, and by parents’ education, place of residence, mode of work during the pandemic, number of children they had and the level of education of their child/children. The study was conducted by means of an online survey using two independent measurements: at the beginning of the pandemic and during the fifth wave of the pandemic. A sample of N = 75 respondents was surveyed in Measurement I, and N = 306 in Measurement II. A mixed survey procedure was used. The research tool was a self-administered survey questionnaire. The research found that the introduction of distance learning forced new arrangements for the organisation of home life, existing habits and interaction patterns, with parental involvement in their children’s distance education differentiated by parents’ socio-demographic characteristics. It was also found that recurrent periods of remote learning about the ongoing pandemic were increasingly burdensome for working parents, who did not see the benefits of this education for their children.
Partisan Return Gap: The Polarized Stock Market in the Time of a Pandemic
Authors: Sheng Jinfei , Sun Zheng , Wang Wanyi
Published: September 2023

Using two proxies for investors’ political affiliation, we document sharp differences in stock returns between firms likely dominated by Democratic investors (blue stocks) and those dominated by Republican investors (red stocks) during the COVID pandemic. Red stocks have 20 basis points higher risk-adjusted returns than blue stocks on COVID news days (Partisan Return Gap). Lockdown policies, COVID cases, industry and firm fundamentals only explain at most 40% of the return gap. Polarized political beliefs about COVID, revealed through people’s social distancing behavior, contribute to about 40% of the return gap beyond the fundamental channel. Our paper provides partisanship as a novel aspect in understanding abnormal stock returns during the pandemic.

This paper was accepted by Lukas Schmid, finance.

Supplemental Material: The data and e-companion are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4913 .
Antibacterial Effect of Alcohol-free Oral Rinses on Aspiration Pneumonia-inducing Microorganisms
Authors: Park Hye-Jin , Kim Tae-Woo , Kim Sung-Hoon , Han Sun-Young
Published: September 2023

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of several commercial alcohol-free oral rinses on aspiration pneumonia‑inducing microorganisms. Methods: The experimental products of three commercial oral rinses (Caregargle, Listerine [coolmint mild], and Garglin [zero]) were selected for the evaluation of antimicrobial effect. Hexamedine and sterile distilled water were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. Four pneumonia‑causing microorganisms and Streptococcus mutans were treated with the experimental oral rinses for one minute, and the live cells were counted as colony-forming units (CFUs). For statistical analysis, one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s hoc test were performed using SPSS version 26.0. Results: Hexamedine and Listerine (coolmint mild) exhibited the highest antibacterial effects against all microorganisms. Caregargle and Garglin (zero) showed comparatively lower antibacterial effects than did Listerine (coolmint mild) and Hexamedine. Conclusions: Hexamedine and Listerine (coolmint mild) displayed significant antimicrobial effects on aspiration pneumonia‑inducing microorganisms. These findings suggest that Hexamedine and Listerine (coolmint mild) products for oral care in hospitalized patients or older adults may be effective in preventing aspiration pneumonia.
Reform of police custody: piecemeal tweaks, defunding, abolition or transformation?
Authors: Kendall John
Published: September 2023

This paper argues for the substantial reduction of the ambit of police custody, and for the regulation of police conduct in custody blocks. Detention in custody is widely used by the police to apply pressure on suspects to make confessions. This is oppressive and wasteful. Custody should be used much more sparingly and only where detention is necessary for safety reasons. Custody can in any case be a dangerous place for detainees. An average of up to 23 people die in police custody every year, including four detainees from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Heritage, a greater proportion than their percentage of the population. Regulation of police conduct in custody blocks is supposed to be carried out by the little-known statutory Independent Custody Visiting Scheme. The scheme enables members of the public to make unannounced visits to police stations and to check and report on the welfare of detainees. As the result of government policy and the power of the police, the visiting scheme is neither independent nor effective, fails to challenge the police, makes no discernible impact on their behaviour or on the deaths in custody figures, provides no measure of police accountability, and obscures the need for urgent reform. This paper recommends immediate implementation of these reforms because they would save lives.
Forms of Solidarity and the Self: A Postcolonial Reading of Yuli Riswati's Hong Kong Writing
Authors: Cheang Kai Hang
Published: September 2023

Abstract: This article puts together the seemingly disparate topics of transnational domestic labor and the Hong Kong protests to discuss inter-ethnic and cross-class solidarity. It does so by examining the writing of Yuli Riswati, an Indonesian migrant worker and civic journalist who was deported from Hong Kong in 2019. City-wide civil disobedience in Hong Kong has historically been predicated upon the liberal ideal of suffrage (as in 2014) and an essentialized and Han-centric identity of Hongkonger (as in 2019), both of which have overlooked the needs of ethnic minorities, especially those who are ineligible for citizenship. Building on scholarship in decolonial and intersectional feminism, this essay focuses on Riswati's two short stories, namely "Violet Testimony" (2016) and " 那個傷口依然在我體內 " ("The Wound Is Still Inside Me" 2019) as well as her personal essay, "Some Notes about Hong Kong as My Second Home" (2020), which was featured by the exhibition afterbefore at the Chinatown Soup gallery in New York. This essay argues that Riswati's writing embodies what Gayatri Spivak would call an oppositional transformative: Riswati's stories about political involvement and gender-based domestic violence challenge the traditional history of the international labor movement that has a distinctive masculinist ethos and the typical narrative of Hong Kong protests focused exclusively on the citizenry, a rhetorical move underpinned by the homogenizing assumption that all Hongkongers are Han Chinese. As a former Hong Kong domestic worker, Riswati's textual performatives throw into relief the shared precarity which makes herself and her community relatable to a global audience; thereby, her writing brokers a type of intersubjectivity of the human or a postcolonial humanism that does not rely on a preconceived notion of humanity which shows up in the definition of a nation or a region's citizenry but rather on audience engagement that speaks to her publications' distinctive context and culture.
Labor Precarity of Chinese Feminist and LGBT NGO Activism—a Social Reproduction Perspective
Authors: Wang Stephanie Yingyi
Published: September 2023

Abstract: This article examines an under-explored topic of labor precarity of Chinese feminist and LGBT NGO activism from the perspective of social reproduction. Contextualizing the intimate connection between the Chinese party-state outsourcing social service delivery to global civil society and the burgeoning of feminist and LGBT NGOs since the 1990s, it argues that the party-state relies on the social reproductive functions of these NGO while containing their political influence; at the same time, the transnational non-profit funding complex utilized these NGOs for political intervention in China. Arguing against a binary framework of civil society versus state and resistance versus oppression, this article centers the lived experiences of feminist and LGBT activist workers and highlights the contradiction and interplay of agency and conformity of these workers in the state- and market- orchestrated processes of moralization, illegalization, and professionalization, whereby they reshape, revise, or reinforce norms associated with gender, sexuality, and neoliberal standards of productivity and efficiency. Building on Marxist feminist theorization of labor, this article valorizes NGO labor as socially valued work and calls for attention to the issue of labor precarity of NGO activist workers under the backdrop of increasing state violence and market cooptation in many parts of the world, especially in the global South.
When Modesty Meets Aesthetic Labor: Islamic Modesty as Antithetical to Muslimah Social Media Influencers' Aesthetic Labor
Authors: Islam Inaash
Published: September 2023

Abstract: What is the relationship between Islamic principles of modesty and practices of aesthetic labor in the industries of influencer marketing and fashion? I respond to this question by examining the aesthetic labor of self-proclaimed modest Muslim female social media influencers to show how Islamic modesty—as it is understood via patriarchal interpretations of Islamic texts, and by cultural authorities in secular circles of fashion, is deemed inherently antithetical to Muslim female aesthetic labor in the fashion and influencer marketing industries. My findings show that Muslimah influencers face a doubly burdened challenge: on the one hand, Muslim women are expected to modify their performances of modesty to align with the secular expectations of aesthetic labor in these industries, but on the other, they are expected to observe modesty according to patriarchal interpretations of Islamic texts. In either case, failure to abide by racialized and gendered expectations renders Muslim women vulnerable to critique from Muslim and non-Muslim communities. I argue that this conflict illustrates that Islamic modesty is deemed fundamental to contemporary conceptions and embodied performances of Muslim womanhood online and plays a key role in shaping racialized and gendered expectations of Muslim women held by Muslim and non-Muslim communities in the west.
Reluctant Belonging: Tudung (Headscarf), Communalism, and Muslim Politics in Urban Malaysia
Authors: Basarudin Azza
Published: September 2023

Abstract: The politics of modesty—clothing, behavior, interactions, and headscarf—remain contested within and outside Muslim communities. Headscarf practices are multivalent, with ties to national and local contexts and shaped by the transnational circulation of Islam. A nuanced approach to these variously situated practices—across narratives of choice, religiosity, nationalism, and consumerism—requires a reappraisal of patriarchal nationalism beyond the circumscribed Euro/American post-9/11 experience of Islamophobia. I analyze Malay Muslim women's tudung (headscarf) dilemmas in this article, arguing for a capacious feminist epistemology that critiques localized patriarchy within anti-imperialist and transnational perspectives. Based on intimate patchwork ethnography in urban Malaysia, I offer a feminist reading of gendered piety, communal belonging, and Islamization debates. I draw on intergenerational narrations of subjectivity to reveal how the state and community regulate tudung practices through the cultural construction of Muslim difference. I conclude by suggesting that feminist analyses attentive to the deep imbrication of patriarchal nationalism, anti-imperialist, and transnational configurations can support the reimagining of ethical possibilities in the study of gender in Muslim cultures.
Firm-Learning and Productivity in Nigeria's Manufacturing Sector
Authors: Modupe Adeyinka Foluso , Adebola Popoola Olufemi , Olatunji Adeoti John
Published: September 2023

ABSTRACT: The manufacturing sector plays a strategic role as a major contributor to economic growth and development. However, the harsh business environment in Nigeria has constrained learning and capability building in the Nigerian manufacturing sector. The present state of the manufacturing sector underscores the need for firm-level learning and strategic policy actions. This paper utilized data from the Enterprise Survey Panel covering the periods 2007, 2009, and 2014/2015 to investigate firm learning and productivity in the Nigerian manufacturing sector. Case study illustrations were also undertaken to further provide insights into the links between learning variables and the productivity of selected firms in the sector. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics; dynamic panel model (DPM) via ordinary least squares (OLS) and General Method of Moments (GMM) techniques. The results of the estimation show there is a positive and significant relationship between export participation lagged by one period (t-1) and the current firm performance. A one-period lag of the learning variables, namely: skills and training increased the productivity of firms. The case study illustrations revealed that major learning capabilities include customer feedback; through employees, staff training/seminars/workshops, and supplier feedback. The paper provides evidence to conjecture that the STI mode of learning, which involves formal research and development (R&D) in firms is not deep enough, and that domestic firms have less productivity relative to firms with some proportion of foreign ownership. Also, some of the constraints to learning and productivity are an unstable regulatory environment, poor infrastructure and high cost of doing business. The paper recommends both formal and informal modes/mechanisms of learning are important to ensure improved productivity of manufacturing firms in Nigeria Also, learning opportunities may differ within and across manufacturing subsectors. Industry regulators or agencies should organize to provide a forum for firms and relevant stakeholders to regularly interact on learning experiences to learn from each other and collaborate to address obstacles to productivity.
Predicting Corporate Bankruptcy in JSE-AltX Listed Firms
Authors: Mtiki Xolisa
Published: September 2023

ABSTRACT: The objective of the study is to predict corporate bankruptcy on the JSE-AltX (Alternative Stock Exchange) listed firms by employing Discriminant Analysis (MDA). Since its inception, the JSE-AltX has listed more than 100 firms and majority of them have migrated to the JSE main board. Motivated by the increasing number of delisted firms both pre and post their migration from JSE-AltX to the JSE main board, this study seeks to investigate the financial distress in the JSE-AltX listed firms. This study use a quantitative method to predict bankruptcy for a sample of 20 JSE-AltX listed firms that belongs to a wide range of industries, over the period from 1 January 2004 until 31 December 2015. Based on the previous literature it is evident that financial ratios play a significant role in the prediction of financial distress. Employing the same set of financial ratios (extracted from annual reports mainly the audited consolidated balance sheets and income statements) that are used in bankruptcy prediction as independent variables, the empirical results show that MDA has a statistically significant power in predicting default risk on the JSE-AltX listed firms. The findings show that the discrimination function is significant at the 5% level of significance. The MDA results reveal that, 7 out of the 20 sample firms are prone to bankruptcy, while the rest are not. Furthermore, the model classifies net profit margin (short-term profitability), current ratio (liquidity) and return on capital invested as the most important financial ratios in distinguishing the successful firms from unsuccessful firms post migration from the JSE-AltX to the JSE main board. Generally, this study results have policy implications which regulatory authorities, investors, employees and lenders will find interesting. Firstly, regulatory authorities can find this research useful as it provides effective review of the firm's financial distress conditions and subsequently signals default risk to various stakeholders. Secondly, this research will not only assist in identify potential default risks, but it will also enable different stakeholders to formulate mechanisms or relevant policies and procedures that will allow them to detect and prevent financial distress.
The Carbon Kuznets Curve in Africa: Do Energy Consumption and Governance Really Matter?
Authors: Enemona Joseph Onuche , Shobande Olatunji Abdul
Published: September 2023

ABSTRACT: African countries suffer from the negative effects of climate change more severely compared to other continents, despite contributing only a small fraction of the global carbon emissions. This is attributed to at least three factors. First, Africa relies heavily on solid fuel energy sources to meet its socioeconomic needs. The use of solid fuels is associated with heavy pollution, which exposes the population to significant health risks. Second, environmental policy is less successful on the continent owing to the uncertainty caused by a lack of understanding of the scope of the environmental problem. Third, the African continent has become heedless about the consequences of climate change in its ambition for further growth to catch up with the rest of the world. In this study, we examined the roles of energy consumption and governance in explaining the carbon Kuznets curve hypothesis in African countries from 1995 to 2019. The empirical evidence provided is based on second-generation time-series analysis that accounts for cross-sectional dependency among the assessed factors. Specifically, the Westerlund cointegration approach, Cross-sectional Autoregressive Distributed Lag (CS-ARDL) simulation, Augmented Mean Group (AMG) method, and Dumitrescu and Hurlin heterogeneous panel causality tests were implemented. Together, these results confirm the validity of the CKC hypothesis for Africa. The mechanisms through which economic growth affects carbon emissions have been identified as energy consumption and governance. While it is possible to achieve a significant reduction in carbon emissions in Africa using environmental policy, there is a need to sacrifice growth to achieve desirable environmental quality. Governance arrangements need to be transparent and accountability regarding carbon regulations needs to be taken seriously. Promoting sustainable growth across Africa is important because it holds the key to accelerating global action. We recommend effective regulatory compliance monitoring and enforcement while reducing carbon emissions and advancing sustainable development through energy transitions.
Sorting Out the Bilateral Trade and Income Convergence Relationship: Does Income and the Nature of Bilateral Trade Matter?
Authors: Darku Alexander Bilson , Baah-Boateng William , Mohammed Ibrahim , Rahaman Wassiuw Abdul
Published: September 2023

ABSTRACT: Several studies have used various datasets and methodologies to analyze the relationship between bilateral trade and income convergence among trading partners. However, most studies have not paid attention to the effect that income levels and nature of bilateral trade have on the speed of income convergence. In this paper, we argue that the income levels of trading partners and the nature of bilateral trade play important role in the relationship between bilateral trade and international income convergence. To account for the effect of income levels of trading partners, this paper presents an approach that explicitly accounts for bilateral trade among high-income (OECD) countries, bilateral trade between high-income and low-income (SSA) countries, and bilateral trade among low-income (SSA) countries. We also used total trade data for 25 OECD countries and 30 Sub-Saharan African countries over the period 1980-2018 to avoid the potential bias for selecting certain countries based on arbitrary percentage of trade relationship. We used the 2SLS estimations technique to avoid endogeneity problems due to the nature of the dataset. The paper finds that the bilateral trade-income convergence relationship for OECD to SSA is the strongest. This result throws light on the claim that the nature of bilateral trade between high-income and low-income countries promotes one directional knowledge spillover from high-income to low-income countries which enables low-income countries to adopt new technologies and grow faster than their high-income counterparts. Also, bilateral trade among OECD countries, which mostly comprises of differentiated products, promotes descent income convergence among them. However, bilateral trade among SSA countries has the least effect on income convergence. Findings of the study have important implications for bilateral trade among low-income countries and between low income and high income countries. First, if SSA countries want to develop and catch up with their rich counterparts, they should continue to promote free trade with high income countries by dismantling remaining protection policies. Second, the African Continental Free Trade Area's (AfCFTA) efforts to boost the manufacturing sector through industrialization is in the right direction to promote the production of more differentiated products in Africa which will create growth in income for member countries as they trade more. Finally, there is the need for SSA countries to increase investment rates and improve human capital accumulation to enable them to accelerate the adoption of new technologies and grow faster than their high-income counterparts, while bridging the income gap between them through trade.
Wave structure function, spatial coherence radius, and Fried parameter of optical wave propagating through ocean turbulence with a slant path
Authors: Wu Pengfei , Li Chengyu , Lei Sichen , Tan Zhenkun , Wang Jiao
Published: September 2023

The analytical formula for characteristic parameters of optical wave (wave structure function, spatial coherence radius, and Fried parameter) in the slant path of ocean turbulence are derived and analyzed. Under the Rytov approximation, the wave structure function derived by the oceanic power spectrum of the refractive index of optical turbulent fluctuations in the slant path still complies with the five-thirds power law of the Kolmogorov spectrum in the inertial subregion, and the relationship between spatial coherence radius and Fried parameters satisfies 2.1 times. The correctness of analytical formulation of the wave structure function is demonstrated by comparing the numerical results of the original integral formula with the analytical formula of the derived in this paper.
Signal enhancement in spark-assisted laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for discrimination of glioblastoma and oligodendroglioma lesions
Authors: Mohammadimatin Parisa , Parvin Parviz , Jafargholi Amir , Jahanbakhshi Amin , Ahmadinouri Fatemeh , Tabibkhooei Alireza , Heidari Omid , Salarinejad Sareh
Published: September 2023

Here, the discrimination of two types of lethal brain cancers, i.e.,
glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and oligodendroglioma (OG) are
investigated under the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and
the electrical spark-assisted laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy
(SA-LIBS) in order to discriminate the human brain glioma lesions
against the infiltrated tissues. It is shown there are notable
differences between the plasma emissions over the brain gliomas
against those of infiltrated tissues. In fact, a notable enhancement
appears in the characteristic emissions in favor of SA-LIBS against
those of conventional LIB spectra. Moreover, the plasma properties
such as temperature, electron density, and degree of ionization are
probed through the data processing of the plasma emissions. The
corresponding parameters, taken from SA-LIBS data, attest to be
lucidly larger than those of LIBS up to one order of magnitude. In
addition, the ionic species such as Mg II characteristic line at
279 nm and caII emission at 393 nm are notably enhanced in favor of
SA-LIBS. In general, the experimental evidence verifies that SA-LIBS
is beneficial in the discrimination and grading of GBM/OG neoplasia
against healthy (infiltrate) tissues in the early stages.
Probing thermal dissipation dimensionality to laser ablation in the pulse duration range from 300 fs to 1 µs
Authors: Endo Tsubasa , Tani Shuntaro , Sakurai Haruyuki , Kobayashi Yohei
Published: September 2023

We propose a quantitative method to determine the thermal dissipation dimensionality to laser ablation. We derived an analytical expression for the melting condition due to a single pulse for arbitrary spot diameters and pulse durations, which explicitly contains the dimensionality of the thermal diffusion process. As a demonstration, we compared the analytical expression with multi-shot ablation thresholds measured over pulse durations of more than six orders of magnitude for copper. The result shows that the thermal dissipation processes dominate for pulse durations longer than 5 ps, while nonthermal processes begin to dominate for shorter pulse durations.
Sensing characteristics of structural microfiber long-period gratings
Authors: Ge Yuchen , Pan Jiongshen , Luo Guangzheng , Sun Li-Peng , Guan Bai-Ou
Published: September 2023

We present a detailed investigation into the sensing characteristics of a structural microfiber long-period grating (mLPG) sensor. By spirally winding a thinner microfiber to another thicker microfiber, periodic refractive index modulation is formed while the optical signal transmitted in the thicker microfiber is resonantly coupled out to the thinner microfiber, and then a 5-period four-port mLPG can be obtained with a device length of only ∼570 µm demonstrated a strong resonant dip of 25 dB. We studied the sensitivity characteristics of the four-port mLPG with surrounding strain, force, temperature and refractive index, and the obtained sensitivities were −6.4 pm/µɛ, −8418.6 nm/N, 7.62 pm/°C and 2122 nm/RIU, respectively. With the advantages of high refractive index sensitivity and wide wavelength tunable range, the four-port mLPG has great potential in applications such as tunable filters and biochemical sensor.