bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Qur’an and Christianity
Authors: Robinson Neal
Published: June 2020

This chapter advocates a critical stance towards both normative Christianity and normative Islamic tradition but highlights the inadequacies of revisionist histories of early Islam. It suggests that the fātiḥa was intended to replace the Lord’s Prayer and that sura 112 was a response to the Christology of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. It finds a precedent for the 114 suras of the Qur’an in the 114 logia of the Gospel of Thomas. It argues that Q. 7:157 was revealed in Medina but concedes that Q. 61:6b may be a later editorial addition. However, it stresses that regardless of whether these two passages are authentic the biblical teaching about the prophet like Moses and the Paraclete is the key to understanding the dynamics of the Qur’anic discourse. It maintains that the Qur’an is not concerned with the death of Jesus as such. Rather Q. 4:156–7 rebuts Jewish anti-Christian polemic and Q. 3:55 serves to strengthen the believers in the face of death and defeat. Q. 5:112–5 differs from the biblical accounts of the last supper because the crucifixion is not viewed as an act of atonement. The three elements in Jesus’ name, al-Masīḥ ʿĪsā Ibn Maryam, are examined in the light of the Qur’anic chronology, philology, and the New Testament. The background to the designation of Christians as naṣārā is explored with reference to the New Testament and other pre-Islamic sources.
Qur’anic Studies
Authors: Akasoy Anna
Published: June 2020

This bibliographical survey introduces briefly the most important areas of recent Western scholarship on the Qur’an and lists relevant publications. Given that during the last three decades a wealth of scholarship on a diverse range of Qur’anic issues has been published, the present survey is limited to English-language academic publications. Areas of research include debates about the origins of Islam and the historical environment in which the Qur’an was composed, the relationship between the Bible and the Qur’an, material evidence and Qur’anic manuscripts, literary aspects of the Qur’an, hermeneutic traditions, including commentaries on the Qur’an, religious topics in the Qur’an, the modern Muslim reception of the text, as well as the significance of the Qur’an in Western perceptions of and attitudes to Islam.
Law and the Qur’an
Authors: Lowry Joseph E.
Published: June 2020

This chapter provides a general overview of legal concepts and positive legislation in the Qur’an. It covers the Qur’an’s presentation of legal terms, concepts, and materials and surveys the various areas of legal subject matter regulated by the Qur’an. It also considers issues of literary form and the early history of the text that bear on the Qur’an’s legal content and the interpretation of that content. In addition, it summarizes the reception and elaboration of the Qur’an in the Islamic legal tradition, examines a range of views about law and the Qur’an presented by selected modern Muslim thinkers, and briefly treats the Qur’an’s role in modern legal systems.
Jihad and the Qur’an: Classical and Modern Interpretations
Authors: Afsaruddin Asma
Published: June 2020

This chapter focuses on three conceptualizations of jihad endemic in the Western Academy and subjects them to a critical analysis. It references interpretations of key verses in the Qur’an by some of the most prominent commentators in the pre-modern and modern periods and provides an overview of the key debates concerning the treatment of jihad in the Qur’an. The chapter concludes by assessing whether these predominant conceptualizations can be supported on the basis of the Qur’an and its interpretations. Furthermore, such an assessment has implications for whether the military jihad described in the Qur’an can be regarded as ‘holy war’, as is the frequent translation in Western languages.
Revelation and Prophecy in the Qur’an
Authors: Mårtensson Ulrika
Published: June 2020

The topic ‘revelation’ concerns concepts of communication between the divine and human spheres of existence. The chapter surveys research debates about the meaning and nature of the Qur’an as divine revelation. A comparative approach is adopted, applied to four selected problem areas: biblical and Greek concepts; Qur’anic concepts; Oral or Written; and Politics of Revelation. A promising area for future research is the linguistic nature of concepts of revelation, including both rhetoric and semiotics. ‘Politics’ is equally important to address, as the survey indicates strong prescriptive bias in research on concepts of Qur’anic revelation.
Exegetical Designs of the Sīra
Authors: Jarrar Maher
Published: June 2020

This chapter outlines the trends, methodological approaches, and developments pertaining to the relation between the biography of Muḥammad (sīra), and Qur’anic exegesis (tafsīr). It starts with a survey of the main trends in modern scholarship offering a critical examination of present academic discourses. The endeavours undertaken by early compilers of sīra narratives aimed at articulating the attempts of the early community to constitute itself as a post-Prophetic community, whose emerging consciousness was shaped not only by the word of God, but also within the concrete historical events of the hierophanic time. Perceived as such, the sīra does not represent a scheme of salvation history, but rather reveals a communal cultural memory which took on the form of a historical narrative. Since these events are congruent with both the life of the community and its social fabric, some sīra narratives are intended to explain the setting in which the communicative act took place. The chapter accentuates the function of tafsīr as a tool for sīra. Occasionally, a narrative comes to serve exegetical purposes, especially when a certain Qur’anic word or expression remains vague and needs to be explained in relation to other literary genres or life situations.
Introduction
Authors: Shah Mustafa , Haleem Muhammad Abdel
Published: June 2020

This Introduction charts the background of the scholarly engagement with the Qur’an in Early Modern Europe. Focusing on the historical importance of the emergence of academic treatments of the text in the nineteenth century and the scholarship which influenced these works, it outlines the discussions and debates which are prevalent in the study of the text and introduces the individual chapters included in this volume. While the area of Qur’anic Studies belatedly emerged from the matrix of a flourishing tradition of biblical scholarship and efforts to translate and confute the Qur’an, the constellation of topics and themes which currently feature in the study of the text underlines the qualitative nature of the advances made in the field of Qur’anic Studies.
Late Antique Near Eastern Context
Authors: al-Hamad Muntasir F. , Healey John F.
Published: June 2020

This chapter discusses aspects of the historical, social, and religious environment in which Islam emerged, especially the Christian and the Arabian ‘pagan’ environment (deities worshipped, including consideration of cults in which images of gods were avoided, rituals observed in relation to temples and pilgrimage, the use of divination to seek the will of the gods or to foretell the future, and some major theological themes, such as monotheism). The Conclusions attempt to draw this evidence together and suggest that Islam incorporated elements from its earliest religious environment in northern Arabia and Bilād ash-Shām in the expression of its own unique message. It argues that Islam inevitably drew on the surrounding social and religious traditions while giving them a new meaning in a new context.
The Linguistic Landscape of pre-Islamic Arabia
Authors: Al-Jallad Ahmad
Published: June 2020

This chapter discusses the linguistic map of pre-Islamic Arabia based on the epigraphic evidence and the place of Arabic within it. It then moves on to the issues of writing and literacy, the emergence of the Arabic script, and multilingualism. The final section addresses the relevance of the inscriptional evidence for understanding the literary background of the Qur’an by highlighting important similarities in structure and content between the Qur’an and the ancient inscriptions of North and South Arabia.
The Corpus of Qur’anic Readings (qirāʾāt)
Authors: Shah Mustafa
Published: June 2020

The history of the study of the corpus of qirāʾāt or Qur’anic readings is principally defined by the substantive contributions made by the work of Theodor Nöldeke, Gotthelf Bergsträsser, Otto Pretzl, and Arthur Jeffery. From the publication of critical editions of manuscripts and supplementary research covering classical scholarship on Qur’anic variants, to the establishment of a manuscript archive on the Qur’an, it is widely acknowledged that the cumulative efforts of these scholars effectively laid the foundations for much of the academic work carried out on the history of the textual transmission of the Qur’an. Offering a review of the principal debates and arguments germane to the study of Qur’anic readings, this chapter also assesses approaches to the treatment and synthesis within the Islamic tradition. It suggests that recent research boosted by the availability of a broader range of critical editions of manuscripts and related studies will contribute to a profounder understanding of the historical importance of this corpus.
Qur’anic Syntax
Authors: Cuypers Michel
Published: June 2020

In this study, ‘syntax’ means the way the diverse parts of a sura or diverse suras are connected between each other to compose coherent sets with semantic unity. The classical Islamic tradition (al-Zarkāshī, al-Suyūṭī, al-Biqāʿī …) has partially studied it under the titles of naẓm, ‘composition (of the text)’, and ʿilm al-munāsaba, ‘the science of correlation (between verses or suras)’. Some modern Muslim exegetes (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Saʿīd Ḥawwā) pushed the syntax analysis further, in an original way. Orientalists (Neuwirth, Crapon de Caprona, Salwa El-Awa, Robinson, Zahniser) have been interested in the syntax of the text since 1980. Cuypers elaborates on the Semitic rhetoric, discovered in biblical studies but perfectly applicable to the Qur’anic text.
Translations of the Qur’an: Islamicate Languages
Authors: Wilson M. Brett
Published: June 2020

This chapter surveys scholarly literature on Qur’anic translations into non-European languages—in this sample, Swahili, Persian, Turkish, Mandarin Chinese, and Malay. It highlights the foci and problems of research in the field and examines, in broad strokes, the history of translations and their relationship with vernacular commentaries. The piece is arranged according to the evolution of the genre in its various formats—interlinear translations, commentary translations, and modern translation. Additionally, it considers the role of print technology, Christian missionaries, and Muslim reformist movements in cultivating a modern genre of Qur’anic translation.
Theological Commentaries
Authors: Jaffer Tariq
Published: June 2020

Within the practice of scriptural exegesis it is customary for Muslim commentators to augment the Qur’an’s theological arguments, to explain its theological symbols, and to provide solutions to problems that concerned, broadly speaking, God’s relationship to His creation. This chapter considers the theological activity that took place in Qur’anic exegesis in medieval Islam. It focuses on the commentators and movements that have been the subject of scholarly examination, including (but not limited to) the Muʿtazila, Maturidi, Ṭabarī, and Razi. It pays special attention to the close and complex relationships between theological principles (or ideas) and tafsīr methodology. It provides directives for further research in several areas.
Medieval Exegesis
Authors: Saleh Walid A.
Published: June 2020

This chapter covers the major trends in medieval exegesis, from al-Ṭabarī to the al-Qunawī (d. 1195). The article gives a narrative of the development of the genre that centres on thematic and regional developments. It places the two Qur’an commentaries of al-Zamakhsharī and al-Bayḍāwī and the glosses they spawned as central to this history. The article identifies the most important tools to study and document the medieval history of tafsīr, noting the academic production of the Islamic world in tafsīr. Ottoman contribution to the history of the field is also highlighted, since it is the Ottoman libraries that preserved for us this heritage.
Modern Qur’anic Hermeneutics
Authors: Campanini Massimo
Published: June 2020

Many Muslim philosophers have studied the Qur’an; many times the Qur’an has been used to support philosophical arguments. But this does not represent a ‘philosophical Qur’anology’, that is something akin to the ‘philosophical Christology’ developed over a long time in Christian Western thought. This chapter’s object is then the Qur’an as a main inspirational principle of philosophy. Many hermeneutical paths have been taken in order to fathom and disclose the secrets of a Scripture so multi-layered and complex. In the chapter, a philosophical path is proposed especially from a phenomenological point of view. The chapter is divided into two parts. The first is the pars destruens and examines a number of hermeneutical problems from the point of view of content, history, methodology, and implications, showing their values and advantages and disadvantages and the need to go further. In the second construens part, the chapter proposes a theoretical path within the Qur’an, searching to demonstrate that God’s transcendence (tanzih) can be read in phenomenological terms. Phenomenology ischosen as a useful key to open the door of the secrets of Being. Being in Islam is God and God discloses Himself in the Qur’an. Thus, phenomenology is a key to probing the Qur’an. Phenomenology offers a direct route to an investigation of the ontological reality of God and opens the door to the straight human action in history and society.
Establishment and Empirical Evaluation of a Quality Indicator System for Postoperative Pain Management
Authors: Chen Jiajia , Tong Yingge , Cheng Yan , Xue Zihao , Liu Miaomiao
Published: June 2020

Objectives

This study aimed to establish a quality indicator system for postoperative pain management and test its reliability, validity, and discrimination in China.

Methods

We established a quality indicator system using the Delphi method. Further, we designed and administered a survey questionnaire in the orthopedic departments of nine hospitals, located in the Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces, through purposive and convenience sampling methods to examine the reliability, validity, and discrimination of the quality indicator system.

Results

We established a quality indicator system to assess structure, process, and outcome measures of postoperative pain management using three first-level, eight subordinate second-level, and 32 subordinate third-level quality indicators. The scale-level content validity indexes of the three sections of the questionnaire, assessing structure, process, and outcomes measures, were 0.99, 0.98, and 0.98, respectively. We identified two common factors from the third section that demonstrated a cumulative variance contribution rate of 80.38% and a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.95. The total scores and scores of the structure, process, and outcome quality indicators demonstrated statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) between the wards (N = 4) that participated in the “Painless Orthopedics Ward” quality improvement program and those (N = 5) that did not.

Conclusions

This quality indicator system highlights the need for multidisciplinary cooperation and process characteristics of postoperative pain management, along with interdepartmental quality comparisons. And it demonstrates acceptable reliability, validity, and discrimination; thus it may be completely or partially employed in Chinese hospitals.
Safety and Effectiveness of Progressive Moderate-to-Vigorous Intensity Elastic Resistance Training on Physical Function and Pain in People With Hemophilia
Authors: Calatayud Joaquín , Pérez-Alenda Sofía , Carrasco Juan J , Cruz-Montecinos Carlos , Andersen Lars L , Bonanad Santiago , Querol Felipe , Megías-Vericat Juan E , Casaña José
Published: June 2020

Objective

Strength training is recommended for people with hemophilia; however, published data are anecdotal and have methodological limitations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of progressive moderate-to-vigorous intensity elastic resistance training on physical function and pain in this patient population.

Methods

A randomized controlled trial was conducted in a university laboratory setting where 20 patients (17 with severe, 1 with moderate, and 2 with mild hemophilia) aged 21 to 53 years received evaluations at baseline and 8-week follow-up. Participants were allocated to intervention (progressive strength training) or control (usual daily activities) groups. The intervention group trained 2 days per week during 8 weeks with elastic resistance. Intensity during the first 2 weeks was a 20-repetition maximum and increased progressively toward 15, 12, and finally 10 repetition maximum. The primary outcome was muscle strength. Secondary outcomes were the Timed “Up and Go” Test score, sit-to-stand, range of motion, Haemophilia Joint Health Score, kinesiophobia score, global impression of pain change, general self-rated health status, and desire to exercise.

Results

The intervention group showed greater strength improvements than the control group in almost all of the joints, with moderate to high effect sizes. The intervention group also showed better Timed “Up and Go” and sit-to-stand scores than the control group (moderate effect size), greater range of motion at the knee flexion with the right leg (trivial effect size), and better Haemophilia Joint Health Score at the left knee (small effect size). The intervention group showed greater overall pain reduction, self-rated overall status, and desire to exercise than the control group.

Conclusions

Progressive strength training with elastic resistance performed twice a week during 8 weeks is safe and effective in people with hemophilia to improve muscle strength and functional capacity, reduce general pain, and improve self-rated health status and desire to exercise.

Impact

This study provides evidence for the use of a specific strength training regimen for people with hemophilia.

Lay Summary

People with hemophilia of differing levels of severity, with adequate coverage with clotting factor, can safely engage in progressive strength training and can improve their functioning.
UNCERTAINTY EVALUATION IN MEASUREMENT OF THE PERSONAL DOSE EQUIVALENT AT NINE INDIVIDUAL MONITORING SERVICES IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC REGION
Authors: Rizk Chadia , Askounis Panagiotis , Okyar H Burçin , Sangau John Konsoh , Baradaran Samaneh , Al Fares Elham , Shah Buddha R , Munkhtsetseg Baldandorj , Mitrayon Leeda , Rathnayake Muditha , Ali Mohamed
Published: June 2020

This paper presents the results of the evaluation of the uncertainty in measurement of the personal dose equivalent, Hp(10), at nine individual monitoring services (IMSs) in Asia and the Pacific region. Different types of passive dosemeters were type-tested according to the International Electrotechnical Commission 62387 requirements. The uncertainty in measurement was calculated using the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement approach. Expanded uncertainties ranged between 24 and 86% (average = 38%) for Hp(10) values around 1 mSv and between 14 and 40% (average = 27%) for doses around the annual dose limit, Hp(10) = 20 mSv. The expanded uncertainties were lower than the 1.5 factor in either direction proposed by the International Commission on Radiological Protection for doses near the relevant dose limits. This indicates an acceptable level of uncertainty for all participating IMSs. Uncertainty evaluation will help the IMSs to acknowledge the accuracy of their measurements.
Musical rhythm effects on visual attention are non-rhythmical: evidence against metrical entrainment
Authors: Schirmer Annett , Wijaya Maria , Chiu Man Hey , Maess Burkhard , Gunter Thomas C
Published: June 2020

The idea that external rhythms synchronize attention cross-modally has attracted much interest and scientific inquiry. Yet, whether associated attentional modulations are indeed rhythmical in that they spring from and map onto an underlying meter has not been clearly established. Here we tested this idea while addressing the shortcomings of previous work associated with confounding (i) metricality and regularity, (ii) rhythmic and temporal expectations or (iii) global and local temporal effects. We designed sound sequences that varied orthogonally (high/low) in metricality and regularity and presented them as task-irrelevant auditory background in four separate blocks. The participants’ task was to detect rare visual targets occurring at a silent metrically aligned or misaligned temporal position. We found that target timing was irrelevant for reaction times and visual event-related potentials. High background regularity and to a lesser extent metricality facilitated target processing across metrically aligned and misaligned positions. Additionally, high regularity modulated auditory background frequencies in the EEG recorded over occipital cortex. We conclude that external rhythms, rather than synchronizing attention cross-modally, confer general, nontemporal benefits. Their predictability conserves processing resources that then benefit stimulus representations in other modalities.
Intraindividual variability in sleep schedule: effects of an internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia program and its relation with symptom remission
Authors: Shaffer Kelly M , Hedeker Donald , Morin Charles M , Ingersoll Karen , Thorndike Frances , Ritterband Lee M
Published: June 2020

Study Objectives

Sleep schedule consistency is fundamental to cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), although there is limited evidence suggesting whether it predicts treatment response. This analysis tested whether: (1) an Internet-based CBT-I program affects intraindividual variability (IIV) in sleep schedule and (2) sleep schedule IIV predicts insomnia symptom remission.

Methods

This secondary analysis compares participants (N = 303) randomized to an Internet-based CBT-I program (SHUTi—Sleep Healthy Using the Internet) or Internet-based patient education (PE). Participants reported daily bedtimes and rising times on 10 online sleep diaries collected over 2 weeks at baseline and 9-week post-intervention assessment. Participants completed the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) at post-assessment and 6-month follow-up; symptom remission was defined by ISI < 8. Mixed effects location scale modeling was used to examine the effect of SHUTi on bedtime and rising time IIV; a novel two-staged analysis examined the effect of bedtime and rising time IIV on insomnia symptom remission.

Results

At post-assessment, SHUTi participants reported about 30% less bedtime and 32% less rising time variability compared to PE (ps < 0.03). Bedtime and rising time IIV was not independently associated with likelihood of insomnia symptom remission at the subsequent time point (ps > 0.18), nor did sleep schedule IIV moderate treatment response (ps > 0.12).

Conclusions

Findings demonstrate that an Internet-delivered CBT-I program can effectively increase users’ sleep schedule consistency relative to an educational control. This consistency, however, was not related to treatment outcome when defined by insomnia symptom remission, suggesting that enforcing rigid sleep schedules for patients may not be necessary for treatment success.

Clinical Trial Registration

NCT00328250
16Feminisms
Authors: Watz Anna
Published: June 2020

This chapter reviews a selection of books published in 2019 relevant to feminist critical and cultural theory. The chapter is divided into four sections: 1. Introduction; 2. Feminist Handbooks, which reviews The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Feminism, edited by Tasha Oren and Andrea L. Press, and The Bloomsbury Handbook of 21st-Century Feminist Theory, edited by Robin Truth Goodman; 3. Revolutionary Feminism, which reviews Cinzia Arruzza, Tithi Bhattacharya, and Nancy Fraser’s Feminism for the 99 Percent: A Manifesto; 4. Feminism and Pornography, which reviews Last Days at Hot Slit: The Radical Feminism of Andrea Dworkin, edited by Johanna Fateman and Amy Scholder, and Andrew Altman and Lori Watson’s co-authored Debating Pornography.
Cystic and Syndromic Disorders of the Pancreas
Authors: Mkpolulu Chiedozie A. , Ochiobi Chinenye , Serafini Anton , Keller Catherine
Published: June 2020

Several clinically significant cystic diseases and syndromes are known to afflict the pancreas. They are often incidentally encountered in radiologic studies obtained for unrelated indications. Cystic pancreatic lesions are encountered in about 2.6% of abdominal multidetector CT studies and in about 20% of MRI studies.1 The imaging findings of these cystic lesions and syndromes often appear overwhelming to inexperienced radiologists, including radiologists in training, and may result in misdiagnosis. We review the CT and MRI appearance of various cystic and syndrome-related disorders of the pancreas.
The Difference Rehabilitation Makes
Authors: Schoonover-Shoffner Kathy , Rudder Tami
Published: June 2020

Physical medicine and rehabilitation, or physiatry, is comprehensive medical care that helps a person get back, keep, or improve his or her physical, mental, or cognitive abilities needed for daily life. Six hallmarks of rehabilitation were discovered by this nurse author after her husband suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and was cared for at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals.
Enforced inactivity in the elderly and diabetes risk: initial estimates of the burden of an unintended consequence of COVID-19 lockdown
Authors: Kipps Courtney , Hamer Mark , Hill Neil , Lorgelly Paula
Published: June 2020

Background

Older adults and those with underlying health conditions were advised to stay at home to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 however little advice on regular physical activity was given to those at risk. We modelled the effects of enforced inactivity on diabetes burden using published evidence.

Methods

Using Health Survey for England data, we estimated the prevalence of pre-diabetes and physical activity in adults aged 70 and older. The number of new diabetes cases directly attributed to lockdown were calculated using population attributable risk. Unit cost estimates of the additional burden on primary care and the cost of complications to secondary care were taken from the literature.

Results

From 9 million older (≥70yrs) people living in England, 2.1 million could be defined as pre-diabetic (glycated haemoglobin 42<48 mmol/mol). The estimated population attributable fraction (0.281) (assuming relative risk of diabetes from inactivity=3.3, 40% physically active) would give rise to 392,948 new cases of diabetes which we argue are directly attributed to a prolonged period of lockdown. We estimate that the cost of screening and testing these patients in primary care (£35m), their subsequent treatment and management (£229m), and complications (£909m) would equate to an additional £1.17bn to the health care system.

Conclusions

Inactivity related to lockdown in previously active older adults may contribute up to £1.17b in additional healthcare costs through a potential increase in diabetes. Clear advice about the importance of physical activity may reduce this potential economic burden during global pandemics.
Less Wrong COVID-19 Projections With Interactive Assumptions
Authors: Nagori Aditya , Awasthi Raghav , Joshi Vineet , Vyalla Suryatej Reddy , Jarodia Akhil , Gupta Chandan , Gulati Amogh , Bandhey Harsh , Guliani Keerat Kaur , Gill Mehrab Singh , Kumaraguru Ponnurangam , Sethi Tavpritesh
Published: June 2020

COVID-19 pandemic is an enigma with uncertainty caused by multiple biological and health systems factors. Although many models have been developed all around the world, transparent models that allow interacting with the assumptions will become more important as we test various strategies for lockdown, testing and social interventions and enable effective policy decisions. In this paper, we developed a suite of models to guide the development of policies under different scenarios when the lockdown opens. These had been deployed to create an interactive dashboard called COVision which includes the Agent-based Models (ABM) and classical compartmental models (CCM). Our tool allows simulation of scenarios by changing the strength of lockdown, basic reproduction number(R0), asymptomatic spread, testing rate, contact rate, recovery rate, incubation period, leakage in lockdown etc. We optimized ABM and CCMs and evaluated them on multiple error metrics. Out of these models in our suite, ABM was able to capture the data better than CCMs. Our evaluation suggests that ABM models were able to capture the dynamic nature of the epidemic for a longer duration of time while CCMs performed inefficiently. We computed R0 using CCMs which were found to be decreasing with lockdown duration, indicating the effectiveness of policies in different states of India. Models have been deployed on a dashboard hosted at http://covision.tavlab.iiitd.edu.in which allows users to simulate outcomes under different parameters and will allow the policymakers to make informed decisions and efficient monitoring of the covid19 pandemic in India.
A high resolution view of an adolescent flavivirus
Authors: Renner Max , Dejnirattisai Wanwisa , Carrique Loïc , Martin Itziar Serna , Karia Dimple , Ilca Serban L , Ho Shu F , Kotecha Abhay , Keown Jeremy R , Mongkolsapaya Juthathip , Screaton Gavin R. , Grimes Jonathan M.
Published: June 2020

Mosquito-transmitted flaviviruses, such as Dengue virus (DENV) or Zika virus (ZIKV), are responsible for significant economic damage and human misery. In infected cells, flaviviruses first assemble into an immature form within the endoplasmatic reticulum (ER), and then undergo further processing by furin protease in the trans-Golgi. Despite substantial efforts, previous cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) studies of immature flaviviruses were restricted to low to medium resolutions, limiting our understanding of maturation. To better grasp the process of maturation, we have carried out cryo-EM reconstructions of immature Spondweni virus (SPOV), an emerging human flavivirus belonging to the same serogroup as ZIKV (~75% amino acid identity). By combining localized reconstruction and focused refinement, we were able to improve the resolution to 3.8 Å, yielding unprecedented insight into the immature form. The structure elucidates how, at neutral pH, polar interactions conceal the furin recognition site within trimeric envelope (E) protein spikes. Furthermore, we identify how a strictly conserved pH sensor anchors the precursor membrane (prM) protein to immature E. We reconstructed mature forms of SPONV and DENV to 2.6Å and 3.1Å, respectively. Comparison with immature virus shows a conserved binding pocket for a lipid headgroup, which forms as a consequence of the rearrangement of amphipathic stem-helices of E. We propose a structural role for the pocket and suggest it stabilizes mature E. Taken together, our data suggest a compelling rationale for low-pH triggered conformational rearrangement in the Golgi, which occurs during flavivirus maturation.
Female feticide: the role of national health mission in India
Authors: Sharma Arti , Mishra Sushanta K. , Ghosh Arunava , Sengupta Tuhin
Published: June 2020

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes are as follows: to understand the cultural and ethical dimensions revolving around the issue of female feticide; to apply the lens of institutional theory with respective change management measures; and to analyze and evaluate the impact of such intervention programs such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao in the context of emerging economies such as India.

Case overview/synopsis

This case attempts to highlight the innovative and effective governance approach by the Government of Rajasthan (India) and, in particular, the State Health Assurance Agency to curb the menace of female feticide and the rising cases of abortion and sex determination in an attempt to favor a male child. The case concentrates on mainly three dimensions of Indian societal ecosystem, namely, the grave concern of preference of male child over female child leading to widespread cases of female feticide in different states in India with specific focus on the state of Rajasthan; the role of cultural dimension which primarily drives such preferential treatment in rural and urban areas in India; and the importance of using effective policy measures in monitoring various activities, introduction of incentive schemes to patients for preventing sex determination and promoting the birth of female child.

Complexity academic level

This case can be used as a teaching material in the Public Policy course – Social Welfare and Health Policy, Policy interventions, organization theory and change management at the Graduate/MBA level.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 10: Public Sector Management.
From ISO/IEC27001:2013 and ISO/IEC27002:2013 to GDPR compliance controls
Authors: Diamantopoulou Vasiliki , Tsohou Aggeliki , Karyda Maria
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the controls provisioned in ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and ISO/IEC 27002:2013 that need to be extended to adequately meet, data protection requirements set by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); it also indicates security management actions an organisation needs to perform to fulfil GDPR requirements. Thus, ISO/IEC 27001:2013 compliant organisations, can use this paper as a basis for extending the already existing security control modules towards data protection; and as guidance for reaching compliance with the regulation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study has followed a two-step approach; first, synergies between ISO/IEC 27001:2013 modules and GDPR requirements were identified, by analysing all 14 control modules of the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and proposing the appropriate actions towards the satisfaction of data protection requirements. Second, this paper identified GDPR requirements not addressed by ISO/IEC 27001:2013.

Findings

The findings of this work include the identification of the common ground between the security controls that ISO/IEC 27001:2013 includes and the requirements that the GDPR imposes; the actions that need to be performed based on these security controls to adequately meet the data protection requirements that the GDPR imposes; and the identification of the remaining actions an ISO/IEC 27001 compliant organisation needs to perform to be able to adhere with the GDPR.

Originality/value

This paper provides a gap analysis and a further steps identification regarding the additional actions that need to be performed to allow an ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified organisation to be compliant with the GDPR.
A systematic literature review of the factors affecting smartphone user threat avoidance behaviour
Authors: Butler Rika
Published: June 2020

Purpose

There is a need for behavioural research within the smartphone context to better understand users’ behaviour, as it is one of the reasons for the proliferation of mobile threats. This study aims to identify the human factors that affect smartphone users’ threat avoidance behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured literature review (SLR) was applied to answer the research question. A total of 27 sources were analysed, from which 16 codes emerged. After synthesis, six themes transpired.

Findings

Six factors were identified as drivers and/or challenges of smartphone users’ threat avoidance behaviour, namely, knowledge and awareness, misconceptions and trust, cost and benefit considerations, carelessness, perceived measure effectiveness and the user’s perceived skills and efficacy.

Research limitations/implications

The results can encourage and provide a starting point for further research on human behaviour to improve smartphone user behaviour.

Practical implications

The mobile industry should focus on eradicating common misconceptions and undue trust in mobile security that is prevalent among smartphone users and make cost effective and usable interventions available. Training and awareness programs should be updated to include the factors that were identified in this study to affect smartphone users’ threat avoidance behaviour. In addition to improving users’ declarative knowledge concerning available smartphone measures and tools, procedural knowledge should also be improved to ensure proper use of available protective measures. Users should realise the importance of staying updated with evolving smartphone technology and associated threats.

Originality/value

This study acknowledges and supports the notion that addressing human behaviour is crucial in the fight against mobile threats. It addresses the need for behavioural research to analyse the factors that drive smartphone user behaviour. Furthermore, it uses and documents the use of a SLR, a research technique often unfamiliar among information security researchers.
Critical thinking in intellectual property law
Authors: Azam Monirul
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to evaluate how critical thinking be integrated in intellectual property (IP) law teaching.

Design/methodology/approach

It used doctrinal methods based on existing pedagogical scholarship in the field of effective teaching and learning at the university level.

Findings

It demonstrated how the use of critical thinking in IP law education could facilitate deeper understanding of IP law issues from different socio-economic, environmental, historical and political dimensions.

Research limitations/implications

It is yet to be tested for practical application in other jurisdictions and students having background from diverse socio-economic and cultural settings.

Practical implications

The application of critical thinking in IP law could help students to apply IP law from practical perspectives to meet societal objectives and business interests as well.

Social implications

This will facilitate in broader societal understanding in using IP law to achieve sustainable development goals.

Originality/value

Till date, little work has been undertaken on the use of critical thinking in IP law teaching. Therefore, this study tried to make a unique contribution to incorporate critical thinking in IP law education.
Social support as protective factor of the effects of part-time work on psychological health: a moderated mediation model
Authors: Mellor Nadine Joelle , Michaelides George , Karanika-Murray Maria , Vaillant Damien , Saunder Laurence
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the protective effect of social support on psychological health and how it differs by gender in the context of part-time employment.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consisted of 22,786 employees from four service sector organisations. Structural equation modelling was used to test a moderated mediation model assessing the relationship between employment status (part-time vs full-time) and psychological health mediated by social support (from management and colleagues) and moderated by gender.

Findings

Social support from management and colleagues was associated with fewer symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression. Notably, management support had a stronger association than that of colleagues’ support on each of the three health-related variables. Social support was also found to be a mediator of part-time working on health such that lower social support led to increased health symptoms. Moreover, we found moderating gender effects between social support and psychological health such that colleague support had a stronger effect on reduced depression and stress among men than women whilst management support had a stronger effect on reduced anxiety for women. Finally, significant moderated mediating paths were found, but further research is needed to identify other potential moderators of the mediating effects.

Originality/value

The findings suggest complex relationships between part-time employment, social support, psychological health and gender not examined in previous studies. It highlights the value of diverse sources of support and the necessity of addressing specific gender's needs for enhancing psychological health of part-time employees.
High torque realization of the stepping over gait for a humanoid robot
Authors: Bai Keqiang , Luo Yunzhi , Jiang Guanwu , Jiang Guoli , Guo Li
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a pulsing type joint servo driver-based obstacle surmounting method for a humanoid robot according to the whole-body dynamics model, which fully takes into account the relationship between the whole-body stability margin and instantaneous torque.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the authors designed a new practical instantaneous large torque strategy for a pulsing type joint servo driver by modeling the whole-body dynamics of the humanoid robot. The work also considered joint angle planning based on the dynamic model for crossing obstacles. Second, in the simulation and experimentation, the instantaneous torque of the driver is used to realize successful crossing of obstacles by the humanoid robot. This verifies the correctness of the whole-body dynamics model and the feasibility of the method for crossing obstacles.

Findings

The experimental data and results are described and analyzed, showing that the proposed method is feasible and effective through simulation and implementation.

Originality/value

The main contribution is the humanoid robot’s actuation control technology and humanoid action realization, which could be used for squatting and moving heavy objects to help a humanoid robot adapt effectively.
Illegal assaults and treatment of journalists: a big challenge to the journalism profession in Nigeria
Authors: Ola Adegboyega Adedolapo
Published: June 2020

Purpose

One of the greatest obstacles confronting the journalism profession in the discharge of their duties is the indiscriminate physical and digital threat being experienced by journalists all over the world, particularly within sub-Saharan Africa. The continuous attacks facing journalists in Africa, most especially during election times, violate their fundamental human rights. Journalists play a major role in the dissemination of information before, during and after an election. Unfortunately, elections in many African States are characterised by uncertainty, due to the possibility of election-related violence, which has led to the killing and disappearance of many journalists.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts a qualitative research approach involving a descriptive survey design. A purposive sampling of 20 respondents is adopted across various media organisations in Nigeria.

Findings

The study explores the role and importance of journalists during an election. It also examines the consequences of electoral violence on journalists and the discharge of their duties. It further assesses the role of the state authority in the protection of life and the safety of journalists during the election period. Finally, the study posits that a guard against the threat against journalists such as killings, ill-treatment and other interferences during and after the election period is essential and should be taken as a collective responsibility of all the various stakeholders in the community and nations.

Originality/value

The study assesses the various threats to the journalism profession, especially during the election period.
Social experience vs. social technology in enhancing the intention to use social commerce: a case study of Indonesia
Authors: Handarkho Yonathan Dri
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This study proposed a theoretical model to understand user intention to use social commerce (SC) of an emerging market based on social experience and social technology. The SC scope was limited to the third-party Social Network Sites utilized by the vendor to establish social interaction and communication with and among the customer about commercial activity.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 750 Indonesian respondents were used to examine the research model using online and offline self-administered questionnaires.

Findings

The findings from the final model showed Perceived Enjoyment from the social technology factor has the most substantial direct effect on behavior intention in SC followed by the direct effect of Perceived Usefulness, the indirect effect of content quality, and social presence. Meanwhile, from social experience, the perceived herd was found to have a strong immediate effect on intention, followed by the direct effect of emotional support and indirect effect of subjective norms.

Originality/value

Concerning SC study in emerging markets, the previous research also explored user intention from social and technical aspects, especially with the focus on consumer's desire to purchase. Meanwhile, the focus of this study was to investigate the determinant of social interaction intention by engaging in the SC community, which differs from prior research.
Financial statement comparability and cash holdings: the mediating role of disclosure quality and financing constraints
Authors: Mehrabanpour Mohammadreza , Faraji Omid , Sajadpour Reza , Alipour Mohammad
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of financial statement comparability as a qualitative feature of financial reporting on cash holdings and the mediating role of disclosure quality and financing constraints in firms listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE).

Design/methodology/approach

Using panel data from 110 TSE-listed firms from 2011 to 2017 in Iran, this study uses the regression analysis to examine the research hypotheses. The first hypothesis examines the relationship between financial statements comparability and cash holdings and two other hypotheses examine the mediating role of financing constraints and disclosure quality in this relationship.

Findings

Based on pecking-order theory and institutional context of Iranian firms, the results show that financial reporting comparability has a significant negative impact on corporate cash holdings. The results also show that disclosure quality and financing constraints have no mediating role in the relationship between accounting comparability and cash holdings. The robustness tests with alternative measures of accounting comparability and cash holdings support the findings of this study.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of this study are as follows: limited number of TSE companies that have necessary data to conduct research; and using the disclosure quality scores provided by TSE organization.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that creditors should consider the financial status and also the quality of financial reporting of companies, before granting credit to them. It is also recommended that regulators in the capital market publish the ratings of companies in terms of financial statement comparability alongside the disclosure ratings and a continuous regulatory oversight on companies.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical research on the effect of accounting comparability on the level of cash holdings that examines the mediating role of financing constraints in the context of Iran market as an emerging economy. Moreover, this is the first empirical research that studies the effect of disclosure quality on this relationship.