bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Amniotic fluid stem cells and the cell source repertoire for non-invasive prenatal testing
Authors: Rosner Margit , Kolbe Thomas , Voronin Viktor , Hengstschläger Markus
Published: August 2021

Cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA)-based non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is considered to be a very promising screening tool for pregnant women with an increased risk of fetal aneuploidy. Already millions of women worldwide underwent NIPT. However, due to the observed false-positive and false-negative results, this screening approach does not fulfil the criteria of a diagnostic test. Accordingly, positive results still require risk-carrying invasive prenatal testing, such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS), for confirmation. Such hurdles need to be overcome before NIPT could become a diagnostic approach widely used in the general population. Here we discuss new evidence that besides the placenta amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSCs) could also represent an origin of cffDNA in the mother’s blood. A comprehensive picture of the involved cell source repertoire could pave the way to more reliable interpretations of NIPT results and ameliorate counselling of advice-seeking patients.

Graphical abstract
Two graded rings of Hermitian modular forms
Authors: Williams Brandon
Published: August 2021

We give generators and relations for the graded rings of Hermitian modular forms of degree two over the rings of integers in $${\mathbb {Q}}(\sqrt{-7})$$

Q
(

-
7

)

and $${\mathbb {Q}}(\sqrt{-11})$$

Q
(

-
11

)

. In both cases we prove that the subrings of symmetric modular forms are generated by Maass lifts. The computation uses a reduction process against Borcherds products which also leads to a dimension formula for the spaces of modular forms.
Evaluation of induced polarization measurements using a new inversion method
Authors: Fancsik Tamás , Turai Endre , Szabó Norbert Péter , Molnár Judit Somogyiné , Dobróka Tünde Edit , Dobróka Mihály
Published: August 2021

In this paper, a new inversion method is proposed to process laboratory-measured induced polarization (IP) data. In the new procedure, the concept of the series expansion-based inversion is combined with a more general definition of the objective function. The time constant spectrum of the IP effect is assumed a line spectrum approximated by a series of Dirac’s delta function resulting in a square-integrable forward problem formula. This gives the applicability of the generalized objective function. The expansion coefficients as unknowns represent the model parameters of the inversion procedure. We use the new inversion procedure on an apparent polarizability dataset measured on a rock sample originated from the Recsk ore complex, northeast Hungary. The inversion results was compared to those of three additional laboratory datasets, which were measured on samples rich in ore minerals collected from the same area. The results are compared to those given by the traditional series expansion-based least squares method. It is shown that the newly proposed method gives more accurate and stable parameter estimation.
Two-stage stochastic programming approach for limited medical reserves allocation under uncertainties
Authors: Zhang Yuwei , Li Zhenping , Jiao Pengbo , Zhu Shen
Published: August 2021

At the early stage of public health emergencies, when the conventional medical reserves prepared are insufficient, and productivity could temporarily not meet the surge in demand, donations can be used to cover excess demand for medical supplies to a large extent. This paper explicitly considers the allocation problem of limited medical reserves during a public health emergency, incorporating uncertainty in demand and donated supplies and the priorities of health care centers. The problem is formulated as a two-stage stochastic program that regards the donated supplies as an efficient recourse action, aiming to minimize the total losses. The optimal allocation strategy of limited medical reserves and donations is obtained by solving the model using Gurobi solver. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed approach is verified by a series of computational results, which show that the solutions of our method not only benefit the emergency demand fulfill rate but reduce the total losses as well.
TOD Typology Based on Urban Renewal: A Classification of Metro Stations for Ningbo City
Authors: Yang Liu , Song Xiaoyu
Published: August 2021

In recent decades, the transit-oriented development (TOD) concept has been widely used all over the world, especially in China, for the massive construction of urban public transportation systems with rail transit as the backbone. However, it is not easy to make significant changes in a city while building a transportation system, and the transit-guided urban development expected by the TOD concept has not been completely realized. The transformation of nearby areas with the guidance of transit is also becoming the choice of many Chinese cities, especially for cities that have only had subways for a few years. Unlike other international metropolitan cities, with metro systems of considerable scale, the modernization process of most of the small and medium-sized cities in China is being carried out simultaneously with metro-based public transportation guidance. For cities which are still in their initial stage of the backbone public transportation system, there is not enough previous experience and evidence to support the suitability of TOD typological analysis based on the node-place model. More research based on the node-place model has also shown practical applications of the TOD in developed cities. However, there are very few studies that analyse cities in which rail transit and urban development are both in a period of rapid growth. The goal of this research is to identify which metro stations in these cities are suitable for TOD improvement and optimization. This article attempts to expand the willingness of residents on the basis of the traditional node-place model as one of the judgment indicators for evaluating whether existing stations and surrounding areas are suitable for TOD improvement. At the same time, traditional statistical analysis is combined with GIS and machine learning technology. Using this method, we propose the TOD improvement-oriented station area classification and identification method based on TOD typology theory. The results show that Ningbo's subway stations can be divided into four categories according to the suitability for TOD improvement, and we selected seven stations suitable for TOD improvement according to the characteristics of the node-place model. The practice in Ningbo has proved that this method is effective for identifying sites suitable for TOD improvement, especially for cities that have recently built subways.
NOTES ON SOME ERDŐS–HAJNAL PROBLEMS
Authors: KOMJÁTH PÉTER
Published: August 2021

We make comments on some problems Erdős and Hajnal posed in their famous problem list. Let X be a graph on
$\omega _1$
with the property that every uncountable set A of vertices contains a finite set s such that each element of
$A-s$
is joined to one of the elements of s. Does then X contain an uncountable clique? (Problem 69) We prove that both the statement and its negation are consistent. Do there exist circuitfree graphs
$\{X_n:n<\omega \}$
on
$\omega _1$
such that if
$A\in [\omega _1]^{\aleph _1}$
, then
$\{n<\omega :X_n\cap [A]^2=\emptyset \}$
is finite? (Problem 61) We show that the answer is yes under CH, and no under Martin’s axiom. Does there exist
$F:[\omega _1]^2\to 3$
with all three colors appearing in every uncountable set, and with no triangle of three colors. (Problem 68) We give a different proof of Todorcevic’ theorem that the existence of a
$\kappa $
-Suslin tree gives
$F:[\kappa ]^2\to \kappa $
establishing
$\kappa \not \to [\kappa ]^2_{\kappa }$
with no three-colored triangles. This statement in turn implies the existence of a
$\kappa $
-Aronszajn tree.
Cyclic parallel structure Jacobi operator for real hypersurfaces in complex two-plane Grassmannians
Authors: Lee Hyunjin , Suh Young Jin , Woo Changhwa
Published: August 2021

In this paper, from the property of Killing for structure Jacobi tensor $\mathbb {R}_{\xi }$, we introduce a new notion of cyclic parallelism of structure Jacobi operator$R_{\xi }$ on real hypersurfaces in the complex two-plane Grassmannians. By virtue of geodesic curves, we can give the equivalent relation between cyclic parallelism of $R_{\xi }$ and Killing property of $\mathbb {R}_{\xi }$. Then, we classify all Hopf real hypersurfaces with cyclic parallel structure Jacobi operator in complex two-plane Grassmannians.
Laser-accelerated protons using density gradients in hydrogen plasma spheres
Authors: Bhagawati Ankita , Das Nilakshi
Published: August 2021

The effect of different density profiles on micron-sized hydrogen plasma spheres is investigated when the plasma gets irradiated with an ultrashort circularly polarized laser. In this study, we show that significant improvement in the characteristics of the accelerated protonsviz.maximum proton energy, as well as their monoenergetic behaviour, is possible by using a plasma sphere having a tailored density profile. A linear-shaped density inhomogeneity is introduced in the plasma sphere such that the density is peaked at the centre and gradually dropping outwards. The density gradient is tuned by changing the peak density at the centre. The optimum regime of steepness is found for the maximum energy attained by the protons where the target is opaque enough for the radiation pressure to play its role, however not too opaque to inhibit efficient target heating. A novel Gaussian-shaped density profile is suggested which plays an important role in suppressing the sheath field. With a decreased rear-side field, a visible improvement of the monoenergetic feature of the protons is observed.
Tankyrase inhibitors hinder Trypanosoma cruzi infection by altering host-cell signalling pathways
Authors: Lafon-Hughes Laura , Fernández Villamil Silvia H. , Vilchez Larrea Salomé C.
Published: August 2021

Chagas disease is a potentially life-threatening protozoan infection affecting around 8 million people, for which only chemotherapies with limited efficacy and severe adverse secondary effects are available. The aetiological agent, Trypanosoma cruzi, displays varied cell invading tactics and triggers different host cell signals, including the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) can be synthetized by certain members of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) family: PARP-1/-2 and Tankyrases-1/2 (TNKS). PAR homoeostasis participates in the host cell response to T. cruzi infection and TNKS are involved in Wnt signalling, among other pathways. Therefore, we hypothesized that TNKS inhibitors (TNKSi) could hamper T. cruzi infection. We showed that five TNKSi (FLALL9, MN64, XAV939, G007LK and OULL9) diminished T. cruzi infection of Vero cells. As most TNKSi did not affect the viability of axenically cultivated parasites, our results suggested that TNKSi were interfering with parasite–host cell signalling. Infection by T. cruzi induced nuclear translocation of β-catenin, as well as upregulation of TNF-α expression and secretion. These changes were hampered by TNKSi. Further signals should be monitored in this model and in vivo. As a TNKSi has entered cancer clinical trials with promising results, our findings encourage further studies aiming at drug repurposing strategies.
Biotic and abiotic drivers affect parasite richness, prevalence and abundance inMytilus galloprovincialisalong the Northern Adriatic Sea
Authors: Bommarito C. , Wahl M. , Thieltges D.W. , Pansch C. , Zucchetta M. , Pranovi F.
Published: August 2021

Although it is generally known that a combination of abiotic and biotic drivers shapes the distribution and abundance of parasites, our understanding of the interplay of these factors remains to be assessed for most marine host species. The present field survey investigated spatial patterns of richness, prevalence and abundance of parasites inMytilus galloprovincialisalong the coast of the northern Adriatic Sea. Herein, the relationships between biotic (host size, density and local parasite richness of mussel population) and abiotic (eutrophication and salinity) drivers and parasite richness of mussel individuals, prevalence and abundance were analysed. Local parasite richness was the most relevant factor driving parasite species richness in mussel individuals. Prevalence was mainly driven by eutrophication levels in three out of four parasite species analysed. Similarly, abundance was driven mainly by eutrophication in two parasite species. Mussel size, density and salinity had only minor contributions to the best fitting models. This study highlights that the influence of abiotic and biotic drivers on parasite infections in mussels can be differentially conveyed, depending on the infection measure applied, i.e. parasite richness, prevalence or abundance. Furthermore, it stresses the importance of eutrophication as a major factor influencing parasite prevalence and abundance in mussels in the Adriatic Sea.
A spatial reference and identification system for coastal ice-free land in East Antarctica
Authors: Southwell Colin , Smith David , Bender Angela , Emmerson Louise
Published: August 2021

We describe a spatial reference system that uniquely identifies 4884 coastal island and continental rock features across East Antarctica. The system comprises a series of maps and a related database, and can be a foundation tool for a wide range of environmental studies.
The United States and South Africa: Human Investment
Authors: Segal Aaron
Published: August 2021

The impassioned debate between those who support sanctions in order to bring about change in South Africa and those who favor “constructive engagement” misses the point. Each side assumes that the problem is to exercise U.S. leverage and pressure on the South African government. It is not. Instead the opportunity is for the U.S. to assist in human investment to help South Africans to acquire the education, skills and training to build their own future. Pressure may or may not contribute to the South African government changing its policies and practices. Investment in human resources has a more reliable payoff in terms of individuals capable of participating in building a new South Africa.
Crisis and Structural Adjustment: Tanzanian Women's Politics
Authors: Meena Ruth
Published: August 2021

The United Nations Women's Conference in Nairobi was the high point of official and unofficial attention to women in Africa in the entire International Decade for Women. The conference seemingly had a profound capacity to influence subsequent policies, programs, and organizational efforts to empower women. Yet the internationally derived economic crisis has had an even more profound effect on Tanzanian women's work and politics. Since independence, but particularly since the 1967 Arusha Declaration, Tanzania has made remarkable progress in extending access to education and health care facilities. As a result of crisis and structural adjustment policies, however, state budgetary investments have moved from social to productive sectors; budget redirection looms large in explanations of women's work and politics.
Thoughts on an Angolan-Namibian Settlement
Authors: Fituni L.L.
Published: August 2021

Public opinion of late has been riveted to Africa’s southwest. The prospects of a settlement are glimmering on the horizon. Although the prospects are not completely clear, we can begin to view concrete steps toward a peaceful settlement in the region.
Angola and Mozambique: Ways to Peace
Authors: Kokorev Vladimir B.
Published: August 2021

The situations in Angola and Mozambique are very much alike. How can one define them: civil war, foreign intervention, economic breakdown, or destabilization?

There is a grain of truth in each of these definitions. Still, none of them fully reflects the developments in these countries. What we find in Angola and Mozambique is a unique crisis which has hit weak, nationally disunited countries. (By contrast, Afghans are united by a religious culture, and Nicaraguans by national sentiments.)
Recommendations: Communications including Use of Satellite Relays
Authors: Bender Gerald J. , Rodionov Stanislav
Published: August 2021

Africa is by far the weakest region of the world in terms of communication, including telecommunications and the use of satellite relays. The U.S. and the U.S.S.R. have experience in the establishment of communications networks over continent-wide areas, and, by co-operation for Africa, they can assist Africa in improving communications. Improved communications can have major direct and indirect benefits to Africa in terms of economic output, productivity, environmental protection, health care, education and many other areas.
Parables of Power and Powerlessness: Exploration in Anglophone African Fiction Today
Authors: Obiechina Emmanuel
Published: August 2021

African writers in English have done much to enlarge the image of Africa in the world. The novelists among them have contributed most to the understanding of the African points of view and perspectives on life, politics, culture and history. In their roles as chroniclers, custodians of the collective heritage, social critics, teachers and visionaries of their people, the novelists have illuminated the African situation and the forces that have kept the continent in an endemic state of crisis.
African Cinema and (Re)Education: Using Recent African Feature Films
Authors: Petty Sheila
Published: August 2021

Over the past few years the Montreal World Film Festival has continued to increase its programming of films by African directors. The 1991 edition, which ran from August 22-September 2, was certainly no exception. I happened to turn on the television to the French station and caught Société Radio Canada’s “official” review of Laafi by Pierre Yameogo of Burkina Faso. The reviewers, Chantal Jolis and René Homier-Roy, dismissed Yameogo’s portrayal of a current African problem—braindrain—as weak in terms of artistic production. For example, they both agreed that Laafi had too many “monotonous moments.” Homier-Roy, in particular, seemed completely oblivious to the colonizing attitude he displayed when he spoke of how the film illustrated the “petit-nègre” (a phrase I have rarely heard spoken since I left France in 1987) side of Africans. He then proceeded to “legitimize” the comment by shrugging his shoulders and declaring, “It’s the Africans who are showing it this time, not us.” Finally, the reviewers decided that African films are really only useful for their “anthropological” information.
Five West African Filmmakers on their Films
Authors: Pfaff Françoise
Published: August 2021

Prior to 1960, such countries as England and Belgium trained a number of Africans in the technical areas of “movie-making” through their colonial film units which produced health and educational documentaries as well as propagandist shorts praising the colonial order and/or disseminating the Christian faith. Nevertheless, little had been done to encourage native “movie-thinking.” The late Paulin Soumanou Vieyra (Benin/Senegal), one of the pioneers and early historians of African cinema, often pointed out how the French colonial authorities would refuse scholarships to aspiring African film students, arguing that priority was to be given to the training of African doctors and teachers. One could very well suspect that there also might have been some concern as to the kind of politically detrimental anti-colonialist images these film students would have later produced.
Rwanda: The Rationality of Genocide
Authors: Lemarchand René
Published: August 2021

The image of Rwanda conveyed by the media is that of a society gone amok. How else to explain the collective insanity that led to the butchering of half a million civilians, men, women and children? As much as the scale of the killings, the visual impact of the atrocities numbs the mind and makes the quest for rational motives singularly irrelevant. Tribal savagery suggests itself as the most plausible subtext for the scenes of apocalypse captured by television crews and photojournalists.

Ironically, just as “tribalism” is being reaffirmed by the media as the bane of the continent, Rwanda’s descent into hell makes it a society not unlike others in Europe and Asia where genocide has been intrinsic to their recent historical experience.
Black American Music and the Civilized-Uncivilized Matrix in South Africa
Authors: Buis Johann
Published: August 2021

In a recent article by Veit Erlmann in the South African journal of musicology (SAMUS vol. 14, 1995) entitled “Africa Civilized, Africa Uncivilized,” Erlmann draws upon the reception history of the South African Zulu Choir’s visit to London in 1892 and the Ladysmith Black Mambazo presence in Paul Simon’s Graceland project to highlight the epithet “Africa civilized, Africa uncivilized.” Though the term was used by the turn of the century British press to publicize the event, the slogan carries far greater impact upon the locus of the identity of urban black people in South Africa for more than a century.
Black African Muslim in the Jewish State: Lessons of Colonial Nigeria for Contemporary Jerusalem
Authors: Miles William F. S.
Published: August 2021

This paper represents an essay into Africanist social history and experimental biography. Thirteen years ago the pages of this journal carried a debate between Ali Mazrui and Hailu Habtu concerning Western and Semitic (Arab and Jewish) cultural influences in subsaharan Africa. In response to Professor Mazrui’s argument on the Jewish religious, metaphorical, economic, and political impact on Black Africa (foreshadowing Greco-Roman and Islamic influences), Professor Habtu vigorously rejected the “hidden premise...of an African cultural vacuum, or near-vacuum, destined to be filled by ‘universalistic’ civilizations.”
The Dichotomy of Politics and Corruption in a Neopatrimonial State: Evidence from Sierra Leone, 1968-1993
Authors: Smith Gerald H.
Published: August 2021

The scholarly studies on political corruption in Africa are not conclusive, given the lack of knowledge of how neopatrimonialism contributes to state corruption. This is an important omission. There are obvious relationships between regime types and the likelihood, nature, and extent of political corruption. The analysis of political corruption in Sierra Leone has important implications for our understanding of the relationship between neopatrimonialism and state corruption.
Uganda: Hope Amidst Obstacles
Authors: Kyamureku Peace T.
Published: August 2021

The adoption of the Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies at the Third World Conference on Women in 1985 provided a framework for action at all levels, to promote peace, equality and development opportunities for women, particularly those in the developing countries. Since then, these strategies have served as a basis for evaluating the actions of government and non-government organisations (NGOs) towards empowering women. In some respects, Uganda can be looked upon as a model African country where women have made remarkable progress. Women constitute more than half of the national population. Of the total population of about 19 million in 1996, 10 million were female, over 4 million who are over 18 years and eligible to vote. Uganda’s Affirmative Action policy has provided women with significant opportunity to participate in both the parliament and other decision making bodies.
“Tonguing the Body”: Placing Female Circumcision within African Feminist Discourse
Authors: Gordon Natasha M.
Published: August 2021

This paper focuses primarily on current debates regarding the place of female circumcision in Third World and western feminist discourse. In examining these debates, I will also draw from its fictional and autobiographical depictions as presented and discussed in contemporary African literature. While female circumcision (FC) is not practiced solely in Africa, I will be limiting my analysis to the effects of the practice within the continent. The paper is divided into three sections. Part one places the discussion on FC within current feminist discourse. Part two provides a historical and cultural background on the practice. The final section wades into the debate on FC and African Feminism.

Chandra Mohanty, in her article “Under Western Eyes,” presents a rather intriguing “Third World Woman’s” argument, reflecting as well something of the debate on African feminism.
Lesbian Activism in Zimbabwe
Authors: Clark Bev
Published: August 2021

“I don’t believe they (lesbians and homosexuals) have any rights at all.”

President Robert Mugabe, 2 August 1995

I remember that it was a Monday. I had been running with my partner over lunch time and we had just returned to my office in town. The doorbell rang and standing outside were about nine policemen and women. Demanding entry, one of the senior officers brandished a search warrant for “pornographic material.”

I was so angry I didn’t know what to do with myself. I had been targeted simply because I worked for the national Zimbabwean lesbian and gay organization. Furthermore, the police had no broader agenda other than to intimidate and harass me under the pretext of searching for pornography.
Protracted Patronage, Truncated Armed Struggle, and Political Consolidation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Reed William Cyrus
Published: August 2021

Like many analyses of African politics, much of the criticism of Laurent Kabila, president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, formerly Zaire), examines his personal use of power. His policies as president reflect his track record as a “leader”—some would say a warlord—in the eastern part of the country who based his activities on smuggling and an occasional kidnapping. His policies as president include banning political activities, banishing prominent opposition leaders—such as Etienne Tshisekedi, who led the fight against Mobutu longer than anyone else—and detaining journalists who criticize his government. Focusing on the individual leader leads to the conclusion, among many who favor a more just DRC, that they should try to tie Kabila’s hands and preclude him from proceeding down a path remarkably similar to Mobutu’s.
Foreign Intervention in the Civil War of the Congo Republic
Authors: Clark John F.
Published: August 2021

To the many tragedies in Africa since the end of the Cold War one may now add the civil war that devastated the Congo Republic from June to October 1997. This war not only ended Congo’s fragile experiment with democracy but also left some 10,000 Congolese citizens dead and countless more homeless, bereaved, or embittered. Artillery bombardment followed by looting destroyed much of Brazzaville’s inner city. Since seizing power in mid-October 1997, former (and again) president Dennis Sassou-Nguesso has only slowly restored public order. As of March 1998, only a few parts of town had partial phone service, water, and electricity. Congo’s long-delayed development is once again on hold as the new government grapples to restore basic services.
The Clinton Administration and the Promotion of Democracy: Practical Imperatives for Theoretical Exploration
Authors: Harbeson John W.
Published: August 2021

Since the end of the Cold War, support for democratization has become a central focus of U.S. foreign policy. Indeed, something bordering on a presumption of democracy’s and capitalism’s inevitable global reach swept up senior Clinton administration policymakers and stimulated a major rebirth of interest in democracy and democratization within the academy. In this context, fundamentally important questions about the interface between external support and domestic demand for democratization have continued to go largely unaddressed: (1) who should set the agenda; and (2) what role should external assistance play in African democratization processes. A key dimension of the thesis of this article is that failure of policymakers and academics alike to pay more attention to these questions has impeded the formation of viable processes of democratic transition and consolidation in Africa, and will continue to do so as long as they remain underaddressed. In fact, one of the crucial roles and responsibilities of those who would provide external assistance for democratization, in Africa and elsewhere, should be to encourage countries to consider seriously these agenda-setting issues in their democratization processes.
The Clinton Administration and Ethnic Conflict Management: Limits of Intervention in a Partially Autonomous Africa
Authors: Rothchild Donald S.
Published: August 2021

The Clinton administration and its predecessors have had a difficult time assessing the impact of ethnicity and nationalism on international conflict. They are inclined to focus on state power and individual rights considerations, downplaying the importance of the ties of communal identity and the emotive appeals of ethnic self-determination. Then, when ethnic groups do gain political significance, U.S. officials often give the communal concerns a prominence out of proportion with reality. The primary challenge for the Clinton administration is that U.S. liberalism classically has involved commitments that preclude flexibility on communally based demands for self-determination and group rights. Such perspectives can at times complicate the formulation of effective foreign policies for a region only partially integrated into the global capitalist economy, and therefore autonomous for some purposes from U.S. manipulation. What is needed is an involved but pragmatic liberalism that links U.S. conflict management objectives with what Thomas Friedman describes as a “coherent post–Cold War strategic framework.” Without that framework, he writes, “the Americans look like naive do-gooders trying to break up a street brawl.”
The “Persistent” Federation: Nigeria and its Federal Future
Authors: Lincoln Joshua
Published: August 2021

At the Azikiwe memorial conference held at Lincoln University near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in late April 1998, a longstanding observer of Nigerian politics pointedly informed the Nigerian ambassador to the United States that the so-called Federal Republic of Nigeria was in fact neither federal nor a republic. The remark was met with rowdy applause from the migrant/exile audience. It was certainly accurate at the time, but not even the audience could know for how much longer. While it is perhaps still premature to celebrate, by virtue of the recent elections Nigeria is once again at least nominally a republic in the Latin sense—res publica —a thing of the people. As for Nigerian federalism, Ali Mazrui’s characterization seems accurate: It is “alive, but not well,” and the recent elections do not augur well for its recovery.
Collective Memory and Selective Amnesia in a Transmutational Paradox
Authors: Soyinka-Airewele Peyi
Published: August 2021

Akin to myth, only tangentially related to the empirical truth, collective memory plays a key role in the symbolic discourse of politics, in the legitimation of political structures and action and in the justification of collective behavior.

This article is a tentative incursion into the making and workings of collective memory in the recent Nigerian elections. The crisis of memory—construction, distortion, exploitation, and suppression—is evident in the Nigerian “transmutation” process—the perpetuation in power, through civilianization, of a military regime. The term “transmutation” is used here to convey the sense of a political mutation, a process of uncertain nature or progeny, certainly a transition, but one emanating from an unlikely parentage, a brutal and militarized past.
The 1999 Presidential Elections in Nigeria: The Unresolved Issues
Authors: Ihonvbere Julius O.
Published: August 2021

One can say with certainty that all the contradictions that had bedeviled previous democratic experiments in Nigeria were present and magnified in the February 27, 1999 election: divided loyalties, manipulation of primordial identities and loyalties, corruption and other election malpractices, lack of political discipline, and limited attention to serious structural questions.

Why did Chief Olu Falae lose the election to General Olusegun Obasanjo? Several reasons can be advanced. First, Obasanjo’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) clearly had more money. Obasanjo was able to donate N 130 million and several cars to his party.
Obasanjo and the Burden of Civilianization
Authors: Ekeh Peter P.
Published: August 2021

The foundations of modern Nigerian politics were laid in the 1950s. That decade began with the Ibadan constitutional conference of 1950, at which leaders of northern and southern Nigeria met for the first time in a common political forum since the amalgamation of these two separate British colonies in 1914. It ended with the attainment of independence in 1960. In the course of that fateful decade, Nigerians, previously estranged from one another by the circumstances of colonial rule, not only got to know themselves but worked together to produce a blueprint for the country’s political future. In essence, they rejected British as well as nationalist proclivities toward centralization. Instead, they forged a consensus that federalism was the appropriate vehicle for resolving political problems created by the nation’s deep-seated diversity.
The Academic Freedom and Responsibilities of Foreign Scholars in African Universities
Authors: Coleman James S.
Published: August 2021

“Academic freedom,” Ashby asserts, is “an internationally recognized and unambiguous privilege of university teachers.” Is this proposition confirmed by experience to date as regards the academic freedom of the foreign scholar in African universities? This is the central empirical question. Or is it merely a culture-bound affirmation of a normative ideal which it is hoped might be instituted as a universal right of university teachers, irrespective of citizenship status, tenure of appointments, and the political and university systems in which they serve? Indeed, is it an ideal which can be realized, however imperfectly, or in any event, ought to be categorically affirmed as a privilege of foreign scholars serving in universities anywhere? These are among the questions Ashby’s proposition provokes, and which require, at the outset, some disaggregation of the meanings and interpretations of such a highly normative and emotion-ridden concept, whose genesis and sustenance are undeniablysui generisto a particular cultural and historical experience.
The 1999 Election and South Africa’s Postapartheid Political Culture
Authors: Johnston Alexander
Published: August 2021

The result of South Africa’s first democratic election in 1994 had something in common with a successful children’s birthday party. It was clear from the beginning whose day it was and where the bulk of the spoils would go, but the failure of the African National Congress (ANC) to win a two-thirds majority consoled the others. And those guests who might have spoiled the occasion with tears and tantrums were rewarded too, with control of provincial parliaments in Kwa-Zulu-Natal and the Western Cape, as well as positions in a government of national unity. These factors helped to make the 1994 election an occasion for general, not just partisan, rejoicing.

Divorced from the euphoria and sense of relief that attended the 1994 poll and robbed of any uncertainty about the outcome, observers of 1999’s election have had to work much harder to read its significance.
Declining Democracy? A Case Study of Political Participation in Kwazakele Township, Port Elizabeth
Authors: Cherry Janet
Published: August 2021

Back in the bad old days of the mid-1980s, when we in South Africa thought we were fighting a revolutionary war, we liked to believe in a slogan that some of us attempted to put into practice. The slogan (and there were many variations of it) went something like this: “In a truly democratic society, ordinary people should have control over all aspects of their lives.” This slogan embraced a philosophy of participatory democracy that was in constant tension with the militarism, secrecy, and intolerance on the other side of the liberation movement. It expressed a deep humanism, a belief that people were capable of living unselfishly and of acting collectively, not just in times of crisis and mobilization, but daily.
Coda
Authors: Silverstein Michael
Published: August 2021

These interesting situations in which generics play a key role in interactional pragmatics sparked my memory of solid geometry and spherical trigonometry class at Stuyvesant High School in the early 1960s. Each morning our instructor, the somewhat irascible Mr. Burns, would start off by asking a question on the day's material, calling for a response by ‘[student surname]’. Stuyvesant, in those days an all-male institution, functioned, like prep schools, on a surname basis for both reference and address; the teachers’ names were prefaced by Mr. or Mrs. or Miss, while student names had no prefixed title.
A late diagnosis of Pseudohypoaldosteronism type I in an infant with hypoplastic left heart syndrome presenting with failure to thrive
Authors: McVadon Deani H. , Costello John M. , Twombley Katherine E. , Zyblewski Sinai C.
Published: August 2021

Pseudohypoaldosteronism type I is caused by a peripheral resistance to aldosterone and can present with electrolyte abnormalities, poor growth, or dehydration. Although a rare disease, several case reports have been published regarding Pseudohypoaldosteronism type I in neonates and infants. We report a case of failure to thrive and hyponatremia in an infant with hypoplastic left heart syndrome who was subsequently found to have Pseudohypoaldosteronism type I.
Land rights and the economic impacts of climatic anomalies on agriculture: evidence from Ethiopia
Authors: Bezabih Mintewab , Di Falco Salvatore , Mekonnen Alemu , Kohlin Gunnar
Published: August 2021

This paper shows that strengthening land rights via a land certification program may reduce the negative economic impact of climatic anomalies in the highlands of Ethiopia. The results support the hypothesis that certification enhances the likelihood of adapting some of the land-related investments, thus supporting adaptation enhancing mechanisms and the resilience of the farming sector. Institutional factors may play a key role in supporting farmers’ adaptive capacity to climatic challenges.
African Perspectives on Programs for North American Students in Africa: The Experience of the University of Dar es Salaam
Authors: Mlama Penina
Published: August 2021

The University of Dar es Salaam has a long history of links with universities in different parts of the world. Currently it has formal link agreements with 61 universities in Africa, Asia, and Europe, including 12 in North America (11 in the United States and 1 in Canada). Seven out of the 12 include student exchange at undergraduate or graduate levels. These universities include Carleton, Brown, Connecticut, Hampton, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina (Chapel Hill), universities in the consortium of American Lutheran colleges, and a number of others organized under the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) and the International Reciprocal Student Exchange Program (IRSEP).
Aufbau und Förderung sozialer Kompetenz
Authors: Stenzel Nikola Maria , de Veer Anna-Maria
Published: August 2021

Jeder Mensch ist im Alltag auf die Kommunikation mit anderen Personen angewiesen. Es existiert kaum ein Lebensbereich, der nicht durch die Interaktion mit anderen mitbestimmt wird. Die Fähigkeit, Beziehungen langfristig positiv zu gestalten und gleichzeitig individuelle Ziele zu erreichen, spielt eine zentrale Rolle für das menschliche Wohlbefinden. Entsprechend spielt die Förderung sozialer Kompetenzen in vielen psychotherapeutischen Kontexten eine wichtige Rolle. Das Buch informiert über wissenschaftlich etablierte Interventionen sowie innovative Konzepte zum Aufbau sozialer Kompetenzen. Es wird ein praxisorientierter Leitfaden vorgestellt, der vor allem auf die besonderen therapeutischen Herausforderungen eingeht, die sich im einzeltherapeutischen Setting für ein interaktives Verfahren wie das soziale Kompetenztraining ergeben: z. B. die praktische Umsetzung von Rollenspielen und die Schwierigkeiten, die durch die Doppelrolle „Therapeut – Rollenspielpartner“ entstehen. Zusätzlich werden auch gruppentherapeutische Interventionen beschrieben und zahlreiche Arbeitsmaterialien präsentiert, die die Umsetzung des Vorgehens in der klinischen Praxis unterstützen.
On the Transition From Precursors to the Initial Upward Positive Leader in Negative Rocket‐Triggered Lightning
Authors: Li Xiao , Lu Gaopeng , Jiang Rubin , Zhang Hongbo , Fan Yanfeng , Shi Tao , Qie Xiushu , Zhang Yang , Ren Huan , Zhang Chenxiao , Zhang Yijun
Published: August 2021

Precursory current pulses (precursors) and initial upward leader pulses are examined to characterize the charge transfer of precursors and the sustained upward leader during the early stage of rocket‐triggered lightning. According to the analysis of six negative triggered flashes, it is found that both precursors and the initial upward positive leader (iUPL) pulse are led by a small deflection that appears at about 25 μs prior to the major pulses. The characteristics of precursors and iUPL pulses are very similar except that the precursors generally transfer less electric charge (35.07 μC on average) than iUPL pulses do (64.73 μC on average). Some marginal differences in the parameters (e.g., rise time, duration) may be attributed to the modification of the current pulses caused by the different impedances of the leader channel and the steel wire. The ascending rocket causes the enhancement of electric field (E‐field) in the close vicinity of the wire tip, and therefore the breakdown of the iUPL is initiated by a stronger E‐field than that of the precursors. The step lengths of the precursors (defined as the extended length of the wire tip lifted by the rocket between two adjacent isolated precursors) are similar to that of iUPL pulses. Our analyses indicate that the transition from precursors to the iUPL occurs when the E‐field around the wire tip is strong enough, by the accumulation of more positive charge, to launch a meter‐scale breakdown and the ensuing charge transfer to ground.
Temperatures Near the Lunar Poles and Their Correlation With Hydrogen Predicted by LEND
Authors: Gläser Philipp , Sanin Anton , Williams Jean‐Pierre , Mitrofanov Igor , Oberst Jürgen
Published: August 2021

The lunar polar regions offer permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) representing the only regions which are cold enough for water ice to accumulate on the surface. The Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has mapped the polar regions for their hydrogen abundance which possibly resides there in the form of water ice. Neutron suppression regions (NSRs) are regions of excessive hydrogen concentrations and were previously identified using LEND data. At each pole, we applied thermal modeling to three NSRs and one unclassified region to evaluate the correlation between hydrogen concentrations and temperatures. Our thermal model delivers temperature estimates for the surface and for 29 layers in the sub‐surface down to 2 m depth. We compared our temperature maps at each layer to LEND neutron suppression maps to reveal the range of depths at which both maps correlate best. As anticipated, we find the three south polar NSRs which are coincident with PSRs in agreement with respective (near)‐surface temperatures that support the accumulation of water ice. Water ice is suspected to be present in the upper ≈19 cm layer of regolith. The three north polar NSRs however lie in non‐PSR areas and are counter‐intuitive as such that most surfaces reach temperatures that are too high for water ice to exist. However, we find that temperatures are cold enough in the shallow sub‐surface and suggest water ice to be present at depths down to ≈35–65 cm. Additionally we find ideal conditions for ice pumping into the sub‐surface at the north polar NSRs. The reported depths are observable by LEND and can, at least in part, explain the existence and shape of the observed hydrogen signal. Although we can substantiate the anticipated correlation between hydrogen abundance and temperature the converse argument cannot be made.
The Global Range of Temperatures on Convergent Plate Interfaces
Authors: England Philip C. , May Dave A.
Published: August 2021

We present accurate analytical expressions for temperatures on the upper parts of convergent plate boundaries where there are rigid plates both above and below the subduction interface. We expand on earlier formulations, which considered planar interfaces of small dip, to give expressions suitable for use on all present plate interfaces, which have both curved cross sections and maximum dips of up to 30°. We also explain the errors in studies that have asserted the inapplicability of such analytical approximations to temperatures near curved plate boundaries, or where young oceanic lithosphere is subducted. We show, by comparing these expressions with numerical solutions to the full equations, that the approximations agree with the numerical calculations to within a few percent—appreciably smaller than the uncertainties associated with the physical parameters of actual plate interfaces. The common equating of “warm” subduction interfaces with the subduction of young lithosphere, and “cold” with old lithosphere, is not valid. In the absence of dissipation, thermal gradients on the plate interface vary inversely with the product of age of the subduction ocean plate and its descent speed. Where shear stresses during slip on the plate interface exceed a ~10 MPa, the temperature gradients along the interface vary with the product of full convergence rate and shear stress during slip on the interface.
Holocene Evolution of Sea‐Surface Temperature and Salinity in the Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Thirumalai Kaustubh , Richey Julie N. , Quinn Terrence M.
Published: August 2021

Flows into and out of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) are integral to North Atlantic Ocean circulation and help facilitate poleward heat transport in the Western Hemisphere. The GoM also serves as a key source of moisture for most of North America. Modern patterns of sea‐surface temperature (SST) and salinity in the GoM are influenced by the Loop Current, its eddy‐shedding dynamics, and the ensuing interplay with coastal processes. Here, we present sub‐centennial‐scale records of SST and stable oxygen isotope composition of seawater (18Osw; a proxy for salinity) over the past 11,700 years using planktic foraminiferal geochemistry in sediments from the Garrison Basin, northwestern GoM. We measured O and magnesium‐to‐calcium ratios in tests of Globigerinoides ruber (white) to generate quantitative estimates of past sea‐surface conditions. Our results replicate and extend late Holocene reconstructions from the Garrison Basin, using which we then create composites of SST and 18Osw. We find considerable centennial and millennial‐scale variability in both SST and 18Osw, although their evolution over the Holocene is distinct. Whereas mean‐annual SSTs display pronounced millennial‐scale variability, 18Osw exhibits a secular trend spanning multiple millennia and points to increasing northwestern GoM surface salinity since the early Holocene. We then synthesize the available Holocene records from across the GoM and alongside the Garrison Basin composite uncover substantial, yet regionally consistent, spatiotemporal variability. Finally, we discuss the role of the Loop Current and coastal influx of freshwater in imposing these heterogeneities. We conclude that dynamic surface‐ocean changes occurred across the GoM over the Holocene.