bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
РОЛЬ МАКРОФАГІВ У МОРФО- І ПАТОГЕНЕЗІ НЕАЛКОГОЛЬНОГО СТЕАТОГЕПАТИТУ
Authors: Ільченко В. В. , Дядик О. О. , Заріцька В. І. , Бекетова Ю. І.
Published: June 2023

У роботі розглянуто питання ролі популяції печінкових макрофагів у морфо- та патогенезі неалкогольного стеато-гепатиту (NASH). Головним завданням стало продемонструвати зв'язок між кількістю Купферівських клітин у біо-птаті печінки та розвитком фіброзу, використовуючи сучасні підходи до статистичного аналізу патоморфологіч-них даних. Визначення морфологічних аспектів розвитку NASH є актуальним питанням у сучасних дослідженнях, оскільки дана патологія стає однією з провідних причин розвитку цирозу печінки та печінкової недостатності. Робота спрямована на виявлення кореляції між кількістю CD68-позитивних клітин Купфера в біоптатах печінки зі ступенем фіброзу печінки за індексом METAVIR. За результатами дослідження встановлено, що наявна статистично достовірна відмінність між рівнями експресії маркеру макрофагів CD68 між різними групами пацієнтів, розподіленими за ступенем фіброзу печінки за індексом METAVIR. Доведено, що наявна статистично-достовірна лінійна кореляція між рівнями експресії маркеру макрофагів CD68 зі ступенем фіброзу печінки за Індексом METAVIR. У подальшому необхідно дослідити гіпотезу про кореляції між кількістю підгрупи печінкових макрофагів, асоційованих із фіброзу-ванням (TREM2 і CD9 позитивних рубцево-асоційованих макрофагів) із ступенем фіброзу печінки, спираючись на статистично достовірні результати даного дослідження.
ПАТОМОРФОЛОГІЧНА ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКА КРИПТОКОКОЗУ ЛЕГЕНЬ ТА НИРОК ПРИ ВІЛ-ІНФЕКЦІЇ/СНІД
Authors: Баран С. З. , Дядик О. О.
Published: June 2023

В статті представлено результати ретроспективного аналізу двадцяти летальних випадків пацієнтів із ВІЛ-інфекцією/СНІД та поєднаним криптококозом. У процесі дослідження визначались наявність, кількість та локалізація клітин гриба, морфологічні особливості, а також характер і виразність запальної клітинної реакції у тканинах легень і нирок, проводили клініко-морфологічне співставлення отриманих результатів.
Патоморфологічна характеристика ураження нирок і легень поліморфна, представлена множинними фокусами некрозу в окремих випадках запальноклітинною реакцією у вигляді формування гранулематозного запалення, а також скупченням криптококів. Макроскопічна картина мало специфічна. Це зумовлює необхідність проведення не лише рутинного гістологічного, а й додаткових гістохімічних методів діагностики. В усіх проаналізованих випадках криптококове ураження було генералізованим на тлі вираженого імунодефіциту. Характер і виразність патологічних змін залежить від численних факторів, провідними з яких є рівень імуносупресії, проведення етіотропної терапії та тривалість захворювання.
АНАЛІЗ КОГЕРЕНТНИХ ВЛАСТИВОСТЕЙ ВОДИ ЗА ДАНИМИ ГІСТОГРАМИ ЯСКРАВОСТІ ЇЇ КІРЛІАНФОТОГРАФІЇ
Authors: Мінцер О. П. , Пісоцька Л. А. , Глухова Н. В. , Краснобрыжев В. Г. , Тепла Т. Д.
Published: June 2023

Сучасне вивчення властивостей води не можливе без вивчення її когерентного стану. Утворення впорядкованих структур у воді залежить від формування дисипативних структур, у яких передбачені квантові поля зчеплення. Вивчалися кірліанівські зображення води на рентгенівській плівці з метою оцінювання її когерентних властивостей. У дослідженні розраховано відносини різниць медіан яскравості Кі-світіння зразків контрольної дистильованої та когерентної води на ній. Отримані результати можуть бути використані як додаткові для експрес-оцінювання когерентних властивостей води при вивченні її енерго-інформаційних характеристик.
A geografia dos anos iniciais como desafiadora e perigosa
Authors: Catling Simon
Published: June 2023

A Geografia dos Anos Iniciais (AI) é um assunto bastante confortável. Ela tende a evitar tópicos da Geografia considerados "inaceitáveis", ameaçadores e potencialmente perigosos. Considerar desafio e 'perigo' na Geografia dessa fase escolar não é tanto sobre os perigos do trabalho de campo, mas sim sobre tópicos intelectuais, emocionais e socialmente perigosos, local e globalmente.  A tendência é ensinar o que é aceitável e não causar desconforto, focar nos aspectos positivos do mundo, demonstrar esperança. Porém isso não é sempre recomendável. Aqui serão descritos e questionados quatro argumentos em prol dessa abordagem confortável.  O argumento que versa sobre ‘ir com cuidado’ em um mundo inseguro, mesmo quando pensamos em crianças menores, mantém o indivíduo desinformado, e por isso deve ser questionado. O desejo de ser positivo não deve comprometer o ato de ser realista e honesto com as crianças, que por sua vez são capazes e resilientes. A fim de corroborar a proposta de uma abordagem mais exigente, até mesmo mais ‘perigosa’ em relação à Geografia dos AI, alguns tópicos que podem ser investigados pelas crianças são aqui sugeridos. Surge então a inevitável pergunta: a quem ensinamos Geografia? O objetivo desse artigo é levantar questionamentos e trazer uma reflexão sobre o papel da educação (em Geografia) no mundo atual.
Geografia Econômica e desenvolvimento: diferentes abordagens nos programas de cursos de graduação no Brasil
Authors: Arroyo Mónica , Lima Fernanda Laize Silva de , Venceslau Igor
Published: June 2023

Na ciência geográfica, a Geografia Econômica é uma das disciplinas que mais se dedica ao debate sobre desenvolvimento. Este artigo tem o objetivo de apresentar e discutir diferentes abordagens de desenvolvimento nos programas da disciplina Geografia Econômica no Brasil, em cursos presenciais de graduação em Geografia oferecidos por instituições públicas. Nesta pesquisa, consultaram-se matrizes curriculares de cursos de graduação em Geografia e se analisaram programas de Geografia Econômica; com a informação obtida, se organizou um banco de dados que sofreu tratamento estatístico, gráfico e cartográfico. Os resultados permitiram identificar os principais autores, obras e as abordagens de desenvolvimento predominantes nos programas de Geografia Econômica – como desenvolvimento desigual, desenvolvimento regional e desenvolvimento sustentável.
Diálogos sobre o desenvolvimento e suas abordagens no ensino de geografia
Authors: Arroyo Mónica , Bagoly-Simó Péter
Published: June 2023

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Impaired Distensibility of the Proximal Aorta in Fetuses With Tetralogy of Fallot
Authors: Zhou Dan , Xu Ran , Zhou Jiawei , Liu Minghui , Xu Ganqiong , Hou Min , Zeng Shi
Published: June 2023

Background

Increased aortic wall stiffness, which even persists after repair, has been reported in patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). We aimed to observe the distensibility of the ascending aorta and descending aorta in fetuses with TOF and explore its relation with aortic blood flow volume and aortic and pulmonary annular size.

Methods and Results

Twenty‐three fetuses with TOF and 23 gestational age–matched normal fetuses were included in this prospective cross‐sectional study. The distensibilities of the ascending aorta and descending aorta were assessed by aortic strain (AS), which was defined as follows: 100×(maximum internal diameter in the systolic phase–minimum internal diameter in the diastolic phase)/minimum internal diameter in the diastolic phase. The maximum internal diameter in the systolic phase and minimum internal diameter in the diastolic phase of the ascending aorta and descending aorta were measured by M‐mode echocardiography. Associations between AS and aortic blood flow volume and aortic and pulmonary valve diameters were assessed in both groups. AS of the ascending aorta in TOF group was lower than that in controls (20.48%±4.19% versus 28.17%±4.54%;
P
<0.001), whereas there was no significant difference in the descending aorta. The multivariate regression model demonstrated that AS was significantly related to aortic valve size (
P
=0.014) and aortic blood flow volume (
P
=0.022) in fetuses with TOF, whereas only aortic blood flow volume was significantly correlated with AS in the control group (
P
=0.01). No significant association was found between AS and pulmonary valve size.

Conclusions

Impaired distensibility of proximal aorta was observed in fetuses with TOF. Both intrinsic abnormalities of the aortic wall and aortic volume overload probably play roles in the altered aortic distensibility.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea–Induced Hypertension Is Associated With Increased Gut and Neuroinflammation
Authors: Ayyaswamy Sriram , Shi Huanan , Zhang Bojun , Bryan Robert M. , Durgan David J.
Published: June 2023

Background

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an independent risk factor for the development of hypertension. We have demonstrated that OSA induces gut dysbiosis, and this dysbiotic microbiota contributes to hypertension. However, the mechanisms linking gut dysbiosis to blood pressure regulation remain unclear. Recent studies demonstrate that gut dysbiosis can induce a proinflammatory response of the host resulting in peripheral and neuroinflammation, key factors in the development of hypertension. We hypothesized that OSA induces inflammation in the gut that contributes to neuroinflammation and hypertension.

Methods and Results

OSA was induced in 8‐week‐old male rats. After 2 weeks of apneas, lymphocytes were isolated from aorta, brain, cecum, ileum, mesenteric lymph node, and spleen for flow cytometry. To examine the role of interleukin‐17a, a monoclonal antibody was administered to neutralize interleukin‐17a. Lymphocytes originating from the gut were tracked by labeling with carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester dye. OSA led to a significant decrease in T regulatory cells along with an increase in T helper (T
H
) 17 cells in the ileum, cecum, and brain. Interleukin‐17a neutralization significantly reduced blood pressure, increased T regulatory cells, and decreased T
H
1 cells in the ileum, cecum, and brain of OSA rats. T
H
1, T
H
2, and T
H
17 cells from the gut were found to migrate to the mesenteric lymph node, spleen, and brain with increased frequency in rats with OSA.

Conclusions

OSA induces a proinflammatory response in the gut and brain that involves interleukin‐17a signaling. Gut dysbiosis may serve as the trigger for gut and neuroinflammation, and treatments to prevent or reverse gut dysbiosis may prove useful in reducing neuroinflammation and hypertension.
Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Women With a History of Hyperemesis Gravidarum, With and Without Preeclampsia
Authors: Cécile Bianca , Potter Brian J. , Lewin Antoine , Healy‐Profitós Jessica , Brousseau Émilie , Auger Nathalie
Published: June 2023

Background

Hyperemesis gravidarum is associated with preeclampsia, but it is unclear whether hyperemesis gravidarum is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. We assessed the long‐term risk of cardiovascular disease in women who experienced hyperemesis gravidarum with or without preeclampsia.

Methods and Results

We analyzed a longitudinal cohort of 1 413 166 pregnant women in Quebec between 1989 and 2021. Women were followed from their first pregnancy up to 3 decades later. We computed hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for the association of hyperemesis gravidarum, preeclampsia, or both conditions with subsequent risk of cardiovascular hospitalization using Cox regression models adjusted for baseline characteristics. Among 1 413 166 women, 16 288 (1.2%) had hyperemesis gravidarum only, 69 645 (4.9%) preeclampsia only, and 1103 (0.08%) had both conditions. After 32 years of follow‐up, cardiovascular disease incidence was 17.7 per 100 women with hyperemesis gravidarum only, 28.2 per 100 women with preeclampsia only, 30.9 per 100 women with both exposures, and 14.0 per 100 women with neither exposure. Compared with no exposure, women with both hyperemesis and preeclampsia had the greatest risk of cardiovascular hospitalization (HR, 3.54 [95% CI, 3.03–4.14]), followed by women with preeclampsia only (HR, 2.58 [95% CI, 2.51–2.64]) and hyperemesis only (HR, 1.46 [95% CI, 1.38–1.54]). Having both hyperemesis gravidarum and preeclampsia was strongly associated with valve disease (HR, 3.38 [95% CI, 1.69–6.75]), heart failure (HR, 3.43 [95% CI, 1.79–6.59]), and cardiomyopathy (HR, 4.17 [95% CI, 1.99–8.76]).

Conclusions

Hyperemesis gravidarum is associated with the development of cardiovascular disease, whether preeclampsia is present or not.
Analytical verification of the Dymind D7-CRP automated analyser
Authors: Kolundžić Monika , Leniček Krleža Jasna , Čolić Merima , Magdić Bojana
Published: June 2023

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to perform a verification of the Dymind D7-CRP automated analyser and compare it with established analysers.
Materials and methodsAnalytical verification included estimation of repeatability, between run precision, within-laboratory precision, and bias in control samples with low, normal and high levels. The acceptance criteria for analytical verification were defined using the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) 2019 Biological Variation Database. Method comparison between the Dymind D7-CRP and the Sysmex XN1000 for haematological parameters and the Dymind D7-CRP and the Beckman Coulter AU680 for CRP values was performed on 40 patient samples.
ResultsAnalytical verification criteria were adequately met with the exception of monocyte count for repeatability and within-laboratory precision (13.4% and 11.5%, respectively, acceptance criteria 10.1%) and measurement uncertainty (23.0, acceptance criteria 20.0%) at low level, eosinophil count for BIAS at the low level (37.7%, acceptance criteria 25.2%), basophil count (BAS) for BIAS at the high level (14.2%, acceptance criteria 10.9%), and mean platelet volume (MPV) for repeatability (4.2% and 6.8%), between run precision (2.2% and 4.7%), within-laboratory precision (4.0% and 7.3%) (acceptance criteria 1.7%), and measurement uncertainty (8.0 and 14.6%, acceptance criteria 3.4%) at both the low and high concentrations. Method comparison showed no clinically significant constant or proportional differences for all parameters except BAS and MPV.
ConclusionThe analytical verification of the Dymind D7-CRP showed adequate analytical characteristics. The Dymind D7-CRP can be used interchangeably with the Sysmex XN-1000 for all parameters tested, except BAS and MPV, and with the Beckman Coulter AU-680 for the determination of CRP.
Challenges for Ethical Humanitarian Health Responses in Contemporary
Conflict Settings
Authors: Barbar Ana Elisa
Published: June 2023

This essay examines the pressures and narratives that constrain humanitarian health actors from meeting their commitments to ethical conduct. I focus on critical contemporary issues that exacerbate or generate new ethical concerns for humanitarians, such as the imperatives to be accountable to affected populations, to “decolonize” humanitarianism, and to respect intersectional diversity; and how maleficence should be interpreted in this changing context. I argue that by adopting certain practices-particularly those that create space for new voices and confront entrenched power systems-today's humanitarian health actors can remain true to their core ethical principles.
Technology Training, Buyer-Supplier Relationship, and Quality Upgrading in an Agricultural Supply Chain
Authors: Park Sangyoon , Yuan Zhaoneng , Zhang Hongsong
Published: June 2023

This paper examines the impacts of technology training and buyer-supplier relationship on technology adoption and quality upgrading. We randomly varied subjects of each training group across farmer–exporter clusters—farmers, exporters, both, or none—and provided training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). We find that training farmers enhances technology adoption and quality upgrading. Yet, the effects are much stronger when farmers and exporters are trained together. We document a plausible mechanism to explain this finding: joint training improves buyer-supplier relationship, which facilitates contract trade between farmers and exporters. We find no effect of GAP certification eligibility on technology adoption.
In Search of Dominant Drivers of the Real Exchange Rate
Authors: Miyamoto Wataru , Nguyen Thuy Lan , Oh Hyunseung
Published: June 2023

We uncover the major drivers of macro aggregates and the real exchange rate at business cycle frequencies in Group of Seven countries. The estimated drivers of key macro variables resemble each other and account for a modest fraction of the real exchange rate variances. Dominant drivers of the real exchange rate are orthogonal to main drivers of business cycles, generate a significant deviation of the uncovered interest parity condition, and lead to small movements in net exports. We use these facts to evaluate international business cycle models accounting for the dynamics of both macro aggregates and the real exchange rate.
Exporting, Wage Profiles, and Human Capital: Evidence from Brazil
Authors: Ma Xiao , Muendler Marc-Andreas , Nakab Alejandro
Published: June 2023

Export activity shapes workers' experience-wage profiles. Using employer-employee and customs data for Brazilian manufacturing, we document that workers' experience-wage profiles are steeper at exporters than at non-exporters and, among exporters, steeper at exporters shipping to high-income destinations. We develop and quantify a model featuring worker-firm wage bargaining, export-market entry by multi-worker firms, and human capital accumulation by workers to interpret the data. Human capital growth can explain one-half of the differences in wage profiles between exporters and non-exporters. We show that increased human capital per worker can account for one-half of the overall gains in real income from trade openness.
Description of Laimaphelenchus shanxiensis sp. n. (Rhabditida: Aphelenchoididae) from Shanxi province, P.R. China
Authors: Wang Liyi , Yin Tian , Yang Yimeng , Zhao Zengqi , Wang Jianming , Xu Yumei
Published: June 2023

Laimaphelenchus shanxiensis sp. n. was recovered from the bark samples of Chinese pine tree (Pinus tabuliformis) in Shanxi province, China. The new species is characterised by having 888-1049 μm long females, the cephalic region with six labial sectors divided by ribs, stylet 11-13 μm long, the excretory pore located at the same level with, or slightly posterior to nerve ring, lateral field with four incisures, post-vulval uterine sac 54-83 μm long, vulva with a well-developed anterior flap, tail having a single stalk at terminus ending to a flat structure with 4-7 finger-like appendages in scanning electron microscopy; male spicules 20-22 μm long and two pairs of caudal papillae present. In addition, molecular phylogenetic trees inferred from the partial small subunit (SSU) and D2-D3 segments of large subunit (LSU) of rRNA genes, revealed that this nematode belongs to the Laimaphelenchus and is different from all currently sequenced species of Laimaphelenchus for their SSU and LSU markers.
“The Intellect is the Essence of the Human”: The Arabic Poem of the Intellect (Qaṣīdat al-ʿAql) by the Indian Fatimid-Ṭayyibī Dāʿī al-Muṭlaq Sayyidna Taher Saifuddin (1888–1965)
Authors: Qutbuddin Tahera , Qutbuddin Aziz
Published: June 2023

The 177-verse Arabic Poem of the Intellect (Qaṣīdat al-ʿAql) composed by the Indian Fatimid-Ṭayyibī Dāʿī al-Muṭlaq Sayyidna Taher Saifuddin (d. 1385/1965) breaks new ground in substance and form. In form, the poem creatively amalgamates the genres of qaṣīdah (poem), risālah (treatise), and waṣiyyah (testament) to produce an eloquent and innovative hybrid text. In content, it uniquely combines a philosophical exposition on Islamic theology and ethics with a road map to living a Pure Life. After an opening frame that provides a philosophical foundation, the poem’s three large thematic sections draw on the Qurʾan, the Prophet’s Hadith, and the sermons of Imam ʿAlī to describe principles of belief and approach, articles of character and deeds, and the grounding of both—abstract philosophy and concrete instructions—in love for and allegiance to the divine guides, the Imams and Dāʿīs, who are “God’s rope.” It has a gentle tone, preaching harmony between all people on earth, tranquility in one’s life, cheerfulness and positivity, and an atmosphere of love and caring. The closing section brings the poet directly into the frame of reference, stating that he, as the incumbent Dāʿī, is himself the manifestation of God’s rope in the current time, and those who follow his guidance will return to Paradise. The present article provides a window into Sayyidna Taher Saifuddin’s remarkable poem, translating and analyzing it against the backdrop of Fatimid and Ṭayyibī theological works and, briefly, the colonial and post-colonial fabric of early 20th century India, to explore a significant and largely unknown chapter of Arabic poetry.
Islamic Historiography as Polemic Literature: Deconstructing Biographies of Medieval Jewish Converts
Authors: Mazor Amir
Published: June 2023

This article considers biographical material on Jewish converts authored by Muslim historians, primarily in Mamluk Egypt and Syria from the 13th to 15th centuries, enumerating and analyzing its recurring themes. Among its key findings is that the motifs found in this material are consonant with Islamic theological perceptions of other faith-based groups, especially the Jews. These themes also reflect their writers’ notion of exemplary history. Beyond this, I suggest that the main objective behind the texts under review is the affirmation of basic principles espoused in the Qurʾān, ḥadīth, and the sīrah for the purpose of demonstrating the veracity and superiority of the Muslim faith.
Ghassān Kanafānī’s Children: Agency and Contingency
Authors: Nashef Ismail
Published: June 2023

One of the major premises of Arab (post)colonial modernity is that the child could be a key bearer of change for a better future for the society. For the child to be successful as a bearer of change, she must first be transformed into a modern subject. In this article, I present the Palestinian case to explore this premise, examining the nature of the child as a modern subject with a particular type of agency. Specifically, I will focus on how Ghassān Kanafānī’s literary works represent the child as a sociopolitical agent. I analyze several literary genres, including dedications, letters, short stories, and novels. The article concludes by suggesting that this particular agency is a hybrid of child-adult agency, bounded by intergenerational succession in the context of patriarchal-colonial Palestine of the post-Nakbah era.
Power, Narrative, and Magical Realism in Hudā Ḥamad’s Sindrīllāt Masqaṭ
Authors: Aljomaa Mervat
Published: June 2023

This article examines the narrative and literary techniques employed in Hudā Ḥamad’s Sindrīllāt Masqaṭ to draw on Omani women’s experiences of writing and speaking as sources of empowerment and narrative identity. Marking a shift from the dominant realistic and historical fiction often associated with male writers, Ḥamad experiments with magical realism, the carnivalesque, intertextuality, and metafiction to reconfigure the novelistic genre beyond the national prescriptions of literary production. Through the voice of the narrator, alongside the voices of other ordinary women, the novel underscores the significance of women’s symbolic practices within the societal and cultural boundaries of Oman. In an allegory of writing—a major thread running throughout the novel—the narrator/writer seeks to combine the composite, multiple, and fictional fragments of various women’s stories into a single readable text that preserves oral and cultural memory. Thus, on the one hand, this article explores the writer’s experimentation with narrative and storytelling within the context of the Omani literary tradition. On the other hand, it examines modes of women’s empowerment that work through articulative and enunciative practices in the face of linguistic frustration.
‘Software as Medical Device’ Regulation: What the US Can Teach to the EU for a Fairer Balance Towards Its Digital Sovereignty?
Authors: Fiorentini Anna
Published: June 2023

The AI presence in healthcare (e.g., telemedicine platforms and Software as Medical Devices) is uncontroversial by now. Beyond the Big Tech already for some time large investors in this field, the States, repeatedly accused to be unable keeping pace with the exponential technological development, are growingly called upon to deal with it. Taking the distance from those who perceive the US as a regulatory model to oppose in order to assert the EU digital sovereignty, the present analysis will prove that a glimpse across the Atlantic could only help the EU legislator. With a specific focus on the SaMD regulation, it will be shown how the choices made in the US appear to be grounded on a fair balance between patient and economic operators’ rights. Building on it, a new balancing formula needs to be put forward to guide the EU intensive legislative activity for the digital world.
Addressing the Legal Quagmire of Complementary Legal Pathways
Authors: Stoyanova Vladislava
Published: June 2023

Complementary pathways have been offered as a possible solution for facilitating legal admission of people in need of international protection. The current debates about these pathways are characterised by a conceptual and legal quagmire since various issues are invoked and conflated. The objective of this article is to dissect the relevant issues in light of the existing relevant legal frameworks to achieve better clarity. For this purpose, the pathways are compared with resettlement and territorial asylum, to demonstrate their distinctiveness. This possible distinctiveness (i.e., the combination of protection-related and not protection-related considerations) disrupts the existing legal categories for regulating migration. The article shows how the European Convention on Human Rights, EU law and domestic law might respond to this disruption, by examining the granting of visas, the right to leave any country, the right to non-refoulement, the right to family life and relevant procedural rights.
Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas and Transboundary Waters: An Examination of Bilateral Management of the Salish Sea
Authors: Damato Nikol
Published: June 2023

The Salish Sea experiences substantial vessel traffic and is vulnerable to impacts from vessel-source pollution. In response to anticipated increases in vessel traffic and risk of oil spills, the non-profit organization Friends of the San Juans advocated for the United States and Canada to adopt a transboundary Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) through the Interna-tional Maritime Organization. However, neither State ultimately supported a PSSA proposal. This article examines the unsuccessful PSSA proposal for the Salish Sea within the broader context of the PSSA mechanism to under-stand the limitations of PSSAs and provide insight into why and how PSSA designations have changed over time. Here, the Salish Sea case presents an opportunity to examine the factors that States weigh when deciding whether to propose a PSSA, and how these factors relate to potential limita-tions of the PSSA mechanism. States with a history of transnational cooper-ation, such as the United States and Canada, may be more averse to using a PSSA mechanism when more familiar and trusted systems for bilateral co-operation exist. In this way, States may rely on existing institutions, prece-dents, and agreements for transboundary collaboration between one an-other and with indigenous communities impacted by an environmental issue.
China’s Battle against Marine Plastic Pollution at the Local Level: A Case Study of Sanya City, Hainan Province
Authors: Fang Mandy Meng
Published: June 2023

In the face of a rapidly unfolding marine plastic pollution crisis, China, the world’s largest plastic producer and consumer, has been thrust to the fore-front to regulate the growing plastic problem in stewardship of ecosystems. While a growing body of literature discusses China’s central-level efforts in addressing marine plastic pollution, a thorough overview of actions at the local level remains scant. This article uses Sanya City in Hainan Province as a case study to assess the local government’s capacity to formulate and implement environmental policies in achieving nationally set environmen-tal goals. Designated as a pilot for a ‘Zero Waste City’ and a ‘Model City’ for ecological civilization, Sanya has crafted regulatory approaches and en-forcement mechanisms to strengthen the governance of marine plastic pol-lution. A critique of the effectiveness and weaknesses of Sanya’s regulatory regime holds important implications for local-level environmental govern-ance of marine plastic pollution in China and many other parts of the world.
Harnessing Offshore Wind in Canada: The Regulatory Landscape for Offshore Wind Development and Lessons Learned from the United Kingdom, Denmark, and the United States
Authors: Robertson Leah M. , Dorreen Matthew J. , Raza Mohammad Ali
Published: June 2023

Offshore wind is a key renewable energy source which can lessen depend-ency on fossil fuels and help meet global decarbonization targets. Countries such as the United Kingdom, Denmark, and recently the United States of America, have success in operationalizing offshore wind developments. Canada, despite vast ocean resources, does not have any offshore wind projects. One reason for this can be attributed to the lack of policies to sup-port development of offshore wind projects. To date, there has been no research conducted on the legal regime for developing an offshore wind energy project in Canada. This research focuses on identifying which ear-ly-stage permits are required for offshore wind development federally and provincially, utilizing Nova Scotia as a provincial example. This article iden-tifies the relevant Canadian legislation, regulations, and decision-makers as well as makes suggestions to improve Canada’s regime. To identify regula-tory improvements that Canada could utilize, the regimes of the UK, Den-mark, and the USA are examined with a focus on their initial permit pro-cess. The proposed policy improvements relate to matters of environmental and impact assessments, seabed acquisition and licensing, as well as the administrative processes for granting required permits and consents.
Under the Arctic Ice: Climate Futurism, Inuit Sovereignty, and Deep Seabed Mining in the Just Transition
Authors: Connolly Charlotte
Published: June 2023

The Indigenous peoples of the Circumpolar North were the first to experi-ence the impacts of climate change, where the pace and scale of change has posed an existential threat to their way of life. For developed nations, the recession and thinning of the sea ice has increased the prospect of re-source exploitation, in turn igniting questions about sovereignty over the Arctic Ocean and its seabed. This article examines the implications of the extended continental shelf claims of the Arctic coastal States for the future governance of the Central Arctic Ocean (CAO) and Inuit sovereignty. Part I advances a theoretical approach to the topic of deep seabed mining through the lens of climate futurism. Part II provides a critique of the Unit-ed Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, followed by a look at the re-gional governance of the CAO and the role of Inuit in circumpolar politics. Part III considers the prevailing regimes for deep seabed mining within and beyond national jurisdictions and their potential application to the CAO. Part IV concludes by evaluating potential arrangements for the governance of deep seabed mining in the Arctic, including a regional treaty or a poly-centric approach composed of specialized regimes.
Environmental Policy Frameworks for Ports: In Search of a Gold Standard
Authors: Doelle Meinhard , Johansson Tafsir , Pastra Aspasia , Baskin Andrew
Published: June 2023

Ports play a vital role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and a broad range of other tranportation-related environmental impacts. This article examines the critical elements of an effective environmental policy frame-work for ports that could be considered a “gold standard.” An exploratory analysis is conducted by delving into the academic literature and analyzing existing international and regional policy frameworks for ports. Fifteen in-terviews with subject-matter experts were conducted to identify sustaina-bility initiatives of two case study ports: Rotterdam and Long Beach. The article extends a previously developed framework for ports developed by Christodoulou et al., which identifies the following spheres of influence: the ports themselves, the role of ports in supporting shipping and inland transportation, and the geographical area surrounding the port. The current study extends the framework from its initial focus on GHG emission reduc-tion-related initiatives to other environmental sustainability initiatives un-dertaken by ports. It is clear that a “gold standard” requires a proactive and participatory approach to sustainability initiatives for the power itself and effective processes for collaboration with the shipping sector, inland trans-portation, and the geographic area surrounding ports to enable the port to be a constructive partner in all its spheres of influence and for the frame-work to evolve over time to continue to improve on an ongoing basis.
Does Task-Irrelevant Brightness Modulation Affect Auditory Contrast Processing? Exploring the Interplay Between Temporal Synchrony and Stimulus Salience
Authors: Chow Hiu Mei , Briggs Danielle , Ciaramitaro Vivian M.
Published: June 2023

Stimulus factors such as timing, spatial location, and stimulus effectiveness affect whether and how information across the senses is integrated. Extending recent work highlighting interactions between stimulus factors, here we investigated the influence of visual information on auditory processing, complementing previous studies on the influence of auditory information on visual processing. We hypothesized that task-irrelevant and spatially non-informative visual information would enhance auditory contrast processing, when visual information was at an optimal salience level and changed synchronously with the sound. We asked human observers to indicate the location of an amplitude-modulated white-noise sound, while its loudness against a constant white-noise background varied across trials. To test for the influence of task-irrelevant visual information, we modulated screen brightness smoothly (Experiment 1) or transiently (Experiment 2) in phase or out of phase with the amplitude modulation of the target sound. In addition, to test for the interaction between temporal synchrony and stimulus salience, maximum brightness varied systematically across trials. Auditory contrast thresholds were compared across conditions. Results showed that task-irrelevant visual information did not alter auditory contrast thresholds regardless of the nature of modulation of brightness, contrary to our expectations. Nonetheless, task-irrelevant visual information modulated in phase with the target sound reduced auditory contrast thresholds if we accounted for individual differences in the optimal salience required for the largest multisensory effects. Our results are discussed in light of several stimulus factors that might be critical in modulating multisensory enhancement.
Facilitation of Student Questioning in the Malaysian Secondary Science Classroom Using the Investigable Questioning Formulation Technique (IQFT) Protocol
Authors: Dah Norsyazwani Muhamad , Mat Noor Mohd Syafiq Aiman , Kamarudin Muhammad Zulfadhli , Ibrahim Mohd Mokhzani
Published: June 2023

This study developed the Investigable Questioning Formulation Technique (IQFT) protocol to formulate investigable questions by following the procedures of design-based research. As guiding heuristics, the protocol used two provisional design principles based on teaching experience and previous studies that have applied tools for formulating questions, notably, the question formulation technique, SMART goals, and a typology of investigable and non-investigable questions. Two cycles comprising six lesson interventions were completed with two groups (n = 23, n = 25) of students in the same school in Malaysia. Questions were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and a question typology framework. Findings show the majority of students formulated comparison, exploratory, and validation of mental model questions. Some questions were posed in the prediction, descriptive, and problem-solving categories, but none were categorized as cause and effect, design and make, or pattern seeking. Implications for use of the IQFT protocol to help facilitate Malaysian students’ generation of investigable questions, design experiments, and implement open inquiry are discussed.
Emerging Trends in Addressing Climate Change through Litigation in Tanzania
Authors: Majamba Hamudi Ismail
Published: June 2023

Climate change litigation (climate litigation) has increased worldwide partly due to governments enacting laws to comply with global climate change agreements, as well as courts playing a pivotal role in developing related precedents. By analysing Tanzania’s climate litigation in the context of worldwide trends, one may observe that the courts have addressed critical aspects of climate litigation, although their doing so has not been fully acknowledged in some of the contemporary literature. Also, unlike in other jurisdictions, the courts in Tanzania have not referred to numerous instructive precedents. This shortcoming may be attributed partly to the lack of a comprehensive climate change law, the legal impediments to instituting public interest litigation, and a general lack of enthusiasm for researching and probing current court precedents on the part of counsel and the judiciary. This commentary advocates enacting comprehensive climate change legislation and enhancing the capacity of civil society, non-governmental organizations, the Bar, and the judiciary to engage with contemporary developments in climate change impacts and related litigation.
A Psycholinguistic Analysis of Speech Errors in Kiswahili
Authors: Malangwa Pendo S. , Mukandabvute Aaron A.
Published: June 2023

Due to the lack of cohesive data in linguistics revealing how the human brain functions, researchers make use of various disciplines including biology, neuroscience and psycholinguistics to investigate the relationship between language and the brain. Within the purview of psycholinguistics, this study presupposes optimality theory and Levelt’s theory of speech production, in order to analyse speech errors committed by non-brain damaged speakers of Kiswahili. These are mistakes made inadvertently during episodes of normal speech articulation. Speech errors are a natural and universal phenomenon across all human languages. Alongside the conventions constituting language games, speech errors can provide insightful evidence of intricate processes in the mental lexicon essential to speech production generally. It is noteworthy that the bulk of speech errors analysed in this study were premature cut-offs, since the speakers corrected their speech after their errors.
Anatomy, ecology, and behavior of a new species of Scleronema Eigenmann, 1917 (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae) from coastal drainages in the southern Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest, with comments on the monophyly and phylogeny of the genus
Authors: BOCKMANN FLÁVIO A. , FERRER JULIANO , RIZZATO PEDRO P. , ESGUÍCERO ANDRÉ L. H. , DUBOC LUIZ F. , INGENITO LEONARDO F. S.
Published: June 2023

A new species of Scleronema (Trichomycteridae) is described from the lowlands of three coastal river basins in the Atlantic Forest of the Santa Catarina state, Southern Brazil. Aspects of the anatomy, reproduction, diet, feeding behavior and habitat of the new species are described and discussed in comparison with related taxa. The conservation status of the new species, which currently faces several threats due to environmental impacts on its region of occurrence, is established. Based on characteristics observed in the new species, as well as in most of its congeners, the phylogenetic position and monophyly of Scleronema are discussed and traits considered synapomorphic for the subgenera Plesioscleronema and Scleronema are reviewed. The monophyly of the genus Scleronema is supported by a new synapomorphy. In addition, two new synapomorphies, one of which based on behavior, are suggested for the subgenus Scleronema, justifying the inclusion of the new species. Within the subgenus Scleronema, the new species is assigned to the S. minutum group, which currently includes the majority of species of the genus, due to the presence of synapomorphic traits related to the body shape, maxillary barbel, skin flap of the opercle, caudal and pectoral fins, as well as osteological features of the lower jaw, hyoid arch, and postcranial axial skeleton. The species herein described differs from all its congeners by a combination of characters from various morphological complexes, which are described in detail using different methodologies, including radiography, whole-specimen clearing and double-staining procedures, and tridimensional computer nanotomography (3D nano-CT).
Redescription of Ophlitaspongia (?) arbuscula Row, 1911 and Ophlitaspongia (?) horrida Row, 1911 from the Red Sea, and their placement in Clathria (Clathria) Schmidt, 1862
Authors: EL-ARAB MOHAMMED ABDEL LATIF EZZ , EKINS MERRICK
Published: June 2023

Ophlitaspongia (?) arbuscula Row, 1911 and Ophlitaspongia (?) horrida Row, 1911 from the type locality in the Red Sea, have been re-described based on the type and fresh material from the Red Sea, Egypt. New specimens were used to illustrate the variation within the species. Examination of the type and fresh material indicates both species are unlikely to belong to the genus Ophlitaspongia, due to the possession of echinating (acantho)styles. The presence of a reticulate skeleton indicates Clathria (Clathria) Schmidt, 1862, is the most likely generic assignment for both species.
Fossil Hemerobiidae (Neuroptera) from the Eocene Tadushi Formation, the Russian Far East, with description of a new genus
Authors: MAKARKIN VLADIMIR N.
Published: June 2023

Three specimens of Hemerobiidae (Neuroptera) are described from the early/middle Eocene Tadushi Formation of the Russian Far East. They clearly belong to three species, but only one can be named, Archibaldia aristovi gen. et sp. nov.; the other two are fragmentary and treated as genus and species A and B. The new genus also includes A. wehri (Makarkin), comb. nov. from the early Eocene of western North America. The forewing venation of Archibaldia gen. nov. is most similar to that of the Eocene genus Proneuronema Makarkin et al., but differs from it and other genera of the family by the following character states: the basal crossvein 1r-m is present; crossveins between RA and RP1/RP2 are present; RP1 has anteriorly directed pectinate branches; M is dichotomously branched; CuP is forked proximad the first gradate series; and there are crossveins between branches of CuP. The presence of the basal crossvein 1r-m separates Archibaldia gen. nov. from all other hemerobiids and is here interpreted as an autapomorphy of the genus.
New species of the genus Sonanus Belokobylskij & Konishi, 2001 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae) from Korean Peninsula
Authors: BELOKOBYLSKIJ SERGEY A. , KU DEOKSEO
Published: June 2023

A new species of the doryctine genus Sonanus Belokobylskij & Konishi, 2001, S. tselikhae sp. nov., is described and illustrated from the South Korea. For the first time, the photographs of the type species of the genus Sonanus, S. senzuensis Belokobylskij & Konishi, 2001, are provided. A key to the known Asian species of this genus is also provided.
The identity of Tokays (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Gekko) from Hong Kong
Authors: HO SIU-KIT , CHAN HON-KI , KARRAKER NANCY E.
Published: June 2023

The Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko), found throughout Southeast Asia and India, is a heavily harvested species of high commercial value. Recent studies have supported the elevation of the black morph of Tokay gecko, found only in southern China and northern Vietnam, to the species Gekko reevesii. Previous genetic studies focused on specimens of G. reevesii from southwestern populations. Hong Kong, in southeastern China, has native populations of G. reevesii. To verify the identity of G. reevesii in Hong Kong, we employed three mitochondrial genes (COI, Cytb & ND2) and constructed a matrilineal genealogy using other specimens from Guangxi (southwestern China) and northern Vietnam, as well as G. gecko from a wide range of Southeast Asian countries. Our study confirmed that G. reevesii occurs naturally in Hong Kong, but one exotic population of G. gecko, likely a translocation from international trade, was also revealed. Our study did not reject the species ranking of G. reevesii. Moreover, like previous studies, we recovered a paraphyletic G. gecko, which may reflect a species complex, hybridization or incomplete lineage sorting. More extensive sampling of the two species over a broader range of their asserted distribution together with the use of both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA are required to better investigate their biogeography.
1. ‘Tag, You’ve Got Coronavirus!’ Chase Games in a Covid Frame
Authors: Bishop Julia
Published: June 2023

Children in many parts of the world commonly play games of touch chase, in which the chaser catches the other players by tapping them, the role of chaser often then transferring to the caught player. At the time of the global spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020, reports began to crop up, especially on social media, of children playing chasing games with names like Coronavirus Tag, Corona Tip, Infection and Covid Tiggy. In these, the chaser was the virus and had to chase the others who, when caught, then ‘got the virus’. Games with ‘corona rules’ also emerged, in which children adapted the chase games to circumvent or accommodate social distancing measures imposed on them. The chapter draws on children’s testimony and adults’ observations of these coronavirus tag games, particularly Twitter posts, to trace their rapid emergence on an international scale, their varied and ingenious forms and potential functions. The focus is on the players’ perceptions and experiences in order to emphasize the fluidity and dynamism of this play and to trouble adults’ tendency to adult-centric and monolithic interpretations. The chapter argues that it is essential to consider such games both in the context of the pandemic and from a comparative and historical perspective. This highlights that what children did in making their games of coronavirus tag is in fact just one example of what they do on a day-to-day basis when there is no pandemic, drawing on mediascapes, and the material, environmental and temporal resources available to them, in often overlooked and undervalued acts of everyday creativity and resourcefulness.
5. How Playwork in the United Kingdom Coped with Covid-19 and the 23 March Lockdown
Authors: King Pete
Published: June 2023

This chapter outlines how playwork and playworkers in the UK coped during Covid-19, particularly the March 2020 lockdown. It begins by briefly explaining the nature of playwork, its historical origins and playwork as a community of practice before considering some of the challenges facing playwork during the early days of Covid-19. The chapter is based on four empirical studies which were part of an eighteen-month longitudinal study, undertaken as playwork, and playworkers, were experiencing Covid-19 in the ‘here and now’. It provides a clear descriptive account of how playwork settings operated pre-Covid-19, during lockdown and when playwork settings re-opened in July 2020. There is also a specific study of the play service in Torfaen, Wales, which typified how playwork had to adapt to continue to operate. The nature of playwork, and how it continually adapts, reflects the historical origins of both the nineteenth-century play clubs and the 1950s adventure playground development.