bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strategic Ambiguity in the Time of  a  Second Cold  War
Authors: Abrenica Maria Joy V. , Guzman Ricardo Rafael S. , Sabarillo Anthony G.
Published: September 2024

In the competition for hegemony of major powers, it seems logical for a small or middle power state to be ambiguous on its preference. Aligning with one protagonist for protection and preferential treatment can only be at the expense of antagonizing the other. Conventional wisdom holds that hedging is practical as it allows a country to leverage on its amicable relations with both powers.

The ASEAN states are caught in the middle of the U.S.–China economic rivalry as well as directly engaged in maritime disputes with China. This paper evaluates strategic ambiguity versus alignment against the backdrop of trade decoupling of rival superpowers. Using a multi-sector, multi-country Ricardian trade model, our simulation results reveal that it is in the interest of some economies to align with one of two camps, contrary to conventional wisdom. The diverse welfare effects of decoupling on member states prevent the attainment of a unified ASEAN position and undermine ASEAN centrality in curbing the risk of a second cold war.
Fragmentation in International Investment and Trade
Authors: Kaaresvirta Juuso , Kerola Eeva , Nuutilainen Riikka
Published: September 2024

We study the signs of fragmentation—that is, the process of weakening economic interdependence between blocs of countries—in world trade and investment during the U.S.–China trade war (2018–21) relative to the period preceding it (2014–17). We show that although bilateral flows between the United States and China have been badly hurt, there is still little evidence of a wider fragmentation, even for technology intensive manufactures. We find some shifts in global trade, especially toward Central and Eastern Europe and ASEAN countries. This may reflect partial reshuffling of global value chains but is not necessarily driven by geoeconomic factors. Both China and the United States have been favoring these regions during the trade war.
Economic Globalization Under a New Cold War: Taiwan's Ambiguous and Critical Role
Authors: Kuo Chun-Chien
Published: September 2024

Producing 92 percent of the world's high-end chips, a critical component for the United States and a strategic asset China aims to control, Taiwan plays an important role in the New Cold War amid escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Several conclusions emerge from the analysis of this role. First, improved communication among the United States, China, and Taiwan is essential. Second, a peaceful Taiwan Strait benefits all parties, as a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would have catastrophic global repercussions. Third, the future of Taiwan's status and the world economy heavily depends on the evolution of U.S.–China relations and whether China opts for aggressive or peaceful policies.
ECCENTRIC: A fast and unrestrained approach for high-resolution in
vivo metabolic imaging at ultra-high field MR
Authors: Klauser Antoine , Strasser Bernhard , Bogner Wolfgang , Hingerl Lukas , Courvoisier Sebastien , Schirda Claudiu , Rosen Bruce R. , Lazeyras Francois , Andronesi Ovidiu C.
Published: September 2024

A novel method for fast and high-resolution metabolic imaging, called ECcentric Circle ENcoding TRajectorIes for Compressed sensing (ECCENTRIC), has been developed at 7 Tesla MRI. ECCENTRIC is a non-Cartesian spatial-spectral encoding method designed to accelerate magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) with high signal-to-noise at ultra-high field. The approach provides flexible and random sampling of the Fourier space without temporal interleaving to improve spatial response function and spectral quality. ECCENTRIC enables the implementation of spatial-spectral MRSI with reduced gradient amplitudes and slew-rates, thereby mitigating electrical, mechanical, and thermal stress of the scanner hardware. Moreover, it exhibits robustness against timing imperfections and eddy-current delay. Combined with a model-based low-rank reconstruction, this approach enables simultaneous imaging of up to 14 metabolites over the whole brain at 2–3 mm isotropic resolution in 4–10 min. MRSI ECCENTRIC was performed on four healthy volunteers, yielding high-resolution spatial mappings of neurochemical profiles within the human brain. This innovative tool introduces a novel approach to neuroscience, providing new insights into the exploration of brain activity and physiology.
The effects of locus coeruleus optogenetic stimulation on global
spatiotemporal patterns in rats
Authors: Anumba Nmachi , Kelberman Michael A. , Pan Wenju , Marriott Alexia , Zhang Xiaodi , Xu Nan , Weinshenker David , Keilholz Shella
Published: September 2024

Whole-brain intrinsic activity as detected by resting-state fMRI can be summarized by three primary spatiotemporal patterns. These patterns have been shown to change with different brain states, especially arousal. The noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) is a key node in arousal circuits and has extensive projections throughout the brain, giving it neuromodulatory influence over the coordinated activity of structurally separated regions. In this study, we used optogenetic-fMRI in rats to investigate the impact of LC stimulation on the global signal and three primary spatiotemporal patterns. We report small, spatially specific changes in global signal distribution as a result of tonic LC stimulation, as well as regional changes in spatiotemporal patterns of activity at 5 Hz tonic and 15 Hz phasic stimulation. We also found that LC stimulation had little to no effect on the spatiotemporal patterns detected by complex principal component analysis. We hypothesize that localized effects could be due to engagement of LC modules that support behaviors induced by our specific stimulation parameters, in addition to noradrenergic receptor profile distributions. Nonetheless, these results show that the effects of LC activity on the BOLD signal in rats may be small and regionally concentrated, as opposed to widespread and globally acting, further supporting emerging evidence of a modular LC.
Predicting the macrovascular contribution to resting-state fMRI
functional connectivity at 3 Tesla: A model-informed approach
Authors: Zhong Xiaole Z. , Polimeni Jonathan R. , Chen J. Jean
Published: September 2024

Macrovascular biases have been a long-standing challenge for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), limiting its ability to detect spatially specific neural activity. Recent experimental studies, including our own, found substantial resting-state macrovascular blood-oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI contributions from large veins and arteries, extending into the perivascular tissue at 3 T and 7 T. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of predicting, using a biophysical model, the experimental resting-state BOLD fluctuation amplitude (RSFA) and associated functional connectivity (FC) values at 3 Tesla. We investigated the feasibility of both 2D and 3D infinite-cylinder Models as well as macrovascular anatomical networks (macro-VANs) derived from angiograms. Our results demonstrate that (1) with the availability of macro-VANs, it is feasible to model macrovascular BOLD FC using both the macro-VAN-based model and 3D infinite-cylinder Models, though the former performed better; (2) biophysical modelling can accurately predict the BOLD pair-wise correlation near to large veins (with R2 ranging from 0.53 to 0.93 across different subjects), but not near to large arteries; (3) compared with FC, biophysical modelling provided less accurate predictions for RSFA; (4) modelling of perivascular BOLD connectivity was feasible at close distances from veins (with R2 ranging from 0.08 to 0.57), but not arteries, with performance deteriorating with increasing distance. While our current study demonstrates the feasibility of simulating macrovascular BOLD in the resting state, our methodology may also apply to understanding task-based BOLD. Furthermore, these results suggest the possibility of correcting for macrovascular bias in resting-state fMRI and other types of fMRI using biophysical modelling based on vascular anatomy.
Coffee and its waste repel second-stage juveniles of Meloidogyne species and inhibit their infection of lettuce roots
Authors: Oka Yuji
Published: September 2024

Second-stage juveniles (J2) of Meloidogyne species are known to be repelled by several compounds. Although such repellents could serve for nematode control, effective, practical and sustainable repellents are unknown. The present study tested instant coffee crystals (ICC) and a methanolic extract of spent coffee grounds (SCG) for their repellency against, and infection inhibition of, J2 of Meloidogyne species on agar plate assays. J2 of Meloidogyne javanica, M. hapla and M. marylandi were repelled by the SCG extract and ICC. When ICC were mixed with chemical J2 attractants, their attractiveness to M. javanica J2 was reduced or abolished. ICC and the SCG extract deposited near lettuce seedling roots on the agar plate reduced the number of M. javanica, M. incognita, and M. hapla J2 attracted to the root tips by 84.3-96.4%, decreased infection rates by 37.5-75.0%, and increased root length 1.3- to 2.8-fold compared to seedlings grown on the non-treated side of the same plate. Thoroughly mixing the SCG extract into the plated agar reduced the number of J2 of the three species attracted to lettuce root tips by 46.7-98.6% and the infection rate by 87.5-95.8%, and increased the root length of the seedlings up to 2.8-fold, although no nematicidal effect was found. The same SCG-treated agar plate reduced the attraction of M. javanica J2 to a chemical attractant. The results suggest that ICC and the SCG extract have repellent and infection-inhibitory activity against Meloidogyne J2 and are potential control means for Meloidogyne species.
Colonial Echoes: Unraveling Economic Legacies and Geopolitical Shifts in the South Pacific Islands
Authors: Prabhakar Akhilesh Chandra
Published: September 2024

The research delves into the intricate geopolitical dynamics underpinning the economy of the South Pacific region, focusing on attaining self-sufficiency and environmental sustainability amidst competing interests from global powers such as the United States, Australia, Japan, India, New Zealand, and China. It scrutinizes the geopolitical and geoeconomic factors influencing Pacific nations, curating data from academic papers, policy documents, media, and relevant websites. Challenges, opportunities, and concerns facing the region are discerned within historical and contemporary contexts, emphasizing the need for Pacific nations to integrate with China and India’s economies. Recommendations prioritize transparent, sustainable partnerships, advocating for alignment with Chinese and Indian economic prowess while safeguarding regional interests and values. A mixed-methods research framework is employed, upholding ethical standards and furnishing pragmatic recommendations for policymakers, international entities, and local stakeholders. Emphasizing reconciliation, community empowerment, and sustainable development, the research aims for a more equitable and resilient future. By illuminating the enduring imprint of colonialism on the region’s socio-economic trajectory and geopolitical dynamics, this study contributes to understanding and navigating the complexities of colonial legacies in the South Pacific Islands.
The Sea Is No Longer (Rev 21:1c)
Authors: Larsen David W.
Published: September 2024

The absence of the sea from new creation (Rev 21:1c) is a curious observation made by the author of the book of Revelation, prompting traditional assumptions with insufficient conclusions. Since the sea had/has been a symbol of a realm of evil in the first creation, it has been assumed that the sea needed to be eliminated from the new creation. However, since the earth was able to be recreated, thereby eliminating its prior traces of evil, why could the sea not have been, returning to being a realm that is good and aligns with its original placiality (Gen 1:9–10). This article proposes that the elimination of the sea is a de facto polemic against Rome, with the city of “New Jerusalem” possessing a footprint that dwarfed Rome as a city and rivalled the footprint of the Roman Empire itself, leaving no room for a sea within the city’s borders.
Credibility of Churches’ Antiracism Engagement
Authors: van der Ham Kirsten , Reddie Anthony , Smit Peter-Ben , Klomp Mirella
Published: September 2024

This article aims to explore how the entanglement of Protestant Christianity and race and racism is manifested in contemporary Dutch society, and to identify which themes for introspection this yields for majority white Dutch Protestant churches. We argue that introspection on perceived superiority of white Dutch Protestantism is crucial to uncover subtle, unconscious mechanisms and ideas that are present in majority white Dutch Protestant churches and that contribute to maintaining racism. Furthermore, we argue that contemporary topical issues such as racism and colonial history run the risk of being pushed to the margins again as long as there is no systematic review of power and privilege of white Dutch Protestantism.
Intuitions about the Digitability of Religion among Transnationally Rooted Digital Natives in Switzerland
Authors: Menzfeld Mira
Published: September 2024

This article presents positions on the digitability of religion as they are lived and reasoned about by digital natives who claim to be religious, spiritual, and/or searching and curious in this regard. Data were collected through explorative participant observations and semistructured interviews with digital natives with transmigratory biography elements in Switzerland. Examples of the borders that interlocutors drew between digitable and nondigitable aspects of religion are also presented to provide an overview of the emic assumptions about the possibilities and limits of religious digitability in the field. The analysis revealed that digital natives tended to see almost all aspects of religion but not all aspects of the religious community experience as digitable, and sometimes value the nondigitability of certain nuances of community explicitly.
Jains in Switzerland
Authors: Iseli Mirjam
Published: September 2024

There are 120 Jains living in Switzerland today. Desiring to exchange information about their religion and to expand their knowledge, they started to meet in 2008. This initiated a community-building process in which Jains of different branches took part. Such a process, as well as the diaspora situation itself, is always connected with negotiations and religious transformations, which is also evident in the Swiss context. Following the common meetings, a distinct form of Jainism was created in Switzerland. This new form is supradenominational and universal and based on aspects such as vegetarianism, environmentalism, and nonviolence. Additionally, the Swiss Jains developed new strategies of knowledge transfer. This article focuses on not only the formation of a Swiss Jain community but also its dissolution as no common gatherings have taken place since 2016. Therefore, factors are named that can lead to the dissolution of a community.
Butyrate-producing bacteria as probiotic supplement: beneficial effects on metabolism and modulation of behaviour in an obesity mouse model
Authors: Garcia-Serrano A.M. , Skoug C. , Axling U. , Korhonen E.R. , Teixeira C. , Ahrén I.L. , Mukhopadhya I. , Boteva N. , Martin J. , Scott K. , Gratz S. , Stenkula K.G. , Holm C. , Duarte J.M.N.
Published: September 2024

Obesity is a risk factor for cardio-metabolic and neurological disease. The contribution of gut microbiota to derangements of the gut-brain axis in the context of obesity has been acknowledged, particularly through physiology modulation by short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Thus, probiotic interventions and administration of SCFAs have been employed with the purpose of alleviating symptoms in both metabolic and neurological disease. We investigated the effects of four butyrate-producing bacteria from the Lachnospiraceae family on the development of metabolic syndrome and behavioural alterations in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity. Male mice were fed either a high-fat diet (HFD) or an ingredient-matched control diet for 2 months, and bacteria cultures or culture medium were given by gavage to HFD-fed mice every second day. Mice were assessed through a battery of metabolic and behaviour tests, and fluxes through the gut barrier and blood-brain barrier were determined using Dextran-based tracers. One of the administered bacteria from the Coprococcus genus, which produces butyrate and formate, afforded some degree of protection against the development of obesity and its complications. Results from this study, however, are insufficient to support brain health benefits of the bacteria tested. None of the bacteria modulated permeability through the gut or blood-brain barriers. Our results suggest health benefits of a bacteria from Lachnospiraceae family, and encourage further exploration of its use as probiotic.
Exploring the East Asian Collection at the Wangensteen Historical Library of Medicine and Biology at the University of Minnesota
Authors: Beck Emily , Hendrickson Lois , Ye Shuqi
Published: September 2024

The Wangensteen Historical Library of Medicine and Biology (WHL) at the University of Minnesota (UMN) is a special collections library founded in the mid-1960s. It has been continuously collecting rare East Asian items over the last fifteen years, and now constitutes more than half of the UMN rare East Asian collection. The materials in WHL were primarily acquired for their relevance to medicine and biology but may also be beneficial to other disciplines. Most of the WHL items are understudied and less well known to the public. This article will feature four items to showcase the collection’s strength and diversity.
Influences of Social Class on the Negotiation of Authority and Community in Practice of Islam in America
Authors: de Rooij Laurens
Published: September 2024

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study of religious practice in a working-class and middle-class Muslim American community. Given the small sample size (N = 18), this study is exploratory and suggests avenues for future research on social class and religious practice among Muslim Americans. The results indicate that different social classes have different views regarding the proper role of religion in their lives. Moreover, social class provides people with unequal resources to meet certain demands placed on them by their religious community and society in general. Other aspects of community life (e.g., social networks) also intervene and mediate institutional relationships and affect religious practice. The social and cultural elements that facilitate perceived compliance with a particular interpretation of religious praxis can be analysed in terms of social and cultural capital. This study suggests that social and cultural capital can help scholars understand differences in religious practice among Muslims across different localities and classes.
Promoting More High Quality Chinese Studies of China and Their Translation into English Is a Matter of Great Urgency!
Authors: Huang Philip C. C.
Published: September 2024

Because the present-day Chinese academic system gives little value to monographic studies, and non-Chinese scholars are very, very rarely able to compose in Chinese, Chinese studies today severely lacks high quality monographic research in Chinese. At the same time, most Chinese scholars in China (distinguished from Chinese-origin scholars abroad) are generally only able to translate from English into their mother tongue Chinese, and seldom able to do the reverse of translating into their non-mother tongue English. As a result, quality English-language studies by mainland Chinese scholars are also rare. On a global level, therefore, high quality book-length scholarship on China is in fact largely limited to English language studies by non-Chinese foreign scholars and overseas Chinese scholars, and is severely lacking in studies by mainland Chinese scholars, whether in Chinese or English. This is a situation that cries out urgently for change.
Enlightenment and Genocide: Johannes Andreas Paravicini’s Mission on Timor in 1756
Authors: Hägerdal Hans
Published: September 2024

The Dutch United East India Company (voc) had a Janus-faced position in early-modern maritime Asia as merchant and politician. The present study highlights this through the case of the Spanish-born diplomat Johannes Andreas Paravicini (1710–71). During his mission to Timor in 1756, he concluded a major contract with numerous indigenous states that ostensibly brought a major part of Timor under the voc, in defiance of the rival Portuguese. The contract itself merits attention as literature due to its Enlightenment rhetoric and stress on general welfare, despite being accompanied by excessive physical violence, genocide, and slaving. The article furthermore scrutinizes the ceremonies and symbols that aimed to subjugate the native states. It is argued that Paravicini, while relying on local informants, misrepresented the Timorese hierarchical power structures and concepts of authority. For the Dutch, this led to a series of disappointments and setbacks in the region during the following decades.
A new species of Neblinaphryne (Anura: Brachycephaloidea: Neblinaphrynidae) from Serra do Imeri, Amazonas state, Brazil
Authors: FOUQUET ANTOINE , MORAES LEANDRO J.C.L. , GRANT TARAN , RECODER RENATO , CAMACHO AGUSTÍN , GHELLERE JOSÉ MÁRIO , BARUTEL ALEXANDRE , RODRIGUES MIGUEL TREFAUT
Published: September 2024

The highlands of the Guiana Shield (Pantepui) in northern South America harbor a unique fauna and flora. However, this diversity remains poorly documented, as many Pantepui massifs remain little explored or unexplored, mainly because their access is very challenging. Considering amphibians, 11 genera are endemic or sub-endemic to Pantepui, and one of them, Neblinaphryne, is monospecific and was recently described from the Neblina massif, at the border between Brazil and Venezuela. We recently undertook an expedition in the nearby, previously uninventoried Imeri massif and discovered a new species of this genus. We describe this new species herein as Neblinaphryne imeri sp. nov., combining molecular, external morphological, acoustic, osteological and myological data. The new species shares with the other Neblinaphryne species (N. mayeri) minuscule septomaxillae and pointed terminal phalanges, confirming the morphological diagnostic characters of the genus. Nevertheless, the new species can promptly be distinguished from N. mayeri by having the head wider than long, a distinct color pattern, and prominent tubercles on the eyelid and humeral region, as well as osteological and genetic differences. These two species are likely endemic to their respective massifs, providing a striking new example of speciation by isolation within Pantepui, which was possibly mediated by climate and elevation, as previously hypothesized for many other lineages endemic to this region.
“It’s Not About Numbers, It’s About Power”: How Latino Young Adults Imagine the Ethnic and Racial Demographic Future of the United States
Authors: McConnell Eileen Díaz , Carreon Daniela A.
Published: September 2024

The ethnoracial composition of the United States has been changing rapidly in recent decades, a trend expected to persist into the foreseeable future. While quantitative studies have investigated individual attitudes about these shifts, we know little about Americans’ more nuanced and complex views about the projected growth of Latinos, Blacks, Asians, and others in the United States and the decline of non-Hispanic Whites over the next 25 to 30 years. Drawing from research about ethnoracial demographic sentiments, the sociology of the future, and U.S. generations, we offer the first qualitative exploration of how Americans imagine the country’s ethnoracial demographic future. Our analyses of intensive interview data gathered from 91 U.S.-born Latinos aged 18 to 29 in Arizona in Winter 2021 focus on how Latino Gen Z and Millennials talk about this future. Latino young adults express optimism about a more heterogeneous nation in 2050 and imagine impacts on diversity, politics and political power, and racial discrimination. However, their optimism is tempered by skepticism about whether population growth among people of color will lead to lasting and meaningful changes, given U.S. history and existing structural inequalities. Latino Gen Z and Millennials also express concerns about current and future White responses to these population dynamics. Understanding how young adults in the United States envision the country’s ethnoracial demographic future has important social, political, and economic implications.
Diversity in Civic Engagement: Political Priorities and Protest Behavior of Arizona College Students
Authors: Kater Lauren , Martin Nathan D.
Published: September 2024

A core function of higher education is to prepare students to be active and informed citizens who are prepared to make sustained contributions to civic life and democratic society. However, past research on college student civic engagement has disproportionately focused on students at traditional 4-year universities and on a narrow range of political activities. In this study, we analyzed online survey data ( N = 1,159) collected before the 2020 presidential election from young adults throughout Arizona who were attending 2-year and 4-year postsecondary institutions. Results show significant differences between community college, transfer and university students in terms of political identities, background characteristics, and participation in Black Lives Matter protests. Yet, across these postsecondary pathways, young adults expressed a strong commitment to active citizenship and ranked combating climate change and dismantling systemic racism as top political priorities. We call for more research on underserved students’ political identities, outlooks, and behaviors as part of a broader and more inclusive conceptualization of civic engagement.
Incidental Finding of Double Posterior Belly of Digastric Muscle in Head and Neck Cancer Patient
Authors: Sagalow Emily S. , Wang Richard , Babu Jay , Bigcas Jo-Lawrence , Okuyemi Oluwafunmilola
Published: September 2024

Objectives:

The digastric muscles have important roles in swallowing, chewing, speech, and landmark identification during neck dissection. The posterior belly of the digastric muscle (PBDM) is often useful for defining boundaries in surgical neck dissection as it contributes to the carotid, submandibular, and submental triangles. The cadaveric prevalence rate of anatomic variations in the digastrics has been reported to be 31.4% of the population with most occurring in relation to the anterior belly of the digastric muscle (ABDM). Few reports describe variations in the PBDM. While anatomic variants of the digastric muscles do not present with clinical manifestations, they can be mistaken as neck masses and contribute to intraoperative complications.

Methods:

We present a case report of a 73-year-old male with a past medical history significant for Parkinson’s Disease, who was incidentally found to have a duplicate PBDM intraoperatively while receiving surgical management of a left buccal squamous cell cancer.

Results:

Nine months prior to surgery, the patient began experiencing trismus and some mild dysphagia that were eventually worked up to reveal left buccal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Prior to this, the patient did not have clinical symptoms demonstrating dysfunction that could be related to or indicative of this anatomical abnormality preceding symptoms related to left buccal SCC growth. The procedure included a wide local excision, left modified radical neck dissection and left submental artery island flap with suprahyoid neck dissection. The superior duplicate PBDM was found to be overlying the stylohyoid muscle.

Conclusions:

It is important for surgeons operating in the head and neck to be aware of the possibility of this rare variation, and to be conscientious when it is identified so that it does not prohibit or limit a thorough dissection of the neck structures where oncologic clearance is paramount.
Hello From the Other Side: External Stakeholder Paradoxes Matter for Organizational Ambidexterity
Authors: Venugopal Aparna , Donnelly Rory
Published: September 2024

Organizational ambidexterity (OA)—the simultaneous pursuit of explorative and exploitative innovations—engenders nested (paradoxes manifesting across organizational levels) and knotted paradoxes (intertwined co-occurring paradoxes at the same or across organizational levels). Both nested and knotted paradoxes are managed by internal stakeholders using approaches that are socially constructed by influences emanating from within and beyond an organization. External stakeholders also help shape organizational innovations but their influence on the management of paradoxes has largely been overlooked. In this study, we collected and analyzed data from internal ( n = 19) and external stakeholders ( n = 18) in organizations pursuing explorative and exploitative clean energy transitions at nine Canadian energy utilities. We find that the external stakeholders engage with knotted inclusivity–efficiency and existing–emerging needs paradoxes. Our findings add to OA and business and society literature by revealing how the approaches that internal and external stakeholders adopt for paradox management have implications for each other, and thus OA. We also provide practical insight into how external stakeholder paradoxes can be managed through stakeholder inclusivity and enhanced transparency of innovation plans, with positive implications for OA.
Modeling and optimal control of twist and tilt biped for sit to stand
Authors: Ali Badar , Mughal Asif Mahmood
Published: September 2024

The construction of a rigid body biomechanical model with higher ordered controller design is a challenging task due to the complicated architecture and complexity of human intended movements. Biomechanical analysis of such complex model for sit-to-stand (STS) movement in three dimensions (3D) requires the envisioned actions of humans by utilizing motor controls. The current study aims to enhance our investigation into 3D bipedal mobility by creating optimal control for our novel Twist and Tilt foot mechanism. Unlike earlier models, this mechanism does not assume any fixed foot for the entire profile. This novel model type enables one foot to perform a twisting motion and the other foot to execute a sliding tilt motion. This technique simulates the control effort needed during the STS task by individuals with neurological impairments while performing various joint positions. The twist and tilt model is created using computer-aided design (CAD) software SOLIDWORKS, utilizing an 8-segment biped. The linearized model in SIMULINK generated 24th ordered State Space model. Subsequently, we developed LQR (linear quadratic regulator) controller for attaining the desired trajectories in MATLAB/SIMULINK. This novel twist and tilt optimal control strategy have improved angular profiles and simulation results showcase the stroke patient’s movements with one foot sliding deficient tilt and other foot twisting during the profile.
Regimes of Drug Desires: Depot Buprenorphine as a Technology of Becoming
Authors: Clay Simon , Duff Cameron
Published: September 2024

Long-acting injectable depot buprenorphine is the latest opioid agonist therapy to be offered in Australia. There has been increasing scholarly interest in the lived experience of this treatment; however, the current qualitative research on this issue is limited to reports on the benefits and challenges individuals experience during treatment. This study expands and complicates this body of work by delving into the social, affective, and material aspects of the depot buprenorphine experience. By applying a Deleuzo-Guattarian framework to the analysis of 40 semistructured, open-ended interviews conducted with individuals who were either currently receiving depot buprenorphine, were in the process of discontinuing, or had discontinued treatment, we argue that depot buprenorphine is a technology of becoming situated within regimes of desire. That is, depot buprenorphine is a catalyst of social, affective, and material changes that is realized and dwells within a set of cocreated assemblages comprised of human and other-than-human actors. According to the regimes of desire at work within these assemblages, individuals in treatment pass through a series of thresholds that mark their becoming into different kinds of persons. Four critical thresholds emerged in participants’ reports of depot buprenorphine: thresholds of geography, freedom, the body, and abstinence. These thresholds opened up radical new ways of being for participants, with some being more positive than others. We close by discussing the implications our findings have for the ongoing delivery of opioid agonist therapies in Australia and elsewhere.
To internationalize global communication
Authors: Towns Armond R , Qazzaz Aseel
Published: September 2024

In late, 2023 the authors of “Global Communication as Standpoint” reached out for responses to their important article. This particular response engages in reconsidering the terms of the “global” in global communication. The authors of “Global Communication as Standpoint” have convincingly called for a stronger attention to the theorization of the global in communication and media studies. To add to this call, the authors here seek to link the concept of the global in communication and media studies to the long idea of Marxist internationalism. Building on the work of CLR James, this paper argues that the historical gap between theorizations of the global and theorizations of the international in communication and media studies are linked to epistemological questions that “Global Communication as Standpoint” opens us up to.
Standpointing global communication
Authors: Qiu Jack Linchuan
Published: September 2024

This response essay discusses the need to study global communication (GC) from different standpoints, the pitfalls therein, and strategies to overcome them. It starts with two reflections: from China, and on the uneven landscape of GC research and pedagogy around the world, where obstacles and opportunities co-exist. This is followed by a critique on comparative analysis that can be used productively, or it can lead to atheoretical comparativism that reproduces problems of the status quo. Two examples are given to showcase how critical GC pedagogies of power and counter-power can be carried out.
Negative ties, social support buffering, and loneliness: Findings from a cross-national survey
Authors: Kim Harris Hyun-soo , Jung Jong Hyun
Published: September 2024

This study examines the independent and interactive effects of perceived social support (positive ties) and relational stress (negative ties) on loneliness in later life. To that end, we differentiate the sources of social support, tap multiple items to measure relational stress, and analyze a large cross-national dataset containing probability samples of older adults across 28 countries ( N = 12,449). Our analysis demonstrates that the relationship between perceived social support and loneliness is source specific. A key finding is that perceived social support particularly from family is negatively associated with loneliness. Older adults who name friends and ‘others’ (e.g., coworkers, neighbors, acquaintances) as the most important source of support exhibit higher levels of loneliness than those who choose kin members. By contrast, relational stress, regardless of its source, is positively associated with loneliness. Moreover, this positive relationship between relational stress and loneliness is stronger for those who select others as the primary source of social support, lending credence to the concept of reverse buffering. Taken together, our findings underscore the importance of the sources of social positivity and social negativity in examining the interrelationships between positive ties, negative ties, and loneliness in later life.
Adapting early years language and communication support in response to COVID-19 – A catalyst for reflection and more successful parental engagement?
Authors: Jack Christine , Ashton Elaine , Conn Kate , Letts Carolyn , Pert Sean , Preston Emily , Rose Naomi , Stringer Helen , McKean Cristina
Published: September 2024

COVID-19 impacted all aspects of children's lives. Research showed that teachers were most concerned about Communication and Language, and Personal, Social and Emotional Development, two of the three Prime Areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage which underpin all learning. The pandemic had a significant impact on early years settings. Practitioners reacted quickly, adapting the way they worked with children and families to ensure all children were supported, whether at home or in the education setting. This paper examines these short-term responses and reflects on what the disruption tells us about what is important to early years practitioners and parents. The Language Intervention in the Early Years (LIVELY) project, focusing on language and communication skills in the Early Years Foundation Stage, started just before the first lockdown and was therefore ideally placed to investigate changes that resulted from the pandemic. We interviewed 11 practitioners, from 10 schools and 1 nursery in the North East of England. Within the group, the experiences of children, families and practitioners varied; our aim was to identify common themes. Parental engagement, the relationships between schools and parents/caregivers which enable children's learning, became even more central and much of the support provided by settings focused on how parents and carers interacted with their children to support language and communication. This paper identifies some of the benefits of the imposed changes and how these could continue in early years settings post-pandemic.
Pseudoxanthoma elasticum: An unique entity in the coronary surgery
Authors: Aljasem Hazem , Ali-Ghosh Hani , Kiran Tayyeba , Ohri Sunil
Published: September 2024

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum is a rare connective tissue disease which affects the synthesis of the elastic fibres. It is an area of uncertainty for patients affected by this disease requiring surgical revascularization. We present a case report of a 43-year-old gentleman was known to have pseudoxanthoma elasticum syndrome (PXE) and coronary artery disease. He underwent successful off pump LIMA to LAD. Interestingly, this is the first case in UK and second one in the literature managed with an off-pump strategy. The predilection of the histopathological changes in PXE patients, should not prevent the routine use in of the left internal mammary artery as a standard conduit in CABG. Further studies are required to standardize the practice for surgical revascularization in the patients with PXE.
Mitochondrial ferritin upregulation by deferiprone reduced neuronal ferroptosis and improved neurological deficits via NDRG1/Yap pathway in a neonatal rat model of germinal matrix hemorrhage
Authors: Yuan Ye , Yang Xiao , Zhao Yutong , Flores Jerry J , Huang Lei , Gu Lingui , Li Ruihao , Zhang Xingyu , Zhu Shiyi , Dong Siyuan , Kanamaru Hideki , He Qiuguang , Tao Yihao , Yi Kun , Han Mingyang , Chen Xionghui , Wu Lei , Zhang John H , Xie Zongyi , Tang Jiping
Published: September 2024

Ferroptosis contributes to brain injury after germinal matrix hemorrhage (GMH). Mitochondrial ferritin (FTMT), a novel mitochondrial outer membrane protein, reduces oxidative stress in neurodegenerative diseases. In vitro, Deferiprone has been shown to upregulate FTMT. However, the effects of FTMT upregulation by Deferiprone on neuronal ferroptosis after GMH and its underlying mechanism has not been investigated. In our study, 389 Sprague-Dawley rat pups of postnatal day 7 were used to establish a collagenase-induced GMH model and an iron-overload model of intracerebral FeCl2 injection. The brain expressions of FTMT, N-myc downstream-regulated gene-1 (NDGR1), Yes-associated protein (YAP), ferroptosis-related molecules including transferrin receptor (TFR) and acyl-CoA synthase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) were increased after GMH. FTMT agonist Deferiprone improved neurological deficits and hydrocephalus after GMH. Deferiprone or Adenovirus-FTMT enhanced YAP phosphorylation at the Ser127 site and attenuated ferroptosis, which was reversed by NDRG1 CRISPR Knockout. Iron overload induced neuronal ferroptosis and neurological deficits, which were improved by YAP CRISPR Knockout. Collectively, FTMT upregulation by Deferiprone reduced neuronal ferroptosis and neurological deficits via the NDRG1/YAP signaling pathway after GMH. Deferiprone may serve as a potential non-invasive treatment for GMH patients.
“Who Eats the Forest?”: Forest Animacy among the Bahnar People of Vietnam
Authors: Trần Hoài , Harrison K. David , Hoàng Khang Minh Công , Cao Hải Lâm
Published: September 2024

In this paper, we explore Bahnar perspectives on the agency of plants and forest, and human–forest relations in Vietnam. The Bahnar are among Vietnam's 54 recognized ethnic minority peoples 1 , many of whom live in proximity to the forest, gather its resources, and regard it as a spiritual abode in their cosmology. The Bahnar (Ba Na) people who inhabit the Central Highlands and are the main focus of this article have traditionally relied on the forest for subsistence, practising swidden cultivation, hunting birds and mammals, and gathering plants. Their forest knowledge is transmitted primarily orally; through the lexicon, everyday discourses, stories, and songs. It is acquired through participation in forest-related activities and informal learning of arts such as vernacular architecture, basketry, canoe-building, and textiles. The Bahnar see spirits in things in nature with which they have a connection or routine interactions (stones, streams, and trees) but not in everything. The Bahnar spiritual connection with the forest also guides their husbandry of increasingly scarce forest resources, such as rattan used in basketry, and large trees needed to make canoes. Certain plants and trees are protected by taboos, and certain parts of the forest are considered sacred, inhabited by gods and spirits, and not to be touched. Forests possess animacy for the Bahnar in that they are sensitive and responsive to a wide range of human behaviours, and must be treated with respect and care. This human–forest–spirit relationship is the primary lens through which the Bahnar perceive nature, and guides their daily interactions with it.
Anchoring has little effect when forming first impressions of facial attractiveness
Authors: Kramer Robin S. S. , Koca Yaren , Mireku Michael O. , Oriet Chris
Published: September 2024

First impressions based on facial appearance affect our behaviour towards others. Since the same face will appear different across images, over time, and so on, our impressions may not be equally weighted across exposures but are instead disproportionately influenced by earlier or later instances. Here, we followed up on previous work which identified an anchoring effect, whereby higher attractiveness ratings were given to a person after viewing naturally varying images of their face presented in descending (high-to-low), rather than ascending (low-to-high), order of attractiveness of these images. In Experiment 1 ( n = 301), we compared these ‘descending’ and ‘ascending’ conditions for unfamiliar identities by presenting six-image sequences. Although we found higher attractiveness ratings for the ‘descending’ condition, this small effect equated to only 0.22 points on a 1–7 response scale. In Experiment 2 ( n = 307), we presented these six-image sequences in a random order and found no difference in attractiveness ratings given to these randomly ordered sequences when compared with those resulting from both our ‘descending’ and ‘ascending’ conditions. Further, we failed to detect an influence of the earlier images in these random sequences on attractiveness ratings. Taken together, we found no compelling evidence that anchoring could have an effect on real-world impression formation.
Redemption or Manipulation? Revisiting the Art of a Serial Killer—A Dialogue
Authors: Seymour Alicia , Gussak David E.
Published: September 2024

This article revisits an ongoing dialogue between the co-authors, examining their divergent perspectives on whether the art of serial killers was used to perpetuate their psychopathic cycles after their murderous sprees were interrupted, or whether the art—particularly a piece done by one serial killer, Glen Rogers–reflects remorse and redemption. The two art therapists draw from their own clinical and professional experiences to argue their respective outlooks. After explaining what art therapy is, re-examining the concept of murderabilia, and underscoring psychopathy, this article provides an in-depth evaluation of two art pieces done by the serial killer through both of their viewpoints. Ultimately, while neither author completely changed their overall conclusions, elements from both sides of the argument were found relevant. Ultimately, this article emphasized the chaotic and messy connections between art and violence, yet through new perspectives explored on the complexities and motivations within the mayhem, mutual understandings emerged.
Research on Robust Model Predictive Control Based on Neural Network Optimization for Trajectory Tracking of High-Speed Autonomous Vehicles
Authors: Liu Fei , Qin Ping , Guo Zhizhong , Shang Yuze , Li Zhe
Published: September 2024

A robust model predictive control method for trajectory tracking is proposed to achieve higher trajectory tracking accuracy and stability of autonomous vehicles traveling at high speed. To reduce the interference of the external road environment, vehicle longitudinal speed, and the nonlinear characteristics of tire cornering stiffness on the vehicle model, a convex polytope vehicle dynamics model considering tracking error is adopted to improve the robustness of the vehicle model. The robust trajectory tracking controller is designed by combining the trajectory tracking multi-objective constraints and polytope model, while the correction term feedback is introduced to improve the robustness and control accuracy of the control system. A projection neural network solution model is established to optimize the objective function and reduce the occupation of computing resources. Simulation results show that compared with the traditional model predictive control, the control method designed in this paper has better trajectory tracking and that the vehicle is more stable at high speed.