bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The composition and mechanical properties of porcine placental ECM from three different breeds
Authors: Capella-Monsonís Héctor , Cramer Madeline , Turner Neill , Reing Janet , Zhang Li , Kronengold Russell T , Bartolacci Joseph , Badylak Stephen F
Published: September 2023

Biologic scaffolds are extensively used in various clinical applications such as musculotendinous reconstruction, hernia repair or wound healing. Biologic scaffolds used in these applications vary in species, breed and tissue of origin, and other variables that affect their properties. Decellularization and sterilization processes also determine the characteristics of these scaffolds. The goal of the present study is to compare the composition and mechanical properties of decellularized porcine placental scaffolds from three different porcine breeds: Landrace, York and Duroc. Placental extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds from the three porcine breeds preserved the amnion/chorion ECM structure and the basement membrane markers laminin and collagen type IV. ECM placental scaffolds showed similar contents of collagen, elastin and lipids, and minimal differences in glycosaminoglycans content. Mechanical properties from the three breeds ECM placental scaffolds were also similar and stable for 24 months. While this study serves as preliminary characterization of porcine ECM scaffolds, future studies will determine their compatibility and suitability for tissue engineering applications.
A simultaneous equations approach to analyze the sustainable water–energy–food nexus in South Korea
Authors: An Daehan
Published: September 2023

Factors such as climate change, economic development, population growth, pandemics, and geopolitical instability threaten water, energy, and food (WEF) security, which consequently put sustainability at risk. However, studies that simultaneously consider WEF security and sustainability aspects still need improvement. This research aimed to build a sustainable WEF nexus framework and analyze the interrelationships among water consumption, electricity demand, food production, and ecological footprint, considering the Environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis and external factors of the WEF nexus. For the empirical analysis, this study employed the three-stage least squares method to identify synergies and trade-offs in the sustainable WEF nexus in South Korea using panel data from 2005 to 2019. The results indicated that rice production causes excessive use of agricultural water, thereby deteriorating water availability and quality. This phenomenon leads to scarce water resources and environmental degradation, which negatively impact energy production and sustainability. Although increased agricultural productivity through automation improves food security, it can pose a threat to energy security by increasing electricity demand and energy imports. The EKC hypothesis test revealed that environmental problems cannot be solved through economic development. However, the indicators related to WEF security influence environmental sustainability rather than economic growth. These results indicate that WEF security and sustainability can be improved simultaneously by maximizing synergies and minimizing trade-offs within a sustainable WEF nexus. Therefore, this research provides a roadmap for policymakers regarding efficient ways to improve environmental quality and WEF security.
Impact of absorber layer thickness and defect density on the performance of MAPbI3 solar cells based on CuO2 as hole transport material
Authors: Hasan Mahmudul , Sultana S Maria , Papiya Sumaiya J , Salsabil Nafisa A , Musarrat Zarin , Tuba Sadia M , Nayan M Faysal
Published: September 2023

Perovskite solar cells are a promising next-generation solar energy harvester because of their excellent photovoltaic performance and simple fabrication procedure. The high power conversion efficiency of this cell, together with its low cost of materials and processes, differentiates it from commercial silicon or other organic and inorganic solar cells. In this work, numerical simulation was performed using Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator (SCAPS)−1D for the device structure (FTO/HTM/ CH3NH3PbI3/ETM/Au) to analyze the impact of absorber layer thickness and defect density on various parameters of Photovoltaic cells. The purpose of this research was to explore the properties of CH3NH3PbI3-based solar cells with different HTM layers, such as Cu2O and ETM layers, such as SnO2, TiO2, and ZnO, respectively. Additionally, the thicknesses of the perovskite absorber are adjusted to obtain the highest photovoltaic efficiency, and the impact of the defect at the perovskite absorber layer on solar cell performance is also investigated. According to the findings of this article, the thickness of the absorber layer and defect density in a perovskite solar cell had a significant impact on JSC, FF, VOC, and efficiency. The findings show a substantial gain in efficiency (18%) when the ETM layer is ZnO. As the defect density of the absorber layer increases, the JSC, VOC, FF, and PCE values of perovskite solar cells decrease considerably. According to our findings, the ZnO as ETM is the most likely to provide a high photovoltaic (PV) efficiency when combined with Cu2O-based HTM.
Algorithm for automatic optimizing cross-cut saw based on computer vision techniques
Authors: Ma Hailong , Shao Mingwei
Published: September 2023

The optimization of timber classification by grades and defect detection plays an important role in the production of timbers. Traditionally, a timber is manually cut by a worker according to his experience. Defect detection and classification of a timber are with great subjectivity. Meanwhile, the action is not safe enough. In this case, an automatic optimizing cross-cut saw to finish these tasks of timber classification by grades and defect detection is built significantly. Related algorithms and detailed procedures for optimizing cross-cut saws are proposed in this paper. Additionally, a vision system is used to capture images of a timber. Captured images are analyzed and processed. First, defects in these images are detected. Then the serviceable part (defect-free) of a timber can be determined. Based on the pretrained network, the timber can be classified. As the homography matrix has been known, the physical position can be confirmed. In our proposed system, the cutting list is transmitted from the industrial control computer to a motion control system, then the timber can be cut according to the cutting list automatically. In this paper, related algorithms and detailed procedures are given. Moreover, a new optimizing cross-cut saw is built. Experiments show that the processing time for each image is about 0.026s and the minimum mean average precision is 94.15%. In this case, it can make the optimizing cross-cut saw efficient, labor-saving and safe. Furthermore, related algorithms are suitable to improve a traditional automatic optimizing cross-cut saw.
Recycling of solid-state batteries—challenge and opportunity for a circular economy?
Authors: Jacob Martine , Wissel Kerstin , Clemens Oliver
Published: September 2023

The tremendous efforts made in the research field of solid-state Li-ion batteries have led to considerable advancement of this technology and the first market-ready systems can be expected in the near future. The research community is currently investigating different solid-state electrolyte classes (e.g. oxides, sulfides, halides and polymers) with a focus on further optimizing the synthesis and electrochemical performance. However, so far, the development of sustainable recycling strategies allowing for an efficient backflow of critical elements contained in these batteries into the economic cycle and thus a transition from a linear to a circular economy lags behind. In this contribution, resource aspects with respect to the chemical value of crucial materials, which are used for the synthesis of solid-state electrolytes are being discussed. Furthermore, an overview of possible approaches in relation to their challenges and opportunities for the recycling of solid-state batteries with respect to different solid-state electrolyte classes by means of pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy and direct recycling/dissolution-based separation processes is given. Based on these considerations and with reference to previous research, it will be shown that different solid-state electrolytes will require individually adapted recycling processes to be suitably designed for a circular economy and that further improvements and investigations will be required.
For-Purpose Enterprises and Hybrid Organizational Forms: Implications for Governance and Strategy
Authors: Giarratana Marco S. , Pasquini Martina
Published: September 2023

A company’s social purpose has become a key factor that should be considered in organizational design and strategic decision-making. For-purpose enterprises are for-profit, financially self-sustained organizations that embed a social aim as one of their main objectives. Companies that simultaneously must envisage a double purpose, namely, social and competitive, face an even greater complexity, that is, a likely risk of internal logics’ tensions and structural drifts.

Scholars have proposed different theoretical and operative frameworks; on the one hand, they describe ad hoc business models to foster synergies between the social impact and economic and competitive-oriented actions. On the other hand, they also try to focus on an organization’s governance, suggesting incentive schemes and organizational designs that could smooth trade-offs and tensions, which could jeopardize a company’s viability. Following scholars have differentiated two clusters of studies: (a) instrumental–strategic–economic stream and (b) injunctive–social–behavioral.

The first approach perceives as critical the balance between social-oriented aims and profit with a viable business model. Under this perspective, the concept of synergies between the two aims is critical. Its mainstream framework is the stakeholder theory approach while recent approaches, rooted especially in marketing and strategic human capital studies, bring to the central stage how corporate social responsible actions develop social identity processes with focal stakeholders, which are responsible for reciprocity behaviors. These different perspectives, although complementary, could imply significant differences for the organization design, product strategy, and the role and power of the chief sustainability officer as well as allocation of resources and capabilities.

The second group of studies—injunctive–social–behavioral—is focused on understanding how to maintain active social aims under economic and competitive constrains. These works are particularly focused in investigating the intrinsic motivations of doing good and the type of tensions that could arise in organizations with a social mission. The works analyze the potential drifts, risks, and solutions that could mitigate tension and trade-offs. In this stream, the first line of work is related to social entrepreneurship, especially in developing countries, while the second is more focused on human-resource incentive schemes and organizational designs that preserve a company’s social goals under economic constrains.
Corporate Governance and the Multinational Enterprise
Authors: Strange Roger
Published: September 2023

Corporate governance refers to the array of structures, mechanisms, and institutional constraints that influence the ways in which firms control and manage their operations. Most analyses of corporate strategy implicitly assume that firms are risk-neutral and their strategic decisions are guided by short-term profit maximization. But foreign direct investment (FDI) projects undertaken by multinational enterprises (MNEs) typically require substantial commitments of resources, involve high levels of uncertainty and risk, and may not yield positive returns for many years. MNEs’ willingness to engage in outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) projects is likely to depend inter alia on the identity, expertise, and relative influence of the MNE’s major shareholders and other relevant stakeholders and their objectives, attitudes to risk, and decision-making time horizons. Furthermore, the impact of corporate governance mechanisms and structures will depend upon the formal and informal institutional attributes in both host and home countries. Any consideration of MNEs’ FDI strategies must therefore consider not only the MNEs’ own resources and capabilities but also their ownership structures and the governance environment within which they operate. Future research should focus on the impacts of both formal and institutions on MNE corporate governance and FDI strategy, how internal “conflicting voices” regarding FDI strategy are resolved, and how the impact of corporate governance on FDI may depend upon various firm (e.g., size) and project (e.g., FDI motive) characteristics.
The Impact of Corporate Governance on Firms’ International Strategies
Authors: Galli Gabriele , Majocchi Antonio
Published: September 2023

The structure and characteristics of firms’ corporate governance influence the internationalization choices of companies, impacting different and heterogeneous features. The international business literature focuses on two fundamental characteristics of corporate governance: ownership and board of directors. The features of different shareholders and the level of ownership shares result in different global strategies and objectives for multinational companies. Considering the executive level, the characteristics of the different directors involved in the governance may influence investment choices and relations with different stakeholders in different countries. Corporate governance is therefore a fundamental dimension to be taken into account in international business research, with special reference to two particular types of companies: family- and state-owned firms. Ownership and the board of directors of these companies present specific corporate governance features and dynamics that expand the classical theory of internationalization. The focus on these two types of firms helps to understand and describe the current global context and the set of decisions and different policies that influence the different choices related to firms’ internationalization strategies.
Entrepreneurial Passion
Authors: Murnieks Charles Y. , Cardon Melissa S.
Published: September 2023

Starting a new venture is an incredibly difficult undertaking. Challenges and roadblocks arise at every juncture. To succeed, entrepreneurs need to persist through these obstacles and fight through hardships. They need personal motivation to drive their ventures forward, and perhaps more importantly, they need to inspire the stakeholders who work with them to continue to support their ventures as well. Entrepreneurial passion is one of the key elements that can catalyze all these processes.

Entrepreneurial passion is experienced through strong emotions and motivations that are intertwined closely with an individual’s entrepreneurial identity. Entrepreneurial passion originates from engagement with self-defining activities over time; entrepreneurs are not born with passion, they develop it. The emerging research surrounding entrepreneurial passion indicates it can have powerful effects, both positive and negative. Regarding the positive, entrepreneurial passion drives beneficial cognitive and behavioral outcomes such as creativity, commitment, and effort. Regarding the negative, entrepreneurial passion can also drive rigidity and burnout. Moreover, research shows that entrepreneurial passion can be contagious; it has the power to infuse stakeholders surrounding entrepreneurs and attract new venture investors to provide early-stage funding.

The construct of team entrepreneurial passion is also discussed. Unlike individual-level passions, team entrepreneurial passion reflects the level of shared intense positive feelings for a collective team identity. Across all the types of passion discussed in this article, the key elements that distinguish entrepreneurial passion as unique and distinct from related psychological constructs, such as motivation, affect, and enthusiasm, are highlighted.
Cognitive Skills Acquired From Video Games
Authors: Cunningham Emma G. , Green C. Shawn
Published: September 2023

Due to the massive engagement with video games worldwide in innumerable forms and iterations, researchers have sought to understand the impact playing video games might have on the human brain and behavior. Although research on video games resides in a vast array of disciplines, including social, developmental, clinical, and educational psychology, this work focuses on research specifically in the cognitive sphere. From early research providing sound evidence for the positive impacts of action games on perceptual cognitive skills, to recent work refining methodologies for differentiating the effects of a wide range of embedded mechanics within broader game genres, the field has addressed a number of increasingly complex and critical questions. Research in the field has explored the effects of many game genres’ unique mechanics and in-game goals. Specifically, studies have found that action games positively impact perceptual skills as well as higher-order attentional control and executive function skills, while game genres that utilize action-oriented mechanics including Action-Role Playing Games and Real Time Strategy games also induce similar effects, if to a lesser extent. These results have been observed both through correlational studies, where player status is an existing characteristic of participants, and through intervention studies, where novice participants are trained on a specific game to establish causality between game play and cognitive performance. Although less research has been dedicated to the effects of puzzle games, playing such games has been found to impact higher cognitive skills such as problem-solving and fluid intelligence. Building upon this body of work, future research should explore the cognitive impacts of a more diverse set of game types, in-game experiences, and cognitive constructs as well as the mechanisms through which they are impacted. This should include work dedicated to the effects of puzzle and mini games, and the impact of games on higher cognitive skills including planning, problem-solving, and fluid intelligence, where relatively little research has been dedicated in the past. Further, research should explore the differences in training outcomes from games, between immediate transfer of skills from training to test and the enhancement of the meta-skill of “learning to learn.” Together, such work will allow game play to continue to evolve from pure entertainment to a force for good.
Use of Force in Policing
Authors: Adams Ian T. , Alpert Geoffrey P.
Published: September 2023

Police officers wield the authority to use force in pursuit of lawful objectives, which significantly impacts the public perception of policing legitimacy. Previous research findings continue to document more questions than answers, but the gaps in knowledge are slowly closing. While various actors review the appropriateness of police use of force, the primary sources for the rules of conduct are the courts, specifically the appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court. Technological advancements and theoretical developments offer practitioners and researchers innovative avenues to enhance the capacity to examine, forecast, and regulate the application of police force.
Reading Comprehension, Language, and Theory of Mind Skills in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children
Authors: Scott Kaye , Paatsch Louise
Published: September 2023

Learning to read is a complex process that is a fundamental skill essential for life in the 21st century. Historically, the reading comprehension skills of many deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children have lagged significantly behind typically hearing children of the same age. In recent years, advances in hearing assistive devices, the introduction of newborn hearing screening, and earlier fitting of appropriate devices leading to earlier intervention have impacted positively on the language and reading comprehension skills of DHH children. Many DHH children, however, still do not develop reading comprehension skills commensurate with their peers. While much is known about how children learn to read, research continues to advance the understanding of these complex and nuanced skills. Recent research supports the inference that Theory of Mind (ToM) skills contribute to reading comprehension development in DHH children. This research emphasizes the interplay between ToM skills and the ability to understand emotional state terms and mental state words, as well as answer “why” questions. Interventions designed to develop ToM skills have been useful in supporting the development of DHH children’s ToM and reading comprehension skills, and this has implications for teachers. Some simple to implement strategies that may contribute to the development of ToM skills in DHH children include the use of “why” questions and the integration of emotional state terms and mental state words into the student’s program. The paucity of research regarding the interplay between ToM and reading comprehension, however, highlights the warrant for further research in this area.
Gendered Concerns of Improved Female Participation in Indian Higher Education
Authors: Khare Mona
Published: September 2023

Gender gaps in education and training are already shown to be having far-reaching effects on women’s economic participation. These are only likely to grow in the new era of knowledge-centric economies. Specific efforts at mainstreaming women in this new age through their inclusion in higher levels of education and skills training are imperative. The situation in India is more complex given its rising numbers and increasing diversities on campuses, with sociocultural and regional connotations adding to existing biases. The data on the status and trends reveal gender disparity in higher education in India in explicit and implicit forms further reflecting on women’s work participation. The disparities are more explicitly visible when seen through the adverse graduate population ratio, a long-existing adverse female participation ratio more particularly in certain streams/courses and implicitly through their career progression, and an adverse female employment ratio in the majority of Indian states. The policy focus so far has been on gender-targeted initiatives and expenditures to increase female access and enrollment in higher education. As a result, while gender gaps in access have closed, higher education spaces remain gendered with poor and biased labor-market outcomes. The interventions need to be made at three levels: gender equality in technical, vocational, and job-oriented education; gender balance in elite institutions; and gender sensitization and services within and outside campuses. The focus needs to align with equal opportunity initiatives and expenditures. There is also a need for region-specific interventions through spatial mapping at a subnational level and a greater focus on understanding the concepts, issues, and processes of gender balancing in higher education.
Modern Japanese Fisheries and the Global Seafood Market
Authors: Tsutsui William M.
Published: September 2023

Japan was the world’s largest fishing nation from the 1930s through the 1980s, is historically among the globe’s most voracious consumers of seafood, and has long been a central player in the international marine products trade, both as a leading exporter and as a major importer. Despite a number of popular and scholarly misconceptions about seafood production, consumption, and trade in modern Japan—that fish has always been a major part of the Japanese diet, that the Japanese state has promoted fisheries primarily out of a concern for food security, that the story of Japanese fishing is limited to the harvest of bluefin tuna and whales, and that the globalization of seafood markets is a relatively new phenomenon—the history of Japan’s modern fisheries reveals how the industrialization of the oceans, the globalization of seafood production and distribution, and the degradation of marine environments have progressed with inexorable efficiency, speed, and thoroughness over the 20th century.
North Africa under Byzantium
Authors: Conant Jonathan P.
Published: September 2023

For over 150 years, western North Africa formed a valuable part of the East Roman or Byzantine Empire. In the 5th century, a Vandal army had conquered the Roman Empire’s African provinces and established an autonomous kingdom with its capital at Carthage. In 533–534, the Byzantine emperor Justinian (527–565) took advantage of political turmoil within Vandal Africa to invade and (re)conquer the region. In seeking to reintegrate this territory into the empire, Byzantine officials confronted both unrest among their own troops and resistance from autochthonous “Moorish” rulers. Imperial attempts to define Christian orthodoxy also sparked local opposition, although Africa’s Nicene Christian bishops were primarily concerned with consolidating their authority in the aftermath of what they perceived as Vandal “persecution.” Despite dwindling levels of overall prosperity, Byzantine Africa remained wealthy enough to sustain a building campaign focused on the renovation of churches and the fortification of strategic sites. Local wheat, olive oil, cloth, and ceramics also continued to reach markets across the Mediterranean, and changes in North African land- and cityscapes unfolded along lines that had been visible for centuries. At the end of the 6th century, the emperor Maurice (582–602) reorganized the region under an exarch, who combined civil and military authority. Shortly thereafter, the exarch Heraclius launched a rebellion that placed his son, also named Heraclius, on the imperial throne. Forty years later, a second exarch, Gregory, tried and failed to stage a similar military coup. In the mid-7th century, the Maghrib became a focus of the unfolding Islamic futūḥ or “opening,” and Gregory’s rebellion was ended by an invading Arab army. Similar armies or raiding parties were a persistent presence until 698, when the forces of Hassān ibn al-Nuʿmān captured Carthage, facilitating the conquest of the rest of North Africa.
What Drives HIV in Africa? Addressing Economic Gender Inequalities to Close the HIV Gender Gap
Authors: Lépine Aurélia , Cust Henry , Treibich Carole
Published: September 2023

Ending HIV as a public health threat by 2030 presents challenges significantly different to those of the past 40 years. Initially perceived as a disease affecting gay men, today, HIV disproportionately affects adolescents and young women in Africa. Current strategies to prevent HIV mostly rely on using biomedical interventions to reduce the risk of infection during risky sex and to address that biologically; women are more vulnerable to HIV infection than men. Ongoing policies and strategies to end the AIDS epidemic in Africa are likely to fail if implemented alone, given they fail to address why vulnerable young women engage in risky sexual behaviors. Evidence strongly suggests economic vulnerability, rather than income level, is a primary driver of women's decision to engage in commercial and transactional sex. By viewing HIV through the lens of structural gender inequality, poverty, and use of risky sexual behaviors to cope with economic shocks, a new explanation for the HIV gender gap emerges. New and promising approaches to reduce HIV acquisition and transmission by protecting women from economic shocks and increasing their ability to participate in the economy have proven effective. Such interventions are vital to break the pattern of unequal HIV transmission against women and if HIV is to be beaten.
Publication Bias in Asset Pricing Research
Authors: Chen Andrew Y. , Zimmermann Tom
Published: September 2023

Researchers are more likely to share notable findings. As a result, published findings tend to overstate the magnitude of real-world phenomena. This bias is a natural concern for asset pricing research, which has found hundreds of return predictors and little consensus on their origins.

Empirical evidence on publication bias comes from large-scale metastudies. Metastudies of cross-sectional return predictability have settled on four stylized facts that demonstrate publication bias is not a dominant factor: (a) almost all findings can be replicated, (b) predictability persists out-of-sample, (c) empirical t-statistics are much larger than 2.0, and (d) predictors are weakly correlated. Each of these facts has been demonstrated in at least three metastudies.

Empirical Bayes statistics turn these facts into publication bias corrections. Estimates from three metastudies find that the average correction (shrinkage) accounts for only 10%–15% of in-sample mean returns and that the risk of inference going in the wrong direction (the false discovery rate) is less than 10%.

Metastudies also find that t-statistic hurdles exceed 3.0 in multiple testing algorithms and that returns are 30%–50% weaker in alternative portfolio tests. These facts are easily misinterpreted as evidence of publication bias. Other misinterpretations include the conflating of phrases such as “mostly false findings” with “many insignificant findings,” “data snooping” with “liquidity effects,” and “failed replications” with “insignificant ad-hoc trading strategies.”

Cross-sectional predictability may not be representative of other fields. Metastudies of real-time equity premium prediction imply a much larger effect of publication bias, although the evidence is not nearly as abundant as it is in the cross section. Measuring publication bias in areas other than cross-sectional predictability remains an important area for future research.
Regional Organizations and Conflict Management in Africa: The Case of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in the Horn of Africa Region
Authors: Apuuli Kasaija Phillip
Published: September 2023

The Horn of Africa (HoA) is one of the most conflict-ridden and insecure regions in the world. The regional organization—specifically, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)—has emerged as one of the most important actors in seeking solutions to the conflicts. The normative and legal foundation for regional organizations to get involved in managing regional conflicts is Chapter VIII of the UN Charter. In this regard, the Economic Community of West African States and the Southern Africa Development Community, among others, have engaged in mediating regional conflicts. The advantages of having regional organizations managing regional conflicts include that they can mobilize faster due to being near the conflict, they have a better grasp of the issues, and they are motivated to take action because they potentially have to live with the consequences of the conflicts. In the case of the HoA, while the IGAD has successfully intervened (to the extent that peace agreements have been concluded) in Sudan, Somalia, and South Sudan conflicts, the intervention processes were ad hoc. At the same time, the organization did not intervene in other regional disputes such as the Ethiopia–Eritrea border dispute, Kenya–Somalia maritime boundary dispute, and the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency in northern Uganda, among others, mainly for the reason of protecting member states’ national interests. In 2012, IGAD decided to establish a mediation support unit (MSU) as part of the organization’s peace and security architecture to systematically conduct conflict mediation, whenever the need arises. The IGAD MSU has established a roster of regional mediators and crafted strategic guidelines for mediation, among others. Nevertheless, it has faced a number of challenges including thin staffing levels and dependence on external funding. Moreover, IGAD as an organization has in some instances been altogether ignored as a mediator, and it generally lacks a mechanism to enforce its will. In the end, the organization occasionally continues to be called upon to intervene in regional conflicts notwithstanding the highlighted challenges.
Cultural Genocide in Law and Politics
Authors: Tiemessen Alana
Published: September 2023

The violent and nonviolent repression of cultural groups, or using cultural means to destroy a group, is often identified as “cultural genocide.” The concept’s association with genocide, the “crime of crimes,” suggests it is of serious international concern. Yet contestation over its meaning and application has rendered cultural genocide more of a rhetorical tool than a crime that can be prevented or punished. The scholarly literature on this subject demonstrates that academics and policymakers have been hampered by legal debates and states’ political interests, from Lemkin’s original conception of genocide and the UN Genocide Convention negotiations to the ad hoc responses to “real world” cultural genocide cases. The legal debates have centered around whether cultural genocide can fit within the limits of the Convention’s definition of genocide, that is, the specific intent to destroy, specific protected groups as victims, and so on, and the assumption that genocide is primarily the physical destruction of a group by violent means. Interdisciplinary perspectives on cultural genocide, particularly from anthropology, have shown that cultural genocide is diverse in practice; while not always physically violent in its means or ends, it is closely associated with historical and modern cases of settler colonialism. The politics of cultural genocide has historically been manifested in the politicized negotiations of the Genocide Convention and UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in which the self-interests of many states precluded any specific mention of cultural means of genocide. In the early 21st century, debates about who should be considered a cultural group and the utility of identifying cultural genocide without its criminalization have resulted in a lack of recognition and response to group destruction.
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Authors: Taft Chloe E.
Published: September 2023

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a city of seventy-five thousand people in the Lehigh Valley, was settled on the traditional homelands of the Lenape in 1741 as a Moravian religious settlement. The Moravian community on the North Side of the Lehigh River was closed to outsiders and was characterized by orderly stone buildings and a communitarian economy. The settlement opened and expanded on the South Side of the river as an industrial epicenter beginning in the mid-19th century and was ultimately home to the headquarters of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. By the late 1930s, the city’s 1,800-acre steel plant was ramping up to peak production with employment of more than thirty thousand. When Bethlehem Steel began a long, slow decline after 1950 until the plant’s closure in 1998, Bethlehem evolved into an archetype of a postindustrial city drawing on its long history of heritage tourism and an increasingly diversified economy in healthcare, education, and distribution, among other sectors. The city’s population has roots in multiple waves of migration—the Germanic Moravians in the 18th century, throngs of European immigrants who arrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and a Latino/a population that grew after World War II to represent an increasingly large share of residents. The city’s landscape, culture, and economy are imbued with a multifaceted history that is both deeply local and reflective of the city’s position since its founding as an important node in regional and global networks.
Arab American Theater
Authors: Baki Hala
Published: September 2023

Arab American theater broadly includes the dramatic works and performances of self-identified Arab Americans, Americans of Arab heritage, and immigrants to the United States from the Arabic-speaking world. Beginning in the late 19th century with the first wave of modern Arab migration to the United States, the tradition evolved from early intellectual dramas written by Mahjar playwrights to 21st century plays that span the gamut of form and genre. Among the most prominent contemporary playwrights of this tradition are Yussef El Guindi, Betty Shamieh, Heather Raffo, and Mona Mansour. Arab American performance also includes popular entertainment such as stand-up comedy and digital media. Arab American theater has been supported by a collection of amateur and professional companies over the years, as well as festival and digital media producers. Their contributions have culminated in a concerted cultural movement in the 21st century that seeks to disrupt misrepresentations of Arabs in American culture with authentic narratives from within the community. The contemporary Arab American theater and performance canon covers topics ranging from immigrant experiences to cross-cultural conflict, political resistance to identity politics, and popular stereotypes to anti-Arab bias in the government and media. The academic study of this tradition has increased in early 21st century and includes works by scholars in the United States and abroad.
Indigenous Peoples and the Environment since 1890
Authors: Weisiger Marsha
Published: September 2023

By the late 19th century, the Indigenous peoples of what became the United States, in an effort to avoid utter genocide, had ceded or otherwise lost their land and control of their natural resources, often through treaties with the United States. Ironically, those treaties, while frequently abrogated by federal fiat, made possible a resurgence of Native nationhood beginning in the 1960s, along with the restoration of Indigenous reserved treaty rights to hunt and fish in their homelands and manage their natural resources. The history of Indigenous peoples and their environments, however, is not a single narrative but a constellation of stories that converge and diverge. Nonetheless, an analysis of the environmental histories of only a fraction of the more than 575 Indigenous groups, including Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians reveals important trends and commonalities, including the stories of dispossession and displacement, the promise of the Indian New Deal, the trauma of the Termination Era, the reemergence of Native sovereignty based on treaty rights, and the rise of Indigenous leadership in the environmental justice movement. This article is, thus, not comprehensive but focuses on major trends and commonalities from the mid- to late 19th century through the early 21st century, with examples drawn from the environmental histories of a fraction of the more than 575 Indigenous groups, including Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians. Topics include dispossession and displacement; the Indian New Deal; the Termination Era; the reemergence of Indigenous sovereignty based on treaty rights; the management of forests, minerals, and water; and the rise of the environmental justice movement. For the period before the establishment of reservations for Indigenous people, see “Indigenous Peoples and the Environment to 1890.”
Creole and Indigenous Muslims in Venezuela
Authors: Bruckmayr Philipp
Published: September 2023

The number of Creole and Indigenous Muslims in Venezuela has been steadily growing in the 21st century, and the number of converts is by now undoubtedly in the thousands. Until the 2000s, this process of conversion concerned almost exclusively Creoles (i.e., the white and mestizo Venezuelan majority population) in urban settings with a strong presence of Arab(-descended) Muslims. Islam in Venezuela had long been strongly associated with Arab ethnicity, and its representatives had shown comparably little interest in proselytization among the local population. This changed in the early 1990s, however, with the greater influx of funds from transnational Islamic organizations. Nevertheless, the process only gained traction once also individual Creole converts themselves became active in proselytization. Among Venezuela’s Indigenous peoples, Islam only began to have a limited appeal in the 2000s. The most prominent case in this regard, are the Wayúu people of the Guajira peninsula, which is shared by Colombia and Venezuela. Due to political factors, however, the conversion process among Wayúu has been greatly exaggerated by observers. Despite pervasive reports of mass conversions, the pattern among Wayúu falls in squarely with that among Creoles, in being one of individual and not mass conversions to Islam. This said, the available evidence suggests that Creole and Indigenous Muslims in Venezuela have so far remained primarily urban phenomena. Nevertheless, the Wayúu represent a remarkable case of how Islam has been preached and adopted among Indigenous peoples in Latin America in the 21st century.
Islamic Feminist Movement in North America
Authors: Sharify-Funk Meena
Published: September 2023

Within the past several decades in North America, an Islamic feminist movement has developed. This movement has influenced the intellectual landscape of Muslim communities through activism and scholarship. This article first examines the development of different types of feminisms found in Muslim societies. The typology of different feminisms provides a foundation for understanding the emergence of “Islamic feminism” as a movement that is connected to the rereading and reinterpretation of Islamic canonical sources from a woman’s perspective. After clarifying the usage of key terms, this article then compares and analyzes the thought and activism of three generations of Islamic feminists in North America.
Interfaith Marriage in North America and Abroad
Authors: Haji Reeshma
Published: September 2023

Interfaith marriages involving Muslims and non-Muslims are increasing in prevalence in North America and elsewhere. Traditional and reformist Islamic perspectives differ in terms of the permissibility of interfaith marriages, their desirability, and the treatment of Muslim men and Muslim women. Traditional perspectives tend to allow for Muslim men to intermarry, but not Muslim women. There is some consensus that Muslims are permitted to marry “People of the Book,” or those who follow divine Scriptures that predate Islam, although there are differences in opinion as to which religious groups comprise this category. Reformist perspectives tend to emphasize the importance of ijtihad, or personal reasoning, in coming to decisions about interfaith marriage. They also suggest that the current context, including circumstances of Muslims living as minorities in the West, be taken into account.

In terms of experiences of persons who belong to Muslim–non-Muslim couples, various challenges and opportunities are recurring themes in research. Challenges include family and community acceptance and support, decisions over religious upbringing of children, and pressure to convert (normally exerted by family). Opportunities include decreasing stereotypes about other faiths and increasing mutual understanding, clarification of each partner’s religious identity, and children’s appreciation of diversity.

Research has also assessed attitudes toward interfaith marriage among Muslims living in the West. Stronger religious identity and other forms of religiosity (practice, belief, and fundamentalism) predict more negative attitudes. In contrast, identification with mainstream culture predicts more favorable attitudes. Generally, men tend to be more favorable to interfaith marriage than women, which is consistent with gendered interpretations of the permissibility of interfaith marriage.

Given demographic trends, interfaith marriages involving Muslims will become an increasingly relevant and timely topic, particularly in contexts like Canada and the United States, where Muslims are living as religious minorities. Research should be devoted to the experiences of interfaith families and how they can best be included within Muslim religious communities. Additionally, culture, in terms of culture of origin, mainstream culture, and global culture, is a multidimensional variable that research should further explore in association with interfaith relationships.
The occurrence of cancer in ageing populations at global and regional levels, 1990 to 2019
Authors: Ju Wen , Zheng Rongshou , Wang Shaoming , Zhang Siwei , Zeng Hongmei , Chen Ru , Sun Kexin , Li Li , Wei Wenqiang
Published: September 2023

Background

population ageing contributes to increased cancer cases and deaths and has profound implications for global healthcare systems. We estimated the trends of cancer cases and deaths in ageing populations at global and regional levels.

Methods

using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, we analysed the change in cancer cases and deaths associated with population ageing, population growth and epidemiological factors from 1990 to 2019 using decomposition analysis. Additionally, we estimated the proportions of people aged 65 years and over accounting for total cases and deaths, and investigated relationships between the proportions and the Sociodemographic Index (SDI) using the Pearson correlation coefficient.

Results

from 1990 to 2019, there was an increase of 128.9% for total cases and 74.8% for total deaths in all cancers combined; the percentages of older people increased from 48.6% to 56.4% for cases and from 52.0% to 61.9% for deaths. Population ageing contributed to the largest increase in global cancer occurrence, with 56.5% for cases and 63.3% for deaths. However, the changes attributed to epidemiological factors was 5.2% for cancer cases and −33.4% for cancer deaths. The proportions of total cases and deaths of older adults were positively correlated with socioeconomic development of the country.

Conclusion

our findings revealed that the main contributor to increased cancer cases and deaths has changed from comprehensive epidemiological factors to demographic shifts. To respond to the rapidly growing occurrence of cancer in ageing populations, the global health priority should focus on meeting the rising demand for cancer diagnosis, treatment and care services for older people.
Risk of adverse events following the initiation of antihypertensives in older people with complex health needs: a self-controlled case series in the United Kingdom
Authors: Jödicke Annika M , Tan Eng Hooi , Robinson Danielle E , Delmestri Antonella , Prieto-Alhambra Daniel
Published: September 2023

Background

We assessed the risk of adverse events—severe acute kidney injury (AKI), falls and fractures—associated with use of antihypertensives in older patients with complex health needs (CHN).

Setting

UK primary care linked to inpatient and mortality records.

Methods

The source population comprised patients aged >65, with ≥1 year of registration and unexposed to antihypertensives in the year before study start. We identified three cohorts of patients with CHN, namely, unplanned hospitalisations, frailty (electronic frailty index deficit count ≥3) and polypharmacy (prescription of ≥10 medicines). Patients in any of these cohorts were included in the CHN cohort. We conducted self-controlled case series for each cohort and outcome (AKI, falls, fractures). Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated by dividing event rates (i) during overall antihypertensive exposed patient-time over unexposed patient-time; and (ii) in the first 30 days after treatment initiation over unexposed patient-time.

Results

Among 42,483 patients in the CHN cohort, 7,240, 5,164 and 450 individuals had falls, fractures or AKI, respectively. We observed an increased risk for AKI associated with exposure to antihypertensives across all cohorts (CHN: IRR 2.36 [95% CI: 1.68–3.31]). In the 30 days post-antihypertensive treatment initiation, a 35–50% increased risk for falls was found across all cohorts and increased fracture risk in the frailty cohort (IRR 1.38 [1.03–1.84]). No increased risk for falls/fractures was associated with continuation of antihypertensive treatment or overall use.

Conclusion

Treatment with antihypertensives in older patients was associated with increased risk of AKI and transiently elevated risk of falls in the 30 days after starting antihypertensive therapy.