bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investment Arbitration under Multilateral Treaties in the Middle East
Authors: Khoury Lillian , Mouawad Caline
Published: July 2022

Arab claimants seeking to resolve their investment disputes in the Middle East have found variable success in identifying bilateral investment treaties under which to bring their claims. The recent surge in investment arbitration following the political upheavals in the region has prompted unlucky investors to seek out other instruments that provide access to investor-state dispute resolution. Two regional treaties, long dormant as investment instruments, have recently emerged as potential alternatives: the Unified Agreement for the Investment of Arab Capital in the Arab States; and the Agreement on Promotion, Protection and Guarantee of Investments among Member States of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. This article explores the dispute resolution processes, substantive protections, enforcement mechanisms, and availability of state claims and counterclaims under each treaty, as well as the reforms necessary to ensure their present and future viability.
Towards a New Conceptualization of International Investment Agreements
Authors: El-Kady Hamed
Published: July 2022

Bilateral investment treaties (BITs) have proved to be effective instruments in providing protection for foreign investors, but their role in contributing to economic growth and inclusive development in host states remains unclear. If BITs are to have a more pronounced impact on host states’ economic development, their underlying conceptualization could be reassessed and their provisions adapted to help tackle emerging economic, social and environmental concerns and more directly impact foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows. Despite the advent of what may be considered a new generation of treaties, BITs continue to fall short of proactively helping states achieve these objectives. First, their scope is narrow and their provisions are broad, covering investment protection without addressing the broader agenda of development policy necessary to a more inclusive economic growth model. Second, the nature of BIT provisions may deter host states from taking any actions or measures in the public interest that could be harmful to foreign investors. This can make it more challenging for states to implement new policies or reform existing ones in pursuit of economic growth and inclusive development. Third, BITs were traditionally designed not so much to increase FDI inflows into host countries, but rather to provide a stable and predictable legal framework for foreign investors. The absence of proactive investment promotion and facilitation provisions may have undermined their potential to increase FDI flows. In addition to these conceptual challenges, a number of more technical policy choices need to be addressed. For example, the definition of investment is all-encompassing and does not reflect any strategic investment policy priorities of the host state; the fair equitable treatment standard remains elusive despite recent attempts to clarify its meaning; “indirect” expropriation is open to broad and diverse interpretations; and the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism fails to provide sufficient consistency and predictability in arbitral awards. This paper proposes a selection of policy options to address some of the conceptual and substantive challenges of BITs with a view to making them more conducive to economic growth and more reflective of inclusive development policies.
Winning Construction Arbitration in the Gulf: Some Strategic Considerations
Authors: Cole Adrian
Published: July 2022

The construction industry regularly uses arbitration to resolve the technically and legally complex disputes that projects frequently generate.There is good reason for this. Construction projects are often international in nature, with parties wishing to avoid vagaries of local courts and difficulties of enforcing court judgments overseas. Even domestic parties often contract out of state courts in order to obtain the flexibility and confidentiality that arbitration can offer.Working through key principles and having regard to the typical disputes that construction projects generate, this article offers insight into the numerous issues likely to arise in construction arbitrations and guidance on how to deal effectively with them in order to maximize one’s chances of success.
Third-Party Funding Pricing and Deal Structures
Authors: Blick James
Published: July 2022

Third-party funding is increasingly used in relation to international arbitration claims. However, whilst the basic concept and framework are well known to most lawyers, many are less familiar with the practicalities, industry conventions, and broader alternative financing and risk management options available.This article discusses how arbitration finance deals are structured and priced in practice, how this has evolved in recent years with the growth of the market and the emergence of new funding structures, and the increasing interplay between law firm fee structures and external finance.
Cost Allocation and Third-Party Funding in International Arbitration
Authors: Pinsolle Philippe
Published: July 2022

Not many studies have been devoted to the issue of cost allocation in general, let alone in the context of third-party funding. The fact that arbitral tribunals enjoy broad discretion in assessing and allocating costs probably explains this relative lack of interest.Yet, third-party funding, be it in the classical sense with a professional funder or when there is a contingency fee arrangement, entails some specificities. One specificity is that there is an element of profit for the funder.This element of profit is the cost of funding itself with a professional funder (quite often a multiple of the initial amount) or, in the case of contingency fee arrangements, the portion of the fees in excess of those based on regular hourly rates. Whether this element of profit is recoverable by way of cost allocation is debated.We would submit that it shifts an abnormal risk onto the losing party and should not, therefore, be recoverable
Third-Party Funding in International Arbitration: Useful Experience from Australia
Authors: Jones Douglas
Published: July 2022

Australia is renowned as a leading jurisdiction for litigation funding, underpinned by an expanding market and generally supportive legislature and judiciary. Less clear is the Australian approach to third-party funding in international arbitration. In an exploration of the Australian litigation funding landscape, this article seeks to understand whether any lessons can be gleaned in addressing the growing role of third-party funding in international arbitration.Through a consideration of the discrete issues of disclosure, confidentiality, costs orders, and security for costs, it is clear that both the Australian and international responses to litigation funding offer valuable guidance on issues surrounding third-party funding in international dispute resolution.
Third-Party Funding of Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution in Hong Kong
Authors: Rooney Kim M.
Published: July 2022

In June 2017, Hong Kong passed legislation amending the Hong Kong Arbitration Ordinance to permit third-party funding of arbitration, mediation, and related proceedings.These amendments had all taken effect by February 1, 2019. Hong Kong’s regulatory regime requires third-party funders to comply with the financial and ethical standards set out in the Code of Practice for Third Party Funders of Arbitration, issued on December 7, 2018. This article explains why Hong Kong concluded that third-party funding of arbitration, mediation, and related proceedings under the Hong Kong Arbitration Ordinance should be allowed, why it needs to be regulated, and the key provisions at the heart of Hong’s Kong’s “light touch” regulatory approach embodied in the Code of Practice. The article also touches on a number of emerging issues, including whether an arbitral tribunal should have the power to make an adverse costs order against a third-party funder and the recoverability of the funder’s benefit under the funding agreement following Essar Oilfields Services Ltd. v. Norscott Rig Management Ltd.
The Singapore Convention:A Milestone for Mediation
Authors: Y.Morris-Sharma Natalie
Published: July 2022

The United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (also known as the ‘Singapore Convention on Mediation’) is a multilateral treaty on the cross-border enforcement of mediated settlement agreements. The Convention entered into force on 12 September 2020. Not only has the conclusion of the Singapore Convention on Mediation promoted wider awareness and the legitimacy of mediation, the Convention also offers certainty in the outcomes arising from a decision to utilize mediation to resolve a cross-border dispute. International support for the Singapore Convention, in terms of signatories and ratifications, will determine the reach of the cross-border enforcement framework. The implementation of the Singapore Convention, in domestic legislation and by enforcing authorities, will impact how it is further understood and applied.With a view to promoting an informed understanding of the Singapore Convention and its provisions, this article will explore how the Singapore Convention was prepared so that it respects the practice and flexibilities of mediation, and so that potential Parties to the Singapore Convention can take guidance from the Convention text. In particular, this article will explore the Singapore Convention’s provisions on general principles, scope of application, form requirements for settlement agreements, grounds for refusing to grant relief, and permissible reservations.
The Role of Mediation in Our ‘New Normal’
Authors: Tümpel Hannah , Redmond Amelia
Published: July 2022

Over the coming months and years, the COVID-19 pandemic will likely continue to have dramatic impacts on all aspects of life and business, including disputes and their resolution. In the face of economic uncertainty, growing legal backlogs and an increasing number of commercial disputes, determining which methods of dispute resolution are best suited to succeed in this ‘new normal’ will be essential for the survival of companies and organizations across the world. This article explores the particular benefits of mediation to resolve commercial disputes in the time of COVID-19, including its relative speed, cost-efficiency, flexibility, business-focus and demonstrated adaptability in rapidly-changing global circumstances.The authors also discuss the potential of mediation to improve dealmaking processes in times of crisis, and suggest measures to encourage the use and success of commercial mediation during the current pandemic and beyond.
The Multiple-Ministry Paradigm in Investor-State Dispute Settlement
Authors: Legum Barton
Published: July 2022

Investor-State disputes generally begin as a difference between a local business (the investment) and the ministry responsible for the sector in which that business operates. In many governments, the situation changes when the business owner asserts a claim under an investment treaty.The assertion of the international claim can bring the dispute within the competence, or the sphere of interest, of one or more ministries in addition to the one with sectoral responsibility.This article refers to this scenario as the multiple-ministry paradigm. The accompanying injection of new actors into government decision-making has a number of implications for the design of a successful investor-State mediation process, which are explored in this article.
Adapting Disclosure Obligations to the Realities of Modern Third-Party Funding
Authors: Sanz-Pastor Bernardo M. Cremades
Published: July 2022

Third-party funding is becoming increasingly commonplace in international arbitration proceedings today. Although traditionally used to fund impecunious parties, modern third-party funding has shifted to financing parties who may have the necessary capital to pursue a dispute but wish to minimize cash flow disruptions.This prevalence of third-party funding in international arbitration is creating unique conflict of interest scenarios regarding an arbitrator’s independence and impartiality. However, many arbitral institutions and rules are not adapted to appropriately regulate the use of third-party funding to preserve the integrity of proceedings. For the most part, arbitral rules do not require a party to disclose the existence of a third-party funding agreement or the identity of the funder.This creates the risk of undisclosed or unknown conflicts arising after an arbitrator is appointed and severely disrupting the proceedings.This article examines how to best mitigate such risks by incorporating a disclosure regime within the current arbitral framework. This article contends that the mandatory disclosure of the existence of a funding arrangement and the identity of the funder would safeguard the requirements of independence and impartiality while allowing modern third-party funding to coexist with international arbitration.
The Communication and Publication of Reasons for Decisions on Arbitrator Challenges: Increasing the Transparency of Standards and the Predictability of Decisions
Authors: Carlevaris Andrea
Published: July 2022

Challenges of arbitrators are among the most important events in international arbitration proceedings. Given their importance, they are a major target of the call for transparency in international arbitration.This article examines recent initiatives undertaken by a number of arbitral institutions to provide reasoned decisions to parties and arbitrators and to publish them for the benefit of the wider arbitration community. The author then focuses on the recent evolution in the rules and practice of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, which have evolved from a position where the communication of reasons underlying challenge decisions was considered contrary to the institution’s mandatory rules to a position where reasons are routinely provided on request.The author concludes that, whilst providing reasoned decisions is essential to foster their legitimacy and the trust that parties and arbitrators place in the process, only publication can achieve further goals, such as developing a jurisprudence on arbitrators’ independence and impartiality, enhancing the predictability of decisions and protecting the validity and enforceability of arbitral awards.To achieve these goals, publication should not be limited to succinct summaries, but should include a full account of the factual and legal background of the challenge.
Conflicts of Interest in the Code of Best Practices in Arbitration Published by the Spanish Arbitration Club
Authors: Arias David , Jalles Sofia
Published: July 2022

This article aims at exploring the provisions on conflicts of interests of the Code of Best Practices in Arbitration published by the Spanish Arbitration Club in 2019. The Code was drafted over a two-year period and makes recommendations for arbitration practitioners, drawing on the standards and recommendations of the principal arbitral institutions, and the principal guidelines published on the subject, whilst advocating for greater transparency in international arbitration.The present article compares and analyses how the main provisions on conflicts of interest of the Code of Best Practices diverge from or resemble existing standards and guidelines on the subject.
Neutrality, Independence and Impartiality of Arbitrators: Uniformity of Definitions, Dissimilarity of Applications
Authors: Azzali Stefano
Published: July 2022

Neutrality of the arbitrator is one of the fundamental features of arbitration. It is not a universal but a relative notion, inevitably not identical in all parts of the world, at any given moment.

What should be avoided is a different application of this concept by the same individual, depending on the role played: very strict when he/she acts as counsel (and also different if acting for the Claimant or for the Respondent, as well as if appointing the co-arbitrator or the Chair), more tolerant and flexible when he/she is in the role of arbitrator. A lack of coherence, depending on which side of the barricade the same individual may be, may affect users’ trust in and reliance on arbitration.

Arbitral institutions play a fundamental role in fighting, with realism, this attitude, being aware that neutrality of arbitrators is a principle that does not tolerate any compromise.
Issue Conflicts: A Net Cast Too Wide?
Authors: González de Cossío Francisco
Published: July 2022

The possibility that arbitrators entrusted with resolving investment disputes may have so-called ‘issue-conflicts’ has provoked some angry criticism, contentious debate, awardannulments, and fledgling prohibitions. The discussion and current thinking appear to overlook the consequences stemming from adopting general prohibitions which are not justified in many cases. This essay calls for calm, sober, analysis to frame the matter objectively and to ensure that the measures adopted are not overly and unnecessarily prohibitive: a net cast too wide.
State Courts’ Attitude to Arbitrator Challenge Applications: Rich Tapestry of Arbitrator Bias Standards
Authors: Osadchiy Maxim , Goldsmith Qc Lord , Reid Natalie
Published: July 2022

The exact phrasing and application of arbitrator bias standards often vary across jurisdictions. This lack of uniformity is not conducive to predictability and finality of arbitrations, and does not build confidence in the integrity of a process still largely defined by party selection of the decision-makers. The article examines key aspects of the legal framework governing arbitrator challenge applications in four leading arbitral jurisdictions: the United States, England and Wales, France, and Singapore. It questions whether the textual differences in the formulation of arbitrator bias standard(s) in these jurisdictions are in fact significant, or could actually lead to conflicting outcomes.The article concludes that while the lack of consistency is less acute than is commonly perceived, there would be benefit in greater uniformity.To that end, the authors call for wider reception of soft law instruments in this area where appropriate, consistent with both the longstanding view of arbitration as the preferred method for resolving cross-border business disputes in these and other leading jurisdictions, and increasing interest and acceptance of commercial arbitration in emerging jurisdictions.
LCIA Approach to Challenges to Arbitrators
Authors: Haersolte-Van Hof Jacomijn Van , Greenway Francis , Cho Anna
Published: July 2022

The LCIA has robust procedures for appointing arbitrators and determining challenges. The LCIA’s database of published decisions provides valuable guidance in relation to standards of conduct by the arbitrators, and a greater understanding of the reasoning applied by the LCIA Court.The LCIA Court decisions show that challenges in LCIA cases are rare and are even more rarely successful.
Aramco: The Story of the World’s Most Valuable Oil Concession and Its Landmark Arbitration
Authors: Martin A.Timothy
Published: July 2022

The Aramco story is a fascinating and colourful history of the world’s most valuable oil concession, the challenges overcome by its original American owners and the orderly transfer of control of the world’s largest oil company to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It involved the largest American overseas investment, a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy, the stabilization of global energy markets and the Middle East region, along with the transformation of a medieval society into a modern state.

Unlike some of the other states in the region, Saudi Arabia never intended to nationalize or expropriate Aramco. Instead, it worked closely with its American investors and the American government to maximize production for the benefit of all the parties involved. The parties did this within a long tradition of “friendship and good will.” Despite their best efforts, they did come to blows in a landmark arbitration, the Saudi Arabia v.Aramco Arbitration, which is one of the most historically important investor state arbitrations of the last century.This article describes that case with insightful detail, along with how the parties maintained their “friendly relationship” long after the end of the arbitration.
Oil and Gas Disputes in the Middle East:A COVID-19 Era Perspective
Authors: Al Tamimi Essam
Published: July 2022

The Middle East holds the largest regional shares of oil and gas resources in the world. The region is also one of the world’s most important producers and exporters of oil and gas. It is no surprise then that the oil and gas industries have spearheaded the growth and transformation of Middle Eastern economies for the last few decades.With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, there has been a significant effect on the oil and gas markets globally. Drawing from examples across the region and globally, this article considers the effects of the pandemic on the oil and gas industry, the types of disputes that are likely to arise as a result of the pandemic within these industries, and, finally, the forms of dispute resolution that are favoured by stakeholders in the oil and gas markets and the capabilities in the Middle East to offer these dispute resolution services.
Imagens Inventadas: sobre máquinas, crianças e o fazer - cinema no currículo escolar
Authors: Miranda Carlos Eduardo Albuquerque , Guimarães Luis Gustavo
Published: July 2022

Este texto apresenta um estudo/relato de experiência de um método cartográfica que pretende refletir o fazer cinema com alunos de 8 a 11 anos (3º ao 5º ano da Educação Básica) de uma escola pública do interior do estado de São Paulo. O trabalho se deu por meio de oficinas dentro do programa Mais Educação do Governo Federal e tinham como objetivo a criação de territórios existenciais permeados de subjetividade e nuances, inspiradas em Manoel de Barros. As oficinas utilizaram diferentes dispositivos de criação de imagens, procurando replicar os gestos cinematográficos de escolha, disposição e ataque propostos por BERGALA. Esta experiência demonstrou que o encontro com o cinema na escola é um encontro com um “estrangeiro”, capaz de produzir conflitos estéticos e cognitivos, tensões criativas e muitos questionamentos que propiciam a invenção ou reinvenção da escola como espaço de práticas culturais democráticas.
Issues Related to the Higher Objectives of the Sharī‘ah in Order to Tighten the Practice of Islamic Banking
Authors: Najem Mostafa Bassam
Published: July 2022

This research sheds light on three essential issues for those dealing with the dilemmas of contemporary Islamic economics. The first concerns legal stratagems (hiyal): their types, their legitimacy and the effect of the motive for using them on the legal ruling. The second concerns combining the opinions of more than one madhab (talfīq), its relation to the issue of pursuing allowances (tatabbu’ al-rukhas) in the contemporary era and the parameters that must be observed when choosing the allowances of scholars. The third is the issue of adopting overruled (marjūh) opinions and abandoning the weighty (rājih) ones in the famous juristic schools (madhhabs). The conditions are identified which must be fulfilled in order for adoption of an overruled opinion to be taken seriously. The researcher used an inductive descriptive method by gathering the material relevant to the issues, arranging it logically, and providing explanations as needed to clarify the importance of these issues in regulating the Islamic banking industry. The researcher has discussed a few contemporary applications related to these issues, clarifying the differing views of contemporary jurists in understanding them. The researcher has found that there is a difference between legal stratagems to circumvent the Sharī‘ah and facilitating people’s affairs by searching for legitimate solutions (makhārij). This can be discerned by the motive for the contract and the circumstantial evidence that clarifies that motive and provides a basis for judgment upon it. Moreover, it is found that talfīq is not totally forbidden; in fact, current reality with its complications requires scholars to expand their selections. It also turns out that some jurists’ independent judgments are not within the scope of talfīq, as was thought by some scholars. The scholars’ selection of some of the marjūh opinions in the madhhabs must be methodical, according to certain rules, and this selection ultimately depends on legitimate benefit that is approved by the majority of scholars.
Cascading climate impacts: a new factor in European policy-making
Authors: Hildén Mikael , Lahn Glada , Carter Timothy R. , Klein Richard J. T. , Otto Illona M. , Pohl Benjamin , Reyer Christopher P. O. , Tondel Fabien
Published: July 2022

Knowledge of how climate impacts occurring outside Europe might affect the continent is poor, and even less is known about what measures national governments and the European Union (EU) should take to address them. It is essential that policy-makers consider the risks of cross-border and cascading impacts and the Union’s range of influence for mitigating and preparing for them
基于线上线下混合式教学的油料装备课程教学模式改革探索
Authors:   陆军勤务学院, 华 卫星 , 张 镇 ,   陆军勤务学院, 周 毅 ,   陆军勤务学院, 陈 雁 ,   陆军勤务学院, 曾 国栋 ,   陆军勤务学院
Published: July 2022

针对信息化条件下油料装备教学模式变革，本文以油料装备信息化教学改革为重点，梳理了装备课程教学的不足，分析线上和线下教学的优缺点，基于线上线下混合式教学开展了油料装备教学创新，提出了适合专业课程的线上线下混合式教学模式的实践方法，涵盖线上课程资源的建设应用、混合式教学模式的构建、线上理论自主学习+线下课堂实践梳理、全程评价考核等。通过教学实践，验证了混合式教学模式具有良好的教学效果和适应性，对装备类课程教学具有借鉴作用。
Die Vergleichsmessung 2008 für Radongasmessgeräte am PSI
Authors: Butterweck Gernot , Schuler Christoph , Mayer Sabine
Published: July 2022

Kandidaten für die vom 28. August bis 7. September 2008 im Auftrag des Bundesamtes für Gesundheit (BAG) durchgeführte Vergleichsmessung waren vorwiegend Firmen, Institutionen oder Privatpersonen, welche die Anerkennung des BAG als Radonmessstelle besitzen und deshalb nachweisen müssen, dass die Qualität der Messresultate gewährleistet ist. Dem Aufruf des BAG zur Teilnahme folgten neben 12 anerkannten vier weitere Messstellen. Drei Messstellen nahmen mit zwei verschiedenen Messsystemen an der Vergleichsmessung teil. Fünf verschiedene Dosimeter- oder Messgerätearten waren vertreten. Neben Kernspurdetektoren wurden als Radondosimeter Elektret-Ionisationskammern und elektronische Dosimeter eingesetzt. In diesem Jahr nahmen ausschliesslich Messgeräte mit Ionisationskammern an der Vergleichsmessung teil. Die Dosimeter und Messgeräte wurden einer Exposition von 155 kBq h m-3 bei einer durchschnittlichen Radonaktivitätskonzentration von 627 Bq m-3 ausgesetzt. Bei einem zu Testzwecken an der Vergleichsmessung teilnehmenden Messgerät wurden die Messwerte nur für einen Teil des Expositionsintervalls (30.8. - 7.9.2008) gespeichert. Die Exposition in diesem Teilintervall bezifferte sich zu 117 kBq h m-3 bei einer durchschnittlichen Radonaktivitätskonzentration von 624 Bq m-3. Mit 155 kBq h m-3 wies die diesjährige Vergleichsmessung die niedrigste bisher verwendete Exposition auf. Insbesondere die von einigen Messstellen verwendeten LLT-Elektret-Ionisationskammern stiessen hier an ihre untere Messgrenze. Unübliche Abweichungen von Radongasmessgeräten eines Herstellers scheinen eine Abhängigkeit von der Seriennummer und damit dem Herstellungsdatum aufzuweisen.
A Prototype Instrument for Measuring Service Quality by Generation X Parents: A Case Study at the International School of Macao
Authors: Stribbell Howard , Duangekanong Somsit
Published: July 2022

This quantitative research aimed to advance the use of the service quality construct to measure the perceived service quality of K-12 international schools by Generation X parents. It proposed an approach that contextualised previously published scale items for private healthcare into educationally relevant scale items. The revised scale items were developed and confirmed through an Item Objective Congruence Test (IOC) by industry experts. The instrument was tested for reliability through a pilot test and then administered to 499 parents in a school. The results used Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to reduce the complexity of the standard 5 service quality (SERQUAL) factors into 3 factors: Responsibility, Assurance and Professionalism, Empathy and Facilities which accounted for 65% of the variance of the SERVQUAL variables amongst Generation X parents at The International School of Macao. The revised instrument can be used to effectively measure parents’ perception of service quality in an international school setting.
Faculdades e Universidades Historicamente Negras (FUHNS)
Authors: Louime Clifford Jaylen , Simmonds Keith C. , Jones Joseph V.
Published: July 2022

Faculdades e Universidades Historicamente Negras (FUHNs) são o que se poderia chamar de “dons que continuam se transmitindo”. Além dos benefícios econômicos óbvios, as FUHNs de fato formaram a maioria dos profissionais afro-americanos. De professores a médicos, juízes e engenheiros, os ex-alunos de FUHNs são conhecidos por não apenas fortalecer as comunidades negras em que vivem, mas também melhorar a vida dos cidadãos com os quais interagem em todo o mundo. Na verdade, as FUHNs forneceram liderança e modelos não apenas para a comunidade afro-americana, mas para os EUA como nação e para o mundo como um todo. Aqui estão alguns exemplos: o líder dos direitos civis, Martin Luther King Jr. formou-se na Faculdade Morehouse em Atlanta, Geórgia. Juiz da Suprema Corte, Thurgood Marshall matriculou-se na Universidade Lincoln na Pensilvânia e na Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Howard em Washington, DC, bem como Kwame Ture, (Stokely Carmichael), graduado pela Universidade Howard e ex-presidente de Gana, Kwame Nkrumah, Universidade Lincoln. A atual vice-presidente dos EUA, Kamala Harris, também é graduada pela Universidade Howard. Estas são apenas algumas personificacões da excelência negra que mudaram a cultura e o mundo, que ajudaram a estabelecer as bases para continuarmos carregando a tocha hoje. As FUHNs continuam a ser foco de grandes realizações, criatividade, cultura e liderança negras. Eles continuam sendo uma parte integrante e importante da paisagem americana.
Opioidergic and nitrergic systems mediate the anticonvulsant effect of mefloquine and chloroquine on seizures induced by pentylenetetrazol and maximal electroshock in mice
Authors: Boroujeni Saina Saadat , Solaimanian Shahabaddin , Jafari Razieh Mohammad , Sabzevari Omid , Shafaroodi Hamed , Maleki Adeleh , Mohammadi Parsa , Karimi Elaheh , Dehpour Ahmad Reza
Published: July 2022

This study was designed to investigate the involvement of opioidergic/nitrergic systems in the anticonvulsant effect of mefloquine,
compared with chloroquine, in mice. Seizures were induced by pentylenetetrazol and maximal electroshock. Mice were randomly
subjected to receive mefloquine or chloroquine thirty minutes in advance. The role of opioidergic/nitrergic systems was shown
by co‑administration of pharmacological intervention and nitrite levels measurement in mice hippocampi. Results indicated
that mefloquine (40 mg/kg) and chloroquine (5 mg/kg) significantly decreased the occurrence of tonic hindlimb extension. Also,
mefloquine 120 mg/kg and chloroquine 5 mg/kg significantly increased seizure latency and decreased mortality rate. Mefloquine
decreased seizure frequency too. Besides, mefloquine (20 mg/kg) and chloroquine (5, 10 mg/kg) significantly increased seizure
threshold. Interestingly, L‑NAME, 7‑NI and naltrexone pre‑treatment reversed the anticonvulsant effects of both mefloquine
(20 mg/kg) and chloroquine (5 mg/kg). Moreover, co‑administration of minimal‑effective doses of morphine with mefloquine/
chloroquine (both 1 mg/kg) potentiated anticonvulsant effects, which was reversed by naltrexone and endorsed the involvement
of opioid receptors. Also, nitrite levels in mice hippocampi remarkably increased after treatment with both mefloquine (20 mg/kg)
and chloroquine (5 mg/kg). To conclude, mefloquine could protect the central nervous system against seizures in PTZ/MES‑induced
models through opioidergic/nitrergic pathways, with similarity to chloroquine effects.
Repeated acetaminophen administration damaged hippocampal tissue but did not affect prefrontal cortex or anxiety behaviors
Authors: Karakilic Asli , Kizildag Servet , Yuce Zeynep , Seval Yasemin , Kandis Sevim , Bozan Hemdem Rodi , Koc Basar , Guvendi Guven , Ates Mehmet , Inan Sevinc , Uysal Nazan
Published: July 2022

Acetaminophen is one of the most widely used over‑the‑counter drugs worldwide for the treatment of pain and fever. Although
acetaminophen use is known to impair hippocampus‑related learning and memory, its effect on anxiety is not clear. Insulin‑like
growth factor‑1 (IGF‑1) and matrix metalloproteinase‑2 (MMP2) are important for cellular survival, maintenance and tissue
integrity. The aim of this study was to investigate the dose‑dependent effects of acetaminophen on anxiety levels as well
as on hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and liver tissue. Doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg acetaminophen were administered
to male Sprague Dawley rats for 11 days and anxiety tests were conducted on the last day. Twenty‑four hours after the last
acetaminophen administration, all animals were sacrificed and hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and liver tissues were removed
for analyses. Hippocampal IGF‑1 and MMP2 levels were shown to decrease only at the highest dose of acetaminophen, which
was accompanied by pathological changes in histology. The prefrontal cortex was not affected. Behavioral analyses also did
not indicate changes in anxiety levels in the rats. Liver IGF‑1 and MMP2 levels decreased in all experimental groups. Serum
alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels increased in the 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg acetaminophen
groups. Our findings showed that varying doses of acetaminophen did not affect the prefrontal cortex or anxiety levels. Further
research is needed to elucidate the hippocampal and hepatic protective roles of IGF‑1 and MMP2 in acetaminophen toxicity and
their potential use in therapeutic approaches.
The blockade of μ‑opioid receptors in the lateral hypothalamus enhances panic attack‑like behaviour and diminishes defensive antinociception
Authors: Maia Fernandes Bianca Feitosa , de Avila Diogo Rios , Santana Vanessa Cristina , Pichinelli Maffei Talles Henrique , Vieira Streg Rafaela , Serpa Vale Júlia , de Araújo Berber Rodolfo Cassimiro , de Oliveira Rithiele Cristina , de Oliveira Ricardo
Published: July 2022

The lateral hypothalamus (LH) sends neural pathways to structures involved on predator‑related defensive behaviours, escape and
antinociception. The aim of this study was to investigate the role played by μ‑opioid receptors located on LH neurons in defensive
behaviour and unconditioned fear‑induced antinociception elicited by electric stimulation of LH. To achieve the goals, the μ1‑opioid
receptor selective antagonist naloxonazine was administered at different concentrations in the LH, and the defensive behaviour and
fear‑induced antinociception elicited by electrical stimulation of LH were evaluated. The electrical stimulation of LH caused escape
behaviour followed by defensive antinociception. Microinjections of naloxonazine in a concentration of 5.0 μg/0.2 μL in the LH decreased
the aversive stimulus‑induced escape behaviour thresholds, but diminished defensive antinociception. These findings suggest that
μ‑opioid receptors of LH can be critical to panic attack‑related symptoms and facilitate the unconditioned fear‑induced antinociception
produced by LH neurons activation.
Application and Improvement of In Vitro Culture Systems for Commercial Production of Ornamental, Fruit, and Industrial Plants in Poland
Authors: Podwyszyńska Małgorzata , Orlikowska Teresa , Trojak-Goluch Anna , Wojtania Agnieszka
Published: July 2022

This work focuses on the achievements of Polish researchers in the field of vegetative reproduction of plants under in vitro conditions. For more than 50 years, micropropagation methods have been used in Poland whenever vegetative reproduction is necessary. Most perennial horticultural crops, such as fruit plants, the majority of ornamental geophytes, and some vegetables (e.g., rhubarb and horseradish), require clonal reproduction owing to their high heterozygosity, i.e., their offsprings when reproduced from seeds, do not repeat the parental characteristics. Various goals have been pursued in the development of regenerative and in vitro propagation systems for each of the aforementioned groups of plants, such as pathogen elimination, reproduction of healthy plants, rapid multiplication of newly obtained valuable breeding lines and cultivars, and breeding to obtain polyploids, haploids, and doubled haploids. Owing to the growing interest of researchers and plant producers in environmentally friendly technologies, one of the sections is devoted to the issue of biotization of micropropagated plants.
Icons of Faith in The Brothers Karamazov: A Kierkegaardian Reading
Authors:   University of Santo Tomas, Chiong Siddharta
Published: July 2022

Through a creative and critical reading of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, this paper explores how the novel portrays a narrative of faith which corresponds to Søren Kierkegaard’s philosophical notion of faith. By analyzing the actions and utterances of the narrative agents, the researcher draws from the novel its conceptions of justice, death and rebirth, acceptance, active love and responsibility, the metaphor of the heart, and mystery. These are subsequently correlated to the Kierkegaardian categories of the double movement, teleological suspension of the ethical, infinite resignation, receiving again, subjectivity, and subjective truth. The paper has the double-aim of (1) providing a philosophical framework for understanding the convoluted issues of faith explored in the novel, and (2) presenting a novelistic expression of Kierkegaard’s philosophy. This dialogue between the two thinkers provides deep reflections on the experience of pain and loss in the world of a Benevolent God.
EVALUATION OF KNOWLEDGE SHARING PROCESS IN AN ENTERPRISE – RESULTS OF EMPIRICAL STUDIES
Authors: Kościelniak Helena
Published: July 2022

Knowledge sharing is one aspect of the broader concept that is knowledge management. The issue of evaluating knowledge sharing is important because both the sender and the recipient of knowledge calculate whether it is profitable for them to participate in the knowledge sharing process in an organization, taking into account their own benefits they may derive from such an activity, and the costs they have to bear. The purpose of this paper is to present the practices used in knowledge sharing processes and to identify the measures used to assess knowledge sharing in enterprises providing IT services. The results of the empirical studies in general and with the devision into small, medium and large enterprises indicate the importance of directions and challenges in managing knowledge sharing. The theoretical considerations and analysis of empirical data develop previous research in the field of knowledge sharing management in line with the changes taking place in the internal and external environment of enterprises and provide directions for further research in this area.
A FORMAÇÃO INICIAL EM EDUCAÇÃO FÍSICA E OS PRECEITOS DA TEORIA HISTÓRICO-CULTURAL: IMPLICAÇÕES PEDAGÓGICAS E FORMAÇÃO HUMANA
Authors: Dos Santos Emmily Roberta Miranda , Paes Neto Gabriel Pereira , Monteiro Fernanda Yully dos Santos
Published: July 2022

O texto em questão tem como objetivo fazer apontamentos sobre a teoria histórico-cultural e a educação física. Apreende-se que a teoria em questão tem um potencial emancipador dentro da formação inicial e que seus preceitos podem auxiliar a prática de uma educação física voltada para a formação humana e ampliada. Trata-se de uma pesquisa bibliográfica de cunho qualitativo que utilizou como método de análise o materialismo histórico-dialético. Enquanto considerações acerca do estudo pode-se apontar que a teoria histórico-cultural dentro do processo de formação inicial dos professores de Educação física apresenta-se como viés de ensino contra-hegemônico que valoriza a cultura corporal enquanto parte da cultura produzida historicamente. Deste modo, compreende-se ainda que o desenvolvimento humano é complexo, dialético e singular e apenas uma teoria crítica e emancipadora pode dar conta deste fenômeno de maneira rigorosa e aprofundada.
SEMIÓTICA MORRISSIANA APLICADA À ANÁLISE DE EDIFÍCIO DIGITAL
Authors: De Lima Fábio Ferreira
Published: July 2022

A arquitetura vem sendo fortemente ampliada na sua complexidade pelos recursos da computação, promovendo mudanças significativas nas formas, a renúncia das aparências do âmbito comum e a busca por experiências inusitadas, a criação de metáforas visuais para um novo mundo. Como forma de compreender os casos digitais cada vez mais presentes no cotidiano, esse trabalho visa exemplificar a aplicação do método semiótico de Charles William Morris ao edifício Babiy Yar Memorial do grupo Kokkugia Architects. Realiza-se uma análise sintática do edifício (apresentando os seus elementos constituintes); a compreensão dessa expressão no contexto semântico e, por fim, seus aspectos contextuais pragmáticos. O método permite revelar diversos signos relativamente ocultos pelo plano representativo, elucidando metáforas da violência ocorrida na Ucrânia da II Guerra Mundial.
African video films: Stereotypes and narrative crumple in the quest for transnationality in Dar 2 Lagos
Authors:   University of Dar es Salaam, Mohammed Abdullah
Published: July 2022

This article takes a close-up look at Dar 2 Lagos, a film by Femi Ogedegbe, focusing on how the film attempts to feature transnational elements in filming across Africa. The film which demonstrates a new trend in filmmaking practices in Africa introduces possible multinational collaborations which are likely to offer opportunities for talents and producers to team-up and utilize not only talents and stories but also beautiful locations around the continent. However, such opportunities for the industry to cater for the demand of the audience with stories that people across the continent share and relate to is haunted by the film’s stereotypical representation of women. While I read Dar 2 Lagos as the industry’s effort to unite the two emerging film industries in Africa, Nigeria’s Nollywood and Tanzania’s Bongo Movies, I also highlight the way the film segregates women in the union process. I use a textual analysis to argue that although the current film practice in Africa attempts to ease border crossing, Dar 2 Lagos permits only male stories, ideas, narratives, talents and bodies to unrestrictedly move between African nation-states and beyond. The film’s narrative denies free movement of the female bodies and their passions. This stereotypical practice of the medium perpetuates the past cultural practices and therefore jeopardises a clear envisioning of the future of film production in Africa.
Sangu Plant Tales: An Eco-portrayal of Human Floral Dependency
Authors:   Mkwawa University College of Education (MUCE), Kalenge Michael
Published: July 2022

Generally, plants constitute the very foundation of human and non-human life. These organisms, among others produce fresh air that surrounds the Earth and provide organisms with food and nutrition. They provide organisms with medication, shelter and wearable materials. Moreover, plants are vital sources and materials for botanical imagination. Their omnipresence in literature in form of tales and devices such as symbols, similes, metaphors, satire, and personification is not a new thing; they have been making their appearances in art from since time immemorial. However, a critical eye on their potential literary imaginings particularly in Tanzania’s orality has largely been unnoticed or overlooked as a minor issue. Through the analysis of selected Sangu plant tales informed by a post-colonial eco-critical perspective, this paper shows how plant tales can help arouse general interest in plants and the floral-related narrative experiences as resources for making sense of human dependency on the vegetal beings and as a way initiating a meaningful dialogue about environmental protection from a literary point-of-view. More significantly, the paper uses the same vegetal tales to demonstrate the credibility and richness of the environment-related genuine information, wisdom and worldviews found in the oral literature of the African people in the struggle to combat the on-going global environmental crisis. This realisation negates the long-lived misconception that African literature is mediocre and does not satisfy universal aesthetic standards and sensibilities.
Hepato- and Nephro-Effect of Sphenostylis stenocarpa– Formulated Diet on Dexamethasone-Treated Pregnant Rats
Authors: Comfort Oladele Funmilola
Published: July 2022

This study sought to investigate the effect of Sphenostylis stenocarpa-formulated diet on hepatic and renal parameters of dexamethasone-treated pregnant rats. Sphenostylis stenocarpa were locally sourced from a market in Ado Ekiti. They were milled into powder and used in formulating feed for experimental animals. Fifteen female pregnant rats were divided in three groups of five each. Animals in group A were exposed to standard animal feed only. This served as the control group. Those in group B were exposed to Sphenostylis stenocarpa-formulated diet + 0.3 mg/kg body weight of dexamethasone, while those in group C were exposed to Sphenostylis stenocarpa-formulated diet. At the end of the eight days treatment, animals were sacrificed and blood sample, liver and kidney were collected. Exposure of pregnant rats to dexamethasone was observed to significantly (p<0.05) increased the activities of plasma aspartate amino transaminase (AST) and alanine amino transferase (ALT) as well as the concentrations of plasma total protein, bilirubin, creatinine and urea when compared with those in animals in the control as well as those fed with S. stenocarpa-formulated diet only. The results further showed that pregnant rats fed with S. stenocarpa-formulated diet only had no significant difference on plasma hepatic and renal biomarkers when compared with those in the control group. The results of liver and kidney homogenates are similar to those observed in the plasma. Exposure of animals to dexamethasone adversely unhinged hepatic and renal biomarkers investigated in the study. The study also revealed that P. biglobosa seed is beneficial to the health of the liver and kidney of pregnant female rats.
Persistent Pupillary Dilatation After Cycloplegic Refraction in Child Taking Systemic Benzatropine
Authors: M. Ghoneim Ehab
Published: July 2022

Cyclopentolate is a substance that has a mydriatic and cycloplegic effect and is used frequently by ophthalmologists before pediatric glasses prescription. In this case, a child came to the clinic for glasses prescription, but later her pupil didn’t return to normal size even after using the antidote (Pilocarpine eye drop 2%). Accidentally, we found that she is on systemic medication containing Benztropine which has a mydriatic effect. After the stoppage of the systemic Benztropine, the pupils return to their normal size after two weeks. That case gives an important rationale to check the medications taken by the patient before giving cycloplegic drugs, which could help in the diagnosis and treatment of mysterious situations. Keywords Benzatropine; Cyclopentolate; Eye Medication; Ophthalmology