bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Individual Differences in Multisensory Processing Are Related to Broad Differences in the Balance of Local versus Distributed Information
Authors: Johnston Phillip R. , Alain Claude , McIntosh Anthony R.
Published: February 2022

The brain's ability to extract information from multiple sensory channels is crucial to perception and effective engagement with the environment, but the individual differences observed in multisensory processing lack mechanistic explanation. We hypothesized that, from the perspective of information theory, individuals with more effective multisensory processing will exhibit a higher degree of shared information among distributed neural populations while engaged in a multisensory task, representing more effective coordination of information among regions. To investigate this, healthy young adults completed an audiovisual simultaneity judgment task to measure their temporal binding window (TBW), which quantifies the ability to distinguish fine discrepancies in timing between auditory and visual stimuli. EEG was then recorded during a second run of the simultaneity judgment task, and partial least squares was used to relate individual differences in the TBW width to source-localized EEG measures of local entropy and mutual information, indexing local and distributed processing of information, respectively. The narrowness of the TBW, reflecting more effective multisensory processing, was related to a broad pattern of higher mutual information and lower local entropy at multiple timescales. Furthermore, a small group of temporal and frontal cortical regions, including those previously implicated in multisensory integration and response selection, respectively, played a prominent role in this pattern. Overall, these findings suggest that individual differences in multisensory processing are related to widespread individual differences in the balance of distributed versus local information processing among a large subset of brain regions, with more distributed information being associated with more effective multisensory processing. The balance of distributed versus local information processing may therefore be a useful measure for exploring individual differences in multisensory processing, its relationship to higher cognitive traits, and its disruption in neurodevelopmental disorders and clinical conditions.
The Sense of Propulsion: Sartre’s Freedom as Deleuzian Force
Authors: Magomedov Elad
Published: February 2022

This paper will revitalize the notion of force in Sartre’s phenomenology by reinterpreting thrown-projection as propulsion. From there, Sartre’s analysis of agency will be explored as regards the constitutive moments pertaining to the dynamics of striving. We will see that such striving relates to Deleuze’s ideas on how bodily forces take consciousness into possession. In the final steps of the analysis, it will turn out that freedom is dependent on a rupture that emerges from self-determination of consciousness, which is itself not of the order of freedom.
Demystifying External Self-Determination and Remedial Secession in International Law
Authors: Mehmood Fatima
Published: February 2022

This article proposes remedial secession as an international legal solution conducive to the protection of the rights of the Kashmiri people. The triggering event for such a proposal is the unilateral abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution (which guaranteed Kashmir its semi-autonomous status within India) by the Government of India together with the subsequent human rights abuses in the region. External self-determination and remedial secession are not clearly recognised in the existing corpus of international law. This article aims to demystify external self-determination in international law and presents a normative argument in favour of recognising remedial secession in international law, albeit as a remedy of last resort, using Kashmir as a case study for its application. It is proposed that international law borrow from conflict-oriented approaches in political philosophy to garner adequate criteria in order to foreground, legitimise and properly delineate the contours of the proposed right to remedial secession. This article thus also presents possible means of effecting the proposed right to remedial secession, analyses their theoretical justifications and, through application in the context of Kashmir, discusses their practical value.
Civil Society Perspectives on Children’s Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
Authors: Chaney Paul
Published: February 2022

“This study analyses civil society organisations’ (cso s’) discourse on children’s rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (opt). This is a troubled context, for Israel – the ‘State Party’ to the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (crc), disputes that its obligations extend to the opt. In consequence, there has been a dearth of official data and scholarly attention to the situation. Discourse analysis of cso s’ reports to the UN’s monitoring mechanism, the Universal Periodic Review (upr), shows children are affected by a raft of violations including: sexual abuse, violence and inadequate access to health and education. The Israeli state’s engagement with the upr, whilst denying responsibility for the opt, raises questions about legitimation and performativity. The pathologies are compounded by state repression of civil society meaning that the upr is a singular means of highlighting children’s rights abuses in the Occupied Territories.
Galen and the Sophists
Authors: Nutton Vivian
Published: February 2022

Galen’s relationship to the sophist movement is a familiar theme. This paper looks at the development of modern ideas on the subject and offers some new ways of linking him with authors such as Plutarch and Lucian. Not only was he a public intellectual, but his position at court placed him as close to the centre of imperial power as did that of an ab epistulis, and to possible obloquy, not least in the years around 192.
Virgilian Intertexts and Ironic Pathos in Propertius 2.16
Authors: Dainotti Paolo
Published: February 2022

Starting from an allusion to Eclogue 1 in Propertius 2.16, the article provides a new interpretation of the entire elegy in the light of the complex intertextual play which pervades the whole poem. Eclogues 1 and 10, the Georgics and even Horace are here combined with allusions to Comedy and evoked only to be subverted and parodied in a piece of Callimachean poetry, full of ‘metaliterary’ irony.
Material Muslim Authority: Danish Debates about Religious Markets
Authors: Fischer Johan
Published: February 2022

The increasing visibility of halal (meat) products in non-Muslim countries, such as Denmark, highlights the central and controversial role of Muslim authority in the regulation/certification of halal products along two axes: Muslims/non-Muslims and divergent Muslim groups/organisations. Using qualitative data gathered through participant observation and interviews conducted at Muslim organisations and businesses in and around Copenhagen, I argue that halal production and regulation is a constructive lens through which to explore why and how Muslim authority and legitimacy are generated and contested in contemporary Denmark. Muslim authority within the halal market evidently emerges at the interface between local and international Muslim organisations/certifiers, the state and consumers.
Tariq Ramadan: A Voice for Decoloniality in France and in Morocco
Authors: van de Bovenkamp Ellen
Published: February 2022

The dominance of social media has made religious authority temporary and fragmentised. Tariq Ramadan’s rise to fame in Morocco cannot be disconnected from the particular position he had in France as a controversial figure who spoke up for Muslims in many heated debates. Fieldwork in Morocco shows that the religious practices and points of view of fans of Tariq Ramadan bear similarities to those of youngsters in other countries. Although Islam is a shared interest, politics and postcoloniality play an important role in his popularity.

The article demonstrates the importance of engagement with social, cultural and political issues as an indispensable constituent of authority, and argues that Moroccan fans of Ramadan are sensitive to the manner in which he criticises postcolonial power structures. The need to deconstruct neo-colonial structures and discourses is felt by French and Moroccan Muslims alike.
Islamic Authority and Centres of Knowledge Production in Europe
Authors: Bano Masooda
Published: February 2022

The centrality of the Qurʾan and Hadith (reports describing the words, actions, or habits of the Prophet Muhammad) in Islamic teachings has resulted in a rich tradition of textual scholarship. Scholars trained in the major Islamic sciences at the leading centres of Islamic learning command a high degree of influence over how Muslims understand their faith. Yet the authority exercised by Islamic scholars is not only contingent on their demonstration of loyalty to the text but also depends on their ability to relate Islamic teaching to social reality. This article shows how the changing socio-economic profile and attitudes of second- and third-generation Muslim immigrants are marking a gradual shift away from textual literalism within Islamic centres of learning in Europe: scholars demonstrating an ability to relate Islam to European reality are gaining visible traction among young European Muslims.
Religious Authority and Family Dispute Resolution among Moroccan Muslims in the Netherlands
Authors: Muradin Arshad
Published: February 2022

The article aims to provide an insight into how ‘ordinary’ Muslims look for workable solutions to family and marital disputes in line with their cultural and religious values. More specifically, it looks into the informal processes of reconciliation (sulh) with the assistance of imams of local mosques, primarily among Muslims with Moroccan roots in the Netherlands. Relevant questions that are addressed are: What types of disputes are settled within the (religious) community? Who are the authorities involved? How do they obtain, claim or create authority? Why do Muslim women and men choose these processes over formal litigation? What do they hope to gain from these processes? And what kind of solutions are offered to disputants?
“Norway is like a hospital”: Vehicles for (Re-)Constructing the Nationhood Among Polish Immigrants in Oslo
Authors: Pawlak Marek
Published: February 2022

“Norway is like a hospital”: Vehicles for (Re-)Constructing the Nationhood Among Polish Immigrants in OsloThe article is a general anthropological survey of the complex issues of the Polish diaspora in Norway. The reflections and interpretations are based on the fieldwork conducted by the author among Polish economic immigrants in Oslo during the summer of 2009 for the interdisciplinary academic project CULCOM (Cultural Complexity in the New Norway). The main goal of the fieldwork was to examine the tools for reconstructing the nationhood in immigrants’ everyday life, as well as the particular nationalism shaped via social and economic class, gender relations and particular cultural background.The present article, however, focuses only on the first issue. Therefore, it deals with the most banal aspects of immigrants’ daily routine which at first glance seem to be irrelevant and less important. Yet, by adopting an anthropological perspective one may observe that the same daily practices involve various and complex moments of national identification. As a result, the article describes and analyzes the national praxis of Polish immigrant workers living in one of the Oslo districts. What seems to be interesting is the specific process of constructing the hermetic and national space by the immigrants in the context of Norwegian reality. This process, in turn, includes various tools of banal nationalism. „Norwegia jest jak szpital”. (Re-)konstrukcja tożsamości narodowej polskich imigrantów w OsloArtykuł jest ogólnym spojrzeniem na problematykę polskiej diaspory w Norwegii. Podstawą refleksji są badania antropologiczne przeprowadzone przez autora wśród polskich imigrantów ekonomicznych w Oslo latem 2009 roku w ramach interdyscyplinarnego projektu CULCOM (Cultural Complexity in the New Norway). Głównym celem badań terenowych była zarówno analiza procesów rekonstrukcji tożsamości narodowej w życiu codziennym imigrantów, jak i próba spojrzenia na fenomen nacjonalizmu w kontekście kategorii społeczno-kulturowych (takich, jak klasa społeczna, gender itd.).Sam artykuł natomiast podejmuje różne, banalne wręcz kwestie codzienności polskich imigrantów, które jednak po dokładniejszej analizie ukazują wielość i złożoność procesów tożsamościowych. W konsekwencji, opisana i zinterpretowana została tu narodowa praxis polskich robotników budowlanych zamieszkujących jedną z dzielnic Oslo. Istotne wydaje się tutaj tworzenie przez moich informatorów hermetycznej, narodowej przestrzeni w kontekście norweskiej rzeczywistości, w której można zauważyć wiele narzędzi i praktyk banalnego nacjonalizmu.
Cywilizacyjna tożsamość Bułgarów: tradycyjne i współczesne dylematy
Authors: Mihaylov Valentin
Published: February 2022

The Civilisational Identity of the Bulgarians: Traditional and Contemporary DilemmasThe article deals with the civilisational identity of the Bulgarian people, and the place of the Bulgarians on the civilisation map of Europe. The main problem here is the nature of their civilisational identity: they do not have precise geographical coordinates – they are the result of subjective human perception. In addition, the issue of civilisational identity is a matter of political propaganda.From their historical traditions, the Bulgarians inherited several macro cultural elements, (Proto-)Bulgarian, Slavic, Orthodox, Balkan and European. Considered separately, each of them can form the base required to construct a framework of contemporary Bulgarian identity and its cultural relationship with other nations in Europe. Some of these elements constitute strong spiritual foci around which their own cultural and civilisational circles are formed. On this basis, the Bulgarian nation enters into various spatial and cultural-historical configurations. Among them, there is a hierarchy, which in today’s open society primarily depends on the values and self-determination of each person. On the other hand, the interwoven cultural elements on the Bulgarian territory enable some researchers to talk about transitional identity structures – Bulgarian-Slavic, Slavic-Orthodox, Balkan-Slavic, Balkan-European and others.The author also investigates the geopolitical concept of the “civilisational choice”, which is supposed to determine the place of Bulgaria and the Bulgarians in Europe and in the world: is it in the West Euro-Atlantic sphere or in Eurasia?
Integracja emigrantów muzułmańskich ze społeczeństwem przyjmującym na przykładzie Francji
Authors: Stankiewicz Wojciech
Published: February 2022

Incorporating Muslim Migrants in the West: The French Model of IntegrationThe Muslim emigration to France is connected with many social, religious and political problems. The worshippers of Islam were admitted to settle, but not to integrate with French society and the national economy. Although, according to the French scheme of integration, all people are equal before the law and it is unlawful to emphasise differences, life in France does not reflect the Republican idea any more, and instead of creating the French nation as one community, a multicultural society unable to assimilate newcomers is being born.There are numerous stereotypes in French society that push aside Algerians and Moroccans, especially those living in the suburbs, and put them in conflict with the French legal system. This approach should change and the French must cease perceiving Muslims as strangers and realise they are lawful citizens, an inseparable part of their everyday life. The successive generations of Muslim immigrants should no longer be pushed to the margins of social life because of their ethnic origin, name, religion, and culture.The violent riots in France in 2005 and 2007, however, were caused not only by cultural conflict but also by the recession of the French economy. The main problem in the French suburbs is the high level of unemployment (40%) caused by the numerous meanders of the immigration policy. Instead of facilitating employment for immigrants, the government demands special professional training even for jobs which do not require such qualifications.
Euroregion Tatry – nowa jakość współpracy polsko-słowackiej
Authors: Lewkowicz Łukasz
Published: February 2022

The Tatra Euroregion – A New Quality in Polish-Slovak CooperationThe Tatra Euroregion is a non-governmental organization which has actively and professionally implemented various trans-frontier operations in the Polish- Slovak borderland for the last fifteen years. Since 1999, the Euroregion has managed European funds for the development of the Polish-Slovak borderland, enabling the implementation of the aims and goals for which it was established; they mainly include cooperation in social and cultural fields. This kind of cooperation is crucial for the borderland’s evolution. It provides an effective environment for economic growth and pro-ecological activities, which are still not sufficiently developed there. An important step in the modernization of the Tatra Euroregion is its strategy for 2008–2015. Plans for the near future include organizational transformation of the Euroregion into the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation.
Język jako zjawisko polityczne
Authors: Rykiel Zbigniew
Published: February 2022

Language as a Political PhenomenonReview of: Roman Szul, Język, naród, państwo: Język jako zjawisko polityczne [Language, Nation, State: Language as a Political Phenomenon], Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN 2009. Język jako zjawisko polityczneRecenzja: Roman Szul, Język, naród, państwo: Język jako zjawisko polityczne, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN 2009.
Wykluczenie etniczne w Polsce
Authors: Głuszkowski Michał
Published: February 2022

Ethnic Exclusion in PolandReview of: Aleksandra Jasińska-Kania, Sławomir Łodziński (eds.), Obszary i formy wykluczenia etnicznego w Polsce: Mniejszości narodowe, imigranci, uchodźcy [Realms and Forms of Ethnic Exclusion in Poland: National Minorities, Immigrants, Refugees], Warszawa: Scholar 2009. Wykluczenie etniczne w PolsceRecenzja: Aleksandra Jasińska-Kania, Sławomir Łodziński (red.), Obszary i formy wykluczenia etnicznego w Polsce: Mniejszości narodowe, imigranci, uchodźcy, Warszawa: Scholar 2009.
O potrzebie biografii i problemie biografii
Authors: Sosnowska Danuta
Published: February 2022

About the Need of BiographyThe author quotes an opinion that in the recent time Ukrainian historical discourse has deeply changed. The previous monopoly of Marxist language has been suppressed and replaced by discourses of modern humanities. Although this transformation is apparent, some Ukrainian critics are worried that it might be only a superficial adaptation to a modern paradigm of historical science: Ukrainian scholars have conformed to this Western standard of scientific discourse, but in reality they do not treat popular terms as actually working tools for analyzing their own historical problems. In the author’s opinion there are some deficient terms among ones so frequently used by Ukrainian historians, such as “identity” or “biography”. A new approach to the issue of biography, especially to the writing of biographies of those national activists whose life was affected by cross-cultural influence, is a crucial need of Ukrainian historiography.
Niemcy Odessy: od uprzywilejowania do upodlenia
Authors: Tyszka Sylwia
Published: February 2022

Germans of Odessa: From a Privileged Status to HumiliationThis article presents the history of German minority in the Ukrainian city of Odessa from the beginning of the 18th century till the present times. An important aspect of this work is to show the two dimensions of German colonization of Ukrainian territories which were concurrently inhabited by representatives of German intelligentsia and entrepreneurs in the cities, as well as by German peasants in the country. As this work shows, the history of Germans in Ukraine began with being granted a privileged status and finished with losing it and being dispossessed during the First and Second World Wars.The paper starts with a brief description of the German nation and its expansion to the East. Then the history of the German colonization of Odessa is presented, including the religious life of this group and the role Germans played in the economy of the city and its surroundings. After that attention is focused on the damage inflicted on the community during two world wars, which led to Germans being deprived of their rights and marginalized. The last section concentrates on the present situation of German minority in Odessa.
Powojenna diaspora. Kilka uwag o obrazie serbskiej i chorwackiej emigracji w najnowszej literaturze
Authors: Giergiel Sabina
Published: February 2022

The Post-War Diaspora: Some Remarks on the Depiction of Serbian and Croatian Emigrants in Recent LiteratureThe essay aims to show how modern literature of both Serbia and Croatia depicts the early South Slavic emigration of the post-World War II period. Describing historical conditions before and during WWII, the author depicts Serbian and Croatian emigration groups which differ one from the other in their mental backgrounds. But the books analysed in the essay show that, when abroad, both Serbs and Croats present identical attitudes and are involved in the same rituals, exclusion and stigmatisa­tion. The analysis is based on two texts: one written by Vladimir Tasić, a Serb emigrant to Canada, the other by Daša Drndić, a Croatian woman of many years’ emigrant experience. In their books the two authors describe members of both nations who form strongly consolidated groups abroad and exhibit nationalistic viewpoints. Both Tasić and Drndić are modern literary writers, open to novelty in art. Furthermore, they openly reject the nationally oriented state models which originated after the collapse of Yugoslavia. They also criticise representatives of the post-war emigration. The author of the essay thus concludes that, after years of silence about the post-war diaspora, the contempo­rary emigrant communities emerge in two contrasting ways in Serbian and Croatian literature and in scholarly discourse. One is represented by politically and aesthetically conservative artists and schol­ars, and has a clearly apologetic character. The other, represented by Drndić and Tasić, expresses a critical approach.
Krakowski dziennik „Czas” o chorwackich roszczeniach do Bośni i Hercegowiny w dobie „wielkiego kryzysu wschodniego” (1875–1878)
Authors: Gucka Agnieszka
Published: February 2022

Cracow’s Journal Czas on Croatian Territorial Claims to Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Time of the Great Eastern Crisis, 1875–1878The conservative journal Czas [Time], which appeared in Cracow, covered the course of a political, and later also military, crisis in the Balkans in 1875–1878. The conflict focused on Austria, Turkey and Serbia’s disputes over the future status of Bosnia and Herzegovina. One of the intriguing and less known aspects associated with these events were Croatian territorial aspirations in Bosnia. This demand grew stronger and stronger and was openly articulated by political and intellectual circles in Zagreb. The article aims to show how Czas, the most important Polish-language journal in this region, approached the topic of Croatian territorial claims, how these events were commented on and what parallels were found between the course of events in the Balkans and the contemporaneous situation in the Polish lands. The present review enables us to understand better the attitudes of eminent representatives of Cracow’s elite as well as the opinion of the popular strata of the local community on the issue of independence and territorial ambitions of the fellow nation of Croatia.
„Tęsknię za tobą, Żydzie” – spory o polską wizję Zagłady
Authors: Pałka Damian
Published: February 2022

“I miss you, Jew”: Debates about the Polish Vision of the HolocaustReview of: Piotr Forecki, Od Shoah do Strachu: Spory o polsko-żydowską przeszłość i pamięć w debatach publicznych [From Shoah to Fear: Disputes about the Polish-Jewish Past and Memory in Public Debates], Poznań: Wydawnictwo Poznańskie 2010. „Tęsknię za tobą, Żydzie” – spory o polską wizję ZagładyRecenzja: Piotr Forecki, Od Shoah do Strachu: Spory o polsko-żydowską przeszłość i pamięć w debatach publicznych, Poznań: Wydawnictwo Poznańskie 2010.
„Sprawy Narodowościowe” – „porcelanowa” rocznica
Authors: Burszta Wojciech Józef
Published: February 2022

Sprawy  Narodowościowe (Nationalities Affairs) – The 20th AnniversaryEditorial „Sprawy  Narodowościowe” – „porcelanowa” rocznicaArtykuł wstępny
Sprawy narodowościowe w „Sprawach narodowościowych”, 1992–2012. Nasi autorzy i ich publikacje
Authors: Serwański Jacek
Published: February 2022

Nationalities Affairs in the Nationalities Affairs: Our Authors and Their ContributionsOn the occasion of the 20 years’ anniversary of the academic journal Sprawy Narodowościowe (Nationalities Affairs) its origin and current situation have been presented in some detail. This bi-annual international and multidisciplinary journal was established in 1992 as a continuation of traditions of the prewar bi-monthly of the same title, which originally appeared in Warsaw in 1927–1939. It focuses on the study of nation, nationalisms and ethnicity, and is published under the auspices of the Polish Academy of Sciences, with the Institute of Slavic Studies in Warsaw and Poznań as its editor. In the years between 1992 to 2012 a total number of ca. 550 articles, including 60 in English, as well as 170 book reviews was published, while the total number of printed pages reached 10,000. The contributors, in the number of 350, come mainly from Poland but also from abroad. Abstracts and PDF versions are available in the Internet.The text comprises a separate part including a full list of all the issues published over the 20 years’ period, as well as a full bibliography of all the contributions. Each entry contains the name of the author/co-author, the title of the article, issue number and the year of publication (the name of the translator, if there is one).
Przemiany narodowościowe w Łatgalii
Authors: Eberhardt Piotr
Published: February 2022

Population Changes in LatgaleLatgale is one of the four provinces of Latvian State. It is located in the east part of Latvia that borders with Belarus and Russia. The first part of this article presents Latgale’s history since the 13th century. Latgale was part of Poland (Polish Inflants, 1561–1772), and later of Russian Empire (1772–1916). The Russian census of 1897 shows that it was inhabited by various nations: Latvians, Russians, Jews, Poles and Belarusians.The next part of the article deals with the demographic situation in the interwar period, when Latgale was an integral part of the sovereign Latvian state. Later, together with whole Latvia, it was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940; next it was occupied by Nazi Germany, and again incorporated to the Stalin’s Soviet Union. As it became part of Latvian Soviet Republic, it was subjected to planned Russification and Sovietization policies to eliminate its national and confessional diversity. There was then a mass influx of the Russian people, while the local Latvian population was marginalized. These changes are presented in the text on the basis of the Soviet censuses of 1959 and 1989. The author also discusses relations between Russian and Latvian populations, as well as the number and distribution of the population of Polish origin, who traditionally concentrated in Daugavpils and its vicinity.The last part of the article deals with the period after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the regaining of independence by Latvia. The nationality evolution is presented on the basis of statistical data from 2000 and 2009. The present Latvian authorities aim at strengthening the national character of the state and limiting the significance of its numerous Russian minority. The information on the current condition of the local Polish population closes the text.
Toward a Socially Oriented Agricultural Model for Africa’s Renaissance
Authors: Narh Peter
Published: February 2022

In this paper, African Renaissance is discussed from the perspective of new interests in African agriculture. Opportunities in Africa in agribusiness are growing. But accompanying this growth is a model of agriculture based on application of high technical inputs, under the narrative of agricultural intensification. However, there is evidence to suggest that new interests and practices toward harnessing Africa’s potential for agricultural development for the African Renaissance are not sustainable due to constraints and disadvantages to small-holder farmers. This paper draws from empirical qualitative research on sugarcane farming in the Chemelil area in western Kenya to demonstrate that the high technical input model of agricultural intensification stifles farmers’ political power and will to control their lands and thus to innovate to benefit from their lands. The paper calls for a socially oriented model of agriculture toward contributing to the African Renaissance.
State Security or Exploitation: A Theory of Military Involvement in the Economy
Authors: Izadi Roya
Published: February 2022

Why does the military in some countries get involved in the economy by running profit-making enterprises and what leads governments to permit such involvement? Running household appliance factories, transportation agencies, banks, hotels, etc., are indeed unrelated to national security and are far removed from the regular roles assigned to militaries. Such involvement has further implications for both politics and the economy. I argue that the process of military involvement in the economy functions as a survival strategy for leaders and a profit-making scheme for the military. Using original cross-national data on the emergence of military involvement in the economy, this research demonstrates that militaries are more likely to get involved in the economy when the military’s institutional interests are at risk and when the government has to rely on the military to maintain power. Leaders allow the military to benefit financially through economic activities in order to stay in power.
Loss of IκBζ Drives Dentin Formation via Altered H3K4me3 Status
Authors: Yuan H. , Suzuki S. , Terui H. , Hirata-Tsuchiya S. , Nemoto E. , Yamasaki K. , Saito M. , Shiba H. , Aiba S. , Yamada S.
Published: February 2022

Enforced enrichment of the active promoter marks trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3) and acetylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27ac) by inhibiting histone demethylases and deacetylases is positively associated with hard tissue formation through the induction of osteo/odontogenic differentiation. However, the key endogenous epigenetic modulator of odontoblasts to regulate the expression of genes coding dentin extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins has not been identified. We focused on nuclear factor (NF)–κB inhibitor ζ (IκBζ), which was originally identified as the transcriptional regulator of NF-κB and recently regarded as the NF-κB–independent epigenetic modulator, and found that IκBζ null mice exhibit a thicker dentin width and narrower pulp chamber, with aged mice having more marked phenotypes. At 6 mo of age, dentin fluorescent labeling revealed significantly accelerated dentin synthesis in the incisors of IκBζ null mice. In the molars of IκBζ null mice, marked tertiary dentin formation adjacent to the pulp horn was observed. Mechanistically, the expression of COL1A2 and COL1A1 collagen genes increased more in the odontoblast-rich fraction of IκBζ null mice than in wild type in vivo, similar to human odontoblast-like cells transfected with small interfering RNA for IκBζ compared with cells transfected with control siRNA in vitro. Furthermore, the direct binding of IκBζ to the COL1A2 promoter suppressed COL1A2 expression and the local active chromatin status marked by H3K4me3. Based on whole-genome identification of H3K4me3 enrichment, ECM and ECM organization–related gene loci were selectively activated by the knockdown of IκBζ, which consistently resulted in the upregulation of these genes. Collectively, this study suggested that IκBζ is the key negative regulator of dentin formation in odontoblasts by inhibiting dentin ECM- and ECM organization–related gene expression through an altered local chromatin status marked by H3K4me3. Therefore, IκBζ is a potential target for epigenetically improving the clinical outcomes of dentin regeneration therapies such as pulp capping.
Coping with Animal Companion Loss: A Thematic Analysis of Pet Bereavement Counselling
Authors: Leonhardt-Parr Emily , Rumble Benjamin
Published: February 2022

Face-to-face ‘Pet Bereavement Counselling’ (PBC) has been established in private practice to support bereaved animal companion owners, however, to date no research has been conducted on PBC. This study aimed to contribute to the existing knowledge base on animal companion loss and provide a preliminary research base on the potential salience of PBC. Six qualified and accredited PBC therapists were recruited and took part in semi-structured interviews. An inductive thematic analysis revealed participants’ perspectives on the acknowledgement of animal companion loss societally and within counselling professions, the diverse ways animal companion loss can impact on bereaved owners, as well as the distinctive attributes and delivery of PBC. The findings have implications for how animal companion loss is conceptualised within counselling professions, teaching and research. Future research recommendations include exploring how bereaved owners experience PBC and how mental health professionals can build upon the support provided to bereaved owners.
Writing with Dignity Among Youth in Urban Communities: Using Mentor Texts as a Reflective Tool for Transformation
Authors: Chen Lee Crystal , Jacobs Laura , Mann Jennifer C.
Published: February 2022

This article describes a three-year qualitative study on how youth of color in one community-based organization, Durham Community Youth, used the mentor text, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “What’s your life’s blueprint?” speech, as a reflective tool to transform themselves and their community. Using a critical literacy framework, the authors situate the study within the rich history of the Black community in Durham, North Carolina and examine how students’ writing advocated for their communities by speaking out against oppressive forces. The article offers implications on how educators can reimagine the implementation and intentionality of mentor texts for youth.
Changes in origin of acute chest pain in a sub-Saharan African setting
Authors: Tettey Mark , Edwin Frank , Doku Alfred , Ndanu Tom , Entsua-Mensah Kow , Adzamli Innocent
Published: February 2022

Our aim was to demonstrate a shifting epidemiology of acute chest pain in Ghana. Efforts to increase physician awareness and best practices are urgently required. Patients presenting with acute chest pain to the two leading tertiary care centres in Accra were investigated.
Alterations of DNA methylation and mRNA levels of CYP1A1, GSTP1, and GSTM1 in human bronchial epithelial cells induced by benzo[a]pyrene
Authors: Liu Aixiang , Li Xin , Hao Zhongsuo , Cao Jingjing , Li Huan , Sun Min , Zhang Zhihong , Liang Ruifeng , Zhang Hongmei
Published: February 2022

Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) is a known human carcinogen and plays a major function in the initiation of lung cancer at its first proximity. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are less well understood. In this study, we investigated the impact of B[a]P treatment on the DNA methylation and mRNA levels of CYP1A1, GSTP1, and GSTM1 in human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBEs), and provide scientific evidence for the mechanism study on the carcinogenesis of B[a]P. We treated 16HBEs with DMSO or concentrations of B[a]P at 1, 2, and 5 mmol/L for 24 h, observed the morphological changes, determined the cell viability, DNA methylation, and mRNA levels of CYP1A1, GSTP1, and GSTM1. Compared to the DMSO controls, B[a]P treatment had significantly increased the neoplastic cell number and cell viability in 16HBEs at all three doses (1, 2, and 5 mmol/L), and had significantly reduced the CYP1A1 and GSTP1 DNA promoter methylation levels. Following B[a]P treatment, the GSTM1 promoter methylation level in 16HBEs was profoundly reduced at low dose group compared to the DMSO controls, yet it was significantly increased at both middle and high dose groups. The mRNA levels of CYP1A1, GSTP1, and GSTM1 were significantly decreased in 16HBEs following B[a]P treatment at all three doses. The findings demonstrate that B[a]P promoted cell proliferation in 16HBEs, which was possibly related to the altered DNA methylations and the inhibited mRNA levels in CYP1A1, GSTP1, and GSTM1.
Influence of Timing and Catecholamine Requirements on Vasopressin Responsiveness in Critically ill Patients with Septic Shock
Authors: Jakowenko Nicholas D. , Murata Joseph , Kopp Brian J. , Erstad Brian L.
Published: February 2022

Introduction: Despite its widespread use, there is a paucity of data to guide the optimal use of arginine vasopressin (AVP) in critically ill patients with septic shock. Methods: This multicenter retrospective cohort study conducted in critically ill adults sought to evaluate the role of catecholamine requirements and timing on responsiveness to AVP. Responsiveness was defined as both a decrease in ≥ 50% of catecholamine requirements and no decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) at 4 hours post-AVP initiation. Primary outcomes of interest included the proportion of patients who started AVP within 4 hours after starting catecholamine therapy, as well as baseline norepinephrine (NE) equivalents (< 15, 15-39, or ≥ 40 mcg/min). Multivariate analyses and logistic regression were performed to identify other factors associated with AVP responsiveness. Results: There were 300 patients included in this study, with 74 patients being responders and 226 being non-responders. There was no significant difference in the number of patients who received AVP within 4 hours from catecholamine initiation between responders and non-responders (35% vs. 42%, P = 0.29). There were more patients in the non-responder group requiring ≥ 40 mcg/min of NE equivalents at AVP initiation (30% vs. 16%, P = 0.023). Stress dose steroid use was less common in responders (35% vs. 52%, P = 0.011), which was consistent with logistic regression analysis (OR 0.56, 95% 0.32-0.98, P = 0.044). Clinical outcomes between responders and non-responders were similar, apart from ICU (5.4% vs. 19.5%) and hospital (5.4% vs. 20.4%) mortality being lower in responders (P = 0.0032 and P = 0.0002, respectively). Conclusion: Shorter times to AVP initiation was not associated with responsiveness at 4 hours post-catecholamine initiation, although non-responders tended to require higher doses of NE equivalents at time of AVP initiation. Concomitant corticosteroids were associated with a lower likelihood of AVP responsiveness.
How do fiscal decentralization and intergovernmental fiscal transfers affect energy consumption in China?
Authors: Liu Liangliang , Guan Yonghao
Published: February 2022

Since the reform of the tax-sharing system in 1994, the regulation of the central government to local governments has relied on the mean of intergovernmental fiscal transfers (IFTs) to a certain extent. However, the existing literature has not yet explored the influence of fiscal decentralization (FD) on energy consumption in the presence of IFTs. Thus, this study empirically examines the influences of FD and IFTs on energy consumption by using panel data for 30 Chinese provinces during the period of 1998–2019. Results indicate that FD and IFTs have positive effects on energy consumption. Moreover, the positive influence of FD on energy consumption is strengthened by the improvement in IFTs. In addition, FD and IFTs affect energy consumption through industrial structure upgrading. In terms of policy implications, this study suggests that China may further reduce energy consumption by appropriately reducing the degree of FD, optimizing the intergovernmental fiscal transfer system, and promoting the upgrading of industrial structure.
Shenfu Administration Improves Cardiac Fibrosis in Rats With Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Through Adenosine A2a Receptor Activation
Authors: Guo Fangming , Wang Xiaohuan , Guo Yuanying , Wan Weiping , Cui Yanfang , Wang Jie , Liu Wenbo
Published: February 2022

Objective

Shenfu injection (SFI) is commonly used for cardiac dysfunction in China. Adenosine receptors have been reported to exert anti-fibrosis effects. The intent of this study was to evaluate that SFI attenuates cardiac fibrosis through activating of adenosine A2a receptor (A2aR) in rats with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI/R).

Methods

Sprague Dawley male rats were randomly divided into five groups, nine rats in each group. Injections in all rat groups were carried out prior to reperfusion, and in the sham and MI/R groups, only vehicle was injected. Injections in the remaining group were as follows: 5 mL/kg in the SFI group; 15 mg/kg nicorandil in the A2R agonist group; and 5 mL/kg SFI plus 5 mg/kg MSX-3 in the SFI + A2aR antagonist group. Changes in cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and the development of myocardial infarction and cardiac fibrosis were documented among the groups. Additionally, the levels of A2aR, collagen Ⅰ, collagen Ⅲ, fibronectin, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were measured.

Results

Following injection with SFI or nicorandil, the cAMP concentration, infarct area, and cardiac fibrosis induced by MI/R injury were significantly decreased ( p < 0.05). Additionally, the levels of collagen Ⅰ, collagen Ⅲ, fibronectin, and MMP-9 were clearly suppressed by SFI or nicorandil when compared with the MI/R group ( p<0.01). However, the protective effects of SFI were counteracted by MSX-3. A negative correlation between A2aR and collagen I and collagen III was found ( p = 0.00).

Conclusion

SFI activated the A2aR to reduce myocardial fibrosis caused by MI/R injury, which provided an underlying mechanism of action of SFI.
Preparation and characterization of polyurethane rubber/polypropylene-based thermoplastics vulcanizates nanocomposites with succinic anhydride intercalated layered double hydroxide
Authors: Moshkriz Ali , Darvishi Reza
Published: February 2022

Herein, a novel polypropylene/polyurethane rubber (PP/PUR) was prepared based on thermoplastics vulcanizates (TPV)/layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanocomposite in the presence of 3-(triethoxysilyl)propylsuccinic anhydride (SSA) intercalated LDH (SSA-LDH). The effect of SSA-LDH was explored on thermo-mechanical, thermal, morphological, rheological, and mechanical properties as well as gel content, compression set, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, and cross-linking density (CLD) of TPV based on PP/PUR with the weight ratio of 40/60. It was found that the crystallization, tensile strength, gel content, cross-linking density, young’s modulus, elongation at break, melting point, and damping factor significantly changed with increasing SSA-LDH content in PUR/PP TPVs. The reasons could be attributed to cross-linking induced by SSA-LDH and curing agent Bis-(triethoxysilylpropyl) tetrasulfide (also called (Si-69)) that grafted onto PUR chains, resulting in good dispersion of fine PUR vulcanized particles into PP matrix. This claim was confirmed by studying the rheological properties through Rheometeric mechanical spectroscopy and dynamic-mechanical analysis. Field emission scanning electron microscope images confirmed the improved compatibility between PUR and PP by adding SSA-LDH. The gel content and CLD of TPV samples without SSA-LDH were 20% and 2.75 mol/mL, respectively, which showed a significant increment to 25.5% and 4.5 mol/L upon adding 5 wt. % SSA-LDH. The highest elongation at break, tensile strength, and young’s modulus were 525%, 16.5 MPa, and 210 MPa, respectively which were observed for TPV5.
Self-organisation, (M, R)–systems and enactive cognitive science
Authors: Korbak Tomasz
Published: February 2022

The notion of self-organisation plays a major role in enactive cognitive science. In this paper, I review several formal models of self-organisation that various approaches in modern cognitive science rely upon. I then focus on Rosen’s account of self-organisation as closure to efficient cause and his argument that models of systems closed to efficient cause – ( M, R) systems – are uncomputable. Despite being sometimes relied on by enactivists this argument is problematic it rests on assumptions unacceptable for enactivists: that living systems can be modelled as time-invariant and material-independent. I then argue that there exists a simple and philosophically appealing reparametrisation of ( M, R)–systems that accounts for the temporal dimensions of life but renders Rosen’s argument invalid.
Comparison of discrete-time sliding mode control algorithms for seismic control of buildings with magnetorheological fluid dampers
Authors: Kemerli Muaz , Şahin Özge , Yazıcı İrfan , Çağlar Naci , Engin Tahsin
Published: February 2022

Semi-active control implementations for structures are gaining considerable attention in civil engineering. This paper presents a method for the design and implementation of the discrete-time sliding mode controller with a hybrid control strategy, based on Gao’s reaching law and the variable rate reaching law, for practical applications in civil structures by using magnetorheological (MR) dampers. The structure is modeled as a five-degree-of-freedom lumped mass system, controlled by an MR damper placed in between the ground and the first floor. The MR damper is experimentally tested and its behavior is represented by using modified Bouc–Wen model and artificial neural network (ANN) as forward and inverse models, respectively. The five-story building is simulated under the seismic excitation of El Centro earthquake along with the historical earthquake records, Northridge and Kobe. It is demonstrated that the hybrid control strategy yields better results regarding the energy consumption of the controller and time-averaged structural responses by eliminating the chattering, compared to Gao’s controller.
Experimental investigation on thermal performance of water wall systems exposed to fire
Authors: Rathnayake Uthpala , Karunaratne Tharindu LW , Han Shousou , Lau Denvid , Chow Cheuk L
Published: February 2022

Water wall systems (WWSs) are increasingly being used as glass façades in modern green buildings owing to their enhancement in building energy efficiency. However, little is known about their performance when exposed to fire. In this study, 500 × 1000 mm2 sized water wall systems with 30 mm, 50 mm and 100 mm thick water columns were tested and compared to the thermal performance of a 500 × 1000 mm2 sized single skin glass façade system. These façade systems were heated by a 400 × 600 mm2 isopropanol pool fire. The distance from the pan centre to pane 1 of the façade was 350 mm. Time to first crack and surface temperatures were measured. The experimental results indicate that single skin glass façades are more vulnerable to cracking than water wall systems, but exposed glass pane fallout can easily occur in water wall systems compared to single skin façades. Since the overall performance is dependent on the failure of the fire unexposed glass pane, water wall systems are more fire resistant than single skin glass façades. The water layer thickness significantly affects the WWS thermal performance, where a 50 mm thick water layer would result in a longer time to first crack. The experimental findings of this study are useful for developing practical guidelines for fire-safe glass façade designs.