bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
De acordo com o governador, a decisão vale para todos que estejam em condições físicas adequadas, mesmo os que ainda não tomaram a vacina contra a Covid-19
Authors: Rodríguez Coipel Yudit , Domínguez Odio Aníbal , Mena Álvarez Odaimis , Toirac Proenza Raiselys , González Marrero Isbel , Cala Delgado Daniel Leonardo
Published: July 2021

The industrial manufacturing of natural products for veterinary use represents a major weakness in the veterinary sector despite increased interest and the traditional ancestral knowledge that supports them. A cross-sectional, descriptive observational study was conducted to characterize the veterinary herbal products marketed worldwide during 2018 and 2019. A comprehensive thematic search limited to the 2018-2019 period was performed in the ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, ResearchGate, and Academic Search Complete databases. The investigation identified 487 products registered in the global market manufactured by 54 companies, led by India, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The market segments of animal production and phytomedicines were dominant with 73.7% and 53.0% of products, respectively. Cattle (22.2%), sheep-goats (16.2%), and canines (16.2%) were the most favored species. The most represented therapeutic indications were those intended to treat gastrointestinal disorders (30.47%), antimicrobials (16.66%), and antiparasitic agents (10.47%). The families Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Malvaceae, and Rutaceae stood out because of their frequent use, encompassing 35.0% of the 137 declared species. Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees and Withania somnifera (Lin) Dunal were the most important species. Oral formulations for internal use (72%) and liquids (51%) in 100 mL, 500 mL, and 1 L presentations showed the highest prevalence on the market. The global market for veterinary herbal products during the 2018-2019 period was relevant in the productive and medical animal sector. No differences were found between medicinal plant species used to formulate herbal products for human and animal use.
Endovascular Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke in Patients With Prestroke Disability
Authors: Tanaka Kanta , Yamagami Hiroshi , Yoshimoto Takeshi , Uchida Kazutaka , Morimoto Takeshi , Toyoda Kazunori , Sakai Nobuyuki , Yoshimura Shinichi
Published: July 2021

Background

Outcomes after stroke as a result of large‐vessel occlusion in patients with prestroke disability were compared between endovascular therapy (EVT) and medical management.

Methods and Results

Of 2420 patients with acute stroke with large‐vessel occlusion in a prospective, multicenter, nationwide registry in Japan, patients with prestroke modified Rankin Scale scores 2 to 4 with occlusion of the internal carotid artery, or M1 of the middle cerebral artery were analyzed. The primary effectiveness outcome was the favorable outcome, defined as return to at least the prestroke modified Rankin Scale score at 3 months. Safety outcomes included symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. A total of 339 patients (237 women; median 85 [interquartile range (IQR), 79–89] years of age; median prestroke modified Rankin Scale score of 3 [IQR, 2–4]) were analyzed. EVT was performed in 175 patients (51.6%; mechanical thrombectomy, n=139). The EVT group was younger (
p
<0.01) and had lower prestroke modified Rankin Scale scores (
p
<0.01) than the medical management group. The favorable outcome was seen in 28.0% of the EVT group and in 10.9% of the medical management group (
p
<0.01). EVT was associated with the favorable outcome (adjusted odds ratio, 3.01; 95% CI, 1.55–5.85; mixed effects multivariable model with inverse probability of treatment weighting). Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rates were similar between the EVT (4.0%) and medical management (4.3%) groups (
p
=1.00).

Conclusions

Patients who underwent EVT showed better functional outcomes than those with medical management. Given proper patient selection, withholding EVT solely on the basis of prestroke disability might not offer the best chance of favorable outcome.

Registration

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT02419794.
Getting a Handle on 1QIsaiahb
Authors: Johnson Michael B.
Published: July 2021

This article examines Hartmut Stegemann’s preliminary proposal that the remains of the beginning handle sheet of 1QHa have survived and provide useful data for reconstructing the scroll. According to Stegemann, this handle sheet supplies critical material evidence that three columns existed before 1QHa 4, the first substantially extant column in the manuscript. The handle sheet was recovered from one of three scrolls, 1QM, 1QIsab, and 1QHa. Each of these possibilities is considered, and a new proposal that the handle sheet belongs to the end of 1QIsab is advanced. The article offers a tentative reconstruction of the handle sheet as part of 1QIsab to demonstrate its material continuity with col. 28 of 1QIsab.
The Ur-Muwaṭṭaʾ and Its Recensions
Authors: El Shamsy Ahmed
Published: July 2021

In this essay, I use the numerous extensive quotations from Mālik found in al-Shāfiʿī’s Kitāb al-Umm to reconstruct what might be called al-Shāfiʿī’s recension of Mālik’s Muwaṭṭaʾ and to compare this recension with the surviving complete Muwaṭṭaʾ recensions of Abū Muṣʿab al-Zuhrī, Ibn Bukayr, and Yaḥyā b. Yaḥyā al-Laythī. I present examples of the differences between the recensions, analyze one specific type of variant closely, and use my findings to suggest possible reasons for the various kinds of discrepancies. Through this analysis I both affirm Mālik’s role as the Muwaṭṭaʾ’s author and situate the nature of his authorship in the context of teaching and transmission practices and the materiality of the book in the second/eighth century.
Evidence of infanticide in the Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra)
Authors: Britnell J.A. , Vorster L. , Shultz S.
Published: July 2021

Infanticide has been described across mammal species. Infanticide is thought to be a tactic which increases reproductive opportunities or reduces competition over local resources. Species of the genus Equus exhibit life history traits such as expensive young, long gestation, lactation and dependency, extended inter-birth interval when there is a foal at foot and strong male reproductive skew. These traits suggest infanticide may be present throughout the genus. However, most documented cases of infanticide attempts come from captive populations and rely heavily on indirect accounts in free-roaming populations. Here, we report an infanticide attempt in Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra). The aggression was perpetrated by multiple bachelor males on two foals belonging to the same family group. The foals were separated from the parent group, chased and harried for a total of 45 minutes before the mothers and herd stallion were able to regain their offspring. We also report three cases of infanticide from necropsy. The injuries sustained by the foals are consistent with infanticide-based injuries documented in other equids species. The timing of these deaths occurs after a stallion turnover. These two cases provide the most conclusive evidence to date that infanticide takes place within mountain zebra.
Rehearsal of the Apocalypse: Christians of the Post-Soviet Regions about Covid-19
Authors: Belyaev Alexander , Matushanskaya Yulia
Published: July 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic has confronted the global religious community with the need to review the traditions and practices that have developed over the centuries. It has clearly shown that apocalyptic literature and its ideas are closely related to the context of this crisis. The former Soviet regions are no exception to this tendency. The connection between Covid-19 and the Revelation of John has become a point of discussion in different kinds of media. The purpose of this article is to analyze the representative views of various Christian confessions within the post-Soviet region. The intention is to identify an appropriate hermeneutical paradigm. There are four basic hermeneutical schools of interpretation of the apocalypse – the preterist, historicist, idealist and futurist. What is emphasized in the experience of post-Soviet Christians is the idealistic and/or futuristic. Covid-19 is perceived as a rehearsal of the apocalypse.
Christian Theology and the Capabilities Approach: Constructing a Method for Engagement
Authors: van den Heuvel Steven C.
Published: July 2021

This article focuses attention on the capabilities approach, an increasingly influential approach to human development. The case is made that, in light of its popularity, a Christian public theological engagement with this approach is needed. The various attempts that have been made up until now to engage the capabilities approach from the perspective of Christian theology have been lacking in methodological awareness and clarity. On account of this weakness an explicit methodological framework is developed through a revised form of the method of correlation. For that purpose, the work of Paul Tillich, David Tracy and Dan Browning is put to use. What this revised method leads to in practice is examined through a dialogue with Martha Nussbaum (one of the main proponents of the capabilities approach) and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Simulation Investigation on Environment-Induced Pitting Corrosion on the Metal Surface
Authors: Zhang Wei , Lv Shengli , Yao Leijiang , Tong Xiaoyan
Published: July 2021

The prediction of corrosion damage is one of effective research methods in the safety inspection of aging aircraft structures. A mathematical model for quantifying corrosion damage is used in this paper to predict the onset of corrosion on structural surfaces exposed to aggressive environments.
Based on the finite difference technique, the evolution process of local pitting corrosion on the surface of aluminum alloy in the medium is simulated, which can consider the sudden onset and the randomness of pitting corrosion. The effect of local ion concentration and oxide film damage on
subsequent pitting nucleation was analyzed. Based on the efficient calculation program, the effectiveness of the mathematical model is verified by the comparison between the corrosion damage morphology and the experimental data in the literature. The results show a more widespread distribution
of subsequent pits because of stronger aggressive ions are released during the life cycle of active pits and the higher diffusion coefficient of the aggressive ions. The three dimensional morphology is generated by image processing method based on the gray value of the two dimensional image
of pits.
Application of Optimised Nanocarbon Materials and Biofertilisers as a Potent Superfertiliser: Towards Sustainable Agriculture Production
Authors: Hadj Alouane Mohamed Helmi , Ahmed Faheem , Hussein El Semary Nermin Adel , Aldayel Munirah F. , Alhaweti Fatimah H. , Nasr Olfa
Published: July 2021

In this work, carbon-based nanomaterials including; carbon nanotubes (CNT) and graphene were combined with biofertilisers and tested their impact on germination of Hordeum vulgare. The interaction between nanomaterials and biofertilisers was analysed. Scanning electron microscopy
(SEM) images revealed that the surface of algal cells was covered with carbon nanomaterials including graphene and CNTs. Raman studies showed the characteristic band of graphene, CNTs and Algal cells. The combination of carbon nanomaterials with biofertilizers resulted in significantly better
growth than with nanomaterials individually. To prepare a more effective superfertiliser, zinc ferrites (ZnFe2O4) nanoparticles were added to the nanomaterials-biofertilisers combination. These zinc ferrites nanofertilisers had a size ranging from 8–12 nm and were
prepared by co-precipitation method and used at two different doses. The results showed that the growth parameters were increased most significantly with addition of 0.25 ml of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles. Increasing the dose caused a less increase in growth parameters. These
results indicated that increase in growth parameters was dose-dependent. These results demonstrated a great promise for novel formulation of superfertiliser that significantly enhanced plant growth without pollution or excessive use of harmful chemicals for better food security and environmental
sustainability.
Enhanced Photoluminescence Properties of Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane-Based Hybrid Phosphors for Anti-Counterfeiting and Flexible Composite Applications
Authors: Yong Jung Jae , Soo Yi Soung
Published: July 2021

We have described a novel organic-inorganic hybrid polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) type monomer ligand 2,6-pyridinediamine-bis-propanylheptaisobutyl POSS (PDC-POSS) and synthesized it using rare-earth (RE = Eu3+, Tb3+) doped hybrid complex PDC-POSS
phosphors. The PDC-POSS precursor was prepared by (3-aminopropyl) heptaisobutyl POSS, 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid chloride (PDC), and then coordinated with RE3+ using europium and terbium nitrate regents to yield PDC-POSS:RE3+ phosphors. Under UV light (A = 285 nm)
excitation, photoluminescence (PL) spectra of Eu3+-doped PDC-POSS were detected at 591, 615, 650, and 693 and those of Tb3+-doped PDC-POSS were monitored at 488, 544, 584, 619, and 647 nm. The thin films with good transmittance were deposited from aqueous colloidal solution
of hybrid phosphors on bank notes, plastic card substrates, and cotton fibers to demonstrate the transparency of phosphor thin films, which are feasible for use in anti-counterfeiting applications, which require concealment and identification by the naked eye. In addition, a polymer composite
with good flexibility that can be applied to LED chips and display was produced. Finally, it was suggested that PDC-POSS:RE3+ phosphors can be used in various applications.
Recovery of Zinc from Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Fly Ash
Authors: Yen Chen-Piao , Shen Yun-Hwei , Chiu Kai-Lun , Huang Hsin-Hsiang
Published: July 2021

In recent years, over one million tons of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) incineration fly ash has been generated annually Taiwan. Only a small percentage of the ash was used as raw material for other utilities besides landfill. Fly ash contains many harmful heavy metals, such as Cd and
Cr, among others; however, fly ash also contains many valuable metals, including as Zn, Pb, and Ga.To recover Zn from fly ash, in this work, an experiment was first designed to determine the physical and chemical properties of the fly ash. Then, treatment processes, including water leaching,
acid leaching, and ion exchange were conducted.Test samples were subjected to scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF), and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) to determine their physical and chemical properties. Then, water leaching
was conducted under optimal experimental conditions. Thereafter, acid leaching was performed using two different acids (hydrochloric and sulfuric) to extract the target metal ions, and finally the ion exchange process was deployed to concentrate and recover the target metal ions.Ultimately,
an optimal process to recover zinc from MSW incineration fly ash was developed in this work. An aqueous solution containing approximately 1 wt% zinc was obtained by leaching with sulfuric acid. Zn was then concentrated using a chelating resin IRC-747 in column mode.
Research on the Mechanical Properties and Energy Consumption Transfer Law of Cement Tailings Backfill Under Impact Load
Authors: Mu Yong-Ye , Li Xiang-Long , Wang Jian-Guo , Leng Zhi-Gao
Published: July 2021

The cemented tailings backfill (CTB), which plays a significant role in the stability of mine structure, is made of cement, tailings, and water in a certain proportion. When blasting and excavating an underground mine, the CTB will be disturbed by blasting. The impact load of blasting has an impact on the stability of the CTB, which is directly related to the safety of mine construction. The mechanical behaviour of CTB is generally affected by the cement-tailings ratio (C/T) and average strain rate (ASR). Therefore, a series of impact experiments were carried out on three CTB specimens with different C/T using a SHPB. Combined with the experimental results, this account reports studies on the effects of C/T and ASR on the mechanical properties of CTB, and on the energy transfer laws of CTB during impact compression. The research results show that when the ASR is less than 70 s−1, the peak stress and the peak strain have the same trend, and both of them continue to increase with the increase of ASR.When the ASR exceeds 70 s−1, as the ASR increases, the peak stress continues to increase, but the peak strain decreases gradually. Afterwards, the law of energy transfer of the CTB specimen was analyzed. It was found that as the incident energy increased, the energy reflection ratio of the CTB increased. Both the energy transmitted ratio and the energy dissipation ratio decreased. The volumetric energy showed a sharp increase first and then a trend Because of the slowly increasing trend. Finally, according to the failure morphology of the CTB, it is found that the ASR and the C/T together affect the failure of the CTB. The failure model of the CTB is mainly split failure and crush failure.
Spinach Extract Derived Carbon Dots Decorated on ZnO Nanorods for Photocatalytic Dye Degradation
Authors: Won Sia , Kim Jong-Sung
Published: July 2021

The carcinogenic and mutagenic nature of organic dyes makes their removal from dye-containing wastewaters essential prior to the discharge of such wastewaters. We synthesized carbon dots having emission wavelengths in the near-infrared region from spinach extract. Thereafter, CDs were
embedded on ZnO nanorods through hydrothermal treatment. The prepared ZnO doped with CDs were characterized by various analytical instruments and used to photocatalytically degrade methylene blue dye under sunlight. The as-prepared ZnO exhibited nanorod morphology, with the CDs doped on its
surface. The dye degradation followed pseudo-first-order kinetics; the ZnO doped with CDs synthesized at pH 10 achieved the highest dye degradation, with a kinetic coefficient of 0.02889 min−1. This study shows that the photocatalytic efficiency of ZnO can be effectively improved
by doping with CDs.
Research on Dynamic Cumulative Damage Effect of Metal Rubber and Stress Wave Propagation Characteristics of Layered Composite Structure
Authors: Zou Youchun , Xiong Chao , Yin Junhui , Cui Kaibo , Deng Huiyong , Zhu Xiujie , Song Shijun
Published: July 2021

The development of protective materials and structures is of great significance for improving the impact resistance, penetration resistance and spalling resistance of military equipment. At present, the layered composite structure has been widely used due to its good protective performance.
In this paper, a special elastic porous material-metal rubber (MR) with excellent cushioning and damping properties was used to prepare high-performance layered composite structures. To begin with, the dynamic mechanical response and the dynamic cumulative damage effect of MR were studied
through Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) tests. Then, the failure form and stress wave propagation characteristics of the layered composite structures were investigated through SHPB tests and finite element method. The results show that repeated impacts can enhance the compactness of MR,
thereby increasing the ultimate bearing capacity and energy absorption capacity, which is beneficial for MR to resist repeated impacts. The MR in composite structures can reduce ceramic damage, attenuate stress wave and smooth stress distribution. The titanium alloy on the back of the ceramic
will aggravate the damage of the ceramic, and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene on the back of the ceramic provides cushioning for the ceramic. Therefore, the impact resistance of the composite structure can be improved by adding MR and the reasonable arrangement of materials, and the
SiC/UHMWPE/MR/TC4 composite structure has relatively reasonable stress distribution and better protection performance.
Can Existing Theory Predict the Response of Tropical Cyclone Intensity to Idealized Landfall?
Authors: Chen Jie , Chavas Daniel R.
Published: July 2021

Tropical cyclones cause significant inland hazards, including wind damage and freshwater flooding, which depend strongly on how storm intensity evolves after landfall. Existing theoretical predictions for storm intensification and equilibrium storm intensity have been tested over the open ocean but have not yet been applied to storms after landfall. Recent work examined the transient response of the tropical cyclone low-level wind field to instantaneous surface roughening or drying in idealized axisymmetricf-plane simulations. Here, experiments testing combined surface roughening and drying with varying magnitudes of each are used to test theoretical predictions for the intensity response. The transient response to combined surface forcings can be reproduced by the product of their individual responses, in line with traditional potential intensity theory. Existing intensification theory is generalized to weakening and found capable of reproducing the time-dependent inland intensity decay. The initial (0–10 min) rapid decay of near-surface wind caused by surface roughening is not captured by existing theory but can be reproduced by a simple frictional spindown model, where the decay rate is a function of surface drag coefficient. Finally, the theory is shown to compare well with the prevailing empirical decay model for real-world storms. Overall, results indicate the potential for existing theory to predict how tropical cyclone intensity evolves after landfall.
Knowledge Transfer in a Project-Based Organization Through Microlearning on Cost-Efficiency
Authors: Beste Teresa
Published: July 2021

This paper investigates the role of microlearning on cost-efficiency on knowledge transfer in a project-based organization. As part of an action research study in a Norwegian public sector organization working with construction projects, a microlearning series was initiated to increase knowledge transfer on cost-efficiency. Seven microlearning lessons were distributed to 334 employees, including short questionnaires after the first and last lesson. The study reflects on the design process of the lessons, on the participation rate, and on how it contributes to an increase of knowledge. Microlearning was perceived as relevant by the participants. It makes knowledge transfer less arbitrary by providing a common body of knowledge to all project teams. For the organizational practice, this implies that microlearning also has potential for knowledge sharing on other topics in the project-based organization. Updating the microlearning series with further examples and new lessons is expected to contribute to continuous learning on cost-efficiency.
Unseen Women in Psychedelic History
Authors: Mangini Mariavittoria
Published: July 2021

The drug experiences of women in Western society have been both sensationalized for their scandalous aspects and sterilized in clinical reports, but the role of women in the investigation of psychedelics in modern Western history is obscure, and the identities and activities of early women participants are often unknown. This paper explores some of the under-reported history of women’s contributions to psychedelic exploration and research in the twentieth century. Mabel Luhan and Valentina Wasson represent women whose stories have entered the canon of psychedelic history but have failed to fully represent their individual impact. Wasson’s work is often subsumed under that of her more well-known husband. Luhan is considered to be a psychedelic pioneer, but her pattern of interference in the politics of peyote in the Taos Pueblo is often overlooked. The poet Mary Barnard is well-known as a translator of Sappho, but her lyrical writing on psychedelics is less celebrated. Gertrude Paltin and Kay Parley are female therapists and authors whose valuable writing on psychedelics is almost unknown in the field. There remain many women whose significant contributions to the exploration and employment of psychedelics for spiritual development, personal discovery, individual betterment or therapeutic impact have not been well recorded.
Why Salespeople Avoid Big-Whale Sales Opportunities
Authors: Xu Juan , van der Borgh Michel , Nijssen Edwin J. , Lam Son K.
Published: July 2021

Contrary to the intuition that salespeople gravitate toward big-whale sales opportunities, in reality they often avoid them. To study this phenomenon, the authors integrate contingent decision-making and conservation-of-resources theories to develop and test a framework of salespeople's decision making when prospecting. Study 1 reveals that the performance impact of salesperson initial judgment of opportunity magnitude follows an inverted U-shape, indicating that salespeople's avoidance of large opportunities results from rational benefit–cost analyses due to their conservation of resources. Interestingly, salespeople use a calibration decision-making strategy (i.e., calculating expected benefits by accounting for conversion uncertainty) at the portfolio rather than prospect level, in solution- but not product-selling contexts. Ignoring this calibration effect can lead to under- or overestimation of conversion rates of up to 100%. Study 2 shows that salespeople's past performance success and experience bias this calibration. Simulations reveal that when high performers or inexperienced salespeople believe their portfolio magnitude is large and conversion uncertainty low, they are less concerned about resource conservation and improve their quota attainment by 50%. Study 3 confirms the theoretical mechanism. These findings shed new light on salespeople's decision making and suggest ways for sales professionals to improve effectiveness when prospecting.
The naturalisation of nineteenth-century German Railways as depicted in visual discourse
Authors: Segal Zef
Published: July 2021

Despite the dramatic effect of the railway age on the natural surroundings, it was not seen necessarily as destructive to nature. Railways were both the epitome of progress as well as integral features in pastoral landscapes. This seemingly paradoxical perception of railways is partially explained by historicising the “naturalisation” of the German train system. This article describes the rapid transformation of the German train from a symbol of dynamic industrialisation to an integral part of the landscape. Visual images, such as lithographs and postcards, were the catalysts in this process. Railway companies, local elites and travel guide publishers promoted the process of “naturalisation” for economic reasons, but the iconography was a result of visual discourse in nineteenth-century German culture. This paper shows that unlike American, British and French depictions of railways, German artists portrayed a railway system, which rather than conquering nature, was blending peacefully into an existing natural landscape.
Composing Like an Entrepreneur: The Pedagogical Implications of Design Thinking in the Workplace
Authors: Pellegrini Mason
Published: July 2021

Fierce competition has made innovation increasingly necessary for business success, and this has increased the importance of user-based innovation strategies like design thinking (DT). While many studies in technical and professional communication (TPC) have explored how DT can be used pedagogically, no studies have done this through investigating how DT is used as a workplace composing process. This study does exactly that. First, it presents the current state of research on pedagogical uses of DT in TPC, and then it builds upon those suggestions with an empirical study that chronicles on how two web design firms use DT to make websites. My main suggestion is to teach DT as a recursive process that allows students transcend potentially incorrect assumptions built into design tasks through gathering data not only from users, but from clients as well.
Extractivism and Territorial Dispossession in Rural Colombia: A Decolonial Commitment to Campesinas’ Politics of Place
Authors: Rodriguez Castro Laura
Published: July 2021

Linked to extractive practices, territorial dispossession can be traced back to the colonisation of Abya Yala. From a decolonial commitment, this article complicates notions of dispossession and extractivism as merely emerging from war in Colombia and focuses on their presence in Campesinas territories. Based on the conceptualisations of the coloniality of power and coloniality of gender, I narrate how territorial dispossession and extractivism are felt in women’s ‘body-lands’ through foreign tourism/conservation development and new export crops in two rural veredas in the Colombian Andes and in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta where I conducted participatory visual projects in 2016. From a relational understanding of place, I also demonstrate the ways that the rural population is resisting and negotiating within these processes. Ultimately, I make a call for feminist scholars to politically commit to the dismantling of the coloniality of gender, and to the resistances to territorial dispossession and extractivism (epistemic and economic) that rural women are leading in place in the Global South.
A Pluralist Approach to ‘the International’ and Human Rights for Sexual and Gender Minorities
Authors: Lee Po-Han
Published: July 2021

Queer theorists have considered the problems concerning the political strategy of using LGBT rights to justify racist xenophobia and using homo/transphobia to consolidate heterosexist nationalism. Their timely interventions are important in exposing state violence in the name of human rights and sovereign equality, but they have offered no alternative. They may also have reinforced the assumption of state science. This assumption is based on a trinity structure of the nation-state-sovereignty of ‘modern, self-determining men’, who are against each other and thereby co-built the so-called ‘international’. State-centric internationalism produces exclusionary effects that undermine the rights of sexual and gender minorities. To address this, I first consider the debate over ‘LGBT rights as human rights’, and identify two types of cultural relativism (epistemological and political) as the categories to formulate a decolonial response to the debate. In this article, queer political theorising is pushed forward to: 1) critically evaluate universalism, 2) differentiate cultural relativism (opposing the political version of it) and 3) revise the epistemological version with decolonial-queer praxis. I propose a pluralist approach to sovereignty and human rights; informed by this approach, the lack of international consensus is remedied by recognising the polyvocality within transnational queer activism beyond the monopoly of states’ representation of their own peoples. This proposal also aims to decentre modern statecraft from the political imagination of contemporary international studies scholarship.
The Radical Limits of Decolonising Feminism
Authors: Persard Suzanne C.
Published: July 2021

From yoga to the Anthropocene to feminist theory, recent calls to ‘decolonise’ have resulted in a resurgence of the term. This article problematises the language of the decolonial within feminist theory and pedagogy, problematising its rhetoric, particularly in the context of the US. The article considers the romanticised transnational solidarities produced by decolonial rhetoric within feminist theory, asking, among other questions: What are the assumptions underpinning the decolonial project in feminist theory? How might the language of ‘decolonising’ serve to actually de-politicise feminism, while keeping dominant race logics in place? Furthermore, how does decolonial rhetoric in sites such as the US continue to romanticise feminist solidarities while positioning non-US-born women of colour at the pedagogical end of feminist theory? I argue that ‘decolonial’, in its current proliferation, is mainstreamed uncritically while serving as a catachresis within feminist discourse. This article asks feminism to reconsider its ease at an incitement to decolonise as a caution for resisting the call to decolonise as simply another form of multicultural liberalism that masks oppression through imagined transnational solidarities, while calling attention to the homogenous construction of the ‘Global South’ within decolonising discourse.
Bilingual advantages in executive functioning: Evidence from a low-income sample
Authors: Grote Kandice S. , Scott Rose M. , Gilger Jeffrey
Published: July 2021

Recent research suggests that bilinguals might exhibit advantages in several areas of executive function, including working memory, inhibitory control, and attentional control. However, few studies have examined potential bilingual advantages within lower socioeconomic status (SES) populations. Here we addressed this gap in the literature by investigating whether low-SES Spanish–English bilingual preschoolers exhibited advantages in executive function relative to two monolingual control groups (English, Spanish). Across three experiments, bilingual children exhibited superior performance on two different measures of visual–spatial memory, as well as measures of inhibitory and attentional control. These results suggest that bilinguals exhibit broad advantages in executive function during the preschool years, and these advantages are evident within a disadvantaged, low-SES population.
Inspirational Teachers’ Model: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study in Gifted Education
Authors: Cornejo-Araya Claudia A. , Kronborg Leonie
Published: July 2021

Adopting a constructivist grounded theory approach, 91 students from Years 9 to 11, in gifted educational programs from three schools in Melbourne, nominated their inspiring teachers. Eleven teachers, who received the highest number of nominations, were invited to an interview and an observation of their teaching. The emerged theoretical construct was identified as “Opening new possibilities: Inspiring teachers of gifted and highly able students,” which is further explained through three main categories: Being a knowledgeable and passionate teacher, creating an academically safe learning environment, and teaching beyond and above the regular curriculum. In addition, the theoretical process was explained through three phases: Expanding knowledge and understanding, Fostering positive attitudes, and Encouraging students to take action. Contextual determinants were considered to analyze and report the findings: students’ developmental characteristics, school culture, curriculum, and gifted educational provisions. Findings are discussed in the light of existing literature, as well as study limitations and ideas for future research.
Global prevalence of long-term neurodevelopmental impairment following extremely preterm birth: a systematic literature review
Authors: Sarda Sujata P. , Sarri Grammati , Siffel Csaba
Published: July 2021

Objective

Neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) is a major complication of extreme prematurity. This systematic review was conducted to summarize the worldwide long-term prevalence of NDI associated with extreme prematurity.

Methods

Embase and MEDLINE databases were searched for epidemiologic and observational/real-world studies, published in English between 2011 and 2016, reporting long-term prevalence of NDI (occurring from 1 year) among extremely preterm infants born at gestational age (GA) ≤28 weeks.

Results

Of 2406 articles identified through searches, 69 met the protocol NDI definition (24 North America, 25 Europe, 20 Rest of World). Prevalence of any severity NDI in North America was 8%–59% at 18 months to 2 years, and 11%–37% at 2–5 years; prevalence of moderate NDI in Europe was 10%–13% at 18 months to 2 years, 3% at 2–5 years, and 9%–19% at ≥5 years; prevalence of any NDI in Rest of World was 15%–61% at 18 months to 2 years, and 42% at 2–5 years (no North America/Rest of World studies reported any NDI at ≥5 years). A trend toward higher prevalence of NDI with lower GA at birth was observed.

Conclusions

Extreme prematurity has a significant long-term worldwide impact on neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Management of Traumatic Ulcerations of Lips in a Case of Huntington’s Disease: A Novel Application of Essix Retainer
Authors: J Mohamed Iqbal
Published: July 2021

Huntington’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. Dystonia of muscles is a characteristic feature of this condition. A case of Huntington’s disease, with orofacial dystonia, leading to severe uncontrolled biting of the lips, was referred by the Department of Neurology. Deep traumatic ulcerations were found in both upper and lower lips. A simple Essix retainer was fabricated and inserted, which acted as a barrier for the teeth from injuring the lips. The ulcers showed complete resolution in 3 to 4 weeks. The vacuum-formed retainers resulted in a good fit and resisted removal by the uncontrolled contortions of the orofacial muscles. The Essix retainer can be effectively used in improving the quality of life of patients, with Huntington’s disease, having such dystonia-related injuries to lips.
Differentiation under capitalism: Genesis and consequences of the rent gap
Authors: Liu Cheng , Deng Yu , Song Weixuan , Wu Qiyan , Gong Jian
Published: July 2021

Uneven development theory and its corollary (i.e. rent-gap theory) are either excessively general or insufficiently flexible to expound the variations of gentrification with unique historical trajectories. A representative example is education-led gentrification in China. The lacuna restricts the explanatory power of rent-gap theory and justifies the fault line between the rent gap and two important phenomena: the forms of displacement identified by Marcuse and territorial stigmatisation. This paper recasts Neil Smith's insights about uneven development from two perspectives, temporal and social differentiations, and elaborates how the interplay between both differences engenders territorial stigmatisation and displacement. Moreover, as two diametrically opposed phenomena, territorial glorification (e.g. super-gentrification and education-led gentrification) and territorial stigmatisation are simultaneously situated in one framework, which is evaluated in education-led gentrification in Nanjing. Redirecting the empirical research from global cities to less established but more representative urban centres, this research shows the potentially wide applicability of the theoretical framework.
Dunhuang scrolls: Innovative storage solutions at the British Library
Authors: Kralka Paulina , Muzart Marya
Published: July 2021

The British Library’s Stein collection contains about 14,000 scrolls, fragments and booklets in Chinese from a cave in the Buddhist Mogao Caves complex near Dunhuang in north-west China. This article describes storage and access solutions for the collection in the context of a busy research library and the currently ongoing Lotus Sutra Manuscripts Digitisation project. The article presents the various technical and organisational challenges that its rehousing presents to the library conservators. Restricted by the existing storage facilities, budget limitations and tight project deadlines, the conservators must provide housing that is adequate for the scroll format, is practical and prevents dissociation, but is also cost- and time-effective. With the best storage practice in mind, they have developed original solutions, balancing the specific housing requirements and constraints. These storage solutions allow the conservators to ensure the long-term safety and accessibility of the collection while laying down a foundation of standardisation that will ensure a homogeneity of approaches for future projects.
Room for Discussion: An Examination of Political Discussion Amongst Latinxs in Various Social Contexts
Authors: Lamb Matt
Published: July 2021

Though there is research regarding the political speech and rhetoric of minority politicians, activists, and other elites, there is little on the everyday, casual political discourse of minorities in the United States. More specifically, there is none on Latinx political dialog amongst social groups. In this paper, I ask whether Latinxs are more, or less, prone to political conversations in different social contexts than non-Latinx Whites. I find evidence that Latinxs are less likely to discuss politics with family, friends, and coworkers. These findings are important when considering explanations for various political behaviors and political affect amongst Latinxs.
Adolescents’ Relationships With Important Adults: Exploring This Novel Protective Factor Against Interpersonal Violence Victimization and Perpetration
Authors: Mauer Victoria A. , Waterman Emily A. , Edwards Katie M. , Banyard Victoria L.
Published: July 2021

Despite the increasing influence of peers during adolescence, adults continue to play a significant role in impacting the lives of adolescents. Adolescents’ relationships with caring adults are associated with a host of positive outcomes, including improved psychosocial, educational, and behavioral outcomes, and reduced problem behaviors. However, research has not explored the influence of relationships with caring adults on adolescent interpersonal violence (AIV) risk. The aim of this paper was to examine the associations between the presence of an important adult (i.e., an adult youth can go to if they need help with a problem or decision) and youth reports of AIV victimization and perpetration. Participants included 2,173 youth (53.5% female, 76.0% White) in grades 7-10 who participated in a multiple baseline study of a youth-led sexual violence prevention project. Data from the second baseline survey were used to conduct eight binary logistic regression models to test the association between the presence of an important adult and each of the victimization and perpetration types (i.e., any, bullying, sexual harassment, sexual and dating violence). Results showed that youth who reported having an important adult reported significantly lower likelihood of reporting any victimization and perpetration, bullying victimization and perpetration, and harassment victimization and perpetration. There were no significant associations between the presence of an important adult and sexual and dating violence victimization and perpetration. Given the potential for relationships with important adults to protect against some forms of AIV victimization and perpetration, prevention strategies should include connecting youth with important, caring adults and training such adults to help promote attitudinal and behavior shifts that foster AIV prevention.
Drawing the Contours of Organizational Culture Through Neoliberal and Colonial Discourses
Authors: Karikari Eric
Published: July 2021

This study employed a cultural materialist framework to examine organizational culture through the analysis of discourse at the National Communications Authority in Ghana (NCA-Ghana), the state-sanctioned regulator of the communications industry in the country. The study explored the interconnections among neoliberalism, colonialism, and organizational culture through an examination of discourses of professionalism and individualization. Using the discourse historical approach (DHA), the study found that neoliberalism functions in corporatized African organizations by activating colonial logics which in turn influence organizational culture. An important implication of the study is that, even for the individual, organizational culture is not merely symbolic but has material consequences. Because of these consequences, resistance efforts may not always look different from practices that reproduce dominant discourses.
Thermo-mechanical stress analysis within a steel exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine
Authors: Fersaoui Bouziane , Cerdoun Mahfoudh , May Abdelghani , Carcasci Carlo
Published: July 2021

The valves of an internal combustion engine play an essential role in the automobiles and their surroundings significantly affect their thermo-mechanical behavior. The work aims to assess numerically the effect of the real thermo-mechanical boundary conditions on the valves by considering the actual complex surrounding. For this purpose, we have subdivided the valve into seven adequate zones. We have evaluated the average values of the transient heat transfer coefficient, the adiabatic wall temperature and the mechanical load at each subdivision are during the opening and the closing periods. A transient Finite Element Model under ANSYS APDL software is developed and simulations are carried out until reaching the steady state. The temperature distribution and the thermal stresses at each valve position is obtained and then analyzed. The main findings show that the stress intensity distribution is developed in the zones labelled stem guide port and seat local of large temperature gradients, which causes high thermal stresses responsible of cracks or thermal fatigue damage. In addition, knowing the temperature map, the thermal gradient and stress under actual conditions will surely help manufacturers to better design exhaust valve, avoid early failure and enhance the durability of valves.
Acupuncture inhibits mammalian target of rapamycin, promotes autophagy and attenuates neurological deficits in a rat model of hemorrhagic stroke
Authors: Liu Hao , Zhang Beng , Li Xin-Wei , Du Jia , Feng Pei-Pei , Cheng Chen , Zhu Zhong-Hua , Lou Ke-Lang , Ruan Chen , Zhou Chi , Sun Xiao-Wei
Published: July 2021

Background:

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) accounts for approximately 15% of all stroke cases. Previous studies suggested that acupuncture may improve ICH-induced neurological deficits. Therefore, we investigated the effects of acupuncture on neurological deficits in an animal model of ICH.

Methods:

Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were injected with autologous blood (50 μL) into the right caudate nucleus. Additional rats underwent sham surgery as controls. ICH rats either received acupuncture (GV20 through GB7 on the side of the lesion) or sham acupuncture (1 cm to the right side of the traditional acupuncture point locations). Some ICH rats received acupuncture plus rapamycin injection into the right lateral ventricle. Neurological deficits in the various groups were assessed based on composite neurological score. The perihemorrhagic penumbra was analyzed by histopathology following hematoxylin–eosin staining. Levels of autophagy-related proteins light chain (LC)3 and p62 as well as of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-related proteins, and phosphorylated (p)-mTOR and p-S6K1 (ribosomal protein S6 kinase beta-1), were assessed by Western blotting.

Results:

Acupuncture significantly improved composite neurological scores 7 days after ICH (17.7 ± 1.49 vs 14.8 ± 1.32, p < 0.01). Acupuncture augmented autophagosome and autolysosome accumulation based on transmission electron microscopy. Acupuncture significantly increased expression of LC3 (p < 0.01) but decreased expression of p62 (p < 0.01). Acupuncture also reduced levels of p-mTOR and p-S6K1 (both p < 0.01).

Conclusion:

Acupuncture improved neurological deficits in a rat model of ICH, possibly by inhibiting the mTOR pathway and activating autophagy.