bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dimensions of Contemporary Confucian Cosmopolitanism
Authors: Neville Robert Cummings
Published: March 2021

This paper identifies five dimensions of cosmopolitanism, though doubtless there are many more: cosmopolitanism in decision making, engaging others, attaining personal wholeness, the ultimate value-identity of life, and religious sensibility. These are discussed in terms of the Confucian ideas of the “Four Beginnings,” ritual, life as cultivated education, sagehood, public versus private life, Principle, heartmind, harmony, value, humaneness, “love with differences,” “roots and branches,” and filiality, among others. In all, it presents Confucianism as a living tradition that is facing up to how it might extend itself in light of the need for cosmopolitanism.
World Philosophy and Climate Change: A Sino-German way to Civil Evolution
Authors: Schönfeld Martin
Published: March 2021

The environmental crisis is the collision of civilization with biospherical limits. Its sign is climate change, which is brought about by a cultural maladaptation, and which threatens to lead to scarcity, displacement, and violence. The solution will have to be a global transformation—a civil evolution—to a postcarbon and sustainable world order. China and Germany, I argue, are well positioned to achieve this new adaptation to living within limits, whereas the United States may have difficulties to respond adequately to the new realities. Here I explore cultural and historical reasons for this Sino-German convergence.
Comparing Søren Kierkegaard and Feng Youlan on the Search for the True Self
Authors: Lee Richard C. K.
Published: March 2021

This article attempts to compare the theories of life between Søren Kierkegaard and Feng Youlan. It will focus specifically on the identity of the self in Kierkegaard’s “stages of life” and Feng’s “realms of life” (rensheng jingjie
). Whereas Kierkegaard subscribes doctrinally to the Christian understanding of the self and claims that the highest stage of life is achievable only for the God-centered self, Feng draws his insights from the Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist traditions, which, by imposing human values onto the universe, runs the danger of rendering the self the very center of the “great whole” (daquan
). Moving beyond a descriptive comparison, I will argue that the Kierkegaardian stage theory includes a critique of Feng’s realm doctrine, the latter appearing to be overly idealistic, missing the dark side of the human essence so succinctly pointed out by former and, consequently, falls short of offering a more realistic description of the self.
What is an Author? A Comparative Study of Søren Kierkegaard and Liu Xie on the Meanings of Writing
Authors: Man Eva Kit Wah
Published: March 2021

This study analyzes Kierkegaard’s theory of authorship from a comparative perspective, by using Liu Xie’s Chinese literary criticism in Wenxin Diaolong
as a comparative model. It examines the meaning of an author of literature writing, the spiritual, the aesthetic dimensions and the creative force of compositional literary writing, and finally the goal of writing, as elaborated by these two authors. In Kierkegaard’s sense, the quality of writing is mainly tied up with the religious mind of a person, while to Liu, the quality of writing is related to the moral quality of a person. The following examination demonstrates how Kierkegaard and Liu complement and enrich each other in the understanding of authorship and writing.
Xunzi and Zhu Xi
Authors: Berthrong John
Published: March 2021

Mou Zongsan ironically once wrote that Zhu Xi could be considered Xunzi’s philosophical revenge on Mengzi . Mou implied that when you retreat from Zhu’s staunch rhetorical support of Mengzi philosophy, what you discover are all kinds of significant analogies between the philosophical lexicon as well as deeper structural affinities between Xunzi and Zhu Xi. We discover, ironically, that there is a great deal of merit in Mou’s offhanded suggestion of the comparison of two of the greatest Confucian masters.
Reconsidering Ren as Virtue and Benevolence
Authors: Rudebusch George
Published: March 2021

One reason why Confucius is preeminent among Chinese philosophers is his teaching about ren
. Interpreters have said many different things about ren, yet two basic assumptions are pervasive: that ren is a virtue and that ren is benevolence. I argue that it is more respectful to the text of the Analects to discard both assumptions. Instead of virtue, ren is a priority in one’s motives. Instead of benevolence, ren is humane courtesy.
“I Have Lost Me”: Zhuangzi’s Butterfly Dream
Authors: Yao Zhihua
Published: March 2021

The parable of the butterfly dream is one of the most interesting and influential passages among Zhuangzi’s beautiful writings. This article interprets the butterfly dream from an interdisciplinary approach. The review of mythological and religious sources reveals that the image of the butterfly is widely understood to symbolize the human self or soul. The scientific study of dream experience touches upon the issue of self-consciousness and the sense of two-tiered self. The philosophical and psychological perspectives further highlight the tension between the wu - self and the wo - self, self and ego, bodily and spiritual soul, and allow me to test my hypothesis of self-alienation.
Kripke’s Epistemic Argument Against Descriptivism Revisited
Authors: Bo Chen
Published: March 2021

Kripke’s epistemic argument against descriptivism is reconstructed as follows. Premise 1: if descriptivism is correct, then “N is the F” should be knowable a priori; Premise 2: in fact, “N is the F” is not knowable a priori; Conclusion: descriptivism is wrong. This article accepts P2 of the argument as true, but rejects P1 by arguing for the evolution of language and the growth of meaning; so it concludes that the argument fails. It also criticizes Kripke’s conception of “a priori,” and interprets why “N is the F” is not knowable a priori. Sometimes this article uses materials from Chinese ancient philosophers, for example, Xunzi and later Moists, to support its arguments.
The Riddle of Creativity: Philosophy’s View
Authors: Abel Günter
Published: March 2021

The article develops a philosophical approach on how to handle the riddle of creativity. Section I presents reflections on the concept of creativity: its value; the meaning and sense of the word; the possibility of a science of creativity; and on different types of creativity. Section II focuses on the differences and relations between psychological and philosophical conceptions of creativity, introducing a signo-interpretational approach that is developed in more details in Section III. There the discussion also deals with the conditions, structures and functions of creativity processes: the space of arbitrariness and polysemiosis; rule-following; rule violation; rule invention; and the shifting from possibilities to potentialities.
Notes on the Framework for Comparing Science and Philosophy Across Civilizations
Authors: Lloyd G. E. R.
Published: March 2021

How far can we construct a framework within which to compare different traditions of philosophy and science across civilizations? The first problem lies with the terms “philosophy” and “science” themselves, for they carry particular associations in Western thought, some of which contribute to the mistaken view that they are uniquely Western activities. This brief article refutes that view, examining how we can compare the philosophical and scientific achievements of different cultures, and further challenging the sharp positivist dichotomy between “science” and “philosophy” that stems from equating the former with facts, the latter with values.
Chinese Philosophy in Systematic Metaphysics
Authors: Neville Robert Cummings
Published: March 2021

The chief problematic for contemporary systematic metaphysics is to develop categories for understanding the world as having value at the same time that it is explicable by science. Western philosophical thinking, with major exceptions, has tracked science by understanding the world to be factual but not intrinsically valuable. Chinese philosophy in all periods has understood human beings to be embedded within society which in turn is embedded within nature, all of which bear values of appropriate types. Themes in Chinese philosophy contribute to this problematic of systematic metaphysics in important ways, explored in this article.
Illuminations of the Quotidian in Nishida, Chan/Zen Buddhism, and Sino-Japanese Philosophy
Authors: Odin Steve
Published: March 2021

Return to the ordinary as extraordinary has become the signature motif for the Emersonian perfectionism of Stanley Cavell in contemporary American philosophy. In this article I develop Cavell’s notion of “the ordinary” as an intercultural theme for exploring aspects of traditional Chinese philosophy, especially Confucianism and Chan Buddhism. I further use Cavell’s philosophy of the ordinary to examine Sino-Japanese thought as found in the Zen tradition of Japan and its reformulation by Nishida Kitarô in modern Japanese philosophy. It will be seen how for both Cavell and Sino-Japanese philosophy, perfection is achieved not by transcendence of the ordinary, but through continuous return to and affirmation of the ordinary as extraordinary. I thus endeavor to illuminate the quotidian as articulated by Cavell, Chinese philosophy, and the Sino-Japanese tradition.
The Mozi and The Daodejing
Authors: Perkins Franklin
Published: March 2021

The Mozi and the Daodejing are usually seen as fundamentally distinct and even opposed. In this article, I argue that they should be seen as emerging from a context of shared concerns and assumptions. The article begins by laying out initial commonalities between the two texts, offering a justification for discussing them together. The second part of the article will address their main points of difference, showing the Daodejing can be seen as working out tensions inherent in the Mozi. The third part of the article briefly considers textual sources that suggest hybrid positions between the Mozi and the Daodejing.
Reconciling Confucianism and Nationalism
Authors: Bell Daniel A.
Published: March 2021

Confucianism has made a comeback in mainland China over the last two decades or so. Politically minded Confucian revivalists see Confucianism as the core of national identity that differs from ‘‘foreign’’ traditions such as liberalism and they argue for replacing Marxism with Confucianism as the core ideology of the one-party state. But is the ancient tradition of Confucianism compatible with the modern tradition of nationalism? And is it possible to defend a morally appealing form of ‘‘Confucian nationalism’’? This essay argues that both questions can be answered affirmatively.
Feng Youlan and Greek Philosophy
Authors: Yu Jiyuan
Published: March 2021

The article is to examine Feng Youlan’s views about the differences and similarities between Chinese and Greek philosophy, to show the role of Greek philosophy in his effort to establish the study of Chinese philosophical thought as a modern discipline. It starts with a discussion of how Feng argues for what he thinks to be the two major features of Chinese philosophy: (a) China is weak in metaphysics/epistemology, and (b) Chinese philosophy concentrates on the philosophy of life. It proceeds to examine to what extent they are really in contrast to Greek philosophy, and it ends up with a reconsideration of the relation of these two features.
Cycles and Sequences of the Eight Trigrams
Authors: Nielsen Bent
Published: March 2021

This article investigates the original Chinese sources for two circular trigram arrangements that have played a crucial role in numerology associated with the Book of Changes (the Yijing 《易 經》) since the Song dynasty (960–1279). While attempting to clarify the nature and the origins of these and related diagrams, recent secondary literature on topic is reviewed, especially the influential articles by Schuyler Cammann.
Tang Dynasty Aesthetic Criteria: Zhang Huaiguan’s Shuduan
Authors: Escande Yolaine
Published: March 2021

The Shuduan 《書斷》 (Judgments on Calligraphers) by Zhang Huaiguan of the Tang dynasty comprises classifications of calligraphy that Chinese theoreticians still refer to. This article aims at considering the functioning and efficacy of such evaluations through a study comparing this work to other treatises and, when relevant, to the European tradition. Its main objective is to examine how Chinese aesthetic theory responded to new evaluative needs that appeared during this crucial period in Chinese history. Thus, it seeks to clarify the nature of the criteria adopted by Zhang Huaiguan for his gradings: are they material, ideological, aesthetic, or of another nature?
《五行》經說分別為子思、孟子所作論: ——兼論郭店楚 簡《五行》篇出土的歷史意義
Authors: 來 陳
Published: March 2021

This article first of all reviews and evaluates the previous studies on the “Five Virtues” chapter (Wuxing Pian《五行篇》) of the Mawangdui Boshu 馬王堆帛書 (the Mawangdui Silk Manuscripts) since the text was excavated in 1973. Based on this effort, the present discussion points out and diagnoses the weaknesses existing in these early studies. Meanwhile, through examination of the newer research on the unearthed Guodian Zhujian 郭店竹簡 (the Guodian Bamboo Strips), the current writing proposes that the textual section (Jingbu〈經部〉) of the Wuxing was written by Zi Si 子思, and the commentary section of it was written by Meng Zi 孟子. Accordingly, the conclusion of this article comes to a suggestion that corresponds to the idea of Xun Zi 荀子who takes that Meng Zi is a follower and advocate of Zi Si, so-called “Zi Si chang zhi, Meng Ke he zhi.子思唱之, 孟軻和之。” (Zi Si starts to sing a song, while Meng Zi joins in it promptly.)
Rationality and Weakness of Will
Authors: Margolis Joseph
Published: March 2021

The paradoxes of akrasia are examined in some depth with attention to a number of well-known analyses, particularly those advanced by Donald Davidson and R.M. Hare.
Reflections on the Sequence of the First Three Books of the Mengzi
Authors: Van Ess Hans
Published: March 2021

This article argues that the Latter Han editor(s) of the Mengzi had a clear idea of which passages in the Mengzi should be at which place in the text. The sequence of the paragraphs may sometimes have been influenced by chronological considerations. However, more important than chronology was the logic of events told in the individual paragraphs of the Mengzi. The article retraces how the editor arranged paragraphs that probably circulated independently before the process of compilation.
Ideal Time and Utopian Space in the Chan Pivot Experience
Authors: Heine Steven
Published: March 2021

Chan Buddhist philosophy as expressed in the Blue Cliff Record and related gongan case commentarial literature is primarily based on the notion of the instantaneous pivot moment, in which a master creates a profound turnaround experience reflecting his own liberation so as to reveal the deficient tendencies of his dialogue partner in a way that leads both parties to enhance their spiritual awareness. What are the implications of the pivot experience for understanding the overall Chan view of time and space? From the standpoint of temporality, Chan emphasizes the unity of momentary experience and continuity unbound yet not oblivious to sequential limitations. In terms of spatiality, the Chan pivot is a universal experience but is realized in particular manifestations of natural phenomena as perceived by an awakened observer.
Hao Wang’s Logical Journey
Authors: Mar Gary R.
Published: March 2021

Hao Wang, a prolific philosopher and researcher, was known for his close intellectual friendship with Kurt Gödel, his advocacy for the study of logic at Oxford, and for his path-breaking contributions to logic and automated theorem proving. Yet in a memorial volume published sixteen years after Wang’s passing, the editors Charles Parsons and Montgomery Link noted “rather little has been published on Wang’s considerable body of work or on the man’s personality and unusual personal history.” The goal of this article is to see what light Wang’s logical journey in life sheds on Chinese philosophy and the Western analytic tradition.
Dogs Sleeping Inside Houses Less Frequently Exhibit Behaviors Commonly Associated with Separation Anxiety and Aggressiveness
Authors: Rossi Alexandre P. , dos Santos Cassia R. C. , Maia Caroline M. , Terzian Claudia C. B. , Predebon Deisy Fernanda , de Queiroz Juliana Sant’Ana C. , Bastos Marina Z. N. , Choinski Maurício , Melo de Assis Samantha R.
Published: March 2021

This study was used to evaluate whether the proximity of dogs to their human companions during sleep is associated with common problematic behaviors in canines, such as destroying objects, vocalizing excessively, urinating/defecating in inappropriate places (all when dogs are alone at home), and aggressive threats (growling or barking) and acts (biting) toward people. Over 60,000 dog keepers answered an online questionnaire that addressed where their dogs slept at night and the frequency with which they exhibited such behaviors. Except urinating/defecating in inappropriate places and biting people, other problematic behaviors were less frequent in dogs who slept inside the house. We conclude that dogs sleeping indoors (that is, closer to their keepers) less frequently exhibit aggressive threats and problematic behaviors that are commonly associated with separation anxiety.
Activism, Religious Studies, and Embodied Teaching in an Era of Rapid Climate Changes
Authors: LeVasseur Todd
Published: March 2021

This article presents 29 theses, in the lineage of Bruce Lincoln’s theses on method, to help those teaching religion and nature navigate what it is to do such teaching in the context of the Anthropocene and global warming. With these in place it provides a dialogue between the educational theories of Paulo Freire and Jonathan “JZ” Smith. This dialogue helps to reflect upon the role of activism in the religion and nature classroom, given the 29 theses. A critique of higher education’s inability to quickly adapt to new planetary biogeochemical baselines is the container within which the dialogue and theses are articulated.
Temporary Housing and Unsettled Population: Drivers of Urban Change in Early Modern Marseille and Rome
Authors: Canepari Eleonora
Published: March 2021

This paper argues that unsettled people, far from being “marginal” individuals, played a key role in shaping early modern cities. It does so by going beyond the traditional binary between rooted and unstable people. Specifically, the paper takes the temporary places of residence of this “unsettled” population – notably inns (garnis in France, osterie in Italy) – as a vantage point to observe social change in early modern cities. The case studies are two cities which shared a growing and highly mobile population in the early modern period: Rome and Marseille. In the first section, the paper focuses on two semi-rural neighborhoods. This is to assess the impact of mobility in shaping demographic, urbanistic, and economic patterns in these areas. Moving from the neighborhood as a whole to the individual buildings which composed it, the second section outlines the biographies of two inns: Rome’s osteria d’Acquataccio and Marseille’s hôtel des Deux mondes. In turn, this is to evaluate changes and continuities over a longer period of time.
Seeing Proof of Townsmen on the Move: Coats of Arms, Chivalric Badges, and Travel in the Later Middle Ages
Authors: Meer Marcus
Published: March 2021

In the later Middle Ages, traveling to sacred places and foreign courts promised honor, not least to residents of cities keen to advance their status within and beyond urban society. But the symbolic capital promised by travel had to be rendered recognizable. To this end, the inhabitants of German-speaking cities also relied on coats of arms and badges of chivalric orders, as this essay will show by looking at travel accounts, visual sources, and material remains. Analogous to noble customs, these signs were meant to record the presence of townsmen abroad and to commemorate their achievements as travelers once back in their hometowns. From town houses and church decorations to conspicuous dress, the urban space was filled with visual reminders of spatial mobility displayed for the purpose of social mobility. As it becomes clear that contemporaries were acutely aware of travelers’ ambitions, the heraldic and para-heraldic communication of travel emerges as a prominent and at times contested element of urban visual and material culture.
Afterword
Authors: Nevola Fabrizio
Published: March 2021

This afterword reflects on how the concept of mobility offers a valuable framework for the analysis of individuals and groups moving into and within early modern urban environments, of the privileged sites of encounter and exchange for such movements, and of the physical trajectories of particular objects as they traverse and connect urban spaces of encounter. Particular attention is given to the material life of objects and how these both enabled and reveal the mobilities of the people and places they interacted with. Illustrated by a few examples drawn from Siena (Italy) in the early modern era, this contribution suggests that mobility can be said to be defined by the triangulation between objects, people, and places, where one or more element is subject to movement.
Coronavirus Pandemic and Contractual Justice: Legal Solutions and Realistic Approaches: A Study in Qatari Civil Law and Comparative Practices
Authors: Abdullah Abdullah A.
Published: March 2021

This article examines challenges and proposes legal solutions for the enforcement of contracts especially after the transformation of the economy following Covid-19 and related governmental measures that have swept throughout the world since December 2019. Maximising the role of the judge and increasing the contractual parties’ involvement in phases of contractual disputes constitute the core of this research. This article argues for strengthening the contractual guarantees by advocating for the use of the two contract doctrines of force majeure that normally lead to termination of contractual obligations, and changed circumstances that may trigger intervention of the judge to lift the economic burden of the debtor and reach a fair solution. This article also argues for adopting a more flexible approach to the application of the doctrine of change of circumstances during the performance of the contract that not necessarily relies on this traditional distinction between force majeure and hardship.
The Excentric Film Project of Gotot Prakosa
Authors: Fagan Dylan M.
Published: March 2021

This article outlines the film practice of Gotot Prakosa (1955–2015), which he called film pinggiran (film of the edges, excentric film), and its relationships with the hegemony exerted by the Indonesian New Order government in the 1970s and 1980s. By examining Gotot’s film works and extensive reflections on film-making, this article elucidates the dual characteristic of film pinggiran as a spatial and theoretical principle that orientates an excentric drive in the production and circulation of film. The article suggests that the film practice realized both an analysis of, and contradiction to, New Order mass media infrastructures and superstructures, thus engendering an ideological strike on the reproduction of the hegemony of the New Order. Film pinggiran thus does not necessarily ‘push the boundary’ further away; instead, it makes the edge the manifest content itself.
Africa and the Decolonisation of State-Religion Policies
Authors: Ambani John Osogo
Published: March 2021

This volume in the Brill Research Perspectives in Comparative Discrimination Law addresses religion, the State and discrimination. The long history of state-religion interaction has yielded four main interface models: the religious state; the state with an established religion; the antireligious state; and the secular state. African states have drawn from these four models when struggling to manage state-religion relations. This volume argues that the African countries studied here, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda, apply the concept of state-secularism without having their triple heritage, which encompasses African religion, Islam and Christianity, in contemplation. This volume proposes that the best way to realise the full flowering of the triple heritage is to erect the three pillars of Charles Taylor’s definition of state-secularism, which in this case should entail i) the freedom to have and to manifest religious beliefs, ii) equal treatment of religion, and iii) and efforts toward an all-inclusive state identity.
Geranium aedonianum a new species of Geraniaceae from Ladakh, India

Authors: HURRAH IMTIYAZ AHMAD , WAGH VIJAY VISHNU
Published: March 2021

Geranium aedonianum sp. nov. collected from Panikhar village of Kargil district, Ladakh, India belonging to subg. Geranium, is described and illustrated. It differs from other closely allied species: Geranium collinum, G. himalayense and G. strictipes by the obtrullate-obtriangular leaf segments that are narrower at base and with fewer lobes, longer pedicels, staminal filament whitish having broad base tapering smoothly towards apex and glandular hairs along the margins on upper part and its longer fruits.
Geranium lucarinii sp. nov. and re-evaluation of G. kikianum (Geraniaceae)

Authors: WAGENSOMMER ROBERT PHILIPP , VENANZONI ROBERTO
Published: March 2021

Geranium lucarinii, a new species from central Italy (Umbria), is described. This species is morphologically closely related to G. macrorrhizum, from which it differs in some features regarding indumentum, leaves and calyx. The morphology, ecology, and conservation status of the new species are examined, as well as G. kikianum is re-evaluated, and an analytical key for the species belonging to Geranium sect. Unguiculata is provided.
Males and ephippial females of Oriental Chydoridae (Cladocera: Anomopoda) from Cat Tien National Park, South Vietnam
Authors: SINEV ARTEM Y. , SEMENYUK IRINA I.
Published: March 2021

Cladocera (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) of South-East Asia have been intensively investigated over the last decades, but males and ephippial females of many taxa remain unknown or poorly studied. Males and ephippial females of ten species of Chydoridae were collected by monthly sampling of eight water bodies during autumn-winter dry season in Сat Tien National Park, South Vietnam. Morphology of studied specimens is described and taxonomic status of studied species is discussed. Gamogenetic specimens were sparse in all studied taxa, contributing less than 8 % of the populations in samples. Gamogenetic specimens were found mostly during December–January, what suggests that daylight period is the main factor inducing a sexual reproduction in most studied species.
Description of a new soft scale insect of the genus Pulvinaria Targioni Tozzetti (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) from India
Authors: TALUKDER BIPRADEB , DAS BIJAN KUMAR
Published: March 2021

A new soft scale species (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae), Pulvinaria kalyaniensis Talukder & Das, sp. n., is described from specimens collected on twigs of Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (Meliaceae) from Kalyani, West Bengal, India. This new species is  similar to P. aligarhensis Avasthi & Shafee and P. ixorae Green, but can be distinguished by different character states of dorsal areolations, submarginal tubercles, dorsal tubular ducts, the number of prevulvar setae and the number of loculi in each multilocular pore. An updated identification key to the species of Pulvinaria Targioni Tozzetti found in India is provided.
M&As by Business Groups and Market Competition: A Study of Tata Steel
Authors: Saraswathy Beena
Published: March 2021

This article examines the involvement of business groups in consolidation activity. An important component of the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act was “the concentration of economic power in the hands of a few” which has been de-emphasized as per the amendment made in 1991. The new Competition Act mainly deals with the case-by-case analysis of market competition rather than ownership concentration. The competition regulation in its current form is mainly focusing on the concept of “economic efficiency” and not addressing the “social fairness” concept. The involvement of business groups in consolidation activities results in multiplier effects as they are already part of a diversified and well-structured umbrella of business with horizontal and vertical linkages. This article observes the active involvement of big business groups in mergers and acquisitions (M&As) activity across various product lines. Further, many such M&As are leading to capacity expansion not only in various overlapping products (i.e., horizontal linkages) but also in the vertical line of business, in which the affiliate firms of the group are engaged. This may be beneficial to the group as a whole since the cost of intermediary inputs supplied to various affiliate firms can be reduced. The study points to consider the “ownership and group effect” and the resulting synergy creation more carefully while assessing competition.
The Role of Competition Reforms in Unlocking International Trade: Evidence from Africa’s Proposed Tripartite Free Trade Area
Authors: Dube Cornelius
Published: March 2021

This study applies an econometric approach to estimate the impact of competition reform adoption and tightening on international trade, using Africa’s envisaged Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) as a case study. An index measuring the extent to which competition regimes have been tightened and enforced between 2001 and 2016 in the TFTA countries is constructed. A gravity model of international trade, based on generalized method of moments, is then estimated to establish how exports are influenced by this competition index measure after controlling for other traditional gravity model variables. The results show that increasing competition reforms by 1% is associated with an increase in bilateral exports into the TFTA by 0.16%. However, if competition reforms in the importing country increase by 1%, then an approximate decline in bilateral exports of 0.46% would result. This underlines the role of competition enforcement in enhancing national competitiveness.
Estimation of the Relative Abundance of Quartz to Clay Minerals Using the Visible–Near-Infrared–Shortwave-Infrared Spectral Region
Authors: Francos Nicolas , Notesco Gila , Ben-Dor Eyal
Published: March 2021

Quartz is the most abundant mineral on the earth’s surface. It is spectrally active in the longwave infrared (LWIR) region with no significant spectral features in the optical domain, i.e., visible–near-infrared–shortwave-infrared (Vis–NIR–SWIR) region. Several space agencies are planning to mount optical image spectrometers in space, with one of their missions being to map raw materials. However, these sensors are active across the optical region, making the spectral identification of quartz mineral problematic. This study demonstrates that indirect relationships between the optical and LWIR regions (where quartz is spectrally dominant) can be used to assess quartz content spectrally using solely the optical region. To achieve this, we made use of the legacy Israeli soil spectral library, which characterizes arid and semiarid soils through comprehensive chemical and mineral analyses along with spectral measurements across the Vis–NIR–SWIR region (reflectance) and LWIR region (emissivity). Recently, a Soil Quartz Clay Mineral Index (SQCMI) was developed using mineral-related emissivity features to determine the content of quartz, relative to clay minerals, in the soil. The SQCMI was highly and significantly correlated with the Vis–NIR–SWIR spectral region (R2 = 0.82, root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.01, ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) = 2.34), whereas direct estimation of the quartz content using a gradient-boosting algorithm against the Vis–NIR–SWIR region provided poor results (R2 = 0.45, RMSE = 15.63, RPD = 1.32). Moreover, estimation of the SQCMI value was even more accurate when only the 2000–2450 nm spectral range (atmospheric window) was used (R2 = 0.9, RMSE = 0.005, RPD = 1.95). These results suggest that reflectance data across the 2000–2450 nm spectral region can be used to estimate quartz content, relative to clay minerals in the soil satisfactorily using hyperspectral remote sensing means.
Health Care Policies and COVID-19 Prevalence: Is There Any Association?
Authors: Nejadghaderi Seyed A. , Saghazadeh Amene , Rezaei Nima
Published: March 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected almost all countries and territories. As of December 6, 2020, the United States of America and India have the highest prevalence. Each country has implemented different strategies to control and reduce the spread of disease. Here, the association between prevalence number and health policies is evaluated by comparing 2 groups of countries: (1) Italy, the United States of America, Germany, Spain, and India with a higher prevalence than a linear trend line; and (2) Singapore and China with a lower or equal prevalence than linear forecasts. A rapid overview revealed that many countries have similar strategies for controlling COVID-19, including the suspension of air travel, the lockdown on the cities with the most cases detected, active case findings, monitoring of close contacts, and raising public awareness. Also, they used a gradual and phased plan to reopen activities. So, the difference between countries in the burden of COVID-19 can be attributable to the strict mode and nonstrict mode of implementation of strategies. Limitations at the national levels call for systemic rather than regional strategies.
Sexual Identity and Birth Outcomes: A Focus on the Moderating Role of Race-ethnicity
Authors: Everett Bethany G. , Limburg Aubrey , Charlton Brittany M. , Downing Jae M. , Matthews Phoenix A.
Published: March 2021

Race-ethnic disparities in birth outcomes are well established, and new research suggests that there may also be important sexual identity disparities in birth weight and preterm birth. This study uses the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and is the first to examine disparities in birth outcomes at the intersection of race-ethnicity and sexual identity. We use ordinary least sqaures and logistic regression models with live births (n = 10,318) as the unit of analysis clustered on mother ID (n = 5,105), allowing us to adjust for preconception and pregnancy-specific perinatal risk factors as well as neighborhood characteristics. Results show a striking reversal in the effect of lesbian or bisexual identity on birth outcomes across race-ethnicities: For white women, a bisexual or lesbian identity is associated with better birth outcomes than their white heterosexual counterparts, but for Black and Latina women, it is associated with worse birth outcomes than their heterosexual peers.
Non-fragile quasi-synchronization of delayed heterogeneous dynamical networks with memory sampled-data control
Authors: Zhao Manyu , Wang Zhengxin , Ye Jun
Published: March 2021

This paper investigates the quasi-synchronization problem for a class of heterogeneous dynamical networks based on a non-fragile memory sampled-data controller. Considering the effect of controller gain fluctuation and communication delay, a sampled-data control scheme with norm-bounded uncertainty and a constant signal transmission delay is designed. By introducing a leader, the heterogeneous complex delayed networks can be transformed into the corresponding error systems with bounded disturbances. A sufficient criterion to ensure that the error system can be exponentially stable and converge to a bounded region is established by the Lyapunov-Krasovskii function approach. Based on the criterion, the sampled-data control gain matrix is designed. Finally, the numerical examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results in this paper.
Does Mask Usage Worsen Symptoms in Patients With Rhinosinusitis Balloon Sinuplasty Amid the COVID‐19 Pandemic?
Authors: Ramirez Arianna Victoria , Ojeaga Macaulay , Espinoza Victor , Hensler Blake , Honrubia Vincent
Published: March 2021

With the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic, social distancing guidelines have reshaped the way that we live our lives. Perhaps the most common and strictly adopted measure has been mask wearing. Mask wearing, whether it be cloth, surgical, or N95, has quickly become the new norm in the ongoing struggle against this pandemic and has been proven to be effective in curbing its high infection rate. There has, however, been growing opposition to these policies by a substantial part of the general population who claims that masks are ineffective and can worsen breathing. To some, the choice to use or not use a mask has morphed into a point of political contention, rather than a choice rooted in concerns for public health. This commentary attempts to investigate the validity of these claims and explore how clinicians can encourage the usage of masks despite the fears and confusion against them.
Associations between Lifetime Spanking/Slapping and Adolescent Physical and Mental Health and Behavioral Outcomes
Authors: Fortier Janique , Stewart-Tufescu Ashley , Salmon Samantha , MacMillan Harriet L. , Gonzalez Andrea , Kimber Melissa , Duncan Laura , Taillieu Tamara , Davila Isabel Garces , Struck Shannon , Afifi Tracie O.
Published: March 2021

Background:

Many parents use physical forms of punishment, including spanking to correct perceived misbehavior. While some authors suggest spanking/slapping is a distinct and “milder” form of physical punishment, parents’ use of spanking is consistently associated with poor outcomes for their children. However, less is known about the relationship between spanking/slapping and health and behavioral outcomes in adolescence independent of other childhood adversities.

Objectives:

The objectives of this study were to examine the associations between lifetime experiences of spanking on the bottom and/or slapping on the hand and 3 adolescent outcomes: (a) mental health disorders, (b) physical health conditions, and (c) defiant behaviors, after adjusting for other types of childhood adversities and child maltreatment.

Methods:

Cross-sectional data from the provincially representative 2014 Ontario Child Health Study ( N = 6,537 dwellings, response rate = 50.8%) were used. The current study focused on one selected child aged 14 to 17 years within a household ( n = 1,883) with data collected from the adolescent and the parent/caregiver. Logistic regression models were used to identify associations with lifetime experiences of spanking/slapping 3 or more times (vs. 0 to 2 times).

Results:

Lifetime spanking/slapping was independently associated with increased odds of mental health disorders, physical health conditions, and defiant behaviors in adolescence after adjusting for childhood adversities and child maltreatment (unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios ranging from 1.29 to 2.19).

Conclusions:

These findings suggest that lifetime spanking/slapping is uniquely associated with harmful mental, physical, and behavioral outcomes in adolescence, and efforts should focus on its prevention.
The Use of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and/or Transcranial Doppler as Non-Invasive Markers of Cerebral Perfusion in Adult Sepsis Patients With Delirium: A Systematic Review
Authors: Wood Michael D. , Boyd J. Gordon , Wood Nicole , Frank James , Girard Timothy D. , Ross-White Amanda , Chopra Akash , Foster Denise , Griesdale Donald. E. G.
Published: March 2021

Background:

Several studies have previously reported the presence of altered cerebral perfusion during sepsis. However, the role of non-invasive neuromonitoring, and the impact of altered cerebral perfusion, in sepsis patients with delirium remains unclear.

Methods:

We performed a systematic review of studies that used near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and/or transcranial Doppler (TCD) to assess adults (≥18 years) with sepsis and delirium. From study inception to July 28, 2020, we searched the following databases: Ovid MedLine, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science.

Results:

Of 1546 articles identified, 10 met our inclusion criteria. Although NIRS-derived regional cerebral oxygenation was consistently lower, this difference was only statistically significant in one study. TCD-derived cerebral blood flow velocity was inconsistent across studies. Importantly, both impaired cerebral autoregulation during sepsis and increased cerebrovascular resistance were associated with delirium during sepsis. However, the heterogeneity in NIRS and TCD devices, duration of recording (from 10 seconds to 72 hours), and delirium assessment methods (e.g., electronic medical records, confusion assessment method for the intensive care unit), precluded meta-analysis.

Conclusion:

The available literature demonstrates that cerebral perfusion disturbances may be associated with delirium in sepsis. However, future investigations will require consistent definitions of delirium, delirium assessment training, harmonized NIRS and TCD assessments (e.g., consistent measurement site and length of recording), as well as the quantification of secondary and tertiary variables (i.e., Cox, Mxa, MAPOPT), in order to fully assess the relationship between cerebral perfusion and delirium in patients with sepsis.
Development of a reverse-transcription recombinase polymerase amplification assay with a lateral flow assay for rapid detection of avian orthoavulavirus 1
Authors: Fan Jindai , Chen Wenxian , Zhang Yuanyuan , Liu Zhixiang , Li Xiaoming , Ding Hongxing , Yi Lin , Chen Jinding , Zhao Mingqiu
Published: March 2021

Newcastle disease is an avian infectious disease caused by avian orthoavulavirus 1, also known as Newcastle disease virus (NDV). This disease has caused significant economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. The rapid and simple detection of NDV infection is crucial to inform the appropriate control measures. We developed a reverse-transcription recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA) assay combined with a lateral flow assay (LFA) for NDV detection. The RPA assay can be completed at 37°C within 20 min, and the RPA result can be visualized by the LFA within 5 min. The NDV RT-RPA-LFA detected NDV specifically with no cross-reactivity with other pathogens. The detection limit of NDV cDNA with our RT-RPA-LFA was 3.34 × 10−3 ng/μL. Consequently, the RT-RPA-LFA showed good potential for the detection of NDV infection in the field, especially in resource-limited settings.
On the behavior of a ferrofluid-lubricated herringbone-grooved hybrid slot-entry bearing
Authors: Sharma Satish C , Sahu Krishnkant
Published: March 2021

The behavior of a slot-entry hybrid herringbone-grooved journal-bearing system lubricated with a ferrofluid lubricant has been numerically studied. The modified Reynolds equation of a ferrofluid bearing model based on the Stokes micro-continuum theory has been numerically solved by a finite-element method. A MATLAB code based on the Gauss–Seidel iteration scheme has been solved to numerically simulate the bearing performance. The simulated results reveal that the use of a ferrofluid lubricant provides enhanced values of lubricant film thickness, fluid film stiffness/damping coefficient, and better stability threshold speed.
Between a logic of disruption and a logic of continuation: Negotiating the legitimacy of algorithms used in automated clinical decision-making
Authors: Torenholt Rikke , Langstrup Henriette
Published: March 2021

In both popular and academic discussions of the use of algorithms in clinical practice, narratives often draw on the decisive potentialities of algorithms and come with the belief that algorithms will substantially transform healthcare. We suggest that this approach is associated with a logic of disruption. However, we argue that in clinical practice alongside this logic, another and less recognised logic exists, namely that of continuation: here the use of algorithms constitutes part of an established practice. Applying these logics as our analytical framing, we set out to explore how algorithms for clinical decision-making are enacted by political stakeholders, healthcare professionals, and patients, and in doing so, study how the legitimacy of delegating to an algorithm is negotiated and obtained. Empirically we draw on ethnographic fieldwork carried out in relation to attempts in Denmark to develop and implement Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO) tools – involving algorithmic sorting – in clinical practice. We follow the work within two disease areas: heart rehabilitation and breast cancer follow-up care. We show how at the political level, algorithms constitute tools for disrupting inefficient work and unsystematic patient involvement, whereas closer to the clinical practice, algorithms constitute a continuation of standardised and evidence-based diagnostic procedures and a continuation of the physicians’ expertise and authority. We argue that the co-existence of the two logics have implications as both provide a push towards the use of algorithms and how a logic of continuation may divert attention away from new issues introduced with automated digital decision-support systems.
Life Expectancy After Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Cirrhosis
Authors: Kwak Ji Hun , Shavelle Robert , Brooks Jordan
Published: March 2021

Background:

Hepatocelluar carcinoma, the most common primary liver cancer, has a historically dire prognosis. For hepatic cancer patients with cirrhosis who underwent liver transplantation, we sought to calculate life expectancies both at time of transplant and several years later, stratified by some key variables, and to determine if survival has improved in recent years.

Methods:

Data on 13,797 hepatic cancer patients with cirrhosis who underwent liver transplantation in the MELD era (2002-2018) from the US Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model and life table methods.

Results:

The major factors related to survival were age, donor age, transplant year, diabetes, functional status, and the presence of severe hepatic encephalopathy. Survival was significantly worse with increasing age and decreasing functional status level. There was no significant difference in survival between males and females. Survival improved over the study period, at 5% per calendar year during the first 5 years post transplant, and 1% per year thereafter.

Conclusions:

Life expectancies were markedly reduced from normal, even among 5-year survivors with the most favorable characteristics. Survival improved modestly over the years 2002-2018.
Interpreting Khmer Women’s Health
Authors: Wilks Mary-Collier
Published: March 2021

International nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) from the U.S. and Japan have a shared aim of improving women’s health yet implement very different programs in Cambodia. The author’s observations and interviews in Tokyo, Washington D.C., and Cambodia suggest that while NGO practitioners in Cambodia can adapt programming to better reflect the concerns of local stakeholders, they have less influence in defining what counts as success.