bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Water evaporation systems for the simultaneous generation of electricity and water desalination: a review
Authors: Wang Yongcheng , Ju Jingge , Zhu Wenju , Liu Yujing , Zhang Yan , Kang Weimin , Cheng Bowen
Published: August 2024

In recent years, people have been committed to obtaining clean water and electric energy through solar interface evaporation, a common phenomenon in nature.
Graphene oxide coated functional separators as efficient metal chloride blocking layers for chloride ion batteries
Authors: Zhang Chang , Sun Shijiao , Xue Kan-Hao , Miao Yingchun , Hu Xiulan , Zhao Xiangyu
Published: August 2024

A graphene oxide interlayer between the cathode and the separator could address the shuttle issue of metal chloride cathodes. The electrochemical performance of metal chloride cathodes was significantly enhanced.
Akupunktur bei einem Welpen mit Keratokonjunktivitis
sicca
Authors: Prokop Désirée
Published: August 2024

Akupunktur kann nicht nur bei Beschwerden des Bewegungsapparates, sondern auch
bei internistischen, ophthalmologischen und zahlreichen anderen Erkrankungen
eine Behandlungsmöglichkeit sein. Der folgende Artikel stellt anhand eines
Fallberichtes dar, wie Akupunktur als ganzheitliche Therapiemethode, bei einem
Welpen mit Keratokonjunktivitis sicca, erfolgreich eingesetzt wird.
Metakognitives Training bei Depression (D-MKT) für Arabisch
sprechende Patient*innen mit Fluchterfahrung: Kulturelle Adaptation und
Pilotierung
Authors: Alkailani Heba , Metzner Franka , Uhr Cornelia , Jelinek Lena , Dietrichkeit Mona , Pawils Silke
Published: August 2024

Ziel der Studie Trotz hohem Bedarf sind kulturell adaptatierte Therapien
für Arabisch sprechende geflüchtete Patient*innen mit Depression selten. Ziel
der Studie war, das Gruppenprogramm Metakognitives Training bei Depression
(D-MKT) für sie kulturell anzupassen und zu erproben.

Methodik Die kulturelle Adaptation des D-MKTs umfasste die Übersetzung und
Oberflächenadaptation sowie eine Expert*innendiskussion. Anschließend wurden in
einer unkontrollierten Pilotstudie mit n=11 geflüchtete Patient*innen die
Verständlichkeit, Akzeptanz und Durchführbarkeit des ambulant durchgeführten,
kulturell adaptierten D-MKTs (KA-D-MKT) geprüft.

Ergebnisse Die Expert*innen bewerteten 83% der Übersetzungen und 78% der
Abbildungen als unproblematisch hinsichtlich der Äquivalenz. Die Akzeptanz und
Durchführbarkeit der acht Module wurden überwiegend positiv bewertet.

Schlussfolgerung Das adaptierte Training weist aus Sicht der Patient*innen
eine hohe Akzeptanz und Verständlichkeit für den kultursensiblen,
Dolmetscher*innen-gestützten Einsatz auf.
Ofatumumab in der Behandlung der Multiplen Sklerose – Eine Übersicht
der präklinischen und klinischen Daten
Authors: Klehmet Juliane , Bopp Tobias
Published: August 2024

Hintergrund  B-Zell-gerichtete Therapien sind hochwirksam bei Multipler
Sklerose (MS). Die meisten dieser Therapien sind in langen Intervallen
intravenös zu applizieren. Seit 2021 ist aber auch Ofatumumab zur Behandlung der
MS zugelassen, ein Anti-CD20-Antikörper, der aufgrund hoher Affinität zur
Zielstruktur niedrig dosiert und monatlich subkutan verabreicht wird.

Methoden  Es wird eine Übersicht über aktuelle praxisrelevante
immunologische und klinische Daten zu Ofatumumab gegeben.

Ergebnisse  Die hohe Affinität von Ofatumumab zur Zielstruktur erlaubt
eine niedrige Dosierung in kleinem Volumen, wobei das Freisetzungs- und
Resorptionsverhalten nach subkutaner Applikation hohe Konzentrationen in den
Lymphknoten und eine graduelle B-Zell-Depletion ermöglicht. Ein schneller
Wirkeintritt ist ebenso gegeben wie eine B-Zell-Repletion innerhalb weniger
Monate bei Therapieabbruch. Langzeitdaten zeigen über bis zu vier Jahre stabile
IgG-Spiegel und eine nachhaltig hohe Wirksamkeit hinsichtlich Schubrate,
Progression und Kognition, wobei der Vorteil gegenüber Teriflunomid in den
klinischen Studien größer war, je früher die Therapie begonnen wurde. Ofatumumab
zeigt ein spezifisches B-Zell-Depletionsmuster. CD20-exprimierende
B-Zell-Vorläuferzellen im Knochenmark bleiben erhalten und damit auch die
Induzierbarkeit und Ausdifferenzierung von Plasmazellen. Die Ausbildung eines
humoralen immunologischen Gedächtnisses ist daher möglich.
Vierjahres-Studiendaten zeigten keine Auffälligkeiten in der Rate schwerer
Infektionen oder maligner Erkrankungen.

Schlussfolgerung  Ofatumumab ist eine innovative B-Zell-gerichtete
Therapie. Es ist hochwirksam bei guter Sicherheit und Verträglichkeit und gut
steuerbar bei erhaltener Immunkompetenz gegenüber Pathogenen.
Precision Psychiatry Approach to Treat Depression and Anxiety
Targeting the Stress Hormone System – V1b-antagonists as a Case in
Point
Authors: Holsboer Florian , Ising Marcus
Published: August 2024

The future of depression pharmacotherapy lies in a precision medicine approach
that recognizes that depression is a disease where different causalities drive
symptoms. That approach calls for a departure from current diagnostic
categories, which are broad enough to allow adherence to the “one-size-fits-all”
paradigm, which is complementary to the routine use of “broad-spectrum”
mono-amine antidepressants. Similar to oncology, narrowing the overinclusive
diagnostic window by implementing laboratory tests, which guide specifically
targeted treatments, will be a major step forward in overcoming the present drug
discovery crisis.

A substantial subgroup of patients presents with signs and symptoms of
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) overactivity. Therefore, this stress
hormone system was considered to offer worthwhile targets. Some promising
results emerged, but in sum, the results achieved by targeting corticosteroid
receptors were mixed.

More specific are non-peptidergic drugs that block stress-responsive
neuropeptides, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), and arginine vasopressin
(AVP) in the brain by antagonizing their cognate CRHR1-and V1b-receptors. If a
patientʼs depressive symptomatology is driven by overactive V1b-signaling then a
V1b-receptor antagonist should be first-line treatment. To identify the patient
having this V1b-receptor overactivity, a neuroendocrine test, the so-called
dex/CRH-test, was developed, which indicates central AVP release but is too
complicated to be routinely used. Therefore, this test was transformed into a
gene-based “near-patient” test that allows immediate identification if a
depressed patient’s symptomatology is driven by overactive V1b-receptor
signaling. We believe that this precision medicine approach will be the next
major innovation in the pharmacotherapy of depression.
Imaging Guidelines during Percutaneous Liver Ablation to Optimize Outcomes and Patient Safety
Authors: Hammett J. Tyler , Patel Milan N. , Odisio Bruno C. , Shah Ketan
Published: August 2024

Image-guided ablation procedures have become a mainstay in cancer therapy. Typically performed from a percutaneous approach, thermal-based ablation procedures rely heavily on imaging guidance both prior to and during the procedure itself. Advances in imaging as they relate to ablation procedures are as important to successful treatments as advancements in the ablation technology itself. Imaging as it relates to procedural planning, targeting and monitoring, and assessment of procedural endpoint is the focus of this article.
Imaging for Interventional Radiology Liver-Directed Therapies for Neuroendocrine Liver Metastases
Authors: Kumari Divya , Bruyn Elise de , Al-Qawasmi Faisal
Published: August 2024

Neuroendocrine tumors are an indolent, heterogeneous group of tumors that primarily arise from the gastropancreatic tract and lungs. Most patients present with liver metastases at the time of diagnosis, which cause significant morbidity and mortality due to excess hormone secretion, bile duct obstruction, and liver damage. A small percentage of these patients are eligible for potential cure through surgical resection. However, interventional radiology provides liver-directed therapies, such as percutaneous ablation, transarterial embolization, chemoembolization, and radioembolization, for palliative care and potential bridging to debulking and surgical resection of neuroendocrine liver metastases. This article aims to provide a brief overview of these liver-directed therapies focusing on the pre-, intra-, and postprocedural imaging findings.
Benign Thyroid Nodule Interventions: A Review and Imaging Considerations for the Interventional Radiologist
Authors: Park Tyler , Huber Timothy , Marchak Katherine , Hart James , Walker Lisa
Published: August 2024

Thyroid radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive procedure that can be used to treat patients with benign thyroid nodules and is a good alternative to thyroidectomy or radioactive iodine. Thyroid RFA is commonly performed with local lidocaine or minimal/moderate sedation and has a minimal risk profile and few side effects. The efficacy of thyroid RFA has been well documented in the literature, with a volume reduction rate of 67 to 75% at 1 year. Another emerging technique for nodule size reduction is thyroid artery embolization which is a minimally invasive procedure that may be performed in patients with nodular goiters, particularly with substernal thyroid nodule extension, and who are either poor surgical candidates or do not want surgery. This article reviews thyroid RFA, focusing on the relevant preprocedural, procedural, and postprocedural imaging, as well as a discussion on the emerging role of thyroid artery embolization.
Iodinated gadolinium-gold nanomaterial as a multimodal contrast agent for cartilage tissue imaging
Authors: Lu Cheng-Hsiu , Lian Wei-Shiung , Wu Re-Wen , Lin Yu-Han , Su Chia-Hao , Chen Chuan-Lin , Tai Ming-Hong , Chen Yu-Shan , Wang Shao-Yu , Chen Chao-Cheng , Wang Feng-Sheng
Published: August 2024

Cartilage damage, a common cause of osteoarthritis, requires medical imaging for accurate diagnosis of pathological changes. However, current instruments can acquire limited imaging information due to sensitivity and resolution issues. Therefore, multimodal imaging is considered an alternative strategy to provide valuable images and analyzes from different perspectives. Among all biomaterials, gold nanomaterials not only exhibit outstanding benefits as drug carriers, in vitro diagnostics, and radiosensitizers, but are also widely used as contrast agents, particularly for tumors. However, their potential for imaging cartilage damage is rarely discussed. In this study, we developed a versatile iodinated gadolinium-gold nanomaterial, AuNC@BSA-Gd-I, and its radiolabeled derivative, AuNC@BSA-Gd-131I, for cartilage detection. With its small size, negative charge, and multimodal capacities, the probe can penetrate damaged cartilage and be detected or visualized by computed tomography, MRI, IVIS, and gamma counter. Additionally, the multimodal imaging potential of AuNC@BSA-Gd-I was compared to current multifunctional gold nanomaterials containing similar components, including anionic AuNC@BSA, AuNC@BSA-I, and AuNC@BSA-Gd as well as cationic AuNC@CBSA. Due to their high atomic numbers and fluorescent emission, AuNC@BSA nanomaterials could provide fundamental multifunctionality for imaging. By further modifying AuNC@BSA with additional imaging materials, their application could be extended to various types of medical imaging instruments. Nonetheless, our findings showed that each of the current nanomaterials exhibited excellent abilities for imaging cartilage with their predominant imaging modalities, but their versatility was not comparable to that of AuNC@BSA-Gd-I. Thus, AuNC@BSA-Gd-I could be served as a valuable tool in multimodal imaging strategies for cartilage assessment.
Temperature dependent electrical resistance and mesoscopic electronic transport mechanisms on aerographite and single-walled carbon nanotube aerogel
Authors: Zhang Hao , Tian Jie , Liu Nana , Yan Qiao
Published: August 2024

We investigate temperature dependent electrical resistance properties of aerographite and single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) aerogel in the temperature range of 2–300 K by employing the four-probe method with magnetic field effects (in the range 0–9 T, in steps of 2 T). The current–voltage (I–V) curves were taken for several temperatures varying from 5 to 300 K, and the electrical resistance values of aerographite and SWCNT aerogel were decreased from 7.30 Ω (5 K, 0 T) to 4.88 Ω (300 K, 0 T) and 22.56 Ω (5 K, 0 T) to 0.99 Ω (300 K, 0 T) with temperature increases, respectively. Experimental results show that the electrical resistance falls exponentially as the temperature increases. Such temperature dependence of R(T) points to a form of tunneling conduction or hopping. Two mesoscopic mechanisms for electronic transport, fluctuation-induced tunneling conduction (FITC) and variable range hopping (VRH), are employed to explicate possible electrical conduction mechanisms occurring in aerographite and SWCNT aerogel, respectively. These mainly result in disorder-induced symmetry-breaking, which are modified by their structural symmetries and electronic band structures, both play important roles in temperature dependent electrical resistance properties of aerographite and SWCNT aerogel. Characteristic parameters (T0, T1, and R0) have been estimated using the morphology and the uncertainty principle for aerographite and the percolation theory for SWCNT aerogel. While the FITC mechanism captures a wide temperature range of data for aerographite, the VRH model provides an explanation for SWCNT aerogel. This study provides groundwork for further development of carbon aerogel systems with high conductivity in large-scale preparation.
Finite element method-based investigation of heat exchanger hydrodynamics: Effects of triangular vortex generator shape and size on flow characteristics
Authors: Alqahtani Sultan , Kaid Noureddine , Haque Mohammad Salman , Menni Younes
Published: August 2024

Heat exchangers (HEs) play a critical role in numerous industrial and engineering applications by facilitating efficient thermal energy transfer. In the pursuit of enhancing the performance of such systems, this study focuses on the hydrodynamic effects of two distinctive vortex generators (VGs) within a turbulent airflow channel, operating under steady-state conditions. Arranged in a staggered manner, the first vortex generator (VG) adopts a rectangular structure positioned in the upper section, while the second VG, triangular in shape, is situated on the opposing wall at varying heights, ranging from 40 to 80 mm in 10 mm increments. A further examination of the triangular VG includes two cases, one featuring an inclined front-face and the other showcasing an inclined rear-face. The turbulent airflow within the channel is accurately represented using the Newtonian fluid model and the standard k-epsilon turbulence model, while the governing equations are solved through the finite element method. A non-uniform mesh, consisting of triangular and square elements with a specific focus on refining the mesh near walls, is designed to capture boundary layer effects and effectively resolve intricacies in near-wall flow dynamics. The investigation unveils dynamic responses within the channel, characterized by notable flow distortions and prominent regions of recirculation, demonstrating the effectiveness of both rectangular and triangular VGs. Importantly, the analysis shows that tilting the triangular VG’s back-face notably improves the hydrodynamic structure of the HE channel, leading to enhanced recirculation cells and substantially increased performance. In particular, increasing the height of triangular VGs significantly enhances flow velocity within the channel. For instance, the axial velocity increased by 33.8% when the VG height was raised from 40 to 80 mm in the first triangular case, while an increase of about 37.9% was observed in the second triangular case at the lowest inlet velocity of 7.8 m/s. In addition, triangular VGs with an inclined back-surface achieved higher axial velocities compared to those with an inclined front-surface, with a 13.5% increase at the smallest height and a 17.0% increase at the maximum height. Furthermore, increasing the inlet velocity to 9.8 m/s resulted in a 17.1% higher axial velocity in the second model, reaching 55.4 m/s compared to 47.3 m/s in the first model. These findings underscore the importance of optimizing the triangular VG shape, height, and inlet conditions to maximize the hydrodynamic performance of HE systems, leading to potential energy savings and improved efficiency.
Feature analysis and recognition of fiber breakage AE signals after propagation
Authors: Chen Xuejiao , Tong Xiaoyan , Yao Leijiang , Li Bin
Published: August 2024

Acoustic emission (AE) is a non-destructive testing technique, and establishing correlations between AE signals and material damage modes is one of its primary challenges. However, it is difficult to identify damage modes in ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) due to AE signal attenuation occurring after propagation and complex damage modes. In this study, AE signals generated by the breakage of C and SiC fibers were monitored at different distances and angles on the C/SiC plate. The attenuation of energy and the frequency spectra were analyzed. The Mel-frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC) method was used to analyze the waveform data of AE signals and extract MFCC features. To identify the damage caused by C and SiC fiber breakage, AE parameter features and MFCC features were selected as inputs, and a fully connected neural network was constructed to train a supervised pattern recognition model. The results show that the MFCC feature has higher recognition accuracy than the traditional feature when AE is used for damage identification.
Phylogenetic evidence clarifies the history of the extrusion of Indochina
Authors: Li Xiao-Qian , Peng Huan-Wen , Xiang Kun-Li , Xiang Xiao-Guo , Jabbour Florian , Ortiz Rosa del C. , Soltis Pamela S. , Soltis Douglas E. , Wang Wei
Published: August 2024

The southeastward extrusion of Indochina along the Ailao Shan–Red River shear zone (ARSZ) is one of two of the most prominent consequences of the India–Asia collision. This plate-scale extrusion has greatly changed Southeast Asian topography and drainage patterns and effected regional climate and biotic evolution. However, little is known about how Indochina was extruded toward the southeast over time. Here, we sampled 42 plant and animal clades (together encompassing 1,721 species) that are distributed across the ARSZ and are not expected to disperse across long distances. We first assess the possible role of climate on driving the phylogenetic separations observed across the ARSZ. We then investigate the temporal dynamics of the extrusion of Indochina through a multitaxon analysis. We show that the lineage divergences across the ARSZ were most likely associated with the Indochinese extrusion rather than climatic events. The lineage divergences began at ~53 Ma and increased sharply ~35 Ma, with two peaks at ~19 Ma and ~7 Ma, and one valley at ~13 Ma. Our results suggest a two-phase model for the extrusion of Indochina, and in each phase, the extrusion was subject to periods of acceleration and decrease, in agreement with the changes of the India–Asia convergence rate and angle from the early Eocene to the late Miocene. This study highlights that a multitaxon analysis can illuminate the timing of subtle historical events that may be difficult for geological data to pinpoint and can be used to explore other tectonic events.
Is gender primacy universal?
Authors: Martin Ashley E. , Guevara Beltran Diego , Koster Jeremy , Tracy Jessica L.
Published: August 2024

Emerging evidence suggests that gender is a defining feature of personhood. Studies show that gender is the primary social category individuals use to perceive humanness and the social category most strongly related to seeing someone—or something—as human. However, the universality of gender’s primacy in social perception and its precedence over other social categories like race and age have been debated. We examined the primacy of gender perception in the Mayangna community of Nicaragua, a population with minimal exposure to Western influences, to test whether the primacy of gender categorization in humanization is more likely to be a culturally specific construct or a cross-cultural and potentially universal phenomenon. Consistent with findings from North American populations [A. E. Martin, M. F. Mason,
J. Pers. Soc. Psychol.
123, 292–315 (2022)], the Mayangna ascribed gender to nonhuman objects more strongly than any other social category—including age, race, sexual orientation, disability, and religion—and gender was the only social category that uniquely predicted perceived humanness (i.e., the extent to which a nonhuman entity was seen as “human”). This pattern persisted even in the most isolated subgroup of the sample, who had no exposure to Western culture or media. The present results thus suggest that gender’s primacy in social cognition is a widely generalizable, and potentially universal, phenomenon.
How auditory neurons count temporal intervals and decode information
Authors: Alluri Rishi K. , Rose Gary J. , McDowell Jamie , Mukhopadhyay Anwesha , Leary Christopher J. , Graham Jalina A. , Vasquez-Opazo Gustavo A.
Published: August 2024

The numerical sense of animals includes identifying the numerosity of a sequence of events that occur with specific intervals, e.g., notes in a call or bar of music. Across nervous systems, the temporal patterning of spikes can code these events, but how this information is decoded (counted) remains elusive. In the anuran auditory system, temporal information of this type is decoded in the midbrain, where “interval-counting” neurons spike only after at least a threshold number of sound pulses have occurred with specific timing. We show that this decoding process, i.e., interval counting, arises from integrating phasic, onset-type and offset inhibition with excitation that augments across successive intervals, possibly due to a progressive decrease in “shunting” effects of inhibition. Because these physiological properties are ubiquitous within and across central nervous systems, interval counting may be a general mechanism for decoding diverse information coded/encoded in temporal patterns of spikes, including “bursts,” and estimating elapsed time.
A siliceous arms race in pelagic plankton
Authors: Ryderheim Fredrik , Olesen Jørgen , Kiørboe Thomas
Published: August 2024

Coevolution between predator and prey plays a central role in shaping the pelagic realm and may have significant implications for marine ecosystems and nutrient cycling dynamics. The siliceous diatom frustule is often assumed to have coevolved with the silica-lined teeth of copepods, but empirical evidence of how this relationship drives natural selection and evolution is still lacking. Here, we show that feeding on diatoms causes significant wear and tear on copepod teeth and that this leads to copepods becoming selective feeders. Teeth from copepods feeding on thick-shelled diatoms were more likely to be broken or cracked than those feeding on a dinoflagellate. When fed a large diatom, all analyzed teeth had visible wear. Our results underscore the importance of the predator–prey arms race as a driving force in planktonic evolution and diversity.
Up-conversion luminescence and energy transfer of Tm3+-Yb3+ co-doped NaLaSiO4 crystalline phase glass-ceramics
Authors: Zhang Guodong , Zhang Hongbo
Published: August 2024

In recent years, up-conversion luminescence has attracted much attention due to its wide range of applications, and the choice of host material often determines the luminescence properties. Despite the remarkable scientific and technological development of glass-ceramics in the last decades, research on up-conversion luminescence in silicate glass-ceramics still needs to be further developed. In this research work, glass ceramics with NaLaSiO4 crystalline phase were successfully precipitated in precursor glass co-doped with Tm3+-Yb3+. The transmittance of glass-ceramics was about 73% in the visible range. Efficient up-conversion of Tm3+ with blue emission was achieved by adjusting the concentration of Yb3+ under pumping at 980 nm. The optimal concentration of Yb3+ was 0.7%, above which a concentration burst occurred. The chromaticity coordinates at the optimum luminous intensity are (0.1101, 0.1495), which are located in the blue region. The research work suggests that this glass-ceramic has potential as a blue solid-state laser.
Multi-targeting optimization of cladding process parameters based on NSGA-II algorithm and entropy weight method
Authors: Wang Xinyang
Published: August 2024

Laser cladding is a new technology that can be used in the field of manufacturing and surface modification. The parameters of cladding 316L powder on 45 steel are studied by designing orthogonal experiments. Three optimal variables including laser power, scanning speed and cladding height are established. The mathematical model of target response with coating width, height and cladding area as indexes is constructed. Based on the Pareto set of NSGA-II, the optimal process parameters are found. The optimal solution on the Pareto front is obtained by the entropy weight method and data normalization. According to the results, when the laser power is 1607.0079 W, the scanning speed is 6.0033 mm/min, and the cladding height is 11.9961 mm, the optimized predicted cladding width is 1.3776 mm, the cladding height is 0.1847 mm, and the cladding area is 2.2907 mm2.
Reliability prediction model of bolted connection based on uncertainty
Authors: Niu Nana , Zhao Yongsheng , Zhang Caixia
Published: August 2024

During the service of bolts, their preload exhibits a random decreasing trend due to external loads, affecting contact stiffness and connection reliability. System uncertainties can also lead to preload variations within the same group of bolts. In this paper, we use the Wiener process to model this preload decrease, incorporating drift and wave coefficients to capture temporal variability and system uncertainty. This approach accounts for monotonic preload reduction and random fluctuations, enabling accurate calculations. By integrating the time-varying preload uncertainty into the bolted structure’s contact stiffness model, we establish a limit state function for structural failure and assess the reliability of the bolted connection over time.
Influence law of different rotational speed ratios on vertical double drive rolling accuracy of large cone
Authors: Song Yanli , Shen Changrui , Wang Xuchu , Wu Kai , Su Jianjun
Published: August 2024

In the international context of increasing tension over fossil energy, hydrogen energy has an important strategic position in the global energy structure due to its advantages of renewable, pollution-free, and high combustion efficiency. As a core component of heavy-duty chemical equipment such as hydrogen storage and hydrogen production, large cones are difficult to manufacture, and the molding accuracy is difficult to guarantee. This paper takes the vertical double-drive rolling process of large cones as the research object and reveals the influence law of different speed ratios on the axial precision error of large cones, suggesting that the axial tilt is minimized when the inner and outer speeds of the intermediate section are kept the same.
Electoral Commissions and Democratization in Africa
Authors: Kerr Nicholas
Published: August 2024

Why do some countries hold elections that meet global democratic standards, while other countries do not? Electoral Commissions and Democratization in Africa makes a novel contribution to this question. In a departure from the typical story about the ‘boring’ administrative tasks that electoral commissions carry out and their impact on international observers’ assessments of election quality, the book’s core argument is that electoral commissions provide valuable information that helps politicians and citizens resolve uncertainties about electoral fraud and administrative irregularities. Whereas previous research focuses on the institutional design of electoral commissions, this book privileges their actual performance and focuses on two attributes: autonomy and capacity. By serving an informational role, the autonomy and capacity of electoral commissions influences how citizens and elites think about and behave during elections. This includes whether political elites and citizens participate in elections, engage in electoral fraud and violence, accept electoral outcomes, and express confidence in elections. These attitudes and behaviours, in turn, influence whether elections meet democratic standards (election quality) and whether political elites and citizens regard election processes as acceptable (election legitimacy). This book brings together evidence from public opinion surveys, elite surveys, field research, and cross-national databases to give an unusually rich empirical exploration of the dynamics of elections and democracy in sub-Saharan Africa since the 1990s, with a focused case study of Nigeria. This book will be appealing to scholars and policymakers interested in democratization and elections.
Introduction
Authors: Kerr Nicholas
Published: August 2024

This chapter introduces the book’s main argument, academic contributions, and research methods. It starts with a comparison of electoral commissions (ECs) in Kenya and Ghana during the elections of 2007/8 to emphasize the underappreciated role of ECs for understanding election quality. It argues that ECs shape the quality and legitimacy of elections by providing information that elites and non-elites use to guide their electoral behaviour and attitudes. It proposes a theoretical framework that distinguishes the main EC attributes (autonomy and capacity), specifies how elites and citizens learn from these attributes to structure their attitudes and behaviour, and explores their implications for the quality and legitimacy of elections and democracy. The chapter also discusses the book’s contributions to scholarly debates related to electoral administration, institutional approaches, and democratization. Then, it outlines the main methodological approach that combines cross-national analyses with a case study of Nigeria.
Electoral Commissions and African Elites
Authors: Kerr Nicholas
Published: August 2024

Chapter 4 is the first of two chapters that empirically examine the book’s core theoretical expectations concerning political elites. Specifically, this chapter relies on longitudinal and cross-national linear regression analyses to understand whether, and under what conditions, electoral commission (EC) autonomy and capacity (the main independent variables) influence opposition parties’ decisions to boycott elections and challenge electoral outcomes (the main dependent variables). The chapter’s findings indicate that when ECs display high levels of autonomy in the pre-election period, opposition boycotts are less likely to occur. Further, losing parties base their decisions to comply with electoral outcomes, following an election, primarily on the capacity of ECs, including the existence of adequate voter registration, smooth election operations, and a prompt results announcement system. Chapter 4 reminds readers that political elites care about EC autonomy and capacity but the relevance of these attributes varies between pre- and post-election periods.
Electoral Commissions and Nigerian Elites
Authors: Kerr Nicholas
Published: August 2024

Chapter 5 examines the consequences of electoral commission (EC) autonomy and capacity on the election-related attitudes and behaviour of political elites in Nigeria. The chapter fills the gaps in our understanding of how elites formulate their attitudes towards ECs and the quality of elections by leveraging an original post-election survey of parliamentary candidates who participated in Nigeria’s 2019 elections. The chapter’s statistical analyses indicate that parliamentary candidates’ trust in Nigeria’s main EC (the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)), their perceptions of election quality, and losing candidates’ compliance with election outcomes depend crucially on the perceived autonomy of INEC senior staff in their respective states and constituencies, as well as the capacity of electronic voter-identification machines in their constituencies on election day. The chapter’s findings reinforce the importance of assessing the local dimensions of election administration and the salience of election technology to understand elites’ trust in elections.
Electoral Commissions and African Voters
Authors: Kerr Nicholas
Published: August 2024

Chapter 6 tests the implications of the book’s theory for citizens. Chapter 6 considers whether electoral commission (EC) autonomy and capacity (measured using Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) data) can explain cross-national variation in citizens’ trust in ECs, their perceptions of election quality, and reported turnout in elections (measured using Afrobarometer data). The findings from multilevel regression analyses indicate that trust in ECs and perceptions of election quality are higher in countries where ECs possess high autonomy and capacity, but EC capacity is most impactful. Furthermore, opposition supporters and politically aware citizens are more responsive to EC autonomy and capacity when forming their attitudes towards ECs and elections than their counterparts. The results also indicate that mass turnout is correlated with EC autonomy and capacity, especially in regimes with moderate to high levels of democracy. The chapter reminds us that citizens are also capable of taking cues from ECs when making their strategic considerations of elections.
The Aftermath of Battle
Authors: Atherton Ian
Published: August 2024

Scholars typically lose interest in a battlefield as soon as the outcome is clear and the killing ends. But any army had a series of post-battle rituals which, though ignored by historians, are key to understating both the meaning of the battle for contemporaries and the memories of the battle for later ages. These post-bellum customs included dealing with the wounded and prisoners, clearing the field, burying the dead, and celebrating the victory. This chapter looks at these rituals are both part of the aftermath of a battle and as key determinants of the memory and commemoration of conflict in later ages.
Burial and the Battlefield War Memorial in the Late Middle Ages
Authors: Atherton Ian
Published: August 2024

At the heart of late medieval post-bellum practices was the burial of the dead, by which a battlefield became sacred ground. Commonly, the battlefield would then be marked by the erection of some form of structure such as a cross or a battlefield chapel, or by endowing a chantry chapel adjacent to the battlefield for the souls of all the dead. The chapter analyses these practices at a number of late medieval battle sites, but uses the battle of Neville’s Cross (1346) as a case study: there, two crosses were erected on the battlefield, while the neighbouring Durham Cathedral became a noted site of battle memory, with captured flags and relics gifted to the shrine of St Cuthbert (whose intervention was credited for the English victory over the Scots). Many battlefields, including Neville’s Cross, Towton (1461), and Bosworth (1485) became managed sites of memory.
The Nineteenth-Century Invention of the Modern Battlefield
Authors: Atherton Ian
Published: August 2024

Many of the traits associated with the modern battlefield, its commemoration and the tourism associated with it, are first seen not (as scholars often assume) at Gettysburg (1863) in an American context or in the First World War (1914–18) in a European one, but at Waterloo (1815). The first monument to name all the dead, not just officers, was erected there in the 1820s, by which time a thriving industry of battlefield visiting, alongside the erection of battlefield memorials, a trade in relics, the hiring of guides, and the establishment of a museum, were well under way. All the paraphernalia of the battlefield as tourist and heritage site, had been created. These were the product not of industrialized mass slaughter, but of changes in attitudes to ordinary soldiers. The development of these practices is analysed at a range of battlefields, including those of the Crimean War (1853–6).
Conclusion
Authors: Atherton Ian
Published: August 2024

The book concludes with an examination of the foundation of the National Memorial Arboretum in 2001 to evaluate the relationship between memory and place that lies at the heart of the book, arguing that the Arboretum has become a proxy battle site, displaying many of the characteristics of a War Graves cemetery. The chapter discusses the ways that changes in the nature of modern and future wars have and will shape the ways in which conflict is remembered and memorialized, notably the expansion of the battlefield and the shift of conflict into cyberspace, the growth of civilian casualties, and the possibility of wars fought by unmanned vehicles, drones, and artificial intelligence. What will be the limits of the present drive to remember the fallen, and what will be the purpose of names and memorials in future conflict? How will current memory agents have to adapt their practices for future warfare?
Universal Love
Authors: Swanton Christine
Published: August 2024

For some (e.g. Fromm and Buber) universal love has foundational status in an ethical tradition of love. However the concept is often thought incoherent or ethically suspect. If the latter, universal love even if coherent as a concept of love cannot be a virtuous form of love. I consider and defend universal love against six objections of these two broad types, namely: universal love cannot be both particularist and universal: the very concept is incoherent; if universal love is genuinely universal it is aggregative; if universal love is genuinely universal it is undifferentiated and cannot be love; universal love is overly demanding; universal love is subject to the ‘Moral Sainthood’ objection; universal love is implausible as a virtue.
The Role of Human Agency in Entrepreneurship
Authors: Hmieleski Keith M.
Published: August 2024

Human agency stands as a foundational element of entrepreneurship, embodying individuals’ proactive ability to shape their destinies, innovate, and navigate the complexities of new venture creation and development. Rooted in social cognitive theory, this concept underscores the interactive interplay between personal characteristics, behaviors, and environmental influences in driving entrepreneurial endeavors. Within this framework, agentic personal characteristics, comprising both socially admired attributes (e.g., entrepreneurial self-efficacy, dispositional positive affect, grit, and locus of control) and socially deviant features (e.g., narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy) provide the motivational force and resilience needed to tackle entrepreneurial endeavors. These personal characteristics are associated with engagement in a range of agentic behaviors (e.g., improvisation, transformational leadership, learning, and personal initiative) that embody entrepreneurial action exhibited by business founders as they work to effectively shape and adapt their ventures. Situational factors (e.g., institutional forces, political barriers, and industry-specific dynamics), in turn, can positively or negatively impact the expression of agentic personal characteristics and behaviors. Thus, understanding human agency in entrepreneurship necessitates a holistic examination of the intertwined dynamics between personal characteristics, behaviors, and contextual factors. Despite significant strides in comprehending human agency in entrepreneurship, numerous avenues for exploration remain. These include investigating gender disparities in agentic versus communal orientations among entrepreneurs, the impacts of artificial intelligence on entrepreneurial agency, trajectories of entrepreneurial agency over time, strategies for fostering collective agency in new venture teams, and exploring the darker (or unproductive) aspects of entrepreneurial agency. Developing a deeper understanding of human agency in the realm of entrepreneurship not only enriches the comprehension of the new venture creation and development process but also lays the groundwork for crafting more impactful strategies, policies, interventions, and educational initiatives to cultivate and leverage the full potential of business founders and their ventures.
(Re)Visiting the Potentials and Limitations of New Media as Tools for Resistance Among Arab Diasporas
Authors: Khamis Sahar
Published: August 2024

When the Arab Spring uprisings erupted in 2011, the high hopes for democratization and reform were accompanied by an equally high degree of confidence in the liberating potentials of new media. These new media, especially social media, were perceived as viable alternatives to state-controlled mainstream media, excellent tools for resisting autocratic regimes, and unmatched platforms for amplifying marginalized voices.

However, over a decade later, just like the Arab Spring uprisings took unexpected detours, resulting in far-from-ideal outcomes in the so-called post-Arab Spring countries, there were equally disheartening reversals in the role of social media from tools for liberation in the hands of freedom fighters to tools for repression in the hands of autocratic regimes. This raised many questions over the validity and effectiveness of new media and their democratizing potentials, thus necessitating a careful scrutiny and reassessment of their shifting roles.

This qualitative study relied on in-person and virtual in-depth interviews with ten activists, journalists, and artists living in the diaspora from three Arab countries—Egypt, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia—to investigate the deployment of new tools of communication by Arab diasporic communities to resist their autocratic regimes at home. The study pays special attention to the various potentials and limitations of this complex phenomenon and its varied implications.

Providing examples from these three Arab resistance communities in the diaspora, this article illustrates the similarities and differences, and the overlaps and divergences, in their deployment of social media tools in the domains of political and social activism and resistance.

It examines how diasporic Arab communities contributed to the struggles against their dictatorial regimes through deploying new communication technologies to disrupt, expose, and resist authoritarianisms back home. It also explains why, and how, some of these efforts and techniques have been more successful than others in achieving these goals.

Moreover, through the voices and experiences of these Arab diasporic dissidents, the potentials, limitations, and future prospects of “cyberactivism” will be explored.
European Merchants in Colonial India
Authors: Aldous Michael
Published: August 2024

European commercial engagement with India stretches back to antiquity; however, the establishment of direct sea routes in the 16th century saw Indo-European trade expand rapidly. Triggered by growing trade, European merchants undertook a series of innovations in the ownership and organization of their operations. Merchants responded to, and shaped, innovations in transportation and communication, changes in institutional and political environments in both Europe and India, and the growth of new industries. These innovations enabled significant expansion of European mercantile interests in India, which fueled colonial ambitions, and ultimately led to British colonial control.
Policy and Practice of Forced Labor in the Congo Free State and the Belgian Congo
Authors: Seibert Julia
Published: August 2024

In the collective memory, forced labor in Belgian colonial history is directly linked to the rubber boom in the era of the Congo Free State. In fact, the labor regime established in the Congo Basin between 1890 and 1904 was characterized by the extreme exploitation of human labor in the context of harvesting rubber. International criticism of the atrocities in the Congo led Belgium to annex the Congo Free State, which had been under the administration of the Belgian King Leopold II since its foundation in 1885. This annexation was, therefore, interpreted as a clear rupture with the practices of forced labor. Indeed, in 1908, Belgian officials tried to introduce a new concept of exploitation (mise en valeur) in the now state-controlled colony. In 1908, they passed a series of laws that enabled the administration to regulate the colonial economy. This included, in particular, the abolition of forced labor for private companies, the introduction of taxes on the African population and a new legal basis for employment contracts. However, the end of the Congo Free State did not mean the abolition of forced labor in the Belgian colony, as the attempt by Belgian politicians, bureaucrats, entrepreneurs, and missionaries to abolish the use of coercion in employment relationships was ultimately unsuccessful. “Free” wage employment relationships only became established very slowly, and, in many places in the colony, the free labor market was not fully developed until the country’s independence in 1960. Violence was repeatedly used to suppress worker resistance and overcome the reluctance of the local population to work by forcing the local population to sell their labor for wages.

The history of forced labor in the Congo is, therefore, also a history of unintended consequences. For example, the attempt by Belgian politicians, bureaucrats and entrepreneurs in 1908 to overcome coercion in colonial labor relations led to increased violence against the local population, and a social and economic consequence of this development was the slow implementation of wage labor. The history of this mobilization—which on the eve of independence in 1960 had led to the integration into the colonial economy of 1,182,871 men as wage laborers, and 874,000 Congolese households as producers of cotton and other cash crops—shows how central coercion and violence were to the economy of the Belgian colony.