bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Availability of Employing Biomass Resources From Forest Residues for Bioenergy Production in Ethiopia
Authors: Alemu Tewabech , Feleke Sisay , Sugebo Berhanu , Tsegaye Mahelete , Jebeso Gemechu , Tantu Tegene , Mengist Mulatu , Tolessa Amsalu
Published: October 2024

The urgency of addressing environmental challenges has become more apparent than ever in recent years. Using existing renewable resources and reducing environmental impacts is critical for boosting economic growth and sustainable development. Ethiopia has limited access to modern bioenergy because of insufficient biomass data and policy gaps. This study estimated the theoretical potential of forest residue biomass resources for modern bioenergy production in Ethiopia. A combination of forest statistics data, publicly available data, literature models, and standard procedures was utilized. Ethiopia generates approximately 16.4 million dry tons of recoverable forest residue biomass each year. This indicates that the theoretical energy potential of forest residue available in Ethiopia is about 1.8–4.93 billion liters of ethanol each year, equivalent to 172%–469% of the country’s gasoline consumption. Alternatively, the same amount of residue could generate 1.23–3.29 billion liters of biodiesel (biomass to Fischer–Tropsch) each year, accounting for 40%–107% of the country’s biodiesel consumption. The theoretical estimations also show that the recoverable forest residues have the potential to produce about 12.7–34 TWh of electricity. This could significantly improve remote rural household electrification while decreasing the country’s reliance on fuel wood biomass for traditional biofuels by 26%. The findings indicate that generating modern bioenergy from forest biomass residue has the potential to contribute to Ethiopia’s energy mix, boost rural power access, and open new avenues for socioeconomic development. Finally, it can be concluded that the study findings reported in this study are useful to energy professionals, researchers, and policymakers interested in biomass fuel.
Factors Impeding Learning at Various Stages of Simulation Training as Experienced by Nursing Students
Authors: Bae Mi-Jeong , Shin Nah-Mee
Published: October 2024

Aim: To identify the learning barriers, nursing students encounter throughout distinct stages of simulation‐based education.

Design: Qualitative study exploring learning barriers in simulation training.

Methods: Data were collected through interviews with 13 fourth‐year nursing students at Dongnam Health University, divided into four groups. These students had prior simulation experience with a variety of medical scenarios, including shortness of breath, chest pain, preterm labor, postoperative pain management, and neonatal care. Interviews were conducted using a semistructured format and lasted approximately one hour per group. We then used content analysis to identify primary and secondary themes.

Results: Three main themes and 13 subthemes were identified, highlighting learning challenges across different stages of simulation training: limitations in integrating theoretical foundations during the prebriefing phase, the impact of psychological stress on clinical reasoning abilities during the scenario phase, and constraints in reflective thinking during the debriefing phase.

Conclusion: This paper highlights significant learning obstacles across the simulation training process and advocates for targeted educational strategies to overcome these barriers. Specific recommendations include implementing additional measures to enhance student immersion, ensuring psychological safety, and enhancing debriefing sessions to encourage reflective thinking.

Implications: This paper emphasizes the need for immersive and realistic training in nursing education. It suggests enhancements in applying theoretical knowledge, managing stress‐induced clinical reasoning, and fostering reflective thinking to better prepare students for clinical realities. It also acknowledges that the sample size may limit generalizability and recommends further studies with larger cohorts.

Impact: This study aims to better prepare nursing students for the complexities of clinical practice by emphasizing the development of holistic patient care and adaptive problem‐solving skills. The research implications suggest a potential transformation in nursing education and practice, aiming to improve healthcare outcomes.
A New Bimodal Growth Speed Model With Application in Multiwave Epidemic Simulations
Authors: Sabzpoushan S. H. , Nozadmakvandi D.
Published: October 2024

An epidemic can cause enormous damage through financial and economic losses in addition to impaired health and loss of life. Good epidemic models can provide insights into ongoing waves that may facilitate public health responses and other readiness. Epidemic systems can undergo or consist of more than two driving forces; actually, they involve several. This paper deals with the modeling epidemics with two wave dynamics. We present a mathematical model with three driving forces, which is more compatible with the biology of the epidemic than conventional bilogistic and bi‐Richards ones, which have two driving forces. Simulation results show that our proposed model can predict turning points (waves) and cumulative case numbers during the two waves of epidemics satisfactorily. As a sample examination of our proposed model against real data, we show that the second phase of a typical epidemic can be detected by using less case data past the beginning of the epidemic than the bi‐Richards model.
Optimization of a Novel–Enriched Pasta Production and Its Physical, Chemical, and Characteristic Properties
Authors: Yilmaz Merve Silanur , Kutlu Naciye , Sakiyan Ozge , Isci Asli
Published: October 2024

The aim of the study is to enrich pasta with cornelian cherry powder, a product with high bioactive contents. In this way, it was aimed to obtain a new product that is more nutritionally advanced and can contribute to the country’s economy. In this study, cornelian cherry with high bioactive content and an attractive color advantage was used for the enrichment of the pasta formulation. In addition, the pasta production procedure was revised by applying microwave technology for drying. Cornelian cherry powder:dough ratio, dough thickness, and microwave power were optimized with response surface methodology. Total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, color, and water‐holding capacity were determined as responses. Optimum conditions were found as 4.53% for powder:dough ratio, 0.1 cm for dough thickness, and 270 W for microwave power. According to optimization results, it was detected that the cornelian cherry powder:dough ratio affected the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity, and microwave power was found to be effective only on antioxidant activity. For optimum conditions, the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were found as 1.29 GAE/g and 0.5 mg TE/g, respectively. The characterization analysis showed that the microwave–dried sample shrank less than those dried with the conventional method. In Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results, it was determined that the amount of carbohydrates in the samples obtained under optimum conditions was lower than that of control. It has been observed that the application of microwave technology for drying pasta enriched with cornelian cherry powder had positive effects on the quality of the final product.
A Deep Convolutional Autoencoder–Enabled Channel Estimation Method in Intelligent Wireless Communication Systems
Authors: Tian Xinyu
Published: October 2024

Through modeling the characteristics of wireless transmission channels, channel estimation can improve signal detection and demodulation techniques, enhance the spectrum utilization, optimize communication performance, and enhance the quality, reliability, and efficiency of intelligent wireless communication systems. In this paper, we propose a deep convolutional autoencoder–based channel estimation method in intelligent wireless communication systems. At first, the channel time‐frequency response matrix between the transmitter and receiver can be represented as 2D images. Then they are fed into the convolutional autoencoder to learn key channel features. To reduce the structural complexity of the deep learning model and improve its inference efficiency, we adopt the method of removing redundant parameters to achieve model compression. Iterative training and pruning based on stochastic gradient descent (SGD) and weight importance evaluation are alternated to obtain a lightweight deep learning model for channel estimation. Finally, extensive simulation results have verified the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method.
Supplementary Table S13 from Clinical Implications and Molecular Features of Extracellular Matrix Networks in Soft Tissue Sarcomas
Authors: Pankova Valeriya , Krasny Lukas , Kerrison William , Tam Yuen B. , Chadha Madhumeeta , Burns Jessica , Wilding Christopher P. , Chen Liang , Chowdhury Avirup , Perkins Emma , Lee Alexander T.J. , Howell Louise , Guljar Nafia , Sisley Karen , Fisher Cyril , Chudasama Priya , Thway Khin , Jones Robin L. , Huang Paul H.
Published: October 2024

Supplementary Table S13. Summary of univariable (UVA) and multivariable (MVA) Cox regression analyses assessing the association of clinicopathological factors and ssGSEA-derived proteoglycan score with overall survival (OS).
Validation of the Valve Academic Research Consortium High Bleeding Risk Definition in Patients Undergoing TAVR
Authors: Avvedimento Marisa , Cepas-Guillén Pedro , Ternacle Julien , Urena Marina , Alperi Alberto , Cheema Asim , Veiga-Fernandez Gabriela , Nombela-Franco Luis , Vilalta Victoria , Esposito Giovanni , Campelo-Parada Francisco , Indolfi Ciro , del Trigo Maria , Muñoz-Garcia Antonio , Maneiro Nicolás , Asmarats Lluís , Regueiro Ander , del Val David , Serra Vicenç , Auffret Vincent , Modine Thomas , Bonnet Guillaume , Mesnier Jules , Suc Gaspard , Avanzas Pablo , Rezaei Effat , Fradejas-Sastre Victor , Tirado-Conte Gabriela , Fernández-Nofrerias Eduard , Franzone Anna , Guitteny Thibaut , Sorrentino Sabato , Francisco Oteo Juan , Nuche Jorge , Gutiérrez-Alonso Lola , Flores-Umanzor Eduardo , Alfonso Fernando , Monastyrski Andrea , Nolf Maxime , Côté Mélanie , Mehran Roxana , Morice Marie-Claude , Capodanno Davide , Garot Philippe , Rodés-Cabau Josep
Published: October 2024

BACKGROUND:

The Valve Academic Research Consortium for High Bleeding Risk (VARC-HBR) has recently introduced a consensus document that outlines risk factors to identify high bleeding risk in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence and predictive value of the VARC-HBR definition in a contemporary, large-scale transcatheter aortic valve replacement population.

METHODS:

Multicenter study including 10 449 patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Based on consensus, 21 clinical and laboratory criteria were identified and classified as major or minor. Patients were stratified as at low, moderate, high, and very high bleeding risk according to the VARC-HBR definition. The primary end point was the rate of Bleeding Academic Research Consortium type 3 or 5 bleeding at 1 year, defined as the composite of periprocedural (within 30 days) or late (after 30 days) bleeding.

RESULTS:

Patients with at least 1 VARC-HBR criterion (n=9267, 88.7%) had a higher risk of Bleeding Academic Research Consortium 3 or 5 bleeding, proportional to the severity of risk assessment (10.8%, 16.1%, and 24.6% for moderate, high, and very-high-risk groups, respectively). However, a comparable rate of bleeding events was observed in the low-risk and moderate-risk groups. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.58. Patients with VARC-HBR criteria also exhibited a gradual increase in 1-year all-cause mortality, with an up to 2-fold increased mortality risk for high and very-high-risk groups (hazard ratio, 1.33 [95% CI, 1.04–1.70] and 1.97 [95% CI, 1.53–2.53], respectively).

CONCLUSIONS:

The VARC-HBR consensus offered a pragmatic approach to guide bleeding risk stratification in transcatheter aortic valve replacement. The results of the present study would support the predictive validity of the new definition and promote its application in clinical practice to minimize bleeding risk and improve patient outcomes.
POST‐UK (Adjunctive Intra‐Arterial Urokinase After Successful Endovascular Thrombectomy in Patients With Large‐Vessel Occlusion Stroke): Study Protocol of a Multicenter, Prospective, Randomized, Open‐Label, Blinded‐End Point Trial
Authors: Liu Chang , Li Fengli , Song Jiaxing , Xu Xu , Huang Jiacheng , Guo Changwei , Kong Weilin , Yang Jie , Shi Xiaolei , Ma Jinfu , Yang Shihai , Wang Zhixi , Fan Shitao , Xiang Liu , Wenzhe Sun , Yu Nizhen , Yue Chengsong , Peng Zhouzhou , Li Linyu , Huang Cheng , Yang Dahong , Wang Duolao , Saver Jeffrey , Nguyen Thanh N. , Nogueira Raul G. , Chen Yangmei , Zi Wenjie
Published: October 2024

BACKGROUND

Intra‐arterial infusion of an adjunctive thrombolytic agent after macrovascular recanalization by endovascular thrombectomy was regarded as a promising strategy to promote outcomes of patients with stroke. Given the characteristics of urokinase as an affordable, available, and widely applied medication, especially in Eastern countries, this trial aims to assess the safety and efficacy of intra‐arterial urokinase as adjunct to endovascular thrombectomy in improving outcomes among patients with anterior large‐vessel occlusion stroke after excellent to complete reperfusion.

METHODS

The POST‐UK (Adjunctive Intra‐Arterial Urokinase After Successful Endovascular Thrombectomy in Patients With Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke) trial is a multicenter, prospective, randomized, open‐label, blinded‐end point trial conducted in China. The planned sample size is 498. Those eligible patients with anterior circulation large‐vessel occlusion stroke and achieving excellent to complete reperfusion by endovascular thrombectomy are planned to be consecutively randomized in a 1:1 ratio to the experimental group (a single dose of intra‐arterial urokinase) or to standard of care.

RESULTS

The primary outcome is a freedom from disability (modified Rankin Scale score of 0–1) at 90±7 days. The safety outcomes are mortality within 90±7 days and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 48 hours.

CONCLUSION

The POST‐UK trial will provide valuable insight of efficacy and safety of intra‐arterial urokinase in patients with large‐vessel occlusion stroke after achieving excellent to complete reperfusion by endovascular thrombectomy.
The Partisans of Death
Authors: Parlin Gabriel
Published: October 2024

This article considers the relationship between the “impious” (ἀσεβείς) of Wisdom of Solomon 1:16–2:24 and Epicurean philosophy. Though most recent commentators reject the idea that the impious are portrayed as Epicureans, they fail to consider this passage within the context of Hellenistic Epicureanism (Lucretius, Philodemus) and its discontents (e.g., Epictetus, Plutarch). The author shows that the impious’ materialistic account of the human soul and its destruction at death draws heavily on Epicurean ideas and imagery and that aspects of their exhortation to hedonism recall Epicurean sexual ethics. Furthermore, though the way of life that the impious endorse does diverge significantly from Epicurean hedonism properly understood, such caricatures of Epicurean philosophy are themselves common tropes of anti-Epicurean polemic. It is concluded that the sage has chosen to present a hostile group of advocates of Epicurean philosophy as the paradigmatic adversaries of true wisdom and justice.
The Aramaic Uzziah Inscription and the Syntax of an Ancient Forgery
Authors: Giambrone Anthony
Published: October 2024

Upon scrutiny, the accepted historical contextualization of the famous Uzziah Epitaph (IM 65.56.38 = CIIP 602) is revealed to be full of difficulties. While Garbini’s argument that the artefact is a modern fake is unconvincing, good reasons exist to explore it instead as an ancient forgery. The present article accordingly explores an alternative understanding of the inscription as the product of a hellenized fashion for the sight-seeing of celebrity tombs and an emergent culture of “biblical tourism” in Judea. From this perspective the “staged authenticity” of the epitaph is analyzed through the socio-rhetorical function of the object as understood and experienced within this context.
Silent Tyrant
Authors: Westwood Ursula
Published: October 2024

In the fourth book of the Jewish Antiquities, Josephus describes the rebellion of Zambrias against the authority of Moses. The rebel leader gives an impassioned speech critiquing the Mosaic law, to which the lawgiver gives no answer. Josephus’ willingness to compose speeches and to counter anti-Jewish calumnies makes this silence unexpected. To understand its possible implications, and with roles played by silence in classical literature as a background, this paper explores the meanings which unexpected silences can have throughout Josephus’ works, particularly focusing on the association with secrecy, popular silence, and the end of an argument. The investigation finds an unsettling association with tyrannical action, which suggests a possible awareness of the link between lawgivers and tyrants in archaic Greek politics.
The Natures of Digital Practices
Authors: Beltrame Tiziana N. , Canadelli Elena , Tonetti Luca
Published: October 2024

Natural history collections play a vital role in biodiversity conservation, climate monitoring, and public health protection. However, challenges such as the loss of historical collections in museums, the crisis in taxonomic research, and the decline of sampling activities have compromised their integrity. Can digitisation offer solutions to these issues? On the one hand, this multidisciplinary Focus explores the role of digital practices in managing natural history collections and the contribution made by the humanities and social sciences. On the other, it examines the impact of ‘digital natural history objects’ on the history of science and museum studies. Topics include the digitisation process, the relationship between physical and digital objects, social aspects of digitisation projects, and potential biases in digital platforms. The contribution of archival sources to the study of natural history collections and decolonising practices are also discussed.
Dendrites as Objects of Care and Speculation
Authors: Whitmer Kelly J.
Published: October 2024

The University of Göttingen is well known for its Academic Museum, a teaching collection founded in 1773 to attract new students and to enhance its reputation. Roughly forty years earlier, around the time of its founding, this University’s collections environment was less robust. The two most popular collections from this early period were mineralogical and paleontological. Although they only rarely figure in formal institutional histories, they were sites of substantive pedagogical engagement. In this article, I consider the status of figured stones, especially dendrites, as teaching tools and their appeal as sites of lessons about care, use, fruitfulness and productivity that helped link the pursuit of “worldly wisdom” (Weltweisheit) to the study of the natural world. I explore the speculative dimensions of recovering pedagogical work with academic collections found in households, a task I argue is especially important in light of the labor students were encouraged to perform as they consumed the collections available to them as reservoirs of possibility, resources and energy.
Lessons in Collections and on Collecting
Authors: Hodacs Hanna
Published: October 2024

Carl Bäck was the son of Carolus Linnaeus’s best friend Abraham Bäck. Bäck senior and Linnaeus bonded over natural history; between them they owned the two biggest herbariums in Sweden. Unsurprisingly, they wanted to communicate their passion to the next generation. The first aim of this article is to explore how collections were used to teach natural history, drawing on the case of Carl Bäck. As we shall see, young Bäck learned both the behaviours and more hands-on technologies from Linnaean naturalists. The second aim is to situate Bäck’s education within a history of teaching natural history in early-modern Sweden, showing the extent to which we need to consider both institutional and informal and private education in order to understand how this knowledge was reproduced, and the central role Linnaeus and his many students played in this process.
Try Yourself!
Authors: Beckman Jenny
Published: October 2024

In 1928, a handbook on natural history collecting was published as part of a series of popular books on scientific experimentation. The “Försök själv” series addressed young people and positioned itself deliberately between textbooks and popular science publications. In this paper, I examine how collecting was recast as experiment in the context of the “Försök själv” series. It is situated in the intersection between the history of scientific publication and the history of collecting as pedagogical practice. It highlights a moment in science pedagogy when the rationales and practices of collecting were changing. It draws attention to the role of handbooks between teachers and objects, and between field, class-room, and laboratory. As publications, the “Försök själv” books straddle the boundary between textbooks and popular science. As handbooks they draw together books, things, and practices.
Collections and Pedagogies of Objects in European Learning Environments
Authors: Whitmer Kelly J. , Hünniger Dominik
Published: October 2024

Collections have long been recognized as spaces that offer countless opportunities to learn—and to teach. Academic collections in particular, embedded as they were in very particular kinds of learning environments, have long created moments involving teaching and researching simultaneously; however, the quality and character of this research in early modern European academic environments has been the subject of some recent debate. Given what is a widespread acknowledgement of their links to learning and instructional potency, we still know relatively little about the perimeters of the lessons that specific objects housed in collections were embedded within, or more specifically how historical actors from a range of social backgrounds used collections to teach with real things (realia) across time and space. This special issue is devoted to a preliminary investigation of the historically situated dimensions of “teaching collections” (Lehrsammlungen) and specific object-pedagogical approaches to teaching in formal, or semi-formalized, household settings.
Epilogue
Authors: Vöhringer Margarete , Kotomina Anna
Published: October 2024

In this text, we discuss the challenges of researching historical methods of teaching science and we emphasize the importance of scientific materials held in academic collections as sources for understanding past teaching practices. As a case study, the text presents the scientific exchange between Germany and Russia in the nineteenth century, in which scientific instruments played a crucial role in communicating research practices across language boundaries. Because it is impossible to access scientific materials in their historical contexts and written sources rarely describe them, we advocate an interactive approach, convinced that engaging with scientific materials opens deeper insights into historical learning settings. With this approach, we take up the central role of materiality in knowledge creation, which has become established in recent decades and has driven a shift from text-based studies to material-based studies in the history of science. We propose to incorporate this change into the practice of teaching history of science.
Engaging for Sustainable Development and Transformation – Exploring the Concept of Transformative Academic Institutions
Authors: Canto-Farachala Patricia , Smith Madeline , Wise Emily , Johnson Michael Pierre
Published: October 2024

Universities are expected to play a proactive role in the sustainable development and transformation of their regions. However, they face external and internal barriers to play that role. One possible approach to overcome those barriers is through transformative academic institutions (TAIs). TAIs are defined as research centres created within universities to proactively engage in territorial development processes and can act as ‘living labs’ from which universities can draw lessons when developing a regionally engaged role. The article explores the TAI concept further by posing the following research question: How does the TAI approach look like in different contexts? What factors support and/or hinder TAI development? To that end, we analyse the case of five academic partners working in different organisational research settings within larger university structures. Our exploration of TAI practices followed an action research approach with participatory design methods to identify commonalities, challenges, and opportunities. Findings point to a more strategic partnering with external (non-academic) actors to contribute to (longer-term) change processes that address regional sustainability challenges. This can take universities towards new roles in curating collective knowledge and catalysing and facilitating change.
Continuation and Chronography: Notes on the Composition of Ibn Aʿtham al-Kūfī’s History
Authors: McLaren Andrew G.
Published: October 2024

This paper revisits the hypothesis that Ibn Aʿtham al-Kūfī (d. ca. 320/932) only wrote parts of the two works typically ascribed to him, the Kitāb al-Futūḥ and the Kitāb al-Taʾrīkh. Drawing on recent work that dates Ibn Aʿtham and his history to the first half of the fourth/tenth century, it seeks to demonstrate that textual features and narratives which have been interpreted as pointing toward a change in authorship need to be reconsidered. Ultimately, it is suggested that Ibn Aʿtham’s history, which has often been treated as an eccentric, possibly sectarian text, may be seen as more-or-less typical of fourth/tenth century historiography.
The Evolution of the Term Sulṭān in Early Islam
Authors: Kennedy Hugh
Published: October 2024

This article discusses the use of the word sulṭān in Arabic political and historical discourse in the period before the term is regularly used as a title of rulership attached to an individual in the middle of the fifth/eleventh century. It describes four phases, sulṭān as abstract authority, sulṭān as state or administration, sulṭān as an informal descriptor of a powerful individual and sulṭān as a formal title used on coins. It argues that the changing uses are related to the changing nature of power and authority in the Muslim community.
Thai Rap Songs Through the World Englishes Approach: Code-Switching and Nativization
Authors: Ruanglertsilp Ekkarat
Published: October 2024

This study examines the English elements and nativized English features present in recent Thai rap songs. The source data comes from a Thai rap playlist called Thai Rapper on the online music platform Spotify. All English units found in the lyrics were manually counted and classified. The results diverged from most studies of Thai-English code-switching in Thai media in that, among the English elements considered, sentences were employed most frequently. Among nativized English features, semantic shift was most frequently employed. I argue that the local and global English identity flows (Pennycook 2009) index a shift in the Thai rap community toward assimilation of their Thai hip-hop identity into global street culture, a phenomenon becoming more prevalent among today’s Thai youth.
From an Enclosure to Human-Scaled Encounters: Articulating the Notion of Third Space in the Vishwakarma Community Temple, Penang
Authors: Raman Sanjeh
Published: October 2024

The Arulmigu Kamatchi Amman Devasthanam, located on Jalan Dato Keramat, in Penang, Malaysia provides entry into the cultural world of Pathars, the traditional Tamil goldsmiths who have long established their business in Penang. The continuity of this temple is studied through its spatial attributes and social impact in anchoring collective community experience Primary data was acquired through ethnography and secondary data was drawn from a document and photo review. The analysis provides a narrative account of the temple’s mandapa as a social space that facilitates the hybridity of identities that grow from this temple. As a representation of Bhabha’s Third Space and emanation of Lefebvre’s “space triad”, the mandapa within this temple fosters the lived experience of its users through bodily encounters, to renegotiate and reimagine their culture and identity that has been shaped by colonialism, as well as the transnational movement of people, culture, and memories.
A Less than Lay-Friendly Translation: A Textual Analysis of Information Leaflets and Labels for Drug and Cosmeceuticals in Thailand
Authors: Phanthaphoommee Narongdej , Techawongstien Koraya
Published: October 2024

Information on drug use should be easily comprehensible and provide clear instructions without relying on expert advice. Drawing upon the concept of lay-friendly translation (Askehave and Zethsen 2002, 2014; Jensen 2013), this study examines the translated information leaflets and labels of drug-related and cosmeceutical products in Thailand to understand characteristics of supposedly reachable language use. The findings reveal both lay-friendly and non-lay-friendly features in the English-to-Thai translations. Indicative of the former is the use of general terms, explanation, glossing, rewriting/summarising, syntactical shift, and stylistic shift. Instances of the latter include the direct transfer of field-specific terms and the use of Thai medical vocabulary. The Thai-to-English translation tends to adhere to the original version, including textual organisation and compliance with Thai legislation, yet the cultural-specific items are omitted. The presence of both lay-friendly and non-lay-friendly elements in a single translation contributes to a ‘less than lay-friendly’ translation.
The Process of Unblocking Laos: Linking Indochina (1893–1945)
Authors: Nhung Nguyen Thi Tuyet
Published: October 2024

With the establishment of the Indochinese Federation, the French colonial government implemented policies to develop the transport system in the colonies, connecting Laos with other regions in the Indochinese Federation. Previous studies have mainly focused on demonstrating the development of the transport network in Vietnam or highlighting the limitations of the French colonial government in investing in the development of transport in Laos. This article aims to redefine the role of the French in developing the transport network and infrastructure in Laos in order to break its isolation and associate this country with the rest of the Indochinese Federation. These policies had a long-term influence on the development of modern Laos when the development of Lao trade shifted from dependence on the Mekong River and the port of Bangkok to commercial circulation by many transport services on many different transnational roads directed towards the ports of Indochina.
Linguistic Uniscape: A Comparative Study of Universities in Thailand
Authors: Pan Zhaoyi
Published: October 2024

This study examines the linguistic landscape (ll) of university campuses in Thailand and proposes the term “linguistic uniscape” (lu). It attempts to examine whether there is a significant difference in the code preference for signage between the public universities (puu s) and the private universities (pru s) in Thailand and examines the different social meanings of the signage at the puu s and at the pru s by using place semiotics (ps) theory. A total of 30 university campuses were investigated, including 15 puu s and 15 pru s. The results revealed a significant difference in the use of English as the preferred language on the signage at the two types of universities. The signage at both types of universities revealed the different social meanings in language policy, institutional policy, and identity constructions. The puu s focused on academic development, while the pru s focused on the students’ social activities.
Anaphoric Expressions in Thai Narratives: A Corpus Study on Accessibility and Distributional Tendency
Authors: Kumwapee Nimit , Chanchaochai Nattanun
Published: October 2024

This study examines the relationship between Thai anaphoric expressions and their antecedents’ Accessibility, analyzing 3,453 expressions from Thai-Zlatev Corpus (Zlatev and Yangklang 2001), Aakanee Website (Aakanee, “Thai Recordings”) and Thai Folktale Database (Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, “Folktales”). Grounded in Ariel’s Accessibility Theory (1988, 1990), which asserts that referring expressions are universally arranged on an Accessibility scale but marking systems vary by language, we propose an Accessibility Marking Scale for Thai anaphoric expressions, informed by the factors of Distance, Competition, Saliency and Unity. Some anaphoric expressions showed no significant differences in mean Accessibility, leading them to share ranks. Our newly identified anaphoric expressions align on the scale with those of similar discourse function and pattern. The study also reveals that factors like Saliency and Unity account for the distinctions between the Thai Accessibility Marking Scale and the English Accessibility Marking Scale as proposed by Ariel.
Investigating Gender-Based Stereotypes in Advertisement Landscape: A Multimodal Analysis of an Indian Town
Authors: Gogoi Debraj , Sinha Sweta
Published: October 2024

This study examines the prevalence of gender stereotypes in outdoor advertising within an Indian satellite town, focusing on the portrayal of women and men in stereotypical gender roles. Images of outdoor advertisements were collected from the busy streets and subjected to purposive sampling for analysis. The analysis was done with critical discourse analysis and multimodal discourse analysis. The results reveal a clear endorsement of men in powerful and high-status positions, while women are consistently depicted as objects and confined to traditional roles as homemakers. The purpose of this study is to emphasize the importance of addressing gender issues, not only for cultural understanding but also for recognizing the pervasive influence of gender-based social conditioning, which undermines the foundation of an equitable society.
From Victory to Democracy: The “Democracy” in Thailand’s Victory Monument
Authors: Turingan Gil
Published: October 2024

This paper discusses the symbolic transformation of Thailand’s Victory Monument in the Thai public memory, from embodying militarism to representing the complicated concept of Thai democracy. In the beginning, the monument had an indirect connection to democracy. However, due to the spatial agency, such as protest activities occupying this structure, it has turned into one of Bangkok’s democratic spaces. By looking at the stories of contentious politics and narratives surrounding this structure, this study reveals that the development of the Victory Monument’s meanings mirrors the democratic struggles of the Thai people. It also applies prevailing discourses on Thai democracy to elucidate the connection between the monument and democratic movements. This research provides an understanding of Thailand’s democratic struggles through a different lens, promotes historical awareness, and preserves public memory by emphasizing the role of public monuments in Thai history, society, and democracy.
A Battle on Social Media: Critical Discourse Analysis of the Sampradaya in Bali
Authors: Numertayasa I Wayan , Santoso Anang , Syahri Moch , Agus Adiwijaya Pande
Published: October 2024

This study focuses on the discourse battle on Facebook between two ideological perspectives on the existence of Sampradaya in Bali. Sampradaya refers to the Hindu spiritual community in Bali which has been adopting new traditions and practices from India since 1980. Since then, their presence in Bali has faced opposition, including the prohibition of Hare Krishna literature and the closure of Hare Krishna learning centers. Starting in 2019, this resistance has created a battleground of conflicting narratives that influence the public. This research aims to comprehend the representation of ideological perspectives and discourse battle strategies within the Sampradaya discourse on Facebook. This study combines Teun van Dijk’s discourse analysis model and nethnography. The analyzed discourses consist of 10 instances from 2022 to 2023. The research findings reveal dominant and marginal discourses representing ideological beliefs and political systems. The strategies employed include reproduction, distinction, rejection, exclusion, and transformation.
Cultural-Religious Dimensions of the ‘Ritual Issue’ in Pre-Colonial Vietnamese and Western Interactions
Authors: Hung Nguyen Quang , Lam Nguyen Dinh
Published: October 2024

Through a meticulous examination of edicts issued by both imperial courts and Christian missionaries, this article posits that the ‘ritual issue’ – i.e., the divergence in ritualistic practices and values between Christianity and indigenous religions – constituted a principal obstacle to the proliferation of Christianity in Vietnam between the 17th and 19th centuries. Notably, the paper identifies a substantive transformation in the perception of the ‘ritual issue.’ During the 17th and 18th centuries under the Trịnh-Nguyễn lords, the issue was predominantly approached through a cultural-religious lens. However, in the 19th century under the Nguyễn dynasty, the issue acquired a cultural-political character. The imperial court posited that the adoption of Christianity would undermine its rule, which was predicated on Confucian ethical-political norms. The paper argues that the prohibition of Christianity would have been an inevitable policy under the Nguyễn dynasty, even in the absence of the association between missionary activity and colonialism.
The Global Catholic Missionary Societies and the Spread of Marian Devotion in Pre-Twentieth-Century Vietnam
Authors: Bien Duong Van
Published: October 2024

Dating back many years, Marian devotion is currently a ubiquitous phenomenon among Vietnamese Catholics in Vietnam. This article examines the endeavours of specific global Catholic missionary societies – the Society of Jesus (S.J.), the Dominican Order or the Order of Preachers (O.P.) and the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris (mep) – in spreading Marian devotion in pre-twentieth-century Vietnam. In doing so, the article seeks to demonstrate that the prevalence of Marian devotion primarily resulted from the enduring efforts of global Catholic missionaries during the stages of proselytization. This argument aims to challenge the prevailing notion that the primordial Vietnamese cultural identity, widely known for emphasizing female status and Mother Goddess worship, exerted its influence on the elevation of Marian devotion among Vietnamese Catholics during the course of history.
A Tombstone Inscription from al-Maʿlā Cemetery of a Woman Named Fāṭima bint ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Malik al-Khurayjī
Authors: Al-Zaylai Zahra bint Ahmed
Published: October 2024

This study focuses on a tombstone inscription of the famous al-Maʿlā Cemetery in Makkah al-Mukarramah. The inscription is preserved with a group of memorial stones in the Museum of Antiquities and Heritage in Makkah. It dates to the historical period extending from the 1st to the 5th centuries ah/7th to 11th centuries ce. The inscription was selected for the study because it contains formulas of supplication, some of which are very rare. In addition, it bears the name of a woman whose lineage bears several readings. The study suggests the reading of al-Khurayji, to which thousands are attributed in a family spread over different regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The inscription is devoid of any decoration or softness in its Kufic script. This qualifies it as one of the Kufic script models that is to be emulated, especially those attributed to Makkah and the Hijaz in general.
Cloud Droplet Size Distributions Governed by Condensation, Collision–Coalescence, and Sedimentation. Part I: Monte Carlo Simulations and Scaling Relations for Growth in a Convection–Cloud Chamber
Authors: Kuntzleman Jacob , Krueger Steven K. , Shaw Raymond A.
Published: October 2024

Atmospheric clouds are crucial to weather and climate, and the rate at which droplets collide and coalesce to form precipitation is one of the fundamental controlling processes. A convection–cloud chamber allows the interactions between aerosols and cloud droplets produced by condensation to be investigated within a turbulent environment. Studying the full range of microphysical conditions in atmospheric clouds is not possible, however, unless conditions for droplet growth by collision and coalescence are also achieved. In this study, we explore the conditions favorable to collision–coalescence growth in convection–cloud chambers, extending previous work on steady-state droplet size distributions due to condensation only to obtain analytic expressions for number concentration and supersaturation as a function of small-droplet injection rate and for collision–coalescence rates. We derive several scaling laws and demonstrate consistency between these theoretical results and Monte Carlo simulations of growth and precipitation within a convection–cloud chamber. Specifically, the coalescence rate is shown to scale as the square of the liquid water content, which in turn can be modulated in a convection–cloud chamber by varying the small-droplet injection rate as well as the applied temperature difference.
Solutions Journalism Stories Boosts Pro-Environmental Behavioral Intentions Through Positive Affect and Collective Efficacy Beliefs
Authors: Maduneme Emmanuel , Cohen Alex Segrè
Published: October 2024

Climate change news narratives have been criticized for perpetuating fear and sensationalism without due attention to and critical emphasis on constructive dialogue and solutions. This study investigates the potential of solutions journalism, a novel journalistic approach that emphasizes credible narratives about the threats and societal responses to those threats, to facilitate collective social responses to climate change. Using a sample N = 482, the study manipulated news stories as solutions-oriented or conventional problem-oriented. Exposure to solutions stories only increased intentions for pro-environmental action when fully mediated by positive affect and higher collective efficacy. These results offer insights for journalism and climate communication.
Impact of hypertension education on knowledge and healthy lifestyle practices among Indian adolescents: A quasi-experimental study
Authors: Semou Teisovinuo , Monteiro Sandra Roshni , Hariharan Meena , Padhy Meera , Chivukula Usha
Published: October 2024

Background:

This study aimed to establish the effectiveness of a hypertension knowledge education intervention among Indian adolescents to foster lifestyle changes aimed at preventing hypertension.

Methods:

The Hypertension Knowledge Test (HKT) was used to assess changes in knowledge using a repeated-measures one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The Healthy Lifestyle Practice Scale for Children and Adolescents (HELIPSCA) indexed healthy lifestyle practices, with paired t-tests used to compare pre- and post-intervention scores. A two-way mixed ANOVA examined changes in healthy lifestyle practices among adolescents divided in terms of early and late stage of development.

Results:

Significant mean differences were observed in overall hypertension knowledge across four domains: general awareness, lifestyle factors, causes and care, and medication management and across time periods. There was a significant improvement in HELIPSCA scores post-intervention, particularly among early adolescents.

Conclusion:

The hypertension knowledge intervention examined in this study was effective in establishing a cognitive base among school children, with knowledge retention observed for 3 months. Moreover, this knowledge increase was associated with a parallel change in improved healthy lifestyle practices, notably among early adolescents. These findings underscore the importance of providing school-based education programmes early in adolescence to promote awareness of chronic illnesses and encourage healthy lifestyle choices.
Implementation of a Telemedicine Direct Oral Anticoagulant Monitoring Program at a Safety-Net Hospital
Authors: Kaplon Stacey Cohen , Aqtash Sumaia , Gilbride David , Chan Chris , Farjo Rami
Published: October 2024

Purpose: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are the preferred choice of anticoagulation therapy for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism. Inadequate monitoring of patients on DOACs may lead to suboptimal outcomes and safety concerns. This project aimed to implement a standardized telemedicine-based DOAC monitoring service and track pharmacist-based interventions. Methods: This project was conducted at a safety-net hospital over 6 months. Anticoagulation pharmacists developed a scheduling process for telemedicine DOAC follow-up appointments, integrated them into the electronic health record, and implemented standardized protocols and documentation tools. Outcomes of interest included the average number of pharmacist interventions per encounter and per patient. Results: One hundred sixty-four encounters involving 120 patients were included in the analysis. 92.7% of encounters resulted in at least 1 intervention, with 73.8% involving an education intervention. The average number of interventions per patient was 2.0, with 37.2% of encounters having multiple interventions. Conclusion: Implementation of a standardized telemedicine-based monitoring service allowed for pharmacist identification and management of issues related to DOAC therapy. These findings emphasize the importance of pharmacist-led interventions and telemedicine-based follow-up of DOAC therapy.
Women’s entrepreneurship in the informal economy: A socio-spatial perspective
Authors: Xheneti Mirela , Madden Adrian
Published: October 2024

What role does ‘space’ play in shaping entrepreneurial choices? Much of the western-centric evidence offers abstract models of spatial dynamics, reflecting socio-cultural assumptions about entrepreneurship and the need to fix ‘women’s deficits’, within formal representations of space. We problematize these views by focusing on the everyday realities of women involved in (informal) entrepreneurial activities in a developing country context, exploring their contradictions with the abstract representations of the informal economy and the development policy goals of reforming women’s work through formalization. Based on Lefebvre’s conceptualization of space to explore these contradictions, we draw on empirical data from entrepreneurs in the informal economy in Nepal, where the International Labour Organisation reports that almost 85% of the economically active population to be in informal employment. We offer an entrepreneurial narrative that focuses on women’s work on the maintenance of local attachments and connections, underpinned by reciprocity, moral obligation and indebtedness often appropriated or disrupted by development strategies. By placing emphasis on informal spatial dynamics, we provide empirical support for the limitations of a policy approach that renders women’s work invisible through its homogenizing economic focus, to contribute towards a richer theorization of entrepreneurial contexts.