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Why Nigeria Needs a Femicide Law
Get PDFThe Federal Republic of Nigeria does not have a law against femicide or comprehensive global femicide data. The numbers currently reported at the national level are questionable, especially with the prevalence of economic-motivated harvesting of female reproductive organs in the country. The lack of a legalized femicide law has exacerbated the underreporting of such activities in Nigeria and has made the severity of the crime less visible. This article aims to name the problem by defining and advocating for a femicide law encompassing the social realities of many Nigerian females
Air-sea CO2 flux in the Gulf of Mexico from observations and multiple machine-learning data products
No full textQuantifying air-sea carbon dioxide (CO2) flux from observations is subject to uncertainties due to missing data, uneven data distribution, and a relatively short observation period in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Despite the publication of multiple seawater partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2sw) products, their reliabilities in the GOM have been relatively understudied. We compare the Surface Ocean CO₂ Atlas (SOCAT) observation-based synthesis with eight regional and global machine-learning pCO2sw data products in the GOM. SOCAT reveals significant spatial and seasonal variations in pCO2sw in the GOM owing to complex local nonthermal (physical and biological) dynamics, particularly in the Louisiana Shelf (LAS) and Western Florida Shelf (WFS). The regional pCO2sw data product outperforms the global products in capturing small-scale pCO2sw variations. When averaging climatology across the entire northern GOM, the spatial heterogeneity of pCO2sw and CO2 flux resulting from local nonthermal processes tends to counterbalance across the entire GOM in all pCO2sw data products. Consequently, the regional data product and the ensemble mean of seven global products yield pCO2sw climatology that closely aligns with the SOCAT observations with a small difference (\u3c ±3 µatm). During the overlapping period from 2003 to 2017 (15 years), the average flux from the eight products indicates that the entire GOM is CO2-neutral, with an ocean uptake flux of 0.08 ± 0.12 mol C/m2/yr or 1.50 ± 2.25 TgC/yr, which is about 0.6 % of the global coastal ocean CO2 sink. Observations show that the pCO2sw trend also exhibits notable spatial differences, with the river plume area acting as an increasing CO2 sink and the WFS acting as an increasing CO2 source. Due to limited observations and large spatiotemporal variations, the true values of the decadal trend still have large uncertainties in the highly dynamic river plume area. In most other subregions, pCO2sw increases following atmospheric CO2. Uncertainties persist across all pCO2sw data products in simulating the decadal trend, given that the regional product displays essentially no trend (\u3c0.5 µatm/yr), while the ensemble average of global products exhibits a trend that follows atmospheric pCO2 (∼+2.0 µatm/yr). Our findings demonstrate that existing pCO2sw data products effectively simulate the climatology of pCO2sw in the GOM, providing valuable information for CO2 flux quantification in the GOM. Future research should emphasize the development of pCO2sw data products designed to accurately predict small-scale variations and temporal shifts, while also delving into the underlying dynamics responsible for these changes
Effects of weathering and simulated gastric fluid exposure on cellular responses to polystyrene particles
No full textMicro and nanoplastics pose a growing environmental threat with complex implications for human health. Despite the extensive research on the cytotoxicities of microplastics, gaps remain in understanding cellular responses to the interplay between environmental weathering and physiological processes. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap by evaluating and comparing the in vitro cellular responses to pristine polystyrene particles, particles weathered under UV light in DI water and seawater, and particles with subsequent incubation in simulated gastric fluid (SGF). In this study, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total reflection mode (ATR-FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) were implemented to conduct surface chemistry and morphology characterizations of the particles. The combination of these techniques allowed a comprehensive understanding of surface morphology and chemistry alterations due to the weathering degradation and SGF incubation. Results showed nitrogen and carbonyl groups formed on weathered particles, and seawater-weathered particles showed a more pronounced weathering degree. After SGF incubation, stronger nitrogen and amide groups were detected on the surface of weathered particles, and more organic matter was attached. Two cell lines that are widely used for the evaluation of microplastic cytotoxicity were used, RAW264.7 macrophage and Caco-2 intestine epithelial cells. Results showed weathered and SGF-treated particles enhanced macrophage metabolic activity, viability, and pro-inflammatory effects compared to pristine particles. Elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was detected for all particle groups. Weathered particles caused higher cytotoxicity effects on Caco-2 cells and damaged tight junction integrity. The organic matter formation from the SGF incubation protected tight junction integrity and reduced cytotoxicity. These findings highlight the importance of taking both environmental and physiological factors into account for a more comprehensive assessment of microplastic toxicity
Classification of Emerging Neural Activity from Planning to Grasp Execution using a Novel EEG-Based BCI Platform
No full textThere have been different reports of developing Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) platforms to investigate the noninvasive electroencephalography (EEG) signals associated with plan-to-grasp tasks in humans. However, these reports were unable to clearly show evidence of emerging neural activity from the planning (observation) phase - dominated by the vision cortices - to grasp execution - dominated by the motor cortices. In this study, we developed a novel vision-based-grasping BCI platform that distinguishes different grip types (power and precision) through the phases of plan-to-grasp tasks using EEG signals. Using our platform and extracting features from Filter Bank Common Spatial Patterns (FBCSP), we show that frequency-band specific EEG contains discriminative spatial patterns present in both the observation and movement phases. Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification (power vs precision) yielded high accuracy percentages of 74% and 68% for the observation and movement phases in the alpha band, respectively
Can I trust this information? Using adolescent narratives to uncover online information seeking processes
Get PDFAdolescent internet usage is incredibly prevalent, marking a need for educational support as they navigate online texts. As online texts are prone to bias and misinformation, it is important to fully understand how young people conceptualize this information and where they need support. These texts may also contain harmful messages, particularly for typically marginalized groups. Higher levels of literacies related to online media consumption have been shown to mitigate these negative effects, and may help to limit bias and increase criticality. Researchers have illuminated underlying processes surrounding online text comprehension, though research is limited on these processes in authentic spaces. Utilizing think-aloud, focus group, and observational data, the present study seeks to understand adolescent online research and information-seeking skills, providing implications for literacy educators and curriculum developers
Integrating mindfulness in media literacy: A culture-responsive training programme for older Thai adults
Get PDFMedia literacy is a much-needed competency in the digitalised world, but it is still an unknown knowledge base for older Thai adults. This design-based research set out as an initiative to promote media literacy through an agefriendly and culture-responsive training programme. The design process involved focus groups with key stakeholders and older adult ‘learners’ as well as field observations. This type of research work, in the Thai context, revealed the primacy of integrating media literacy learning with the Buddhist practice of mindfulness. It also highlighted the importance of incorporating certain cultural values and practices - collectivism, a sense of enjoyment, beliefs about the supernatural - into any media literacy programme particularly aimed at older Thais. The findings provide significant insight into the ways in which media literacy - especially as it has developed in a Western context – has to be thoughtfully integrated into specifically located everyday practices and cultural perspectives
Barriers to Escape: How Homelessness and Drug Addiction Prevent Women from Escaping Sex Trafficking and Commercial Sex
Get PDFVictims of sex trafficking and women purportedly involved in prostitution voluntarily face a complex web of interconnected challenges when attempting to escape their current circumstances. By analyzing the shared and distinct challenges faced by these women, the paper aims to inform policymakers and service providers, offering recommendations to empower women seeking to escape exploitation through multidisciplinary and interconnected networks of providers. This study surveyed 74 women in Detroit, Michigan, using nonprobability convenience sampling over a 10-month period in 2020. It compared three groups of women who self-reported as victims of sex trafficking, women who voluntarily engaged in some form of commercial sex, and women currently not in the sex industry. The study examined five outcome dimensions: substance use, housing stability, violence, interactions with law enforcement, and healthcare barriers. Among surveyed women, 45 reported sex trafficking experiences, 20 engaged in prostitution voluntarily, and nine were currently neither trafficked nor in prostitution. While some experiences were shared, like drug use and child presence, unique challenges emerged for sex trafficking victims. Victims of sex trafficking reported higher rates of homelessness, violence, lower education, and poorer health compared to others. However, those who were trafficked and those who reported being voluntarily involved in the sex trade had many similar problems. The survey highlights the interconnected barriers faced by women in sex trafficking or prostitution: substance abuse, homelessness, and health problems. All three groups of women reported having children, which underscores the great need for support systems for families of trafficking survivors or those in the sex industry. Educating professionals and raising awareness can enhance responses and interventions, enabling more women to design exit strategies and begin the path to recovery
Beneath the Mask: The Performance of Blackness and Economies of Caricature in American Fiction
Get PDFIn American Fiction (2023), written for the screen and directed by Cord Jefferson, satire, drama and comedy frame a knife-sharp examination of America’s cultural reproductions of stereotype and caricature. The film, based on Percival Everett’s novel Erasure, explores the fraught professional position of Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), a professor-author pressed to write a bestseller amid family upheaval and financial strain. Monk’s resulting novel, a gritty send-up of urban tropism drafted in a fit of fury and frustration, exploits America’s fixation on commodifying and flattening Blackness—and becomes an instant hit. This review explores the film’s interrogations of race, class and identity, of commerce and art, and its insistence on expanded, nuanced visions of Black life and varied representational forms asserting complex humanity
A Dive Into RI\u27s Waste Disposal Practices
Get PDFPreserving natural resources and caring for the environment are significant in many communities today. As environmental conditions become more concerning, effective waste management practices become more critical. This project delves deep into Rhode Island\u27s waste system, focusing on the state\u27s only waste public management facility, the Central Landfill in Johnston. The research goal is to learn about existing practices, understand why other available options for remediation and recycling are not utilized, and determine the local impediments to greater sustainability. Reviewing the Rhode Island General Laws and the Department of Environmental Management\u27s regulations provided an understanding of the legal framework for our state\u27s environmental activities. An in-person tour of the Central Landfill and a discussion with management and workers highlighted the operational challenges of successful sustainability. Crucial to this work is the compliance of individual cities and towns. To that end, the research looked at North Kingstown\u27s recycling and trash disposal policies and practices, followed by conversations with local transfer station directors and workers as well as research conducted on the town website. Data from the Rhode Island Resource Recovery website, academic journals, comparisons with other state systems, and the legislative history of our current laws provided additional insights into our state\u27s waste management situation. The research has shown that the most significant impediment to sustainability is the municipal level\u27s need for more participation by individuals and businesses. An incentive-based profit-sharing structure between the Central Landfill and individual municipalities could help remediate this situation. This structure should be coupled with additional education for the public about properly disposing of their trash and recyclables. The next significant consideration is the Landfill\u27s inefficient methane capture system, followed by the need for glass recycling. The environmental impact of an aging landfill impacts everyone in Rhode Island. This project identified impactful ways to improve waste management practices and secure our future
