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Damn the suit and the tailor who made it: power struggle between the narrator and the editor in Nuevas coplas y cantares del temible bardo Eudomóndaro Higuera alias el Tuerto
Get PDFThe collection of poems by a supposedly long-dead Sinaloan poet Eudomóndaro Higuera (referred to in the study as ‘the Narrator’) Nuevas coplas y cantares del temible bardo Eudomóndaro Higuera alias el Tuerto, is an intriguing reading material. Compiled and annotated by Mario Bojórquez (who will be referred to as ‘the Editor’), it contains a strange mix of bawdy lyrics, insulting epitaphs, and soul-searching coded poems. The collection presents a challenge to the reader, who is forced to choose between the Narrator’s often simplistic writing and the Editor’s high academic analyses thereof. Using the theory of text ownership, I will analyse this contradictory combination to determine who – if anyone – controls the text of the collection. I will explore the roles of the narrator and the editor, taken up by both the Narrator and the Editor, in order to challenge the apparent parodic nature of the collection
Modern media adaptations
Get PDFThis chapter focuses on media adaptations from the late twentieth century to today, exploring how writers have responded to the ‘knowing audience’ with allusions to other media forms, or to the original novel, and have updated the story with intertextual references to issues in the news. For instance, modern versions of Collins’s two most adapted novels The Woman in White and The Moonstone have demonstrated the stories’ relevance to debates over gender identity, mental health, and decolonization in the twenty-first century
Social sustainability performance: developing and validating measures in the context of emerging African economies
Get PDFSocial sustainability has attracted growing research interest. However, studies on social sustainability in emerging African economies are still in their early stages. This study found that companies in these countries are keen to improve their social sustainability, but they often lack an adequate understanding of measuring their company's social sustainability performance (SSP). This study addresses this knowledge gap by identifying the SSP measures relevant to emerging African economies. The study adopts a mixed research method involving several stages. First, fifty initial SSP evaluation measures across eight dimensions were identified based on an extensive literature review and interviews. Second, these measures were examined in a pilot survey followed by a formal survey with senior managers and business owners of 110 companies in Ghana's manufacturing and service industries. A total of 369 valid responses were received. Based on the statistical analysis of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, 26 specific measures of SSP were established. These measures cover seven broad dimensions: community, equity, poverty alleviation, human rights, ethics, regulatory enforcement, and employees. The validated multidimensional measures provide valuable guidance to managers on evaluating and improving their organisation's social sustainability performance
Anchored in history: understanding the persistence of eco-violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt through collective memory
Get PDFThe Nigerian Middle Belt is the epicentre of violent conflicts between Fulani herders and sedentary farmers over land and agricultural resources called eco-violence; existing research has not adequately addressed the persistence of these conflicts. Using Social Representations Theory (SRT), this paper examines empirical case studies conducted in April 2018 and May 2022 in Benue State, Nigeria, to determine why these conflicts persist. The paper argues that contending parties anchor, objectify, and socially represent past contestations in pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial Nigeria in present-day realities and events in the Middle Belt, leading to the re-experience of collective memories and their consequences on people’s violent collective behaviour. Consequently, people resort to violence to redress present grievances viewed through the prism of past events. To promote sustainable peace when tackling deeply-rooted conflicts, it is essential to comprehend the historical context and the significance of collective memory while employing a comprehensive strategy for conflict resolution. Implementing the Cognitive Reappraisal Technique to address issues related to collective memories is critical to this approach
Taking a "care pathway/whole systems" approach to equality diversity inclusion (EDI) in organ donation and transplantation in relation to the needs of "ethnic/racial/migrant" minority communities: a statement and a call for action
Get PDFInternational evidence shows variation in organ donation and transplantation (ODT) based upon a range of patient characteristics. What is less well understood is the impact of patient "ethnicity/race/immigration background," as these terms are defined and intended differently across countries. We also know that these characteristics do not operate in isolation but intersect with a range of factors. In this paper, we propose a framework that seeks to clarify the definition of the key terms "ethnicity/race/migrant" and to review how these communities are operationalized across European studies about inequities in ODT. Further, patients and the public wish to see Equality Diversity Inclusion (EDI) approaches in their everyday lives, not just in relation to ODT. We propose a 'care pathway/whole-systems' approach to ODT encompassing culturally competent public health interventions for a) the prevention and management of chronic diseases, b) improvements in public engagement for the promotion of the culture of ODT and enhancements in end-of-life care, through to c) enhanced likelihood of successful transplant among migrant/ethnic minority communities. Our framework recognizes that if we truly wish to take an EDI approach to ODT, we need to adopt a more social, human and holistic approach to examining questions around patient ethnicity
Use of atomic force microscopy in UVB-induced chromosome damage provides important bioinformation for cell damage assessment
Get PDFThe chromosomal structure derived from UVB-stimulated HaCaT cells was detected by atomic force microscopy (AFM) to evaluate the effect of UVB irradiation. The results showed that the higher the UVB irradiation dose, the more the cells that had chromosome aberration. At the same time, different representative types of chromosome structural aberrations were investigated. We also revealed damage to both DNA and cells under the corresponding irradiation doses. It was found that the degree of DNA damage was directly proportional to the irradiation dose. The mechanical properties of cells were also changed after UVB irradiation, suggesting that cells experienced a series of chain reactions from inside to outside after irradiation. The highresolution imaging of chromosome structures by AFM after UVB irradiation enables us to relate the damage between chromosomes, DNA, and cells caused by UVB irradiation and provides specific information on genetic effects
Effect of vegetation blanket cover with different materials on soil microbial community structure of opencast coal mines in arid areas
Get PDFVegetation blanket restoration of mine soils provides a diverse environment for soil microbes, but the effects of vegetation blanket cover on soil physicochemical properties, microbial structure, and diversity are not well understood, particularly in arid areas. In this study, high-throughput sequencing was used to examine the microbial community at Dafeng Mine, the Helan Mountains, Ningxia, China. Soil microbial communities were analyzed with four different materials: 100% straw, 50% straw–50% coconut, and 100% coconut vegetation blanket types, and a bare ground control (CK). The results showed that the contents of soil total nitrogen (TN), available potassium (AP), urease, and catalase were significantly increased in different types of vegetation blankets. High-throughput sequencing showed that the straw vegetation blanket increased bacterial diversity, while the coconut vegetation blanket increased fungal diversity. The main influencing factors of the dominant bacterial phylum were total nitrogen, catalase, urease, protease, soil water content (WC), soil organic carbon (SOC), and electrical conductivity (EC). The main influencing factor of the dominant fungal phylum was soil water content. These results show that compared with straw vegetation blankets, coconut, and straw–coconut vegetation blanket mulches are more likely to improve soil physicochemical properties, increase the diversity and abundance of soil microorganisms and improve the structural composition of the community, thus improving the soil environment in dryland mining areas. However, further research is needed as to which is the more significant environmental improvement, coconut or straw–coconut vegetation blankets
A systematic approach to the model development of reactors and reforming furnaces with fuzziness and optimization of operating modes
Get PDFThe paper studies the problems of developing interconnected models of aggregates of complex chemical-technological systems (CTS) in conditions of scarcity and fuzziness of the initial information. Since the known methods of model development do not allow for solving these problems, we propose a systematic method that allows the development of a package of models of interconnected aggregates of complex CTS using the available information of a different nature. In the proposed method, formal and informal methods of system analysis are jointly used. Due to synergy and emergence, the proposed system allows the synthesis of the most adequate and effective CTS models using the knowledge, experience, and intuition of experts and other available data. Using the method, we have developed a package of models of interconnected reactors and used it in a case study for a reforming reactor and furnace of the Atyrau refinery catalytic reformer based on available statistical and fuzzy information. To study and optimize the operating modes of the reformer unit, a system of computer simulation and optimization of the reformer unit was created. Comparison of the obtained results of computer modeling and optimization with the results of known deterministic models shows the advantages of the proposed approach in the face of scarcity and fuzziness of the initial information. The importance and novelty of the proposed method lie in the possibility of developing a package of models of interrelated CTS units based on various types of available information. This allows one to systematically simulate and optimize the operating modes of the CTS. The practical significance of the results is that this case study can be successfully applied in the development of models of various technological units for oil refining, petrochemistry, and other industries
An investigation into the impact of soil particle conductivity and percolation threshold on the Hilhorst model to estimate pore water conductivity in soils
No full textThe aim of this work has been to assess the Hilhorst model, used for estimating in-soil pore water conductivity, against soil properties of percolation threshold and soil particle conductivity. The Hilhorst model has the benefit of requiring a single soil-specific parameter which makes this model easy to apply from soil permittivity and bulk conductivity measurements. However, the Hilhorst model requires that the bulk conductivity measurement is dominated by pore water conductivity, which is not always the case in many ‘‘real-world’’ settings. This work examines a mathematical framework derived from combining the Hilhorst and Ewing and Hunt models which allows the Hilhorst soil parameter to be derived for a range of soil particle conductivities (0 to 10 mS m−1) and percolation thresholds (0 to 0.1 m3 m−3). The analysis in this work indicates that the Hilhorst parameter is highly sensitive to both soil properties with respect to the default value of 4.1 that is often employed. This assessment indicates that: (i) soil particle conductivity can result in the Hilhorst model overestimating pore water conductivity, which becomes more significant for lower bulk conductivities, and, (ii) percolation threshold can result in the Hilhorst model underestimating pore water conductivity, which becomes more significant for lower soil moisture contents. The results from this analysis suggest that the application of the Hilhorst model should be considered against the context of soil particle conductivity and percolation threshold for a given soil under test
Seeing things from both sides: a comic to help young people and professionals understand each other’s views about young survivors’ participation in efforts to address child sexual abuse and exploitation
Get PDFThis comic is intended for both young people and professionals. The perspectives of both groups are explored through a series of four specific themes that were identified in our research as particularly complex areas associated with young people’s participation in this context. As readers move through these themes, we hope to spark discussion between and amongst young people and professionals to help them understand each other’s perspectives, needs and concerns when creating safe spaces for young survivors to be heard. We hope to highlight that a consideration of different views can help to support meaningful participation opportunities and outcomes
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