145 research outputs found
Book Extract: "Laughter in the Dark: Egypt to the Tune of Change" by Yasmine El Rashidi
No full textPRAISE FOR Laughter in the Dark
“Laughter in the Dark is a brilliantly composed portrait of Egypt’s answer to hip-hop—and how it functions as a musical genre, economic engine, and cultural force amid the restrictions of an increasingly authoritarian regime. Meticulously reported and elegantly written, it’s a must-read for any global citizen.” –ZACK O’MALLEY GREENBURG, author of Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went From Street Corner to Corner Office
“In Laughter in the Dark, Yasmine El Rashidi provides a brisk, brilliant, and brave portrait of young Egyptians simmering under the weight of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s repressive dictatorship and reveals the stark inequality between the rulers and the ruled.” –BASHARAT PEER, author of A Question of Order: India, Turkey, and the Return of Strongme
Politics in an Arabian Oasis: the Rashidi tribal dynasty
No full textThis text is both a study of the relationships between tribes and state formation, and a political history of central Arabia. It deals with the Rashidi dynasty which in the 19th century emerged among the Shammar camel herders, made the oasis of Hail a capital rivalling Mecca and Medina in fame and prosperity, and attempted to unify central Arabia into a single polity. The author considers why at this particular moment the Shammar became susceptible to political centralization, the internal and external factors that contributed to the emergence of their dynasty, the changes in the political system and the factors which contributed to the subsequent instability and decline of the Shammar polity in the 20th century
Fame bias in editorial choice: Yes or No?
No full textRecently, Scientometrics has published a paper titled “Is there bias in editorial choice? Yes” (Moustafa 2015) in which some comments are given on our published paper in Nature titled “Is there fame bias in editorial choice?” (Mahian et al. 2015). Unfortunately, the author of above mentioned paper and many other readers might misunderstand the main aim of our correspondence. Here, we try to give some explanations to clarify the main goal of analysis presented in the paper
Is there fame bias in editorial choice?
No full textNature’s Correspondence items are reviewed only by the editors (see go.nature.com/cmchno). To investigate whether editorial bias towards internationally renowned correspondents might be at play in selecting candidates for publication, we analysed the scientific status
of Correspondence authors published in 2014.
We used the following pointers to gauge author reputation: faculty member in one of the world’s top 100 universities
(as listed in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings; see go.nature. com/bhgfxd); authorship of Nature or Science publications; high h index. We classed correspondents as established scholars if they fulfilled any or all of these criteria.
The number of letters published in Correspondence
in 2014 was 239, each with
one ‘corresponding author’ responsible for submission and communication with the editors. We found that 54% of these authors met some or all of our criteria. Some 13% of authors came from the developing world.
Within the limitations of our ‘fame factors’ (for example, some correspondents were well known but from outside academia)
and of sampling only the corresponding authors, we infer that scientific celebrity does not notably influence the selection of Correspondence for publication
A REVIEW ON FEASIBILITY OF MAGNETIC WATER TECHNOLOGY IN WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
No full textBackground and Objective: Magnetic or magnetized water technology (MWT) has been recently introduced as promising approach for water resources management in agricultural, environmental, and industrial processes. Despite controversial findings of the recent studies, MWT seems one of the future technologies for efficient water management. This study aims to review the feasibility and perspectives of MWT in water resources management. Method: The databases of Web of Sciences (1980–2016), EMBASE (1980–2016), and Google Scholar (1980–2016) were searched using the search terms of “Magnetic water” or "magnetized water" and "water resources management" and "treatment" and “agriculture” or “irrigation” or “industrial processes” to find the relevant papers. After reviewing the title and abstract, the papers were selected for selected for further review. The main focus of this review was the efficacy and feasibility of magnetized water technology in efficient management of water resources. Results: Scale prevention or elimination, plant growth and crop yield enhancement, soil enhancement, desalination, antibacterial feature and wastewater treatment are the main features of MWT approach. Using appropriate set up of MWT in agricultural and environmental applications can result in water consumption saving. Magnetized water possesses strong antitoxic features and cannot enter the MW structure. Conclusion: Although the modern MWT is in its early stage, the general consensus highlights its beneficial effects in agriculture, industrial applications and even for drinking water. Keywords: Magnetic water treatment, Water resources management
Electromagnetic fields for the treatment of osteoarthritis: A review of potential clinical applications
No full textEFFECTS OF MAGNETIC TREATMENT OF IRRIGATION WATER ON THE QUALITY OF SOIL: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW
No full textBackground and Objective: In recent years, positive effects of magnetized water treatment have been shown on growth processes and the development of plant tissues through a change in the soil content. The objective of the current study is to review the effects of magnetized water on the quality of soil. Method: The databases of Scopus (1980-2016), EMBASE (1980-2016), Web of Sciences (1980-2016), and Google Scholar (1980-2016) were searched to find the published studies with the keywords of "magnetic treatment" OR "magnetized water", AND "irrigation water" AND "soil" AND "effect". The obtained titles were reviewed and the relevant studies were selected for comprehensive review of the current literature. Results: Magnetic water technologies used in agriculture can improve the quality and quantity of products. The current evidence shows that magnetic treated irrigation water changes soil and harvest content through increasing the level of specific minerals including N, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Na, and Zn and reducing S content. Conclusion: Although using magnetic water is agriculture is in early stage, studies have shown relatively promising outcomes and to reach established technology further controlled studies are needed. Studies to shed more light on the mechanisms of action of the observed effects are important in this regard. Keywords: Magnetized Water, Soil, Irrigation Water, Effec
Iranian women's knowledge and attitude regarding preconception health: 12 years after integration into the primary health care network
No full textAssessment of spinal cord abnormalities and its related factors in male students of Islamic Azad University at Semnan
No full textBackground and aimDecreased mobility and physical activity are threatening factors of health and spinal cord as the basic axis of the body is of critical importance in this regard because any injury of deformity of it can cause body malfunction. The aim of this study was to assess abnormalities of spinal cord and some of their related factors in male students of Islamic Azad University at Semnan. Materials and methods In this descriptive study, 240 students in their Physical Education Course 1 took part in the study. New York Test Posture Screen validated and made reliable by content and test-retest (r=0.80) methods respectively as well as Matiyas Test were applied for the assessment. A 3-grade scale including good, fair and poor was used for classification and those classified as good were regarded normal and those classified as fair or poor were considered as abnormal. Data were analyzed by SPSS 14. Findings 91.3% of the subjects suffer at least from one of spinal cord abnormalities. The most common condition was falling shoulders (74.2%) and the least frequent was pelvic obliquity (2.5%). Matiyas test was negative in 58.8% (not able to remain in requested position). 33.3% was overweight and obese in terms of body mass index (BMI). ConclusionThe results showed that the prevalence of spinal cord abnormalities in the subjects was very high (91.3%) mostly due to poor mobility, weakness in the muscles of upper extremities particularly those holding the spine and lack of exercise. Thus, planning for physical activities and exercise in the leisure time of students seems essential. Keywords: Spinal cord, Spinal cord abnormalities, Exercise, Scoliosis. *Corresponding Author: Mohammad Rashidi. Dept. of Physical Education, Islamic Azad University, Semnan, Iran. E-mail: [email protected]
Performance evaluation of direct methanol fuel cells for portable applications
No full textThis study examines the feasibility of powering a range of portable devices with a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The analysis includes a comparison between a Li-ion battery and DMFC to supply the power for a laptop, camcorder and a cell phone. A parametric study of the systems for an operational period of 4 years is performed. Under the assumptions made for both the Li-ion battery and DMFC system, the battery cost is lower than the DMFC during the first year of operation. However, by the end of 4 years of operational time, the DMFC system would cost less. The weight and cost comparisons show that the fuel cell system occupies less space than the battery to store a higher amount of energy. The weight of both systems is almost identical. Finally, the CO2 emissions can be decreased by a higher exergetic efficiency of the DMFC, which leads to improved sustainability.Ontario Research Excellence FundNatural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canad
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