Common Concepts Research Articles

Refining Established Practices for Research Question Definition to Foster Interdisciplinary Research Skills in a Digital Age: Consensus Study With Nominal Group Technique.

The increased use of digital data in health research demands interdisciplinary collaborations to address its methodological complexities and challenges. This often entails merging the linear deductive approach of health research with the explorative iterative approach of data science. However, there is a lack of structured teaching courses and guidance on how to effectively and constructively bridge different disciplines and research approaches. This study aimed to provide a set of tools and recommendations designed to facilitate interdisciplinary education and collaboration. Target groups are lecturers who can use these tools to design interdisciplinary courses, supervisors who guide PhD and master's students in their interdisciplinary projects, and principal investigators who design and organize workshops to initiate and guide interdisciplinary projects. Our study was conducted in 3 steps: (1) developing a common terminology, (2) identifying established workflows for research question formulation, and (3) examining adaptations of existing study workflows combining methods from health research and data science. We also formulated recommendations for a pragmatic implementation of our findings. We conducted a literature search and organized 3 interdisciplinary expert workshops with researchers at the University of Zurich. For the workshops and the subsequent manuscript writing process, we adopted a consensus study methodology. We developed a set of tools to facilitate interdisciplinary education and collaboration. These tools focused on 2 key dimensions- content and curriculum and methods and teaching style-and can be applied in various educational and research settings. We developed a glossary to establish a shared understanding of common terminologies and concepts. We delineated the established study workflow for research question formulation, emphasizing the "what" and the "how," while summarizing the necessary tools to facilitate the process. We propose 3 clusters of contextual and methodological adaptations to this workflow to better integrate data science practices: (1) acknowledging real-life constraints and limitations in research scope; (2) allowing more iterative, data-driven approaches to research question formulation; and (3) strengthening research quality through reproducibility principles and adherence to the findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) data principles. Research question formulation remains a relevant and useful research step in projects using digital data. We recommend initiating new interdisciplinary collaborations by establishing terminologies as well as using the concepts of research tasks to foster a shared understanding. Our tools and recommendations can support academic educators in training health professionals and researchers for interdisciplinary digital health projects.

The Maaloop Framework: Enabling a Systems‐Level Common Operating Picture in Multiagency Disaster Management

ABSTRACTEmergency management operations are a complex system involving multiagency hierarchical command structures requiring coordination of significant volumes of information, resourcing and effort across expansive disaster zones within restricted timeframes and with potentially catastrophic consequences. Within these environments establishing a timely and shared understanding among different levels of command and across agencies is crucial yet remains a significant challenge. The problem is subsequently framed as ʻhow can the establishment of a systems‐level common operating picture across hierarchical commands and different agencies be improved in the context of complex emergency management and disaster response?ʼ To address this, we present the Maaloop Framework which builds upon the insights gained from previous research within the context of threat assessment, sensemaking, and critical decision‐making in police, military, ambulance, and firefighting contexts. To the observer trained in its application, it aims to provide an instant, point‐in‐time, global and detailed visual intelligent product of (i) the amount of information identified by decision makers at each location; (ii) how confident those decision makers are in the information and its application to resolve an incident; (iii) how the decision maker in adjacent command levels are using the information being fed to them. In turn, it will assist in improving individual and collective understanding regardless of position within a command hierarchy or agency jurisdiction. We submit that the Maaloop Framework does no more than describe the common constructs and concepts identified in the literature describing decision‐making within these industries and the broader study of decision‐making in the field of psychology. Therefore, this framework is intended to provide a solution to provide systems‐level common operating picture and an initial basis for increased communication and understanding across complex crisis events.

A Qualitative Exploration of the Financial Insecurity Experience Among Older People: Implications for Social Work Practice

The availability of support services to ensure financial security is crucial for older people, particularly those who experience functional disability and or financial incapacity. In Ghana, evidence show that many older people report being financially insecure, necessitating an examination of how social provisions such as the social work profession can innovatively and culturally promote financial security for older people. However, limited evidence exists on how social work can innovatively offer culturally appropriate contributions to address the financial security needs of older people in Ghana. Deploying a descriptive qualitative design, this study presents the qualitative findings of older people’s financial experiences across three Ghanaian regions. The study participants (N = 15) were purposefully sampled from Ashanti, Bono-East, and Central regions in Ghana to engage in semi-structured interviews. Analysis of participants’ experiences regarding their finances using NVIVO 20 resulted in six major themes namely: 1) source of finance; 2) reliability of financial sources; 3) adequacy of finances; 4) perspectives on financial soundness; 5) perceived status of financial security; and 6) preferred measures to improve financial status. These themes, put together, enhance our understanding of the seriousness of older people’s financial situation and a quest for financial security. The findings offer evidence for the social work profession in Ghana to adopt innovative and culturally sound approaches, including the ‘nnoboa’ strategy (a common concept in rural Akan communities in Ghana for cooperative cultivation and fundraising) in ensuring financial security for older people.

Electronic Health Records (EHR) Extraction Using Various NLP Models

Information recorded in electronic medical health records, clinical reports, and summaries has the possibility of revolutionizing health-related research and its corresponding industry. EMR data can be used for epidemiological studies, disease registries, data banks, drug safety surveillance, clinical trials, and healthcare audits. With the rapid adoption of electronic health records (EHRs), it is desirable to harvest information and knowledge from EHRs to support automated systems and to enable secondary use of EHRs for clinical and translational research; thereby increasing efficiency. One critical component which is predominantly used to facilitate the secondary use of EHR data is information extraction (IE) task, which automatically extracts and encodes clinical information from a given text. Now, a natural language processing model (NLP) focuses on “developing computational models for understanding the interaction between data science and language”. In the clinical domain, researchers have often used NLP systems to identify clinical syndromes and common biomedical concepts from imaging data, radiology reports, discharge summaries, problem lists, nursing documentation, drug reviews, and medical education documents. These data can help doctors determine patients' health condition(s) including diagnostic information, procedures and tests performed, treatment results, drugs administered, and more. Therefore, we hope to gain some insights and develop strategies to improve the utilization of these NLP systems in the clinical domain. We hope to provide a vision for addressing the existing data challenge(s) in this domain. For this, we would look at the various models that have been used/published over the years and test them for their attributes including effectiveness, accuracy, precision, etc. We believe that adding a probabilistic graphical model framework for structured output prediction would further improve the performance of our system. This experiment remains our future work.

Contemporary Limits of Constitutional Patriotism

“Constitutional patriotism” has become one of the common concepts of political philosophy. Emerging in the local context of post-war Germany’s division, it gained particular popularity at the end of the last century in connection with the further globalization and multiculturalization of the world community and the creation of the European Union. Constitutional patriotism is seen, above all, as a more abstract form of social integration, replacing the traditional collective identity of the national community with a liberal-democratic political culture. Thus, it was a response to the criticism of communitarianism towards liberalism regarding the underestimation of the problem of motivating the protection of liberal democratic institutions. The article substantiates the need for a differentiated approach to the analysis of constitutional patriotism. There are two interpretations of constitutional patriotism – cosmopolitarian and particularistic. The paradox of tolerance — the issue of maintaining a tolerant attitude towards groups intolerant of the liberal political culture of society – outlines the existential boundaries of universally interpreted constitutional patriotism. This paradox became relevant as a result of the European migration crisis, as well as hybrid wars, one of the tools of which was the use of democratic institutions to destroy the constitutional order. Modern political incarnations of the paradox of tolerance demonstrate that the autonomy of liberal-democratic political culture always has its limits in preserving the conditions necessary for the existence of political culture itself.

PUBLIC SERVICES - EFFECTIVE MEANS OF PUBLIC AUTHORITIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable development has become a more and more common concept in the current background of social, economic, legal realities that concern not only the evolution of Romania in the coming years, but the evolution of the whole humanity. Romania, as a member state of the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU), has signed up to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, adopted by the UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/70/1 at the UN Summit on Sustainable Development in September 2015. The EU Council Conclusions, adopted on June 20, 2017, "A sustainable future for Europe: the EU response to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" is the policy document committed by the EU Member States on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this background, each country involved has sought to regulate as best as possible the levers to achieve these goals. This study attempts to answer the question whether public services in Romania and not only, in an improved formula, can represent real mechanisms towards a sustainable development of the society

Islamic Social Welfare in DK Jakarta: Addressing Inequality and Promoting Social Cohesion

This research paper examines the role of Islamic social welfare in addressing inequality and enhancing social cohesion in Daerah Khusus Jakarta (DKJ). Using a descriptive qualitative approach, this study analyzes official statistical data from DK Jakarta in 2022-2024 through the theoretical framework of Putnam's social capital, Crenshaw's intersectionality, and Foster-Iaione's urban commons. Key findings reveal the effectiveness of the zakat-waqf network in mitigating the impact of inflation, reducing it from 3.30% (2022) to 1.98% (2024). Mosques act as centers of socio-economic innovation through programs such as "Jumu'at Berbagi" and "Digital Sharia Cooperatives". The intersectional approach in the "Ta'lim Muyassar" program effectively addresses the complexity of educational inequality. The concept of Islamic-based urban commons creates a participatory city governance model. This study produces an adaptive Islamic social welfare model, introduces "Urban Fiqh", and develops an "Islamic Urban Well-being" index. Limitations of the study include a limited geographic focus and a lack of longitudinal data. Further research is suggested to conduct comparative studies across cities and explore blockchain integration in the zakat-waqf system.

Decolonising the curriculum: common sense, threshold concepts, and epistemic injustice

AbstractIn Onthe Affective Threshold of Power and Privilege (2023), Julie Rattray reflects on the impact of decolonising the curriculum (DtC) on threshold concept (TC) theory. In this paper, I focus on student troublesomeness in the context of DtC—troublesomeness being a key dimension in TC. I argue that such difficulty requires a bespoke analysis as it involves complex entanglements of politics, existential experiences, and epistemic difficulties. The result is twofold. First, these difficulties cannot be overcome using standard epistemic and pedagogical methods precisely because they arise out of tensions between decolonial, material, and hegemonic culture and pedagogical practices. Indeed, even where conceptual material is involved, students’ difficulty with that material cannot be properly characterised in terms of “acquisition”—the dominant model in educational theory, and TC specifically. Second, I argue that hegemonic student troublesomeness is necessary, desirable, and ongoing in these contexts. Again, this puts pressure on pedagogical commitments in TC. I mobilise my analysis through my teaching of Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí’s decolonial gender theory. I then draw upon Wittgenstein and Gramsci to elaborate the existential and political vectors of the problematics of students’ difficulty. I then draw specifically on Kristie Dotson’s work to think through these dynamics in the context of epistemic injustice. The paper concludes with practical strategies for educators to manage and embrace student troublesomeness, advocating for an approach that prioritises cultural understanding and existential reflection over traditional epistemic methods.

White Migration—From the Context of Migration in East Asia

ABSTRACTThis article discusses recent development in the emerging field of white migration studies and particularly focuses on the studies on Western or white migrants in Japan and China in the past decade. It is outlining the main contribution of these studies to critical whiteness studies and migration studies as well as it identifies some of the lacunas in the research and possible theoretical and conceptual directions in which the research in this field can develop further. The article argues that establishing the transnational movement of white bodies as white migrations—what have been rather associated with privilege and different categories of mobility—contributes to contesting of the racialized categories of migration and understanding of the position of whiteness and role of white privilege in the context of global migration. The article suggests that by using common frameworks and concepts with the mainstream migration research and further analysis of the local contexts, the white migration research can contribute to our understanding of whiteness in the context of global migration without reinstating it as a Eurocentric category of research even more.

Using word cloud as a formative assessment classroom technique in physiology.

Formative assessment is a valuable tool in medical education as it allows students to reflect on their own learning and make necessary corrections. The use of innovative techniques in formative assessment can make it more engaging and effective for students, particularly utilizing electronic tools. A word cloud is a visual representation of data that is created using text inputs from a group of individuals. The resulting image shows the most frequently used words in a larger font, allowing quick understanding of the common themes and concepts in the group's responses. Mentimeter is an online platform for interactive presentations where students can provide their responses to a question, which can then be visualized as a word cloud. The study aims to explore the benefits and drawbacks of using word cloud formation as a formative assessment technique in the classroom, utilizing the online platform Mentimeter.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The current study was conducted to present a novel formative assessment classroom technique using Mentimeter. The benefit of this novel technique is that it is easy to implement, quick, anonymous, and strengthens student's conceptual learning. It also gives the teacher an opportunity to give feedback and stress commonly committed mistakes.

Synergizing Intuitive Physics and Big Data in Deep Learning: Can We Obtain Process Insights While Maintaining State‐Of‐The‐Art Hydrological Prediction Capability?

AbstractArtificial intelligence (AI) methods have created insurmountable performance in prediction tasks for geoscientific problems yet are unable to derive process insights and answer specific scientific questions. The geoscience community faces a dilemma of reconciling process comprehension with high predictive accuracy. Here we introduce a deep process learning (DPL) approach empowering neural networks to deduce intrinsic processes from observable data, wherein the intuitive physics of geosystems is directly coupled within the deep learning (DL) architecture as structural prior. We aim to incorporate as raw common concepts as possible as macroscopic guidance: on the one hand, to reduce interference with DL's data adaptability. On the other hand, to allow the information flow of the model to converge along specific paths toward the target output, thus enabling the potential to gain process insights with limited supervision. Illustrating its application to precipitation‐runoff modeling across the USA, DPL yields an ensemble median Nash‐Sutcliffe efficiency of 0.758 and Kling‐Gupta efficiency of 0.778 with robust transferability, compared to 0.762 and 0.751 for the state‐of‐the‐art DL model. The good match between internal representations of DPL and independent data sets of snow water equivalent and evapotranspiration, along with its superior capability for catchment water budget closures, demonstrates proficient process mastery. The study also highlights beneficial synergies from large‐scale data collaboration, promoting the organic unity of process understanding and predictive performance. This work shows a promising avenue for learning processes from big data and will benefit geoscientific domains that remain concerned with process clarity in the era of AI.

A Holistic Perspective on the AI-Education Nexus: A Science Mapping Study

This study examines how the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and education in scientific literature is evolving around common key concepts. For this purpose, the science mapping method was employed. Data were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection. The search terms included “artificial intelligence,” “education,” “instruction,” and “teaching,” as well as "OpenAI," "ChatGPT," and "Chatbot." Bibliographic data from 14,682 scientific documents were extracted, forming the dataset for this study. Analyses were conducted using the VOSviewer software tool, and co-occurrence analyses were performed on the data. These analyses produced both co-occurrence maps and detailed outputs. With the contribution of these outputs, the general and emerging concepts in the map were identified. The results indicate that the AI-education relationship is predominantly discussed in the context of instructional methods rather than as a technology or tool. In recent years, this discourse has particularly enriched and deepened in related fields, learning environments/contexts, issues/skills related to teaching and learning, and research. This richness supports the AI-education relationship from pedagogical integration, applicability, and ethics perspectives. Additionally, it strengthens the theoretical foundations of this relationship by linking it to educational technology and incorporating socio-psychological elements. However, there remains potential for further development in areas such as impact dynamics and human-AI collaboration

Value creation of straw-based biogas in China

BackgroundValue creation is a common concept in business, and the core purpose of economic activity. “Value creation” of biogas refers to how much biogas value can be created when it is used for different purposes. The fact that 1 m3 of biogas contains enough value as an energy carrier to replace coal, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and natural gas in the power and heat sector, as well as gasoline and diesel as a vehicle fuel, receives too little attention in China. The use of agricultural residues and waste is not only a key element for the reduction of resource demand and climate gas emissions, but also offers the potential for value creation. Biogas provision, which is being promoted more and more in China, could be the key to unlocking this potential.ResultsTo assess the potential of value creation for straw-based biogas in China, we calculated the value created by substituting fossil fuels by biogas in different provinces. Likewise, we calculated the collectable straw potential between 2011 and 2020 by using data regarding methane yield, the official biogas electricity price and rate of subsidy by province, as well as market prices of fossil fuels issued by the National Bureau of Statistics as unit price. Furthermore, the amount of value that 1 m3 methane creates in different applications is compared in Chinese yuan, euro and dollar.ConclusionsThe results showed that value creation for vehicle use is the highest, which reached 5.52/6.57/8.16 yuan/m3 methane (0.789/0.939/1.166 USD/m3) as a gasoline replacement, and 5.17/5.81/7.07 yuan/m3 methane (0.699/0.785/0.955 USD/m3) as a diesel replacement; followed by substitution of natural gas, and LPG; the current most common use, electricity generated by the CHP plant showed a relatively low value, which reached 1.08/1.90 yuan/m3 methane (0.154/0.271 USD/m3); and the heat supply showed the lowest with only 0.56 yuan/m3 methane (0.08 USD/m3). This scientific calculation method of the value of biogas as an energy carrier provides a basis for further development of the biogas industry. This paper initially raises this research question in China.

Metabolic syndrome associated with hyperandrogenism in the reproductive age. Hormonal profile in different ethnicities women

Background. Metabolic syndrome (MS) with hyperandrogenism comorbidity in women is considered a common concept; however, the contribution of the neuroendocrine regulation system indicators to this in reproductive age remains unclear.The aim. To analyze the activity of neuroendocrine regulation system in women of reproductive age of different ethnic groups with metabolic syndrome associated with hyperandrogenism.Materials and methods. The groups of women with MS of Russian (n = 209) and Buryat (n = 84) ethnic groups and a group of women with MS and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) of Russian (n = 23) and Buryat (n = 10) ethnic groups were formed.Results. In women of reproductive age of the Russian ethnic group with MS and PCOS the study noted higher levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) (p = 0.030), testosterone (Ts) (p = 0.026), free androgen index (FAI) (p < 0.0001), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) (p < 0.0001), and reduced levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) (p < 0.0001) in relation to the control; in relation to the group with MS, we discovered increased values of AMH (p < 0.001), Ts (p = 0.030), FAI (p < 0.001), DHEA-S (p < 0.0001), and decreased values of SHBG (p = 0.001). In women of the Buryat ethnic group with MS and PCOS the study recorded increased values of AMH (p = 0.045), Ts (p = 0.002), FAI (p < 0.0001), DHEA-S (p = 0.033), decreased SHBG (p = 0.016) and 17-OH-progesterone (p = 0.027) levels in comparison with the control; in comparison with the group with MS we noted a higher level of DHEA-S (p = 0.006) and a decreased level of SHBG (p = 0.028).Conclusion. Women with metabolic syndrome associated with hyperandrogenism showed more intense changes in the neuroendocrine regulation system relative to control values regardless of ethnicity. In Russian women, the combined syndrome (MS with PCOS) was accompanied by a greater number of hormonal changes compared to the monosyndrome (MS) than in Buryat women. The data obtained indicate the need to assess and control the content of these metabolites in women with MS and PCOS, taking into account ethnicity.

Electrochemical Activity of Oxygen in Li-Ion Battery Cathodes from X-Ray Spectroscopic Modeling

As demand for better performance in energy storage increases, a clear understanding of the charge compensating mechanism in Li-ion battery cathodes is essential for developing next generation battery chemistries and materials. X-ray core level spectroscopies, e.g. x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS), allow for experimental measurement of the electronic structure of battery materials before and after charge, providing the clearest physical picture of electrochemical device operation.Here, we present numerical modeling of the XAS/RIXS of various battery chemistries compared to experimental measurements in situ. Modeling spectroscopic changes before and after discharge using not only density functional theory (DFT) based techniques but also exact diagonalization atomic multiplet formalisms prove crucial in these materials to accurately model correlation effects seen in their spectra, where reversible changes in the transition metal L3-edge spectroscopy may erroneously point to cationic redox. We address the common concept of transition metal redox, highlight the essential role of oxygen in both reversible and irreversible processes, and the break down in the standard paradigm of cationic/anionic redox.

The Impact of Turbulent Transport Efficiency on Surface Vertical Heat Fluxes in the Arctic Stable Boundary Layer Predicted from Similarity Theory and Machine Learning

Abstract We analyzed 14 days of observations from sonic anemometry and high-resolution fiber-optic distributed sensing collected in the stable boundary layer (SBL). The study sought to evaluate if and under which conditions the sensible heat flux is related to the temperature gradient. Machine learning methods were employed to identify drivers of and model heat fluxes. We found the recently proposed coupling metric Ω defined as the ratio of the buoyancy length scale and measurement height to delineate physically meaningful transport regimes. The regime transition marks the point where static stability, in addition to the vertical turbulence strength, controls the heat transport, which is rather gradual than abrupt. The maximum downward heat flux is reached when one-third of turbulent eddies exceed the opposing buoyancy forces in the SBL. We found evidence that even for large Ω a substantial fraction of the turbulent transport is nonequilibrium. The nondimensional temperature gradient is better explained by variations in Ω than ζ = zL−1 from Monin–Obukhov similarity theory. Its continuous organization with Ω across stabilities suggests that the vertical heat transport always remains coupled to the surface, but its efficiency and the resulting flux vary. Forty-three percent of the total enthalpy is exchanged during conditions of limited transport efficiency in the very SBL despite the small flux magnitude of ≤7 W m−2, which underlines the importance of quantifying the weak surface exchange for polar regions. When predicting sensible heat fluxes using mean quantities from weather stations, the net longwave radiative forcing and the horizontal wind speed are the most important predictors representing stratification and bulk shear. Significance Statement Climate warming is amplified in polar regions, but quantifying heat transfer is complicated since mixing is weak and sporadic. We aim to understand when and why measurements taken in the lowest meters above snow can be used to quantify the surface heat transfer and if common modeling concepts are valid. We found that the measured heat transfer for weak winds and clear skies is connected to the snow surface only to a small degree in 66% of all cases at a much (−65%) reduced magnitude compared to strong wind or cloudy cases. However, 43% of the total heat is exchanged during these conditions and thus must be included in surface heat budgets. Classic modeling concepts systematically underpredicted the exchanged heat budget by 12% across all conditions which limits their utility in polar regions.

The Enactment of the Common Interest Concept and the Theory of Repressive Legal Protection on Consumer Reviews Against Defamation Claims

Essentially, the objective of reviews is to offer testimonials regarding the quality of product based on personal experiences, serving as a reference for potential consumers concerning the product’s attributes and quality. Businesses also leverage consumer reviews as material for product evaluation, marketing, and enhancing after-sales services. However, in practice businesses do not always receive consumer reviews favorably, particularly when these reviews result in financial losses. This is especially true when reviews are published by influencers with substantial social media followings. Consequently, businesses may initiate legal action against consumers for defamation. According to defamation provisions, acts carried out in the public interest cannot be penalized. This study addresses the legal protection of consumers against defamation lawsuits by businesses, employing the common interest concept and the theory of repressive legal protection. The aim is to analyze the application of the common interest concept and the theory of repressive legal protection concerning reviews on social media, aiming to provide new insights for law enforcement officials in handling defamation cases involving consumers and businesses. This study utilizes normative juridical methods, reviewing literature on legislation, legal concepts, and theories. The study concludes that according to the theory of repressive legal protection, businesses that violate their obligations to consumers should be sanctioned. The enactment of the common interest concept to consumer reviews requires an examination of legal evidence and facts, and if proven, should result in sanctions for businesses as a form of repressive legal protection.

Comprehensive Review and New Analysis Software for Single-file Pedestrian Experiments

This paper offers a comprehensive examination of single-file experiments within the field of pedestrian dynamics, providing a thorough review from both theoretical and analytical perspectives. It begins by tracing the historical context of single-file movement studies in pedestrian dynamics. Then, the significance of understanding the fundamental relationships among density, speed, and flow in pedestrian dynamics through the lens of simple single-file systems is explored in depth. Furthermore, we investigate various traffic systems involving human or non-human entities such as ants, mice, bicycles, and cars, and provide insights. We explore the types of experimental setups, data collection methods, and influential factors that affect pedestrian movement. We also define and explain the common concepts concerning single-file movement, particularly in experimental research. Finally, we present a Python tool named ``SingleFileMovementAnalysis'' designed for analyzing single-file experimental data, specifically head trajectories. This tool provides a cohesive approach to preparing and calculating movement metrics like speed, density, and headway. The article aims to stimulate further research and underscore the areas where future researchers can contribute to advancing and enhancing single-file studies.

Video games in selected African novels: playing intermediality in manifold ways

This essay explores the interactions between video games and four African novels. I argue that representations of video games in African fiction are instances of digital intermediality which deserve attention alongside other more widely studied digital-literary interactions. At stake in novelistic representations of video games, I suggest, are not merely the virtual worlds produced by video game software, but also the embodied experience of playing them, an aspect that video games scholar Brendon Keogh has argued is crucial to understanding how games produce meaning. This understanding of game-playing as an embodied world-building practice informs an analysis of two pairs of writers: Pepetela and In Koli Jean Bofane, and Tendai Huchu and Masande Ntshanga. Pepetela and Bofane deploy fictional video games as part of ironic critiques of neocolonialism. In so doing, they echo common conceptions of video games as dangerously isolating of the player or as excessively violent. Huchu and Ntshanga draw on their childhood experiences of games and depict them as meaningful components of the social existences of their young protagonists. In providing an analysis of representations of video games in contemporary African novels, the essay suggests directions for future discussions of this increasingly common intermedial interaction.

Youth activism and (de)personalized remix on TikTok

ABSTRACT Social media has provided everyday actors with a platform to share their personal stories and ideas. This has had a profound effect on activism, as movements are increasingly built up and amplified through the circulation of participants’ individualized motivations, experiences, and sentiments. TikTok has emerged as a salient site for studying this turn: it has proven to be a highly successful tool in activist campaigns, strongly affords personalized communication, and supports a main user base of young people known for emphasizing self-expression in their online participation. Since remix is the core form of sharing on TikTok, users are encouraged to insert and articulate themselves not only in the process of content creation, but in the process of circulation as well. Here, we focus on the way remix is exploited as a mode of personalizing activist content on TikTok, particularly among young users. We do so by qualitatively coding and analyzing remixed content associated with the digital activist organization Gen-Z for Change. We find that, despite expectations based on prior research and the observed behavior of older users, young users tended to resist personalization in their remix strategies. Yet, they simultaneously managed to assert their presence in ways that are meaningful on the app. Our results elaborate on digital activist strategies and the role of platform affordances therein, and add important nuance to common conceptions of youth political participation styles.