Distinct Forms Research Articles

Esej, czyli obelga dla współczesnego naukowca (?)

This article aims to present two complementary issues related to the contemporary perception and understanding of the essay. The first part explores various definitions of the term “essay.” As a distinct form of discourse and a separate literary genre, the essay has been the subject of extensive literature (relevant to both general literary studies and Polish studies). Despite sustained scholarly interest over a long period, there has been a noticeable decline in linguistic precision among those frequently using the term “essay” in modern Polish language. As a result, the word has become either meaningless (as nearly any text is labeled this way) or is associated with lower-quality, non-scholarly writing. The second issue addresses the current variations of essays being written today. It is easy to observe tendencies that blur the line between essays, literary columns, or fragments of autobiographical writing. These variations reflect a broader trend (or fashion) within contemporary humanistic discourse.

Exploring Institutionalized Oppression in The Book of Not (2006)

ABSTRACT Tsitsi Dangarembga’s exploration of education takes on distinct forms in her literary works. The Book of Not (2006) focuses on traditional education encompassing classes, assessments and discipline. This article presents an analysis of Dangarembga’s second literary work, interrogating the tension between the promises of educational liberation and the entrapment of black female students within the confines of Young Ladies’ College of the Sacred Heart, an educational institution that replicates colonial practices. The concept of education is read within the framework of Paulo Freire’s critique of the banking model, where practices of colonial education are shown to manifest neuroses in colonial subjects, exposing the hypocrisies and ironies within the colonial education model. Through this lens, we observe the profound alienation Tambudzai (Tambu) experiences with liberatory education. To succeed within the system, Tambu is pressured to abandon her cultural identity under the misguided belief that doing so will lead to acceptance. This forced renunciation causes psychological breakdowns, highlighting how the school exhibits institutional traits akin to asylums. Instead of fostering independence and collective thought, the school’s true aim is to enforce dependence by compelling students to discard themselves.

Reticulate Evolution in Japanese Sceptridium (Ophioglossaceae), including diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid species.

Homospory represents an intriguing reproductive strategy, including the potential for gametophytic selfing, considered the ultimate form of selfing. The plants of the fern genus Sceptridium (Ophioglossaceae) are generally considered to be predominantly selfing, making them suitable for analyzing speciation patterns and intraspecific variation characteristic of homosporous plants. The Sceptridium species in Japan not only exhibit variations in ploidy, including diploids, tetraploids, and hexaploids, but also pose taxonomic challenges due to morphologically distinctive forms that are difficult to be assigned to previously described species. We developed multiple single-copy nuclear markers and aimed to identify ancestral species of the polyploids and to elucidate the evolutionary entity of an undescribed species. Chromosome counts and analyses of individual gene trees confirmed that S. japonicum, S. atrovirens, and the undescribed species are allohexaploids originating through hybridization between a maternal tetraploid ancestor closely related to S. formosanum and a paternal diploid ancestor closely related to extant diploid species. By identifying homoeologs derived from the diploid ancestor, we successfully analyzed the phylogenetic relationship between the diploid ancestor of the hexaploid species and extant diploid species using the multispecies coalescent model. The examined undescribed species could not be distinguished from S. atrovirens by multiple nuclear markers or by SNP data obtained from multiplexed ISSR genotyping by sequencing. This species appears to represent one of the polymorphisms of S. atrovirens, which was fixed through gametophytic selfing.

Insights into the pathogenesis of gestational and hepatic diseases: the impact of ferroptosis

Ferroptosis, a distinct form of non-apoptotic cell death characterized by iron dependency and lipid peroxidation, is increasingly linked to various pathological conditions in pregnancy and liver diseases. It plays a critical role throughout pregnancy, influencing processes such as embryogenesis, implantation, and the maintenance of gestation. A growing body of evidence indicates that disruptions in these processes can precipitate pregnancy-related disorders, including pre-eclampsia (PE), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). Notably, while ICP is primarily associated with elevated maternal serum bile acid levels, its precise etiology remains elusive. Oxidative stress induced by bile acid accumulation is believed to be a significant factor in ICP pathogenesis. Similarly, the liver’s susceptibility to oxidative damage underscores the importance of lipid metabolism dysregulation and impaired iron homeostasis in the progression of liver diseases such as alcoholic liver disease (ALD), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), cholestatic liver injury, autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), acute liver injury, viral hepatitis, liver fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This review discusses the shared signaling mechanisms of ferroptosis in gestational and hepatic diseases, and explores recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of ferroptosis and its potential role in the pathogenesis of gestational and hepatic disorders, with the aim of identifying viable therapeutic targets.

Abstract 4127919: Disease-associated variants in DSP -encoded desmoplakin are common, yet low penetrant alleles associated with development of myocarditis and cardiomyopathy at a population level

Intro: DSP- encoded desmoplakin is implicated in a distinct form of arrhythmic cardiomyopathy (ACM), often involving the LV and characterized by myocardial inflammation. Conventional ACM diagnostic criteria has poor sensitivity for DSP -associated ACM, thus highlighting the need to identify the full spectrum of phenotypic risk associated with disease-associated DSP variants. Objective: To analyze the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of DSP -mediated disease at a large population level. Methods: UK Biobank participants with exome sequencing (ES) were included. Variants were filtered by gene evidence category, yielding 3 groups: predicted deleterious (pDel); subset with predicted loss of function (LOF); and ultra-filtered subset by ClinVar 2* pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP). Phenotypic penetrance was analyzed with DSP -neg individuals as control. Variant location analysis assessed LOFs by susceptibility to nonsense mediated decay region and missenses by amino acid sequence to identify mutational hotspots where P/LPs localize. Results: Out of 200,580 with ES, 1407 DSP carriers had pDel, 168 with LOF, and 44 with ClinVar 2* P/LP. DSP carriers had higher burden of myocarditis, cardiomyopathy (CM), and heart failure. A progressive enrichment in myocarditis and CM was observed by more stringent variant filtering in DSP carriers compared to control. A higher proportion of DSP carriers had myocarditis – 0.28% (4) of the pDels, 1.8% (3) of LOFs, and 4.5% (2) compared to control 0.07% (p<0.05). A parallel trend noted the proportion of DSP carriers with CM growing from 1.4% (19) to 5.4% (9) and 6.8% (3) in the pDel, LOF, and ClinVar 2* P/LPs respectively compared to 0.6% in the control group (p<0.01). Location analysis of missense variants revealed that P/LPs localized in higher proportions (74%) to key domains compared to non-P/LPs (50%; p<0.001), highlighting prognostic value of predicting pathogenicity of missense DSP variants by mutation hotspots. Conclusions: While DSP variants are relatively common in the population, variant presence is associated with low penetrance. Enhancing clinical penetrance with increasingly stringent filtering of DSP variants emphasizes the importance of variant evaluation in clinical risk assessment. This first-in-kind population study of DSP provides insights into novel risk prediction factors, allowing us to predict pathogenicity by type and location of mutation and using variant filtering strategy to better assess phenotypic penetrance.

Sleep is necessary for experience-dependent sequence plasticity in mouse primary visual cortex.

Repeated exposure to familiar visual sequences drives experience-dependent and sequence-specific plasticity in mouse primary visual cortex (V1). Prior work demonstrated a critical role for sleep in consolidating a related but mechanistically distinct form of experience-dependent plasticity in V1. Here, we assessed the role of sleep in consolidation of spatiotemporal sequence learning (sequence plasticity) in mouse V1. Visually evoked potentials (VEPs) were recorded in awake, head-fixed mice viewing sequences of four visual stimuli. Each sequence was presented 200 times per session, across multiple sessions, to drive plasticity. The effects of sleep consolidation time and sleep deprivation on plasticity were assessed. Sequence plasticity occurred in V1 following as little as one hour of ad libitum sleep and increased with longer periods of sleep. Sleep deprivation blocked sequence plasticity consolidation, which recovered following subsequent sleep. Sleep is required for the consolidation of sequence plasticity in mouse V1.

Data‐driven estimation for multithreshold accelerated failure time model

AbstractThis article develops a novel estimation framework for the multithreshold accelerated failure time model, which has distinct linear forms within different subdomains. One major challenge is to determine the number of threshold effects. We first show the selection consistency of a modified Bayesian information criterion under mild conditions. It is useful sometimes but heavily depends on the penalization magnitude, which usually varies from the model configuration and data distribution. To address this issue, we leverage a cross‐validation criterion alongside an order‐preserved sample‐splitting scheme to yield a consistent estimation. The new criterion is completely data driven without additional parameters and thus robust to model setting and data distributions. The asymptotic properties for the parameter estimates are also carefully established. Additionally, we propose an efficient score‐type test to examine the existence of threshold effects. The new statistic is free of estimating any potential threshold effects and is thus suitable for multithreshold scenarios. Numerical experiments validate the reliable finite‐sample performance of our methodologies, which corroborates the theoretical results.

Soret and Dufour effects for unsteady flow with shapes and (Cu+Fe3O4)/(ethelene–glycol+methanol) between two stretchable rotating disks

The ongoing study looks at the multiple shapes of nanoparticles in an unsteady flow between two stretchable rotating disks. Unsteady flow of hybrid nanofluid takes place between the stretchable disks, using (ethelene–glycol+methanol) as the base fluid and (Cu+Fe3O4) as the hybrid nanofluid. This study uses three distinct forms of (Cu+Fe3O4) hybrid nanofluids: brick, blade, and cylinder. Using chosen similarity transmutations, corresponding mathematical expressions (partial differential equations) are transformed into nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The whole set of equations takes the shape of an ordinary differential equation depending on the boundary conditions, and the solution is numerically computed using the bvp4c MATLAB solver. The influence of multiple factors across the velocity field is illustrated graphically. To acquire tiny quantities of the unsteady factors S, the momentum boundary layer for all types of nanofluids becomes less and more conspicuous. We compared our findings to previous findings and discovered an intriguing pattern. The main discovery of this work is Dufour and Soret effect on the heat and concentration profile. The rise in the rotation and the unsteady parameter ends up with an increase in the tangential velocity. The temperature rises as the Brinkman number and heat source factors rise, and falls as the unsteady parameter S rises. The concentration falls as the Schmidt number and unsteady factor increase, but it increases as the activation energy increases.

University and the Pursuit of a ‘Career’ for Working-Class Youth in Deindustrial Rochdale

This article examines the way in which working-class young people in Rochdale, a former industrial town in the north-west of England, imagine their future transitions from college to work through qualitative research at Rochdale’s only A-Level college. It explores how students’ aspirations to attend university reflect their desire for a ‘career’ in the absence of alternative forms of work and as a symbolic marker of upward social mobility that is subsequently differentiated from other forms of work as a form of distinction, as a great deal of emphasis is placed on the moral and cultural worth of a ‘career’. In doing so, this article highlights how such perceptions are shaped by the material conditions faced by these young people, such as inequality, financial precarity, and relative poverty against the backdrop of deindustrialisation.

Constructing non-hegemonic entrepreneurial masculinity: the case of Black men doing entrepreneurship in a predominantly white context

PurposeThe literature on entrepreneurial masculinity has primarily focused on how hegemonic masculinity is constructed and performed in entrepreneurship. Little is known about how non-hegemonic masculinity is performed by male entrepreneurs who do not fit the dominant and traditional form of masculinity in a specific context. Focusing on a cohort of Black male entrepreneurs who practised entrepreneurship in a predominantly white context, this paper explores how non-hegemonic entrepreneurial masculinity is constructed.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to analyse qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews with nine Black male entrepreneurs living and doing business in the Northeast of England.FindingsThe study found that Black male entrepreneurs construct a distinct form of entrepreneurial masculinity by leveraging the identity of White women to construct a respectable entrepreneurial masculinity. The form of masculinity the men engaged in is theorised as transactional masculinity. This is enacted through relationships with White women which is seen as a symbol of respect and social acceptance, and as a “rite of passage” in entrepreneurship. The study presents a model of entrepreneurial masculinity to explain how transactional masculinity is constructed in relation to femininity and other forms of masculinity.Originality/valueThe study theorises how non-hegemonic entrepreneurial masculinity is enacted through the concept of transactional masculinity. It presents a model of entrepreneurial masculinity and gives voice to the experiences of male entrepreneurial actors with non-hegemonic masculinity.

Unpacking the association between social media use and support for unlawful behaviors in protests: a study in Hong Kong

PurposeExisting research has shown the role of social media in facilitating general protest participation. However, there is a noticeable gap in understanding the dynamics related to explicitly unlawful behaviors during protests, which have become increasingly prominent in recent times. Drawing upon the communication mediation model (O-S-O-R model), this study proposes a moderated mediation model to delineate specific mechanisms under which social media use influences individuals' support for unlawful behaviors in protests.Design/methodology/approachA survey of 1,121 Hong Kong residents was conducted in the context of the 2019 Hong Kong Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement to test the theoretical model.FindingsObtaining political information on social media has a dual effect on support for unlawful behaviors in protests. On one hand, social media use increases individuals' political knowledge, which is reinforced by frequent political discussions on social media. This enhanced political knowledge tends to reduce the likelihood of supporting unlawful behaviors in protests. On the other hand, acquiring political information on social media can also generate increased anger toward politics, potentially leading to a more supportive attitude toward unlawful behaviors in protests.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the expanding field of research on digital activism by revealing the intricate mechanisms by which social media usage shapes support for unlawful behaviors in protests. It also expands our understanding of explicit unlawful behaviors within protests as a distinct form of political behavior.

A low-coordinate platinum(0)-germylene for E–H bond activation and catalytic hydrodehalogenation

Pairing transition metals and heavier tetrylenes (Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) holds great potential for cooperative bond activation and catalysis. In this work, we investigate the reactivity of a low-coordinate Pt(0)/Ge(II) system that emerges from the reaction between the monoligated platinum(0) precursor [(PMe2ArDipp2)Pt(olefin)] with germylene dimer [ArDipp2GeCl]2 (where ArDipp2 = C6H3−2,6-(C6H3−2,6-iPr2)2). The resulting complex reveals ability for cooperative bond activation. Stoichiometric reactions with dihydrogen, water, methanol, ammonia and alkynes unveil the formation of Pt(II)-germyl compounds, characterized by distinct isomeric forms, whose flexibility derives from the particularly low-coordination. We explore its catalytic potential in the hydrodehalogenation of aliphatic, aromatic and main-group halides under dihydrogen atmosphere using both thermal and photochemical conditions, demonstrating promising conversions even for more challenging alkyl chlorides.

A cytoplasmic form of EHMT1N methylates viral proteins to enable inclusion body maturation and efficient viral replication.

Protein lysine methyltransferases (PKMTs) methylate histone and non-histone proteins to regulate biological outcomes such as development and disease including viral infection. While PKMTs have been extensively studied for modulating the antiviral responses via host gene regulation, their role in methylation of proteins encoded by viruses and its impact on host-pathogen interactions remain poorly understood. In this study, we discovered distinct nucleo-cytoplasmic form of euchromatic histone methyltransferase 1 (EHMT1N/C), a PKMT, that phase separates into viral inclusion bodies (IBs) upon cytoplasmic RNA-virus infection (Sendai Virus). EHMT1N/C interacts with cytoplasmic EHMT2 and methylates SeV-Nucleoprotein upon infection. Elevated nucleoprotein methylation during infection correlated with coalescence of small IBs into large mature platforms for efficient replication. Inhibition of EHMT activity by pharmacological inhibitors or genetic depletion of EHMT1N/C reduced the size of IBs with a concomitant reduction in replication. Additionally, we also found that EHMT1 condensation is not restricted to SeV alone but was also seen upon pathogenic RNA viral infections caused by Chandipura and Dengue virus. Collectively, our work elucidates a new mechanism by which cytoplasmic EHMT1 acts as proviral host factor to regulate host-pathogen interaction.

Impact of calcium and copper co-doping on the oxygen transport of layered nickelates: a case study of Pr1.6Ca0.4Ni1–yCuyO4+δ and a comparative analysis

This study aims at investigating oxygen content and diffusion in the Pr1.6Ca0.4Ni1‑yCuyO4+δ (y = 0.0–0.4) series. Single-phased materials were obtained via nitrate combustion using glycerol as a fuel. The materials exhibit an orthorhombic structure, which correlates well with the absolute oxygen content in the samples in the range of 4.15–3.97. The oxygen mobility in the samples was investigated by a temperature-programmed isotope exchange of oxygen (TPIE) with C18O2 in a flow reactor. The obtained curves, comprising few extrema, were fitted using a mathematical model that includes two or three distinct oxygen forms, each characterized by a specific diffusion coefficient value. The oxygen tracer diffusion coefficient values and the contribution of fast oxygen forms tend to decrease with increasing Cu content (except for Pr1.6Ca0.4Ni0.8Cu0.2O4+δ), which can be explained by the variation of highly mobile interstitial oxygen content since the effective activation energy values remains the same within the calculation error. Comparative analysis shows that this behavior is similar to the trends observed and discussed for Ca- and Cu-doped La and Nd nickelates. Nevertheless, the highest D* value for Ofast was demonstrated for the Pr1.6Ca0.4Ni0.8Cu0.2O4+δ sample (9.4·10–8 cm2/s at 700 °C), which correlates well with superior electrochemical properties of the electrodes on its basis.

Quantification of cavitating flows with neutron imaging

The current experimental investigation demonstrates the capability of neutron imaging to quantify cavitation, in terms of vapour content, within an orifice of an abruptly constricting geometry. The morphology of different cavitation regimes setting in was properly visualised owing to the high spatial resolution of 16 μm achieved, given the extensive field of view of 12.9 × 12.9 mm2 offered by the imaging set-up. At a second step, the method was proven capable of highlighting subtle differences between fluids of different rheological properties. More specifically, a reference liquid was comparatively assessed against a counterpart additised with a Quaternary Ammonium Salt (QAS) agent, thus obtaining a viscoelastic behaviour. In accordance with previous studies, it was verified, yet in a quantifiable manner, that the presence of viscoelastic additives affects the overall cavitation topology by promoting the formation of more localised vortical cavities rather than cloud-like structures occupying a larger portion of the orifice core. To the authors’ best knowledge, the present work is the first to demonstrate that neutron imaging is suitable for quantifying in-nozzle cavitating flow at the micrometre level, consequently elucidating the distinct forms of vaporous structures that arise. The potential of incorporating neutron irradiation for the quantification of two-phase flows in metallic microfluidics devices has been established.

Enacting policy change in Jordanian public schools: interrogating the reproductive habitus of Al Faza’a leadership

ABSTRACT An extensive longitudinal study examining the enactment of Jordan’s Education Reform for Knowledge Economy (ERfKE) policy in public schools uncovered the pervasive influence of Al-Faza’a leadership, which is deeply rooted in tribal values of solidarity and kinship. This article analyses Al-Faza’a leadership as a culturally potent force that profoundly challenges policy change for education reform. Through a sociological study guided by Bourdieu’s theory of practice, our findings reveal Al-Faza’a leadership as a distinctive form of illusio that is all the more powerful when intertwined with the doxa of Sheikhocracy. We illustrate how Al-Faza’a leadership embodies a persistent reproductive habitus, obstructing ERfKE’s transformative potential and exemplifying resistance to externally imposed and culturally ill-suited reform agendas in Jordan’s schools. By dissecting nuanced sociocultural dynamics shaping leadership practices, the article focuses on the experiences and perspectives of public school principals charged with policy enactment. It illuminates embedded cultural practices within schools and the Ministry of Education that are steeped in long-held traditions and beliefs which undermine policy objectives. This grounded theory-building study highlights the unsuitability of imported policy ideals that assume universal applicability and emphasizes the necessity of culturally sensitive approaches to education policymaking, policy enactment, and, hence, to education reform.

A Longitudinal Multi-Method Inquiry of Educational Workers’ Use of Interventions for Positive Mental Wellbeing

Background and Objectives: Compassion fatigue and burnout are two distinct forms of mental health distress faced by educational workers. Researchers have shown a high level of both phenomena across the field of education; however, a better understanding of what educational workers already do for positive mental and emotional health is needed. Methods: This research study examined three years of data, collected via survey, inquiring into the various interventions, namely supports and resources, that educational workers use to support positive mental health. Results: Quantitative data analysis via descriptive and inferential statistics revealed that educational workers relied heavily on their personal support network followed distantly by medical professionals and other interventions, revealing a gap that needs to be addressed by employers. Qualitative thematic analysis revealed a trend towards increased use of environmental interventions to promote positive mental wellbeing. Conclusions: The data analysis suggested areas of focus required to ensure workplace wellbeing, and that programs too focused on individual or self-directed interventions would not be well received by educators. Suggestions for other interventions that might be helpful for leaders and policy-makers are provided.

The Trình Tường house of the Bố Y People in Vietnam: A Study on Cultural Heritage and Traditional Architecture

The Trình Tường house (similer Earthen-Walled house), a distinctive architectural form of the Bố Y people in Vietnam, has embodied both cultural and spiritual values, reflecting their ethnic identity. However, modernization, climate change, and the development of tourism have placed immense pressure on the preservation of this traditional architecture. This paper aims to analyze the cultural and architectural values of the Trình Tường house in the modern context while proposing solutions for its preservation and promotion as a cultural heritage. The research was based on qualitative methods, including field observation, semi-structured interviews with Bố Y community members, and comparative analysis of traditional architecture from other ethnic minorities in Southeast Asia and worldwide. The findings revealed that the Trình Tường house was not only a physical structure but also a cultural and spiritual symbol, connecting people with nature and belief systems. However, pressures from modernization and climate change have compromised the sustainability of this architecture. The study contributes to cultural ecology theory and offers specific policy recommendations for preserving the Trình Tường house, ensuring the Bố Y people’s cultural identity, and paves the way for future research on traditional architectural conservation in the current context.

Human-Machine Engagement (HME): Conceptualization, Typology of Forms, Antecedents, and Consequences

Artificial intelligence (AI) applications in customer-facing settings are growing rapidly. The general shift toward robot- and AI-powered services prompts a reshaping of customer engagement, bringing machines into engagement conceptualizations. In this paper, we build on service research around engagement and AI, incorporating computer science, and socio-technical systems perspective to conceptualize human-machine engagement (HME), offering a typology and nomological network of antecedents and consequences. Through three empirical studies, we develop a typology of four distinct forms of HME (informative, experimenting, praising, apprehensive), which differ in valence and intensity, underpinned by both emotional (excitement) and cognitive (concern, advocacy) drivers. We offer empirical evidence which reveals how these HME forms lead to different cognitive and personality-related outcomes for other users (perceived value of HME, perceived risk, affinity with HME) and service providers (willingness to implement in services, perceived value of HME). We also reveal how outcomes for service providers vary with the presence and absence of competitor pressure. Our findings broaden the scope of engagement research to include non-human actors and suggest both strategic and tactical guidance to service providers currently using and/or seeking to use generative AI (GenAI) in services alongside an agenda to direct future studies on HME.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Cylicocyclus ultrajectinus (Ihle, 1920)

In this study, the mitochondrial genome of Cylicocyclus ultrajectinus (Ihle, 1920) was sequenced for the first time using next-generation sequencing technology, and its compositional characteristics, structure, and phylogenetic relationship with other strongylid nematodes were analyzed by biological software. The results showed that these sequences contained 12 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 2 non-coding regions, all exhibiting a significant AT bias. Phylogenetic studies showed that C. ultrajectinus formed a distinct branch form other Cylicocyclus nematodes. This study contributes to the mitochondrial genome database of Strongylidae, laying a foundation for genetic variation, molecular classification, and evolutionary studies of strongylid nematodes.