North American Counterparts Research Articles

Outcomes after endovascular revascularization for chronic limb-threatening ischemia from the only Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) center in Asia

ObjectiveThis study compares chronic limb-threatening ischemia disease characteristics and endovascular revascularization outcomes in a multi-ethnic Asian cohort vs their North American counterparts. MethodsThe Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) registry database from the first and currently the only VQI center in Asia was reviewed to identify patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia who underwent endovascular revascularization between July 2019 and April 2024. Standardized VQI reporting variables were compared against benchmarks derived from all participating centers in North America. ResultsA total of 2862 endovascular revascularization procedures from our center were benchmarked against 129,347 procedures from 406 North American centers. Our cohort had a higher burden of comorbidities (diabetes mellitus, end-stage renal disease, cardiac disease) and presented with more advanced Wound, Ischemia, and foot Infection stages. Our patients had more heavily calcified and longer (14.8 cm vs 6.0 cm) diseased vessels with higher prevalence of multi-level (87% vs 54.6%), infrapopliteal (52.6% vs 38.9%), and inframalleolar (9.6% vs 2.4%) disease. Rates of technical success (92.7% vs 93%) and symptom improvement (39.1% vs 40.4%) were comparable between cohorts. However, 1-year mortality rates (28.9% vs 25.1%) and major amputation rates (13.3% vs 7.8%) were significantly higher. ConclusionsShort-term outcomes of technical success and symptom relief in our center were comparable to benchmarked North American outcomes despite having a cohort with more diseased vessels, higher Wound, Ischemia, and foot Infection stages, and more comorbidities. However, this cohort fared worse in longer term outcomes of 1-year mortality and major amputation rates. Further studies are required to elucidate the causes to improve these outcomes.

High risk, high gain? Trade-offs between growth and resistance to extreme events differ in northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.).

Information about the resistance and adaptive potential of tree species and provenances is needed to select suitable planting material in times of rapidly changing climate conditions. In this study, we evaluate growth responses to climatic fluctuations and extreme events for 12 provenances of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) that were tested across three trial sites with distinct environmental conditions in Germany. Six provenances each were sourced from the natural distribution in North America and from introduced stands in Germany. We collected increment cores of 16 trees per provenance and site. Dendroecological methods were used to compare provenance performance and establish climate-growth relationships to identify the main growth limiting factors. To evaluate the provenance response to extreme drought and frost events, three site-specific drought years were selected according to the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and 2010 as a year with an extreme late frost event. Resistance indices for these years were calculated and assessed in relation to overall growth performance. We observed a high variation in growth and in the climate sensitivity between sites depending on the prevailing climatic conditions, as well as a high intra-specific variation. Overall, summer drought and low temperatures in the early growing season appear to constrain the growth of red oak. The resistance of provenances within sites and extreme years showed considerable rank changes and interaction effects. We did not find a trade-off between growth and resistance to late frost, namely, fast growing provenances had a high frost hardiness. Further, there was no evidence for a trade-off between growth and drought hardiness. Still, responses to drought or late frost differ between provenances, pointing to dissimilar adaptive strategies. Provenances from introduced (i.e. German) stands represent suitable seed sources, as they combine a higher growth and frost hardiness compared to their North American counterparts. Drought hardiness was slightly higher in the slow-growing provenances. The results provide a better understanding of the variable adaptive strategies between provenances and help to select suitable planting material for adaptive forest management.

Investigation of Formaldehyde Concentration in Indoor and Outdoor Air, A Systematic Review

Formaldehyde, commonly recognized as formalin, stands as the archetypal aldehyde, distinguished by its colorless gaseous form and acrid scent. Widespread usage and dissemination of this compound pose potential risks of dermatological and ocular irritation, respiratory ailments, genetic alterations, and carcinogenesis. This study aims to explore the concentrations of formaldehyde in both indoor and outdoor environments. The search strategy involved querying English-language articles in Google Scholar and Science Direct databases, specifically selecting those detailing formaldehyde concentrations. Ultimately, 16 articles meeting the criteria were included in the study. Results reveal that outdoor formaldehyde mean concentration reached up to 17.02 ± 11.46 ppm, while indoor level was 0.528 ± 0.527 ppm. Industrial settings exhibited the highest concentrations, with a mean of 10.73 ± 4.5 ppm. The study exposes higher formaldehyde levels in Asian countries (0.0522 ± 0.075 ppm) compared to European and North American counterparts. Additionally, concentrations displayed a tendency to rise during the summer (3.57 ± 5.03 ppm) in contrast to the winter season (3.08 ± 5.03 ppm). These findings underscore the need for heightened awareness and regulatory measures to mitigate formaldehyde exposure, especially in industrial contexts and regions with elevated concentrations.

ОГЛЯД ВІЗЕЙСЬКИХ КОЛЕКТОРІВ НЕТРАДИЦІЙНОГО ТИПУ ДНІПРОВСЬКО-ДОНЕЦЬКОЇ ЗАПАДИНИ ТА ПОРІВНЯННЯ З ПІВНІЧНОАМЕРИКАНСЬКИМИ НЕТРАДИЦІЙНИМИ ФОРМАЦІЯМИ

Background. Modern advances in the extraction of hydrocarbons from shale and tight formations, namely improved horizontal drilling technologies and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing at economically viable costs, are opening up new horizons for oil and gas exploration and development around the world. The importance of shale oil and gas has sparked interest around the world following the great success of production in North America. This article is a continuation of a series of publications on the study of Visean unconventional reservoirs within Dnipro-Donets Depression. In this paper, the Visean sediments, namely the Lower Visean carbonate plate of the XIII MFH (horizons V-24-25), and the "Rudov Beds", siliceous calcified organic-rich shales (V-23) within the identified prospective zones of the Dnipro-Donets Basin (DDB), are considered for their unconventional reservoir development potential using the method of analogy with successful North American formations. Methods. Key geological and geochemical parameters were compared with the selected analogues, namely, geological age, sedimentation conditions, lithology and sediment thickness, geochemical data (total organic carbon (TOC), vitrinite reflectance (Ro), rock generation properties according to pyrolytic studies and rock maturity), mineralogical composition and porosity. Results. According to this study, the Visean unconventional deposits within DDB clearly correlate with the most productive gas fields from unconventional reservoirs (shales, organic-rich carbonates) in North America. The depth and geological position of the Visean unconventional targets are generally comparable to or slightly higher than their North American counterparts based on available data; sediment thicknesses are in similar ranges. In terms of mineralogical composition, namely X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, the ore beds are similar to the Barnett and Woodford shales, and the V-24-25 carbonate horizons correspond to the Eagle Ford Formation. The high average TOC content of the V-23 horizon (up to 10% by weight) is comparable to the Bakken and Woodford shales. Сonclusions. The geological and geochemical parameters of the Visean horizons considered in this paper are promising in terms of the prospects for the development of unconventional reservoirs to increase Ukraine's energy resource base. However, in order to draw conclusions about the economic profitability of the development of the studied objects, a more detailed study is required, taking into account the results of drilling and testing after multistage hydraulic fracturing.

Hematological profile of healthy Thoroughbred foals from birth to one month of age in Trinidad, West Indies.

This study aimed to develop a sound database for the hematological reference intervals of thoroughbred foals in Trinidad, West Indies from birth to 1 month of age. 89 foals. Whole blood samples were taken from 89 foals throughout Trinidad at approximately 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month of age. These foals were examined to be classified as healthy or free from disease. Complete blood count (CBC), microscopic analysis of blood smears, and conventional PCR for Theileria equi and Babesia caballi were performed. Of the 89 foals, 67 were deemed healthy and suitable for establishing reference intervals. Foals in this study had lower mean hemoglobin and hematocrit values for all 3 times of sampling when compared to their North American counterparts. Age had a significant effect on hemoglobin, hematocrit, white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil, and platelet counts of the foals from birth to 1 month of age. Variations in reference intervals can occur due to differences in demographic, physiological, and environmental factors such as age, gender, breed, and geographical location. Given the changes in the hematological values over time, this study provides clinicians with valuable information that can be used to monitor the health status of newborn foals and detect disease conditions.

Pediatric Orthopaedic Observerships in North America for International Surgeons: A Qualitative Study Exploring Motivations, Relevance, and Alternate Learning Platforms.

Given the growing interest among international surgeons to participate in North American clinical observerships, it is essential to incorporate international surgeons' views to further enhance the program's applicability, value, and accessibility. In this qualitative follow-up study, we explored the motivations, relevance, and opinions about alternate learning platforms among the international surgeons who had participated in a pediatric orthopaedic clinical observership in North America. Using a semistructured interview guide, international surgeons who had participated in a North American pediatric orthopaedic observership during 2009 to 2019 were interviewed until data saturation and inductive thematic saturation were reached. Twenty-one international surgeons representing 15 different countries (1 from a low-income country, 10 from a lower middle-income country, 8 from an upper middle-income country, and 2 from a high-income country) were interviewed. The most commonly cited motivations for doing a clinical observership were to advance clinical training and learn specific skills. The clinical and nonclinical skills gained during the observership, such as utilizing an integrated team approach and open communication style, were helpful to most interviewees; however, several respondents highlighted the critical need to adapt and modify surgical indications, techniques, and skills to suit their local environment and limited resource availability. Although respondents were interested in exploring virtual learning models to save time and expense, several preferred a hybrid model, including access to remote learning opportunities and sharing their own clinical experiences with the North American hosts. Identifying the visiting surgeon's motivation for participation can allow North American hosts to align their clinical exposure more closely with the unique needs and aspirations of the international surgeons and enable a more relevant exchange of clinical and nonclinical skills. Use of a blended learning model, including in-person and virtual learning platforms, and the missed opportunity of having the international surgeons share their clinical experiences and skills with their North American counterparts should be explored further.

Southeast Asian States Have Their Own Views on the Ukraine War

Southeast Asian States Have Their Own Views on the Ukraine War Jeffrey Reeves (bio) Just as Southeast Asia has emerged as the center of gravity for the countries of the global West's respective Indo-Pacific strategies, so too has the region become a priority area for Western diplomacy on the Russia-Ukraine war. Since the start of the conflict, the United States, in particular, has lobbied Southeast Asian states and the secretariat of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to condemn Russia's aggression and to comply with Western sanctions against Moscow. In May 2022, for example, the Biden administration raised the Ukraine war in discussions with Southeast Asian leaders at their summit in Washington and tried to insert language in a joint U.S.-ASEAN vision statement criticizing Russia's militarism, ultimately having to settle instead for more vague language on support for territorial sovereignty and international law.1 Similarly, in 2022, the entire Western cohort of the G-20 pressured then host Indonesia to include language criticizing Russia's invasion in the group's joint statement. According to one European sous-sherpa involved in the statement's drafting, China and India also partially supported this language, which therefore made it possible to include.2 In at least one instance, however, European leaders were unable to bring their Southeast Asian counterparts on side with their criticism of Russia. In a December 2022 joint statement following an EU-ASEAN summit, negotiators failed to draft a common critique of Russia's actions.3 Neither have Western leaders had much success in securing Southeast Asian state support in condemnation of the war at the bilateral level, aside from Singapore, which is unique in the region for its relative acceptance [End Page 55] of Western views on the Ukraine war. Indeed, for all the West's efforts to propagate a distinctly critical narrative of Russia in Southeast Asia, regional media, scholarship, and leadership remain either noncommittal to the idea of Russian censure or sympathetic to what they perceive as Russia's strategic logic. As the Ukraine war passed its one-year anniversary in February 2023, Southeast Asian states were decidedly less interested in the war and in criticizing Russia than before. Although in a March 2022 UN General Assembly resolution eight ASEAN members voted to condemn Russia (Vietnam and Laos abstained), polling now shows that Southeast Asian states lead the world in their disinterest toward the war.4 Large majorities of the public in Thailand (60%) and Malaysia (56%) and sizable numbers in Singapore (44%) and Indonesia (48%) believe that the war is not their business and that their states should not interfere.5 Far from being a region that is sympathetic to Western narratives on the Ukraine war, Southeast Asia stands out for its perceived detachment from the conflict. How can one explain Southeast Asian states' apathy toward the war at a time that stands out in many ways as a high-water mark for Western states' attention? While the diversity within and between Southeast Asian states makes it nearly impossible to answer this question comprehensively in short form, there are several trends and characteristics across the region that provide some degree of insight. First, there is a clear lack of consensus on the origins, strategic direction, and global impact of the Russia-Ukraine war among Southeast Asian states and within ASEAN. Second, most Southeast Asian states remain open to and interested in maintaining economic, political, and social ties with Russia despite Western pressure to limit or restrict engagement. Third, Southeast Asian states are, in general, more cynical about Western intentions toward the war than other states, particularly with respect to Washington's proclivity to use the conflict to justify the further isolation of China and NATO's attempt to use the conflict to expand its influence in Asia. In this essay, the author will draw on polling data, official statements, media, and scholarship from across Southeast Asia to detail regional states' contemporary views on the Ukraine war and demonstrate that Southeast Asian states are generally less concerned about Russia's invasion [End Page 56] of Ukraine than their European and North American counterparts, more critical of the war's...

Brenda Elsey and Joshua Nadel. Futbolera: A History of Women and Sports in Latin America.

The 2022 victory of the US women’s national soccer (also known as football or association football) team players to achieve equal pay as male players is the culmination of many years of organizing to construct a thriving women’s soccer culture. Similar achievements have not been replicated in Latin America. In Futbolera: A History of Women and Sports in Latin America, Brenda Elsey and Joshua Nadel explain why Latin American women have not enjoyed the success of their North American counterparts in consolidating national soccer cultures despite several attempts to do so. Futbolera fills a major gap in the historiography of Latin American sport by focusing on the trials and tribulations of women’s soccer in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Mexico from the late nineteenth century to the present day. This process is no easy task, as historians of sport often rely on periodicals, which tend to celebrate the achievements of male athletes much more than female ones. Despite this challenge, Elsey and Nadel thoroughly document Latin American women’s soccer’s many starts, which often then dissipate from the public record. When the flame rekindles, there are often expressions of shock and amazement at this new phenomenon, despite evidence to the contrary. Aside from soccer, the authors also analyze discourses and developments in women’s physical education, which played a key role in steering women away from playing rough sports like soccer and boxing in favor of sports like volleyball and basketball. Elsey and Nadel argue that a variety of actors, such as government bureaucrats, feminists, and entrepreneurs, have promoted and in some cases hindered the development of women’s soccer in the region. This uneven support continues in the present day.

Polemics, Literature, and Knowledge in Eighteenth-Century Mexico: A New World for the Republic of Letters

Polemics, Literature, and Knowledge in Eighteenth-Century Mexico: A New World for the Republic of Letters

Amblyopia is associated with impaired balance in 3–6-year-old children in China

PurposeSchool-age children in China have more advanced motor development than their North American counterparts. This is likely due to cultural differences in children’s regular motor activities. It is unknown whether the motor function impairments associated with binocular visual disorders (BVDs) such as amblyopia in children raised in North America exist for children raised in China.DesignProspective case-control study.MethodsA major tertiary eye hospital in China tested children aged 3 to <7 (n = 63) belonging to three groups: anisometropic or strabismic amblyopia (n = 22), anisometropia or strabismus without amblyopia (n = 20), or controls (n = 21). The main outcome measure was motor function scores (Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2nd edition).ResultsBalance scores varied significantly across groups (F2,61 = 4.2, p = 0.02) with the amblyopia group (mean ± SD: 12.5 ± 3.0) exhibiting significantly poorer scores than controls (14.8 ± 2.3). The no-amblyopia BVD group (12.8 ± 3.1) did not differ significantly from the other groups. Manual dexterity, catching and throwing and total scores did not vary significantly across the three groups. A separate pre-planned comparison of only the amblyopia and control groups revealed significantly poorer total motor scores in the amblyopia group (10.1 ± 3.2) vs. controls (12 ± 2.4). A linear regression model was unable to significantly predict associations between total motor score and binocular function score (standardized β = −0.09, 95%, p = 0.7), amblyopia etiology (standardized β = 0.14, 95%, p = 0.4), or inter-ocular acuity difference (standardized β = −0.18, 95%, p = 0.4), in the amblyopia group.ConclusionAmblyopia is associated with motor function impairment in children raised in China. Motor deficits that may impact everyday activities have been observed in patients with amblyopia across multiple cultures.

Security of Public Funding and Transformation of Contemporary European Universities

The genesis of the European university dates back to the Middle Ages. It was then that the original university models that would be transformed in the subsequent centuries were developed. It seems that we are currently observing yet another stage of this ongoing transformation entailing challenges that result from the progressing, multifaceted process of verifying the model of W. von Humboldt’s classical university. There is a trend indicating that after the common reception of the idea of enterprising university, European universities are now faced with the need to adapt to the reality of knowledge-based economy. Undoubtedly, one of the key aspects related to the direction of said changes revolves around the security of academic financing. There is a growing pressure on universities to become active participants in the process of developing knowledge-based economy. Under these new circumstances, universities seem, on the one hand, predestined to play a significant role in the same, and on the other, faced with the threat of decline resulting from the gradual limitation of access to public financing. They now find themselves at the centre of the financial game of budgetary subsidisation. Public spending in this sphere is strongly affected by the given country’s overall financial standing and the adopted public spending policies. In ageing Europe, politicians cannot afford to ignore the needs of a wide group of voters who are more inclined to support arguments advocating increased financing of e.g. the healthcare system, rather than young people’s education. In this context, it becomes apparent that universities must take active steps towards securing additional financing from the so-called third revenue stream, primarily the private sector. The research financing target of 3% GDP, adopted in the Lisbon and Barcelona Declarations (over 20 years ago), has yet to be achieved in Western Europe, despite intensive reforms implemented to that end. In this context, European universities continue to trail significantly behind their North American counterparts. At the same time, in order to maintain their historically high social standing and prestige, such institutions must not ignore relevant social and economic expectations.

Awareness and Knowledge of HPV, HPV Vaccination, and Cervical Cancer among an Indigenous Caribbean Community.

Caribbean women experience a cervical cancer incidence rate that is three times higher than that among their North American counterparts. In this study, we performed a needs assessment of the knowledge and awareness of HPV, HPV vaccination, and cervical cancer and receipt of cervical cancer screening among an indigenous Caribbean community. We purposively recruited individuals aged ≥18 from a community health care clinic (n = 58) to complete a 57-item structured interview including items on demographics, cancer history, knowledge and awareness of HPV, HPV vaccines, cervical cancer, and cervical cancer screening. Participants’ mean age was 47.1 years (SD: 14.4). Most were female (74.1%), were married/partnered (51.7%), had primary education (63.8%), and identified as Kalinago (72.4%). Whereas 79.5% had heard of cervical cancer, few had heard of HPV (19.6%) or the HPV vaccine (21.8%). Among those who knew someone with cancer, 90.9% had heard of the HPV vaccine, compared with only 9.1% of those who did not know anyone with cancer (p = 0.02). Access to HPV vaccination is an immediate, cost-effective cancer prevention priority for reducing the disproportionate burden of HPV-related cancers, particularly cervical cancer, in the Caribbean. We recommend culturally targeted education interventions to improve knowledge about HPV vaccination and the link between HPV and cervical cancer.

Said the Hooker to the Thief

Said the Hooker to the Thief

Southern lights: Metropolitan imaginaries in Latin America

This essay aims to examine metropolitan cities of Latin America with two aspects of the literature in anthropology, history, and sociology in mind. First, the essay addresses an imbalanced focus on cities in the USA and Canada by sketching the significance of migration, creation, and urban development in four major metropolises of Latin America. Second, in place of a framework of urban imaginaries, which has dominated the sociology of Latin American cities in recent years, I argue for a more precise notion of metropolitan imaginaries that better frames the creativity of particular cities and their level of integration into international and regional networks. With this more precise notion, I distinguish southern cities as highly connected places, which attract migrants and bring economic and cultural traffic to their shores, ports, plazas, and streets. They are lively centers of Atlantic modernity with connections that generate greater magnitude for creativity and, as such, bear international significance as places of architecture and urban design. In their informal settlements, impulses of organic creation further distinguish southern metropolises from their North American counterparts. The quality of international and regional connections distinguishes these cities from other urban centers in Latin America, a point underestimated in the literature on urban imaginaries. In this essay, I examine 19th and 20th-century Buenos Aires, Mexico City, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro. Each is distinguished from most cities by the magnitude of migration, the diversity of their populations, and the connections they have to global and regional developments. Crucially, each one stands out for the quality and impact of their metropolis-making, particularly in creative architecture and urban design.

Sorting Out the Mixed Economy: The Rise and Fall of Welfare and Developmental States in the Americas

Sorting Out the Mixed Economy: The Rise and Fall of Welfare and Developmental States in the Americas

Tarsal morphology of ischyromyid rodents from the middle Eocene of China gives an insight into the group\u2019s diversity in Central Asia

Ischyromyids are a group of large rodents with the earliest fossil record known from the late Paleocene (Clarkforkian) of North America; they are considered the earliest fossil representatives of Rodentia of modern aspect. Ischyromyids dominated early Paleogene small-mammal assemblages of North America and in the latest Paleocene migrated to western Europe and to Asia; in the latter they survived only to the beginning of the late Eocene, but were never abundant. Here we describe for the first time the calcanei of ischyromyids from the early middle Eocene of the Erlian Basin in Nei Mongol, northern China. These calcanei document the existence of three species. The morphology of the studied tarsal bones overall suggests ambulatory locomotion for these animals (‘slow cursors’), similar to that of the coypu and porcupines, but one form shows more marked cursorial capabilities. These differences show that Chinese ischyromyids, although rare, had attained greater taxonomic diversity by the middle Eocene in Nei Mongol than estimated from dental remains. We also address the question of the morphological and ecological divergence of these ischyromyids in relation to their North American counterparts, as well as the issue of a direct dispersal route from North America to Asia in the early Eocene.

Migration and Refuge: An Eco-Archive of Haitian Literature, 1982–2017, By John Patrick Walsh

Reviewed by: Migration and Refuge: An Eco-Archive of Haitian Literature, 1982–2017 by John Patrick Walsh Michele Kenfack Migration and Refuge: An Eco-Archive of Haitian Literature, 1982–2017 BY JOHN PATRICK WALSH Liverpool UP, 2019. ix + 254 pp. ISBN 9781786941633 paper. The 2010 earthquake in Haiti reconfigured the literary landscape by exacerbating (re)writing and archival practices, as writers sought to create a space for therapeutic self-expression, for rebuilding, and for filling in the gaps in official records. If critical analyses of post-earthquake texts have underlined the correlation between natural disasters and various historical, political, social, and economic cleavages within the country, the ecological concerns of Haitian writers have often been overlooked. [End Page 248] John Patrick Walsh's Migration and Refuge: An Eco-Archive of Haitian Literature, 1982–2017, offers a Haitian ecocritical perspective grounded in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. Walsh (re)centers the discourse about the interconnections between human and environmental concerns around the often-marginalized voices of Haitian writers. By connecting and analyzing past and recent fictional and nonfictional works through the lens of "migration and refuge," he uses literature as an "echo-archive" to demonstrate that before the earthquake, Haitian literary production has long exposed intertwined social, political, and ecological disasters. The first part of the book combines conceptual and historical discussions with textual analyses. Walsh's theory of an "eco-archive" is rooted in the relationship between human experience and nature. Indeed, as he argues, "writers draw inspiration from the symbolic and material links between language and environment to compose texts that represent ecologies of Haitian experience" (34). Haitian fundamental migrant experience is at the center of his ecocritical analysis, which explores the dynamics that shape the interaction between migrants and the environment. An ecological poetics emerges from the key figure of the refugee, and from symbolic images such as the boat, the journey, and the abyss, through overlapping political and environmental problems as well as interconnected temporalities. Walsh further explains the concept of "eco-archive" by comparing Caribbean ecological thought to its North American and European counterparts. Such a contrastive analysis, however, undermines the very purpose of the book: against the backdrop of Western controversies, the multiple voices of Haitian environmentalist discourse are barely heard. The broader Caribbean literary landscape provides a dynamic and more effective conceptual space to reflect on Haitian literature as an "eco-archive." Indeed, Caribbean writers recount a common, dark history that echoes across space and time. By juxtaposing Caribbean fiction and nonfiction, including Jacques Roumain's Gouverneurs de la rosée, Louis-Philippe Dalembert's L'autre face de la mer, and Edouard Glissant's Poétique de la relation, Walsh reveals a Haitian ecological approach that conceives nature as a mnemonic device for perpetuating history within the framework of an ecological "poetics grounded in histories of migration" (46). John Patrick Walsh pays close attention to several texts in order to explore the archival function of Haitian literature, which is activated through writers' creative endeavors to record and interrogate history. Within the framework of this creativity, literary representations reimagine the connection between history and nature and thus bridge the gap between historical contexts while erasing temporal and spatial borders. Walsh's central preoccupation is the refugee crisis caused by forced migration that stems from social and political instability. It is particularly interesting to discover how he unveils René Philoctète's poetic imaginary that blends language and archival knowledge to retell the story of the "Parsley Massacre." He contends that in Le peuple des terres mêlées, the novelist portrays the interwoven stories of the people and the land, tying them to a longer history of struggle and violence, and thus, transforming "an apparent border into an ecopoetic site of memory" (58). The unfolding stories of refugees engaged in various modes of survival reveal to the reader another key figure of Walsh's theory, that is, the migrant [End Page 249] writer, who travels to different places and as such experiences an acute sense of displacement. Walsh is especially interested in how the constant mobility of exiled writers influences their literary production. His study sheds light on their ability to combine multiple...

Aamir Khan and celebrity humanitarianism in Asia: towards a cosmopolitical persona

ABSTRACT Scholarship of celebrity humanitarianism has been dominated by Western icons like Angelina Jolie, Madonna, and Bono, whose high-profile engagement has sought to alleviate various political, ecological, and humanitarian crises. In the past two decades, Asian stars have engaged in humanitarian issues as extensively as their North American or European counterparts. The intellectual effort devoted to this category of celebrity, nevertheless, remains scarce. To fill this gap, this article explores the crossover image of celebrated and powerful Bollywood celebrity-humanitarian, Aamir Khan. In what ways does Khan’s goodwill envision and contend cosmopolitan ideals? How does his commercialised presence in China complicate or explicate his embodied experience of advocacy? Finally, what does his commercial and benevolent engagement convey about Asian celebrity power in the global politics of star-making? This article adopts cosmopolitanism as the critical framework to examine Khan’s oscillation between cosmopolitan prospects and local attachments. It argues Khan’s Asian-yet-global persona exhibits a new mode of consciousness, which I describe as cosmopolitical, to thrive commercially and benevolently in multiple cultural and media networks. By so doing, this article not only attempts to disrupt Western-centric scholarship about celebrity humanitarianism but also expands the parameter of analysing Asian star power in bourgeoning networked cultures.

Donor Advised Funds in Canada, Australia and the US: Differing Regulatory Regimes, Differing Streams of Policy Drift

Abstract Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) are the fastest growing destination for charitable giving, and subject to vigorous debate over whether they should be more tightly regulated. Virtually all of the research on DAFs and the arguments for increased regulation emanate from the US. This article compares regulation in Canada and Australia with the US to demonstrate how different regimes lead to different uses of DAFs and different ‘market’ configurations. The conceptual framework presents three motivational scenarios for their use: as pseudo foundations, tax savings and protection of privacy. The differential effects of regulation on these donor scenarios explains why total DAF assets in Australia are proportionately much lower than its North American counterparts, mainly because its regime is not skewed as heavily toward the tax savings motivated donor. The findings raise serious questions as to whether DAFs have actually democratized philanthropy, as is so often claimed. In terms of policy change, all three countries have experienced policy drift, although for different reasons. However, COVID-19 pandemic may have created new windows of opportunity for regulatory reform.

Introduction: narrating Africa in South Asia

ABSTRACT This introductory article to the special issue “Narrating Africa in South Asia” situates the African diaspora in the subcontinent against the broader backdrop of global mobilizations against systemic racism, economic inequality, inaccessible justice, and colonial educational system. The historical and contemporary experiences of Afro-descendants in South Asia are different from their North American and European counterparts on several fronts, even though they all experienced similar trials of obligatory migration and forced labour, slavery, marginalization, etc. In South Asia, racism is a constricted debating point among scholars and activists while its existence is largely rejected or downplayed in the public sphere. The Afro-descendants have been at the receiving end of various racist and racialist discriminations and their experiences resonate with many other systemic conundrums in the region. Here I lay out five key trends in the current state of research, and I argue that the narratives about them still need to be given a critical focus, with analyses of their forms, structures, contexts and histories. The present issue contributes to this attempt and fills important lacunae, especially with regard to the narrativization of racialism and racism as expressed in various genres. The contributors compose powerful narratives to reveal nuanced layers of reflective, rhetorical, stereotypical, populist, racialist, racist, or caste frameworks. These narratives horizontally and vertically command an appeal to the long historical and contemporary realities in the subcontinent, as well as to the struggles of African communities now gaining prominence all over the world.