Point Of Convergence Research Articles

Preoperative visual function characteristics having an effect on the success of exotropia surgery

Background: There are individual reports on the effect of some preoperative characteristics of visual functions (like convergence, angle of deviation, presence of fusion and type of binocular vision) on the success of exotropia surgery. To date, however, it has not been established what are the major diagnosis-related prognostic factors for the success of surgery for exotropia. Purpose: To identify the preoperative characteristics of visual functions which have an effect on the success of surgery for exotropia. Material and Methods: Of the 59 exotropes (age range, 10 to 21 years) included in this study, 33 had basic constant exotropia (group 1) and 26, intermittent exotropia (group 2). Patients underwent an ophthalmological and ortoptic examination of the motor and sensory systems of the eye. Patients with surgery success (postoperative orthotropes) were compared to those who had a residual exotropia of more than 10 prism diopters (PD) postoperatively in terms of the preoperative accommodative convergence–accommodation (AC/A) ratio, near point of convergence (NPC), distance stereopsis and near stereoacuity threshold. Results: Our analysis of the preoperative NPC, AC/A ratio and stereopsis for the group with postoperative orthotropic alignment and the group with postoperative exotropic alignment found preoperative close to normal values of AC/A ratio (4.0 ± 1.65 PD/D), NPC (8.03 ± 3.02 cm), the presence of distance stereopsis and near stereopsis (passing the 200 second of arc image on the Lang II stereo card) and the absence of medial rectus hypofunction of hyperfunction in 83.05% of patients of the former group. Conclusion: Preoperative close to normal values of AC/A ratio (4.0 ± 1.65 PD/D), NPC (8.03 ± 3.02 cm), the presence of distance stereopsis and near stereopsis (passing the 200 second of arc image on the Lang II stereo card) and the absence of medial rectus hypofunction of hyperfunction can be the factors favoring the success of exotropia surgery.

Tangent Space Based Alternating Projections for Nonnegative Low Rank Matrix Approximation

In this paper, we develop a new alternating projection method to compute nonnegative low rank matrix approximation for nonnegative matrices. In the nonnegative low rank matrix approximation method, the projection onto the manifold of fixed rank matrices can be expensive as the singular value decomposition is required. We propose to use the tangent space of the point in the manifold to approximate the projection onto the manifold in order to reduce the computational cost. We show that the sequence generated by the alternating projections onto the tangent spaces of the fixed rank matrices manifold and the nonnegative matrix manifold, converge linearly to a point in the intersection of the two manifolds where the convergent point is sufficiently close to optimal solutions. This convergence result based inexact projection onto the manifold is new and is not studied in the literature. Numerical examples in data clustering, pattern recognition and hyperspectral data analysis are given to demonstrate that the performance of the proposed method is better than that of nonnegative matrix factorization methods in terms of computational time and accuracy.

Model validation and simulation issues for carbon dioxide reactive absorption with mixed amines

Capture of CO2 form point emission sources is a dramatically urgent task to limit the current impact of the power generation sector and of industrial fields classified as “hard to abate”. Many challenges are still present from the design point of view to define correctly the properties (chemical, physical, rheological) of the used solvents. These affect the sizing and rating of absorption devices and the regeneration systems. In turn, this jeopardises the prediction of feasibility of capture plants and the relative economics.In this work, the modeling steps commonly applied to calculate the CO2 absorption into a mixed amine-water solvent have been exemplified starting from ground data. First, several open datasets of equilibrium and rheological quantities have been reviewed. This allowed the selection of the thermodynamic parameters that give the best compromise between physical and chemical equilibria. Then an adsorption tower was dimensioned, checking the impact that different tunable parameters have on the calculation outcome. Furthermore, two absorber-stripper tandem columns have been simulated in order to reproduce available plant data. The performed rate-based simulations find a convergence point only for proper liquid/gas ratios, and are significantly slowed-down as the number of kinetic reactions increases respect to instantaneous equilibrium ones.Results demonstrate that the CO2 loading into a solvent depends crucially on the partial pressures of all the species and on setting the mixture at fixed volume or pressure. This data collection and validation was exemplified following the whole procedure, as a guidance for technicians in the field. An example of gas flowrate up to 160 kg/h, with CO2 content 15 – 20 vol% and for CO2 capture efficiencies up to 90%.

Diverse gut pathogens exploit the host engulfment pathway via a conserved mechanism

Macrophages clear infections by engulfing and digesting pathogens within phagolysosomes. Pathogens escape this fate by engaging in a molecular arms race; they use WxxxE motif-containing "effector" proteins to subvert the host cells they invade and seek refuge within protective vacuoles. Here, we define the host component of the molecular arms race as an evolutionarily conserved polar "hot spot" on the PH domain of ELMO1 (Engulfment and Cell Motility protein 1), which is targeted by diverse WxxxE effectors. Using homology modeling and site-directed mutagenesis, we show that a lysine triad within the "patch" directly binds all WxxxE effectors tested: SifA (Salmonella), IpgB1 and IpgB2 (Shigella), and Map (enteropathogenic Escherichia coli). Using an integrated SifA-host protein-protein interaction network, in silico network perturbation, and functional studies, we show that the major consequences of preventing SifA-ELMO1 interaction are reduced Rac1 activity and microbial invasion. That multiple effectors of diverse structure, function, and sequence bind the same hot spot on ELMO1 suggests that the WxxxE effector(s)-ELMO1 interface is a convergence point of intrusion detection and/or host vulnerability. We conclude that the interface may represent the fault line in coevolved molecular adaptations between pathogens and the host, and its disruption may serve as a therapeutic strategy.

RANCANG BANGUN TEOLOGI LOKAL SANGKAN PARAN BAGI PEWARTAAN INJIL DI PAGUYUBAN NGESTI TUNGGAL CARUBAN

The encounter between the Gospel and culture often creates tensions. Some of these tensions can be found in some issues of evangelization in the midst of Indonesia's diverse ethnicities and cultures. Local theology is both a strategy and a way out of this problem. Designing and building local theology must be connected to local cultural values. One of the local cultural values raised in this research is sangkan paran found in the Javanese community in Paguyuban Ngesti Tunggal (Pangestu). Through qualitative research methods using interviews, documents and desk research, the values of sangkan paran are explored and assessed from a biblical perspective, resulting in several findings. The findings show many points of convergence as well as points of difference between Pangestu's concept of sangkan paran and that of the Bible. All of these findings become material for the design of local theology that is actualized in the proclamation of the Gospel to the Javanese community in Pangestu Caruban.

Is There a Convergence between the Food Classification Adopted by Food-Based Dietary Guidelines and Food Science and Technology?

The World Health Organization (WHO) proposed the dietary guidelines presented as the Food-based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG). The FBDG classify foods according to their origin, nature, nutrient source, food group, and processing level. Food science and technology (FST) ranks food according to its origin, perishability, nutrient source, processing, food group, and formulation. This paper aimed to compare the convergence points for food classification according to the FBDG and FST. This study was carried out in two phases. The first step was identifying the Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG). For each of the FBDG, food items were grouped as fruits, vegetables, cereals, sugars, fat and oils, legumes, foods from animals, dairy products, and others. The second step aimed to identify and describe the different food classification systems. The search was performed on PubMed®, Science Direct, and Web of Science and websites of international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Codex Alimentarius. Our results show that the points of convergence between the classifications were the classification in terms of origin (animal and vegetable), nutrient sources, and food groups. However, inconsistencies were observed for the distribution of food items in each group in the 98 surveyed FBDG. As for nature, there was a convergence for in natura, minimally processed, and processed foods. However, the criteria adopted for minimally processed and processed foods described in the FBDG differ from those considered by the FST. FST also does not recognize the classification of foods concerning the level of processing.

Using the Nature Futures Framework as a lens for developing plural land use scenarios for Europe for 2050

Ambitious international targets are being developed to protect and restore biodiversity under the Convention on Biological Diversity’s post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and the European Union’s Green Deal. Yet, the land system consequences of meeting such targets are unclear, as multiple pathways may be able to deliver on the set targets. This paper introduces a novel scenario approach assessing the plural implementations of these targets. The Nature Futures Framework (NFF) developed by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services aims to illustrate the different, positive ways in which society can value nature. It therefore offers a lens through which the spatial implementation of sustainability targets may be envisioned. We used CLUMondo, a spatially explicit model, to simulate plural land system scenarios for Europe for 2050. The model builds on current land system representations of Europe and explores how and where sustainability targets can be implemented under projected population trends and commodity demands. We created three different scenarios in which the sustainability targets are met, each representing an alternative, normative view on nature as represented by the NFF, favoring land systems providing strong climate regulation (Nature for Society), species conservation (Nature for Nature), or agricultural heritage features (Nature as Culture). Our results show that, irrespective of the NFF view, meeting sustainability targets will require European land systems to drastically change, as natural grasslands and forests are forecast to expand while productive areas are projected to undergo a dual intensification and diversification trajectory. Despite each NFF perspective showcasing a similar direction of change, 20% of Europe's land area will differ based on the adopted NFF perspective, with hotspots of disagreement identified in eastern and western Europe. These simulations go beyond existing scenario approaches by not only depicting broad societal developments for Europe, but also by quantifying the land system synergies and trade-offs associated with alternative, archetypal, interpretations and values of how nature may be managed for sustainability. This quantification exemplifies a means towards constructive dialogue, on the one hand by acknowledging areas of contention, and bringing such issues to the fore, and on the other by highlighting points of convergence in a vision for a sustainable Europe.

The Role of Linguocultural Studies in Modern Times: Basic Principles and Method of Research

The author presents the arguments for the defining role of linguocultural studies at the present stage of the development of linguistics. It is noted that linguistics continues its search for the space of language studies in the light of integral human knowledge. Whereas structural approach views any language as an autonomous semiotic formation, “self-enclosed and self-supported”, as a rule, without taking into account extralinguistic aspects, which are studied in the framework of other humanities, anthropological approach is based on understanding language as a constitutive human property, as a part of humans’ daily living activities and their spiritual life. Linguistics has reached the point of studying language as an anthropological phenomenon and at this point solely linguistic analysis is not enough as it is insufficient to rely just on the traditional pattern including linguistics plus deep introspection or accidental, non-systematic knowledge taken from various humanities and sciences. It is suggested that anthropological “twist” in linguistics will let us overcome the long-running stage of spontaneous connection of the existing and potential linguistics. The article highlights the process of differentiation of linguistic approaches existing on the neighboring, but not identical, scientific platforms. At the same time the research conducted reveals the trend towards their convergence in the framework of the unified linguo-anthropological methodology. It is claimed that the defining role in this process belongs to linguocultural studies. The study deals with the basic principles of linguocultural approach. Various signs such as words, phraseological units and even the signs of the text size are used to identify the points of convergence between so similar, though not identical, branches - linguocultural studies and ethnolinguistics. The processes of interaction of mental structures and the language forms of their representation are explicated. Culturally marked signals in the semantics of language signs are identified and described.

Oil palm growers' prospects for sustainable oil palm production. A case study from Campeche, Mexico

CONTEXTA Social-Ecological System (SES) approach to the analysis of agricultural systems enables consideration of the complexity and interdependencies of social, economic, and ecological components of a region. We used such an approach to understand the barriers and levers to the sustainable development of a palm oil production system from the growers' perspective. The study was conducted in Southeast Mexico, where Federal and State governments from 1998 to 2018, promoted oil palm cultivation to reduce imports and meet domestic demand for palm oil. However, after 2018, public funding for oil palm ceased, at a time when the oldest plantations are approaching the end of their productive lives. At this crossroads, the questions that emerge are: will plantations be renewed by oil palm growers? What are the conditions for sustainable palm oil production in the future? OBJECTIVEWe sought to identify oil palm growers' constraints and concerns regarding continued production and explore potential pathways to a sustainable future. METHODSWe used a non-probabilistic sampling technique to conduct a survey of 41 respondents and 43 semi-structured interviews with oil palm growers between May and July 2021. The sample included seven rural communities. In September 2021, we organized focus groups with 29 producers and inhabitants in three of the seven communities using a participatory modeling approach to develop current and desired collective conceptual models of the SES. These models were integrated and validated in the field with 11 farmers in July 2022. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSThe conceptual models revealed the local history of oil palm development and the difficulties that raised from it, they also underlined limitations of the oil palm growers to maintain their activity including renewing the plantation, such as the lack of technical support, producer organizations with management problems, and widespread perception of Government abandonment. Despite these challenges, farmers are willing to continue oil palm production by reorganizing their production system and fostering new linkages, especially with the industry. SIGNIFICANCEParticipatory modeling of SES with oil palm growers' enabled incorporation of diverse knowledge and different understandings of the problem while outlining the emergence of a possible future for sustainable oil palm production systems. The models presented can be used to identify points of convergence, increase coordination and dialogue among stakeholders to address common challenges and move towards sustainability from a SES perspective.

Research on the construction of passenger travel chain based on utility

Large-scale integrated passenger transportation hubs are places where multiple modes of transportation are used to switch within the city, and they are also the convergence points of traffic inside and outside the city, and it is important to ensure their smooth under different traffic conditions. Firstly, the passenger travel utility in hubs model and transportation system utility model are proposed; then the travel demands of various types of passengers are accurately identified based on data mining and user portrait technology when the passenger volume is low, and the typical user priority filtering recommendation algorithm and information dynamic update strategy are proposed with the goal of optimal passenger travel utility; then for the large passenger volume scenario, the optimal transportation system operation utility is the goal for us, as the passenger volume increases continuously, the transportation system service is close to the critical state, a bi-level optimization model is established to avoid the resonance of the transportation system and guarantee the balance of optimal utility between the passenger side and the transportation system side. After the internal test of ‘Smooth Hongqiao’ APP, the travel time of passengers in the hub reduced by 5.6%, the utility value of the travel chain increased by 16%, and the saturation of the surrounding road network reduced by 5.7% after the above methods are flexibly applied to build the passenger travel chain according to different traffic scenarios.

Mothers’ Milk and Mothers’ Time: Childcare Advice and the Conceptualization of Demand Feeding in Post-1945 Britain and Italy

AbstractThis article draws on childcare advice to investigate the shift from breastfeeding by the clock to feeding on demand in twentieth-century Britain and Italy, to demonstrate that it was not just mothers’ bodies, nor what they fed their children, but their time that was subject to political, medical, and cultural attention. The comparative approach highlights the convergences and divergences in breastfeeding advice, illuminating the interactions with political and intellectual currents, as much as social and economic patterns. ‘Scientific motherhood’ and the promotion of feeding by the clock dominated in Britain and Italy at the beginning of the century, and persisted under fascist initiatives to regulate breastfeeding. Some existing differences, however, contained the seeds of greater divergence after 1945 in the two countries. Shaped by differing intersections of medical, psychoanalytic, and feminist thinking, the uneven shift to the concept of demand feeding slowly took root in Britain in the post-war period, but in Italy only in the context of 1968 counter-cultural ideas. The 1970s brought the conversation back to a point of convergence between Britain and Italy in the feminist recognition of the complexities of balancing the ‘rights and duties’ of mothers and children when it came to feeding babies.

Convergence points of optimal herbage accumulation and intake rate by sheep grazing tall fescue

AbstractPasture management oriented towards sustainable intensification and stability of yield must consider the ideal balance between the mass of leaves removed by grazing and the mass left as residual. The former supports high animal production and the later supports an optimum soil–plant carbon balance. This study aimed to evaluate the optimal herbage level from both plant and animal perspectives, through the adjustment of instantaneous herbage accumulation rate as estimated by the Gompertz curve model and short‐term intake rate of sheep. Weekly tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus) herbage accumulation was measured during seven growth periods with initiation dates in October, November and December 2015, and March, April, August and September 2016 and with the initiation dates arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Total herbage mass, leaf lamina mass, pseudo‐stem + sheath mass, senescent mass, and sward surface height were measured each week. The results demonstrated that a pre‐grazing sward surface height of 22.3 cm of tall fescue promoted the maximum short‐term intake rate of sheep and the optimum herbage accumulation rate in the spring and autumn periods. In general, the convergent point occurred after the maximum instantaneous leaf lamina accumulation rate and before the maximum instantaneous accumulation rate of pseudo‐stem + sheath and senescent material. We suggest the existence of a convergent point in which both primary and secondary production of pastoral ecosystems could be fostered.

The impact of healthcare digitalization on the medical education curricula and programs: Points of convergence and divergence

This study analyzes how medical educational programs are evolving to address the digital transformation in healthcare. Surveys, curriculum analysis, and faculty interviews were utilized to examine technology integration. Findings indicate electronic medical records are considered the most significant digital achievement, though only 4% of beginner faculty emphasized telemedicine. Curriculum analysis revealed increasing modifications related to technology, informatics, and data analytics, especially in certain specialties like biochemistry and biophysics. Interviews provided insights into digital integration opportunities and challenges. A key theme was re-evaluating pedagogical strategies as students rely more on technology. Interviewees also envisioned emerging innovations enabling personalized, immersive learning, but cautioned against over-dependence on technology impeding development of clinical skills and humanism. Overall, while core medical fundamentals remain unchanged, curriculum content is adapting to incorporate new competencies like digital literacy. However, strategic integration remains crucial to balance technology’s benefits and drawbacks. Challenges like technical difficulties, costs, and over-reliance must be addressed. The outlook is increased technology utilization, with solutions like AI-enabled adaptive learning on the horizon. However, investing in infrastructure and faculty development will be vital. Medical schools must leverage technology to elevate learning while retaining humanistic values. This study provides timely insights into medical education’s digital transformation, laying groundwork for further research on optimizing technology integration while upholding the human core of medicine.

Convergence and divergence in science and practice of urban and rural forest restoration.

Forest restoration has never been higher on policymakers' agendas. Complex and multi-dimensional arrangements across the urban-rural continuum challenge restorationists and require integrative approaches to strengthen environmental protection and increase restoration outcomes. It remains unclear if urban and rural forest restoration are moving towards or away from each other in practice and research, and whether comparing research outcomes can help stakeholders to gain a clearer understanding of the interconnectedness between the two fields. This study aims to identify the challenges and opportunities for enhancing forest restoration in both urban and rural systems by reviewing the scientific evidence, engaging with key stakeholders and using an urban-rural forest restoration framework. Using the Society for Ecological Restoration's International Principles as discussion topics, we highlight aspects of convergence and divergence between the two fields to broaden our understanding of forest restoration and promote integrative management approaches to address future forest conditions. Our findings reveal that urban and rural forest restoration have convergent and divergent aspects. We emphasise the importance of tailoring goals and objectives to specific contexts and the need to design different institutions and incentives based on the social and ecological needs and goals of stakeholders in different regions. Additionally, we discuss the challenges of achieving high levels of ecological restoration and the need to go beyond traditional ecology to plan, implement, monitor, and adaptively manage restored forests. We suggest that rivers and watersheds could serve as a common ground linking rural and urban landscapes and that forest restoration could interact with other environmental protection measures. We note the potential for expanding the creative vision associated with increasing tree-containing environments in cities to generate more diverse and resilient forest restoration outcomes in rural settings. This study underscores the value of integrative management approaches in addressing future forest conditions across the urban-rural continuum. Our framework provides valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and decision-makers to advance the field of forest restoration and address the challenges of restoration across the urban-rural continuum. The rural-urban interface serves as a convergence point for forest restoration, and both urban and rural fields can benefit from each other's expertise.

A - 136 Association of Pre-Injury Anxiety and Oculomotor Symptoms Following Concussion among Adolescents.

To investigate the utility of demographic risk factors and post-concussion oculomotor symptoms to identify adolescents with anxiety panic disorder symptoms. Participants included 124 patients (63 male) aged 10 to 18 (M = 14.4, SD = 2.3) within 2-30days of injury (M = 9.3, SD = 6.3) who presented to a concussion specialty clinic between 2017-2018. All participants completed the Screening for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED-C) to evaluate pre-injury anxiety as well as the Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS) as part of standard clinical care. A backward logistic regression (LR) was employed to determine the utility of symptom provocation on oculomotor components of the VOMS (i.e., smooth pursuits, horizontal saccades, vertical saccades, and near point of convergence) and demographic risk factors (i.e., history of anxiety or depression and gender) to identify adolescents with panic disorder symptoms on the SCARED-C. The LR model was statistically significant (χ2 (6) = 26.8, p < 0.001) and explained 32.0% of the variance. The model correctly classified 84.7% of cases with high specificity = 0.97 but low sensitivity = 0.27. Variables retained in the model included provocation of dizziness during vertical saccades (OR = 1.85, p = 0.016), self-reported history of depression (OR = 7.34, p = 0.032), and sex (i.e., female; OR = 5.45, p = 0.009). The results indicate that symptom provocation on oculomotor components of the VOMS (i.e., dizziness during vertical saccades), sex, and self-reported history of depression diagnosis are modest predictors of panic disorder symptoms in adolescents. Clinicians should consider these symptoms when interpreting symptoms post-injury.

Nationality Beyond the Nation-State? The Search for Autonomy in Abdullah Öcalan and Otto Bauer

ABSTRACT In today’s globalised era, the limitations of the nation-state model are increasingly apparent. This model often demands homogeneity, leading to identity conflicts and separatist demands by national minorities. However, national and cultural identities remain politically relevant, making post-national ambitions difficult to achieve. To address this problem, we compare the thoughts of Otto Bauer and Abdullah Öcalan, who both emphasise overcoming the limits of the nation-state without dismissing national and cultural identities. Öcalan’s ideas prioritise autonomy and multiplicity, while Bauer’s contribution is based on a deterritorialised notion of national identity. As we argue in this article, the two authors share interesting points of convergence that have been understudied in academia. What is more, this comparison provides valuable insights for understanding contemporary challenges and solutions to multinational societies and identity conflicts.

Structural characterization of nanomaterials C4C8

Topological indices are the numerical parameters of molecular graphs that characterise their behaviour and are mathematical invariant that preserves chemical and material properties. In a QSAR/QSPR study, physico-chemical properties and topological indices are studied. In this research, we shall calculate forgotten topological, inverse sum, the general sum connectivity and the first multiplicative atom–bond connectivity indices of carbon nanotube and nanotorus. The main motivation here is the molecular graphs of the nano-chemical compound nanotubes and nanotorus. While the central and latest point of convergence of our discussion is to provide a ‘ graphical trend and relative comparison’ of these derived topological descriptors of these materials that will make them more useful and comparative for chemists, nano and material scientists and would open a new graphical horizon towards material sciences and chemical engineering.

SIRT1 Asn346 sugar chain promoting collagen deacetylation protective effect on osteoblasts under stress

Silencing type information regulator homolog 1 (SIRT1) is a class of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) dependent deacetylases, which is the convergence point of important physiological processes in vivo, namely, osteoblast aging, energy metabolism, and bone remodeling. To verify whether the O-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification of SIRT1 in the nucleus of osteoblasts enhances its deacetylase activity under stress and protects osteoblasts through the RANK/RANKL signaling pathway by collagen deacetylation. The R language and online data research identified SIRT1 as being involved in bone metabolism. Enrichment analysis showed that SIRT1 is involved in osteoblast transcription, apoptosis, and deacetylation pathways. Interactive Immuno-blotting and immunofluorescence experiments revealed that SIRT1 and O-glycosylation catalytic enzyme (OGT) were localized in the nucleus. Mass Spectrometry analysis showed that O-glycosylation occurred on the asparagine at the 346th position of SIRT1, and N346th was located in the central domain of SIRT1. Furthermore, the protein structure analysis of PyMol also proved that the OGT binding region was in the central domain of SIRT1. Under physiological conditions, both wtSIRT1 and SIRT1N346R can inhibit RANKL-mediated transcriptional activation. The RT-PCR detection results showed that wtSIRT1 reduced RANKL transcription under the conditions of apoptotic agent treatment. The finding that SIRT1 can regulate the physiological process of bone remodeling through the RANK/RANKL signaling pathway in osteoblasts under stress. The O-glycosylation and deacetylation activity of SIRT1 significantly increased, regulating the balance between osteoblast survival and apoptosis by deacetylation of key proteins such as RANKL.

Study on the Tensile Behavior of Woven Non-Woven PLA/OLA/MgO Electrospun Fibers.

The present work deeply studied the mechanical behavior of woven non-woven PLA/OLA/MgO electrospun fibers, efibers, by using Box-Wilson surface response methodology. This work follows up a previous one where both the diameters and the thermal response of such efibers were discussed in terms of both the different amounts of magnesium oxide nanoparticles, MgO, as well as of the oligomer (lactic acid), OLA, used as plasticizer. The results of both works, in term of diameters, degree of crystallinity, and mechanical response, can be strongly correlated to each other, as reported here. In particular, the strain mechanism of PLA/OLA/MgO efibers was studied, showing an orientation of efibers parallel to the applied stress and identifying the mechanically weakest points that yielded the start of the breakage of efibers. Moreover, we identified 1.5 wt% as the critical amount of MgO, above which the plasticizing effect of OLA was weaker as the amount of both components increased. Moreover, the minimum elastic modulus value took place at 15 wt% of OLA, in agreement with the previously reported convergence point in the evolution of the degree of crystallinity. Regarding the yield point, a concentration of OLA between 20 and 30 wt% led to a slight improvement in the yielding capability in terms of tensile strength in comparison with neat PLA efibers. Therefore, the approach presented here permits the design of tailor-made electrospun nanocomposites with specific mechanical requirements.

Contrasting Ways of Knowing: Overlapping Epistemologies in the Thought and Lives of Ernst Bloch and Rudolf Steiner

abstract: First Theodor Adorno in 1965, and then a second wave of scholars in the 1980s, noted that the philosopher Ernst Bloch (1885–1977) engaged substantially with theosophy, particularly when young. This included Bloch's critique of the new religious movement anthroposophy, which some see as an offshoot of theosophy, and of anthroposophy's founder, Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925). I address the lack of English publications on the content of this engagement, and integrate other current questions about Steiner, including the centrality of racism to his whole philosophy. Comparing Bloch's epistemology with Steiner's ultimately reveals much that is irreconcilable, alongside significant points of convergence.