Powerful Force Research Articles

Utility and Limitations of Ablation Index for Guiding Therapy in Ventricular Myocardium

BackgroundAblation index (AI) is used for guiding therapy during pulmonary vein isolation. However, its potential utility in ventricular myocardium is unknown. ObjectivesThis study sought to examine the correlation between AI and lesion dimensions in healthy and infarcted ventricles. MethodsIn ex vivo experiments using healthy swine ventricles, the correlation between AI (400-1,200) and lesion dimensions was examined at fixed power (30 W) and contact force (CF) (15 g). To examine the accuracy of AI in predicting lesion dimensions created by different combinations of ablation parameters, applications with a similar prespecified AI value created using different power (30 vs 40 W), CF (15 vs 25 g) or impedance (130-170 Ω) were created. In in vivo experiments, the correlation between AI and lesion dimensions was examined in healthy and infarcted myocardium. ResultsEx vivo experiments (247 lesions, 36 hearts) showed good correlation between AI and lesion depth (R = 0.93; P < 0.001). However, in vivo experiments (9 healthy swine and 10 infarcted swine) showed moderate correlation in healthy myocardium (R = 0.64; P < 0.01) and poor correlation in infarcted myocardium (R = 0.23; P = 0.61). AI values achieved using different combinations of power, CF, and baseline impedance resulted in different lesion depths: Ablation at 30 W produced deeper lesions compared with 40 W, ablation with CF of 15 g produced deeper lesions compared with CF of 25 g, and ablation at lower impedance produced larger lesions at similar prespecified AI values (P < 0.01 for all). ConclusionsAI has limited value for guiding ablation in ventricular myocardium, particularly scar. This may be related to small proportional significance of application duration and complex tissue architecture.

Feminist waves, global activism, and gender violence regimes: Genealogy and impact of a global wave

Global waves of activism are powerful social forces shaping - and shaped by- policy and politics worldwide. Such waves are constituted not by a single movement or campaign but rather comprise national, local and transnational organizations and networks of activists. We lack the conceptual underpinnings necessary to fully capture the impact of such a diffuse and complex phenomenon. This prevents scholars from fully grasping the ways that waves shape and are shaped by national and transnational campaigns and their interactions, the ways that core ideas become embedded in national and international institutions, and the ways that core ideas develop and change. In this paper, we propose understanding global feminism as a global wave as a way to develop some insight into these processes.We elaborate this concept and give a brief overview of the development of the global feminist wave, showing the ways that transnational networks serve as mechanisms for linking activists to global governance and also to activists in other countries, strengthening global civil society. These organizational forms contribute to the development of global feminism, a set of ideas that motivate action and become embedded in an evolving set of international norms. Though global feminism is sometimes associated with a particular set of ideas from second wave feminism of the 1960s and 70s, we argue that it has its roots in the abolitionist and suffrage movements of the late 1800s.The roots of global feminism in the struggles of racialized and colonized women illuminates its potential as a source for gender justice today.We sketch the way that the global feminist wave interacts with different kinds of regimes, showing how domestic regimes and global norms evolve together focussing on the issue of gender-based violence against women. We suggest that different regime types channel waves differently, with neoliberal regimes paradoxically producing more openness to global waves while social democratic regimes- particularly those with weak civil society- channel waves through established institutional channels. A stronger connection to global civil could advance gender justice for intersectionally-marginalized women. We illustrate this argument with a brief application to Canada.

Does the same lesion index mean the same efficacy and safety profile: influence of the differential power, time, and contact force on the lesion size and steam pops under the same lesion index.

The lesion index (LSI) helps predict the lesion size and is widely used in ablation of various types of arrhythmias. However, the influence of the ablation settings on the lesion formation and incidence of steam pops under the same LSI value remains unclear. Using a contact force (CF) sensing catheter (TactiCath™) in an ex vivo swine left ventricle model, RF lesions were created with a combination of various power steps (30 W, 40 W, 50 W) and CFs (10g, 20g, 30g, 40g, 50g) under the same LSI values (5.2 and 7.0). The correlation between the lesion formation and ablation parameters was evaluated. Ninety RF lesions were created under a target LSI value of 5.2, and eighty-four were developed under a target LSI value of 7.0. In the LSI 5.2 group, the resultant lesion size widely varied according to the ablation power, and a multiple regression analysis indicated that the ablation energy delivered was the best predictor of the lesion formation. To create a lesion depth > 4mm, an ablation energy of 393J is the best cutoff value, suggesting a possibility that ablation energy may be used as a supplemental marker that better monitors the progress of the lesion formation in an LSI 5.2 ablation. In contrast, such inconsistency was not obvious in the LSI 7.0 group. Compared with 30 W, the 50-W ablation exhibited a higher incidence of steam pops in both the LSI 5.2 and 7.0 groups. The LSI-lesion size relationship was not necessarily consistent, especially for an LSI of 5.2. To avoid any unintentional, weak ablation, the ablation energy may be a useful supportive parameter (393J as a cutoff value for a 4-mm depth) during ablation with an LSI around 5.2. Thanks to a prolonged ablation time, the LSI-lesion size relationship is consistent for an LSI of 7.0. However, it is accompanied by a high incidence of steam pops. Care should be given to the ablation settings even when the same LSI value is used.

Electromagnetic pulse-induced acoustic testing enables reliable evaluation of debonding between rebar and concret

An electromagnetic Pulse-Induced Acoustic Testing (EPAT) method was investigated for evaluating debonding between rebar and concrete. Debonding specimens were prepared by wrapping polystyrene foam around a rebar to induce debonding between the concrete and rebar. An acoustic emission sensor was placed on the concrete specimen surface to collect elastic wave signals. A powerful pulsed electromagnetic force was applied to the specimens and the elastic waves of the rebar were analyzed. By comparing the differences in signal reach time of the elastic waves between specimens with and without a debonding, it was demonstrated that EPAT is useful for non-destructive evaluation of debonding. Finite element simulations were also conducted, validating the reliability of EPAT for examining debonding in reinforced concrete.

Spatial and Temporal Variations of Land Use and Land Cover In Kadiri Watershed Using Rs &amp; Gis Techniques

The change detection and land use and land cover (LULC) maps are more important powerful forces behind numerous ecological systems and fallow land. It is widely known that land use/land cover (LULC) changes significantly alter watershed hydrology and sediment yields. The impact, especially on erosion and sedimentation, is likely to be exacerbated in regions dominated by high rainfall patterns such as monsoons. RS &amp; GIS technologies are very useful to determine the LULC changes. Present research area Kadiri Watershed of Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, India, drains an area about 240 km2 including 15 villages. The average annual rainfall in this area varies between 600mm to 700mm in which 60%, 35% and 5% of total rainfall occurs in South-West (S-W),North-East (N-E) and in Summer seasons respectively. The current research focuses on demarcating the spatiotemporal LULC changes. These effects directly affect the ecosystem, land resources, cropping pattern and agriculture. LULC assessment and surveillance are essential for long-term planning and sustainable use of natural resources. The LULC maps were prepared for the study area using Landsat-5, Senthinel 2 images pertaining to pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons of 2013, 2017 and 2021. Variations in the extents of agriculture, plantations, scrubs, water bodies, open lands, and built-up areas were noted during these years in the pre-monsoon season, and they ranged from 22 to 35 and 43%, 2 to 3 and 5%, 22 to 28%, 1 to 4%, 52 to 29 and 15%, as well as 1 to 5%, respectively. Similar fluctuations were seen in the post-monsoon season, where they ranged from 29 to 40 and 47%, 3 to 7%, 33 to 30%, 2 to 4%, 32 to 20 and 7%, as well as 1 to 5%. Kadiri watershed, an agriculturally dominant area, has seen an increase in cultivated land due to the conversion of fallow land and open scrub into cropland as a result of good rainfall received during the south-west monsoon during in assessment years and implementation of watershed development activities. These findings highlight the potential impacts of LULC changes in a monsoon-dominated watershed and may contribute to the development of successful LULC-based watershed management strategies for prevention of flooding and sediment loss.

Wicked problems in a post-truth political economy: a dilemma for knowledge translation

The discipline of knowledge translation (KT) emerged as a way of systematically understanding and addressing the challenges of applying health and medical research in practice. In light of ongoing and emerging critique of KT from the medical humanities and social sciences disciplines, KT researchers have become increasingly aware of the complexity of the translational process, particularly the significance of culture, tradition and values in how scientific evidence is understood and received, and thus increasingly receptive to pluralistic notions of knowledge. Hence, there is now an emerging view of KT as a highly complex, dynamic, and integrated sociological phenomenon, which neither assumes nor creates knowledge hierarchies and neither prescribes nor privileges scientific evidence. Such a view, however, does not guarantee that scientific evidence will be applied in practice and thus poses a significant dilemma for KT regarding its status as a scientific and practice-oriented discipline, particularly within the current sociopolitical climate. Therefore, in response to the ongoing and emerging critique of KT, we argue that KT must provide scope for relevant scientific evidence to occupy an appropriate position of epistemic primacy in public discourse. Such a view is not intended to uphold the privileged status of science nor affirm the “scientific logos” per se. It is proffered as a counterbalance to powerful social, cultural, political and market forces that are able to challenge scientific evidence and promote disinformation to the detriment of democratic outcomes and the public good.

Electric-driven flexible-roller nanoimprint lithography on the stress-sensitive warped wafer

Surface nanopatterning of semiconductor optoelectronic devices is a powerful way to improve their quality and performance. However, photoelectric devices’ inherent stress sensitivity and inevitable warpage pose a huge challenge on fabricating nanostructures large-scale. Electric-driven flexible-roller nanoimprint lithography for nanopatterning the optoelectronic wafer is proposed in this study. The flexible nanoimprint template twining around a roller is continuously released and recovered, controlled by the roller’s simple motion. The electric field applied to the template and substrate provides the driving force. The contact line of the template and the substrate gradually moves with the roller to enable scanning and adapting to the entire warped substrate, under the electric field. In addition, the driving force generated from electric field is applied to the surface of substrate, so that the substrate is free from external pressure. Furthermore, liquid resist completely fills in microcavities on the template by powerful electric field force, to ensure the fidelity of the nanostructures. The proposed nanoimprint technology is validated on the prototype. Finally, nano-grating structures are fabricated on a gallium nitride light-emitting diode chip adopting the solution, achieving polarization of the light source.

Energy and spirit: Extraction, thermodynamics, and change

AbstractThis article suggests new ways to think about energy and thermodynamics beyond an extractive, fossil‐fuel model. The predominant economic model of the modern world has been driven by the extraction and exploitation of fossil fuels—first coal and then oil. These are powerful forces, although their development is more complicated than we might suspect. At the same time, they influence the new science of thermodynamics, which is tied to heat and heat engines that are fueled by carbon‐based inputs extracted from the earth. By attending to the work of Nicolas Georgescu‐Roegen, however, we can see how energy and thermodynamics can be linked to a different economic model that is not primarily extractive. And this opens up to new perspectives on energy and change, including one that views energy more explicitly in terms of spirit. We can think about energy as something that avoids the dichotomy of matter and spirit in a way such that it participates in both.

Cultural Dance Magazines: Criticism, Canon, and Choreography in Dance Publications During the Post-Dictatorship Period in Argentina (1983-2001)

This article compares two Argentine dance journals published during the post-dictatorship period: Pata de Ganso (Buenos Aires, 1986-1988) and Tiempo de Danza (Buenos Aires, 1995-2000). It examines how these journals contributed to the creation of canons, both vocational and epistemic, and analyzes the groupings that formed around them as part of Argentina’s intellectual history. A vocational canon is one to which individuals aspire or have been educated, involving personal trajectories, recommendations, and guides for good physical and nutritional conduct. An epistemic canon, on the other hand, is a normative concept that functions as a structured set of references and is sustained by institutional scaffolding. It includes references to important figures of dance, choreographic terminology, timelines, and chronologies. Criticism is another fundamental tool used in the emergence of an epistemic canon, allowing for the construction of a set of tenets regarding outstanding choreographies, their approaches, and their inscriptions. Criticism served as a privileged tool for the validation and consecration of an epistemic canon or for enabling a countercultural alternative based on vocational canons that expressed forces of power and counter-power.

Comparing the Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training with Schema Therapy on Cognitive fusion and Job Burnout in Female Nurses

Background &amp; Aims: Nurses as the powerful force of the healthcare system, play a significant role in the development and progress of care, improvement, and promotion of health. Therefore, it is very important to check their mental and occupational health status. Therefore, this research was conducted to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness programs with schema therapy on cognitive fusion and job burnout in female nurses. Materials and Methods: The research was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design and follow-up with a control group. The statistical population included all female nurses working in Imam Khomeini hospital (RA) in Tehran in 2021, which was 60 available, taking into account the entry criteria and research tools including the cognitive fusion questionnaire and questionnaire Job burnout were selected and replaced in three groups of 20 people. The intervention program was implemented for each of the experimental groups during 8 weekly sessions (1 hour). But the control group did not receive these programs. Hypotheses were analyzed with repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: The findings showed that the groups had no significant difference in terms of education, shift and work experience, and type of employment (P&lt;0.05). Also, both mindfulness and schema therapy have significantly improved cognitive fusion and job burnout compared to the control group. The comparison of intervention programs shows the different effects of these programs on cognitive fusion and job burnout. Conclusion: Based on the results, therapists and health professionals can use two methods of mindfulness and schema therapy to improve the occupational and psychological condition of personnel.

The Interaction of Display Advertisement and E-Wom on Omnichannel Purchase Intention Using Sem: an Age Moderation Effect

Purpose: This study looks at how display advertisements affect customers' Omni-buy intentions and the impact of e-WOM in determining if this influence is reflected in their purchase intentions. Theoretical framework: Consumers' daily lives have grown more reliant on display advertising. Consumers depend on the Internet as a source of readily accessible information regarding advertising and businesses. Consequently, a customer becomes linked and an omnichannel shopper, intending to purchase products both online and offline. Electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) has also emerged as a powerful force that must be understood in the context of the omnichannel buyer. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was performed to confirm the study's assumptions. Consumers who purchase fashion products omnichannel were polled for information. A questionnaire of 28 questions was developed for the study. The questionnaire includes questions about the respondent's age, gender, and educational level. Findings: The results of the study show that there is a link between display advertising, e-WOM, and Omni-Online Purchase Intention. Several suggestions are produced to assist managers in navigating their brand's online presence in a manner that fits their customers' Omni-purchase intention. Research, Practical &amp; Social Implication: Through this investigation, the prevalence of many display ads on consumer purchase intention on the omnichannel market is determined, which contributes to the literature on advertising efficiency. Originality/value: This study would most likely propose a method for market communication to determine how different types of display advertisements influence consumer purchase intentions, allowing firms to better manage the customer experience.

‘Insiders eating home-grown food’, home gardens of Chinese smallholders, and hidden resistance in the food regime transition

ABSTRACT Scholarly interest in the counter-movement during the third food regime transition has mainly been focused on open resistance. However, that view omits the grand picture consisting of 230 million Chinese smallholders and their everyday practices. This paper analyzes home gardening by Chinese smallholders based on a 10-year follow-up investigation. It reveals that their goal is to achieve ‘insiders eating home-grown food’, constituting a hidden and unconfrontational resistance to commercialization and globalization. Moreover, such resistance has formed a powerful force with strategic importance in China, having the potential to enlighten the counter-movement and thereby reshape the food regime.

Evaluation of force time integral, force time current integral and lesion size index in a new force sensing catheter

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Radiofrequency current remains one of the most important ablation techniques in the EP lab. Creating durable lesions is key to successful ablation. Evaluating lesion quality and progression of lesion growth is difficult as many parameters influence lesion formation. Therefore, several approaches were developed, as monitoring RF duration, power and contact force seems insufficient in clinical practice. Force-time-integral (FTI) and force-time-current-integral (FTCI), as well as the ablation index (AI) and lesion size index (LSI) showed decent results in past studies. Recently, a new force sensing catheter (NFSC) was released. By now, data about lesion formation and correlation with the FTI, FTCI and LSI is lacking with this NFSC. This study aimed to further investigate lesion formation with the NFSC in an ex vivo model. Methods 30 RF-lesions were created using an ex vivo porcine cardiac model with the NFSC catheter. The experimental setup consisted of a saline-filled container, a dispersive electrode, a heated thermostat and a circulation pump to imitate in vivo conditions. Global impedance was kept at 120 Ohm as well as the temperature at 37°C. In a first set of lesions, CF was varied (1g, 5g, 10g, 20g). Three lesions were created in each CF-level with 30W. In a second set of lesion, CF was kept at 10 – 15 g, but ablation power was set to 20W, 30W, 40W, 50W, 60W and 70W. In every power level, three lesions were created. All parameters (power, temperature, global impedance, contact force, lesion size) were measured constantly during application of RF-current, enabling real-time correlation of RF parameters and lesion size. In case of an audible steam pop, RF application was stopped. Results 1640 measurement in 30 lesions were included into the analysis. Mean lesion diameter was 7.82 ± 1.52 mm, mean lesion depth 4.80 ± 1.08 mm. Baseline global impedance (GI) was 138.10 ± 10.93 Ω, mean GI-drop 28.10 ± 8.00 Ω. In average, CF of 12.10 ± 5.87 g was used. Correlations of lesion size, FTI and FTCI are shown in table 1. Interestingly, LSI correlated best with lesion size (r = 0.851 and r = 0.852 for lesion depth and diameter; p&amp;lt;0.001). Figure 1 illustrates a scatter plot of LSI and lesion depth (Figure 1a) and lesion diameter (Figure 1b). Figure 2 shows dynamic changes in lesion depth compared to changes in LSI and FTCI. During RF-application, development of lesion formation and LSI is comparable from approximately second 7 onwards. FTCI is rising in a linear manner, whereas lesion formation increases monoexponentially. Conclusion In the NFSC, lesion size correlates strongest with the LSI in power levels up to 70 Watts. FTI and FTCI also showed decent correlations. Regarding dynamic changes in lesion size, LSI is best comparable to actual lesion growth.

Continuous estimation of kinetic variables while walking using an accelerometer and artificial neural networks

Measuring the gait variables outside the laboratory is so important because they can be used to analyze walking in the long run and during real life situations. Wearable sensors like accelerometer show high potential in these applications. So, the aim of this study was continuous estimation of kinetic variables while walking using an accelerometer and artificial neural networks (ANNs). Seventy-three subjects (26 women and 47 men) voluntarily participated in this study. The subjects walked at the slow, moderate, and fast speeds on a walkway which covered with 10 Vicon camera. Acceleration was used as input for a feedforward neural networks to predict the lower limb moments (in sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes), power, and ground reaction force (GRF) (in medial-lateral, anterior-posterior, and vertical directions) during walking. Normalized root mean square error (nRMSE), and Pearson correlation coefficient (r) were computed between the measured and predicted variables. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) was used to compare the measured and predicted variables. The results of this study showed approximately r values of 91–99 and nRMSE values of 4%–15% for GRF, power, and moment between the measured and predicted data. The SPM showed no significant difference between the measured and predicted variables in throughout stance phase. This work has shown the potential of predicting kinetic variables (GRF, moment, and power) in various speeds of walking using the accelerometer. The proposed estimation procedure utilizing a mixture of biomechanics and ANNs can be utilized to solve the tradeoff between richness of data and ease of measuring inherent in wearable sensors.

Baseline local impedance and changes in local impedance are predictors of electrode tissue coupling in RF-ablation

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Radiofrequency (RF) current remains the most ablation technology in the electrophysiologic laboratory. Durable lesion formation without collateral tissue damage is key for obtaining efficient and safe procedures. RF power, duration and contact force are considered as main determinants of lesion size. Recently published data show that electrode tissue coupling (ETC) is another important parameter of lesion formation. This ex vivo model was created to investigate local impedance changes and lesion size when alternating ETC-levels. Methods RF-lesions were created using a force and local impedance sensing catheter in an ex vivo porcine cardiac model. The experimental setup consisted of a saline-filled container, a dispersive electrode, a heated thermostat and a circulation pump to imitate in vivo conditions. Global impedance was kept at 120 Ohm as well as the temperature at 37°C. RF-lesions were created using identic values of RF duration and contact force. A RF power of 20W, 30W, 40W, and 50W was used. The ETC levels were systematically varied between minor and full coupling. In minor ETC-level, only the distal end of the catheter is in contact with the tissue. In full ETC-level, the whole catheter tip is in contact with the tissue. All parameters (power, temperature, global and local impedance, contact force, ETC, lesion size) were measured constantly during application of RF-current, enabling real-time correlation of RF parameters and lesion size. In case of an audible steam pop, RF application was stopped. Results 8654 measurements of lesion depth and diameter were analyzed after creating 72 lesions. Lesion depth and diameter in full ETC-level were significantly higher compared to minor ETC-level (s. Table 1). Interestingly, lesions in lower power levels (20-30 Watt), but full ETC-level became wider and deeper than lesions in high power levels (40-50 Watts), but minor ETC-level (s. Figure 1). These observations were made despite shorter RF-duration (54.00 ± 13.07 s vs. 47.11 ± 17.57 s, p=0.032) in lesions with full ETC-level due to higher incidence of steam pops (14 vs. 6 steam pops, p = 0.032). Baseline LI and LI-drop were significantly higher in full ETC-level (Figure 2), but no relevant difference was observed in baseline GI. Conclusion Baseline LI and LI changes during ablation provide information about ETC-levels and interaction of the RF ablation catheter with cardiac tissue. ETC-levels, as predicted by LI, had a significantly higher impact on RF lesion size than RF power or RF-duration. Therefore, LI should be monitored during RF ablation for estimating ETC-levels and lesion formation.

Electrode tissue coupling (ETC) influences lesion formation stronger than contact force

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Several parameters are assumed to influence lesion size in RF ablation. Especially RF power, duration and contact force are considered for optimizing lesion quality and creating durable lesions. Recent data showed a significant influence of electrode-tissue-coupling (ETC) on lesion size and occurrence of steam pops. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of ETC and contact force on lesion progression in RF ablation. Methods RF-lesions were created using a contact force sensing catheter with the ability of measuring local impredance in an ex vivo porcine cardiac model. The experimental setup consisted of a saline-filled container, a dispersive electrode, a heated thermostat and a circulation pump to imitate in vivo conditions. Global impedance was kept at 120 Ohm as well as the temperature at 37°C. RF power of 20W, 30W, 40W, and 50W was used. The ETC levels (full/minor) and CF-level (1-5g, 10-15g and 20-25g) were systematically varied between minor and full coupling. In minor ETC-level, only the distal end of the catheter is in contact with the tissue. In full ETC-level, the whole catheter tip is in contact with the tissue. All parameters (power, temperature, global and local impedance, contact force, ETC, lesion size) were measured constantly during application of RF-current, enabling real-time correlation of RF parameters and lesion size. In case of an audible steam pop, RF application was stopped. Results 8654 measurements out of 72 lesions were included in analysis. Significant differences in lesion size were observed when ETC-level was differed. Lesion depth was significantly higher in full ETC-level (5.13 ± 0.99 mm vs. 9.45 ± 1.45 mm, p&amp;lt;0.001). No significant difference was seen in lesion diameter and depth by varying CF-level, when lesions were created in full ETC-level (Table 1). These findings are also illustrated in Figure 1. When lesions were analyzed in minor ETC-level only, significant differences were observed, when CF-levels were varied (Table 2). Conclusion ETC is a main predictor of lesion size in RF-ablation. CF also influences lesion depth and diameter. However, significant differences were only observed in minor ETC-levels. Consequently, CF might be a main factor for durable lesions in RF-ablation, but the influence of varied CF decreases when ETC-level is rising.

A lab unearthed: Plotting the grounds for future fields

A lab unearthed: Plotting the grounds for future fields

Evolutionary barriers to horizontal gene transfer in macrophage-associated Salmonella.

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a powerful evolutionary force facilitating bacterial adaptation and emergence of novel phenotypes. Several factors, including environmental ones, are predicted to restrict HGT, but we lack systematic and experimental data supporting these predictions. Here, we address this gap by measuring the relative fitness of 44 genes horizontally transferred from Escherichia coli to Salmonella enterica in infection-relevant environments. We estimated the distribution of fitness effects in each environment and identified that dosage-dependent effects across different environments are a significant barrier to HGT. The majority of genes were found to be deleterious. We also found longer genes had stronger negative fitness consequences than shorter ones, showing that gene length was negatively associated with HGT. Furthermore, fitness effects of transferred genes were found to be environmentally dependent. In summary, a substantial fraction of transferred genes had a significant fitness cost on the recipient, with both gene characteristics and the environment acting as evolutionary barriers to HGT.

A typology of online and blended learning

Along with the development of technology, the approach to traditional teaching methods is also changing. Nowadays, knowledge can be effectively acquired outside the classroom. This is thanks to e-learning and teaching methods based on it. The advantages of e-learning are undeniable. Technology facilitates continuous professional development for both the learner and the teacher. Research shows that online learning works best for educators who want to effectively provide different ways of learning for their students. Technology only makes the learning process easier. New technologies are a powerful force to achieve goals because they ensure the availability of all information. Today it is more important to be able to use it. E-learning may not require new theories of learning to account for learning experiences, but it does define a new learning paradigm. Based on global interactivity, collaborative learning, and continuous access to educational activities and resources, it provides an approach that emphasizes international connections and shapes new ways of working, learning, and problem solving.

Islam's weight in global history: A response to Sidaway.

In this commentary, we discuss three major themes that Sidaway raises in his article, 'Beyond the Decolonial: Critical Muslim Geographies': the problem of Muslims as 'others'; the fraught role of religion as a universal category; and Muslim geographies as perceived in area studies and global history. Along these lines, we argue that Sidaway makes a number of important interventions aimed at changing the social science focus on Muslims in the West, highlighting the importance of Islamic concepts, and dislocating spaces of Islam from predefined geographical areas. After a critical discussion of the specific approaches presented in the article, we follow up on Sidaway's encouragement to think beyond the decolonial. We see this as an invitation to formulate our own vision of a new global history of Islam that takes into account traces of the influence of Muslims and of Islam more broadly speaking from Indigenous Australia to China to the Americas, and from everyday culture in Europe to extinct empires in Iberia, Sicily, and the Balkans. From this perspective, we argue, a more serious engagement with the multitude of global Islamic influences beyond Muslim communities might turn into a powerful force of decolonization.