Introduction: Translating Transnational Feminisms

In this introduction to the Special Issue “Translating Transnational Feminisms,” we argue for the integral position of feminist translation practices and the theories of Feminist Translation Studies as tools for both local and transnational feminist solidarities. Beginning with the understanding that transnational feminist solidarities rely on not only linguistic translation but also cultural fluencies that allow for exchange rather than simply the import or export of locally bound feminist praxis, we illustrate that the practice of feminist translation thus carries with it the conflicts, the fraught and unfolding contestations of meaning, and the ever-evolving conceptions of gender, feminism, and solidarity that exist not only between languages but also within any language and its political and cultural landscapes

Challenges facing the Egyptian education system: Access, quality, and inequality [Arabic]

This brief analyzes and summarizes young people\u27s responses to the 2009 Survey of Young People in Egypt (SYPE) to identify the greatest challenges facing the Egyptian educational system, focusing specifically on primary through secondary schooling. Results show that access to school has improved, but some youth, especially females in rural Upper Egypt, remain outside the school system and are increasingly marginalized. The Egyptian school system is delivering low-quality education that is irrelevant to the labor market and has problems with repetition, absenteeism, and drop out which reduce the efficiency of the education system. Unequal distribution of resources in the education system reinforces and increases existing inequalities in Egyptian society. The report recommends altering expenditures to ensure equity in school environments and a redistribution that favors more disadvantaged communities to provide more equal opportunities to disadvantaged youth

Is early childhood care and education a good investment for Egypt? Estimates of educational impacts, costs, and benefits [Arabic]

This summary details the impact of early childhood education in Egypt. The results show that early childhood care and education has an impact on educational attainment that is both statistically significant and sizeable. Such interventions increase overall educational attainment by approximately one year, primarily due to decreased primary and preparatory drop out. The impact on educational attainment is reflected in improved school performance, such as higher test scores, decreased grade repetition, and improvements in school tracking, during the early years. Investments in early childhood education can be a powerful approach to improving educational outcomes, and the research suggests that increases are likely to have other beneficial effects on human development

Remineralization of Artificially Demineralized Human Enamel and Dentin Samples by Zinc-Carbonate Hydroxyapatite Nanocrystals

(1) Background: Decalcified enamel and dentin surfaces can be regenerated with non-fluoride-containing biomimetic systems. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a zinc carbonate-hydroxyapatite-containing dentifrice on artificially demineralized enamel and dentin surfaces. (2) Methods: Human enamel and dentin discs were prepared and subjected to surface demineralization with 30% orthophosphoric acid for 60 s. Subsequently, in the test group (n = 20), the discs were treated three times a day for 3 min with a zinc carbonate-hydroxyapatite-containing toothpaste (biorepair®). Afterwards, all samples were gently rinsed with PBS (5 s) and stored in artificial saliva until next use. Samples from the control group (n = 20) received no dentifrice-treatment and were stored in artificial saliva, exclusively. After 15 days of daily treatment, specimens were subjected to Raman spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray micro-analysis (EDX), white-light interferometry, and profilometry. (3) Results: Raman spectroscopy and white-light interferometry revealed no significant differences compared to the untreated controls. EDX analysis showed calcium phosphate and silicon dioxide precipitations on treated dentin samples. In addition, treated dentin surfaces showed significant reduced roughness values. (4) Conclusions: Treatment with biorepair® did not affect enamel surfaces as proposed. Minor mineral precipitation and a reduction in surface roughness were detected among dentin surfaces only

Textbook Chapters on Economics of Social Issues

Caroline Krafft, PhD, Assistant Professor of Economics, received a $4,000.00 grant to develop textbook chapters. The goal of the project is to produce three chapters exploring and teaching economics of social issues from a diverse and gender-sensitive perspective. I was motivated to undertake this project given the absence of social perspectives, particularly ones that incorporate any substantial discussion of gender or race, in introductory economics textbooks. Standard economics textbooks neglect social issues almost entirely as well as any gender, socio-economic, racial, or ethnic dimensions of economic analysis. Students learn best when passionate about their material and able to see clear applications of the concepts to their lives and values. While standard introductory economics textbooks teach core concepts like supply and demand with examples about ice cream or pizza, these same concepts can be tied in to current social issues and be much more powerful. For instance, supply and demand can be taught using the example of girls’ education in Yemen or the supply and demand for housing during the current refugee crisis in Jordan. Despite the obvious importance of this topic and its broad appeal, there are not textbooks available that effectively address these social policy issues through an economic lens at an introductory level. Our current textbook, Economics of Social Issues, while it technically has topical coverage of these issues, does not incorporate the most up to date research on a variety of topics. It also does a remarkably poor job in dealing with issues of gender and diversity. For instance, the only intimation of racial disparities in the entire “Economics of Crime” chapter is the implied ethnicity of the hands behind jail bars in the chapter’s cover photo. There are eight mentions of the word “gender” in the entire book, all but two in the chapter on discrimination. Even Economics of Social Issues has examples about pizza in the chapter on pollution—students would truly benefit from a book that integrates social issues from the start