Reading and writing direction effects on the aesthetic appreciation of photographs

Does reading and writing direction (RWD) influence the aesthetic appreciation of photography? Pérez González showed that nineteenth-century Iranian and Spanish professional photographers manifest lateral biases linked to RWD in their compositions. The present study aimed to test whether a population sample showed similar biases. Photographs with left-to-right (L-R) and right-to-left (R-L) directionality were selected from Pérez González's collections and presented in both original and mirror-reversed forms to Spanish (L-R readers) and Moroccan (R-L readers) participants. In Experiment 1, participants rated each picture for its aesthetic pleasingness. The results showed neither effects of lateral organization nor interactions with RWD. In Experiment 2, each picture and its mirror version were presented together and participants chose the one they liked better. Spaniards preferred rightward versions and Moroccans preferred leftward versions. RWD therefore affects aesthetic impressions of photography in our participants when people pay attention to the lateral spatial dimension of pictures. The observed directional aesthetic preferences were not sensitive to the sex of the model in the photographs, failing to support expectations from the hypotheses of emotionality and agency. Preferences were attributable to the interaction between general scanning strategies and scanning habits linked to RWD

In vitro and in vivo studies of the trypanocidal activity of four terpenoid derivatives against Trypanosoma cruzi.

Four terpenoid derivatives were examined for their activity against Trypanosoma cruzi. Our results show that two compounds were very active in vitro against both extra- and intracellular forms. These compounds, non-toxic for the host cells, are more effective than the reference drug benznidazole. The capacity to infect cells was negatively affected and the number of amastigotes and trypomastigotes was reduced. A wide range of ultrastructural alterations was found in the epimastigote forms treated with these compounds. Some metabolic changes occurred presumably at the level of succinate and acetate production, perhaps caused by the disturbance of the enzymes involved in sugar metabolism inside the mitochondria. In vivo results were consistent with those observed in vitro. The parasitic load was significantly lower than in the control assay with benznidazole. The effects of these products showed the reduction of the anti-T. cruzi antibodies level during the chronic stage

Influence of annealing conditions on formation of regular lattices of voids and Ge quantum dots in amorphous alumina matrix

In this work, the influence of air pressure during the annealing of Ge quantum dot (QD) lattices embedded in an amorphous Al2O3 matrix on the structural, morphological and compositional properties of the film is studied. The formation of a regularly ordered void lattice after performing a thermal annealing process is explored. Our results show that both the Ge desorption from the film and the regular ordering of the QDs are very sensitive to the annealing parameters. The conditions for the formation of a void lattice, a crystalline Ge QD lattice and a disordered QD lattice are presented. The observed effects are explained in terms of oxygen interaction with the Ge present in the film.This study has been partially funded through the projects (i) FEDER funds through the COMPETE program ‘Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade’ and by Portuguese funds through the Portuguese foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the frame of the project PTDC/FIS/70194/2006 and PEst-C-FIS/UI607/2011–2012; (ii) ELETTRA Synchrotron Radiation Center through the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreement no 226716. SRCP is grateful for financial support through the FCT grant SFRH/BPD/73548/2010 and JMS is grateful for financial support through the Spanish CSIC JAE-DOC program. MB acknowledges support from the Croatian Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Sport (project number 098-0982886-2859).We thank Dr Anabela Rolo and Engineer Jos´e Santos for all the valuable discussions and the sample preparation

In vitro evaluation of new terpenoid derivatives against Leishmania infantum and Leishmania braziliensis.

The activity of five (1-5) abietane phenol derivatives against Leishmania infantum and Leishmania braziliensis was studied using promastigotes and axenic and intracellular amastigotes. Infectivity and cytotoxicity tests were performed with J774.2 macrophage cells using Glucantime as a reference drug. The mechanisms of action were analysed by performing metabolite excretion and transmission electron microscopy ultrastructural studies. Compounds 1-5 were more active and less toxic than Glucantime. The infection rates and mean number of parasites per cell observed in amastigote experiments showed that derivatives 2, 4 and 5 were the most effective against both L. infantum and L. braziliensis. The ultrastructural changes observed in the treated promastigote forms confirmed that the greatest cell damage was caused by the most active compound (4). Only compound 5 caused changes in the nature and amounts of catabolites excreted by the parasites, as measured by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. All of the assayed compounds were active against the two Leishmania species in vitro and were less toxic in mammalian cells than the reference drug

The presentation and self-presentation of mosques in Norwegian mediascapes: construction of ‘the good ones’

Mosques in Norway are subjected to high levels of suspicion and scrutiny and have frequently been the target of negatively charged media narratives. When examined, though, much of this reporting, even from respected outlets, is wholly unsubstantiated. Some have circular narratives where the source for the stories seems to be the organisations’ failure to proactively refute them. Other reporting contains no explicit allegations, but take a suspicious tone suggesting that there may be some wrongdoing somewhere. This argument of this paper is that this is part of the socially constructed imaginaries surrounding Muslims in the west, where they are placed into categories of acceptable or unacceptable, with the onus being on themselves to prove that they belong in the former category. The default assertion seems to be that Islamic religious organisations are suspect, and that they are expected to make an extra effort to show that they are ‘one of the good ones’.publishedVersio

Breaking taboos! From silence to support: understanding children’s sexuality in early childhood pedagogical practice

Sexual education has been a subject of scholarly focus for over three decades, yet addressing sexuality as an integral aspect of human development remains a persistent challenge. In early childhood education, the topic is often stigmatized, leaving educators without the tools or confidence to approach it constructively. Recognizing sexuality as a natural and developmental process is essential for fostering respect, healthy relationships, and personal growth in children. This article explores kindergarten teachers’ practices and perceptions concerning children’s sexuality, examining societal taboos and the critical gaps in teacher education. By integrating insights from policy documents and empirical research, this study underscores the necessity of incorporating comprehensive sexuality education into teacher training programs. It advocates for a shift from silence to proactive engagement, empowering educators to address children’s natural expressions with empathy and respect.publishedVersio

Perspective Chapter: Myths of the Child Welfare Services – An Online Bogeyman for Muslim Families

This chapter explores the social media myths that surround the Norwegian Child Welfare Services (CWS). Twenty-three migrant parents from Muslim majority countries were interviewed about how they experienced collaboration with Norwegian public institutions, such as the CWS, and how they talk about these institutions within their social networks. The findings are that social media becomes a space for not only information and advice but also myths and unverified narratives. On the one hand, social media provides a way to meet people and for migrants to learn about their rights. On the other hand, many of the narratives circulating create fears that the CWS will steal children away. Truth and myth bleed over into each other, so that the more migrants rely on social media for socialising and sharing information, the more developed these networks become and the more easily unverified narratives spread. It becomes a bogeyman bent on taking away the children of migrants whose myth is circulated on social media. Those who had been in touch with the CWS themselves related that this image was not true and indeed tended to have positive experiences. Nevertheless, the myth of the CWS as a stealer of children persisted on social media.publishedVersio

The Instrumental Use of Incorporation Philosophies in a Multicultural Norway. Becoming Norwegian or Running in Place?

This chapter is based on 20 interviews with volunteer-run organisations working on the incorporation, that is the integration and inclusion, of Norwegian Muslims. The participating organisations differ from each other in that some are specifically Muslim, balancing incorporation with the maintenance of religious and cultural identities. Others are non-Muslim, typically placing more emphasis on the social inclusion of the individual. However, both groups of participants present themselves in opposition to prominent right-wing voices, the spectre of which hangs over the interviews. Right-wing pundits are constantly quoted as counterexamples to the participants’ positions. Thus, we get three analytical entities, two being participants of this study, the third, a constructed “other” acting as a dramatic foil to both. This tripartite division creates interesting similarities and oppositions. The difference most central to the philosophy of the Muslim organisations is related to the debate on whether Islam is compatible with Norwegian values, and thus whether a multicultural integration framed around the retention of Muslim identity is an oxymoron. Possibly to sidestep this imbroglio, the Muslim participants downplay culture or values as a measure of integration, framing the incorporation of their members according to practical criteria, such as obeying the law, employment, and neighbourliness.The Instrumental Use of Incorporation Philosophies in a Multicultural Norway. Becoming Norwegian or Running in Place?publishedVersio

Perspective Chapter: Myths of the Child Welfare Services – An Online Bogeyman for Muslim Families

This chapter explores the social media myths that surround the Norwegian Child Welfare Services (CWS). Twenty-three migrant parents from Muslim majority countries were interviewed about how they experienced collaboration with Norwegian public institutions, such as the CWS, and how they talk about these institutions within their social networks. The findings are that social media becomes a space for not only information and advice but also myths and unverified narratives. On the one hand, social media provides a way to meet people and for migrants to learn about their rights. On the other hand, many of the narratives circulating create fears that the CWS will steal children away. Truth and myth bleed over into each other, so that the more migrants rely on social media for socialising and sharing information, the more developed these networks become and the more easily unverified narratives spread. It becomes a bogeyman bent on taking away the children of migrants whose myth is circulated on social media. Those who had been in touch with the CWS themselves related that this image was not true and indeed tended to have positive experiences. Nevertheless, the myth of the CWS as a stealer of children persisted on social media.Perspective Chapter: Myths of the Child Welfare Services – An Online Bogeyman for Muslim FamiliespublishedVersio

Echoes of decolonization | From North Africa to Europe: questioning the trip back home

The Colonial Modern enterprise in North Africa produced unique architectural responses in the twentieth century, oscillating between rupture with the past and continuity of the tradition, negotiation of indigenous expression in the “Villes Nouvelles” and imposition of European forms of settlement. The colonial years thus led to the formation of new spatial imaginaries and novel aesthetics regimes in Morocco, most of them being experiments of European theories. The descriptive content relative to the latter portion of the narrative is abundant. Nevertheless, seldom has the subsequent era been studied as a catalyst for the dissemination of Modernity in Europe. This thesis builds a critical discourse on the available body of knowledge on colonial modernity, following the “travel back” forms and dynamics in the mid-twentieth century, in to order to unveil the role of North African colonial experience in the overall Modern Movement. The first level of investigation is an expansive literature review that has permitted a holistic understanding of the discourse and confirmed the rarity of scholarly knowledge on the echoes of decolonization from post-colonial Morocco to metropolitan France. The second is the study - through the in-depth analysis of ATBAT-Afrique’s experience in both Morocco and France - of the vehicles of motion of Colonial Modern ideas and theories between both contexts, from 1951 on through the 1970s. Relying on new forms of evidence, this work thus sparks an interdisciplinary debate on the understanding of Colonial Modernism as a real-life experiment whose results are critical in piecing together the contemporary relationship of Europe to the non-European space; such space being present on European lands in the form of mass housing complexes originated in postwar French government-led programs, among others