Rehabilitation And Reconstruction Of Islamic Architectural Heritage In China: The Example Of The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, located in Northwestern China, has the highest concentration of Hui Muslims in China: around 34% of the local population is Hui Muslim. Following the anti-religious campaigns of the communist regime and the wide destruction of the Cultural Revolution, Hui Muslims began gradually to reclaim their Muslim heritage in the late 70's. A major aspect of the rediscovery of their Islamic heritage was the Rehabilitation and reconstruction of Islamic Architectural buildings. As of today, Ningxia counts 4,500 mosques and other religious buildings. The present article seeks to introduce the architectural tendencies at play in this reconstruction, specifically the role of competing Arabic and Chinese influences

Identification of Thymosin β4 as an effector of Hand1-mediated vascular development

The bHLH transcription factor Hand1 (Heart and neural crest-derived transcript-1) has a fundamental role in cardiovascular development; however, the molecular mechanisms have not been elucidated. In this paper we identify Thymosin β4 (Tβ4/Tmsb4x), which encodes an actin monomer-binding protein implicated in cell migration and angiogenesis, as a direct target of Hand1. We demonstrate that Hand1 binds an upstream regulatory region proximal to the promoter of Tβ4 at consensus Thing1 and E-Box sites and identify both activation and repression of Tβ4 by Hand1, through direct binding within either non-canonical or canonical E-boxes, providing new insight into gene regulation by bHLH transcription factors. Hand1-mediated activation of Tβ4 is essential for yolk sac vasculogenesis and embryonic survival, and administration of synthetic TB4 partially rescues yolk sac capillary plexus formation in Hand1-null embryos. Thus, we identify an in vivo downstream target of Hand1 and reveal impaired yolk sac vasculogenesis as a primary cause of early embryonic lethality following loss of this critical bHLH factor

Halal Certification System As A Resource For Firm Internationalisation: Comparison Of China And Malaysia

There is a broad consensus to the effect that public agencies can mitigate the obstacles and uncertainties associated with the process of firm internationalisation. One critical aspect of such interventionist policy is the establishment of a national/regional halal certification system, which has been widely recognised as a core factor in the international expansion of halal food firms. Based on thorough field research conducted in the halal food industries of the Ningxia Autonomous Hui Region of China and Malaysia, the present article examines how different models of halal certification can promote and ease access of local firms to international markets. Using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, the present article allows the authors to formulate general conclusions on the relationship between firm internationalisation and halal certification, as well as specific insights for halal food industries elsewhere seeking to promote their international activities

Interface Depinning in the Absence of External Driving Force

We study the pinning-depinning phase transition of interfaces in the quenched Kardar-Parisi-Zhang model as the external driving force $F$ goes towards zero. For a fixed value of the driving force we induce depinning by increasing the nonlinear term coefficient $\lambda$, which is related to lateral growth, up to a critical threshold. We focus on the case in which there is no external force applied (F=0) and find that, contrary to a simple scaling prediction, there is a finite value of $\lambda$ that makes the interface to become depinned. The critical exponents at the transition are consistent with directed percolation depinning. Our results are relevant for paper wetting experiments, in which an interface gets moving with no external driving force.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures included, uses epsf. Submitted to PR

A protocol for co-creating research project lay summaries with stakeholders:Guideline development for Canada's AGE-WELL Network

Background Funding bodies increasingly require researchers to write lay summaries to communicate projects’ real-world relevance to the public in an accessible way. However, research proposals and findings are generally not easily readable or understandable by non-specialist readers. Many researchers find writing lay summaries difficult because they typically write for fellow subject specialists or academics rather than the general public or a non-specialist audience. The primary objective of our project is to develop guidelines for researchers in Canada’s AGE-WELL Network of Centres of Excellence, and ultimately various other disciplines, sectors, and institutions, to co-create lay summaries of research projects with stakeholders. To begin, we produced a protocol for co-creating a lay summary based on workshops we organized and facilitated for an AGE-WELL researcher. This paper presents the lay summary co-creation protocol that AGE-WELL researchers will be invited to use. Methods Eligible participants in this project will be 24 AgeTech project researchers who are funded by the AGE-WELL network in its Core Research Program 2020. If they agree to participate in this project, we will invite them to use our protocol to co-produce a lay summary of their respective projects with stakeholders. The protocol comprises six steps: Investigate principles of writing a good lay summary, identify the target readership, identify stakeholders to collaborate with, recruit the identified stakeholders to work on a lay summary, prepare for workshop sessions, and execute the sessions. To help participants through the process, we will provide them with a guide to developing an accessible, readable research lay summary, help them make decisions, and host, and facilitate if needed, their lay summary co-creation workshops. Discussion Public-facing research outputs, including lay summaries, are increasingly important knowledge translation strategies to promote the impact of research on real-world issues. To produce lay summaries that include information that will interest a non-specialist readership and that are written in accessible language, stakeholder engagement is key. Furthermore, both researchers and stakeholders benefit by participating in the co-creation process. We hope the protocol helps researchers collaborate with stakeholders effectively to co-produce lay summaries that meet the needs of both the public and project funders

Participation des populations aux projets programmés de migration environnementale dans le Ningxia (Chine)

Les projets de migration programmée de populations pour cause de dégradations environnementales représentent un véritable défi pour les institutions publiques, et impliquent plusieurs risques pour les migrants eux-mêmes, particulièrement dans les pays émergents comme la Chine. Cet article vise à explorer l'influence de la gouvernance des institutions et de la participation des migrants sur la mitigation de ces risques. Sur la base d'une enquête empirique réalisée dans deux villages de la province du Ningxia, nous considérons la relation dynamique et interactive entre les migrants et les autorités locales, et constatons que la nature participative (ou non) des institutions peut jouer un rôle fondamental dans la réussite ou l'échec des projets de déplacement. Ainsi, les risques d'appauvrissement et de désarticulation sociale ne sont pas des conséquences inévitables qui s'imposent aux migrants : lorsqu'on leur en donne l'opportunité, ces derniers peuvent réagir, s'adapter, influencer et même améliorer les projets, afin de faire valoir leurs intérêts et de mitiger les risques auxquels ils sont exposés.Policies of forced migration of populations due to environmental degradation pose a real challenge for public institutions, and expose migrants themselves to a certain number of potential risks, particularly in emerging countries such as China. This article aims to explore the contribution of institutional governance and migrant participation to the mitigation of these risks. Based on an empirical survey conducted in two villages in Ningxia autonomous province of China, we consider the dynamic and interactive relations between migrants and local government, and find that the (non-)participatory nature of local institutions plays a fundamental role in determining the success or failure of the migration policies. Thus, the risks of impoverishment and social dislocation are not inevitable consequences imposed on migrants: when given the opportunity, they can respond, adapt, influence and even improve projects in order to promote their interests and mitigate the risks to which they are exposed.Las políticas de gestión de la migración forzoso de poblaciones debido a la degradación ambiental representan un verdadero desafío para las instituciones públicas, y exponen a los migrantes a numerosos riesgos potenciales, especialmente en los países emergentes como China. Este artículo tiene como objetivo explorar la contribución de la gobernabilidad institucional y de la participación de migrantes a la atenuación de estos riesgos. Basado en un estudio empírico realizado en dos aldeas de la Región Autónoma Hui de Ningxia, en China, hemos considerado las relaciones dinámicas e interactivas entre los migrantes y el gobierno local, y hemos encontrado que el carácter participativo de las instituciones locales desempeña un papel fundamental para determinar el éxito o el fracaso de las políticas migratorias. Por tanto, los riesgos de empobrecimiento y de dislocación social no son inevitables consecuencias que se imponen a los migrantes: cuando éstos tienen oportunidad, son capaces de responder, adaptarse, influir y mejorar sus proyectos con el fin de promover sus intereses y mitigar los riesgos a los que están expuestos

Halal Certification System As A Key Determinant Of Firm Internationalisation In The Philippines And Malaysia

There is a broad consensus to the effect that public agencies can mitigate the obstacles and uncertainties associated with the process of firm internationalisation. One critical aspect of such interventionist policy is the establishment of a national/region halal certification system, which has been widely recognised as core factor in the international expansion of halal food firms. Based on a thorough field research conducted in the halal food industries of the Philippines and Malaysia, the present article shall explicitly examine how exactly different models of halal certification can promote and ease access of local firms to international markets. Using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, the present article will allow us to formulate general conclusions regarding the relationship between firm internationalisation and halal certification, as well as specific insights for other halal food industries seeking to promote their international activities

Tacrolimus-induced nephrotoxicity and genetic variability:A review

Background: Calcineurin inhibition (CNI) is the mainstay of immunosuppressant therapy for most solid organ transplant patients. High tacrolimus levels are related with acute nephrotoxicity, but the relationship with chronic toxicity is less clear. Variation in disposition of tacrolimus is associated with genetic variation in CYP3A5. Hence, could genetic variation in CYP3A5 or other genes involved in tacrolimus disposition and effect be associated with a risk for tacrolimus-induced nephrotoxicity? To perform a review of the literature and to identify if genetic variation in CYP3A5 or other genes involved in tacrolimus disposition or effect may be associated with tacrolimus-induced nephrotoxicity and/or renal dysfunction in solid organ transplant recipients. Material/Methods: Pubmed/Medline, Embase and Google were searched from their inception till November 8th 2010 with the search terms 'tacrolimus', 'genetics', and 'nephrotoxicity' or 'renal dysfunction'. References of relevant articles were screened as well. Results: We identified 13 relevant papers. In kidney recipients, associations between donor ABCB1, recipient CCR5 genotype and tacrolimus-induced nephrotoxicity were found. CYP3A5 genotype studies in kidney recipients yielded contradictory results. In liver recipients, a possible association between recipient ACE, CYP3A5, ABCB1 and CYP2C8 genetic polymorphisms and tacrolimus-induced nephrotoxicity was suggested. In heart recipients, TGF-β genetic polymorphisms were associated with tacrolimus-induced nephrotoxicity. The quality of the studies varied considerably. Conclusions: Limited evidence suggests that variation in genes involved in pharmacokinetics (ABCB1 and CYP3A5) and pharmacodynamics (TGF-β, CYP2C8, ACE, CCR5) of tacrolimus may impact a transplant recipients' risk to develop tacrolimus-induced nephrotoxicity across different transplant organ groups.</p