Morality and religion in African thought

The article deals critically with current discourses on morality in African thought. These discourses reflect the ambivalence between those scholars seeking to define African morality within the parameters of a conventionalised, Western, religious episteme, and those pursuing an “Africanist” (Afrocentric) explanation which embraces an authentic mode of African knowledge construction within indigenous communities. The assumption that faith or religion is the foundation of African morality can only be partially endorsed when one grants space for hybrid moral constructions between Christianity and indigenous religion. However, African morality is not necessarily based on religion or faith, but on the beneficiary values of collective family and community well-being, without dissolving the individual’s character. In African thought, the “best” rational justification of the moralimperative is less of an issue than in current moral discourse

Monotheistic understanding of the divine in African religion, Christianity and Islam

The article traces the varied expressions of the conception of the Divine in traditional African religion, Islam and Christianity. The focus in particular is on explaining the idea of monotheism in each of these religious traditions. An argument is advanced here that African religion, however different from Christianity and Islam, ultimately also manifests as a form of monotheism. The theological debate on the particular expressions of monotheism in Christianity and Islam also receive attention. Finally, a suggestion is put forward as to the possibility to exploit the commonality of the absolute position of the Divine in the religious traditions as a shared basis for religious tolerance and dialogue

A study of the T2 defect and the emission properties of the E3 deep level in annealed melt grown ZnO single crystals

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Diverse politics, diverse news coverage? A longitudinal study of diversity in Dutch political news during two decades of election campaigns

Although diverse political news has been recognized as a requirement for a well-functioning democracy, longitudinal research into this topic is sparse. In this article, we analyse the development of diversity in election coverage in the Netherlands between 1994 and 2012. We distinguish between diversity for party and issue coverage, and look at differences between diversity in newspapers and television news. Results show that news diversity varies over time. Diversity for party types increased over time. We found no clear trend for diversity of issue dimensions. Compared to newspapers, television news is more diverse for party types but less diverse on issue dimensions. The question concerning whether these findings are an indicator of structural bias is discussed

Particle length-dependent titanium dioxide nanomaterials toxicity and bioactivity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanomaterials have considerable beneficial uses as photocatalysts and solar cells. It has been established for many years that pigment-grade TiO₂(200 nm sphere) is relatively inert when internalized into a biological model system (in vivo or in vitro). For this reason, TiO₂nanomaterials are considered an attractive alternative in applications where biological exposures will occur. Unfortunately, metal oxides on the nanoscale (one dimension < 100 nm) may or may not exhibit the same toxic potential as the original material. A further complicating issue is the effect of modifying or engineering of the nanomaterial to be structurally and geometrically different from the original material.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>TiO₂nanospheres, short (< 5 μm) and long (> 15 μm) nanobelts were synthesized, characterized and tested for biological activity using primary murine alveolar macrophages and in vivo in mice. This study demonstrates that alteration of anatase TiO₂nanomaterial into a fibre structure of greater than 15 μm creates a highly toxic particle and initiates an inflammatory response by alveolar macrophages. These fibre-shaped nanomaterials induced inflammasome activation and release of inflammatory cytokines through a cathepsin B-mediated mechanism. Consequently, long TiO₂nanobelts interact with lung macrophages in a manner very similar to asbestos or silica.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These observations suggest that any modification of a nanomaterial, resulting in a wire, fibre, belt or tube, be tested for pathogenic potential. As this study demonstrates, toxicity and pathogenic potential change dramatically as the shape of the material is altered into one that a phagocytic cell has difficulty processing, resulting in lysosomal disruption.</p

Traffic-related air pollution and respiratory symptoms among asthmatic children, resident in Mexico City: the EVA cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Taffic-related air pollution has been related to adverse respiratory outcomes; however, there is still uncertainty concerning the type of vehicle emission causing most deleterious effects.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A panel study was conducted among 147 asthmatic and 50 healthy children, who were followed up for an average of 22 weeks. Incidence density of coughing, wheezing and breathing difficulty was assessed by referring to daily records of symptoms and child's medication. The association between exposure to pollutants and occurrence of symptoms was evaluated using mixed-effect models with binary response and poisson regression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Wheezing was found to relate significantly to air pollutants: an increase of 17.4 μg/m³(IQR) of PM_2.5(24-h average) was associated with an 8.8% increase (95% CI: 2.4% to 15.5%); an increase of 34 ppb (IQR) of NO₂(1-h maximum) was associated with an 9.1% increase (95% CI: 2.3% to16.4%) and an increase of 48 ppb (IQR) in O₃levels (1 hr maximum) to an increase of 10% (95% CI: 3.2% to 17.3%). Diesel-fueled motor vehicles were significantly associated with wheezing and bronchodilator use (IRR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.62, and IRR = 1.32; 95% CI: 0.99 to 1.77, respectively, for an increase of 130 vehicles hourly, above the 24-hour average).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Respiratory symptoms in asthmatic children were significantly associated with exposure to traffic exhaust, especially from natural gas and diesel-fueled vehicles.</p

Comparative morphology of the forewing base articulationin Sternorrhyncha compared with a representative of Fulgoromorpha (Insecta, Hemiptera)

The forewing articulation of single species from each of the four subgroups of Sternorrhyncha (Aleyrodomorpha, Aphidomorpha, Coccomorpha, Psyllomorpha) was examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy. The species were compared with a species of Cixiidae (Fulgoromorpha), as an outgroup of Sternorrhyncha. We present the results of a comparative analysis of the forewing articulation in these five groups, propose a standardized terminology and compare our findings with those previously reported. The wing base of all examined species is composed of the following structures: anterior and posterior notal wing process, first, second, and third axillary sclerites, tegula, and axillary cord. The number of elements included in the wing base and the surrounding area is the greatest in Cacopsylla mali, the most complicated species from Sternorrhyncha. Based on the shape of axillary sclerites and the number of elements forming the wing base environment, Orthezia urticae (Coccomorpha) and Cixius nervosus (Fulgoromorpha) are the most similar. Among Sternorrhyncha, the most similar axillaries are those of Aphis fabae and Orthezia urticae, which is congruent with existing classifications. In this paper we show that the four groups from Sternorrhyncha exhibit their own distinct wing base morphology

At last, a Pennsylvanian stem-stonefly (Plecoptera) discovered

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Stem-relatives of many winged insect orders have been identified among Pennsylvanian fossils (Carboniferous Period). Owing to their presumed 'basal' position in insect phylogeny, stoneflies were expected to occur at this period. However, no relative has ever been designated convincingly.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this paper, we report specimens belonging to a new fossil insect species collected from the Tupo Formation (Pennsylvanian; China). The wing venation of <it>Gulou carpenteri </it><b>gen. et sp. nov</b>. exhibits character states diagnostic of the order Plecoptera, but lack character states shared by unequivocal representatives of the order. Derived from this identification, the delimitation of the fossil species is ascertained based on comparison of several extant stonefly species. This comparative analysis allowed a trait present in <it>G. carpenteri </it><b>gen. et sp. nov</b>., but rarely occurring in extant species, to be documented and highlighted as atavistic. Affinities of taxa formerly proposed as putative stem-stoneflies are reconsidered in the light of the new discovery.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p><it>Gulou carpenteri </it><b>gen. et sp. nov</b>. is considered the only genuine Plecoptera reported from the Pennsylvanian. Continuing efforts on the systematics of Pennsylvanian winged insects indicate a fauna more diverse than previously appreciated. It suggests that insects already had a long, yet undocumented, history by this time.</p

MHC class I A region diversity and polymorphism in macaque species

The HLA-A locus represents a single copy gene that displays abundant allelic polymorphism in the human population, whereas, in contrast, a nonhuman primate species such as the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) possesses multiple HLA-A-like (Mamu-A) genes, which parade varying degrees of polymorphism. The number and combination of transcribed Mamu-A genes present per chromosome display diversity in a population of Indian animals. At present, it is not clearly understood whether these different A region configurations are evolutionarily stable entities. To shed light on this issue, rhesus macaques from a Chinese population and a panel of cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were screened for various A region-linked variations. Comparisons demonstrated that most A region configurations are old entities predating macaque speciation, whereas most allelic variation (>95%) is of more recent origin. The latter situation contrasts the observations of the major histocompatibility complex class II genes in rhesus and cynomolgus macaques, which share a high number of identical alleles (>30%) as defined by exon 2 sequencing

Neuromuscular disease genetics in under-represented populations: increasing data diversity

\ua9 The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. Neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) affect ∼15 million people globally. In high income settings DNA-based diagnosis has transformed care pathways and led to gene-specific therapies. However, most affected families are in low-to-middle income countries (LMICs) with limited access to DNA-based diagnosis. Most (86%) published genetic data is derived from European ancestry. This marked genetic data inequality hampers understanding of genetic diversity and hinders accurate genetic diagnosis in all income settings. We developed a cloud-based transcontinental partnership to build diverse, deeply-phenotyped and genetically characterized cohorts to improve genetic architecture knowledge, and potentially advance diagnosis and clinical management. We connected 18 centres in Brazil, India, South Africa, Turkey, Zambia, Netherlands and the UK. We co-developed a cloud-based data solution and trained 17 international neurology fellows in clinical genomic data interpretation. Single gene and whole exome data were analysed via a bespoke bioinformatics pipeline and reviewed alongside clinical and phenotypic data in global webinars to inform genetic outcome decisions. We recruited 6001 participants in the first 43 months. Initial genetic analyses \u27solved\u27 or \u27possibly solved\u27 ∼56% probands overall. In-depth genetic data review of the four commonest clinical categories (limb girdle muscular dystrophy, inherited peripheral neuropathies, congenital myopathy/muscular dystrophies and Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy) delivered a ∼59% \u27solved\u27 and ∼13% \u27possibly solved\u27 outcome. Almost 29% of disease causing variants were novel, increasing diverse pathogenic variant knowledge. Unsolved participants represent a new discovery cohort. The dataset provides a large resource from under-represented populations for genetic and translational research. In conclusion, we established a remote transcontinental partnership to assess genetic architecture of NMDs across diverse populations. It supported DNA-based diagnosis, potentially enabling genetic counselling, care pathways and eligibility for gene-specific trials. Similar virtual partnerships could be adopted by other areas of global genomic neurological practice to reduce genetic data inequality and benefit patients globally