Music, Dance and Ethnic Elasticity in a Kurdish Cultural Association: The Complexity of Intercultural Experience

El objetivo de este artículo es examinar cómo un grupo de jóvenes se involucraron en una asociación cultural kurda en Estocolmo (Suecia), haciendo su herencia étnica socialmente relevante a través de la danza y la música. Se resalta la importancia de tener en cuenta la complejidad de la vida de las personas, para evitar establecer conexiones simplificadas entre las puestas en escena de sus formas expresivas y sus vidas cotidianas. El trabajo de campo incluyó la observación participante y la realización de entrevistas semi-estructuradas. El primer análisis se refiere a cómo los miembros de la asociación relacionan el baile de la música kurda con los recuerdos y las experiencias de la vida. El segundo análisis se centra en las cualidades multimodales de la música y la danza, como símbolos clave, y en la corporeización de la pertenencia étnica. El tercero se concentra en la relevancia cambiante de la etnicidad, la cual depende de los contextos actuales y de los cambios políticos. Para los miembros de la asociación la relevancia de desarrollar una identidad kurda ha aumentado. En sus veinte y pocos años se encontraban (i) en una fase de identidad formativa. Como miembros de una minoría étnica, (ii) era importante ser reconocido como ciudadanos suecos. Fueron (iii) afectados por lo que sucedió en la diáspora y la guerra en curso en Kurdistán. Las cualidades multimodales de la música y la danza permitieron a los miembros moldear una etnia única e inclusiva.O objetivo deste artigo é examinar como os jovens se envolveram em uma associação cultural curda em Estocolmo (Suécia) tornando sua herança étnica socialmente relevante através da dança e da música. Enfatiza a importância de levar em consideração o complexos mundos-cotidianos das pessoas, para evitar conexões simplificadas entre a performance de formas culturais expressivas e seu dia-a-dia. O trabalho de campo consistiu de observações participantes e entrevistas semiestruturadas. A primeira análise diz respeito a como os membros relacionam dançar a música curda com memórias e experiências de vida. A segunda análise enfoca as qualidades multimodais da música e da dança como símbolos-chave e a incorporação do pertencimento étnico. A terceira se concentra na relevância variável da etnia, dependendo dos contextos atuais e das mudanças políticas. Para os membros, a relevância do desenvolvimento de uma identidade curda aumentou. Eles estavam (i) em uma fase de formação identitária, ao redor de seus vinte e poucos anos. Como membros de minorias étnicas, (ii) era importante serem reconhecidos como autênticos cidadãos suecos. Eles foram (iii) afetados pelo que aconteceu na diáspora e na guerra em curso no Curdistão. As qualidades multimodais da música e da dança permitiram que os membros formassem uma etnia única e inclusiva.  The objective of this article is to examine how young people have engaged in a Kurdish cultural association in Stockholm, Sweden, making their ethnic heritage socially relevant through dance and music. It stresses the importance of taking people’s complex life-worlds into account, to avoid simplified connections between their performance of expressive cultural forms and their everyday lives. The fieldwork consisted of participant observations and semi-structured interviews. The first analysis concerns how the members relate dancing to Kurdish music to memories and life experiences. The second analysis focuses on the multi-modal qualities of music and dance as key-symbols, and the embodiment of ethnic belonging. The third concentrates on the shifting relevance of ethnicity, depending on current contexts and political changes. For the members, the relevance of developing a Kurdish identity had increased. They were (i) in a formative identity phase in their lower twenties. As ethnic minority members, (ii) it was important be recognized as equal Swedish citizens. They were (iii) affected by what happened in the diaspora and the ongoing war in Kurdistan. The multi-modal qualities of music and dance enabled the members to mold a unique and inclusive ethnicity

Techno-economic assessment of an automated lithium-ion battery module disassembly process: investigating the optimal level of automated disassembly.

The use of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has rapidly increased recent years, mainly due to the global adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). Continued growth is expected, which will inevitably lead to a large amount of battery waste. Proper recycling is then required to reinsert valuable raw materials to the value chain. Recycling of LIBs are normally initiated by disassembly, followed by various mechanical and metallurgical treatments. Disassembly is one of the most labour intensive steps when recycling LIBs. Considering the expected growth, a fully automated disassembly process will be required. However, this represents a non-negligible investment. Determining the optimal disassembly level prior to recycling is a crucial step that must be considered before investing in automated disassembly. Currently, most EV LIBs are only disassembled to module level prior to recycling. Instead, disassembly to cell level could produce greater purity material streams and less material to handle downstream. The question is whether or not it is economic viable to carry out deeper robotic disassembly down to cell level instead of stopping at module level. This study presents a techno-economic assessment of a robotic module disassembly line, furnishing guidelines on the necessary degree of automation in EV LIB disassembly. Different case study scenarios are proposed, demonstrating that investments in a robotic module disassembly line could be profitable

Techno-economic assessment of an automated lithium-ion battery module disassembly process: Investigating the optimal level of automated disassembly

The use of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has rapidly increased recent years, mainly due to the global adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). Continued growth is expected, which will inevitably lead to a large amount of battery waste. Proper recycling is then required to reinsert valuable raw materials to the value chain. Recycling of LIBs are normally initiated by disassembly, followed by various mechanical and metallurgical treatments. Disassembly is one of the most labour intensive steps when recycling LIBs. Considering the expected growth, a fully automated disassembly process will be required. However, this represents a non-negligible investment. Determining the optimal disassembly level prior to recycling is a crucial step that must be considered before investing in automated disassembly. Currently, most EV LIBs are only disassembled to module level prior to recycling. Instead, disassembly to cell level could produce greater purity material streams and less material to handle downstream. The question is whether or not it is economic viable to carry out deeper robotic disassembly down to cell level instead of stopping at module level. This study presents a techno-economic assessment of a robotic module disassembly line, furnishing guidelines on the necessary degree of automation in EV LIB disassembly. Different case study scenarios are proposed, demonstrating that investments in a robotic module disassembly line could be profitabl

Digital Democracy and the Growing Threat of Illiberalism. Opportunities and Limitations as Reflected by the Estonian Case

Currently, the fourth and fifth waves of the industrial revolution are shaping the global political, economic, and social landscape. The development of robotics, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality (VR), doubled by the emerging importance of renewable energy sources, is redefining the relationship between the state and the citizen. In this context, the frequency of arguments that plead for an adaptation of the liberal democratic model to the digital environment is increasing. However, the latest developments in this field are also facilitating the spreading of populist and radical messages. Digital innovation is therefore, in many countries, contemporaneous with a process of democratic backsliding. Our paper represents a preliminary attempt to estimate the potential impact of digitalizing the political and social spheres on the stability of liberal democratic regimes. Answers to the questions put forward are provided by analyzing the digital evolution of politics and society in Estonia. We highlight data linked not only to topics such as online voting, participatory budgeting, or digital skills but also data regarding political participation and democratic resilience. Our conclusions suggest that, although building a genuine digital democracy can have positive effects on the level of political and civic involvement of citizens, in order to annihilate the danger of illiberalism, an improvement in the levels of trust in public institutions is also needed. Trust is a vital factor for blocking disinformation and ensuring that digital tools are not hijacked by populist groups with authoritarian tendencies

Surfplattor, tryckta medier och miljöpåverkan - en jämförande litteratursammanställning av livscykelanalyser

This thesis consists of an inventory and compilation of literature that present surveys of life cycle analysis (LCA) regarding printed media and tablets/slates. The aim is to compile and comparative data and answer the question: How does the environmental impact differ between tablets and printed media in terms of quantity of greenhouse gas emissions? Even though LCA is common method critique has been directed to the surveys comparability and ability to depict reality. The thesis describes the LCA-method and how it applies to information and communication technology (ICT) in general as well as printed media. Furthermore, the study problematizes how LCA results vary significantly due to choice of method and assumptions. The results suggest that the studies comparability is too low to draw reliable conclusions about what technology is preferable in terms of ghg-emissions. However, based on the studies presented, a comparative discussion and a few quantitative comparisons are made between the two types of technology. The thesis also gives advice regarding how emissions related to tablets and digital sheet music can be reduced. The work has been carried out on behalf of the company Aqordo who develops a sheet music app for tablet computers. Moreover, the assignment was given to the author by the organization Miljöbron who connects students with private enterprise

The efficacy of botulinum toxin A treatment for tension-Type or cervicogenic headache: A systematic review and meta-Analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled trials

Objectives - The pathogeneses of chronic tension-type headache (CTTH) and cervicogenic headache (CEH) are not well established. Peripheral activation or sensitization of myofascial nociceptors is suggested as a potential mechanism and injections of botulinum toxin (BONTA) have thus been used in the treatment for both headache conditions. BONTA inhibits the release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction and inhibits contraction of skeletal muscles. If the pain is precipitated by increased tone in cervical muscles, local injections of BONTA could represent a prophylactic measure. However, the treatment is still controversial, and a thorough assessment of the current evidence is required. This review aims to assess the evidence of BONTA injection as a prophylactic treatment for CTTH and CEH by reviewing and examining the quality of placebo-controlled, randomized trials. Methods - Data sources: we searched in the following databases: PubMed (including Medline), Embase, Cochrane Central register of Controlled Trials, Cinahl, Amed, SCOPUS and Google Scholar including other repository sources. Both MeSH and free keywords were used in conducting the systematic search in the databases. The search covered publications from the root of the databases to November 2020. Study eligibility criteria - The review included RCTs, comparing single treatment of BONTA with placebo on patients with CTTH or CEH above 18 years of age, by measuring pain severity/relief or headache frequency. Data extraction - The following data were extracted: year of publication, country, setting, trial design, number of participants, injection procedure, BONTA dosages, and clinical outcome measures. Study appraisal - To assess validity and quality, and risk of bias, the Oxford Pain Validity Scale, Modified Jadad Scale, last version of Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing risk of bias (RoB 2), and the CONSORT 2010 Checklist were used. The trials were assessed, and quality scored independently by two of the reviewers. A quantitative synthesis and meta-analyses of headache frequency and intensity were performed. Results - We extracted 16 trials, 12 on prophylactic BONTA treatment for CTTH and four on CEH. Of these 12 trials (8 on CTTH and 4 on CEH) were included in the quantitative synthesis. A majority of the trials found no significant difference on the primary outcome measure when BONTA treatment was compared with placebo. Three “positive” trials, reporting significant difference in favor of BONTA treatment, but two of these were hampered by low validity and quality scores and high risk of bias. Conclusions - There is no clear clinical evidence supporting prophylactic treatment with BONTA for CTTH or CEH

Music, Memory, and Affect Attunement: Connecting Kurdish Diaspora in Stockholm

Abstract This article takes its point of departure in Maurice Halbwachs' notion of collective memory, adding the distinction made by Jan Assmann between communicative and cultural memory, and Alfred Schütz's notion of communication, understood here as the sonorous communication of bodily affect. By combining and cross-fertilizing the concept of memory with that of affective experience, our aim is to take a new and productive perspective on music's role as and in cultural memory as well as the crucial role played by affect attunement. As examples, we use interviews and observations from an on-going research project on the role of music in ethnically-based associations in Sweden. In addition, we show how music often transgresses the categorical distinctions of collective memory. The main questions we ask are a) to the extent that there is a difference between music serving as a means for and as content of collective memory (what the memory is "about"), how can we account for and explain this difference? and b) how does verbally-narrated content relate to the sound of music when it comes to collective memory

Digital Democracy and the Growing Threat of Illiberalism. Opportunities and Limitations as Reflected by the Estonian Case

Currently, the fourth and fifth waves of the industrial revolution are shaping the global political, economic, and social landscape. The development of robotics, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality (VR), doubled by the emerging importance of renewable energy sources, is redefining the relationship between the state and the citizen. In this context, the frequency of arguments that plead for an adaptation of the liberal democratic model to the digital environment is increasing. However, the latest developments in this field are also facilitating the spreading of populist and radical messages. Digital innovation is there-fore, in many countries, contemporaneous with a process of democratic backsliding. Our paper rep-resents a preliminary attempt to estimate the potential impact of digitalizing the political and social spheres on the stability of liberal democratic regimes. Answers to the questions put forward are provided by analyzing the digital evolution of politics and society in Estonia. We highlight data linked not only to topics such as online voting, participatory budgeting, or digital skills but also data regarding political participation and democratic resilience. Our conclusions suggest that, although building a genuine digital democracy can have positive effects on the level of political and civic involvement of citizens, in order to annihilate the danger of illiberalism, an improvement in the levels of trust in public institutions is also needed. Trust is a vital factor for blocking disinformation and ensuring that digital tools are not hijacked by populist groups with authoritarian tendencies

Motor function may differentiate attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from early onset bipolar disorder

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Differentiating between bipolar spectrum disorder (BD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in childhood and adolescence is difficult because the clinical presentation is influenced by ongoing neural development, causing considerable symptom overlap. Motor problems and neurological soft signs have been associated with ADHD for decades. Little is known about motor skills in BD. Here we assess the diagnostic accuracy of neuromotor deviations in differentiating ADHD from BD in clinical practice. We also investigate if these deviations exist in concurrent ADHD and BD, thus indicating true comorbidity</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>64 patients 6-18 years (31 girls, 33 boys) fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of BD, ADHD combined subtype (ADHD-C) or comorbid BD and ADHD-C, were compared using an age-standardized neuromotor test; NUBU. Categorical variables were analyzed using cross table with two-tailed chi square test or Fisher's exact test when appropriate. Continuous variables were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test and, if significant, Mann-Whitney U test and ROC plots.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The ADHD-C group and the comorbid ADHD-C and BD group both showed significantly more neurological soft signs (p less than 0.01) and lower mean static coordination percentile (p less than 0.01) than the BD group. The positive predictive value of NUBU in the diagnosis of ADHD-C with or without concurrent BD was 89% (80-95) for total soft signs and 87% (79-95) for static coordination below the 7.5 percentile.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>An age-standardized neuromotor test battery may promote diagnostic accuracy in differentiating ADHD from BD in clinical practice, and help evaluating whether symptoms of ADHD in children who have BD reflect symptom overlap or real comorbidity. This may have important implications for everyday diagnostic work.</p