This article analyses multiple visions and perspectives offered by Chinese-speaking Muslim intellectuals during the Republican era (1912–1949) concerning their status as a Muslim community by looking into their debates on the modernization and secularization of the Turkish Republic under the Kemalist regime. The transformation of the multi-ethnic and religious Qing empire into a Republican Chinese nation-state presented new challenges to the ruling elite, intellectuals, and minority communities. This article explores how Chinese Muslims navigated the complex intellectual landscape as alternative visions and ideologies concerning nation-building, ethnic autonomy, religion, and modernity emerged in China. The article focuses on how Han Chinese intellectuals, the Kuomintang (KMT) elite, and Chinese Muslims selectively interpreted Turkish modernization in different ways to promote their socio-political cause. It analyses the overlaps and the complex, nuanced differences between Chinese Muslim interpretations of Turkey as a success story of the awakened modern Muslim and the KMT ruling elites’ view of Turkey in the 1930s as a model of developmental authoritarianism, highlighting Turkey’s success in establishing a homogenous nation-state that superseded religion with a sanctified state ideology. The article thus demonstrates how Chinese Muslim intellectuals responded to the KMT state’s increasingly authoritarian rule in the 1930s during the Japanese invasion and the subsequent era of the Civil War when the Chinese Communist Party emerged as a powerful alternative to KMT rule and ideology.

This piece expresses an anger and frustration with the limits of modern European philosophy in relation to the spiritual. I question what theoretical comfort or liberatory potential can be provided by postmodernism, especially within feminist philosophy, in times of great violence and insecurity. I explore how the knower/known dichotomy places some researchers in a dual, sometimes contradictory, epistemological position as a ripple effect of the coloniality of knowledge. Ultimately, I ask what price we pay for knowledges that are ignored or dismissed in order to maintain the illusion of secular reason and the hegemony of European thought.

A graph is called Rank-Ramsey if (i) Its clique number is small, and (ii) The adjacency matrix of its complement has small rank. We initiate a systematic study of such graphs. Our main motivation is that their constructions, as well as proofs of their non-existence, are intimately related to the famous log-rank conjecture from the field of communication complexity. These investigations also open interesting new avenues in Ramsey theory. We construct two families of Rank-Ramsey graphs exhibiting polynomial separation between order and complement rank. Graphs in the first family have bounded clique number (as low as $41$). These are subgraphs of certain strong products, whose building blocks are derived from triangle-free strongly-regular graphs. Graphs in the second family are obtained by applying Boolean functions to Erdős-Rényi graphs. Their clique number is logarithmic, but their complement rank is far smaller than in the first family, about $\mathcal{O}(n^{2/3})$. A key component of this construction is our matrix-theoretic view of lifts. We also consider lower bounds on the Rank-Ramsey numbers, and determine them in the range where the complement rank is $5$ or less. We consider connections between said numbers and other graph parameters, and find that the two best known explicit constructions of triangle-free Ramsey graphs turn out to be far from Rank-Ramsey.

We discuss three patterns of palatalisation in Czech, each of which is associated with certain suffixes. The data suggest that the trigger of palatalisation is not the initial vowel of these suffixes, but different sets of floating melodic features. We provide a formal analysis of the palatalisation patterns, as well as of the internal structure of the Czech phoneme inventory, in terms of Element Theory and strict CV. This allows us to straightforwardly model their lateral (leftward) effect, as well as some peculiar behaviour in the context of labials and the lateral . Besides Element Theory and strict CV, we argue that this analysis provides further support to a substance-free view of phonology, in which phonological representations do not necessarily have a universal, fixed phonetic implementation.

Effective impact mitigation is a critical aspect of ensuring the stable motion of legged robots, especially in challenging environments. This work introduces a leg motion control system integrating nonlinear active compliance and impedance control with a balance controller. Designed for high-speed dynamic locomotion, the proposed system achieves superior impact absorption and precise leg position tracking without relying on passive spring mechanisms. The proposed nonlinear control, featuring state-dependent adaptive laws for stiffness and damping, outperforms linear alternatives in vibration suppression while maintaining tracking accuracy. A nonlinear PD parameter tuning method and optimized footstep locations are utilized for the balance controller to ensure quick recovery from external disturbances. Experimental validation on the SCIT Dog platform demonstrates exceptional cushioning capability during high-speed maneuvers and effective full-degree-of-freedom impact mitigation, including lateral disturbances. Crucially, this work advances beyond prior research by demonstrating active springless leg compliance/impedance control with formal stability guarantees and represents a fundamental locomotion layer that is essential for enabling future autonomous navigation capabilities in quadruped robots operating in unstructured environments.

This study investigated the annual culling rate and its main causes on dairy farms in the central region of Santa Fe, Argentina. A cross-sectional study was conducted between February and April 2025 on 77 farms located in the central dairy region of Santa Fe province, Argentina (Castellanos and Las Colonias departments). On each farm, an in-person survey was conducted with the farm manager. Information was collected regarding the farm demographics, the number of culls and mortalities and the causes of culling. The average annual total culling rate for pasture-based systems was 22.3% (range: 10–34%), while for confined systems it was 31% (range: 22–54%). The proportion of cows culled in pasture-based systems was 15.6% (range: 2–30%) compared to 23.6% (range: 14–43%) in confined systems. The annual mortality rate in pasture-based systems was 6.7% (range: 2–20%), while in confined systems it was 7.4% (range: 4–17%). The main causes of culling were reproductive problems, udder health issues, hoof diseases, infectious diseases and low milk production. The main causes of mortality on the farms were traumatic injuries, infectious diseases, mastitis and metabolic disorders, among others. Average cow longevity in pasture-based systems was 4.3 (range: 2–9) lactations compared to 2.9 (range: 1.4–4) lactations in confined systems. Productivity, animal welfare and dairy herd longevity are shaped primarily by management practices rather than by production system type alone, and both pasture-based and confined systems can be optimized to achieve sustainable outcomes.

This article examines the paradoxical impact of emerging communication technologies on social cohesion by investigating the struggle to standardize Ramadan observance among Chinese Hui Muslim communities in the early twentieth century. Reform-minded Hui intellectuals hoped that modern media, such as print periodicals and the telegraph, would disseminate moon-sighting news and unify the diverse temporal practices of Hui Muslims across China, thereby forging a modern, unified Hui identity. However, this article argues that these technologies did not lead to seamless temporal homogenization. Instead, they amplified local divisions and precipitated a crisis of authority by forcing Hui communities to confront a new and divisive question: who and what to trust in a new information landscape? Drawing on case studies of disputes in Guangzhou, Xi’an, Beijing, and Chengdu between 1931 and 1934, the article demonstrates that Hui Muslims’ trust was not monolithic but fragmented along lines of faith in the communication technology, the messenger, and the information itself, which in turn prevented the implementation of a standard Ramadan temporality. By centring the analysis on the social dynamics of trust, this article contributes to the history of technology and media studies, revealing that the adoption of technology is fundamentally a process of building, challenging, and negotiating authority through the fragile and fragmented medium of trust.

The Korean Peninsula is often neglected in investigations on Islam in East Asia. The region already occupies the conceptual peripheries of studies on Muslim societies. During the two decades after the Korean War (1950–1953), however, Seoul hosted a small yet active community of Korean Muslim converts and visitors from places such as Malaysia/Singapore, Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. The early Korean Muslim leaders, some of whom first encountered Islam in Japanese-occupied Manchuria, attempted to plug themselves into transnational Islamic networks and politics in the transformed context of the Cold War. Internally, Korean Muslim leaders advocated for the utility of Islam as a diplomatic resource for the South Korean government in the struggle against communism, thereby reformulating pre-war articulations of Islam policy that had circulated across China and Japan, as well as narratives on unified Islamic civilization with an inherent cultural essence. Externally, they forged educational and philanthropic networks by connecting with Muslim diasporic figures in the East and Southeast Asian sphere, such as Ibrahim Omar al-Saqqāf, the Hadrami Arab consul of the Saudi consulate in Singapore and an agent of the World Muslim League in Mecca. By situating the emergent Korean Muslim community in Seoul within a regional and trans-regional religio-political nexus, this article repositions it as having formed through encounters with modern state(s) and power, and through interactions with Muslim diasporic agents who (re-)directed post-war mobility channels.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is one of the most common blood cancers. Despite lengthening survival with modern therapy, it remains largely fatal. Understanding the influence of common modifiable risk factors on MM risk is necessary to inform prevention.

We investigated the association between dietary exposures and MM in a population-based case-control study conducted in Victoria, and NSW, Australia (2010-2016). Incident cases of MM (n=746) were recruited primarily via cancer registries. Controls (n=706) were siblings or spouses of cases.

We estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for associations between MM and dietary exposures, including dietary patterns, fish consumption, and a healthy lifestyle index, adjusting for confounders.

Higher scores on a modified version of the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 were associated with reduced risk of MM (mAHEI: OR=0.88, 95%CI=0.78-0.98). There was weaker evidence for reduced risk associated with higher healthful plant-based dietary index score (hPDI: OR=0.91, 95%CI=0.81-1.02). Increased MM risks were observed with higher scores on empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP: OR=1.20, 95%CI=1.07-1.35), empirical dietary indices for hyperinsulinaemia (EDIH: OR=1.15, 95%CI=1.02-1.31), and insulin resistance (EDIR: OR=1.21, 95%CI=1.08-1.37). There was no clear evidence of association with MM risk for fish consumption or a healthy lifestyle index.

We observed an association between adherence to a healthy diet and lower MM risk. While adherence to dietary patterns with the potential to increase insulin levels, insulin resistance, or promote inflammation was associated with increased MM risk. Results of studies assessing dietary intervention for MM prevention could reveal whether dietary modification directly influences MM risk.

Iron deficiency (ID) is a common nutritional disorder, especially among children, women of reproductive age. Detecting ID before it progresses to iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is critical for prevention. This study assessed mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and red cell distribution width (RDW) as complete blood count (CBC) based markers for early non-anaemic iron deficiency (NAID). We retrospectively analysed records of children aged 2 months to 6 years who underwent regular general health checks at Fujian Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital between July 2022 and July 2024, ID was defined by serum ferritin < 15 µg/L. Children with thalassemia, inflammatory conditions (CRP > 5 mg/L), or incomplete data were excluded. Logistic regression was used to evaluate associations between CBC indices and ID. Model discrimination was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and externally validated using NHANES (August 2021-August 2023, Cycle 12) data. A total of 2,018 children were included (training: n = 1,413, testing: n = 605; external validation: n = 232). MCH (OR = 0.63; 95% CI, 0.52-0.76; p < 0.001) and RDW (OR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.16-1.79; p = 0.001) were independent predictors of ID. The model showed consistent performance, with AUCs of 0.77 (training), 0.81 (testing), and 0.87 (validation). MCH and RDW are practical markers for early NAID detection in Chinese and US children, offering a valuable tool for any setting with an automated haematology analyser, particularly when access to advanced iron studies is restricted.

Lower Mississippian blastoids have been found at many scattered localities in Alberta and British Columbia, western Canada. Most are from the Banff Formation of Tournaisian age. They are poorly known taxonomically. Eight taxa are here recognized, of which six are new: Tholoblastus raaschi new genus new species, Cryptoblastus canadensis new species, Pentremites jasperensis new species, Strongyloblastus recurvatus new species, and Globoblastus bamberi new species. Lophoblastus neglectus (Meek and Worthen, 1869) also occurs in the Banff and represents a range and chronostratigraphic extension. There is one taxon too incomplete to be formally described. The distribution of a key species, Strongyloblastus petalus Fay, 1962, is documented. The Canadian blastoids occur on the westward-sloping outer ramp of the Banff Formation. Sedimentologically, they were contributors to the bioclastic crinoidal limestones that are common in the Mississippian of western Canada. Paleogeographically, the taxa complement but are different than the Early Mississippian Tournaisian blastoids of the Lodgepole Formation in western Montana to the south. Six new higher taxa are introduced: Cribroblastida new order; Cribroblastidae new family; Pentremitida new superfamily; Strongyloblastidae new family; Nodoblastidae new family; and Orbitremitida new order.

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