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AbstractThis paper appraises the role of contemporary Kiswahili music, a form of oral art, in promoting environmental awareness and advocacy. Using case studies from Kenya and Tanzania, we analyse whether East African music infused with suitable environmental practices can help mainstream environmental education, arouse public interest towards nature, advocate for change in mind-sets, and call for proactive action on environmental conservation, while still offering entertainment. Ethnomusicological Kiswahili songs encouraging connection to nature were purposively chosen and acquired from YouTube. The lyrics of these songs were transcribed, translated, and analysed using Critical Discourse Analysis and Conceptual Metaphor Theories. By examining the context and meanings of these songs, we demonstrate that contemporary environmental songs are art forms of expression that advocate for increased environmental management by eliciting discussions and encouraging active societal eco-friendly remedial actions towards ecological resilience and environmental integrity. This article contributes to the emerging discourse on educational and environmental connections through the use of contemporary music, entertainment, and metaphors, with an overarching view to addressing current and emerging environmental concerns. Consequently, we affirm that African music can be used for entertainment, communication of messages and promotion of positive behaviour change.

# Background Vasectomy is a procedure that results in permanent yet reversible sterility and remains a great contraceptive option for many. Previous research studies have highlighted frequency of vasectomy utilization, defining characteristics of individuals who opt for this method, various surgical techniques, and the risks and benefits associated with the procedure. What remains to be defined is why or why not individuals may experience post-vasectomy regret and whether the previous characteristics correlate. # Objective The objective of this review is to synthesize information regarding reasons individuals may regret their vasectomy and seek reversal, what options exist for accomplishing the reversal, and patients' fertility prognosis post-vasovasostomy. # Methods This review utilized a combination of secondary and tertiary data analysis across a wide scope of academic databases pertaining to the topic of interest. # Results Typically, most males who have sought a vasectomy are satisfied with their decision, however, approximately 6% of this population seeks reversal. Key factors influencing vasectomy regret include age at the time of vasectomy, parental status, pre- and post-operative relationship status, unresolved physical and psychosexual problems, and development of chronic scrotal pain following the procedure. Few options exist for vasectomy reversal including microsurgical reconstructive vasectomy reversal (VR) and sperm extraction for in vitro fertilization. There is no guarantee that fertility will be restored in any case but a major predictive factor for success is the time interval prior to reversal. # Conclusion Vasectomy is intended to be a permanent form of contraception; however, a minor chance remains that individuals may experience post-operative regret due to various factors. This warrants proper comprehensive counseling by the patient's provider regarding benefits and risks, procedural outcomes, opportunities for reversal, and fertility prognosis.

Cet article examine les thèmes croisés du jazz et de l’exil dans Another Country de James Baldwin et The Bass Saxophone de l’écrivain tchéco-canadien Josef Škvorecký. D’autres écrivains exilés afro-américains et tchèques tels Richard Wright et Milan Kundera ont insisté sur l’aspect politique du jazz, que Wright décrit comme un “rejet extatique” de la société et que Kundera définit comme en constante évolution, en contraste avec la musique populaire. Dans Another Country de Baldwin, le jazz est fortement lié aux personnages les plus en marge de la société américaine: non seulement Rufus, le musicien de jazz noir, mais aussi Eric, le Blanc expatrié revenant de France. La musique de Bessie Smith et Billie Holiday offre une toile de fond aux moments les plus intimes de ces personnages, et elle-même témoigne d’un profond désir de trouver une meilleure patrie, malheureusement inexistante. Pour Škvorecký (qui a quitté l’Europe de l’Est pour l’Amérique du Nord) et Baldwin (qui a quitté l’Amérique pour passer une grande partie de sa vie en Europe) le jazz transforme les expériences douloureuses en art, servant à la fois d’inspiration et de catharsis.

Birnessite is a low-cost and environmentally friendly layered material for aqueous electrochemical energy storage; however, its storage capacity is poor due to its narrow potential window in aqueous electrolyte and low redox activity. Herein we report a sodium rich disordered birnessite (Na0.27MnO2) for aqueous sodium-ion electrochemical storage with a much-enhanced capacity and cycling life (83 mAh g-1 after 5000 cycles in full-cell). Neutron total scattering and in situ X-ray diffraction measurements show that both structural water and the Na-rich disordered structure contribute to the improved electrochemical performance of current cathode material. Particularly, the co-deintercalation of the hydrated water and sodium-ion during the high potential charging process results in the shrinkage of interlayer distance and thus stabilizes the layered structure. Our results provide a genuine insight into how structural disordering and structural water improve sodium-ion storage in a layered electrode and open up an exciting direction for improving aqueous batteries.

Summary: Though there are clear benefits of being included at work, important questions about employees' views and experiences of workplace inclusion remain unanswered. First, scholars have tended to adopt a one‐size‐fits‐all approach that assumes that inclusion is viewed and experienced similarly by all employees, regardless of their social identities. Moreover, there have been rapid shifts in work modalities over the last few years, and it is currently unclear how modality impacts inclusion and if that impact is similar across all employees. To address these questions, we leveraged qualitative data from a demographically diverse sample to examine how employees define workplace inclusion, what practices and behaviors employees associate with feeling included, how social identities shape definitions and experiences of inclusion, and the modalities in which employees feel the most included. Results indicated that employees primarily define workplace inclusion as being accepted and treated equally regardless of their identities, being integrated into decision‐making, and expressing themselves authentically. Though employees defined inclusion similarly regardless of their social identities, the importance of specific inclusion practices differed across subgroups. Finally, employees felt more included when working in person, though minoritized employees were more likely to prefer remote work. Theoretical and practical implications regarding inclusion are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous electrochemical energy storage devices have attracted significant attention owing to their high safety, low cost and environmental friendliness. However, their applications have been limited by a narrow potential window (∼1.23 V), beyond which the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions occur. Here we report the formation of layered Mn5O8 pseudocapacitor electrode material with a well-ordered hydroxylated interphase. A symmetric full cell using such electrodes demonstrates a stable potential window of 3.0 V in an aqueous electrolyte, as well as high energy and power performance, nearly 100% coulombic efficiency and 85% energy efficiency after 25,000 charge-discharge cycles. The interplay between hydroxylated interphase on the surface and the unique bivalence structure of Mn5O8 suppresses the gas evolution reactions, offers a two-electron charge transfer via Mn2+/Mn4+ redox couple, and provides facile pathway for Na-ion transport via intra-/inter-layer defects of Mn5O8.

Unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) nasal deformity impacts airflow patterns and pressure distribution, leading to nasal breathing difficulties. This study aims to create an integrated approach using computer-aided design (CAD) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate airway function and assess outcomes in nasal deformities associated with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) after LeFort I osteotomy advancement. Significant alterations were observed in nasal geometry, airflow velocity, pressure dynamics, volumetric flow rate, and nasal resistance postoperatively, indicating improved nasal airflow. The cross-sectional area increased by 26.6%, airflow rate by 6.53%, and nasal resistance decreased by 6.23%. The study offers quantitative insights into the functional impacts of such surgical interventions, contributing to a deeper understanding of UCLP nasal deformity treatment and providing objective metrics for assessing surgical outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]