Secularism and Secularization in the Arab World

The development of secularism and secularization is a major issue in the Arab world in the intellectual,cultural and social dimensions.A general survey of the development of secularism and secularization in the Arab world is a premise to understand modern Arab politics,society and culture.

Dynamic mode decomposition of the geomagnetic field over the last two decades

Earth’s magnetic field,which is generated in the liquid outer core through the dynamo action,undergoes changes on timescales of a few years to several million years,yet the underlying mechanisms responsible for the field variations remain to be elucidated.In this study,we apply a novel data analysis technique developed in fluid dynamics,namely the dynamic mode decomposition,to analyze the geomagnetic variations over the last two decades when continuous satellite observations are available.The dominant dynamic modes are extracted by solving an eigen-value problem,so one can identify modes with periods longer than the time span of data.Our analysis show that similar dynamic modes are extracted from the geomagnetic secular variation and secular acceleration,justifying the validity of applying the dynamic mode decomposition method to geomagnetic field.We reveal that the geomagnetic field variations are characterized by a global mode with period of 58 years,a localized mode with period of 16 years and an equatorially trapped mode with period of 8.5 years.These modes are possibly related to magnetohydrodynamic waves in the Earth’s outer core.

The study of geomagnetic jerk from 2010 to 2021 based on hourly mean data from global geomagnetic observatories

The secular variation in the global geomagnetic field was analyzed in terms of the annual differences in monthly means by using the hourly mean data from 18 foreign(outside China)observatories of the World Data Center(WDC)for Geomagnetism from January 2010 to January 2020 as well as 9 observatories in the Geomagnetic Network of China from January 2015 to April 2021.In addition,according to the correlation of noisy components from the observatories,a covariance matrix was constructed based on residuals between observations and the CHAOS-7.4 model to remove external contamination.Through a comparison before and after denoising,we found that the overall average standard deviations were reduced by 29.97%in China and by 41.4%outside China.Results showed the correlation coefficient between external noise(mainly the magnetosphere ring current)and the Dst index was 0.82,and the correlation coefficient between external noise and the Ring Current(RC)index reached 0.94.A geomagnetic jerk was globally discovered around 2018.0 on the geomagnetic eastward component Y.The jerk timing in China was around 2020.0,and the earliest one was in2018.75,whereas the timing outside China was around 2018.0,and the earliest one was in 2017.67.This 2-year lag may have been caused by the higher electrical conductivity of the deep mantle.After more data were added,this jerk event was found to occur in an orderly manner in the northern hemisphere as the longitude increased and the intensity gradually increased as well.The variations in location of the jerk center were analyzed according to the CHAOS-7.4 model.Results revealed six extreme points distributed nearby the equator.The strongest was near the equator,at 170°E,and the strength gradually decreased as it extended to the northern and southern hemispheres.Another extreme point with the opposite sign was located at the equator,at 20°W,in the south-central part of the Atlantic,and the strength gradually decreased as it extended into Europe.The covariance matrix method can be used to analyze data from the Macao Science Satellite-1 mission in the future,and this method is expected to play a positive role in modeling and separating the large-scale external field.

The Symbiosis of Sacred Space and Secular Experience-Reflecting on Ethnographic Filming

Based on the experience of ethnographic filming,this article outlines the dynamic process of the protection and development of Baima Tibetan traditional villages with the help of iconic descriptions of Baima Tibetans’daily lives and sacrificial activities,and explores how Baima Tibetans inherit their culture while adapting to social development with imagery means during rural revitalization,and how the locals integrate sacred space and secular experience in order to construct their own cultural symbols for the sake of embracing the new era.As far as anthropology-ethnographic descriptions of embodiment are concerned,traditional text research has limitations.In comparison,video graphic anthropology has natural advantages.Its advantages not only lie in the means of images,but also lie in the ability to connect the“sense of things”,mind and nature,realizing the interaction between mind and things,and mentality and object.The visual ethnography is an important research method for anthropological research to enter the world of his other.This is also an important way to describe the integration and symbiosis of local subjectivity,local sacred space,and secular experience.

Analysis of the Orbitation and Rotation of Celestial Bodies

We have developed a structure of dynamic knowledge for non-inertial systems, the so-called Theory of Dynamic Interactions (TDI) as a part of non-inertial dynamic knowledge, which incorporates a causal demonstration of phenomena accelerated by rotation, which would complement Classical Mechanics. We believe that the TDI mathematical model that we propose is of great conceptual importance. In addition, we think that it is not only necessary to understand the dynamics of rotating bodies, but also to understand the dynamics of the cosmos, with bodies that orbit and with constantly recurring movements, which make possible systems that have been in dynamic equilibrium for centuries and are not in a process of unlimited expansion. We even believe that this new dynamic theory allows us a better understanding of our universe, and the matter from which it is made.

Uranium Series Disequilibrium and Precision Measurement of Radionuclides Activity in Sediment Sample Using Low Background Gamma Spectrometry

Low background gamma spectrometry was used to measure the radionuclides activity of 238U, 232Th, and 235U series as well as 40K and 137Cs in a sediment sample. The goal of the study was to measure the 238U (63.3 keV peak of 234Th;1001 keV peak of 234mPa) and 235U (143.76 keV, 163.33 keV, and 205.31 keV peaks) activity by low background gamma spectrometry in sediment sample. 235U activity in environmental samples is difficult to accurately measure by gamma spectrometry due to its low abundance in nature and low gamma line intensities at 143.76 keV, 163.33 keV, and 205.31 keV. We have shown that by using low background gamma spectrometry, it is possible to accurately measure the 235U activity in sediment samples. The 235U activity was measured without using the major peak of 185.7 keV (Iγ = 57.2%) which requires interference correction from 186.21 keV of 226Ra. 226Ra activity was determined by measuring 222Rn daughters (214Pb and 214Bi). The precision and accuracy of the gamma activity measurement in the sediment sample were verified by using the HPGe detectors with Certified Reference Material (CRM) Irish Sea Sediment (IAEA-385). The results obtained for the 63.33 keV energy line of 234Th are compared with the 1001 keV energy line of 234mPa. The values of 238U and 235U activities, as well as 40K, 137Cs, and 226Ra, agreed with the certificate values of CRM. The results show that the 238U is in equilibrium with its daughters (234Th, 234mPa, and 210Pb). 232Th is also in equilibrium with its daughters (228Ra, 212Pb, 212Bi and 208Tl). 235U/238U activity ratio of 0.046 ± 0.007 in the sediment is constant in nature but fluctuates due to geological processes. A value of 0.055 ± 0.008 was found in our sediment sample.

Neoteric Nationalism in India: Secular or Religious?

The nationalism in India emerged with the national movement as an urge of political independence,but it is not necessarily a derivative of nationalism.In this post-independence period,the concept took a drastic change from politico-cultural nationalism to particularistic nationalism of many groups and now essentially religious nationalism.The present blend of nationalism is interpreted as Hindu nationalism.It evolved from nationhood to nationalism.In this open world,Indian nationalism has been unrolled with a Hindu dominating policy due to which religion in India got politicized.The surge of religion is too high in India has become an important political agenda.It has shuttered the participation of the religious minority from the mainstream of politics.This paper is an endeavour to present this new discourse of Indian nationalism which emerged at the backdrop ofHinduism.

The Legal Position and the Cultural Role of the Churches During the Communist Era in Hungary

In my essay I would like to present the role of the Hungarian Catholic Church as a national“institution”after 1945.The communist dictatorship supplied the authority of the churches to reshape the society based on a new ideology.One of the milestones of this process was the years after 1947 when the church schools were secularized and the monastic orders were disbanded.Cardinal József Mindszenty was the main character of the act of resisting.The second milestone was around 1956 when there was a limited cooperation:some of the schools became church school again but with a high control.From 1988 came the third milestone when the presentations of the bishops were bounded formal to the authority of state and after a short period the church became independent from it.In my paper,I would like to present these milestones and what were the effects on the Hungarian society in a juridical and cultural way.

The Outsider Perspective: Classical Chinese Philosophy in the Narrative Framework of the European Enlightenment

The purpose of this article is to enhance the understanding of how Classical Chinese Philosophy has been interpreted and transferred by Enlightenment thinkers into the narrative framework of European philosophy as a far-reaching source of ideas and inspiration with a driving force for promoting modern European social change. We examine outsider perspectives within the context of Enlightenment thinking that contributed to advances in the cross-cultural understanding of how Chinese stories could be disseminated in the framework of East-West dialogue.

Secular trends in incidence of lung cancer by histological type in Beijing, China, 2000-2016

Objective: The objective of this study was to characterize secular trends in the sex-specific, age-standardized incidence of lung cancer by histological type in Beijing, China, from 2000 to 2016 based on data from a populationbased cancer registry.Methods: Data on the incidence of cancer from 2000 to 2016 were obtained from the Beijing Cancer Registry.We examined trends in the sex-specific, age-standardized incidence of lung cancer by histological type using a Joinpoint regression model.Results: A total of 117,409 cases of lung cancer were diagnosed from 2000 to 2016. Overall, 73,062(62.23%)patients were males. The most common histological type among both sexes was adenocarcinoma; however, the proportion of adenocarcinoma differed significantly between males and females(45.36% vs. 77.14%, respectively,P<0.0001). The age-standardized incidence of total lung cancer increased from 2000 to 2010 with an annual percent change(APC) of 2.2% [95% confidence interval(95% CI), 1.5% to 2.9%] and stabilized thereafter. Among males, the incidence of total lung cancer peaked in 2008 and then decreased slightly, with an APC of-1.1%(95%CI,-2.1% to-0.1%). Among females, the incidence increased continuously during the study period, with an APC of 1.4%(95% CI, 0.9% to 1.9%). The incidence of squamous cell carcinoma decreased significantly in recent years among both sexes, with APCs of-2.6%(95% CI,-4.5% to-0.6%) from 2007 to 2016 for males and-5.4%(95%CI,-7.2% to-3.6%) from 2004 to 2016 for females. In contrast, the incidence of adenocarcinoma increased continuously throughout the study period, by APCs of 4.0%(95% CI, 2.6% to 5.4%) for males and 6.2%(95% CI,4.8% to 7.6%) for females. The incidence of small cell carcinoma peaked in 2007 and stabilized thereafter among males, whereas it peaked in 2012 and then decreased with an APC of-14.7%(95% CI,-25.3% to-2.6%) among females. The incidence of large cell carcinoma and other specified malignant neoplasm did not change much,whereas the incidence of unspecified type decreased among both sexes during the study period.Conclusions: Although the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma decreased significantly among both sexes in recent years in Beijing, China, adenocarcinoma increased continuously throughout the study period among both sexes. Knowledge of differences in trends is useful for surveillance and control of lung cancer. However, the reason for the increase in adenocarcinoma remains unclear and warrants investigation.

The Influence of Secular Trends in Body Height and Weight on the Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Chinese Children and Adolescents

Objective To explore the influence of secular trends in body height and weight on the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Chinese children and adolescents.Methods The data were obtained from five cross-sectional Chinese National Surveys on Students' Constitution and Health.Overweight/obesity was defined as BMI-for-age Z-score of per the Wold Health Organization(WHO) reference values.Body height and weight for each sex and age were standardized to those reported in 1985(standardized height: SHY;standardized weight: SWY) and for each sex and year at age 7(standardized height: SHA;standardized weight: SWA) using the Z-score method.Results The prevalence of overweight/obesity in Chinese children was 20.2% among boys and 10.7% among girls in 2010 and increased continuously from 1985 to 2010.Among boys and girls of normal weight,SHY and SHA were significantly greater than SWY and SWA,respectively(P < 0.001).Among boys and girls with overweight/obesity,SHY was significantly lower than SWY(P < 0.001),and showed an obvious decreasing trend after age 12.SHA was lower than SWA among overweight boys aged 7-8 years and girls aged 7-9 years.SHY/SHW and SHA/SWA among normal-weight groups were greater than among overweight and obese groups(P < 0.001).Conclusion The continuous increase in the prevalence of overweight/obesity among Chinese children may be related to a rapid increase in body weight before age 9 and lack of secular increase in body height after age 12.

Earth rotation deceleration/acceleration due to semidiurnal oceanic/atmospheric tides:Revisited with new calculation

The global oceanic/atmospheric tides exert decelerating/accelerating secular torques on the Earth rotation. We developed new formulations to accurately calculate amounts of two kinds of secular tidal torques. After Melchior, we found that an additional factor 1+k-l = 1.216, which has been formerly neglected, must be multiplied unto the tidal torque integral. By using our refined formulations and the recent oceanic/atmospheric global tide models, we found that:(i) semidiurnal oceanic lunar/solar tides exert decelerating torques of about-4.462 × 10^(16)/-0.676 × 10^(16) Nm respectively and(ii) atmospheric S_2 tide exerts accelerating torque of 1.55 × 10^(15) Nm. Former estimates of the atmospheric S_2 tidal torque were twice as large as our estimate due to improper consideration of loading effect. We took the load Love number for atmospheric loading effect from Guo et al.(2004). For atmospheric loading of spherical harmonic degree two, the value of k′=-0.6031 is different from that for ocean loading as k′ =-0.3052,while the latter is currently used for both cases-ocean/atmospheric loading-without distinction. We discuss(i) the amount of solid Earth tidal dissipation(which has been left most uncertain) and(ii) secular changes of the dynamical state of the Earth-Moon-Sun system. Our estimate of the solid Earth tidal torque is-4.94×10^(15) Nm.

On Anne Bradstreet's Inconsistency with Puritanism

Anne Bradstreet,the first American poet,is popular among the puritan community.Yet a close examination of her poetry reveals her belying inconsistency with the Puritan values.While Puritan community devoted itself to the religious,disliked virtually every kind of recreation including literature and prejudiced against the female,Anne Bradstreet passionately expresses the secular pains and joys and firmly asserts the role of the poetry and the female.Her popularity among the Puritans both proves a success of her strategy and indicates Puritan society’s certain flexibility and tolerance.

Compensating for excess micromotion of ion crystals

A new method of compensating for the excess micromotion along two directions in three-dimensional Coulomb crystals is reported in this paper; this method is based on shape control and optical imaging of a Coulomb crystal in a sectioned linear ion trap. The characteristic parameters, such as the ion numbers, temperatures, and geometric factors of different ion crystals are extracted from the images and secular motion excitation spectra. The method of controlling the shape of the ion crystals can be used in cold ion experiments, such as sympathetically cooling, structural phase transitions,and selective-control of ions, etc.

Mafic Archean continental crust prohibited exhumation of orogenic UHP eclogite

The absence of ultrahigh pressure(UHP)orogenic eclogite in the geological record older than c.0.6 Ga is problematic for evidence of subduction having begun on Earth during the Archean(4.0-2.5 Ga).Many eclogites in Phanerozoic and Proterozoic terranes occur as mafic boudins encased within low-density felsic crust,which provides positive buoyancy during subduction;however,recent geochemical proxy analysis shows that Archean continental crust was more mafic than previously thought,having greater proportions of basalt and komatiite than modern-day continents.Here,we show via petrological modelling that secular change in the petrology and bulk composition of upper continental crust would make Archean continental terranes negatively buoyant in the mantle before reaching UHP conditions.Subducted or delaminated Archean continental crust passes a point of no return during metamorphism in the mantle prior to the stabilization of coesite,while Proterozoic and Phanerozoic terranes remain positively buoyant at these depths.UHP orogenic eclogite may thus readily have formed on the Archean Earth,but could not have been exhumed,weakening arguments for a Neoproterozoic onset of subduction and plate tectonics.Further,isostatic balance calculations for more mafic Archean continents indicate that the early Earth was covered by a global ocean over 1 km deep,corroborating independent isotopic evidence for large-scale emergence of the continents no earlier than c.3 Ga.Our findings thus weaken arguments that early life on Earth likely emerged in shallow subaerial ponds,and instead support hypotheses involving development at hydrothermal vents in the deep ocean.

Temporal trends in 6-minute walking distance for older Japanese adults between 1998 and 2017

Background:The 6-minute walking distance(6MWD)is an excellent measure of both functional endurance and health.The primary aim of this study was to estimate temporal trends in 6MWD for older Japanese adults between 1998 and 2017;the secondary aim was to estimate concurrent trends in body size(i.e.,height and mass)and self-reported participation in exercise/sport.Methods:Adults aged 65-79 years were included.Annual nationally representative 6MWD data(n=103,505)for the entire period were obtained from the Japanese Ministry of Education,Culture,Sports,Science and Technology.Temporal trends in means(and relative frequencies)were estimated at the gender-age level by best-fitting sample-weighted linear/polynomial regression models,with national trends estimated by a post-stratified population-weighting procedure.Temporal trends in distributional variability were estimated as the ratio of coefficients of variation.Results:Between 1998 and 2017 there was a steady,moderate improvement in mean 6MWD(absolute=45 m(95%confidence interval(95%CI):43-47);percent=8.0%(95%CI:7.6%-8.4%);effect size=0.51(95%CI:0.48-0.54)).Gender-and age-related temporal differences in means were negligible.Variability in 6MWD declined substantially(ratio of coefficients of variation=0.89,95%CI:0.87-0.92),with declines larger for women compared to men,and for 75-79-year-olds compared to 65-74-year-olds.Correspondingly,there were moderate and negligible increases in mean height and mass,respectively,and negligible increases in the percentage who participated in exercise/sport at least 3 days per week and at least 30 min per session.Conclusion:There has been a steady,moderate improvement in mean 6MWD for older Japanese adults since 1998,which is suggestive of corresponding improvements in both functional endurance and health.The substantial decline in variability indicates that the temporal improvement in mean 6MWD was not uniform across the distribution.Trends in 6MWD are probably influenced by corresponding trends in body size and/or participation in exercise/sport.

Numerical analysis of motional mode coupling of sympathetically cooled two-ion crystals

A two-ion pair in a linear Paul trap is extensively used in the research of the simplest quantum-logic system;however,there are few quantitative and comprehensive studies on the motional mode coupling of two-ion systems yet.This study proposes a method to investigate the motional mode coupling of sympathetically cooled two-ion crystals by quantifying three-dimensional(3 D)secular spectra of trapped ions using molecular dynamics simulations.The 3 D resonance peaks of the^(40)Ca^(+)–^(27)Al^(+)pair obtained by using this method were in good agreement with the 3 D in-and out-of-phase modes predicted by the mode coupling theory for two ions in equilibrium and the frequency matching errors were lower than 2%.The obtained and predicted amplitudes of these modes were also qualitatively similar.It was observed that the strength of the sympathetic interaction of the^(40)Ca^(+)–^(27)Al^(+)pair was primarily determined by its axial in-phase coupling.In addition,the frequencies and amplitudes of the ion pair's resonance modes(in all dimensions)were sensitive to the relative masses of the ion pair,and a decrease in the mass mismatch enhanced the sympathetic cooling rates.The sympathetic interactions of the^(40)Ca^(+)–^(27)Al^(+)pair were slightly weaker than those of the^(24)Mg^(+)–^(27)Al^(+)pair,but significantly stronger than those of^(9)Be^(+)–^(27)Al^(+).However,the Doppler cooling limit temperature of^(40)Ca^(+)is comparable to that of^(9)Be^(+)but lower than approximately half of that of^(24)Mg^(+).Furthermore,laser cooling systems for^(40)Ca^(+)are more reliable than those for^(24)Mg^(+)and^(9)Be^(+).Therefore,^(40)Ca^(+)is probably the best laser-cooled ion for sympathetic cooling and quantum-logic operations of^(27)Al^(+)and has particularly more notable comprehensive advantages in the development of high reliability,compact,and transportable^(27)Al^(+)optical clocks.This methodology may be extended to multi-ion systems,and it will greatly aid efforts to control the dynamic behaviors of sympathetic cooling as well as the development of low-heating-rate quantum logic clocks.

Secular trends of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in a high endemic area:A population-based study

BACKGROUND Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC)is one of the most aggressive malignancies.However,because of its scarcity there are limited population-based data available for investigations into its epidemiologic characteristics.In Taiwan,we have a national cancer registry database that can be used to evaluate the secular trends of ICC.AIM To evaluate secular trends of ICC according to age,sex,and risk factors in Taiwan.METHODS In this population-based study,we used the national Taiwan Cancer Registry database.Age-standardized and relative percent changes in incidence rates were used to describe secular trends in incidence rates and sex ratios of ICC in Taiwan.RESULTS The age-standardized ICC incidence rate among males increased from 1.51 per 100000 in 1993-1997 to 4.07 per 100000 in 2013-2017 and among female from 1.73 per 100000 to 2.95 per 100000.The incidence in females tended to plateau after 2008-2012.For males,the ICC incidence increased as age increased.In the long-term incidence trend of ICC in females,the incidence of the four age groups(40-44,45-49,50-54 and 55-59 years)remained stable in different years;although,the incidence of the 60-64 group had a peak in 2003-2007,and the peak incidence of the 65-69 and 70-74 groups occurred in 2008-2012.Among males,beginning at the age of 65,there were increases in the incidence of ICC for the period of 2003-2017 as compared with females in the period of 2003-2017.CONCLUSION Increased incidence of ICC occurred in Taiwan over the past two decades.The increased incidence has progressively shifted toward younger people for both males and females.

The Rise and Fall of the Secular Trend in Body Height in Sardinia:An Age-Period-Cohort Analysis

Objective Over the last century, a progressive rise in stature, known as the ‘secular trend’, was documented worldwide, and especially in Sardinia, it has reached a peak in Europe. However, this situation recently ceased in several populations. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the stature secular trend has significantly leveled off in the Sardinian younger generations.Methods Height measurements were retrieved from a database of patients undergoing digestive endoscopy, spanning generations between 1920 and 1990. Sex-specific principal component regression models were fitted to decompose stature variation into the contribution of age, period, and birth cohort.Results A steady increase in stature was observed in generations born after 1920, with an upward surge in those born after 1950. However, a significant leveling off was observed among cohorts born after 1970 among both sexes, as mean heights stabilized at 171.1 cm with a standard error(SE) of 0.9 cm among men and a mean of 160.1 cm(SE = 0.9 cm) among women.Conclusion Our findings support a significant slowdown in the secular trend of stature among the latest Sardinian generations. Several factors, including the consumption of low-quality food, lack of physical activity, and late motherhood, among others, may explain the decline in the secular trend.

The Secular Tendency of the Age at Menarche in a Representative Sample of Mexican Girls from an Urban Zone in Central Mexico

Objective: To investigate the age at menarche, pubarche and telarche in a representative sample of residents of an urban zone of Leon, Guanajuato, Central Mexico and to evaluate the secular change of the age at menarche between 1985 and 2000. Methods: Using status quo and retrospective methods, menarcheal, pubarcheal and telarcheal status of girls 8 - 17 years of age (n = 1093) were determined. Multiple regression analysis and logistic regression were used to determine factors that were related to or predictive of age at menarche. Results: Median ages for menarche, pubarche and telarche in our studied sample were: 11.9 ± 0.04;11.13 ± 1.25 and 10.84 ± 1.34 years, respectively. A direct correlation was found between the age of menarche of adolescents and that of their mother (p p p = 0.001), but an indirect correlation was found with the girls’ hip circumference (p = 0.004). We demonstrated a clear secular tendency towards an earlier onset of menarche by comparing our results (11.9 ± 0.04) with data from 1985 (12.8 ± 1.3) for adolescents from the same city. Conclusion: We demonstrated a clear reduction in age at menarche of approximately 0.75 year/decade, higher than Tanner’s finding in 1962, but similar than that of Malina et al. in 2004.