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Migration is a gendered phenomenon, embedded within patriarchal structures and social relations that extend beyond State borders. We draw on a transnational feminist framework to explore the gendered dimensions of young refugee and immigrant women's migration and learning experiences. Ten women were involved in a participatory photography research project over a period of two years in which they took and shared photographs, and engaged in storytelling and self-reflection through writing and dialogue. Through the photo-stories, the women demonstrate the plurality of refugees' and immigrants' stories and how these contribute to the larger social analysis of what it is to be an immigrant or refugee woman in Atlantic Canada. We focus this paper on three key themes: (1) "formal and informal learning experiences"; (2) the essential role "relationships" play in the women's migration experiences; and (3) the importance of reflecting on and embracing life's "journeys".

Aims: A therapeutic strategy for chronic heart failure (HF) is to lower resting heart rate (HR). Ivabradine is a well‐known HR‐lowering agent, but limited prospective data exist regarding its use in Chinese patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of ivabradine in Chinese patients with chronic HF. Methods and results: This multicentre, single‐arm, prospective, observational study enrolled Chinese patients with chronic HF. The primary outcome was change from baseline in HR at 1 and 6 months, measured by pulse counting. Effectiveness was also evaluated using laboratory tests, the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) clinical summary score (CSS) and overall summary score (OSS), and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class. Treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were assessed. A post hoc analysis examined the effectiveness and safety of ivabradine combined with an angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) or beta‐blocker. A total of 1003 patients were enrolled [mean age 54.4 ± 15.0 years, 773 male (77.1%), mean baseline HR 88.5 ± 11.3 b.p.m., mean blood pressure 115.7/74.4 ± 17.2/12.3 mmHg, mean left ventricular ejection fraction 30.9 ± 7.6%, NYHA Classes III and IV in 48.8% and 22.0% of patients, respectively]. HR decreased by a mean of 12.9 and 16.1 b.p.m. after 1 and 6 months, respectively (both P < 0.001). At Month 6, improvements in the KCCQ CSS and OSS of ≥5 points were observed in 72.1% and 74.1% of patients, respectively (both P < 0.001). Left ventricular ejection fraction increased by 12.1 ± 11.6 (P < 0.001), and 66.7% of patients showed improvement in NYHA class (P < 0.001). At Month 6, the overall proportion of patients in NYHA Classes III and IV was reduced to 13.5% and 2.1%, respectively. Serum brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N‐terminal pro‐BNP changed by −331.9 ng/L (−1238.6, −134.0) and −1113.8 ng/L (−2202.0, −297.2), respectively (P < 0.001). HR reductions and improvements in NYHA and KCCQ scores with ivabradine were similar with and without use of ARNIs or beta‐blockers. Of 498 TEAEs in 296 patients (29.5%), 73 TEAEs in 55 patients (5.5%) were considered related to ivabradine [most frequent sinus bradycardia (n = 7) and photopsia (n = 7)]. TEAEs were reported in a similar number of patients in ARNI and beta‐blocker subgroups (21.9–35.6%). Conclusions: Ivabradine treatment reduced HR and improved cardiac function and health‐related quality of life in Chinese patients with chronic HF. Benefits were seen irrespective of whether or not patients were also taking ARNIs or beta‐blockers. Treatment was well tolerated with a similar profile to previous ivabradine studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrated that ternary HfAlO2 amorphous film prepared with common co-sputtering technology can be a suitable gate dielectric for bilayer MoTe2 transistors. The film quality can be improved by optimizing the sputtering process and post-annealing treatment, which is superior to its binary Al2O3 and HfO2 components and satisfies gate dielectric criteria. The bilayer MoTe2 transistors with ∼29-nm-thick HfAlO2 gate dielectric exhibit an Ion/Ioff ratio of over 108 by a low operating voltage, together with a small subthreshold swing ≈ 71.22 mV/dec. These promising characteristics favor the development of high-performance and low-power ultrathin MoTe2-based beyond-silicon electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asphaltene stabilizers are the main means to inhibit the flocculation and sedimentation of asphaltenes in crude oil exploitation, transportation, and refining operations. In this work, the interactions between asphaltenes and 2-dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid, 4-dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid, 4-dodecyl aniline, 4-dodecyl phenol, polyisobutylene succinic imide benzene boric acid and polyisobutylene succinic imide benzene sulfonic acid were studied by XPS, XRD, DLS, TEM and SEM methods. The aggregation behavior of asphaltenes in the absence and presence of stabilizers was characterized by analyzing asphaltene's particle size, surface composition, and aggregate microstructure. It was observed that the interactions between asphaltene and stabilizers decreased asphaltene aggregate size in solution, and that the polymeric stabilizer with an acidic group was superior to the small-molecule stabilizer with an acidic group, but both better than chemicals with basic groups. It was found that stabilizer adsorption on asphaltenes affected the O, N, S contents of asphaltene surface and prompted formation of protonated pyridinic N+ and nitrogen-oxide -R-N+-O-, which further revealed that an acid-base reaction was the most effective at stabilizing asphaltene-stabilizer complexes, followed by π-π interactions and hydrogen bonds. We also found that the synergistic effects of π-π and acid-base reactions stimulated the transformation of 2-dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid adsorbed on asphaltene from the vertical state at low concentrations to the tiled arrangement at high concentrations. XRD results showed that adsorption of stabilizers on asphaltene increased the distance of asphaltene aromatic sheets and decreased the aggregation number of asphaltene to below the critical aggregation number of asphaltene tactoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tourism transformation and upgrading is the essential requirement for high-quality development of tourism. Based on proportional relationship, labor productivity and resource allocation efficiency of tourism industries, this paper constructs an evaluation index system of tourism transformation and upgrading level characterized by rationalization, advancement and high efficiency, takes 30 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China as the research object, and uses kernel density estimation, Theil index, standard deviation ellipse, spatial autocorrelation and other methods to evaluate the tourism transformation and upgrading level in China from 2010 to 2019, objectively reflecting the characteristics of the tourism transformation and upgrading in China. On this basis, the spatial Dub in model is used to explore the spatial effect of driving force involving tourismconsumption demand, tourism technology progress and government regulation, and further clarify the internal logic of the tourism transformation and upgrading and its driving force spatial effect. The results are shown as follows: ➀ The level of tourism transformation and upgrading of China has increased year by year, and the spatial evolution trend of the tourism transformation and upgrading level in various regions is significantly different, showing a decreasing trend in the order of eastern, western, northeastern and central regions. The region difference of the tourism transformation and upgrading level is fluctuating and increasing, which mainly comes from internal difference. ➁ The tourism transformation and upgrading level continues togather in the northeast-southwest directions, and the trajectory of the center of gravity generally shifts eastward. The spatial correlation shows a positive correlation development trend, and the regional characteristics of the correlation type are obvious. ➂ Tourism technology progress and government regulation have significant positive spatial spillover effect on the tourism transformation and upgrading. Tourism consumption demand can promote tourism transformation and upgrading in neighboring areas, but has negative effect on local tourism transformation and upgrading due to the unreasonable structure of tourism consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]