bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CORRECTIVE EFFECT OF GERMANIUM CITRATE ON THE REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTION OF FEMALE OLD MICE
Authors:   O.O. Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, Kondratska O.A. , Grushka N.G. ,   O.O. Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, Pavlovich S.I. ,   O.O. Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, Yanchii R.I. ,   O.O. Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
Published: April 2023

Fertility decreases with a woman’s age, which is primarily associated with a deterioration in the quality and a decrease in the number of oocytes. Oxidative stress is the most likely factor influencing the decline in oocyte competence. The study of the effect of drugs with antioxidant properties can be a successful strategy for preventive intervention to improve the reproductive potential of women, which is of great medical and social importance. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of Ge citrate, obtained by electropulse nanotechnology, on the viability of ovarian granulosa cells, the state of the pro- and antioxidant systems, and the metabolic activity of neutrophils in female old mice. The studies were carried out on mature females of the Albino line (young - at the age of 6-8 weeks, weighing 20-22 g; old - at the age of 8-9 months, weighing 30-34 g). The results showed that in female aged mice, there was a decrease in viability and an increase in necrotic and apoptotic death of ovarian granulosa cells (GC). An increase in the content of the reactive products of 2-thiobarbituric acid in the liver tissue was revealed. With regard to antioxidant protection, a decrease in the level of ceruloplasmin in the blood serum was observed, however, the level of reduced glutathione in the liver homogenate was slightly increased. There was also an increase in the metabolic activity of neutrophils. The use of Ge citrate had a cytoprotective effect on the viability of GC, reducing their necrotic and apoptotic death. In addition, the effect of Ge citrate was accompanied by a significant decrease in lipid peroxidation, regulation of antioxidant protection, and a decrease in the functional activity of inflammatory effector cells, which was confirmed by a decrease in the activation of acid-independent and acid-independent metabolism of neutrophils in the peripheral blood of old mice. In addition, the effect of Ge citrate was accompanied by a significant decrease in lipid peroxidation, the regulation of antioxidant protection, and a decrease in the functional activity of inflammatory effector cells, which was confirmed by a decrease in the activation of oxygen-independent and oxygen-dependent metabolism of peripheral blood neutrophils in old mice. Thus, the results obtained in old female mice showed a positive effect of Ge citrate in preventing the development of oxidative stress, which is considered the main mechanism underlying ovarian aging.
Randomized Trial of Weight-Based Versus Fixed Limit High-Flow Nasal Cannula in Bronchiolitis
Authors: Smith Alla , Banville Debra , O’Rourke Carolyn , Melvin Patrice , Batey Lara , Borgmann Andrea , Waltzman Mark , Agus Michael S.D.
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND

High flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is increasingly used to treat bronchiolitis. Although lower HFNC rates (≤8 L per minute) are commonly employed, higher weight-based flows more effectively alleviate dyspnea. The impact of higher flows on the need for care escalation is unclear.

METHODS

A randomized clinical trial was performed in a community hospital inpatient pediatric unit. Patients with bronchiolitis on HFNC were randomized to an existing “standard” HFNC protocol (max flow of 8 L per minute), or to a novel weight-based protocol (max flow of 2 L/kg per minute). Weaning of HFNC for the patients in the standard arm was left to provider discretion but was prescribed in the weight-based arm. The primary outcome was interhospital transfer to a PICU. The study was powered to detect a 35% difference in transfer rate.

RESULTS

51 patients were randomized to the weight-based or standard HFNC arms. The interhospital PICU transfer rate did not differ significantly between the standard (41.7%) and weight-based arms (51.9%) P = .47. Hospital length of stay was significantly shorter in the weight-based arm with protocolized weaning (45 h [interquartile range 42.1–63.3] versus 77.6 h [interquartile range 47.3–113.4]); P = .01. There were no significant adverse events in either group.

CONCLUSIONS

Weight-based provision of HFNC did not significantly impact the number of patients with bronchiolitis requiring interhospital transfer from a community hospital to a PICU, though we were underpowered for this outcome. Patients who received weight-based flow with protocolized weaning had a shorter length of stay, which may reflect a clinical impact of weight-based flow or the efficacy of the aggressive weaning pathway.
Identifying and Validating Pediatric Hospitalizations for MIS-C Through Administrative Data
Authors: Auger Katherine A. , Hall Matt , Arnold Staci D. , Bhumbra Samina , Bryan Mersine A. , Hartley David , Ivancie Rebecca , Katragadda Harita , Kazmier Katie , Jacob Seethal A. , Jerardi Karen E. , Molloy Matthew J. , Parikh Kavita , Schondelmeyer Amanda C. , Shah Samir S. , Brady Patrick W.
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND

Individual children’s hospitals care for a small number of patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Administrative databases offer an opportunity to conduct generalizable research; however, identifying patients with MIS-C is challenging.

METHODS

We developed and validated algorithms to identify MIS-C hospitalizations in administrative databases. We developed 10 approaches using diagnostic codes and medication billing data and applied them to the Pediatric Health Information System from January 2020 to August 2021. We reviewed medical records at 7 geographically diverse hospitals to compare potential cases of MIS-C identified by algorithms to each participating hospital’s list of patients with MIS-C (used for public health reporting).

RESULTS

The sites had 245 hospitalizations for MIS-C in 2020 and 358 additional MIS-C hospitalizations through August 2021. One algorithm for the identification of cases in 2020 had a sensitivity of 82%, a low false positive rate of 22%, and a positive predictive value (PPV) of 78%. For hospitalizations in 2021, the sensitivity of the MIS-C diagnosis code was 98% with 84% PPV.

CONCLUSION

We developed high-sensitivity algorithms to use for epidemiologic research and high-PPV algorithms for comparative effectiveness research. Accurate algorithms to identify MIS-C hospitalizations can facilitate important research for understanding this novel entity as it evolves during new waves.
Hidradenitis Suppurativa in Pediatric Patients
Authors: Cotton Colleen H. , Chen Stella X. , Hussain Sadaf H. , Lara-Corrales Irene , Zaenglein Andrea L.
Published: April 2023

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder primarily affecting apocrine gland-bearing areas, including the axillae, groin, and buttocks. It is reported in up to 2% of Western populations and with increasing incidence in children and adults. Nearly one-third of hidradenitis suppurativa cases occur in pediatric patients and nearly half of patients endorse initial symptoms in childhood. To date, there are few clinical studies and guidelines for pediatric hidradenitis suppurativa. Here, we review the epidemiology, clinical presentation, comorbidities, and management of pediatric hidradenitis suppurativa. We discuss barriers contributing to delays in diagnosis and the significant physical and emotional impact of the disease on children and adolescents.
Criação literária de Luísa Ducla Soares
Authors: Bruno Mundim Maria Célia
Published: April 2023

O intuito deste artigo foi identificar os fatores pessoais e ambientais que influenciam a criação literária da escritora eminente Luísa Ducla Soares. Para tanto, foi feita análise de conteúdo da entrevista pessoal realizada com a autora, bem como das informações coletadas em dissertações e publicações na mídia digital sobre a sua biografi a e produção. O estudo teve como embasamento teórico a literatura sobre as variáveis contextuais e pessoais que determinam o desenvolvimento da excelência da pessoa criativa. Verificou-se a influência de mentores, a diversidade cultural vivenciada pela escritora desde a infância, além de suas características cognitivas e de personalidade. Conclui-se que a inter-relação dos fatores pessoais e contextuais da autora foram decisivos para sua eminência criativa profissional.
Dynamics of some blood biochemical parameters in Boujaâd ewes from early to late gestation and the possibility of early pregnancy diagnosis
Authors: Moussafir Z. , Ben Moula A. , Allai L. , Ouamani A. , Nasser B. , Rakib K. , Essamadi A.K. , El AMIRI B.
Published: April 2023

Abstract. This study aimed to evaluate the biochemical parameters of Boujaâd sheep under Moroccan semi-arid conditions during pregnancy and postpartum stages in pregnant (P) ewes compared to non-pregnant ewes (NP). Blood samples were collected from 24 healthy Boujaâd ewes (59 ± 4.2 kg) enrolled in the current study. From (1 to 30 days), these samples were collected daily; from day 30 onwards, they were gathered at three-day intervals. Blood samples were taken from the jugular vein to be analyzed for glucose, cholesterol, total protein, creatinine, urea, and triglycerides. In the present study, no significant difference was observed before synchronization in all parameter studies between pregnant ewes (P) and non-pregnant ewes (NP) (P>0.05). The results showed the lowest glucose level in pregnant ewes during all pregnancy stages, while total proteins, urea, and triglycerides showed the opposite trend. During early pregnancy (18-30 days), the cholesterol levels were lower in P compared with NP ewes, whereas no difference was found from 30 days to parturition. Creatinine was higher in pregnant ewes during early pregnancy (18-30 days). In comparison, there was no statistically significant (P>0.05) variation in creatinine levels between the P and NP ewes after 30 days of gestation. To conclude, marked changes accompanied specific biochemical parameters. The biochemical parameter indicating a clear difference is triglycerides, which may indicate an early pregnancy diagnosis in sheep considering the exact day of mating or artificial insemination in animals.
Effects of replacement of fishmeal with other alternative protein sources in the feed on hydrochemical parameters and flesh quality of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Authors: Mustafa M. , Sirakov I. , Stoyanova S.
Published: April 2023

Abstract. The rainbow trout is preferred for cultivation in Bulgaria due to the high rate of growth and its meat quality. The aim of this study was to track the substitution of fishmeal and fish oil with alternative sources of protein and lipids. The results obtained after substitution with such protein sources – soya worm flour, oil seeds – were controversial. The aim of the experiment was to replace fishmeal and fish oil with an alternative - Ω-3 – FORPLUS algea (Alltech Neogreen®). The hydrochemical and growth parameters were examined, along with the chemical composition of meat during the cultivation of rainbow trout in a recirculating system. Each tested fodder was cultivated in four tanks. The experiment continued for 60 days. The substitution of fishmeal and oil did not influence the hydrochemical parameters. The replacement with - Ω-3 – FORPLUS algea did not lower the growth indicators of the rainbow trout. Fishmeal and fish oil replacement did not exert a negative effect on the chemical composition of the meat.
Medieval stone carvings from the Castle of Borosjenő (Ineu, Arad County, Romania)
Authors: Weisz Attila , Kovács Zsolt
Published: April 2023

The castle of Borosjenő (Ineu, Romania), which is largely Renaissance in form, also displays important architectural phases from before and after this period. During the on-site art historical research of 2016 and 2019 it was an especially important task removing numerous Romanesque, pre-1200 carvings in secondary use as building material. The (majority of) carvings we have identified most likely originated in the monastery of Dénesmonostora (Dienesmonostora), which once stood near Borosjenõ. Probably by the end of the fourteenth century, when it had disappeared from the written sources, and certainly by the sixteenth century, the monastery had been abandoned, and its remains have since disappeared. Proof of the high artistic value of these carvings was the capital depicting a siren, removed during the reconstruction of the castle in the 1870s. The owner of the castle at that time donated it to the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest, where today it is a part of the permanent collection. Some of the newly-founded capitals and other decorative architectural elements have very rare analogies in the Hungarian Romanesque architecture, but show artistic connections with the Alsace region (e.g. Sainte foy church in Sélestat). Several other medieval fragments can be dated to a period later than the twelfth century. The paper contains also a catalogue of about thirty-eight carved stone-fragments.
Abraham with his son Ishmael •
Authors: Eörsi Anna
Published: April 2023

The titles previously given to Rembrandt etching B 33 are not convincing: it is problematic to identify the boy as “Isaac” or even as “Benjamin”, and the use of the verb “caress” is also imprecise.

For all their shared intimacy, the two protagonists in the etching were depicted by the artist in different physical and emotional states: the old man is tense while the child is calm; the feet of the former, turning to the right, suggest preparing to depart, while the posture of the latter hints that he is going nowhere. With regard to their close physical proximity, because of the gesture Abraham makes with his left hand, and owing to the telling positions of their feet, the two figures are closely connected to the “banishment of Hagar and Ishmael”. The work depicts Abraham and Ishmael immediately prior to their parting and after the feast celebrating Isaac’s weaning. Ishmael’s supercilious smile and the apple in his hand allude to the argument with his half-brother and also to the Old Testament. It is at this moment that Abraham hears the voice of God, instructing him to send his loved ones away; the tension in his eyes is directed towards God. Every sinew of his body and soul is strained by the ambivalence of the situation: what he has to accept is the unacceptable. It could well be that just an instant earlier he was caressing Ishmael’s chin without a care in the world, but now he gently starts to turn the child’s head in the direction of the voice, while at the same time, the blessing he is about to bestow on his son is already present in his left hand. Ishmael’s position nestled in Abraham’s lap may also refer to his legitimate descent, to the fact that he too is regarded by Abraham as his heir, as the firstborn “of his flesh”.

The work is a nuanced pictorial exegesis of Genesis 21:8–13; it may have been made in the same year, 1637, in which Rembrandt produced etching B 30, depicting the banishment of Hagar and Ishmael.

Luca Giordano also painted Abraham with his firstborn son, Ishmael, in a canvas that once adorned San Juan del Buen Retiro in Madrid.
Estrada Tanck, Dorothy. Nuevos horizontes en la protección internacional de los derechos económicos y sociales. Tirant, Valencia, 2022, 220 pp.
Authors: Petit-de-Gabriel Eulalia-W.
Published: April 2023

Book Review
Clima organizacional y satisfacción laboral en la Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Extensión (VIE) de una universidad pública en Colombia.
Authors: Carrillo-Carreño Karen Silvana , Bolívar-León Rafael
Published: April 2023

A través de una investigación con enfoque cuantitativo, tipo descriptivo, correlacional, de campo con diseño no experimental – transaccional se llevó a cabo una exploración cuyo objetivo general fue proponer un plan de gerencia estratégica para incrementar el clima organizacional y la satisfacción laboral en los colaboradores de la vicerrectoría de investigación y extensión de una universidad pública de Colombia. Para esto, se seleccionó la vicerrectoría de investigación y extensión de una universidad pública en Colombia en donde la muestra es igual a la población con un total de 70 individuos. Se concluyó que en la vicerrectoría de investigación y extensión de una universidad pública en Colombia a) Factores como el sexo, la edad, la antigüedad, el ingreso salarial entre otros, tienen relación con el clima laboral y la satisfacción laboral que además la motivación es un factor que guarda una estrecha relación con el clima organizacional , b) Se observo, que la libertad de opinión y el derecho de participación son elementos importantes en la generación de un clima organizacional positivo, c) Se conoció que una proporción del 72% de personal que labora en la vicerrectoría de investigación y extensión son de sexo femenino y sus edades no superan los 50 años, d) Se encontró que el 81,4% de trabajadores realiza su trabajo con entusiasmo, e) En relación a la satisfacción laboral se encontró que el 55,7% de los trabajadores se encuentran satisfechos con el trato de justicia e igualdad que reciben de sus jefes. Por otra parte, es importante mantener un estudio constante, en diversos periodos de tiempo, la satisfacción laboral y el clima organizacional de la vicerrectoría de investigación y extensión en la universidad pública de Colombia para poder mantener un ambiente productivo y de buenas relaciones.
Counter-terrorism program as a forming factor of U.S. foreign policy in the Persian Gulf
Authors:   Narodowy Uniwersytet Kijowski im. Tarasa Szewczenki (Ukraina), Slobodian Nataliia V.
Published: April 2023

W artykule przedstawiona została ewolucja poglądów elity naukowo-politycznej USA wobec problemu zwalczania terroryzmu i ekstremizmu na początku XXI w.: od „siłowych rozwiązań” H. Kissingera i Z. Brzezińskiego do „miękkiej polityki” administracji B. Obamy. Prześledzono mechanizm walki z terroryzmem i ekstremizmem na poziomie instytucjonalnym w USA. Analizie poddano strategie bezpieczeństwa narodowego USA z 2002 i 2006 r. oraz podkreślono zadeklarowane instrumenty polityki antyterrorystycznej.
Fair and Efficient Allocation of Scarce Resources Based on Predicted Outcomes: Implications for Homeless Service Delivery
Authors: Kube Amanda R. , Das Sanmay , Fowler Patrick J.
Published: April 2023

Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and algorithmic techniques in general, provide two crucial abilities with the potential to improve decision-making in the context of allocation of scarce societal resources. They have the ability to flexibly and accurately model treatment response at the individual level, potentially allowing us to better match available resources to individuals. In addition, they have the ability to reason simultaneously about the effects of matching sets of scarce resources to populations of individuals. In this work, we leverage these abilities to study algorithmic allocation of scarce societal resources in the context of homelessness. In communities throughout the United States, there is constant demand for an array of homeless services intended to address different levels of need. Allocations of housing services must match households to appropriate services that continuously fluctuate in availability, while inefficiencies in allocation could “waste” scarce resources as households will remain in-need and re-enter the homeless system, increasing the overall demand for homeless services. This complex allocation problem introduces novel technical and ethical challenges. Using administrative data from a regional homeless system, we formulate the problem of “optimal” allocation of resources given data on households with need for homeless services. The optimization problem aims to allocate available resources such that predicted probabilities of household re-entry are minimized. The key element of this work is its use of a counterfactual prediction approach that predicts household probabilities of re-entry into homeless services if assigned to each service. Through these counterfactual predictions, we find that this approach has the potential to improve the efficiency of the homeless system by reducing re-entry, and, therefore, system-wide demand. However, efficiency comes with trade-offs - a significant fraction of households are assigned to services that increase probability of re-entry. To address this issue as well as the inherent fairness considerations present in any context where there are insufficient resources to meet demand, we discuss the efficiency, equity, and fairness issues that arise in our work and consider potential implications for homeless policies.
COMPLETE AND SEMI-COMPLETE EXPLICIT ALGORITHMS OF A UNIFIED CRITICAL STATE MODEL FOR OVER-CONSOLIDATED SOILS
Authors: Wang Xiao-Wen , Cui Kai , Yuan Ran
Published: April 2023

This paper presents a comparison of the performance of explicit algorithm and semi-complete explicit algorithm in the numerical implementations of an unconventional plastic model for soils. The new model, named CASM-S, is developed
by incorporating the sub-loading surface theory into the standard unified clay and sand model (i.e., CASM), to enhance the prediction ability for the mechanical behavior of over-consolidated soils. The complete explicit algorithm of CASM-S is based on the sub-stepping method with the technique of automatic error control (SUBM), while the semi-complete explicit algorithm adopts the cutting-plane integration procedure (CPM). The complete implementation process of this model is performed, and the stability, accuracy, and efficiency of these two algorithms are compared through a series of numerical simulations, such as fluid-structure coupling problem, over-consolidation problem, and square-footing problem. These simulations demonstrate that CASM-S implemented by both the SUBM and CPM can obtain a reliable solution under appropriate size of increments. For the sub-loading surface model with highly nonlinear characteristics used in this paper, the CPM has faster local convergence rate, but the SUBM shows a higher efficiency and accuracy at global level.
Medicinal Plants of Iowa: Connecting Science and Tradition
Authors: Tran Lorena
Published: April 2023

Humans have used plants to treat illnesses since prehistoric times. Though modern Western medicine consists of pills and injections rather than leaves and flowers, the plant-derived compounds in many medications show evidence of this history. This project aims to connect medicinal plants’ traditional and historical uses with the findings of modern scientists. Medicinal Plants of Iowa provides Iowa residents who are interested in herbal remedies with a resource that describes the healing properties of plants commonly found in the state. As well as healing properties, a description of each plant’s appearance and preferred habitat type is provided, allowing users to identify plants more easily. The book uses jargon-free, comprehensible language to describe the outcomes of clinical trials involving medicinal plants and compare these findings to the plants’ uses in traditional medicine. Traditional medicine practices were built through generations of experimentation but are often intertwined with religion and ritual. While this can paint traditional medicine in an unscientific light, it is evident that these practices have inspired contemporary scientific research and have thus contributed to modern medicine as we know it. 
Shifting Stigma: Why Ukrainian Health Care Workers Favor a High Barrier Treatment Modality for Tuberculosis
Authors: Villar Mariana , Carroll Jennifer J.
Published: April 2023

This research article seeks to understand how the cultural context of tuberculosis (TB) care in Ukraine influences healthcare workers’ perception of their patients and the choices they make in offering TB treatment. Specifically, we aim to explore healthcare workers’ predilection towards inpatient treatment of TB in Ukraine in lieu of other, evidence-based treatment approaches. Based on qualitative research with TB care providers in Ukraine, we argue that a preference for inpatient treatment instead of the standard outpatient regimen is rooted in the care workers’ assessment of the patient’s desire to get well. In other words, the preferred treatment modality is not based on any biological characteristic of TB infection; instead, it is based on the perceived strengths and weaknesses of patients’ psychology.
Between Moral Injury and Moral Agency​: Exploring Treatment for Men with Histories of Military Sexual Trauma
Authors: Yahalom Jonathan , Frankfurt Sheila , Hamilton Alison B.
Published: April 2023

This Research Article deploys the frameworks of moral injury and moral agency to explore the experiences of veteran men who completed group therapy for military sexual trauma (MST). The article analyses ethnographically how veteran men with MST experience psychological growth via a replenishment of their sense of moral agency, thereby blending psychological theory about moral injury with anthropological theory about moral agency. It highlights how broader cultural experience can intersect and contribute to shame around MST, then depicts the ways that veterans recovered from a life characterised by pervasive shame, isolation, and compromised identity—psychological signs of moral injury—and made gains toward a life characterised by greater self-acceptance, an ability to tell one’s own story, and intimacy with others—signs of moral agency. In so doing, the article highlights the social and moral dimensions that can constitute psychological injury, and the way that addressing these dimensions can promote moral agency and thus mental health recovery.
Koi (Cyprinus carpio) ve Japon Balıklarında (Carassius auratus) Betanodavirus Varlığının Araştırılması
Authors: OĞUZ Ufuk , KAPLAN Murat , KALAYCI Gülnur
Published: April 2023

Nodaviridae familyasında yer alan betanodavirus’un neden olduğu Viral nervöz nekrozis (VNN) ya da bir diğer adıyla Viral ensefalopati-retinopati (VER) dünyanın pek çok yerinde hem deniz balıklarında hem de tatlı su balıklarında görülür. Larval ve yavru boylarda, nadiren de yetişkin balıklarda hastalığa neden olmaktadır. Özellikle yetiştiriciliği yapılan balık türlerinde önemli ekonomik kayıplara neden olduğu için son yıllarda enfeksiyonla ilgili araştırmalara odaklanılmıştır. Bu çalışmada, Antalya bölgesinde yetiştiricilik faaliyeti gösteren akvaryum işletmelerinde Koi ve Japon balığı türlerinde betanodavirus varlığı araştırılmıştır. Üç farklı akvaryum işletmesinden her bir türü temsilen en az 30’ar adet olmak üzere toplam 180 balık örneklendi ve Real Time RT-PCR (RT-qPRC) metodu ile test edildi. Çalışma sonunda hiçbir örnekte betanodavirus RNA’sına rastlanmadı. Bu çalışma ile Türkiye’de koi ve japon balığı türlerinde betanodavirus varlığı moleküler tekniklerle ilk defa araştırılmıştır.
Do Emerging Markets Succeed in Implementing Sustainability Principles in Infrastructure Finance? Evidence from Public-private Partnerships in Russia
Authors: Харламов Алексей
Published: April 2023

This paper is the author’s contribution to existing literature on the evaluation of ways to co-create ESG benefits in the process of implementing a public-private partnership (PPP). The author developed his own ESG rating based on a sound set of indicators and an independent evaluation of publicly available information on sustainable development issues. For the purposes of compiling a rating, the specific issues relevant to the evaluation of a PPP project’s sustainability considerations in view of national agenda were analyzed. Based on an analysis of academic literature and publicly available information about similar ratings, the author proposes an approach to measuring these issues and incorporating the results in the integrated ESG impact rating. The developed ESG benefit evaluation instrument may be used by institutional, private and state PPP market participants for a comprehensive analysis of their investment activity. The case analysis of two PPP projects from Russian practice revealed failures in Russian corporate governance practices in the process of investing in infrastructure; in addition, we propose potential ways of overcoming some of the difficulties based on case comparison. This paper provides a new outlook on the methodology of a PPP-adjusted ESG rating that is relevant for evaluating and monitoring of corresponding investments in infrastructure.
Determinants of Dividend Payments of Russian Companies
Authors: Шаповалова Светлана
Published: April 2023

The Russian stock market is one of the leaders in terms of dividend yield among developed and developing countries. Against this background, it is appropriate to study the determinants that affect the decisions on the implementation of payments and their amount. The literature on this topic in emerging markets in general and specifically in Russia has anumber of gaps and contradictions that determine the scientific novelty of the work – the analysis in regard to the impact on the probability of payments and on dividend yield is carried out simultaneously; contradictory determinants are examined.

In emerging markets, the relationship between dividends and the age of members of the Board of Directors and the personal income tax rate on dividends is taken into account, and specifically in Russia – their relationship to the number of members of the Board of Directors, the ownership stake of the CEO and institutional shareholders, the company’s life cycle stage (LC), the dual role of the chairman of the Board of Directors and executive director. The study is conducted on the 2012–2019 data for a sample of 40 companies listed on the Moscow Exchange. The method incorporates two regression models – a linear one with random effects and a probit model. As a result of the analysis, the manifestation of the agencyeffect in the Russian market was confirmed by a significant positive dependence of the probability of payments on the dual role of the chairman of the Board of Directors and the executive director, the portion of shares held by the CEO, a significant negative relationship with the number of members of the Board of Directors and liquidity. The agency and behavioral effects are confirmed by a significant positive relationship between the probability of payments and the age of the members of the Board of Directors and a significant negative relationship with profitability. The influence of client effects is confirmed by a significant positive relationship between profitability and the personal income tax rate on dividends, as well as between the probability of payments and the share of institutions in ownership. It is also confirmed that companies that are mature in terms of the life cycle stage are more likely to pay dividends and do it more often. In general, there is a more significant influence of non-financial variables on the probability of payments and of financial variables on profitability.

The results of the study can be used by private investors, banks, investment funds and brokerage companies to form expectations for companies’ dividend yield and the probability of payments with regard to the specifics of the Russian market.
Non-Financial Factors in Creation and Preservation of Company Value in Telecommunication Industry
Authors: Николаева-Аранович Анастасия
Published: April 2023

This paper investigates the impact of financial and non-financial factors on the value of companies in the telecommunications industry. Such variables as the debt ratio, tangibility, return on assets, etc. were selected as financial factors. ESG indicators were used as non-financial factors. The research topic is relevant for decision-making and the development ofrecommendations for companies, as it assesses the level of companies’ involvement in solving environmental, social, and governmental problems. The work uses data from two databases (Bloomberg and Capital IQ) for 94 companies in the telecommunications industry between 2011 and 2021. The results suggest that the companies’ disclosure of information aboutthe overall ESG ratio and the “G”indicator has a positive effect on the company’s value, while the disclosure of “E” and “S” indicators does not affect the value of a business.
Automation Protocol for High-Efficiency and High-Quality Genomic DNA Extraction from Saccharomyces Cerevisiae v2
Authors: Alperovich Nina
Published: April 2023

Here, we describe a protocol for automated extraction of genomic DNA (gDNA) from yeast liquid culture and colonies. The protocol uses a Hamilton NGS-STAR automated liquid handler equipped with thermal-regulated microplate shakers. We have tested this automated protocol with 1.5 mL aliquots of liquid culture (OD600= 1) to demonstrate that it can provide high-quality gDNA at high efficiency. The protocol can also be implemented with manual pipetting, and/or to extract gDNA from larger volumes of culture by proportionally increasing the volumes of reagents and using an appropriate magnet separation rack.
Mosses of the northern Russian Far East, an annotated check-list
Authors:   V.L. Komarov Botanical Institute RAS, Afonina Olga M. , Czernyadjeva Irina V. ,   V.L. Komarov Botanical Institute RAS, Pisarenko Olga Yu. ,   Central Siberian Botanical Garden SB RAS, Fedosov Vladimir E. ,   Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Biology, Geobotany Dept.
Published: April 2023

The check-list of mosses of the northern part of the Russian Far East includes 730 species and 13 additional infraspecific taxa with references on their distribution in eleven floristic regions within Chukotka Autonomous district, Kamchatsky Territory, Magadan Province and northern part of Khabarovsk Territory. Number of taxa, reported from regions is following: Wrangel Island – 286, Chukotka, western part –267, Chukotka, continental part – 272, Chukotka, southern part – 384, Chukotka, Beringian part – 434, Magadan Region – 435, Koryakia, northern part – 178, Khabarovsk Territory, northern part – 219, Koryakia, southern part – 152, Kamchatka – 572, Commander Islands – 336. List of species is accompanied with brief treatment of the area and history of its bryoflora exploration. Comments on species, which regional records are considered as doubtful or erroneous are provided along with lists of 45 taxa excluded from flora of whole area and synonyms widely used in recent literature.
Isolation and identification fungal endophytes from the leaves and fruits of two therapeutically important Ficus species
Authors:   Department of Botany, University of Calicut, Naser Nushiba , Thoppil John E ,   Department of Botany, University of Calicut
Published: April 2023

The constant demand for new biochemicals to advance human life necessitates the study of organisms from novel biotopes. The scientific community is paying more attention to endophytes, one of the inhabitants of novel biotopes, as they have already gained recognition for their production of numerous novel biochemicals and for their enormous potential to contribute to the development of effective solutions to the world's most pressing problems. The aim of the current study is to discover, compare, and isolate the endophytic community of Ficus exasperata Vahl. and Ficus drupacea Thunb. The presence of endophytes was discovered in the leaves and fruits of both plant species. A greater number of organisms were found in the leaves, while only a few were found in the fruits. All of the isolates were from the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota divisions. The majority of the isolates belonged to the Ascomycota division, with only a few belongings to the Basidiomycota division.
Inclusive Policy? An Intersectional Analysis of Policy Influencing Women’s Reproductive Decision‐Making
Authors: Haintz Greer Lamaro , McKenzie Hayley , Turnbull Beth , Graham Melissa
Published: April 2023

Policy can be used and experienced as a tool for social inclusion or exclusion; it can empower or disenfranchise. Women’s reproductive decision‐making and health is impacted by policy, and women’s experiences of diverse and intersecting marginalised social locations can influence their experiences of policy. This research aimed to explore how intersectionality is considered within Victorian state government policies that influence and impact women’s reproductive decision-making. A systematic search of Victorian (Australia) government policy instruments was undertaken, identifying twenty policy instruments. Policies were analysed using an intersectional policy analysis framework using a two‐stage process involving deductive coding into the domains of the framework, followed by inductive thematic analysis within and across domains. Findings reveal inconsistencies within and across policies in how they consider intersecting social relations of power in the representation of problems, women’s positionings, policy impacts, and policy solutions. These gaps could exclude and marginalise individuals and groups and contribute to systemic inequities in women’s reproductive decision-making and the outcomes of those decisions, particularly among already marginalised groups. The lack of women’s voices in policy further excludes and marginalises those impacted by the policy and limits the representation of all women in policy. Policy development needs to meaningfully involve women with diverse and intersecting marginalised social locations, and critical reflexivity of all stakeholders, to ensure policies can better account for the experiences of, and impacts upon, women who are marginalised and effect change to promote social inclusion and equity in women’s reproductive decision‐making.
50 Years of Pride: Queer Spatial Joy as Radical Planning Praxis
Authors: Turesky Marisa , Jae-an Crisman Jonathan
Published: April 2023

Planning has historically been used as a tool to regulate queer people in urban space and parades have long been a vibrant, yet overlooked, practice for resisting such municipal regulation—although parades themselves require spatial planning practices. We analyze the 50-year history of the Los Angeles Pride parade through archival materials, asking to what extent and how the historical planning of LA Pride demonstrates a radical planning praxis, especially in relation to policing. We find that LA Pride was initially (a) a ritual of remembrance and (b) a political organizing device. In contrast to heteronormative readings of Pride as an opportunity to “come out” and transform the “straight state,” we argue that the early years of Pride demonstrated intersectional and insurgent planning wherein heterogeneous queer people claimed agency through collectively expressing joy as an act of resistance to municipal governance. Based on theories of Black joy and the feminist killjoy, we conceptualize this experience as a “spatialized queer joy.” This concept is particularly germane given ongoing debates regarding the relationship between queer and BIPOC urban life and policing. We suggest that spatialized queer joy complicates conventional readings of Pride and queer urban space, offering instead powerful tools for radical queer planning praxis.
Semantic and Sentiment Dissonant Framing Effects on Online News Sharing
Authors:   Loyola University of Maryland, Yim Dobin , Gao Qiang ,   City University of New York, Khuntia Jiban ,   University of Colorado Denver
Published: April 2023

Information artifacts incorporate cognitive elements in their design to inform users about and entice them to consume relevant content. Sparse research has examined how to design cognitive elements in information artifacts in the digital news platforms context. This study investigates how information artifacts’ semantic and sentiment elements convey meaning and emotion to elicit users to share online news. We propose a dissonant framework and hypothesize that three dissonance dimensions (namely, semantic dissonance, textual sentiment dissonance, and visual sentiment dissonance) influence news sharing. We tested the hypotheses using real-world data from 2013 to 2015 from Mashable—a popular digital news platform. We used novel machine-learning techniques to extract topics and sentiments from text and photos in news articles. Findings from our econometric analysis support that textual sentiment and visual sentiment dissonance positively affect news sharing.
EVOLUTION OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND SPAIN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE «GIBRALTAR QUESTION», 1873–1969
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko national University of Kyiv, Shevchenko Nataliya , Machynsky Nazar ,   Taras Shevchenko national University of Kyiv
Published: April 2023

The article analyzes the evolution of relationships between the United Kingdom and Spain in the context of the question about Gibraltar from 1873 to 1969. That is the period between Aliens’ Order in council adoption and land border closing by Spanish. The scientific novelty of the research lies in distinguishing the period of the question about Gibraltar transformation in the historical context of the relationships between the United Kingdom and Spain, its periodization, determining British and Spanish contribution to overcome the question and finding out of its influence on present day situation. The problem’s political content and the long interaction period between the two states, which was and is aimed at solving this issue, allow us to trace various critical processes that accompanied these relations. In the end of XVIII century, Spain gave up trying to return Gibraltar by military solution and Spanish society accepted its loss. Geopolitical changes in Europe promoted the rapprochement of the United Kingdom and Spain and different contacts between their citizens in the first half of XIX century. But, in a result of Gibraltarians natiogenesis process and building a naval base in the colony – the United Kingdom started to limit Spanish-Gibraltarians civil rights. And not everyone was ready to revise their positions, many people had a historical memory of the interrelationships and rivalry between the states, to which economic factors were added, namely the powerful lag in development between Great Britain and Spain. This led to deterioration of the relationships between the United Kingdom and Spain, plenty diplomatic scandals and predicted emergencies the inquiries about returning Gibraltar peninsular back to Spain. Spain draw closer to British rivals, declared the claims on Gibraltar, raised the issue in international level, made the economic blockade and the land border closing. By the way, the United Kingdom made some concessions but could not leave Gibraltar because of its strategical status and national prestige. Value principles of the relationships between the United Kingdom and Spain are using today in the context of question about Gibraltar.
Spread Spectrum based QoS aware Energy Efficient Clustering Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Rambabu Bandi , Vikranth B , Anupkanth S , Samya Banoth , Satyanarayana Nimmala
Published: April 2023

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are composed of small, resource-constrained sensor nodes that form self-organizing, infrastructure-less, and ad-hoc networks. Many energy-efficient protocols have been developed in the network layer to extend the lifetime and scalability of these networks, but they often do not consider the Quality of Service (QoS) requirements of the data flow, such as delay, data rate, reliability, and throughput. In clustering, the probabilistic and randomized approach for cluster head selection can lead to varying numbers of cluster heads in different rounds of data gathering. This paper presents a new algorithm called "Spread Spectrum based QoS aware Energy Efficient Clustering for Wireless sensor Networks" that uses spread spectrum to limit the formation of clusters and optimize the number of cluster heads in WSNs, improving energy efficiency and QoS for diverse data flows. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms classical algorithms in terms of energy efficiency and QoS.
An Oversampling Mechanism for Multimajority Datasets using SMOTE and Darwinian Particle Swarm Optimisation
Authors: Mary Mathew Rose , Gunasundari R.
Published: April 2023

Data skewness continues to be one of the leading factors which adversely impacts the machine learning algorithms performance. An approach to reduce this negative effect of the data variance is to pre-process the former dataset with data level resampling strategies. Resampling strategies have been seen in two forms, oversampling and undersampling. An oversampling strategy is proposed in this article for tackling multiclass imbalanced datasets. This proposed approach optimises the state-of-the-art oversampling technique SMOTE with the Darwinian Particle Swarm Optimization technique. This proposed method DOSMOTE generates synthetic optimised samples for balancing the datasets. This strategy will be more effective on multimajority datasets.  An experimental study is performed on peculiar multimajority datasets to measure the effectiveness of the proposed approach. As a result, the proposed method produces promising results when compared to the conventional oversampling strategies.
KC Two-Way Clustering Algorithms For Multi-Child Semantic Maps In Image Mining
Authors: Dasari Saritha , Reddy A. Rama Mohana , Reddy B. Eswara
Published: April 2023

Image mining is now a thriving and expanding field of computer science research. Image mining is linked to the advancement of data mining in image preparation. Image mining is used to extract hidden information and in other situations where the photos do not clearly describe the situation. Image mining combines machine learning, data handling, application autonomy, and image preparation concepts. Semantic maps are used to visualize image data stored in image databases. We recommend using Multi-Child Semantic Maps to build semantic maps which fully display the image. In this study, we propose two path clustering on Multi-Child Semantic Maps (MCSM) using the K-C Means Clustering Algorithm, also known as the MCSMK-C algorithm. This algorithm causes image clustering and instructs the mining system to look at the image's top area. When mining, the MCSMK-C algorithm considers the X and Y coordinates. The system looks for groups by examining each object's territory in the database, and it saves a region if it contains more objects than the required number.
Resources Efficient Dynamic Clustering Algorithm for Flying Ad-Hoc Network
Authors: Kumar Deepak , Sonia Sonia
Published: April 2023

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, often known as UAVs, are connected in the form of a Flying Ad-hoc Network, or FANET, and placed to use in a variety of applications to carry out efficient remote monitoring. Their great mobility has an adverse effect on their energy consumption, which in turn has a detrimental effect on the network's stability and the effectiveness of communication. To manage the very dynamic flying behavior of UAVs and to keep the network stable, novel clustering algorithms have been implemented. In this context, a novel clustering technique is developed to meet the rapid mobility of UAVs and to offer safe inter-UAV distance, reliable communication, and an extended network lifespan. It also provides a detailed analysis of the similarities and distinctions between AODV, AOMDV, DSDV, and DumbAgent.The performance of these protocols is analyzed using the NS-2 simulator. The simulation results are shown in our study with AODV, AOMDV, DSDV, and DumbAgent. The results of the simulation make it abundantly evident that the AODV routing protocol outperforms the other routing protocols DSDV, AOMDV, and DumbAgent in terms of the number of packets lost, the amount of throughput achieved, the amount of routing overhead generated, and the amount of delay.