bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SUCCESSFUL SELF-EMPLOYMENT RE-EMPLOYMENT AMONG MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS IN TAIWAN: AN ADULT LEARNING PERSPECTIVE
Authors:   Professor, Department of Adult and Continuing Education, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan, Lee Ya-Hui , Cha Hsien-Ta ,   PhD student, Department of Adult and Continuing Education, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan
Published: February 2025

Global aging presents a significant challenge, leading to the rise of the concept of "encore career," where continue working after retirement benefits individuals, families, and society. This study aims to explore the re-employment process of middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan through self-employment. Using qualitative research methods, 33 successfully self-re-employed individuals were interviewed, with an average age of 57.3 and an average self-employment duration of 5.6 years. Findings include: (1) External factors for re-employment include meeting economic needs and ensuring financial security, while intrinsic motivation centers on self-fulfillment; (2) Learning motivation stems from acquiring knowledge and experience in new work; (3) Participants overcame employment challenges through self-empowerment, consulting experts, persistent efforts, and leveraging past experiences and resources; (4) Benefits of re-employment include a sense of achievement, expanded social networks, and enhanced quality of life. These findings provide insight for policymakers and middle-aged or elderly individuals considering self-employment.
The effectiveness of service provision in the South African local municipalities
Authors: Chesa Eunice , Shopola Arthur , Juta Lusanda
Published: February 2025

Recent trends on local government points to a growing public discontent concerning the performance and the capability of municipalities as the service delivery agents and contact points between citizens and government. Greater-Taung Municipality, which is contextual setting in the current study, is one municipality in the North West province that has a demonstrable record of service delivery failures. Despite record service provision falures, Greater-Taung Municipality has previously returned grants allocations, reasons to which remain unknown. To find out, this study employed qualitative methods to investigate the impediments to effective service provision, with the purpose being to suggest workable and practical solutions to improve service provision. Data collection was chieved through key informants purposively selected from the municipality and documentary analysis. Although the study confirmed some of the findings from literature, especially on skills shortages and political inference in administrative work, other key findings pointed to the constant misalignments between service delivery plans and budget allocations. This problem is affecting organisational performance and service provision. Meanwhile political interference ought to be discouraged, a strong performance management system is needed as this will give effect to service provision and improved accountability culture in the municipality. More recommendations are provided towards the end of the article.
The effects of foster care backlog on prospective beneficiaries in Thulamela Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa
Authors: Mafela Livhuwani , Sekgobela Tumelo
Published: February 2025

Foster care is a fundamental alternative care service available for children in need of care and protection. It is aimed at nurturing the development and welfare of children who are declared to be in need of care and protection in South Africa. Over the years, foster care services in South Africa have experienced a significant amount of backlog, disadvantaging the potential or prospective beneficiaries. Children are considered part of the vulnerable groups in South Africa as considered by global organizations/institutions such as the United Nations and the African Union. Globally, foster care is one of the mechanisms considered alternative care for children who have been declared to be in need of care and protection. The paper aimed to explore the effects of the foster care backlog on the prospective beneficiaries in the Vhembe region of Limpopo Province, South Africa. The paper further seeks to provide an understanding of the foster care backlog on the prospective foster children and the prospective foster parents. The study employed the qualitative research approach to achieve the aims of the study and have an understanding of the perceptions of the participants. An exploratory research design was adopted for the paper to understand better the phenomenon from the perspectives of the participants. The objective of this study was to describe the effects of foster care backlog and how it affects the beneficiaries. The study used semi-structured and unstructured interviews to collect data with a sample of 11 participants used for the study. The study used purposive sampling because of the understanding and knowledge of the participants. Thematic content analysis using Creswell’s methods of data analysis was used in this study. Considerations were made for the use of systems theory to provide a foundation and background for the study and to understand the effects of the foster care backlog on the prospective beneficiaries.  The study found that peer group pressure, poor school attendance and drop in academic performance, lack of satisfaction with basic needs, and high levels of burnout and stress are some of the effects of this phenomenon.
Sustainable development goals (SDGs) within Romanian accounting research from Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
Authors: Bancu Emil Adrian
Published: February 2025

The increasing severity of economic, environmental, and social issues determines the transformational and positive role of accounting researchers in the context of climate change. This study aims to bibliometric analysis of the interest of Romanian accounting scholars to publish articles in journals from the Business, Management, and Accounting areas, respectively the Accounting Q1 and Q2 categories that contribute to accounting research, as well as analyzing their interest in publishing articles that are assessed by the WOS database as contributing to SDGs research. The research is based on 161 articles collected from the WOS database, of which 79 articles are assessed by the WOS database as contributing to the research of one or more SDGs. The results support the involvement of Romanian accounting scholars from HEIs in accounting research, as well as their contribution through the articles published as part of the relevant and important SDGs for the accounting profession. The contribution to SDGs research was noted as follows: 4 – quality education; 5 – gender equality; 8 – decent work and economic growth; 9 – industry, innovation, and infrastructure; 12 – responsible consumption and production; 13 – climate action. They target all components of sustainability, namely economic (SDG 8 and 9), environmental (SDG 12 and 13), and social (SDG 4 and 5), but with a significantly greater emphasis on the economic component. This study fills the gap in investigating the interest of Romanian accounting scholars from HEIs in accounting research for the SDGs. Accounting scholars should consider increasing attention to the publication of articles that will contribute to SDGs research, while HEIs should adopt initiatives to implement the SDGs in accounting research.
Challenges facing uMsunduzi local municipality in supporting SMMEs in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Authors: Xulu Njabulo
Published: February 2025

This paper aims to examine the challenges faced by uMsunduzi local municipality in supporting SMMEs and identify programmes offered by the municipality to stimulate the SMME sector. The study adopted a qualitative research method to collect data. A sample of 7 municipal workers was selected using the purposive sampling technique. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data, and thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data. The results revealed that the business support programmes that the municipality offers to support SMMEs are insufficient to meet the demands of these enterprises in the region. The results further revealed that the lack of suitable business infrastructure, mainly due to deteriorating buildings in the city centre serving as the main business hub, poses a significant challenge for the municipality. Lastly, the insufficient allocation of resources and the lack of communication to raise awareness about business support programmes aimed at SMMEs also emerged as one of the challenges for the municipality. The study recommended that better policy reformations and better resource allocation be made by the municipality. Improvement in communication efforts to raise awareness of readily available business support programmes offered to SMMEs was also recommended. Lastly, municipal engagement with the upper government spheres was also recommended so that the municipality could obtain funding to refurbish the decaying infrastructure with the potential to house SMMEs for business use and improve business incubation and training centres that support SMMEs.
Lexical reiteration as the English First Additional Language learners’ strategic approach to achieve cohesion in essay writing
Authors: Khosa Mzamani , Maswanganyi Khazamula , Zitha Innocent
Published: February 2025

The capacity of authors to generate coherent articles largely relies on their proficient use of cohesive devices.  This chapter examines the utilisation of reiteration by Grade 12 English First Additional Language (EFAL) learners in the Malamulele South Circuit to attain cohesiveness in their written English essays.  Cohesion is an essential characteristic employed by educators when evaluating students' essays.  Thus, a deficiency in consistency in writing may result in diminished grades or outright failure.  The appropriate use of cohesive devices improves the logical progression and interrelation of phrases, paragraphs, and entire writings.  This study employed a qualitative research methodology, sampling fifteen essays from a designated school in the Malamulele South Circuit.  These essays have been assessed, reviewed, and finalised.  Document analysis functioned as the principal method for data collecting.  The results indicated that Grade 12 EFAL students in the Malamulele South Circuit employed many forms of reiteration, including repetition, synonyms, and antonyms, to construct cohesive writings.  Nevertheless, the study emphasised that these learners frequently generated repetitive and redundant sentences due to their propensity to excessively repeat words and phrases for emphasis.  Furthermore, they faced challenges in the proficient use of synonyms and antonyms.
An era of political destruction: The post-South Africa’s 2024 Elections Outcome
Authors: Thobejane Karabo , Motswaledi Thabang
Published: February 2025

The study provides a critical political analysis of South Africa’s 2024 election outcomes. It argues that the black electorate chose a political landscape that will continue to violate, dehumanize, and in some contexts, kill them. The article purposefully demonstrates that the election outcomes signify despair, coloniality as well as its power and a very dark future for the historically colonized people, even though some voters may have voted for political parties based on meritocracy. This study uses a qualitative research method and a secondary data collection method. This means that this article engages academic journals, books, newspaper articles, and research reports. Moreover, it finds that coloniality is evident because black voters were not able to outrightly put a black collective in power that jigsawed and declared its policies within the template of the Freedom Charter and objectives of the ANC Youth League of 1944. For this reason, the aim of this article is to expose that black voters chose a political landscape where they would continue to face the end of their own existence. The study concluded that the government must revisit the CODESA agreements that led to the compromise of the Freedom Charter to come up with a new social order that will create a new humanity that is detached from all forces of white oppression.
Exploring the divine: a deeper look into religious motifs in Siswati poetry
Authors: Nkuna Khulisile , Zitha Innocent
Published: February 2025

This paper explores the intricate interplay of divine themes within Siswati poetry, emphasizing how religious motifs shape cultural identity and expression. Siswati, a language rich in oral traditions, serves as a vessel for spiritual narratives that reflect the beliefs and values of the Swazi people. Through a critical analysis of selected poems, this study examines the representation of divine figures, the use of metaphors drawn from religious texts, and the incorporation of indigenous spirituality.
This paper explores the intricate interplay of divine themes within Siswati poetry, emphasizing how religious motifs shape cultural identity and expression. Siswati, a language rich in oral traditions, serves as a vessel for spiritual narratives that reflect the beliefs and values of the Swazi people. Through a critical analysis of selected poems, this study examines the representation of divine figures, the use of metaphors drawn from religious texts, and the incorporation of indigenous spirituality. The research seeks to understand how these elements convey both personal and communal experiences of the divine while addressing broader societal issues such as morality, justice, and resilience. Ultimately, this exploration reveals profound ways in which Siswati poetry articulates the spiritual landscape of Swazi culture, inviting readers to reconsider the relationship between literature and faith in a contemporary context. Additionally, the analysis of religious inspiration in Siswati's poetry touches on themes of uncertainty, religion, and God. These ideas often arise when considering the afterlife, supernatural powers, and the forces that govern our daily existence. The research aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of religious themes. Additionally, a text-oriented method allows for the literary work to be revealed through the placement and diction of the poem.
An analysis of Taiwanese banks' foreign direct investment timing in Japan: The role of external environmental factors
Authors: Chang Wu-Hua
Published: February 2025

Taiwan's banking sector operates in a highly competitive market with narrow profit margins, creating significant pressure for internationalization. This study investigates the external environmental factors influencing the timing of Taiwanese banks' foreign direct investment (FDI) in Japan, with a particular focus on geopolitical risks. The research, based on secondary data analysis and in-depth interviews with senior executives from four Taiwanese banks that have recently invested in Japan, finds that key drivers such as the U.S.-China trade war, supply chain restructuring, Taiwan's New Southbound Policy, changes in Japan's defense and economic security policies, as well as the depreciation of the yen, widening interest margins, and Japan's policy support, play a crucial role in shaping the timing of these investments. Notably, geopolitical risks emerge as a significant determinant in FDI timing decisions. By highlighting the importance of geopolitical risks, this study contributes to the theoretical framework of FDI timing and recommends further research on cross-industry and investment performance to refine analytical framework for FDI timing in a fragmented global economy.
Exploring the relationship between ESG performance and firm value in Chinese and US banks
Authors: Zheng Changjun , Khan Md Abdul Mannan , Zheng Changjun , Islam Rabiul , Chowdhury Md Mohiuddin , Chowdhury Md Mohiuddin
Published: February 2025

This paper explores the relationship between environmental, social, and governance performance (ESGP) and firm value in both emerging and developed economies, with the moderating impact of environmental uncertainty and competitive advantage. Using secondary unbalanced data spanning from 2011 to 2022, we examine both the direct and non-linear effects of ESG performance on firm value, employing advanced econometric estimation techniques such as two-step system GMM (2sGMM) and two-stage least square (2SLS). The analysis finds that: (1) ESG performance positively influences firm value in both Chinese and US banks, and the results remain valid after robustness test; (2) The results also confirm that ESG performance non-linearly influence firm value across the samples, with an inverted U-shape relationship; (3) Additionally, we further investigate the moderating effects of environmental uncertainty and competitive advantage, uncovering that environmental uncertainty dampens the ESGP-firm value relationship, while competitive advantage further amplifies it. This study contributes to the understanding of how ESG performance can act as strategic assets that align managerial and stakeholder interests, and improve firm performance, by underpinning agency, stakeholder, and the resource-based view theory. Practical insights are also provided for policymakers, regulators, and financial institutions regarding the use of ESGP as a competitive tool in uncertain and dynamic market environments.
Environmentally specific empowering leadership and organizational citizenship behavior toward the environment: The roles of green work engagement, psychological ownership, and environmental concern
Authors: Mankgele Khutso Pitso , Fatoki Olawale
Published: February 2025

This study investigates the influence of environmentally specific empowering leadership on organizational citizenship behavior towards the environment (OCBE) among employees in hospitality firms. A theoretical framework posits that environmentally specific empowering leadership enhances OCBE, with psychological ownership and green work engagement acting as mediating variables. Furthermore, environmental concern among co-employees moderates this relationship. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze data collected from 525 mid-level managers working in three- to five-star hotels in the municipalities of Tshwane and Johannesburg using structured questionnaires. The findings confirm that environmentally specific empowering leadership significantly enhances OCBE. Psychological ownership and green work engagement are critical pathways in translating leadership practices into pro-environmental employee behaviors. Additionally, the moderating role of environmental concern underscores the importance of cultivating an organizational culture that values environmental sustainability. The study recommends that hospitality firms embed environmentally focused leadership practices within their organizational structures, emphasizing empowerment and employee engagement to foster pro-environmental behaviors. Policymakers are encouraged to incentivize sustainable leadership practices and provide training programs that equip managers with skills to inspire environmental responsibility among employees. These contributions advance policy and practice by highlighting the strategic role of leadership in promoting sustainability and positioning the hospitality sector as a model for environmentally conscious business operations.
EFFICIENCY AND RELIABILITY OF MULTI-OBJECT CONTROL METHODS IN COMPLEX NETWORKS
Authors: Rukkas Kyrylo , Morozova Anastasiia , Uzlov Dmytro , Kuznietcova Victoriya , Chumachenko Dmytro
Published: February 2025

Topicality. Efficient multi-object control in network environments ensures optimal performance and reliability. Due to delays and errors, traditional control methods often face challenges in managing complex, large-scale networks. The aim of the research. This study aims to evaluate and compare the efficiency and reliability of three distinct multi-object control methods: independent control, sequential control with error correction, and simultaneous control with global error correction. Research methods. The research employs mathematical modelling, probabilistic time graphs, and generating functions to develop and analyze the three control methods. Research results. To determine each method's performance, the study considers various factors such as network size, control distance, and error probability. Control distances are categorized into local, adjacent, and distant groups to assess their impact on control efficiency. Independent control, while simple and autonomous, becomes inefficient in larger networks due to insufficient coordination between objects. Sequential control enhances accuracy and reliability through stage-wise verification but faces increased control times in larger networks. Simultaneous control significantly reduces control time by managing all objects concurrently but is sensitive to error frequency, leading to potential delays in high-error environments. The study finds that control distance and network size significantly affect the performance of these methods, with simultaneous control maintaining stable control times in extensive networks, provided error rates are low. Conclusions. Independent control is most suitable for small, localized networks, sequential control is ideal for accuracy-critical applications, and simultaneous control is recommended for large-scale networks requiring rapid control and low error rates. Future research should explore hybrid approaches and the impact of emerging technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence to further enhance multi-object control efficiency and reliability. This study provides a foundation for optimizing control strategies in increasingly complex network environments.
ALGORITHMS FOR SYNTHESIS OF FUNCTIONALLY STABLE WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK
Authors: Barabash Oleg , Sobchuk Valentyn , Sobchuk Andrii , Musienko Andrii , Laptiev Oleksandr
Published: February 2025

Research objective. Development of algorithms that allow to implement the synthesis of a functionally stable wireless sensor network. Subject of research. Wireless sensor networks, algorithms for the synthesis of a functionally stable network. Research method. Algorithmic and numerical analysis of the procedures for performing the synthesis of functionally stable sensor networks. Research results. Ensuring the property of functional stability of a wireless sensor network provides a solution to the problem of the influence of destabilizing factors, such as: software and hardware failures, errors, accidental or intentional damage to individual structural elements, their aggregates, communication channels between them, cyberattacks, service failures, etc. Research of existing scientifically based approaches to ensuring the functional stability of wireless sensor networks and its components shows that there is no single general approach to determining the functional stability of a wireless sensor network. Therefore, the work is devoted to solving the current scientific problem of developing an algorithm for searching for the optimal structure of a wireless sensor network. An algorithm for finding a lower bound for the number of removed vertices and an algorithm for finding a lower bound for the number of removed vertices taking into account redundant communication lines have been developed. It has been established that first of all it is necessary to determine the complete set of minimal graph sections and their power. An algorithm for finding the optimal structure of a wireless sensor network has been developed, which consists of nine steps and can be used to synthesize the structure of wireless sensor networks that have the ability to self-organize in order to find its optimal structure. It is shown that the proposed algorithm has a high level of convergence and provides the desired result for a finite number of iterations, which is much better than finite search. The developed algorithm is effective when the dimension of the problem is . The results of solving test problems fully confirm the effectiveness of the algorithm in comparison with the results of the solution by exhaustive search, which confirms the importance of the results obtained. This result can be applied to information systems for production process control and information security systems that have a wireless topology and are under the influence of external and internal destabilizing factors of an impulse nature. The proposed algorithm actually implements the controllability conditions in such a system through monitoring the state of the system and mechanisms for restoring functioning in its optimal perimeter.
LOAD BALANCING OF THE LAYERS IoT FOG-CLOUD SUPPORT NETWORK
Authors: Kuchuk Heorhii , Husieva Yuliia , Novoselov Sergiy , Lysytsia Dmytro , Krykhovetskyi Heorhii
Published: February 2025

Topicality. Nowadays, the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT) is developing rapidly. In recent years, mobile devices have been used as elements of the IoT. But when using mobile devices, a number of problems arise. The main ones are the following: – limited computing resources; the need to maintain an energy-saving mode. Therefore, there is a need to balance the distribution of resources between all layers of the IoT support network. In this case, it is necessary to comply with all the time and structural constraints imposed by the IoT system with mobile devices. The subject of study in the article is methods of distributing IoT tasks between support network layers. The purpose of the article is to reduce the energy consumption of mobile IoT devices. The reduction occurs by transferring part of the load of mobile devices from the edge layer of the IoT support network. Time limits on IoT transactions must also be enforced. The following results were obtained. A model of the mobile computing unloading process has been developed. Proposed approach to calculating the average response time for components of different layers of the IoT support network: mobile device, fog node, cloud computing node. The task of choosing the optimal energy consumption option for mobile devices in the IoT support network is formulated. Conclusion. The dependence of the probability of unloading tasks from mobile IoT devices on the unloading threshold was analyzed. The conditions under which the minimum energy consumption is obtained when meeting time requirements were determined.
Admission Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Is Superior to WBC Count at Predicting the Presence and Severity of Pediatric Musculoskeletal Infection
Authors: Hou Brian Q. , Chandrashekar Anoop S. , Jamal Naadir H. , Hefley William F. , Anand Malini , Hajdu Katherine S. , Chenard Stephen W. , Greenberg Michael , Nian Hui , Pennings Jacquelyn S. , Seltzer Ryan A. , Cassat James E. , Moore-Lotridge Stephanie N. , Schoenecker Jonathan G.
Published: February 2025

Background:

Accurately determining the presence and severity of pediatric musculoskeletal infection (MSKI) is crucial for effective triage and treatment. Although the white blood-cell (WBC) count is often used as a marker for MSKI, we hypothesized that the use of the WBC count is limited by age-related variability in children. We proposed that the absolute neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), which has less age-related variability, is a more reliable indicator for both diagnosing and assessing the severity of MSKI. The present study aims to compare the utility of WBC against that of the NLR, as well as C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), for predicting MSKI presence and severity in children.

Methods:

A retrospective cohort study was conducted with use of a database of pediatric orthopaedic consultations for suspected MSKI between January 2013 and July 2022. Diagnoses were categorized as MSKI or no infection, and the severity of any present infection was stratified as local or disseminated. Admission laboratory values were collected. Statistical modeling was performed to assess the capabilities of the WBC, NLR, CRP, and ESR to diagnose MSKI and to assess infection severity, with cutoff thresholds established for clinical use.

Results:

This study included 650 patients (median age, 5.2 years; 63% male; 75% White). Of these, 247 patients had no infection, while 403 were diagnosed with an MSKI. Median WBC count, NLR, CRP, and ESR were all significantly higher in pediatric cases of confirmed MSKI. WBC was a poor predictor of infection severity, whereas NLR, CRP, and ESR each positively correlated with infection severity. At the time of admission, an NLR of 4 was highly specific for detecting the presence of infection, and an NLR of 5.8 was highly specific for predicting infection dissemination. CRP was the best predictor of both infection presence and severity, demonstrating the highest specificity and sensitivity, followed by NLR, which outperformed ESR and WBC.

Conclusions:

Because of considerable age-related variability, the predictive value of the WBC count for pediatric MSKI presence and severity is limited. NLR, which is less affected by age-related variability, is superior at predicting MSKI severity. Although CRP remains the benchmark, the NLR offers a valuable alternative to the WBC. Our study provides a comparative framework for these biomarkers, enhancing MSKI assessment across various clinical settings.

Level of Evidence:

Diagnostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
The design of multimedia object detection pipelines within the HPC environment
Authors: Motorny Sergey , Glandon S. , Cheng Jing-Ru
Published: February 2025

Computer vision multimedia pipelines have become both more sophisticated and robust over the years. The pipelines can accept multiple inputs, perform frame analysis, and produce outputs on a variety of platforms with near-real-time performance. Vendors such as Nvidia have significantly grown their framework and library offerings while providing tutorials and documentation via online training and tutorials. Despite the prolific growth, many of the libraries, frameworks, and tutorials come with noticeable limitations. The limitations are especially apparent within the high-performance computing (HPC) environment where graphic processing units may be older, user-level rights more restricted, and access to the graphical user interface not always available. This work describes the process of building multimedia object detection and segmentation pipelines within the HPC environment, its challenges, and ways to overcome the shortcomings. The project describes an iterative design process, which can be used as a blueprint for future development of similar computer vision pipelines within the HPC hosting environment.
Plan de negocios para la implementación de un centro de alojamiento para perros en Lima moderna: Club Pet
Authors:   , Acosta Huayllani Samanda Alexandra , Hilario Zamora Jaime Nicolas , Lazo Portocarrero Arturo Antonio , Mendoza Rodriguez Rosario Estefania , Sotomayor Montañez Renzo Eduardo
Published: February 2025

Nuestro plan de negocio establece las estrategias clave para el lanzamiento y crecimiento exitoso de Club Pet, una empresa dedicada al servicio de alojamiento de perros en lima moderna. Nuestra misión es brindar un entorno seguro y acogedor para las mascotas, ofreciendo servicios de alimentación, paseo, actividades dinámicas, y la posibilidad de compartir fotos y minivideos con los dueños mientras los perros están bajo nuestra responsabilidad. A través de un estudio detallado del ambiente corporativo y la utilización de instrumentos estratégicos como el análisis FODA y el análisis CAME, hemos determinado las tácticas más apropiadas para sobresalir en el sector de hospedaje para perros. Nuestra estrategia se enfoca en ofrecer una experiencia distintiva y de primera calidad para los propietarios de los perros de lima contemporánea. En el campo del marketing, hemos elaborado tácticas tanto convencionales como en línea para distinguirnos y ubicar nuestra marca en el público meta. Nuestro objetivo es destacar los beneficios únicos de nuestro servicio, comunicando de manera efectiva nuestras propuestas de valor y estableciendo relaciones sólidas con nuestros clientes y sus adorables compañeros caninos. Respecto a las operaciones, hemos definido un plan de implementación y seguimiento detallado para asegurar un funcionamiento eficaz y de alta calidad en nuestras instalaciones de hospedaje. Nuestro equipo capacitado se encargará de brindar atención individualizada a cada perro, asegurando su bienestar y satisfacción durante su estancia en Club Pet. En el sector de recursos humanos, hemos elaborado tácticas para captar, elegir y conservar el talento. Buscaremos reclutar profesionales amantes de los animales y con experiencia en el cuidado de perros, creando así un equipo comprometido con la satisfacción de nuestras mascotas y sus dueños.
Influencia de la mordida abierta anterior en la calidad de vida relacionada a la salud oral. Una revisión sistemática
Authors:   , Rodriguez Huaringa Jazmin Estephany , Vargas Mori Gloria Ximena Jassmin
Published: February 2025

Antecedentes: La mordida abierta anterior es una maloclusión causada por causas genéticas y ambientales que afectan la estética, la oclusión y el habla, impactando la calidad de vida de niños, adolescentes y adultos. Sin embargo, hasta la fecha, ninguna revisión sistemática ha analizado la influencia de la mordida abierta anterior (BAO) en la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud bucal. Objetivo: Determinar la influencia de la mordida abierta anterior en la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud bucal. Materiales y métodos: Esta revisión sistemática realizó una búsqueda exhaustiva en las bases de datos MEDLINE (a través de PubMed), EBSCO, SCOPUS y LILACS hasta el 30 de septiembre de 2023. Un total de 321 artículos fueron identificados en estas bases de datos. Trece artículos para evaluación de texto completo fueron seleccionados luego de aplicar los criterios de selección. Al final, sólo se incluyeron en la revisión seis estudios, todos transversales. La escala de Newcastle-Ottawa se utilizó para evaluar el riesgo de sesgo en estos estudios. Resultados: Seis estudios han encontrado que la AOB afecta la calidad de vida. En los adultos, tiene un mayor impacto en las mujeres, especialmente en el bienestar psicológico y social. En los niños se observan efectos negativos en los síntomas, la función y los aspectos psicológicos, con malos resultados. Un estudio no encontró diferencias significativas en la calidad de vida de los niños con AOB. Conclusiones: La revisión indica que la AOB (mordida abierta anterior) impacta significativamente la calidad de vida, particularmente en áreas psicológicas y funcionales como el habla, la alimentación y la sonrisa. Esta información es esencial tanto para los ortodoncistas como para los pacientes...
Desarrollo de una aplicación web para facilitar la prestación de servicios independientes en la ciudad de Piura
Authors:   , Zapata Reyes Karina Elizabeth , Salazar Crespo Martin Rodolfo
Published: February 2025

El objetivo de esta investigación fue implementar una aplicación web que facilite la prestación de servicios independientes en las zonas urbanas de Piura, para lo cual se utilizó un diseño no experimental de tipo Transeccional Descriptivo y con enfoque cuantitativo. La aplicación web fue probada por una muestra no probabilística de 21 trabajadores independientes de la ciudad de Piura, y 49 usuarios que realizaron la búsqueda de servicios y contacto de los trabajadores, a quienes posteriormente se les aplicó un cuestionario de usabilidad. El resultado del cuestionario demostró que la aplicación web permitió al 97.96% de los usuarios, buscar y contactar trabajadores independientes, asimismo, al 100% de los usuarios les permitió acceder a información relevante de los trabajadores independientes. En cuanto a la seguridad, el 91.84% estuvo de acuerdo en que la aplicación web les brindaba mayor seguridad para contactar a un trabajador independiente. Finalmente, el 95.24% de los trabajadores estuvo de acuerdo en que la aplicación web les permitía promocionar sus servicios de manera eficiente, por lo tanto, se pudo demostrar que la aplicación web cumplió con el objetivo de la investigación.
(Re)configurações do corpo no/do Portugal pós-colonial em Esse cabelo, de Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida
Authors: Foz Romeu
Published: February 2025

This article aims to analyze That Hair (2015), Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida’s first novel, which addresses the (dis)integration of the African and the Afro-descendant in post-25th April Portugal. I claim that That Hair reflects with great acumen on the legacies of Coloniality that permeate Portuguese contemporary society, questioning very particularly the survival of old colonial logics of racialization and the way these are inscribed discursively in the body. Ultimately, I argue that this novel plays a transformative role inasmuch as it contributes significantly to the formation of postcolonial identities that look at the past without erasures and that request from the present other representations of the Portuguese (post)-colonial body.
Maréia and the Emergence of the Ancestral Novel
Authors: Rodrigues Felipe Fanuel Xavier
Published: February 2025

This paper focuses on Miriam Alves’s novel Maréia (2019) as a case of innovative literary form. In doing so, it underscores how the novel emerges as a new mode of rendering contemporary Black experience and thought. From the sociopolitical standpoint of a Black woman novelist whose epistemology differs considerably from artistic conventions because of her cultural and feminist perspectives, Alves advances the genre in terms of content and style and creates a prototype version of the ancestral novel. By centralizing the lyricism of African heritage and its multidimensional symbolism in parallel with the representation of white backgrounds, Alves achieves a fictional narrative that speaks to the sociopolitical legacies that have been bequeathed to the Brazilian society.
Documentary of (De)Colonization: Ex-Pajé as Border-Filmmaking & Paiter Suruí Re-existence
Authors: Johnson Samuel
Published: February 2025

This essay examines the linkage of epistemological inequities, social and ecological devastation, and ethnocide in Ex-Pajé, a collaborative filmmaking effort between writer-director Luiz Bolognesi, “ex-pajé” Perpera Suruí, and members of the Paiter Suruí community. This film serves as a potent counter to productions that side-line Indigenous actors, communities, and epistemologies, both narratively and visually, in favor of white, western protagonists and their saviorism. I argue that Ex-Pajé reveals the intersections between cinema and core tenets of decolonial theory. Ex-Pajé is a clear product of a “border-thinking” (Mignolo 2012) approach to film production, genre, and form as it portrays the strategies of “re-existence” (Albán-Achinte 2013) that define Paiter Suruí life while confronting ecological, social, and material colonial forces. Ex-Pajé visually and narratively reframes the colonial encounter from the perspective of Perpera Suruí, underscoring the need for collaborative story making that centers resistance to the violence of the Modern/Colonial age.
Os Maias como pretexto – Ideias impuras sobre o Brasil e Portugal nas adaptações do século XXI
Authors: Overhoff Ferreira Carolin
Published: February 2025

This article analyzes two recent adaptations of Os Maias: Brazilian Luiz Fernando Carvalho’s 2001 television miniseries co-produced by the Brazilian Rede Globo and Portuguese SIC and Portuguese director João Botelho’s 2014 Portuguese-Brazilian big screen coproduction. My main objective is to understand the dynamics of the filmmakers regarding Eça de Queirós's canonical 19th-century text. To this end, I outline what a canonical text is, how the audiovisual can be defined, and, finally, discuss these definitions in the two examples. I understand the adaptations as a barometer of the cultural climate concerning their political contemporaneity and literary tradition, which, in the case of these two works, proved to be a complex undertaking since they were both co-financed by both Brazil and Portugal. Accordingly, I outline the contemporary impact of Os Maias through a comparative analysis. Given that the miniseries has a longer duration, I place more emphasis on the television production.
Santos, Gilda, Luci Ruas, and Teresa Cristina Cerdeira, editors. Sena & Sophia: Centenários. Bazar do Tempo, 2020.
Authors: Felisberto Maggie
Published: February 2025

Sena & Sophia: Centenários collects reflections from dozens of scholars situated throughout the Portuguese-speaking world on the bodies of work produced by two of the twentieth century’s most prodigious Portuguese poets—Jorge de Sena and Sophia de Mello—following the international congress held in Rio de Janeiro in 2019 in honor of the centennial anniversary of their respective births.
An Enduring Paradigm of Resistance
Authors: Olugbuyiro Ayodeji Richard
Published: February 2025

While Negritude is certainly the major ideological underpinning that inspired poetry of Black intellectuals opposing racial subjugation in the twentieth century, its relevance in postcolonial times has been a subject of contention. The reasons for this include harsh criticisms of its essentialist character in the latter part of the twentieth-century, and the presupposition of an improved reality for Blacks globally with the conclusion of colonialism. However, I argue in this article that considering the unfavorable racial experiences of Blacks in the white-dominated Portuguese society, Negritude-informed tropes have seen a resurgence in contemporary Black Portuguese poetry—even though its perspective has changed from strict focus on an essentialized Africa to an assertion of African identity within the space of the former metropole. Analyzing  Djidiu: A herança do ouvido(2017), I demonstrate the reappearance and overlap of themes of older-generation Negritude to confirm that the Negritude ethos continues to inspire contemporary Black Portuguese poetry.
Reclaiming Legitimacy through Performance
Authors: Sanchez Kathryn
Published: February 2025

Grada Kilomba’s performance-installation O barco/The Boat (2021) is a denunciation of the legacies of colonialism, racism, and social injustices in contemporary society. In these times of perpetual crises, race crimes, discrimination, and the mediation of collective trauma, this study understands how the performance of Blackness, centered around an ever-present past evoked by a slave ship hold in Grada Kilomba’s multidimensional art installation, constructs a forum to confront the silences inherent in the inequalities of power and privilege in Portuguese history. I  examine how performance “in the wake” (Sharpe) is a powerful tool to address these perpetuated silences, feelings of loss and vulnerability, and the aftermath of colonial violence. I discuss the way in which performance can be a powerful tool to celebrate, verbalize, and embody racial difference and expose the normalization of racism while forging a new conceptualization of the Black Atlantic.
A revolução pelo amor
Authors: Bezerra Ligia
Published: February 2025

The rise of the far-right in contemporary Brazil has led to a sociopolitical reality characterzied by violations to human rights and threats to democracy in the country. Amidst this conjuncture, Brazilian Popular Music, historically marked by a tendency to be a constitutive discourse, that is, to “indicar maneiras de pensar e viver” ‘indicate ways of thinking and living’ in Brazilian society (Costa 23), becomes an important instrument of protest. The present article looks into how Afro-Brazilian singer and songwriter Chico César’s latest album, O amor é um ato revolucionário (2019), can be considered a protest album against Brazil’s current sociopolitical situation, thus contributing to the continuing status of Brazilian lyric-musical discourse as constitutive in the twenty-first century.
Cartas para Angola
Authors: Da Costa Bezerra Kátia
Published: February 2025

This article examines the documentary Cartas para Angola (2011) directed by Julio Matos and Coraci Ruiz. The documentary has as its leitmotif the correspondence exchanged between a set of people whose lives are traced between Angola, Brazil, and Portugal.  Taking as a point of departure the notions of home and belonging and in dialogue with Fernando Arenas’s work, I investigate people’s relationship to places, expanding earlier conceptions on the ways places work to create a web of meanings in people’s lives. I argue that the existence of hybrid locations enables us to interrogate essentializing paradigms around notions of home and nation, exploring some of the tensions that characterize life in a globally interconnected world.
Solitária, de Eliana Alves Cruz, e o espaço social em disputa
Authors: Andrade Patricia de
Published: February 2025

In 2022, Brazilian writer Eliana Alves Cruz published Solitária, a novel that dialogues closely with the contemporary reality of confronting symbolic hierarchies by social groups historically burdened by a colonial and slave-owning past. Through the two protagonists Eunice and her daughter Mabel, the novel makes explicit and questions the apprehension of the common world that naturalizes social distinctions and the power relations that maintain such structures in society even today. This article aims to analyze Solitária with the support of the concepts of symbolic power and habitus, by Pierre Bourdieu. The construction of the characters—the mother, a maid; the daughter, a medical student—is the focus of the proposed analysis and points to a slow and gradual movement of destabilization of the forces that for centuries have determined a place of lesser or greater prestige for Brazilians according to their race.
The Writer’s Craft
Authors: Elisa Scaraggi
Published: February 2025

In this article, I use José Luandino Vieira’s Papéis da prisão (2015), a collection of the notebooks that Vieira kept during his incarceration under the Portuguese colonial regime, to read some of the writer’s fictional narratives. Bringing textual examples from Papéis and literary works, I show how the book discloses references to real people and facts hidden in Vieira’s stories, while also constituting a metatextual reflection on them. As it follows the evolution of Vieira’s language, style, and themes from behind the scenes, Papéis emerges as an essential part of the writer’s craft, allowing us to cast a renewed look upon Vieira’s whole literary project. Finally, Papéis reveals the extent to which Vieira’s literature was influenced by the author’s prison experience, an aspect still underexplored to this day.
Retin(t)ose pigmentar
Authors: Dutra Paulo
Published: February 2025

Poem by Paulo Dutra - "Retin(t)ose pigmentar"
Lazarus
Authors: Aguiar Cristhiano , Brune Krista
Published: February 2025

Translation of a short story.