bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SMALL BUSINESS IN THE ECONOMIC DYNAMICS OF UKRAINE DURING 2012 – 2022
Authors: Fedko Ivanna
Published: October 2024

The article analyzes the dynamics of formation and use of small business potential in promotion of socio-economic development of Ukraine. The novelty of the author's approach lies, first, in the focus on the characteristics of the functioning of small and micro-businesses, which allows to reflect the presence of specific trends that qualitatively distinguish the processes of adaptation and development of small business and require differentiation of approaches and theoretical foundations of their regulatory policy. Secondly, by taking into account the ratio of socio-economic efficiency achieved by small and large business, which is interpreted by the authors as a crucial sign of the potential for accelerating economic development that can be ensured by rationalizing the forms of interaction between large, medium and small business. Using the methods of comparative analysis of the dynamics of the contribution of micro, small, medium and large enterprises to the creation of added value and assessing the changes in the ratio of labor productivity at enterprises of different scales of economic activity, the authors substantiate the conclusion about the leading role of small enterprises in ensuring the expansion of factor income creation: it is small enterprises that have increased the scale of value creation, in fact, have become the only center of growth against the background of ten years of stagnation in the groups of large and medium enterprises.
The authors also substantiate the dominance of the trend of convergence of the basic indicator of economic efficiency of enterprises of different sizes and interpret this trend as a critically important feature of the small business functioning in Ukraine: in an extremely unstable macroeconomic environment, small businesses are able not only to maintain and even expand their resource potential, but also to approach medium and large enterprises in terms of economic efficiency, in the first place, with the higher competitiveness inherent in this segment of the domestic economy and, accordingly, with more incentives to increase efficiency as a leading factor in the realization of the tasks of business owners
Mastering the Basics: A Guide to Research Methodology for Effective Writing and Publication
Authors: Adeoye Moses Adeleke
Published: October 2024

Mastering the basics of research methodology is essential for effective writing and publication, enabling researchers to produce valid, reliable, reproducible and worthy of peer review and validation. This guide offers a comprehensive guide to research methodology, focusing on essential topics such as literature reviews, data collection and analysis, and ethical considerations. It emphasizes the importance of a well-structured research design, offering practical strategies for formulating research questions, selecting appropriate methodologies, and interpreting findings. The article also explores the art of effective writing, highlighting techniques for organizing ideas, crafting compelling narratives and ensuring clarity and coherence. It addresses common challenges faced by writers, such as overcoming writer's block and maintaining objectivity, and guides the publication process, from manuscript preparation to peer review responses. The guide underscores the significance of research methodology in various fields and its role in advancing knowledge and informing decision-making. In conclusion, adhering to best practices can improve work quality and credibility and contribute to knowledge advancement
The Urgency, Strategies, and Problems of Mastering Arabic Language for Islamic Preaching Communication
Authors: Burhanuddin
Published: October 2024

This study aims to examine the urgency, strategies, and problems in mastering the Arabic language for Islamic preaching communication. The focus of the research is on the students of the Faculty of Dakwah at Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Jakarta. Mastery of Arabic is considered crucial as it is the primary language of Islamic literature, which is fundamental to preaching activities. The research employs a qualitative method with a case study approach. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and documentation. The findings indicate that mastering Arabic is essential for enhancing understanding and effectively conveying Islamic messages. The strategies employed by students include formal classroom learning, self-study, and participation in extracurricular programs related to the Arabic language. However, students face various challenges, such as time constraints, lack of resources, and less varied teaching methods. The study recommends improving the quality of Arabic language teaching through more interactive methods and providing adequate resources to support learning. These findings provide insights for the development of a more effective Arabic language curriculum and learning strategies in Islamic higher education institutions.
Forestry and mensuration characteristics of pine stands in the recreation and health-improving forests in the Left Bank Steppe
Authors: Musienko S. I. , Lukyanets V. A. , Rumiantsev M. H. , Tarnopilska O. M. , Kobets O. V. , Bondarenko V. V.
Published: October 2024

The study of forestry and stand mensuration characteristics of pine stands in recreational and health-improving forests of the Left Bank Steppe was conducted based on forest management materials. The distribution of pine stands in the recreational and health-improving forests of the region by location, origin, forest types, age groups and classes, site classes, and relative density of stocking was analyzed. For pine stands within the forest areas of green belt) (sites where forest activities are permitted), indicators of the use of forest potential by modal pines were calculated to compare reference stands. It was found that the pine plantations in the recreational and health-improving forests of the region grow in an area of more than 83 thousand hectares. In terms of area, man-made pine stands significantly dominate, the share of which is 93.6 % of the total area, the rest of the area (6.4%) is occupied by pine forests of natural origin.

The predominance of pine stands within green belt was revealed. Their proportion is 76.1 % of the total area, including the forestry zone - 59.7 % and the forest park zone – 16.4 %. The significant area of the investigated pine plantations (37% of the total area) is located in the conditions of a fresh oak-pine (mixed) forest on transitional, relatively poor soils (subor in Ukrainian). The most part of forest is middle-aged stands (59.3 % of the total forest area and 70.5 % of the total stock of wood). Moreover, pine forest of I (39,2 %) and II (31,1 %) site classes and 0.7–0.8 density dominated (73.5 %). The rate of utilization of the forest potential by modal pines within forest areas of green belt compared reference stands is relatively low and reaches 63 %.
La implementación de las políticas de gestión de la integridad en el ámbito local
Authors: Abellán-López María Ángeles , Aguado-Hernández Juli Antonio , Pardo-Beneyto Gonzalo
Published: October 2024

Introducción: en las últimas décadas, la gestión de la integridad institucional ha levantado un enorme interés en un contexto de cuestionamiento de las instituciones democráticas. El objetivo de este artículo es caracterizar las políticas públicas de integridad implementadas por 65 ayuntamientos de más de 5000 habitantes de la Comunitat Valenciana. Metodología: La metodología utilizada ha canalizado una encuesta a informantes clave locales. El trabajo de campo se realizó entre el 1 de noviembre de 2023 al 31 de marzo de 2024. Resultados: La encuesta incorporó ítems relacionados con las políticas de gestión de la integridad y la corrupción, los motivos de su implementación, problemas sobrevenidos y medidas ejecutadas, a partir de la clasificación elaborada por Aldeguer et al. (2020). Discusión: El principal motivo para implementar sistemas de gestión de la ética y la integridad en las administraciones locales es la legislación de carácter vinculante y coercitiva, apareciendo tendencias isomórficas que facilitan su ejecución.Conclusiones:  El tamaño del hábitat constituye un factor determinante en la normalización, estandarización e institucionalización del sistema de integridad local.
Modulation and Energy Components for Speaker Recognition System
Authors: A. Hassan Tariq , A. Hussein Salam
Published: October 2024

This paper presents a model use the modulation and energy components for speaker recognition application, that is mainly follows theshort-term scenario in speech signal processing, and also introduce a parameter combination that includes the instantaneous components and the energy parameters. This will describe the importance of short-term speech analysis in estimating the modulation parameters and the role of the instantaneous energy in estimating the speaker-dependent parameters. Simply, the short-term scenario is used to, first; avoid the silent and background noise speech portions that present in speech signals, and also to benefitfrom the stationary concept of the short-term processing in the speech signal. The energy components, on the other hand, are adopted purely in many speech parameterisation models, such as, linear predictive coding (LPC) and Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs). The main ideal of our mixture parameter (or MFCC/AM-FM model) is to determined the extent of these components to contribute together in extracting the parameters that are more related to the speaker more than anything else presented in the speech signal. We evaluated both models using the text-dependent and text-independent speech corpora. The accuracy results show that the frame-based AM-FM model achieve better performance comparing with the traditional structure of the AM-FM modulation model(the model presented in [1]). The MFCC/AM-FM parameters, on the other hand, perform much better, in terms of text-dependent, comparing with the AM-FM parameters and the MFCC parameters. In the case of the text-independent, however, the MFCC/AM-FM model provide better results than the MFCC features but less performance comparing to the AM-FM modulation parameters.
Impacts of Gender Disparity and Socio-Educational Structure on Legal Awareness of Women Inmates: A Case Study of Prisons in Sindh, Pakistan
Authors: Khokhar Hira Alvi , Rani Tabinda , Hussain Fawad
Published: October 2024

The study is an endeavor to undertake an in-depth analysis of the prevailing injustices faced by women inmates incarcerated in one of the merged prisons(merger of 2 districts)of Sindh Province Pakistan. It aims to explore how social norms, education system, and gender discrimination, collectively influence the women inmates' legal awareness and struggles for availing their legal rights and equitable treatment. By employing a mixed-method research design, including in-depth interviews with women inmates, questionnaires, and an interview guide with open-ended questions, the study uncovered the multifaceted barriers they encounter. The study also advocates fostering a more inclusive and gender-responsive criminal justice system and concludes that the intersectional nature of these challenges impacts legal awareness of women inmates and also has some significant implications for stakeholders and reformists in the context of entertaining the female inmates without gender discrimination as ensuring Article-4 of the 1973 constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Bayesian estimates for changes of the Russian river runoff in the 21st century as based on the CMIP6 model ensemble simulations
Authors: Medvedev А. I. , Eliseev A. V. , Mokhov I. I.
Published: October 2024

Based on ensemble calculations with the CMIP6 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, phase 6) climate models and using Bayesian averaging, an analysis was conducted on the changes in the 21st century runoff of several Russian rivers – the Volga, Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Amur, and Selenga. Bayesian weights considered the quality of models’ reproduction of runoff (long-term average runoff, linear runoff trend over the time interval with available runoff observations, interannual and interdecadal variability). The quality of runoff characteristics reproduction by individual models in the CMIP6 ensemble varies most significantly for the long-term average runoff, runoff trend, and, to a lesser extent, for interannual variability. In the 21st century, the ensemble average runoff increases for most of the analyzed rivers, except for the Volga. This increase is more pronounced under scenarios with larger anthropogenic impacts. It is especially significant for the SSP5-8.5 scenario (Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, 5-8.5), under which the runoff increase trend from 2015 to 2100 relative to its current long-term average is (10 ± 4)% for the Ob, (16 ± 3)% for the Yenisei, (39 ± 7)% for the Lena, (36 ± 7)% for the Amur, and (18 ± 6)% for the Selenga. The primary reason for the change in ensemble average runoff in the 21st century in models under all SSP scenarios is the change in precipitation. Accounting for differences in model quality in reproducing river runoff on average for 2015–2100 reduces inter-model deviations relative to the corresponding values with uniform weighting of model results by 6–26%, depending on the SSP scenario and river basin.
Modeling of the Black Sea circulation using equations of heat and salt advection–diffusion having discrete nonlinear invariants
Authors: Demyshev S. G. , Dymova O. A.
Published: October 2024

In this work the accuracy of reconstructing the Black Sea circulation by using new approximations of nonlinear terms in the transport equations, ensuring the conservation of temperature and salinity to a power greater than two, is analyzed based on the results of forecast calculations. Three numerical experiments with differences in the schemes for calculating temperature and salinity are carried out. In the first experiment – traditional schemes are used to conserve of temperature and salinity in the first and second degrees; in the second one – the temperature is conserved in the first and fifth degrees, salinity in the first and third; in the third one – the temperature in the first and third, salinity in the first and fifth degrees. Calculations are performed on the basis of the MHI model with a resolution of 1.6 km and taking into account realistic atmospheric forcing for 2016. Validation of the results is carried out based on comparison of model fields with in-situ and satellite measurements of temperature and salinity in 2016. Analysis of mean and root mean square errors showed that new schemes for the advection-diffusion equations of heat and salt, ensuring the conservation of predictive parameters to a power greater than two, improve the accuracy of reconstructing the salinity in the Black Sea upper 100m layer throughout the year compared with traditional approximation. The root mean square errors in the salinity field are reduced by 15–20%, the thickness of the upper mixed layer in winter and the depth of the upper boundary of the thermocline layer in summer in the central part of the sea are modeled approximately 10% more accurately. Based on the results of three experiments, the smallest deviations from observational data are obtained when using approximations that ensure the conservation of temperature to the third power and salinity to the fifth power.
On the рossibility of multichannel optical backscattering sondes for joint balloon and lidar studies of the aerosol composition of the middle atmosphere
Authors: Balugin N. V. , Fomin B. A. , Yushkov V. А. , Marichev V. N. , Bochkovskyi D. A.
Published: October 2024

Aerosol backscattering sondes in the practice of aerological sounding, along with lidar observations, are used at night to study and monitor polar stratospheric clouds, tropospheric and stratospheric aerosol, cirrus clouds, pyroconvection, volcanic aerosol, as well as to verify remote methods and means of ground-based and satellite-based aerosol observations. For aerosol sondes, a simple two-wave measurement technique is used, which makes it possible to diagnose changes in aerosol composition by color index. The possibilities of the two-wave technique have limitations, which are discussed in this article. Aerological sounding combined with lidar observations expands the wavelength range for multi-wavelength studies, and direct measurements of atmospheric temperature increase the accuracy of aerosol sensing. The paper considers the application of 3 or more wavelenght techniques. Data from probe measurements using wavelengths of 470, 528, 850 and 940 nm and lidar sensing at wavelengths of 355 and 532 nm are presented.
Detection of Internal Transport Barrier in the T-10 Tokamak Using Thomson Scattering Diagnostics
Authors: Asadulin G. M. , Kirneva N. A. , Bel’bas I. S. , Gorshkov A. V. , Panfilov D. S. , Krylov S. V. , Nemets A. R. , Sergeev D. S. , Solov’ev N. A.
Published: October 2024

At the T-10 tokamak, the Thomson scattering diagnostics was upgraded in 2016. The new system is based on the Nd: YAG laser with the pulse repetition frequency of 100 Hz; the measurements can be performed every 10 ms during the entire plasma discharge at the spatial resolution of up to 5 mm. Using the upgraded diagnostics, the electron temperature measurements were performed during experimental campaigns of the T-10 tokamak in 2016—2018. In the regimes with the electron cyclotron resonance heating, it was demonstrated that the regions with increased temperature gradients form in the plasma, which was interpreted as the formation of internal transport barrier. The ASTRA-code-based simulations of the current profile time evolution made it possible to correlate the positions of the barrier and the rational surface q = 1.
MILESTONES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIZATIONAL MODELS BASED ON THE THEORY OF SPIRAL DYNAMICS
Authors: HAHARINOV Oleksii
Published: October 2024

The article examines the milestones of the development of the business environment through the prism of industrial revolutions and the theory of spiral dynamics of organizational development. The past influences the present. The present shapes the future. The world is a complex, interconnected whole that is difficult to represent and understand, especially regarding complex socio-economic processes and organizational systems, including enterprises. The first radical change began precisely with the agrarian revolution when people domesticated animals as a basis for the transition from gathering to agriculture. After the agrarian revolution, radical industrial changes began in the 18th century. The first industrial revolution (from the 1760s to the 1840s) - the invention of the steam engine and the construction of railways. The second industrial revolution (the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century) - the emergence of mass production thanks to the invention of electricity and the introduction of the conveyor. The third industrial revolution, from the 1960s, - was the emergence of semiconductors and their use in large electronic computing machines, personal computers, and the Internet. The fourth industrial revolution began at the beginning of the 21st century and is characterized by the emergence of "smart enterprises". The content and essential components of these periods imposed and imposed their understanding on the development of organizational models and the way of interaction between stakeholders and the economic entities themselves, which arose at the later stages of development and are developing under the influence of global business trends. Deepening the understanding of the nature of modern approaches in management aimed at the development of organizational systems allows turning to the past and investigating issues of organizational models on the way of the history of human development based on the theory of spiral dynamics (Don et al.), which is based on a dynamic model of human development and evolution of her consciousness,  change of fundamental values. So, from the standpoint of the concept of systemic perfection of a business organization, based on the theory of spiral dynamics, its consideration can be started in the system-wide understanding of the system state, which corresponds to a greater extent to the content of perfection - from the orange stage and more/less corresponds to the current trends of the fourth industrial revolution. A significant strategic gap occurs based on the mismatch between the stage of development according to the milestones of industrial revolutions and the organization's current state in relation to the theory of spiral dynamics. For example, a red organization that functions in the fourth industrial revolution era. Management of changes in paradigms of thinking is the art of management.
Microstructure, Mechanical and Fractographic behaviour of the Diffusion Welded Joints of AA2219 and Ti-6Al-4V for aerospace applications
Authors: Vatnalmath Manjunath , Auradi V. , Bharath Bharath V , Bharadwaj Anirudh , Gowda Chetan , Nagaral Madeva
Published: October 2024

Diffusion welding is an advanced joining process that assures the feasibility of joining dissimilar metal alloys without producing metallurgical impurities at the joint interface. Two significant aerospace alloys, AA2219 and Ti-6Al-4V, are diffusion welded for the various holding times (30-120 minutes) by keeping the bonding temperature and pressure constant. The effect of holding time on the microstructure of the diffusion welded joints is evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the diffusion behaviour across the joint interface is ensued by the line scan energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The obtained results show that the hardness across the joint interface is increased with increase in holding time. Furthermore, the maximum shear strength of 143.58 MPa is achieved for the joint formed at the holding time of 90 minutes and reduced thereafter. The formation of a thick intermetallic layer at a higher holding time strongly affects the shear strength. It is evident from the resulting fractured surfaces that the joints predominantly failed at the bonding interface, showcasing the brittle kind of failure. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) study on the fractured surfaces substantiates the formation of AlTi, Al2Ti and Al3Ti intermetallic compounds.
Analysing Micro-Level Rainfall Trends: Implications for Water Conservation in Paravanar River Basin
Authors: Krishnaveni M. , Arunya K.G.
Published: October 2024

High-intensity, short-duration rainfall resulting in flood hazards is one of the significant challenges now. On the other hand, this basin is affected by drought in the subsequent years because of the lack of conservation of floodwater and high elevation difference. Rainfall analysis is the preliminary study for suggesting the type of water conservation measures. This study analyzes the trend and change point at a micro-scale with its village boundaries for the Paravanar River basin. One hundred forty-eight villages under six blocks have increasing trends, 28 towns in the summer season using rain gauge dataset show decreasing trends which are considered negligible, and the rest of the villages have no trends. It is identified that; trend analysis works well with the extended data record. 1991 is the trend change point for gridded data, and 1995 is for the rain gauge data. The main aim of this study is to analyze the rainfall trends and their change point at a micro level and suggest mitigation measures with the indigenous facilities.
Relationship Between Short and Long Wave Radiation with Cloud Cover in Baghdad City
Authors: Ibrahim Ruaa M. , Mahdi Zahraa S. , Nassif Wedyan G. , Al-Taai Osama T.
Published: October 2024

Short waves are waves that have a short wavelength and are characterised by high frequencies. Therefore, they propagate over short distances from the source and are used for wireless communications and radio broadcasting. As for long waves, they have a long wavelength characterised by low frequencies and usually extend far from the source easily. When the clouds prevent sunlight from reaching Earth, it reflects a large part of it and absorbs part of the radiation that passes through it, so that less radiation reaches the Earth’s surface as a result of the clouds. The daily data of the high, medium, and low cloud cover, as well as the daily and annual data of solar radiation (long and short-wave radiation) were extracted from satellite data collected by the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) over the Baghdad station at 00:00 am and 12:00 pm for the period (2015-2019). The study aims to find the effect of cloud cover on long and short waves and to find the type of relationship between them. The results showed that. The High and medium clouds are more visible in winter and less in summer. The clouds of all kinds decrease at 00:00 am and can be observed at noon. The relationship between solar radiation and cloud cover is inverse. In 2015 different types of clouds appeared, including low-lying cumulus and cumulus-medium. The radiation of long waves increases in the spring and summer when the amount of solar radiation entering the atmosphere is greater, and therefore the atmosphere derives its heat from these long waves emanating from the surface of the earth, at a time when the air could not absorb the short waves that make up the sun’s rays when it penetrated it. Through the Pearson coefficient test, several results were obtained, including that the relationship between high, medium, and low cloud cover, as well as total solar radiation, showed an inverse association; the more clouds there are, the less solar radiation reaches the earth’s surface.
A Study of the Analysis of Chlorophyll-a Phytoplankton in the Tigris Rivers for Some Regions of Iraq by Using GIS Techniques
Authors: Al-Saedy Rawaa Nader , Al-Hassany Jinan S. , Mashee Al-Ramahi Fouad K.
Published: October 2024

In this study, the distribution of chlorophyll-a for phytoplankton was monitored using Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques in selected regions of Iraq represented by the three governorates namely: Salah al-Din (Samarra (1), Baghdad (Al-Muthanna Bridge (2), Al-Utaifi (3), Al-Jadiriya(4), Kut (Al-Aziziyah (5), Al-Zubaydah (6), Al-Numaniyah (7), and Al-Muftah (8)) as human agricultural, and industrial activity rose in these locations. These stations, which are located along the Tigris River, were used as sites for collecting samples. The selection procedure was conducted on a monthly basis between February 2022 and January 2023. Chlorophyll-a measurements for phytoplankton throughout the sampling period varied from 3.7 to 2.59 g/L at stations. The two stations (Al-Utaifi and Al-Zubaydah) had similar values for both seasons, and the five stations in the dry season had values of less than 0.23 g/L. While phytoplankton numbers varied from 40.32 104 to 21.16 104cell/L for stations 3 and 5, respectively, they varied from 72.39 104 to 37.7 104cell/L for stations 6 and 8, respectively, throughout the wet season. In all of the stations and classes of phytoplankton, the amount of chlorophyll dye was approximately equal to the overall density of phytoplankton. The area under study’s predictive maps of chlorophyll-a analysis also revealed changes in the concentration of dye in all stations.
Adjoint method in PDE-based image compression
Authors: Belhachmi Zakaria , Jacumin Thomas
Published: October 2024

We consider a shape optimization based method for finding the best interpolation data in the compression of images with noise. The aim is to reconstruct missing regions by means of minimizing a data fitting term in an L p -norm, for 1 ⩽ p < + ∞, between original images and their reconstructed counterparts using linear diffusion PDE-based inpainting. Reformulating the problem as a constrained optimization over sets (shapes), we derive the topological asymptotic expansion of the considered shape functionals with respect to the insertion of small ball (a single pixel) using the adjoint method. Based on the achieved distributed topological shape derivatives, we propose a numerical approach to determine the optimal set and present numerical experiments showing the efficiency of our method. Numerical computations are presented that confirm the usefulness of our theoretical findings for PDE-based image compression.
Correlation Analysis of ApoB, ApoA1, and ApoB/ApoA1 with Cortical Morphology in Patients with Memory Complaints
Authors: Wang Jiayu , Xu Lisi , Chen Xuemei , Wu Jiajing , Chen Yu , Feng Ziqian , Dong Li , Yao Dezhong , Cai Qingyan , Jian Wei , Li Hongyi , Duan MingJun , Wang Ziqi
Published: October 2024

Background: Apolipoproteins and cortical morphology are closely associated with memory complaints, and both may contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Objective: To examine whether apolipoprotein B (ApoB), apolipoprotein A-1 (ApoA1), and their ratio (ApoB/ApoA1) are associated with cortical morphology in patients with memory complaints. Methods: Ninety-seven patients underwent neuropsychological testing, measurements of ApoB, ApoA1, ApoB/ApoA1, plasma Alzheimer’s biomarker, apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotyping, and 3T structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) scans. Based on sMRI scanning locations, patients were categorized into the University of Electronic Science and Technology (UESTC) and the Fourth People’s Hospital of Chengdu (FPHC). The Computational Anatomy Toolbox within Statistical Parametric Mapping was used to calculate each patient’s cortical morphology index based on sMRI data. The cortical morphology index and apolipoproteins were also analyzed. Results: Significant positive correlations were found between ApoB and sulcal depth in the lateral occipital cortex among the UESTC, the FPHC, and the total sample groups, and negative correlations were observed between sulcal depth in the lateral occipital cortex and the scores of the Shape Trails Test Part A and B. In the FPHC group, the scores of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Basic, delayed recall of the Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Animal Fluency Test and Boston Naming Test were positively correlated with the sulcal depth. Conclusions: ApoB is associated with the sulcal depth in the lateral occipital cortex, potentially relating to speed/executive function in individuals with memory complaints.
The Association Between Plasma Amyloid-β 42/40 and Percentage of Semantic Intrusion Errors in Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Curiel Cid Rosie E. , Ortega Alexandra , Vaillancourt David , Asken Breton , Crocco Elizabeth A. , Armstrong Melissa J. , Duara Ranjan , Crenshaw Kirsten , Adjouadi Malek , Rosselli Monica , Wang Wei-en , Loewenstein David A.
Published: October 2024

Background: Semantic intrusion errors (SIEs) are both sensitive and specific to PET amyloid-β (Aβ) burden in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). Objective: Plasma Aβ biomarkers including the Aβ42/40 ratio using mass spectrometry are expected to become increasingly valuable in clinical settings. Plasma biomarkers are more clinically informative if linked to cognitive deficits that are salient to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: This study included 119 older adults enrolled in the 1Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), 45 aMCI participants scored below the established Aβ42/40 ratio cut-off of 0.160 using the Quest AD-Detect™ assay indicating Aβ positivity (Aβ+), while 50 aMCI participants scored above this cut-off indicating Aβ negative status (Aβ–). Additionally, 24 cognitively unimpaired (CU) persons scored above the cut-off of 0.160 (Aβ–). Results: The aMCI plasma Aβ+ group evidenced the greatest percentage of SIEs, followed by the aMCI Aβ–. The CU Aβ– group exhibited the lowest percentage of SIEs. After adjustment for global cognitive impairment, aMCI plasma Aβ+ continued to demonstrate greater SIEs on tests tapping the failure to recover from proactive semantic interference (frPSI) as compared to the aMCI Aβ–group. Using pre-established cut-offs for frPSI impairment, 8.3% of CU Aβ– participants evidenced deficits, compared to 37.8% of aMCI Aβ–, and 74.0% of aMCI Aβ+. Conclusions: SIEs reflecting frPSI were associated with aMCI Aβ+ status based on the Aβ42/40 ratio. Results suggest the importance of SIEs as salient cognitive markers that map onto underlying AD pathology in the blood.
Prevalence of Potentially Inappropriate Medications in Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment or Dementia Attending Memory Clinics: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Sharma Rishabh , Gill Jasdeep Kaur , Chhabra Manik , Carter Caitlin , Alkabbani Wajd , Vidyasagar Kota , Chang Feng , Lee Linda , Patel Tejal
Published: October 2024

Background: Older adults with dementia who are on polypharmacy are more vulnerable to the use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM), which can significantly increase the risk of adverse events and drug-related problems (DRPs). Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to map the prevalence of PIM use, polypharmacy, and hyper-polypharmacy among older adults with cognitive impairment or dementia attending memory clinics. Methods: Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Scopus, Cochrane Library, EBSCOhost CINAHL, and Ovid International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA) were systematically searched from inception to April 22, 2024. Observational studies assessing the PIMs use among older adults with CI or dementia were screened. A random- effects meta-analysis was conducted to pool the prevalence estimates. Results: Of 5,787 identified citations, 11 studies including 4,571 participants from 8 countries were included. Among all the included studies the pooled prevalence of PIM use was 38% (95% confidence interval (CIn): 27– 50%), highlighting a notable range from 20% to 78%. The analysis identified anticholinergics, benzodiazepines, and non-benzodiazepine sedatives as the most common PIMs. Subgroup analysis revealed a higher pooled prevalence of PIM in the USA (39%; 95% CIn: 10– 78, I2 (%) = 98, 3 studies) and Australia (36%, 95% CIn: 12– 70, I2 (%) = 96, 2 Studies). Additionally, pooled prevalence of polypharmacy and hyper-polypharmacy was reported as (60%; 95% CIn: 46– 73, I2 (%) = 95, 3 studies), and (The prevalence of hyper-polypharmacy was 17.6%; 1 study) respectively. Conclusions: The definition of PIMs significantly impacts study results, often more than geographical variations. The variability in criteria and tools like the Beers or Screening Tool of Older Persons’ Prescriptions (STOPP) criteria across studies and regions leads to differing prevalence rates.
Projections of Socioeconomic Costs for Individuals with Dementia in China 2020–2050: Modeling Study
Authors: Wu Yanjuan , Liu Yixuan , Liu Yuyang , Chen Yuntao , Lobanov-Rostovsky Sophia , Zhang Yuting , Liu Yuanli , Brunner Eric J. , French Eric , Liao Jing
Published: October 2024

Background: Previous estimates on future socioeconomic costs of dementia in China are inconsistent, and the main drivers of these costs are unclear. Objective: This study projected future socioeconomic costs (healthcare, formal social care, and informal care costs) and value of quality adjusted life years (QALYs) lost to dementia in China and assessed drivers of socioeconomic costs. Methods: Based on our prior projection on dementia cases to 2050 by a Markov model, we forecasted future socioeconomic costs and the value of QALYs from a societal perspective, utilizing the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study and the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. In our main analysis, dementia incidence increased by 2.9% annually, while sensitivity analyses considered a flat or 1.0% annual decrease in the temporal trend of dementia incidence. Furthermore, we decomposed socioeconomic costs changes (2018 US$) into population growth, population aging, dementia prevalence and average socioeconomic costs per case. Results: The annual socioeconomic costs and value of QALYs lost to dementia will reach $1,233 billion and $702 billion by 2050. If dementia incidence stays constant or decreases by 1.0% annually, the costs and QALYs would respectively decrease by 34% or 43% in 2050. Informal care is currently, and projected to remain, the largest share of socioeconomic costs. Population aging and rising dementia prevalence will mainly drive the growth in socioeconomic costs through 2050. Conclusions: Dementia casts an increasingly large economic burden on Chinese society, mainly driven by fast aging population and growing dementia prevalence.
Current Capacity for Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease in Germany and Implications for Wait Times
Authors: Mattke Soeren , Tang Yu , Hanson Mark , von Arnim Christine A.F. , Frölich Lutz , Grimmer Timo , Onur Oezguer A. , Perneczky Robert , Teipel Stefan , Thyrian Jochen René
Published: October 2024

Background: Amyloid-targeting therapies for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) might become available in Germany soon. The combination of a large pool of prevalent cases and a complex diagnostic process to determine eligibility for these treatments is likely to challenge health systems’ capacity. Objective: To analyze Germany’s healthcare system capacity to identify treatment-eligible patients in a timely and equitable manner. Methods: We modeled patients’ diagnostic journey and projects wait times due to capacity constraints for AD specialist visits and PET scans from 2024 to 2043. Model parameters were derived from published data and expert input. Results: Wait times would be ∼50 months over the model horizon, if patients were referred to specialists based on a brief cognitive assessment in primary care. Wait times for patients with social health insurance are projected to be 1.9 times those of patients with private insurance, with peak wait times of around 76 and 40 months, respectively. Adding a blood test for the AD pathology as additional triage step would reduce wait times to below 24 months. Conclusions: In spite of having a well-resourced health system, Germany is projected to be unable to cope with the demand for biomarker-based AD diagnosis, if a disease-modifying AD treatment were introduced. As these treatments might become available by the end of 2024, decisive action, in particular dissemination of high-performing AD blood tests for triage in primary care, will be needed to prevent delays in access and potentially avoidable and inequitable disease progression.
Arabic Teacher’s Humanistic Deauthorization: Online Teaching Experience in Islamic Higher Education
Authors: Penny Respati Yurisa  , Muassomah Muassomah , Khoirurrijal Khoirurrijal , Faisal Mahmoud Adam Ibrahim
Published: October 2024

The distance learning policy poses several challenges for Arabic teachers, students, and parents and causes a decrease in humanistic authority among teachers. Online learning tends to weaken their role in this aspect. This study identifies activities teachers can no longer do during online Arabic learning. In addition, this study also explores the factors that cause the erosion of this humanistic role. Using a qualitative descriptive method through interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) with several teachers, this study found seven challenging activities for teachers, such as providing individual guidance to students face-to-face. Technology that acts as a communication medium between teachers and students causes limitations in understanding each student's character in depth. It is recommended that educators adopt a more adaptive approach, which can view students as active subjects in the learning process.
Damsels in a Hidden Colour: Development of Ultraviolet Sensitivity and Colour Patterns in Damselfishes (Pomacentridae)
Authors: Tettamanti Valerio , Marshall N. Justin , Cheney Karen L. , Cortesi Fabio
Published: October 2024

Damselfishes (Pomacentridae) are widespread and highly abundant on tropical coral reefs. They exhibit diverse body colouration within and between the ∼250 species and across ontogenetic stages. In addition to human visible colours (i.e., 400-700 nm), most adult damselfishes reflect ultraviolet (UV, 300-400 nm) colour patches. UV sensitivity and UV colour signals are essential for feeding and form the basis for a secret communication channel invisible to the many UV-blind predatory fish on the reef; however, how these traits develop across ontogenetic stages, and their distribution across the damselfish family is poorly characterised. Here, we used UV photography, phylogenetic reconstructions of opsin genes, differential gene expression analysis (DGE) of retinal samples, to investigate the development of UV vision and colour patterns in three ontogenetic stages (pre-settlement larval, juvenile, and adult) of eleven damselfish species. Using DGE, we found similar gene expression between juveniles and adults, which strongly differed from larvae. All species and all stages expressed at least one UV-sensitive _sws1_ opsin gene. However, UV body colour patterns only started to appear at the juvenile stage. Moreover, _Pomacentrus_ species displayed highly complex UV body patterns that were correlated with the expression of two _sws1_ copies. This could mean that some damselfishes can discriminate colours that change only in their UV component. We demonstrate dramatic shifts in both UV sensitivity and UV colouration across the development stages of damselfish, while highlighting the importance of considering ontogeny when studying the coevolution of visual systems and colour signals.
Spolupráce Francie a sjednoceného Německa – "motor" evropské integrace?
Authors: Kudelová Dita
Published: October 2024

Zatímco v období 50.-80. let lze působení francouzsko-německého tandemu považovat za skutečný "motor" integrace západní Evropy, po sjednocení Německa evropský integrační proces zaznamenal nárůst počtu a intenzity neshod mezi oběma předními hráči, a to především v otázce Společné zahraniční a bezpečnostní politiky (SZBP), rozšiřování Evropské unie (EU) a s tím související reformy institucí a mechanismů jejího fungování, stejně jako s ohledem na představy o budoucí úloze Unie. Díky spolupráci Paříže a Bonnu/Berlína byl výraznější pokrok dosažen v podstatě jen v rámci ustanovení o zesílené spolupráci, v oblasti třetího pilíře a Evropské hospodářské a měnové unie (EMU). Cílem stati je odpovědět na otázku, zda i přes narůstající rozpory mezi Francií a sjednoceným Německem bude spolupráce těchto dvou zemí nadále hnací silou evropské integrace. Skutečnost, že partnerství Francie a Německa v rámci EU již není výlučné a privilegované do té míry, jako tomu bylo v průběhu prvních čtyř poválečných desetiletí, lze připsat změnám na úrovni těchto dvou zemí, jakož i na úrovni Unie. Po sjednocení Německa reflektovala evropská politika SRN a Francie posun národních zájmů obou zemí a do jejího utváření se začaly stále viditelněji promítat odlišnosti vnitřní struktury tvorby integrační politiky Francie i Německa. Vývoj na úrovni EU se odehrává ve znamení nárůstu počtu členů i oblastí spolupráce a postupující integrace se začíná dotýkat i některých z vnitropolitického hlediska dost citlivých témat. Proto je pochopitelné, že v evropském integračním procesu stále větší roli sehrává prosazování národních zájmů jednotlivých členských států, přičemž nalezení shodné pozice se (nejen) pro Paříž a Berlín stává čím dál tím obtížnější. Autorka stati dospívá k závěru, že v následujících letech se v rámci EU budou tvořit nejrůznější koalice podle stupně shody národních zájmů mezi členskými státy v té které oblasti integrace, což by po ratifikaci Smlouvy z Nice mělo být dále usnadněno zmírněním podmínek pro užší spolupráci. Pro tuto variantu budoucí evropské spolupráce hovoří i závěry analýzy nedávných projevů představitelů členských států ohledně budoucí podoby a postavení Unie. I když se scénář měnících se koalic zdá být z hlediska dalšího vývoje evropské integrace nejpravděpodobnější, lze vzhledem k politickému i ekonomickému významu Francie a Německa považovat jistou míru spolupráce těchto dvou zemí - i když už nikoli v tak výlučné a intenzivní podobě jako dříve - nadále za nezbytnou pro to, aby si Unie uchovala akceschopnost a mohla čelit nejrůznějším výzvám zevnitř i zvenčí.
System of Political Parties in India
Authors: Zavoral René
Published: October 2024

The Indian party system is a most unusual phenomenon, for at least two reasons. First, its form differs totally from the so-called Duverger laws under which a country which in elections to the lower chamber of its parliament, uses the one-round relative plurality system, should have a bipartisan regime. But the form of the party system in India is multi-partisanism. The second reason why the author turns his attention to the Indian party system is the fact that the party regime in question has changed from a system of one predominant party (the Indian National Congress) to a classic multi-party system; this occurred essentially in the early 1980s when a new relevant political subject – the Indian People's Party (BJP) – came to the fore and took its place next to the traditional centre-left Indian National Congress. First of all, one has to understand the complex nature of the Indian party spectrum where, on the basis of clear criteria, only 42 of the total number of 654 parties are officially recognized and registered; of these, seven are regarded as national parties (that is all-Indian, federal), and thirty-five as state parties (i.e. regional).The author asks himself two fundamental questions in the article: What is the reason for the multi-party system in India? What polarity does this Indian multi-party regime reveal? India is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural formation, and consequently the variety of parties is nothing unusual. Each of the twenty-five states making up the Indian Union has in most cases a population of different nationalities and ethnic origin, the interests of this population are presented by their own regional (in the Indian context, state) parties. But precisely because of the electoral system to the lower chamber of the federal parliament (the People's parliament), these small political subjects have become immensely significant elements. If they are successful in the elections, the INC and the BJP are directly dependent on these small regional parties which can either support INC or BJP minority governments, or become part of government coalitions where the INC or the BJP are the nucleus. As regards the second question, the author tends to the opinion that the current Indian extreme and fragmented multi-partisanship must be regarded as bipolar (the INC and the BJP are two poles), since the potential third pole – the United Front (UF) – (an expedient block of a number of very different parties) appears to be most unstable. The UF turns into the relevant third force only during an election campaign or when it succeeds in becoming the ruling party (there was a UF minority government in 1996-1997, supported by the Congress Party). When the UF is an opposition group (as after the 1998 elections) it is a subject that becomes entirely inconsistent. That is why we cannot regard it as a firm third pole in the Indian multi-party system.