bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unified pathogenesis of unstable scars after the first cesarean section and severe complications in subsequent pregnancies
Authors:   Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of FSBSI Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery, Moscow, Russia, Milovanov A.P. , Mikhaleva L.M. ,   Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of FSBSI Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery, Moscow, Russia, Fokina T.V. ,   Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of FSBSI Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery, Moscow, Russia, Tikhonova N.B. ,   Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of FSBSI Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery, Moscow, Russia, Аkhmetshina А.А. ,   Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of FSBSI Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery, Moscow, Russia
Published: January 2025

The increased number of cesarean sections worldwide has triggered the appearance of new iatrogenic complications, such as unstable scars and atypical placental positions with villi invading the scar. Unlike rapid physiological regeneration of the endometrium during menstrual cycle, the iatrogenic scar after dipnoous incision of the uterine wall forms slowly, undergoing the stage of hypoechoic niche in the lower uterine segment with characteristic symptoms of the cesarian scar defect. Myotomy results in an unstable scar in the interconception period that differs from the stable one by excessive connective tissue with partial replacement of muscle bundles and delayed regeneration of endometrial elements. Each subsequent C-section increases the amount of fibrous tissue in the scar, which may lead to its dehiscence up to the rupture of the uterine wall. The C-section scar forms slowly as an incomplete healing with the formation of loose connective tissue and fibrosis, which replace part of the lost myometrial layer. However, many mechanisms of scar formation have yet to be studied, and pathohistological, immune and morphological features of an unstable scar for practical application are to be standardized. The article presents a novel concept of unified pathogenesis of a uterine scar, which provides additional opportunities to evaluate scars over time and outlines prospects for their more systematic study to determine treatment strategies for women within personalized medicine.
Keywords: uterine, first cesarean section, scar, unified morphogenesis, pathomorphology
Falcon’s Rise: Sport and Politics in the Czech Lands (1861-1871)
Authors:   Institute of Slavic Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kotov Viktor
Published: January 2025

The book delves into two interconnected topics: the early spread of the Sokol (Czech for a “falcon”) movement in the so-called Czech lands and the formation of the Sokol culture. The Sokol movement, inspired by the German Turners, was formed by members of voluntary clubs that blended broadly understood gymnastics with the adherence to the nationalist ideology. The culture shared by the Sokols encompassed various practices, ideas, symbols, and physical objects.
Le droit de la guerre et de la paix dans le conflit israélo-palestinien
Authors:   Faculté de Droit, Université de Bucarest, ACHIMESCU Carmen , BEBEC Maria ,   Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
Published: January 2025

Named by the press ‘the Soukkot War’, the new episode of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, triggered on the 7th of October 2023 by Hamas’ terrorist attack in Israel, appears to be particularly violent, to the point of provoking an international reaction comparable to the one generated by the Russian aggression against Ukraine. It is important to note that, in this chaos described by multiple and diverse reactions, the international community hesitates to condemn explicitly Hamas’ terrorist attack. However, the international disapproval of Hamas’ actions is obvious and some States even refer to Israel’s right of self-defense, namely the right to ‘start a war’ against the terrorist group in question, in particular in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, aware of the devastating extent and effects of the Israeli retaliation against Hamas, the international community has difficulty in giving a common answer to some questions, such as against whom, where and how Israel can defend itself.
L'organisation des tribunaux ecclésiastiques de l'Église Orthodoxe Roumaine
Authors:   Université de Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Collège juridique d'études européennes, POPESCU Corneliu-Liviu
Published: January 2025

The Romanian Orthodox Church, as part of the Orthodox Church and a recognized religious cult in Romania, has its own ecclesiastical judicial system. Ecclesiastical courts, known as ecclesiastical consistories, exist at both central and local levels. The ecclesiastical courts sit as courts of first instance, appeal and appeal on law. They are made up of lay ecclesiastical judges, who are not career judges, but bishops, priests or cantors, all men, appointed by diocesan bishops or synods, for limited, renewable terms. Some ecclesiastical courts also have ad hoc ecclesiastical judges or ecclesiastical judicial assessors. Ecclesiastical courts also have court clerks, ecclesiastical investigating and prosecuting bodies, and ecclesiastical defenders.
Zădărnicirea combaterii bolilor, contaminarea venerică și transmiterea sindromului imunodeficitar dobândit – SIDA. O singură faptă, trei infracțiuni?
Authors:   Facultatea de Drept, Universitatea din București, VÎLCEANU Ionuț-Daniel
Published: January 2025

The article analyzes the issue of concurrence of offenses, real or formal (ideal), between the crimes of thwarting the fight against diseases, venereal contamination and the transmission of AIDS. The justification of the approach starts from the elements that differentiate the three crimes from each other, more exactly the notions of infectious disease and venereal disease. In the context where the main criterion for differentiation between the three crimes is the classification of the transmitted disease in one of these categories, the hypothesis of retaining the concurrence of offenses in the case of transmission of the HIV virus (the virus that causes a disease that can be classified simultaneously in the category of infectious and venereal diseases). The article analyzes, at the same time, the shortcomings of the incriminating law texts and questions the legislator's options regarding the nonincrimination, respectively the incrimination of certain behaviors. At the same time, this article analyzes possible alternatives to the content of the charges so that the doubt is removed
Pe puntea dintre lipsa unei reglementări edificatoare și imaginație juridică - argumente în sensul posibilității reținerii în sarcina persoanei juridice a unei infracțiuni contra libertății și integrității sexuale
Authors:   Facultatea de Drept, Universitatea din București, VÎLCEANU Ionuț-Daniel
Published: January 2025

Over time, particularly in the last 20 years, there has been a growing focus on the criminal liability of legal persons. It is a reality that, at present, the possibility of holding a legal person criminally liable for any crime is recognized, at least in theory. The Romanian Penal Code establishes a general criminal liability for legal persons, leaving it to the judge's discretion to determine whether a particular crime can be attributed to it as a perpetrator, co-perpetrator, accomplice, or instigator. In this paper, we will attempt to identify the arguments that can be used to justify the possibility of holding a legal person liable for a crime against sexual freedom and integrity. Thus, we will analyze, in turn, the attribution of the status of a participant, and subsequently, we will analyze the possibility of attributing perpetration or co-perpetration of crimes against sexual freedom and integrity to a legal person.
Modelling and Evaluation of Work Zone Queues: Istanbul Case Study
Authors:   Department of Civil Engineering, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkiye, Gokasar Ilgin , Aytekin Kaan ,   Department of Civil Engineering, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkiye
Published: January 2025

Road/lane closures due to maintenance works adversely affect the traffic conditions, causing delays in the various locations of the whole network. In Istanbul, Metropolitan Municipality charge the companies for the planned closure of the highways for a given time interval using simple spreadsheet calculations. These calculations include assumed capacity and speed values for each type of highway. In this paper, it is aimed to establish a methodology for the work zone evaluation that considers seasonality in demand and spatiotemporal variability in the flow and capacity. This goal will be achieved by observing and assessing the characteristics of İstanbul roadways and work zone areas. After the assessment, a traffic microsimulation software, namely PARAMICS, was used to simulate various road and work zone combinations to produce traffic data, including queue length, waiting times, vehicle speeds, flow and density of work zone section. Various machine-learning models were developed and their performance on test data will be analyzed. The selected model was used as a sub-model to estimate the expected delays, speeds and accelerations on different road types, different demands and lane closure combinations. A second sub-model used the delay, speed and acceleration values to estimate the total excess user cost due to road closure with determined delay-cost parameters.
The Leiden Stroop-like Stress Task: A Tool to Reveal Challenge-Threat Dynamics Using Graded Stress Induction
Authors: Yan Jin , Bultinck Frenn , Meng Liwen , Scheepers Daan , van Steenbergen Henk
Published: January 2025

Stress evokes a complex repertoire of psychological and physiological responses associated with the appraisal of challenge or threat. This paper introduces the Leiden Stroop-like Stress Task (LSST), a paradigm designed to induce progressively increasing levels of stress and related changes in challenge-threat dynamics by manipulating time pressure (task difficulty), ability to achieve the task goal (uncontrollability), and negative feedback (social-evaluative threat) throughout four 10-minute blocks. Fifty-four healthy adults (63% female; mean age = 21 ± 3 years) completed the LSST, with repeated assessments of subjective stress and challenge-threat appraisal, and continuous cardiovascular recordings. Results confirmed the LSST’s effectiveness in eliciting progressive increases in subjective stress and sympathetic activation, reflected in heart rate, blood pressure, and pre-ejection period changes. On average, challenge-threat appraisals remained on the challenge side of the bipolar continuum, while physiological indicators suggested increases in relative threat as indicated by increased total peripheral resistance. Exploratory within-subject correlations revealed alignment between subjective stress and sympathetic activation, whereas challenge-threat appraisal demonstrated quadratic relationships with psychological and physiological measures. Latent class analysis of challenge-threat appraisal scores revealed three subgroups: non-responders, progressive challengers, and biphasic responders. These subgroups also showed distinct psychological but not physiological trajectories. Our findings demonstrate that the LSST enables the graded induction of stress and effectively captures challenge-threat dynamics across psychological and physiological levels. We discuss the potential of this paradigm to provide insights into individual differences and interventions aimed at increasing stress resilience.
Topic Driven Text Summarization with Defragmentation using LLMs
Authors: Shah Shalin , Chandrasekaran Dhiyaneshwar , Ryali Srikanth , Venkatesh Ramasubbu
Published: January 2025

Text summarization is an important problem in natural language processing. Summarization of large, complex documents has applications in many domains, such as finance (10K reports, earnings transcripts), customer reviews, healthcare (doctor notes, aggregate patient information), legal and compliance (contracts, court rulings), and academia (scholarly articles, textbooks). A summary can help an investor make better decisions quickly. However, naive summarization of complex documents can be incomplete and may omit important topics from the summary. Unlike documents such as 10k reports, which are required by regulatory compliance to follow a certain reporting structure, most other documents such as earnings transcripts, ESG disclosures, messaging, customer feedback, real-time news, social media posts and meeting notes are not formally organized and may lack standardization. This is where this method can be very helpful. The proposed solution in this paper is to first extract a table of contents (TOC) which is just a list of important topics present in the document, and then do retrieval augmented generation to extract relevant pieces of text from the original document for generating a summary. This approach works well, but since a TOC is used, there is risk of text fragmentation i.e. the text might not flow smoothly, and there might be abrupt discontinuities in the generated summary, affecting readability. To solve this problem, we extract the TOC, but with each entry topic in the TOC, we extract questions to be answered for the entry and a description generated from the entire document. We also generate high level objectives of the complex documentgenerated from the entire document. We input the objectives, the TOC entry and the questions and descriptions to the LLM to generate a topic summary, and then synthesize the entire summary from the section summaries. This significantly reduces fragmentation and makes the summary very readable with a smooth flow. Also, our method can give structure to the documents, especially in documents which don’t have a natural topic based structure, like earnings transcripts and news. Furthermore, our method can generate a summary based on a set of topics inputted to the method resulting in a customized summarization of the document. Results show that the proposed method has superior performance over chain of density summarization on the rouge scores, LLM based evaluation, BertScore and embeddings based evaluation. Of the 250 measurements, our method performs better on 72.8% of them. In the illustrations 4 and 5, we show that the COD summary focuses mostly on financial performance while TDS summary is more comprehensive. We also generate knowledge graphs of both summaries. Also, we wanted to see if the method scales for very large documents. We applied it to a 750 page Fannie-Mae servicing guide and the results are encouraging.
Beach Revolution: The Future of Coastal Areas Through Year-Round Sports Activities (Japanese)
Authors: Shinohara Hajime
Published: January 2025

This paper proposes a new beach utilization model centered on beach sports to achieve sustainable local communities. Focusing on the diversity and growth potential of beach sports, we address the challenges facing Japanese beaches: seasonal concentration of use, environmental issues, and aging society. By redefining beaches as year-round activity spaces, we aim to promote their continuous utilization and regional revitalization through year-round event planning and all-season facility development. The model aims to create multifaceted value through developing and promoting programs for the elderly, environmental education, and strengthening disaster prevention functions. This vision is expected to generate diverse benefits, including revitalization of the tourism industry, reduction in healthcare costs, enhanced environmental awareness, and community building, creating new appeal for Japan's coastal regions. It enables the construction of a sustainable social model that can be enjoyed across generations.This paper received an Honorable Mention Award in the 50th Anniversary Research Paper Competition organized by the Japan Marina and Beach Association.
Allostatic Load and Depression Symptoms in Cancer Survivors A National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Study
Authors: Petrova Dafina , Garcia-Retamero Rocio , Redondo-Sanchez Daniel , Catena Andrés , Sánchez María José
Published: January 2025

Background Individuals with cancer often experience stress throughout the cancer trajectory and have a high risk of experiencing depression.Objective The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between allostatic load (AL), a measure of cumulative stress-related physiologic dysregulation of different body systems, and symptoms of depression in cancer survivors.Methods Participants were 294 adult cancer survivors from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2007-2018). Allostatic load was measured using 14 indicators representing cardiometabolic risk, glucose metabolism, cardiopulmonary functioning, parasympathetic functioning, and inflammation. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The relationship between AL and depressive symptoms was investigated using multiple regression adjusted for diverse sociodemographic and diagnosis variables.Results Higher AL was associated with higher depressive symptom scores. The higher risk of depression was concentrated among those survivors in the highest AL quartile, with 21% (95% confidence interval, 11%-32%) of survivors presenting a high risk of depression compared with 8% to 11% of survivors in the lower quartiles. In exploratory analyses, the relationship between AL and depressive symptoms was only significant among survivors with a lower income. In contrast, in survivors in the highest income group, depressive symptoms were lower and unrelated to AL.Conclusion High AL is associated with more depressive symptoms among cancer survivors.Implications for Practice Nurses have an important role in identifying psychological distress in cancer patients and survivors. Further research is needed to investigate the usefulness of AL as a marker in the context of cancer follow-up care and screening for psychological distress.
SUBTYPING SCHIZOPHRENIA VIA MACHINE LEARNING BY USING STRUCTURAL NEUROIMAGING
Authors: Gonul Ali Saffet , Candemir Cemre , Thompson Paul
Published: January 2025

Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous disorder with diverse clinical presentations and neuroanatomical alterations. Despite recent advances, we still lack a working hypothesis for the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. One reason might be the heterogeneous neuroanatomy of the patients. Data-driven approaches leveraging structural neuroimaging and machine learning have emerged as transformative tools for unraveling this enigma. Recent studies employing clustering techniques have identified robust neuroanatomical subtypes independent of traditional symptom-based frameworks. These data-driven methods reveal distinct cortical and subcortical patterns, aligning with disease progression variations, cognitive function, and treatment outcomes. Novel trajectory-based models suggest that schizophrenia may originate from distinct neuroanatomical regions and follow divergent paths of progression, emphasizing the importance of understanding these patterns in the context of disease staging. These findings provide a foundation for improving diagnostic precision, understanding disease mechanisms, and tailoring interventions. However, further validation with longitudinal data and methodological standardization are necessary to translate these insights into clinical practice and develop personalized treatment approaches.
Can’t Hold any More! A Large Survey on Cycling Subjective Experience at the Limit of Effort
Authors: Pérez Díaz Juan José , Benítez Isabel , Salas-Montoro José-Antonio , Zabala Mikel , Sanabria Daniel
Published: January 2025

Cycling challenges athletes to their physiological and psychological limits, often culminating in task failure: an abrupt reduction in intensity or cessation of effort. While physiological mechanisms such as metabolic acidosis and oxygen supply have been widely studied, less is known about the subjective experience associated with task failure. In this study, a survey of 2,818 licensed cyclists provided novel insights into the subjective dimensions of task failure. Participants reported that physical sensations, especially breathing and muscle pain, were the most prominent cues at the limit of effort. Notably, 60.5% indicated they do not always reach their maximum perceived effort before task failure, suggesting a significant psychological component. Age, experience, and the use of feedback tools like powermeters influenced whether task failure was perceived as voluntary or involuntary. Cyclists in higher age categories more frequently perceived reaching their limits as voluntary, while younger or less experienced athletes reported involuntary task failure. Furthermore, strategies such as self-motivation, focusing on goals, and regulating breathing were commonly employed to sustain performance. Altered time perception during maximum effort was also a notable finding, with most cyclists perceiving time as passing more slowly. These results underline the multifactorial nature of task failure, involving complex interactions between physiological, psychological, and perceptual factors. Understanding these dynamics could inform targeted training approaches, enabling athletes to better manage effort and delay task failure, thereby optimizing performance.
The role of (observed) gaze behaviour in identity recognition
Authors: Peterson Lindsay , Clifford Colin , Palmer Colin
Published: January 2025

Recognising familiar people is an important function of the human visual system that supports daily social interactions. In addition to static visual cues (e.g., face shape and texture), biological motion cues such as idiosyncratic facial motion and gait contribute to identity recognition. Surprisingly, recent research has indicated an individuals’ eye movements exhibit idiosyncratic patterns that contain identifiable information, though it is largely unknown to what extent human observers exploit this information. The current study measures sensitivity of human observers to idiosyncratic gaze behaviours when identifying familiar faces. In two experiments, participants familiarised themselves with faces that were generated from 3D scans of human heads. As participants examined each face, the face’s eye movements were animated using eye-tracking data from real observers such that the face appeared to be looking around the room. Participants were then tested on how much had been learned about each identity’s gaze behaviours. In Experiment 1 (N = 40), we found a small but significant effect of gaze behaviour in spontaneously biasing the perceived facial identity even when other visual cues to facial identity were available. In Experiment 2, participants (N = 51) were sensitive at discriminating the identity of a face based purely on its eye movements after explicit instructions to rely on gaze behaviour to distinguish different individuals. Our results demonstrate an individual’s dynamic gaze behaviours can inform how others recognise them, expanding current understanding of the visual cues that contribute to identity recognition and the sensitivity of human observers to others’ attentional behaviour.
Attitudes towards virtual reality usage in exposure treatment: Data from German practitioners and how a demonstration changes them
Authors: Badeja Daniel , Schier Florian , McGinity Matthew , Hoyer Jürgen
Published: January 2025

Background. Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is well applicable within the framework of cognitive-behavioral anxiety treatment, yet its acceptance and implementation in psychotherapeutic practice remain unclear. This study assessed VRET-related attitudes among German psychotherapists and the impact of a brief demonstration on their intention to use VRET.Methods. The study involved an online survey (N = 140) and an optional on-site scenario demonstration (n = 45). Self-reported attitudes, experience rates, and usage intention were assessed. Predictors of usage intention were identified via hierarchical multiple regression. A linear mixed model estimated the demonstration’s effect on usage intention.Results. Only 7.9 % of participants reported at least occasional VR use in practice. A majority (78.7 %) indicated a generally positive attitude toward VRET. While 77.9 % participants could imagine integrating VRET into their work, only 20.0 % reported intending to do so in the next year. Usage intention was predicted by performance expectancy and facilitating conditions, increasing significantly (d = 1.50) from screening to post-demonstration.Conclusion. Despite their interest in VR, VRET implementation among German psychotherapists’ remains low. The substantial impact of hands-on demonstrations indicates the potential of experiential education programs in promoting early-stage dissemination.
A Study Protocol in Government-Sponsored and Self-Sponsored Insurees' Satisfaction with the Health Insurance Programme in Nepal: A qualitative study
Authors: Acharya Devaraj , Raikhola Pushkar Singh , Pathak Krishna Prasad , Subedi Kusum Raj , Bhattarai Radha , Mandal Anil , Khanal Shanti P.
Published: January 2025

The Government of Nepal has introduced health insurance programme (HIP) in Nepal since 2016 due to the aspiration of the constitution and international commitment to ensure universal health coverage by 2030. Almost five years has been completed of the HIP, but people's participation remains low where dropout rate seems high. We could not find any relevant study on behalf of insurees satisfaction. Therefore, the study explores the satisfaction of self and government-sponsored health insurance, applying qualitative research design. The study will be observed by interpretivist worldview to interpret the situation using in-depth interviews [IDI] and focus group discussion [FGD]. The study primarily guided by the theories of satisfactions. Informants will be selected purposively from all provinces covering both rural and urban areas. Tentatively 32 (28 IDI and 4 FGD) samples will be taken covering both self and government-sponsored insurees. However, the samples will be added based on data saturation. Thematic analysis will be made to interpret the data. Ethical approval will be obtained from the Nepal Health Research Council, and permission will be taken from concerned authority and informants. The proposed research is expected to complete by January 2023, and tentative budget of the study will be NRs. 497,000. Two articles expected to publish from Nepjol indexing journal and impact factor journal after completing the research.
Understanding Long-Term Social Change in Rural Nepal, 1970-2010
Authors: Luintel Youba Raj
Published: January 2025

The sociological understanding of long-term social change has developed primarily along two streams of contesting arguments. While functionalists (such as Parsons, 1970) would understand it in terms of modernisation, for the Marxists and the political economists a historical understanding of the changing forms of class relations would reveal its true essence (Holton, 1985; 1981). Hence the debate continues as to what should constitute the central locus in a proper understanding of social change. To Norbert Elias, to have a true understanding of social change one should focus on “increased differentiation and integration,” as well as “decreased differentiation and integration” (Elias, 1994: 182ff), which together form the two main directions in the structural changes of societies. Sociological understandings of social change differ profoundly with other social sciences in their treatments of social change in the sense that sociology postulates social change of structural kind.
This paper explores dynamics in the capitalist market relations in Nepal’s agricultural sector and the resultant structural social change in Mahesh Khola, a village west of the capital city, Kathmandu. This paper unfolds how a process of transformation of the agricultural sector replicates a real development of the rural sector, resulting in social disruptions and widening social inequalities. I juxtapose such a long-term social change I discerned in Mahesh Khola with other studies of a similar kind, one in Thak village, closer to Pokhara (Macfarlane, 2001) and the other along the corridor or Siddhartha Highway, from Lumbini to Pokhara (Blaikie et al., 2002). In doing so, my emphasis will be on investigating how the society-market interface evolved in the dynamics of an agrarian society.
डायस्पोरिक सिद्धान्तको बैसिष्ट/प्रकृति अध्ययन
Authors: शर्मा विश्वम्भर कुमार
Published: January 2025

डायस्पोरिक भन्ने शब्द प्राचीन ग्रीसेली, ल्याटीन भाषाको शब्द हो । साहित्यमा डायस्पोरिक्ताको प्रयोग आफ्नो जन्मथलो या मातृभूमी छोडेर पराइ मुलुक वा स्थानमा बस्न बाध्य समुदाय, उसले व्यहोरेको परिवेश र चिन्तनबाट उत्पन्न मानसिकताको अभिव्यतिmलाई लिइन्छ । हरेक व्यक्तिको जीवनमा बाच्ने अभिष्ट हुन्छ, इच्छा, चाहना, अभिलाषा र बाध्यताहरु हुन्छन् । ती कुराहरुको आपुर्तिका निम्ति प्रयासरत, संघर्षरत घर न घाटका ती व्यक्तिहरुका अनिर्णयको स्थिति, संदिग्घता, भय, चिन्ता, असुरक्षा र त्रासपूर्ण जीवनको उदासिन्ता, निरासा आदि नै डायस्पोरा हो ।
Theoretical Assessment on Corporate Social Responsibility and Organizational Performance
Authors: Dwibedi Lalan
Published: January 2025

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and explores the theoretical and empirical literature on corporate social responsibility and organizational performance and to explore the understanding and practice of CSR theory. This study has tried to scan the all-available literature from various sources so as to obtain the objectives of the current research work. This paper follows the exploratory and analytical research approach to explore and analyses prior research work which was not only provides guidance but also throws light on the direction in which this research must proceed. In today’s scenario CSR is one of the major issues of new millennium across the world and the corporate as well as government. This study concluded that the societies where business is located occupy a central place in corporate culture affecting the firm performance thus necessary change in the internal organization structures, processes and behavior is essential. A theoretical and empirical review of CSR practices revealed a strong linkage between a firm’s CSR practices and its performance. This study can reinforce the CSR conceptual framework and may provide a new way for examining this relationship and CSR can be considered as a marketing tool for the companies.
Indigenous Knowledge for Disaster Risk Mitigation: Field Notes from Nepal’s Four Districts
Authors: Luintel Youba Raj
Published: January 2025

Nepal is a small but vastly mountainous and highly disaster-prone country. The country is exposed to multi-hazards. The field observation reveals that there exists a rich repertoire of indigenous knowledge for disaster risk mitigation in Nepal, which is neither incorporated in the modern education system nor recorded in any systematic manner. Still, such knowledge and practice continue to exist. Studies reveal that communities have a rich stock of knowledge on the way they design housing and settlement pattern that would best mitigate the risk of disaster. Communities also practice afforestation; agro-forestry; mixed and inter-cropping; and drywall fencing or bio fencing. They also build terraces and terrace walls; construct ponds; and consolidate riverbanks to avoid the risks of disasters. They learn this all from conventional knowledge and hand over to the next generation by way of practice. Drawing information from four districts of Nepal, this paper draws a policy conclusion that well before they disappear, the existing repertoire of the diverse forms of indigenous knowledge needs to be documented, and blended with science-based knowledge. This can also be logically concluded that Nepal can demonstrate in this sector by taking a lead.
‘सधैँ सधैँ मेरो सपनामा’ कवितामा ध्वनि
Authors: भट्टराई इन्द्रप्रसाद
Published: January 2025

यस लेखमा ध्वनि सिद्घान्तको मूलभूत सिद्धान्तलाई उल्लेख गरी विभिन्न साक्ष्यहरूको आधारमा कवि भूपि शेरचनद्वारा लिखित ‘सधैँ सधैँ मेरो सपनामा’ कविताको विश्लेषण गरिएको छ । यस कवितामा जीवन मूल्यको खोजमा नेपालीहरूले भोग्नु परेका युगीन जटिलता, अवमूल्यन र अमानवीयताप्रति ध्वन्यात्मक अर्थ एवम्, व्यङ्ग्यात्मक टिप्पणी कवितामा गरिएको छ । निरङ्कुश शासन र विकृत सामाजिक आर्थिक व्यवस्थाले सताइएका नेपाली जनताको चिररोदनका मझधाराबाट खोसिएका हक, अधिकार स्वतन्त्रता, सुशिक्षा र प्रजातान्त्रिक मूल्यका निम्ति क्रान्तिको आह्वान गरिएको प्रसङ्ग ध्वन्यात्मक रूपमा कवितामा व्यक्त भएको छ । त्यसपछि तत्कालीन शासन व्यवस्थाप्रति तीव्र आक्रोश र विद्रोहको स्वर व्यक्त भएको प्रसङ्ग ध्वन्यात्मक रूपमा अभिव्यञ्जित छ । कवितामा प्रतीकात्मक दृश्य विधान, व्यङ्ग्यात्मक भाव विम्वका कारण कवितामा पूर्वीय काव्यशास्त्रको ध्वनि सौन्दर्भ कलात्मक सफल रूपमा व्यक्त भएको देखिन्छ ।
संस्थागत विद्यालयको अवस्था : एक घटना अध्ययन
Authors: कोइराला मातृका प्रसाद
Published: January 2025

प्रस्तुत लेखमा संस्थागत विद्यालयको भौत्तिक, शैक्षिक व्यवस्थापन तथा शैक्षिक, मानविय, आर्थिक पक्ष र सह तथा अतिरिक्त व्रिmयाकलापको अवस्था अध्ययन गरिएको छ । विद्यालयका गतिविधि शिक्षा ऐन तथा नियमावली अनुसार भए नभएको र विद्यालयका सकारात्मक तथा सुधारात्मक पक्षको चर्चा गरिएको छ । विद्यालयको शैक्षिक व्यवस्थापन तथा शैक्षिक, मानवीय पक्ष सकारात्मक, भौतिक अवस्था सामान्य र आर्थिक पक्ष मध्यम रहेको छ । निरीक्षण तथा अनुगमन प्रभावकारी बनाउने, विद्यालयका अभिलेख व्यवस्थापन गर्ने र ऐन तथा नियमको पूर्ण पालना गर्नुपर्ने आवश्यकता छ ।
Exploring Factors Driving Consumer’s Purchase Intention Towards Electric Two-Wheelers
Authors: Pyakurel Biggyan , Thapa Bharat Singh , Nepal Surendra Raj
Published: January 2025

This study investigates the consumer purchase intentions towards electric two-wheelers in Kathmandu Valley. The research examines the roles of environmental concerns, perceived economic benefits, social influence, and charging infrastructure. Data were collected from 400 respondents through a structured questionnaire survey, and hierarchical multiple regression was used for the causal analysis. Results indicate that environmental concerns are a strong motivator for adopting e-bikes, highlighting the potential for leveraging environmental benefits in marketing strategies. Perceived economic benefits also play a crucial role, suggesting that financial incentives could enhance e-bike appeal. Social influence emerged as a powerful factor, indicating that endorsements from peers and social networks can significantly shape purchase intentions. Despite these positive influences, high initial costs and inadequate charging infrastructure remain significant barriers. The study suggests that addressing these barriers through targeted interventions such as subsidies, improved charging infrastructure, and public awareness campaigns, is essential for promoting e-bike adoption. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders to design strategies that support the transition to sustainable transportation, contributing to a cleaner environment and improved public health in Kathmandu Valley.
Investigating Productivity of Microfinance Institutions in Nepal: Evidence from Panel Data Approach
Authors: Hakuduwal Kishor , Nayabhari Prakash
Published: January 2025

The objective of the study is to analyze the factor affecting productivity of microfinance institutions in Nepal. The institutional characteristics (such as age, number of branches and number of staffs), outreach (such as number of active borrowers and average loan size), and efficiency (cost per loan) are taken as independent variables and productivity is taken as dependent variable. The productivity is measured by number of borrowers per staff. The microfinance institutions (established before 2016 AD) operating in Nepal are selected as sample through the convenience sampling method. Taking panel data from 21 microfinance institutions from 2016/17 AD to 2023/24 AD with 168 observations, Fixed Effect regression model is used. The study found that number of operation year, number of branch and number of active borrowers has positive significant impact on borrower per staff but number of staff, average loan size, and cost per loan has negative significant impact on productivity of Nepalese microfinance institutions. The study has important implications for the policy makers of Nepalese microfinance institutions to improve their productivity by utilizing their resources and making sound policy towards staff and borrower.
Educational Opportunity in Neoliberal Era: A Survey in Public and Institutional Schools of Nepal
Authors: Dahal Shobha Kumari
Published: January 2025

It is widely agreed that all children must be given equal opportunity of education. The ground reality, however, falls far short of this ideal, namely that children do not have the same or comparable opportunity of education. In this context, the objective of this study is to investigate to what extent educational opportunity is determined by type of school. This study discusses how neo liberal economic policies has differentiate the educational opportunity among the students of public and institutional schools in Nepal. The survey questionnaire developed through Delphi was used to collect data from 292 students of 8 schools (community and institutional). An independent t-test followed by G power analysis shows a significant difference of educational opportunity across student’s school types. Children from community schools do not enjoy the same educational opportunity as those in institutional schools. So, the major implication of this study is that the equitable distribution of resource generally is fundamental to ensure the equal educational opportunity of all children, studying in community and institutional schools alike.
Utjecaj različitih slušnih tehnoloških intervencija na kvalitetu glasa osoba s oštećenjem sluha
Authors: Šimić Ivana , Bonetti Ana , Bonetti Luka
Published: January 2025

Oštećenje sluha može negativno utjecati na perceptivne i akustičke parametre glasa poput fundamentalne frekvencije, intenziteta, visine formanata, rezonancije. Glas osoba s oštećenjem sluha obično je grub, asteničan i napet, kod nekih i nazalan. Osim toga, oštećenje sluha može rezultirati promjenama u morfološkoj strukturi grkljana i artikulacijskih organa. Ispitivanja kvalitete glasa različitim objektivnim (akustičke analize) i subjektivnim (perceptivne procjene) metodama nisu dala jednoznačan odgovor na pitanje koje tehnološko rješenje za pomoć u slušanju omogućava bolju slušnu povratnu spregu i time bolju kontrolu kvalitete glasa (unutar očekivanja za dob i spol), iako pokazuju tendenciju boljih rezultata procjena glasa kod osoba s kohlearnim implantatom, u usporedbi s osobama koje koriste klasična slušna pomagala. U ovom radu izloženi su neki audiološki, tehnološki ili metodološki razlozi heterogenosti rezultata ranijih istraživanja kojima se željelo naći odgovor na to pitanje.
Uloga receptivnog rječnika i sintakse u vještinama čitanja s razumijevanjem učenika s oštećenjem sluha
Authors: Hrastinski Iva
Published: January 2025

Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je ispitati povezanost receptivnih jezičnih vještina – rječnika i sintakse – s vještinom čitanja s razumijevanjem gluhih učenika, govornika hrvatskog jezika. Uzorak je obuhvatio 38 učenika (19 djevojčica i 19 dječaka) prosječne dobi 15 godina i 11 mjeseci, s prelingvalnim oštećenjem sluha. Receptivne jezične vještine procijenjene su standardiziranim testovima PPVT-III-HR (rječničke vještine) i TROG-2:HR (sintaktičke vještine). Vještine čitanja s razumijevanjem (ČSR) izmjerene su zadatcima osmišljenim za potrebe istraživanja, koji su uključivali dvadeset odlomaka s pratećim izravnim i neizravnim pitanjima nakon svakog. Analiza pokazuje jake pozitivne korelacije između receptivnog rječnika, receptivnih sintaktičkih vještina i ČSR-a. Višestruka regresijska analiza otkrila je da receptivni rječnik i sintaktičke vještine zajedno objašnjavaju visokih 48,6 % varijance ČSR-a, pri tomu je rječnik izdvojen kao jedini značajan prediktor. Rezultati naglašavaju važnost jezičnih vještina u razvoju čitanja s razumijevanjem gluhih učenika i pružaju uvid u lingvističke čimbenike, koji utječu na njihove čitalačke sposobnosti.
Procjena vještine žvakanja i gutanja ispitanika bez disfagije pomoću TOMASS testa
Authors: Brozović Blaženka , Nosić Anamarija , Pandža Topić Maja
Published: January 2025

Uredna žvačna sposobnost nužan je preduvjet uspješnoga gutanja i njena je procjena ključna za rano prepoznavanje odstupanja i planiranje terapije. Cilj rada bio je procijeniti inter i intraocjenjivačku pouzdanost mjerenja varijabli žvakanja i gutanja na TOMASS testu žvakanja i gutanja čvrstih zalogaja, na kojem se u stvarnome vremenu bilježi broj grizova, žvačnih ciklusa, činova gutanja i ukupno vrijeme konzumacije jednog krekera. Opažanje, mjerenje i bilježenje dinamičnih i ispreplićućih motoričkih radnji podložno je grešci mjerenja. Analizom pouzdanosti mjerenja ocjenjivača sa znanjima o disfagiji, ali bez iskustva u primjeni TOMASS testa, željelo se provjeriti je li mjerenje pouzdano čak i kada ga provodi ispitivač bez pripremnoga treninga. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 30 zdravih sudionika, bez disfagije. Procjene uživo provodio je jedan ocjenjivač, dok su tri ocjenjivača analizirala videozapise. Vrijednosti intraklasnog koeficijenta korelacije (ICC) pokazuju da je interocjenjivačka pouzdanost procjene na osnovi videozapisa izvrsna. Intraocjenjivačka procjena također je visokopouzdana. Kod procjene uživo ocjenjivač postiže izvrsnu razinu pouzdanosti za broj grizeva, žvačnih ciklusa i ukupno vrijeme, a umjerenu za činove gutanja. Na varijablama broj grizeva i vrijeme ocjenjivač je od samoga početka visokopouzdan. U početnome mjerenju žvačnih ciklusa ocjenjivač postiže umjerenu razinu pouzdanosti, no unutar 30 primjena TOMASS testa postiže izvrsnu razinu pouzdanosti. Činovi gutanja su najzahtjevniji za opažanje i za izvrsnu pouzdanost zahtijevaju više treninga ili je elevacija grkljana teža za opažanje, pa vizualna opservacija nije dostatna za postizanje izvrsne razine podudarnosti.
AI TECHNOLOGIES TO THE QUESTION OF THE "POLICY" OF LEGAL REGULATION AT THE PRESENT STAGE. ESSENTIAL AND INSTRUMENTAL FACTORS
Authors: Nataliya Onishchenko  , Oleksii Kostenko  , Dmytro Zhuravlov
Published: January 2025

The article examines the essential characteristics of rulemaking activity in the context of modern challenges and priorities, which is analyzed with due regard for the instrumental and essential typologizing elements. It is noted that one of the priority areas for the development of rulemaking at the present stage is to consider the “achievements” of the latest technologies related to artificial intelligence. It is emphasized that rulemaking at all levels should ensure human rights and freedoms (in particular, this refers to the improvement of veteran policy at the present stage, its forms, and methods).
Water-holding capacity of Ribes aureum leaves in the conditions of Karaganda region
Authors: Tleukenova S.U. , Gavrilkova E.A. , Zhanayeva M.B. , Madieva A.N.
Published: January 2025

Жеміс өсімдіктерін зерттеу және жергілікті климаттық жағдайларға төзімді түрлерді таңдау питомниктерді дамытудың маңызды міндеті болып табылады. Орталық Қазақстан жағдайында жеміс өсімдіктерінің шектеулі ассортименті бар, сондықтан, ең алдымен, құрғақ климатқа төзімді дақылдарды таңдау қажет. Перспективалы түрлер Ribes aureum болып табылады, ол тез өсуімен, топырақ жағдайына сәйкес келмеуімен және аурулар мен зиянкестерге төзімділігімен ерекшеленеді. Қарағанды қ. жағдайында вегетациялық кезең ішінде – мамырдан қыркүйекке дейін осы дақылдың су басуы мен су ұстау қабілетін бағалау бойынша зерттеулер жүргізілді. Нәтижелер Ribes aureum жапырақтарының суды ұстау қабілетінің максималды мәндері мамыр және маусым айларында байқалатынын көрсетті, бұл жапырақтардың жас болуына, олардың физиологиялық белсенділігіне және 2024 жылғы салқын және ылғалды ауа-райына байланысты. Шілде айында суды ұстау қабілеті төмендей бастайды, оны ыстық жағдайлармен түсіндіруге болады. Алайда, тамыз және қыркүйек айларында жауын-шашынның көптігі мен салқын ауа-райына байланысты суды ұстау қабілетінің жоғарылауы байқалады. Су режимінің көрсеткіштері мәдениеттің су тапшылығына жоғары тұрақтылығын көрсетеді.
Oat yield with organic fertilizer Guminatrin
Authors: Zharkova S.V. , Shevchuk N.I. , Sokolova L.V.
Published: January 2025

Currently, the oats are cultivated in almost all regions of Russia. The aim of our research is to study the formation of oat yield according to the application of growth stimulator Guminatrin under the conditions of Priobskaya zone of Altai Krai.The work was conducted on the basis of the training plots of Altai State Agricultural University in 2020–2021.The objects of research were oaks cultivars ‘Korifej’, ‘Pegas’, ‘Argument’, ‘Vektor’, ‘Rusich’. Working solution was prepared at the rate of 2 l of Guminatrin to 8 l of water. The consumption of working solution for treatment: seeds - 10 l per 1 t; plants by vegetation - 1.5-2 l per 1 ha.During the research the following records and observations: the yield structure, the yield of oats, the mass of 1000 seeds.The most responsive cultivarto the growth stimulant Guminatrin was ‘Rusich’. Pre-seeding treatment of seeds and then the plants by vegetating with the Guminatrin contributed to an increase in the yield structure elements of the investigated oats cultivars, and as a consequence resulted in an increase in yield compared to control by 0,38-0.65 t/ha.
Study of the distribution range of species оf the genus Adonis L.
Authors: Zhumagul M.Zh. , Myrzagaliyeva A.B. , Sarsembayeva A.Sh. , Imаnova E.M. , Zhuzzhan K.E. , Kydyrbaeva A.K.
Published: January 2025

The article presents data on the distribution of species of the genus Adonis L. in Kazakhstan. In order to further clarify the places of distribution and inventory of modern growth of species of the genus Adonis, the main herbarium fund of botanical organizations was studied. The conducted analyses show that the highest occurrence of species is noted in Almaty region.  To clarify the distribution in Kazakhstan and to compile the points of occurrence of species of the genus Adonis, 148 herbarium sheets (1843-2021) from Al-Farabi KazNU, Institute of Botany (AA), DAPO and KIR and digital herbarium of Moscow State University (MW) were reviewed and processed. Collections from 1843 are presented. The largest number of collections is from 1940-1972, and the main collectors are S.A. Arystangaliev, B. Bykov, N.V. Pavlov, and A.A. Ivashchenko. 148 actual places of growth for 8 Adonis species from the flora of Kazakhstan were identified: Adonis aestivalis L., Adonis apennina L. (Adonis sibirica Patr.ex Ledeb.), Adonis chrysocyathus Hook.f. & Thomson., Adonis parviflora Fisch., Adonis  tianschanica  (Adolf.) Lipsch., Adonis vernalis L., Adonis villosа Ledeb., Adonis volgensis Steven ex DC. Species diversity of Adonis L. is established in Dzungarian Alatau, Western Altai, Tarbagatai and Ile-Kungei Alatau, which are classified as rare and whose numbers are decreasing. Geographically, the most common are Adonis Adonis aestivalis L., Adonis parviflora Fisch. & Adonis  tianschanica  (Adolf.) Lipsch. The conducted research allowed systematizing, clarifying and supplementing information about species diversity and distribution of genus Adonis in the flora of Kazakhstan.