bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
«Organización judicial incompleta o “compilación de lo buenamente aplicable a las provincias de Ultramar” (1870-1875)»
Authors: Solla Sastre M.ª Julia
Published: February 2025

La norma más conocida de organización judicial de las provincias ultramarinas durante el Sexenio democrático es el Decreto orgánico de 25 de octubre de 1870, un trasunto de la Ley orgánica de tribunales peninsular, del que se suele sostener que tuvo una importancia relativa y escasa aplicación. Ciertamente, su vigencia estuvo constreñida a un periodo político muy corto y sus efectos fueron limitados. Sin embargo, si se estudia la normativa septembrina que acabó desembocando en dicho Decreto, así como las normas que culminaron en su desmantelamiento en 1875, se puede apreciar su relevancia y, a su través, el programa político para una justicia colonial que en su contexto y en la medida de lo posible se quiso ajustar aquende y allende los mares a la Constitución de 1869. La excepcionalidad del periodo revela el impulso de las reformas y el espíritu asimilacionista, pero también los contundentes límites políticos a que estuvieronsujetos. Este artículo aborda el plan metropolitano del Sexenio para reformar la justicia ultramarina, particularmente la trasposición de la inamovilidad judicial peninsular a las islas, y muestra las dificultades que la propia metrópoli planteó para su implantación. El objetivo es tratar de exponer la importancia y el impacto de un diseño judicial estatal que tiene que adaptarse a la singularidad política, jurídica y, por ende,judicial de unos territorios revestidos de especialidad.
Documentos novohispanos custodiados en la Universidad de California (Campus de Berkeley). Traducción del catálogo al castellano y breve glosa de algunos documentos
Authors: Torquemada María Jesús
Published: February 2025

El presente trabajo tiene como objeto dar a conocer con cierto detalle un repositorio de documentos inéditos que se gestaron en Méjico durante el periodo colonial. Esos expedientes se hallan custodiados actualmente en la biblioteca de la Universidad de California, campus de Berkeley, y son de notable importancia para acometer la investigación de los periodos durante los cuales muchos territorios de Norteamérica, Centroamérica y las Filipinas se hallaron bajo la tutela española. El repertorio se traduce delinglés al español y se glosan los principales documentos del mismo.
Extracto para la composición jurídica de la Historia
Authors: Álvarez Cora Enrique
Published: February 2025

Esta investigación desarrolla una epistemología para la historia jurídica analizando los conceptos de tiempo e historia, la estructura funcional del lenguaje de los objetos temporales y el problema de la formación de la convención jurídica, así como de la apertura y la mutación convencional.
THE MEDICINAL POTENTIAL OF ARNEBIA BENTHAMII IN WOUND HEALING FROM TRADITIONAL USES TO MODERN THERAPEUTICS.
Authors: Pradhan Pooja , Naquvi Kamran Javed , Kumar Neeraj
Published: February 2025

Arnebia benthamii, commonly known as Ratanjot, has been traditionally used in herbal medicine for its potent wound-healing properties. This review explores its medicinal potential, tracing its journey from traditional applications to modern therapeutics. Rich in bioactive compounds such as alkannins, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, A. benthamii exhibits antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties that accelerate wound healing. Traditional practices have long utilized its extracts for treating cuts, burns, and ulcers, often in the form of ointments or decoctions. Recent pharmacological studies provide scientific validation for these traditional claims, demonstrating the plant's ability to enhance fibroblast proliferation, collagen synthesis, and angiogenesis-key processes in tissue regeneration. Moreover, its antimicrobial activity against wound-associated pathogens underscores its potential as a natural alternative to synthetic antibiotics. Nanotechnology and drug delivery advances have further explored its integration into hydrogel dressings and biomaterials for enhanced wound care. Despite its promising therapeutic applications, challenges such as standardization, bioavailability, and clinical validation remain. Future research should focus on detailed mechanistic studies, clinical trials, and formulation development to harness its full potential in modern medicine. This review highlights A. benthamii as a valuable candidate for innovative wound care solutions, bridging the gap between traditional medicine and contemporary pharmacology.
AIM: ADDRESSING MENSTRUATION RELATED CHALLENGES FACED BY SCHOOL-GOING GIRLS
Authors: Khosla Anita
Published: February 2025

This project, titled “Addressing Menstruation related Challenges Faced by School-going Girls," focuses on the critical issue of menstrual health management (MHM) among adolescent girls and its impact on their education, well-being, and social participation. Menstruation, a natural biological process, remains surrounded by stigma, myths, and a lack of adequate resources, particularly in low- resource settings. These challenges often lead to significant barriers for school-going girls, including absenteeism, reduced academic performance, and diminished self-esteem.
Socio-Economic Condition, Challenges, and Problems Encountered by Fisherfolks in Marine Biodiversity Conservation and Protection in Pilar, Capiz
Authors: Obligar Philomel Innocent
Published: February 2025

The diversity and quantity of organisms found in the world’s oceans and seas is referred to as marine biodiversity. The abundance of life in the seas is huge since the earth was shielded by water to a degree of about 70%. Because people still rely on the resources of the Earth for their livelihood, health, and well-being, it is crucial to preserve marine biodiversity. Marine biodiversity is prized for its inherent value, ecological services it offers, and direct benefits to humans. The following goals guided the conduct of this study was to assess the socioeconomic standing of fisher folks of Pilar, Capiz, identify the difficulties that fisher folks encounter and, to identify the issues that fisher folks in Pilar Bay face when it comes to the preservation and conservation of biodiversity. Three hundred two (302) fisher folks participated in the researchers’ mixed-method study, which was conducted in seven coastal barangays of Pilar. A stratified sampling strategy was used to choose them. The tool used to get information from the respondents was a questionnaire. The findings were presented descriptively using the calculated frequency counts (f) and relative frequency or percentages (%). To ascertain the difficulties and issues respondents faced with biodiversity conservation and protection, the average age-weighted value or weighted mean was employed. According to the study’s findings, the majority of respondents were married men between the ages of 31 and 40 who had completed secondary school, had one to three family members, and made between Php 5001 and Php 7000 per month. The majority of respondents obtained their funds from lending individuals and institutions, lived in wooden-type homes, and fished in the deep open sea region for 6 to 9 hours every day using trawls as their fishing gear. They also used motorized boats that caught 30-41 kg of fish per day, representing roughly 16 different species. The respondents concurred that they are dealing with cultural, environmental, and economic difficulties. In addition to agreeing on environmental issues, the respondents firmly agreed that they have experienced human issues and governance with the conservation and protection of maritime biodiversity.
A Framework for scaling social entrepreneurship in Nigeria: Strategies for Creating Sustainable Social Impact
Authors: Otokiti Bisayo Oluwatosin , Igwe Abbey Ngochindo , Ewim Chikezie Paul-Mikki , Ibeh Augustine Ifeanyi
Published: February 2025

Social entrepreneurship plays a critical role in addressing socio-economic challenges in Nigeria, yet scaling these ventures remains a persistent challenge. This study proposes a comprehensive framework for scaling social entrepreneurship in Nigeria, emphasizing strategies that foster sustainable social impact. The framework integrates key elements such as innovative financing mechanisms, strategic partnerships, technology adoption, policy advocacy, and capacity-building initiatives. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining qualitative interviews with social entrepreneurs and quantitative analysis of scaling models from successful case studies. Findings highlight that access to funding remains a primary barrier, necessitating diversified financial instruments such as impact investing, blended finance, and social impact bonds. Strategic partnerships with government agencies, private sector actors, and international development organizations facilitate resource mobilization, policy influence, and market expansion. Additionally, technology-driven solutions, including digital platforms and data analytics, enhance operational efficiency, outreach, and impact measurement. The study further underscores the importance of policy support in creating an enabling environment for social enterprises to thrive. Recommendations include policy reforms that provide tax incentives, regulatory ease, and institutional support for social enterprises. Capacity-building programs, including leadership training, business development services, and mentorship initiatives, are also identified as crucial enablers for scaling social enterprises. The integration of local knowledge and community engagement ensures that social entrepreneurship interventions are culturally relevant, adaptable, and sustainable. This framework provides a roadmap for policymakers, investors, and social entrepreneurs to scale social enterprises effectively, maximizing their contribution to sustainable development. By leveraging innovative financing, fostering collaborations, and embracing technology, social enterprises in Nigeria can achieve large-scale, systemic change. Future research should explore sector-specific scaling strategies and evaluate the long-term impact of these interventions.
The Conceptual Relationship between Financial Disclosure and Corporate Risk Management: A New Paradigm for Regulatory Policy
Authors: Babalola Faith Ibukun , Kokogho Eseoghene , Odio Princess Eloho , Adeyanju Mary Oyenike , Nwokediegwu Zamathula Sikhakhane-
Published: February 2025

This paper explores the critical relationship between financial disclosure and corporate risk management, emphasizing the need for a new paradigm in regulatory policy to address emerging challenges. As corporations face increasing financial and non-financial risks, transparency in financial reporting has become essential to effective risk management. The paper reviews the theoretical foundations of financial disclosure and its influence on corporate risk management, focusing on how accurate and comprehensive disclosures contribute to better decision-making, risk identification, and mitigation strategies. It also examines the regulatory landscape and identifies gaps in current practices that hinder the effective integration of risk management into financial reporting. The paper proposes a new regulatory framework integrating financial and non-financial risk disclosures, encouraging greater transparency and accountability. It suggests reforms in policy and practice that would enhance corporate resilience, reduce risk exposure, and improve stakeholder trust. Finally, the paper recommends future research, policy reforms, and practices for companies and regulators to foster a more effective and cohesive financial disclosure and risk management approach.
A figyelemelterelő tényezők hatása a gyalogosok biztonságos átkelésére
Authors: Krizsik Nóra  , Dr. Sipos Tibor  , Dr. Berényi János
Published: February 2025

A gyalogosok és a járművezetők maximális figyelme elengedhetetlen a mindennapi biztonságos közlekedéshez. Ezt a figyelmet azonban negatívan befolyásolják az utazás során végzett másodlagos tevékenységek. Sok esetben a gyalogosok telefonálnak, üzenetet írnak vagy zenét hallgatnak gyaloglásuk mellett annak érdekében, hogy kihasználják utazásuk holtidejeit. Jelenleg nincs olyan szabályozás Magyarországon, amely tiltaná ezeket a tevékenységeket a gyalogosforgalomban. Kutatásunk célja volt a gyalogosok közlekedésében népszerű figyelemelterelő tényezők vizsgálata. Elsődleges kutatási célunk volt annak meghatározása, hogy ezek a figyelemelterelő tényezők milyen hatással vannak a gyalogosok figyelmére, forgalomra való odafigyelésére. Kutatásunkat jelzőtáblával szabályozott kijelölt gyalogos-átkelőhelyeken végeztük el. Vizsgálatainkhoz 4 budapesti helyszínt választottunk ki. Kutatásunk során a gyalogosok magatartását, forgalomra való figyelését videofelvételek segítségével elemeztük. Összességében eredményeink azt mutatják, hogy bár az eszközhasználat korlátozza a gyalogosok forgalomra irányuló figyelmét, a gyalogátkelőhelyek kialakítása nagyobb hatással van a gyalogosok közlekedési tudatosságára, mint a figyelemelterelő eszközök használata. Eredményeinket hasznosíthatónak tartjuk a balesetek és sérülések megelőzése érdekében végzett munkában.
Aprendizagem significativa: abordagens reflexivas e prática pedagógica nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental
Authors: Costa Lilian Pereira Franco , Abreu Rosângela Santana de , Furquim Lilian Maria de Melo , Couto Fabrine Alves , Lopes Ana Maria da Silva , Gondim Oneida Aparecida , Silva Marinalva Ferreira da , Alves Marilane Aparecida
Published: February 2025

O artigo aborda a aplicação da teoria da Aprendizagem Significativa de David Ausubel (1982) nas práticas pedagógicas dos anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental. O objetivo é compreender como as abordagens reflexivas podem ser integradas ao cotidiano escolar para promover uma aprendizagem contextualizada e de qualidade. A questão central para este estudo é: De que maneira o ensino escolar baseado na teoria da Aprendizagem Significativa pode facilitar a compreensão e a apreensão de conhecimentos pelos alunos dos anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental? Por meio de uma revisão de literatura e análise descritiva e qualitativa, o artigo busca demonstrar a eficácia das estratégias pedagógicas que valorizam a construção de significados, em oposição à simples memorização de conteúdos escolares. Desta forma, pretende-se oferecer insights valiosos para educadores que buscam aprimorar suas práticas didáticas, promovendo um ambiente de aprendizagem engajador e significativo para os estudantes.
The Complete Genome Sequences of 101 Species of Reptiles
Authors: Colston Timothy J. , Pirro Stacy , Pyron R. Alexander
Published: February 2025

We present the complete genome sequences of 101 species of reptiles (four testudines, one crocodilian and 96 squamates) including the complete genome of one type specimen. Illumina sequencing was performed on DNA extracted from wild-caught specimens. The reads were assembled using a de novo method followed by a finishing step. The raw and assembled data are publicly available via Genbank.
Prvi izvještaji, istraživanja polenanalitičkog i ugljenisanog makrobotaničkog materijala neolitskog naselja Okolište (centralna Bosna)
Authors: Kučan Dušanka , Wolters Steffen , Bittmann Felix
Published: February 2025

Nastanak i razvoj neolitskih kultura na bosanskom području zavisi od niza faktora prirodne sredine. Pored geografskog položaja znatnu ulogu igraju klima, zemljište, kao i razvitak flore i faune. Radi toga su, kod projekta Okolište od samog početka istraživanja uključene razne naučne discipline. Paralelno uz arheološke radove (2002-2005) izvršene su geološke, arheobotaničke, zoološke i geomagnetske prospekcije, sa namjerom da različitim naučnim metodama dopunimo sliku života neolitskog stanovništva lokaliteta Okolište.
Curricularização da extensão:
Authors: Carpes Patricia Pujol Goulart , Parolin Radael de Souza
Published: February 2025

A curricularização da extensão reflete inúmeras dificuldades e desafios a serem superados. Neste trabalho aborda-se esse processo, apresentando o caminho de implementação na Universidade Federal do Pampa (Unipampa), e mais especificamente no curso de Matemática Licenciatura. Ainda, explicita-se a estruturação no projeto pedagógico do curso, bem como a iniciação no primeiro semestre de curso no ano de 2023. Destacando os projetos/programas executados e, posteriormente, avaliando-os por meio de um questionário aos coordenadores e equipe executora a fim de discutir as perspectivas na formação acadêmico-profissional dos licenciandos. A maioria dos projetos criados potencializam a relação professor-aluno de forma que se destaca a mobilização dos conhecimentos próprios do professor pelos discentes. Também apresentam-se muitos desafios e oportunidades de superação, já que os projetos estão sendo executados pela primeira vez. Ainda, se reconhece o engajamento dos atores envolvidos, seja o público-alvo ou as lideranças das instituições/organizações parceiras ou mesmo os discentes. Por fim, a partir de uma avaliação crítica, os coordenadores de projetos de extensão direcionam perspectivas futuras para ações mais promissoras e efetivas junto à comunidade conforme o andamento.
Shape-Shifting Capital
Authors: González George
Published: February 2025

Shape-Shifting Capital: Spiritual Management, Critical Theory, and the Ethnographic Project is positioned at the intersection of anthropology, critical theory, and philosophy of religion. First, González explores the phenomena of “workplace spirituality” in a language that is accessible to a general readership. Taking contemporary trends in organizational management as a case study, he argues, by way of a detailed ethnographic study of practitioners of workplace spirituality, that the conceptual and institutional boundaries between religion, science, and capitalism are being redrawn by theologized management appropriations of tropes borrowed from creativity theory and quantum mechanics. Second, González makes a case for a critical anthropology of religion that combines existential concerns for biography and intentionality with poststructuralist concerns for power, arguing that the ways in which the personalization of metaphor bridges personal and social histories also helps bring about broader epistemic shifts in society. Finally, in a postsecular age in which capitalism itself is explicitly and confidently “spiritual,” González suggests that it is imperative to reorient our critical energies towards a present day evaluation of postmodern capitalism’s boundary-blurring. González further argues that the kind of “existential deconstruction” performed by what he calls “existential archeology” can serve the needs of any social criticism of neoliberal “religion” and corporate spirituality.
The Origins of Religious Violence
Authors: Gier Nicholas F.
Published: February 2025

Religiously motivated violence caused by the fusion of state and religion occurred in medieval Tibet and Bhutan and later in imperial Japan, but interfaith conflict also followed colonial incursions in India, Sri Lanka, and Burma. Before that time, there was a general premodern harmony among the resident religions of the latter countries, and only in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries did religiously motivated violence break out. While conflict caused by Hindu fundamentalists has been serious and widespread, a combination of medieval Tibetan Buddhists and modern Sri Lankan, Japanese, and Burmese Buddhists has caused the most violence among the Asian religions. However, the Chinese Taiping Christians have the world record for the number of religious killings by one single sect. A theoretical investigation reveals that specific aspects of the Abrahamic religions—an insistence on the purity of revelation, a deity who intervenes in history, but one who still is primarily transcendent—may be primary causes of religious conflict. Only one factor—a mystical monism not favored in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—was the basis of a distinctively Japanese Buddhist call for individuals to identify totally with the emperor and to wage war on behalf of a divine ruler. The Origins of Religious Violence: An Asian Perspective uses a methodological heuristic of premodern, modern, and constructive postmodern forms of thought to analyze causes and offer solutions to religious violence.
Usability Testing
Authors: Blakiston Rebecca
Published: February 2025

Do you want to improve the usability of your library website, but feel that it is too difficult, time-consuming, or expensive? In this book, you will learn that in-house usability testing on a budget is not only feasible, but it is practical, sustainable, and has the potential to lead to remarkable improvements of the content, design, and layout of your website.

Usability Testing: A Practical Guide for Librarians will teach you how to:

Make the case for usability testing

Define your audience and their goals

Select a usability testing method appropriate for your particular context

Plan for an in-house usability test

Conduct an effective in-house usability test

Analyze usability test results and make decisions based on those results

Create and implement a plan for ongoing, systematic usability testing

Step-by-step instructions, along with a myriad of examples, allow you to use this book as a practical guide, and adapt the techniques for your own context. Techniques are appropriate for libraries of all types, including academic, public, and special libraries.
Camerata
Authors: Wenk Arthur
Published: February 2025

Camerata: A Guide to Organizing and Directing Small Choruses distinguishes itself from all other works on choral conducting by starting at the very beginning—the conception and purpose of an ensemble—and continuing through all other aspects of rehearsing and organizing a chorus to performance and reception. Wenk offers basic information on getting started, recruiting singers, planning programs, rehearsing music, publicizing concerts, sharing responsibilities, financing the operation, knowing the law, and finally getting better. He also offers detailed suggestions for creating an executive group to manage the choir as well ideas for repertoire and programming.

In addition to a step-by-step guide, Camerata provides a wealth of supplementary material including a prospectus, a statement of goals and means, programs, organizational documents, a singer’s guide, documents for organizing a folksong competition, a list of websites for publishers and choral federations, and an annotated bibliography of works on choral conducting. Wenk also includes more than twenty original Christmas carols and carol arrangements for performance by your small chorus.

This work will be a valuable resource for anyone interested in starting a new choral organization or improving an existing ensemble. Although the book focuses on chamber choirs, Wenk’s practical suggestions, based on more than forty years of experience as a choral conductor, can be easily applied to any choral organization.
The World We Create
Authors: Beinecke Frances
Published: February 2025

Since the dawn of the modern environmental movement, Frances Beinecke has been on its front lines, leading the charge for clean air, fresh water, healthy wildlife and fertile lands. As she prepares to retire as president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, The World We Create captures the story of her remarkable tenure as head of America’s leading environmental advocacy organization and lays out her vision for the future of the movement and the environmental challenges in the years ahead. This is the personal story of one of the few women ever to lead a national environmental organization in this country. It is a forward-leaning story that puts Beinecke at the table and on the ground with the emerging voices shaping the next generation of environmental stewardship and with the challenges they will inherit to confront issues such as climate change, fracking, nuclear power, the Keystone pipeline, and many others. Most important, The World We Create is a story of solutions, lighting the path forward to the kind of country, and the kind of world, we must leave to our children.
The Creole Affair
Authors: Downey Arthur T.
Published: February 2025

The Creole Affair is the story of the most successful slave rebellion in American history, and the effects of that rebellion on diplomacy, the domestic slave trade, and the definition of slavery itself. Held against their will aboard the Creole—a slave ship on its way from Richmond to New Orleans in 1841—the rebels seized control of the ship and changed course to the Bahamas. Because the Bahamas were subject to British rule of law, the slaves were eventually set free, and these American slaves' presence on foreign soil sparked one of America's most contentious diplomatic battles with the UK, the nation in control of those remote islands.

Though the rebellion appeared a success, the ensuing political battle between the United States and Britain that would lead the rivals to the brink of their third war, was just beginning. As such, The Creole Affair is just as importantly a story of diplomacy: of two extraordinary non-professional diplomats who cleverly resolved the tensions arising from this historic slave uprising that, had they been allowed to escalate, had the potential for catastrophe.
Losing Your Head
Authors: Civitarese Giuseppe
Published: February 2025

Losing Your Head: Abjection, Aesthetic Conflict, and Psychoanalytic Criticism looks at the subject of beheading in art as a trope of the destruction of the mind. This book discusses both psychoanalytic theory and art criticism. It addresses critics, readers, and spectators interested in the keys of interpretation that psychoanalysis can offer, and analysts who are curious to know if artists can help them refine the tools they use every day. It asks whether artists have something to say about the concepts of reverie and negative reverie or about change as aesthetic transformation, and about aesthetic experience as a paradigm of what is most true and most profound in analysis. Why write about beheading? Many art galleries feature paintings of heroines performing this cruel act: Delilah, Salome, Judith, Yael, and others. At the antithesis to this, there is another theme to be found in painting that consistently garners attention: namely, the so-called “Sacred Conversation,” in which the Madonna holds a small child in her lap and their gazes cross. The first scene depicts how a mind is destroyed, the second how it is born. Losing Your Head analyzes well-known artwork from classical literature, cinema, and contemporary art to enhance psychoanalytic understanding.
Broken Abacus?
Authors: Rosen Daniel , Bao Beibei
Published: February 2025

Until recently a lack of precision around China’s economic size was taken for granted but caused little lost sleep: room to expand and the pace of growth were self-evident, and everything beyond that was academic for most purposes. But today the pace and even direction of China’s growth is prone to volatility, and the nation is sizable enough to cause global disruption. This study reassesses China’s nominal economic size from the bottom up. It compares China’s practices with international standards and reviews the long-standing arguments about Chinese economic statistics to separate real concerns from distractions.
Historical Dictionary of Georgia
Authors: Mikaberidze Alexander
Published: February 2025

Situated in the breathtaking Caucasus Mountains between the Black and the Caspian Seas, the country of Georgia sits at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; it has gone through more turbulence and change in the last twenty five years—the casting off of the Soviet regime, a civil war, two ethno-territorial conflicts, economic collapse, corruption, government inefficiency, and massive emigration—than most countries go through in 250 years. This small nation's strategic location at the crossroads of different civilizations has been a curse as well as a blessing. Once a battlefield between the ancient empires and the Christian and Islamic worlds, today it is caught between its NATO aspirations and its location in Russia’s backyard. Yet, despite all challenges and hardships, this resilient and ancient country, with thousands of years of winemaking, three-thousand years of statehood, and almost two millennia of Christianity, continues to survive and thrive.

This book uses its chronology; glossary; introduction; appendixes; maps; bibliography; and over 900 hundred cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, events and institutions, as well as significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects to trace Georgia's history and predict its future. This historical dictionary is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Georgia.
Historical Dictionary of the Druzes
Authors: Swayd Samy
Published: February 2025

One of the most intriguing minority groups in the Middle East is now a thousand years old. It emerged in the city of Cairo, spread to what is today Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, and subsequently became known by outsiders as Druze (in Arabic, Durooz, meaning Druzes). Druzes have played a major role in the history of the Middle East and often been misunderstood by neighbors and outsiders because of their esoteric religious doctrine, the secretive nature that such a doctrine has instilled in them, and the variety of perspectives or divisions prevalent among members of the community.

This second edition of Historical Dictionary of the Druzes covers their history through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 1000 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Druzes.
Federated Defense in the Middle East
Authors: Hicks Kathleen H. ,   Jon B. Alterman
Published: February 2025

This study examines the potential for a “federated defense” approach to U.S. action in the Middle East, the constraints to closer military cooperation in the region, and specific capability areas that would benefit from federated defense. Stabilizing the Middle East requires continued attention and investment from the United States and its global allies and partners. Federated defense involves building partner capabilities in a way that shares the burden of providing security in a more effective and efficient manner. Federated defense would, over time, create partner capabilities that augment and complement U.S. capabilities. Doing so requires identifying discrete areas of cooperation between the United States and its allies and partners that would leverage partner capabilities in pursuing common security objectives.
Human Capital and the Future of the Gulf
Authors: Barnett Carolyn
Published: February 2025

Extensive efforts to develop human capital are under way in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere in the Gulf, and they are increasingly setting expectations for how people ought to behave socially and economically that are in tension with how they are expected to behave politically. The tensions created by governments’ conflicting aims can produce frustration, a sense of entitlement, or apathy among young people entering the labor force, each of which poses different potential political challenges for governments. Navigating this tension—or finding ways to create space for genuine innovation and risk taking within that constrained political context—will be among the most important strategic challenges for the region’s leaders and people in the next 10 years.
Beyond the Brink
Authors: Goodman Matthew P.
Published: February 2025

As the United States and China mark their 40th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations in 2019, the world’s most important bilateral relationship is increasingly defined by mistrust, competition, and uncertainty. After four decades of deepening economic integration, the talk in Washington today is about the extent to which the two economies will “decouple” over the years ahead. We drew on several different academic disciplines to help us model how an economic conflict between the United States and China could escalate and eventually de-escalate. Despite the challenges inherent in modelling economic conflict, our model was validated to a surprising extent by both our simulations and real-world developments. The project produced several findings that were both unexpected and relevant to policy, including that economic conflict is likely to be an enduring feature of the U.S.-China relationship for many years to come. Until perceptions of relative costs in the two countries shift, Washington and Beijing seem set on a path of continued escalation, no substantial trade deal, and at least partial decoupling of their economies. Reflecting on these findings, the report also provides recommendations for U.S. policymakers seeking to engage in successful economic bargaining with China.
Living on the Horns of Dilemmas
Authors: Litchka Peter R. , Polka Walter S. , Calzi Frank
Published: February 2025

This book is based on the professional experiences and research findings of Drs. Litchka, Polka, and Calzi who possess a combined total professional experience of over 100 years as educators in the United States, including over 75 years as public school administrators and over 30 years as chief school officers. The authors have also spent a combined 30 plus years in researching and roles, responsibilities, and stresses of school district leadership. They are committed to appropriately preparing current and aspiring leaders to survive and thrive as superintendents.

The authors know the topic of school leadership very well from both the practical “lived experiences” to the various theoretical research conceptual frameworks. This book reflects actual stories collected via their most recent research associated with school district leadership, decision-making, politics, and “living on the horns of dilemmas.”
Uke Can Do It Bundle
Authors: Tamberino Philip
Published: February 2025

Affordable, versatile, portable, and popular once again, the ukulele is an ideal instrument for lifelong music making that can also be an engaging component of school music programs. At the elementary or secondary level, students can use the ukulele to explore everything from music theory, improvisation, composition, and ear training, to repertoire that includes contemporary popular music. At a lesser expense than any other instrument which can do as much, the ukulele is perfect for breathing fresh air into any music program.

Uke Can Do It provides everything music educators need to develop a ukulele program in their school, including:

* A guide for first-time ukulele buyers

* Beginner instruction in how to play the ukulele

* Playlists of ukulele music by top performers

* Strategies for proposing and outfitting a ukulele program

* Classroom management tips

* Support for use with special learners

* Learning sequences in ukulele technique

* Ideas for classroom use and performance

* Scales and chord charts with fingering
Education Is Special for Everyone
Authors: Mulvey Janet , Cooper Bruce S. , Accurso Kathryn , Gagliardi Karen
Published: February 2025

Reform in education has focused mainly on development of new programs and procedures to increase the achievement of the student in the classroom. Teacher evaluations are now based on how students perform in their classrooms on yearly standardized tests. The advent of integrating students with special needs into the regular classroom has brought both benefits and concerns for average and above average students.

Special education in the United States has evolved from institutional and segregated environments to inclusion in the regular education classrooms. We examine how the practice has affected all students and question whether this change has created equal opportunity for those students without special education needs.

This book researches and reports on issues of current practice: e.g., teacher preparation, placement of students with special needs, implications for the average and above in the classroom and the financial costs driving placement decisions in the education system.

We examine the lowering of standards so all can pass tests, report on loss of engagement of students by middle school, and mourn the squandering of creativity to appease a mandate.

Sir Ken Robinson relates that, “Education is meant to take us into a future we cannot even grasp.” Yet we continue on a road that lowers our educational ranking internationally.

We recommend to provide services for all students, and take the system from its current state to one that provides a “Free and appropriate education for all!”
Naturalizing Digital Immigrants
Authors: Alaniz Katie , Wilson Dawn
Published: February 2025

Effective educational leadership entails continuously seeking and implementing innovative professional development opportunities for teachers and support staff. In today’s age of rapid technology expansion within educational settings, professional development targeting technology integration remains an area of tremendous need. This guidebook details the process of collegial coaching for technology integration within educational environments and is intended for use within a variety of settings, from primary classrooms through high schools to graduate educational leadership and instructional technology courses and beyond.
What I Learned and What I Learnt
Authors: Williams Concetta A. , Magras Lydia Brown
Published: February 2025

African Americans have viewed literacy as a key to upward mobility and freedom since before America’s Reconstruction Era. However, African American’s academic achievement continues to be plagued by the ever-widening achievement gap especially when their literacy skills are measured by standardized assessments that do not consider or value their culture, their experiences It is common to think that this is an issue in K-12 settings. However, research and practical experiences suggest that African American students’ achievement continues to be affected at the post-secondary level where they are likely to be taught by faculty who have limited experience with the nuances of Black English (or African American Vernacular English AAVE). This book steps into that gap by offering a resource for teaching speakers of AAVE at the post-secondary level.
Leading While Muslim
Authors: Almontaser Debbie
Published: February 2025

There has been a sizable amount of research on how 9/11 has had an impact on public school communities, including students, teachers, and parents of Muslim identity. There is however a lack of study on Muslim principals of public schools. This book examines the lived experiences of American Muslim principals who serve in public schools post-9/11 to determine whether global events, political discourse, and the media coverage of Islam and Muslims have affected their leadership and spirituality. Such a study is intended to help readers to gain an understanding of the adversities that American Muslim principals have experienced post-9/11 and how to address these adversities, particularly through decisions about educational policy and district leadership.
Breaking Down Silos for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)
Authors: Burrell Storms Stephanie L. , Donovan Sarah K. , Williams Theodora P.
Published: February 2025

Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) goals have traditionally been seen as either an effort to be managed by the administration, or as something a faculty member could choose--or not--to focus on. In the twenty-first century, EDI goals are increasingly front and center across disciplines as educators prepare students for success in a diverse world. It is in this milieu, that this book was written. Each chapter in this book is designed for use by instructors and administrators in higher education who believe that the goals of EDI should be integrated into the classroom experience. The chapters are grouped around five central themes that challenge the structure of a traditional classroom in order to promote goals related to EDI: faculty collaboration, creative approaches to faculty and student resistance to EDI goals, institution-wide initiatives, community engagement, and the use of first-person autobiography and storytelling in the classroom.
Reinventing Racism
Authors: Church Jonathan D.
Published: February 2025

The theory of white fragility is one of the most influential ideas to emerge in recent years on the topics of race, racism, and racial inequality. White fragility is defined as an unwillingness on the part of white people to engage in the difficult conversations necessary to address racial inequality. This “fragility” allegedly undermines the fight against racial inequality.

Despite its wide acclaim and rapid acceptance, the theory of white fragility has received no serious and sustained scrutiny. This book argues that the theory is flawed on numerous fronts. The theory functions as a divisive rhetorical device to shut down debate. It relies on the flawed premise of implicit bias. It posits a faulty way of understanding racism. It has serious methodological problems. It conflates objectivity and neutrality. It exploits narrative at the expense of facts. It distorts many of the ideas upon which the theory relies.

This book also offers a more constructive way to think about Whiteness, white privilege, and “white fragility,” pointing us to a more promising vision for addressing racial inequality.
Historical Dictionary of Guatemala
Authors: Fry Michael F.
Published: February 2025

Guatemala holds a dual image. For more than a century, travel writers, explorers, and movie producers have painted the country as an exotic place, a land of tropical forests and the home of the ancient and living Maya. Archaeological ruins, abandoned a millennium ago, have enhanced their depictions with a wistful, dreamy aura of bygone days of pagan splendor, and the unique colorful textiles of rural Maya today connect nostalgically with that distant past. Inspired by that vision, fascinated tourists have flocked there for the past six decades. Most have not been disappointed; it is a genuine facet of a complex land. Guatemala is also portrayed as a poor, violent, repressive country ruled by greedy tyrants with the support of an entrenched elite—the archetypal banana republic. The media and scholarly studies consistently confirm that fair assessment of the social, political, and economic reality.

The Historical Dictionary of Guatemala contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Guatemala.
Phytosome: A Novel Drug Delivery Approach in Herbal Medicine
Authors: Shabanpour Sakineh
Published: February 2025

Phytomedicine is known widely in novel drug delivery systems due to its herbal properties. Extracting the effective substance of plants and targeting the drug to the desired site is a challenging task. Many biologically active constituents are water soluble, which reduce their absorption and thus their bioavailability. Phytosome technology has solved this problem. Phytosomes, due to amphiphilic properties, can effectively absorb from a hydrophilic environment to a lipophilic environment such as a cell membrane and finally reach the blood circulation system. The increase in bioavailability also reduces the side effects of the drug. Due to the easy preparation of the bilayer vesicles and their potency, phytosomes have been comprehensively employed and confirmed by the scientific literature. In this chapter, phytosome technology, its structural components, its physicochemical properties, formulation techniques, approaches as well as advantages and disadvantages are discussed.
Sustainable Intensification: Agroecosystem and Plant Nutrient Management in a Changing Climate
Authors: Onwona-Hwesofour Asante Kwaku , Aduhene-Chinbuah Jeannette , Oppong Peprah Clement , Agyeman Kennedy , Frimpong Felix , Owusu Danquah Eric , Bam Ralph
Published: February 2025

This book chapter addresses the urgent need to shift from traditional practices to sustainable intensification, particularly in regions where environmental constraints and the impacts of climate change are pronounced. It provides an in-depth overview of sustainable intensification, focusing on its core principles to increase food production from existing farmland while minimizing environmental harm. Key aspects discussed include agroecosystem management, where the complex interactions between plants, soil, and microorganisms are explored, along with the critical role of soil biodiversity in maintaining ecosystem productivity. The chapter also emphasizes the importance of proper nutrient management, analyzing the effects of nutrient deficiency on plant health and productivity. It advocates for integrated nutrient management to optimize soil health and crop yields. Innovative practices such as breeding for nutrient use efficiency, crop rotation, intercropping, and advanced technologies like precision agriculture are also highlighted as vital strategies for sustainable intensification. Moreover, the chapter underscores the necessity of supportive policy frameworks and community engagement in promoting sustainable agricultural practices. The importance of sustainable intensification in ensuring food security and economic stability has been thoroughly discussed, offering practical recommendations for stakeholders to foster resilient and sustainable agroecosystems in the face of climate change.
Toll-Like Receptors as a New Era in Cancer Therapy
Authors: AW. Almorish Mohammed , A. Alyahawi Ali
Published: February 2025

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are crucial in immune response by detecting pathogen and host molecules, connecting innate and adaptive immunity. They trigger the expression of various proteins and kinases, leading to the production of inflammatory mediators. Research suggests TLRs are potential targets for treating inflammation-related diseases, autoimmune diseases, infections, and cancers, with TLR antagonists showing efficacy in pre-clinical and clinical settings. The modulation of immune responses by TLRs has led to their consideration as targets for cancer therapy, showing protective effects against different cancer types. This chapter discusses the potential of TLR-based therapies in cancer treatment, including both established and emerging discoveries.
A Comprehensive Review of Massive MIMO Systems: Key Technologies, Challenges, and Future Directions
Authors: Kalra Bhawna , Sharma M.M. , Jaiverdhan
Published: February 2025

The chapter provides a detailed examination of massive MIMO systems in wireless communications, focusing on the key benefits and challenges. It begins with an information-theoretic analysis, highlighting how the use of a large number of antennas in base stations can significantly improve spectral and energy efficiency. Practical challenges, such as channel estimation, detection, and precoding, are also addressed, with special emphasis on the issue of pilot contamination, caused by non-orthogonal pilot sequences from neighboring cells. Furthermore, this chapter evaluates the energy efficiency of massive MIMO systems and explores how the increased degrees of freedom can enhance single-carrier transmission efficiency. Finally, it explores both the challenges and opportunities that arise in the deployment of massive MIMO for future wireless communication systems. This chapter serves as a valuable resource for researchers and professionals interested in the advancements of wireless/mobile technologies toward 6G.