bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EFFECTIVENESS OF EICHHORNIA CRASSIPES IN THE TREATMENT OF AQUACULTURE EFFLUENT FROM A FISH FARM IN BENIN CITY, NIGERIA
Authors: Eribo O. , Odali A.
Published: October 2021

Aquaculture production has seen much increase in Nigeria in recent times due to the rise in fish farming occasioned by the availability of water and materials for setting up, the profit turn-over, increase in demand for fish, and the effort to curb the rising youth unemployment rate. However, this massive surge of interest in aquaculture and fish farming is accompanied by the challenge of pollution as the effluent from aquacultural settings gets discharged into nearby water bodies hence the need for remediation. Aquatic plants have been used to remediate polluted water bodies and possess many advantages over other methods. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Eichhornia crassipes in the clean-up of aquaculture effluent. Wastewater collected from a commercial fish pond in Benin City, Nigeria, were divided into two treatment groups. One group was diluted with an equal volume of distilled water (50%), and the other group consisted of 100% wastewater. Distilled water was used as a control (0%). The samples were treated with Eichhornia crassipes for 14 days, following which samples were collected for physicochemical analysis. The result showed that E. crassipes reduced significantly the pH from 7.44 to 5.98 and 7.28 to 6.10 in the 50% and 100% effluent samples, respectively. The removal efficiency of E. crassipes in the 100% effluent sample was 69% for phosphate, and 94% for nitrate. The study suggests that E. crassipes may be effective in improving the quality of aquaculture wastewater.
Preliminary results of the cohort study of cognitive impairment associated with Parkinson’s disease
Authors:   Diomid Gherman Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Republic of Moldova, Rotaru Lila
Published: October 2021

Background: Cognitive impairment (CI) is frequent in Parkinson’s disease (PD). CI patients have particular features. These are preliminary data of a cohort study of Moldovan patients with incident Parkinson’s disease. Material and methods: 65 out of 111 consecutive PD patients (mean age 64.87 ± 7.69 y.o.; disease duration 50.21 ± 38.61 mo.; 48 women (43.2%), 63 men (56.8%)) underwent Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test. Cognitive status graded as: (1) normal and (2) impaired cognition. Results: There were similar: ages (65.79 ± 7.13 vs 62.17 ± 12.21 y.o.), onset ages (61.44 ± 7.61 vs 57.00 ± 12.95 years), disease duration (49.63 ± 36.78 vs 66.00 ± 26.48) months), levodopa (574.58 ± 129 vs 249.55) and agonists doses (5.19 ± 3.02 vs 1.05 ± 0.05) and Beck scores (8.13 ± 6.21 vs 7.4 ± 3.85), in groups. CI was present in 59 (90.8%) patients; more frequent in patients with cardiovascular risk factors (91.7%, p> 0.05), symmetrical Parkinsonism (93.2%, p> 0.05), and in first disease symptom bradykinesia patients (93.8%, p> 0.05). Upper / Lower Asymmetry Index were lower in CI patients, all lower type patients (p> 0.05) having CI. MoCA scores correlated with Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale in ON fase (UPDRSon), (r = -0.320, p <0.022), and red flags number (r = -0.590, p < 0.006). Conclusions: Cognitive impairment is more expectable in akinetic, symmetric and lower type Parkinsonism, also in patients with cardiovascular risk factors, with probable PD, and a more motor impairment.
The importance of matrix metalloproteinases in the prognosis of acute ischemic stroke patients
Authors:   Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republic of Moldova, Costru-Tasnic Elena , Gavriliuc Mihail ,   Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republic of Moldova, Manole Elena ,   Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republic of Moldova
Published: October 2021

Ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and disability worldwide. Numerous studies were performed to assess the risk of clinical deterioration of acute ischemic stroke patients, including the risk of haemorrhagic transformation. The complexity of cerebral ischemia pathology raised the possibility of a multitude of candidate-molecules to be studied as stroke biomarkers. The blood brain barrier integrity biomarkers have shown promising results both in fundamental and clinical studies. Matrix metalloproteinases have been extensively analysed and gave encouraging results for predicting unfavourable neurological outcome, including the risk for haemorrhagic transformation. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 plays a crucial role in the disruption of the blood-brain barrier following focal cerebral ischemic stroke. Elevated matrix metalloproteinase-2 levels are responsible for the degradation of tight junction proteins, basal lamina and neuronal injury after ischemia, and may contribute to infarction and hemorrhagic volume. The review provides an overview of matrix metalloproteinases’ role in the prognosis of acute ischemic stroke patients, regarding the stroke outcome and the risk of haemorrhagic transformation. Conclusions: Matrix metalloproteinases, especially gelatinases, are extensively studied for their predictive value in ischemic stroke evolution. Matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 correlate with stroke severity and haemorrhagic transformation in acute ischemic stroke, but large validation studies are needed for practical translation. Future studies should focus on developing a biomarker panel for predicting outcomes in stroke patients.
Laparoscopic resections in the treatment
of children with liver tumors: the first
experience
Authors: Riabov A. B. , Kubirov M. S. , Khizhnikov A. V. , Rykov M. Yu.
Published: October 2021

Relevance: Surgery is one of the main methods of
treating patients with liver neoplasms. At that, minimally invasive surgical techniques facilitate the course of the
postoperative period and rehabilitation.
The purpose of the study was the selection of optimal surgical treatment for children with liver tumors.
Results: In 2014-2020, five patients aged 3-9 years
with liver tumors underwent laparoscopic resection at
the Morozovskaya Children’s City Clinical Hospital (Moscow, Russia). Out of 3 patients with hepatoblastomas,
two patients had stage PRETEXT I, one – stage II. All patients underwent radical surgical treatment (R0); in one
child (4%), the resection volume was R1. The duration
of operations did not exceed 60 minutes; intraoperative
blood loss was within 10 ml/kg; no intraoperative complications were registered.
Conclusion: Laparoscopic techniques reduce surgery time and blood loss, prevent intraoperative and
postoperative complications, shorten the hospital stay,
decrease enteral and drug burden, and the need for chemotherapy. They also facilitate radical surgery and early
patient mobilization.
Analysis of cancer incidence structure in the Republic of Uzbekistan
Authors: TILLYASHAYKHOV M. N. , Djanklich S. M. , Ibragimov S. N. , Imamov O. A.
Published: October 2021

Relevance: Globocan reports 19.3 million new cases of malignant neoplasms in 2020 globally. Mammary gland cancer has
become the most commonly diagnosed oncological pathology, followed by lung, colon and rectum, prostate, and stomach
cancers. In Uzbekistan, malignant neoplasms of the breast, stomach, cervix, lungs, and brain dominate the structure of cancer
incidence.
The study aimed to analyze the cancer incidence trends and structure in the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2020.
Results: In 2020, 21976 new cancer cases were registered in Uzbekistan. The ratio of men and women newly diagnosed
with cancer was 0.7:1.4. Cancers of the breast, cervix, and ovary were the most common in women; cancers of the stomach,
lung, and prostate - in men. Hemoblastoses were more common at a young age, breast cancer – at working age, and stomach
cancer – at old age.
Conclusions: The statistical information analysis showed that in 2020 the cancers of the mammary gland, stomach, and
cervix were leading in the overall cancer structure, with significant differences in different age categories. This determines the
need for further improvement of cancer care in Uzbekistan.
Epidemiological aspects
of colorectal cancer in the world
and the Republic of Uzbekistan:
A literature review
Authors: Tillyashaykhov M. N. , Rakhimov O. A. , Adilkhodjayev A. A. , Djanklich S. M.
Published: October 2021

Relevance: GLOBOCAN 2019 reports that colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks third among mortality
causes and forth among the new diagnosed cases
in the world. CRC incidence is growing worldwide
and in the Republic of Uzbekistan. Thus, in the Republic of Uzbekistan CRC ranks fifth in the general
cancer structure and second in men.
The purpose of the study was to assess of global trends in CRC epidemiology and the CRC incidence in the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2018-2019.
Results: Global CRC incidence and mortality
trends varied by territory and level of economic development. Gender differences were also revealed:
CRC was more common in men (1.25:0.8).
Conclusions: An upward trend in CRC incidence revealed in the study of CRC oncoepidemiological situation in the Republic of Uzbekistan determines the need for further studies of territorial differences and the search for CRC occurrence
factors
Particularities of the evolution of the patients with tuberculosis associated with the pulmonary neoplastic process
Authors:   Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republic of Moldova, Lesnic Evelina , Malic Alina ,   Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republic of Moldova
Published: October 2021

Risk factors for pulmonary tuberculosis and pulmonary neoplastic process are interdependent. Antineoplastic treatment is a contributing factor in the reactivation of latent tuberculosis infection and the recurrence of pulmonary tuberculosis. The aim of the study was to evaluate the particularities of the evolution of patients with tuberculosis associated with pulmonary neoplastic process to identify recommendations for early detection of the neoplastic process. A retrospective, selective study was performed which included 105 patients distributed in the study group that included 50 cases with diagnosed pulmonary neoplatic process and the comparison group which consisted from 65 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis without current or previous neoplasia. Th e peculiarities of patients with associated neoplastic process was age over 55 years, urban residence, incomplete level of education, disadvantaged socio-economic peculiarities, immunosuppressive treatment (in one third of cases). Th e diagnosis of tuberculosis was established by the specialist, having a low rate of positive microbiological status and a wide range of clinical manifestations. Standardized antituberculosis treatment resulted in a low rate of therapeutic success. Conclusion: the standardized management of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis associated with the pulmonary neoplastic process led to the late detection of the neoplastic process and the completion of antituberculosis treatment with therapeutic success only in every second patient.
The essence, content and characteristics of medical services’ quality
Authors:   Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republic of Moldova, Etco Constantin
Published: October 2021

One of the priorities of the health care system in Moldova is the medical services’ quality improvement. Th is article presents various defi nitions for health care quality and the principles connected with quality improvement. An important part in this article is allocated to the structure and main principles of total quality management in the health care system. Th is part reveals the problems of the commissions that are studying the quality of medical services in healthcare establishments.
The science, art, and practice of management in medical institutions
Authors:   Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republic of Moldova, Etco Constantin
Published: October 2021

The article highlights the management of triple approach: as science, as practice and as art. Th ere are also exposed some features of the deployment management process in medical institutions, especially the management functions such as planning, organization, motivation and control. Also there are described a number of problems faced by medical institutions at present and off ered some solutions to solve them.
PERAN GURU SEBAGAI FASILITATOR DALAM PEMBELAJARAN IPA DI SEKOLAH DASAR
Authors: Sulistriani Sulistriani , Santoso Joko , Oktaviani Srikandi
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this study was to describe the teachers role as a facilitator in science learning in class III SDN 10 Metro Timur. This research is a qualitative research with a descriptive approach. This study uses data collection techniques of observation, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis used Millis and Hubberman analysis where the data collection steps were, data reduction, data display, and drawing conclusions. The results obtained from the teachers role as a facilitator in science learning in class III, obtained 34 events which included events in the pedagogical aspect, psychological aspect, and cognitive development aspect.
A Novel approach to develop Etodolac Emulgel with Alkaloidal Penetration Enhancer
Authors: Singh Adity , Ghosal Saurav S , Singh KM. Diksha S , Mishra Manoj , Kumar Maurya Jayant
Published: October 2021

The aim of present study is to development of novel formulation present unique challenge. The topical route has long been used for delivering drugs directly to the affected target site through the skin. Current approaches in design and optimization of topical formulation necessitate extensive decisions in choosing the right components for the formulation to achieve high safety clinical efficacy and patient compliance it was concluded that etodolac emulgel formula could be very promising topical alternative for the conventional dosages from provide sustained and prolonged delivery of drugs. The results of this research establish a new and useful approach in designing the oil phase of a formulation where the active ingredient needs to be dissolved in the oil phase and develop emulgel system. Additionally, the use of emulgels for topical delivery of hydrophobic drugs has been found to be better at achieving a higher drug concentration over a longer period of time across the skin barrier as compared to gels.
Synthesis of New Iron Nanoparticles derived from Beta Vulgaris Extract and its Bioactivity against Enterobacter cloacae, Anti-inflammatory and House Fly
Authors: Hameed Rasha Satam , Mohammad Manal Khalid , Ahmed Sundus Hameed , Al-Kharkhi Isam Hussain T.
Published: October 2021

Objective: This study aimed to synthesize a new iron nanoparticles derived from beta vulgaris extract and test its bioactivity against certain microbes. Materials and Methods: preparation of extract and the nanoparticles were done using certain procedures, while the Identification of Entero cloacae VITEK-2 ID-GN and AST-N 020 cards correspondingly applied for detection and susceptibility tests direct as of positive BacT/ALERT FA and FN blood cultures. Antibiotic susceptibility testing and anti bacterial as well as anti inflammatory activity, inhibition of protein denaturation and anti oxidant efficiency were achieved using AFM, UV-Visible and other instruments. Results: the presence of antioxidants, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory materials in nanoparticles were much more than in the extract. Conclusions: iron nanoparticles show much more activity against bacteria, oxidant and inflammatory agents.
Selectivity in the Formation of Straight-Chain Versus Cyclised products on Knoevenagel Condensation between Thiobarbituric acid and Naphthaldehydes
Authors: Haddad Abdullah , Fraser William
Published: October 2021

The prevalence of Clostridium difficile (CD) infection has grown rapidly due to resistance and the emergence of new, highly virulent strains of the organism that have become less sensitive to many antibiotics. Vancomycin and metronidazole are front-line treatments of CD infection that still show good efficacy, but their effectiveness has declined for the treatment of recurrent infection and less sensitive strains of CD. More recently, the macrolide antibiotic fidaxomicin been introduced in the treatment of CD infection. Its high cost and limited usefulness against recurrent infection has prompted the search for new, narrow spectrum agents. We identified the CD dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODase) as a potential enzyme target for the design of Knoevenagel products formed from reaction of 2-thiobarbituric acid and naphthaldehyde substrates. The presence of a hydroxyl substituent at position C2 in the naphthaldehyde ring offers the possibility to form the Knoevenagel product and to cyclize to give the tetracyclic, oxadeazaflavine with benzo-homologation. In this work, the selectivity for straight-chain formation over competing cyclisation on Knoevenagel condensation between thiobarbituric acid and naphthaldehyde substrates was examined. The outcomes of uncatalyzed condensations in refluxing ethanol were investigated by various methods including high field 1H and 13C NMR. Unsubstituted naphthaldehyde and its 2-methoxyl derivative favored straight-chain product formation whereas use of 2-hydroxynaphthaldehyde favored cyclisation and concomitant Michael addition of a second molecule of the corresponding acid to the newly formed exocyclic C=C bond. The pattern of reactivity was mirrored in the benzaldehyde series where the presence of the 2-hydroxyl function led to cyclized products with concomitant formation of the Michael adducts. The Knoevenagel products and the benzo-homologated oxadeazaflavine derivatives are candidates for evaluation as potential growth inhibitors of CD.
Biological Activity of Papain and Papain-like (Cathepsin-K and Cathepsin-B) Enzymes as Therapeutical Modality Candidates in Degrading Collagen in Abnormal Scar
Authors: Wihastyoko Herman Y. L. , Soeharto Setyawati , Widjajanto Edi , Kusworini Kusworini , Pardjianto Bambang
Published: October 2021

Aims: This study aims to identify the potential of papain as a candidate for the treatment modality for abnormal scars via in silico studies. Methods: We determined the potential mechanism of the process of collagen degradation by papain by investigating its cleavage site-specificity and identifying human papain-like enzymes that have comparable biological activity in degrading collagen in the extracellular matrix using Merops, Bioedit, String DB and Cytoscape software. Results: Papain targets QQ_D (Glutamine-Glutamine Aspartic acid) motif for degradation while collagen only has QQ (Glutamine-Glutamine) motif. Additionally, the homology result showed that Cathepsin B has a closer relationship with papain compared with another candidate, Cathepsin K. Conclusion: Papain is a potential therapeutical modality candidate in degrading collagen in abnormal scars with an indirect mechanism as indicated by its cleavage site-specificity and its relationship with Cathepsin B, which degrades collagen via ubiquitin (UBC) proteasome.
In silico designing of some Benzimidazole derivatives for Anti-fungal activity
Authors: Muralikrishnan Amrita , Nair Radhika R , Banu Jifitha , Pappachen Leena K
Published: October 2021

Fungus is a kind of living organism and yeast mould and mushrooms are types of fungi. The fungal infections are caused by the fungus. A fungus that invades the tissue can cause a disease that confined to the skin, spread into tissue, bone and organs or affect the whole body. Benzimidazole is a class of heterocyclic aromatic organic compound which posses pharmacological activities including antifungal, antitumor, antiparasitic, analgesic etc. Insilico methods can be used to identify target molecules using bioinformatics tool. The aim of our study was to conduct the insilico drug designing of some benzimidazole derivatives having antifungal activities. In our study the insilico drug design was performed using Biovia discovery studio.
Extraction, Purification, Characterization and In Vitro Antibacterial properties of Sulfated Polysaccharide Extracted using Sargassum sp.
Authors: V. Hemalatha , T. Silambarasan , R. Dhandapani
Published: October 2021

In the present study, Sulfated polysaccharides were extracted from macroalga Sargassum whitey collected from the Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu, India. The maximum yield of 1.95g sulfated polysaccharide was extracted from Sargassum whitey and 0.81mg/ml of purified sulfated polysaccharide was obtained through DEAE anion exchange chromatography. The purified form was characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) analyses. The in vitro biological properties such as antibacterial, antioxidants activity (DPPH, Hydroxyl & Superoxide anion) of sulfated polysaccharides were evaluated and the results showed that 45μg mL-1 concentration of sulfated polysaccharide exhibited good antibacterial inhibitory activity against all the tested pathogenic bacteria strains, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. The in vitro antioxidant activity also found to be significant, where the exhibited IC50 concentrations by the purified sulfated polysaccharide was 183.2µg/mL for DPPH, 204.2µg/mL for superoxide anion, and 163.8µg/mL for Hydroxyl scavenge free radicals activities.
A Review on Meropenem
Authors: Abed Mohsina , Yousuf Sara
Published: October 2021

Meropenem is a new Carbapenem antibacterial agent with wide spectrum of activity for intravenous administration. It is synthetic derivative of Thienamycin. Three analogues of Meropenem are evaluated and active against 18 bacterial strains. Meropenem causes rapid bacterial cell death by covalently binding to penicillin binding proteins (PBS). Structural modification at C-2 position, produced double promoiety prodrug of Meropenem and increases bioavailability of oral administration. Other forms of drug such as liposome and nanoparticles are also available with enhanced absorption. 14C labelled Meropenem prepared from 14C Dimethylamine hydrochloride is used for the analysis of M. tuberculosis transpeptidase. ICI213,689 is the only metabolite of Meropenem and it is inactive. Meropenem penetrates well into the body fluids and tissues including cerebrospinal fluid. Its bioavailability is 100% on intravenous administration. Hence it is used in the treatment of meningitis, febrile neutropenia, anthrax and various other skin and skin structure infections. Dosage reduction is required in patient with reduced renal function but not in hepatic impairment. Seizures, gastrointestinal haemorrhage are observed in patients. Vabmoere is the combination of Meropenem and Vaborbactam which is active against the Carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriacea. Meropenem is an effective broad-spectrum antibacterial drug for the treatment of wide range of infection including polymicrobial infection in both children and adult.
The Roles of Pharmacists in Cardiac Care units in Hospitals
Authors: Alissa Ibrahim , Alotaibi Abdullah , Aldossari Malak , Alhelal Hussein , Sreeharsha Nagaraja
Published: October 2021

Inpatients managed in cardiology units have shown high risks of encouraging drug-related adverse reactions. This is coupled with the influx of diuretics and cardioprotective drug mechanism. The support played by a clinical pharmacist in this context remains largely underscored cored. They play an essential role in supporting the overall pharmacological care for patients through clinical conditions evaluations and assessments. Further, it has been established that poor adherence to drug regimens is among the key exacerbating factors for heart failure occurrence. The need for conducting patient education process is essential in drug adherence process. This elevates the roles of clinical pharmacist in the care delivery through drug use optimization process, minimization of occurrence of adverse drug events and activities in the transitional care process with a key focus on medical reconciliation approaches in the care practice. This study has focused on systematic reviews, Meta-analysis and randomized controlled studies focusing on the pharmacist intervention in improving outcomes of cardiology patients in the hospital care settings. The results have demonstrated that their role can no longer be underestimated and play an important role in the care delivery process and reducing the overall drug-related complications in the care process.
Targeted Protein Degradation: Current Status and Future Prospects
Authors: Mukherjee Swarupananda , Giri Saumyakanti , Bera Sohini , Mukherjee Sharanya , Dey Shankha , Roy Niladri Sekhar
Published: October 2021

The protein degradation is a well-controlled, highly selective mechanism for intracellular protein degradation and its turnover. There are several proteins in our body but among them some goes for degradation at a time. Proteins which are going to be degraded are identified by a 76 amino acid polypeptide known as ubiquitin and the process is known as ubiquitination. Ubiquitation means the attachment of many ubiquitin molecules to the target protein molecule that need to be broken down. During the ubiquitination procedure iso peptide bonds are formed. And these iso peptide bonds are formed between the nitrogen molecule of the lysine residue from the target protein and the carbon molecule of the ubiquitin molecule. Through this endogenous ubiquitin-proteasome machinery, disease responsible proteins can be permanently removed. Energy is required for this process and that’s why ATP is employed in this process. This targeted protein degradation plays a very crucial role for cancer and other diseases. Through this review we just enlighten the significant points if the targeted protein degradation and its significance.
The Current and Evolving Therapeutic Paradigm in the Management of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors:   Texas Oncology, Baylor Sammons Cancer Center, Dallas, TX, Hutson Thomas , Figlin Robert
Published: October 2021

There has been tremendous progress in the treatment landscape of advanced or metastatic RCC with novel and efficacious targeted therapies, immunotherapies and combinatorial regimens, leading to an expansion of therapeutic armamentarium over the last two decades. New advances have offered considerable improvement in prognosis, treatment-related toxicities, quality of life, and survival for patients with mRCC. Despite such advantages, there is unmet need for developing novel biomarkers predictive of treatment response, optimize treatment selection, and also improving strategies to overcome therapeutic resistance in heterogenous RCC tumors. Herein, we outline currently available first- and subsequent-lines treatment strategies, unprecedented changes, and also discuss challenges in treatment landscape of RCC.
The practical and potential importance of herbs such as ginger in Chemical Environmental Science
Authors:   Department of Chemical Engineering, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran, Erfani  Hadi
Published: October 2021

This article examines the medicinal and dietary supplement on the biological activities of identified chemicals from Ginger (Zingiber officinale) of Zingibracea family. Ginger have long been used in traditional medicine. One of the plants that is very effective in extracting essential oils is ginger, which has been studied by researchers in agricultural sciences and chemistry. The use of medicinal plants has a long history and one It has been one of the most important sources for overcoming the disease. Then From the creation of modern medicine and the widespread use of drugs chemically, people's tendency to medicinal plants decreased. Ginger plants are used, which can lead to the development and progress of countries. Ginger is a rhizome plant that grows to a height of 90cm centimeters.
“Earn It with the Sweat of My Brow”: Essential Labor and Survival in The Blithedale Romance
Authors: Blankenship Avery
Published: October 2021

“Earn It with the Sweat of My Brow”: Essential Labor and Survival in The Blithedale Romance focuses on the dynamics of class struggle and essential labor within the utopian community in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Blithedale Romance. The article argues that at the center of all of the novel's failure and tragedy is a negotiation of labor and class. Informed by the coronavirus pandemic, the article focuses on instances in the novel wherein Miles Coverdale, the narrator, filters his viewpoint of labor on the farm through the lens of a “mist of fever.” In this mist of fever, Coverdale is able to acknowledge his own lack of commitment to labor on the farm as well as his reinforcement of class struggle through a degradation of working-class characters such as Silas Foster. The article is informed by a close reading that attends to the instances in which Coverdale withdraws from labor and deploys his clairvoyant vision; thus, the performative nature of labor on the farm is thrown into stark relief and Coverdale's own lack of commitment is revealed.
Critiquing Society from a Distance: Solitude in Hawthorne's and Thoreau's Sabbath Writings
Authors: Griffis Rachel B.
Published: October 2021

Nathaniel Hawthorne's “Sunday at Home” and Henry David Thoreau's A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers provide two different models for distanced cultural engagement that nevertheless spring from similar philosophical assumptions. The narrator of “Sunday at Home” finds that watching the ritual of church alone from his bedroom window inspires his imagination and bolsters his faith. In the “Sunday” section of A Week, Thoreau criticizes organized religion, through which he champions the virtues of self-reliance and internal freedom. Hawthorne and Thoreau thus each represent public worship as a ritual that threatens to eclipse the otherwise spiritually fruitful opportunities offered by the prohibitions of the Sabbath. Despite their philosophical consensus regarding the dangers of capitulating to social and religious custom, Hawthorne nevertheless indicates his characteristic moderate stance regarding solitude and social distance, a stance that tempers Thoreau's idealistic extremes. As a result, Hawthorne's Sabbath writings offer possibilities for internalizing and thereby modifying Thoreau's demanding principles. In doing so, Hawthorne's work conveys his paradoxical insight that solitude protects one's independence but that distanced cultural engagement catalyzes the imagination and intellect, which, in turn, makes independence enjoyable and life-giving.
Corpos lésbicos no YouTube
Authors: Ziller Joana , Hoki Leíner , Do Carmo Barretos Dayane
Published: October 2021

Brancas, jovens, magras: assim é a maioria das mulheres lésbicas que se dão a ver no YouTube. Tal percepção se baseia em uma amostra de 862 vídeos coletados a partir das tags “lésbicas” e “sapatão” para analisar que corpos são visíveis nesse escopo, principalmente no que se refere à raça/etnia, idade e padrão corporal. Para abordar essa questão, iniciamos o artigo recuperando as produções acadêmicas, principalmente brasileiras, que tematizam as lesbianidades, a fim de conceituar melhor o que entendemos pelo termo. Chegamos a uma concepção de lesbianidade como identidade e como prática, que nos permitiu avançar em uma abordagem mais ampla nas nossas considerações acerca das lésbicas que se dão a ver nas produções analisadas. Em nossa pesquisa, percebemos que, para além da predominância de corpos que performam um padrão normativo de ser mulher, há também expressões de resistências e diversidades importantes de destacar. Concluímos, assim, que há várias formas de ser lésbica, mas que elas estão submetidas a lógicas normativas que não só complexificam essas existências por meio do jogo entre docilidade e resistência, como também operam sobre as visibilidades.
Expediente
Authors: De Lucas Carlos Henrique , Santos Terezinha Oliveira
Published: October 2021

Expediente. Vol. 02, N. 02. Epistemologias e ativismos lésbicos no Sul Global. Organizadoras Simone Brandão Souza (UFBA), Suane Felippe Soares (UFRJ) e Maria Aparecida Silva (UFAL).
International Real Estate Review
Authors:   Pension Real Estate Association, MacKinnon Greg , Spinney Jon ,   New Brunswick Investment Management,
Published: October 2021

We examine the market for U.S. equity real estate investment trusts (REITs) for evidence of the volatility effect, in which low volatility stocks tend to outperform high volatility ones, as has been found in the general equity market by prior research. While there is some evidence of a volatility effect in the first ten years of the sample, this disappears in a more recent time period. Furthermore, we test the efficacy of low risk portfolio construction techniques and find that none perform any better than a market cap weighted portfolio ¡V although they are also no worse ¡V over any of the time periods examined. Thus, there is no evidence that using a risk-based portfolio design that emphasizes low volatility would improve portfolio performance for a REIT allocation.
International Real Estate Review
Authors:   Tsinghua University, Yang Zan , Wu Shuping ,   Tsinghua University, Shen Yanhao ,   Tsinghua University
Published: October 2021

This paper studies the relationships among monetary policy, house prices, and consumption in China from both national and regional perspectives. Using a panel vector autoregression (VAR) model and a counterfactual simulation method, we find that monetary policy has a significant effect on consumption but with a regional pattern, in terms of the magnitude and the housing wealth channel. It is found that in the middle southern and the western cities, the monetary policy has strong effects on consumption while the house prices have minimal contribution to the monetary policy transmission to household consumption. By contrast, in the Tier-1 and the eastern cities, house prices play a more important role in monetary policy transmission; even household consumption is less sensitive to monetary policy changes.
International Real Estate Review
Authors:   Wakayama University, Ueno Misaki , Adachi Motohiro ,   Wakayama University, Mitarai Jun ,   Kyoto University
Published: October 2021

Japan is currently faced with an acute ¡§aging society¡¨ coupled with a low birth rate, which is causing numerous social problems, such as weakened local and urban communities and unattractive landscapes and environments. Depressed towns are also hindering disaster prevention. However, local governments have made little attempt to address this situation. Therefore, there is a need to shed light on revitalizing both "software activities¨, such as holding events and festivals, as well as "hardware activities¨, such as building new facilities and providing new infrastructure. In this respect, the so-called "area management activities¨ (AMAs) play a significant role in the revitalization process. AMAs are used to revitalize towns and cities mainly by utilizing the power of the private sector in conjunction with the government. This paper conducts several empirical tests on factors associated with the (self-assessed) positive impacts of "area management organizations¨ (AMOs) on the revitalization of towns, relying on data sets from 1,300 areas (in almost 750 municipalities) in which revitalization programs such as the Act on Special Measures Concerning Urban Renaissance by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism have been implemented since 2002.
International Real Estate Review
Authors:   Hong Kong Monetary Authority and ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office, Cheung Simon K.C.
Published: October 2021

A special type of spatial dependence model has been developed for the valuation of residential property by using a Bayesian approach which takes into account the unique attributes of Hong Kong property. Inspired by an approach that bases transactions on nearest neighbor estimation, the current model has fine-tuned the spatial dependence method of deriving value from the transactions of the real estate closest in proximity by factoring in differences in structural and auxiliary attributes for more precise property valuation. The model is established on a dataset that covers all residential real estate transactions in a new town in Hong Kong during a given period of time. This model excels other valuation methods with its unique reference to attribute differences, which may impact the valuation results of properties in close vicinity. With this calibration method, we hope to improve the accuracy of real estate appraisals, thus enabling potential homeowners, lenders and investors to make better informed decisions.
International Real Estate Review
Authors:   National University of Singapore, Ho Kim Hin , Rengarajan Satyanarain ,   National University of Singapore
Published: October 2021

he behavioural structure of large and strategic industrial real estate accommodation does not exist in a vacuum. Instead, its fundamental investment values and yields are uniquely affected through the dynamic interaction among exogenous and endogenous forces related to the industrial real estate demand-supply conditions, macroeconomic and institutional polices as well as urban industrial plans. This study aims to understand the dynamic behaviour of the industrial real estate market in Singapore that is slowly transitioning from a capital intensive to knowledge intensive economy. Using data obtained from various sources between 2001Q4-2010Q2 which essentially capture three property cycles, we incorporate a vector autoregressive (VAR) approach to holistically model the industrial real estate market in Singapore with respect to its demand-supply conditions, market capitalization rates which encompass information about rental yields, capital values along with future expectations. This study will help policy makers and developers to understand the structure of the industrial real estate market in Singapore along with respect to its macroeconomic conditions. The results are insightful as the data capture both the public and private markets along with a new hi-tech industrial accommodation (science parks), which is slowly gaining prominence as of the turn at the 21st century as Singapore strives to steer towards a knowledge based industrial economy.
International Real Estate Review
Authors:   BNP Paribas Real Estate, Rodriguez Ramiro J. , Sosvilla-Rivero Simon ,   Universidad Complutense de  Madrid, Campus de Somosaguas
Published: October 2021

This paper seeks to explain the office market dynamics in Madrid by using cointegration models. Specifically, we focus on the equilibrium path of stock, vacancy rate and letting rents, and feedback with two exogenous economic determinants, namely, service sector employment and gross domestic product. We apply for the first time a single-equation error correction mechanism (ECM) to a system of equations for the commercial property market of Madrid and examine its accuracy when compared to the more frequently used classical two-step ECM. The main findings to emerge from our empirical analysis are that rents and vacancy rates react rapidly when they do not correspond to their equilibrium level. Stock, as expected, responds more slowly when it does not correspond to its long-term path. We draw on quarterly observations for the Madrid market between 2001:Q1 and 2015:Q2.
International Real Estate Review
Authors:   California Lutheran University, Lu-Andrews Ran , Yu-Thompson Yin ,   Oakland University
Published: October 2021

We examine the geographic component of investment in audit services in the REIT industry. As REIT firms have strong incentive for information transparency and maintain high audit quality, we expect that geographic distance, as a proxy for information flow, among REIT firms, their auditor, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) offices have effects on the audit and non-audit fees paid by REIT firms. We find that: 1) REIT firms pay more audit and non-audit fees to their auditor when their headquarters are located closer to the SEC offices; 2) REIT firms pay higher audit and non-audit fees when the office of their auditor is closer to the SEC, 3) REIT firms pay higher audit and non-audit fees when the office of their auditor is located closer to their headquarters, and 4) REIT firms that are close to both the SEC and their auditor pay the highest fees for both audit and non-audit services. The results are consistent with our expectation that REIT firms desire high quality audit services and are willing to pay higher fees for them. Also, the REIT industry may enjoy the knowledge spillovers between the audit and non-audit sides and the industry specialization of their auditor.
International Real Estate Review
Authors:   National Chengchi University, Lin: Chu-Chia , Lai Po-Sheng ,   National Chengchi University
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the impact of tenure choice on saving for Chinese households. Since housing expenditure usually accounts for a large portion of household spending, households need to consider how much they have in order to save for future housing spending when they decide on their daily expenditures, including food, clothing, transportation, education, leisure, and so on and so forth. We estimate the tenure choice behavior of Chinese households by first, applying a data set from the China Household Finance Survey and separating households into three types of tenure choice, namely, renters, owner-occupied with a mortgage, and owner-occupied without a mortgage. Then, we estimate the actual impact of tenure choice on saving by applying the Heckman two-stage model. Our estimations show two important results. First, the coefficients of the inverse Mills ratio are significant which implies that a two-stage estimation model is appropriate. Secondly, the estimated coefficients for the factors that affect saving behavior under the two-stage model are significantly different from those under a conventional model. The result shows that, without considering tenure choice, the conventional method of estimation for factors that affect saving behavior will be biased.
International Real Estate Review
Authors:   University of Bergamo, Gibilaro Lucia , Mattarocci Gianluca ,   University of Rome “Tor Vergata”
Published: October 2021

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) frequently collect new financial resources by issuing new shares and bonds or requesting for new loans to finance their investment policy. Due to the low transparency of the market, the success and the cost of financing are significantly affected by the reputation and the guarantee offered by the syndicated consortium. International evidence suggests that the decision to change syndicated banks could impact the success of raising new capital for industrial and financial firms, but there is no concrete evidence which suggests that this is the case in the real estate industry. The paper considers a representative sample of US REITs to examine the frequency of switching decisions in the industry and their relationship with leverage policy. The empirical analysis demonstrates a greater likelihood of creating a new financing consortium when a REIT is poorly performing and the average interest rate is increasing. Moreover, the switching strategy is more frequently adopted when the REIT is planning to increase leverage and the current level of leverage is still far from the target value. Results obtained are robust with respect to the new consortium definition and the initial public offering (IPO) effect.
International Real Estate Review
Authors:   University of Hong Kong, Wong Siu Kei , Li Ling ,   University of Hong Kong, Monkkonen Paavo ,   UCLA Luskin School of Public  Affairs
Published: October 2021

The profiteering developer is a common figure in debates over housing policy. Governments increasingly use developer profits to justify policies like inclusionary housing. Yet we actually understand little about the competitiveness of housing development. One unresolved question is whether developers use market power to profit when selling new units, especially in highly concentrated markets. We use the case of Hong Kong, where the five largest developers build almost two-thirds of new housing units, to address this question. Using a repeat-sales approach, we find that new condominiums sell at a discount, not a premium. We attribute this lack of market power to the resalable feature of durable goods ¡V the discount is larger when more re-sellers are located nearby ¡V as well as the need for liquidation ¡V the discount is larger when developers have to sell more units simultaneously. Our results suggest that the first-hand market, even in a highly concentrated market, is competitive. They add to a growing body of research work on the role of new housing in affordability, and invite further study of competitiveness in different kinds of housing markets.
International Real Estate Review
Authors:   Renmin University of China, Yu Huayi , Tang Xiang ,   Peking University, Zhou Yinggang ,   Xiamen  University
Published: October 2021

This paper examines why housing and services are more expensive in rich countries than in poor ones. We propose the Rich Neighborhood Housing Effect (RNHE), which explicitly allows for local labor force heterogeneity with a coherent supply- demand framework that incorporates demand-side factors such as the Linder effect. We also develop a contemporary RNHE model that predicts different behavior of the national price level between high-income and low-income countries. These predictions are confirmed by the panel data from 1990 to 2010 and simultaneous equation estimations. These results are compelling evidence in favor of the RNHE model over the Balassa-Samuelson model.
International Real Estate Review
Authors:   The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Bahmani-Oskooee Mohsen , Ghodsi Seyed ,   Model Risk Oversight at Charles Schwab & Co. Inc.
Published: October 2021

Since oil is used as an input in the production and delivery process, any change in its price can affect almost all sectors of an economy. Researchers have tried to assess the impact of the rising price of oil on domestic production, inflation, investment, the stock market, etc. In order to determine if inflationary effects of rising oil prices have spread to house prices in the U.S., unlike previous research, we investigate the link between oil prices and house prices by using data from each state of the U.S. Furthermore, for the first time, we engage in asymmetry analysis and find short-run asymmetric effects in almost all of the states but short-run cumulative effects or asymmetric impact in 15 states. Although we also find significant long-run asymmetric effects in 26 states, the results reveal that an increase in oil prices has contributed to house price increase in only 11 states and a decrease in oil prices lowered house prices in only three states.
International Real Estate Review
Authors:   RMIT University, Mintah Kwabena , Wong Woon-Weng ,   RMIT University, Wong Peng Yew ,   RMIT University
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of cross border real estate investments on the performance of the direct commercial property market in Australia. Using an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model, factors including volume of cross border real estate investments, real gross domestic product (RGDP), office stock, and vacancy and net absorption rates are examined for their impact on total returns. The results indicate that traditionally established long-term drivers, including RGDP, office stock, and vacancy and net absorption rates, are still relevant. It is found that cross border real estate investments have impact on the performance of the direct commercial office property market in Australia. The results and findings would help property investors, developers, policymakers, and stakeholders in decision making around property investments. This research is an initial study that focuses on the impact that cross border real estate investments have on the performance of the direct commercial/office property market in Australia.