bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Computational Screening and Design of Metal-Organic Frameworks for CO2 Separation from Flue Gas
Authors: Jiao Xinan , Chen Aiden
Published: January 2025

Rising CO2 levels, largely from flue gas emissions, are a significant contributor to global climate change. Adsorption using Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) offers a promising solution for CO2 capture due to their high surface area, tunable porosity, and selectivity. To streamline the discovery of efficient MOFs, we developed a high-throughput virtual screening (HTVS) pipeline by integrating Grand-Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations, molecular modeling and machine learning. We screened a filtered subset of the CoREMOF database and a user-defined hypothetical MOF bank to identify candidates with high CO2 adsorption capacity and selectivity. This approach yielded several high-performing MOFs, including five from the CoREMOF dataset and a new structure from the hypothetical bank exceeding the performance of existing MOFs. Our findings highlight the complex relationship between MOF geometries and CO2 capture performance, emphasizing the importance of features like open metal sites and pore geometry. This computational framework accelerates MOF discovery and provides valuable insights for experimental synthesis. Future work will focus on expanding the hypothetical MOF dataset, improving simulation accuracy, and employing advanced optimization techniques to enhance the screening process.
Analysis of Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil in China
Authors: Jia Yuzhe
Published: January 2025

This thesis discusses the current status of waste cooking oil (WCO) treatment in China and its application in biodiesel production. China produces a large amount of WCO every year, but its collection and treatment systems are inadequate, leading to environmental and health problems. Biodiesel is a sustainable alternative energy source capable of being produced by a variety of catalytic methods, including acid, alkali, enzyme catalysis, hydrotreating and pyrolysis. This paper presents a detailed comparison of these technologies, assessing their advantages and disadvantages in terms of yield, cost and environmental friendliness, and in particular analysing the efficiency of each method by means of the PMI (Process Mass Intensity) metric. It was shown that enzyme and base catalysis performed better in terms of yield, but suffered from higher costs and complexity; hydrotreating and pyrolysis offered higher efficiency, but had higher energy requirements. Ultimately, this paper provides a theoretical basis for optimising the utilisation of WCO, aiming to promote the green development of biodiesel industry in China.
Analysis and Design of High speed and Low power Digital Integrated Circuits
Authors: Zhang Sirui
Published: January 2025

With the continuous improvement of performance and energy efficiency requirements for electronic devices, high-speed and low-power technology has become a research hot spot. This paper aims to explore the balance between high-speed signal transmission and low power consumption, and introduces various optimization strategies, including circuit design, material selection, and architecture improvement. By adopting new semiconductor materials and advanced power management technology, this article examines the mechanics underlying power consumption and delay generation and presents strategies for optimizing circuit architecture to create digital integrated circuits that are both fast and low-power, optimizing materials, and variable VDD/VTH control, etc. The results show that the proposed method has good feasibility and practical application value in achieving the goal. Finally, this article provides an outlook on the future development trends of high-speed and low-power technologies, providing important references for research in related fields.
A Novel Layered Perovskite RbCeNb2O6-xNx as a Nanosheet Photocatalyst for CH4 production
Authors: Huang Jin
Published: January 2025

The production and recovery of methane as a potential clean energy source not only reduces carbon emissions and mitigates climate change, but also improves energy efficiency compared with conventional fossil fuels. In recent years, the study of efficient catalytic conversion of hydrocarbons using inclusion crystals as photocatalysts has been widely reported. This study proposes a new perovskite RbCeNb2O6-xNx catalysts in the form of nanosheets can be used for photocatalytic methane conversion. Artificially synthesized layered perovskites exhibit excellent reaction properties due to the increased surface-active area. In synthesis, RbLnNb2O7 (Ln = La, Nd, Pr, Ce) was successfully synthesized by the ceramic solid phase synthesis method, which was based on a powder sample of lamellar-coated crystals. Subsequent nitrogen addition resulted in the synthesis of RbLaNb2O6-xNx, RbNdNb2O6-xNx, RbPrNb2O6-xNx and RbCeNb2O6-xNx catalysts in the form of nanosheets. All four synthesized catalysts were nitrogen-modified during processing, and the synergistic effect between oxygen and nitrogen (ratio=16.94) was applied to perovskite nanosheets through defect engineering. The methane catalytic properties were compared, and the material structures were characterized by atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and XPS. The results show that RbCeNb2O6-xNx can produce the most methane, 70% more methane under the same conditions, compared with the other three, and had the best catalytic effect.
Research on Optimization of High-Speed Low-Power Digital Circuits
Authors: Yang Sixiao
Published: January 2025

As electronic devices become increasingly portable and mobile, how to extend the battery life of these devices while ensuring performance has become a great challenge for engineers. This paper studies the design of the basic circuit and how to balance the relationship between high speed and low power consumption, proposing an effective optimization method. Specifically, the method includes the optimization of the transistor size of the critical path and the methods for the optimization of the supply voltage. This kind of method is of practical significance for the optimization of basic circuits and enlightenment for the optimization of large-scale integrated circuits.
Using Machine Vision to Realize Semi-Automatic Sex Recog-nition of Chicks
Authors: Li Keqiang , Wang Yuqing , Yu Jiannan , Li Xianglong
Published: January 2025

Conventional image-based techniques for discerning the sex of chicks have inherent drawbacks, such as the subjectivity involved in image selection and limited applicability to industrial contexts. In order to tackle these challenges, we employ videos in this study as an alternative to images, and present a more pragmatic approach that is suited to industrial applications. By leveraging an optimized PicoDet model, this methodology identifies telltale reflective attributes within the cloacae region of chicks. This approach also suggests that the sex of the chicks can be determined by calculating the proportion of male chick identifications in the video relative to the total number of images. Experimental findings demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed approach over the YOLO algorithm in terms of both cloacae and chick sex recognition. Optimal recognition efficiency is achieved when the aforementioned proportion falls within the range 60–70%. The accuracy rates for identifying female and male chicks were recorded as 90.34%, 91.33%, and 90.83%, respectively. The scheme developed in this study also achieves a reduction of 5.01% in model parameters, while the running time is shortened to less than 1 s, while maintaining comparable recognition efficiency to that of the PicoDet model. In summary, the method proposed in this paper exhibits enhanced proficiency in regard to recognizing both chick cloacae and their respective sexes. It successfully overcomes the limitations encountered by traditional image-based methodologies, and minimizes model space requirements. Furthermore, by harnessing the power of video, this approach has increased recognition accuracy and operational efficiency, ultimately improving the practicality and dissemination potential of this cutting-edge technology.
Epidemiological Features and Risk Factors of Herpes Zoster in Western Libya: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Attiya Alatery  , Salah Mohamed
Published: January 2025

Herpes zoster (HZ) is caused by reactivation of varicella zoster virus (VZV). The virus remains latent in dorsal root ganglia and can reactivate, especially in the elderly. However, epidemiology of HZ is influenced by demographics, healthcare access, and vaccination and etc. Higher incidence observed in older adults, women, and certain racial groups. Socio-economic factors, stress, and chronic diseases might contribute to HZ risk. Altougth, HZ shows no seasonal pattern, though some studies suggest higher incidence in warmer months. This reterospective study aims to evaluate HZ incidence and risk factors in western Libya using medical records at the department of infectious diseases-Tripoli central hospital (2010-2014). The results showen, HZ incidence correlated strongly with age; 52% were over 50 years old. 33.5% of patients had their first HZ episode during hospitalization. Majority of patients had no family history of HZ. Higher incidence rates in spring (28.5%) and summer (33.7%) compared to winter (18%). Herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) occurred in 15.5% of cases, with some eye complications. Common underlying conditions included hypertension (22%), diabetes (19.5%), and GIT issues (15%). 26% of patients reported no other diseases besides HZ. The study provides insights into HZ epidemiology in Libya, highlighting age and health conditions abd concluded that minor seasonal variations in HZ incidence were noted, with peaks in summer and spring. Males had higher co-infection rates with HIV and HCV.
Materials in Accordion Construction: A Comprehensive Review of Traditional and Modern Approaches
Authors: Volpatti Giovanni
Published: January 2025

This review comprehensively explores the materials used in accordion construction, focusing on their acoustic, practical, and environmental implications. The choice of materials for components such as the frame, bellows, reeds, valves, and external coverings profoundly influences the instrument’s sound quality, durability, and overall playability. Traditional materials like wood, leather, and steel are prized for their superior tonal qualities and aesthetic appeal but require careful maintenance and incur higher costs. In contrast, modern materials, including composites, plastics, and synthetic fabrics, offer cost, weight, and environmental resilience benefits, though they may compromise acoustic warmth and tactile feel. Emerging innovations such as nanomaterials, advanced composites, and 3D printing present new possibilities for enhancing accordion performance and sustainability. This review highlights the potential for bio-based and recycled materials to reduce environmental impact, reflecting a growing demand for eco-friendly practices in the music industry. A multidisciplinary approach involving materials science, acoustics, and craftsmanship is essential for future development. This work serves as a valuable resource for researchers, manufacturers, and musicians, guiding the evolution of accordion design to balance traditional craftsmanship with modern innovation and sustainability.
Knowledge and practices of Hand Hygiene among Dental care Workers in Khartoum, Sudan: A cross-secional study
Authors: mohamed Weaam , bashir abdelgadir
Published: January 2025

Objectives: To assess the knowledge and practices of hand hygiene among dental care workers at Khartoum Dental Teaching Hospital.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Khartoum Dental Teaching Hospital in Sudan, involving 196 healthcare workers selected from a population of 362 through stratified sampling. Data were collected using validated questionnaires and observational checklists and analyzed with SPSS. Ethical approval was obtained, ensuring participant confidentiality.
Results: Among the 196 participants, the majority were female (67.9%) and aged 25 to 30 years (61.7%), with most serving as house officers. A total of 77% reported using hand rub before patient contact, and 89.3% washed their hands after glove removal or blood exposure. While 91.8% recognized the effectiveness of handwashing with soap, only 39.3% identified patient germs as a primary source of infection. Overall, 59.2% demonstrated fair knowledge of hand hygiene, and 26% adhered to good practices. A significant correlation (p = 0.009) was observed between occupation and hand hygiene practices.
Conclusion: Despite improvements in hand hygiene practices following training, knowledge gaps persist, particularly regarding infection sources. Female participants showed higher adherence, and specialists and house officers exhibited the best practices. To address these issues, visual aids, consistent supply monitoring, ongoing training, and regular compliance assessments are recommended.
Xác định các công nghệ trí tuệ nhân tạo thích hợp cho quản lý an toàn tại các dự án cao tầng ở Việt Nam bằng mô hình tham số và phân tích hồi quy đa biến
Authors: Thoan Nguyễn Ngọc , Đức Nguyễn Anh
Published: January 2025

Bối cảnh đô thị hóa nhanh chóng tại Việt Nam đang tạo ra sự bùng nổ các dự án xây dựng nhà cao tầng, kéo theo những thách thức ngày càng phức tạp về an toàn lao động. Mặc dù các giải pháp Trí tuệ Nhân tạo (AI) như Thị giác Máy tính (Computer Vision), Phân tích Dự báo (Predictive Analytics) và Robot/Máy bay không người lái (Robotics/Drones) đã được áp dụng thành công ở một số quốc gia phát triển, việc triển khai rộng rãi tại Việt Nam vẫn gặp nhiều rào cản (tài chính, văn hoá an toàn, hạ tầng dữ liệu, v.v.). Nghiên cứu này phát triển một mô hình tham số với các biến đầu vào gồm ngân sách, mức độ phức tạp, văn hoá an toàn, và sự hỗ trợ của thể chế nhằm dự báo lợi ích tiềm năng (hay điểm lợi ích) của từng công nghệ AI trong quản lý an toàn công trường nhà cao tầng. Dữ liệu được thu thập từ 12 dự án xây dựng cao tầng đang diễn ra, với 170 phản hồi hợp lệ. Nghiên cứu áp dụng Phân tích Hồi quy Đa biến (thông qua MANOVA) để đánh giá tác động tổng hợp của các tham số lên ba chỉ số nhóm công nghệ. Kết quả cho thấy ngân sách, văn hoá an toàn và hỗ trợ thể chế có ý nghĩa thống kê cao trong việc giải thích thay đổi về lợi ích an toàn khi áp dụng AI; trong khi đó, chỉ số phức tạp công trình lại không thể hiện tác động đáng kể trong kiểm định đa biến. Phân tích hồi quy OLS riêng rẽ cho từng chỉ số AI cũng củng cố nhận định rằng mỗi công nghệ AI có mức độ nhạy cảm khác nhau trước các tham số này. Công trình nghiên cứu đóng góp cả về mặt lý thuyết  bằng cách làm rõ vai trò quan trọng của nhân tố văn hoá và hỗ trợ quản lý, lẫn thực tiễn bằng cách cung cấp mô hình phân tích dữ liệu, định hướng triển khai AI an toàn tại Việt Nam.
Risk Journey Management Strategy for Route Hazard Mapping of Tank Trucks in Fuel Distribution in the Central Java Region
Authors: Mustofa Ikhsan , Raharjo Susilo Toto , Yusano Michael , Arifin Amrul
Published: January 2025

PT Pertamina Patra Niaga, a state-owned enterprise in Indonesia, specializes in the downstream oil and gas sector, with a primary focus on fuel distribution across the nation via land and sea. Land transportation, carried out using tank trucks, presents unique challenges due to the high risk of accidents. To address these challenges, PT Pertamina Patra Niaga conducted a Route Hazard Mapping (RHM) and Risk Journey Management (RJM) study. The study identified key factors contributing to tank truck accidents: human error, vehicle condition, and environmental factors. Mitigation strategies include driver training and health assurance to reduce human error, regular maintenance and inspections to ensure vehicle condition, and RHM and RJM to identify and mitigate environmental hazards along routes. Implementing these recommendations is expected to significantly reduce the risk of tank truck accidents and enhance the safety of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga's fuel distribution operations.
The Influence of Hospital Brand Image, Health Service Quality and Patient Satisfaction on Loyalty at Arosuka Regional Hospital
Authors: Rindasiwi Della Tamara , Pattyranie Pauline H.
Published: January 2025

This study examines the relationships among hospital brand image, healthcare service quality, patient satisfaction, and patient loyalty. A cross-sectional quantitative approach was employed, utilizing questionnaires distributed to 160 respondents. The proposed model was tested using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed significant and positive relationships between all variables, with the following results: brand image and loyalty (t-statistics 2.120, p-value 0.023 < 0.05), brand image and healthcare service quality (t-statistics 2.137, p-value 0.033 < 0.05), healthcare service quality and patient satisfaction (t-statistics 4.440, p-value 0.000 < 0.05), healthcare service quality and loyalty (t-statistics 2.472, p-value 0.014 < 0.05), and patient satisfaction and loyalty (t-statistics 7.448, p-value 0.000 < 0.05). The study highlights healthcare service quality and patient satisfaction as critical factors in enhancing patient loyalty. Therefore, hospitals are encouraged to continuously evaluate and improve their service quality to strengthen patient loyalty and maintain a competitive edge.
Purchasing Behavior of Electric Motorcycles in Bali: The Mediating Role of Consumer Expectancy
Authors: Dewi Ni Putu Manik Cempaka , Mahyuni Luh Putu
Published: January 2025

The development of electric vehicles, particularly electric motorcycles, has seen an increase in sales in Indonesia; however, their contribution remains significantly low compared to conventional motorcycles. Despite being more competitively priced, electric motorcycles accounted for only 1% of total motorcycle sales in 2022. This phenomenon highlights an intriguing gap for research, particularly concerning consumer purchasing behavior. This study aims to analyze the influence of perceived behavioral control, herding behavior, sustainability attitude, motivation, and facilitating conditions on the purchasing behavior of electric motorcycles in Bali, with consumer expectancy as a mediating variable. The research employs a quantitative method by distributing questionnaires to electric motorcycle consumers and analyzes the data using SEM-PLS. The findings reveal that perceived behavioral control negatively influences purchasing behavior, while herding behavior, sustainability attitude, and facilitating conditions have a positive impact. Interestingly, motivation does not affect purchasing behavior. Additionally, consumer expectancy mediates the influence of sustainability attitude, motivation, and facilitating conditions on purchasing behavior but fails to mediate the effect of herding behavior.
Antibacterial activity of Nepalese medicinal plants against different bacterial isolates
Authors:   Department of Microbiology, Tri Chandra Multiple Campus, Ghantaghar Kathmandu, Nepal, Giri Deepa , Lamichhane Riya , Patel Sindhu Kumari , Shah Pradeep Kumar
Published: January 2025

Antimicrobial resistance becomes a widespread issue. With this, more studies concentrating on medicinal plants are being conducted in an effort to uncover their full therapeutic potential. This study was conducted to evaluate the antibacterial activities of eight medicinal plants (Azadirachta indica, Mentha spicata, Terminalia chebula, Terminalia bellirica, Acorus calamus, Tinospora sinensis, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Aloe vera) in the Med-micro Research Laboratory, Babarmahal from January to July 2022. These plants were collected and using the maceration method, their extracts were made separately in distilled water, 95% ethanol, and 1% chloroform. The plant extracts were prepared using Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in two different concentrations (10% and 1%). The agar well diffusion method was used to measure the antibacterial activity of a total of 48 extracts against four bacterial isolates, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. In contrast to gram negative bacteria, the majority of plant extracts had significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, a gram positive bacterium. The ethanolic extract of Terminalia chebula at a 10% concentration exhibited the largest zone of inhibition (26mm) against Staphylococcus aureus. The most potent extracts were found to be those of ethanolic extract of Terminalia chebula and Terminalia bellirica, followed by those of Acorus calamus and Ocimum tenuiflorum. Our results provide additional evidence that these plants hold potential as a natural antibacterial agent, hence can be used in treatment of various infectious diseases.
Isolation, Morphological and Biochemical Characterization of Culturable Endophytic Microflora in Paris polyphylla Sm. from Nepal
Authors:   Department of Biotechnology, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal, Shakya Rashal , Bhochhibhoya Samriddhi , Regmi Sanchit , Pokhrel Rabin , Ghalan Aanande , Shrestha Tara , KC Bishnu Maya , Gauchan Dhurva Prasad ,   Department of Biotechnology, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal
Published: January 2025

Paris polyphylla Sm., also known as “Satuwa” in Nepal is a perennial medicinal herb, endemic to the Himalayan region. The plant is known to produce numerous bioactive compounds and provide medicinal use. Presently, it is in a state of vulnerability due to overexploitation, lower rate of seed germination, overharvesting, fragmentation of lands, and deforestation. Endophytic microbes of P. polyphylla. have been shown to produce numerous bioactive compounds in correspondence to the host plant. As there have been very few studies of Paris species in Nepal this study strives to explore the potential of the endophytic variety in the endemic species. The study investigated the endophytic microbiome in the rhizomes of the species from Dhunkharka, Nepal. A total of 18 endophytic bacterial isolates and 5 fungal isolates were obtained from the rhizome of P. polyphylla. Several isolates showed distinct morphological forms and were characterized using Gram staining, endospore staining, IMViC tests, catalase test, motility test, and triple sugar agar test. Among the endophytic bacterial isolates, 11 isolates showed gram-positive results and 5 were gram-negative, while endospore staining showed 10 negative and 6 positive isolates. Among the bacterial isolates, 6 were Methyl-Red (MR) positive, 2 were Voges-Proskauer (VP) positive, 15 isolates showed positive motility test, 10 were catalase-positive and 6 were citrate-positive. The fungal isolates could belong to the phylum Ascomycetes based on macroscopic and microscopic analysis. Further molecular characterizations are needed to accurately identify the endophytic isolates. The findings hint that these endophytic microorganisms could be a viable alternative for producing secondary metabolites, aiding in the conservation and medicinal use of the vulnerable P. polyphylla.
Les effets délétères sur la santé mentale des mesures de restrictions en période de crise sanitaire
Authors: Cissé Amy , Poder Thomas
Published: January 2025

Les mesures de santé publique mises en place en période de crise sanitaire, bien que nécessaires pour préserver la santé des plus vulnérables, ont des impacts sur les habitudes de vie et de travail d’un grand nombre d’individus. On pense aux impacts sur le bien-être physique, mental et social des individus, lesquels peuvent influer sur la productivité au travail et la situation d’emploi. Une étude CIRANO (Cissé et al. 2024) montre que les effets délétères des mesures de restrictions ont été importants durant la pandémie de COVID-19 au Québec et ont perduré à moyen terme. La qualité de la vie reliée à la santé (QVRS) s’est particulièrement détériorée pour ceux et celles qui étaient en emploi et les difficultés de conciliation de leurs vies familiale et professionnelle se sont aggravées, d’où l’importance de la prise en compte de la santé mentale dans les milieux professionnels.
An efficient decoding of RS-BCH product codes using hybrid root-finding of the polynomial over finite fields
Authors: Pham Khac Hoan  , Lai Tien De  , Hoang Van Dung  , Vu Son Ha
Published: January 2025

This paper proposes an efficient decoding method of product codes with component codes being BCH and Reed-Solomon codes characterized by low complexity and latency achieved through parallel computation and the hybrid approach to solving the error locator polynomial over finite fields. The proposed method can be implemented on low-cost hardware platforms, making it suitable for applications in communication systems that highly require reliability and latency.
State feedback sliding mode control SFSMC with pole assignment for single input bilinear systems
Authors: Vu Quoc Dr Huy
Published: January 2025

This paper presents a method of synthesizing the state feedback sliding mode controller SFSMC for single-input bilinear systems. The existence of the sliding mode is synthesized by the Lyapunov stability criterion. The sliding surface is designed using the pole assignment method. Here, the novel contribution is that system quality has been tuned by only adjusting one parameter  which is completely independent of system dynamics and states. The simulation indicates that the system is stable, and its states converge to zero. The system phase trajectory quickly settles when the parameter is well adjusted.
Application of deep neural networks for military symbol recognition from sketch images
Authors: Nguyễn Khắc Điệp , Pham Tuan Anh , Le Bui Thien Duc , Tran Le Tuan Dat , Le Tan Anh Hao , Phan Ngoc Bao Vinh
Published: January 2025

The purpose of this research is to test the effectiveness of deep neural networks in recognizing sketch images, particularly military symbols. Sketch images are highly abstract and lack typical features of real images, such as color, background, and environmental details, making the use of deep neural networks a significant challenge. To address this issue, we implement a sketch image recognition model based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). The content of the paper includes designing and describing a new CNN model optimized for symbol recognition from sketch images. We have trained this model on a dataset self-constructed by our team. The training results show that the model has high accuracy in recognizing military symbols from sketch images, confirming the potential of deep neural networks in this field.
Intent classification for voice-based military information search on digital maps using integrated BiGRU-CNN network and speech recognition technology
Authors: Dang Duc Thinh , Nguyen Duc Vuong  , Luong Dinh Ha  , Nguyen Cong Thanh  , Nguyen Chi Thanh  , Phung Nhu Hai
Published: January 2025

Searching for information is one of the most important functions of software that supports drafting operational documents on digital maps. To enhance usability and meet the demands of modern military operations, it is necessary to automate the information search function using voice commands. A universal voice search tool that supports searches for various types of information requires an initial step of search intent classification. This paper proposes the development of a search intent classification process using an integrated BiGRU-CNN network and automatic speech recognition technology (ASR). The BiGRU-CNN network leverages the advantages of both BiGRU and CNN models to improve the efficiency of classifying text data converted from speech using the Whisper model. The paper compares the proposed method with those that use separate machine learning models combined with feature extraction methods such as TF-IDF, N-gram, and SVD. While the ASR model used in this research still has constraints, experimental results show that the accuracy of search intent classification reaches up to 98.4%. This result is higher than that of compared methods using simpler machine learning models, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Efecto de Antimicóticos en el tratamiento y tipificación de la dermatomicosis en cuyes
Authors: Contreras Fernández Feliciano Andres
Published: January 2025

En  este estudio se observó el efecto de tres antimicóticos y se realizó la tipificación de la dermatomicosis en cuyes donde se identificó a 60 cuyes con afecciones cutáneas en la cara, oreja y espalda, después se distribuyó en los 3 tratamientos a 20 cuyes cada uno, en el primer grupo se aplicó clotrimazol, en el segundo se aplicó griseofulvina y por último se aplicó fucsina básica, y se verifico cada tres días hasta su recuperación, también se realizó la extracción de muestras para llevarlo al laboratorio para la tipificación, como resultado nos arrojó que con clotrimazol tuvo un mejor tiempo de recuperación de 7 días, mientras con el fármaco griseofulvina se recuperó en 13 dias y con fucsina básica  se recuperaron en 16 días. Se logró identificar 3 tipos de dermatomicosis los cuales son: trichophyton mentagrophytes en 36%, trichphyton rubrum en un 42% y trichophyton verrucosum en 22%. Se concluye que hay efecto en los tratamientos aplicados en el estudio y también se ve las diferencias entre tratamientos, ya que el clotrimazol tuvo un menor tiempo de recuperación a diferencia de los dos tratamientos en estudio.
Recentering the Philosophical Foundations of Knowledge: The Case of Africa With a Special Focus on the Global Role of Teachers
Authors: Abdi Ali A.
Published: January 2025

The historical and actual marginalizations of African thought systems and knowledge constructions have been expansively responsible for the effectiveness of the dominant educational and governance systems imposed on Africa. The idea as well as the practice of these realities would conform to what Said (1993), Fanon (1967, 1968), and Memmi (1991) have called the cultural and psychosocial colonizations of both the physical and mental spaces of the conquered. The reality also speaks about the role of Europe’s most important thinkers such as Kant, Hobbes, and Voltaire, who all directly or indirectly paved the way for the projects of “de-philosophization” and “de-epistemologization” that still affect people’s lives. With the emergence of new cosmopolitanisms now creating highly multicultured societies in especially the so-called liberal democracies of the West, new contexts have also emerged of what one might counterintuitively call the “multiculturalization of knowledge marginalizations.” Thus there is an urgent need to aim for knowledge and learning multicentricities that both theoretically and pragmatically rewrite the learning trajectories of both the old colonized space and the new, still alienating multicultural classrooms. This article engages the historical and actual problematizations of the case and suggests some ideas for better possibilities that could enhance the schooling lives of current globally located learners.
Are You Here? Making Space for Family in Emerging Adults’ Experience of Cancer
Authors: Dhaliwal Sandip K.
Published: January 2025

Emerging adulthood (encompassing ages 18 to 29) is a period of life scaffolded by societal and developmental expectations of independence. Being confronted by a diagnosis of cancer launches emerging adults into new ways of being, sometimes at odds with these expectations. In this paper, I explore how cancer may be experienced as an interruption to an emerging adult’s lift script, and the expectations of childhood versus youth through an interpretation of Thomas Cole’s Voyage of Life painting series. I explore how cultural and traditional beliefs about one’s youth invoke an articulation of time “as passing” or progressing that a diagnosis of cancer puts into question. Subsequently, I consider how emerging adulthood requires being in a liminal space of self-understanding that is complicated by cancer. To conclude, I discuss Paul Ricoeur’s ideas about narrative identity and self to consider how we may support emerging adults’ capacity for imagination of meaningful familial relationships.
The Regulation of Private Health Funding and Insurance in Alberta Under the Canada Health Act: A Comparative Cross-Provincial Perspective
Authors: Boychuk Gerard W.
Published: January 2025

The range of options for provincial regulation of private funding and private insurance for health services under the Canada Health Act (CHA) is much wider than conventionally thought. While provinces tend to be considerably more restrictive than required by the CHA, existing legislation across the Canadian provinces presents a wide and varied menu for reform in the funding of health services. Given this, other factors including provincial public opinion appear to more significantly constrain reform than the CHA. The paper considers these issues with a focus on Alberta -- a province often seen to stand at the forefront of health care reform in Canada.
Understanding the Political Economy of the Evolution and Future of Single-Payer Public Health Insurance in Canada (Technical Paper)
Authors: Emery J.C. Herbert
Published: January 2025

Surprisingly little attention has been paid to how we pay for health care affects how much we spend on health care. In this paper, the author discusses how non-contributory finance and effective subsidization of public health care spending with federal cost sharing crowded out demand for private insurance as voters opted for high levels of public health spending.
Measuring Effective Tax Rates for Oil and Gas in Canada
Authors: Mintz Jack M.
Published: January 2025

The purpose of this report is to provide cost of capital formulae for assessing the effects of taxation on the incentive to invest in oil and gas industries in Canada.
The analysis is based on the assumption that businesses invest in capital until the after-tax rate of return on capital is equal to the tax-adjusted cost of capital. The cost of capital in absence of taxation is the inflation-adjusted cost of finance. The after-tax rate of return on capital is the annualized profit earned on a project net of the taxes paid by the businesses. For this purpose, we include corporate income, sales and other capital-related taxes as applied to oil and gas investments.
For oil and gas taxation, it is necessary to account for royalties in a special way. Royalties are payment made by businesses for the right to extract oil and gas from land owned by the property holder. The land is owned by the province so the royalties are a rental payment for the benefit received from extracting the product from provincial lands. Thus, provincial royalty payments are a cost to oil and gas companies for using public property.
However, since the provincial government is responsible for the royalty regime and could use taxes like the corporate income tax to extract revenue, one might think of royalties as part of the overall fiscal regime to raise revenue. In principle, one should subtract the rental benefit received from oil and gas businesses from taxes and royalty payments to assess the overall fiscal impact. This is impossible to do without measuring some explicit rental rate for use of provincial property. Further, royalty payments may distort economic decisions unlike a payment based on the economic rents earned on oil and gas projects. Instead, for comparability across jurisdictions, one might calculate the aggregate tax and royalty effective tax rates (such as between Alberta and Texas).
Should Canada Worry About a Resource Curse?
Authors: Gelb Alan
Published: January 2025

An abundance of natural resources might seem like something any nation would want to be blessed with. But in some countries, a bounty of energy, minerals and other resources can become as much a curse as a blessing. The difference between whether resources benefit a country’s people, or lead to adversity and even suffering, has everything to do with how a country manages its resources. It is the difference between a resource-rich, free and democratically accountable country, such as Canada, and a resourcerich, corrupt, violent and impoverished country, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo. In many resource-rich countries, the effect of ample natural wealth has been to sever the accountability link between citizens and government, slowing or even reversing democratic and social progress, while mostly enriching a few politically favoured constituencies. Canada’s plentiful resources are an indisputable blessing, and those critics of federal industrial policy who compare this country to illiberal and corrupt “petro-states” are being either ignorant or deceitful. There are numerous critical factors at work here that ensure that the Canadian public benefits, rather than suffers, from our natural endowments. We have a diversity of resources, as opposed to being reliant on a single commodity, and our natural-resource sector makes up only a small portion of our larger economy. We have well-established and diligently enforced standards for financial transparency and accountability, in both the private and public sectors. But, just as importantly, there is a national consensus in Canada that public wealth amassed from resource rents should be invested in strengthening human capital, through education, training and social services, as well as in improved infrastructure and better governance, eventually parlaying natural-resource wealth into a yet larger, further-diversified economy. But Canada — and especially resource-rich provinces, such as Alberta — cannot take these factors for granted. A combination of complacency and natural wealth has the potential to turn a blessing into a curse. Even once reasonably democratic and accountable countries, such as Venezuela, have been caught unprepared on the dangerous double edge of a resource boom and have seen their governance systems substantially eroded. Developing the fiscal capacity to withstand commodity-market shocks, creating effective and durable checks and balances on systems of legislative power, enforcing transparency in budgeting and public-investment management, and maximizing tax efficiencies and tax administration, are all areas where Canadians can and should focus their efforts. These are the fundamental safeguards that will ensure our ample natural resources continue to be seen by our citizens as a blessing and not — as is the unfortunate case in so many other countries — a curse.
Potash Taxation: How Canada’s Regime is Neither Efficient nor Competitive from an International Perspective
Authors: Chen Duanjie , Mintz Jack M.
Published: January 2025

Saskatchewan — and by extension, Canada — is the largest producer of potash in the world, accounting for over 30 per cent of global production. Perhaps the good fortune of having an abundance of such a valuable natural resource has engendered an approach whereby tax policy has not been considered a top priority. That would at least be one explanation for the alarmingly inefficient and uncompetitive potash regime that currently exists in Saskatchewan. New Brunswick’s potash-taxation regime is at least somewhat better designed than Saskatchewan’s, although it hardly stands as a model of efficiency. In both cases, poorly designed policies are hindering the provinces’ economic potential and, in turn, Canada’s. Put bluntly, when compared against its international peers, Saskatchewan’s potash-tax regime is not only the most complex and inefficient, it can also be the least competitive since its tax incentives conditioned on dated production levels and investment sizes cannot be used in perpetuity. Whereas its international peers tend to tax all potash investment projects equally, the marginal effective tax and royalty rates (METRR) on potash investment projects in Saskatchewan, either itemized or aggregated, are so widely varied that it is possible to calculate a METRR gap between two different projects as much as 48 percentage points. The convoluted nature of Saskatchewan’s regime benefits no one — not producers, investors, or the provincial government, which is left without any revenue certainty from its most significant natural resource. In fact, in recent years, where potash production and sales value rebounded substantially in Saskatchewan from 2009 levels, excessive tax allowances resulted in the province incurring three years of tax revenue losses from its potash production tax. New Brunswick’s potash-taxation regime is less complex than Saskatchewan’s, but it is not efficient. The province recently introduced a price-sensitive royalty-rate structure that imposes a higher degree of taxation on risky projects. Greater efficiency can be achieved by using a royalty system that is mainly rent based. Neither Saskatchewan nor New Brunswick needs to endure such a muddled and counter-productive approach to potash taxation. Simple solutions exist that would make both regimes far more efficient and competitive internationally. Both provinces should convert potash levies to an essentially rent-based royalty regime that ultimately taxes only revenues net of all the capital spending and operational costs. Any existing production- and sales-based ad valorem levies could be combined into a single royalty based on sales value, net of transportation and distribution costs and credited against the rent-based tax, thereby enabling, a steady revenue source for the government. Both unused capital and operational costs (deductible from the taxable rent) and sales-based royalty should be carried forward at the government’s long-term bond rate.
The False Panacea of City Charters? A Political Perspective on the Case of Toronto
Authors: Sancton Andrew
Published: January 2025

Toronto is unlike any other city, as its local boosters will not hesitate to point out. That was the basis, after all, of the “charter movement” that demanded special rights for a mega-city that the movement’s backers insisted was so vital that it even warranted a status similar to that of an entire province. Their efforts culminated in the province’s passage in 2006 of the City of Toronto Act, which appeared on its face to grant the metropolis the power it believed it required and merited. In reality, the Ontario government may have actually set Toronto back, leaving it more at the mercy of provincial power than other smaller municipalities. The few additional taxation powers that were granted by the ostensible Toronto “charter” — the City of Toronto Act — are, in reality, still overseen by the province, which retains the right to limit those revenue tools if it considers it “desirable in the provincial interest to do so.” But while Toronto may have been given just a small number of revenue tools, which it has used only sparingly, and the use of those tools is ultimately decided by Queen’s Park, their very existence has given the province licence to sidestep the city’s calls for more funding. The provincial Liberals have, in the past, insisted that Toronto make use of its own taxes before it demands more provincial funds. Meanwhile, the City of Toronto Act did nothing to curtail the power of the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). Because municipal zoning decisions made in Toronto can be appealed to the OMB, which can substitute its own idea of “good planning” for elected local government, the City of Toronto is ultimately left with limited control over its planning decisions. In sum, virtually none of the desires that Toronto expected would be served by a city charter have been fulfilled. Quite the opposite, it would appear that the dreams once imagined by charter-city proponents have been snuffed out, and there is no longer any real political voice anywhere advocating for more autonomy and taxing authority for Toronto. In the pursuit of more funds for transit infrastructure, the current mayor, John Tory, has returned to the traditional model of attracting funds from higher levels of government, rather than seeking to use any of the revenue tools provided by the City of Toronto Act. It would be truly surprising if municipal leaders anywhere else in Canada sought to emulate Toronto’s experience with charter status. If that experience serves as a model for anything, it is as a way for provincial governments to cleverly defuse and deflect a major city’s demands for enhanced status.
Into the mire: A closer look at fossil fuel subsidies
Authors: Stefanski Radoslaw (Radek)
Published: January 2025

Threatened by climate change, governments the world over are attempting to nudge markets in the direction of less carbon-intensive energy. Perversely, many of these governments continue to subsidize fossil fuels, distorting markets and raising emissions. Determining how much money is involved is difficult, as neither the providers nor the recipients of those subsidies want to own up to them. This paper builds on a unique method to extract fossil fuel subsidies from patterns in countries’ carbon emission-to-GDP ratios. This approach is useful since it: 1) overcomes the problem of scarce data; 2) derives a wider and more comparable measure of subsidies than existing measures and 3) allows for the performance of counterfactuals which help measure the impact of subsidies on emissions and growth. The resultant 170-country, 30-year database finds that the financial and the environmental costs of such subsidies are enormous, especially in China and the U.S. The overwhelming majority of the world’s fossil fuel subsidies stem from China, the U.S. and the ex-USSR; as of 2010, this figure was $712 billion or nearly 80 per cent of the total world value of subsidies. For its part, Canada has been subsidizing rather than taxing fossil fuels since 1998. By 2010, Canadian subsidies sat at $13 billion, or 1.4 per cent of GDP. In that same year, the total global direct and indirect financial costs of all such subsidies amounted to $1.82 trillion, or 3.8 per cent of global GDP. Aside from the money saved, in 2010 a world without subsidies would have had carbon emissions 36 per cent lower than they actually were. Any government looking to ease strained budgets and make a significant (and cheap) contribution to the fight against climate change must consider slashing fossil fuel subsidies. As the data show, this is a sound decision – fiscally and environmentally.
Municipal Revenue Generation and Development in the Calgary and Edmonton Metropolitan Regions
Authors: Conger Brian W. , Dahlby Bev , McMillan Melville
Published: January 2025

Municipal reliance on property taxes and the competing priorities of municipalities—in terms of where they plan and approve land development within their boundaries—in order to capture new property taxes, has led to political conflict between adjacent municipalities.1 Nowhere in Alberta is this more evident than in the Edmonton and Calgary metropolitan regions, where sustained high-levels of growth has led to the expansion of the core-cities, rapid residential development rates in peripheral urban centres and the rise urban-scale development in the rural municipal districts – spurring intrametropolitan competition, harsh words and hurt feelings amongst municipalities.2 In response to this ongoing conflict, the province and at times the municipalities themselves have developed successive regional planning frameworks over the past 60 years3 to guide development and encourage—and at times enforce—intermunicipal collaboration. In an exploration of the contemporary relationship between municipal finance and development patterns in the Calgary and Edmonton metropolitan regions, we use municipal property tax and building-permit data for new residential, commercial and industrial development to track the incidence of development since 1983 and the property tax rates for municipalities in both regions from 2001 to 2015. In looking at the tax data there is evidence of increasing competition among municipalities, in particular for non-residential development; however, the trends could also be consistent with collusion. In looking at the building permit data, although there has been a lot of development in the peripheral urban and rural municipalities, proportionately, growth and development has occurred overwhelmingly in the core-cities. Our findings point to a system where local development considerations in both metropolitan regions, and the municipal prerogative to set municipal tax rates to attract development, take precedence over the regional planning frameworks in place.