bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychological Mechanisms of Addictive Behaviour Development in the Modern Conditions of Ukraine
Authors: Lobanov Serhii
Published: February 2025

Introduction: The Russian aggression against Ukraine highlights the urgent need to address psychological health issues, particularly in combating addictive behaviours. This study aims to explore the psychological mechanisms underpinning the development of addiction in Ukraine’s current context.Methods: The research employed surveys (40 patients and 20 experts), content analysis of scholarly literature, response analysis, and comparative methods.Results: Findings reveal that childhood trauma, especially familial stress, plays a pivotal role in fostering addictive behaviours. Additional contributing factors include parental divorce, adverse living conditions, and personal setbacks during childhood and adolescence. Alcoholism emerges as the most prevalent form of addiction, while drug addiction, gambling, and Internet dependency also represent significant issues. The proliferation of gambling addiction is attributed to martial law and the increased availability of online gaming platforms. Similarly, Internet addiction correlates with widespread digitalisation and globalisation. Effective strategies for overcoming addiction involve professional psychological support strengthened by social assistance, family counselling, educational initiatives, and guidance from spiritual or religious organisations. However, a critical shortage of high-quality psychological rehabilitation and treatment services persists in Ukraine. Proposed solutions include establishing a national assistance programme, reforming psychologist training, and leveraging international support systems.Conclusions: The study underscores the necessity of a multifaceted psychological approach to address addictive behaviours effectively. Comprehensive measures combining professional, social, educational, and spiritual resources are vital for mitigating the impact of addiction in Ukraine’s challenging circumstances.
Financing the Healthcare System: A Study of Mechanisms and Their Impact on the Quality of Medical Services
Authors: Fedenko Svitlana , Lavrentii Dmytro , Borysiuk Iryna , Barabanchyk Olena , Terekhov Yevhen
Published: February 2025

Introduction: This study examines how healthcare funding affects service quality in Ukraine. It focuses on spending patterns and patient satisfaction in a conflict-affected and limited-resources setting. The study's goal is to give us useful information about how to make smart financial investments in healthcare to improve results.Methodology: Several kinds of tools were used in the study. It was possible to find out about patient satisfaction by surveying 200 patients and interviewing them in a semi-structured way. Spending on health care from 2019 to 2020 was examined in a descriptive study. To get a statistical sense of the patient's satisfaction, we utilized model testing as we looked at how expenditure affected the data.Results: Costs for health care rose from €9.76 billion in 2019 to €18.94 billion in 2029. Cost was strongly related to both the quality of the meeting (B =0.45, p<0.01) and the cleanliness of the venue (B =0.28, p<0.05). Long wait times, particularly in rural locations, and area-specific differences are, however, persistent problems.Conclusion: Putting together financial and patient-centred results is a new idea in the scientific world. It gives us a good way to judge how much money we spend on healthcare. The level of healthcare in Ukraine and other similar places can be raised by making smart financial investments, better resource sharing, integrating technology, and fair distribution.
Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein in Blood as a Diagnostic Method for Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Riofrio Ponce Edison Joshua , Salazar Garcés Luis Fabián
Published: February 2025

Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) has been proposed as a blood-based diagnostic biomarker for TBI, but its clinical utility remains uncertain. This meta-analysis assessed the diagnostic accuracy of GFAP in identifying TBI. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in biomedical databases for studies published between 2019 and 2024. Clinical trials with adequate sample sizes and standardized GFAP detection methods were included. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were analyzed using statistical models to evaluate diagnostic accuracy. Results: Seven studies with a total of 3,209 patients were included. The overall sensitivity of GFAP was 0.91 (95% CI: 0.83–0.96), demonstrating a high capacity to detect TBI. However, specificity was moderate (0.61, 95% CI: 0.48–0.73), indicating a higher rate of false positives. The summary ROC curve confirmed a good general diagnostic performance but highlighted limitations in differentiating TBI from other neurological conditions. Conclusions: GFAP exhibited high sensitivity as a diagnostic biomarker for TBI, making it a useful tool for early detection. However, its low specificity suggests the need for combination with other biomarkers to improve diagnostic accuracy.
The Effectiveness of the Outdoor Learning Activity (OLA) Model Based on Javanese Culture in Improving Children's Working Memory
Authors: Laely Khusnul , Dimyati  , Suyanto Slamet
Published: February 2025

Introduction: This research aims to determine the effectiveness of the Outdoor Learning Activity (OLA) model based on Javanese culture in improving children's working memory (WM) and to identify the differences in working memory achievements in each OLA activity implemented, including Kubro Siswo dance, Engklek, and fun cooking. Methods: The research used a Pre-test and Post-test Nonequivalent Control Group Design with 171 subjects from the control group, experimental group 1, and experimental group 2. Data collection was conducted using a working memory test, and the data analysis used was one-way ANOVA and N-Gain Score.Results: The N-Gain scores for Experimental Group 1 and Experimental Group 2 reached 77.29 and 80.50, respectively, greater than 76. The average working memory achievement in each OLA activity shows Engklek at 47.03, Kubro Siswo dance at 45.65, and Fun Cooking at 44.24. Conclusions: The research results show that the N-Gain score >76, indicating that the Javanese culture-based OLA model is effective in improving children's working memory. It is concluded that the Engklek treatment is the OLA treatment with the highest average working memory score, followed by the Kubro Siswo dance treatment and lastly the Fun Cooking treatment.
The lawyer’s role in safeguarding suspects’ rights: A comparative study across Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania in the era of technological and criminal justice reform
Authors: Chystiakova Anastasiia , Kuzmichova-Kyslenko Yelyzaveta , Bilokin Ruslan , Moskalenko Serhii , Stepanova Hanna
Published: February 2025

Introduction: This study looks at the important job of lawyers in shielding suspects’ rights during criminal cases, with a focus on Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania. The aim of the study is to analyze the lawyers’ role in protecting the suspects’ rights throughout the entire criminal procedure.
Methods: By using interviews, watching courtrooms, and analyzing themes and numbers, the research finds big problems and shows a need for changes across different fields. Special attention is given to how technology like AI and online proof is changing things as well as the health issues of suspects before trial or during it.
Results: Results show clear differences in legal actions across areas pointing out holes in support training and how resources are shared. Suggestions for policy include putting tech tools into use for better legal help͏ improving training to deal with health worries—and making uniform ways for working together between different areas.
Conclusions: Further research should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of legal practices, analyzing technological changes, and taking an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the impact on suspects’ rights. This study contributes to the ongoing debate on criminal justice reform, providing actionable insights for improving legal practices and safeguarding human rights in a rapidly changing legal landscape.
The Role of Cultural and Ethnic Identity in Contemporary Media Dynamics: Market Potential and Influence
Authors: Diakiv Volodymyr , Koval Oleksii , Kdyrova Inesh , Voitenko Iryna
Published: February 2025

Introduction: The research aims to elucidate the role of the media and the media market in the contemporary geopolitical landscape, both at the global and national levels. This will be achieved by examining the media’s potential to contribute to conflict within ethnic and cultural identity patterns and the formation and persistence of these patterns.Methods: The foundation of research consists of hypotheses, notions, concepts, and terminology devised in the field of globalisation and geopolitics and inseparable from national-cultural identity. Moreover, systemic, synergetic, dialectical, comparative, socio-cultural, and civilisational approaches constitute the methodological apparatus of the research.Results: Findings demonstrate that media products, as well as the media market itself, represent a resource considerably contributing to ethnic conflict mobilisation. In mass communication, social actors put all efforts into presenting their peace/conflict projects as beneficial ones to society. The findings also suggest that today, studies in media, journalism, and contemporary do not pay much attention to critical assessment of the role of news media in propaganda production and distribution on the basement of narratives within the domain of ethnic and cultural identity. Thus, the evident need for filling this research gap is stressed.Conclusions: In the current conditions, the media market has grown and transformed into a full-blown and inherent constituent of postclassical geopolitics. The issue concerning how culture’s symbolic capital functions in the information/media realm is increasingly becoming more than just an abstract theoretical one; it is becoming strategically important from a geopolitical standpoint.
A Pedagogical Exploration of the Challenges and Efficacy Performance in Integrating Literature into Language Teaching
Authors: Shailsh Mona Jabber , Jasim Aswan Fakhir , Almosawi Fatima Raheem , Mohammed Alnoori Bushra Saadoon
Published: February 2025

The adoption of contemporary teaching ideas in language education has been influenced by psychological, linguistic, political, and pedagogical perspectives derived from "a mixture of assertion, theory, observation, and experiment" over the past century. In the past few decades, literature has been regarded as a significant instrument in teaching foreign languages. It is a critical element of language acquisition and education. Nevertheless, there are certain obstacles to the integration of language and literature. The initial obstacle is the absence of suitable pedagogical instruments for teaching language through literature. The second obstacle is the absence of adequate literary preparation for language instruction. The third issue is the absence of sufficient objectives to recognise the significance of literature in language acquisition. Numerous academicians have endeavoured to integrate literature into the teaching of language; however, their objectives remain incomplete as a result of their lack of expertise in the respective discipline. Consequently, in order to address research voids, we are integrating language and literature by delineating the purpose of language education in accordance with the expectations and desires of learners. Subsequently, it is imperative that we determine an appropriate language instructional approach. Third, it is imperative to select literary materials that are pertinent to the educational objectives. Lastly, the statistical Likert scale can be employed to evaluate the efficacy of the teaching. The results have shown that literary works improve students' linguistic skills, emotional development, and creativity.
The Role of Artificial Intelligence Technologies in Rebuilding the Post-war Economy and Ensuring Cyber Security: An Example from Ukraine
Authors: Vdovichena Olha , Krymska Anna , Koroliuk Yurii , Shymko Alla , Vdovichen Anatolii
Published: February 2025

This paper explores the dual role of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in Ukraine’s post-war economic recovery and cybersecurity using Agent-Based Modeling (ABM). The simulation reveals that sectors like manufacturing and banking rapidly adopt AI due to clear productivity and security benefits, leading to positive spillover effects across the broader economy. However, slower adoption in sectors such as agriculture and retail highlights the need for government intervention, such as subsidies and tax incentives, to ensure a balanced recovery. In cybersecurity, AI-enhanced defence mechanisms significantly improve threat detection and response, though they also introduce new vulnerabilities, requiring continuous system updates to stay ahead of evolving threats. The findings emphasise the importance of strategic AI adoption and adaptive cybersecurity policies in Ukraine’s post-war context, with implications for future economic stability and national security. The study also identifies critical areas for future research, including data validation and further exploration of AI vulnerabilities.
THE LAW AND PRACTICE OF COMMERCIAL AND TREATY-BASED ARBITRATION IN POLAND: RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AND CURRENT TRENDS
Authors: Balcerzak Filip
Published: February 2025

This paper analyses the recent developments and current trends in the landscape of Polish arbitration. It commences with a brief overview of the legal framework governing arbitration in Poland, followed by a review of the practice of the Polish state courts in post-arbitral cases. It then describes the most relevant Polish arbitral institutions. Next, it proceeds to examine the position of treaty-based arbitration in the Polish context. Each of these sections discusses the challenges and perspectives faced by arbitration in Poland.
Nursing care of a dog with tetanus
Authors: Dillenburger-Keenan Kai
Published: February 2025

etanus is a rare but life-threatening condition. This case study
explores the nursing care of Luther, a 3-year-old German pointer, following
his diagnosis, and outlines the treatment of the condition. Luther has since
made a full recovery. The photos in this article are of Luther, and his
owner has granted consent for their use.
Listen to the whispers: canine communication for veterinary nurses Part
2
Authors: Durston Tamsin
Published: February 2025

Communication among dogs can be both subtle and overt. Dogs communicate
in many ways, including the use of body language to appease would-be
aggressors and barking during short-range interactions, in contexts such as
greeting, warning, frustration and attention-seeking. By observing,
understanding and responding to the different types of canine communication,
veterinary professionals can improve the wellbeing of dogs in the practice
environment. As veterinary nurses, we can help to reduce stress and promote
positive emotional experiences and interactions for canine patients, their
owners and veterinary professionals.
Esculetin Mitigates Ethanol and Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Male Wistar Rats: Anti-apoptotic and Anti-inflammatory Mechanisms
Authors: Murugabhas Srinivasan , Saravanan Nadanam
Published: February 2025

Ethanol-induced liver disease is a major global health concern. This study investigated the protective effects of esculetin against hepatotoxicity induced by ethanol and ethanol combined with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in rats, with a focus on its anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. In this experiment, thirty adult male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to five groups (six rats per group). The rats received ethanol (5 mL/kg b.w) for 10 days, followed by a single intraperitoneal dose of LPS (5 mL/kg b.w) on the 11th day. Esculetin was administered orally at 50 mg/kg b.w for the same 11-day period, one hour before ethanol or LPS administration. At the end of the study, hepatotoxicity was assessed through biochemical, histopathological, immunohistochemical, and mRNA expression analyses. Biochemical evaluation revealed significant increases in bilirubin, creatinine, and phase II detoxification enzymes, along with reductions in phase I detoxification enzymes in the ethanol and ethanol+LPS groups. Additionally, ethanol and ethanol+LPS exposure upregulated the expression of Bax, caspase-3, TNF-α, NF-κB, and COX-2, while downregulating Bcl-2 expression. However, esculetin treatment mitigated these biochemical and molecular alterations, restoring them closer to normal levels compared to the ethanol and ethanol+LPS groups. These findings suggest that esculetin may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for ethanol-induced liver injury by exerting anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects. Further research using this model could provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying alcoholic liver disease in humans.
Pengaruh Overtime Kerja & Job Satisfaction Terhadap Work-Life Balance Karyawan di The Balcone Suites & Resort Bukittinggi
Authors: Putri Artha Pramesti  , Hijriyantomi Suyuhtie
Published: February 2025

This study discusses how overtime & job satisfaction affect the work-life balance of employees at The Balcone Suites & Resort Bukittinggi. This research is in the background with the discovery of phenomena regarding overtime, job satisfaction, and work-life balance of employees of The Balcone Suites & Resort Bukittinggi. This type of research is quantitative descriptive with a sampling method using purposive sampling, involving 123 respondents. The research instrument in the form of a questionnaire was prepared using the Likert scale. The data obtained was then analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) version 3.0. . The results of the hypothesis test show that Overtime Work has a negative and significant effect on Employee Work-Life Balance with a negative value of -0.474 and a tstatistic value of 4.224 > a Ttable value (1.96) with a p-value of 0.000 < 0.05. Job Satisfaction has a positive and significant effect on Employee Work-Life Balance with a value of 0.280 and a tstatistic value (2.745) > a ttable value (1.96) with a p-value of 0.006 < 0.05. Overtime Work and Job Satisfaction have an effect on Employee Work-Life Balance, with an R Square of 0.365 indicating that 36.5% of employee Work-Life Balance variables can be explained by the Overtime Work and Job Satisfaction variables and the remaining 63.5% are influenced by other variables that are not present in this study.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative
Authors: Nicholas Terence
Published: February 2025

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is not debt trap diplomacy; rather, it is an effort by China to coalesce and capitalize on the sentiments of its participants who have expressed concurrence with China’s view of international relations. At a time when the dominant international relations narrative is being challenged, specifically by China, the BRI has provided China with an opportunity to obtain affirmation for its foreign interests and principles. This claim is made evident by evaluating, as metrics of geopolitical influence, United Nations resolutions representing China’s interests and how BRI participant nations voted on them, as well as official BRI statements that these nations have made regarding China’s foreign policy stances.
Influence of Fissure Inclination on Deformation and Strain Distribution of Damaged Materials Based on Digital Image Correlation Method
Authors: WANG Hongwei , XIE Fuxiang , SONG Jian , FU Xi , YIN Zhaoming
Published: February 2025

Sandstone-like specimens with fissures (fissure inclination 0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, 90°) were made for investigation into the influence of fissure inclination on deformation of damaged rock mass. The high-speed camera was used to record the deformation images of the specimen. Based on the digital image correlation (DIC) method, the strain distribution was calculated. The strain evolution pattern of fissured rock mass under the effect of fissures was analyzed via the maximum equivalent strain, average equivalent strain, and strain distribution, respectively. The results revealed that prefabricated fissure specimens exhibit four distinct phases: stable deformation, accelerated deformation, crack propagation and specimen failure. The DIC analysis revealed that the new cracks on the fissured specimens predominantly originate from the fissures' tips and propagate in a direction aligned with the principal stress. The maximum equivalent strain of the specimen was related to the fissure inclination. The maximum equivalent strain of the specimen with a fissure inclination of 90° and the intact specimen increased linearly. For fissure inclination between 0° and 75°, the strain of the specimen exhibited a pronounced increase following the accelerated deformation stage. The average equivalent strain of the specimen initially rose and then declined with the increase of the fissure inclination. The maximum value of the average equivalent strain was observed when the fissure was inclined approximately up to 45°.
The Voice of Anna Julia Cooper
Authors: Cooper Anna J.
Published: February 2025

Recently Anna Julia Cooper has emerged as the most important classic writer in the tradition of African American feminist thought. Mary Helen Washington described Cooper's work as "the most precise, forceful, well-argued statement of black feminist thought to come out of the nineteenth century." This is the first collection of all of Cooper's major writings, including many never before published. It includes all of the essays from her famous book, A Voice from the South, in addition to many other essays and letters accessible only in archives until now. The organization of this important new collection lends itself to a clearer understanding of the major themes and contributions of Cooper's thought, her development as a thinker and writer, and the critiques and controversies surrounding her work. Lemert and Bhan introduce Cooper as an activist, settlement founder, school teacher, college president, linguist, and scholar—a life that paralleled the prodigious accomplishments of W.E.B. Du Bois in so many ways.
Doing Business with the Dictators
Authors: Dosal Paul J.
Published: February 2025

The United Fruit Company (UFCO) developed an unprecedented relationship with Guatemala in the first half of this century. By 1944, UFCO owned 566,000 acres, employed 20,000 people, and operated 96% of Guatemala's 719 miles of railroad, making the multinational corporation Guatemala's largest private landowner and biggest employer. In Doing Business with the Dictators, Paul J. Dosal shows how UFCO built up a profitable corporation in a country whose political system was known to be corrupt. His work is based largely on research of company documents recently acquired from the Justice Department under the Freedom of Information Act-no other historian researching this topic has looked at these sources. As a result, Dr. Dosal is able to offer the first documentary evidence of how UFCO acquired, defended, and exploited its Guatemalan properties by collaborating with successive authoritarian regimes.
Women Reshaping Human Rights
Authors: Bouvard Marguerite Guzman
Published: February 2025

In Women Reshaping Human Rights ,ordinary yet extraordinary women tell their stories, in their own words. Their deeds span continents and have profoundly affected millions worldwide.Readers will meet Vera Laska, who as a teenager joined the resistance against the Nazis in Czechoslovakia; Dai Qing, who fights the Communist Party's grip upon the media and government in the People's Republic of China; and Juana Beatrice Gutierrez and the Mothers of East Los Angeles, who challenge drug dealers and toxic polluters threatening their neighborhood.

Professor Bouvard provides a complete biography of every activist. The stage is thus set for each individual, who recounts real-life stories of courage that sadly until now have gone unnoticed. Finally we hear the voices of those who have transformed the quest for human rights.

This volume is divided into five sections: Confronting Authoritarian Governments, Struggling with Race and Ethnicity, Seeking Enviromental Justice, Upholding Women's Rights as Human Rights, and Making the World Safe for Childern.
Socializing Metaphysics
Authors: Schmitt Frederick
Published: February 2025

Human life is conducted within a network of social relations, social groups, and societies. Grasping the implications of that fact starts with understanding social metaphysics. Social metaphysics provides a foundation for social theory, as well as for social epistemology, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, action theory, ethics, and political philosophy. This volume will interest anyone concerned with mind, action, or the foundations of social theory. Socializing Metaphysics supplies diverse answers, from a broad array of voices, to the basic questions of social metaphysics. What is it for human beings to stand in social relations or form social groups? Do these relations and groups bring about something above and beyond the individuals involved? Is there any sense to the notion of a human being apart from social relations? How can an individual achieve autonomy within a society? In what sense are human kinds like race and gender socially constructed? The answers are found within.
Asthma
Authors: Paquette Penny
Published: February 2025

This easy-to-read guide provides specific information that teens can use to better monitor and manage their illness and improve their quality of life while living with asthma. What happens in the body during an attack, what specific triggers might make asthma worse, medications that can help, and symptoms that signal asthma is getting worse are all covered. Teens will not only find factual information to take a proactive role in the management of their illness, but they will also enjoy reading interviews with other teens who have asthma and finding out how they feel about taking medication, what it feels like to have an asthma attack, and how they deal with inquiries from their friends.
Tommy's Sunset
Authors: Tsurushima Hisako
Published: February 2025

Tommy's Sunset is a translation of the acclaimed Japanese novel about the journey of a mother and her autistic child. Drawing from her own personal life story, Hisako Tsurushima has provided a definitive work about the problems and surprising joys for the autistic and those who love them. Readers experience the range of emotions as Tommy and his mother are routinely embarrassed in social situations and share delight in private moments. As she lovingly describes these characters, Tsurushima ultimately investigates the source of our social responses to people who are in any way different than ourselves. Tommy's Sunset was the basis for the Japanese Film Gakko III, which was shown in the United States under the title The New Voyage. Tommy's Sunset is a deceptively simple novel that will leave readers with a lasting impression and a new outlook on what it means to be different.
Through a Local Prism
Authors: Skalli Loubna H
Published: February 2025

In Through a Local Prism, Loubna H. Skalli explores the forces of global cosmopolitanism, European and American, as they collide with local definitions of self, gender, and community in the Arab and Muslim culture. Since the late 1980's, Morocco, a post-colonial Muslim country, has faced dramatic political, economic, and sociocultural changes. Utilizing Moroccan women's magazines, Skalli explores the tensions and intersections between global forces and local traditions with close attention to their impact on gender definitions among Arab Muslims. Drawing on communication, media, and cultural theories, Skalli's research redefines culture, gender, and national identity in the context of the globalized world. The focus on the Middle East makes this book of great interest to scholars and students of cultural studies, communications, and women's studies.
History vs. Apologetics
Authors: Cymet David
Published: February 2025

Set within the context of the political and ideological developments of the time, History vs. Apologetics examines the role played by the Catholic Church in the rise and consolidation of the Third Reich and in particular with regard to the Nazi persecution of the Jews. Distanced in the beginning, the Catholic Church and the Nazi party drew closer as Hitler's popularity increased. At the ratification of the Concordat in Rome, a commitment not to interfere with the Nazis' 'Final Solution' to the 'Jewish Question' was traded for a verbal promise from Berlin to exclude the baptized converts. While the Nazi government violated the Concordat at every turn, the Church kept zealously its promise. Pope Pius XII never mentioned the persecuted Jews by name and denied any knowledge of the annihilation of the Jews. Even after the war, Pius XII refused to condemn anti-Semitism and Germany's role in the Holocaust. Instead, the Vatican engaged in the protection of genocide perpetrators and assisted in their mass escape. David Cymet's comprehensive critical analysis of the polemical literature on the topic makes it possible to separate legitimate history from apologetic allegations and misrepresentations, bringing to light key elements of Church policy that is intentionally misinterpreted by apologists. By surveying the Church's policy from just before the rise of Nazism to the present, Cymet demonstrates how the Nazis were able to turn the Catholic Church into their ally in their war against the Jews.
America in JeruSALEm
Authors: First Anat , Avraham Eli
Published: February 2025

In America in JeruSALEm, the authors examine the effects of globalization and Americanization on the national identity of small nations. Using Israel as a case study, First and Avraham analyzed the changes in Israeli advertising over the past two decades. They found that since the '90s, Israeli advertisers began using American symbols, values, sights, and heroes to promote diverse products without any consideration of the place they were actually made. The perspective offered in this book_a consideration of advertising as a locus of the tension between national identity and globalization/Americanization_is an innovative one, generating a model that can be used to analyze national identity through advertising in the age of globalization/Americanization. Although many books have focused on numerous aspects of Israeli society, America in JeruSALEm offers a new and accessible perspective on the changes in Israeli identity.
Africa's Legacies of Urbanization
Authors: Goodwin Stefan
Published: February 2025

The ability to function safely, healthily, and productively in urban places is a continuing challenge for people everywhere. This challenge is exacerbated when the resources available to people in urban places happen to be severely limited or their ability to make decisions consistent with their welfare severely constrained. Nevertheless, Africans have manifested great inventiveness and resourcefulness both in contributing to, and in adapting to, urbanization. Africa's Legacies of Urbanization is the culmination of several decades of research, travel, and teaching. Goodwin provides an interdisciplinary and up-to-date look at African cities and the urbanization process. This thought provoking and engaging work tackles the vastness of the 'mother continent' by dividing it into geographic regions: western, central, southern, eastern, and northeastern. Beginning with an overview of the urban experience in Africa, Goodwin then studies the histories of urbanization in the various regions of the continent. Thoroughly researched and accessibly written, this comprehensive work will appeal to scholars of African studies, urban studies, anthropology, and cultural ecology.
How International Relations Affect Civil Conflict
Authors: Thyne Clayton L.
Published: February 2025

Given the appalling consequences of civil wars, why are the competing actors within a state unable to come to a settlement to avoid the costs of conflict? How might external parties affect the likelihood that a civil war begins? How do their actions affect the duration and outcome of civil conflicts that are already underway? How International Relations Affect Civil Conflict draws on three main approaches_bargaining theory, signaling theory, and rational expectations_to examine how external actors might affect the onset, duration and outcome of civil wars. Signals from external actors are important because they represent a potential increase (or decrease) in fighting capabilities for the government or the opposition if a war were to begin. Costly signals should not affect the probability of civil war onset because they are readily observable ex ante, which allows the government and opposition to peacefully adjust their bargaining positions based on changes in relative capabilities. In contrast, cheap hostile signals make civil war more likely by increasing the risk that an opposition group overestimates its ability to stage a successful rebellion with external support. Cheap supportive signals work in the opposite manner because they represent increased fighting capabilities for the government. Furthermore, signals sent in the pre-war period have important implications for the duration and outcome of civil conflicts because competing intrastate actors develop expectations for future interventions prior to deciding to fight. In this book, Clayton L. Thyne tests this theory by examining the likelihood of civil war onset, the duration, and the outcome of all civil wars since 1945, finding strong support from empirical tests for each component of this theory. The conclusion offers specific advice to US policy-makers to prevent the outbreak of civil conflict in states most at-risk for civil war and to help end those that are currently underway. This book will appeal to undergraduate and graduate students and scholars interested in political science, international studies, conflict resolution, and peace science.
A Communication Universe
Authors: Klyukanov Igor E.
Published: February 2025

A Communication Universe: Manifestations of Meaning, Stagings of Significance presents a new theoretical understanding of communication. Igor E. Klyukanov conceptualizes the process of communication in terms of space and time, i.e., as a continuous process of meaningful spatiotemporal transformation. He goes on to examine four fundamental transformations and the four theoretical perspectives on the nature of communication. From the first perspective communication appears to be 'pure space,' then time comes into play more and more actively, and from the fourth perspective communication appears to be 'pure time.' Following the fourth transformation communication is seen as returning back to the first stage where it again appears as 'pure space;' however, now its reality contains all meanings created in the process of the previous transformations. Based on these four transformations, the process of communication is understood as a universe, meaning 'whole,' 'entire,' 'turned into one.'
Constructing Community
Authors: Elliott Brian
Published: February 2025

Constructing Community examines community from the particular perspective of the shaping and control of urban space in contemporary liberal democracies. Following a consideration and critique of influential theories of community that have arisen within European philosophy over the last three decades, Brian Elliott investigates parallel approaches to community within urban theory and practice over the same period. Underlying the comparison of political theory and urban practice is a basic assumption that community and place are intimately connected such that the one cannot be adequately understood without the other. The underlying intention of this book is to advocate a particular understanding of community, one that centers on collective, grassroots oppositional action. While it draws on certain current theories and practices, the model of community put forward is far from the orthodox position. This study is a provocative and original analysis of the question of urban politics in contemporary liberal democracies. It offers a strong case for reconsidering current debates on democratic politics in light of the connection between political power and the control of public space and the built environment.
Picturing Hegel
Authors: Maybee Julie E.
Published: February 2025

In her innovative take on G.W. F. Hegel's The Encyclopaedia Logic, Julie E. Maybee uses pictures and diagrams to cut through the philosopher's dense, difficult writing. Picturing Hegel: An Illustrated Guide to Hegel's Encyclopaedia Logic utilizes diagrams in order to rehabilitate Hegel's logic for serious consideration by showing how each stage develops step-by-step from earlier stages according to definite, logical patterns. This interpretation makes Hegel's work accessible and understandable for new and experienced readers alike. Because Hegel uses the same logic in all of his works, Maybee's analysis and defense of the logic will capture the attention of those readers interested in Hegel's ethics, politics, history, philosophy of religion, and phenomenology. Through the included diagrams, Maybee is able to define central Hegelian concepts such as 'being-in-itself,' and 'being-in-and-for-itself' with a new level of precision. Maybee argues that Hegel's logic does not include the one logistical pattern most often attributed to him; namely, the pattern 'thesis-antithesis-synthesis.' Rather, Hegel's model of logic was more scientific than formalistic in nature, as the philosopher himself pointed out. Hegel considered himself an encyclopedic culmination of Western philosophy in some ways, and indeed his work summarizes many of the presuppositions of Western philosophy. By picturing Hegel's logic, we can gain a greater understanding of ourselves.
Prisons the World Over
Authors: Simon Rita , De Waal Christiaan
Published: February 2025

As of 2007, more than 9.25 million people were imprisoned worldwide. Almost half of the persons imprisoned are in the United States, China and Russia. The United States has more persons in prison per capita than any country in the world. Prisons The World Over offers a comprehensive overview of prison demographics and conditions for each of the following countries: United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Sweden, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Israel, Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, South Africa, India, China, Japan, and Australia. The book includes reports on the number of prisoners, the rate per population, the percent of female prisoners, the number of penal institutions and their occupancy level, and the number of privately run prisons Also reported are the offenses for which the inmates are interred, the average length of incarceration, the availability of parole, conditions in the prisons, the availability of educational and work programs, provisions for children of female prisoners, the availability and quality of medical care, the characteristics of the prison staff, the visitation rights of prisoners, and the presence and treatment of political prisoners.
Orphans on the Earth
Authors: Oliver Bette W.
Published: February 2025

Just as it was not foreordained that the Terror of 1793D1794 should follow the early idealistic years of the French Revolution, neither could it have been imagined that some of those elected deputies who had helped to establish the new republic would become fugitives from their own government. Yet, in May to June 1793, twenty-nine deputies of the moderate Girondin faction were expelled from the National Convention by the radical Jacobin leadership and placed under house arrest. This action followed months of irreconcilable quarrels between the Girondin and Jacobin factions. Some of the proscribed deputies chose to remain in Paris and were subsequently executed in October 1793. Others escaped, fleeing first to Caen in Normandy, where they hoped to ignite a federalist revolt against the government in Paris. When their efforts failed, a small group of the former deputies fled to nearby Brittany and then down the western coast to the Bordeaux area, where they found refuge near St. Emilion. Hiding for several months in the home and attached stone quarry of the deputy Guadet's relatives, four of these fugitives wrote their memoirs before their presence was discovered by one of Robespierre's agents. The memoirs of Fran_ois Buzot, Jerome PZtion, Charles Barbaroux, and Jean-Baptiste Louvet, in addition to correspondence between them and Jean and Manon Roland, provide the basis for this book. This is the first book to examine the lives of the fugitives during the period of the Terror (1793D94), after which only Louvet remained alive.
Toward a Catholic Theology of Nationality
Authors: Llywelyn Dorian
Published: February 2025

Nationality continues to be an important part of how people identify themselves and others. 'Who am I?' is inseparable from the question 'Who and what are we?' Historically, many nations have made use of the Bible and Christian notions to understand themselves and to justify their political ambitions. Catholic theology, however, has never elaborated on a systematic treatment of nationality. Dorian Llywelyn forges a new approach, treating the nation as a form of culture. He addresses some key questions: How are the religious and national aspects of human identity connected? What does Catholic doctrine have to say about nationality and nationalism? Is there really such a thing as a Christian nation? Is Catholicism compatible with patriotism? Llywelyn's wide-ranging book introduces the reader to contemporary approaches to nationality, nationality, national identity, nationalism and patriotism. Drawing from the insights of sociology, history, and anthropology, he investigates the many ways in which nations and Christianity have intertwined and explores what scripture and twentieth-century papal teaching have to say on the matter. He provides an original, Catholic theology of national belonging, one which is based on the implications of the Incarnation. Examining popular devotions to the Virgin Mary as national patroness and drawing from the metaphysical acumen of the medieval thinker John Duns Scotus, Llywelyn argues for the theological value of nationality and proposes that global community and cultural and national diversity are mutually necessary values.
American Ideal
Authors: Rego Paul M.
Published: February 2025

This book examines the political thought of Theodore Roosevelt, specifically his ceaseless desire and effort to reconcile America's individualistic tradition with the more collectivistic ideals of his Progressive brethren. Many scholars and lay-people alike cast Roosevelt as either 'conservative' or 'liberal,' but his political thought defies so simple an interpretation; it was more nuanced and had a larger purpose than mere ideology. A thorough study of Roosevelt's writings reveals his conviction that the concepts of personal autonomy and civic concern were not mutually exclusive. In fact, Roosevelt argued that it was because the principles of self-reliance and personal freedom were important that it was sometimes necessary for the entire community to use its collective power_and, in some cases, the institutions of the government_to enable individuals to do what they could not do alone. Moreover, while Roosevelt advocated and was responsible for a great expansion in the regulatory powers of the national government, he understood, in contrast to many other Progressive reformers, that inspirational rhetoric and positive example could be as good as institutional reform and the force of law in compelling individuals to support one another in a spirit of civic attachment. In his public writings, Roosevelt sought to shape the American mind in ways that he thought proper. Even his writings on nature, hunting, ranching, and military life were part of his political thought in that they were intended to teach Americans about the importance of balancing those individualistic values that are healthy and vital to a society (discipline, personal responsibility, and a strong work ethic) with such positive collectivistic values as an appreciation for mutual support and a concern for the good of the community.
The UK and China relationship
Authors:   Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, Congreve Matthew , Brawley Simon
Published: February 2025

China is the UK's fifth-largest trading partner. Recent issues have complicated the relationship with China, but opportunities remain.
The Performance of ESG ETFs vis-à-vis non-ESG ETFs in Hong Kong
Authors: Rompotis Gerasimos G.
Published: February 2025

The performance of ETFs in Hong Kong that apply environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria to make their investment decisions is examined in this study. The performance of these ETFs is assessed against the performance of competitive non-ESG ETFs. The study period spans from 1/12/2022 to 29/2/2024. From a methodological perspective, raw returns, tracking errors and risk-adjusted returns are computed. Raw returns are computed in percentage terms with daily close trade prices. Tracking error is calculated as the difference in daily returns between ETFs and Hang Seng Index, which is used as a proxy for the entire stock market of Hong Kong. Risk-adjusted returns include Sharpe, Treyor, Modigliani & Modigliani, and Information Ratios. A simple regression model is applied too, via which the daily excess return of each ETF, that is the return above the risk-free rate, is regressed on the corresponding return of the market index. The empirical results indicate that the ESG ETFs clearly underperform their non-ESG peers, also being a little riskier and more expensive than them. In particular, the average daily return of ESG ETFs is equal to -0.058%, while the respective return of non-ESG ETFs is slightly better at -0.033%. At the cumulative level, the average return of ESG ETFs is equal to -19.22%, while the respective return of the non-ESG ETFs amounts to -12.41%. When it comes to risk, the ESG group presents an average measure of 1.572%, whereas the non-ESG group has an average risk of 1.490%. In regard to expenses, the average management fee of the ESG ETFs is equal to 0.18%, while the average management fee of the non-ESG peers is 0.09%.
Impact of the pandemic on the mental health of women workers at a health center in Vilcún (Chile): an exploratory study
Authors: Álvarez Sepúlveda Martina , Salinas Cabello Francisca , Sandoval-Obando Eduardo , Fuentes-Vilugrón Gerardo
Published: February 2025

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the physical, psychological, economic, and sociocultural levels, resulting in the integration into new non-face-to-face work (teleworking) and educational and social restrictions, among others. The objective of the research was to understand the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of women working at a primary care health center in Vilcún (Chile). From a qualitative perspective, an exploratory, cross-sectional, and non-experimental design was adopted. An intentional non-probabilistic sampling was used, and it was made up of 10 women workers in the health sector. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews, whose stories were systematized through content analysis. The presence of stressful symptoms, such as emotional exhaustion and frustration in the participants, was identified. Likewise, some women perceived a state of greater vulnerability to the risk of contagion that could affect their family members. In addition, it was observed that women played leading roles in tasks associated with home care and child-rearing. The obstacles and challenges women face in their work as healthcare personnel during the pandemic are discussed, as well as the transformation of their roles in a non-face-to-face modality.