bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pemberdayaan Perempuan Papua melalui Pelatihan Hidroponik Sayur dan Pemasarannya
Authors: Panga Nurhaya Jahidin , Ginting Nina Maksimiliana
Published: April 2022

Abstract. The welfare of the indigenous Papuan people needs to be improved, one of which is through the empowerment of Papuan women, who often act as breadwinners for their families. This activity aims to improve the welfare and food security of the Papuan Women, through training and assistance in vegetable hydroponics and nutrition counseling. The targets of this activity were women in RT 05 Kamundu Village, Merauke who later formed the Creative Women's Community. This service activity includes the construction of facilities, training, and assistance in intensive vegetable hydroponic cultivation. Training and mentoring are carried out on an ongoing basis so that the community can harvest and market hydroponic vegetables. The outcomes are the availability of hydroponic house with an area of 5 x 10 meters, the availability of two hydroponic installation packages, each with a capacity of 500 planting holes, increased income and knowledge of the targeted group, regarding vegetable hydroponics, which was achieved through training activities. The participants enthusiastically welcomed this program, and continued to be actively involved during the plant cultivation process. Participants have also been able to carry out seeding activities and provide plant nutrition independently, so that in the future they can continue hydroponic vegetable cultivation and earn sustainable income.

Kesejahteraan masyarakat asli Papua perlu ditingkatkan, salah satunya melalui pemberdayaan Perempuan Papua, yang sering kali berperan sebagai pencari nafkah bagi keluarga. Kegiatan ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kesejahteraan dan ketahanan pangan kelompok Perempuan Papua, melalui pelatihan dan pendampingan hidroponik sayur dan penyuluhan gizi. Sasaran kegiatan ini adalah Ibu-Ibu RT di RT 05 Kelurahan Kamundu, Merauke yang kemudian membentuk Komunitas Perempuan Kreatif. Kegiatan pengabdian ini meliputi pembangunan fasilitas, pelatihan, dan pendampingan budidaya hidroponik sayur yang dilakukan secara intensif. Pelatihan dan pendampingan dilakukan secara berkelanjutan hingga masyarakat dapat memanen dan memasarkan sayur hidroponik. Adapun luaran yang telah dicapai adalah tersedianya fasilitas rumah hidroponik dengan luasan 5 x 10 meter, tersedianya dua paket instalasi hidroponik, masing-masing dengan kapasitas 500 lubang tanam, meningkatnya pengetahuan kelompok Ibu RT 05 Kelurahan Kamundu, Merauke, mengenai hidroponik sayuran, yang dicapai melalui kegiatan pelatihan, dan meningkatnya pendapatan mereka dari hasil pemasaran sayur hidroponik. Para peserta menyambut antusias program ini, dan terus terlibat secara aktif selama proses budidaya tanaman. Peserta juga telah mampu melakukan kegiatan penyemaian, dan pemberian nutrisi tanaman secara mandiri, sehingga kelak dapat melanjutkan budidaya sayuran hidroponik dan memperoleh pendapatan secara berkelanjutan.
Inflation, Monetary Policy and Monetary Aggregates
Authors: Rangarajan C , Nachane D M
Published: April 2022

Taxonomically speaking, the received theories of the macroeconomy may be said to comprise monetarism, structuralism, Marxism, the post-Keynesian view and the New Consensus Macroeconomics (NCM).  However, in the last few decades, the mainstream view has been converging on the NCM, representing a grafting of essentially Keynesian ideas on a framework of rational expectations. Associated with this consensus has been a steady de-emphasis on the role of monetary aggregates in the framing of monetary policy. This paper is devoted to an examination of the role of monetary aggregates in each of the macroeconomic theories listed above. In particular, it contests the prevailing mainstream policy viewpoint (heavily influenced by the NCM) that monetary aggregates have no explanatory power for inflation beyond that contained in the output gap.  On the contrary, the empirical fact that several monetary shocks originate on the supply side, coupled with the strong possibility of monetary shocks affecting output through relative price changes, make out a strong case for the inclusion of monetary aggregates at least as a Second Pillar of monetary policy  (in the manner currently done at the European Central Bank). A monetary policy calibrated without reference to monetary aggregates is like Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark.
RCTs for policy in India - Ethical Considerations, Methodological Concerns and Alternative Approaches
Authors: P Sneha
Published: April 2022

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have become a popular methodological choice for policy analysis in the developing world. This paper describes the various ethical and methodological considerations when choosing to adopt RCTs for policy decisions through a review of literature in multiple disciplines. Unlike previous critical analysis of RCTs, this paper contextualises its critique to India, a country that has been the site of well over a hundred RCTs. Through illustrations of recent Indian policy RCTs on corruption, livelihoods, Public Distribution System, conflict and others, the paper raises concern about violations of ethical requirements like equipoise, informed consent, data harms, human costs to research participants and research staff. The paper discusses methodological limitations of RCTs for Indian policy making including heterogeneity, researcher effects, generalisability, policy-relevant unobserved mechanisms and other socio-political considerations. The paper ends with a description of alternative approaches and a simple checklist for practitioners, specifically policy makers, to assess the feasibility of RCTs for informing decision making in their context.
Criticising a Despotic Colonial Government: How Much Is Too Much?
Authors: Metelits Michael D
Published: April 2022

In the last half of the 19th century in the Bombay Deccan, Indian professionals and merchants began to openly challenge some practices of the colonial government. A major vehicle for this forthright criticism was the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha. Through its quarterly journal, the Sabha’s interactions with government gave rise to a competition of ideas and identities, between government and its Indian critics. This competition embraced many topics, but the denouement concerned government policies during two outbursts, some twenty years apart, of famine in the Deccan. Each side was convinced that its approach was right, with the government comfortable doing what it had always done, and the critics increasingly finding fault because of the failures of the government’s famine policy. The question was, which was more important, clinging to Utilitarian doctrine, or implementing a “newer” doctrine that emphasized saving human life? The Sabha not only accepted a “newer” doctrine, but also chose to hold the government accountable for not implementing it. More important, when the government failed to implement needed action, the Sabha took action to right the wrong. Eventually, government reacted to this criticism by acting to crush the Sabha. The eventual outcome is visible even today.
India’s Human Capital: The Regulatory Context for Leveraging Federalism
Authors: Dahiya Shikha , James Kevin , Patel Kandarp , Pathak Aditi , Singh Anoop
Published: April 2022

Investing in human capital through interventions in nutrition, health, and education is critical for achieving sustainable inclusive growth. However, despite many public interventions, India’s human capital indicators remain low, and have likely worsened from the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. There are also significant inter-State disparities. India’s human capital interventions have been marked by growing centralisation, not just by the Centre vis-à-vis the States, but also by the States vis-à-vis local governments, that form the third tier in India’s federal structure. This growing centralisation may have misaligned incentives with respect to accountability and effective delivery of public services. Drawing from international best practices and an analysis of the constitutional scheme, a more decentralised and targeted approach within the contours of India’s federal structure may be the best way to build civil society engagement, address failures in accountability, and ultimately, improve India’s human capital outcomes.
Who gutted international trade? Hint: It is not Trump
Authors: Nageswaran V Anantha
Published: April 2022

Paul Blustein's book is well written and easy on the reader. His style is fluid and lucid. Trade is a dry topic and he makes it interesting.
Moving Towards a World-Class GST
Authors: Kelkar Vijay , Datar Arvind , Renavikar Rahul
Published: April 2022

The paper analyses the present structure and operation of GST and makes a number of proposals to simplify the tax, reduce its cascading effects, lower the compliance burden on taxpayers, and improve revenue productivity. The important recommendations include (i) expanding the tax base and reducing the cascading effects by bringing petroleum products, electricity, potable alcohol, and real estate into the tax net immediately; (ii) replacing the multiple tax rates with a single rate on goods and services ; (iii) making PAN the single GST identification number, and doing away with the State-based GST registration requirement to ease compliance burden; (iv) creating a GST Tribunal, or strengthening the present CESTAT as a National Indirect Taxes Tribunal, similar to the present ITAT, and making the AAR and the Appellate AAR truly independent bodies, not manned by departmental officers; (v) ensuring a uniform and consistent application of GST throughout the country; (vi) setting up an independent National GST Secretariat, headed by a Secretary-General represented by the Centre and the State Government officials, and a Tax Policy Advisory Committee co-opting external economists / tax experts to assist the national GST Secretariat in formulating Tax Policies; and (vii) working out a new formula for compensating the States for any loss of revenue for undertaking GST simplification based on the overall growth of the economy for a fixed period of time.
Incidence of Corporate Income Tax: Estimates from Indian Manufacturing Firms
Authors: Karuppiah Sankarganesh , K.R. Shanmugam
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this paper is to examine the incidence of corporate tax on capital and labour in Indian manufacturing sector. The paper employs ‘Seemingly Unrelated Regression Method’ with add-up restriction based on the work of Desai, Foley and Hines (2007). The study shows that, for the manufacturing sector in India for the period 2005-19, the corporate tax has a significant adverse impact on both wages paid to employees and profit after tax. Capital owners bear 96.3% of the tax burden and labours bear only 3.7%. The adverse effect on wages is slightly higher in public firms than in private firms. The relative tax burdens of labour and capital remained the same in the pre-2008 global economic crisis and post-crisis periods. The impact on both wages and profits increase with age and size of firms but decrease with leverage. These results will be useful to policymakers and other stakeholders to take appropriate strategies to design the corporate tax policy such that it is more redistributive, and not a burden for labour in manufacturing firms in India. The paper contributes to the scant empirical literature on corporate tax incidence.
The New Bioweapons Peril
Authors: Naik Shambhavi , Ramanathan Aditya
Published: April 2022

There is no evidence to suggest that SARS-CoV-2 was a biological agent. However, the ensuing pandemic has driven home the potential dangers of weaponised biological material, especially pathogens. Heightening the concerns about bioweapons is the growing ubiquity of gene editing tools like the CRISPR-Cas-9 system that enable both state and non-state actors to produce biological agents for various purposes. While these dangers are being recognised, this paper goes beyond highlighting the peril, to examining the drivers and constraints on bioweapons use, the ways in which bioweapons may be employed, and the trade-offs involved in mounting such attacks. Furthermore, the paper proposes concrete steps that can be taken in a renewed Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) to reduce the risk of bioweapons attacks. Earlier attempts at strengthening the treaty have focused on increasing verification. However, this has failed because states seek to protect their biotech industries from espionage and harassment. Instead of focusing on traditional verification, this paper proposes the creation of a scientific board under the BWC, that will monitor sensitive emerging technologies in the field, set standards for safety and reporting, and create an epidemiological database. To help deter attacks, it recommends ways to improve the response to disease outbreaks and impose penalties on perpetrators.
History and National Security
Authors: Menon Shivshankar
Published: April 2022

This paper examines the links between the history we choose to tell ourselves and its implications for national security in India. It discusses history in the Indian tradition, the history that is current in India, some common current historical tropes, and why it matters. In the process it seeks to draw some real lessons of India’s history for our national security.
Inadequate Parliamentary Control Over Public Revenue
Authors: T Selvaraju
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this paper is to study the level of parliamentary control over public finance in India for ensuring accountability and transparency expected in a democratic form of governance. As per the Constitution of India, neither any money shall be collected nor the collected money be spent without the approval of the Parliament or the State Legislature, as the case may be. The accountability and transparency expected in spending should equally apply to revenue collection also, as they are the two sides of public finance. While the parliamentary control over public spending is complete with the system of parliamentary approval for spending and monitoring of the spending against its approval, through Appropriation Accounts, such control is not complete in respect of public revenue, as there is no parliamentary procedure to monitor the realisation of all revenues authorised by it. Consequently, crores of rupees of public revenue authorised by Parliament/Legislature could remain uncollected without its knowledge. Introduction of a Receipts Accounts showing the details of unrealised revenues with reasons and its presentation to Parliament/Legislature would fill the gap in parliamentary control and transparency in realisation of public revenue.
Upaya Swamedikasi Masyarakat Desa Rura Kecamatan Rantepao Menggunakan Tumbuhan Obat Tradisional
Authors: Rahmadani St.
Published: April 2022

This study aims to determine the types of medicinal plants that have been used for generations by the people of Rura Village, Rantepao District, plant parts commonly used as medicine, as well as the processing of medicinal plants carried out by local communities in self-medication efforts. Data was collected using questionnaires, structured interviews, observation sheets, and documentation. Data analysis was carried out in an exploratory descriptive manner. The data obtained were then inventoried and thoroughly analyzed to obtain information on the number, percentage, and types of medicinal plants. Based on the results of research conducted in Rura village, Rantepao sub-district, there are 14 types of medicinal plants that are often used in self-medication efforts. The part of the plant that is most often used by the people of Rura Village in medicine is the leaves of 7 plants (50%), the next is the rhizome and seeds of 3 plants each (21.43%), and the last part is the stem of 1 plant. (7.14%). Some of the ways of use used by the people of Rantepao Sub-district include drinking it, chewing it directly or boiling it first, affixing it to the sick part either directly or pounding it or mashing it first, and using it by smearing. Of these methods, the most frequently used are boiled and then drunk as many as 5 plants (35.71%), chewed directly as many as 4 plants (28.57%), ground and then affixed as many as 3 plants (21.43%), affixed directly and 1 plant each (7.14%) was smeared.
SISTEM PENENTU KEPUTUSAN PENGGANTIAN BARANG INVENTARIS DI SDN 1 ALAS BAYUR MENGGUNAKAN METODE WEIGHTED PRODUCT BERBASIS WEBSITE
Authors: Erina Freshtiyana  , Yoyon Arie Budi
Published: April 2022

SDN 1 ALAS BAYUR merupakan sekolah dasar yang terletak didesa Alasbayur kecamatan mlandingan kabupaten Situbondo yang didirikan sejak 2 januari tahun 1969. Sebagai sekolah yang masih terletak disesa terpencil, SDN 1 Alas Bayur masih memiliki kendala dalam beberapa hal, khususnya bagi pengurus inventaris barang sekolah yang masih dilakukan manual dan memakan waktu yang cukup lambat untuk mengelola barang mana yang seharusnya sudah diganti atau tidak perlu lagi. Oleh karena itu sangat dibutuhkan untuk membangun sistem penentu keputusan SDN 1 Alasbayur dengan upaya memperbaiki sistem pengelolaan inventaris barang yang ada di SDN 1 Alas Bayur. Dalam penelitian tersebut dilakukan pengumpulan data dengan cara melakukan sesi wawancara kepada salah satu staff di SDN 1 Alasbayur. Dalam pembuatan sistem informasi ini  penulis menggunakan bahasa pemograman PHP sebagai alat pemograman pada server dan MySQL untuk mengolah database yang digunakan pada sistem penentu keputusan barang inventaris di SDN 1 Alasbayur. Dalam sistem tersebut akan menampilkan informasi tentang data barang apa saja yang ada di SDN 1 Alasbayur.Dengan demikian penelitian ini akan menghasilkan sebuah Sistem penentu keputusan penggantian barang inventaris di SDN 1 Alas Bayur menggunakan metode WP berbasis website.
ADALİMUMAB: USAGE İN A CASE WİTH PSORİASİS AND DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY
Authors: Melis Gönülal Melis Gönülal , Didem Didar Balcı Didem Didar Balcı
Published: April 2022

There are different biological treatments for psoriasis and one of these treatments is adalimumab. Here we want to present a case with psoriasis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy treated with adalimumab. A 23-year-old male patient with psoriasis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy applied to our dermatology clinic. At the sixth week control of the patient we achieved PASI 90 response.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a rare disease and its coexistence with psoriasis is a very rare status. No similar case report was found in the literature. We wanted to present both this rare status and psoriasis progression under adalimumab treatment.
Keywords: psoriasis, adalimumab, Duchenne muscular dystrophy
MANIFESTATIONS OF SARS-COV-2-INDUCED COVID-19 ON THE SKIN AND ORAL MUCOSA
Authors: Nodar Sulashvili Nodar Sulashvili , Kakhaber Robakidze Kakhaber Robakidze , Irma Buchukuri Irma Buchukuri , Lela Grigolia Lela Grigolia
Published: April 2022

Over the past centuries, it is difficult to find diseases similar in resonance to the coronа-virus infection COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2. From the day of manifestation of the infection, it has become the dominant nosology, and its etiological agent has dramatically changed, in its favor, the species spectrum of anthropogenic pathological microorganisms. The review is devoted to the skin manifestations of new coronovirus infection (SARS-CoV-2), information about which is constantly updated. However, this information has not been systematized yet. The purpose of this review is to analyze the dermatological manifestations of a new coronavirus infection. On average, 12.5—20.4% of patients with confirmed COVID-19 have developed skin manifestations. The question of whether the skin symptoms are a secondary consequence of a respiratory infection or a primary infection of the skin itself remains open at the moment. The possible mechanisms of development of skin lesions and the role of diseases of complement system and blood hypercoagulation in the pathogenesis of the disease are discussed in the article. The review also provides descriptive and clinical examples of skin manifestations in COVID-19. Since COVID-19 tends to be asymptomatic within 14 days, skin manifestations can be an indicator of infection, which leads to the timely diagnosis. In addition, doctors' awareness about skin symptoms associated with COVID-19 infection plays a big role in preventing misdiagnosis of the disease.
Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Skin, Oral Mucosa.
Addressing Optimisation Challenges for Datasets with Many Variables, Using Genetic Algorithms to Implement Feature Selection
Authors: Gordon Neil , Kambhampati Chandrasekhar , Alabad Asma
Published: April 2022

This article provides an optimisation method using a Genetic Algorithm approach to apply feature selection techniques for large data sets to improve accuracy. This is achieved through improved classification, a reduced number of features, and furthermore it aids in interpreting the model. A clinical dataset, based on heart failure, is used to illustrate the nature of the problem and to show the effectiveness of the techniques developed. Clinical datasets are sometimes characterised as having many variables. For instance, blood biochemistry data has more than 60 variables that have led to complexities in developing predictions of outcomes using machine-learning and other algorithms. Hence, techniques to make them more tractable are required. Genetic Algorithms can provide an efficient and low numerically complex method for effectively selecting features. In this paper, a way to estimate the number of required variables is presented, and a genetic algorithm is used in a “wrapper” form to select features for a case study of heart failure data. Additionally, different initial populations and termination conditions are used to arrive at a set of optimal features, and these are then compared with the features obtained using traditional methodologies. The paper provides a framework for estimating the number of variables and generations required for a suitable solution.
Precision Medicine in Emergency Medicine
Authors: Aslanidis Theodoros
Published: April 2022

Personalized medicine was always a part of medicine. However, with technological advances in data mining, machine learning, artificial intelligence and computing, the term “personalized” has been surpassed by precision medicine, a multidisciplinary bridge that aims to provide unique approaches for each patient. Acute care is an area where current precision medicine methods is starting to transform. In this mini review, we describe in brief some of the applications used in emergencies that promote precision medicine.
A Patient Technology Acceptance Model (PTAM) for Adoption of Telehealth
Authors: Onyeachu Precious , Clarke Malcolm
Published: April 2022

Population aging is a global phenomenon, with the proportion of the population over the age of 60 increasingly rapidly. It is essential to gain an understanding of the factors that influence acceptance of technologies when they are introduced as part of the monitoring and management of clinical conditions. This study undertakes semi-structured interviews of elderly patients being monitored for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) or diabetes to determine the factors they deemed most important for acceptance of the technology. 18 women and 12 men with age range 65–90 and mean 77 years were interviewed. Nine main themes emerged; attitude to aging and illness, coping strategy, relationship and support, patient-doctor interaction, incorporating patients, self-efficacy, personality, personal meaning, and knowledge. The themes were grouped to three constructs; age/illness, patient, and healthcare practitioner, that were considered as the basis of a framework for a patient technology acceptance model (PTAM).
Leptomeningeal Metastases and Intrathecal Chemotherapy
Authors: Katayama Makoto Y. , Ohgino Keiko , Tamura Ryota
Published: April 2022

Leptomeningeal metastases (LM) is a rare but devastating complication of advanced cancer. Advances in cancer treatment has markedly improved the survival, nonetheless, due to the poor penetration of these treatments beyond the blood-brain and blood-CSF barrier for most modalities, creating a sanctuary site in the CNS/CSF space for the disease, and reflecting as increased incidence of LM. Whereas the goal of LM treatment remains to be symptom palliation and not elongation of survival, the optimal treatment, and whom to treat remains to be somewhat controversial. Herein we review the advances in LM treatment focusing on the role of intrathecal chemotherapy.
Factors Related to Nurses and Physicians’ Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Palliative Care
Authors: Ashrafizadeh Hadis , Khanali Mojen Leila , Barasteh Salman , Akbari Mohammad Esmaeil , Beiranvand Samira , Shirinabadi Farahani Azam , Eshaghian Dorcheh Azam , Karami Maryam , Khademi Fatemeh , Khoubbin Khoshnazar Tahereh Alsadat , Krakauer Eric , Rassouli Maryam
Published: April 2022

Background: Changes in the course of diseases, their treatment, and care provision result in the need for a specific type of care known as palliative care. Medical staff’s knowledge and awareness of palliative care is important in this regard. Objectives: This study aims to examine the caregivers’ knowledge and awareness of palliative care and to determine the related predictors. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 277 subjects were selected from among the caregivers working in the selected teaching hospitals in Iran through non-randomized sampling method. The subjects were asked to fill the online questionnaire which consisted of 3 sections including demographic data, knowledge, and attitude toward palliative care. Descriptive, inferential statistics, correlation and regression analyses were performed. Results: The mean scores of care providers’ attitude and knowledge were 140.90 ± 11.56 and 19.36 ± 2.73 respectively. There was a significant relationships between some variables such as working place, education level, age, palliative care-related working experience, and the necessity to pass training courses and the mean scores of attitude and knowledge. Conclusions: Since palliative care providers’ level of knowledge and attitude were reported to be moderate, training courses at different levels in the form of clinical courses should be offered with the aim of improving care providers’ skills and scientific abilities. It is essential to include the related topics in the curricula of academic programs.
The Association Between Physical Activity Level of CVD Patients and Rate of Covid-19 Incidence
Authors: Hoseini Rastegar , Hoseini Zahra , Bahmani Elahe , Ahmadi Darmian Mahsa
Published: April 2022

Background: Decreased physical activity level (PAL) and consequent lifestyle alterations might induce cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Like many other chronic diseases, CVD attenuates the immune system, which in turn can affect the rate of COVID-19 infection and its severity. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the association between PAL and the rate of COVID-19 incidence in CVD patients. Methods: The statistical population of this descriptive cross-sectional study included all CVD patients in Kermanshah, among which 727 individuals (371 men and 356 women) were randomly selected as the statistical sample. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF) was used to assess the PAL. The independent t-test was used to compare men and women. Also, the association between variables was evaluated by the Pearson correlation coefficient test (using SPSS 24 at the significance level of P < 0.05). Results: No significant differences were observed in the PAL and the incidence of COVID-19 between men and women. There is also a significant positive association between low and severe PAL and the incidence of COVID-19 in men and women suffering from CVD. However, there was a significant inverse association between moderate PAL and the incidence of COVID-19. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that moderate PAL might prevent or reduce the severity of COVID-19 in CVD patients by strengthening the immune system.
Phenotypic Overlap in Children with Tall Stature: A Case of Weaver Syndrome
Authors: Rossignoli Sara , Cavarzere Paolo , Mattei Roberto , Palma Laura , Gaudino Rossella , Antoniazzi Franco
Published: April 2022

Introduction: Tall stature is defined as length or height more than two standard deviations above the mean for age of the reference population. There are different causes of tall stature from a familial trait or a transient anticipation of growth with no major consequences to growth disorders, such as endocrine disorder and syndromic conditions like overgrowth syndromes. Case Presentation: In this study, we reported the case of a 7-year-old girl with tall stature from birth. The patient showed a generalized overgrowth, associated with extremely advanced bone age, dysmorphic features such as a broad forehead and large extremities, and a slight neurodevelopmental delay. Laboratory tests were normal, and the main hormonal disorders were ruled out. The diagnosis of overgrowth syndrome was suspected according to the clinical presentation, and the diagnosis of Weaver syndrome was confirmed by the finding of the pathogenic mutation c.2050C > T p.(Arg684Cys) in EZH2 gene through next generation sequencing (NGS). Conclusions: Our patient showed phenotypical features related to different overgrowth syndrome characteristics. We underlined the difficulties in reaching a clinical diagnosis in presence of tall stature. The role of molecular biology, particularly genetic analysis by NGS approach, should be considered in cases of tall stature with phenotypic overlap.
Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields Alter Expression of C-Myc and circ-CCDC66 in Gastric Cancer Cell Line
Authors: Mansoury Fereshteh , Abdi Soheila , Babaei Nahid , Entezari Maliheh , Doosti Abbas , Mohammadpour Hadiseh , Mashayekhi Fatemeh
Published: April 2022

: The biological effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF), in particular their beneficial or adverse impacts on the promotion and progression of cancer, have attracted considerable attention. C-Myc has a critical regulatory role in cell transformation and causes metabolic changes, that accompany malignant transformation. Observations have shown that c-Myc expression can be altered by circular RNAs (circRNA). In this study, the changes in the expression of c-Myc and circ-CCDC66 in the AGS cell line after the extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) exposure were investigated. The AGS cells were exposed to different magnetic flux densities for 18 h, continuously and discontinuously (2h on/2h off). To evaluate the expression changes of c-Myc and circ-CCDC66 real-time PCR was used. The results showed that discontinuous magnetic fields could reduce c-Myc expression. Continuous exposure of 0.25 mT could reduce the c-Myc expression, but with increasing the magnetic flux density c-Myc was upregulated. The expression level of circ-CCDC66 decreased under exposure to continuous and discontinuous ELF-MFs. The difference between the results of c-Myc under the influence of magnetic fields may be described by the hypothesis of the window effect of the fields. Our results indicated that ELF-MFs can induce changes in c-Myc and circ-CCDC66 expression.
Effectiveness of the Educational-Supportive Program to Improve the Quality of Life Among Patients with Hepatitis C virus (HCV): A Quasi-Experimental Study
Authors: Khorvash Farzin , Ataei Behrooz , Baghersad Zahra , Boroumandfar Zahra
Published: April 2022

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection reduces its victims' quality of life (QoL). Generally, hepatitis-C patients seem to face decreased social, family, and friends support and a social phobia that lowers their QoL and emotional state. There is a need to pay special attention to hepatitis-C patients' emotional and social needs. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the impact of social support, family, and education on the quality of life of hepatitis drug users. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 144 male drug users (72 people in each intervention and control group) with hepatitis C referring to two Drop-in Centers covered by the Welfare Organization in Isfahan, Iran, in 2017 - 2018. Convenience sampling was used in this study, and the sample size was determined to be 72 subjects in both groups, and through tossing a coin, drop-in-center no. 1 was selected as the intervention group and the drop-in-center no. 2 as the control group. Those in the intervention group were divided into six 12-person groups and were invited to participate in a supportive-educational program with a family member. A self-administered questionnaire measuring demographic characteristics, high-risk behaviors, the status of hepatitis C, and SF-36 for determining the QoL was completed by participants in both intervention and control groups before and after the intervention. Results: The mean QoL score and changes in this score during the three times of measurements were significantly different between the two groups. However, after the intervention, the mean total QoL score in the intervention group (71.32 (16.15)) was significantly higher than the control group (48.22 (25.81)) (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Educational programs with a strong emphasis on family support and companionship can improve some dimensions of the QoL in patients with HCV.
Anatomic Variations in the Circle of Willis and Headache: A Case Report Study
Authors: Mehrnahad Mersad , Hamzeh Mahdi , Hasanian Mohammad
Published: April 2022

Introduction: Anatomic variation in the circle of Willis (CoW) is a common finding among the population. Headache has been reported as one of the symptoms of these variations. Case Presentation: Recent studies suggest a possible association between neurovascular accidents and these variations. In this case, a 50-year-old male presenting with headache underwent imaging evaluation, revealing anatomic variations in CoW. Conclusions: Headaches with or without neurological symptoms or a history of migraine and transient ischemic attack (TIA) may suggest the diagnosis of CoW disease and variations, and additional imaging evaluation is recommended in these cases.
Effect of Eicosapentaenoic Acid on sFlt-1 and HIF-1α Expression Under Induced Hypoxia Conditions in Trophoblast Tumor Cell Line (JEG-3)
Authors: Moradian Cobra , Motlagh Behrooz , Afshari Zahra
Published: April 2022

Background: Previous studies have shown the altered levels of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) in pathological hypoxic conditions. Elevated soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) expression in hypoxia plays an important role in the pathogenesis of placental as preeclampsia. Objectives: The eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5, n-3) as LCPUFAs (omega-3) might attenuate sFlt-1 and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) expressions and secretions. Methods: JEG-3 cells were incubated with dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG) and EPA. The SFlt-1 gene expression was determined using a real-time polymerase chain reaction. The protein secretion of sFlt-1 and HIF-1α were analyzed using Western blot. Results: The incubation of JEG-3 cells with DMOG significantly elevated messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression and protein secretion of sFlt-1 (P < 0.05); nevertheless, EPA decreased mRNA expression and protein secretion of sFlt-1 (P < 0.05). Moreover, EPA inhibited the effect of DMOG on sFlt-1 (P = 0.0361) gene expression and protein secretion and HIF-1α (P = 0.0241) protein secretion. Conclusions: The sFlt-1 expression decreased by n-3 fatty acids in trophoblast tumor cell line under induced hypoxia conditions. It seems that changes in sFlt-1 expression are mediated by the transcription factor HIF-1α.
The Untold Story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., The Cyborg
Authors: Jaima Amir ,   Eastern Illinois University
Published: April 2022

Heroism presumes “humanity.” Black candidates for heroism in the United States, however, must often overcompensate for the presumed sub-humanity imposed upon them by the American popular imaginary. By way of an illustration, consider the instructive case of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who, arguably, attains the status of (Black) American Hero in spite of his Blackness. Through a unique account of the life of Dr. King, I will argue that King attains the requisite overcompensation necessary for (Black) American heroism by becoming what João Costa Vargas and Joy James call a Baldwinian Cyborg, a “super human with unnatural capacities to suffer and love.” I will present, here, a literary narrative that weaves speculative fiction into the interstices of the historical record in order to contend that the Black Cyborg is necessary in a world where white Americans are “human” but Black citizens remain aspirations.
Overview of Majo, Western Witches, in Contemporary Japan
Authors: Kawanishi Eriko ,   Academic Publishing
Published: April 2022

This article examines the importation of Paganism, mainly Witchcraft, from the West in Japan. Japanese witches do not resist the traditional religion; combined with their lack of Christian influence on their context, there is no image of evil connotation with witches in Japan. However, people who practice witchcraft are facing depictions of the “witch” in anime and children’s literature. If we regard Japan as a contact zone where Western witchcraft and Japanese tradition meet, various images of witches are produced there without the Christian context, and a localised witchcraft faith has been produced.
Graded Ratifiability
Authors: Barnett David James ,   Journal of Philosophy Inc.
Published: April 2022

An action is unratifiable when, on the assumption that one performs it, another option has higher expected utility. Unratifiable actions are often claimed to be somehow rationally defective. But in some cases where multiple options are unratifiable, one unratifiable option can still seem preferable to another. We should respond, I argue, by invoking a graded notion of ratifiability.
Juristic Discretion as a Reason for Juristic Differences: An Inductive Analytical Study
Authors:   King Khaled University, Saeed Ahmed Saleh Farag
Published: April 2022

This article intends to demonstrate the importance of observing the suitability and compatibility of legal provisions in ascertaining their contextual validity. It aims to identify al-ijtihad al-tanzili (viable juristic discretion) as a reason for existing disagreements among legal scholars. It takes into account the ethics of disagreement in the course of their differing juristic deductions. It contends that such differences occur as a result of the practical reasoning among scholars that happened at the level of abstract understanding of the legislated Islamic provisions. In addition, it proposes the use of tahqiq al-manat (legal viability) as an important consideration in legal provisions, the fact that such a terminology corresponds to al-ijtihad al-tanzili. After all, any discrepancy between a provision and its situation is considered a sin.
Youths and Credit: An Analysis of Debt Perspective and Management Among Youths
Authors:   Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Ishak Suraiya , Che Omar Ahmad Raflis ,   Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Published: April 2022

Youths are no exception when it comes to being in debt and getting exposed to negative consequences of debts. This study surveys debt management practices among the youths. Furthermore, this study analyzes the relationship between debt management and independent variables such as debt perspectives, lifestyle and knowledge about debts. The survey method was used to gather the data. The descriptive analysis, principal components and independent t-test were employed to describe practices of the youths in debt management. Meanwhile, the Pearson correlation analyzes the relationship among debt management practices, lifestyle, debt perspectives and debt knowledge of the youths. Research findings indicate that the youths perceived debts as a financing means to fulfill their needs and desires. Most of the respondents practiced prudent debt management. The t-test result shows the male and female youths are no different in the ways thet managed their debts. The principle components analysis has identified three debt management behaviors consisting of “prudent and cautious”, “courageous and opportunistic” and “tight budget”. The correlation analysis shows that lifestyle, debt knowledge and debt perspectives have significant relationships with debt management practices. This implies that youths should embrace right perspective about debts, as well as practice affordable lifestyles to avoid imprudence and debts.
Use of Figuratives, Proverbs, and Words of Wisdom in Argumentative Writing: The Strategic Learning of Higher Order Thinking Skills Among Students
Authors:   Universiti Putra Malaysia, Mokhtar Marzni Mohamed , Jamil Marni ,   Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Cawangan Pulau Pinang
Published: April 2022

In the context of the teaching of the Malay Language, the success in implementing higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) is highly dependant upon the ability of the teachers to immerse the skills while teaching the language under typical classroom settings. The mastery of aspects of any given language, like vocabulary, spelling, structure, proficiency, variety, level, and articulation, enables students to form ideas in very clear and precise ways that later get translated into writings that are succinct and lucid. Teachers are therefore responsible in emphasizing and ensuring that students understand a given language well while learning in class, and particularly when they write essays. The purpose of this study is to get a holistic insight into how the processes of teaching and learning are carried out based on HOTS in argumentative essay writing. This study employs a qualitative case study design with voluntary participation from two participants. The research was conducted at a boarding school in Selangor. Three data collection techniques were used in this study, namely, in-depth interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis of the argumentative essays written by the students. Research findings revealed that the teachers have adopted a teaching and learning method using figuratives, proverbs, and words of wisdom as one of the strategies to help students develop their higer order thinking skills in argumentative essay writing.
Listening to Everyone’s Voice: The Contested Rights of Muslim Marriage Practices in Eastern Indonesia
Authors: Wahid Abdul
Published: April 2022

This ethnographic study investigates the dialectics of Islamic law and sociocultural aspects of how Bimanese Muslim in eastern Indonesia interpret and apply rights to force (ijbar) of male guardians to marry their daughters to prospective grooms of their choice. Such rights to force, granted by Islamic doctrines (fiqh) to patrilineal lines, are continuously negotiated by its sociological interpretations of Bimanese Muslims. While Islamic doctrines represent Islamic jurists’ reasoning on ijbar, local practices uncover public argumentation of such rules and this article aimed at discussing the contestation further. It also amplifies the narrative of the Indonesian Muslim community from small ethnic groups, such as Bima, which are still under-studied. Therefore, in the framework of Indonesian Islam, known as ‘Islam Nusantara,’ as it is being developed in Indonesia today, results of this study are far-reaching, that is, to provide more nuances of Islamic law and practices in Indonesia. Furthermore, this study rectifies the general view of ijbar rights that are merely connoted with the rights of the father and grandfather to enforce marriage on women. It is also argued that ijbar rights are peculiarly defined and dynamically practised, being shaped by social development, marriage traditions and cultural values ​​in particular societies.
Phase transitions of Na-ion layered oxide materials and their influence on properties
Authors: Ding Fei-Xiang , Rong Xiao-Hui , Wang Hai-Bo , Yang Yang , Hu Zi-Lin , Dang Rong-Bin , Lu Ya-Xiang , Hu Yong-Sheng ,   Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China,   College of Materials Science and Optoelectronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China,   Huairou Division, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101400, China
Published: April 2022

Na-ion batteries possess great potential applications in the large-scale energy storage. The Na-ion layered oxide cathode (NaxTMO2) has received increasing attention in scientific and industrial research due to its high capacity, easy manufacture, adjustable voltage, and low cost. However, the larger the Na+ radius and the stronger the Na+-Na+ electrostatic repulsion is, which will lead to various structural configurations and complex structural transitions, resulting in multiple structure-property connections. In this paper, the structural types of Na-ion layered transition metal oxide cathode materials are introduced, and their structural evolutions during Na+ de/intercalation are summarized for revealing the mechanism for structural transformation of Na-ion layered transition-metal oxide cathode material and its effect on electrochemical performance; the existing challenges are discussed; the improvement strategies are proposed finally.
Prevalence of Oral Lesions among HIV Positive Patients Attending Antiretroviral Therapy Centre in Rural Area of Western Maharashtra
Authors: Munde Anita D , Mishra Sunil S , Karle Ravindra R , Deshpande Anuja A , Sawade Ruchira V , Pawar Hemant
Published: April 2022

Introduction: The Oral Manifestations (OM) of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is indication of compromised immune status and disease progression. These Oral Lesions (OL) cause morbidity and affect quality of life of the patients. Aim: To evaluate the association between OM in patients with HIV infection and their level of cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) count. Materials and Methods: The study was designed as a descriptive, cross-sectional study for a duration of two years which included a total of 565 known HIV-positive individuals visiting the regional Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) center for counseling and/or on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) were selected irrespective of age and sex. The oral lesions were diagnosed using the presumptive criteria given by by the European Committee (EC) Clearinghouse, 1993. Oral and systemic manifestations were recorded and associated with CD4 counts. The data collected was subjected to statistical analysis using Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) 8.0 software and p-value was considered significant at a level of 0.05. Results: The male-to-female ratio was almost equal and 95.04% of the patients had reported heterosexual contact as the transmission route. The peak age of occurrence of HIV infection was during 31-40 years with the mean age of males and females 39.26 years and 34.46 years respectively. Pulmonary tuberculosis (16.11%) and herpes zoster (16.81%) were the most common systemic manifestations. The prevalence of OM reported was 86.01% and was higher in females than in males. Intraoral melanotic pigmentation (50.08%) was the most common finding, followed by periodontitis (36.46%), linear gingival erythema (14.51%), Necrotising ulcerative gingivitis (NUG) (4.42%), candidiasis (8.67%), oral ulcers, herpes zoster (5.13%), herpes simplex virus infection (1.17%) and salivary gland disease (SGD) (0.7%). There was a significant association (p=0.0110) between OL and reduced CD4 count. Conclusion: OL occur commonly in HIV infection. The decrease in CD4 count is associated with a wide range of OM. The result from this study can be used as predictive marker for oral manifestations in AIDS based on the level of immune suppression and help in improving their quality of life.