bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preliminary Data Regarding Polyphenols, Carotenoids and Flavonoids Content Correlated with Antioxidant Activity of some Taraxacum Sp. Fluid Extracts
Authors:   “Ovidius” University of Constanta, TĂNASĂ ACREȚEI Maria-Virginia , NEGREANU-PÎRJOL Ticuța ,   “Ovidius” University of Constanta, CHIFIRIUC Carmen ,   “Ovidius” University of Constanta, POPOVICIU Dan Răzvan ,   “Ovidius” University of Constanta, ANGHEL CIREAȘĂ Larisa ,   “Ovidius” University of Constanta, ROȘOIU Natalia ,   Faculty of Medicine and Doctoral School of Applied Sciences, Biology / Biochemistry Section, “Ovidius” University of Constanta
Published: July 2022

In the biomedical sciences field of recent years, phytotherapeutic products usage has intensified because they are a safe and sustainable alternative, with less environmentally aggressive molecules that are able to meet therapeutic needs. Mature vegetal product Taraxacum sp., also known as dandelion, has been used for hundreds of years as a traditional remedy for liver, kidney, lung, gastric diseases and even some cancers, due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The aim of this paper was to assess the contents of some bioactive principles and overall antioxidant potential of Taraxacum sp. hydroalcoholic extracts obtained from both plant organs, herba and radix. The vegetal product was collected in the period September-October 2021, from spontaneous flora of South Dobrudja area, Romania. Fresh plant was dried at room temperature on metal sieves, grind to a fine powder and extracted 10% concentration in ethanol 50% and 70% concentrations, using cold maceration and Soxhlet extraction, standard methods, followed by filtration at normal pressure. Obtained hydroalcoholic extracts were analysed by UV-Vis spectrophotometry for determining total carotenoids, flavonoids and total polyphenols content. The total antioxidant capacity was quantified through photochemiluminescence method by comparison with the standard substance used for calibration, Trolox® as tocopherol analogue by ACL (Antioxidant Capacity of Lipid Soluble Substances) procedure using Photochem apparatus, Analytik Jena AG, Germany. Total carotenoids and flavonoids concentration, respectively polyphenols contents, were highest in 70% ethanol extracts, for the two applied extraction methods. Total antioxidant capacity (TEAC) was variable, with increased values in 70% ethanol extracts of both vegetal products, herba and radix. The preliminary valuable obtained results, offer us the support for continuation of the studies regarding the therapeutic activity of Taraxacum sp. from Dobrudja spontaneous flora.
Insulin Resistance and the Metabolic Syndrome severity – a mathematical model
Authors:   University of Chicago, KERTOWIDJOJO Elizabeth , IACOBAȘ Dumitru Andrei  ,   Prairie View A&M University, “Ovidius” University, Constanta, Academy of Romanian Scientists
Published: July 2022

Excessive fructose consumption was shown to have deleterious effects on the cardiovascular system, particularly as the metabolic syndrome. However, the degree by which alteration of each pathophysiological factor contributes to the morbidity associated with fructose consumption is not yet clear. We have developed a mathematical model to integrate and uniformly quantify pathophysiological features of the metabolic syndrome on a high fructose-fed dog model. A novel comprehensive measure for the syndrome severity (the “patholog”) and a more intuitive measure of the insulin resistance are introduced. Alteration of hemodynamics, echocardiography and blood chemistry were determined in adult male mongrel dogs fed with 60% isocaloric fructose or normal chow for 7 weeks. The diverse experimental data were transformed into comparable scores and a pre-Hilbert space of states constructed. In such a space one can quantify the severity of any combination of pathophysiological and genomic features and determine the global recovery resulting from a treatment. The model indicates increase of insulin resistance (new index proposed), systolic blood pressure, low-to-high density lipids ratio and angiotensin II as the major contributors to the excessive fructose morbidity. Our model provides the simplest, yet the most intuitive and comprehensive way to integrate data of a wide diversity in visualizing and quantifying a cardiovascular disease
Determinan Niat Kunjungan Ulang ke Puskesmas Era Pandemi Covid-19: Literature Review
Authors: Yoga Pramana Lina Dwi , Antono Suryoputro  , Cahya Tri Purnami
Published: July 2022

Latar Belakang: Puskesmas sebagai fasilitas pelayanan kesehatan primer wajib menyelenggarakan pelayanan kesehatan yang berkualitas bagi seluruh masyarakat. Situasi pandemi Covid-19 memberikan dampak penurunan jumlah kunjungan yang signifikan. Jumlah kunjungan Puskesmas di Kabupaten Demak tahun 2020 hanya 71,7% menurun dari kunjungan tahun 2019 sebesar 141,2%.

Tujuan: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis faktor-faktor yang berhubungan dengan niat kunjungan ulang di Puskesmas.

Metode: Merupakan penelitian kuantitatif dengan pendekatan belah lintang. Populasi adalah masyarakat yang melakukan pemeriksaan di Puskesmas dengan besar sampel 332 orang yang ditentukan menggunakan teknik purposive sampling berdasarkan Puskesmas dengan akreditasi paripurna.

Hasil: Penelitian ini menunjukkan 57,5% responden mempunyai niat tinggi dalam melakukan kunjungan ulang ke Puskesmas. Melalui uji Chi-square, terbukti ada hubungan antara pengetahuan, kompetensi tenaga, sarana prasarana, kualitas pelayanan dan persepsi sakit terhadap niat kunjungan ulang, sedangkan waktu tunggu tidak berhubungan.

Kesimpulan: Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa minat kunjungan ulang tinggi masyarakat sebanyak 191 responden di Puskesmas Kabupaten Demak.
NEMÁTODOS ENTOMOPÁTOGENOS NATIVOS EN EL CULTIVO DE NOPAL VERDURA EN MILPA ALTA, MÉXICO
Authors: Villanueva-Sánchez Evert , Ramírez-Alarcón Samuel , Villanueva-Verduzco Clemente , Herbert-Pucheta José Enrique
Published: July 2022

Background. Entomopathogenic nematodes (NEP) are found in all ecosystems. Currently, they are one of the most studied ecological alternatives for the biological control of insect pests. In Mexico, there are few reports of their presence in agricultural soils. Objective. To isolate and identify molecularly native specimens of entomopathogenic nematodes from soil samples collected in different prickly pear producing areas in Milpa Alta, Mexico City. Methodology. Isolations were obtained from soil samples using the technique of insect lure (Galleria mellonella or greater wax moth). Molecular techniques of the ribosomal region (ITS1+5.8S+ITS2) were performed for nematode identification. Results. Of the NEP isolates for the genus Steinernema, the phylogenetic analysis (ML; HKY) grouped the sequences of the isolates in the species Steinernema texanum, with 100 % similarity and 81 % similarity between isolates. For Heterorhabditis, the analysis (M; HKY) grouped the sequenced isolates in the species Heterorhabditis atacamensis with 97 % similarity. The results show that the NEP are widely distributed in the study region. Implications. The presence of these isolates in the cultivation of prickly pear (nopalitos) is important since they are a potential biological tool for pest management in the study zone. Conclusion. For the first time, the presence of Steinernema texanum and Heterorhabditis atacamensis is reported in soils cultivated with prickly pear in Milpa Alta, Mexico.
EVALUATION OF MODELS TO ESTIMATE EMPTY BODY WEIGHT IN HAIR SHEEP RAISED IN A FEEDLOT SYSTEM
Authors: Salazar-Cuytun Eufracia Del R. , Pool-Yanez Gabriel Enrique , Portillo-Salgado Rodrigo , Antonio-Molina Gamaliel , Garcia-Herrera Ricardo A. , Camacho-Perez Enrique , Zaragoza-Vera Claudia V , Vargas-Bello-Perez Einar , Chay Canul Alfonso Juventino
Published: July 2022

Background. The empty body weight (EBW) represents exactly the animal mass and is used as a base to calculate most of the nutrient requirements in most feeding systems. Objective. To evaluate models for estimating EBW in growing hair sheep in a feedlot system under tropical conditions. Methodology. One hundred fifteen male growing hair sheep lambs (Pelibuey, Black Belly, and Katahdin) between four to ten months of age with a mean shrunk body weight (SBW) of 34.50 ± 7.40 kg (± SD) were used. The relationship between SBW and EBW was assessed by means of three models: Eq. 1. Linear with intercept; Eq. 2.- Linear without intercept and Eq. 3.- Allometric. The predictive ability of models was evaluated by cross-validation. Results. The correlation coefficient among SBW and EBW was high (r = 0.98). The regression equations had high determination coefficients (r2) of 0.97. Based on the evaluations Eq.1 had the performance compared with other models. The following final model was fitted to estimate the EBW as a function of SBW of growing castrated male hair sheep: EBW (kg): -2.39 (± 0.53***) + 0.95(± 0.02***) × SBW (kg). Implications. These results contribute to the development of mathematical models for more accurate weight adjustments in growing hair sheep in a feedlot system under tropical conditions. Conclusion. The equation developed and evaluated in the present study revealed that the linear relationship between SBW and EBW can be used to predict EBW in hair sheep, for that the use of this model can be safely applied to male hair sheep. In addition, it was found that the relation BW/EBW was on average 1.18 for males. 
Effect of Limb Alignment in Medial Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty on Functional Outcomes and Patient Satisfaction
Authors: Chan May Fong , Foo Nah Kenneth Ming , Keong Ding Benjamin Tze , Wong Thomas Aloysius , Kau Chung Yuan
Published: July 2022

Background: Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is effective in the treatment of symptomatic unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis. However, ideal limb alignment and acceptable changes of alignment remains contentious. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to look at the impact of post-operative mechanical limb alignment on short term functional outcomes in an Asian population. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all mobile bearing, Oxford UKAs performed from July 2016 to January 2019 by a single-surgeon (43 patients, 47 knees). Pre- and post-operative weight bearing radiographic parameters were measured, as well as functional assessments via Oxford knee society (OKS) scores and the original Knee society score (KSS). Results: The post-operative mechanical axis mean was varus 4.3° (range valgus 2° to varus 10°), with a mean correction of 4.4° towards valgus. All our patients had an improvement in functional scores and range of movement post-operatively, however, patients with pre-operative alignment of varus 15° did not meet the cut off for minimal important change (MIC) in OKS scores. More varus pre-operative alignment resulted in a larger degree of change in limb alignment post-operatively. A larger change in alignment was also associated with higher satisfaction scores in patients. Conclusion: Post-operative limb alignment of up to 10° varus does not compromise short term functional outcome scores in medial UKA. Caution is advised when selecting patients with varus 15° and above for UKA as they may not be able to achieve a minimal important change in functional scores post-operatively.
Integrative Review of Case Reports of Corpus Cavernosum Abscess
Authors: Paladino João Roberto , Simões Alexandre Gomes Sibanto , Hidaka Alexandre Kyoshi , Hayashi Renan Murata , Bezerra Alexandre Sacchetti
Published: July 2022

Purpose: The aim of this report was to conduct a systematic review of corpus cavernosum abscess case reports documenting the etiological agents and outcomes following treatment. Materials and Methods: We searched the Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases for English-language articles published until September 2021 and performed a systematic review according to the 2020 PRISMA protocol. The primary outcome was to determine the erectile dysfunction rate, and the secondary outcome was to report the presence or worsening of penile deviation following corpus cavernosum abscess management. Results: We found 376 reports and included 41 studies with 42 patients in the systematic review analysis. Thirteen cases (30.9%) reported a first episode or worsening of erectile dysfunction after hospital discharge; five cases (11.9%) developed or had an exacerbated penile deviation during the follow-up. Conclusions: It is not possible carry out a systematic review with the current literature. Further prospective studies evaluating the proportion of compromised tissue, standardized therapeutic measures, and adequate follow-up should be conducted to better elucidate proper care for these patients.
Eye Manifestations in Behcet’s Syndrome
Authors: Marieta Dumitrache , Rodica Lascu
Published: July 2022

Behcet’s syndrome is an inflammatory, chronic, recurrent, multisystemic disease, common in men 25-40 years of age, with immunological determinism (including autoimmune) in the presence of infectious (bacterial) triggering agents and genetic involvement through the presence of HLA-B51. Behcet’s syndrome is characterized by a symptomatic triad of: recurrent nongranulomatous uveitis with hypopyon, oral and genital ulcers, and skin changes. Iridocyclitis (anterior uveitis) with acute, recurrent hypopyon is the most common ocular manifestation in Behcet’s syndrome and progresses to unpredictable outbreaks with sequelae and severe complications that cause loss / loss of vision. Ocular manifestations in Behcet’s syndrome are also accompanied by posterior pole involvement with posterior uveitis, venous and arterial occlusive vasculitis, necrotizing retinitis, macular edema, cystoid macular edema, which accentuates the decrease / loss of vision.Treatment of Behcet’s syndrome should be adapted to the chronic course of the disease and should be aggressive from the outset through systemic drug combinations: corticosteroid / immunosuppressive / immunomodulatory therapy and appropriate ophthalmic treatment: cycloplegics, antiglaucoma eye drops, filter surgery, cataract surgery, cataract surgery under cortisone protection, endoocular surgery, laser photocoagulation. Ophthalmologist / internist interdisciplinary collaboration is required.
Society View on Zawā’id Takbir from the Eid Prayer at Darul Istiqamah Islamic Boarding School Makassar
Authors: Wanda Nurul Fauzia  , Muhammad Sabir  , Gadallah Shawqy
Published: July 2022

Zawā’id takbir is a habit that Muslims carry out when carrying out two eid prayers, namely Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. It becomes the main problem if the views of the people around the Darul Istiqamah Islamic Boarding School Makassar regarding the implementation of the eid prayer without zawā’id takbir. This article aims to reveal the historical aspect of eliminating  zawā’id takbir at the Darul Istiqamah Islamic Boarding School Makassar. This type of research is qualitative with a normative-historical approach. The data sources for this research are primary and secondary data. The results showed that the implementation of the eid prayer at the Darul Istiqamah Islamic Boarding School in Makassar still had many similarities with the implementation of the eid prayer in the general public, especially in Indonesia. The difference only lies in the practice of zawā’id takbir, where the Darul Istiqamah Islamic Boarding School Makassar does not practice  zawā’id takbir in the eid prayers because the hadith that is the basis for zawā’id takbir is weak. There are still some Muslims who have doubts whether the eid prayer without zawā’id takbir is still valid or not, whether indeed  zawā’id takbir was never exemplified by the Prophet. even so, Muslims still show a good attitude, they are not anti to the eid prayer there, never protest or stay away from the pesantren. Even though the four madhhab priests recommend the practice of zawā’id takbir in the eid prayers, none of them oblige it. The law is sunnah not in harmony, so if someone prays eid without  zawā’id takbir , the prayer is still valid. So in the case of the Makassar Darul Istiqamah Islamic Boarding School which does not practice takbir zawāid in the eid prayers, it does not need to be seen as a big problem.
Sheikh Abdul Wahid
Authors: Nuraeni M  , Haslinda
Published: July 2022

The propagation of Islam by Sheikh Abdul Wahid in the kingdom of Buton had the same peculiarity as the spread of Islam in other regions, namely the use of magic. This paper is a historical analysis of Sheikh Abdul Wahid's Islamization of the Kingdom of Buton in the sixteenth century AD. This researcher employs the historical research method's four phases: heuristics, source critique, interpretation, and historiography. The findings indicated that Islamization of the Buton Kingdom began in the sixteenth century AD. This process of Islamization occurred fast and without conflict because the Sufi priests who carried out Islamization in the kingdom of Buton were neither radical nor heroic. Rather, their goal was to inculcate the Islamic faith in society. button. The acceptance of Islam in the kingdom of Buton followed a top-down model, with the elite class accepting Islam first, followed by the development and acceptance of Islam by the lower classes of society.
Linguistic Landscape as a Pedagogical Tool in Teaching and Learning English in Oman
Authors: Francisco Perlas Dumanig  , Maya Khemlani David
Published: July 2022

English language learning does not only happen within the four corners of the classroom, but it may occur even within the learner‟s immediate community. Learning English can be enhanced through various resources like the available linguistic landscape. According to Landry and Bourhis (1997, p. 25) the term linguistic landscape (LL) is defined as the language of public road signs, advertising billboards, street names, place names, commercial shop signs, and public signs on government buildings combines to form the LL of a given territory, region, or urban agglomeration. As such, it contributes to an additional languagelearning tool for language learners. It is, therefore, the focus of this study to examine the use of the linguistic landscape as a pedagogical resource in teaching and learning English. This study examines explicitly the shop names and signage in Oman. To carry on the study, fifty (50) shop names and signage in Al Buraimi, Oman were collected and analyzed. The findings of the study reveal that the linguistic landscape does not only provide awareness about the English language, but it also enhances the learners‟ English language skills. This study supports the notion that exposing learners to the linguistic landscape provides awareness of the languages used in public signs, which indicate or give evidence of what languages are locally relevant (Kasanga, 2012). This study offers new insights on how classroom activities can be extended to the streets of the learners‟ community.
Case Analysis of the Assessment Practices of Oral Communication Teachers in a Private School in the Philippine Setting
Authors: Ma. Pamela A. Capacete
Published: July 2022

With the recent entry of the Senior High School program in the Philippines, success of it maybe viewed to lie in the teachers‟ ability to manage the whole teaching-learning process, including their means of assessing their students. It is for this reason that a focus on teachers‟ Language Assessment Literacy (LAL) comes essential. Hence, the present study aimed at conducting a case analysis of the assessment practices of three Senior High School teachers in one of the private schools in the Philippines. Recognizing the crucial role classroom assessment has in a language classroom, the case analysis sought to provide focus on the purposes of assessment realized by oral communication teachers, the belief towards assessment that they hold, and their unique assessment practices. The case analysis employed interview and document analysis to gather data. After careful analysis and reflection, it was concluded that, first, despite the individuality observed on the primed purposes of assessment of the teacher-participants, the influence of the institutional character of assessment to the teachers were still observed. Second, the teachers‟ beliefs and attitude towards assessment were noted to follow a personal stance, realizing their personal interpretive framework. Lastly, the two prior conclusions generated provided explanations to the observed cornerstone violations in the practices of teachers. Hence, the paper highlights the need for an understanding of teachers‟ beliefs, attitudes, and perceived purposes of assessment to make sense of the actual assessment practices they employ. In turn, this understanding may be used to effectively design a program for teachers‟ continuous LAL development.
Differences in Teaching Styles and Oral Language Proficiency of Non-native English Speaker Teachers: As Perceived by the Iranian EFL Students
Authors: Mohammad Javadi
Published: July 2022

Non-native English speaker teachers’ (NNESTs) dominant teaching styles and oral language proficiency have recently garnered considerable attention of researchers during the past several years. To determine whether they have been effective teachers from their students’ perspectives, this study intended to scrutinize the possible differences of Iranian senior BA and MA students’ perceptions of their non-native ESTs’ dominant styles of teaching together with oral language proficiency in between and across the universities on the whole. To this end, 103 senior EFL senior BA and MA students participated in the study by the use of multistage cluster sampling procedure from three universities of Isfahan, Shiraz, and Yasouj. For the purpose of data collection, one teaching style questionnaire (TSQ) and one analytic scale for assessing the oral proficiency (ASAOP) were utilized. Through inferential statistics, the results showed that no significant differences for teaching styles and oral proficiency were seen between BA and MA students perhaps due to being exposed to the same university teachers, educational environments, and inter- and intra-communications. Further, the students perceived the dominant teaching styles of their teachers across the three universities quite differently significant, for which history of universities, experience, educational facilities, educational environments, academic ranks of professors, research productivity, and teachers’ marking criteria were influentially involved. Subsequently, as regards the students’ perceptions of their NNESTs’ oral language proficiency, no crucial differences were reflected to occur among the three universities. Presumably, apart from their accent and pronunciation, NNESTs’ interestingness, over-preparedness, qualification, and professionalism have considerably affected their students’ perceptions. Through this study, one can reap benefits from the pedagogical implications of the attained results within the academic settings of the Iran country.
Characterizing the Language Features and Rhetorical Moves of Argumentative Essays Written by Filipino ESL Senior High School Writers
Authors: Marites B. Querol  , Marilu Rañosa Madrunio
Published: July 2022

This study presents the Filipino ESL senior high school students’ strengths and weaknesses in writing an argumentative essay. In the context of an institution in the Philippines where English is used as a second language by learners with varied L1, and the learners are required to write in academic English, the aim of this study is to identify the language features and the rhetorical moves of the argumentative essays using Hyland’s model (1990). Analyzing the students’ essays as a requirement in the academe across disciplines could provide appropriate scaffolding in guiding the Filipino ESL writers. The original essays written within an hour by 51 (from 108) Filipino ESL senior high school writers were encoded and processed using the Antconc software to identify the language features that characterize the essays. The essays were coded by the researcher and an inter-coder verified the analysis in relation to the stages/parts and the rhetorical moves found in the essays. The top three most commonly used verbs in the argumentative essays of the Filipino ESL writers of English are non-action verbs–is, are, have. In writing argumentative essays, the Filipino ESL senior high school writers of English lack lexical verbs in the lexical level, and the thesis and conclusion parts in the discourse level. They were familiar with the argument part, but lack citation as support to their claims.
Crafty Kids: "Hansel and Gretel" and the Survival of the Cleverest
Authors: Kirsten Møllegaard  , Mary Oliver
Published: July 2022

Parental abandonment, starvation, and exposure to predators are well-known motifs in The Brothers Grimm's "Hansel and Gretel" (1812), which belongs to the ATU 327 tale type. ATU 327 tales pit young, vulnerable protagonists against the cruelty of parents and the brutality of strangers. These stories are usually framed as a celebration of children's craftiness and resourceful use of language. With the central theme of the power of language to persuade, various versions of the fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel" offer multiple ways to engage students as literary scholars and critical thinkers. This paper compares five classic ATU 327 versions with three contemporary retellings: Emma Donoghue's "The Tale of the Cottage" (1997), Megan Engelhardt "A Mouth to Speak the Coming Home" (2013), and Louise Murphy's novel The True Story of Hansel and Gretel (2003). In analyzing how the absence of home, food, and parental love and protection force Hansel and Gretel to become self-reliant in the classic versions, it is evident that contemporary retellings take a much more critical look at what parental neglect may mean for the child protagonists. Discussion of Bruno Bettelheim's interpretation of "Hansel and Gretel" in conjunction with more recent scholarship on this tale type provides perspectives on how students interpret ATU 327 stories in historical and social contexts.
L1 and L2 Syntactic Ambiguity Resolution of Relative Clauses
Authors: Philip Rentillo
Published: July 2022

Syntactic ambiguity resolution is a cognitive mechanism that interacts with a range of linguistic skills vital to comprehension. Research in this area has, for most of the time, involved European languages. Meanwhile, there is scant literature on a vast range of languages that possess distinct typological features that may hold an important role in unique and underexplored syntactic processes. Basing upon the Garden-Path Model, this study identifies attachment preference in two less explored languages, Tagalog and Kinaray-a, and in L2 English through relative clause parsing experiments. This also attempts to determine whether adjectival modification of noun phrases has a relationship with attachment preference scores. Chi-square tests of independence were conducted on experimental data and revealed a minimal relationship between select types of relative clauses according to adjectival modification and attachment preference. Data show contrasting patterns between Tagalog and Kinaray-a groups, where the former marginally lean towards low attachment (N2) and the latter towards high attachment (N1). Similar to Kinaray-a L2 English attachment preference takes the N1 path, a contradiction to past findings on L1 English.
Intelligibility of Philippine English to a Selected ASEAN Country – Thailand
Authors: Kristine D. de Leon  , Jose Cristina M. Parina  , Jay Mark M. Panopio
Published: July 2022

This paper is a sequence to a bigger research project that attempts to document the intelligibility of Philippine English (PE) to its neighboring countries, specifically those included in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) partnership. From this perspective, the study attempted to identify and demonstrate how intelligible PE is to Thais. The study examined acrolectal, mesolectal, and basilectal speakers of PE, and they underwent two tests, the pronunciation task, and the stress task. The listeners were given six tests, three cloze tests, one intelligibility questionnaire, one perception of PE, and one English proficiency self-assessment. These tests were to confirm that they really belong to the lectal category. The results revealed that PE is about 50% intelligible for Thais. The factors that have strongly affected this intelligibility rate are listeners’ familiarity with the variety and the speakers’ effort, choice of words, rate, and pronunciation. It has to be noted that English in Thailand is a foreign language, but then the listeners’ perceived language proficiency did not significantly affect the intelligibility of PE. Moreover, their perception of PE did not affect their understanding of the utterances of the speakers.
Digitalizing the Language Input in Larkana, Sindh: Focus on Teaching Reading Skills
Authors: Ameer Ali
Published: July 2022

This research studies the use of digital devices/tools/means in teaching L2 (English) reading skills to intermediate (XII) students of district Larkana in Pakistan's Sindh province. Drawing upon the input hypothesis, this research demonstrates how reading as a skill can be effectively acquired using digital platforms. Qualitative data analysis culled through observations of an intermediate class consisting of fifteen students and their English language teacher was conducted to demonstrate how input can be digitalized using sophisticated gadgets, such as smartphones, notepads, and laptops, and how the digitalized language input can help the L2 students acquire reading skills. Findings demonstrated how the digitalized input along with the appropriate use of traditional teaching methods is an effective way of helping the L2 learners acquire phonic awareness, reading fluency (assimilation, elision, vocabulary learning), critical, and integrated (literal, inferential, and evaluative) reading skills.
Lost but not found, or: when grammarians fail us: The case of (past) participial premodifiers in English
Authors: Butler Peter
Published: July 2022

As a teacher of English to speakers of German I am routinely confronted with mistakes involving the misuse of participial premodifiers. Like many other languages possessing participial forms, German places only minimal constraints on the prenominal use of participles. The constraints in English, however, are both intrusive and perplexing. English happily allows 'lost property' or 'broken promises' or 'hired car' but normally disallows '*found property' or'*kept promises' or '*bought car'. Unaware of these constraints, my students commonly overuse participial premodifiers in English, producing errors that are easy to recognize and correct, but hard to elucidate. Focussing on the prenominal use of past participles, the present article tries to show that this is one area where language teachers are being seriously let down by grammarians. The standard pedagogical grammars provide scant guidance and even reputable scientific grammars disappoint. Only one leading grammar attempts to address the problem, but the account it provides is fragmentary and largely unconvincing. Latching on to the one aspect of this account that is correct, I try to develop a unified account of the phenomenon that may serve as a basis for a more satisfactory treatment of the issue both on the scientific and the didactic level.
Exploration of Classroom Cultures in EFL
Authors: Dolganova Olga
Published: July 2022

This article documents an investigation of classroom cultures within the context of teaching English in a Russian university and aspires to shed light on the context of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in Russia. It provides a comprehensive understanding of what classroom cultures the teachers of English create, and how their vision of these cultures is influenced by the context in which they are situated. Echoing previous research suggesting that classroom contexts are co-constructed, this study also accentuates students’ contributions in their implicit role in the construction of classroom cultures. The findings reveal that tensions that arise in the classroom trigger processes of negotiation between teachers and their students. Owing to these negotiations, the teachers manage to acquire the students’ acceptance of their rules, and this appears to be considered as some sort of ‘validation point’ for the teachers, which, in turn, facilitates the development of the teachers and their respective classroom cultures. This finding positions the students as central to the teachers’ estimations of themselves.
Trägt das Fortschrittsversprechen? Das Programm der Ampelkoalition
Authors: DETJE RICHARD , KRONAUER MARTIN , SAUER DIETER , SCHUMANN MICHAEL
Published: July 2022

Der Beitrag behandelt den Koalitionsvertrag der Ampelregierung mit Blick auf deren programmatischen Anspruch, „mehr Fortschritt wagen“ zu wollen. Er zeigt, dass das ambitionierte Ziel einer ökologischen Transformation immer wieder in Konflikt mit einem Verständnis von Fortschritt gerät, das vornehmlich an Wachstum, Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und technischer Effizienz ausgerichtet ist. Zudem beschränken das Bekenntnis zu einer konservativen Haushaltspolitik und die Verweigerung von Umverteilung die politischen Handlungsspielräume. Das hat insbesondere Folgen für die weitgehend ausgeblendete soziale Frage. Im Kontext der internationalen Diskussion darüber, ob sich ein Ende der Ära des „Neoliberalismus“ abzeichnet, steht der Regierungswechsel in Deutschland programmatisch für Kurskorrektur, nicht Richtungsänderung. Der Beitrag erörtert abschließend, was dies angesichts unbewältigter ökologischer und sozialer Krisen bedeutet, auch und gerade für Gewerkschaften.
“It’s the economy, stupid”: Changing Irish minds on the Lisbon Treaty
Authors: O’DRISCOLL Mervyn
Published: July 2022

Ireland was Europeanised as part of a pragmatic top-down policy of modernisation. The national bargain with regional integration was built on soft Europeanism and rudimentary knowledge about the “ever closer union”. By the 21st century the vir‐ tuous Irish-EU narrative was weakening. Multiple domestic factors contributed. They included political fragmentation, affluence, and constitutional constrictions on the government’s conduct during referendum campaigns. Complacency, dis‐ traction, and an energetic single-issue party (Libertas) were some of the immediate causes of the defeat of Lisbon in 2008. The legitimacy of the first Lisbon referen‐ dum was undercut in an extended post-mortem that laid bare the electorate’s lack of knowledge. The negotiation of guarantees to ameliorate concerns about some national sacred cows and clarify misapprehensions played a crucial part in the ap‐ proach to the second referendum. However, the Global Financial Crisis was paramount. It invigorated the conventional narrative that full EU membership was axiomatic to Ireland’s continued economic and fiscal health.
Utopisches Denken in transformativem Commoning – Erweiterung des Commons-Diskurses um die Bedeutung subjektiver Begehren
Authors: Volpert Finn
Published: July 2022

In diesem Beitrag wird das Subjektive des Commoning in den Vordergrund gerückt und dabei Bedeutungen des Begehrens für die Transformation durch Commoning, die Konzeptualisierung von Commoning und normative Bezugspunkte aufgezeigt. Anhand einer Untersuchung der Beziehung von Commoning und Utopie im Diskurs wird festgestellt, dass Commoning zwar einen Bezug zu Utopie und Begehren einer besseren Welt aufweist, dieser aber nicht erforscht wird. Mit einer kritischen Gegenüberstellung der Utopietheorie von Sutterlütti & Meretz und dem intentionalen Utopiebegriff von Bloch werden Begehren als konstitutiver Bestandteil von Commoning konzipiert und dessen transformatives Potenzial in der Wechselwirkung zwischen Begehren und Erfahrungen verortet.
Commons und die Transformation zur Postwachstumsökonomie
Authors: Paech Niko
Published: July 2022

Commons bieten interessante Schnittstellen zur Postwachstumsökonomik. Dies betrifft sowohl die damit ermöglichten Organisationsformen einer modernen Subsistenz, als auch Transformationsszenarien jenseits von Markt und Staat. Gleichwohl harmonieren Commons nur unter bestimmten Bedingungen mit wachstumskritischen Konzeptionen, nämlich wenn sie in postwachstumstaugliche Lebensstile eingebettet sind und sich auf Wirtschaftsformen der kleinen Einheiten beschränken.
Molecular and Functional Characterisation of Allergenic Non-specific Lipid Transfer Proteins of Sweet Lupin Seed Species
Authors: Rodrigo-Garcia Maria , Rodriguez-de Haro Esther , Priego-Poyato Salvador , Lima-Cabello Elena , Morales-Santana Sonia , C. Jimenez-Lopez Jose
Published: July 2022

Non-specific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) are small proteins abundant in plants, which function in transferring phospholipids and galactolipids across the membrane. nsLTPs also play a key role in plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, growth and development, as well as in sexual reproduction, seed development, and germination. In addition, these proteins have previously been identified as food allergens. In the present study, we carried out a molecular and functional comparative characterisation of 25 sequences of nsLTPs of lupin legumes and other species. Extensive analysis was carried out; including comparison of databases, phylogeny, physical–chemical properties, functional properties of post-translational modifications, protein structure conservation, 2-D and 3D modelling, functional interaction analysis, and allergenicity including identification of IgE, T-cell, and B-cell binding epitopes. The results indicated that particular structural features of nsLTPs are essential to the functionality of these proteins, high level of structural stability and conservation. Information about different functional interactions between nsLTPs and ligands showed that nsLTPs can accommodate several of them with different structure; and that the relationship between structure and allergenicity was investigated through the identification of epitopes susceptible of being involved in cross-reactivity between species of the Fabaceae family.
Enzyme-Like Property (Nanozyme) of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles
Authors: Gao Lizeng
Published: July 2022

Iron oxide nanoparticles perform biological activity under physiological conditions. They exhibit enzyme-like properties that catalyze redox reactions mediated by natural enzymes of oxidoreductase and are classified into a typical of nanozymes that are defined as nanomaterials with enzyme-like activities. In addition, iron oxide nanoparticles widely exist in biological system, such as magnetosome and ferritin that not only regulate iron metabolism, but also regulate ROS homostasis. The enzyme-like properties of iron oxide nanoparticles render them with broad biomedical applications including immunoassay, biosensor, antimicrobial, anti-tumor, antioxidant. Taken together, iron oxide nanoparticles are bioactive materials and may perform particular biological function in life activity.
Sedimentary Characteristics of the Member 1 of the Middle Devonian Suotoushan Formation and Its Ore-Bearing Potential in Northeastern Yunnan
Authors: Wang Zizheng , Jiang Xin-Sheng , Zhou Bang-Guo , Lu Sheng-Lin
Published: July 2022

Super-large quartz sandstone deposit has been discovered in Northeastern Yunnan and the major ore-bearing bed is occurred in the Member 1 of the Middle Devonian Suotoushan Formation. Systematic study on the sedimentary characteristics of the Suotoushan Formation in Yiliang region, northeastern Yunnan Province has been conducted, Profile surveying, drilling and trenching show that, microscopic identification, the thickness of the Suotoushan Formation is 62.8 m ∼ 222.7 m and principally composed of gray-white thick-bedded medium-grained quartz sandstone with well developed parallel bedding, swash bedding, oscillation cross-bedding and wave ripple, showing remarkable wave action features. Thin section observation shows that quartz sandstone in the Member 1 of the Suotoushan Formation is grain supported, siliceous cemented, concave-convex and line contact and the pressure solution and secondary overgrowth of quartz sand grains are obvious. Grain size analysis shows that the grain size is concentrated between 1.5Φ and 3.5Φ with saltation population up to 99% which is composed by tow sub populations and lacking of traction and suspension populations, showing a typical foreshore grain size distribution. Chemical analysis shows SiO2 chemical purity of the quartz sandstone is 99.05 ∼ 99.39 with weighted average 98.99 (N = 11) which has exceeded the industry standard for first-grade raw material of plate glass. Based our studies above, it can be concluded that the quartz sandstone in Member 1 of Suotoushan Formation is high energy coastal foreshore sediments with high texture and mineral maturity, and has been further purified by diagenesis, and both the grain-size characteristic and chemical purity have reached the standard of high-purity quartz sandstone, which can be expected raw material for high-purity quartz. The results in this article can provide accurate prospecting target to enlarge the resources potential of high-purity quartz deposits in northeastern Yunnan.
Context-Specific Food-Based Strategies for Improving Nutrition in Developing Countries
Authors: Raymond Jofrey
Published: July 2022

Viable food approaches for achieving nutrient needs in underdeveloped countries are not well documented. The existing evidence indicates that one out of three people is facing single or multiple forms of malnutrition globally, in which the highly affected sections of the population are children and women from less developed countries. Economic losses, which result from undernutrition are between 3% and 16% of the GDP in the majority of poor countries. This problem is far bigger than what the government and donors can tackle alone. Thus, a new strategy, which is donor-independent, is required to address the problem of undernutrition in developing countries. In this chapter, we report on a food approach that is context-specific for grappling with malnutrition problems in low-income countries. The approach employs the model which encompasses public and private sectors to allow cost-sharing and productivity gains in tackling malnutrition in under-resourced countries. The model urges all stakeholders to consider consumers’ views, which are often overlooked, and properly engross them as key players.
Diseases of Medicinal Plants Cultivated in Karnataka and Their Management
Authors: Swetha P. , Sundararaj R.
Published: July 2022

A broad spectrum of fungal diseases infecting selected 10 medicinal plants surveyed in Karnataka, India, was studied in the present research. We present a detailed review on previously reported as well as our present investigation’s details of fungal diseases, etiology, symptoms, and its management. Some of the commonly observed diseases are Anthracnose disease, Blight disease, Leaf spot, Root rot, Powdery mildew, Downy mildew, and Wilt disease. The detailed analysis of medicinal plants revealed that the medicinal plants are susceptible to diverse fungal phytopathogens. Therefore, sustainable management of the diseases is necessary for the successful cultivation of disease-free medicinal plants.
Does Physical Activity Mediate the Effect of Loneliness on Inflammatory and Metabolic Processes?
Authors: Shiovitz-Ezra Sharon , Parag Ohad , Litwin Howard
Published: July 2022

The study to be presented in the chapter explores one potential behavioral mechanism by which loneliness affects inflammatory and metabolic processes in old age. Specifically, it addresses whether physical activity mediates the loneliness—inflammatory/metabolic dysregulation association. Multivariate linear regressions were applied to data derived from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The findings revealed that loneliness was prospectively associated with elevated values of log C-reactive protein (log-CRP) and with amplified levels of Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), Cystatin C (CysC), and Body Mass Index (BMI), after controlling for socio-demographics. Second, physical activity mediated the association between loneliness with prospective values of log-CRP and also mediated associations between loneliness and prospective levels of metabolic biomarkers. These findings affirm the contribution (i.e., the mediation), of physical activity to the associations between loneliness and immune and metabolic processes and provide insights concerning the mechanism by which this social—biological connection operates.
Perspective Chapter: New Use of the SSRI Fluvoxamine in the Treatment of COVID-19 Symptoms
Authors: F. Alsabhan Jawza , K. Alshammari Tahani
Published: July 2022

From the perspective of repurposing medication, recent evidence suggests that the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants (SSRIs) can help reduce the severity of symptoms and death associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. To focus more, COVID-19 is a viral disease with potentially high risk of symptoms. There is presently no cure. However, there are specific treatments that may help manage the condition. Since the SSRI fluvoxamine has a unique mechanism of action in reducing cytokine production, researchers have started to relate the antiviral effects via modulation of sigma-1 receptors with the vision of treatment options for COVID-19 patients. The scope of this chapter is to examine different mechanisms of fluvoxamine in relation to immune response, including both the serotonin and the sigma-1 receptor-related mechanisms. Addressing the impact of fluvoxamine in minimizing possible complications during COVID-19 infection.
Bayesian Networks for Decision Support in Emergency Response: A Model for Missing Person Investigations
Authors: Reilly Denis
Published: July 2022

The successful operation of Emergency services (Police, Fire, Medical Emergency) relies heavily upon Information Systems and particularly Decision Support Systems. Missing person cases consume resources from the already overstretched resources of Police Forces. Such cases predominantly come from at-risk groups such as children in care, people suffering from depression, or elderly people suffering from dementia. This chapter reviews current practices used for missing person cases and describes a decision support model based on Bayesian networks.
Biochar Development as a Catalyst and Its Application
Authors: Okiemute Akpasi Stephen , Michael Smarte Anekwe Ifeanyi , Adedeji Jeremiah , Lewis Kiambi Sammy
Published: July 2022

Biochar is a carbon-rich pyrogenic material that is made from carbon-neutral sources (i.e., biomass). It offers key strategies for carbon capture and storage (CCS) as well as being an environmentally friendly means of soil amendment. The recent recognition of biochar as a versatile media for catalytic applications has prompted preliminary research into biochar’s catalytic capacity and mechanistic practices via various routes. This chapter provides a review of biochar production technologies, biochar’s catalyst development, and its application in various catalytic processes as well as descriptions of the benefits and drawbacks of the various applications currently available. The characteristics of biochar-based catalysts, challenges of effective application of this catalyst system, emerging application, prospects, and future work consideration for effective utilization of biochar-based catalysts were presented.
Noncanonical (Non-R132H) IDH-Mutated Gliomas
Authors: D. Al-Saadi Tariq , J. Diaz Roberto
Published: July 2022

Mutations in IDH1 or IDH2 confer a significant survival advantage compared to their isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wild-type counterparts and, as such, are the most significant prognostic factors in this group. The mutations in the IDH1 gene are heterozygous and almost always involve only a single residue (arginine 132), which is replaced by histidine in roughly 90% of tumors. Regardless, the non-p.R132H (noncanonical) mutations in the IDH1 gene were also documented in around 20% of mutated glioma. The noncanonical IDH mutations have distinguishing radiological and histological features. The existence of such tumors seems to be associated with a genetic predisposition to cancer development.