bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic accuracy of stool sample-based PCR in detecting Helicobacter pylori infection: a meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Qinglong , Yang Shuang , Zhou Jianhua , Li Zhipeng , Wang Lili , Dong Quanjiang
Published: July 2023

The present study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of different types of PCR tests with the aim of determining which one performs best for detecting Helicobacter pylori in stool samples. Related articles were searched from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science databases, Scopus, and Scholar Google. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) tool and RevMan5.4 software. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, DOR, PLR and NLR for the stool PCR test in detecting H. pylori infection were performed by Stata 15.0 software. Subgroup meta-analysis was performed by Open Meta-analyst software. Ten studies were selected in this study. Stool PCR test had 92.0 % (83.0, 96.0 %) pooled sensitivity, 96.0 % (84.0, 99.0 %) pooled specificity, 296.0 (51.6, 1,696.9) pooled DOR, 26.1 (5.3, 128.7) pooled PLR and 0.09 (0.04, 0.18) NLR in the diagnosis of H. pylori infection, and summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) illustrated an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.98. Subgroup meta-analysis showed rtPCR as having the highest diagnostic accuracy. Our results identify rtPCR as having the highest diagnostic accuracy for the detection of H. pylori in stool samples, and the stool PCR test as a reliable diagnostic tool for H. pylori infection.
lncRNA UCA1 regulates miR-132/Lrrfip1 axis to promote vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation
Authors: Chen Wenming , Zhao Wei , Hao Minghui , Wang Yuping
Published: July 2023

UCA1 is predicted to bind to miR-132, which is a key player in the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). This research studied the role of lncRNA UCA1 in atherosclerosis. The binding of UCA1 to miR-132 was proved by dual luciferase activity assay and RNA immunoprecipitation. UCA1 and miR-132 failed to affect each other’s expression in VSMCs. UCA1 was upregulated and miR-132 was decreased in atherosclerosis plasma. However, they are not closely correlated across atherosclerosis and control plasma sample. Interestingly, UCA1 suppressed the role of miR-132 in downregulating Lrrfip1 expression and promoting VSMC proliferation. Therefore, UCA1 is downregulated in atherosclerosis and may regulate miR-132/Lrrfip1 axis to promote VSMC proliferation.
Hsa-miR-223-3p participates in the process of anthracycline-induced cardiomyocyte damage by regulating NFIA gene
Authors: Han Xiao , Liu Kun , Gao Fumin , Yang Mingjun , Wang Fei
Published: July 2023

Irreversible cardiomyopathy was caused by the therapeutic of anthracyclines in the chemotherapy of cancers. The cell apoptosis and autophagy were induced by anthracyclines in AC16 cells. MiR-223-3p ascends in anthracycline-treated AC16, but the expression of nuclear factor I-A (NFIA) was specifically down-regulated. However, the underlying molecular mechanism between NFIA and miR-223-3p is unclear now in AC16 cells. In our research, NFIA expression was dampened in AC16 cells by miR-223-3p mimics. Additionally, miR-223-3p knockdown hindered the apoptosis and autophagy in anthracycline-treated AC16. Furthermore, NFIA was predicted and verified as a miR-223-3p’s downstream target and rescued the functions of miR-223-3p. These findings illustrated that miR-223-3p advances anthracycline-stimulated cardiomyocyte damage progression by targeting NFIA, implying the promising therapeutic function of miR-223-3p on cardiomyocyte damage in cancer patients.
Synapse-Specific Defects in Synaptic Transmission in the Cerebellum of W246G Mutant ELOVL4 Rats–a Model of Human SCA34
Authors: Nagaraja Raghavendra Y. , Stiles Megan A. , Sherry David M. , Agbaga Martin-Paul , Ahmad Mohiuddin
Published: July 2023

Elongation of very long fatty acids-4 (ELOVL4) mediates biosynthesis of very long chain-fatty acids (VLC-FA; ≥28 carbons). Various mutations in this enzyme result in spinocerebellar ataxia-34 (SCA34). We generated a rat model of human SCA34 by knock-in of a naturally occurring c.736T>G, p.W246G mutation in theElovl4gene. Our previous analysis of homozygous W246G mutant ELOVL4 rats (MUT) revealed early-onset gait disturbance and impaired synaptic transmission and plasticity at parallel fiber-Purkinje cell (PF-PC) and climbing fiber-Purkinje cell (CF-PC) synapses. However, the underlying mechanisms that caused these defects remained unknown. Here, we report detailed patch-clamp recordings from Purkinje cells that identify impaired synaptic mechanisms. Our results show that miniature EPSC (mEPSC) frequency is reduced in MUT rats with no change in mEPSC amplitude, suggesting a presynaptic defect of excitatory synaptic transmission on Purkinje cells. We also find alterations in inhibitory synaptic transmission as miniature IPSC (mIPSC) frequency and amplitude are increased in MUT Purkinje cells. Paired-pulse ratio is reduced at PF-PC synapses but increased at CF-PC synapses in MUT rats, which along with results from high-frequency stimulation suggest opposite changes in the release probability at these two synapses. In contrast, we identify exaggerated persistence of EPSC amplitude at CF-PC and PF-PC synapses in MUT cerebellum, suggesting a larger readily releasable pool (RRP) at both synapses. Furthermore, the dendritic spine density is reduced in MUT Purkinje cells. Thus, our results uncover novel mechanisms of action of VLC-FA at cerebellar synapses, and elucidate the synaptic dysfunction underlying SCA34 pathology.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTVery long chain-fatty acids (VLC-FA) are an understudied class of fatty acids that are present in the brain. They are critical for brain function as their deficiency caused by mutations in elongation of very long fatty acids-4 (ELOVL4), the enzyme that mediates their biosynthesis, results in neurologic diseases including spinocerebellar ataxia-34 (SCA34), neuroichthyosis, and Stargardt-like macular dystrophy. In this study, we investigated the synaptic defects present in a rat model of SCA34 and identified defects in presynaptic neurotransmitter release and dendritic spine density at synapses in the cerebellum, a brain region involved in motor coordination. These results advance our understanding of the synaptic mechanisms regulated by VLC-FA and describe the synaptic dysfunction that leads to motor incoordination in SCA34.
FBL promotes cancer cell resistance to DNA damage and BRCA1 transcription via YBX1
Authors: Sun Xiaorui , Gao Congwen , Xu Xin , Li Mengyuan , Zhao Xinhua , Wang Yanan , Wang Yun , Zhang Shun , Yan Zhenzhen , Liu Xiuhua , Wu Chen
Published: July 2023

Fibrillarin (FBL) is a highly conserved nucleolar methyltransferase responsible for methylation of ribosomal RNA and proteins. Here, we reveal a role for FBL in DNA damage response and its impact on cancer proliferation and sensitivity to DNA‐damaging agents. FBL is highly expressed in various cancers and correlates with poor survival outcomes in cancer patients. Knockdown of FBL sensitizes tumor cells and xenografts to DNA crosslinking agents, and leads to homologous recombination‐mediated DNA repair defects. We identify Y‐box‐binding protein‐1 (YBX1) as a key interacting partner of FBL, and FBL increases the nuclear accumulation of YBX1 in response to DNA damage. We show that FBL promotes the expression of BRCA1 by increasing the binding of YBX1 to the BRCA1 promoter. Our study sheds light on the regulatory mechanism of FBL in tumorigenesis and DNA damage response, providing potential therapeutic targets to overcome chemoresistance in cancer.
Reliability control of a thermoelectric cooler with changes in ambient temperature
Authors: Zaykov Vladimir P. , Mescheryakov Vladimir I. , Zhuravlov Yurii I.
Published: July 2023

The paper presents the development of method of thermoelectric system reliability indexes control for providing thermal modesof radio electronic equipment, based on thermoelectric coolers medium temperature variation. A mathematical model for investigating influence of the environment temperature variation on the reliability performance of a single-cascade thermoelectric cooler at a given temperature level of cooling, thermal load, geometry of thermoelement branches for different characteristiccurrent operating modes is considered. The results of calculations of the basic parameters, reliability indices, dynamic characteristicsand the analysis of dependences are given for revealing the peculiarities of control processes. It is shown that decreasing the medium temperature at a given chiller design decreases the operating current, increases the cold-productivity, and decreases the time of reaching a steady-state operating mode for various characteristic current operating modes. The time to steady-state operation decreases from the minimum failure rate to the maximum cooling capacity at a fixed medium temperature. The minimum steady-state operation time is ensured in maximum cooling capacity mode. Reduction of such significant for control indices as the amountof consumed energy for different characteristic current operation modes, required heat dissipation capacity of the radiator, time of reaching the steady-state mode is noted. Analysis of research results has shown that it is possible to control indicators of reliability of a single-stage cooler of a given design by changing the medium temperature by changing the value of operating current. A change in the medium temperature of the thermoelectric cooler due to an external supporting device makes it possible to vary the reliability indices and to find a compromise between the reliability, dynamics and cooling capacity of the thermal mode support system.
Odeporica adriatica
Authors: Scianatico Giovanna
Published: July 2023

Rubrica del Centro Interuniversitario Internazionale di Studi sul Viaggio Adriatico (C.I.S.V.A.) a cura di Giovanna Scianatico
A long non-coding RNA essential for early embryonic development improves somatic cell nuclear transfer somatic cell nuclear transfer efficiency in goats
Authors: Jin Miaomiao , Zhao Lu , Yang Hanwen , Zhao Jianglin , Ma Hongwei , Chen Yanzhi , Zhang Jingcheng , Luo Yan , Zhang Yong , Liu Jun
Published: July 2023

In brief

Early embryonic development in goats is a complex and an important process. This study identified a novel long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), lncRNA3720, that appears to affect early embryonic development in goats through histone variants.

Although abundant lncRNAs have been found to be highly expressed in early embryos, the functions and mechanisms of most lncRNAs in regulating embryonic development remain unclear. This study was conducted to identify the key lncRNAs during embryonic genome activation (EGA) for promoting embryonic development after somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in goats. We screened and characterized lncRNAs from transcriptome data of in vitro-fertilized, two-cell (IVF-2c) and eight-cell embryos (IVF-8c) and eight-cell SCNT embryos (SCNT-8c). We obtained 12 differentially expressed lncRNAs that were highly expressed in IVF-8c embryos compared to IVF-2c and less expressed in SCNT-8c embryos. After target gene prediction, expression verification, and functional deletion experiments, we found that the expression level of lncRNA3720 affected the early embryonic development in goats. We cloned full-length lncRNA3720 and over-expressed it in goat fetal fibroblasts (GFFs). We identified histone variants by analyzing the transcriptome data from both GFFs and embryos. Gene annotation of the gene library and the literature search revealed that histone variants may have important roles in early embryo development, so we selected them as the potential target genes for lncRNA3720. Lastly, we compensated for the low expression of lncRNA3720 in SCNT embryos by microinjection and showed that the development rate and quality of SCNT embryos were significantly improved. We speculate that lncRNA3720 is a key promoter of embryonic development in goats by interacting with histone variants.
BULUT BİLİŞİMDE GİZLİLİK SÖZLEŞMESİ
Authors: GİTMEZ Emin
Published: July 2023

Yeni teknolojiler geleneksel uygulamalarda köklü değişikliklere neden olmaktadır. Bilgiyi saklamak, transfer etmek, korumak önceleri bilgisayarlara bağlanabilen taşınabilir araçlarla mümkün iken günümüzde kullanıcılar istedikleri yerde ve zamanda herhangi bir araca ihtiyaç duymadan internet ağının olduğu her ortamda bilgiye ulaşabilmektedir. Bu imkân internet çağında bulut bilişim teknolojisinin ortaya çıkmasıyla geçerli olmuştur. Bulut bilişim bilgiyi depolamak ve bilgiye ulaşmayı kolaylaştırmakla birlikte bilginin ifşası riskini de beraberinde getirmektedir. Her bilgi, gizli bilgi niteliğine sahip değildir. Ancak bazı bilgilerin gizliliğinin sağlanması mutlak surette gerekli olabilir. Bu durumda, gizli bilginin 3. kişilerle paylaşılmasının engellenmesine dönük birtakım hukuki mekanizmaların devreye alınması düşünülebilir. Bu amaçla, gizlilik sözleşmesi bilginin gizliliğinin korunmasını sağlamak noktasında caydırıcı bir etki ortaya koyabilir. Bu etkinin ortaya çıkmasını sağlamak için gizlilik sözleşmesinin geçerli ve yasal bir belge olmasını sağlayıcı tüm unsurların göz önünde bulundurulması gerekir.
Penyelesaian Perkara Melalui Restorative Justice oleh Penyidik Dalam Penanganan Tindak Pidana Penganiayaan
Authors: Akbar Sandi Riz , Rahman Abd , Wahab Mirnawati , Darmawansya TL Andi
Published: July 2023

This study was conducted with the aim of knowing and analyzing the effectiveness of case resolution through restorative justice by investigators in handling criminal acts of persecution at the Raja Ampat Resort Police. And to know and analyze the factors that affect the effectiveness of case resolution through restorative justice by investigators in handling criminal acts of persecution at the Raja Ampat Resort Police. This study used primary data obtained directly in the field based on interviews conducted by researchers to investigators of the Raja Ampat Resort Police as many as 5 people. The Data were analyzed using qualitative analysis. The results of this study show that the resolution of cases through restorative justice by investigators in handling criminal acts of persecution at the Raja Ampat Resort Police is quite effective. The possibility of factors that influence the effectiveness of case resolution through restorative justice in criminal acts of persecution are internal factors and external factors. The most influential factor in this study is the culture or customs of the community.Keywords: Effectiveness; Criminal; Restorative Justice AbstrakPenelitian ini dilakukan dengan bertujuan untuk mengetahui dan menganalisis Efektivitas Penyelesaian Perkara Melalui Restorative Justice Oleh Penyidik Dalam Penanganan Tindak Pidana Penganiayaan Pada Kepolisian Resor Raja Ampat. Dan untuk mengetahui dan menganalisis faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi Efektivitas Penyelesaian Perkara Melalui Restorative Justice Oleh Penyidik Dalam Penanganan Tindak Pidana Penganiayaan Pada Kepolisian Resor Raja Ampat. Penelitian ini menggunakan data primer yang diperoleh secara langsung di lapangan berdasarkan wawancara yang dilakukan peneliti kepada penyidik Kepolisian Resor Raja Ampat sebanyak 5 orang. Data dianalisis dengan menggunakan analisis kualitatif. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa penyelesaian perkara melalui restorative justice Oleh Penyidik Dalam Penanganan Tindak Pidana Penganiayaan Pada Kepolisian Resor Raja Ampat cukup efektif. Kemdudian faktor yang berpengaruh terhadap efektivitas penyelesaian perkara melalui restorative justice dalam tindak pidana penganiayaan adalah faktor internal dan faktor eksternal. Adapun faktor yang paling berpengaruh dalam penelitian ini adalah Budaya atau Adat masyarakat.Kata Kunci: Efektivitas; Tindak Pidana; Restorative Justice
Hapusnya Tanggung Jawab Terbatas Direksi Akibat Itikad Tidak Baik Dalam Penyaluran Kredit Fiktif Pada Perusahaan Daerah Bank Perkreditan Rakyat
Authors: Alam Faris Satria
Published: July 2023

The directors who are given the responsibility to carry out the company and are fully responsible for managing the company for the benefit of the company. However, the directors have limited liability to the company in accordance with the principle of limit liability, but the principle of limit liability does not apply if the actions or actions of the directors are proven to have committed negligence and mistakes so that their actions are categorized as unlawful and result in losses to the company. The research method used is normative juridical qualitative research through a conceptual approach and a statutory approach. The results of the study stated that the elimination of the limited liability of the directors was due to bad faith in distributing fictitious loans to local people's credit banking companies. Meanwhile, the results of the study concluded that the principle of limit liability for directors would be erased if it could prove that the company's losses were not the result of negligence or mistakes.Keywords: Responsibility; Directors; Bad Faith; Fictitious Credit Abstrak:Direksi yang diberikan tanggung jawab untuk mengemban perusahaan dan bertanggung jawab penuh atas pengurusan perseroan demi kepentingan perseroan. Akan tetapi direksi memiliki batasan tanggung jawab terhadap perusahaan sesuai dengan prinsip limit liability, namun prinsip limit liability tidak berlaku jika saja perbuatan maupun tindakan direksi terbukti melakukan kelalaian dan kesalahan hingga perbuatanya dikategorikan sebagai tindakan melawan hukum dan mengakibatkan kerugian pada perusahaan. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah penelitian kualitatif yuridis normatif melalui pendekatan konseptual dan pendekatan peraturan perundang-undangan. Hasil penelitian menyatakan bahwa hapusnya tanggung jawab terbatas direksi akibat itikad tidak baik dalam penyaluran kredit fiktif pada perusahaan daerah bank pengkreditan rakyat. Sedangkan, hasil penelitian menyimpulkan bahwa prinsip limit liability direksi akan terhapus jika dapat membuktikan dimana kerugian perusahaan bukan akibat dari kelalaian atau kesalahannya.Kata Kunci: Tanggung Jawab; Direksi; Itikad Tidak Baik; Kredit Fiktif
After “The Talk”: Adolescents’ Perspectives Reveal Need for Improvement in Hospital Sexual Health Care Delivery
Authors: Mehta Sonia , Porada Kelsey , Liegl Melodee , Pan Amy , McFadden Vanessa
Published: July 2023

OBJECTIVES: To fill access gaps for adolescents, addressing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is recommended in nontraditional settings. In previous improvement work, we increased documentation of sexual history to >80% of adolescents hospitalized on our pediatric hospital medicine (PHM) service. This study assessed adolescents’ perception of SRH conversations with hospital providers and the extent to which they were helpful.
Emergency Contraception
Authors:   COMMITTEE ON ADOLESCENCE
Published: July 2023

Despite signiﬁcant declines over the past 2 decades, the United States continues to have teen birth rates that are signiﬁcantly higher than other industrialized nations. Use of emergency contraception can re-duce the risk of pregnancy if used up to 120 hours after unprotected intercourse or contraceptive failure and is most effective if used in the ﬁrst 24 hours.
The Adolescent’s Right to Confidential Care When Considering Abortion
Authors:   AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS,   COMMITTEE ON ADOLESCENCE
Published: July 2023

The American Academy of Pediatrics reaffirms its position that the rights of adolescents under 18 years of age to confidential care when considering legal medical and surgical abortion therapies should be protected. Most adolescents voluntarily involve parents and other trusted adults in decisions regarding pregnancy termination and should be encouraged to do so when safe and appropriate.
Software-Infrastruktur
Authors: Bleek Wolf-Gideon
Published: July 2023

Der Begriff „Infrastruktur“ wird hier für Informationssysteme verwendet. Software-Anwendungen stehen in Beziehung zu anderer Software und bestehen selbst aus Software unterschiedlichen Ursprungs. Software steht in ihrer Vernetzung unter dem jeweils begrenzten Einfluss von verschiedenen Akteuren. In der Software-Entwicklung geht es heutzutage vorwiegend um Weiterentwicklung, Parametrisierung und Konfiguration. Software-Infrastrukturentwicklung muss also mit bestehender Software umgehen und in komplexen Zusammenhängen unter Berücksichtigung einer stark angestiegenen Anzahl von Interessen und Möglichkeiten zur Wechselwirkung durchgeführt werden. Als ein besonderes Problem bei der Infrastruktur-Entwicklung werden Interferenzen erkannt. Das vorgeschlagene Interferenz-Management adressiert dies. Der Kernpunkt des erweiterten evolutionären Software-Entwicklungsprozesses ist die kontinuierliche Erschließung der relevanten Bestandteile und Akteure der Infrastruktur vor dem Hintergrund des eigenen Entwicklungsvorhabens unter Berücksichtigung der verschiedenen Interessen.
Zum Gedenken an Peter Borowsky
Authors: Gutzmann Gertraud , Hartmann Wilfried , Vogel Barbara , Klemperer Klemens , Stieber Joachim W. , Vaget Hans Rudolf
Published: July 2023

Am 13. Oktober 2000 starb der Historiker Peter Borowsky, ein "Schüler" Fritz Fischers, im Alter von 62 Jahren. Nahezu vier Jahrzehnte hat er an der Universität Hamburg gewirkt: als Student, Wissenschaftlicher Assistent, Wissenschaftlicher Oberrat und Privatdozent für Neuere und Neueste Geschichte. Im Jahre 1996 wurde ihm der Titel "Professor" verliehen; eine Professorenstelle jedoch blieb ihm verwehrt. Als Autor auflagenstarker Geschichtswerke erreichte Peter Borowsky ein großes Publikum. Die gemeinsam mit Barbara Vogel und Heide Wunder verfasste, 1975 erstmals erschienene Einführung in die Geschichtswissenschaft ist bis heute ein wissenschaftlicher "Bestseller"; Borowskys Hitler-Biographie für Jugendliche und seine Überblicksdarstellungen zur Deutschen Geschichte nach 1945 erlebten ebenfalls zahlreiche Auflagen. Der Schwerpunkt seines Wirkens aber lag in der akademischen Lehre, in der er Herausragendes leistete. Generationen von Geschichtsstudierenden wurden von ihm unterrichtet, betreut und geprägt – an der Universität Hamburg wie am Smith College, Northampton/Massachusetts, wo der Gelehrte seit 1974 regelmäßig eine Gastprofessur wahrnahm. Die Partnerschaft zwischen diesen beiden Hochschulen wurde von Peter Borowsky geradezu verkörpert. Die akademischen Gedenkveranstaltungen zu seinen Ehren – im Februar 2001 an der Universität Hamburg und im folgenden Monat am Smith College – vermittelten davon einen bewegenden Eindruck. Eine Auswahl der dort sowie zuvor bei der Trauerfeier auf dem Friedhof Nienstedten gehaltenen Reden ist in diesem Heft zusammengefasst. Zeitgleich ist am 3. Juni 2003, dem 65. Geburtstag Peter Borowskys, eine umfangreiche Gedenkschrift erschienen, deren Titel Lebendige Sozialgeschichte Borowskys Forschungsfelder inhaltlich wie methodisch andeuten und zugleich seine besondere Art, Geschichte zu vermitteln, akzentuieren soll.
Detection of carbapenem resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa co-harboring blaVIM-2 and blaGES-5 in burn patients
Authors: Hmissi Souhir , Raddaoui Anis , Frigui Siwar , Abbassi Mohamed Salah , Achour Wafa , Chebbi Yosra , Thabet Lamia
Published: July 2023

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the major infectious agents in burn patients. Globally, high rates of antimicrobial resistance in P. aeruginosa have been reported, which is a cause of concern. The objective of this study was to determine the rate of resistance to carbapenems in P. aeruginosa isolates recovered from burn patients in Tunisia, to search genes encoding for carbapenemases and to determine their epidemiological markers (serotypes). A retrospective study was conducted in the Burn Intensive Care Unit (BICU) of the Trauma and Burn Centre of Ben Arous, Tunisia, and P. aeruginosa isolates collected from burn patients, from January to December 2018 were investigated. Carbapenemase screening was performed by Carbapenem Inactivation Method (CIM) and by EDTA-disk test for all carbapenem resistant isolates. Genes encoding carbapenemases (blaVIM, blaIMP, blaGES, blaNDM, and blaKPC) were investigated by PCR and selected carbapenemase genes were sequenced. During the study period, 104 non duplicated P. aeruginosa isolates were recovered. Most of them were isolated from skin samples (45.1%) and blood culture (22.1%) and belonged to O:11 (19.2%), O:12, and O:5 (12.5%, each) serotypes. High rates of resistance were observed for carbapenems (64.4%). Among the 67 carbapenem resistant isolates, 58 (86.5%) harbored blaVIM gene and 55 (82%) blaGES gene; in addition, 48 (71.6%) co-harbored blaVIM and blaGES genes. After sequencing, the blaVIM-2 and blaGES-5 gene variants were identified in seven randomly selected isolates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of P. aeruginosa simultaneously harboring blaVIM-2 and blaGES-5 genes.
Dravidian Buddhism
Authors: Levman Bryan G
Published: July 2023

Part One of this article provides a brief history of what is known of the practice and spread of Buddhism among Dravidian speaking peoples during the lifetime of the Buddha and in the centuries after his passing. It further provides an overview of the impact of the Dravidian language on the vocabulary and structure of Old and Middle Indic. Part Two examines the early Buddhist Patimokkha transmission, which was based on the practice of earlier religious groups, and discusses approximately fifty non-IA technical terms. Their retention in Pali, it argues, represents the adoption of certain cultural and religious practices from indigenous peoples of South Asia and may represent a translation or adaptation, in part, of an earlier Dravidian language Patimokkha.
O sistema socioeducativo numa sociedade punição: reflexões foucaultianas
Authors: Varela Daniel Rodrigues Silva Fernandes
Published: July 2023

O presente artigo tem a finalidade de promover reflexões acerca das questões relacionadas ao sistema socioeducativo e sua similaridade ao sistema prisional, advindos da perspectiva foucaultiana, levando em consideração suas peculiaridades e trazendo à luz o pensamento sobre punição dos adolescentes em conflito com a lei e suas discordâncias do Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente (ECA). O texto, também, é um convite à reflexão sobre como a sociedade entende os processos de desenvolvimento de ações para contenção da violência e criminalidade, criando em seu imaginário que a punição, descrita por autores como Foucault e Garland, ainda permeiam a construção cultural.
Exploring the Innovative Development of Russian Regions: A Spatial Regression Analysis Using the Cobb-Douglas Model
Authors:   Institute of Economics, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation, Naumov Ilya V. , Nikulina Natalia L. ,   Institute of Economics, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation
Published: July 2023

Relevance. Extensive research has focused on evaluating and modeling innovative processes in territorial systems. However, an underexplored aspect is the assessment of spatial effects resulting from neighboring territories and the modeling of inter-territorial interactions in enterprise innovation. The existing regression models have limitations in accounting for spatial effects, indicating the presence of unaccounted factors. Research objective. This study aims to develop a methodological approach to evaluate the influence of factors on the dynamics of shipped innovative goods in Russian regions, taking into account spatial effects. Additionally, it aims to test the hypothesis that territories located near innovatively developing regions exhibit faster progress. Data and methods. The study utilizes regression analysis of panel data, employing combined least squares, fixed effects, and random effects methods to evaluate the influence of enterprise costs on innovation, the number of research personnel (researchers and technicians), advanced production technologies developed and used, the number of research organizations, as well as the internal costs of fundamental and applied research and development on the volume of shipped innovative goods in Russian regions from 2000 to 2021. To account for spatial effects, spatial econometrics techniques such as Spatial Autoregressive (SAR) models considering spatial lag and Spatial Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (SAC) models considering both spatial lag and spatial error are employed. The Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) with the White period weight matrix is used to address heteroscedasticity, and data transformation techniques including orthogonal deviations and the inclusion of dummy variables for each spatial unit and time period are applied. Results. The study reveals deepening spatial heterogeneity in innovation processes during economic downturns, which smooth out during economic recovery. Regions with high and low concentrations of shipped innovative goods are identified. Regression analysis establishes the impact of various factors on shipped innovative goods. Spatial models utilizing the Cobb-Douglas SAR and SAC frameworks demonstrate positive spatial effects, wherein neighboring regions exert influence on innovative development. Regions with high enterprise innovation activity, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, and others, exhibit the highest spatial effects. Conclusions. The innovative development of a single region depends not only on its own production factors but also on the innovative activity of enterprises in the surrounding regions. These findings highlight the importance of considering spatial effects in assessing and modeling regional innovation dynamics.
A APRESENTAÇÃO DE CONCEITOS EM UM LIVRO DE DIVULGAÇÃO CIENTÍFICA INFANTIL: O CASO ISAAC NO MUNDO DAS PARTÍCULAS
Authors: Araujo João Felipe Viana de , Lima Guilherme da Silva , Almeida Sheila Alves de
Published: July 2023

RESUMO: Este trabalho objetiva analisar as ideias e conceitos científicos presentes na obra de divulgação científica voltada para o público infantil “Isaac no Mundo das Partículas”, escrita por Elika Takimoto. Partimos das contribuições da psicologia histórico-cultural sobre os conceitos potenciais, espontâneos e científicos, buscando compreender as relações e formas de significação das ideias científicas apresentadas pela obra. Foram selecionados e analisados trechos do livro no qual conceitos científicos ou ideias-chave estavam presentes. A palavra foi considerada a unidade de análise e os resultados indicaram que o livro mobiliza diversas significações e estruturações lógico-abstratas (conceituais) para formalizar elaborações mais complexas e conceitos científicos. A análise dos conceitos: átomo, partícula e vácuo, indicou estratégias para a produção de sentido, que contemplaram a: contextualização, curiosidade, disputas argumentativas, uso de conceitos espontâneos, uso da história da ciência etc.
Ciência e Arte como saberes e saberes como arte e ciência: a natureza dos conhecimentos descolonizados
Authors: Bessa-Oliveira Marcos Antônio
Published: July 2023

A produção de saber embruteceu-se com a Ciência do século XVI ao abandonar os conhecimentos que não seriam mais considerados saberes como a Ciência; ciência como invenção Moderna. Igualmente, as produções artístico-culturais enrijecem, causa da Ciência: no Renascimento o artista desacreditado como cientista é tratado como conhecedor de um saber-corpo da técnica plástica não da razão-Ciência Moderna. Então, mais do que se imagina, Ciência e Arte sempre estiveram ligadas como conhecimentos. Entretanto, essa cisão entre conhecimentos/saberes igual Ciência, acarretando desacordos entre saber da Ciência e saber da Arte, saber do Corpo e saber da Razão, provoca binarismos nas culturas posteriores no Ocidente e até sobre o Oriente. Pensando daí, por meio do pensamento descolonizado, ressaltarei que para embrutecer a Ciência Moderna não precisa mais emburrecer saberes outros, discutindo, a partir das artes, perspectivas sobre Ciência e Arte como saberes e Saberes como arte e ciência nos diferentes Conhecimentos de Áreas.
The Writing of Ruins: Beckett, Late Modernism, and the Inhuman in Don DeLillo’s Postmillennial Fiction
Authors: Farrant Marc
Published: July 2023

This article explores the influence of Samuel Beckett on Don DeLillo’s postmillennial, twenty-first century fiction. Although Beckett is often self-remarked as a direct influence by DeLillo, the late works – I analyse The Body Artist (2001), Cosmopolis (2003), Falling Man(2007), and the most recent, The Silence (2020) – go further than DeLillo’s earlier writings in pursuing something approximate to what Beckett terms a ‘literature of the unword’. Much like his Irish predecessor, DeLillo is also a writer caught between modernism and postmodernism (intellectually and stylistically, if not historically). In the prophetic novel Mao II (1991), protagonist Bill Gray notes: ‘Beckett is the last writer to shape the way wethink and see. After him, the major work involves midair explosions and crumbled buildings’. This vision of Beckett as an heroic author opposed to the mass mind is displaced in DeLillo’s minimalist later writings as they turn away from deploying and exploring highly textualized forms of postmodern subjectivity towards an engagement with material and bodily finitude. Drawing on Beckett’s NoHow On trilogy as a comparative case study, I claim that rethinking Beckett’s writing in terms of late modernism helps to explore his ongoing influence on DeLillo and the particular inhuman forms that populate DeLillo late career depiction of a highly mediatized, globalized and terrorized contemporary. These late works, in their ruined state of literary exhaustion, aim to – following Beckett – allow the ‘void [to] protrude like a hernia’.
GESKIEDENIS VAN DIE MAN- LIKE EERSGEBOORTEREGSREëL IN DIE INHEEMSE REG DEEL II: ONLANGSE REGSPRAAK
Authors: Elmarie Knoetze
Published: July 2023

This article explores the recognition of the male primogeniture rule in the customary law of succession. In the first of three parts, part one of the article traces the recognition of the rule in the various decisions of the Appeal Court of the Commissioners' courts. Part two deals with the constitutionality of the male primogeniture rule in terms of recent case law, whereafter the discussion is concluded in part three with an overview of the recommendations of the South African Law Reform Commission in this regard.
DEVELOPING THE LAW CURRICULUM TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE 21ST CENTURY LEGAL PRACTITIONER: A SOUTH AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE
Authors: David McQuoid-Mason
Published: July 2023

The law curriculum in African countries must reflect the realities of the needs of their own societies, but law faculties and law schools in developing countries also need to equip their law graduates to deal with the wave of globalization sweeping the world. This is particularly important for countries in transition from dictatorship to democracy, and from closed to open societies. Using South Africa as an example, it is intended to deal briefly with the changes made to the law curriculum to meet the domestic needs of the new democratic order. Thereafter, the broader curriculum needs of aspiring African lawyers in the 21st century, again with reference to South Africa, will be considered in the context of globalization.
PATRIARCHY AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS
Authors: RB Mqeke
Published: July 2023

In this note the writer has deliberately avoided dealing with the heavily contested issues relating to the substantive rights and duties of spouses in marriages as these issues have already been dealt with in recent legislation (see s 6 of the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act 120 of 1998). This Act has incorporated some provisions of the Matrimonial Property Act (88 of 1984). The thorny issue of succession will soon be satisfactorily resolved in terms of the recommendation of the South African Law Commission.This note is about African religion and the role played by the elders in that context. In a recent decision of the Constitutional Court, religion has been defined as a means of giving content to the constitutional value of human dignity in an open and democratic society (see the judgment of Ngcobo J in Prince v President of the Law Society of the Cape of Good Hope 2002 3 BCLR 231 (CC)). There is no general agreement as to what constitutes religion (see the definition adopted by Nafzinger “The Functions of Religion in International Legal System” in Jaris and Evans (eds) Religion and International Law (1999) 158).
DIE DELIKTUELE AANSPREEKLIKHEID VAN TESTAMENTOPSTELLERS
Authors: Elmarie Knoetze  , André Mukheibir
Published: July 2023

Die beslissing van die Hoogste Hof van Appèl in Bekker v Naudé (2003 5 SA 173 (HHA)) dat nie-selfopgestelde vormgebrekkige testamente nie binne die trefwydte van die hof se kondoneringsbevoegdheid ingevolge artikel 2(3) van die Wet op Testamente (7 van 1953) val nie, kan verreikende gevolge vir testamentopstellers hê. In hierdie beslissing het die Hoogste Hof van Appèl beslis dat die vereiste dat die dokument “wat opgestel of verly is deur 'n persoon wat sedert die opstel of verlyding daarvan oorlede is …” veronderstel dat die dokument deur die erflater persoonlik opgestel moes wees. In casu het die appellante en haar man, Bekker, hul bank volgens gevestigde praktyk genader ten einde hulle met die opstel van hul testament behulpsaam te wees. 'n Konseptestament is opgestel, deur die bank aan die erflaters vir goedkeuring en ondertekening terugbesorg, maar Bekker het gesterf voordat die testament onderteken is. ‟n Tydperk van vyf jaar het verloop sedert die opstel van die konseptestament en die afsterwe van die oorledene in Mei 1998.Die hof het ook by verskillende ander geleenthede beslis dat blote instruksies vir die opstel van 'n testament, sonder die daaropvolgende daarstelling van 'n testament, nie kragtens artikel 2(3) kondoneerbaar is nie. Dit laat dus ook hierdie dokumente buite die trefwydte van artikel 2(3).
THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT AND AFRICA: AN END TO ATROCITIES?
Authors: Lirieka Meintjes-Van der Walt
Published: July 2023

Intentional killings, destruction and extermination of entire groups; widespread or systematic attack directed against civilians pursuant to state policy or that of other organisations; disregard for human rights; war crimes and acts of aggression, have ravaged the world in general and the continent of Africa in particular. The atrocities in Rwanda prompted UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to conclude that “man’s capacity for evil knows no limits”. On 2 September 1998, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in The Prosecutor v Jean-Paul Akayesu (Case No CTR-9-4-T) found the accused guilty of genocide. The tribunal concluded that genocide was indeed committed in Rwanda in 1994 against the Tutsi as a group, and that the genocide appears to have been meticulously organised. Ethnic and religious tension continues to plague other parts of Africa, such as the Hutu/Tutsi conflict in Burundi and Christian/Muslim friction in Nigeria. Chad, Sudan, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR) have all been wracked with protracted civil wars.It is reported that the Congolese rebel leader Jeanne-Pierre Bemba is likely to be the first to be investigated for prosecution before the International Criminal Court.The situations in Angola and Liberia testify to atrocities which in international law can be classified as war crimes and crimes against humanity. According to a Business Day report Zimbabwean NGOs have threatened ICC action against the Zanu-PF elite.

The commission of grave atrocities on the continent has, however, not been limited to conflict situations. The terror under the rule of Amin and Obote of Uganda, Bokassa of the CAR, Habre of Chad, Mengistu of Ethiopia, Nguema of Equatorial Guinea, and Mobutu of the DRC illustrate that gross human rights violations in Africa have not necessarily only occurred during times of war.Also significant is the fact that the International Criminal Court (ICC) Statute includes apartheid (defined in a 7(2)(h) “as inhumane acts committed in the context of an institutionalised regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime”) as a category of crimes against humanity. In no other continent has the effect of apartheid been felt like in Africa. Until a little over a decade ago apartheid was institutionalised in South Africa.
OF RENT COLLECTORS AND DEBT COLLECTORS
Authors: Henk Delport
Published: July 2023

This note examines the question whether an estate agent collecting or receiving monies in the course of his or her business as an estate agent is also a “debt collector” as defined in the Debt Collectors Act 114 of 1998. The matter is of some importance: if the answer is in the affirmative it would mean that estate agents mandated to collect rentals, levies or other monies payable in terms of sale or lease transactions must register with both the Estate Agency Affairs Board (“the Board”) in terms of the Estate Agency Affairs Act 112 of 1976 and the Debt Collectors Council (“the Council”) in terms of the Debt Collectors Act. They will have to pay levies to both the Board and the Council and comply with the codes of conduct published by both statutory bodies. Improper professional conduct may lead to disciplinary action instituted by either the Board or the Council, or both. They will have to open and keep two trust accounts (one in terms of s 32 of the Estate Agency Affairs Act and the other in terms of s 20 of the Debt Collectors Act) and will often be confused as to which monies must be paid into which of these accounts.
WAS JUSTICE DONE? Ntamo v Minister of Safety & Security 2001 1 SA 830 (Tk); Minister of Safety & Security v Ntamo 2003 1 SA 547 (SCA)
Authors: James Grant
Published: July 2023

Minister of Safety and Security v Ntamo 2003 1 SA 547 SCA is a case which turned on the issue of private defence. The respondent (plaintiffs), who had succeeded in the trial court (Ntamo v Minister of Safety and Security 2001 1 SA 830 (Tk)) in a dependant‟s action, comprised the wife and children of the deceased. The deceased had been shot dead by members of the South African Police Services.The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) judgment (Minister of Safety and Security v Ntamo 2003 1 SA 547 (SCA)) is clearly more defensible than that of the trial court. Both judgments however require some comment: the trial court judgment for an observation of some difficulties in adjudicating upon private defence, particularly since the SCA judgment adopted a different route and did not engage with the difficulties encountered by the trial court, and as such issued no confirmation nor corrections. The SCA judgment is brief (four pages) but requires comment, briefly, on the burden of proof resting on the defendant who raises private defence.
MANUFACTURERS AND STRICT LIABILITY FOR DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS Wagener v Pharmacare Ltd; Cuttings v Pharmacare Ltd 2003 4 SA 285 (SCA)
Authors: Tanya Woker
Published: July 2023

For years academics and consumer activists have been calling for manufacturers to be held strictly liable for defective products, irrespective of whether or not they are contractually linked to consumers. In the United States of America, for example, these calls go back as far as the 1940s. The present position in our law is that, unless the action arises out of a contractual relationship, the general principles of delict apply and negligence or intentional misconduct on the part of the manufacturer must be proven by the injured consumer. The problem for consumers is that it is often very difficult for them to do this. This is particularly true in South Africa where we have a highly sophisticated manufacturing industry serving a largely unsophisticated consumer market. Following Ciba-Geigy (Pty) Ltd v Lushof Farms (Pty) Ltd (2002 2 SA 447 (SCA)), some suggested that the Supreme Court of Appeal had left the door open for the courts to recognise strict liability in delict for unintended harm caused by defective products. Neethling and Potgieter in their article “Die Hoogste Hof van Appel laat die Deur Oop vir Strikte Vervaardigersaanspreeklikheid” (2002 TSAR 582) concluded as follows:“Aangesien die appelhofuitspraak in Ciba klaarblyklik nie afwysend staan teenoor die erkenning van strikte risiko-aanspreeklikheid op die gebied van defekte produkte nie, vertrou ons dat die howe in verdienstelike gevalle hieraan gevolg sal gee” (586).However, in Wagener v Pharmacare Ltd; Cuttings v Pharmacare Ltd (2003 4 SA 285 (SCA)) the Supreme Court of Appeal closed the door, holding instead that introducing strict liability for manufacturers is the prerogative of the legislature and not the courts.
WHAT CONSTITUTES INDECENT ASSAULT? S v Kock 2003 2 SACR 5 (SCA)
Authors: JMT Labuschagne
Published: July 2023

The relevant facts in this case are that K, the appellant, a 27-year-old music teacher was arrested on 18 January 2002 and, pending further investigation, was placed in detention. He had been suspected of having committed acts of indecent assault on boys under the age of 16 years. The magistrate refused an application for his release on bail. After unsuccessfuly appealing to the Johannesburg High Court, K, with leave of the court a quo, successfully appealed to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).

Indecent assault on a person under the age of 16 years is included in Schedule 5. The State failed to present evidence of the arrest of K on specific charges and no formal charge-sheet which contained relevant detailed information on the charges had been drawn up. Furthermore, the State refused K's legal representative access to the docket. The reason provided for this refusal being that it would prejudice the continuing investigation. In his judgment on behalf of the court, Heher AJA observed that the State should have presented evidence in justification of its reliance on section 60(11)(b). This could have been done by the production of a certificate in terms of section 60(11A)(c). Notwithstanding the fact that Heher AJA did not rule out the possibility that the High Court in Prokureur-Generaal, Vrystaat v Ramokhosi (1997 1 SACR 127 (O) 156) might have been correct in finding that section 60(11) is only applicable if the detainee is accused of “'n definitiewe, omlynde en verstaanbare misdaad”, he assumed that “the State had done enough to bring the matter within the terms of the section”.According to the (second- or third-hand) information placed before the court it would appear that the acts complained of by the state witness boiled down to “grooming” which comprises “acts designed to prepare participants for a more adventurous stage of sexual exploration”. This includes the showing of pornographic videos, indulging in suggestive games with boys, non-erotic massaging of the bodies of the boys with oil or cream and sharing a bed with them at night (10). In her judgment the magistrate proceeded from the following definition of indecent assault:“Indecent assault is not only an offence where the accused has to touch the private parts of the children or otherwise but also any immoral or indecent act which is in its nature or circumstances indecent or immoral” (quotation and emphasis by Heher AJA (10)).