bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differences in Psychological, Social, and Behavioral Adaptation Characteristics of High School Students: Focused on Latent Groups of Parenting Characteristics Perceived by Parents and Their Children
Authors:   Korean Association For Learner-Centered Curriculum And Instruction, Choi Hyosik , Yeon Eun Mo
Published: April 2023

Objectives The purpose of this study was to identify latent profiles of parenting characteristics which were perceived by 11th graders and their parents, and to verify differences in the psychological, social, and behavioral adjustment of children according to the classified types in their 12th grade. Methods 4,553 longitudinal data of 8th (2019) and 9th (2020), Gyeonggi Education Panel Study(GEPS) were used to identify the latent group. In specific, BCH auxiliary variable were used to verify differences among identified latent groups. Results First, the study found six latent classes depend on each of children’s perception and parents’ perception of parenting characteristics. Second, both classes which were identified with low perception of children and average perception of parents and with average perception of children and above average perception of parents reported lower psychological adjustment and growth mildest, but higher delinquency behaviors than other four latent classes. However, classes which were identified with highest perception of both children and parents and with highest perception of children and above high perception of parents reported higher self-esteem, academic self-efficacy, and school adjustment as well as lower academic stress than other four latent classes. Conclusions This study suggests that there is a difference in perception of parenting characteristics between parents and their children, and when parents perceive their parenting characteristics more positively than adolescents, it can negatively affect the social, psychological, and behavioral adaptation characteristics of adolescents.
Comparative analysis of the 2019 revised Nuri curriculum and the Japanese kindergarten curriculum
Authors:   Korean Association For Learner-Centered Curriculum And Instruction, Shin Myung Hee , Jang Sang Ock
Published: April 2023

Objectives The purpose of this study was to deepen the understanding of the curriculum and gain implications for improving the next Nuri curriculum by comparing and analyzing the 2019 revised Nuri curriculum and and the Japanese kindergarten curriculum by the composition system, objectives and goals, and educational contents of each area. Methods The subjects of analysis were the 2019 revised Nuri curriculum in Korea, 2017 revised kindergarten curriculum in Japan, and their commentaries. The analysis method was a content analysis method, which compared and analyzed the similarities and differences in the composition system, objectives and goal, and five areas’s educational contents of the curriculum of the two countries. Results First, although the structure of the 2019 revised Nuri curriculum and the Japanese kindergarten curriculum differs in the composition of items, they are generally similar and reflect the national and social needs of each country. Second, both curricula aim to live a healthy, independent, sensitive, and together life for the purpose of healthy development of individuals and forming social members. The 2019 revised Nuri curriculum had a strong personal and social aspect, and the Japanese kindergarten curriculum had a strong social aspect. Third, the names of the two curricula are different, but they consist of five areas with similar content, and the contents of each area are common in that they are slimmed, and the contents of each area are composed to reflect the special needs of each country. Although the educational content of the 2019 revised Nuri curriculum had more emotional aspects than the previous curriculum, the Japanese kindergarten curriculum presented more statements related to play and enjoyment. Conclusions The results of this study can contribute to the promotion of early childhood teachers' literacy for the 2019 revised Nuri curriculum, and can be used as reference materials when developing the next early Nuri curriculum.
University Students’ Use of Music as Academic Stress Coping Strategy during COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors:   Korean Association For Learner-Centered Curriculum And Instruction, Kim Hyun-Ju , Chong Hyun Ju
Published: April 2023

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the level of academic stress among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic and how music was utilized as a stress coping strategy. Methods For this study, a survey was developed and administered which included closed and open-ended questionnaires. The data were collected from college students at two universities over a two-week period in May 2022. Quantitative data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis in terms of how music was used to cope with their academic stress. Results The results showed that there was no significant difference among academic stress levels by gender, and majors. However, there was an evident increase in the use of music to cope with academic stress, specifically with challenges and boredom of online classes. From the content analysis, 79% of the participants reported an increase in musical behaviors, with music listening being the most common. Among the many benefits of music listening, they reported that the companionship of music during social distancing and the emotion regulation function of music were particularly salient. In conclusion, during COVID-19, college students have developed more strategic uses of music to cope with academic stress, which may also be useful for coping with other types of stressors. Conclusions The findings from this study provide insight into the academic stress levels of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential use of music as a stress coping strategy.
A Qualitative Study on Acculturative Stress of Korean International Students in U.S.
Authors:   Korean Association For Learner-Centered Curriculum And Instruction, Ra Young-An
Published: April 2023

Objectives The purpose of this study was to understand the acculturation stress experienced by Korean international students living in the United States. The present study aimed to see what efforts they are making to resolve such acculturative stress. Methods For this aim, Six Korean undergraduate international students studying at an American university were interviewed about their experience of acculturation stress. We used Consensual Qualitative Research(CQR) to analyzed the data. Results As results, the experience of acculturation stress experienced by Korean international students in the United States was divided into factors of acculturation stress and its coping strategies. In addition, emotional support, informational support, and tangible support were mentioned as methods they use to overcome this acculturation stress. Conclusions Based on the results of the study, suggestions were made on how colleges and counselors can help Korean international students living in the United States to reduce their acculturation stress.
A longitudinal study on the relationship between life time use, parenting attitudes, and emotional behavioral problems in middle school students
Authors:   Korean Association For Learner-Centered Curriculum And Instruction, Yun Jung , Park Ji Soon , Kim Jung Sub
Published: April 2023

Objectives The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between middle school students' life time use, parenting attitudes, and emotional behavioral problems over time. Methods For this purpose, the KCYPS 2010 panel survey data of the 4th grade cohort of elementary school were used which included in the Korean Children and Youth Data Archive of the Korea Youth Policy. Also, Latent Growth Modeling was adopted to estimate the change in the variable of middle school students' life time over time and to verify the relationship between the changes. In details, in order to verify the difference in the life time use of middle school students, parenting attitudes and emotional behavior problems were set as influencing factors, and a multivariate potential growth model was applied to verify the relationship between the models. Results The study results showed that middle school students' study time and leisure time showed linear changes according to the change of time. In addition, the higher the parents' overexpectation, the longer the middle school students' study hours, and the higher the grade, the higher the study hours. In addition, middle school students' emotional behavioral problems (aggression, withdrawal) increased as leisure time decreased, but they were not affected by increased study time. Conclusions Through this study, the relationship that exists between changes in variables beyond simply verifying the relationship between variables were verified It could concluded that the results of this study could serve as basic data necessary for middle school students to use their life time in a balanced way.
KULTUR JARINGAN KELAPA SAWIT
Authors: Rahma Pratiwi Dian , Wening Sri , Supena Nanang , Sediawati Retno Diah , Yenni Yurna
Published: April 2023

Kelapa sawit merupakan tanaman perkebunan penghasil minyak yang penting di dunia. Salah satu upaya untuk memenuhi kebutuhan minyak sawit yang tinggi adalah dengan penggunaan bahan tanaman yang unggul, contohnya klon kelapa sawit unggul. Klon kelapa sawit unggul memiliki kelebihan dibandingkan bahan tanaman unggul hasil persilangan, yaitu sifatnya yang seragam dan produktivitas per hektar yang lebih tinggi. Pengembangan klon kelapa sawit memiliki beberapa kendala, di antaranya masalah abnormalitas dan efisiensi proses kultur jaringan. Hal ini  memicu berkembangnya penelitian di bidang kultur jaringan kelapa sawit sebagai upaya untuk mengatasi permasalahan yang ada. Beberapa penelitian telah menunjukkan hasil yang menggembirakan. Meskipun mengalami beberapa kendala, kultur jaringan di PPKS memiliki peluang untuk mendapatkan bahan tanaman unggul kelapa sawit yang rendah abnormalitasnya serta proses kultur jaringan yang lebih efisien. Tulisan ini mengulas tantangan yang dihadapi dalam penerapan teknologi kultur jaringan kelapa sawit dan usaha-usaha pemecahannya, serta peluang pengembangan kultur jaringan kelapa sawit.
PENENTUAN RENDEMEN CPO DAN KERNEL TANDAN BUAH SEGAR KELAPA SAWIT DI LAHAN GAMBUT, PASIR, DAN DATARAN TINGGI
Authors: Hasibuan Hasrul Abdi
Published: April 2023

Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengkaji rendemen CPO dan kernel buah sawit di lahan gambut, pasir, dan dataran tinggi. Rendemen CPO dan kernel buah sawit di lahan gambut dibandingkan dengan lahan mineral dalam areal kebun, umur tanaman, dan varietas D×P yang sama, begitu juga pada lahan pasir. Rendemen CPO dan kernel buah sawit ditentukan dari tanaman di dataran tinggi, sedang dan rendah pada kebun, umur dan varietas D×P yang berbeda. Sebanyak 10 tandan buah segar (TBS) matang dari setiap blok pada lahan gambut dan mineral, lahan pasir dan mineral, dan dataran tinggi, sedang, dan rendah dipanen dan selanjutnya dianalisa rendemen CPO dan kernel. Pada lahan gambut, rendemen CPO cenderung lebih rendah dibandingkan di lahan mineral sedangkan rendemen kernel relatif sama. Pada lahan pasir, rendemen CPO juga cenderung lebih rendah dibandingkan di lahan mineral sedangkan rendemen kernel relatif sama. Pada dataran tinggi, sedang dan rendah dari hasil penelitian ini tidak dapat dibandingkan dikarenakan oleh umur tanaman, bahan tanaman D×P dan kebun yang berbeda. Namun demikian, tanaman kelapa sawit yang diusahakan di dataran tinggi dapat menghasilkan rendemen CPO tinggi.
LEDAKAN HAMA MINOR ULAT API KECIL Olona gateri dan Penthocrates sp. (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae) DI PERKEBUNAN KELAPA SAWIT
Authors: Pradana Mahardika Gama , Priwiratama Hari , Rozziansha Tjut Ahmad Perdana , Purba Wiharti Oktaria , Susanto Agus
Published: April 2023

Kegiatan budidaya kelapa sawit di Indonesia telah berlangsung selama lebih dari seratus tahun. Beberapa serangga mengalami proses adaptasi untuk dapat melakukan aktivitas makan dan meletakkan telur pada kelapa sawit sebagai tanaman inang. Akibat interaksi tersebut, terdapat berbagai jenis serangga yang bersifat sebagai hama baik mayor maupun minor. Pada waktu tertentu, populasi hama minor mengalami ledakan misalnya spesies O. gateri dan Penthocrates sp. Hal tersebut terjadi karena pengaruh beberapa faktor seperti dominasi hama utama yang bergeser akibat populasinya menurun. Penurunan populasi dapat terjadi karena berbagai pengaruh seperti terkendali oleh musuh alami, penggunaan insektisida, maupun faktor iklim yang tidak sesuai. Monitoring hama yang akurat dan kontinyu menjadi salah satu kunci sukses dalam mencegah ledakan hama minor maupun hama utama pada umumnya.

Kata kunci: Olona gateri, Penthocrates sp., resurgensi, dinamika populasi
Analysis of Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase Frequency in Klebsiella spp Isolates
Authors: BAYRAKTAR Mehmet Tevfik , CEYLAN Esma , IBRAHIM Bashar
Published: April 2023

The issue of increasing resistance to antibiotics in recent years has become an important problem all over the world. Our aim is to determine the antimicrobial resistance profile and Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) rates in Klebsiella spp isolates to prevent the gradual increase in multi-resistant isolates as a result of unconscious antibiotic use thereby contributing to the faster effective treatment of infections. A total of 100 Klebsiella spp were isolated and identified from various clinical specimens. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using the Kirby-Bauer method. The presence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) was detected using the Double Disc Synergy Test (DDST) and E-test methods. The rates of ESBL-producing strains were 46.1% in 6 K. oxytoca and 56.3% in 49 K. pneumoniae. These strains were found to be 38% in 38 adult patients and 17% in 17 pediatric patients, and this difference was statistically significant (p <0.05). The ESBL rate was 31% in 31 male patients and 24% in 24 female patients, and this difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). This rate was found to be high in patients hospitalized in the pediatric service and intensive care unit. 67 out of 100 strains were found to be suspicious for ESBL by Disk Diffusion Test (DDT). DDST and E-tests were applied as confirmatory tests. The sensitivity of the DDST and E tests was 100%. Screening for ESBL in Klebsiella spp and other members of Enterobacteriaceae isolates is necessary to reduce further selection and spread of these increasingly broad-spectrum antimicrobial-resistant enteric pathogens.
Constituição, democracia e sistema de justiça
Authors: Teixeira Sena Daibes Resque Rafaela , Holanda de Mendonça Alves Verena , Chai Guimarães Cassius
Published: April 2023

Esta obra consolida um projeto de pesquisa de rede de grupos de pesquisa que, de forma transdisciplinar, apresentam a mesma linha reflexiva e a mesma confiança: de que através da investigação e da ciência jurídica crítica há o fortalecimento das estruturas democráticas, do senso crítico na população (e aqui nos focamos nos leitores) sobre a existência de direitos, suas aplicações e a importância das instituições e do sistema de justiça para sua manutenção. Na busca por uma obra que contemplasse pesquisas importantes sobre o tema, esta coletânea reúne artigos de colaboração de pesquisadores latino americanos em rede de pesquisa que envolve 08 (oito) Programas de Pós-Graduação renomados nacionalmente e a Universidad del Belgrano, tanto da área jurídica, quanto de outras áreas de conhecimento das ciências sociais e humanas. Intenta-se apresentar estudos que reflitam diferentes realidades, de diferentes regiões do território nacional e que sejam espelho na complexidade de narrativas que as pesquisas envolvem. Como inicialmente exposto, a presente obra intenta desenvolver/estimular reflexões críticas nos leitores, motivo pelo qual será demonstrado que sistemas de opressão se imbricam nas estruturas nacionais, ainda que a norma constitucional tenha se manifestado (expressamente em algumas situações) contrária a utilização de suas linhas e estruturas para a reprodução de violências como racismo, desigualdade de gênero, exploração de trabalhadores e violação de garantias fundamentais. Esta obra, portanto, além da sua inegável contribuição acadêmica e científica, possui essa importante atribuição.
He(1^,S)(e,2e)〖He〗^+ (1S) урвал дахь мөргөлдөөний дараах үйлчлэлийн нөлөө
Authors: О Лхагва , Л Хэнмэдэх , Ж Мэдсон
Published: April 2023

Материйн бүтцийн голомтруу нэвтрэх их тэмцэлдээ хүмүүн бөөмсийн харилцан үйлчлэлийн язгуур шинжийг илрүүлэхээр зорьж байна.
Impact of Personality Traits on Information Literacy During Crisis
Authors:   University of Latvia, Darģe Santa
Published: April 2023

Information from multiple sources can lead to information overload, provoking negative psychological and behavioural reactions. During crisis situations, questions about information behaviour become particularly relevant, as the changes in people’s behaviour are explored. When analysing the issue of people’s informational behaviour in crisis situations, attention is also paid to the influence of personality traits on the choice of information search strategy and trajectory. The purpose of the study was to identify and appraise studies investigating the relationship between the Big Five personality traits (BFPT) and information-seeking behaviour (ISB). The systematic review of foreign literature revealed that neurotics deliberately avoided information that ‘threatens’ their feelings of happiness and well-being. High levels of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness predict greater achievement when working with information. Unfortunately, none or the recent researches take an in-depth look at the issue regarding ISB during crises and its potential conjunction with BFPT. The literature review would potentially help to develop further studies and fill the gap.
The Ambiguity of Public Cynicism in Democracy
Authors:   University of Latvia, Lasmane Skaidrīte
Published: April 2023

In terms of the media, there are various means of influencing the audience by informing and conditioning its attitude or forming its mood. Amongst these means, attention should be paid to scepticism and cynicism, leading to destructive, critical attitude, doubt or denial. Cynicism is the questioning or denial of what is generally accepted or accepted by the majority and some particular group. The text emphasizes the dual possible moral evaluation of cynicism: on the one hand, the justifiability and usefulness of cynicism in one situation, on the other hand, its destructive and misleading effect in another, weakening support for social and moral order. The representation of the unveiling of the monument of Gunārs Astra in the media on 20 January 2022 is analysed here as a case of misleading strategic communication.
Attitudes and Opinions of Veterinary Professionals About Covid-19 Infection and Vaccination Against It
Authors:   University of Latvia, Matīse-Van Houtana Ilze ,   Matise Veterinary Pathology Service
Published: April 2023

Veterinarians are well trained to recognize and control infectious diseases and use vaccination as a routine procedure for preventing infectious diseases in animals. This role of veterinarians has become more emphasized since acceptance of concept “One world – one health” by health professions in medical and veterinary fields. It would be expected that veterinarians are well-prepared to form a scientifically based opinion on Covid-19 and on value of vaccination against it at individual and society level. The goal of this study was to determine whether and to what extent veterinary medical knowledge and experience influences beliefs, attitudes and actions towards Covid-19 and vaccination at individual and society levels. To address this goal, structured, anonymous interviews were conducted in March 2022 with volunteers representing veterinary professionals (n = 14). Results showed that veterinary professionals represented a divided community of people. While majority (almost 80%) of veterinary professionals voluntarily chose to be vaccinated and believed that Covid-19 is dangerous to their health and society as a whole, there were 2 respondents that believed in conspiracy theories, 2 that did not think that Covid-19 was substantial threat to them or society, and 3 that refused or were reluctant to get vaccinated. There was a direct correlation between believing in conspiracy theories and vaccine-hesitancy. Personal experience having severe illness caused by Covid-19 did not change beliefs. There was no direct correlation between support for animal vaccinations and support for vaccination against Covid-19. Overall, these results show that veterinary professionals in Latvia are not particularly different from Latvian society in general. Presence of supporters of conspiracy theories and vaccine-sceptics among veterinarians indicate that there are factors besides professional public health training and education (university degree and even PhD) that influence establishment of personal beliefs and attitudes.
‘Alternative Knowledge’ in Latvian Culture: Roots and Contexts
Authors:   University of Latvia, Radzobe Zane
Published: April 2023

The aim of the current research is to establish how alternative knowledge is represented in the latest Latvian cultural texts, how this representation compares with the texts written in previous cultural eras, and what structure of reality is characteristic of the texts. The research explores popular cultural texts in which distributors of ‘alternative knowledge’ operate (wizards, witches, servants of the devil, etc.), and the historical texts are compared with the latest yield of Latvian culture – director Uģis Olte’s film “Upurga” (2021) and Linda Nemiera’s novel “Rīgas Raganas” (2021). The research methodology is based on Richard Schechner’s understanding of social and aesthetic drama, as well as post-structural text analysis, analysing texts according to pairs of dichotomies. The research found that in the oldest texts, the alternative reality is not considered real, but represented metaphorically. The individual who is given the imagined supernatural status aspires to fit into the group. The ‘supernatural’ is most frequently associated with knowledge that an individual gradually imparts to a group. Recent texts affirm the belief in parallel realities as real, physically existing. Criticism of contemporary culture (‘reality’) is pronounced, the alternative reality gives it what it lacks (the opposition of nature vs civilization, the basis for social processes in the real world, etc.). The contrast between the individual and the group can be clearly observed, besides, the individual does not fit into the group after all, remaining isolated.
Political Communication Culture of Political Journalists Representing the Press in Unstable Democracy of Latvia. 2021–2022
Authors:   University of Latvia, Skudra Ojārs
Published: April 2023

As a state of democratic parties and a flawed democracy, the Republic of Latvia is characterized by political communication processes that do not contribute to the process of constructing a participatory political culture. The current paper offers the analysis of publications of the political journalists of the private printed weekly magazines “Ir” and “Sestdiena” about the work of political parties, the government and the parliament in 2021 and the beginning of 2022 in order to understand the meaning of the publications and the connections between the meanings with the help of hermeneutic analysis as a qualitative research method of communication science, as well as explain the participation of political journalists in political communication by constructing or reconstructing subcultures of Latvian political culture. Journalists of both aforementioned legacy or traditional media criticize the work of the government and parties as ineffective, but do not appeal to representatives of civic citizens and political subcultures of critical citizens, calling for civil and political activity, reducing everything to the behind-the-scenes and open activities of political parties and members of parliament as they prepare for the next parliamentary elections. The editorial lines of both periodicals differ; however, their political journalists accept the model of elite democracy prevailing in RL and the traditional role of private media in it, without serious objections. Both “Ir”, representing the pro-European, pro-Atlantic orientation, and “Sestdiena”, whose editorial line mainly has centrist populist, pro-business accents, are unable to satisfy the demand of some of their readers, as evidenced by the rather steady trend of decrease in their readership. There are no publications in these periodicals that would attempt to analyse the causes of the decrease in the number of readers and subscribers, not to mention the concretization of this process in connection with the four subcultures of Latvian political culture.
Impact of the Type of a Post on the Engagement Rate of It
Authors:   University of Latvia, Vorkule Marija
Published: April 2023

Within the last six years, influencer marketing market has grown by 700%, and within the last two years sales have doubled. Absolute majority of marketing professionals consider it effective. The main target audience of marketers using influencer marketing in Europe is youth, since 90% of them are actively using social networks. A steady growth can also be observed among those who use it as a news outlet and source to find out more about products and services. At the same time, not many digital content creators are honest with their audience, openly labelling collaboration. There are still the ones hiding it. The situation with influencers mainly followed by adolescents is especially dangerous, as the level of advertising literacy is not yet sufficiently advanced, and they are more easily impressed than adults. One of the possible reasons for hiding the fact that the content is actually an advertisement, is the fact that influencers are afraid that their engagement rate will decrease, which is detrimental, since the engagement rate is one of the criteria demonstrating the success of cooperation. The purpose of this study is to analyse whether advertorial posts really cause fewer reactions than regular posts. For this purpose, Latvian influencers who had more than 1500 followers and whose followers at the time of the performance of study were mostly adolescents (11–18 years old) from Latvia were selected. During 2021, the posts on the social media platform Instagram mentioning brands and/or having the relevant labelling regarding cooperation with the brand were selected. The engagement rate for 654 posts was compared with the engagement rate for regular posts. As a result, it was found that the difference varies from 1% to 2%. Since the difference is considered insignificant, we can conclude that there is no reason to hide paid collaboration from the audience.
Soviet Disinformation and Latvian Diaspora after World War II
Authors:   University of Latvia, Zanders Viesturs
Published: April 2023

The topicality of the study is determined by the fact that the currently widespread Russian disinformation policy is rooted in the experience amassed during the Soviet period, including the attempts to influence the Latvian diaspora living outside Latvia. Until now, research has highlighted the public political activities of diaspora organizations, neglecting the publications they produced. However, the documents available in the memory institutions of Latvia permit the researchers to reveal in sufficient detail the process of preparation and dissemination of these publications, as well as the frequently contradictory assessment of these publications. The aim of the research is, by using a range of unpublished documents and press publications of Latvians in exile community, which have not previously been included in the scientific circulation, to ascertain the experience of the Latvian exile society in the context of spreading true information about the history of Latvia and the situation in occupied Latvia, as well as evaluating the risks that could be caused by the uncritical use of Soviet publications sent to Latvians in the diaspora. The Latvian National Foundation (LNF, founded in Stockholm in 1947) can be considered the most consistent producer of such publications over a longer period of time. The materials released by LNF include publications that use sources of information available in the free world, as well as texts and images received from Latvia, which are published under cover names. A fair part of LNF’s publications was released in foreign languages (English, Swedish, German, etc.), as their target audience was the policy makers of Western countries. Some of the publications of LNF predominantly display the characteristics of representative gifts, but in general they form a significant part of Latvian publishing, – a contribution to maintaining the idea of the continuity of Latvian statehood. Relatively intensive sending of printed materials of occupied Latvia to Latvians in exile, starting from the second half of the 1950s, raises discussions about the value and place of these publications on the bookshelves of Latvians in exile. The findings of the research yield new insights into the role of certain organizations (in this case, the Latvian National Foundation) in Latvian book publishing in exile and the experience of the diaspora in dealing with Soviet disinformation.
Gender Equality Topics on the Social Media Platform Twitter in 2021
Authors:   University of Latvia, Zitmane Marita
Published: April 2023

Social media has become an important part of the agenda-setting process. Digital platforms have reduced the role of traditional media in agenda-setting and have also expanded the range of agenda-setting actors. Social media provides a platform for public debate about social norms, creates a platform for further revision of norms, promoting awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of current laws and rights. Statistical data on the usage habits of social network platforms in Latvia show that the society is active in using social networks. In Latvia, social media platforms and blogs are the third most popular source of news. Social media offers a rich source of data for insight into public perceptions of certain issues, particularly sensitive or controversial. Social media debates on gender equality can promote comprehension of gender equality, as well as awareness of the consequences of gender inequality. The study evaluates the topics pertaining to gender equality discussed in the social medium Twitter in 2021, using the facilities offered by network analysis. By entering the key phrase ‘gender equality’ into the Twitter search engine, those posts that developed into further discussion and/or resonated in terms of reposts and likes were obtained and selected. The analysis of posts reveals that, albeit indirectly, the discussions on the social medium Twitter address those gender equality areas that have already come into the media’s attention – gender equality initiatives, employment and gender-based violence. The various discussion topics include a theme which depicts gender equality as a rebuke directed at men, rejecting and questioning research-based manifestations of gender inequality. The rejection of gender equality issues raises concerns about the spread of disinformation and false information in the discussion of the issue. Latvia’s Twitter debate on gender equality does not reach the level of influencing policy, but reflects concerns, prejudices and anxiety regarding gender equality in Latvian society.
Microfinancing from the Zakat Fund in Baitul Mal Aceh and the Readiness of Malaysia's Asnaf Entreprenuers
Authors: Zahri Mohd. ‘Adli , Muhd Adnan Nurul Ilyana , Irfan Irfan , Mohd Kashim Mohd Izhar Ariff
Published: April 2023

The recent Covid-19 pandemic has swept the globe. As a result, there has been a spike in the number of relative poor who are experiencing economic hardships. This poses a predicament for the unbankable, reducing their options to apply for funding via banking products. With the available financial capacity, zakat institutions are viewed as the closest alternative in terms of being a source of funding, either through the microfinacing method or the qard hasan principle. Zakat is considered capable of becoming a social entrepreneurial system and a worthy alternative. The question is whether Islam permits microfinancing using zakat funds. If permitted, what is the rationale for distributing zakat through microfinance? Are there asnaf entreprenuers in Malaysia ready to take microfinance from the zakat fund to finance their businesses? This study is done using the case study method by conducting a semi-structured interview with zakat expertise and asnaf entreprenuers. Based on the content analysis, the findings of the study indicate that Islam permits microfinance using zakat funds. Asnaf entreprenuers are likewise eager to acquire microfinance from zakat money in order to to strengthen their economic position and develop in life. This microfinancing is expected to have a good effect, particularly on the rising demand for asnaf entreprenuers. So, it is expected that asnaf entreprenuers will be able to switch from being a zakat recipient to a zakat payer within a certain amount of time.
Use of Contraception Among Hispanic Women and Men: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Scruggs Elizabeth , Hughey Katherine L. , Albiac Laura Crespo , Martin Evan , Llanes Mikel
Published: April 2023

Introduction: Nationally, low-income women of Hispanic ethnicity have a significantly higher rate of unintended pregnancy than their White counterparts. This disparity leads to an increased risk for poor maternal and child outcomes that have long and short-term sequelae for health and well-being. A quantitative report in Washtenaw County, Michigan in 2017 found that both men and women were at high risk for unintended pregnancy with many women reporting no contraception use, despite not desiring a pregnancy.
Methods: We used semistructured interviews to assess the opinions and experiences regarding the use of contraception among 21 Hispanic women and men of reproductive age in a Midwestern county.
Results: Our study found that the use of contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancy was important to our sample of Hispanic women and men. However, concerns about side effects, limited knowledge on reproductive health, the influence of partners, and financial barriers played a role in the use of contraception.
Conclusion: Our findings provide insight into the influences and barriers to contraception use among Hispanic women and men and can inform future research.
A precíziós medicina egyes jogi és társadalmi kihívásai a ,,big genomic data” korában
Authors: Nogel Mónika
Published: April 2023

A tanulmány célja a precíziós medicina modelljének ismertetése, és annak elemzése, hogy milyen kihívásokkal kell szembenéznie a precíziós medicina szemléletének a ,,big genomic data” korában. A cikk kitér arra, hogy lehet biztosítani a precíziós medicina genetikai adatszükségletét, és melyek azok a potenciális tényezők, amelyek ezt akadályozzák.
Geographical and sectoral overview of the most valuable start-ups
Authors: Bethlendi András , Szőcs Árpád
Published: April 2023

Our research aimed to identify the causes for the increase in the number of unicorn start-ups by analyzing the geographical and sectoral factors in two main online databases. The United States, with a traditionally strong innovation ecosystem, is leading the way in creating successful start-ups, but China, India and some European countries are also showing considerable results. The number of unicorns, referring to privately held start-ups worth more than $1 billion, is significantly influenced by qualitative factors (ecosystem development) and the size of the economy (nominal GDP). Therefore, small economies (like Israel) can only be included in the top 10 unicorn countries if their ecosystem is especially developed. The global pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation in several sectors. Fintech, e-commerce, internet, software and AI services are areas where unicorns have been able to achieve significant value growth. Introducing the attributes of these start-ups can be an inspiration for students in economics courses and can serve as illustrative examples in the related curricula.
Protection of Biomanufacturing Processes from Virus Contamination through Upstream Virus Filtration of Cell Culture Media
Authors: Wieser Andreas , Modrof Jens , Kreil Thomas
Published: April 2023

Medical progress as enabled by early plasma products has also revealed
biological safety challenges. The combination of donor selection,
donation testing and virus reduction processes has effectively addressed
these concerns, and today medicinal plasma products feature significant
safety margins. The safety tripod concept has since been adapted to
biotechnology manufacturing platforms and has also ensured the safety of
these products. However, cell-based manufacturing processes have
occasionally been exposed to adventitious viruses, leading to
manufacturing interruptions and unstable supply situations. The rapid
progress of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) needs an
innovative approach to ensure the learnings from more traditional
biotechnology help to avoid any unwelcome reminder of the universal
presence of viruses. The introduction of up-stream virus clearance steps
has already been shown to be valuable for any products too complex for
down-stream interventions in the sense of both assuring product safety
and continuous supply. The gentlest method being virus filtration – the
development of which is presented here. The experiments investigated the
feasibility of implementing culture media virus filtration with respect
to their virus clearance capacities under extreme conditions such as
very high process feed loading (up to ~ 19,000 L/m
), very long duration (up to 31 days), and multiple
process interruptions (up to 21, with cumulative interruptions of over
92 hours). Minute virus of mice (MMV) was used as a relevant target
virus, and in general, as a model small non-enveloped virus, as these
viruses are the main challenge for the investigated virus filters with a
stipulated pore-size of about 20 nm. It was found that certain filters
– especially of the newer 2 generation – are
capable of effective virus clearance despite the harsh regimen they were
subjected to. At the same time the investigation of biochemical
parameters for un-spiked control runs showed the filters to have no
measurable impact on the composition of the culture media. Based on
these findings, this technology seems to be quite feasible for large
volume pre-manufacturing process culture media preparations.
Estimation of the lower ionosphere ionization caused by X-class solar flares, based on VLF observations
Authors: Ryakhovsky Ilya A. , Poklad Yury V. , Gavrilov Boris , Bekker Susanna
Published: April 2023

We present the results of the analysis of the measurements data of
amplitudes and phases of signals from GQD (19.58 kHz) and GBZ (22.1 kHz)
VLF transmitters in the geophysical observatory of IDG RAS “Mikhnevo”
(GO MIK) to assess the impact of solar flares of different classes that
occurred in June 2014 on the height profile of the electronic
concentration $Ne$ in the lower ionosphere. The use of two-channel
data from the GOES satellite (0.05-0.4 nm and 0.1-0.8 nm) allowed us to
estimate the fluxes of X-rays in harder spectral ranges. The analysis of
the dynamics of the $Ne$ height profile and X-ray fluxes in different
wavelength ranges allowed us to estimate the ionization and
recombination rates and determine the spectral ranges of radiation that
have the greatest influence on the dynamics of the electron
concentration at considered heights.
Developing a detection and monitoring framework for wildfire regimes with L-Band Polarimetric SAR
Authors: An Karen , Jones Cathleen E. , Lou Yunling
Published: April 2023

Many communities coexist with wildfires that can lead to loss of lives,
property, and ecosystem services. The increasing usage of remote sensing
tools to aid disaster response and post-event assessment offers fire
agencies an opportunity for additional surveillance. The adaptability of
radar instruments in their ability to see through smoke, haze, and
clouds during the day or night is especially relevant when cloud cover
or lack of solar illumination inhibits traditional visual surveys of
damage. The Station (2009) and Bobcat (2020) Fires are the two largest
fires in Los Angeles County history, each burning over 100,000 acres.
These areas are imaged with NASA’s UAVSAR (Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle
Synthetic Aperture Radar) L-band synthetic aperture radar. For these
neighboring fires, we investigate the usage of polarimetric radar
products to detect fire scars, burn severity, and different fuel
(vegetation) types. These fire characteristics are observed using
individual HV (horizontally emitted, vertically collected) images and in
eigenvector decomposition products derived from quad-polarimetric data.
Traditionally unintuitive, yet powerful PolSAR (polarimetric SAR)
products are moved into GIS-friendly (geographic information system)
formats to be analyzed alongside agency data such as fire perimeters,
burn progression outlines, and soil burn severity. We demonstrate the
advantages of combining PolSAR with GIS datasets and methods to
understand the fuel loads which contributed to the fires and to monitor
post-fire vegetation recovery.
Exploring Female Entrepreneurship: Focusing on Entrepreneurial Intention and Entrepreneurial Experience
Authors:   Academy of Entrepreneurship, Lim Yisook
Published: April 2023

This study explores the characteristics of female entrepreneurship by focusing on entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial experience. In specific, this paper identifies the factors affecting women’s entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial experience, and compares them to their male counterpart. By using a nationally representative survey on entrepreneurship, this paper finds that there are gender differences in the factors and their influences on entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial experience. In the case of women, entrepreneurial orientation and competencies are less likely to lead to the actual firm creation. Similarly, the level of education, as a social contextual factor, has a positive influence on women’s entrepreneurial intention, but it does not lead to entrepreneurial experience. Scholarly and practical implications are discussed.
Cohomology rings of quasitoric bundles
Authors: Khovanskii Askold , Limonchenko Ivan , Monin Leonid
Published: April 2023

The classical Bernstein-Kushnirenko-Khovanskii theorem (or, the BKK theorem,
for short) computes the intersection number of divisors on toric variety in
terms of volumes of corresponding polytopes. In [PK92b], it was observed by
Pukhlikov and the first author that the BKK theorem leads to a presentation
of the cohomology ring of a toric variety as a quotient of a ring of
differential operators with constant coefficients by the annihilator of an
explicit polynomial. In this paper we generalize this construction to the
case of quasitoric bundles. These are fiber bundles with generalized
quasitoric manifolds as fibers. First we obtain a generalization of the BKK
theorem to this case. Then we use recently obtained descriptions of the
graded-commutative algebras which satisfy Poincar? duality to give a
description of cohomology rings of quasitoric bundles.
Management of Multifactorial Stained Enamel Defects on Anterior Dentition Using a Combination Treatment of Whitening, Microabrasion, Resin Infiltration and Resin-based Composite Restoration
Authors: Alkhazaleh A , Tsujimoto A
Published: April 2023

Objectives

This case report describes a combination treatment composed of tooth whitening, microabrasion, resin infiltration, and resin-based composite restoration to manage multifactorial stained enamel lesions on anterior teeth.

Clinical Considerations

The patient’s primary concern was to improve the esthetics of their smile after about a decade of extensive orthodontic and orthognathic procedures. After clinical evaluation and history taking, the authors determined that the enamel defects were the result of carious and developmental factors. In-office tooth whitening took place in one visit, followed by micro abrasion and resin infiltration in another visit. Thirteen months later, a follow-up visit showed that the results were stable and that the patient was satisfied with the overall outcome. A small resin composite restoration was added at the follow up visit to repair a previous restoration and to reestablish the facial contours of the central incisor.

Conclusions

A combination treatment protocol composed of tooth whitening, microabrasion, and resin infiltration can improve patient satisfaction and avoid unnecessary invasive treatment.
Knowledge and Practice of Healthcare Waste Management among Healthcare Workers at Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital (YDMH), Kaduna, Nigeria
Authors: Musa Solomon , Aliyu Alhaji , Ikwuka Aloysius Obinna , Udeh Francis Chigozie
Published: April 2023

Introduction: Hospital waste has been reported to be poorly handled and managed by the hospital staff and administration respectively, leading to environmental and health consequences within hospitals and to the population outside health facilities.

Aim: To assess the knowledge and practice of healthcare waste management (HCWM) among healthcare workers at Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital (YDMH), Kaduna, Nigeria.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst doctors, nurses, medical laboratory scientists and technicians, ward attendants, and cleaners at YDMH. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the study unit. A total of 73 health workers consented to an interview. The data was obtained through the administration of questionnaires on the knowledge of health workers while the practice was assessed by direct observation using a checklist. Data were collected and compiled using Microsoft Excel and analysed using IBM, SPSS version 23.0.

Results: There were 39 (53.4%) males and 34 (46.4%) females in this study. The average age of participants was 36.8 ± 8.3 years. The study revealed good knowledge of waste management amongst nurses (88.18%), doctors (86.68%), medical laboratory scientists and technicians (77.48%), ward attendants (19.1%), and cleaners (17.5%), respectively. In practice, all the wards and departments observed do not have (0%) colour-coded plastic bags on their waste bins, with only 70% having their waste bins covered, 30% having posters to guide waste users displayed near the waste bins, and 0% waste treatment before disposal practice. The health facility’s method of final waste disposal is not in line with best practices.

Conclusion: This study highlights the discrepancy and inadequacies of knowledge and practice of proper healthcare waste management among healthcare workers. The healthcare workers with adequate knowledge were the nurses, doctors, and medical laboratory scientists and technicians while the least knowledge was found amongst ward attendants and cleaners. The practice of healthcare waste management was poor across all professions. This calls for the need to train and retrain all health workers with emphasis on the ward attendants and cleaners. Also, there is a need for the provision of colour-coded waste bin liners in all wards and departments which should be adequately budgeted for by the management.