bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Educación superior, pueblos indígenas y afrodescendientes. Una lectura sobre las acciones afirmativas en Brasil y la etnoeducación universitaria en Colombia
Authors: Castillo Guzmán Elizabeth , Ocoró Loango Anny
Published: January 2022

Para finales del siglo XX el asunto de la diversidad cultural y la educación cobró relevancia en muchos ámbitos de la vida universitaria colombiana. Surgieron programas, grupos de investigación e incluso pregrados para abordar los asuntos de la interculturalidad, la diferencia cultural y la inclusión educativa. Los universitarios indígenas y de comunidades afrodescendientes (negras), ahora reconocidos como “grupos étnicos” (GE), fueron recibidos en algunas instituciones de educación superior (IES) a finales del silgo XX y comienzos del XXI, bajo el enfoque diferencial. En la actualidad las políticas de educación superior en vuestro continente suman experiencias muy importantes en diferentes países. Este artículo busca abordar dos experiencias relevantes en el caso de Brasil y de Colombia. En el primer escenario se trata de las acciones afirmativas y la apertura universitaria para los pueblos negros del país con la mayor población afrodescendiente de América Latina. En segundo plano, la etnoeducación universitaria es un proceso que cobija la formación profesoral desde un modelo de control cultural y acceso de estudiantes indígenas y afrocolombianos. En este artículo queremos ofrecer una lectura sobre los impactos y las lecciones aprendidas en Brasil y Colombia como experiencias de transformación de la universidad latinoamericana.
Time Dependent Popularity Caching Scheme for NDN Based MANETs
Authors: Ehsan Elahi
Published: January 2022

Named data networking (NDN) approach has natural benefits within Mobile Ad hoc Network (MANET) but presents different issues as well. Space for cache, energy, and mobility of devices in a MANET is limited; therefore, we need for an enhanced judgement concerning which data to be store and where to be cache. A Time dependent Popularity Caching Scheme (TDPC) has suggested which selects nodes for caching the content on the forwarding path of packet and chooses the contents which have cached constructed on their time dependent popularity. At this interval, the cache distribution of the content and the storage capability of the devices are also measured. Results of the suggested TDPC approach are evaluated by using the simulator ndnSIM which is beached on Network Simulator 3 (NS-3). Simulation outcomes show that TDPC has good performance in expression of cache hit ratio, content retrieval interval, total cache copies and compared to the Dynamic Caching Strategy for CCN-based MANETs (CSCM). The goal of TDPC is to reduce cache redundancy, retrieval time of content and total number of cache copies.
Configuration-Free Systems for WiFi Sensing based Smart Home using the Smart Remote Controller
Authors: Binish Naz
Published: January 2022

The Smart Home invention offers us extreme supervision over our home by automating the lighting structure, the dimming, the screens, electric machines, the sound and safety frames. Main technologies that provide connectivity to smart home facilities, WiFi is one of them. In traditional households, where the household appliances will increase, the remote controls to manage them and the interference between them will also increase. This makes the system configuration dependent and troublesome for users to manage them that increases their burden. Recently, some systems were developed to manage multiple household appliances through one interface. However, the matter is once the dataset will increases the interface gets sophisticated and every home appliance or controller wants a special device to connect with it. In this paper, we introduced FreeGesture in the DeepRemote controller, which is a gesture recognition scheme without a device that uses preferred computer vision algorithms, particularly deep learning, to recognize numerous devices and manage them via IR or network. It simplifies deployment and makes systems without configuration. We are going to consider it as “Smart Remote” in this article. Smart Remote consists of four buttons, a camera, an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), a WiFi component, an Infrared (IR) transceiver, and a speaker. The popularity accuracy of smart Remote for 5 varieties of home appliances from completely different places is hyperbolic from 81.07% to 95.8%.
A Functional Approach to Linguistic Problems in Islamic Subtitling
Authors: Mansy Mohammad
Published: January 2022

This study examines the linguistic challenges encountered in subtitling Islamic TV programs from Arabic to English. The formal and cultural discrepancies between the two languages cause some gaps in translation between them given their different lexical and grammatical systems. Linguistic features such as polysemy, semantic change, idioms as well as description of grammatical rules are common pitfalls that cause mistranslations in this area. These difficulties are further complicated by the space and time constraints which limit the amount of text shown on the screen and, thus, prevent the subtitler from clarifying ambiguous sections of the ST. Christian Nord’s functional translation-oriented text analysis model is employed to analyze a sample of four real-life examples taken from programs broadcast on Al-Arabiya Channel and Iqraa TV. Findings show that documentary translation is suitable for the problems of lexical complexity while instrumental translation can overcome the difficulties of translating idioms and description of Arabic grammar to English-speaking viewers. Besides, the strategies of omission, condensation and compensation seem to be a necessity together with creative adaptations to maximize the communicativeness of the subtitles.
Translating Figurative Language in the Chapter of Taha: A Study of Two Translations
Authors: Tawfik Khaled
Published: January 2022

This paper is concerned with reviewing the difficulties faced by translators rendering figurative language in the Chapter of Taha and raises the question of whether the translation choices suggested by the two selected translators to express the intended meaning of the figure of speech in question are appropriate ones or not. Hence the major concern of this paper is acceptability: do the suggested choices achieve the level of acceptability targeted by the two translators or not?
Factorially Derived Cultural Factors of Gaborone Senior Secondary School Students and Mathematics Performance
Authors: Onneetse Mokoya  , Ernest B. Fetogang  , Tsheko, G. N
Published: January 2022

More work has been done to try and explain why some students tend to perform better than others. The degeneration of students’ performance not only in mathematics but across most subjects in Botswana has been an issue to most stakeholders for quite several years till today.Mathematics performance is closely associated with the scientific and technological innovations worldwide. Countless factors have been analyzed to explain why some students attain higher levels of academic achievement than other students. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which cultural factors like gender stereotype, cultural values and language barrier predict the student performance in Mathematics in senior schools in Gaborone, Botswana. Stratified random sampling was used to get a sample size of 300 from senior schools in Gaborone. The inferential survey study used a questionnaire as the main instrument for data collection”. The validity as well as the reliability was assured where the reliability index for the independent variables come out to be all more than 70. Informed consent, confidentiality, privacy were assured to the respondents. Statistical Packages for Social Sciences was used in analyzing data. The results from hierarchical sequential regression showed that gender stereotype was a poor predictor. Cultural values and language barrier significantly predicted Mathematics performance even though it was at a low strength. Based on these results, appropriate discussions and recommendations were made.
Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Foreign Private Investment on Capital Formation in Nigeria
Authors: Salisu  , Chindo Sulaiman  , Muhammad Bello Ibrahim  , Damina Hamid Babawulle
Published: January 2022

The study empirically determines and explores the economic impact of foreign private investment on the economic growth and development of Nigeria over the period under study which is between 1980 and 2015. Unit root test was conducted based on ADF and PP technique, and all the variables were found to be stationary at level. Johansen co integration test was also employed to check the long run relationship among the variables of study, the result reveal the existence of long run equilibrium. Short run relation was also examined using ECM technique, result confirm a short run relation among the variables. OLS method was employed to estimate the parameters of the model. Empirical result from revealed that, Foreign Private Investment (FPI) has a negative and significant effect on capital formation in Nigeria. Therefore we can reliably conclude that foreign private investment impacted negatively on the domestic capital formation in Nigeria within the period under study (1980-2015). We therefore recommend that; government should take good measures to control inflation. Additionally adequate efforts should be made to mobilize desired gross national savings which would be big enough to attract direct foreign private investment. And finally efforts should be made by government to reduce exchange rate distortions and or misalignment, increase export of locally manufactured goods and raw materials in a bid to raise value of the local currency, the naira; earn more foreign exchange and allow market forces to properly fix the exchange rate.
Financial Soundness Of Selected Indian Petroleum Companies Using Altman Z – Score Model
Authors: SRINIVAS
Published: January 2022

It needs an hour to know the performance of Oil companies namely Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum because the market is having high volatility, through A predictive model created by Edward Altman Z score in the 1960s. This model consists of different financial ratios to ascertain the likelihood of bankruptcy. The present study intends to analyze the financial health of selected oil companies through the application of the Altman z score model. It is found that the financial health of the selected companies understudy is Bharat petroleum corporation is relatively better than Indian oil corporation and Hindustan petroleum.
Effects Of Dried Centella Asiatica Leaf Meal as An Herbal Feed Additive On The Growth Performance, Haematology And Serum Biochemistry Of Broiler Chicken
Authors: ALAGBE, J. O  , Alagbe, J.O  , Tijani, T. D
Published: January 2022

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of supplementing different levels of Spondiasmombin leaf meal on the performance and blood profile of broiler chickens. Experimental parameters covered growth performance and some heamatological and blood serum analysis. One hundred and sixty, day old Arbo acre broiler chicks were randomly divided into four treatments groups with four (4) replicates, each of ten birds in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Group 1 was fed basal diet without Spondiasmombin leaf meal (SSM), Group 2, 3 and 4 were fed basal diets supplemented with SSM at levels of 1.0%, 2.0% and 3.0% respectively. The basal diet was formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of broilers according to NRC (1994), the experiment lasted for 49 days and the results obtained showed that there were significant ( P<0.05) differences among all treatments in the values of final live weight and feed conversion ratio. No significant difference (P>0.05) was observed for the daily feed intake of the birds. Results for heamatology showed that white blood cell counts, RBC, Hb and PCV were significantly (P<0.05) affected with the inclusion of Spondiasmombin leaf meal, SGPT, SGOT and other serum parameterswere not significantly different (P>0.05) during the experiment. No mortality was recorded throughout the experimental period. Results obtained from this study showed that Spondiasmombin leaf meal is a good source of plant vitamins and minerals and its inclusion at 3.0% level does not have any deleterious effect on the general performance and health status of broiler chicken.
Role of Millimeter Waves in Satellite Communication
Authors: Patan Imran Khan
Published: January 2022

Millimeter Wave satellite communications are discussed with only modest site separation and switched diversity .Various aspects of Millimeter Wave communication link at 35 GHz ,60 GHz and 94 Ghz frequencies for satellite applications are discussed in the paper. Link calculations are carried out and possible hardware configurations are sketched out briefly in respect of Ground Satellite and Inter Satellite Communications Links.
Introduction to Ultra-Wideband Antennas
Authors: Patan Imran Khan
Published: January 2022

This paper presents an introduction to ultra-wideband (UWB) antennas, including a summary of key UWB antenna concepts, as well as system and network considerations, and fundamental limits for UWB antennas.
Analisis Kepuasan Konsumen Terhadap Kualitas Pelayanan Di Warung Steak On You Kota Baru Jambi
Authors: Khoiria Siti Nur , Anwar US Kasful
Published: January 2022

Penelitian ini berfokus pada kualitas pelayanan berdasarkan kepuasan pelanggan terhadap Warung Steak On You di Kota Jambi. Tujuan penelitian ini mengetahui dan mengevaluasi tentang kepuasan konsumen terhadap pelayanan yang diberikan oleh Warung Steak On You sebagai tempat makan yang banyak digemari masyarakat Kota Jambi khususnya para remaja.  Metode yang digunakan adalah metode Analisis Deskriptif Kualitatif dan metode ServQual. Metode ServQual ini terdiri dari penilaian terhadap beberapa dimensi yaitu: Reliability (Kehandalan), Responsiveness (Daya Tanggap), Assurance (Jaminan), Empathy (Empati) dan Tangible (Bukti Fisik). Penilaian dalam pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan observasi lingkungan sekitar Warung Steak On You dan wawancara langsung terhadap konsumen Warung Steak On You sebagai responden penelitiannya. Hasil yang diperoleh dalam penelitian ini adalah kualitas pelayanan yang diberikan memiliki pengaruh yang signifikan terhadap kepuasan konsumen. Hasil dari penelitian juga mendapatkan hasil bahwa para konsumen dinilai puas dengan pelayanan yang diberikan oleh Warung Steak On You. Hal ini dapat menjadi evaluasi tentang efektifitas kualitas pelayanan yang diberikan kepada konsumen.
The Concept Of Resiliency: How Adverse Events Can Influence Protective And Risk Factors Of Resiliency
Authors: Anderson Christopher , Innocenti Jennifer
Published: January 2022

The concept of resiliency is looked upon differently in the Western world. It is a concept that is applied to everything such as from not making it to a professional sports league to not being able to win a first place in any competition, or to not being able to obtain a dream job. The Western countries tend to apply the concept of resiliency to different tenets of their cultures and societies (Reich, Zautra, & Hall, 2010). While it is used to describe less life impacting issues, resiliency is a concept that is utilized to describe individuals overcoming life altering events such as terrorism, mass shootings, and physical or sexual assault. Each of us possesses either risk or protective factors that affect our ability to cope and be resilient in life. Risk and protective factors range from genetic to environmental factors. This article employs a meta-analysis review of literature knowledge to explore the concept of resiliency and how adverse events can influence protective and risk factors by making use of the concept of resiliency. In this article, the authors accept the Reich et al., 2010 definition of resiliency, as being able to adapt and overcome adversity and how current methods of treatment may influence protective factors. An array of professionals in practice employing current treatment modalities argue that one builds resilience through self-reflection, by identifying their relationships, and environmental factors (Reich et al., 2010). Keywords: Resilience, Resiliency, Protective factors, Risk factors
Dark Matter Has Already Been Discovered
Authors: Suto Koshun
Published: January 2022

The energy-momentum relationship in the special theory of relativity (STR) holds in an isolated system in free space. However, this relationship is not applicable to an electron in a hydrogen atom where there is potential energy. Using three types of methods, the author has already derived an energy-momentum relationship applicable to an electron in a hydrogen atom. In the past, Dirac asserted that Einstein’s relationship has negative solutions. This paper too obtains negative solutions (energy) from the derived relationship using Dirac’s reasoning. However, the discontinuity peculiar to the micro world is not incorporated into that solution. Thus discontinuity is incorporated into the solution by using a new quantum condition already derived by the author. Next, the orbital radius of an electron with negative energy in an absolute sense is found, and that radius is compared with the orbital radius of an electron in an ordinary hydrogen atom. A search is conducted for experiments supporting the DM model advocated by this paper. A hydrogen atom at this ultra-low energy level is formed from an atomic nucleus (proton) with positive mass, and a single electron with negative mass existing near that. In this paper, this unknown type of matter will be called a dark hydrogen atom (DHA). This paper also points out that DHA accounts for part of the true nature of dark matter (DM), the mysterious material whose true nature is currently unknown. Although this differs from the conventional interpretation, this paper holds that the experiment which demonstrates the existence of DHA is triplet production. The paper points out that one of the two electrons produced in a triplet production experiment is the electron which forms a DHA. If the DM model advocated by this paper is correct, then DM has already been discovered.
VR Users Are More Relaxed and Optimistic during COVID Lockdown than Others
Authors: Geslin Erik , Hammer Erik
Published: January 2022

Numerous studies have shown how the confinement period linked to the health situation of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV2) has been psychologically destructive for many people. These psychological disorders are generally linked to confinement and isolation. At the same time, virtual reality tools are becoming more popular, the level of immersion in cheap HMD (Head Mounted Display) helmets today allows access to a satisfactory level of presence. Our theory, widely supported by substantial literature, is that the regular use of immersive Virtual Reality during periods of confinement could allow users to better endure the psychological constraints. We observed the correlation between the weekly use of HMD Virtual Reality headsets, during the COVID-19 confinement period and the levels of well-being of users. Our study involved n = 56 participants divided into two groups of users and non-users of HMD headset. They answered 2 SWEMWBS and ONS questionnaires plus a social trust question. The results show a significant correlation between the use of virtual reality headset during COVID-19 lockdown and the level of relaxation and optimistic feeling but also a correlation between this use of VR (Virtual Reality) HMD and the feeling of being less close to others during the same period.
Når kongedømmet bejler til ungdommen
Authors: Agerschou-Madsen Fannie
Published: January 2022

Det saudiske regimes kamp for ny legitimitet efter det arabiske forår: En appel til ungdomsgenerationen igennem brug af retorik og symboler.
The presentation of the plague of 749/1348 and the fitna of 762/1361 by the Damascene scholar Ibn Kathîr
Authors: Perho Irmeli
Published: January 2022

Two of Ibn Kathîr’s detailed reports are analysed as stories and the aim is to identify the message he wants to transmit through them. The focus is on Ibn Kathîr’s narrative techniques and a connection is drawn to Hayden White’s archetypes of stories.
Khums – en obligatorisk donation eller en obligatorisk skat i shiitisk islam?
Authors: Pedersen Claus Valling
Published: January 2022

«Khums and zakat … should never be looked upon as an act of charity. Rather, it is a duty, an obligation which must be fulfilled whether one likes it or not.»2 (Sayyid Mohammad Rizvi i Khums – an Islamic Tax).
Fritidshemmet - en förbisedd potential i arbetet med lärande för hållbar utveckling?
Authors: Manni Annika , Knekta Eva
Published: January 2022

School-Age Educare is an integrated part of the Swedish compulsory school organization, focusing social relations, children's interests and play. Although included in the national school curriculum, there is a lack of knowledge of if and how School-Age Educare currently work with the mandatory task of education for sustainable development (ESD). This article thus seeks to examine the educational potentials, but also possible need for support, of School-Age Educare in relation to ESD. Through analyzing 453 teachers responses to a questionnaire with open and closed questions, we reveal that most teachers find ESD important, but also want to learn more about it. There is potential in the educational task, and pedagogical approach, supporting ESD as a transactional and pragmatic approach. The constrains contributing to ESD lies in the somewhat absent awareness among the teachers themselves, but also in the limited resources and time available of carrying out sustainability education at the centers.
Development of a machine learning model for automatic assessment of performance in virtual reality medical simulators
Authors: Sallaberry Lucas H. , Tori Romero , Nunes Fátima L. S.
Published: January 2022

Virtual reality simulators for medical training allow the student to learn and train medical procedures safely, before performing on a real patient. By collecting data from the trainees while they perform in the simulator, it is possible for the system to automatically give feedback about the student’s performance in the procedure, in real time, making the training more independent, while also yielding information to the instructor that can be insightful regarding their student’s learning. As studies using machine learning techniques to automatically assess performance in virtual reality simulators are scarce in the literature, this work proposes a model by comparing the results of different classifiers by using data collected in a dental simulator. The results so far have shown that the Naive Bayes classifier has achieved a lower Accuracy in most cases when compared to the Support Vector Machine, Multi-layer Perceptron and Random Forest classifiers.
Binary Interactions and Starch Bioavailability: Critical in Limiting Glycemic Response
Authors: Krishnan Veda , Awana Monika , Mondal Debarati , Verma Piyush , Singh Archana , Praveen Shelly
Published: January 2022

Limiting starch bioavailability by modifying food matrix dynamics has evolved over the decade, which further envisions low glycemic starch prototypes to tackle chronic hyperglycemia. The dense matrix of whole grain foods like millets and cereals act as a suitable model to understand the dynamics of binary food matrix interactions between starch-lipid, starch-protein & starch-fiber. The state and types of matrix component (lipid/protein/fiber) which interact at various scales alters the starch micro configuration and limits the digestibility, but the mechanism is largely been ignored. Various in-vitro and in-vivo studies have deciphered the varied dimensions of physical interactions through depletion or augmentation studies to correlate towards a natural matrix and its low glycemic nature. The current chapter briefly encompasses the concept of food matrix types and binary interactions in mediating the glycemic amplitude of starch. We comprehensively elaborated and conceptually explained various approaches, which investigated the role of food matrices as complex real food systems or as fundamental approaches to defining the mechanisms. It’s a fact that multiple food matrix interaction studies at a time are difficult but it’s critical to understand the molecular interaction of matrix components to correlate in-vivo processes, which will assist in designing novel food prototypes in the future.
Multi-group analysis of the effects of coping with mathematics on math anxiety and achievement
Authors: Çiftçi Koza , Karadağ Engin
Published: January 2022

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the strategy of coping with mathematics on math anxiety and achievement. From the population of teacher candidates in Turkey, a total of 255 students from one state university were recruited through a combination of convenience and purposive sampling and willingness to participate in the present study. Data were collected from the participants using Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale-Short Version (MARS-SV) and Coping with Mathematics Scale-Short Version (CMS-SV). MANOVA results showed differences on the levels of math anxiety depending on the participants' coping strategies. For example; Those using the coping focused on solving the problem strategy were less anxious in mathematics. In addition, women experienced more mathematics test anxiety than men. Finally, a negative significant correlation was found between mathematics course anxiety and calculation anxiety and GPA score.
Relationship between preschool institution and social environment from the perspective of preschool staffs
Authors: Travar Marica , Bozalo Smilja
Published: January 2022

One of the most important social activities and responsibilities is to provide children from an early age with opportunities for high-quality education. One of the most important issues in the functioning of the preschool institution is the issue of openness to the social environment and establishing partnerships with it. The preschool institution and the programmes that are used in it have an effect on the development of children only when, together with the programme, parents and the entire social environment are engaged. The aim of the research conducted on a suitable sample of 41 respondents employed in preschool institutions was to examine their attitudes about the connection of preschool institutions with the social environment consisting of various institutions and organisations. For the purposes of the research, a descriptive method were used. Our initial expectation about the existence of statistically significant differences in the respondents' attitudes of the implementation of cooperation with institutions / organisations from the social environment, as well as the implementation of activities in the field of cooperation with the family, considering some characteristics of the respondents proved correct. The obtained results show that the respondents in kindergartens observe high degree of cooperation with cultural institutions, but also there is the lack of necessary cooperation with institutions in the field of health care. Also, the respondents considered that traditional forms of cooperation with the family are the most common in preschool institutions while modern forms of cooperation are present to a lesser extent. In the future, it is necessary to more intensively connect preschool institutions with the social environment, because in this way children are given the opportunity to expand and enrich their experiences in a direct encounter with the world around them.
Predictors of online learning satisfaction of pre-service teachers in Turkey
Authors: Kaya Suat
Published: January 2022

This research was conducted in an attempt to examine online learning satisfaction (OLS) level of the pre-service teachers and the influence of antecedents including computer anxiety (CA), internet anxiety (IA), online course anxiety (OCA), internet self-efficacy (ISE) and transactions including learner-instructor interaction (LII), learner-content interaction (LCI) and learner-learner interaction (LLI) on one outcome of online learning process, OLS. We employed an exploratory survey, which can be used to investigate the relationship between certain variables. The sample included 710 pre-service teachers from different departments studying at two public universities located in the eastern part of Turkey. Data were collected through "Technological Anxiety and Satisfaction Scale", "Internet Self-efficacy Sub-scale" and "The Online Self-regulation Questionnaire (OSRQ) in Three Types of Interaction". Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis (MLR) were used to analyze the data. The findings indicated low OLS based on the perceptions of this sample of pre-service teachers. Further analysis through MLR revealed a significant negative relationship between OCA and OLS, while the other predictors were insignificant. As the significant predictor explained 14% of the variance in the outcome variable, more comprehensive research was suggested to find out the unexplained predictors of the outcome. The administrators are suggested to provide the instructors with professional guidance with the help of the experts who can provide successful online course implementations.
Investigation of the communication skills, professional seniority, school stage and gender as predictors of teachers' classroom management styles
Authors: Demir Okay , Nihat Sad
Published: January 2022

This study aimed to test the impacts of communication skills, professional seniority, school stages and gender as predictors of teachers' classroom management styles. Survey and correlation research designs were used in the research. The study group of the research consists of 209 teachers from different subject fields. Classroom Management Styles Scale and Communication Skills Scale-Adult Form were used to collect data in the study. The data obtained were mainly analyzed by multiple regression analysis. Regarding the results of the study, when the teachers' levels of classroom management style scores were examined, it was determined that the most preferred classroom management style was Authoritative style, followed by Authoritarian and Laissez-faire styles, respectively, and the least used classroom management style were Indifferent. Also, it was found that teachers' general communication skills are high. The regression analyses revealed that while Basic Skills and Self-Expression and Active Listening and Non-verbal Communication variables were significant predictors of authoritative classroom management, professional seniority was the only significant predictor of authoritatian classroom management, and Basic Skills and Self-Expression and Willingness to Communicate variables were significant predictors of Indifferent classroom management. However, none of the variables were significant predictors of Laissez-faire classroom management style.
Evaluation of different solvents for extraction of phytochemical constituents and antioxidant activities of the leaves of Acanthus montanus (Nees) T. Anderson
Authors: Enitan Ale , Oduola Lawal , Olorunyomi Omogbene
Published: January 2022

Bear's breech or mountain thistle (Acanthus montanus (Nees) T. Anderson) is a shrub belonging to Acanthaceae family. It is widespread in Africa, Romania, Greece, and Eastern Mediterranean. African people engage its medicinal use for the management of urethral pain, endometritis, urogenital infections, urinary disease, aches and pains. Fresh leaves of A. montanus were collected from Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) herbal garden and identified at the Forestry Herbarium, Ibadan. About 200 g of the powered sample was macerated in 400 mL each of three organic solvents such as ethyl acetate, acetone and methanol respectively, for 24 h. Each extracts were screened for phytochemicals such as flavonoids, saponins, phenols, terpenoids, phlobotannins, alkaloids, tannins, and cardiac glycosides. Estimation of total flavonol content, and antioxidant assays such as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and nitric oxide radical scavenging activity were also carried out. The quantitative phytochemical test (flavonol content) revealed that Acanthus montanus methanol extract was the richest one among the solvent systems while acetone extract gave the best antioxidant activity. It was observed that the antioxidant activity could be attributed to moderately polar extracts. The study, therefore, provides evidence that various solvents used in extraction can result in differences in quantitative phytochemicals and antioxidant activity.
Traditional knowledge on the medicinal use of plants from genus Gentiana in the Pirot County (Serbia)
Authors: Marković Marija , Pljevljakušić Dejan , Menković Nebojša , Matejić Jelena , Papović Olivera , Stankov-Jovanović Vesna
Published: January 2022

The paper provides an insight into the traditional use of medicinal plant species from the genus Gentiana in the Pirot County in Southeastern Serbia. The ethnopharmacological study was conducted in the form of interviews among the population in four municipalities: Pirot, Babušnica, Bela Palanka, and Dimitrovgrad. Among the population of Pirot County, it was noticed the use of two species from the genus Gentiana: G. cruciata and G. lutea. It was recorded that cross gentian (G. cruciata) has great popularity and versatile aspects on traditional usage, that was mentioned by 53 respondents, and that includes the treatment of cancer diseases, improving the immune system, diabetes, blood purification, for appetite, gastric and duodenal ulcer, for high blood pressure, inflammation, lung diseases, cold, cough, disease prevention, diseases of internal organs, high cholesterol, and leaking breast. The usage of the root of yellow gentian (G. lutea) was mentioned by 30 respondents, and that includes improving the immune system, appetite, for the stomach, blood purification, circulation, as an aphrodisiac, against cancer diseases, diabetes, and gastric and duodenal ulcer. It is important to note that yellow gentian, recorded in the study area, is the first species on the list of illegally collected species in Serbia.
Influence of water stress prior to harvest on yield and essential oil content of pot grown lemon balm
Authors: Gordanić Stefan , Radanović Dragoja , Lukić Milan , Mrđan Snežana , Mikić Sara , Prijić Željana , Marković Tatjana
Published: January 2022

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) is a perennial herbaceous plant widely used in modern and traditional medicine. The aboveground part, particularly the leaves, has many benefits; in traditional medicine, it is used for the preparation of various teas and tea blends, while in modern medicine to obtain essential oil as it is considered a precious product. Nowadays, the needs for lemon balm are mostly met by growing it in the open field. The quality of its leaves as well as the content of its essential oil mostly depend on the way the plant is grown. In stress conditions, medicinal plants use to increase the content of their secondary metabolites. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether water deficit has an impact on the content of essential oil in lemon balm grown as a pot culture. The experiment was conceived in such a way that at the beginning of the flowering phase, cultivated plants were given different treatments. Treatment A represented plants that were not subjected to water stress, while in treatments B and C, prior to harvesting the plants have been subjected to water stress for 7 and 14 days, respectively. By the end of the experiment, the morphological parameters per plant were measured and the contents of essential oil per treatment determined, all in triplicates. The obtained results indicate that water stress had a great impact on the yield of the aboveground biomass of lemon balm plants as well as on the content of essential oil in their leaves. The highest average yield of the aboveground biomass was obtained in treatment A (1204.0 g) while the highest average yield of the essential oil in treatment C (0.59 g). In short, an increase in water stress increased its positive effects on lemon balm grown as pot culture.
Therapeutic modalities and course of the disease in patients with autoimune pemphigus (AP) treated at the Clinic of dermatovenerology in the period 2013-2018
Authors: Madžgalj Šućro , Jakovljević Dragana , Živanović Dubravka
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Autoimmune pemphigus (AP) is one of the most severe dermatologic diseases. AP belongs to the group of organ-specific autoimmune disorders, with autoantibodies directed against cellsurface antigens on keratinocytes, mostly desmogleins. Three main types of AP have been described, depending on the clinical and histopathological features and the different target antigens: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV), Pemphigus foliaceus (PF), each with its own subtypes and paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP). The clinical course and prognosis of AP depend on its subtype, therapeutic modalities and their side effects. The main goal of the treatment is to achieve and maintain remission without any systemic therapy or with minimal therapeutic doses ("maintenance therapy"). Aim: A retrospective study of hospitalized patients with various forms of AP, analysis of clinical course and evaluation of therapeutic modalities employed. Material and methods: A total of 158 inpatients with diagnosed AP, admitted to the Clinic of Dermatovenereology, Clinical Centre of Serbia, from 2013 to 2018, with a subsequent followup of 6 to 12 months, were included in this study. Demographic and clinical data as well as treatment approaches were analyzed using descriptive and analytic statistics. Results: The most common subtype encountered was PV (72.15%); in the largest number of patients (46.84%) the disease occurred between ages 39-59. Conventional corticosteroid treatment was most frequently used (67.41%), along with azathioprine (66.86%) as the most common immunosuppressive drug. In 60.8% of patients no side effects or disease complications were recorded. During the follow-up, at the end of 2018, 48.1% of patients achieved remission. Conclusion: We have shown a high incidence of PV. Treatment approaches used in our patients were in accordance with the pemphigus subtype and course of the disease. A significant number of patients achieved clinical remission.
Erratum: Cell models for studying muscle insulin resistance (2021, vol. 72, br. 1, pp. 50-57)
Authors: Uredništvo U
Published: January 2022

In the paper titled "Cell models for studying muscle insulin resistance" by Kasja Pavlović et al. published in Medical youth journal volumen 72, number 1, there occurred a technical error on the title page, where in the upper left corner the type of manuscript is marked as "ORIGINAL SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE". The type of the mentioned manuscript is a mini-review article and in the upper left corner there should be written "Mini review article". On this occasion, we apologize to the authors and readers. With the consent of the author, we publish a correction in this issue.
Application of standard germination and vigour tests for seed quality assessment of maize inbred lines
Authors: Milivojević Marija , Srdić Jelena , Filipović Milomir , Petrović Tanja , Branković-Radojčić Dragana , Marković Ksenija , Boćanski Jan
Published: January 2022

Information regarding the adaptation of maize (Zea mays L .) inbred lines to various field conditions and seed longevity is essential for seed companies. The objective of this work was to evaluate different vigour tests for detecting differences among naturally aged seeds and to assess the relationship between seed quality parameters and pedigree data of maize inbred lines. A seed of 15 maize inbred lines, selected at Maize Research Institute Zemun Polje, belonging to different heterotic groups was produced during 2011. Seed quality was assessed in 2015 by standard germination , radical emergence, accelerated ageing, and cold test. Root length of 4-day old seedlings was measured in all applied tests. Analysis of variance showed that genotype and storage conditions had a significant effect on all seed quality parameters. Large variation among inbred lines was detected in seed vigour determined by three tests, in particular by the accelerated ageing test. Cold test results showed very good chilling tolerance of tested genotypes, except two inbred lines with Lancaster background. The correlation between the cold test and the accelerated ageing test was significant, while the radical emergence test had a poor correlation with them. Obtained results indicate that the application of either cold test or accelerated ageing test is reliable for screening seed vigour of maize inbred lines.
Antioxidants from maize seeds and accelerated ageing
Authors: Kravić Natalija , Dragičević Vesna , Milivojević Marija , Babić Vojka , Žilić Slađana
Published: January 2022

Seed deterioration is expressed as the loss of viability, vigour and quality during ageing. The major causes of seed deterioration refer to free radical-mediated lipid peroxidation, enzyme inactivation or protein degradation, disruption of cellular membranes and damage to genetic integrity. Accelerated ageing (AA) is a simple method for studying the mechanisms of deterioration over short periods. In order to estimate the deterioration rate, seeds of four maize genotypes were exposed to accelerated ageing for different time points (three and six days of AA). In parallel, the same genotypes were evaluated regarding the content of total phenolics, phenolic acids, flavonoids and anthocyanins, as well as regarding total antioxidant capacity. Compared to non-stressed seeds, ageing was evidenced by decreased germination energy (48 .9%), a total number of seedlings (40 .8%) and seedlings growth (70 .0% for root length, 44 .0% and 10 .5% for root and shoot fresh weight, 5 .0% for seed rest fresh weight, 12 .0% and 11 .5% for root and shoot dry weight, 15 .3% for seed rest dry weight, respectively), as well as by an increased number of abnormal seedlings (22 .0%). Correlation analysis revealed that higher content of total phenolics, flavonoids and anthocyanins contributed to a higher radical scavenging activity, which was reflected through a lower level of deterioration rate, both regarding the energy of germination and overall seedling performance.
Appraising the local village leaders' response to the challenges faced by rural households during the corona virus 2019 national lock-down in South Africa
Authors: Ekene Amaechi , Obaeko Iwara , Musvipwa Faith , Raselekaone Raymond
Published: January 2022

This study investigates Tswinga village local leaders' efforts in responding to COVID-19 pandemic challenges grappling its households. It draws from ideas in Afrocentrism to evaluate local community leaders' response to the pandemic during the first 65 days of the South African COVID-19 lockdown. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews of both local leaders of the village and the local Municipality's COVID-19 response team. The study found that no significant progress in the fight against the COVID-19 would have been made if the national strategy to combat the virus had not been adapted to the local situation by local leadership. Hence, the study recommends a comprehensive multi-stakeholder involvement and a bottom-up approach when developing strategies to curb the pandemic to ensure that the strategy responds to the varying dynamics prevailing in different regions of the country.
China's soft power and the Balkans: Example of Serbia
Authors: Obradović Žarko
Published: January 2022

The People's Republic of China, along with the United States and the Russian Federation, has become a great power in international affairs as a result of its significant economic expansion in recent decades, as well as the strengthening of its military force and pronounced political influence. What distinguishes China in the global order is its developing soft power, which profiles it as a desirable partner for cooperation. In other words, China is economically and politically "present" in every corner of the world, and in the last decade, more than ever before in the Balkans. China's relations with the Balkan countries are improving and becoming more substantial, and they are most developed with Serbia. The paper will explore the elements of China's "soft power" and how it is used in cooperation with the Balkan countries, as well as the reasons that set Serbia apart in cooperation with China in relation to other Balkan countries. An attempt will be made to answer the questions about the benefits of the Balkan countries' cooperation with China, why the US and the EU have a negative attitude towards China's cooperation with the Balkan countries, and whether such a relationship is motivated solely by economic reasons or other geopolitical interests.
INTERDEPENDENCE OF FOREIGN TRADE AND THE ECONOMIC GROWTH OF SERBIA
Authors: Bojat Milica , Kovačević Slaviša , Kurušić Drago
Published: January 2022

From the 1990s to this day, taking into account the increasing volume of international trade around the world, a large number of studies have emerged with the relationship between economic growth and foreign trade as their research subject. Most of these studies have shown that trade liberalization positively correlates with economic growth and productivity growth in developing countries. The aim of this research is to determine the interdependence between the changes of the gross domestic product and the foreign trade of Serbia in the period from 2000 to 2019. A vector autoregressive (VAR) econometric model and a vector model with error correction (VECM) were used in the research. Additionally, the paper tested the causality between the observed variables, performed an innovative analysis, together with an analysis of the variance decomposition. The results of the research showed the existence of a long-term connection between the changes in the share of imports and exports in the GDP and the development of the GDP in Serbia. In the long run, the share of imports correlates negatively with the GDP, while the share of exports positively correlates with GDP trends.
Deductions for personal income tax as a solution to the social problems of the country
Authors: Krohmal Daniil Dmitrievich
Published: January 2022

This article examines the problems of application of tax deductions for personal income tax in the Russian Federation from the perspective of solution of number of socioeconomic problems. Leaning on the analysis of statistical data and foreign experience, the author describes the possible ways to improve tax benefits in this direction. For example, tax deductions may consider the ability to work, level of income, household composition, nature of expenditure incurred, etc. The relevance of the selected topic is substantiated by high poverty index and the establishment of fair taxation. The acquired results are as follows: 1) The author identifies the flaws regarding the deductions for personal income through the prism of solution of socioeconomic tasks in legislation of the Russian Federation. The detected flaws include: regressivity of a number of tax mechanisms; insignificant savings for taxpayers with the minimum living wage. All aspects are illustrated on the practical examples. 2) The analysis is conducted on foreign jurisdictions for determination of the effective tax benefits to be possibly implemented in the Russian Federation. 3) Recommendations are made on the amendments to legislation of the Russian Federation, with consideration of the adapted foreign experience, aimed at increasing the role of tax policy in solution of the problems of poverty and demographic crisis. The author provides the variant for implementation of non-taxable minimum and the system of family coefficients; substantiates their effectiveness for solution of the aforementioned tasks; analyzes their combination and amount of benefits ultimately received by the taxpayers with different level of income. 4) The author outlines the potential problems that may arise due to implementation of the listed measures; namely offer the ways to cover the revenue shortfall in regional budgets with the increase of tax benefits, including by changing tax rates and tax deductions for the taxpayers with high income.