bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Test Control of English Grammatical and Lexical Competencies of Secondary School Pupils in Ukraine
Authors: Ponomarenko Nataliia , Smuhliakova Maryna , Mochalova Nataliia , Fomichova Valeriia
Published: April 2023

The article is dedicated to the test control of English grammatical and lexical competencies of secondary school pupils (five-grade). The study examined the nature and structure of the concepts of “control,” “test” and “test control.” This scientific research aims to investigate the features of the designed exercises for monitoring the formation of the English competencies of pupils of the middle level mentioned above. The significance of the study is determined by the focus of modern linguistics and pedagogics on identifying the features of the methodological control of the formation of English grammatical and lexical evaluation of five-grade school pupils. The main question of the research is how testing control can ensure the successful implementation of the purpose and all functions of control, as well as meet the requirements for its quality. The conditions for the effective use of the mentioned methods in controlling the competence in grammar and lexicon of five-grade school pupils are determined. The Physiological features of students and their psychological readiness for tests were revealed. Methodological analysis was made for the choice of exercises or activities to check for grammar and vocabulary of pupils of the fifth grade. Experimental verification of exercises is designed to check for grammatical and lexical competence of five-grade pupils. To control and evaluate the knowledge and skills of the pupils, at the end of the pedagogical experiment, we held a kind of control competition between the experimental and control grades, for the implementation of which the test tasks were thought out.
KEYNES, RAMSEY AND PRAGMATISM
Authors: Gerrard Bill
Published: April 2023

In his recent paper in this journal, Bateman (2021) breaks with the “Standard View” of Ramsey’s influence on Keynes and argues that Ramsey’s pragmatist philosophical thought underpinned both Keynes’s acceptance of Ramsey’s subjective theory of probability, and Keynes’s adoption of a narrative theory of the role of confidence in economic fluctuations in the General Theory. In this paper it is argued that Bateman is right both in emphasizing the influence of Ramsey’s pragmatist philosophy on Keynes’s thought during the development of the General Theory and afterwards, and in arguing that the influence of Ramsey’s pragmatist philosophy partly explains Keynes’s emphasis on the importance of the state of confidence in Chapter 12 of the General Theory. However, it is argued that Ramsey’s pragmatist philosophy had a much greater influence on Keynes than acknowledged by Bateman. Furthermore, contra Bateman, Keynes’s move to a more pragmatist philosophical position does not imply that Keynes’s accepted Ramsey’s subjective theory of (measurable) probability.
THE ECONOMISTS AND THE PRESS IN ITALY FROM THE END OF THE XIX CENTURY TILL FASCISM: THE CASE OF LUIGI EINAUDI
Authors: Pavanelli Giovanni
Published: April 2023

Luigi Einaudi was an authoritative Italian economist and a leading representative of economic and political liberalism in Europe. After the Second World War, he became governor of the Bank of Italy and President of the Italian Republic. This paper analyses his role as opinion maker from the end of the Nineteenth century till the 1920s, when he was a leading columnist at ‘La Stampa’ and the ‘Corriere della Sera’, the most influential newspapers in Italy at that time. It focuses on the scope and limits of Einaudi’s efforts to broaden consensus among the Italian public opinion on the principles of economic liberalism and free competition. To this end, it investigates Einaudi’s journalistic style, his views on the role of the newspapers and his large following among the public. Further sections analyze the main issues tackled by Einaudi in his articles in the Corriere and the systematic work of propaganda he enacted during World War I to convince the Italian households to reduce consumption and to finance the military expenditure. A final section deals with the “reconstruction program” devised by Einaudi in the early 1920s with the aim of restoring price stability and fiscal restraint, his efforts to propagate this program in the Corriere and his defeat after the beginning of the fascist regime in 1924-25.
Speech Acts of Apology and Request by Arab Postgraduates with Malaysian Supervisors
Authors: Elasfar Mohammed Abulqasem Mohammed , Mustafa Hema Roshney binti , Pathan Mustafa Mubarak , Imani Aliakbar
Published: April 2023

This study investigates the pragmatic and linguistic competencies of Arab postgraduate students and native English-speaking postgraduate students in Malaysian universities, focusing on their speech act strategies for requests and apologies. Using qualitative methods such as Discourse Completion Tests and conversations, the study addresses three research questions related to pragmatic and linguistic forms, gender differences, and cultural norms in English-speaking settings. The participants consisted of 95 individuals, including an equal number of males and females from four universities in Malaysia during the academic year 2022-2023. Of the participants, 32 were of Arab origin, and 63 were native English speakers. The study found significant differences in response rates between the two groups and emphasized the importance of understanding cultural norms for effective communication. The findings suggest that learners from Arab countries must comprehend the differences between cultural norms and conventions in English-speaking environments to communicate efficiently. The study has implications for assisting Arab-speaking graduate students in improving their communication abilities and promoting cross-cultural understanding in academic settings in Malaysia.
Essential Traits of Influential Professors in Virtual Teaching from EFLLs’ Perspectives
Authors: Alsalihi Hanan Dhia
Published: April 2023

There are numerous ways to define the traits of influential professors, including behavior (such as warmth, civility, and clarity), knowledge (of subject matter and students), and beliefs, among many others. According to research; influential teaching can also defined as the capacity to improve student achievement. This; is only one way to express effectiveness, as stated. However; the preferred definition of high-quality teaching in the United States and many other countries is teacher effects on student achievement. Therefore; this study aimed to determine the characteristics of influential professors in Online Teaching at the English department. This study; believed to be significant for college professors who will show them how learners see successful professors and what characteristics they would like their professors to enjoy. This study contributes to the understanding of what students expect from their professors and will assist future EFL instructors in comprehending what students believe is expected of them. The findings of the present research showed that there are many essential traits of influential professors in virtual teaching as stated by their students such as: being positive, teaching English to be used in and out of the virtual classrooms, enjoying online teaching, being flexible, punctual, etc.
Asymmetric by Design: How and Why Labor Policy Impacts Gig Workers
Authors: Schwartz Lindsey , Weber Nic
Published: April 2023

Information asymmetries are a key feature of platform capitalism - they allow large multinational companies to exploit workers, and dodge regulation at all levels of government. In the following paper, we evaluate the impact of three experimental policies meant to regulate platforms and protect gig work in Seattle, WA. Drawing on focus groups and interviews with over 100 gig workers we describe how information asymmetries impede workers’ awareness of new rights and access to policy benefits. We describe how platform labor regulation faces a sociotechnical gap between policy design and implementation. We show that this gap cannot be bridged when platform companies, who rely upon information asymmetries to turn a profit, are responsible for communicating emerging workplace rights. We conclude by outlining three public policy implications from our work: 1. Distributing responsibility in the enforcement of platform regulations; 2. Involving gig workers in policy design and implementation; 3. Addressing information asymmetries in regulating platform companies, including but not limited to the gig economy.
An Investigation of Language Learning Strategies Used by Female Saudi EFL College Students
Authors: Dahmash Mashael N.
Published: April 2023

Although language learning strategies (LLSs) received considerable amount of attention since 1970s, limited studies have focused on the use of LLSs by ESL students especially EFL students. In order for educators to gain insight into students approach to language learning through the use of LLSs, further research should be conducted about the use of LLSs within various contexts. The current study aims primarily to investigate the LLSs used by Saudi EFL female college students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and secondly to assess whether any difference exists in terms of LLSs used among students from different universities and university levels. The Strategy Inventory Language Learning (SILL) questionnaire by Oxford (1990b) was used as a research instrument to collect data since it was initially designed to elicit information about LLSs employed by ESL/EFL students. In this study, an adapted version of SILL was used to elicit information about the strategy employed by 145 female Saudi EFL students at three universities. The results showed that the students were in general medium to high users of strategies. The most common strategy was the metacognitive strategy, whereas the least common were the affective and memory strategies. There were no significant differences between LLSs and university levels. The results reflect the students’ awareness to manage their own learning since metacognitive strategies refer to learning language through planning, organizing, monitoring and evaluating (Oxford, 1990b). In addition, the low use of affective strategies is likely to be due to fear of making mistakes and being uncomfortable when using English.
ESP and Business English for Postgraduate Students in the Department of Economics, Tahri Mohamed University, Bechar, Algeria
Authors: Khadam Gouabi
Published: April 2023

To bridge the gap between the ongoing demands of the fieldwork and the outcomes of the actual teaching, all the Algerian universities, with all the kinds of specialties they provide, embrace the learning of English for more specialized purposes and try to deliver curricula that maintain the balance between the two sides. The teaching of such a technical language for the postgraduate students presents a challenge for ESP practitioners since they are asked to submit an overall knowledge of the language alongside particular business English needed to accomplish a variety of tasks that are required from the students in the academic spheres or the professional settings. Most of these ESP practitioners are general language teachers and are asked to cover the growing needs of their learners in their fields of specialty. However, this current teaching situation reveals several serious obstacles which prevent the teaching outcomes from reaching their goals. Even though most of the literature review devoted to Business English teaching focused on the professional demands to maintain the specialized registers, the current investigations show that the presented ESP sessions are still twining with general English ones and deprived of reaching the postgraduate students’ academic as well as professional desires. Moreover, the study uses a case study of eighteen first year doctorate students at Tahri Mohamed university, Bechar, Algeria to investigate the research. The data collected was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively through a delivered questionnaire and a semi-structured interview given to the teacher so as to present his views about the teaching situation. The analysis of the collected data allowed the researcher to claim that the ESP courses presented in these classes are not satisfactory since they do not meet the learners requirements and thus, suggest a number of interesting recommendations that may help in the improvement of the teaching/learning situations. As a result, the current study is done with the purpose to shed light on the teaching/learning situation and then providing a profile of the specific target needs of these researchers, which helps while designing a suitable syllabus appropriate to their special fields of interest.
Review of “Thinking like an Economist: How Efficiency Replaced Equality in U.S. Public Policy” by Elizabeth Popp Berman
Authors: Fontaine Philippe
Published: April 2023

Review of “Thinking like an Economist: How Efficiency Replaced Equality in U.S. Public Policy” by Elizabeth Popp Berman
Review of “A History of European Economic Thought” by Antonio Magliulo
Authors: Mosca Manuela
Published: April 2023

Review of “A History of European Economic Thought” by Antonio Magliulo
A network-based matching design for text mining of hyper-polarised online reviews
Authors: Cantone Giulio Giacomo , Tomaselli Venera
Published: April 2023

Online reviews provide users with the opportunity to rate various types of items such as movies, music, and video games using a combination of numeric scores and textual comments. The study proposes a novel method that combines network modeling with statistical matching to estimate the unbiased association between words and hyper-polarized items in online reviews. The application of this method to a sample of 40,665 items from the website Metacritic detects 218 hyper-polarized items; these are matched with an equal number of items using 8 covariates of item quality and network centrality. Application of the method reveals an unbiased association between hyper-polarization and semantics indicating reactive social action in online reviews, especially related to controversial political issues in the USA.
Review of “The Sympathetic Consumer: Moral Critique in Capitalist Culture” by Tad Skotnicki
Authors: Bankovsky Miriam
Published: April 2023

Review of “The Sympathetic Consumer: Moral Critique in Capitalist Culture” by Tad Skotnicki
Rareness in the intellectual origins of Walras' theory of value
Authors: Cervera-Ferri Pablo , Insa-Sánchez Pau
Published: April 2023

Historians of economic thought have carried out detailed studies of classical and marginalist approaches to value based on production cost and utility respectively, not to mention about the fusion of both interpretations by the neoclassical school. This is not the case with rareness value, a theory commonly attributed to Léon Walras, although Aristotle surely had rareness in mind when he first attempted to explain chrematistics. This article focuses on how our understanding of rareness has evolved from the earliest economic formulations to those of Auguste and Léon Walras, contesting Rothbard’s thesis that there is only one way in which the transmission of the utility theory of value can be tracked from scholasticism to the Austrian school. On the contrary, the concept of rareness continued to figure in some theories of value of the French Enlightenment, especially those that emerged within Calvinist circles, and was recovered in times of reaction against the dominant classicism.
Factors Influencing Interpersonal Interactions among Students from Different Nationalities Using English Language as the Primary Means of Their Daily Communication
Authors: Sarwari Abdul Qahar , Wahab Muhammad Nubli , Said Mohamad Hilmi Mat
Published: April 2023

This study evaluated factors influencing interpersonal communication among local and international students of a Malaysian public university. The embedded design of mixed methods was applied to conduct this study. This study had 220 participants from both local and international students of the mentioned university. Based on their agreements, 12 participants were interviewed to strengthen the survey data. Based on the results, the participants were using the English langue as the primary means of their daily interactions with their peers from different nationalities, and the levels of their English language proficiency and their daily interpersonal communication had mutual effects on each other. According to the results, around 80% of the participants had experienced some interactions with students from other nationalities at the university campus. Based on the results, their daily interactions helped the participants to improve their English language proficiency and to gain some new social and cultural information about different people.
English Language and Communicative Proficiency of Saudi Tourism and Hospitality Students: A Present Situation Analysis
Authors: Al-Malki Eidhah Abdullah
Published: April 2023

This study investigates the level of proficiency of Saudi tourism undergraduates in various language skills and sub-skills, grammar, and tourism vocabulary. It also evaluates the present teaching materials used at the colleges of Truism and hospitality. A mixed-methods approach has been used in this study. A Likert-scale questionnaire was administered to two hundred nine (n=209) STU to gather quantitative data. The qualitative data was generated by interviewing one vice dean of academic affairs, one head of the English department, and 10 teachers. Both instruments were self-developed and standard procedures were followed to determine their content validity and reliability. The descriptive analyses were run to interpret the quantitative data whereas the qualitative data were presented through verbal responses of the participants. The results have informed that speaking and listening skills are the weakest followed by writing and reading skills respectively. They are also weak in English grammar, tourism-related vocabulary, and various language sub-skills. The teaching materials presently taught at the colleges of tourism and hospitality in Saudi Arabia do not suit their specific tourism needs. It is strongly recommended that indigenous teaching materials should be developed to meet the professional needs of Saudi tourism undergraduates taking into consideration their present proficiency in various language skills, sub-skills, tourism-related vocabulary and grammar. Furthermore, the local and cultural requirements and preferences of Saudi tourism undergraduates should be considered while developing the teaching materials to ensure effective English language practices.
The role of funding in the ‘performative decarbonisation’ of transport in England
Authors: Verlinghieri Ersilia , Haines-Doran Thomas , Marsden Greg , Schwanen Tim
Published: April 2023

The scale of the decarbonisation challenge and the short timeframes over which action is required demand urgent action. This paper is set within the surface transport sector, now the largest sector of emissions with the slowest pace of change in many advanced liberal economies. It focuses on the strategies and actions of local government which is recognised to be a central player in catalysing change. Our evidence is derived from the actions of two UK local areas which claim to be at the forefront of the decarbonisation challenge.The paper focuses on the role of funding and financial mechanisms in addressing the climate crisis. In the face of an established pattern of austerity and hollowing out of local government we explore how deep transformation is being envisaged. We find a recursive set of issues which derive from a dependence on funding from outwith. The lack of funding means that it is not so much that strategies cannot be funded but that the funding available is the core of the strategy. This means that the nature of the funds, such as the requirement for experimentation, innovation or private sector leverage, defines direction. In turn, and to maintain success in attracting funds there is an emphasis on presenting ‘premium spaces of ambition’ with little evidence of attention to broader systemic change. This duality is openly recognised. This paper advances a wider point that greater emphasis should be paid to the ‘financialisation’ of climate policy and the reality rather than the rhetoric of change.
A scoping study of crime facilitated by the metaverse
Authors: Gomez Juliana , Johnson Shane , Borrion Herve , Lundrigan Samantha
Published: April 2023

The metaverse is an emerging convergence of technologies (e.g. virtual reality and blockchains) that enables users to experience mixed/extended realities for a range of legitimate purposes (e.g. gaming, entertainment and education). Unfortunately, the crime and security implications of emerging technologies are often overlooked. To anticipate crimes that the metaverse might facilitate, in this paper we report the findings of a nominal group technique (NGT) study which was informed by a state-of-the-art scoping review of the existing literature. We elicited views from two expert groups: 1) a mixed European sample (with participants from law enforcement, industry, academia and the voluntary sector), and; 2) an international sample of law enforcement stakeholders. A total of 22 crime threats were identified in the existing literature and an additional eight were identified by experts. These included sexual offenses, crimes against the person, crime against property, and financial crimes. Participants were asked to rate these according to their likely harm, frequency, achievability and defeat-ability. Ratings were largely consistent across the two samples, with crimes of a sexual nature (e.g. child sexual abuse material and sexual assault), and against the person (e.g. harassment and hate crime) being rated as presenting the highest future risks (ie being high harm and high frequency). The findings are discussed with the aim of informing approaches to preventing crime in the metaverse.
ADAM SMITH ON PUBLIC PROVISION OF EDUCATION
Authors: Otteson James R.
Published: April 2023

Most Adam Smith scholars hold that Smith endorsed public provision of education to offset deleterious consequences arising from the division of labor. Smith’s putative endorsement of publicly funded education is taken by some scholars as evidence that Smith tends more toward progressive than classical liberalism, or that this is a departure from, perhaps an inconsistency with, Smith’s otherwise strong presumption against government intervention in markets. This paper argues that these interpretations are flawed because Smith ultimately does not advocate public provision of education. He raises the idea and explores its potential benefits, but he ultimately does not endorse it. Smith also provides reason to be skeptical of public provision of education, which suggests that his final position may have inclined against it.
TransPPG: Two-stream Transformer for Remote Heart Rate Estimate
Authors: Liu Jiaqi , yang su , Zhang Weishan
Published: April 2023

Non-contact facial video-based heart rate estima- tion using remote photoplethysmography (rPPG) has shown great potential in many applications (e.g., remote health care) and achieved creditable results in constrained scenarios. However, practi- cal applications require results to be accurate even under complex environment with head movement and unstable illumination. Therefore, improving the performance of rPPG in complex environment has become a key challenge. In this paper, we pro- pose a novel video embedding method that embeds each facial video sequence into a feature map re- ferred to as Multi-scale Adaptive Spatial and Tem- poral Map with Overlap (MAST Mop), which con- tains not only vital information but also surround- ing information as reference, which acts as the mir- ror to figure out the homogeneous perturbations imposed on foreground and background simulta- neously, such as illumination instability. Corre- spondingly, we propose a two-stream Transformer model to map the MAST Mop into heart rate (HR), where one stream follows the pulse signal in the facial area while the other figures out the perturba- tion signal from the surrounding region such that the difference of the two channels leads to adap- tive noise cancellation. Our approach significantly outperforms all current state-of-the-art methods on two public datasets MAHNOB-HCI and VIPL-HR. As far as we know, it is the first work with Trans- former as backbone to capture the temporal depen- dencies in rPPGs and apply the two stream scheme to figure out the interference from backgrounds as mirror of the corresponding perturbation on fore- ground signals for noise tolerating.
Comparative Evaluation of the Effects of Low-Level Laser Therapy and Ozone Application on Wound Healing After Gingivectomy and Gingivoplasty: A Randomized Control Clinical Trial
Authors: Gadde Pujitha , George Joann Pauline
Published: April 2023

AIM: The aim of this randomized controlled clinical trial was to clinically evaluate and compare the effect of ozonated water and Low level laser therapy (LLLT) on the early wound healing period of gingivectomy and gingivoplasty wounds by clinical analysis. Materials & Methods: Forty-five patients were randomly allocated into 3 groups, test group 1 (ozone therapy n=15), test group 2 (LLLT application n=14) and control group (no treatment n=15). Ozone irrigation was done on the surgical site with a concentration of 4ppm for 5-10 minutes, LLLT application was performed with diode LASER (810 nm) immediately after the surgical therapy and on day 3, day 7, day 21. Wound surface area, wound healing index, quality of life, plaque index, sulcus bleeding index were investigated. Results: At day 21 statistically significant smaller wounds were observed in both ozone and LLLT groups compared to control group. However, intergroup comparison between the ozone and LLLT group did not show statistically significant difference in wound surface area evaluated by staining technique and image J analysis. The wound healing index, VAS score OHIP -14 questionnaire, analgesics consumed, plaque index, sulcus bleeding index showed a statistically significant reduction from baseline to day 21in all groups. Conclusion: Ozone therapy is safe and effective in promoting wound healing during the 1st 3 weeks post-surgery. Ozone therapy and LLLT application enhanced wound healing after gingivectomy and gingivoplasty procedures, accompanied by better quality of life and reduced pain .
Tissue Engineering - A New Aspect in Periodontal Regeneration
Authors: Malhotra Sakshi
Published: April 2023

The goal behind periodontal treatment is to accomplish regeneration of tissues affected by periodontal disease. Periodontal regeneration is the restoration of original architecture and function of periodontal tissue. Tissue engineering is a way to repair or restore human tissue. It may provide a promising approach to regenerate complex periodontal tissue. Strategies to tissue engineering are conductive approach, inductive approach and cell transplantation approach. The main aim of this review is to explain the available tissue engineering products, their importance and their advantages in terms of periodontal regeneration reported in the literature. Furthermore, we emphasize on recent advances in tissue engineering, gene therapy and nanotechnology.
3D printing technologies and photopolymer resins used in fixed prosthetic rehabilitation
Authors: Abdulai Dalndushe , Cengiz Seda
Published: April 2023

The utilization of computer-aided design and production has become increasingly prevalent in the dental industry, as in many other fields. Additive manufacturing, a computer-aided production method, has brought about numerous advantages such as fast and precise production, design freedom, and cost and time savings. It is anticipated that 3D printers will become the primary method for digital processing in dentistry in the future. The objective of this article is to offer a comprehensive introduction to the present-day manufacturing methods for fixed prosthetic rehabilitation, focusing on the 3D printing manufacturing and photopolymer resin materials employed in these technologies.
Transitional complete denture- A Case report
Authors: Muthukeerthana R.
Published: April 2023

Background: The Transitional/Immediate Complete denture is mainly fabricated to replace the lost teeth with the associated structures of maxillae and mandible and inserted immediately following the removal of remaining hopeless teeth. This Immediate Denture can be used for both partially edentulous or completely edentulous patients immediately after extraction of the teeth. Aim: Here, we present a case of 57-year-old female patient who underwent immediate extraction of her all periodontally compromised teeth and replacement of her missing posterior tooth immediately with an Immediate Complete denture. Conclusion: This mainly helps in restoring the vertical dimension, esthetics and phonetics of the patient.
A Crosssectional survey research to assess the determinants of Menopause, prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms and its impact on quality of life of menopausal women
Authors: Akhila M , Dei Laxmipriya
Published: April 2023

Background: Menopause is usually associated with inevitable manifestation of ageing process in women. In Ayurveda Rajonivrutti is described as end of Artava Pravrutti. This is associated with distressing physical, pshycological, vasomotor and sexual symptoms that degrades the quality of life- and life-threatening health risks. Aims and objectives: Aim was to create awareness regarding predisposing factors, preventive and treatment measures among menopausal women. Objective was to find out the prevalence, severity of menopausal symptoms and quality of life, to assess the role of sociodemographic characteristics, predisposing factors influencing occurrence of Menopause and complications of menopause, to assess the association between Prakriti of patients and Menopausal Symptoms. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional survey study was conducted in the 206 patients of the age group 45-65 years through face-to-face interview method by using survey questionnaire, which consists of three parts. 1) assessement of sociodemographic data, 2) Prakruti assessment questionnaire, 3) evaluation of symptoms using a standard validated Menopause specific QOL (MENQOL) Questionnaire. Results: Maximum no. of patients participated in the survey 40-45 yrs (67%); married (96.1%); uneducated (47.6 %); (63.6 %) Vishamagni; (60.7% ) disturbed sleep; ( 44.7%) excessive use of Madhura Rasa (85.4%) Katu Rasa (16.5 %), Amla Rasa ( 9.2%) Lavana Rasa (8.7%), Vishamashana (87.4%) ; (48.5%) Avyayama; Vata Pitta Prakriti (76.7%) ; The mean score of vasomotor symptoms, psychosocial symptoms, sexual symptoms and physical symptoms is (6.89 ± 0.83), (6.53 ± 1.12), (5.91 ± 2.94), (5.60 ± 1.00) respectively. Conclusion: The sociodemographic factors such as age, marital status, education, socioeconomic status, contraception and etiological factors such as Vishamasana, excessive use of Madhura Rasa, Katu Rasa, Amla Rasa, LavanaRasa, Avyayama can influence the severity of menopausal symptoms. Vatapitta Prakruti patients are more prone to menopausal symptoms. The quality of life of Menopausal women in this survey study are more troublesome by vasomotor symptoms followed by psychosocial, physical and sexual symptoms respectively.
A Critical Review on Herbal Extracts as Hepatoprotective Agents
Authors: Pavithra J , Jiji KN , Francis Kevin Raj S , Govindhan E , Yuvaraj K , Muralidharan P
Published: April 2023

Liver is a vital organ that plays a major role in metabolism and excretion of xenobiotics from the body. Liver dysfunction/ liver Injury is a major health problem that challenges not only health care professionals but also pharmaceutical industry and drug regulatory agencies. Maintenance of a healthy liver is essential for overall well being of an individual. Liver injury is caused by various hepatotoxins. Some of the most common toxicants are Paracetamol, Carbon tetrachloride, Thioacetamide, excessive consumption of Alcohol, anti-tuberculosis drugs such as Rifampicin and Isoniazid, certain antibiotics like Gentamicin, Chemotherapeutic agents and Microbes. Few synthetic drugs that are available in market to treat liver disorders in this condition are expensive and also cause other discomforts to our body. Thus herbal drugs comes into role and its use is also widespread now-a-days. Herbal medicines are used for treatment of liver diseases since long time but they are increasingly popular at recent times. Herbal remedies are focused in pharmaceutical industry to evolve a safe route for liver disorders. A number of herbal preparations are available in market. The present review is aimed at compiling on promising herbs that have been tested in various Hepatotoxic models using modern scientific system.
Herbal remedies that can be used to treat type 1 hypersensitivity reactions associated with allergic rhinitis and asthma in Sri Lanka- A systematic review
Authors: Madhuranga Hewa Dikkumburuage Tharindu , Wijekumar Praba Jalini , Samarakoon Dona Nirmani Ann Wijewickrama
Published: April 2023

Background: Allergic rhinitis and asthma are common diseases of the immune system that negatively affect general health, quality of life, and social relationships. Many studies have been conducted to evaluate treatment options for these conditions, particularly using herbal remedies. Complementary alternative medicines are extensively used in the treatment of type 1 hypersensitivity-related allergic rhinitis and asthma. There is a dearth of scientific evidence even though the Sri Lankan population uses traditional medical treatments to effectively manage these conditions. Aims and Objectives: To review the evidence-based recommendations for traditional natural plants with scientifically proven anti-allergic rhinitis and asthmatic activity in Sri Lanka. This review focuses on ten selected medicinal plants used by a traditional ayurvedic practitioner in Sri Lanka to treat allergic rhinitis and asthma. The selected 10 plants are: Piper longum, Clerodendrum indicum, Clerodendrum serratum, Zingiber officinale, Piper nigrum, Allium cepa, Aegle marmelos, Vitex negundo, Coriendrum sativum, and Curcuma longa. Materials and Methods: Therefore, to provide evidence-based recommendations for these traditional natural plants used, a comprehensive literature survey was carried out using PubMed® (U.S. National Library of Medicine, USA), Google Scholar, and Hinary© (WHO, Switzerland). Studies released between 2006 and 2022 were incorporated after two rounds of evaluation and shortlisting; approximately 450 comprehensive database searches were used to find study articles. Then after evaluating the papers' titles and abstracts and evaluating the relevant complete texts for eligibility, the systematic review comprised 54 empirical investigations. It was carried out independently by two reviewers. Results and Discussion: Herbal plant-based medications have several advantages: they are less expensive, have a long history of use, are better tolerated by patients, and have fewer or no side effects. These plants exert their anti-allergy effects by inhibiting various cytokines and interleukins and decreasing immunoglobulin levels. According to scientific evidence, Clerodendrum indicum, Clerodendrum serratum, Piper longum, Piper nigrum, Zingiber officinale, Allium cepa, and Curcuma longa are the most studied plants. The plants Vitex negundo, Coriendrum sativum, and Clerodendrum indicum have received the least amount of research of the selected ten plants. Conclusion: These plants exert their anti-allergy effects by inhibiting various cytokines and interleukins and decreasing immunoglobulin levels. In addition, these essential herbal plants can be tested experimentally to treat these common type-1 hypersensitivities linked to allergic rhinitis and asthma.
Knowledge and Awareness of Sudanese Women toward Breast Cancer Detection
Authors: Alamin Asma , Adil Sara , Faiz Esraa , Hussein Abdulaziz , Alhussine Amna , Salih Alsadig , Mohamed Magdoleen. S.H. , Alawd Alwaleed M.A. , Adil Sondos , Hussein Abdelmonem A.A
Published: April 2023

Background: The most frequent cancer in women is breast cancer (BC), which unfortunately has high mortality in Sudan whereas most of the patients are diagnosed at late stages of this disease sequence either due to a lack of awareness or unavailability of screening programs. objective: to asses of the knowledge and awareness of breast cancer detection among Sudanese women 2022 - 2023. Material and Methods: a community representative descriptive cross-sectional study of women aged 17 to 70 years in different Sudanese provinces was included using a semi-structural interview questionnaire. Results: out of 200 participants, the mean age was 39.8 (±12.13) years and the majority of them were aged between 41 and 50 years 54 (27%). 120 (60%) had no prior experience with breast cancer at all and 73 (36.5%) had never heard of breast self-examination for BC. The study resulted that the dominant of interviewed women 181 (90.5%) had a good awareness of breast cancer, and 161 (80.5%) believed that breast screening must require for the early detection of breast tumors. Breast changes, discharge, and lump pain were the most common prevalent reasons for breast screening in this study 95 (38.7%), 46 (18.7%), and 45 (18.3). It was clear that education level has a significant effect on the level of knowledge of breast cancer and its diagnostic screening tools among participants, with graduated women having adequate knowledge in comparison to those not graduated women 92 (50.5%) and 89 (49.2%) (p-value = 0.004 < 0.05). As well, the central resident participants had good knowledge about breast cancer 112 (70 %) in comparison with other residents. Conclusion: awareness and knowledge of BC detection increase with increasing educational levels and central urban living, there is an urgent need for intensive breast cancer awareness programs and the availability of screening centers authorities in Sudanese periphery areas.
Pharmacognostic and in vitro antimicrobial evaluation of the sub-fractions of the ethyl acetate fraction of the methanol leaf extract of Anthocleista djalonensis
Authors: Onyegbule F.A. , Egba N.E. , Abba C.C. , Bruce S.O. , Umeokoli B.O. , Anyanwu O.O.
Published: April 2023

Anthocleista djalonensis has many ethnomedicinal claims, one of which is the treatment of infections. The study evaluated the phytochemical, physicochemical profile and antimicrobial properties of the vacuum liquid chromatographic (VLC) sub-fractions of A. Djalonensis leaves. The plant was collected from Umuoji, Idemili North, Anambra State. The plant leaves were identified, authenticated and the herbarium specimen was deposited, with herbarium number PCG/474/A/057. The leaves were dried, pulverized and extracted using cold maceration with methanol, and fractionated successively into n-Hexane, ethyl acetate and butanol. To obtain the ethyl acetate fraction, it was subjected to vacuum liquid chromatography (VLC). The phytochemical and physicochemical analyses were carried out, using standard protocols. The VLC sub-fractions were subjected to HPLC-DAD analysis. The antimicrobial assay of the VLC sub-fractions was carried out using the agar well diffusion assay. The antimicrobial activity of the VLC sub-fractions was tested against three standard clinical bacterial isolates (Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) and one fungal isolate (Candida albican). Phytochemical screening showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, proteins, glycosides, saponins, carbohydrates and steroids. The physicochemical evaluation showed that the plant contains a total ash value of 4.55 % w/w, acid insoluble ash value of 6.80 % w/w, water-soluble ash value of 2.65 %w/w, moisture content of 7.90 %w/w and water-soluble extractive value of 1.02 %w/w. The HPLC-DAD analysis of the VLC sub-fractions suggested the presence of isovitexin, septicine, vanillin, 3-methyl-2, 3, 4- pentanetriol, indo-3- carboxylic acid, Cerebroside and bromohexylamide. The VLC sub-fractions had activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa only, and there was no zone of inhibition for the fungi. The VLC sub-fractions have very little antimicrobial activity, showing antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa only, with no antifungal activity against Candida albican.
An Appraisal of the Work of Gustave Le Bon Within the Case Studies of Fascist Spain (1936–1975) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945)
Authors: Galbraith Benjamin
Published: April 2023

In a bid to explore the work of French sociologist Gustave Le Bon on dissimulating specific beliefs within a populace, this article will localise the factors he purported to amount to propagandistic success within the case studies of Nazi Germany and fascist Spain. This will be done using a consideration of primary visual sources and qualitative data associated with the campaigns in which they were used. Additionally, this work will analyse whether one can quantify propagandistic success, and whether this is at odds with the academic bases of Le Bon’s work. This research will ultimately provide a novel reading of Le Bon’s theory, demonstrating how the work can indeed allow for interesting analyses of different propagandistic contexts while concluding that there are limitations with the means through which the factors he brought to the fore directly contribute to successful propaganda initiatives.
Radical Landscapes at the Mead Gallery addresses the topic on everyone’s lips
Authors: Laister-Smith Catherine
Published: April 2023

Review of Radical Landscapes at the Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre in Coventry.
Beyond the Nuclear Ideal: A Qualitative Analysis of Forum Posts by Single Mothers by Choice
Authors: Dean-Tozer Martha
Published: April 2023

In 2018, 3.2 per cent of all fertility treatments were undertaken by single patients. Despite this prevalence, there is limited research that explores the experiences of single mothers by choice through sperm donation. Previous studies have highlighted the value of online forums, in terms of accessible support and information sharing with others who have similar experiences. This paper aims to offer an insight into women’s experiences and concerns, and the advice they offer and receive when pursuing this pathway to motherhood. A thematic analysis of an online fertility forum of 39 forum posts by 28 different forum contributors was undertaken. Three themes were identified: ‘Making the choice’, ‘the challenges of becoming a single mother by choice’ and ‘support provided by the forum’. Women seeking solo motherhood through sperm donation appeared to carefully consider this decision, and plan for the potential future challenges. Furthermore, the use of online forums provided a sense of belonging and validation that created a safe space to share experiences. This enabled women to receive support that was presented as a crucial element in their journey to motherhood.
The Conflict Between Public Health And Civil Liberties: The Initial UK Government Policy Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Mujib Minaa
Published: April 2023

This paper aims to illustrate the tension between public health and civil liberties through the case study of the UK government’s emergency response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the area of public health, this tension is predominantly approached by reference to two theories: liberalism and communitarianism. This paper studies these positions and how they are manifested in evidence-based policymaking by combining a study of public health policy with a study of public health ethics. The studies help demonstrate the UK government’s framing of health policy relating to Covid-19 in terms of liberalism and communitarianism. The paper concludes that in the initial UK government response to Covid-19, the government discourse evoked communitarian values and framed its policies as being evidence-led and as prioritising public health. However, the policy measures themselves manifested liberal values: they had the underlying concern of not infringing excessively on civil liberties, and individuals were given autonomy of decision making within the measures that were taken. The article concluded that emergency times require a communitarian response based on preventative action. This article is the first to combine public health policy with public health ethics to demonstrate how values form a key part of decision making.
Legal Advocacy for all genders in Media practices: An Inclusive approach for Future Social Work Profession
Authors: Sharma Mamta , Bahmani Sunita , Sawariya Mali Devi
Published: April 2023

The present paper aims to reflect on the interventional research that is required in the field of legal advocacy for inclusion of all the genders in the policies and broader development plans through legal advocacy being the core of social transformation. The present paper highlights that the gender based archetypes and prejudices are leading towards the digital world which is becoming much more exclusive in its existence. Due to this, the groups which have been marginalized on the basis of gender have been excluded from its democratic rights. The question of representation and participation are the elements of enquiry in the present paper. Based on the  qualitative data collected from civil society, voluntary sector, legal forces and social work professionals, this research concludes that in the contemporary age of digital lives of divide we need to re-define and re-engage with the ethics of legal advocacy when it comes to gender equality and equity.
Problems and Challenges faced by Tharu Tribe of Lakhimpur Kheri District, Uttar Pradesh
Authors: Bano Naureen , Ara Alam
Published: April 2023

The issues that the people of Tharu tribe encounter are discussed in this article. Described various types of problems, challenges that came with it, and how it affected their way of life. Second, it displays the proportion of western culture living in Tharu tribe. Nonetheless, the present research makes an effort to illustrate how these problems are affecting their lives, and it also offers insight into the complexity of the Tharu tribe’s culture which was the main reason behind their problems in the Palia Block and Nighasan Block of Lakhimpur Kheri District, Uttar Pradesh. The data was collected from 250 respondents by using descriptive design and purposive sampling with the help of interview schedule. Also noted are the government’s efforts to address the issues facing Tharu community.