bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
GRASSROOTS ECO-SOCIAL INNOVATIONS DRIVING INCLUSIVE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Authors: Gutberlet Jutta
Published: March 2023

The paper discusses research results on waste governance and circular economy, conducted with waste picker cooperatives in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil. Two cases have been selected, from a pool of 21 waste picker organizations, to video document their grassroots eco-social innovations that have improved local waste management and the lives of the cooperative members. The videos support knowledge sharing with key actors in waste governance and the circular economy. Social grassroots innovation theory focuses on livelihood opportunities beyond the formal labour market, pursuing social inclusion by creating meaningful work for individuals who were considered left out and in vulnerable situations. Transitioning to sustainability necessarily goes beyond socio-technical innovations but rather integrates eco-social perspectives. After first introducing grassroots innovation theory and the concept of eco-social innovations the paper describes the empirical frame and presents two cases where organized waste pickers were successful in operationalizing innovations that address the circular economy and contribute to sustainability transitions. Key findings highlighted are cooperative governance, long-term partnership building, improved productivity and increased income.
An Exploration of EFL Teachers’ Perceptions and Experiences of E-Learning Implementation through the Concern-Based Adoption Model
Authors: Rusmawaty Desy , Hermagustiana Istanti , Sunardi Sunardi
Published: March 2023

Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) is a framework that can be used to guide the implementation of e-learning in educational contexts. CBAM focuses on the problems individuals have during the implementation process and helps to discover solutions to these difficulties. The objective of this study was to get an overview of EFL teachers' perspectives and practices about implementing e-learning based on the CBAM. The CBAM was employed as a model to grasp the challenges and levels of e-learning adoption among English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. For this study, ten EFL teachers who knew how to use e-learning participated in semi-structured interviews to provide qualitative data. The interview transcripts were subjected using the thematic analysis. According to the results of this research, some EFL teachers were early adopters of e-learning, but others have shown considerable rejection. Among the teachers' objections were technical obstacles, a lack of training, and skepticism over the effectiveness of e-learning in increasing students' language skills. The study also revealed that the CBAM was an excellent tool for identifying the issues and degrees of e-learning usage among EFL teachers. The model offers a framework for describing the stages of e-learning adoption, from awareness to regular use, and strategies to assist teachers in their adoption process. This study expands our knowledge of the opinions and experiences of EFL teachers towards implementing e-learning. The findings indicate the need to provide teachers with workshops and training to increase their usage of e-learning and enhance the efficacy of EFL teaching instruction.
On the issue of the preservation of the adyghe (kabardino-circassian) language in the diaspora
Authors:   The Institute for the Humanities Research – Affiliated Kabardian-Balkarian Sci-entific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Marita M. Abazova
Published: March 2023

The article explores the main issues of preserving the native language in the diaspora. Extralin-guistic factors were noted for the preservation of the Adyghe language in a foreign language envi-ronment. To study the speech of the Adyghe diaspora abroad, as well as to determine the methods of preserving the native language, comparative historical and analytical methods were used. The source base is compiled by the works of scientists who studied the features of the language of the Adyghe diaspora abroad. The main goal of the work is to summarize the main methods of preserv-ing the Adyghe (Circassian) language (speech) in a foreign language environment, and tell what was done for this. To achieve this, we analyzed the work of our predecessors on the topic under study. It was concluded that, although representatives of the Adyghe diaspora abroad had suffi-cient obstacles to the preservation and development of the native language; they could preserve the language, traditions and customs. They created various organizations, khasa.
Neologisms in the Kabardino-Circassian language (based on linguistic terminology)
Authors:   The Institute for the Humanities Research – Affiliated Kabardian-Balkarian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Khazhismel Ch. Zhiletezhev , Liana Kh. Zhiletezheva ,   Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Kh.M. Berbekov
Published: March 2023

This article examines the process of new linguistic terms emergence in the Kabardino-Circassian language. This work analysed the terms created by the Kabardino-Circassian language’s own lin-guistic sources. The initiator of the creation of these terms is the scientist-educator Sh.B. Nog-mov. The main stage of the linguistic creation, terminological system of the Kabardino-Circassian language, begins in the 30s of the twentieth century. During the research, the author concludes that the founder of the national linguistic terminology is T.M. Borukaev. He is the author of various terms that are successfully used in the Kabardino-Circassian language to this day. In the post-war years, H.U. Elberdov was engaged in creating linguistic terms. He successfully introduced several terms of his own into the language. In the last half century, creating new linguistic terms has prac-tically ceased. The analysis of the literature shows that in the modern Kabardino-Circassian lan-guage, there is an unjustified use of many borrowed terms. This problem is a serious disadvantage for researchers in their native language. There are solutions for this situation, proposed by the Doctor of Philology B. Ch. Bizhoev. He created the first dictionary of linguistic terms in the Ka-bardino-Circassian language, which includes about 1865 terms. Based on the study of the terms, it was found that almost all of them received an accurate and adequate translation into the Kabardi-no-Circassian language. The relevance of this study lies in the increasing need to study the lin-guistic terminology of the Kabardino-Circassian language. Descriptive-analytical method, contex-tual analysis, statistical calculation are used in the work.
Participation of the Terek Cossacks in the anti-Bolshevik movement on the Terek in 1917-1920: political aspect, armed struggle, results
Authors:   St. Petersburg State Forest Engineering University, Alexander V. Nikolaev
Published: March 2023

This article handles the problems related to the study of the participation of the Terek Cossack army in the events related to the Revolution and the Civil War of 1917-1920 on the territory of the Terek region. The struggle was for raising the political status of the Terek Cossacks and the Terek region, for which it was necessary to enter an alliance with the mountain liberal intelligentsia, which also fought for autonomy, and then federalization within the framework of the democratic Russian Republic. An analysis of the reasons for the seizure of power by the Bolsheviks on the Terek in 1918, the role of the Terek Cossacks in this process, the results of the Terek uprising of 1918 are given. The active participation of the Terek Cossacks in the anti-Bolshevik armed movement in 1919-1920 is argued. The consequences of the defeat of the white movement for the Terek Cossacks, the deportation of the Terek villages from the territory of the region, are showed. Conclusions are drawn that the defeat in the Civil War and active participation on the side of the White Guard led to the deportation of the Cossacks and the deprivation of the “titular” status of both the Terek Cossacks and the Tersk region itself.
Polievktov activities in academic institutions of Georgia in the years 1920-1930
Authors:   Tbilisi state uneversity, Yuri S. Sulaberidze
Published: March 2023

The article reveals the most important aspect of the scientific activity of the prominent Caucasian historian M.A. Polievktov (1872-1942) in the academic institutions of Georgia in 1920-1930, which is the most important aspect of his scientific biography. M.A. Polievktov stood at the origins of the academic Caucasian studies in Georgia. Based on archival materials from the Georgian National Academy of Sciences, the materials were intro-duced into scientific circulation for the first time among archival documents of the scientist’s per-sonal fund from the Central Historical Archives of Georgia and the Central Archives of Contem-porary History of Georgia, the author reveals the content of M.A. Polievktov to identify materials on the history of Russian-Georgian relations in the 16th-18th centuries, to create the organization-al foundations for the formation of Caucasian studies in Georgia. Unknown facts of the scientific biography of M.A. Polievktova, which until now were in the shadows, were not the patrimony of historiography. The article reveals the scientific activity of M.A. Polievktov at the Caucasian Historical and Archaeological Institute and its subsequent transformations - the Research Institute of Caucasian Studies. N.Ya. Marra, Georgian Branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Institute of Lan-guage, History and Material Culture of the Georgian Branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, which is an integral part of the life and scientific work of the Caucasian historian. The re-sults of work in the academic institutions of Georgia were the publication of articles and archival materials in Caucasian studies. Scientific legacy of M.A. Polievktov, one of the founders of Cau-casian studies in Georgia, will be the subject of historiographic research for a long time.
Neural correlates of unconventional verb extensions reveal preschoolers’ analogical abilities
Authors: Raynal Lucas , Clément Evelyne , Goyet Louise , Rämä Pia , Sander Emmanuel
Published: March 2023

In the current event-related potential (ERP) study, we assessed whether 4-year-olds’ unconventional verb extensions are driven by abstract relational similarities or superficial object-based similarities. Participants were presented with images of action (e.g., peeling an orange) while hearing sentences containing a conventional verb (e.g., peeling), an unconventional verb sharing either an abstract relation (i.e., an approximate verb, e.g., undressing) or an object (i.e., superficially related verb, e.g., pressing) with the action, or a pseudoverb (e.g., kebraying). The amplitude of the N400 gradually increased as a function of verb type: from conventional verbs, to approximate verbs, to superficially related verbs to pseudoverbs. These findings suggest that processing of unconventional verb extensions based on abstract relations requires less cognitive effort than integrating those based on objects. Our results illustrate that measuring brain signals in response to unconventional word extensions provides a useful tool to investigate preschools’ analogical abilities.
Detection, Inspection, Return: A functional classification of fixations in complex scenes
Authors: Linka Marcel , de Haas Benjamin
Published: March 2023

Salience models for complex scenes typically aim to explain heatmaps or scan-paths. While heatmaps potentially conflate fixations serving different functions, scan-paths aim for a level of detail which is hard to attain. We introduce a novel approach, based on the premise that most fixations target objects and belong to three functionally meaningful classes: Detection fixations (D), foveating an object for the first time; Inspection fixations (I), successively targeting object details; and Return fixations (R), revisiting an object, e.g., to refresh its representation in memory. To test the hypothesis that these classes capture distinct fixation profiles, we reanalysed a large dataset of scene fixations. We computed separate heatmaps for D, I, and R and found significantly higher inter-observer consistency within than between classes. Across fixations landing on different semantic features, the proportion of D, I, and R fixations varied consistently, and a semantic salience model trained to predict each class independently learned diverging distributions of feature weights. Further, we found a shift from D to I and R across viewing time, in line with their functional interpretation and previous findings on ambient and focal viewing modes. We tested and confirmed that the dynamics of this shift varied as a function of trial duration. Finally, we found that the D, I, R classification could be approximated with a simple spatial heuristic, extending its applicability to images without object metadata. We propose the D, I, and R classification as a simple but powerful tool to functionally classify scene fixations and provide well documented code to implement it.
Commonalities and Differences in Strategies for Regulating Motivation and Emotion in Academic Settings: A Within-Person Approach
Authors: Stockinger Kristina , Nett Ulrike E. , Dresel Markus
Published: March 2023

Background: Motivation and emotion form important pillars of students’ educational experiences and, while representing distinguishable constructs, are closely intertwined. Consequently, it can be assumed that their regulation may be governed by similar mechanisms as well. From a theoretical perspective, MR and ER strategy taxonomies do contain overlap, particularly among strategies involving reappraisals of personal competencies, but also unique (i.e., non-overlapping) strategies. Empirically, however, motivational regulation (MR) and emotion regulation (ER) have had little intersection in prior research and stem from rather disconnected research traditions.Aims: Building on previous work on the functional interplay between students’ motivation and emotion, we examined similarities and differences in MR and ER strategies and tested the assumption that MR strategies are also used to regulate emotions, and ER strategies to regulate motivation, in study situations. Sample: Participants were 1,466 university students.Method: Using a within-person design, students reported on their use of various strategies for managing regulatory problems involving either low motivation or negative emotions.Results: Using CFA and latent difference modeling, we found that strategy use was strongly correlated and differed little in terms of mean levels across motivational and emotional regulation problems. These correlations and mean differences were even stronger respectively smaller than those found for regulatory problem distinctions within motivational and emotional problems. Conclusions: The findings indicate that many designated MR and ER strategies as distinguished in current taxonomies may be relevant for managing both motivational and emotional problems and underscore the need for joint theoretical perspectives on MR and ER.
The holistic effects of medical cannabis compared to opioids on pain experience in Finnish patients with chronic pain
Authors: Jylkkä Jussi , Hupli Aleksi , Nikolaeva Aleksandra , Alanen Sandra , Back Anna Erika , Lindqvist Sara , Krabbe Andreas , Lavie Maya , Kantonen Oskari
Published: March 2023

Background. Medical cannabis (MC) is increasingly used for chronic pain, but it is unclear how it aids in pain management. Previous literature suggests that MC could holistically alter the pain experience instead of only targeting pain intensity. However, this hypothesis has not been previously systematically tested.Method. A retrospective internet survey was used in a sample of Finnish chronic pain patients (40 MC users and 161 opioid users). The patients evaluated statements describing positive and negative phenomenological effects of the medicine. The two groups were propensity score matched to control for possible confounding factors. Results. Exploratory factor analysis revealed three experience factors: Negative Side Effects, Positive Holistic Effects, and Positive Emotional Effects. The MC group (matched n = 39) received higher scores than the opioid group (matched n = 39) in Positive Emotional Effects with large effect size (Rank-Biserial Correlation RBC = .77, p < .001), and in Holistic Positive Effects with medium effect size (RBC = .47, p = .001), with no difference in Negative Side Effects (p = .06). MC and opioids were perceived as equally efficacious in reducing pain intensity. Ratings of individual statements were exploratively examined in a post hoc analysis. Conclusion. MC and opioids were perceived to be equally efficacious in reducing pain intensity, but MC additionally positively affected broader pain-related factors such as emotion, functionality, and overall sense of wellbeing. This supports the hypothesis that MC alleviates pain through holistically altering the pain experience.
A Rare Case of Idiopathic Atrophoderma of Pasini and Pierini
Authors: Xiao Hui , Pradhan Sushmita , Yang Xingchun , Liu Jiaxiu , Zhu Tangyou
Published: March 2023

Idiopathic atrophoderma of Pasini and Pierini (IAPP) is a rare pigmented atrophic cutaneous disease. Here, we report a case of a 27-year-old woman who presented with asymptomatic brown patches on her upper back for one year. There was no prior history of swelling or induration of the lesions. Physical examination showed atrophic patches with clear boundaries, consistent with snow footprints or cliff-drop-like changes on edge. Dermoscopy revealed numerous bare linear, branched blood vessels and perifollicular brownish areas, which differs from only one previously reported IAPP. Biopsy showed perivascular mononuclear cells infiltrating the dermis and reduced elastic fibers in the upper and middle dermis. Typical clinical findings of “footprints in the snow” appearance and dermoscopy could combine for a definite diagnosis aiding in differentiating from morphea presenting with whitish structureless and hairless areas. This case report might stimulate clinicians to diagnose such a rare disease in patients with similar lesions to avoid unnecessary treatment.
The HIPC Initiative, MDRI and Nepal: A Re-examination
Authors: Pant Bhubanesh , Subedi Biggyan
Published: March 2023

The HIPC Initiative was established in 1996 with the prime goal of reducing eligible countries' debt burdens to the thresholds fixed under the Initiative. There are both costs and benefits associated with participation under the Initiative. For many interim HIPCs, the challenges in meeting their completion point triggers pertain to maintaining macroeconomic stability, preparing participatory Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) as well as other country-specific triggers. At the completion point, full debt cancellation under the MDRI is granted. Nepal is one of the ten pre-decision point countries potentially eligible for participation under the Enhanced HIPC Initiative. The possible conditions linked to the country's entry to the HIPC Initiative, the level of existing concessionary foreign assistance that could be non-concessionary and the likely possible debt situation after reaching the completion point are some of the issues that need a reexamination.
Monetary Neutrality in the Nepalese Economy during 1975-2008
Authors: Khanal Mukesh
Published: March 2023

One of the methods of measuring the effectiveness of monetary policies is via inspection of monetary neutrality in the economy. It is a concept from classical economics and it suggests that changes in nominal variables do not have any impact on real variables. This paper studies the presence or absence of effective monetary policy in Nepal between 1975 and 2008 by observing money supply (nominal side), and real GDP (real). Results suggest that an increase in money supply immediately lowers the real GDP in the short run, but has no effect on real GDP in the long run. This evidence suggests that Nepal Rastra Bank’s monetary policies between 1975 and 2008 may have been counter-productive in the short-run, but they were effective for long-run growth and stability of the Nepalese economy.
Does Tourism Really Matter for Economic Growth? Evidence from Nepal
Authors: Paudyal Shoorabeer
Published: March 2023

Tourism seems to be widely recognized as the one among a few sectors in Nepal which can be an engine of economic growth. However, there are few empirical studies about Nepalese tourism. This paper, thus, attempts to examine the impact of tourism and other related macroeconomic variables on the economic growth of Nepal by deriving tourism income multiplier from the Keynesian macroeconomic model. The three stage least square and seemingly unrelated regressions are the techniques employed for estimating the value of multiplier. The estimated value of multiplier based on regression results over thirty six year period from 1975 to 2010 is estimated at 1.21. In addition, Granger causality tests are used to confirm the direction of the impact of one variable on another variable, which reveals that there exists bi-directional impact in the case of tourism receipts and GDP.  In addition, tourism receipts are found to have bi-directional relationship with some other variables such as GNI, exports, private consumption, imports and so on. Thus, tourism multiplier and the Granger causality tests show that tourism is important component for economic growth in Nepal.
Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural Growth in Nepal
Authors: Acharya Shankar Prasad , Bhatta Guna Raj
Published: March 2023

The concern of climate change has been emphasized in the field of economics too owing to the challenge of adapting to global warming for sustainable development and growth. This challenge becomes dominant in the developing economies like Nepal as these countries face the combination of equator vulnerable climate change pattern, agro-based economy, scarcity of resources, and lack of influence to put forth the global agenda of climate change to international forum. In this paper, we conducted a quantitative modeling of climate change and its impact to the agricultural value addition in Nepal taking into consideration annual series of agricultural gross domestic product (AGDP), rainfall, temperature, seeds and fertilizer distribution data for the period of 36 years ranging from 1975 to 2010. The statistical inferences show the significant positive impact of rainfall to the AGDP. Nevertheless, improved seeds and chemical fertilizers are found to be insignificant. The impact of rising temperature to AGDP is cautious as we find a large negative coefficient of cyclical component of temperature, but statistically insignificant. This insignificance may be due to the nature of very little temperature variability over the study period as compared to the variability in AGDP. The country should assess the impact of climate change in national, regional, and district level to collect the spatial information and underpin the adaptive policies to the required areas.
An Empirical Analysis of Money Supply Process in Nepal
Authors: Shrestha Prakash Kumar
Published: March 2023

This paper examines the money supply process in Nepal empirically on the basis of mainstream and Post-Keynesian theoretical perspectives for both pre and post-liberalization period covering the sample period of 1965/66-2009/10. The relative contribution of different components of money supply has been computed and the money supply as well as money multiplier function has been estimated. Empirical results show that disposable high powered money is found to be a major contributor to the change in monetary aggregates without any significant structural break. However, the degree of controllability of high powered money is not strong, and neither CRR nor Bank Rate has been effective monetary policy tools so far. Open market operation is found statistically significant only at 10 percent level of significance to influence disposable high powered money. On the other hand, money multipliers are affected by currency ratio, time deposits ratio and excess reserve ratio, but not by CRR. On the other hand, Granger causality based test of Post-Keynesian hypothesis reveals that money supply endogeniety cannot be ruled out. Hence, monetary policy framework needs to be changed accordingly and OMO should be strengthened further.
Bank Credit and Economic Growth in Nepal: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Timsina Neelam
Published: March 2023

This study examines the impact of commercial bank credit to the private sector on the economic growth in Nepal from supply side perspectives. The study has applied Johansen co-integration approach and Error Correction Model using the time series data for the period of 1975-2014. The empirical results show that bank credit to the private sector has positive effects on the economic growth in Nepal only in the long run. Nevertheless, in the short run, it has been observed a feedback effect from economic growth to private sector credit. More specifically, the growth in real private sector credit by 1 percentage point contributes to an increase in real gross domestic product by 0.40 percentage point in the long run. The empirical results imply that, policy makers should focus on long run policies to promote economic growth – development of modern banking sector, efficient financial market and infrastructure so as to increase the private sector credit which is instrumental to promote growth in the long run.
Nepal's Fiscal Federalism Model in the New Constitution: Agenda for Amendments
Authors: Prasad Uma Shankar
Published: March 2023

The first Constituent Assembly (CA) was dissolved without producing the constitution. The Constitution of Nepal as Federal Democratic Republic was promulgated on September 20, 2015 by the second CA. The primary objective of this study is to review the modality presented in the new constitution on the natural resources, economic rights and revenue allocation and recommend some amendments. The study finds that the fiscal decentralization initiatives have not been successful in minimizing the political, social, economic, regional and ethnic inequalities inherent for nearly 240 years of a unitary system of governance in Nepal. The study recommends: VAT and income taxes will have to be collected concurrently at both the central and sub-national levels. Other taxes including excise duties will have to be collected by the sub-national governments which will support the expenditure responsibilities of the sub-national governments adequately in federal Nepal. Intergovernmental transfer modality has to be included in the constitution. A Federal Finance Commission (FFC) and the National Planning Commission will have to be constituted at the central level to make national level development plans and to make recommendations for additional grants and loans. A State Planning Commission (SPC) and a State Finance Commission can be established in each state to prepare state development plans and to deal with the transfers to be made to local bodies.
Macroeconomic Impact of International Reserves: Empirical Evidence from South Asia
Authors: Shrestha Prakash Kumar
Published: March 2023

In recent years, many emerging countries have been accumulating substantial amount of international reserves by outpacing traditional benchmark in response to a series of financial crises in the world. In this context, this paper constructs a dynamic macro model with new monetary policy rule to examine the implications of international reserve accumulation for macroeconomic outcomes such as economic growth and inflation. Such a macro model is empirically examined in the data of South Asian countries, namely Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka by using Panel VAR method for the period of 1990-2014. The empirical results show that increase in international reserves tends to cause higher economic growth in these countries but without significant impact on inflation. This implies that these countries can move further utilizing the accumulated international reserves productively which will enhance economic growth and maintain internal and external balances.
Determinants of Bank Lending in Nepal
Authors: Timsina Neelam
Published: March 2023

Commercial banks constitute a major chunk of total assets in the banking system in Nepal and extension of credit is one of the major functions of banking institutions. If banks are not efficient in their lending behavior, it may not contribute to economic growth. On the other hand, their inefficient and imprudent banking practices may lead to riskier financial instability. The main objective of the study is to test and confirm the effectiveness of the determinants of commercial bank lending behavior in Nepal by using time series Ordinary Least Square regression approach for empirical analysis. The model involves Nepalese commercial banks' private sector credit (pvct) as dependent variable and other variables such as their volume of deposits (dep), interest rate (Ir), stipulated cash reserve requirements ratio (crr), their liquidity ratio (lr), inflation (inf), exchange rate (exr), and gross domestic product (gdp) as independent variables for the period; 1975 – 2014. From the regression analysis, it was found that Gross Domestic Product and liquidity ratio of banks have the greatest impacts on their lending behavior. Granger Causality Test shows the evidence of unidirectional casual relationship from GDP to private sector credit. The study implies that GDP is the barometer of the economy and commercial banks should pay their attention to the overall macro economic situation of the country, factors affecting the GDP in general and their liquidity ratio in particular while taking lending decision.
Optimal Inflation Rate for Nepal
Authors: Timsina Neelam , Panta Rajan Karishna , Dangal Madhav , Chaulagain Mahesh
Published: March 2023

This paper estimates the optimal inflation rate in Nepal based on the data of the period 1978–2016. The novelty of the analysis is that it probes possible nonlinearity of the hypothesized impact of inflation on economic growth using alternative specifications. The results suggest that there exists a threshold effect of inflation. The Ordinary Least Squares method estimates the turning point of inflation to be 6.25 percent while that of the Hansen (2000) method shows the threshold level to be 6.40 percent. The maximum impact on growth associated with the turning point, and at the mean levels of other explanatory variables is quite high at 4.59 percent. The results suggest that Nepal should adopt an inflation target range around the computed optimal inflation rate to lower the inflation expectation and enhance economic growth.
Macro Modeling Practices at Nepal Rastra Bank
Authors: Research Department Nepal Rastra Bank
Published: March 2023

This paper presents a brief survey of macroeconomic models of Nepal. It also empirically investigates sectoral models of macroeconomic variables including inflation, monetary aggregate, fiscal and external sector upon which policymakers' concern rests during the process of monetary policy formulation. Sample period of 1975 to 2016 is used for the estimation. The Data Generating Process (DGP) identified in this paper for the variables of interest meets necessary criteria both from theory and empirical ground. These models are useful to understand general relationship from sectoral perspective and to carryout simple forecasting for making monetary and other macroeconomic policy decisions.
Estimation of Production Function for Furniture and Pharmaceutical Industries in Nepal
Authors: Gaire Hom Nath
Published: March 2023

With the application of Robust Regression Method, this paper attempts to estimate the production function for manufacturing industries of Nepal. In this endeavour, the production function for Furniture and Pharmaceutical industries have been estimated using cross-section data of the Census of Manufacturing Establishment (CME) 2011/2012. The coefficients of log-linear form of Cobb-Douglas (C-D) production function reveal that the selected manufacturing industries are operating with decreasing returns to scales. The labour coefficients of both industries are found to be statistically insignificant. Negative labour coefficient of Pharmaceutical Industry indicates capital intensive nature of the production and minimal contribution of labour inputs. Although positive and significant, capital coefficients indicate both industries were running with decreasing returns to capital inputs. Total Factor Productivity (TFP) representing the state of technology and factors other than labour and capital found to be instrumental and significant for both the industries.
Effect of resin photopolymerization on primary teeth pulpal temperature change.
Authors: ERDOĞAN Yıldırım , ERTUĞRUL İhsan Furkan
Published: March 2023

Purpose: The polymerization of restorative materials has the potential to increase pulpal temperature and may result in damage to the health of pulpal tissue. The aim of this study is to investigate the pulpal temperature change of primary teeth with two LED light-curing units (Valo Cordless®, EliparTM DeepCure-S) and three restorative groups (Filtek™ Bulk Fill Flowable, Filtek™ Z250 Universal Restorative and empty cavity) by using a microcirculation model.

Material and Methods: Ten sound human maxillary second primary molars were used. Standardized Class V cavity preparations were performed with a dentin thickness of 1 mm and restorative groups were cured with LED light-curing units. The highest temperature point in the pulp chamber was recorded. A repeated measures ANOVA and paired samples t-test were used for analysis of the data (𝑝
Australian military personnel perspectives on family, service, and deployment: An analysis of open-ended survey data
Authors: Runge Catherine E. , Moss Katrina M. , Dean Judith A. , Waller Michael
Published: March 2023

LAY SUMMARY

Most research on military family health has involved talking to spouses, but what do military personnel think? Personnel may identify different issues that have not had the attention of research on armed forces. This study used the “Any other comments?” question in a military family survey to get their thoughts. Australian Defence Force regular and reserve personnel who were in the army, navy, or air force completed the survey. There were 264 personnel who talked about families, and key issues and views were identified from their responses. These included the challenge of living away from families for service reasons and a feeling of “talk, not action” on work and family balance. Responses revealed that non-family-friendly practices affected the health of families. They also caused personnel to leave regular service or the military altogether. Armed forces should work to match practices with policies. This study also shows how open-ended-comment questions in surveys are useful for research and give military personnel a chance to have their say.
The Role of Employer Branding Practices on Management of Employee Attraction and Retention
Authors: Ada Nesrin , Korolchuk Mykola , Yunyk Ivan
Published: March 2023

Introduction. An employer brand includes everything practiced to position an organization as a preferred employer. Nowadays, business companies are having more difficulty procuring qualified employees who are vital for company success under keenly competitive business conditions. To cope with this difficulty, companies carry out different practices to attract and retain talent, and the employer brand concept has become one of the tools that business companies use to attract and retain talent.
Aim and tasks. The aim of the study is to investigate, determine and describe how business companies are efficacious in their employer brand management practices to meet the expectations of current and potential employees. It is also aimed to determine which activities are carried out by the business companies for employer branding. In this context, a literature review is carried out within the scope of employer branding to brief the concepts of organizational attractiveness and to ensure organizational commitment.
Results. Within the scope of the research, the semi-structured in-depth interviews with the human resources professionals of seven large-scale, domestic, and foreign companies operating in the Izmir, Istanbul, and Manisa provinces were examined. The findings of the interviews are evaluated by the qualitative analysis method according to the research methodology. The result of the research conducted and the references to the definition of the employer brand were compiled under five nodes. These are the work environment, economic benefits, work-life balance, career development opportunities, and social activities. On the other hand, the economic benefits node was compiled under two different sub-nodes, namely wages and fringe benefits. The characteristics and contributions of the employer branding were investigated, and the effects of the employer brand on retention within the scope of talent management were investigated.
Conclusions. It has been observed that the organizations' awareness level of the employer brand concept is high, and it has been discovered that they have many practices for both potential candidates and current employees. These practices have revealed that they differentiate themselves from their competitors in terms of business characteristics, working environment, and global opportunities. All these efforts provide many benefits such as increases in the number of applications, increases in attractive employer rankings, increases in employee motivation, and decreases in employee turnover rates.
Hérnia peritônio-pericárdica em cão: Relato de caso
Authors: Orzari Gabriela
Published: March 2023

A hérnia peritônio-pericárdica ou hérnia diafragmática peritônio-pericárdica (HDPP) é uma patologia congênita na qual há comunicação entre abdômen e saco pericárdico. A falha ocorre devido ao desenvolvimento embrionário anormal do septo transverso podendo acometer tanto cães como gatos. O presente relato referiu-se a um cão macho, jovem assintomático tendo diagnóstico precoce de hérnia peritônio-pericárdica pelos exames complementares de imagem (ecocardiograma, raio-x torácico e ultrassonografia abdominal), após avaliação clínica geral para procedimento de correção de hérnia umbilical. O tratamento de escolha foi a intervenção cirúrgica no qual o paciente apresentou boa recuperação com prognóstico favorável.
Correção de fenda palatina traumática associada à fratura de mandíbula em felino: Relato de caso
Authors: Martins Nathálya dos Santos , Rodrigues Robertson Bastos , Silva Kamila Cristina Martins da , Bringel Karen Emilly Martins , Freitas Kelvis de Brito , Souza Thiago Martins , Albuquerque  Joanna Jéssica , Oliveira  Rudson A. de Oliveira
Published: March 2023

Quando defeitos palatinos ocasionados por trauma interrompem a separação da cavidade oral e nasal, técnicas cirúrgicas adequadas são essenciais para a reconstrução anatômica. Relata-se um caso de fenda palatina secundária por trauma e fratura de mandíbula, sendo a primeira corrigida cirurgicamente utilizando a técnica de retalho bipediculado deslizante (técnica de Von Langebeck), consistindo no alívio com estafilorrafia e redução da fratura com a técnica de amarria interdental com resina acrílica. As técnicas mostraram-se eficazes no fechamento da fenda palatina e redução da fratura, aliadas aos cuidados adequados no pós-operatório.
Food supply transport and logistics system organizations
Authors: Zagurskiy O. , Zhurakovska T.
Published: March 2023

The logistics system for agricultural products distribution in the current global economy is the main topic for discussion in society and in the scientific literature, and food security is closely linked to the concept of sustainable economic development.

The article considers a number of factors influencing the efficiency of logistics systems for agricultural products distribution in the global economy and analyzes the problems that arise in the management of business processes in food supply chains. It is determined that in the agri-food chain the decisive factors for creating and maintaining competitive advantages are access to the best buyer at the appropriate level of quality, with the required shelf life and proper passage through the supply chain.

In the context of globalization, the competitive advantages of logistics services, based only on price and consumer properties, lose their leading importance, and in the first place are flexibility, limited lead time, reliable and high-quality supplies, choice, and so on. The complexity of the organization of transport and logistics systems for the supply of perishable food products is due to, on the one hand, the participation of a large number of links in the chain, and, on the other hand, the features of perishable goods.
Study on antioxidant activity of Jujube seed oil
Authors: Yang Fan , Bai Liang , Tao Yong-Qing
Published: March 2023

Jujube seed oil is pressed by Ziziphi Spinosae Semen，and widely cultivated in China with healthful. Here, we focused on illustrating the components and antioxidant activity of Jujube seed oil. The pressed oil was analyzed by GC-MS. The in vitro antioxidant activity was tested by free radical scavenging. The in vivo antioxidant activity was tested by using Saccharomyces cerevisiae model. The results of GC-MS showed that alkenes (e.g., d-limonene and α-farnesene) were the richest components of jujube seed oil. The experiments of in vitro and in vivo suggested that jujube seed oil possessed good antioxidant capacity. Treatment with Jujube seed oil counteracted oxidative stress-induced by lipid peroxidation and intracellular oxidation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Furthermore, experiments performed on missing strains of redox molecules showed that jujube seed oil-induced prevention against lipid peroxidation might be related to catalase encoded by cytosolic catalase T ctt1 gene. Taken together, our current data highlighted the antioxidant capacity of jujube seed oil. Interestingly the Ctt1 activity is vital in the mechanism associated with lipid peroxidation prevention of jujube seed oil.
Combined subtarsal contralateral transmaxillary retroeustachian and endoscopic endonasal approaches to the infrapetrous region
Authors: Labib Mohamed A. , Abramov Irakliy , Houlihan Lena Mary , Srinivasan Visish M. , Scherschinski Lea , Prevedello Daniel M. , Carrau Ricardo L. , Abou-Al-Shaar Hussam , Preul Mark C. , Lawton Michael T.
Published: March 2023

OBJECTIVE

The eustachian tube (ET) limits endoscopic endonasal access to the infrapetrous region. Transecting or mobilizing the ET may result in morbidities. This study presents a novel approach in which a subtarsal contralateral transmaxillary (ST-CTM) corridor is coupled with the standard endonasal approach to facilitate access behind the intact ET.

METHODS

Eight cadaveric head specimens were dissected. Endoscopic endonasal approaches (EEAs) (i.e., transpterygoid and inferior transclival) were performed on one side, followed by ST-CTM and sublabial contralateral transmaxillary (SL-CTM) approaches on the opposite side, along with different ET mobilization techniques on the original side. Seven comparative groups were generated. The length of the cranial nerves, areas of exposure, and volume of surgical freedom (VSF) in the infrapetrous regions were measured and compared.

RESULTS

Without ET mobilization, the combined ST-CTM/EEA approach provided greater exposure than EEA alone (mean ± SD 288.9 ± 40.66 mm2 vs 91.7 ± 49.9 mm2; p = 0.001). The VSFs at the ventral jugular foramen (JF), entrance to the petrous internal carotid artery (ICA), and lateral to the parapharyngeal ICA were also greater in ST-CTM/EEA than in EEA alone (p = 0.002, p = 0.002, and p < 0.001, respectively). EEA alone, however, provided greater VSF at the hypoglossal canal (HGC) than did ST-CTM/EEA (p = 0.01). The SL-CTM approach did not increase the EEA exposure (p = 0.48). The ST-CTM/EEA approach provided greater exposure than EEA with extended inferolateral (EIL) or anterolateral (AL) ET mobilization (p = 0.001 and p = 0.02, respectively). The ST-CTM/EEA also increased the VSF lateral to the parapharyngeal ICA in comparison with EEA/EIL ET mobilization (p < 0.001) but not with EEA/AL ET mobilization (p = 0.36). Finally, the VSFs at the HGC and JF were greater in EEA/AL ET mobilization than in ST-CTM/EEA without ET mobilization (p = 0.002 and p = 0.004, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Combining the EEA with the more laterally and superiorly originating ST-CTM approach allows greater exposure of the infrapetrous and ventral JF regions while obviating the need for mobilizing the ET. The surgical freedom afforded by the combined approaches is greater than that obtained by EEA alone.
Creation of a 3D kinematic model of the Delta manipulator using computer-aided design in NX
Authors: Voloshkin Artem , Rybak Larisa , Skitova Valeria , Nozdracheva Anna , Gaponenko Elena
Published: March 2023

The article discusses the design of the Delta robot, which is part of a multirobotic system for aliquoting biological fluid. The purpose of the article is to obtain a dynamic model of the Delta manipulator using 3D modeling, which will allow studying the kinematic and dynamic characteristics of the manipulator for the specified parameters. A computer-aided design (CAD) system is used for modeling. The article presents an analytical calculation of the kinematic and dynamic parameters of the Delta manipulator in the RS structure, a solution to the inverse problem is presented. The process of creating a digital calculation model in the NX Nasrtan system is described. The preliminary calculation of kinematic and dynamic parameters made it possible to set parameters in the NX Nastran system to ensure the rotation of the drive shafts of the engines in accordance with the specified trajectory of the output link. For all parts of the manipulator, the center of mass is determined and the material is assigned. Motion simulation was carried out and dependences of changes in speeds, accelerations and movements of the manipulator links were obtained to implement the required trajectory of the mobile platform. This calculation allows you to build the trajectory of the output link with a given speed, setting the rotation of the drive links of the calculated model taking into account the forces of inertia.
Luna-25. Robotic arm
Authors: Yakovlev Vladislav , Litvak Maksim , Kozlova Tatyana , Dokuchaev Igor , Zverev Radij
Published: March 2023

The lunar manipulator complex developed for the Luna-25 landing mission as part of the instrument group. During the ground tests, first, the kinematics of the manipulator's movements, as it will implemented on the Moon, and the interaction of various instruments worked out: lunar manipulator complex (LMC), a laser ionization mass spectrometer (LASMA-LR), a stationary television system (STS-L) and an IR spectrometer and stereo camera (LIS-TV-RPM). The joint work of this group of devices should ensure accurate guidance of the manipulator to the selected area of the Moon's surface with subsequent sampling, safe transportation of the soil taken into the receiving hole of the mass spectrometer and guidance of the IR spectrometer to various objects on the Moon's surface. The possibilities of the LMC to dig and take soil samples in a vertical chamber using a lunar regolith simulator frozen to cryogenic temperatures in a vacuum with the addition of water ice also investigated.