bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE AS AN EFFORT TO CURE DISEASES: REVIEW
Authors: Lestari Ema Harta , Salem Amirudin , Hasanah Umi , Sunnah Nehayatul
Published: February 2025

In modern times, a variety of advanced technologies have been present in various fields, one of which is health. Rapid developments in the health sector include medical care. Medical treatment experiences a lot of progress that gives hope for the patient's recovery. This certainty is because medical treatment has been considered a rational and scientific treatment. On the other hand, in reality, many patients still use alternative medicine. Patients have trust or believe that alternative medicine is a treatment that can heal their illness because they have economical prices, minimal side effects, and are easy to find. The purpose of this literature study is to find out the reasons for patients choosing alternative medicine to heal the disease so that patients choose alternative medicine to try to heal diseases other than using medical treatment.
Evaluation of the early detection program for cervical cancer using the see-and-treat method
Authors: Dewi Candra Ratna , Palimbo Adriana , Mahdiyah Dede
Published: February 2025

Background: Cervical cancer is the second most common type of cancer among women in Indonesia after breast cancer and is the third leading cause of cancer death.
Objective: Evaluating the implementation of the early detection program for cervical cancer using the see-and-treat method at Martapura 2 Community Health Center.
Method: The research design uses quantitative descriptive methods. Sampling used random sampling techniques and obtained 23 health workers as respondents. Data collection was carried out using a checklist sheet. Data were analyzed using univariate analysis.
Results: The results of the study showed that all respondents (100%) stated that they had carried out coordination, had not provided training to cadres (100%), Health Workers who had attended training in early detection of cervical cancer (13%), had provided education to the community about cervical cancer (87%), and counseling about the HPV vaccine (61%), there were no problems during the VIA examination (78%), the completeness of the cryotherapy examination equipment met the standards (100%), there were no problems during the implementation of cryotherapy (100%), supported the procurement of the HPV vaccine (96%), but only (22%) proposed the procurement of the vaccine, the majority of respondents stated that patients with IVA results with extensive lesions > 75% were willing to be referred (87%), and stated that there were no obstacles in the referral system (91%).
Conclusion: Implementing the early detection program for cervical cancer using the see-and-treat method at Martapura 2 Community Health Center needs improvement.
Effect of consuming lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) on shortening the postpartum period
Authors: Meidawati Gusti Sophia , Rahmawati Dwi , Noval  , Mahdiyah Dede
Published: February 2025

Background: Complementary care in some midwifery communities has become important to midwifery practice. One of the reasons why complementary midwifery care is currently widely used is the desire to avoid the side effects of drugs. Based on the birth register at Independent Practice of Midwife Darmawati from September to December 2023, the average number of births was 25 patients a month, with postpartum visit data recorded as 89% of postpartum mothers consuming lemongrass decoction (Cymbopogon citratus) during the postpartum period. Lemongrass is a natural resource proven to speed up the healing process. Lemongrass is rich in potassium, which stimulates blood circulation, improves blood flow, and helps increase endurance.
Objective: The aim is to determine the effect of consuming lemongrass decoction on shortening the postpartum period.
Method: This research method uses a quasi-experimental research design with a treatment group and a control group design. The population of this study was all postpartum mothers recorded in the IPM Darmawati birth register from September 2023 to January 2024. This research used a tool in the form of an observation sheet which was filled out by respondents in the treatment group every time they drank lemongrass decoction according to the manual for making lemongrass decoction and how to consume it.
Results: In the intervention group 25% had the postpartum period in the normal category, and 75% in the fast category, while in the control group 100% were in the normal. The Wilcoxon test results show a significant difference between the treatment and control group with a p-value of 0.042.
Conclusion: Consuming lemongrass decoction significantly shortened the postpartum period.
Overcoming anemia in prospective brides and grooms as an effort to prevent stunting
Authors: Palimbo Adriana , Bamegawati Ika Melinda , Mahdiyah Dede , Herawati Anita , Rahman Luthfia Hidayati , Fariana Yuni Riska Nur , Arfiah
Published: February 2025

Background: Before the wedding, the majority of brides to be, still lack knowledge about reproductive health in families. After marriage, pregnancies are often not planned properly. This can have negative impacts such as the risk of pregnancy complications, disability, and even death of the mother and baby.

Case presentation: In Banjarmasin, the number of prospective brides and grooms who suffer from anaemia is 7.9% and malnutrition is 11.2. Increasing a person's knowledge and attitudes regarding anaemia prevention by providing behavior and compliance in consuming iron supplement tablets or blood supplement tablets can reduce the risk of pregnancy complications and prevent stunting. Community handling was carried out together through the Midwifery Project implemented in January 2024 at the Pekauman Community Health Center. The instrument used leaflets, banners, and control cards to monitor the consumption of blood supplement tablets.
Discussion: Information and educational counseling and demonstrations were used as a learning model for seven pairs of prospective brides or grooms or a total of 14 subjects. This tool uses leaflets, banners, and control cards to monitor the consumption of blood supplement tablets.
Conclusion: This project has been proven to increase the bride and groom's knowledge about anaemia, its prevention and treatment, and increased compliance with taking blood supplement tablets regularly as recommended by health services.
The Impact of Source Speech Rate on Accuracy in Simultaneous Interpreting: A Controlled Experiment
Authors: Zhao
Published: February 2025

Simultaneous interpreting (SI) is a cognitively demanding activity that requires interpreters to process and produce language in real-time. Among the factors influencing SI performance, the source speech rate (SSR) has been widely recognized as a significant variable. This paper explores the impact of SSR on the accuracy of SI, presenting findings from a controlled experiment. Through a detailed analysis of interpreter performance at varying SSRs, the study sheds light on optimal conditions for maintaining interpretative accuracy and offers implications for interpreter training and professional practice.
Stilladsering til understøtning af studerendes kompetenceudvikling
Authors: Mortensen Nanna
Published: February 2025

Denne artikel tager afsæt i en empirisk case, der repræsenterer en typisk underviserudfordring med et kort undervisningsforløb uden vejledning. I casen er der blevet implementeret et stilladseringseksperiment, der har til formål at træne de studerendes kompetencer, understøttet af underviser- og peerfeedback. Artiklen præsenterer resultaterne af eksperimentet baseret på mundtlige og skriftlige evalueringsdata samt underviserens observationer. Resultaterne viser, at der hos både underviser og studerende opstod indsigt i de studerendes faglige udfordringer. Underviseren brugte disse erkendelser til at tilpasse undervisningen, mens de studerende kunne identificere deres egne læringsbehov. Artiklen fremhæver også, at læsning, spejling og diskussion af hinandens opgaver udgjorde et læringspotentiale for de studerende. Samtidig understreges vigtigheden af at ramme de studerendes aktuelle faglige niveau samt facilitering og understøtning af peerfeedback. Artiklens formål er at give undervisere indsigt i, hvilken fordele og udfordringer der kan opstå, hvis stilladsering benyttes til at understøtte studerendes kompetenceudvikling.
Rollen und Einflussmöglichkeiten von Schreibzentren an deutschen Hochschulen. Ergebnisse einer deutschlandweiten Umfrage zu Rahmenbedingungen und Aktivitäten von Schreibzentren
Authors: Hoffmann Nora , Freise Fridrun
Published: February 2025

Although writing centers based on the US model are now widespread at German universities, they are still in the process of being established and institutionalized. This article (Roles and Possibilities of Influence of Writing Centers at German Universities. First Results of a Germany-wide Survey) explores the question of what role writing centers currently play at German universities after the expiry of the Quality Pact for Teaching, which facilitated their rise, and how they are institutionally positioned as actors. The article presents the initial results of a survey conducted in spring 2023 among writing centers at German universities, in which 77 of 146 existing centers participated. Data is presented on the institutional placement of the centers, the range of services offered, target groups, advice provided to university management, research activities, participation in internal decisions, and staffing. The aim of this article is to provide an empirically based stocktaking of the status of writing centers in Germany.
Risk Perceptions of Insurance Policyholders in the Gauteng Region of South Africa
Authors: Ferreira-Schenk Suné , Dickason-Koekemoer Zandri , Van Deventer Marko
Published: February 2025

The insurance industry’s product range is diverse, and the risk perception of each product differs from that of insurers, especially given the constantly changing market conditions. Often, insurance companies misunderstand the risk perceptions of their policyholders and inevitably lose clients. To better understand these perceptions of risk, this paper aims to analyze the endogenous factors that influence the perception of risk of insurance policyholders in Gauteng, South Africa. These endogenous factors include demographics, risk perception, risk tolerance, and behavioral finance biases. South African insurance policyholders residing in Gauteng province of South Africa were identified as the target population for this study. From this study, endogenous factors such as age, health status, representativeness, and availability bias, as well as self-control, were identified as significant factors influencing the risk perception of insurance policyholders. The risk tolerance profile of the sample indicated that most participants would take average financial risks as most assets were covered, but not comprehensively. Risk tolerance was also found to be a contributing factor to the risk perception of policy holders. By gaining deeper insights into insurance policyholder risk perceptions and the antecedents thereof, insurance companies could be better position to expand their horizons and provide higher quality insurance services to their clients.
Obesity as a Risc Factor for Diabetic Foot Ulcer
Authors: Dragić Dragana , Jovičić Željko , Gajić Aleksandar , Kovačević Peđa , Kovačević Tijana , Cvijetić Željka , Šiljak Slađana , Dragić Saša
Published: February 2025

Introduction: Diabetic foot is a term used to describe the foot of a diabetic patient with a potential risk for several pathological consequences, including infection, ulceration and/or destruction of deep tissues associated with neurological abnormalities and different degrees of peripheral vascular disease and/or metabolic complications of diabetes in lower extremities. Objective: To determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the characteristics of diabetic foot ulcer, and to offer an answer to the question of whether and in what context obesity can be viewed as a risk factor for diabetic foot ulcer or as a predictor of treatment outcomes. Methods: The study was created as a prospective follow-up study, and the total sample contained 33 subjects. Subjects were adult patients of both sex that satisfied determined inclusion criteria. The consent of the competent ethics committee was also obtained. All data were entered into the MS Excel database, and further statistical processing was performed using SPSS 21 program. Statistically significant difference was noted if P≤0.05. Results: The key results of this study are the fact that no statistically significant correlation was found between the diameter and depth of the ulcer at first examination with BMI values ​​(P = 0.865 and P = 0.137), as well as obesity expressed through BMI with the clinical outcome of diabetic foot ulcer treatment after 2 months (P = 0.448). Conclusion: There is no proven statistical relationship between diameter and depth of ulcers with BMI, nor the influence of BMI on the clinical outcome of diabetic foot ulcer treatment.
Risk Factors for Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Brcic Halilagic Vinka , Bijelić Radojka , Cvijetić Željka
Published: February 2025

Obesity among children and adolescents can be characterized as a worrying public health problem in the 21st century. The timeline covering the last three decades records the growth of the prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents. The consequences of obesity are incalculable because they lead to many chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system, endocrinological, gastrointestinal diseases and disorders of the musculoskeletal system as well as psychological diseases. The risk factors of excess body weight and obesity are associated with the disproportion between caloric intake and physical inactivity as the main factors, and other important factors that can lead to the development of the disease (genetic, endocrine, social environment and socioeconomic factors) should not be underestimated. The aim of the work is to point out the risk factors that can lead to the development of obesity in childhood and the adequate measures for the primary prevention of this disease. Research methods. The paper used relevant literature data that indicate risk factors for the development of obesity in children and adolescents, the importance of their early detection as well as prevention measures. Conclusion. Direct the health policy towards the goal of identifying overweight children and adolescents in order to reduce the risk of developing obesity in adulthood. Prevention should include educational programs for children and adolescents with the aim of acquiring knowledge, but also changing habits related to nutrition, physical activity and lifestyle.
The Impact of Surface Coal Mining on Residential Property Values: A Hedonic Price Analysis
Authors: Williams Austin
Published: February 2025

The use of certain surface mining techniques is currently a heavily-debated environmental issue and one where consideration of non-market values is likely to lead to the creation of better public policy. This study uses the hedonic pricing method to investigate the impact that surface coal mines have on residential property values. The results of this statistical analysis show that as the number of surface mines and their average production increases, the median value of housing units in a county significantly decreases. In particular, for the three model specifications explored, it is estimated that the addition of a surface mine to the average county decreases aggregate property values by between $7,949,363.77 and $40,146,061.87.
How Jane Austen Uses Marriage to Get What She Wants
Authors: Eberle Hannah
Published: February 2025

As a biochemistry major approaching the subject of Jane Austen and feminism, I found the dichotomy between pleasure readers and critical readers interesting. How can books that are almost 200 years old draw so much attention from both quarters still today? In my thesis, I use Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma to discuss how Austen uses the marriage plot in the context of the 18th century. This plot device allows her to point out problems with marriage as a market, such as emphasis on wealth and the social setup that requires women to be "taken care of" by men. Her strategy works because it is a mixture of the pleasurable and the critical: one cannot read Austen without enjoying the romantic love stories and learning deeper lessons. This intriguing overlap is one of the reasons Austen continues to impact the modern world.
IALight: Importance-Aware Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for Arterial Traffic Cooperative Control
Authors: WEI Lu , ZHANG Xiaoyan , FAN Lijun , GAO Lei , YANG Jian
Published: February 2025

Multi-intersection cooperative control for arterial or network scenarios is a crucial issue in urban traffic management. Multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) has been recognised as an efficient solution and shows outperformed results. However, most existing MARL-based methods treat intersection equally, ignoring different importance of each intersection, such as high traffic volume, connecting multiple main roads, serving as entry or exit point for highways or commercial areas, etc. Besides, learning efficiency and practicality remain challenges. To address these issues, this paper proposes a novel importance-aware MARL-based method named IALight for traffic optimisation control. First, a normalised traffic pressure is introduced to ensure our state and reward design can accurately reflect the status of intersection traffic flow. Second, a reward adjustment module is designed to modify the reward based on intersection importance. To enhance practicality and safety for real-world applications, we adopt a green duration optimisation strategy under a cyclic fixed phase sequence. Comprehensive experiments on both synthetic and real-world traffic scenarios demonstrate that the proposed IALight outperforms the traditional and deep reinforcement learning baselines by more than 20.41% and 17.88% in average vehicle travel time, respectively.
Assessing Logistics Industry Efficiency and Identifying Determinants in Shijiazhuang, China – A Comprehensive Analysis
Authors: ZHU Tao-Xing , SONG Hao
Published: February 2025

This study evaluated the efficiency of the logistics industry in Shijiazhuang City by using the DEA-BCC and Malmquist index models to analyse efficiency changes from 2010 to 2019 and compared them with seven logistics hub cities in the eastern region. The results indicate that Shijiazhuang’s logistics efficiency is high, with leading technology and management levels in the eastern region. Additionally, the Tobit regression model was used to explore factors affecting Shijiazhuang’s logistics efficiency, finding that economic development and locational advantages positively influence logistics efficiency, whereas industrial structure has a negative impact. Based on these findings, it is recommended that Shijiazhuang City enhance its logistics efficiency by improving logistics infrastructure, developing multimodal transport, leveraging locational advantages, elevating economic levels and openness, advancing logistics informatisation and nurturing high-quality logistics talent.
Coffee and Colonialism in Angola, 1820-1960
Authors: Vos Jelmer
Published: February 2025

A new perspective on Angolan colonial and labour history in the 19th and 20th centuries, which explores how the cultivation of coffee, the country's most significant export, shaped one of the oldest commercial frontiers in sub-Saharan Africa.
Coffee was Angola's most important colonial export crop from the 1820s, affecting the lives of thousands of farmers and plantation workers in Angola and the taste buds of millions of coffee drinkers worldwide. This book traces the emergence of a coffee economy in northern Angola following the collapse of the transatlantic slave trade, and documents its rapid expansion as global demand for robusta coffee increased in the years before and after the Second World War. The book highlights the ways in which small African farmers, European settlers, traders and consumers transformed local landscapes, labour regimes, and lifestyles in response to changes in the world coffee market.

The coffee estates of white settlers became the largest employers of contract labour in Angola, and the author recounts the divergent experiences of the Africans involved in coffee's production, from slavery to forced labour, and describes how colonial labour demands affected African households. In addition, by linking the social and economic strategies of small coffee farmers to cultures of consumption, the book sheds light on the complex historical relationships between Angolan producers and the world economy.
Re-Reading the Beethoven Violin Sonatas
Authors: Tong Daniel
Published: February 2025

New readings of the ten Beethoven sonatas for piano and violin, embracing both the performer's interpretation and the analyst's rigour.

This book provides new readings of the ten Beethoven sonatas for piano and violin, many of which have been given surprisingly little attention by scholars to date. This may be because nine of the sonatas are relatively early works, written between 1797-1803, with only the final sonata, Op.96 (1812) standing apart. However, within these ten works, Beethoven demonstrates numerous aspects of his musical personality and compositional style. The analyses in this book engage with postmodern concerns such as hermeneutics, intertextuality, gender, humour, narratology and human interest, revealing characteristics within these sonatas that have been slow to come to light. Here are examples of the Beethovenian narrative that do not always encapsulate heroic struggle and triumph; in many of the sonatas we find a witty, smiling composer, at odds with the growling Beethoven iconography. Works within the violin sonata cycle interrogate the hypermasculine Beethoven trope, before the last sonata is explored via a host of intertextual relationships with a body of early Romantic repertoire that emerged after Beethoven's death.

Embracing both the performer's interpretation and the analyst's rigour (or vice versa), this work offers methodologies for performer's analysis whilst acknowledging that both disciplines are essential to any project that seeks to address the nature of music as it is experienced in time.
Escritora, no hay camino
Authors: Lazcano Lourdes Parra
Published: February 2025

Escritora, no hay camino... explores Mexican travel literature -from early nineteenth-century publications to the contemporary era- to reveal how the experiences of six women writers reconfigured perceptions of themselves and the foreign.

From a feminist and transcultural critique, this book delves into how Laura Méndez de Cuenca, Elena Garro, Rosario Castellanos, María Luisa Puga, Esther Seligson and Myriam Moscona confront cultural normativity in their narratives, drawing on their cultural interactions in Spain, Germany, Kenya, England, Israel and Bulgaria, among other countries.

The cross-cultural performativities studied here allow us to analyse how the authors incorporate categories such as sex, gender, class, nationality and ethnicity in their works. The comparative chapters explore themes such as transatlantic intellectual exchanges, the border identities' critique of normativity, and the relationship of genealogy to literary and cultural re-appropriations. This book offers an analytical insight into how Mexican women writers have contributed to travel literature by subverting and reconfiguring their identity and relationship to the world.

Escritora, no hay camino... explora la literatura de viaje mexicana -desde las primeras publicaciones del siglo XIX hasta la época contemporánea- para revelar cómo las experiencias de seis escritoras reconfiguraron percepciones sobre sí mismas y lo extranjero.

Desde una crítica feminista y transcultural, el libro profundiza en cómo Laura Méndez de Cuenca, Elena Garro, Rosario Castellanos, María Luisa Puga, Esther Seligson y Myriam Moscona enfrentan las normatividades culturales en sus relatos, a partir de sus interacciones culturales en España, Alemania, Kenia, Inglaterra, Israel y Bulgaria, entre otros países.

Las performatividades transculturales que aquí se estudian permiten analizar cómo las autoras incorporan categorías como sexo, género, clase social, nacionalidad y etnicidad en sus obras. En los capítulos comparativos se exploran temas como los intercambios intelectuales transatlánticos, la crítica a las normatividades de las identidades fronterizas y la relación de la genealogía con las reapropiaciones literarias y culturales. Este libro ofrece una mirada analítica para comprender cómo las escritoras mexicanas han contribuido a la literatura de viaje, subvirtiendo y reconfigurando tanto su identidad como su relación con el mundo.
Administrative Reform in Late Eighteenth-Century Britain and its Empire
Authors: Meurer Sebastian
Published: February 2025

Indispensable for understanding the historical forces that shaped modern governance.

How did Enlightenment philosophy shape the modern bureaucratic state? While thinkers like Adam Smith and David Hume are celebrated for their contributions to political economy, the crucial work of administrative reformers has largely been forgotten-until now. Here, this question is explored through the untold story of the specialists of public administration, such as the Commissioners for Examining the Public Accounts, whose pioneering efforts to translate political economy into practice laid the foundation for contemporary public administration.

This methodologically refined study re-evaluates Britain's administrative reforms of the late eighteenth century. It traces how systematic, resource-oriented administrative rationality replaced patrimonial notions of office, which treated public offices as royal privileges similar to titles of nobility. Sebastian Meurer relates the British reforms to contemporary administrative reform processes in British India and Ireland and reveals their manifold interconnections. Furthermore, the book offers an analysis of the very process, in which new notions pervaded public administration and traces the interrelations of different perspectives and their gradual shift of credibility.

By connecting the rise of public administration with the early social sciences, this monograph illuminates how ideas once confined to philosophical discourse were adapted into the practical realities of governance, reform, and statecraft across the British Empire.
Effect of Pulmonary Rehabilitation on Dyspnoea, Functional Capacity and Thoracic Excursion in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Case Report
Authors: Chilhate Priyanka K , (Adwani) Lajwanti Lalwani
Published: February 2025

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a top cause of death. It is a lung disease that gets worse over time and includes
emphysema and chronic bronchitis, causing blocked airflow. Hospitalisations, mortality and exacerbations of COPD are all increased
by poor air quality. Significant occupational dosages include excessive pesticide exposure and home air pollution from burning
coal, wood, animal dung and crop residues. Besides medical treatments, pulmonary rehabilitation is crucial for patient recovery
from hospital to home. This study focuses on a 67-year-old man who visited a respiratory clinic with breathing problems for the
past 15 days and chest pain for the past week. He also had a yellowish cough and occasional fever in the last week. With a 5-year
history of COPD, he used an inhaler twice daily. His symptoms worsened in winter but stayed the same throughout the day. A
chest X-ray confirmed a flare-up of COPD. A two-week pulmonary rehab plan with physical therapy was recommended. Before
starting treatment, a baseline assessment was done, including measures like Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) grading
for breathlessness, 6-Minute Walk Distance (6MWD) and chest movement. Following the completion of the instructed pulmonary
rehabilitation, significant improvements in dyspnoea grading, 6MWD, and thoracic were found. The findings imply that when modified
to each patient’s specific requirements and capabilities, an organised pulmonary rehabilitation program can have an important
beneficial therapeutic impact on those suffering from Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AECOPD).
Intrathecal Clonidine versus Dexmedetomidine as Adjuvants to Hyperbaric Ropivacaine in Lower Limb Orthopaedic Surgeries: A Randomised Clinical Study
Authors: Kishnani Priya , Monaf Aiman , Patil Kalpesh , Patel Jatin , Thomas Sara Mary
Published: February 2025

Introduction: Subarachnoid block is the most chosen mode for orthopaedic surgeries in lower limb. Adjuvants such as opioids and α2 agonists are often added intrathecally to improve or prolong the anaesthetic and analgesic effects. Ropivacaine, a novel local anaesthetic agent, is widely accepted as it has better safety profile as compared to bupivacaine and lignocaine.

Aim: To compare clonidine and dexmedetomidine as adjuvants to hyperbaric ropivacaine given intrathecally in lower limb orthopaedic surgeries, focusing on haemodynamic changes, sedation, duration of analgesia, and sensory and motor blockades.

Materials and Methods: This randomised clinical study was conducted in a teritary care facility at the Operation Theatre (OT) complex in the Department of Anaesthesiology at Dhiraj Hospital, Smt. Bhikhiben Kanjibhai Shah Medical Institute and Research Centre (SBKS and MIRC), Piparia, Waghodia, Vadodara, Gujarat, India. The study duration was 18 months, with a total sample size of 60 patients, comprising of 30 patients in each group. Group RC30 (Ropivacaine+Clonidine) was given 3.5 mL of 0.75% hyperbaric ropivacaine with 30 μg of clonidine, while Group RD5 (Ropivacaine + Dexmedetomidine) was given 3.5 mL of 0.75% hyperbaric ropivacaine along with 5 μg of dexmedetomidine, intrathecally. Results were assessed by comparing the onset and duration of sensory and motor blockade. The absolute and effective analgesia durations were also compared and side-effects and complications along with haemodynamic changes were analysed. Data was analysed using Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) Software version 26.0. Mean and Standard Deviation (SD) were derived for continuous variables and t-test or Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate relationship between them, proportions for categorical variables and the Chi-square test was used for categorical variables.

Results: The mean for age in Group RD5 was 39.43±10.6 years and Group RC30 was 41.43±13.65 years. The time to S2 regression was longer in Group RD5 (136.10±8.10 min) compared to Group RC30 (102.67±7.69 min) (p<0.0001). Longer duration of sensory and motor blockade was seen in Group RD5 (312.53±23.22 min, 381.40±30.01 min) as compared to Group RC30 (279.90±29.64 min, 321.63±38.82 min) (p<0.0001, respectively). Group RD5 also required fewer analgesic interventions in the first 24 hours. Absolute and effective analgesia was found longer in Group RD5 as compared to Group RC30 (p=0.0006, p=0.0022, respectively).

Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine offers superior postoperative analgesia compared to clonidine but is associated with a higher incidence of bradycardia and hypotension, both of which are manageable with standard interventions.
Impact of Manures, Fertilizers, and Rice Straw Allelopathy on T. aman Rice Yield
Authors: Humaira Zeba , Sarker Bohiny , Onna Kazi Ashika Mahmuda , Jesia Nawrin Satter , Mia Md. Liton , Riza Israt Jahan , Zaman Farhana , Kibria Mohammad Golam , Salam Md. Abdus , Islam Md. Shafiqul
Published: February 2025

Nowadays, adopting agricultural practices that are sustainable and eco-friendly for crop production is a major concern. The present experiment was conducted at the AFLAB of BAU from June 2022 to November 2022 to estimate the combined effect of manures and fertilizers with rice straw allelopathy on the yield performance of transplant aman rice. The experiment consisted of two cultivars i.e.: BRRI dhan71 (V1) and BRRI dhan49 (V2) and eight treatments of the combination of rice straw, manures, and fertilizers such as Control (T1), Recommended doses of NPKS (T2), Rice straw @ 1.5 t ha-1 + Cow dung @ 5 t ha-1 (T3),  Rice straw @ 1.5 t ha-1 + Cow dung @ 2.5 t ha-1 + 50% less of recommended doses of NPKS (T4 ), Rice straw @ 1.5 t ha-1 + Vermicompost @ 5 t ha-1 (T5) , Rice straw @ 1.5 t ha-1 + Vermicompost @ 2.5 t ha-1 + 50% less of recommended doses of NPKS (T6), Rice straw @ 1.5 t ha-1 + Trichocompost @ 10 t ha-1 (T7), Rice straw @ 1.5 t ha-1 + Trichocompost @ 5 t ha-1 + 50% less of recommended doses of NPKS (T8). The grain yield as well as the yield contributing characters such as the number of effective tillers hill-1, number of grains panicle-1, 1000-grain weight was highest at BRRI dhan71 with Rice straw @ 1.5 t ha-1 + Vermicompost @ 2.5 t ha-1 + 50% less of recommended doses of NPKS (T6) treatment, followed by Rice straw @ 1.5 t ha-1 + Trichocompost @ 10 t ha-1 (T7) treatment. BRRI dhan71 expressed superiority at yield and all the yield contributing characters than BRRI dhan49. This current study's results indicate that combining rice straw with manures and fertilizer could enhance the yield of transplant aman rice. As a result, mixing rice straws with manures and fertilizers could be a viable bundle of sustainable and eco-friendly ways for increasing crop productivity in the future.
Sickle Cell Disease in Sub-Saharan Africa: Is CRISPR-Cas9 the Breakthrough We’ve Been Waiting for?
Authors: Simeon Christopher Aloy , Beega Godae Fidelis , Adeshina Covenant Oluwadamilola , Bassey Elizabeth Funmi , Nkpurukwe Prudence Nkechinyere , Spiff Ekprikpo Erens
Published: February 2025

Sickle cell disease, which results from a single nucleotide substitution in the beta-globin gene (HBB) is recognized as a significant global health concern. Approximately 7.74 million people worldwide were living with sickle cell disease in 2021. Sub-Saharan Africa carries the highest disease burden, with mortality rates ranging from 50 to 90% among affected children within the first five years of life. Current FDA-approved therapies (hydroxyurea and glutamine) offer symptomatic relief but are not sufficient to fully prevent the disease from progressing into a chronic condition. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the only curative treatment but is limited by donor availability and immunological complications. Advances in gene-editing technologies, particularly CRISPR-Cas9, present promising solutions by enabling precise genetic modifications. CRISPR-Cas9 is employed to treat sickle cell disease either through direct correction of the causative mutation in the HBB gene or by inducing fetal haemoglobin production. The FDA’s recent approval of CASGEVY™ marks a historic milestone as the first CRISPR-based therapy for sickle cell disease. CASGEVY™, which induces fetal haemoglobin production, showed 93.5% efficacy in preventing severe vaso-occlusive crises in sickle cell disease patients, with no graft failures or rejections reported. Despite its promise, challenges remain, including technical barriers such as delivery strategies, off-target effects, and unintended genetic alterations, as well as ethical, societal, and regulatory concerns. In Sub-Saharan Africa, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, high treatment costs, and limited public awareness further hinder widespread adoption. To harness CRISPR’s potential, Africa must invest in advanced genomic laboratories, interdisciplinary training for healthcare professionals, and robust educational programs in molecular biology and biotechnology. Regional and international collaborations are essential to overcome these barriers, streamline regulatory processes, and foster public acceptance as CRISPR-Cas9 holds transformative potential for addressing sickle cell disease in Africa, offering a pathway toward reducing mortality and improving quality of life for affected populations.
Epidemiological, Clinical, Biological and Therapeutic Profile of Bacterial Meningitis and Factors Associated with Lethality: A Retrospective Study in the Clinic Infectious and Tropical Diseases of Fann Hospital (2020-2023)
Authors: Daye Ka , Sidikh Badiane Aboubakar , Ibrahim Aboubakar Taha , Brian Neldje Brian , Catherine Sarr , Mamadou Seck , Christine Sambou , Daouda Thioub , Maguette Fall Ndéye , Aminata Massaly , Astou Lakhe Ndéye , Khardiata Diallo Mbaye , Pierre Cisse Diallo Viviane Marie , Assane Diouf , Tidiane Ndour Cheikh , Massérigne Soumaré , Moussa Seydi
Published: February 2025

Introduction: Bacterial meningitis remains a major public health problem in Africa, with a persistently high incidence and case fatality. The objective of this study is to describe the epidemiological, clinical, biological and therapeutic profile of bacterial meningitis, and to identify the factors associated with lethality.
Patients and Methods: A descriptive and analytical retrospective study was conducted from the records of patients hospitalized for bacterial meningitis at the SMIT in Fann January 2020 and December 31, 2023. A multivariate regression analysis, with a significance threshold set at 5%, was performed using R software version 4.2.0.
Results: During the study period, we collected 138 inpatient records of patients hospitalised for bacterial meningitis, representing a hospital frequency of 3.06%.
The median age of patients was 35 years with IQR: [27-52].  HIV infection (17.39%), high blood pressure (8.76%) and diabetes (8.03%) were the most common comorbidities. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was clear in nearly half of the cases (49.28%), and cytology found a predominantly polynuclear neutrophil white blood cell count in 50% of cases. The median length of hospital stay was 10 days with IQI [7-17]. The most commonly used antibiotic was ceftriaxone, which was administered to 92.04% of patients. During hospitalization, 49 patients died, i.e., a case fatality rate of 35.51%.
Factors associated with death were HIV infection (aOR= 3.09; 95% CI [1.05-9.57]), p-value=0,041, a Glasgow score < 13 (aOR: 3.62; 95% CI [1.57-8.57]), p-value=0,03 and CRP > 96 mg/L (aOR: 2.85; 95% CI [1.25-6.72]), p-value=0,013.
Conclusion: Bacterial meningitis has a high lethality rate at the Clinic of infectious and tropical diseases of Fann Hospital. Improving immunization coverage, strengthening diagnostic capacity and early management could reduce this fatality.
Assessment of Food Safety Practices, Associated Factors and Microbial Contamination of Fried Nile Perch in Mwanza City Markets: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Bikuba Anastazia Niyonkulu , Nyamete Frida Albinus , Ngungulu Alex Wenaty
Published: February 2025

Unsatisfactory hygienic practices can lead to food-borne pathogen contamination in fish and fishery products, posing serious health concerns for consumers.
This study assessed the food safety practices, their associated factors, and microbial contamination levels of fried Nile Perch in Mwanza City across three markets: Kirumba, Butimba, and Nyakato. A cross-sectional study using a structured questionnaire examined the food safety practices of traders and processors, and their associated factors, including experience, income, and training. Standard methods for microbial analysis were conducted to determine the levels of coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. SPSS version 27 was used to compute the frequency and percentages. The factors and behaviours of fried Nile perch processors and traders were assessed using a 95% chi-square test. R software was employed to perform the Aligned Rank Transformation on market microbiological mean contamination. Tukey's Honest Significant Difference was employed for post hoc group comparisons. The results show that the transportation of raw fish at ambient temperature conditions showed a significant association across markets (X²=6.153, p=0.046), risking high levels of microbial contamination. Furthermore, tap water served as the predominant water source in the Butimba (88.9%), Kirumba (90%), and Nyakato (100%) marketplaces, despite the insufficient hand-washing facilities in the markets.
Low income significantly affected the clear separation between storage and processing areas (X²=16.201, p=0.013), while insufficient training was related to inadequate temperature control (X²=6.032,p=0.014). Fried fish from all markets exceeded the safe limits of assessed microorganisms, with Nyakato having the highest levels of total plate count (9.53 log CFU/g), coliforms (8.74 log CFU/g), and S. aureus (5.51 log CFU/g), posing significant risks of food-borne illnesses upon consumption. Contamination levels differed significantly between markets (p<0.05), despite similar activities across locations.  Consumers should reheat fried Nile perch before consumption to avoid foodborne illnesses, and the government should offer formal training in food safety and environmental cleanliness to food safety operators to facilitate compliance with safety regulations.
The Role of Soil Microbiome in Enhancing Plant Nutrition and Promoting Soil Health
Authors: Singh Chandan , Singh Vivek , Pal Anil Kumar , Shekhar Shashi , Kumar Mohil , Singh Rahul Kumar
Published: February 2025

The soil microbiome, a complex community of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, archaea, and protozoa, plays a pivotal role in sustaining plant nutrition and soil health. Through processes such as nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, and symbiotic relationships, soil microorganisms enhance the availability of essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Beneficial microbes such as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and mycorrhizal fungi improve plant growth by increasing nutrient uptake, producing growth hormones, and promoting disease resistance. Furthermore, the soil microbiome significantly contributes to soil structure, fertility, and resilience by aiding in soil aggregation, water retention, and stress tolerance. It also plays a critical role in suppressing plant pathogens and improving plant resilience to environmental stresses such as drought and heavy metal contamination. Despite its importance, conventional agricultural practices, including the overuse of chemical inputs and intensive tillage, often disrupt the balance of soil microbial communities, leading to soil degradation. Sustainable agricultural practices that incorporate organic amendments, crop rotations, and reduced chemical inputs are crucial for maintaining a healthy and diverse soil microbiome. This review highlights the essential functions of the soil microbiome in plant nutrition and soil health, emphasizing its potential to promote sustainable agricultural practices and ecosystem resilience.
Regulatory Activity of the Aqueous Extract of Picralima nitida Seeds (Apocynaceae) on the Glycemia of Normoglycemic and Hyperglycemic Wistar Rats
Authors: Landry Bangnie Gueladjibi , John Kouadio Kouakou , Shcherazade Ouattara-Soro Fatou
Published: February 2025

Picralima nitida is a plant commonly used in traditional African medicine for its antimalarial, antidiuretic, antidiarrheal, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of the aqueous extract of Picralima seeds nitida on the glycemia of rats. To achieve this objective, we performed phytochemical screening using the tube revelation method. The effect of the aqueous extract of Picralima nitida seeds on glycemia was evaluated in normoglycemic and hyperglycemic rats. The screening results indicated the presence of polyphenols, catechic tannins, flavonoids and saponins. The results of the effect of the extract on blood sugar showed that the extract did not cause hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia in normoglycemic rats. As for the effect of the extract on blood sugar in hyperglycemic rats, the extract caused a significant reduction in hyperglycemia induced in rats with glucose.
The antihyperglycemic and antihypoglycemic properties that the seeds of Picralima nitida highlighted in this work, reveal that the seeds of this plant would be a powerful remedy in the treatment of diabetes thanks to its active ingredients.
Maximizing The Impact Of Foreign Direct Investment: Trends, Determinants, And Strategies For Sustainable Economic And Social Development
Authors: Chrystella Dzou Fernanda , Ibrahim Salifu , Lihua Yang
Published: February 2025

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is essential in global economic development by fostering growth,
industrialization, and technological advancement. This paper explores the trends, determinants, economic and
social impacts, and policies that maximize FDI returns by focusing on the recovery of FDI flows in 2023. Despite
the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, FDI has shown resilience with notable growth in the technology
and renewable energy sectors. Key determinants of FDI include macroeconomic stability, favorable regulatory
frameworks, infrastructure quality, and government policies, such as tax incentives and simplified procedures.
The economic impact of FDI is positive and contributes to GDP growth, job creation, and technology transfer.
However, the social impacts of FDI are mixed, with FDI offering opportunities for skill development and
challenges related to inequality and environmental concerns. Effective strategies to maximize FDI benefits
include promoting technology transfer, enhancing local workforce skills, and encouraging corporate social
responsibility. This review also highlights the importance of international and regional cooperation in enhancing
FDI's global contributions of FDI. Finally, it suggests areas for future research, particularly in the context of
emerging trends, such as digital economy investments and sustainable development, which are critical for ensuring inclusive growth. The findings highlight the necessity of strategic planning and policy development to optimize FDI's potential to foster sustainable economic and social development