bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Operative Morbidity and Mortality of Aortic Stenosis with Left Ventricular Dysfunction
Authors: Abdelbaki M. , SAYAD Y. , EH Boudiaf , MO. AMRANE
Published: April 2024

Objectives: Study of the operative morbidity and mortality of aortic stenosis with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVEF < or = 35%).
Method: 73 patients with a mean age of 55+/-8 years, 59 of whom were men, underwent surgery between January 2014 and december 2019; 14% (10/73) of these patients had a pre-operative low trans-valvular aortic gradient (<30mmHg).
We determined the factors predictive of operative mortality using univariate and multivariate analyses, analysed changes in functional status and left ventricular ejection fraction, and compared operative mortality and late survival in these 73 patients with those in a control group with no left ventricular dysfunction.
Results: The mean NYHA stage, before and after aortic valve replacement, fell from 3.8 to 1.7, and the mean improvement in LVEF was 28+/-13.
In univariate analysis, the parameters significantly associated with operative mortality were arterial hypertension (p=0.039), congestive heart failure (p=0.030), a smaller indexed left ventricular mass (p=0.039), a mean gradient of less than 30mmHg (at the limit of significance (p=0.053)), a low cardiac index (p=0.0045), and mono-truncular coronary involvement (p=0.042).
In multivariate analysis, no variable was identified as an independent predictor of operative mortality.
Conclusion: Operative mortality was significantly higher 11.7%vs 2.9% (p=0.048) in the group with left ventricular dysfunction, although late survival rates were similar in the 2 groups (86.8% vs 93%).
Given the spontaneous prognosis and the increased operative risk, these patients should be operated on.
¿Somos todos vulnerables en la vejez? Aportes de la teoría del derecho para la toma de decisiones judiciales
Authors: Dabove María Isolina
Published: April 2024

En este trabajo se abordan algunas preguntas que le plantea al derecho el actual escenario del envejecimiento global: ¿somos todos vulnerables cuando envejecemos? ¿La vejez sigue siendo una contingencia? ¿Qué criterios utilizan los jueces para tomar decisiones que afectan los derechos de las personas mayores? ¿Estos enfoques cumplen con la perspectiva gerontológica actual y con los estándares vigentes de derechos humanos para este colectivo? Para responder a estos interrogantes, la investigación se organizó en cinco ejes: (1) se estudian los significados del término vulnerabilidad, sus orígenes y su alcance jurídico; (2) se consideran los conceptos de vejez y vulnerabilidad que los jueces han ido utilizando al tomar decisiones referidas a los derechos de las personas mayores, desde el inicio del Estado argentino –1853– hasta la actualidad; (3) se analiza el enfoque complejo de la vejez de la gerontología actual y la de los estándares de derechos humanos sobre esta etapa de la vida; también se distinguen los alcances que ellos tienen para el desarrollo de políticas de acción afirmativa respecto de las del marco judicial; finalmente (4), se postulan criterios interseccionales que pueden ser de utilidad para interpretar y establecer decisiones judiciales en torno a la posición de vulnerabilidad de las personas mayores en cuestión; para ello se toma en consideración el enfoque diferencial e interseccional del derecho de la vejez.
Fundamentos normativos del Estado plurinacional: una reconfiguración de las categorías centrales del constitucionalismo
Authors: Charney John , Núñez Manuel
Published: April 2024

Este artículo explora los fundamentos normativos sobre los que se construye el Estado plurinacional en el Norte global y en Latinoamérica. Mientras que la justificación normativa del primero descansa en los principios fundantes de la tradición liberal, la del segundo descansa en los postulados del derecho internacional de los derechos humanos, en particular del derecho internacional de los pueblos indígenas. A pesar de todas las diferencias que separan a ambos proyectos, algunas de las cuales son muy significativas, el artículo propone que ambos forman parte de una aproximación crítica que busca reformular algunas de las categorías centrales del constitucionalismo. El trabajo cierra proyectando estos conceptos en el actual proceso constituyente chileno.
Constitucionalizar las relaciones jurídicas de actores trasnacionales: un modelo teórico jurídico para contrarrestar los poderes salvajes de la globalización desregulada
Authors: Martínez Pinilla Iván Leonardo
Published: April 2024

El texto pretende presentar un modelo teórico del derecho capaz de interpre­tar las necesidades apremiantes de responsabilidad endilgadas a los actores trasnacionales frente a obligaciones de respeto de los derechos humanos y el papel del Estado en su garantía. El documento interpreta el fenómeno de la constitucionalización del derecho en clave trasnacional y, con él, partien­do de una condición antitética entre constitucionalización y anarcocapitalismo, se plantea, desde lo óntico, una crítica fuerte a la tendencia mundial a la desregulación haciendo hincapié en la paradoja deóntica de un derecho internacional comercial desregulado y un derecho internacional y constitu­cional regulado mediante derechos fundamentales. Una vez efectuada esta crítica (anarcocapitalismo vs. constitucionalización), el autor encuentra en el constitucionalismo pospositivista un paradigma capaz de abrir un progra­ma de investigación ordenado (un método de análisis) que permita plantear seriamente las cuestiones de una constitucionalización del derecho interna­cional. A partir de los postulados básicos del paradigma teórico escogido, el autor propone varios problemas o “nichos” de investigación que pretenden servir de “punto de partida” o complemento para investigaciones futuras en torno al fenómeno de la constitucionalización de las relaciones de actores trasnacionales.
ECHR Reform: Entry into Force of Protocols 15 and 16
Authors: Ignătescu Camelia Maria Cezara , Terec-Vlad Loredana
Published: April 2024

Whereas the application of the European Convention on the Human Rights is made through the European Court of Human Rights, whose decisions are the creator of law, meanings, interpretations, clarifications on everything that means the system of protection of the human rights through the ECHR, the jurisprudence of the Court frequently meets the practical requirements for the application of the Convention. However, certain procedural elements in the application of the Convention cannot be left to the discretion of the Court's decisions, due to their strictly procedural nature, and in some cases there is a need to enrich the Convention with a number of fundamental provisions beyond the court’s creative power of practice. That is why the adoption of the Additional Protocols to the Convention always attracts a keen interest from stakeholders, and among these, the Additional Protocols no. 15 and 16 have attracted lively debates in international doctrine, due to the importance of amendments (or clarifications) to the Convention.
A Jurisprudential Conclusion of New Criteria Regarding the Recognition of the Existence of Family Life and Relationships between Parents and Children Resulting from Surrogacy
Authors: Terec-Vlad Loredana
Published: April 2024

Article 8, paragraph 1 of the European Convention enshrines the right to respect for private life, the right to respect for family life, home and correspondence. As it is always seeking to provide solutions to new social realities, the ECHR created an evolutionary interpretation of the notion of private life that also included (in addition to the rights to the person's physical and mental identity, marital status, health and so on) aspects regarding the abortion, the homosexuality and the trans-sexuality, as well as those related to the impact of technical progress (the interception of telephone conversations, the access to databases and so forth). Also through the jurisprudence, the content of the right expanded, leading to the recognition of the right to one's own image and the right to a healthy environment.
Consumos alimentarios en la infancia argentina, inequidades según nivel de ingresos de los hogares en 2018-2019
Authors: Zapata María Elisa , Rovirosa Alicia
Published: April 2024

La calidad de la alimentación en edades tempranas es un derecho básico, del que dependen la supervivencia, el crecimiento saludable, la prevención de enfermedades crónicas y malnutrición en todas sus formas. El objetivo de este trabajo fue describir los consumos alimentarios de menores de 13 años de áreas urbanas de la Argentina en 2018-19, según el nivel de ingresos de los hogares. Estudio transversal con datos de la 2° Encuesta Nacional de Nutrición y Salud 2018-19, que toma una muestra probabilística polietápica de localidades urbanas de 5.000 habitantes y más de Argentina. Se analizó el consumo de alimentos de niños y niñas (5763 0 a 23 meses y 5829 de 2 a 12 años) obtenido por R24h. Se clasificaron alimentos y bebidas según las Guías Alimentarias para la Población Argentina, se analizó el porcentaje que consumió cada categoría y la cantidad promedio consumida, por grupo de edad y se estratificó según nivel de ingresos. Se realizó análisis estadístico descriptivo y regresión lineal. Se observó bajo consumo de alimentos recomendados (frutas, legumbres, verduras, frutas secas y semillas) y alto consumo de aquellos que las guías alimentarias recomiendan evitar (bebidas endulzadas, golosinas, galletitas, amasados de pastelería y cereales desayuno). En determinados grupos de alimentos se evidencian diferencias entre los niños que viven en hogares de diferente nivel de ingresos (ej frutas y azúcar), mientras que en otros grupos no existen diferencias (ej, bebidas endulzadas y galletitas). El consumo se aleja de las recomendaciones con notorias desigualdades según el nivel de ingreso. Para mejorar la calidad de la alimentación de la población infantil son necesarios cambios en los entornos y en el sistema alimentario dado que afecta directamente la seguridad alimentaria nutricional, la malnutrición, el estado de salud y el bienestar de la población.
Moodle Platform in The Study of German as a Second Foreign Language
Authors: Antoniuk Halyna , Chernysh Lilia
Published: April 2024

The article considers the methodological principles of the organization of blended learning in the study of German as a second foreign language at the Department of Applied Linguistics of the National University “Lviv Polytechnic”. The authors summarize the experience of domestic and foreign researchers on the implementation of blended learning and technology for distance learning in the virtual learning environment Moodle.It is noted that the German language courses developed and posted on the e-learning platform contribute to the formation of communicative competence, readiness to communicate in various spheres of public life. This exploration demonstrates the possibility of using the Moodle platform to develop a foreign language course by students, because there is the possibility of online presentation of educational material in a group, at the student’s workplace, as well as sufficient methodological assistance in the form of audio and video materials. Simultaneously with full-time learning, tests are used in a distance format, the learning process is the result of cooperation between teachers and students in the network by means of information technology such as video conferencing, chats, forums, e-mail. With the help of this platform, a system of automated control and self-control of acquired knowledge, initial and final control and an available electronic journal with assessments has been developed, which improves learning efficiency and increases motivation of participants in this type of learning. This study proves that the electronic platform for learning a foreign language is effective for both parties to the initial process: not only students but also for teachers.
Deutsche und chinesische geschlechtsspezifische Sprache – ein (kritischer) Forschungsüberblick
Authors: Duan Jiye , Aptacy Jarosław , Feng Fanke
Published: April 2024

Geschlecht als ein heiß diskutiertes Thema in den Sozialwissenschaften steht in engem Zusammenhang mit Sprache, und die Diskussion über geschlechtergerechte Sprache nimmt stetig zu und treibt den Sprachwandel in der Gesellschaft voran. Deutsch und Chinesisch sind zwei sehr unterschiedliche Sprachen, und es fehlt noch an Forschungen, die aus der Perspektive geschlechtergerechter Sprache Gemeinsamkeiten und Unter- schiede zwischen den beiden Sprachen untersuchen. Daher versucht dieser Beitrag, den Forschungsstand und die Ergebnisse im Bereich geschlechtergerechter Sprache im Deutschen und Chinesischen seit den 1970er und 1980er Jahren zusammenzufassen und zu vergleichen, um die Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede zwischen den beiden un- terschiedlichen Gender-Sprachen zu analysieren, die gegenwärtigen Forschungsprobleme und -schwierigkeiten herauszufinden und mögliche zukünftige Entwicklungsrichtungen auf diesem Gebiet vorherzusagen.
Kompetenzportfolio in der Entwicklung der transla-torischen Kompetenz: Formen, Funktionen, Effizienz
Authors: Pędzisz Joanna
Published: April 2024

Die Autonomie und die Entwicklung der Translations- und translatorischen Kompetenz werden in dem vorliegenden Beitrag als Phänomene betrachtet, die dank des Kompetenzportfolios gefördert werden. Aus Sicht des konstruktivistischen Ansatzes und des Design Thinking-Konzeptes werden ausgewählte Elemente des Kompetenzportfolios – Kompetenzgrad, Ishikawa Diagramm und Straßenkarte –dargestellt und ihre Effizienz in der Entwicklung der überfachlichen Kompetenzenthematisiert. Hervorgehoben wird ihre Funktion außerhalb der universitären Bildung während der Realisierung von authentischen Translationsaufträgen.
Kaş İlçesinin (Antalya) Nüfus Özellikleri
Authors: Yurdigül Kürşat
Published: April 2024

Nüfus, doğum ve ölümler ile göçlere bağlı olarak değişimleri içeren bir olgudur. Nüfus, hareketli bir yapıya sahip olup bulunduğu yerin konumuna göre değişkenlik göstermektedir. Doğum-ölümlerin yanı sıra göçler nüfus değişkenliğinde önemli rol oynamaktadır. Aktif olarak göç alan ve göç veren bölgelerde nüfus hareketli bir yapıya sahip olmaktadır. Nüfusun değişkenlik göstermesindeki diğer faktörler beşeri ve ekonomik özelliklerdir. Nüfusun, değişime uğramasındaki diğer etkiler ise salgın hastalıklar, savaşlar, doğal afetler gibi olaylar da nüfus özellikleri üzerinde oldukça etkilidir. . Nüfusu etkileyen bir diğer unsur sosyo-ekonomik özelliklerdir. Sosyo-ekonomik özellikler nüfusun nitelik ve niceliğine doğrudan ya da dolaylı etki etmektedir. Bu yüzden nüfus hareketleri çeşitli faktörlere bağlı olarak yıldan yıla farklılık gösterebilir. Nüfus özellikleri zaman içerisinde değişikliğe uğrayan ilçelerden biri olan ve çalışma alanını oluşturan Kaş, Antalya’ya bağlı bir ilçe olup, Akdeniz Bölgesi’nin Antalya Bölümü’nde yer almaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı Kaş ilçesinin geçmişten günümüze kadar olan nüfusundaki değişimleri ve hareketleri ile Kaş’ın nüfus özelliklerini ortaya koymaktır. Araştırma sahasını oluşturan Kaş, tarihi çok eskilere dayanan bir yerleşme olup geçmişten günümüze nüfus özellikleri değişime uğramıştır. Araştırmada Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu’nun (TÜİK) adrese dayalı nüfus kayıt sistemi (ADNKS) verilerine göre nüfus ve göç verilerinden yararlanılarak hazırlanmıştır. Adrese dayalı nüfus kayıt sistemi (ADNKS) verilerine göre, Kaş ilçesinin nüfusu, 2022 yılında 62.866 kişidir.
Arsenic pollution and its impact on agricultural production, including the ecosystem services delivered by biodiversity
Authors: Hoque M. M. , Rahman S. , Hoque M. E. , Ara M. J. , Jamal M. R.
Published: April 2024

Arsenic (As), a noxious metal(loid) widely available in the biosphere, originates mainly from geogenic and anthropogenic origin. Massive global development and industrialization, using pesticides carrying arsenic, arsenical animal feeds, medicine, mining, aquifer sediments, coal burning, and microbial and natural processes continuously release this obnoxious bane to the natural environment and pollute soil and water. Inorganic (iAs) species, mainly arsenate and arsenite, are comparatively more lethal than methylated species. However, pentavalent [As (V)] organic species are nearly non-toxic. An elevated level of arsenic has been found in various crops and feeds consumed by humans and animals. This notable carcinogen threatens human health by drinking arsenic-polluted freshwater and/or ingesting arsenic-adulterated food like cereals, fruits and vegetables grown in arsenic-polluted soil or grown using arsenic-rich irrigation water. Arsenic pollution exerts an irreversible harmful effect on the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem as well. Much research has been carried out in the last couple of centuries on arsenic pollution and reported its ability to influence the agro-ecosystem to a great extent, including plant accumulation, phytotoxicity, and land degradation. However, underground water is considered the principal source of arsenic pollution, Iron plaque, sulphur oxides, organic matter, microbiome activities and many other factors responsible for speciation, bioavailability and toxicity of As to the environment. This review attempts to comprehend the global arsenic pollution occurrence, its forms, bioavailability and toxicity to humans and microbiota, translocation and accumulation in plants and impact on crop yield. Besides providing the insights, the ultimate targets of this desktop study are to ascertain probable knowledge gaps linked to crop productivity and ecosystem benefit losses that need further investigation.
Is Transparency Enough? An Examination of the Effect of the Extractive Industry Initiative (EITI) on Accountability, Corruption and Trust in Zambia
Authors: East Sidonie
Published: April 2024

Extractive industry governance is a hot topic in both academic research and the public arena. The area that has been most heavily studied in the academic field is the resource curse, which documents the negative effects of dependence on resource-rents in resource-rich developing countries. The political strand of this literature argues that a strong dependence on resource-rents negatively impacts three governance outcomes: accountability, corruption and trust. Scholars argue that these governance issues can be improved if transparency is increased, which inspired the creation of the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI). The EITI is a transnational non-governmental organisation launched in 2002, with the aim of improving accountability, corruption and trust in the extractive industry by increasing transparency in the sector. In order to be EITI-compliant, countries must make key documents and data from their extractive industry publicly available and form a multi-stakeholder group with members of civil society organisations (CSOs), extractive industry and government representatives to oversee reporting. Summary of ICTD Working Paper 175.
The Impacts of Climate Change on Illicit Drug Cultivation
Authors: Lucas Brian
Published: April 2024

This rapid evidence review explores how climate change can create incentives for participating in illicit drug production by disrupting agricultural and natural-resource-based livelihoods and exacerbating social, economic, and political stresses and conflict. However, it is difficult to identify a precise causal relationship between the impacts of climate change and illicit drug production, and the effects of climate change appear to be limited compared with other driving forces. In Afghanistan, climate change is expected to contribute to rising temperatures, worsening water stress, and increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events. Adverse effects of climate change and conflict on agricultural livelihoods and irrigation infrastructure have contributed to increased opium poppy cultivation, but farmers’ decisions about growing poppies are strongly influenced by security, social, political, economic, technological, and market factors. Across Latin America, climate change is expected to cause increasing temperatures, significant changes in precipitation patterns, and water scarcity, which will strengthen incentives for illicit crop production. However, other factors including changing patterns of demand for drugs globally, rural poverty and limited economic opportunities, low and volatile prices for coffee and other agricultural commodities in international markets, and the legacy of conflict (in Colombia) appear to have greater influence than climate change on illicit crop production patterns.
Incorporation of Corporate Startup: A Definition, Challenge, and Future Research Agenda
Authors: Gabriel Joy , Ekaputra Irwan Adi , Satrya Aryana
Published: April 2024

Objective: A corporate startup is a business development initiative led by a company's employees, using the company's resources and with the support of top managers. It aims to address business problems that arise within the company. This study seeks to define a corporate startup, highlight its challenges, and identify areas for future research.
Design/Methods/Approach: The method employed is a literature review based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) paradigm, with systematic searches from a database of high-quality scientific journals indexed by Scopus (Q1 and Q2). Selected publications relevant to the theme will be reviewed, and data will be summarized.
Findings: This study finds three challenges that occur for corporate startups, namely collaboration development with internal and external corporate startups, finding competent mentors for corporate startups, and resource management competency. Further research can be continued by discussing three things, namely identifying companies that practice corporate entrepreneurship and capturing qualitative and quantitative organizational designs to enable corporate entrepreneurship, more research on developing countries, and the creation of standard standards regarding the evaluation of startup corporate models in various companies across industries and countries.
Originality/Value: This research is the first study to describe the definition of corporate startups obtained from various high-quality journals (Scopus Q1 and Q2), which discusses various applications of corporate startups worldwide, the majority in the form of case study studies. With various views on the applications in the industry through Case Studies, this research also explained a review of the challenges and agenda of research in the future Corporate Startup, originating from various practices over the past 20 years on four different continents.
Practical/Policy implication: Companies can implement corporate startups by utilizing a model derived from this paper. This involves embracing specific definitions, addressing challenges proactively, and outlining future research directions based on the findings of this study. Academics can also apply future research agendas to subsequent research to develop research related to Corporate Startup.
Economic Policy Uncertainty and Bank Credit Growth in Indonesia
Authors: Saputra Sahdan , Hendri Wira
Published: April 2024

Objective: This study examines the influence of economic policy uncertainty in countries with the largest capital investments in Indonesia, such as Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, Korea, and the United Kingdom, on the credit growth of commercial banks in Indonesia.
Design/Methods/Approach: The sample of this study is all commercial banks in Indonesia from January 2011 to December 2022. This study uses a quantitative approach, using monthly aggregate data on credit growth of commercial banks in Indonesia and economic policy uncertainty data for each country. Hence, the number of observations in this study amounts to 144. This study uses multiple linear regression with the EViews 12 analysis tool.
Findings: The findings in this study show that the influence of economic policy uncertainty in the country with the largest capital investment in Indonesia has various influences. Of the several countries that were observed in the study, Japan was one of the countries that had a significant negative impact on the growth of commercial bank credit in Indonesia.
Originality/Value: This study complements several previous studies regarding the impact of economic policy uncertainty on Indonesia's micro and macro economy. Studies regarding the impact of economic policy uncertainty on Indonesia's banking credit growth are still limited.
Practical/Policy implication: The findings of this study can be used as a reference for banking managers when making decisions such as credit portfolio diversification. By spreading exposure to various sectors and industries, banks can reduce risks related to economic uncertainty in specific sectors. Banking managers need to design products and services that are more creative and adaptive to help banks remain competitive and attract customer interest amidst an uncertain economic situation.
Purchase Intention in Luxury Food: The Role of Materialism, Social Comparison, and Bandwagon Effect
Authors: Andriana Rinda , Handriana Tanti , Dunstan Crisphine Lyana
Published: April 2024

Objective: This research aims to examine the influence of materialism, social comparison, and the bandwagon effect on purchase intention for luxury food products.
Design/Methods/Approach: This study adopts a quantitative approach and employs Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) based on Partial Least Squares (PLS) using the SmartPLS 3 software. An online survey was conducted by distributing a questionnaire among 200 respondents.
Findings: The results indicate a significant influence of materialism and the bandwagon effect on purchase intention. In contrast, no significant influence is found in the effect of social comparison on purchase intention.
Originality/Value: This research contributes to the academic and marketing fields by providing insights into the role of materialism, social comparison, and the bandwagon effect on purchase intention, particularly in the luxury food product category.
Practical/Policy implications: The findings of this study could be beneficial for marketers looking to promote their products, specifically in the luxury food category. Businesses could create distinctive products and promotions, such as offering limited edition menus or exclusive deals for VIP members, like access to secret menus or unique discounts. Marketers could utilize social media platforms by selecting influencers that align with the brand's luxury concept and appeal to the target audience. Viral campaigns also encourage audiences to compare themselves with social media celebrities, leading to a bandwagon effect and increasing brand loyalty.
Service Performance Measurement Using the Supply Chain Operation Reference Model in The Events and Travel Industry
Authors: Wurjaningrum Febriana , Adienya Gigih
Published: April 2024

Objective: This study aims to measure the performance of supply chain services using the Supply Chain Operation Reference (SCOR) Version 11.0 model in the events and travel industry.
Design/Methods/Approach: The Supply Chain Operation Reference (SCOR) version 11.0 framework was employed to measure the performance of supply chain services. The performance indicators were assigned weights using the Analytical Hierarchy Process in Expert Choice Software. The performance achievements were marked using the traffic light system method, and an Action Plan was suggested for the company to improve its performance.
Findings: The present study found 17 performance indicators consisting of 4 Plan performance attributes, 5 Source performance attributes, 3 Make performance attributes, 2 Deliver performance attributes, 2 Return performance attributes, and 1 Enable performance attribute. The weighting of each indicator resulted in the weight values for each activity from highest to lowest order, namely, Plan (0.317), Enable (0.297), Deliver (0.225), Source (0.95), Make (0.44), and Return (0.22). The performance measurement using a scoring system with the "larger is better" method and marking achievements through the traffic light system resulted in the company's aggregation value of 78%, indicating that the company still needs improvements in its supply chain service process even though the company's performance achievement is quite good.
Originality: This research presents a new perspective on using SCOR-based performance measurement in service companies to become the basis for strategic decision-making and lead companies to achieve their competitive capabilities.
Practical/Policy implication: The SCOR framework in every company business activity will provide a comprehensive view of the service supply chain as evaluation material for the company's service supply chain.
Impact of Green Finance on Environmental Performance with the Mediation of Financial Innovation: Evidence from Nigerian Bank
Authors: Adeyemi Adewumi Z. , Olasupo Sunday F. , Johnson Adebayo A. , Adegun Emmanuel A. , Sajuyigbe Ademola S.
Published: April 2024

Objective: This study examines the mediating effect of financial innovation on the relationship between green finance and environmental performance.
Design/Methods/Approach: A targeted sampling technique was used for access bank selection. Copies of the structured questionnaire were sent to 250 branch managers of Access Bank in southwestern Nigeria. A total of 200 questionnaires were completed and returned to researchers. Data were analyzed using the STATA 15 version using structural equation modeling.
Findings: The results show that green loans, green training, green investment, and green policy have a positive and significant impact on environmental performance. This means that green finance parameters are the driving force behind Nigeria's environmental initiatives and performance. Furthermore, the study showcases that financial innovation partially mediates green loans, green investments, green training, and environmental performance. The study also confirms that financial innovation does mediate green policy and environmental performance.
Originality/Value: Prior studies have confirmed the correlation between green finance and environmental outcomes. However, despite various research endeavors highlighting the influence of green finance on overall ecological performance and introducing financial innovation as a mediator, this aspect remains unexplored in the context of the banking sector.
Practical/Policy implication: Given that financial innovation partially mediates green loans, green investments, green training, and environmental performance, the results of this investigation are of importance to policymakers and financial institutions in the area of banks’ environmental performance. This study provides insights on financial innovation and green finance in financial institutions to foster green banking activities to promote environmental sustainability and performance.
“Research paper mills”: A factory outlet for dubious research
Authors: Nagarkar Shubhada
Published: April 2024

The primary objective of any research, regardless of its domain such as health, technology, psychology, or any other subject, is to enhance the overall well-being of individuals. Rigorous processes are involved in conducting research ethically and in communicating its outcomes to society. However, as publishing research has become a mandatory requirement for career advancement and appointments, academics are resorting to several unethical practices to get substandard work published quickly. Consequently, predatory publishing markets have emerged, which publish data that is falsified and fabricated, along with plagiarised textual matter. The emergence of “paper mills” is a further step in the corruption of research, where a group of persons or automated systems generate papers for publication. Anyone desirous of publishing a paper can purchase one, akin to any desired fast-moving consumer product, with the added guarantee of publication in indexed journals. Therefore, paper mills and their unethical modus operandi are discussed in this paper in detail, with relevant examples. The article unfolds the consequences of publishing such fraudulent research papers and concludes with the challenges in combating paper mills.
The Carbon-Based Evolutionary Theory (CBET)
Authors: Chen Ji-Ming , Chen Ji-Wang
Published: April 2024

Why did inanimate materials evolve into complex organisms and societies on Earth? This is a fundamental scientific question that has captivated humans for millennia. Here we propose the Carbon-Based Evolutionary Theory (CBET) to provide novel, direct, explicit, and relatively comprehensive answers to this question. The CBET identifies three key mechanisms based on some well-known principles of physics and chemistry (e.g., laws of thermodynamics) and some features of Earth and carbon-based entities (CBEs): the driving force mechanism that provides energy, the structural mechanism that generates new functions, and the natural selection mechanism that accumulates orderliness, all for the evolution of CBEs. These mechanisms lead to the progression from chemical to biological and social evolution, marked by the escalating hierarchy of CBEs and the increase in the quantity, diversity, and orderliness of high-hierarchy CBEs. The CBET clarifies the natural roots of multiple pivotal and seemingly paradoxical social notions, such as inclusiveness and competition, altruism and selfishness, freedom and restriction, as well as inherited advantages and acquired strengths. It advocates for the balanced, harmonious, and peaceful development of human society as well as the integration of all countries into a single harmonious social collective. The CBET unifies biology with physics and chemistry and could be a basic theory shared by the natural sciences and the social sciences. It could also be significant in the rational development of human society.
Retail and Consumer Behavior: Bibliometrics Review
Authors: Huynh Quintessa , Tran Hani
Published: April 2024

This article conducts a bibliometric analysis focusing on the influence of globalization and technology in the academic context. Previous studies have focused on analyzing the relationship between the number of research citations and international collaboration, but no study has explored it in the scope of consumer behavior and retail. Leveraging the Scopus database, the research analyzes a significant corpus of 2,111 documents from 1971 to 2022. The findings reveal a distinct surge in academic output related to the topic of technology, reflecting a growing interest in understanding the interaction between technological factors and consumer behavior. The study also explores trends in international collaboration in publications as well as its impact on citation counts.
The Impact of Soil and Water Conservation Measures on Base Flow Modification in the Northeastern Highland of Ethiopia
Authors: Muhidin Mohammed Seid , Ayana Mekonen , Gonfa Zelalem Birru , Alamerew Tena , Gessesse Gizaw Desta
Published: April 2024

Abstract: Severe land degradation is the principal environmental problem in Ethiopian highlands in the form of soil erosion, and soil fertility loss, which is caused by human intervention for food, shelter, and energy demands. Soil erosion contributes to the loss of precious soil and water resources which are the basis of agricultural production and provide numerous other eco-system services. The Ethiopian highlands are one of the most degraded regions in the world. To combat such problems, the government of Ethiopia has been implementing massive soil and water conservation works at the watershed scale since 2010 to conserve soil and water resources. Mount Yewel is one of the highlands in Northeastern Ethiopia where intensive soil and water conserva-tion has been implemented. Despite the massive investment in soil and water conservation measures, most of the rivers in the highlands of Ethiopia carry huge amounts of sediment with high flood risks in the wet season and streams are dried up in the dry period. Nonetheless, the impact of soil and water conservation measures on flood reduction and dry season flow en-hancement has not yet been quantified and evaluated. This research was then conducted on paired micro-catchments of Mount Yewel with the main objective of evaluating the impact of soil and water conservation measures on base flow modification. Stream flow and rainfall data were col-lected from 22/11/2020 to 8/11/2022 on paired micro-catchments of Mount Yewel at their outlets and centers respectively. Base flow separation was done from the stream hydrograph using Sp. Hydro base flow separation tool and SPSS Ver.21 statistical software were employed for data analysis. Flow duration curves (FDC) for both watersheds were developed to compare the stream flow patterns between treated and untreated micro-catchments of Mount Yewel. The FDC indi-cated that the base flow from treated micro-catchment is higher and sustained in the dry season while it is low and unsustained in untreated micro-catchment. From statistical analysis, there is a significant (P
Halide Perovskites Multifunctional Property: Coordination Engineering, Coordination Chemistry, Electronic Interactions and Energy Applications beyond Photovoltaic
Authors: Berhe Taame Abraha , Su Wei-Nien , Hwang Bing Joe
Published: April 2024

Halide perovskite materials gain enormous attention for their semiconducting properties, higher power conversion efficiency and potential applications in a wide range field of studies along with their two key limitations: stability and toxicity. In spite of great progress made on the halide perovskites and many promising research developments, overcoming these limitations is not realized yet. Therefore, coordination engineering of new framework for obtaining alternative new halide perovskite materials and fundamental understanding of the coordination chemistry and electronic interactions forming the structure of these newly engineered halide perovskite materials might be one way in order to overcome the issues related to both stability and toxicity. In this review, the current development of halide perovskite families, both lead halide perovskites and lead free halide perovskites followed by coordination engineering of the new frameworks to engineer new halide perovskite materials will be reviewed comprehensively. Moreover, all the concerns of the fundamental ideas of coordination chemistry and electronic interactions that are keys in forming the halide perovskite structures are discussed in detail and form the main aim of this review. Interestingly, we also discuss recent potential energy applications beyond photovoltaic and this review has completed with an essential and open question: ‘what could happen in the future of halide perovskites?’ in order to excite commercial enterprises and research institutions again as well as to get motivating new predictions on the future continuity of this field.
The Path to Data Protection Governance in China Mainland
Authors: Chen Bing , Liu Yongji
Published: April 2024

In the age of the digital economy, the security and privacy for multimedia systems issues are increasingly manifested in the form of data. The level of data protection governance capability determines whether the security and privacy of multimedia systems can be protected. In recent years, China has introduced laws and regulations on the protection of personal information, personal privacy, data security, and cyber-security. Although data protection is still to be improved, China has been refining the provisions on data security management through practice and the adoption of supporting regulations.
A New Quinazolinone Alkaloid along with Known Compounds with Seed-Germination-Promoting Activity from Rhodiola tibetica Endophytic Fungus Penicillium sp. HJT-A-6
Authors: Xiao Dongliang , Wang Yan , Gao Congcong , Zhang Xuemei , Feng Weixing , Lu Xuan , Feng Baomin
Published: April 2024

A new quinazolinone alkaloid, named peniquinazolinone A (1), as well as eleven known com-pounds, 2-(2-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionamido)-N-methylbenzamide (2), viridicatin (3), viridicatol (4), (±)-cyclopeptin (5a/5b), dehydrocyclopeptin (6), cyclopenin (7), cyclopenol (8), methyl-indole-3-carboxylate (9), 2,5-dihydroxyphenyl acetate (10), methyl m-hydroxyphenylacetate (11), conidiogenone B (12), was isolated from the endophytic Penicillium sp. HJT-A-6. The chemical structures of all compounds were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, including 1D, 2D NMR, and HRESIMS. The absolute configuration at C-13 of peniquinazolinone A (1) was established by applying the modified Mosher’s method. Compounds 2, 3, and 7 exhibited an op-timal promoting effect on the seed germination of Rhodiola tibetica at a concentration of 0.01 mg/mL, while the optimal concentration for compounds 4 and 9 to promote Rhodiola tibetica seed germination was 0.001 mg/mL. Compound 12 showed optimal seed-germination-promoting activity at a concentration of 0.1 mg/mL. Compared with the positive drug 6-benzyladenine (6-BA), compounds 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, and 12 could extend the seed-germination period of Rhodiola tibetica up to the 11th day.
Evolving Assessment in Medical Education: Exploring the Role of Open-Book Examinations
Authors: Ahmed Yasar , Khayal Simaa , Wadi Majed , Abuzaid Mohamed M
Published: April 2024

The landscape of medical education has witnessed significant transformations over the past decades, particularly with the advent of active teaching methodologies. However, despite these advancements, the traditional theoretical assessment methods have remained largely unchanged. This lack of evolution in assessment systems poses a challenge, as it is crucial for assessment methods to evolve in tandem with teaching approaches to ensure a comprehensive and effective learning process in medical education. This paper reviews the integration and effectiveness of open-book examinations (OBEs) in medical education, reflecting their growing significance.
An integrative review of the literature was conducted, drawing from a range of relevant publications over the last decade, sourced from databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and ERIC. The inclusion criteria focused on full-text articles in English, with search terms including "medicine," "assessment," "open book examination," "open book exam," and "open book assessment," combined using Boolean operators. Thirteen publications were selected and critically appraised using The Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklist. The analysis identified three primary thematic categories: ' Teaching Strategy for Pandemic and Challenging Conditions,” Tool of Learning & Educational Impact” and “Operational Challenges & Future Directions”. These themes were explored to understand the role and impact of OBEs in medical education.
The findings indicate that open-book examinations are a crucial component in the evolving landscape of medical education. While certain reservations remain, OBEs have shown significant potential in fostering critical thinking, argumentation skills, and lifelong learning among medical students. They reflect the ongoing evolution of knowledge in the medical field and contribute to the development of professionals’ adept at navigating and applying complex information. Further research is recommended to solidify these findings and to expand the understanding of OBEs in medical education.
Flood Extent Delineation and Exposure Assessment in Senegal Using Google Earth Engine: The 2022 Event
Authors: SY Bocar , BAH Fatoumata Bintou , Dao Hy
Published: April 2024

This study addresses the pressing need for flood extent and exposure information in data-scarce and vulnerable regions, with a specific focus on West Africa, particularly Senegal. Leveraging the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and integrating data from Sentinel-1 SAR, Global Surface Water, HydroSHEDS, Global Human Layer Settlement, and MODIS Land Cover, our primary ob-jective is to delineate flood extents and compare them with centennial flood-prone areas, offering a comprehensive assessment of exposure during the period from July to October 2022 across Sen-egal's 14 regions.
The findings underscore a total inundation area of 2 951 square kilometers, impacting 297 142 people, 175 square kilometers of urban and 16 square kilometers of crops. Notably, August wit-nessed the largest flooded areas, reaching 780 square kilometers, constituting 0.40% of the coun-try's surface. Subsequent regions, including Saint-Louis, Ziguinchor, Fatick, and Matam, experi-enced varying extents of flooding, with August data showing a 1.34% overall overlap compared to centennial flood-prone areas derived from hydrological and hydraulic modeling. This low per-centage reveals the distinct purposes and natures of the two approaches (remote sensing and modeling), as well as their complementarity.
Turning to flood exposure, August emerges as the most critical month, affecting 76 595 people (0.43% of the total population). Dakar, Diourbel, Thiès, and Saint-Louis regions bore substantial impacts, affecting 100 707, 57 648, 31 579, and 26 581 people, respectively. These findings emphasize the imperative for comprehensive disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts. The study provides a crucial national-scale perspective to guide Senegal's authorities in formulating effective flood management, intervention, and adaptation strategies.
Mechanisms of Male Reproductive Sterility Triggered by Dysbiosis of Intestinal Microorganisms
Authors: Wei Mingbang , Liu Huaizhi , Wang Yu , Sun Mingyang , Shang Peng
Published: April 2024

The intestinal microbiota, comprised of bacteria, archaea, and phages, inhabits the gastrointestinal tract of the organism. Male reproductive sterility is currently a prominent topic in medical research. Increasing research suggests that gut microbiota dysbiosis can result in various reproductive health problems. This article specifically investigates the impact of gut microbiota dysbiosis on male reproductive infertility development. Gut microbiota imbalances can disrupt the immune system and immune cell metabolism, affecting testicular growth and sperm production. This dysfunction can compromise the levels of hormones produced and secreted by the endocrine glands, affecting male reproductive health. Furthermore, imbalance of the gut microbiota can disrupt the gut-brain-reproductive axis, resulting in male reproductive infertility. This article will explore how the imbalance of the gut microbiota impacts male reproductive infertility through immune regulation, endocrine regulation, and interactions of the gut-brain-reproductive axis, concluding with recommendations for prevention and treatment.