bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Natural Disasters in Bangladesh: Impact Analysis Through Input-Output Model
Authors: Haque Afsana , Jahan Sarwar
Published: January 2025

Flood, cyclone and storm surge, tornado, drought, river bank erosion are common natural hazards in Bangladesh. These hazards strike Bangladesh in regular interval and claim millions of lives, damage properties/assets and infrastructures, influence societal and daily life of people. The disaster caused by each hazard can be classified into direct damages, first-order losses and higher-order/induced losses. In Bangladesh disaster impact assessment are mainly confined with the estimation of direct damages and sometimes with the first-order losses. Assessment of induced losses are almost absent in the disaster related studies for Bangladesh. We argue that assessment of induced losses are necessary to determine individual and community vulnerability, and optimum level of disaster preparedness, mitigation and recovery. This paper demonstrates how InputOutput framework can be employed to analyze higher-order disaster impacts for Bangladesh.
JBIP, Vol. 11, 2018 (Printed in June 2020), pp. 11-19
A Study on Characteristics of Small-Scale Plastic Industries in Dhaka North and South City Corporations
Authors: Majumder Tasnim Anika , Nur S M Shihab , Haque Afsana
Published: January 2025

Small scale plastic industries have become an important sector in Bangladesh as it covers a significant portion of the informal economy. The study aims at identifying the characteristics of these industries which makes the condition more vulnerable. In this research, both qualitative and quantitative data have been collected through questionnaire and observation surveys. For identifying the characteristics of industries, owners and workers of 240 industries have been surveyed. The study reveals that most of these industries are concentrated in Old Dhaka due to raw materials and labor availability and market proximity. In most of the cases, the land uses of these industries are incompatible as around 57% of these industries are developed in mixed use areas or more specifically in the residential neighborhood. There are mainly two types of machines used in these industries, of which the local ‘Dana machine’ creates more environmental pollution. Though these industries provide various types of products, it also has left a negative impact on our daily life and environment as well. At the same time, the existing procedure of utilizing the waste to produce new goods cannot also get rid of the contribution to environmental pollution. As most of these industries have low capital investment and have established in congested residential areas, it is quite impossible for these industries to reduce environmental pollution by providing ETP and CETP because of space and resource scarcity. So, these industries should be segregated from the residential neighborhoods and an environmentally sustainable community treatment plant for all of these industries should be designed comprehensively. It can be beneficial to reduce the pollution caused by these industries.
JBIP, Vol. 11, 2018 (Printed in June 2020), pp. 89-105
Renewable Energy Projects are “Green” to the Nature, but Not Always to the People? An Observation-based Study from Chile
Authors: Rana Md Sohel
Published: January 2025

This paper describes a grounded theory-based research with a view to theorizing local community people’s attitudes towards renewable energy generation projects. The study is conducted in the context of southern rural areas of Chile that has been receiving number of hydroelectricity-based renewable energy generation projects in recent years. Under the broad framework of grounded theory, the study is designed with an actor-oriented approach availing local knowledge as the research vehicle with a view to exploring local realities. The thematic abstraction, in inference, reveals three sets of drivers that affect local community people’s attitude and action-building towards such projects. The paper avails a story-telling manner to explain the step by step process of abstracting those drivers from qualitative data.
JBIP, Vol. 12, 2019 (Printed in June 2020), pp. 21-32
Operational Characteristics of Paratransit in Medium-sized City: A Case Study on E-rickshaws in Rangpur City, Bangladesh
Authors: Pramanik Md Ashrafuzzaman , Rahman M Shafiq Ur
Published: January 2025

Paratransit often provides demand responsive and flexible transport service. Due to lack of formal public transport or mass transit system, particularly in medium or small-sized cities in Bangladesh, people are mainly dependent on paratransit for their mobility. The purpose of this paper is to provide operational characteristics of E-rickshaws (battery operated three wheelers) in urban transportation of Bangladesh. Questionnaire interview of 397 drivers of E-rickshaws in Rangpur city as well as a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the owners and members of the association of E-rickshaws were conducted for collecting data regarding physical and operational characteristics. Compared with other modes such as rickshaws, auto-tempo or minibus, E-rickshaws provide several benefits to the passengers. It was found that most of the E-rickshaw operators tend to make short trips only within the city. The average daily income generated by E-rickshaw is Tk 850 and income-expenditure ratio for the driver-owned operating E-rickshaw is 1.45. The findings of this paper may help the government and relevant agencies to formulate policy guidelines for the paratransit, especially when the mass transit system is on the transport planning menu.
JBIP, Vol. 12, 2019 (Printed in June 2020), pp. 45-62
Flyover’s Contribution in Aggravating the Traffic Problems of Megacities: A Synthesis of Mogbazar-Mouchak Flyover in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Authors: Das Anutosh , Zinia Faria Afrin , Zubayer Md Sakib , Salam Md Abdus , Patwary A Latif
Published: January 2025

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh like most other megacities of the developing countries is regarded as the world’s most broken and paralyzed city due to its dysfunctional transport system. Acute traffic congestion has put the city life into untold sufferings and wasting a large portion of working hour. Considering elevated expressway as a popular means of solving traffic congestion problem, a number of major flyovers have been constructed in Dhaka city and new initiatives are continually going on in this matter. In recent time, it is being observed that the flyovers itself are creating congestion instead of solving it. In this circumstance, this particular research compares the forecasted impact of Mogbazar-Mouchak flyover with the operational experiences after its construction to figure out the factual contribution of flyover in jettisoning lethal traffic congestion problem of Dhaka city. Required primary and secondary data have been collected from a series of field survey and relevant secondary sources. Unfortunately, the multi layered traffic congestion incidents of Mogbazar-Mouchak flyover in at grade and on its ramp from its inauguration, clearly indicates that the very flyover under consideration is tallying more to the ever existed traffic congestion of Dhaka city rather cracking it. Faulty design and shortsighted planning is the reason of increased traffic congestion and the non-functionality of the flyover which deserve close attention to be paid off. This study provides a scope for policymakers to rethink the proposition and role of flyovers in eliminating the transportation problem of megacity Dhaka.
JBIP, Vol. 12, 2019 (Printed in June 2020), pp. 63-79
DESAIN UI/UX APLIKASI BERGERAK INTEGRATIF MANAJEMEN MULTIMASJID RAMAH TAKMIR MENGGUNAKAN METODE DESAIN THINKING
Authors: Siti Umi Nurhavizza Siti Umi Nurhavizza , Ari Sujarwo
Published: January 2025

Masjid adalah pusat pembinaan masyarakat, titik tolak masyarakat Islam, dan titik nol peradaban. Berdasarkan data Kementerian Agama melalui aplikasi SIMAS (Sistem Informasi Masjid), terdapat 242.832 masjid dan 269.076 mushola di Indonesia hingga tahun 2022. Namun, masjid dan mushola di Indonesia masih menghadapi berbagai permasalahan seperti masjid yang sepi dari aktivitas sholat maupun yang lainnya, serta pengelolaannya didominasi oleh orang-orang yang sudah berumur. Oleh karena itu, tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah merancang aplikasi manajemen multimasjid yang integratif, khusus untuk takmir agar dapat memanajemen masjid dengan baik serta menjadikan masjid sebagai pusat kegiatan jamaah. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode Design Thinking yang terdiri dari lima tahapan, yaitu empathize, define, ideate, prototyping, dan testing. Hasil penelitian ini adalah dibuatnya desain aplikasi manajemen masjid bernama Kaffah, yang memiliki tujuh fitur utama yaitu, data jamaah, aktivitas jamaah, data petugas masjid, kalender, takmir, daftar event, dan data event. Fitur-fitur ini diharapkan dapat membantu takmir dalam memanajemen masjid dan mengelola data jamaah, sehingga masjid ramai dikunjungi dan dapat menjadi pusat kegiatan jamaah. Pengujian terhadap desain antarmuka aplikasi kaffah ini menunjukkan bahwa prototype yang dirancang berhasil membantu dan memenuhi kebutuhan takmir dalam memanajemen masjid.
La motivación dentro de los actos administrativos emitidos por órganos de la administración pública en Ecuador y sus consecuencias
Authors: Muñoz-Espinoza Veronica , Brito-Merino Mario , Freire-Gaibor Edward
Published: January 2025

Uno de los requisitos establecidos en el artículo 99 del Código Orgánico Administrativo es la motivación misma que es considerada como una garantía básica inherente al derecho al debido proceso, en este sentido la motivación en los actos administrativos es un pilar esencial del derecho administrativo, asegurando que las decisiones de las autoridades públicas sean transparentes, justificadas y sometidas a control jurídico. Estos requisitos no solo aseguran la transparencia y legalidad del acto administrativo, sino que también permiten a los ciudadanos conocer las bases de las decisiones que les afectan, facilitando el ejercicio de sus derechos de defensa y apelación, sin embargo es menester indicar que la falta de motivación del acto administrativo puede acarrear la violación de preceptos constitucionales y legales que conlleven a la declaratoria de nulidad del acto administrativo, y es por este motivo que se ha visto conveniente realizar el presente trabajo científicos y de esa forma la administración pública sea eficaz, eficiente y se maneje bajo el principio de juridicidad y legalidad. 
Los parámetros de la motivación establecidos en el artículo 100 son de suma importancia su aplicación para evitar arbitrariedades de las administraciones en el ejercicio del poder público en contra de los administrados.
Rasgos de personalidad y tolerancia a la frustración en el personal militar
Authors: Salazar-Boada Cristofer , Saltos-Salazar Lenin
Published: January 2025

Los rasgos de personalidad se han estudiado mucho en las últimas décadas, entendiendo que son características que influyen en las personas, aún más, en el contexto laboral del personal militar que exigen altos niveles de control emocional y toma de decisiones bajo presión. En este sentido, el personal militar representa una población de particular interés para el estudio de estas variables. Este estudio tiene como objetivo analizar la correlación entre los rasgos de personalidad y las dimensiones de la tolerancia a la frustración, así como examinar los niveles específicos de cada rasgo y área de la tolerancia a la frustración. Esta investigación es de tipo cuantitativo, de diseño no experimental, de alcance correlacional – descriptivo y corte transversal; la muestra fue de 300 aspirantes, a quienes se les aplicaron dos instrumentos psicológicos: Inventario de personalidad (BFI-44) y la Escala de Tolerancia a la Frustración (ETAF). Como resultado se pudo hallar una correlación entre los siguientes rasgos y dimensiones; positiva muy baja entre afabilidad y personal; afabilidad y social; positiva muy baja entre responsabilidad y social; negativa muy baja entre neuroticismo y familiar; apertura y personal. Concluyendo que a pesar de que las correlaciones reportadas son estadísticamente significativas (p < 0.05), su magnitud es muy baja, esto podría indicar que la tolerancia a la frustración está influenciada principalmente por otros factores no analizados en este estudio.
Bidding to Host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games: Continuing Issues or a Turning Point?
Authors: Fairfield-Sonn James W.
Published: January 2025

Since 1896, when Athens held the first edition of the Modern-era Summer Olympic Games, one of the distinctive features of these sporting events has always been the willingness of a major urban city to host the events. After three of the five official candidates bidding to host the 2024 version of the Summer Olympic Games withdrew their applications, it raised serious questions about the efficacy of the policies and practices governing the bidding process. An institutional theory perspective is used here to analyze this situation and the organizers’ response. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussed.
Caudal Appendage: About 3 Cases Report
Authors: Kabré Abel , Haro Yakouba , Bako Itchizoun Frédéric , Kiemtoré Aminata , Sanou Abdoulaye , Zoungrana Inoussa , Zabsonré Sylvain D
Published: January 2025

Introduction: A caudal appendix is a rare congenital malformation of the median or paramedian diverticulum type located mainly in the lumbosacral region, of soft consistency, exceptionally provided with an axial skeleton and covered with skin often of normal appearance and simulating a tail.

Patients: We report the cases of three female patients including two infants aged 4 months and 12 months and an adult aged 35 years. The infants presented caudal appendages located at the atypical breech surface associated with a right cephalocele and the adults had a caudal appendage 11 cm long located at the lumbosacral level 2 cm from the midline on the right. Clinical examination noted one lesion in the first infant and three caudal appendages in the second. The neurological examination was normal. The adult patient did not present any associated clinical malformation. The CT scan noted cranial dysraphism in the form of intra-orbital meningocele associated with shizencephaly for both infants.

Conclusion: Caudal appendages are rare and represent markers of dysraphism, which can be cranial or caudal. Their presence requires systematic research through medical imaging examinations.
Social Change and Human Development: Revisiting Van Lange’s Proposition on Attachment and Social Orientation
Authors: García Camilo , Navarro-Hernández Axel M , Ángeles-Mejía Oswaldo Antonio
Published: January 2025

In our previous paper, Van Lange’s suggested link between early bonding and social values orientations was explored using same questionnaires applied to non-western participants. The results showed strong differences which were attributed to possible socioeconomic change. In this paper, we revisited those findings considering Greenfield ?s theory on social change and human development. Thus, after a brief review of major tenets of that theory, we documented the socioeconomic changes reported by the Mexican government finding a strong support for her theory. Findings show that between 2000-2020 major sociodemographic changes occurred such as: overall population increased, women’s participation in labor force and in college education increased, and technological changes, specifically internet. Overall, Greenfield’s proposition that sociodemographic changes lead to cultural change, and this into changes in socialization, may explain the observed inconsistencies in attachment and therefore, social orientation values.
Prevalence and Predictors of Medication Non-Adherence Among Patients with Epilepsy in Maiduguri
Authors: Wakawa Ibrahim Abdu , Musami Umar Baba , Mahmood Mohammed Yusuf , Shettima Falmata Baba , Ngulde Abdulhakeem Mamman , Kareem Yesiru Adeyemi
Published: January 2025

Introduction: Despite the fact that pharmacotherapeutic intervention with anti-epileptic drugs (AEDS) remains the cornerstone in the treatment of Seizure Disorders, non-adherence to the medications constitutes a huge impediment to better clinical and prognostic outcomes, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Aim: This study assessed the prevalence, as well as the socio-demographic, and clinical predictors of non-adherence to AEDs in Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital (FNPH), Maiduguri, North-East, Nigeria.

Method: It was a cross-sectional descriptive study in which 378 patients with epilepsy (PWEs) were randomly recruited and interviewed at the Epilepsy Clinic of FNPH. Data were collected using socio-demographic and clinical proformas designed by the authors, and non-adherence was assessed using the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS).

Results: The prevalence of non-adherence to AEDs was 35.2% and no sociodemographic variable had statistically significant relationship with non-adherence. The independent clinical predictors associated with AED-nonadherence were: costs of medications (OR=9.776, 95% C.I = 5.985-15.771, P<0.001), polytherapy (OR=5.125, C.I= 2.730- 9.622, P<0.001), multiple dosing frequency (OR= 2.991, C.I= 2.027-4.413, P<0.001), presence of side effects (OR= 17.401, 95% C.I = 8.966-33.733, P<0.001), and comorbid conditions (OR=4.693, 95% C.I=2.240-9.830, P<0.001).

Conclusion: Based on this study, over one third of patients with Epilepsy were found to be non-adherent to their medications and certain clinical predictors were associated with medication non-adherence.
CDA Formulations as the Only Option Capable of Reducing Cancer Mortality
Authors: Liau Ming C , Craig Christine L , Baker Linda L
Published: January 2025

The objective of this article is to develop CDA formulations to reduce cancer mortality. In 2022, President Joe Biden of the USA asked the health profession to reduce mortality of cancer patients by 50 % in the following 25 years which was a modest request in comparison to the war on cancer declared by President Nixon in 1971. Cancer is a giant issue of national interest for presidents to get involved. The health profession is hapless to solve this issue. The incidence and the mortality of cancer continued to increase since these statistics became public records. Cancer mortality in the USA has reached 0.61 million in 2023 and around the world has reached 10 million in 2019. The ever increasing records of cancer mortality are an indication of the failure of the health profession to solve cancer.

Cancer is caused by wound unhealing due to the collapse of chemo-surveillance. Wound healing requires the proliferation and the terminal differentiation of progenitor stem cells (PSCs), which are the embryonic stem cells to initiate the development of organs or tissues, and also the cells responsible for wound healing. Methylation enzymes (MEs) of embryonic stem cells are abnormal due to association with telomerase, which gives cells with abnormal MEs a great advantage on cell growth. Cell growth is, obviously, needed for the development of fetus and wound healing. The nature creates safety mechanisms such as contact inhibition, ten eleven translocator-1 (TET-1) enzyme to direct lineage transitions and chemo-surveillance to prevent the buildup of cells with abnormal MEs to become clinical problems. When such safety mechanisms fail, clinical symptoms evolve. Cancer is one of these clinical problems. So, the correct solution of cancer is to heal wound, which we advocate. The cancer establishments preferred cell killing to eliminate tumor mass, which is opposite to healing wound by creating wounds to aggravate the already bad situation to result in ever increasing cancer mortality. Cancer mortality is the ultimate judgment on the success of cancer therapy. Cytotoxic agents approved by cancer establishments can cure cancer patients in the early stage relying on the restoration of chemo-surveillance to subdue surviving CSCs, but contribute to the deaths of advanced cancer patients whose chemo-surveillance have been fatally damaged, whereas cell differentiation agent (CDA) formulations can save all cancer patients to reduce cancer mortality. Therefore, CDA formulations are the only viable option to fulfill President Biden’s order to save cancer patients.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEACHER? PERCEPTIONS OF PRE-SERVICE AND IN-SERVICE TEACHERS IN SLOVAKIA
Authors:   Comenius University Bratislava, Sokolová Lenka , Lemešová Niroslava
Published: January 2025

Teaching is a demanding profession with high societal expectations. Teachers play an important role in ensuring the quality of the education system and noncognitive,
personality characteristics are considered crucial for effective professional performance. This study aims to analyse the perceptions of teachers about the
interpersonal characteristics of an ideal teacher. Based on data from both pre-service and in-service teachers (N = 345), the ideal teacher should be responsible, helpful,
emotionally aware and also dominant. The perceptions of student teachers do not differ much from those of in-service experts, however, junior pre-service teachers reported a different intensity of the characteristics of the ideal teacher compared to their more experienced colleagues. It is advisable to use psychological evaluation and the confrontation of real and ideal professional selves of prospective teachers as a part of career counse
Modern challenges of criminal law counteraction to violent crimes committed by special subjects
Authors: Landina Anna Valentynivna
Published: January 2025

In the modern conditions in which Ukrainian society found itself — a full-scale war, the introduction of martial law — the legislator and law enforcers of the norms of criminal law faced problems related to bringing to justice for criminal offenses, in particular, of a violent nature. Criminal liability for violent criminal offenses with a special subject and a special victim needs additional research. This applies to violent criminal offenses committed by and against military personnel (certain types of military criminal offences), military and civilian personnel of the occupying country. The purpose of this study was to identify modern problems of criminal responsibility for violent crimes under martial law and to make proposals for their solution through the lens of martial law. It was established that the criminal offenses of servicemen of the Armed Forces are covered by the provisions of Chapter XIX “Criminal offenses against the order of military service (military criminal offences)”, including if they are committed against the civilian population. The current legislation of Ukraine in this area needs some improvement. It is worth making changes in Art. 401 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, noting that the commission of an insult to honor and dignity, a violent criminal offense against a serviceman, by a civilian who is not conscripted, qualifies under Art. Art. 4351 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. It is proposed to include in Art. 433 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine a note in which to determine which criminal acts include violence against the population. The mechanism of criminal prosecution for violent crimes on the territory of Ukraine, including in the temporarily occupied territories, by military personnel and civilians of the occupying country also needs improvement: it is proposed to develop a special regulatory legal act that will contain clear instructions for prosecuting the specified subjects objects.

Taking into account the relevance of the research topic, as well as the number of unresolved issues in this area, this article is aimed not only at solving certain issues in the area of responsibility of special subjects for violent criminal offenses, but also opens up a number of promising directions within this direction of criminal-legal countermeasures by individual types of violent offenses in the conditions of a special period, including martial law.

Key words: violent criminal offenses, crimes, criminal liability, military serviceman, martial law, special subject, special victim, order of military service, military criminal offenses, violation of laws and customs of war, violence against the population, insult to honor and dignity.
Current issues of law enforcement regarding confirmation of length of service for pension granting
Authors: Trunova Halyna Anatoliivna
Published: January 2025

The article analyses the issues relating to the procedure for confirming the length of service as a prerequisite for granting an old-age pension in the PAYG pension system. The author emphasises the problems in the law enforcement activities of the Pension Fund of Ukraine regarding refusal to grant an old-age pension due to failure to include work experience in the event of minor deficiencies in the documents confirming the employee’s work experience. Attention is focused on the successful protection of the relevant rights in court. Conclusions are drawn and proposals are made to improve the efficiency of law enforcement activities of the Pension Fund of Ukraine in matters of confirmation of length of service for the purpose of exercising the right to a pension as a constitutional component of the right to social protection. The author proposes to change the paradigm of law enforcement activities of the Pension Fund of Ukraine with regard to confirmation of length of service for granting a pension on the basis of the presumption of legitimacy of a person’s claims and actions in accordance with the provisions of the Law of Ukraine «On Administrative Procedure». In addition, the right to an old-age pension should be ensured by effective remedies out of court. In this regard, it is necessary to change the approach to reviewing citizens’ appeals against decisions of the Pension Fund, applying an individual rather than a formal approach to reviewing decisions on citizens’ complaints about pensions and the consideration of length of service.

Key words: pension, insurance record, social security, employee, employer, protection of rights, enforcement of rights, law enforcement, social insurance.
Issues in Implementing the Law of Ukraine On The Military Chaplaincy Service During War: Right to Faith, Violation of Secularization Principles, and Threat to National Security
Authors: Terletsky Roman Viktorovych
Published: January 2025

The article explores the issues of implementing the Law «On The Military Chaplaincy Service» in conditions of war. It emphasizes that after the declaration of independence of Ukraine, laws on freedom of religion have held an important place as subjective legal rights and religious organizations as instruments and systems for satisfying religious needs. The main laws, subordinate acts, and decrees ensuring the right to freedom of religion in Ukraine for military personnel and other state security forces are analyzed. It is noted that in Ukraine, there are two international legal documents according to which the State of Ukraine guarantees its citizens the right to freedom of conscience and religion: the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of September 11, 1997, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of October 19, 1973. It is observed that based on the norms of these documents, the conscription of individuals into military service or their mobilization does not entail restrictions on religious rights, and therefore, the state retains the obligation to ensure them.

Historical analysis is conducted to determine the expediency of establishing a chaplaincy service in Ukraine, and it is noted that the European Commission on Human Rights recognizes various forms of interaction between the state and religious organizations that go beyond the principle of equality, among which is cooperation in implementing military chaplaincy. Law No. 1915-IX «On The Military Chaplaincy Service» is analyzed, which has launched the service of chaplains into the legal field and changed their status during wartime. It is noted that the quota system for positions of military chaplains from different denominations poses a threat to national security and the reasons are explained.

Conclusions are also drawn that the payment of salaries to chaplains from the state budget to some extent, contradicts the principle of secularization of the state and church, which is enshrined in Article 35 of the Constitution of Ukraine. Conclusions are made about the necessity of reform in the relations between the state and church, as well as the urgency of amending Article 35 of the Constitution of Ukraine, which declares the harmful Soviet atheistic ideology and contradicts the spirit of the law prevailing in the state.

Key words: military chaplain, secularization, national security, religion, freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, special period, martial law, principles of equality, religious organizations, international legal documents, Human Rights Pact, Convention for the Protection of Rights and Freedoms, effectiveness of the law.
THE INFLUENCE OF EMPLOYEE PLACEMENT ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS OFFICE OF WAROPEN REGENCY PAPUA PROVINCE
Authors: Samori Giosantho Atmawan , Nangameka Teresa Irmina
Published: January 2025

Problem (GAP): Providing optimal performance and maintaining a competitive advantage are the primary goals of dynamic organizations. The most potential and critical factor in designing strategies to excel in organizational competition is human resources, and this depends on the proper adaptation of these resources to align with organizational goals. Poor positioning can be problematic for an organization. In this context, the Social Affairs Office (Dinsos) of Waropen Regency faces a mismatch between the employees' skills and the tasks, principles, and functions of the organization. Objective: To identify, analyze, and describe whether job placement affects the performance of employees at the Social Affairs Office of Waropen Regency, Papua Province. Method: This study used a quantitative approach to examine the influence of the independent variable on the dependent variable. The dependent variable in this study was employee performance, and the independent variable was employee placement. Results/Findings: The study found that job placement significantly affects employee performance, as indicated by the t- value of 7.847 which is higher than the t-table value of 2.10982. Therefore, H0 is rejected and H1 is accepted, indicating that employee placement partially influences performance. The better the employee placement the higher the satisfaction level which leads to positive impacts on the employees' performance. Conclusion: Employee placement significantly affects performance improvement by 77.4%, with the remaining 22.6% influenced by other variables outside this study. The regression line equation is y= a + bx, where y = 13.870 + 0.806, indicating that a 1% increase in b results in a corresponding increase in the employee performance variable.
Exploring the Potential Mechanism of “X” Jamu Capsule in Treating Hypertension Based on Network Pharmacology
Authors: Setiani Lusi Agus , Kusuma Wisnu Ananta , Rizal Fitria Nadiatul
Published: January 2025

Jamu is a traditional medicine derived from plants, animals, minerals, and galenic preparations that are used empirically as a treatment. Hypertension is a condition when the systolic blood pressure is > 140 mmHg and the diastolic blood pressure is > 90 mmHg. The purpose of this research is to describe the mechanism of action of Jamu which consists of six plants, namely Apium Graveolens, Orthosiphon aristatus, Imperatae cylindrica, Phyllanthus niruri, Centella asiatica, and Curcuma xanthorrhiza as antihipertensive using network pharmacology because the herbs are formula with multi-components and multi-targets. This research was conducted by searching for compounds in each plant using the knapsack and IJAH Analytic databases, 187 compounds were obtained and filtered based on oral bioavailability (OB) and drug-likeness (DL) values yielded 40, searched for the target protein obtained 2198 proteins in Swisstargetprediction database, searching for hypertension target proteins in the OMIM and Uniprot databases found 338 proteins, then for compound target proteins and hypertension targets searched for protein overlap manually in the cytoscape application obtained 10 proteins, then these proteins were analyzed using the Database for Annotation Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) it was found that the most significant signaling is PI3K-Akt, which is associated with increased NO production, resulting in vascular relaxation and influencing blood pressure. The signaling is influenced by the work of JAK2, MDM2, INSR, NOS3, and VEGFA proteins. These proteins are the target proteins of 10 compounds contained in the plants Orthosiphon aristatus, Phyllanthus niruri, Centella asiatica, and Curcuma xanthorrhiza.
Effect of Ethanol Extract and Ethyl Acetate Fraction of Soursop Leaves administration on Malondialdehyde Levels of Alloxan-Induced Rat Endocrine Cells
Authors: Jeli Marlita  , Sujono Tanti Azizah
Published: January 2025

Soursop leaves (Annona muricata L.) contain many antioxidant compounds such as phenols and flavonoids that play an active role in inhibiting oxidative stress and can inhibit damage and death in cells, tissues, or organs. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of soursop leaf ethanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction effect on malondialdehyde levels and the quantity of pancreatic endocrine cells in male rats (Mus musculus) induced with alloxan. Method, the test animals were divided into seven groups (n=4). The normal control group was only given feed, the negative control group was given CMC-Na solution, the positive control group was given vitamin C dose of 50 mg/kg.BW, treatment group I was given soursop ethanol extract dose of 50 mg/kg.BW, treatment group II was given soursop ethanol extract dose of 100 mg./kg.BW, ethyl acetate fraction treatment group III was given soursop ethyl acetate fraction dose of 25 mg/kg BW, and treatment group IV was given soursop ethyl acetate fraction dose of 50 mg/kg BW. Results showed that the administration of ethyl acetate fraction of soursop leaves at a dose of 25 mg/kg BW showed the most effective potential significantly (p<0.05) in reducing malondialdehyde levels and cell death. In conclusion, administering ethanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction of soursop leaves to rats which experiencing oxidative stress in their pancreas can stimulate and increase regeneration of endocrine cell in all rat groups. This is proven by a decrease of malondialdehyde levels and the number of necrosis cell necrosis. 1
Collatz Sequence Proof (1st Way)
Authors: Muhammad Taha
Published: January 2025

Abstract of Solving Collatz Sequence I started from a loop containing all positive numbers and performed Collatz law on each number x in the loop, obtained algebraic equations, and defined the values of x, which not belong to the set of natural numbers except 1. Then I applied Collatz laws and obtained the elements of the loop, which are {4, 2, 1}. S (n)= {n/2 or 3n+1, ..., 4,2,1} for all N+. Thus LS (n) = {4,2,1} for all N+. I added extra work to support my proof: 1- Graph 2- Sketch 3- Chart 4- Table 5- Pattern 5- [If LS (n)= {4,2,1} for r = 3k] True Then I proved that [LS (n) = {4, 2, 1} for r+3= 3(k+1)] True 6- [If LS (n) has no loop if for r = 3k+h, h<3, h is a natural number] True Then I proved that [LS (n) has no loop if for r+1 = 3k+h+1=3k+2, h=1] True Therefore: LS (5) = LS (10^100) = LS ((10^1000) + 7) = LS (47) = ... = LS (1) = {4, 2, 1} only for all n in N+ Note: r = # of elements in a loop. K = 1 or 2
Oral microbiota: the overlooked catalyst in cancer initiation and progression
Authors: Wang Xinlin , He Xin , Zhong Bin
Published: January 2025

The advancement of high-throughput sequencing technology in recent decades has led to a greater understanding of the components of the oral microbiota, providing a solid foundation for extensive research in this field. The oral microbiota plays an important role in an individual’s overall health. It has been shown to be significantly correlated with chronic human diseases, including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, periodontal disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, tumor occurrence and development are closely related to the oral microbiome. Specific bacteria, such as Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum), Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), Streptococcus, Streptomyces, Prevotella, and Fibrophagy gingivalis, play critical roles in cancer development. The oral microbiota has various oncogenic mechanisms, including bacterial inflammation, immunological suppression, tumor growth mediated by bacterial toxins, antiapoptotic activity, and carcinogenic effects. This paper reviews the role of the oral microbiota in the occurrence and progression of cancer and systematically elucidates the molecular mechanisms by which dysbiosis influences tumorigenesis and tumor progression. This information can provide a theoretical basis for exploring cancer treatment strategies and offer new insights for cancer prevention.
Fecal propionate is a signature of insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Dong Sitong , Yao Xinrui , Jiao Jiao , Lin Bei , Yan Fujie , Wang Xiuxia
Published: January 2025

Objective

To investigate the roles of fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods

The levels of SCFAs (acetate, propionate, and butyrate) in 83 patients with PCOS and 63 controls were measured, and their relationships with various metabolic parameters were analyzed. Intestinal microbiome analysis was conducted to identify relevant bacteria. The study took place at the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University in Shenyang, from 5 February to 23 May 2023. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the relationships between SCFAs, PCOS, and PCOS-related insulin resistance (IR). Differences in bacterial populations between women with PCOS-IR and those with PCOS-non-insulin resistance (NIR) were identified using linear discriminant analysis effect Size (LEfSe). The relationships between bacteria and fecal propionate levels were explored through linear regression analyses. The potential of fecal propionate and microbial profiles as biomarkers for insulin resistance in PCOS patients was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results

Higher fecal propionate levels were observed in patients with PCOS compared to controls (p = 0.042) and in PCOS-IR compared to PCOS-NIR (p = 0.009). There was no significant difference in fecal propionate levels between the IR and NIR subgroups of women in the control group (p > 0.05). Additionally, higher fecal propionate levels were associated with IR in PCOS (p = 0.039; OR, 1.115; 95% CI, 1.006–1.237). The abundance of Prevotella copri and Megamonas funiformis was higher in PCOS-IR women compared to PCOS-NIR women (LDA score > 3) and correlated with fecal propionate levels (adjusted R² = 0.145, p < 0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) for propionate and the combined presence of P. copri and M. funiformis in predicting PCOS was 78.0%, with a sensitivity of 78.5% and a specificity of 72.4%. Pathways related to carbohydrate metabolism were significantly enriched in the microbiota of the PCOS-IR population but not in the control IR group.

Conclusions

Higher fecal propionate levels correlate with PCOS-related insulin resistance. P. copri and M. funiformis might be key functional bacteria. Therefore, the combination of propionate levels and the abundance of these two bacteria may serve as a potential biomarker for insulin resistance in PCOS patients. Regulation of the intestinal microbiome might be beneficial for the metabolic health of women with PCOS.
Climate and energy misinformation in Taiwan
Authors: Liu John Chung-En , Lee Chia-Fen
Published: January 2025

This study examines climate and energy misinformation in Taiwan using data from fact-checkers. Our findings highlight four primary themes: renewable delayism, distrust in power infrastructure, nuclear distraction, and misleading climate action. Renewable delayism exaggerates the limitations and negative impacts of renewable energy, particularly solar power, to delay its adoption. Distrust in power infrastructure spreads fear about the reliability and safety of Taiwan’s electric grid, undermining public confidence in government energy management. Nuclear distraction shifts focus from renewable energy to nuclear power and spreads misinformation about Japan’s nuclear wastewater. Misleading Climate action is a broad category that either caricatures climate advocacy or creates undue anxiety about the consequences of addressing climate change. Much of this misinformation originates from Chinese-speaking cyberspace, with some evidence of state-sponsored operations. These activities erode trust in climate and energy policies, create confusion, and potentially paralyze necessary actions. This study contributes to the broader literature by offering insights from a non-Western context and emphasizing the importance of considering local media environments in tackling climate misinformation.
The role of cognitive computing in NLP
Authors: Orynbay Laura , Bekmanova Gulmira , Yergesh Banu , Omarbekova Assel , Sairanbekova Ayaulym , Sharipbay Altynbek
Published: January 2025

The integration of Cognitive Computing and Natural Language Processing (NLP) represents a revolutionary development of Artificial Intelligence, allowing the creation of systems capable of learning, reasoning, and communicating with people in a natural and meaningful way. This article explores the convergence of these technologies and highlights how they combine to form intelligent systems capable of understanding and interpreting human language. A comprehensive taxonomy of Cognitive Computing technologies in NLP is presented, which classifies key tools and techniques that improve machine understanding and language generation. The article also explores practical applications, in particular, to improve accessibility for people with visual impairments using advanced Artificial Intelligence-based tools, as well as to analyze political discourse on social networks, where these technologies provide insight into public sentiment and information dynamics. Despite significant achievements, several challenges persist. Ethical concerns, including biases in AI, data privacy and societal impact, are critical to address for responsible deployment. Language complexity poses interpretative challenges, while biases in multimodal data and real-world deployment difficulties impact model performance and scalability. Future directions are proposed to overcome these challenges through improved robustness, generalization, and explainability in models, as well as enhanced data privacy and scalable, resource-efficient deployment. This article thus provides a comprehensive view of current advancements and outlines a roadmap for a responsible and inclusive future of Cognitive Computing and NLP.
Challenges in extracting a defective ventricular lead after CRT-D: a case report
Authors: Özmen Murat , Aydınyılmaz Faruk
Published: January 2025

Background

Our aim in this case was to remove the defective ventricular lead and the ruptured coronary sinus lead.

Methods

Entering through the right femoral vein and removing the coronary sinus lead with a pigtail catheter.

Results

In our attempt to extract the coronary sinus lead, it fractured. The broken fragment was successfully removed without any complications.

Conclusions

In this case, which is very rarely encountered in daily practice, we successfully removed the coronary sinus lead from the body from the femoral vein using a pigtail catheter with a new method.
The relationship between dietary inflammatory index and all-cause and cardiovascular disease-related mortality in adults with metabolic syndrome: a cohort study of NHANES
Authors: Ma Qunwei , Zhang Ying , Zhang Daowen , Liu Cancan , Zhu Weiwei , Wang Guixia , Xu Nannan , Zhang Xue , Huang Rui , Zhang Huijun , Xu Shuhang , Liu Chao , Fan Kuanlu
Published: January 2025

Objective

This study aims to investigate the correlation between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and mortality resulting from all-cause and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in adults affected by metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Methods

The focus of this study was to analyze the information of 13,751 adults who had been diagnosed with MetS. DII scores were computed based on a 24-hour dietary intake at the start of the study. By implementing both the Cox regression analysis and restricted cubic spline(RCS) analysis, we examined the correlation between DII score and mortality.

Results

After a mean follow-up duration of 114 months, a total of 2,343 individuals (representing 13.45% of the sample) died, with 639 fatalities attributed to CVD. The degrees of dietary inflammation were classified into three groups based on DII scores: low, medium, and high-grade. The mortality rates for each tertile of DII were 11.55%, 13.96%, and 15.05%, respectively. In comparison to participants with T1, the multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for participants with T3 were 1.16 (95% CI: 1.01-1.34) regarding mortality caused by any reason, and 1.26 (95% CI: 0.95-1.68) for mortality related to CVD. Through the use of the Kaplan-Meier survival curve and RCS, it was observed that individuals in the high DII tertile had an increased likelihood of death compared to those in the low DII tertile.

Conclusion

Our findings provide validation of the theory that diets high in inflammatory substances contribute to elevated mortality rates for all causes and CVD-related deaths in individuals diagnosed with MetS.
Nutritional risk and HbA1c as critical risk factors and predictors of opportunistic infections in HIV-DM comorbid patients: a retrospective cross-sectional study
Authors: Zhu Qiong’e , Gao Fengjiao , Ren Xiaoxia , Li Rui , Kang Jun , Li Maoquan , Liu Dafeng
Published: January 2025

Background

The clinical characteristics and risk factors for opportunistic infections in HIV patients with concomitant diabetes mellitus are unclear and worth studying. Explore the risk factors and construct a predictive model for opportunistic infections in HIV-DM patients.

Methods

Clinical data were retrospectively collected from 1,669 HIV-DM admitted to the Public Health Clinical Center of Chengdu from December 2018 to November 2023.Based on the occurrence of opportunistic infections, the patients were divided into two groups. Comparative analyses were conducted to assess nutritional status, plasma glucose levels, comorbidities of chronic noncommunicable diseases, and immune status. We applied univariate logistic regression and LASSO regression to screen independent variables. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors and establish a prediction model for opportunistic infections.

Results

In our study population of 1,669 patients (median age was 59 years, 83.22% male), 868 developed opportunistic infections, while the remaining 801 patients did not develop opportunistic infections. Additionally, 1,598 patients survived, and 71 patients died. The opportunistic infection group had a greater median age, lower median BMI, longer median length of hospital stay and greater number of deaths. Logistic regression analysis identified nutritional risk, duration of HIV infection, HbA1c, albumin, and CD4+ T cell counts as significant risk factors and predictors of opportunistic infections. Nutritional risk (OR=2.888) and HbA1c showed positive associations (P<0.001), while duration of HIV infection, albumin, and CD4+ T cell counts demonstrated negative associations with infection risk (P<0.05). The comprehensive model evaluation, based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA), validated the acceptable predictive performance of our model.

Conclusion

This study identified nutritional risk, duration of HIV infection, HbA1c and albumin as significant risk factors and predictors of opportunistic infections in HIV-DM patients, further highlighting the importance of nutritional screening and good glucose control.