bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
​​Weedy Rice (Oryza sativa f. spontanea) Complexes on Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) and its Management Strategy: A Review
Authors: Ajaykumar R. , Sivasabari K. , Vigneshwaran R. , Kumaresan P.
Published: June 2022

Weedy rice (Oryza sativa f. spontanea) is one of the most notorious weeds occurring in rice growing areas especially in direct-seeded rice (DSR) system, worldwide and the problem is pervasive. It is a complex of Oryza morphotypes widely distributed in the commercial rice fields in more than 50 countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Weedy rice is progenies of crosses between wild rice and cultivated. The major characteristic of weedy rice is easy shattering. Other characteristics observed are taller plants, fewer tillers, grains having awns and high percentage of red rice in milled rice. It is difficult to manage the infestation of weedy rice because of its morphological similarities with cultivated rice. Recently, biotechnology approach using genetically modified herbicide tolerant rice varieties may be an efficient strategy. A non-transgenic rice variety ‘Clearfield’ is tolerant to Imidazolinone herbicides. It aims at determining whether the integration of Imidazolinone herbicides and tolerant trait in the genotypes can be used for controlling weedy rice in rice field. Satisfactory control of weedy rice requires an integrated approach based on the combination of preventive, cultural, mechanical, chemical and biotechnological means rather than using only a single method for its control.
Student's perceived science inquiry process skills in relation to school type and gender
Authors: Nicol Christian Bob , Gakuba Emmanuel , Habinshuti Gonzague
Published: June 2022

Seventeen years after the end of the Liberian civil war, which is partly blamed for the waning of the standard of education, the country is still grappling with providing a competency-based science educational experience that will enhance the science inquiry process skills of its youth. In this paper we used the constructivist theoretical perspective to compare the science inquiry process skills of Grade 11 students in government and private schools. The study employed a descriptive survey design and the quantitative research method. Six high schools were selected by cluster random sampling, and a total of 360 students constituted the study sample. This study found that government school students have significantly higher perceived science inquiry process skills than their private school counterparts and that an average of 42% of private school students cannot demonstrate any skills related to experimental design, data representation, communication and presentation. Male students indicated having significantly higher science inquiry process skills compared to their female counterparts. However, a varying majority across study groups practise the science inquiry process skills occasionally.
Crecimiento y desarrollo inicial de Musa textilis Née en base su interacción con las especies maderables Cordia alliodora, Hieronyma alchorneoides y Dipterix panamensis en Costa Rica
Authors: Araya-Salas Mónica , Arias-Aguilar Dagoberto , Valverde Otárola Juan Carlos , Arias-Ceciliano Kevin , Mora-Molina Jesús
Published: June 2022

Musa textilis conocida en Costa Rica y otros países como abacá, es una especie de la familia Musaceae que ha sido cultivada comercialmente por su capacidad para producir fibra de calidad industrial. Un factor clave para la economía rural de Costa Rica es aumentar la productividad y calidad de la fibra, optimizando los costos de manejo y cosecha. El presente trabajo busca generar resultados válidos del efecto positivo de la interacción de árboles maderables en un arreglo agroforestal con el abacá, con especial interés en el efecto posterior que generará la sombra en el crecimiento de todas las especies y en la calidad de la fibra. En la literatura existen pocos estudios que analicen el valor de la interacción del cultivo de abacá con árboles en términos de su crecimiento y desarrollo fisiológico. Por tanto, en este estudio se presentan los resultados preliminares del efecto del sombreo de tres especies maderables nativas sobre el crecimiento del abacá. Para este propósito, se hicieron mediciones mensuales de crecimiento (diámetro y altura total) y de desarrollo fisiológico con mediciones SPAD. La hipótesis es que existe efecto positivo significativo (incremento) en el crecimiento y desarrollo del cultivo en asocio con especies maderables, mostrando diferencias significancias a largo plazo entre tratamientos.  En general, se encontró que sí existen diferencias significativas entre el crecimiento en altura para las plantas establecidas en asocio con especies maderables y las plantas testigo.
CRONOESTRATIGRAFÍA DEL VALLE DE ABURRÁ, COLOMBIA: UNA REVISIÓN
Authors: Noriega-Londoño Santiago , Arboleda-Giraldo Mateo , Restrepo-Moreno Sergio A. , Marín-Cerón María Isabel
Published: June 2022

El Valle de Aburrá (VA), localizado en la porción norte de la Cordillera Central de Colombia, se encuentra cubierto por extensas formaciones superficiales de diversos tipos. Estos depósitos registran la respuesta morfodinámica de diferentes procesos tectónicos y erosivos, gobernados por las condiciones de clima húmedo tropical y la actividad geodinámica reciente de los Andes del Norte. Este trabajo presenta una revisión del estado del arte de la cronoestratigrafía de las formaciones superficiales del VA, como una herramienta para cuantificar los procesos geomorfológicos responsables de la conformación y evolución del VA. Los datos compilados abarcan el intervalo desde el Plioceno tardío al Holoceno tardío, registrando la respuesta del paisaje a la última fase de la Orogenia Andina. Esta revisión resalta la necesidad de producirnuevos datos cronológicos y estratigráficos en el Cuaternario, como base para los modelos de evolución del paisaje de los cuales necesariamente se debe surtir la reflexión, el trabajo y la praxis sobre la evaluación de amenazas, las estrategias de gestión del riesgo y los planes de ordenamiento territorial, particularmente en el contexto de los grandes centros urbanos de la región Andina.
Pugnas historiográficas por la herejía medieval: los herejes dualistas (siglos XII-XIII)
Authors:   Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Maciel Regalado Cynthia
Published: June 2022

The historiographical controversy surrounding the Dualistic heretical resurgence in twelfth-century Western Europe is still very much alive. This piece aims to address two main objectives: a) to present a historiographical balance on the Western dualist heresy or “Catharism”, and b) to propose a temporal distinction to explain the historiographical disagreements about the twelfthand-thirteenth-century Dualistic heretical occurrence. By considering this documentary-chronological division, it is possible to understand the differences between the two opposing interpretive schools.
Memorias e imágenes entrelazadas: el reinado de Alfonso VI en la Estoria de los godos
Authors:   Universität Wien, Blašković Marija
Published: June 2022

Jiménez de Rada᾽s De rebus Hispaniae was highly resonant in peninsular historiography, and its narrative expression was also conveyed in the form of romanceamientos. Critics have already shown that the Estoria de los godos, anonymous and difficult to date, is the most distant configuration from the Toledano᾽s account. This study focuses on the sections of the romanceamiento dedicated to the reign of Alfonso VI. The comparative reading, supported by narratological tools, makes it possible to highlight the rigor and complexity of the redaction of this work. This approach provides clues about its context of production, while the detected particularities —especially, the treatment of the Cid᾽s trayectory— allow us to reevaluate the position of the Estoria de los godos in the memoristic interactions of the late 13th century.
El Cid: ¿un héroe para el siglo XXI? El mundo de frontera del siglo XI y la violencia en la novela Sidi de Arturo Pérez-Reverte
Authors:   Saint Louis University, United States of America, Montero Ana M.
Published: June 2022

In his best-seller and adventure novel Sidi. An Account of the Frontier (2019), Arturo Pérez-Reverte recreates part of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar᾿s first exile already portrayed in the first part of the Cantar de Mio Cid. This recreation aims to awake more interest in Spanish medieval history and to redress the Cid᾿s image after its manipulation during Franco᾿s times. The aim of this study is to analyze the heroic image of Cid in Pérez-Reverte᾿s fiction—an image in line with that presented by historians—and the representation of violence and brutality among Christians and Muslims in the eleventh-century frontier world. Though war idealization may not be easily avoided in the biography of a legendary hero, Pérez-Reverte still provides a nuanced, critical representation of violence. However, his focus is laid on a different character, Diego Ordoñez rather than Rodrigo Díaz, who emerges as a bi-cultural hero who has developed powerful leadership skills—that is, a model of hero arguably more suitable for modern times.
Akut iskemik serebrovasküler olay geçiren hastalarda aritmi sıklığının holter elektrokardiyografi ile değerlendirilmesi
Authors: KIŞ Mehmet , GÜZEL Tuncay
Published: June 2022

Amaç: Akut iskemik serebrovasküler olaydan (SVO) sonra yüksek riskli hastaların belirlenmesi, uygun kardiyak izlem ve aritmilerin saptanması, kardiyak morbidite ve mortalitenin önlenmesi açısından önemlidir. Çalışmamızın amacı, akut iskemik SVO nedeniyle kardiyoloji kliniğine yönlendirilen hastalarda, altta yatan etiyolojinin belirlenmesi ve 24 saatlik holter elektrokardiyografi (EKG) ile aritmi sıklığının saptanmasıdır.
Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışmaya Ocak 2019-Haziran 2021 tarihleri arasında akut iskemik SVO geçiren ve bazal EKG’ si sinüs ritminde olan ardışık 135 hasta alındı. Çalışmamız, retrospektif kesitsel bir çalışmadır.
Bulgular: Hastaların ortalama yaşı 72.02±11.02 yıl, ortalama sistolik arteryal kan basıncı 138,84±20.45 mmHg ve ortalama kalp hızı 81.63±16.18 atım/dk idi. Hastalarda en sık görülen komorbid hastalıklar hipertansiyon (n=67, %49,6) ve koroner arter hastalığıydı (n=55, %40,7). Hastaların %5.9’unda protez kalp kapağı ve %5.2‘sinde kalıcı kalp pili vardı. 5 (%3,7) hastada intrakardiyak trombüs tespit edildi. Ortalama sol ventrikül ejeksiyon fraksiyonu %54,4±9,1 idi. Karotis dopler ultrasonografide (USG) hastaların 27 (%20)’ sinde tek taraflı ve 17’sinde (%12,6) iki taraflı ciddi karotis arter darlığı mevcuttu. Holter EKG’ de en sık tesbit edilen aritmiler ventriküler ekstrasistol (n=34, %25,2) ve paroksismal atrial fibrilasyondu (n=31, %23). Ayrıca 6 (%4,4) hastada non-sustained ventriküler taşikardi saptandı.
Sonuç: Akut iskemik SVO geçiren hastalarda alta yatan etiyolojiyi tesbit etmek hastalığın tedavisi açısından önem arz etmektedir. Bu hasta grubunda tedavi edilmesi gereken aritmi sıklığı göz ardı edilmeyecek kadar yüksektir.
Characterization of Gene Coding Fusion Protein of Newcastle Disease Virus Infected in Native Chicken in Surabaya
Authors: Kirana Maha , Ernawati Rahaju , Rahmahani Jola , Rantam Fedik Abdul
Published: June 2022

This study aimed to discover the homology of nucleotide sequence, homology percentage, and those relations phylogenetic of protein Fusion (F) gene coding of Newcastle disease in domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) in Surabaya using some comparison isolate from GenBank. Samples were scoured of digestive organs from native chicken, that was collected from a traditional market in Wonokromo, Surabaya. Samples were tested using RT-PCR with primer forward and reverse with target 976bp, a positive sample which is continued with sequencing then homology and nucleotide analysis which is done and which is translated into amino acid. The result of homology chc/SBY/2018 sample has a similarity of 88% with references sequence, while with Lasota vaccine has a similarity of 87%, and the highest result of homology showed by the comparison with various isolates in Indonesia 90-95%. Translation results from nucleotide alignment into amino acid showed shifts in amino acid structure, which is amino acid shifts could be affected by many things like nutrition, wheater, environment, etc. The conclusion was chc/SBY/2018 sample has a quite high similarity with Indonesian isolates and undergoes mutation on nucleotide structure on amino acid and phylogenetic analysis. This study related to some isolates of vaccine and some isolates in Indonesia.
Capillaria spp. in a Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus) in Banyuwangi Reptile Community
Authors: Dini Sayyida Kamila , Triakoso Nusdianto , Saputro Amung Logam , Yudhana Aditya
Published: June 2022

Reptiles as exotic pets become more commonly desired by society, one of which is the reticulated python. Pythons kept as pets also have a risk of disease infection including helminthiasis. Worm parasite infects snake by the oral route. Some snake feed including frogs and mice can act as an intermediate host for worm parasites. A male reticulated python was kept by a member of the Banyuwangi reptile community and was presented with healthy and normal eating habits. This case study was to determine the worm parasite in the wild-caught reticulated python kept as an exotic pet. Fresh fecal samples were stored in a container with 70% alcohol added as a preservative. The sample was then evaluated in the laboratory and examined using the native method, floatation method, and simple sedimentation method. As result, under the microscope to be the Capillaria spp. the egg was observed.
Betanodavirus Infection in Barramundi in Riau Islands
Authors: Rifai Achmad Bahtiar , Wulandari Titis , Surastini Desi , Irawanto Pramudya Dwi Wahyu
Published: June 2022

Diseases that can cause very high economic losses are viruses and one of them is Betanodavirus or commonly called Viral Nervous Necrosis (VNN). VNN is a disease registered by The Office International des Epizooties (OIE) and is a major problem in marine fishery production in the world. This virus is able to infect fish from larva size to consumption size in a short period of time to reach death with a frequency of 80% to 100%. The disease can infect barramundi and is spread throughout the Riau Islands. This study used a live fish sampling method showing VNN signs and freshly dead fish. The research samples were obtained from several cities and districts in the Riau Islands Province, including Batam City, Bintan Regency, and Tanjung Balai Karimun Regency, the sample selection was based on clinical symptoms and fish mortality. Then the samples were necropsied for eye and brain organs, then amplified using primers targeting the RNA 2 gene. The results showed that VNN had been detected in the Riau Islands Province, i.e. Batam City, Bintan Regency, and Tanjung Balai Karimun Regency.
An Efficacy of Seligi Leaf Flour Fermentation on Cholesterol Levels, Low Density Lipoprotein, and High Density Lipoprotein in Catfish
Authors: Hardiansyah Reza , Lamid Mirni
Published: June 2022

Catfish is a freshwater fish with a high economic value, so it is very good to be developed. Feed is one of the most important components in the cultivation process because it plays a role in supporting the plants and the survival of cultivated fish. Seligi (Phyllanthus buxifolius) is a native Indonesian medicinal plant that has been widely used for medicinal purposes. Seligi leaf extract is known to contain flavonoids, polyphenols (tannins), saponins, alkaloids, quinones, and triterpenoid steroids. The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of using fermented seligi leaf flour in feed to reduce levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and high densities lipoprotein in catfish meat. The method used in this research is the experimental method. The main parameters in this study were total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in catfish meat. The supporting parameters in this research are water quality which includes temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and ammonia (NH3-N). The results showed that the total cholesterol content of catfish meat ranged from 116.84-233.65 mg/dL. Meanwhile, the results of LDL in catfish meat ranged from 37.89-74.22 mg/dL. Then, the content of HDL in catfish meat ranges from 89.25-225.87 mg/dL.
The Risk Factor of Subclinical Mastitis Incident in Dairy Cattle in KPSP Ijen Makmur, Banyuwangi
Authors: Ningrum Indah Puspita , Soeharsono Soeharsono , Wibawati Prima Ayu , Dhamayanti Yeni , Yunita Maya Nurwartanti
Published: June 2022

Mastitis is an inflammatory disease in the internal tissue of the mammary gland. Subclinical mastitis does not show any changes in the shape of the mammary gland and to detect it can be examined the number of somatic cells in milk. Subclinical mastitis uses the California Mastitis Test (CMT) method as preliminary research to obtain preliminary data on the incidence of subclinical mastitis in KPSP Ijen Makmur, Licin District, Banyuwangi Regency. This research is descriptive research. The detection for this research was carried out by taking milk samples in cows per purposive and reacted CMT reagents issued circularly for 10-15 seconds. Observation of results is determined based on changes inconsistency with the existence of gel and the results of interview farmers as supporting data. The results showed that the influencing factors incidence of subclinical mastitis in KPSP Ijen Makmur, Licin District, Banyuwangi Regency were milk production, age and amount of lactation. In contrast, the biggest factor for reducing the risk of subclinical mastitis is udder health followed by body conditions measured by Body Condition Score.
The Association of Age and Number of Parturition with Mammary Gland Tumor Case Rate in Mice in Malang Raya
Authors: Wukirani Maulidi Robingi Mardiyani , Adha Essly Hervianingsih , Dewi Sang Ayu Putri Aristya , Setianingrum Ani , Pratama Dyah Ayu Oktavianie Ardhiana , Hardian Andreas Bandang
Published: June 2022

Mammary gland tumours are frequently reported in adult female mice. It broadly affects the productivity and breeding performance of mice in breeding centres. The tumours might occur spontaneously due to internal factors such as genetic mutation and hormonal disturbance, however, external causes such as Mouse Mammary Tumour Virus (MMTV) infection was also reported. This study aimed to prove that age and number of parturition associate with mammary gland tumour case rate in female mice in Malang Raya. Chi-square tests were employed to analyse the association between risk factors and mammary gland tumour case rate in this study. Histopathologic analysis described three subtypes of mammary gland tumours in mice which were adenoma, adenocarcinoma type A and adenocarcinoma type B. Chi-square tests results of tumour case rate toward age and number of parturitions were consecutively 0,004 and 0,0025 which indicated that age and number of parturitions were associated with mammary gland tumours case rate in mice in Malang Raya. The mapping of tumour case distribution visually showed a trend that higher disease proportions were spotted in higher altitude of sampling location. This might relate to the geographical breeding characteristics or temperature which needs further study to explore the association of spatial factors with the mammary tumour incidence in mice.
Estrogen Concentration on Friesian Holstein Crossbred with Supplementation Feed Cassava Peel
Authors: Zulfarniansyah Akhmad Baihaqi , Safitri Erma
Published: June 2022

The purpose of this study was to determine the ratio of estrogen concentrations given cassava peel feed supplementation. A total of 24 cows of Friesian Holstein, weighing 250-300 kg were divided into two groups and each group contains 12 replications. The first group is Friesian Holstein breeds with the condition that they are given elephant grass feed ad libitum and 25 kg of tofu dregs. The second group is Friesian Holstein breeds with the condition that they are fed ad libitum elephant grass, 25 kg of tofu dregs, and 25 kg of cassava peel. The milk samples were then taken to be tested for estrogen levels using the direct competitive ELISA. Analysis of estrogen concentration data was then carried out by normality test using Shapiro Wilk test then followed by the Paired T-test with a significance level of 5%. Based on the Paired T sample correlation test was 0.072 (p>0.05), which means that the feed gave the cassava peel and not the cassava peel was negatively associated. Based on the Paired T-test is 0.193 (p>0.05), which means there is no significant relationship between the 2 test groups. It can be concluded that there is no significant difference in the estrogen concentration of Friesian Holstein cattle fed with and without cassava peel supplementation.
Democracy for development or it is development for democracy in Africa? Towards sustainable development
Authors: Chigudu Daniel
Published: June 2022

For African states’ democratic governance is fundamental for developmental and political discourse while sustainable development is also critical for the continent. Owing to the uneven developmental and historical backgrounds of the African states and democratic deficits it is unclear if sustainable development is achievable ahead of democracy. This study is informed by the constructivist/interpretivist concern as a research philosophy grounded on text and content analysis to identify the nexus between development and democracy on the trail of Africa’s development agenda. While some scholars believe the two are interdependent others claim that the two are independent hence one can be achieved in the absence of the other. Africa should strive to strike a balance between the two as they are not mutually exclusive although it is democracy that should take centre stage. There is a challenge of achieving twin goals in the absence of a blueprint through being robustly innovative.
The Impact of Intellectual Capital on Bank Risk: Evidence from Banking Sectors of Bangladesh
Authors: Zheng Changjun , Islam Md Nazmul , Sadekin Md  Nazmus , Huq Syed Moudud Ul
Published: June 2022

The main purpose of this study is to identify the impact of intellectual capital efficiency (ICE) also known as knowledge capital along with its components human capital efficiency (HCE) and structural capital efficiency (SCE) on bank risk-taking behavior in Bangladesh. To reveal this effect, the study uses generalized method of moment (GMM) estimator and Two Stages Least Square estimator (to check the Robustness) and unbalanced panel data of 32 commercial banks of Bangladesh consisting of 530 bank-year observations during the year 2003-2020. The main results of the study are: (a) ICE is significantly and positively connected with a bank’s credit risk which indicates credit risk grows up with the increase of Intellectual capital efficiency, and (b) Both the human capital efficiency and structural capital efficiency positively impacts credit risk but the impact of SCE is not significant as HCE, (c) Bank performance (ROA), RWATA, macro variable inflation, and size have a negative impact on bank risk whereas ID and GGDP insignificant positively impact on bank’s risk. Finally, the results of the study will assist the stakeholders, policymakers, and academicians for future research.
Marketing communication tools for world of work opportunities
Authors: Reddy Tessa , Maharaj Mandusha
Published: June 2022

This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of marketing communication tools adopted by graduates of the Durban University of Technology. A quantitative approach was utilised, and data were collected through a structured self-developed questionnaire. The population for this study was graduates of the Durban University of Technology. A sample of four hundred and fifty questionnaires was administered to graduates from all faculties at the Durban campuses. The findings revealed that the communication media adopted by the respondents were generally appropriate and effective. The results indicated that traditional communication tools (newspapers and career magazines) and non-traditional communication tools (amongst others, social media, the internet websites, electronic databases and email systems) were adopted by graduates. The university allocates a 4life email address to all registered students. The 4life email address is maintained after completion of studies thus facilitating email communication between the graduates and cooperative education. Furthermore, respondents suggested that email communication fosters a strategic world of work engagements and partnerships with the University of Technology in recruiting high-caliber graduates. Therefore, the study concludes with the notion that a blend of traditional and electronic marketing communication is required. It is important to note traditional postal addresses have been replaced with email.
Including the excluded in the integrated development planning process for improved community participation
Authors: Mamokhere John , Meyer Daniel F
Published: June 2022

This article aims to assess the Integrated Development Planning (IDP) process for improved community participation. The IDP process was developed to improve strategic planning and community participation at the municipal level. Many South African municipalities have been struggling to use the IDP process to improve community participation. The methodology included 400 respondents who were chosen through a probability sampling technique and probed to complete the online survey using a closed-ended questionnaire guide, and ten respondents were also chosen through a non-probability sampling technique and were face-to-face interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. The key findings revealed that poor community participation exists in the study area due to a lack of encouragement from responsible authorities. The Tzaneen municipality does not provide adequate feedback to the communities, and the inputs of the communities are not considered. There is a continuous lack of community consultation during the annual review of the IDP. The ineffective IDP process for improved community participation presents several challenges. Thus, this article concluded by providing a few recommendations to enhance the application of the IDP process and community participation. The Tzaneen municipal area should at all times uphold democratic principles by ensuring active public participation, transparency, and openness in municipal affairs. It also recommends making it easier for marginalised and previously disadvantaged people to participate in municipal policy and decision-making without prejudice. South African municipalities, including Tzaneen municipality, should develop and innovate institutional, and organisational capabilities to better utilise their resources, mitigate socio-economic challenges and enhance service delivery.
Investigating the consumer evaluation of the co-branding of luxury brands
Authors: Chen Xi , Li Zhe
Published: June 2022

China as a hot luxury market has witnessed high growth in luxury sales despite the COVID-19. In recent years, many luxury companies have further improved their brand value and influence via co-branding strategies, however, their brand cooperation received mixed evaluations. Drawing on the conceptual blending theory and self-concept consistency theory, this paper constructs and verifies the structural equation model of consumer evaluation of luxury co-branding from the perspectives of the brands and the consumers. The study reveals that luxury co-branding fit, advertising types and the consumers’ life-role transition have a positive impact on consumer evaluation. Both the type of advertising and consumers’ life-role transition have a moderating effect on consumer evaluation. Specifically, (i) In luxury co-branding, the co-branded products paired with a high fit between the values of the cooperative brands are more likely to receive high consumer evaluation; (ii) The publicity of the brand image of the co-branded products has a stronger moderating effect on the perceived quality, appeal and purchase intention of luxury users than the publicity of the features of the co-branded products; (iii) For luxury brands with a high degree of joint fit, consumers who have not experienced life-role transformation have a stronger regulatory effect on consumers' perceived quality, attractiveness and purchase intention than consumers who have experienced life-role transformation.
Effects of training and development practices on performance of insurance sector in Kenya
Authors: Kajwang Ben
Published: June 2022

The study examined the effects of training and development practices on the performance of the insurance sector in Kenya. The study was conducted using a desktop methodology. This involved the use of secondary data that has been acquired from existing resources such as published studies, reports, and statistics. Many researchers prefer this method of collecting data since it saves time and reduces the cost of data collection. It is also quite reliable and has a wide variety of insights since it is collected from well-known sources. The current study used online journals and libraries which provide easy access to secondary data. The results revealed that there exist conceptual and geographical gaps relating to the study on the effects of training and development practices on the performance of the insurance sector in Kenya. Most of the results from the empirical review revealed that training and development practices positively affect the performance of the insurance sector. In addition, training and development practices were found to have a positive effect on employee productivity, employee engagement and employee retention. the study will benefit many stakeholders. The human resource managers will use the findings of the study to identify other training and development practices that have been used to improve the performance of employees in the insurance sector. The HR managers will also be able to understand the expectation of employees during the implementation of training programs in the organizations so as to ensure they are more effective. Policymakers can also use the findings of the study to adopt the appropriate measures that can be used to ensure that training programs are effective and have a long-term effect on the performance of insurance firms. Researchers and academicians interested in carrying out research on training and development practices will also benefit from the findings of this study since this study will form the basis for their literature work. While future researchers may be inspired to conduct more studies to improve on this study.
Research on micro limestone for concrete pavements produced with natural aggregates in the Erzurum region
Authors: Öz Ali
Published: June 2022

The use of naturally formed aggregates in concrete pavements is an innovative and sustainable solution both environmentally and economically. This study investigates the usability of fine and coarse aggregates formed spontaneously in Oltu, Narman, Pasinler and Uzundere in concrete pavements by improving the mechanical properties of concrete. In the study, the compressive strength, flexural strength, water absorption capacity and capillarity permeability of the concrete samples planned to be used on concrete pavements were obtained by considering the contribution of these aggregates. In addition, microscopic electron scanning analyzes (SEM) were applied to visualize the internal cracks that may occur in the concrete. The test results showed that the concrete formed with aggregates from Oltu and Pasinler regions had the highest compressive, flexural and hardened unit weights. It has been concluded that the concrete produced from Uzundere region, which gives results below 35 MPa in terms of compressive strength, is not applicable on concrete pavements. In addition, considering the high compressive, flexural, unit weight and capillary permeability, it is predicted that the most suitable concrete design for the construction of concrete pavements is the P0 (concrete formed with aggregates from Pasinler region) concrete sample.
TNFa inhibitor C87 sensitizes EGFRvIII transfected glioblastoma cells to gefitinib by a concurrent blockade of TNFa signaling
Authors: Ma Li , She Chunhua , Shi Qian , Yin Qiang , Ji Xinxin , Wang Yongrong , Fan Yulong , Kong Xinyao , Li Peng , Sun Zengfeng , Zhang Xiaohui , Zhang Zhen , Wang Jian , Wang Tong , Xu Yuanfu , Li Wenliang
Published: June 2022

Objective: More than half of human glioblastomas show EGFR gene amplification and mutation, but EGFR inhibitors have not been effective in treating EGFR-positive glioblastoma patients. The mechanism behind this type of primary resistance is not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate gefitinib resistance in glioblastoma, and explore ways to circumvent this significant clinical problem. Methods: MTT method was used to test the cell viability after EGFR-positive glioblastoma cells were treated with indicated drugs; real-time quantitative PCR method was included to detect the TNFa mRNA levels in glioma tissues and cell lines. ELISA was introduced to measure the TNFa protein levels in cell culture supernatant of glioblastoma cells treated with gefitinib. Western blot was used to detect the activity change of intracellular kinases in drug-treated glioblastoma cells. Two mouse xenograft tumor models were carried out to evaluate the in vivo effects of a combination of EGFR and TNFa inhibitors. Results: We found that glioblastoma resistance to gefitinib may be mediated by an adaptive pro-survival TNFa-JNK-Axl signaling axis, and that high TNFa levels in the glioblastoma microenvironment may further intensify primary resistance. A combination of the TNFa-specific small-molecule inhibitor C87 and gefitinib significantly enhanced the sensitivity of glioblastoma cells to gefitinib in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: Our findings provide a possible explanation for the primary resistance of glioblastoma to EGFR inhibitors and suggest that dual blockade of TNFa and EGFR may be a viable therapeutic strategy for the treatment of patients with chemotherapy-refractory advanced glioblastoma.
Trilogy: A New Paradigm of Consciousness
Authors: Farhadi Ashkan
Published: June 2022

Consciousness is usually interpreted as a state of being aware of one’s environment as well as self, while awareness is understood as knowledge of something. Despite their semantic differences, in philosophy, these terms are often used interchangeably, as is the case of the hard problem of consciousness proposed by Chalmers, which in fact is the hard problem of awareness. Trilogy paradigm of consciousness (or simply “trilogy”) offers a new paradigm where consciousness is the result of a unique interaction between awareness and the decision-making process. By conferring the input of awareness to the decision-making process, a new mental function of awareness-based choice selection (ABCS) or true free will emerges. Likewise, application of the power of decision-making to the process of awareness gives rise to discretionary selection of information for awareness (DSIA) or intentional attention. The intertwined actions of ABCS and DSIA comprise “I” which is the faculty of our consciousness and is what sets natural intelligence (NI) apart from artificial intelligence (AI). Based on trilogy, mind is an unconscious compilation of all mental function excluding ABCS and DSIA that are the essence of consciousness. As humans, we are a union of “I,” our minds, and our bodies.
Spectral Decompositions of Gramians of Continuous Stationary Systems Given by Equations of State in Canonical Forms
Authors: Yadykin Igor
Published: June 2022

The application of transformations of the state equations of continuous linear and bilinear systems to the canonical form of controllability allows one to simplify the computation of Gramians of these systems. In the paper we developed the method and obtain algorithms for computation of the controllability and observability Gramians of continuous linear and bilinear stationary systems with many inputs and one output, based on the method of spectral expansion of the Gramians and the iterative method for computing the bilinear systems Gramians. An important feature of the concept is the idea of separability of the Gramians expansion: sep333arate computation of the scalar and matrix parts of the spectral Gramian expansion reduces the sub-Gramian matrices computation to calculation of numerical sequences of their elements. For the continuous linear systems with one output the method and the algorithm of the spectral decomposition of the controllability Gramian are developed in the form of Xiao matrices. Analytical expressions for the diagonal elements of the Gramian matrices are obtained, making use of which the rest elements can be calculated. For continuous linear systems with many outputs the spectral decompositions of the Gramians in the form of generalized Xiao matrices are obtained, which allows to significantly reduce the number of calculations. The obtained results are generalized for continuous bilinear systems with one output. Iterative spectral algorithms for computation of elements of Gramians of these systems are proposed. Examples are given that illustrate theoretical results.
Lithbea, A New Domain outside the Tree of Life
Authors: Gomez-Marquez Jaime
Published: June 2022

As synthetic/artificial life forms become more abundant and sophisticated, an increasing number of bizarre creatures - xenobots, robots, soft A-life entities, genetically engineered organisms, etc. - are invading our society. Therefore, we need to bring order to all this, to establish what is living and what is not. Here, I intend to classify all these non-natural entities and clarify their status with reference to their consideration or not as living beings, leaving the door open to an uncertain future in which perhaps we can see how "the artificial" and "the natural" merge to originate something new. To order all this "new biodiversity" and to also give entry to viruses (which are excluded of the three-domains tree of life), I propose the creation of a new domain, Lithbea (from the name: life-in-the-border entities), in which all these new human-made entities as well as the viruses will be included. Within this domain there would be two kingdoms, Virus and Humade (contraction of human-made), based on their origin, natural or human-made. A brief description of each component of Lithbea is included and the implications for society and biology of this “new biodiversity” is briefly discussed.
Land Consolidation in Croatia
Authors: Staničić Frane
Published: June 2022

Land consolidation is a very important instrument in agricultural planning and in making agricultural policies. It has a very long history in Croatia, dating to 18th century. However, it was formally made into legislation in the late 19th century. From then onward, it was rather widely used as a tool for consolidating fragmented pieces of agricultural land. After the independence in 1991, Croatia changed its constitutional and political setup in a manner which made further use of the existing law on land consolidation from 1979 impossible. However, the law stayed in force until the new law entered into force in 2015. Consequently, the institute of land consolidation was legally regulated the entire time, but the law was not applicable. Therefore, no land consolidations were made after 1991. Furthermore, last initiated land consolidation dated from 1989 and it was not, formally finished as the bodies which conducted land consolidations were abolished and new ones were never created. This is why the Constitutional Court had to react and this reaction brought the new law concerning land consolidation in 2015. However, from 2015 until now, no land consolidations were conducted or even initiated under the new law. In 2021, the Government started drafting the new law on land consolidation.
Aspects regarding the sale of agricultural land located outside the built-up area boundary in Romania, by reference to the Romanian Constitution and the European Union Law
Authors: Sztranyiczki Szilárd
Published: June 2022

The aim of this study is to present and evaluate the possible impact of the most recent legislative amendments from Romania that include important regulations regarding the sale and purchase of agricultural land located outside the built-up area boundary. At the same time, our aim is to study the compliance of the adopted legal norms with the requirements of EU law in this field, with reference to the case-law of the European Court of Justice and of the Constitutional Court of Romania.
Agricultural Issues and the Czech Constitution
Authors: Vomáčka Vojtěch , Tkáčiková Jana
Published: June 2022

The article deals with the regulation of agricultural activities in the constitutional order of the Czech Republic, which consists mainly of the Constitution and the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms. The authors focus on two basic areas of regulation that often complement each other in practice: the protection of property rights and entrepreneurship and the protection of the environment. The protection of land as part of the environment is analysed from the perspective of the constitutionally enshrined obligations of the state and also as part of the right to self-government, which is manifested in particular in the process of land-use planning. The article mainly reflects the case law of the Constitutional Court and, marginally, of the Supreme Administrative Court. The authors conclude that the individual requirements of constitutional law are interconnected and form a general but very fundamental framework for the performance of agricultural activities.
L.N. Gumilyov’s Passionate Theory of Ethnogenesis: A Solution to the Research Crisis in Eurasian Studies
Authors:   Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn House of Russian Expatriates, Ermishina Ksenia B.
Published: June 2022

In this article, the author offers a new reading of the history of Eurasianism based on L.N. Gumilyov’s passionate theory of ethnogenesis. The need for new approaches to the study of Eurasianism stems from the crisis of research in the field of Eurasian studies observed since the mid-2000s. The article pro­vides a brief list of the main trends in the study of Eurasianism and demonstrates that the critical direction, in fact, is not a scientific, but a journalistic program that distorts the essence of the subject of Eurasianism. The critical direction has exhausted its potential and become a purely ideological, structuralist approach. Because the Eurasianist movement was multi-faceted, diverse, and underwent a significant evolution and often appears fragmentary, other research methodolo­gies, despite their essential value, fail cover or describe Eurasianism as a whole phenomenon containing many interruptions, splits, and crises. The application of L.N. Gumilyov’s passionate theory of ethnogenesis provides a more holistic ap­proach to observing the diverse faces of Eurasianism while still viewing it as a single phenomenon, despite the difference and even opposing ideas expressed by the various proponents of Eurasianism, and from this perspective presents it­self as a promising research methodology. The article presents the author's view on the essence of Eurasianism and answers the question of the fundamental defi­nition of the movement, its uniqueness, and, at the same time, how it fits within the wider framework of Russian thought.
Family Planning and Infanticide in Tokugawa Japan
Authors:   National Research University Higher School of Economics, Meshcheryakov Alexander N.
Published: June 2022

At the turn of the 17th–18th centuries Japan faced an excess population growth. This caused concern of the authorities and society because of possible hunger. Family planning policy was implemented both by the authorities and individual families. The government banned the fragmentation of land plots, only the eldest son received the right to inherit. This measure prevented the creation of new families: the eldest son necessarily got married, and the younger ones did not marry at all or got married late and that shortened reproductive period. At the family level, infanticide was a common means of dealing with extra mouths. In­fanticide was especially noticeable in the north-east of the country. The measures taken stopped the growth of the population, which stabilized at the level of 30–32 million people. However, in the second half of the 18th century depopu­lation is observed. It became especially noticeable after the famine of 1790 (“The famine of the Tenmei years”). Depopulation caused concern of the author­ities and certain efforts were made to prevent infanticide, but they were not con­sistent. Infanticide ceases to have a significant impact on the demographic situa­tion only at the beginning of the twentieth century.
CASE REPORT: Giant Cell Arteritis, a Paraneoplastic Manifestation of Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Azzouz Safaa , How Jonathan
Published: June 2022

We present a case of a previously healthy 61-year-old female with a new diagnosis of Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA), initially treated with prednisone. One month later, she receives the diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia for which she gets a course of 7 + 3 induction chemotherapy. Clinicians need to be aware that large vessel vasculitis can be the first sign of a paraneoplastic syndrome related to a hematological malignancy. It has been hypothesized that blood malignancies such as leukemia are associated with depletion of the T-regulatory cells and overproduction of IL-6 and TNF-alpha. More research will need to be conducted in order to determine the relationship between GCA and DNA mutations such as in clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential.
SpanMTL: A Span-based Multi-table Labeling for Aspect-oriented Fine-grained Opinion Extraction
Authors: Xing Yan , Zhu Yuexuan , Fan Wei , Zhang Yuxiang , Huang Rui , Gu Zhaojun , Ip W.H. , Yung Kai-Leung
Published: June 2022

Aspect-oriented Fine-grained Opinion Extraction (AFOE) aims to extract the aspect terms, corresponding opinion terms and sentiment polarity in a target sentence. Most previous methods treat AFOE as word-level or span-level task, which ignore the complementarity of these two tasks. To integrate the merits of word-level and span-level information, we construct an end-to-end Span-based Multi-Table Labeling (SpanMTL) framework. SpanMTL combines word-based and span-based table labeling to tackle AFOE task. Specifically, in the proposed model, we use two separate BiLSTMs to encode the information of aspect and opinion terms into a word-based 2D representation table. Based on the table, we construct span-based table with CNN by associating the word-pair representations. At last, we integrate the table label distributions of word- and span-based table labeling to generate a multi-table labeling. The proposed method improves the performances of OPE and OTE tasks by introducing span information especially on the data with lots of spans. We have conducted various experiments on AFOE datasets to validate our method. The experimental results show that our method outperforms other baselines when the sentences having lots of span information.