bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Диофантовы экспоненты решеток и рост многомерных аналогов неполных частных
Authors: Bigushev Elmir Rufkatovich , German Oleg Nikolaevich
Published: February 2023

Изучается трехмерный аналог связи экспоненты иррациональности вещественного числа с ростом его неполных частных при разложении в обыкновенную цепную дробь. В качестве многомерного обобщения цепных дробей рассматриваются полиэдры Клейна.
Библиография: 12 названий.
Об одном классе интерполяционных неравенств на сфере
Authors: Zelik Sergey Vital'evich , Ilyin Aleksei Andreevich
Published: February 2023

Доказываются оценки $L^p$ норм систем функций и систем бездивергентных вектор-функций, которые ортонормированы в пространстве Соболева $H^1$ на двумерной сфере. Как следствие получены оптимальные по скорости роста постоянные в неравенствах Гальярдо-Ниренберга для вложения $H^1\hookrightarrow L^q$, $q<\infty$.
Библиография: 25 названий.
Lotze, Rudolph Hermann (1817–81)
Authors: Sullivan David
Published: February 2023

Lotze was among the pre-eminent figures in German academic philosophy between the demise of Absolute Idealism and the rise of Neo-Kantianism proper. He sought to avoid two extremes: first, that of an idealism which seeks to deduce the world from a single, general principle; and, second, that of a realism which, by divorcing reality from the mind, splits the world into two utterly separate spheres. The search for knowledge should be tempered by a recognition of the results of natural science and sobered by the awareness that reality will, by necessity, always outstrip thought. Furthermore, our mental life cannot be reduced to purely intellectual functions: feelings and evaluations, for example, are also an integral part of human existence. While there can be no a priori deduction of a metaphysical system, a teleological interpretation, which elucidates the ultimate value of man and the world, must supplement purely naturalistic explanation. The universe has the significance of an unfolding plan, where things are subject to the general laws of order, expressing spiritual import. In this way, Lotze combined a kind of respect for the findings of scientific research with his own peculiar idealistic programme.
Sidgwick, Henry (1838–1900)
Authors: Schultz Bart
Published: February 2023

Henry Sidgwick was a Cambridge philosopher, parapsychologist, political economist, and educational reformer, whose works in ethical and political philosophy, especially The Methods of Ethics (1874), brought classical utilitarianism to its peak of theoretical sophistication and drew out the deep conflicts within that tradition, perhaps within the age of British imperialism itself. Sidgwick was profoundly influenced by J.S. Mill, but his version of utilitarianism – the view that those social or individual actions are right that maximise aggregate happiness – also revived certain Benthamite doctrines, though with more cogent accounts of the ultimate good as pleasure, of total versus average utility, and of the analytical or deductive method. Yet Sidgwick was a cognitivist in ethics who sought both to ground utilitarianism on fundamental intuitions and to encompass within it the principles of common-sense morality (truthfulness, fidelity, justice, etc.); his highly eclectic practical philosophy assimilated much of the rationalism, social conservatism, and historical method of rival views, reflecting such influences as Butler, Clarke, Plato, Aristotle, Seeley, Green, Whewell, and Kant. Ultimately, Sidgwick’s careful academic inquiries failed to demonstrate that one ought always to promote the happiness of all rather than one’s own happiness, and this dualism of practical reason, along with his doubts about the viability of religion, led him to view his results as largely destructive and potentially deleterious in their influence.
Respect for persons
Authors: Dillon Robin S.
Published: February 2023

The idea that persons should treated with respect and that disrespecting someone is wrong is an important element of everyday morality and of moral philosophy and social and political philosophy. Philosophers have approached respect for persons with three sets of questions. The first set focuses on understanding the nature of respect, asking, for example, what sort of thing respect is; whether there are different kinds of respect; how respect is similar to, different from, or connected with esteem, honour, love, dignity, contempt, indifference, denigration, toleration, and so on; what beliefs, attitudes, emotions, motives, and actions respect involves; and what it is to respect oneself. The second set of questions focuses on the moral dimensions of respect for persons, asking, for example, whether there is a moral requirement to respect persons, and, if so, what the grounds and scope of the requirement are; whether every person must always be respected or whether individuals can forfeit all claim to respect as a person; whether there is a moral obligation to respect oneself; what attitudes and treatment are respectful of persons; and whether sociopolitical institutions should be assessed morally according to whether they promote respect or disrespect among persons. The third set of questions concerns applications, focusing on what respect for persons entails for how individuals should treat one another in everyday interactions, for issues in specific contexts such as health care and workplace relations, and for larger sociopolitical issues such as race and gender justice and capital punishment.
Moral hypocrisy
Authors: Isserow Jessica
Published: February 2023

The term ‘hypocrisy’ is said to derive from the Greek words ‘hupokrasis’ and ‘hupokrinesthai’, the former meaning ‘acting a part’, and the latter meaning ‘to act on a stage’. The element of play-acting reflects how the phenomenon of moral hypocrisy is commonly understood within philosophy. According to one long-standing tradition, hypocrites are those who advocate moral principles that do not reflect their underlying commitments, and who do so in order to mislead or manipulate others. A second tradition parts ways from the long-standing association between hypocrisy and pretence, however, and understands hypocrisy primarily in terms of exception-seeking. The latter family of views takes hypocrites to be those who apply moral standards to others that they do not apply to themselves. The different elements of hypocrisy that each tradition emphasises is a testament to the multifaceted nature of the phenomenon, whose complexity raises a host of philosophical questions. Among those questions that have attracted the attention of philosophers are whether hypocrisy must be intentional, what explains its moral undesirability, and whether it is always criticisable.
Moral enhancement
Authors: Forsberg Lisa , Douglas Thomas
Published: February 2023

Moral enhancements aim to morally improve a person, for example by increasing the frequency with which an individual does the right thing or acts from the right motives. Most of the applied ethics literature on moral enhancement focuses on moral bioenhancement – moral enhancement pursued through biomedical means – and considers examples such as the use of drugs to diminish aggression, suppress implicit racial biases, or amplify empathy.

A number of authors have defended the voluntary pursuit of moral bioenhancement, or the development of technologies that would enable it. They have highlighted the need for humans to morally improve themselves in order to address moral failures such as the oppression of women, the mistreatment of animals, and anthropogenic climate change. They have also emphasised the moral similarities between moral bioenhancement and more familiar forms of moral enhancement, such as that achieved through childhood education, introspective reflection, and engagement with literature.

Critics of moral enhancement have argued that it may undermine our freedom to ‘fall’ (i.e. be immoral), and therefore our moral agency, or exacerbate the domination of individuals by political authorities. They have also questioned the potential for biomedical interventions to produce the deepest and most valuable forms of moral improvement, and have highlighted the risks that technologies for moral bioenhancement might misfire or be intentionally misused, thereby producing moral deterioration. Underlying some of these worries is the observation that there is little agreement on which psychological transformations would constitute moral improvements, and in which contexts. Defenders of moral enhancement have made various proposals for resolving or side-stepping these disagreements, but it remains unclear how far these proposals can take us beyond establishing consensus on the worst types of moral failure.
Knowledge, concept of
Authors: Hannon Michael
Published: February 2023

The word ‘know’ is exceptional for a number of reasons. It is one of the ten most commonly used verbs in English, alongside basic verbs like ‘be’, ‘do’, ‘say’, ‘have’, and ‘go’. It is also the most frequently used term in epistemic evaluation: we speak of ‘knowing’ far more often than we speak of ‘justification’, ‘reliability’, ‘understanding’, ‘wisdom’, and other intellectual traits or epistemic properties. Perhaps most strikingly, the word ‘know’ allegedly has a meaning-equivalent in every human language. Unlike almost every other word in English, linguists have identified ‘know’ as one of a very small number of words that are culturally universal (Goddard, 2010). These facts suggest that knowledge is deeply important to human life.

Knowledge has also held a central place in epistemology. Indeed, the word ‘epistemology’ comes from the Greek word epistêmê, which is often translated as ‘knowledge’. This is not to say that epistemologists are only interested in knowledge. They also investigate epistemic virtues like open-mindedness and intellectual humility, as well as properties of belief like being rational and justified (among many other things). Still, the enterprise of epistemology has largely been an investigation into the nature, significance, sources, and extent of human knowledge.

But what is knowledge? Why do we value it? How is it acquired? And how much of it do we have?

In the late twentieth century, one of the central questions asked by epistemologists was: when does a true belief count as knowledge? It was widely assumed that knowledge is a form of true belief plus some additional requirement(s), such as justification or reliability. While this view about the nature of knowledge is still popular, it came under scrutiny at the turn of the twenty-first century. Instead of thinking that knowledge must be analysed in terms of more basic components like truth, belief, and justification, Timothy Williamson (2000) suggested that we should take knowledge as basic and use it to understand belief, evidence, and other things.

This reversal of the traditional approach coincided with a renewed interest in the value of knowledge. The problem of explaining why knowledge is valuable goes back at least to Plato’s Meno, but epistemologists are now systematically investigating this question. The value of knowledge also bears on one of the most famous of all philosophical problems: scepticism. The history of epistemology is, in large part, an attempt to reply to the sceptic’s claim that knowledge is impossible. But whether we should care about scepticism depends on whether knowledge is valuable. Some philosophers have argued that knowledge has no distinctive value (e.g. Kaplan, 1985), while others have claimed that knowledge is vital for human survival, cooperation, and flourishing (e.g. Craig, 1990).
Molecular and taxonomic studies on some Acarospora (Acarosporales, Ascomycota) species in Türkiye
Authors: GÜLLÜ Dr. Mithat , HALICI Mehmet Gökhan , ÖZTÜRK KÜP Fatma
Published: February 2023

Acarospora is a crustose lichen genus in the family Acarosporaceae and has a wide distribution. While the lichen genus Acarospora has more than 200 species in the world, the number of species so far determined in Türkiye is 41. Here we report three Acarospora species: A. irregularis H. Magn., A. rosulata (Th. Fr.) H. Magn., A. thamnina (Tuck.) Herre and two lichenicolous fungal species: Lichenostigma svandae Vondrák & Šoun, Stigmidium fuscatae (Arnold) R. Sant. new to Türkiye. Detailed information on these 5 taxa is provided along with photographs. The nrITS, β tubulin and mtSSU gene regions of the new Acarospora records are studied and their phylogenetical positions are discussed.
Perception Of Auditors from Greater Mumbai Towards Fears and Threats in Reporting Financial Statements in Post GST Regime
Authors: Vilekar CA Nishesh
Published: February 2023

GST has brought numerous changes in the structure of indirect tax system in India by consolidating many Indirect taxes. Due to modern system in tax compliance’s role of auditors have become more responsible and scope for their profession. The present study aimed to study and analyse Auditors Perception towards fears and threats for reporting of financial statements in post GST era. The study was conducted by referring various optional information and primary data about perception of professional auditors was collected through well-structured questionnaire. The data was retrieved from, the sample size of 400 respondents from Mumbai. In order to analyse the study, frequency, percentage and weighted average method is used to draw conclusion of the study. The study concluded that Overall perception of Auditors from Mumbai is that due to reporting pattern in post GST regime there is fear and threat in the minds of auditor regarding reporting of financial statements which would compel them for more effective reporting.
Propuesta de un modelo de innovación gráfico direccionado a la transformación digital
Authors: Chuncha Martinez Michelle Estefania , López Pilachanga Kevin Bryan , Mancheno Saá Marcelo Javier
Published: February 2023

El presente estudio procura establecer un modelo gráfico de transformación digital, enfocado en la industria turística, siendo este uno de los primeros sectores en la que sus procesos empresariales se digitalizaron alrededor del mundo es así que las empresas cambian con gran frecuencia y son obligadas a adaptarse entorno a la transformación. El objetivo del estudio fue crear una propuesta de innovación gráfico direccionado a la transformación digital de la industria turística de la provincia de Tungurahua. El abordaje metodológico de la presente investigación sigue las siguientes pautas: investigación de tipo descriptiva y modalidad de campo, con la finalidad de recolectar datos más confiables permitiendo generar nuevos conocimientos aplicando el método científico; enfoque cuantitativo, con la relación entre las variables de investigación, a través del diseño y aplicación de la técnica de encuesta para la búsqueda sistemática de información mediante preguntas a los investigados sobre los datos que se desea obtener. Los resultados revelaron que el 15% de las empresas estudiadas se encuentran en etapa inicial según el modelo de innovación digital. De similar manera, el 81% se encuentran en una etapa de maduración.
Afetividade: direito de família
Authors: De Melo Bruna Marinho
Published: February 2023

São estudados, os textos constitucionais, as principais leis vigentes no Brasil e princípios que tratam do direito de família. A relevância da investigação que resulta neste texto centra-se no estudo do objeto de direito de família e sua configuração em diferentes períodos históricos, o que permite identificar ao menos duas formas de constituição do vínculo familiar: as que se vinculam pelo matrimônio e as ligadas à afetividade. Para análise, procedeu-se, à seleção de bibliografias, extraídas de textos legais, em que constam palavras que se vinculam, em alguma medida, a aspectos ligados ao direito de família na legislação brasileira. Com a leitura da bibliografia selecionada foram realizados fichamentos que permitiram identificar quais pontos foram regulados pelo Poder Legislativo brasileiro, materializados Código Civil, Constituição Federal e nos textos infraconstitucionais que abordam a evolução da família, bem como os principais princípios que regem o Direito de família. Os resultados indicam que a atividade legislativa acerca do direito de família não faz distinção entre cônjuge ou companheiro e estão vinculados aos discursos que circulam na sociedade referente a concepção de família, a qual é marcada pelo discurso da legitimidade da relação conjugal, ligado à afetividade no direito sucessório.
Syndrome of Contractures and Deformities (SofCD): Dysplasia of Hips, Varus Deformity of Shanks, Wry Neck, So-Called Idiopathic Scoliosis Causes Clinic Prophylaxis Therapy
Authors: Karski Tomasz
Published: February 2023

In the article we present one of two main etiopathological groups of pathology of locomotor system. The health of the adults very often depends on the effectiveness of prophylaxis and proper treatment of disorders in the childhood.

The treatment of children often can be easy and give good results, what is important for all years of life of everybody. In our experience, the abnormalities described in article are very frequent, due to various reasons. In the article we present one of the causes of pathology.
Clinical and Social Correlates of Duration of Untreated Psychosis in First-episode Psychosis Patients
Authors: Pek E , Mythily S , Chong SA
Published: February 2023

Introduction: This study aims to examine the socio-demographic and clinical correlates of the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) in first-episode psychosis patients in an Asian country.

Materials and Methods: Three hundred thirty-four patients from the Early Psychosis Intervention Programme (EPIP) of Singapore were recruited for the study. Socio-demographic data were collected and patients were diagnosed using SCID I (Structural Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders). Other assessment scales were used to assess the level of psychopathology, overall functioning and the awareness of mental illness.
Results: Mean (SD) DUP was 16.3 (31.5) months. Patients who were single, unemployed, or brought by the police had a significantly longer DUP. Patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia had a longer DUP as compared to patients with other forms of psychosis. The better functioning patients as indicated by a higher Global Assessment of Functioning score and those who were more insightful had a shorter DUP.
Conclusions: This study suggests that certain socio-demographic features and clinical diagnosis may determine DUP.

Key words: Psychotic disorder, Schizophrenia
Factors Causing Delay in Discharge of Elderly Patients in an Acute Care Hospital
Authors: Lim SC , Doshi V , Castasus B , Lim JKH , Mamun K
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Prolonged hospitalisation not only increases cost, it is also associated with other complications. Length of stay (LOS) is one of the indicators that reflect total cost of care during hospitalisation. So, it is of paramount importance to find out why elderly patients overstay in acute care hospitals and address these issues proactively. Since no local data is available, a study was planned to ascertain reasons why the discharging of elderly patients from hospital is delayed and whether these reasons are avoidable.

Materials and Methods: Long-stay patients were defined as those whose LOS had notably exceeded the average LOS for the Diagnosis Related Group (DRG), based on principal admitting diagnosis. A separate analysis showed that the specialty-specific long-stay marker for geriatric medicine was 28 days, so casenote review was done for all patients with LOS of more than 28 days who were discharged from geriatric medicine service of an acute care hospital during a 1-year study period. Information was collected on demographic profile, functional and cognitive status, past medical and social history, admitting medical diagnoses, discharge limiting and delaying factors.

Results: During the study period, 150 patients stayed over 28 days and 137 casenotes were available for review. The mean age of the patients was 84 years, 55.5% were female, 77.4% were Chinese, mean abbreviated mental test (AMT) score was 3 and mean modified Barthel’s score was 11. The commonest primary diagnosis was sepsis followed by neurological problems, falls-related complication and cardiovascular diseases. The 2 most common discharge limiting factors (the final event which resulted in delay in discharge) were social issues (54, 39.4%) and sepsis (47, 34.3%). Of 47 patients with sepsis, 37 (78.7%) were nosocomial infection. Urinary tract infection and pneumonia were the 2 most common nosocomial infections. The 4 most common factors contributing to delayed discharge (various problems that surfaced throughout the hospital stay) were sepsis (94, 68.6%), decondi- tioning (65, 47.4%), social issues (52, 38.0%) and cardiovascular disorders (37, 27.0%).

Conclusion: Elderly patients are more prone to hospitalisation-related complications like nosocomial infection and deconditioning leading to prolonged hospital stay. Early interventions can reduce these complications. Early identification of social issues and prompt discharge planning should be done to avoid delay in discharge.

Key words: Deconditioning, Discharge planning, Nosocomial infections, Social
Phase II Trial of Gemcitabine and Cisplatin Sequentially Administered in Asian Patients With Unresectable or Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Poon D , Foo KF , Chew L , Leong SS , Wee J , Tan EH
Published: February 2023

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess toxicity and response in the sequential administration of gemcitabine followed by cisplatin in unresectable or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

Materials and Methods: Twenty-three patients were enrolled in this study. Gemcitabine was given at 1250 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8, for four 21-day cycles, followed by cisplatin 40 mg/m2 on days 1, 8 and 15, for three further 28-day cycles.

Results: There were 4 patients with partial responses, 5 patients with stable disease and 10 patients with progressive disease, giving a response rate of 21%. The median time to disease progression was 3.3 months. The median overall survival was 14.6 months. Toxicities graded 3 or 4 included anaemia (13.0%), neutropaenia (13.0%), supraventricular tachycardia (4.3%), and nausea and vomiting (4.3%).

Conclusion: Although these results show similar efficacy to single-agent treatment regimens, the low toxicity profile and promising survival outcome with this regimen are important points for consideration.

Key words: Anaemia, Neutropaenia, Supraventricular tachycardia
A Rotavirus Vaccine for Infants: The Asian Experience
Authors: Phua KB , Emmanuel SC , Goh P , Quak SH , Lee BW , Han HH , Ward RL , Bernstein DI , Vos B De , Bock HL
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Severe rotavirus gastroenteritis in children causes significant morbidity world- wide and substantial deaths in developing countries. Hence, a live attenuated vaccine Rotarix™ was developed with human strain RIX4414 of G1P1A P[8] specificity. RIX4414 trials in infants have begun in developed and developing countries worldwide. An overview of RIX4414 in developed and developing countries and prospects with this vaccine in Asia are presented.

Methods: Completed RIX4414 trials have been reviewed.

Results: Two oral doses of RIX4414 were well tolerated with a reactogenicity profile similar to placebo. RIX4414 was also highly immunogenic, e.g., in a dose-ranging study conducted in Singapore, 98.8% to100% of infants had a vaccine take after 2 doses. RIX4414 did not affect the immune response of simultaneously administered routine infant vaccines. RIX4414 significantly reduced severe rotavirus gastroen- teritis in settings where multiple serotypes including the emerging G9 type co-circulated.

Conclusion: These encouraging results warrant further evaluation of the vaccine worldwide and especially in developing countries with the highest need. Therefore, evaluation of the Rotarix™ vaccine is continuing in large phase III trials in Asia and worldwide.

Key words: Asia, Attenuated, Developing countries, Gastroenteritis, RIX4414
Potentially Fatal Paracetamol Overdose and Successful Treatment with 3 Days of Intravenous N-acetylcysteine Regime – A Case Report
Authors: Sule Ashish A , Tai Dessmon YH , Tze Choong-Charn , Deepa Balakrishnan , Leow Melvin
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Paracetamol overdose is the most common drug overdose worldwide. To our knowledge, the maximum number of paracetamol tablets ingested reported in the literature is 45 g.

Clinical Picture: We describe a 21-year-old patient who acutely ingested 120 tablets, each 500 mg paracetamol (i.e., 60 g equivalent to 1200 mg/kg body weight) in a suicidal attempt. Our patient also drank 2 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup equivalent to 360 mg of codeine. At 6 hours post ingestion, her serum paracetamol level was 207 mg/L. The poor prognostic factors for paracetamol overdose in our patient included massive paracetamol ingestion (confirmed by blood levels), codeine co-ingestion and elevated serum amylase (189 U/L).
Treatment: She was treated with a 3-day modified regimen of intravenous N-acetylcysteine.
Outcome: The liver function tests and the prothrombin time remained normal over the second and third day of admission and the patient was discharged without complications on the fifth day.
Conclusion: From this experience we feel that in very severe paracetamol poisoning, a modified regime of intravenous N- acetylcysteine for 3 days is safe and efficacious.

Key words: Codeine, Hyperamylasaemia, Ingestion, Suicidal
Human Limbal Progenitor Cell Characteristics are Maintained in Tissue Culture
Authors: Liu Shaohui , Li Jing , Wang Chuanfu , Tan Donald , Beuerman Roger
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Acute central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) afflicts young middle-aged males in the Western population. We aimed to analyse patient demographics and to determine the angiographic characteristics of acute CSCR in an Asian population.

Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study of all patients presenting with acute CSCR who had fundal fluorescein angiograms performed within a 4-year period (between 1 January 1998 and 31 December 2001).
Results: The fluorescein angiograms of 128 patients were analysed. The majority were male (109/128) with a male-to-female ratio of 5.7:1. The age range of patients was 26 to 60 years, with a mean age of 41 years. The majority of patients (84%) were aged 30 to 50 years. With regard to racial distribution, 83% were Chinese, 6% were Malays and 11% were Indians or of other races. Unilateral disease was found in 74 patients (58%) and 52 had bilateral disease. The macula was the most common site of fluorescein leakage and was found in 97 patients (76%). Almost half the patients (44%) had more than one site of disease involvement (i.e., multifocal). The inkblot leakage pattern was found in 103 patients (80%).
Conclusions: The patient demographics of acute CSCR in our population were compared to that reported in the West. The gender ratio was similar, with males being afflicted 6 to 10 times more compared to females. There was no racial predilection found for acute CSCR in the local population. We also found a significant proportion of patients with bilateral and multifocal disease compared to the West. The inkblot pattern of leakage was the most common pattern seen on angiography. There were a significant number of cases with bilateral and multifocal involvement, exceeding those reported in non-Asian populations.

Key words: Cell culture, Feeder layer, Limbal epithelial cells, Progenitor cells, Stem cells
Retinal Prostheses for the Blind
Authors: Javaheri Michael , Hahn David S , Lakhanpal Rohit R , Weiland James D , Humayun Mark S
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Using artificial means to treat extreme vision impairment has come closer to reality during the past few decades. The goal of this research has been to create an implantable medical device that provides useful vision for those patients who are left with no alternatives. Analogous to the cochlear implants for some forms of hearing loss, these devices could restore useful vision by converting visual information into patterns of electrical stimulation that excite the remaining viable inner retinal neurons in patients with retinitis pigmentosa or age-related macular degeneration.

Methods: Data for this review were selected through a comprehensive literature search.
Results: Advances in microtechnology have facilitated the development of a variety of prostheses that can be implanted in the visual cortex, around the optic nerve, or in the eye. Some of these approaches have shown the promise of providing useful visual input to patients with visual impairments.
Conclusion: While the development of various retinal prostheses have shown promise in limited clinical trials, there are distinct advantages and disadvantages for each type of prosthesis. This review will focus primarily on the Epiretinal Intraocular Retinal Prosthesis, studied by our group, but will also briefly review other modalities: the subretinal prosthesis, cortical prosthesis, and optic nerve prosthesis.
Variables Determining Perceived Global Health Ranks: Findings from a Population-based Study
Authors: Wang Jie-Jin , Smith Wayne , Cumming Robert G , Mitchell Paul
Published: February 2023

Objective: To assess variables associated with different perceived global health ranks in an older population.

Materials and Methods: The Blue Mountains Eye Study was a population based survey of residents aged ≥49 years in an area west of Sydney, Australia. Questions relating to demographic and socioeconomic indicators, limitations of daily living activities, medical history, hearing problems, exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption were asked in a standardised questionnaire at interview. Comprehensive eye examinations were performed. Self-rated health was assessed from a standard question and categorised as excellent, good, fair or poor. Associations were assessed using logistic regression models.
Results: After exclusions, 714/3589 (19.9%) participants rated their health as excellent, 1969 (54.9%) as good, 766 (21.3%) as fair and 140 (3.9%) as poor. A wide array of study variables assessed showed significant associations with self-rated health. Compared with a self-ranking of good or excellent health, variables significantly associated in a multivariate model with a rank of poor health included: regular use of community support services, more than one hospital admission in the last 12 months, perceived inability to go out alone, difficulty walking, or history of angina, asthma or cancer. Variables significantly associated with a rank of fair health were broader and included socioeconomic status, sensory impairment, tinnitus, many chronic diseases and negative health behaviours, including smoking and heavy alcohol consumption.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that different sets of variables may influence people to rank their global health at different perceived levels.
Vision 2020 and Prevention of Blindness: Is it Relevant or Achievable in the Modern Era?
Authors: Lim Kuang-Hui
Published: February 2023

We are living in exciting times with many challenges and new opportunities to overcome diseases. The concept and definition of blindness and their major causes worldwide are discussed with reference to the Vision 2020 initiatives launched in 1999 for blindness prevention, with an updated summary. The peculiar problems that exists in Singapore are also presented. Yet, if the world’s major causes of blindness: cataracts, onchocerciasis, trachoma, refractive errors and low vision, and childhood blindness (inherent problems of the Third and Fourth World) can be overcome with international concerted efforts by year 2020, there will emerge new causes as yet unknown. Noble as our aims may be to achieve short- and long-term targets, we have to face the continuous reality of our inability to fulfil them.

Key words: IAPB, International NGO agencies, WHO, World causes of blindness
Determinant Factors of Fintech Adoption in Organization using UTAUT Theory Approach
Authors: Kurniasari Florentina , Utomo Prio , Jimmy So Yohannes
Published: February 2023

The presence of Financial Technology (FinTech) as an innovative and disruptive financial service can improve the efficiency and scope of organization business process through the application of technology. In determining the effectiveness of Fintech adoption, each organization will measure by considering both from the perspectives of management and user in the organization. This proposed study aims to examine the effect of FinTech adoption in organization using the UTAUT approach. It attempts to measure the variable of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, customer’s trust and regulatory services into the effect of FinTech adoption in the organization. This study adopts quantitative method through online survey and the data will be analyzed by using Structural Equation Method (SEM). This proposed study’s findings could contribute by enhancing the organization the importance of FinTech adoption to increase business performances. The study showed that the the adoption of FinTech in organization had significantly influenced by performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, customer trust as well as regulatory services. Customer trust itself had the highest influenced among others. Meanwhile, regulatory services had the smallest influence to the FinTech adoption in Organization.
Factors Influencing Segari E-Grocery’s Purchase Intention Moderated by Gender and Age
Authors: Verianto Vashti Velda
Published: February 2023

Mobility restriction during the Covid-19 pandemic is one of many living aspects that changed people’s behaviour. The emergence of e-groceries helps many people get their groceries with the restrictions given. Segari is one of the e-grocery that emerged during the pandemic. In order to increase its sales and revenue and to be able to keep its growth even post-pandemic, Segari needs to understand its consumer’s behaviour better, so this research was conducted. We used the modified version of UTAUT (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use) as the research model. We examined the effect of brand association, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived security, and perceived price towards Segari’s purchase intention. We also examine the moderating effect of gender and age in this research. Quantitative research was done using SEM-PLS and PLS-MGA for the moderating effect. Findings show that brand association, perceived usefulness, and perceived security significantly affect Segari’s purchase intention, while perceived ease of use and perceived price do not significantly affect Segari’s purchase intention. Gender differs in the effect of brand association and perceived security and does not differ in the effect of perceived ease of use, perceived price, and perceived usefulness. Age differs in the effect of perceived security on Segari’s purchase intention and not in the effect of brand association, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and perceived price on Segari’s purchase intention.
PREBIOTIC, Bacillus subtilis AND POTASSIUM PHOSPHITE ON ANTHRACNOSIS SEVERITY AND POST HARVEST QUALITY IN ‘MÉNDEZ’ AVOCADO
Authors: Vizcaíno-Ríos Elizeth , López-Jiménez Alfredo , Téliz-Ortiz Daniel , Saucedo-Veloz Crescenciano
Published: February 2023

Several factors affect the quality and safety of avocado (Persea americana Mill.) fruit during the production process, such as the agronomic management and climate. The objective of this research was to evaluate how foliar treatments affected postharvest control of anthracnose (Colletotrichum spp.) in two ‘Méndez’ avocado growing areas, Ziracuaretiro (ZI) and Salvador Escalante (SE), Michoacán, Mexico. Foliar sprays were used in the following treatments: 1) conventional management (CM) based on the technician’s experience; 2) integrated management (IM) including Bacillus subtilis, a prebiotic (BioKakimu®), and potassium phosphite; and 3) absolute control without foliar sprays. The effects of the treatments were evaluated on fruit harvested at physiological maturity while taking into account the severity of post-harvest anthracnose and fruit quality up to consumption maturity. During the evaluation period, disease damage was less than 10 % of the fruit surface in all three treatments. However, IM treatment delayed maturation time by 12.4 days in ZI and 10.6 days in SE. Fruits of the IM treatment lost less weight in ZI (7.6 %) than in SE (8.48 %) at eating maturity. Fruit firmness in ZI was higher in the IM and control treatments, while there were no differences in SE. The fruits in ZI and SE showed a decreasing color index profile for the three treatments. It is concluded that the phytopathogenic fungus in ‘Méndez’ was not exposed to weather conditions favorable for its development for an extended period of time, given that the first anthracnose alerts were emitted when the fruits were harvested. The crop management method did not result in an increase in the nutrient concentration of the fruit mesocarp.
ETHICS IN THE ROMANIAN ACCOUNTING PROFESSION. A GENDER AND RELIGION COMPARATIVE STUDY
Authors: MATICA Diana Elisabeta , CERNUȘCA Lucian , MOCIAR COROIU Sorina-Ioana
Published: February 2023

The goal of this paper is to better comprehend the importance of ethical behavior related to gender and religion in the Romanian accounting profession. In this regard we started by reviewing the scientific papers approaching the ethics topic of research. Then we conducted an empirical study that analyses students’ behavior when dealing with ethics in accounting field, having as main objective the assessment of the students’ perceptions regarding the importance of the ethical behavior, as potential or current employees in the field of accounting. The empirical research was carried out between May 2022 and June 2022, and the research method used was the survey, the instrument used being the questionnaire. This has been fulfilled by 100 master students in the accounting field from the Faculties of Economics, within the University of Oradea as well as the University of Arad. This paper is going to validate the different importance given to ethical behavior, by accounting professionals in Romania depending on gender. The research questions that this study aims to answer are: Does the accountants’ gender influence the ethical behavior of the accounting profession? And Does the accountants’ religious background influence their sense of ethics? Results obtained document a different level of given significance to ethical behavior depending on gender, but not on religious background. A significant part of those surveyed considers that under pressure or salary motivation from the management of the entity, they could decide to change an accounting policy that could affect the true image of the company.
Predicting anti‑cancer drugs’ dissolution in supercritical carbon dioxide
Authors: Winslet Billey , Paxton Victor , Rose Alexandrea , East Tricia
Published: February 2023

There are many different kinds of chemotherapy or chemo drugs are used for treating cancer. All of These medicine from chemical composition, how they are prescribed and given, how useful they are in treating certain types of cancer, and the side effects they might have. Nobody can deny that all medicines to treat cancer work in the different ways. The solubility of Azathioprine, as an immunosuppressive and anti-cancer drug, in supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) was measured for the first time. Under the applied conditions in terms of pressure (120–270 bar) and temperature (308–338 K), mole fractions were obtained in the range of 0.27 × 10−5 to 1.83 × 10−5. Three types of methods including (1) two equations of states (EoSs), namely Peng-Robinson (PR) and Soave–Redlich–Kwong (SRK) with vdW2 mixing rule (2) expanded liquid theory (3) nine semi-empirical density-based models were selected to correlate the solubility data of drug. Our developed correlation presents the absolute average relative deviation (AARD) of 9.54% for predicting 316 experimental measurements. After all we show that, the most accurate correlation in the literature presents the AARD = 14.90% over the same database. Furthermore, 56.2% accuracy improvement in the solubility prediction of the anti‑cancer drugs in supercritical CO2 is the primary outcome of the current study.
The Security Implication of China’s Unlimited Presidential Term on Africa
Authors: Okafor Frank-Collins , Mark Kingsley
Published: February 2023

Purpose: This paper looks at the security implication of China’s policy of unlimited presidential term on Africa, noting that “He that pays the piper determines it pace” as such; Africa being at the receiving end of Chinese aid, goods, services, military supplies and assistance and Chinese military presence in some African countries notwithstanding will continue to depend on the whims and caprices of China.

Methodology: Using Marxist Economic Theory of Imperialism and Dependency theory, the paper argues that the policy will continue to take advantage of the systemic and structural imbalance of the African economic, political and strategic/military architecture. As such her dependent on China, which in the long-run engenders neo-colonial condition favourable to China’s strategic interest in Africa.

Findings: The all-pervading Chinese presence in Africa visa-vise her policy of unlimited presidential term serves as instrument of imperialism to Africa, parasitically corroding strategic, national economic base and provokes acute neo-colonialism which at the stance of dependency state. Hence the dire need for a wakeup call to countries of African to develop and incorporate advance security measures to avoid the risk of continual domination of Africa strategic and economic  relation by China, which has continued to engenders communal crisis and inter-tribal wars orchestrated by her regular arms sale to African countries, as one will agree that term limit in governance is one of the few checks on the ruler embedded in the state constitution that can quickly bring about a change in government policy and philosophy.

Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: This paper recommends among others, that African countries should carry their destiny in their own hands instead of succumbing to the prevailing China’s national interest (aid) driven interventions which is currently re-championed in her current unlimited presidential term.
IDENTIFICATION OF THE GENETIC DEFECT OF DEVELOPMENTAL
DUPLICATION (DD) IN THE BELARUSIAN POPULATION OF
ABERDEEN ANGUS CATTLE
Authors: Ramanishka E. L. , Mikhailova M. E. , Kireyeva A. I. , Sheyko R. I.
Published: February 2023

Developmental duplication (DD) is a monogenic autosomal recessive disease with incomplete penetrance and variable

expressivity of Aberdeen Angus cattle, resulting in calves with twice the number of various organs and limbs of the animal. According to the literature, the frequency of mutations that cause developmental duplications in Aberdeen is high (above 20%). Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) g.34618072T > C in the NHLRC2 gene, which causes developmental duplication, was studied by PCR-RFLP. We screened a sample from the Belarusian population of Aberdeen-Angus cattle (n = 170 heads), which did not reveal animals carrying the mutant allele (DDC) both among the studied cows and among bulls.
VARIATION IN THE COPY NUMBER OF DNA REGIONS FOR THE
BRASSICACEAE FAMILY ASSOCIATED WITH COLD RESISTANCE
Authors: Lemesh V. A. , Kipen V. N. , Mozgova G. V. , Khotyleva L. V.
Published: February 2023

We determined copy number variation (CNV) per genome by five genetic markers BnGMS180, BrGMS102, BrgMS372, BrGMS4511 and SSRO110 associated with low temperatures and frost resistance for 51 cultivated plants of the Brassicaсeae family with a wide cultivation range. It was shown that the genetic marker BnGMS180 has the greatest range of variations in the CNV value. The range of values varied from 0.48 (rapeseed variety Martyn, Belarus) to

12.61 (rutabaga variety Sutton’s Favorite, Sweden). For other genetic markers, variation in CNV values is insignificant.
GENE EXPRESSION AND THE CONTENT OF STRUCTURAL PROTEINS
OF PHOTOSYSTEMS IN BARLEY LEAVES UNDER SOIL DROUGHT
Authors: Kuryanchyk T. G. , Kozel N. V.
Published: February 2023

A significant effect of soil drought on the gene expression (psaA, psaB, lhca2, psbA, lhcb1 and lhcb4) encoding key structural proteins of reaction centers (RC) and light harvesting complexes (LHC) of photosystems (PS) in barley leaves was shown. A change in the level of gene expression observed under drought conditions is light-dependent — in normal light, there is a significant increase in the expression of lhcb1 (1.6 times), psaA (1.8 times) and psaB (2.5 times) genes, encoding PS I and II proteins, and in the dim light, on the contrary, there is a decrease in the expression of genes encoding the proteins PS II (psbA, lhcb1 and lhcb4) and protein A (psaA) of the PS I RC. It was found that under drought conditions the expression of the gene SOD3 encoding the chloroplast isoform of the antioxidant superoxide

dismutase (SOD) enzyme Fe-SOD increases multiple times. The data obtained indicate the induction of oxidative stress by drought in the chloroplasts of the leaves of barley plants.
Давлат ва адвокатура ўртасидаги муносабатларнинг ташкилий-ҳуқуқий асосларини такомиллаштириш
Authors: Давлятов Валишер
Published: February 2023

Мақолада адвокатура институтининг мустақиллигини таъминлаш масалалари таҳлил қилинган бўлиб, адвокатура институти мавжуд бўлишининг бирламчи шарти эканлиги илмий-назарий жиҳатдан асосланган. Бунда адвокатура институтининг принциплари ва кафолатлари ёритилган. Адвокатура институтининг давлат ва жамият ҳаётидаги ўрни, унинг суд-ҳуқуқ тизимининг ажралмас қисми эканлиги, шунингдек мазкур институтнинг ташкилий мустақиллигини таъминлашга оид илмий-назарий ва амалий таклифлар берилган. Бундан ташқари, адвокатура институтининг ҳуқуқий асосларини такомиллаштиришга қаратилган таклифлар илгари сурилган.
Иш юритувни соддалаштириш жараёнларининг ривожланиш тарихи
Authors: Ражабов Бекзод
Published: February 2023

Мамлакатимизда жиноят ишларини соддалаштирилган тартибда кўриб чиқишнинг келиб чиқиш тарихи, ушбу жараёнларининг шаклланиш босқичлари ўрганилиб, таҳлил қилинган, соддалаштирилган шаклдаги иш юритувнинг айрим турлари бўйича янги таҳрирда қабул қилинаётган Жиноят процессуал кодексига таклиф ва тавсиялар берилган.
Сравнительный анализ порядка назначения и проведения судебной экспертизы в уголовном судопроизводстве некоторых стран СНГ
Authors: Рахимова Ульзана
Published: February 2023

Исследуется развитие современных представлений о судебной экспертизе в отечественном уголовном судопроизводстве и некоторых стран СНГ. В статье с учетом проведенного сравнительно-правового анализа законодательства некоторых стран СНГ, регулирующего судебно-экспертную деятельность, выявлены особенности национальных подходов государств к данной деятельности.