bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Co-existence of two selves: Peripersonal space dynamically remaps around two distinct locations.
Authors: Song Myeong Seop , Grivaz Petr , Kannape Oliver Alan , Perrenoud Matthieu , Rognini Giulio , Ruiz Javier Bello , Floreano Dario , Serino Andrea , Blanke Olaf
Published: September 2024

Multisensory processing is enhanced for stimuli that appear in close proximity to our body. The so-called peripersonal space (PPS) not only serves as an evolutionary, protective mechanism but also localizes and demarcates our self in space. While our perceived self-location is generally unitary and firmly located at the position of our body, there are rare clinical instances in which patients report the presence of a double (heautoscopy), an actual duplication of the self, and experience themselves to be located simultaneously both in their physical body and in that of the double. Here we used augmented reality and drone technology to create a heautoscopic view of one’s own double: Participants were presented with real-time feedback from a drone-mounted camera that autonomously followed them as they responded to multisensory stimuli on their body and in their environment. Results demonstrate that such manipulation induced a heautoscopy-like state in healthy participants, characterized by two co-existing but spatially distinct PPSs: tactile processing on the body was enhanced by visual stimuli approaching both the participant’s body and, in case of on-going locomotor navigation, the location of their double. While previous studies have shown that PPS remaps towards the location of actions or the perceived self-location, this is the first evidence that PPS can co-exist in two locations.
Unveiling Climate Anxiety: Psychometric analysis and conceptual clarification of the psychological impacts of climate change in diverse communities
Authors: Barroso Rilary , da Silva Maria Ildenice , Maximino Caio
Published: September 2024

The impact of climate change and socio-environmental disasters can have a psychological dimension, producing a set of concerns and anxieties called Climate Anxiety. This article sought to understand this phenomenon from a qualitative and quantitative approach. We present the translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of the Climate Anxiety Scale, an instrument that presents good internal reliability (α = 0.883). We replicated the factorial structure of the original instrument (RMSEA = 0.075, 90%CI [0.066; 0.084]), suggesting a four-factor structure: Cognitive and Emotional Impairment, Functional Impairment, Experiences of Climate Change, and Behavioral Engagement. However, there is evidence of convergent and discriminant validity only for the factors Cognitive and Emotional Impairment and Functional Impairment. Individuals living on indigenous land, in rural areas, or in quilombola communities had higher Climate Anxiety scores and sub-scores in all factors (d ranging from 0.434 to 1.267), except for Cognitive and Emotional Impairment (d = 0.098). We found a positive correlation between the Behavioral Engagement factor and all factors of the Ecological Behavior Scale (R ranging from 0.369 to 0.559); the Cognitive and Emotional Impairment and Functional Impairment factors only showed positive correlations with the Activism-Consumption and Recycling factors (R ranging from 0.198 to 0.299); and the Experience of Climate Change Impacts factor correlated with the Activism-Consumption (R = 0.235) and Urban Cleaning (R = 0.159) factors. Finally, we observed that, when asked to reflect on their emotions, cognitions, and thoughts related to climate change in a qualitative study, participants reported existential themes related to ontological insecurity, spatiality, relationality, and freedom-responsibility. Taken together, the results of the quantitative and qualitative studies point to the complexity of the Climate Anxiety construct, beyond a mere dimension of psychological distress, being interpreted as a multifaceted emotion that can mobilize processes of change and behavioral engagement even when producing negative feelings.
Designing Social Media to Promote Productive Political Dialogue on a New Research Platform
Authors: van Loon Austin , Katta Srikar , Bail Christopher A. , Hillygus D. Sunshine , Volfovsky Alexander
Published: September 2024

Social media are frequently blamed for exacerbating ideological divides. We evaluate whetherit is possible to design a social media platform that instead promotes productive, open-mindeddialogue among users. We recruited 1,043 Americans who expressed willingness to test a newsocial media platform by installing a mobile app we developed for iOS and Android devices.Participants were randomly assigned to spend ten minutes on one of two versions of a simulatedsocial media platform. The first was a control condition designed to resemble typical text-basedsocial media sites, and users were told that people whose posts are liked very often receivea “popular user” badge. The second version was identical to the first, but respondents wereinstead told users receive an “open-minded” badge if they respectfully engage with opposingviewpoints. Participants using both versions were asked to join an ongoing discussion abouteither gun control or immigration. Unbeknownst to them, each participant only interactedwith chatbots powered by generative AI. We find that respondents assigned to the experimentalcondition exhibited more intellectually humble language in their posts and comments andreported experiencing more positive emotions. We do not find significant treatment effects onparticipants’ self-reported intellectual humility, affective polarization, or issue attitudes. Theseresults have important implications for future research on social media and social psychology andintroduce new methods for conducting randomized controlled trials using generative artificialintelligence.
Manganknollen. Tiefseebergbau und Ressourcenwerdung zwischen Rohstoffmärkten, Politik und Ökologie (1873–2022)
Authors: Sparenberg Ole
Published: September 2024

Der Tiefseebergbau nach Manganknollen könnte in naher Zukunft Realität werden. Was auf den ersten Blick nach einem hochaktuellen Projekt aussieht, besitzt tatsächlich eine lange Geschichte. Ole Sparenberg untersucht erstmals die Geschichte der Manganknollen von ihrer Entdeckung 1873 bis in die Gegenwart. Aus wirtschafts-, umwelt-, politik-, technik- und rechtshistorischer Perspektive zeigt diese Studie, weshalb sich seit den 1950er Jahren ein ökonomisches Interesse an den Mineralien aus der Tiefsee entwickelte, das 1978 in den Abbautests mehrerer internationaler Konsortien gipfelte, bevor die Tiefseebergbauprojekte anschließend weitgehend wieder eingestellt wurden. Erst im 21. Jahrhundert ist das ökonomische Interesse an den Manganknollen wieder aufgelebt, trifft heute aber verstärkt auf Diskussionen über die ökologischen Folgen. Der Weg der Manganknollen von einer mineralogischen Kuriosität zu einer begehrten Ressource erweist sich somit als dynamischer, reversibler und offener Prozess. Die Geschichte der Manganknollen zeigt auch beispielhaft, wie Stoffe zu Ressourcen werden und wie die Tiefsee und die Ozeane allgemein zunehmend als fragile Umwelt wahrgenommen werden.
Professionelle Handlungskompetenz für mehrsprachig-sprachbewussten Unterricht entwickeln
Authors: Weger Denis
Published: September 2024

Um die Benachteiligung von Schüler*innen mit anderen Erstsprachen als Deutsch zu reduzieren, hat sich die Lehrer*innenbildung intensiv mit den Kompetenzen von Lehrpersonen zur Förderung ihrer Schüler*innen in der Bildungssprache Deutsch befasst und dabei wichtige Erkenntnisse für die Bildungspraxis gewonnen. Der starke Fokus auf Deutsch zeigt jedoch eine defizitäre Perspektive auf mehrsprachige Schüler*innen. Dieser Band erweitert daher die Perspektive um deren sprachliche Repertoires. Im Rahmen von Educational Design Research wurde ein Seminar entwickelt und empirisch evaluiert, das angehende Lehrpersonen in der (Weiter-)Entwicklung ihrer Handlungskompetenz für mehrsprachig-sprachbewussten Unterricht unterstützt. Dabei werden die sprachlichen Ressourcen aller Schüler*innen und ihre Entwicklung in der Bildungssprache Deutsch gleichwertig berücksichtigt. Dieser Band richtet sich an Personen, die sich mit der sprachlichen Dimension von Unterricht in Forschung und Lehre auseinandersetzen.
Influence of Youth Engagement on Nepal's Political Evolution: An Analysis of Emerging Youth-Led Movements
Authors: Abinav Acharya
Published: September 2024

This research investigates the increasing influence of youth participation on Nepal's political evolution, focusing on the rise of youth-led movements and initiatives. The purpose of the study is to analyze how increased political participation among youth has shaped recent political developments and policy changes in Nepal. Utilizing secondary data sources, including academic journals, government reports, and credible databases, the study employs a qualitative approach to evaluate historical and contemporary youth movements. Key variables measured include the extent of youth involvement in political activities, the impact of social media in mobilizing youth, and the resultant changes in political policies and governance. The findings reflect that youth-led movements have significantly contributed to political discourse and policy reforms in Nepal, highlighting the critical role of digital platforms in facilitating this engagement. For instance, the #OccupyBaluwatar movement of 2012-2013 successfully pressured the government to address issues of gender-based violence, leading to policy amendments and the establishment of more stringent laws for women's safety. Similarly, the advocacy by the Youth Parliament Nepal has been pivotal in incorporating youth-centric agendas into the national budget, promoting policies on education, employment, and entrepreneurship. Challenges such as institutional barriers and societal resistance are identified, enshrining the need for strategic interventions to support sustained youth participation. These findings reflect the necessity of creating supportive frameworks that enable continuous youth involvement in political processes, ensuring that their voices lead to tangible policy outcomes. The study signifies that harnessing the potential of youth is vital for the progressive political transformation of Nepal and for fostering a more inclusive political environment. By addressing the obstacles and leveraging the strengths of youth engagement, Nepal can achieve a more dynamic and representative governance structure.
Influence of Nepal’s Foreign Policy on Domestic Political Dynamics
Authors: Aswasthama Bhakta Kharel
Published: September 2024

This research explores the impact of Nepal's foreign policy on its domestic politics, analyzing how international relations shape internal political dynamics. Through a thorough examination of secondary sources, the study investigates key elements such as economic aid, trade agreements, military cooperation, and diplomatic relations with major global and regional powers. The findings reveal that Nepal's strategic location between India and China significantly affects its domestic political landscape, influencing political alliances and public opinion. Specifically, economic aid and foreign investments have a direct impact on domestic policy decisions, while international trade agreements affect local economic stability and political attitudes. Additionally, the role of the Nepalese diaspora and labor migration agreements reflects the complex relation between foreign policy and domestic labor markets. The research analyzes the importance of a balanced and nuanced foreign policy that addresses both geopolitical pressures and domestic needs to maintain political stability and foster development in Nepal. It recommends enhancing transparency in foreign policy decisions and increasing public engagement to reduce negative domestic impacts and promote a more inclusive political environment.
The Metaphorical Representation of a Red Tomato for Bringing out Peace and Solidarity in Dhungana’s “The Eyewitness"
Authors: Badri Prasad Pokharel
Published: September 2024

This article analyzes Bhuvan Dhungana’s “The Eyewitnesses” by applying trauma theory propagated by Cathy Caruth and Dominick LaCapra. In this context, Caruth’s psychological approaches of trauma theory and LaCapara’s middle voice have been used as a theoretical tool to analyze the story which has been written on the pheripheri of the ten-year long Maoist insurgency that upheld the socio-economy-political lives of Nepali people. This article tries to focus on the metaphorical use of tomato as an eyewitness which observes the demonstation during the Second People’s Movement. Here, a red tomato represents the freshness and demolition of the circumstances of the conflict between the authoritarian power and need for freedom to all common denizen. The fact of destruction and demolition presented in the story is the key point to bring out the trauma of the people who either involved in the movement or remained eyewitnesses of the consequences of the historical event that was about to introduce new horizon of expectation in the life of Nepalese people.
Cross-cultural Ambiance in Mohsin Hamid’s Novel Exit West
Authors: Bishnu Prasad Pokharel
Published: September 2024

Hamid’s novel Exit West (2017) envisions the possibility of restructuring the identity, experience, and living conditions of individuals by providing opportunities for interconnectedness, community sharing, and compassionate human standing in a cross-cultural set-up. Based on the novel's narrative, this paper highlights that individuals restricted within suffocating territorial boundaries try to escape through a magical door, as indicated in the novel, in search of a space where a multicultural milieu finds a congenial environment for living. Cross-cultural theory is the theoretical framework used to analyze the novel.  Employing the qualitative technique, the paper analyzes the acclimatization process of a culturally and ethnically diverse society, including the socio-psychological behavior of people. This paper infers that when individuals confront terror and unrest in a country and culture, their escape to a new locale endows them with an unexpected welcome gesture and enhances their life and living, indicating what multicultural association can do to humanity. Ultimately, it deduces that the escape of the protagonists of the novel Saeed and Nadia from their hometown through a magic door to Greece and London before eventually settling in San Francisco for social security implies the significance of a multicultural locale. Despite their assorted upbringing, they develop compassionate feelings in the new location, internalizing the entire world as a global cultural village. The acceptance of a broader community, epitomizing the diverse spectrum of humanity, creates a milieu of harmony. This study acclaims cross-cultural assimilation for physical, psychological, and social well-being.
President Xi Jinping in the World and Regional Order and rethinking the Nepal-China Relations
Authors: Chakra Bam
Published: September 2024

The leader of ambitious, President Xi Jinping, has developed their goodwill relations both in the world and regional order. Hence, under the Xi Jinping leadership, Nepal-China bilateral relations are deliberate friendly relationships with cordial manners. Therefore, in the words of American scholar Mark Borthwick, the twenty-first century was dubbed the “Pacific Century,” implying that the center of the world’s political and economic arena had shifted from the Atlantic to the Pacific. For this, Nepal has strengthened their South-North neighbor’s relations with equidistance and cordial position and boosted its interest. Currently, the BRI connectivity and cooperation incorporated Nepal-China relations and initiated Nepal’s economic prosperity. The old-aged relations initiated as a new height after President Xi’s leadership. In his period of Nepal-China, more than 33 high-level visits have been made, while over the two dozen agreements, MoUs were exchanged and treaties were signed. Under the ambitious mega-project of BRI, 64 cooperation and connectivity projects were agreed upon by Nepal and China. Besides this, 35 were on the economic corridor, 14 on multilateral initiative (now revised nine), and 15 on other relevant efforts. However, the MoUs on transit connectivity of the Kyirung-Kathmandu railway changed the dimension of Nepal-China relations with a new approach of landlocked to the railway linked in the trans-Himalayan region. Twenty-three years later, after President Jiang Zemin, President Xi started Nepal’s visit with new bilateral cooperation and a longstanding relationship. Methodologically, it is based on the secondary sources of data to analyze the Nepal-China relation from the perspective of Xi Leadership both in global and regional order, i.e., south Asia. Thus, closeness with Nepal, BRI, and Xi Jinping Thought incorporates Nepal’s political, economic, military assistance, and another dimension to enhance the Nepal-China relationship within prosperous and win-win situations. Therefore, one-China policy commitment is a significant factor for enhancing Nepal-China relations.
Son as the Way of Salvation: Sociological Analysis of the Preta Kalpa of Garudamahapurana
Authors: Shukra Raj Adhikari  , Bhawani Shankar Adhikari
Published: September 2024

The Puranas have displayed the socio-cultural system of the ancient society. In this context, this article aims to portray the roles of men in The Preta Kalpa of The Garudamahapurna. To gain the research objective data has been collected through the historical content analysis method from the text of The Preta Kalpa of The Garudamahapurana. Content analysis method has been used to analyze the collected data.In The Preta Kalpa of The Garudamahapurana, men are consistently depicted as holding superior status and are accorded significant respect and responsibility in familial ritual practices. Notably, the acts of Sapindikarana and performing Sraddha for deceased parents are exclusively undertaken by male members of the family. It is firmly believed that the release of the spirits of the deceased is contingent upon the due execution of these rituals by sons, elder and younger brothers, or close male relatives in the absence of direct descendants. Furthermore, the presence of sons is deemed essential to absolve parents from earthly transgressions, thereby enforcing a patriarchal social structure that aligns with Marx's assertion regarding the production of knowledge. Consequently, this research affirms the applicability of patriarchal hegemonic assumptions, thus framing the theory of patriarchy as a pertinent analytical lens for gender studies within The Preta Kalpa of The Garudamahapurana.
Tax Evasion and Avoidance: Empirical Insight from Nepal
Authors: Sunil Man Shakya  , Sateesh Kumar Ojha
Published: September 2024

Taxation is a benefit given to the government to assist the government in meeting the requirements of the people. Tax evasion, on the other hand, is the act of failing to pay taxes by illicit means. Taxation is a mandatory public contribution that is the fundamental source of government revenue. Tax evasion is an illicit conduct that causes income disparity and halts the economy, resulting in economic instability. Tax evasion is often associated with the shadow sector. Income disparity expands the tax gap or the total amount of an individual's unidentified income. This is the difference between the amount required to be reported and the amount reported. This article aims to comprehend better the relationship between government tax income and tax evasion. In contrast, the article explores the concept of tax evasion and discusses how an individual or an organization of businesses might properly use tax regulations to decrease their taxable income. Both activities fall into a category that makes a state's tax structure unfair. Furthermore, tax avoidance and evasion reduce the government's revenue sources, with the latter drastically reducing revenue income. According to the investigations, most people view paying taxes as an inconvenience, even though the amount of tax is substantially less large. This might be because taxpayers view that the taxes they pay are not being used efficiently by the government and that the tax rate is overbearing.
Health Tourism in Nepal: Opportunities, Challenges, and Strategic Directions
Authors: Sharma Laxmi Kanta , Pant Indira
Published: September 2024

This study examines the current state of health tourism in Nepal, focusing on evaluating the sector's strengths, opportunities, and challenges, and proposing strategic directions for enhancing its competitiveness. Nepal's unique position as a potential leader in health tourism is highlighted, due to its rich cultural heritage, diverse natural landscapes, and traditional healing practices such as Ayurveda and yoga. To achieve the study's objectives, a comprehensive qualitative research design was employed, utilizing key stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and document analysis to gather data from a diverse range of participants. Stakeholders included health tourists, hospital representatives, and wellness service providers across major cities like Kathmandu, Pokhara, Bharatpur, and Lumbini. The analysis reveals Nepal's strengths in providing affordable healthcare services and integrating modern medical treatments with traditional wellness practices. However, significant challenges persist, including inadequate infrastructure, fragmented marketing efforts, and inconsistent regulatory standards. The findings emphasize the necessity for strategic improvements, highlighting Nepal's potential to become a premier destination for health tourism. The study recommends strategic initiatives, including investment in healthcare infrastructure, the development of cohesive marketing strategies, fostering collaborations between medical and wellness providers, and establishing robust regulatory frameworks to ensure quality and safety. By addressing these challenges and capitalizing on its unique offerings, Nepal can strengthen its position as a leading destination for health tourists seeking comprehensive and transformative healthcare experiences. This research offers actionable insights for policymakers, healthcare providers, and industry stakeholders, aiming to drive sustainable economic growth through strategic enhancements in Nepal's health tourism sector.
Carnivalesque Reversal and Liminal Escape in Deudākhel
Authors: Katuwal Bir Bahadur
Published: September 2024

The purpose of this article is to investigate the interconnection between performer, performance and audience during the performance procession of deudākel. The paper, however, illustrates how dynamic interplay of spiral steps along with antiphonal singing foregrounds celebration of equality, freedom and abundance to enjoy performative transference during deudākhel. The ritual canons and performance dynamic of deudākhel, implicitly, comprises carnivalesque resemblances, which contradict with everyday rustic life. Looking through Bakhtin’s concepts of carnivalesque and Turner’s critical outlook of liminality and communitas, this article seeks to examine how spatial and temporal interruption in the performance transforms, temporarily, the prevailing normative social order with special reference to deudākhel. Literature surrounding the carnivalesque and liminality refers to the subversion of hierarchies and social status. Thus, the paper interlinks sets of ideas that deudākhel consolidates to carnivalesque, liminality and communitas in framing ritual dynamic of slanted steps and chanting poetic refrains of deudākhel. The folksong deudā has basically two ritual dimensions-solo chanting and group performance. This paper argues that festive celebration of deudākhel is temporary transgression from mundane of everyday folk life; disrupts the established flow; and celebrates freedom, equality and abundance. This article concludes that the kinesthetic spiral movement of chanting/ singing during the performance procession of deudākhel suspends rustic everyday drudgery by forming liminal communitas of transitional order.
Resistance through Entrepreneurship: A Rereading of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter
Authors: Chowdhury Mohammed Solaiman
Published: September 2024

In the Puritan setting of early America an act of adultery, one of the seven deadly sins, takes place with much shocking to the society and the religious authority. Between a married woman named Hester Prynne and a religious figure with influential personality called Arthur Dimmesdale there develops an illicit relation in the outskirts of the society. As an outcome of the sin Hester becomes pregnant and gives birth to a daughter which proves that in the extreme rigidity of the practice of Puritanism such an act of sin can take place which questions the validity of the religion. In the process of the trial scene, she vows not to reveal the name of her secret partner and decides to shoulder the punishment alone in a dramatic process of interrogation by the same man. Finally, Hester is given a compromised’ punishment to carry an alphabet 'A' around her neck meaning adulteress. Just after the moment Hester's new struggle of life for survival has started defying the religion, the society and the male authority. As a single mother of a daughter, she practices her skill of embroidery that results into an eventual attempt of entrepreneurship. With a bespoken performance through the needlework skill Hester’s actions are louder than her voice as women in the Puritan society are always voiceless with a binary (man/woman) interpretation where the second (woman) is deemed as inferior while the first (man) is superior. Drawing on the theories of entrepreneurship, identity, and the third space, this paper analyzes how Hester has resisted her position as a woman, a mother figure and abeloved and negotiated her evolving identities through the successful attempt of entrepreneurship, the impact of the Puritan punishment, and the ultimate transformation that shapes her new sense of the self.
रामगीतामा आत्मचिन्तन
Authors: भट्टराई Bhattarai देवराज Devraj
Published: September 2024

Available with Fulltext.
डोट्याली भाषामा वर्णभेद
Authors: भट्ट Bhatta नारायणी Narayani
Published: September 2024

Available with Fulltext.
Analysis Usability Terhadap Kepuasan Pengguna MyIndihome dengan Metode Use Quesionnaeri di Wilayah Kelurahan Rawang
Authors: Hardiyan Hardiyan , Saputra Ihsan Theo
Published: September 2024

MyIndiHome adalah aplikasi resmi dari IndiHome yang merupakan penyedia layanan digital dan internet terlengkap di Indonesia. Layanan Internet Indihome siap menjangkau pengguna dari sabang sampai merauke. memungkinkan pengguna mengakses fungsi layanan IndiHome dengan mudah. Namun ada kendala dari aplikasi myIndiHome yang mengalami ketidak konsistenan informasi seperti kecepatan internet yang berada di aplikasi dengan kecepatan yang seharusnya didapatkan, sehingga dapat berimbas pada tingkat kepuasaan pengguna. Untuk mengetahui sejauh mana aplikasi myindihome dapat digunakan pengguna untuk mencapai tujuan tertentu dengan efektif, efisien dan pengguna menjadi puas dalam kontek penggunaan, maka perlu dilakukan pengukuran usability dari aplikasi tersebut. Dalam penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetaհui tingkat kepuasan pengguna pada aplikasi myIndiHome bagi pelanggan IndiHome di wilayah Kelurahan Rawang Kota Padang dengan metode USE Questionnaire. yang meliputi aspek Usefulness, Ease of Use, Ease of Learning, dan Satisfaction pada aplikasi myIndiHome dengan SPSS. Tingkat Usability pada aplikasi myIndiHome bagi pengguna IndiHome di wilayah Kelurahan Rawang mendapatkan rhitung > 0.197 dalam kategori kelayakan bermanfaat.
The Gendered Necropolitics of Armenian–Ottoman Conscripts
Authors: Harrison Christopher
Published: September 2024

Scholarly and testimonial evidence from Armenian, English, French, German, and Turkish sources document the gendered ways by which the Ottoman Empire utilized mandatory military service — conscription — as a tool to carry out genocide during the First World War. Recruitment and deployment policies empowered Ottoman conscripts to commit crimes while simultaneously authorizing the capture and destruction of Armenian men and boys. Given the obfuscations that arose amid the war’s normalized carnage, it is crucial to note that the intent to destroy and the method of capture that Ottoman perpetrators used existed prior to the demise of their targets. Due to the empire’s gendered necropolitical exploitation of Armenians, combined with the precedent of the draft as a way to raise armed forces, assemble forced labourers, and punish men deemed insubordinate to imperial leaders, the era’s mass loss of life continues to offer some observers a way to erroneously excuse and deny this case of genocide.
“Many Who Came Here Suffered, But I Did Too”: Examining Defense Narratives and Inter-Perpetrator Dynamics of Genocide Perpetrators in Northwest Bosnia
Authors: Dumančić Marko
Published: September 2024

This article investigates the defense strategies and inter-perpetrator relationships among those accused of genocide in Northwest Bosnia, particularly within the Prijedor municipality. It scrutinizes the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) trials of Duško Tadić, Miroslav Kvočka, and Milomir Stakić, focusing on their self-defense narratives and their interactions within local and broader socio-political frameworks. The analysis reveals that the internal dynamics among the perpetrators in Prijedor were characterized by complex power hierarchies that shaped their participation in genocidal acts. By applying criminological theories to a detailed qualitative analysis of trial transcripts and public statements, this study exposes defense narratives as integrally connected to the perpetrators’ self-image and ethical justifications. This research enhances our understanding of how localized leadership and individual decision-making within specific power structures critically impact the commission of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
Gendered Traumatization: Male and Female Survivors of the Yazidi Genocide and ISIS Captivity
Authors: Fisher-Smith Amy M. , Sullivan Charles R. , Msall Kyle A. , Telander Jonathan S.J. , Temminck Jessica , Roffino J.P. , Barajas Izabelle B.
Published: September 2024

The recognition of the importance of gender as a salient factor for understanding the impact of genocides is a relatively new phenomenon. This shift in approach — an understanding of genocide as entailing gendercide — is particularly important for an understanding of the Yazidi genocide that ISIS undertook in northern Iraq beginning in June 2014. To explore these different gendered impacts, we conducted semi-structured interviews during the summers of 2019 and 2021 with seventeen female and fifteen male Yazidi survivors who currently reside in displaced persons camps in northern Iraq. These transcribed narrative interview texts reveal significant differences in how the female and male survivors narrate the experience of their traumatization. The core of the Yazidi female survivors’ traumatization was their experience of defilement as sabaya or slaves, most often sexual slaves. Yet even in the face of this social death, the female survivors’ narratives relate how they were able to enact strategies for protecting their human dignity, including engaging in various forms of resistance during captivity. Conversely, the core of the Yazidi male survivors’ traumatization was their experience in religious education camps where they were indoctrinated with ISIS ideology and enrolled in physical and combat training for their ultimate deployment as ISIS child soldiers. Precisely because the boys were offered an alternative mujahadeen ideal of manhood, their captivity narratives remain in limbo, ambivalently caught between the seeming failure of the Yazidi male code of honor and ISIS’s hyper-masculinized and violent jihadist identity.
QURANIC EXEGETICAL ACTIVITIES IN THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO
Authors: Nadzrah Ahmad
Published: September 2024

The study seeks to highlight Quranic exegetical activities in the Malay Archipelago from the earliest period of Islam in the region until the dawn of Dutch colonialism, focusing specifically on Indonesian and Malaysian exegetical works. The study examines the main features of Quranic exegetical activities in the Archipelago by highlighting some concerns on the issue of sources and availability of records. Exegetical works throughout the centuries are briefly presented with an emphasis on prominent works that had contributed greatly to the popular Malay understanding of the Quran. Employing qualitative analysis, the study surveys in particular Malay works of exegesis from the seventeenth century until the early twentieth century which marks the emergence of the modern exegetical approach. Viewed as a whole, the study exposes a collection of exegetical works which had impacted the Malay Islamic World throughout its history, covering both the traditional and modern reformist approaches to Quranic understanding.
Anti-crisis adaptation of the Ukrainian tourism industry
Authors: ZABALDINA Yuliia , DVORSKA Iryna
Published: September 2024

With the development of tourism, a tourism companies or destinations become as dependent as possible on a wide variety of political, social and economic events, and this actualizes a number of risks and increases vulnerability to a potential crisis. The set of crises that befell Ukraine throughout the 21st century, each time destabilized the progressive development of the tourism sector, pushed entrepreneurial initia­tives back into the past. Mitigating the impact of crisis phenomena on the development of tourism cannot be imagined without a detailed statistical analysis of these impacts and the level of adap­tability of tourism as a whole and its individual branches. The purpose of the article is to reveal the impact of several large-scale crises of the 21st century on Ukrainian tourism and study the degree of adaptability of its industries through a number of indicators, including the economic and financial results of the relevant business entities. The main hypothesis of the study was that different sectors of the economy, the enter­prises of which are part of the tourism sector, are characterized by different degrees of adaptabi­lity to large-scale crises. When writing the article, the results of several state statistical observations and expert assessments were used. The article examines in detail the ways in which crises and upheavals have shaped and changed the tourism landscape of Ukraine in recent years. The study highlights the tangible, measu­rable consequences of major shocks – from a sharp decrease in the number of tourists and their behavior patterns to sharp changes in the economic results of the sectorʼs enterprises. The work aims to provide a detailed understanding of the sustainability and adaptability of the two main sectors of tourism - the hospitality and tour operating sectors. This analysis highlights the factors that have enabled certain tourism sectors to withstand the crises of recent years, while others may have struggled to adapt and recover. By carefully cataloging these trends and pat­terns, research provides information that can help design mitigation strategies
Bank lending to business entities: 2021–2024
Authors: ONISHCHENKO Serhii , DROZDOV Evgeny
Published: September 2024

The current situation in the country is characterized by a high degree of uncertainty, which prompts banks to invest resources not in the development of the real sector of the economy, but in risk-free and low-risk assets, which primarily include domestic government loan bonds (DGLB) and certificates of deposit (CD) of the NBU. This situation led to the fact that lending to corporate clients on market terms was not widely distributed and largely led to the implementation of the state credit program "5-7-9", according to which the state does not fulfill its obligations to banks in a timely manner to compensate the difference between market and preferential interest rates. The aim of the research is to develop a comprehensive app­roach to bank lending to business entities, which involves the implementation of radical measures to stimulate it on a market basis in a harmonious combination with state support. А set of methods of scientific knowledge were used: comparison, analysis and synthesis, grouping, abstraction, observation, etc. Ukrainian banks are currently weakly motivated or unable to provide business lending on a market basis. This is due to the presence of the state credit program "5-7-9", which provides a number of preferences to its participants. An inhibiting factor in the development of market lending to enterprises is also the attractiveness for banks of risk-free investments in DGLB and CD NBU, for which interest rates are higher than for loans granted to corporate clients. In addition, the latter generate a high level of risks for banks during the war. A set of measures aimed at the deve­lopment of business lending on a market basis is proposed, which include: the use of risk diversi­fication tools by providing guarantees from the state and international financial orga­ni­zations, in particular the EBRD, the EIB; the imple­mentation of military risk insurance, as well as the transformation of the state credit program according to the outlined directions
Journalistic narrative on poverty reduction in Guizhou, China (2013-2020): its social representations
Authors: Valecillos Vázquez Carmen Aidé , Zhang Ao
Published: September 2024

Introducción: El gobierno chino en 2013 propuso alcanzar la sociedad moderadamente próspera para el año 2020 y en enero de 2021 la dio como lograda. Este trabajo estudia la narrativa periodística del Diario del Pueblo sobre el Plan y la Provincia de Guizhou. Metodología: Se realizó un análisis cuantitativo y cualitativo de palabras, temas, conceptos y actitudes presentes en estos textos, abarcando informaciones publicadas en 2013 (inicio del Plan), 2017 (mitad) y 2020 (cierre). Resultados: Comprobamos la ausencia de estudios que profundicen estos temas, la versión gubernamental deja a un lado la voz de la población receptora y la cobertura periodística evolucionó con el desarrollo de los proyectos. El tono emocional registra escasa diferencia de una fecha a otra. Discusión: La investigación aporta conocimientos sobre el tratamiento que los medios dieron al programa de alivio a la pobreza y ofrece insights que pueden ser aplicados en un contexto más amplio. Conclusiones: El discurso periodístico es muy general al inicio del plan, pero luego se hace más detallado. Los informes de los medios oficiales coinciden con los puntos de enfoque del gobierno y es al final del período que se observa una representación más humanizada de las historias.
The key stages of injecting carbon dioxide into oil reservoirs in order to enhance oil recovery and stimulate oil production
Authors: Afonin D. G. , Gracheva S. К. , Ruchkin A. А. , Maximov A. А. , Shutskiy G. А.
Published: September 2024

Solving the world-class problem of reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere and potential utilization of carbon dioxide (CO2), the article provides an overview of technologies for injecting CO2 into the oil and gas reservoirs to enhance oil recovery and stimulate oil production. Two main methods of carbon dioxide (CO₂) injection are proposed and described in detail. These are the Huff and Puff method, which involves the injection of CO₂ into production wells, and CO₂ injection into injection wells. The technology of injecting carbon dioxide into production wells has a number of advantages, such as the lack of capital costs and low operating costs, quick effect manifested in increased oil rates and efficient use of CO2. The general principle of the technology is the controlled supply of carbon dioxide through the mouth of a shut-in production well into the bottomhole formation zone. The efficiency of the technology is achieved primarily through the reduction of oil viscosity and volumetric expansion of oil, the decrease of interfacial tension, and the reduction of relative phase permeability by water. Consequently, residual oil saturation is reduced by the increase in the amount of trapped gas. The second technology for injecting carbon dioxide into injection wells to achieve a positive technological effect requires a larger volume of injection agent and a longer period for evaluation of the effect. The efficiency of the technology and the increase in the oil displacement ratio are achieved through the distribution of large volumes of injected carbon dioxide through low-permeability reservoir channels and involvement of residual oil. The article presents the necessary conditions and main stages of CO2 injection process organization using the proposed technologies, and describes the composition of the required equipment. Special attention is paid to the necessity of using inhibitors to protect downhole equipment, as well as to the selection of suitable inhibitors, taking into account their physical and chemical characteristics, compatibility with other reagents and reservoir properties. The authors of the article have conducted an expert survey of the market for the availability of specialized equipment in Russia and the services of domestic manufacturers in the field of gas injection technologies. The conclusion of the article highlights the importance of CO2 injection careful planning and monitoring, as well as the potential of gas-enhanced methods to improve production and reduce environmental impact.
Evaluation of the Role of Two SNPs in MTHFR Gene Polymorphisms (rs1801133) 677 C>T and (rs 1801131) 1298A>C with Homocysteine Level in Iraqi Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors:   Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq, AL-RAZAK Marwa Abd , AL-SAADI Basima ,   Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq, AL SAEDI Ali ,   College of Medicine, Baghdad University, Nephrology and transplantation center, medical city, Baghdad, Iraq
Published: September 2024

Objectives: Objectives: The current study was designed to evaluate the role of MTHFR gene (rs1801133 and rs1801131) polymorphisms and investigate the serum Homocysteine level in Iraqi patients with CKD. Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from fifty CKD patients and fifty healthy control group aged (20 –65) years who attended Lmamain Al Kadhemain Medical Teaching Hospital and Al-Numan Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. The genotyping study of the MTHFR gene at rs1801133 and rs1801131 was determined using HRM-PCR, and the serum level of Homocysteine was measured using ELISA kits. Results: Serum Hcy concentration was significantly (p˂0.01) increased in CKD patients compared to apparently healthy individuals (2.918Umol/L versus 1.621 Umol/L respectively). The frequencies and genotypes of alleles for the MTHFR gene at rs1801133 SNP in CKD patients versus healthy subjects revealed that the TT genotype percentage was in CKD patients significantly higher than in control groups (30% versus 14%, respectively). At the same time, the CT genotype was a considerably more significant percentage in CKD patients than in control groups (46% versus 16%, respectively). The frequency of the T allele was 53% and 22% for CKD patients and healthy individuals, respectively. In contrast, C allele frequency values were 47% and 78% for CKD patients and control groups, respectively. The frequencies of genotypes and alleles for the MTHFR gene at rs1801131 SNP showed that the percentage of CC genotype was in CKD patients significantly higher than that of control groups, 46% versus 12%, respectively, while C allele frequency values were 55% and 19% for CKD patients and control groups. Also, allele frequency values were 45% and 81% for CKD patients and healthy individuals, respectively. In this study, four haplotypes (AC, AT, CT, CC), certain variations in the MTHFR gene, specifically the CT haplotype formed by rs1801133 and rs1801131, have been related to an increased risk of chronic kidney disease. Conversely, the AC and AT haplotypes may have a protective effect against CKD, with the AC haplotype showing significant protection (OR, 0.45, 95% CI 0.06–0.5, p=0.0009). Conclusions: It was concluded from the current study that variants of the MTHFR gene have a role in the pathogenesis of CKD.
Impact of Tariff and Non-Tariff Barriers on Pakistanâ€™s Exports: Accounting for Product Heterogeneity
Authors: Shuja Usama bin , Tariq Rana Arslan , Ahmad Khan Waheed
Published: September 2024

The current study analyzes the impact of tariff and Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) on exports of Pakistan with its partner countries at aggregated as well as disaggregated level. By employing the Gravity Model of Trade with Fixed Effects methodology controlling for country, product and time fixed effects, the study utilizes panel data from Pakistan and 191 other countries for the period 1995-2017. The findings reveal a negative relationship between tariff barriers and trade flows. In the context of NTBs, both positive and negative relationships are found. Specifically, Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures decrease trade, while Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) measures tend to increase it, particularly at the disaggregated product level. The study concludes that NTBs might not be detrimental for the country. Pakistan's exports are more affected by SPS measures compared to other NTBs. The study’s policy implication is that exporters need to prioritize compliance with TBT measures.
Economic and Environmental Implications of BRI for China
Authors: Liaqat Aswad , Gill Qasim Shahzad , Arslan Muhammad
Published: September 2024

This research aims to elucidate the economic and environmental implications of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for China. President Xi Jinping announced the BRI in 2013 to connect China with Eurasia, South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. China has established financial institutions to support this mammoth project. It has economic benefits for China regarding its overproduction problem, finding new markets, and diversifying its economy. It will also help poor nations to emerge economically. It has been affecting the environment negatively by emitting carbon dioxide through its construction projects. It has been working in South Asia which is already vulnerable to climate change due to construction projects but China has been working on it to fulfill its aim of zero carbon emission. To complete it successfully, China should engage with partner states to mitigate environmental issues arising from BRT.
The Identification of the Class Level Equal to National Literacy Definition of Public and Private System of Education
Authors: Hussain Munawar , Sajjad Sara , Naz Khansa
Published: September 2024

This study explored the class level equivalent to the national literacy definition of public and private education systems in Pakistan. The main objective was to assess whether different class levels of primary education meet the national literacy standards in reading, writing, and arithmetic. A total of 1,000 students made up the sample of this research, including students from public, private, non-formal, and Madaris education systems in both rural and urban areas of District Bahawalpur. A test was initially administered on a small scale to check its validity. After validating the test, it was administered on a larger scale. The data concluded that the achievement of grade five students in reading, writing, and arithmetic skills was much higher in reading skills and slightly higher in writing and arithmetic skills. Based on these results, grade five met the national literacy standards.