bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A novel depolymerase specifically degrades the K62-type capsular polysaccharide of Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Pan Yuqing , Chen Huagen , Ma Ruijing , Wu Yongqin , Lun Heyuan , Wang Aixi , He Kai , Yu Jingran , He Ping
Published: February 2024

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) is emerging as an imminent threat to worldwide public health because of its high level of antimicrobial resistance, which can result in severe and challenging-to-treat infections. The capsular polysaccharide (CPS) of bacteria is well acknowledged as a crucial virulence factor that shields K. pneumoniae from the host’s innate immune system. Polysaccharide depolymerase, encoded by bacteriophages, can hydrolyze the CPS of K. pneumoniae and may be a promising approach for treating K. pneumoniae infections. In this study, we identified a novel K62-type capsule depolymerase (K62-Dpo30) from the K. pneumoniae phage SH-KP2492. We demonstrated that the K62-Dpo30 depolymerase could specifically degrade the CPS of K62-type K. pneumoniae strains and promote the susceptibility of K62-type K. pneumoniae strains to serum and neutrophil killing. Furthermore, our findings highlight the potential of the K62-Dpo30 depolymerase as a reliable K. pneumoniae capsular typing tool.
Assessment of borehole breakouts from acoustic image log and its geomechanical implications — A case study from Triassic-Ordovician interval of the Berkaoui Field, southeastern Algeria
Authors: Baouche Rafik , Sen Souvik
Published: February 2024

In this study, we interpret a cumulative 600 m acoustic image log across the Triassic to Cambro-Ordovician interval in the Berkaoui oil field, Algeria. We interpret 40 distinct breakout zones that have a combined length of 210 m. These breakouts are aligned in the north-northeast–south-southwest direction, indicating a mean maximum horizontal stress (SHmax) azimuth of 110°N. The observed breakouts are ranked as “A-Quality” following the World Stress Map ranking guidelines. The angular width of each breakout has been inferred from the image log analysis and the same has been used to infer the SHmax gradient by stress polygon approach following the frictional faulting mechanism. The stress polygon across all the breakout intervals provides a practical Shmax range between 24.7 MPa/km and 31.1 MPa/km, with an average gradient of approximately 27 MPa/km. Considering the Shmin range across the studied intervals, we infer a SHmax/Shmin ratio dominantly between 1.40 and 1.65, which is a much narrower and better-constrained range when compared with the previously published ranges from nearby fields with the same stratigraphy. The relative magnitudes of the in situ stresses indicate a strike-slip faulting regime in the Berkaoui Field. This study presents the utility of image log analysis and the integration of breakout interpretation to obtain a more robust geomechanical model with reduced SHmax uncertainty.
From the Margins: There Must Be More to History than Logic
Authors: Tanaka Stefan
Published: February 2024

This review opens a conversation with Japan's Russia on hierarchy and hegemony in modern history. The goal declared in the volume's subtitle is ambitious: to challenge the East-West paradigm. The East-West binary is an old one and has been subject to many important and sophisticated critiques. But unlike most, which have focused on the problem of some East and the hegemony of the West, this volume brings two marginalized places, two Easts, into interaction. By doing so, these essays destabilize the grounding of modern history in absolute time and absolute space. Time, space, and the document have been foundational elements in modern history, especially in the marginalization of various peoples. By expanding the past to pasts and focusing on interactions, times, and permeable boundaries, this collection shows the potential of those margins for a more heterogeneous (and less hegemonic) history.
Development and evolution of the primate neocortex from a progenitor cell perspective
Authors: Dehay Colette , Huttner Wieland B.
Published: February 2024

The generation of neurons in the developing neocortex is a major determinant of neocortex size. Crucially, the increase in cortical neuron numbers in the primate lineage, notably in the upper-layer neurons, contributes to increased cognitive abilities. Here, we review major evolutionary changes affecting the apical progenitors in the ventricular zone and focus on the key germinal zone constituting the foundation of neocortical neurogenesis in primates, the outer subventricular zone (OSVZ). We summarize characteristic features of the OSVZ and its key stem cell type, the basal (or outer) radial glia. Next, we concentrate on primate-specific and human-specific genes, expressed in OSVZ-progenitors, the ability of which to amplify these progenitors by targeting the regulation of the cell cycle ultimately underlies the evolutionary increase in upper-layer neurons. Finally, we address likely differences in neocortical development between present-day humans and Neanderthals that are based on human-specific amino acid substitutions in proteins operating in cortical progenitors.
Challenging the role of resilience and vulnerability in narratives of well-being
Authors: Brown Petra , Browne Tamara Kayali
Published: February 2024

We analyse prevailing discourse on resilience and vulnerability amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on well-being. This involves a critical review of the Australian Governmental National Mental Health and Wellbeing Pandemic Response Plan, and the enforced lockdown of inner-Melbourne public housing tours by the Victorian Government. We explore these issues within the framework of neoliberal processes that responsibilise individuals for their own well-being. We suggest that Contemporary forms of discourse on resilience are actually unable to address the core issue they seek to confront; vulnerability. We argue that locating responsibility for resilience and well-being with individuals may well exacerbate their vulnerability and ignores any sense of collective responsibility for the well-being of marginalised groups. We propose that the connection between vulnerability and well-being is a moral concern that should be incorporated into political agendas and policies. These should affirm collective responsibility for well-being. Drawing on relational autonomy theorists, we assert that vulnerability is intrinsic to human flourishing, shaped by relational dynamics. Instead of using vulnerability as a tool to justify neoliberal agendas, we advocate for a transformation in our shared narrative of well-being. This shift should focus on embracing vulnerability as an integral part of well-being in relationships, rather than fixating on resilience and well-being as an individual responsibility.
Perioperative care to patients living with HIV by theatre nurses at a South African tertiary hospital
Authors: Ngaledzani Rudzani Ifodia , Ndou-Mammbona Avhatakali Allga , Mavhandu-Mudzusi Azwihangwisi Helen
Published: February 2024

Background Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is one of the leading health challenges worldwide that influences the provision of quality patient care. Stigma and discrimination around this condition and the health care needs affect the health care provision. This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of theatre nurses’ experiences in providing perioperative care to patients living with HIV at a tertiary hospital in South Africa. Methods This study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Tshwane district, South Africa. The study was underpinned by an interpretative phenomenological analysis design. Data were collected from 10 criterion purposively selected theatre nurses using in-depth individual interviews. Data were thematically analyzed and guided by an interpretive phenomenological analysis framework for data analysis. Results The study revealed that theatre nurses work in an under-resourced environment. The resources highlighted are human, materials, including personal protective equipment and life support. The situation negatively affects the perioperative care of HIV-positive patients, who are always prone to perioperative complications, such as profuse bleeding, and even death. The situation increases the occupational risk to the nurses. Conclusions The researchers proposed several recommendations targeted at improving the resources needed by theatre nurses when caring for people living with HIV perioperatively at South African tertiary hospitals. Findings will add to the body of knowledge of the Nursing profession about offering perioperative care to persons living with HIV.
Attitudes and practices regarding COVID-19 preventive measures in diverse settings of Mozambique: a qualitative study
Authors: Magaço Amílcar , Cumbane Constantino , Cambaco Olga , Boene Helena , Mucavele Estevão , Cossa Saquina , Amosse Felizarda , Materrula Felisbela , Cossa Hermínio , Munguambe Khátia
Published: February 2024

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) first broke out in Wuhan, China, on 29 December 2019; since then, it has taken hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide. Although adopting different containment measures, it spread rapidly over the world. In Mozambique, the government declared a state of emergency in March 2020, associated with a number of preventive measures to reduce the spread and delay the peak of virus’ infections. This paper seeks to analyze the attitudes and practices related to COVID-19 preventive measures during first period of state of emergency in Mozambique in both in rural and urban settings.

Methods: A community-based, cross-sectional and qualitative study was conducted in six urban and five rural settings in Mozambique. In total, 295 semi-structured interviews were conducted with community members, of which 23 were face-to-face and 272 through telephone interviews. Interviews were digitally audio recorded, verbatim transcribed, and entered into an Excel matrix followed by a structured data content analysis. The Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) guidelines for reporting qualitative studies were performed.

Results: In general, participants reported that it was necessary to change their habits, reducing activities and their mobility, such as: going out to work, for business, and visiting family, to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19. In addition, some participants reported adopting several COVID-19 preventive measures in public spaces and at home, such as: wearing a mask, washing their hands, and social and physical distancing.

Conclusions: Although the majority of participants reported adopting most of COVID-19 preventive measures at home and in public spaces, much work is still needed to improve the knowledge of COVID-19 preventive measures and practices. The results of our study suggest a greater awareness of residents and users of public places about established standards and preventive procedures concerning COVID-19.
Social influence and external feedback control in humans
Authors: Weiß Martin , Gollwitzer Mario , Hewig Johannes
Published: February 2024

This article aims to unravel the dynamics of social influence by examining the processes that occur when one person is the target of another’s influence. We hypothesized that these processes are part of a feedback loop system in an individual. This loop involves the situation (input), a goal state (reference), a comparator, a selection mechanism, a feedback predictor, and an action (output). Each element can become the target of social influence, and different types of social influence can be classified and explained by how these elements are targeted. For instance, attempting to persuade another person with strong arguments targets the goal state of the affected individual, while obedience targets the selection mechanism, and violence targets the action. In summary, this article aims to categorize, order, and explain phenomena in social influence research using a feedback loop framework focusing on the influenced individual.
Comparative evaluation of surface microhardness and microleakage after application of commercially available G-Coat Plus, nano silver fluoride resin coat and petroleum jelly over glass ionomer cement restoration: an in vitro study
Authors: Deulkar Dr. Pranjali Vilas , Rathi Dr. Nilesh V , Thosar Dr Nilima , Subhadarsanee Dr Chitrika
Published: February 2024

Background Glass ionomer cement (GIC) is a widely used tooth coloured material. However, GIC holds certain undesirable properties. In order to overcoming the major drawback of moisture sensitivity, surface coatings like petroleum jelly, varnish are applied over GIC restoration. Thus, the present study was planned to compare efficacy of newly formulated nano silver fluoride resin coat with G Coat Plus and petroleum jelly on microhardness and microleakage of Type IX GIC. Methods Class V cavities were prepared on the buccal surface of thirty-six non carious premolars and restored with type IX GIC. The restored teeth were divided into 3 groups: Petroleum gel, G Coat plus and Nano silver fluoride resin coat. Protective surface coatings were applied over the restorations, dried for 2 minutes and thermocycled. Teeth were then placed in 1% methylene blue for 24 hours. Longitudinally sections were prepared and were observed under stereomicroscope at 25x magnification for dye penetration. Forty-five blocks of PVC were prepared and restored with GIC. Samples were divided into three groups equally as mentioned earlier and a layer of each coating was applied on all samples according to the groups and dried for 2 minutes. Further, surface microhardness (SMH) of the samples was tested by Vickers microhardness machine under a load of 50 grams for 10 seconds at 3 sites and a mean was calculated. Statistical analysis was conducted using post hoc and one way-ANOVA tests. Results The microleakage scores of three groups were statistically insignificant. The mean microhardness of all samples in the three groups showed no statistically significant difference. The mean surface microhardness of group 1 was 66.44±4.57 whereas for group 2 and group 3 it was 76.15±3.02 and 79.22±4.03 respectively. Conclusions The novel agent containing nano silver fluoride is showed superior results and is intended to augment the properties of GIC.
Unlocking the potential of Tanzania's cashew processing industry: A comparative analysis with Côte d’Ivoire and Mozambique
Authors: Mang'ana Kulwa , Ngaiza Revelian , Paul Michael
Published: February 2024

Cashew processing is a vital contributor to economic growth in Tanzania, renowned for its cashew nut production. However, despite the country’s historical prominence in cashew production, only 5% of raw cashews undergo local processing, resulting in substantial economic losses. This paper explores the challenges and opportunities within Tanzania’s cashew processing industry, focusing on limited local processing capacity, inefficient tools, raw material availability, market access, and government support. Comparative insights from Côte d’Ivoire and Mozambique further enrich our understanding of the cashew sector. It recommends increasing local processing capacity, enhancing technical expertise through training, ensuring a reliable supply of high-quality raw materials, improving market access via information systems, and strengthening government support with tailored policy frameworks. Notably, the paper emphasizes regional collaboration among African cashew-producing nations as a crucial strategy for collective growth and knowledge exchange. By drawing upon their experiences, this study aims to provide guidance for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and investors to revitalize and sustain Tanzania’s cashew processing sector.
Comparison of the efficacy of aescin and diclofenac sodium in the management of postoperative sequelae and their effect on salivary Prostaglandin E2 and serum C–reactive protein levels after surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molar: a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial.
Authors: Singhai Anuroop , Kambala Rajanikanth , Bhola Nitin
Published: February 2024

Introduction Surgical removal of an impacted third molar is one of the most common oral surgical procedures performed in dental offices. The postoperative phase is often associated with severe inflammation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are usually prescribed to manage postoperative discomfort. NSAIDs have been associated with gastrointestinal bleeding, renal function disturbances, and platelet count reductions. Thus, the present study demonstrates the utility of aescin in managing postoperative discomfort after the surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars. This study aimed to correlate salivary PGE2 levels and serum C-reactive protein levels with subjective and objective symptoms after surgical extraction of the mandibular third molar and their relationship with drug therapy. Methods The planned study is a single-center, double-blind, randomized, parallel, prospective clinical trial. Each patient will be prescribed either diclofenac sodium 150 mg/day or aescin (escin) 120 mg/day to be taken orally in divided doses for five days after surgically removing the impacted mandibular third molar. Pain will be assessed using a visual analog scale. Facial swelling and mouth opening will be recorded using a metric scale with standardized reference points. ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) will be employed to measure salivary Prostaglandin E2 and serum C–reactive protein levels. All parameters will be recorded preoperatively (T0) on the second postoperative day (T1) and fifth postoperative day (T2). Conclusion The proposed study is expected to show a favorable response to the administration of aescin for the management of postoperative discomfort compared to diclofenac sodium after third molar surgery. The proposed study is expected to positively manipulate the levels of salivary Prostaglandin E2 and serum C–reactive protein, which are reliable inflammatory markers. The outcome of this study may provide an efficacious and safe alternative to conventional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for managing postoperative discomfort following third molar surgery.
A Quasi-experimental study to assess the effectiveness of plan teaching on Knowledge regarding Artificial Intelligence-based learning among nursing students in selected College of Wardha City: A Protocol
Authors: Warghane Utkarsh , Singh Seema
Published: February 2024

Background Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is revolutionizing various sectors like healthcare, specifically in nursing education, by improving the quality of care, streamlining workflows, and reducing the cost of healthcare. Integrating A.I. into nursing education can enhance students’ personalized and efficient learning experiences. This study will aim to develop and implement research on A.I. and identification among (BSc) nursing students in selected colleges in Wardha. Protocol 100 students will be selected for the study by using a purposive sampling technique. This study will use one group per test and post-test design, and the structured questionnaires will be delivered to the students. Pre-test and post-test data will be taken to assess the development of student knowledge. Conclusions A.I. can be used to create more realistic stimulation experiences, which can help the students to develop their clinical skills. Furthermore, integrating A.I. into nursing education can revolutionize the sector by benefiting students, tutors, and the healthcare system.
Machine learning based stellar classification with highly sparse photometry data
Authors: Cody Seán Enis , Scher Sebastian , McDonald Iain , Zijlstra Albert , Alexander Emma , Cox Nick
Published: February 2024

Background Identifying stars belonging to different classes is vital in order to build up statistical samples of different phases and pathways of stellar evolution. In the era of surveys covering billions of stars, an automated method of identifying these classes becomes necessary. Methods Many classes of stars are identified based on their emitted spectra. In this paper, we use a combination of multi-class multi-label methods from Machine Learning (ML) and the PySSED spectral-energy-distribution fitting algorithm to classify stars into nine different classes. The classifier is trained on subsets of the SIMBAD database. Particular challenges are the very high sparsity (large fraction of missing values) of the underlying data as well as the high class imbalance. We discuss the different variables available, such as photometric measurements on the one hand, and indirect predictors such as Galactic position on the other hand. Results We show the difference in performance when excluding certain variables, and discuss in which contexts which variables should be used. Finally, we show that increasing the number of samples of a particular type of star significantly increases the performance of the model for that particular type, while having little to no impact on other types. Conclusions While the current accuracy of the classifier is not high enough to be usable for non-experts, this work is an initial proof of feasibility for using ML to classify stars.
The presentation of deterministic and strongly deterministic graphs
Authors:   Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Senchenko Oleksii , Prytula Mykola ,   Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Published: February 2024

The paper proposes a presentation of D-graphsand SD-graphs by a defining pair of words in the alphabet of their vertex labels. We present an algorithm that, given an arbitrary pair of sets, either constructs a D-graph for which this pair is the defining pair or informs that it is impossible to do so. We alsopresent an algorithm for constructing a canonical defining pair fora D-graph and find some numerical estimates of this pair.
Semidistributive nearrings with identity
Authors:   University of Warsaw, Institute of Mathematics of NAS of  Ukraine, Raievska Iryna , Raievska Maryna ,   University of Warsaw, Institute of Mathematics of NAS of  Ukraine, Sysak Yaroslav ,   Institute of Mathematics of NAS of  Ukraine
Published: February 2024

It is proved that the additive group of every semidistributive nearring R with an identity is abelian and if R has no elements of order 2, then the nearringRactually is anassociative ring.
Microstructure and Fatigue Behavior of Cr-Mo Steel Weld Joints with Automatic TIG Welding
Authors:   Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand, Preecha Khettawan , Chaideesungnoen Sasirat ,   Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand,   Center of Excellence in Metal and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand, Muangjunburee Prapas ,   Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand,   Center of Excellence in Metal and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
Published: February 2024

This research focused on how filler metal and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) affected the microstructure and mechanical properties of 2.25Cr-1Mo steel welds, especially the fatigue behavior. Automatic TIG welding was used to fabricate the weld samples, and both AWS A5.28 ER90S-B3 (also known as B3) and AWS A5.14 ERNiCrMo-3 (commonly known as Inconel 625) were used as filler metals. The PWHT was performed at 690°C for one hour. That was the ideal condition for reducing the hardness of the heat affected zone (HAZ). The microstructure of the B3 weld metal and the HAZ was observed to alter from bainite to tempered bainite due to PWHT, resulting in a decrease in hardness (B3 WM: from 299.7 to 243.5 HV0.2 and HAZ: from 294.5 to 234.7 HV0.2). On the other hand, Inconel 625 weld metal showed an austenite microstructure: after PWHT, the formation of gamma prime increased its hardness (from 263.2 to 299.8 HV0.2). According to the tensile test results, the tensile strength of the welded samples was slightly lower than that of the original base metal, such as the UTS of the BM was 633.0 ± 3.0 MPa and that of the B3-PWHT sample was 601.4 ± 2.0 MPa. The effect of PWHT on tensile strength was negligible, but it significantly affected fatigue strength. For both filler metals, PWHT resulted in a decrease in fatigue strength. The fatigue strength of the B3 sample decreased from 290 to 120 MPa, while that of the IN625 sample reduced from 290 to 240 MPa. In comparison between two different materials, the fatigue strength of the Inconel 625 sample was greater than that of the B3 sample. Fatigue fracture surfaces can be classified into three stages: crack initiation, propagation, and fast fracture. The fatigue rupture was mostly initiated at the weld interface. The final fracture revealed a dimple appearance.
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) diversity and population in UPV Nature Trail, Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines
Authors: DE ASIS EDGAR PHILIP T. , DEMETILLO FRITZIE MARIE M. , PAGUNTALAN DIANA P.
Published: February 2024

Abstract. De Asis EPT, Demetillo FMM, Paguntalan DP. 2023. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) diversity and population in UPV Nature Trail, Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines. Biodiversitas 24: 6692-6703. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) are soil microorganisms that form the most prevalent mutualistic associations with plant species. Studies revealed its global distribution in various terrestrial habitats, but available local literature remains few. This study investigated AMF diversity in the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) Nature Trail, Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines. AMF spores were isolated using wet sieving, decanting, and centrifugation. A total of 2815 individual spores were documented, with 114 distinct morphospecies representing 16 genera, nine families, and four orders classified. Glomus clarum, Acaulospora sp.7, and Scutellospora pellucida tallied the highest abundance across all points. Scutellospora pellucida (FOC=83.3%) recorded the highest species richness, followed by Ambispora sp. (FOC=77.78%), then Acaulospora mellea and Glomus australe (FOC=72.22%). Overall, Shannon-Weiner diversity index (H=3.6019) and Simpson diversity index (D=0.0420) revealed a very high AMF diversity in the trail, while the Pielou evenness index (J=0.7605) suggested a semi-balanced number of individuals among each morphospecies. A more abundant, even, and diverse, albeit not statistically significant, AMF community was recorded in forested areas compared to non-forested areas of the trail. Results generally suggest that the AMF community is diverse and abundant regardless of the location, ecosystem type, and faunal association.
Ability of commercial Beauveria bassiana to suppress the brown planthopper attack by inducing resistance into different rice variety
Authors: LISWANDI ANTONI , SYAHRAWATI MY , HAMID HASMIANDY , ARNETI ARNETI , RINALDI JAMES
Published: February 2024

Abstract. Liswandi A, Syahrawati M, Hamid H, Arneti, Rinaldi J. 2023. Ability of commercial Beauveria bassiana to suppress the brown planthopper attack by inducing resistance into different rice variety. Biodiversitas 24: 6704-6710. Beauveria bassiana (Bb) is one of the biological agents for controlling the Brown Planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, which is generally applied directly to BPH. Nowadays, it is also used to induce resistance in rice plants; this ability has never been tested on commercial B. bassiana. The research aimed to study the effect of different rice varieties and induced resistance of commercial Bb on BPH and rice plants. The study used a Factorial Completely Randomized Design (FCRD). The first factor was the difference in rice varieties (IR 42, Cisokan, Batang Piaman), and the second factor was the soaking of the seeds and roots by commercial Bb (with commercial Bb, without commercial Bb). The results showed no interaction between rice variety and commercial Bb against BPH and rice plants. Commercial Bb reduced the attack intensity of BPH (13.31%); meanwhile, different rice varieties influenced BPH mortality, colonization, and plant growth. The Cisokan variety was better at suppressing the BPH population (45%) and suitable for colonization by commercial Bb. The IR 42 variety was more responsive than other varieties in accepting the presence of commercial Bb (16%).
Amphibian community structure in Isau-Isau Wildlife Reserve, South Sumatra, Indonesia
Authors: TANJUNG RHAMDHON DOROJATUN , KUSRINI MIRZA DIKARI , MARDIASTUTI ANI , YUSTIAN INDRA , SETIAWAN ARUM , IQBAL MUHAMMAD
Published: February 2024

Abstract. Tanjung RD, Kusrini MD, Mardiastuti A, Yustian I, Setiawan A, Iqbal M. 2023. Amphibian community structure in Isau-Isau Wildlife Reserve, South Sumatra, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 24: 6836-6843. Amphibian community structures in Isau-Isau Wildlife Reserve, South Sumatra, were investigated from Mei until July 2023. The data were obtained by Visual Encounter Survey combination with line transect. The data analyzed were Species Richness (Margalef Index), Diversity Index (H', Shannon-Wiener), Dominance (D, Simpson Index), and Evenness Index (J', Pielou) calculated using PAST 4.0 software. In addition, we also analyzed abiotic factors such as air temperature, humidity, water temperature, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), and dissolved oxygen (DO). The abiotic data were included as explanatory variables in Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). A total of 12 amphibian species consisting of 11 genera and 4 families were recorded. Of them, 11 species are classified as least concern, while one species, Theloderma licin, is classified as data deficient by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Potential use of phytochemical from ethanolic extract of green seaweed Ulva reticulata in aquaculture
Authors: TARIGAN NURBETY , SUDRAJAT AGUS O. , ARFAH HARTON , ALIMUDDIN ALIMUDDIN , WAHJUNINGRUM DINAMELLA
Published: February 2024

Abstract. Tarigan N, Sudrajat AO, Arfah H, Alimuddin A, Wahjuningrum D. 2023. Potential use of phytochemical from ethanolic extract of green seaweed Ulva reticulata in aquaculture. Biodiversitas 24: 6868-6879. Ulva reticulata is green seaweed with potential phytochemical properties in the aquaculture sector. Therefore, this study aims to determine phytochemical components and evaluate the toxicity of Ulva reticulata ethanolic extract on aquatic animals. The primary constituents in the sample were extracted using the maceration method with 96% ethanol. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method, while toxicity level was determined using the Brine Shrimp Lethal Test (BSLT) method at concentrations of 0, 10, 100, 300, 500, 1000, and 2000 mg L-1. The results showed that Ulva reticulata ethanolic extract was qualitatively composed of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, phenols, and steroids with mid (++), low (+), low (+), low (+), low (+), and mid (++) activity levels, respectively. Based on quantitative analysis, the sample was composed of sitosterol (19.01 mg g-1), stigmasterol (35.00 mg g-1), saponins (17.04 mg g-1), flavonoids (82.16 mg QE 100 g-1), total phenols (144.00 g QE 100 g-1), and tannins (49.03 mg g-1). Furthermore, Ulva reticulata ethanolic extract had a strong antioxidant level with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 53.00 ppm. The toxicity test showed that the 50% lethal concentration (LC50) of the sample was 481.86 mg L-1. These results showed that Ulva reticulata ethanolic extract was a non-toxic material with a high potential for phytochemical properties that could be beneficial for fish growth, reproduction, and health.
Comparative evaluation of cassava composite flours and bread
Authors: ABU MICHAEL SUNDAY
Published: February 2024

Abstract. Abu MS. 2023. Comparative evaluation of cassava composite flours and bread. Asian J Nat Prod Biochem 21: 13-17. Wheat imports into Nigeria have a high monetary value of NGN 635 billion annually. The recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) trade report shows that Nigeria has spent NGN 258.3 billion on wheat imports in the first three months of 2021, despite the government continuing to encourage local production, such as composite flour. Composite flour combines several flours from roots, tubers, cereals, and legumes with or without adding wheat flour. This study evaluated the functional properties of composite flour produced from potato, cassava, and soybean and the effect of fortification on microbial growth on the produced bread. The flour variations were prepared at 50: 50 (%w/w), then the proximate composition, mineral contents, and functional properties were analyzed. The composite flour comprises WCF = 400 g wheat flour + 400 g cassava flour. CPF = 400 g of cassava + 400 g of sweet potatoes. CSF = 400 g of cassava + 400 g of soybean. The dry ingredients for making dough were 800 g of flours/composite flours, 100 g of butter, 100 g of sugar, and 5 g of yeast thoroughly mixed with warm water to obtain the dough. Exactly 110 g of the dough was placed in the baking pan and kept at room temperature for 20 minutes to ripe. The ripe dough was baked in the oven for 15 minutes. The bread was allowed to cool for further analysis, including the sensory evaluation and the microbial load of the finished products. Bread production uses CP, CS, WC flours, whole wheat, and cassava flours. The Swelling Capacity (SWC) showed that the Wheat Flour (WF) (11.00 ± 1%) was significantly (p<0.05) higher than Cassava Flour (CF) (6.33 ± 0.58%) and Cassava-Soybean Flour (CSF) (6.67 ± 0.58%). On the other hand, Water Absorption Capacity (WAC) revealed that the Wheat Flour (WF) (1.74 ± 0.24 g H2O/g flour) was significantly (p<0.05) lower than CF (2.10 ± 0.08 g H2O/g flour) and Cassava-Potato Flour (CPF) (2.16 ± 0.07 g H2O/g flour). The Oil Absorption Capacity (OAC) showed that wheat flour (WF) (1.80 ± 0.15 g oil/g flour) was significantly (p<0.05) lower than CF (2.41 ± 0.07 g H2O/g oil), CPF (2.21 ± 0.81 g oil/g flour) and CSF (2.15 ± 0.10 g oil/g flour). The microbial density was higher on the Wheat-Flour Bread, WFB, followed by cassava flour bread, CFB. There was a lower microbial growth in cassava-potato flour bread, CPFB. The functional properties and the sensory evaluation of the composite flour bread indicated substantial feasibility of using legume/tuber composite flours in bread production.
Medicinal syrup for children from the association of significant parts of anti-COVID-19 medicinal plants from the Centre, Cameroon
Authors: LAMY GEORGES M. LAMY , NNANGA LEILA S. , MAHAMA MAHAMA , OSSONGO AGATHE F. , ELOMO L’AFRICAINE B. , TAGNE RICHARD S. , MBO JEREMIE A. , LIKENG JULIENNE L. N. , NGA EMMANUEL NNANGA , HARMSEN KARL
Published: February 2024

Abstract. Lamy GML, Nnanga LS, Mahama, Ossongo AF, Elomo LB, Tagne RS, Mbo JA, Likeng JLN, Nga EN, Harmsen K. 2023. Medicinal syrup for children from the association of significant parts of anti-COVID-19 medicinal plants from the Centre, Cameroon. Asian J Nat Prod Biochem 21: 58-66. In Africa, Improved Traditional Medication (ITM) has been promoted since 1970 and classified into four categories. The import-substitution policy under the "Made in Cameroon" label encourages local production. Globally, there is an urgent need for anti-COVID-19 drugs, especially for children. The mechanisms of action of SARS-CoV-2 can be attenuated by combination therapy of the parts of anti-COVID-19 medicinal plants. A plant has several parts whose therapeutic properties generally differ. From 2020 to 2022, the most cited anti-COVID-19 plants in the literature were Allium sativum L., Citrus ×limon (L.) Burm.fil., Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf, and Zingiber officinale Roscoe. Unfortunately, a gap exists in the names of the significant parts of these plants. For example, were the barks, leaves, roots, or flowers used? In addition, the significant association of said plants and the majority of traditional preparation methods are not specified. The objective was to determine the significant parts of 4 anti-COVID plants, their significant association, and the majority traditional method of preparation allowing the pre-formulation of an infant anti-COVID ITM syrup. An ethnomedicinal survey, ANOVA, and the pre-formulation protocol of a medicated syrup were used. Altogether, 180 informants from several ethnic groups participated. The bulb and rhizome parts for A. sativum and Z. officinal showed a significant difference (P<0.05) between plants. The leaves and fruits of C. citratus and C. limon showed a highly significant difference (P<0.000) between plants. The association of four significant plants and infusion, the majority traditional mode of preparation, allowed the pre-formulation of the infant syrup named COVID-Med, an ITM category 2. The bulbs, rhizomes, leaves, and fruits were significant parts of A. sativum, Z. officinale, C. citratus, and C. limon.
Demilitarize! Durham 2 Palestine: Upending Circuits of State Violence
Authors: Erakat Noura
Published: February 2024

Between 2016 and 2018, Black, Palestinian and Jewish organizations, under the banner of the Demilitarize! Durham 2 Palestine coalition, led a campaign in Durham, North Carolina, that successfully passed a City Council resolution prohibiting US police exchanges with Israel. Based on direct interviews with the activists who led the campaign, this article sets out to trace the history of the Demilitarize! Effort, detailing its chronological developments with an eye on highlighting how Black–Palestinian solidarity continues to function as an anti-imperial analytic. Particularly, it illuminates how settler colonialism unsettles the demarcation between foreign and domestic frontiers thus entwining military and police force expressed in transnational state violence against racialized communities. In doing so, the article will offer and preserve a movement archive developed by activists in Durham. The Demilitarize! Durham 2 Palestine coalition is built upon a rich legacy of local Palestine solidarity activism and its coalitionary efforts focused on a narrative of racialized state violence that directly connected militarized US law enforcement to trainings in Israel thus illuminating the local manifestations of US empire. This article also seeks to use the movement archive to consider how seemingly formidable circuits of state violence that undergird imperial domination are simultaneously vulnerable to attack and dismantlement.
It Didn’t Begin in Hate: Why a Hate Crimes Framework Can’t Take Us to Abolition
Authors: Razack Sherene H.
Published: February 2024

Hate, naturalized as a universal human emotion, is an increasingly popular analytical container in which to put terrible crimes of violence, crimes that are ineluctably racial. Hate as analytic does not offer a promising path towards understanding the oppressive systems and structures, war-making, race-making and colonial projects that produce and require considerable violence. There is, however, obvious political capital to be gained by employing hate as analytic, capital related to the work hate performs in turning our gaze away from the structural and from historical injustice and towards the psychosocial and even the biological. Through a focus on exceptional perpetrators with unique characteristics, hate as analytic establishes the innocence of the state and of dominant collectivities. Significantly, those contesting colonial dispossession can be deemed hateful, as Palestinians protesting the occupation of Palestine have been considered. Hate as analytic achieves its finest political utility when it provides the rails along which liberal solutions travel. If the hateful few are the problem, then empathy and tolerance are the answer, a “corrective liberalism” that takes us far away from the abolition of unjust systems.
Hospitals, Aviation and Business
Authors:   Phoenix Pulmonary and Critical Care Research and Education Foundation, Gilbert, AZ USA, Robbins Richard
Published: February 2024

No abstract available. Article truncated after 150 words. Boeing’s recent troubles remind us that in many ways, healthcare is like aviation: 1. They are both highly technical endeavors, guided by highly educated and trained personnel such as physicians and pilots. 2. Even small mistakes can be devastating. 3. Operating margins (operating income/revenue) are very low. 4. Both are led by businessmen not trained in the industry. 5. Some have put profit ahead of safety. The cockpit of the typical airliner or the multitude of instruments in the typical intensive care unit demonstrates that aviation and medicine are both highly technical. Airline pilots have a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight time. This includes time spent obtaining a private pilot’s license, commercial license, instrument rating, multiengine rating, and airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate. Pilots often have additional in type ratings for turboprop or jet engines. Many have spent time as flight instructors and normally have at least 5 years …
School Novels, Women's Work, and Maternal Vocationalism
Authors: Julien Heather
Published: February 2024

This article examines three school novels within a framework of maternal vocationalism versus materialist approaches to women's work. It considers the materialist orientation of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre with regard to women's teaching work and Brontë's rejection of the maternal vocational model. By contrast, Clemence Dane's 1917 novel, Regiment of Women, valorizes maternal vocational approaches to teaching and decries the single woman professional teacher, invoking as she does so some anti-spinster and anti-lesbian stereotypes. Winifred Holtby's 1936 novel South Riding rejects the maternal vocationalism and anti-spinsterism of Dane's novel and reappropriates Jane Eyre's discourse of equality and the Victorian legacy of materialism.
Liberating Practice : A Critique of the Expressivist Turn in Lesbian-Feminist and Queer Practice
Authors: Miriam Kathy
Published: February 2024

This article reassesses the shift from lesbian-feminism to queer in light of the expressivist turn in feminist thought. The article follows Charles Taylor's theory of expressivism as a modernist, Romantic paradigm of identity and practice. Expressivism defines the self and freedom as a process of self-creation, a poeisis. An expressivist paradigm underlies aspects of contemporary feminist praxis, redefining politics as practices of transforming the subject, self, and/or language. I argue that this paradigm of praxis ultimately works to depoliticize feminism. I criticize two forms of expressivism, namely, lesbian-feminist normative expressivism (based on ethical ideals of liberation) and queer performative expressivism (based on aesthetic ideals of subversion, i.e., "arts of the self"). I argue that feminism needs to break out of the expressivist paradigm and to reconceptualize a praxis that interrelates practices of self-transformation with concrete, political practices aimed at transforming the social order.
Re-presenting Feminisms: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Harnois Catherine
Published: February 2024

In this article I investigate what are thought to be generational differences within contemporary American feminism. I identify three dominant approaches to understanding “third wave” feminism: cohort-based, age-based, and theory-based, and then analyze empirical data to discern the extent of difference within and across “waves” of American feminism, using each of these approaches. Drawing from a combination of qualitative and quantitative data, I argue that third wave feminism might be better understood as an identity, rather than a distinct theoretical perspective, age group, or cohort. My findings suggest that feminists of all ages share many important aspects of their gender and political ideologies. Moreover, my analysis of “third wave” feminist texts and those “second wave” texts that directly speak to generational differences reveals that, in many cases, feminist scholarship itself reproduces the very differences it aims to understand. To the extent that feminist scholarship has failed to question adequately dominant portrayals of “other” feminist generations, and has failed to recognize the diversity of people and perspectives within all feminist generations, feminist scholarship has, in effect, reified distinct, static waves of feminism.
Queer Spaces, Places, and Gender: The Tropologies of Rupa and Ronica
Authors: Badruddoja Roksana
Published: February 2024

Much queer theory in America is based on white male experience and privilege, excluding people of color and severely limiting its relevance to third-world activism. Within the last decade and a half, chronicles from gay lesbian bisexual transgender intersex queer (GLBTIQ) communities within the South Asian diaspora in the United States have appeared, but the richness and contradictions that characterize these communities have been stifled. Too often, the limitations due to undertheorized South Asian-American lesbian, bisexual, and transsexual histories—compounded by a queer canon overwrought with the East/West and tradition/modern equations—render queer South Asian-Americans as a monolithic homogenous category with little or no agency. In this paper, I visit paradoxes, difficulties, unity, and diversity by unraveling the lives of two gender-queeridentified second-generation South Asian-American “women,” Rupa and Ronica. This article addresses the ways in which an often invisible and marginalized group—gender-queer second-generation South Asian-Americans—accepts, manipulates, and resists hegemonic powers. I accomplish this by presenting partial data from a year-long cross-national feminist ethnographic study conducted in 2004.
Decoding Black Women: Policing Practices and Rape Prosecution on the Streets of Philadelphia
Authors: Irving Toni
Published: February 2024

Black women are generally displaced as victims of rape. The police response to the sexual assault of black women in general and lower-class black women in particular is illustrative of how sexual ideologies help construct complex social hierarchies that in turn structure rights. How the law currently deals with rape places black women outside of the narrative frames that legitimate entitlement. Rape continues to stand in for, and effectively obscure, other social, political, and economic concerns. Unpublished and often ignored, the rape narrative is a ripe site to supply oppositional interpretations of national experience and transmit some of the structural problems in the criminal justice system. Pulling from over two thousand “real” rape cases of low-income black women ignored and not investigated in Philadelphia between 1995 and 2000, this article reads black female rape narratives as case studies in order to discuss the way personal narratives of rape victims are structured by competing and overwhelming sociolegal narratives that undercut their reception. As the fastest growing prison population, the presence of the law to punish black women stands in stark contrast to the absence of the law to protect them.
Cultural Trauma, Memory, and Gendered Collective Action: The Case of Women of the Storm Following Hurricane Katrina
Authors: David Emmanuel
Published: February 2024

This essay examines cultural trauma, memory, gender, and performance in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, in-depth interviews, and documentary sources, this feminist analysis of cultural trauma and memory examines how an emergent, women-centered group, Women of the Storm, engaged in performative political practices aimed at increasing government support for Gulf Coast recovery efforts. The author argues that the group modified place-based practices related to ritual acts of mourning and remembrance, appropriated and transformed disaster-related symbol systems, and aimed to establish new forms of moral responsibility as part of its collective actions.