bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Food Aid in Sudan
Authors: Jaspars Susanne
Published: January 2021

“In 2004, the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan called Darfur the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. A comprehensive food aid programme soon followed, at the time the largest in the world. Yet by 2014, while the crisis continued, international agencies found they had limited access to much of the population, with the Sudanese regime effectively controlling who received aid. As a result, acute malnutrition remains persistently high. Food Aid in Sudan argues that the situation in Sudan is emblematic of a far wider problem. Analysing the history of food aid in the country over fifty years, Jaspars shows that such aid often serves to enrich local regimes and the private sector while leaving war-torn populations in a state of permanent emergency. Drawing on her decades of experience as an aid worker and researcher in the region, and extensive interviews with workers in the food aid process, Jaspars brings together two key topics of our time: the failure of the humanitarian system to respond to today’s crises, and the crisis in the global food system. Essential reading for students and researchers across the social sciences studying the nature and effectiveness of contemporary humanitarianism, development and international aid.”
From recipients to donors
Authors: Mawdsley Emma
Published: January 2021

From Recipients to Donors examines the emergence, or re-emergence, of a large number of nations as partners and donors in international development, from global powers such as Brazil, China and India, to Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, to former socialist states such as Poland and Russia. The impact of these countries in international development has grown sharply, and as a result they have become a subject of intense interest and analysis.

This unique book explores the range of opportunities and challenges this phenomenon presents for poorer countries and for development policy, ideology and governance. Drawing on the author’s rich original research, whilst expertly condensing published and unpublished material, From Recipients to Donors is an essential critical analysis and review for anyone interested in development, aid and international relations.
Life after violence
Authors: Uvin Peter
Published: January 2021

Burundi has recently emerged from twelve years of devastating civil war. Its economy has been destroyed and hundreds and thousands of people have been killed. In this book, the voices of ordinary Burundians are heard for the first time.

Farmers, artisans, traders, mothers, soldiers and students talk about the past and the future, war and peace, their hopes for a better life and their relationships with each other and the state. Young men, in particular, often seen as the cause of violence and war, talk about the difficulties of living up to standards of masculinity in an impoverished and war-torn society.

Weaving a rich tapestry, Peter Uvin pitches the ideas and aspirations of people on the ground against the theory and assumptions often made by the international development and peace-building agencies and organisations. In doing this, he illuminates both shared goals and misunderstandings. This groundbreaking book on conflict and society in Africa will have profound repercussions for development across the world.
Militias and the challenges of post-conflict peace: silencing the guns
Authors: Alden Chris , Thakur Monika , Arnold Matthew
Published: January 2021

“Militias have proven to be a consistent and enduring challenge to achieving peace in war zones around the world. Whether armed by embattled governments in defence of their territory or fostered by external actors in the interests of greed or grievance, these groups occupy an uncertain and deeply controversial position in the changing landscape of conflict.

Linked variously to atrocities against civilians or international criminal elements, part of what distinguishes them from more traditional combatants is their willingness to engage in violent tactics that defy international norms as well as a proclivity to embrace expediency in alliance-making. As such, their diversity of form, unorthodox nature and sheer numbers make achieving short-term stability and an enduring peace a consistently difficult proposition.

Bringing together the lessons learned from four intensively researched case studies – the Democratic Republic of Congo, Timor-Leste, Afghanistan and Sudan – the book argues that the overly rigid ‘cookie-cutter’ approach to demilitaristation, developed and commonly implemented presently by the international community, is ineffective at meeting the myriad of challenges involving militias. In doing so, the authors propose a radical new framework for demilitarization that questions conventional models and takes into account on-the-ground realities.”
Race, racism and development
Authors: Wilson Kalpana
Published: January 2021

Race, Racism and Development places racism and constructions of race at the centre of an exploration of the dominant discourses, structures and practices of development. Combining insights from postcolonial and race critical theory with a political economy framework, it puts forward provocative theoretical analyses of the relationships between development, race, capital, embodiment and resistance in historical and contemporary contexts. Exposing how race is central to development policies and practices relating to human rights, security, good governance, HIV/AIDS, population control, NGOs, visual representations and the role of diasporas in development, the book raises compelling questions about contemporary imperialism and the possibilities for transnational political solidarity.
The Political Economy of Narcotics
Authors: Buxton Julia
Published: January 2021

Dr Julia Buxton is Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for International Cooperation and Security in the Department of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford, UK. Her research field covers Latin American politics; conflict prone countries and regional capacities in democracy promotion and conflict resolution. Her publications include The Failure of Political Reform in Venezuela (Ashgate, 2001) and the edited collections, with N. Phillips, Country Case Studies in Latin American Political Economy (Manchester University Press, 1999) and Developments in Latin American Political Economy (Manchester University Press, 1999).
Analysis of the Influence of Interest Rate, Rupiah Exchange Value, Household Consumption, and Import on Inflation in Indonesia Period 2010.Q1 - 2018.Q4
Authors: Sihotang Jusmer , Nopeline Nancy
Published: January 2021

This study aims to analyze the effect of the interest rest, the exchange rate of the rupiah, and imports on the inflation in Indonesia. The study used multiple regression equation by using secondary time series. Data from 2008.Q1-2018.Q4. The results showed that the interest rate of SBI, exchange rate of rupiah against US Dollar, private sector household consumption, and the total imports of Indonesia had a simultaneous impact on the inflation in Indonesia. However, partially only the interest rate of SBI and total imports of Indonesia had a significant impact on the inflation in Indonesia, respectivelyon the level ofα = 1% and α= 5%. These results mean that the increasing of interest rate of SBI and Indonesian import could impact the inflation rate in Indonesia. Based on the findings, the policy to control the inflation in Indonesia was Bank Indonesia as the holder of monetary policy needs to oversee the determination of business credit interest rate (micro, retail, and corporate), by commercial banks in order to maintain the rate on the stable and low levels. In addition, the government needs to compose the policy to reduce the dependence on imported goods by providing various facilities and incentives to increase the interest of entrepreneurs to invest in industries that produce imported substitute goods.
Evaluación de la producción y calidad de huevos en pollas ponedoras (Loman brown) en el Centro Multipropósito Monte Las Palmas, Chocó, Colombia
Authors: Castro Ariel , Palacios Leider , Gutiérez Sandra María , Mendoza Yohana
Published: January 2021

Mediante el establecimiento, seguimiento y manejo de registros de producción en dos lotes con 400 pollas ponedoras cada uno, se evaluó la producción y calidad de huevos en pollas ponedoras Loman brown, en el Centro Multipropósito Monte las Palmas, en el departamento del Chocó. Se utilizó como fuente de alimentación 100 g de concentrado ave/día, los pastos imperial (Axonopus micay, Axonopus scoparius), y maralfalfa (Pennisetum sp.) a manera de ensayo. Se logró en buena medida que los animales pudieran manifestar su potencial genético en un ambiente controlado técnicamente, disminuyendo costos en su producción, pues la calidad de los huevos se determinó por el tipo de alimentación suministrada; se destaca la utilización de los pastos, que influye de manera significativa en la convivencia de las pollas, el mejoramiento en la textura externa, el tamaño de los huevos y la calidad de la yema.
Musgos y hepáticas: aproximación a su conocimiento en un bosque pluvial tropical de la región chocoana, Colombia
Authors: Valois-Cuesta Hamleth , Murillo Moreno Euler L.
Published: January 2021

Con el objetivo de aportar al conocimiento de la brioflora regional, se estudió la comunidad de briofitos de la localidad de Raspadura (Chocó-Colombia). Se establecieron 10 parcelas de 2×10 metros en bosques maduros e interve- nidos. Las hepáticas presentaron 38 especies, 29 géneros y 13 familias, y los musgos 29 especies, 18 géneros y 10 familias. Dentro de las hepáticas, las familias representativas fueron Lejeuneaceae y Lepidoziaceae, y los géneros más ricos Caratolejeunea y Plagiochila. En el caso de los musgos, las familias más representativas fueron Sematophyllaceae y Pilotrichaceae y los géneros con mayor número de especies Trichostelium y Sematophyllum. La mayoría de especies (musgos y hepáticas) que se registran en este artículo predominaron como epífitas sobre la corteza y ramas de árboles y arbustos.
Elementos que fundamentan y guían el conocimiento tradicional de los saberes médicos de los afrocolombianos e indígenas de Pizarro, Chocó
Authors: Mosquera Orejuela Jesús Dante
Published: January 2021

Los habitantes afros e indígenas del municipio de Pizarro, han conservado sus patrones culturales y los conceptos de sus ancestros logrando la continuidad de diferentes saberes que el hombre de esta región aprendió a conservar para su propia supervivencia. Este trabajo buscó identificar los principales elemen- tos que guían el conocimiento tradicional de los saberes médicos o terapéu- ticos de la zona. Para ello, se realizó una revisión crítica de la información bibliográfica sobre la cultura de sus poblaciones, así como diálogos con los conocedores de las diferentes terapias empleadas. También se realizaron observaciones directas, recorridos y visitas espontáneas y planificadas, entre- vistas abiertas o estructuradas, elaboración de diario de campo y talleres, que permitieron identificar cuatro paradigmas o elementos que guían el conoci- miento tradicional de los saberes médicos: el equilibrio psicológico-mágico- religioso, las siete enfermedades inherentes al ser humano, el hecho de que toda planta sirve para curar y el poder de lo frío y lo caliente. Asimismo, se lograron identificar sus principales técnicas semiológicas, terapéuticas, mágicas y de brujería. La información levantada permitió concluir acerca de la importancia de las «cabezas médicas» afrodescendientes e indígenas dentro del manteni- miento de la salud, calidad de vida de las comunidades y la sostenibilidad del conocimiento tradicional.
Estado actual de la calidad ambiental del municipio de Turbo, Antioquia: Problemas de contaminación y alternativas de solución
Authors: Torres Yenecith
Published: January 2021

Se llevó a cabo recopilación de información en instituciones del sector público y privado, y recorridos de campo y entrevistas, con el objeto de establecer el estado actual de la calidad ambiental del municipio de Turbo. El análisis de la información muestra que el desarrollo de actividades domésticas, agroindustriales, extractivas y portuarias en el municipio y sus alrededores, generan principalmente, materia orgánica reflejada en altos valores de coliformes fecales; plaguicidas e hidrocarburos causantes de envenenamiento progresivo en la cadena alimenticia de organismos acuáticos y sólidos suspen- didos que facilitan la movilidad de otros contaminantes. Esta situación, sumada a aumento de la población desplazada, a bajas coberturas de servicios públicos, y condiciones demográficas y climáticas del municipio, ha generado niveles preocupantes de contaminación revelada en una alta cantidad de personas atendidas por enfermedades gastrointestinales e infecciones respiratorias y promueve una considerable proliferación de mosquitos transmisores de enfermedades como paludismo y dengue, lo que amerita la intervención adecuada de las instituciones con influencia en el municipio, la inclusión de la comunidad en el desarrollo de investigaciones y la formulación e implementación de planes de manejo ambiental consecuentes con la realidad socioeconómica y cultural de los habitantes del municipio de Turbo.
Quantification of the modelling uncertainties in atmospheric release
source assessment and application to the reconstruction of the
autumn 2017 Ruthenium 106 source
Authors: Dumont Le Brazidec Joffrey , Bocquet Marc , Saunier Olivier , Roustan Yelva
Published: January 2021

Abstract. Using a Bayesian framework in the inverse problem of estimating the source of an atmospheric release of a pollutant has proven fruitful in recent years. Through Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms, the statistical distribution of the release parameters such as the location, the duration, and the magnitude as well as the likelihood covariances can be sampled so as to get a complete characterisation of the source. In this study, several approaches are described and applied to improve on these distributions, and therefore to get a better representation of the uncertainties. First, a method based on ensemble forecasting is proposed: physical parameters of both the meteorological fields and the transport model are perturbed to create an enhanced ensemble. In order to account for model errors, the importance of ensemble members are represented by weights and sampled together with the other variables of the source. Secondly, the choice of the statistical likelihood is shown to alter the nuclear source assessment, and several suited distributions for the errors are advised. Finally, two advanced designs of the covariance matrix associated to the observation error are proposed. These methods are applied to the case of the detection of Ruthenium 106 of unknown origin in Europe in autumn 2017. A posteriori distributions meant to identify the origin of the release, to assess the source term, to quantify the uncertainties associated to the observations and the model, as well as densities of the weights of the perturbed ensemble, are presented.
Central role of nitric oxide in ozone production in the upper tropical
troposphere over the Atlantic Ocean and West Africa
Authors: Tadic Ivan , Nussbaumer Clara , Bohn Birger , Harder Hartwig , Marno Daniel , Martinez Monica , Obersteiner Florian , Parchatka Uwe , Pozzer Andrea , Rohloff Roland , Zöger Martin , Lelieveld Jos , Fischer Horst
Published: January 2021

Abstract. Mechanisms of tropospheric ozone (O3) formation are generally well understood. However, studies reporting on net ozone production rates (NOPRs) directly derived from in-situ observations are challenging, and are sparse in number. To analyze the role of nitric oxide (NO) in net ozone production in the upper tropical troposphere above the Atlantic Ocean and the West African continent, we present in situ trace gas observations obtained during the CAFE-Africa (Chemistry of the Atmosphere: Field Experiment in Africa) campaign in August and September 2018. The vertical profile of in situ measured NO along the flight tracks reveals lowest NO mixing ratios of less than 20 pptv between 2 and 8 km altitude and highest mixing ratios of 0.15–0.2 ppbv above 12 km altitude. Spatial distribution of tropospheric NO above 12 km altitude shows that the sporadically enhanced local mixing ratios (> 0.4 ppbv) occur over the West African continent, which we attribute to episodic lightning events. Measured O3 shows little variability in mixing ratios at 60–70 ppbv, with slightly decreasing and increasing tendencies towards the boundary layer and stratosphere, respectively. Concurrent measurements of CO, CH4, OH and HO2 and H2O enable calculations of NOPRs along the flight tracks and reveal net ozone destruction at −0.6 to −0.2 ppbv h−1 below 6 km altitude and balance of production and destruction around 7–8 km altitude. We report vertical average NOPRs of 0.2–0.4 ppbv h−1 above 12 km altitude with NOPRs occasionally larger than 0.5 ppbv h−1 over West Africa coincident with enhanced NO. We compare the observational results to simulated data retrieved from the general circulation ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) model. Although the comparison of mean vertical profiles of NO and O3 indicates good agreement, local deviations between measured and modelled NO are substantial. The vertical tendencies in NOPRs calculated from simulated data largely reproduce those from in situ experimental data. However, the simulation results do not agree well with NOPRs over the West African continent. Both measurements and simulations indicate that ozone formation in the upper tropical troposphere is NOx-limited.
Introducing GloRiSe – A global database on river sediment
composition
Authors: Müller Gerrit , Middelburg Jack J. , Sluijs Appy
Published: January 2021

Abstract. Rivers transport dissolved and solid loads from terrestrial realms to the oceans and between inland reservoirs, representing major mass fluxes on Earth's surface. The composition of river water and sediment provides clues to a plethora of earth and environmental processes, including weathering, erosion, nutrient and carbon cycling, environmental pollution, reservoir exchange and tectonic cycles. While there are documented, publicly available databases for riverine dissolved and suspended nutrients, there is no openly accessible, georeferenced database for riverine suspended sediment composition. Here, we present a globally representative set of 2828 suspended and bed sediment compositional measurements from 1683 locations around the globe. This database, named Global River Sediments (GloRiSe) version 1.0, includes major, minor and trace elements, along with mineralogical data, and provides time-series for some sites. Each observation is complemented by metadata describing geographic location, sampling date and time, sample treatment and measurement details, which allows for grouping and selection of observations, as well as for interoperability with external data sources and improves interpretability. Information on references, unit conversion and references make the database comprehensible. Notably, the close to globe-spanning extent of this compilation allows to derive data-driven, spatially resolved global-scale conclusions about the role of rivers and processes related to them within the Earth-system. GloRiSe version 1.0 can be downloaded from Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4447435, Müller et al., 2021) and https://github.com/GerritMuller/GloRiSe.git (where updates with adapted version numbers will become available), along with a technical documentation and an example calculation in the form of a MATLAB script, that calculates the sediment-flux weighted major element composition of the annual riverine suspended sediment export to the ocean and related uncertainties.
Technical note: apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He analysis using
quadrupole and magnetic sector mass spectrometry
Authors: Gautheron Cécile , Pinna-Jamme Rosella , Derycke Alexis , Ahadi Floriane , Sanchez Caroline , Haurine Fréderic , Monvoisin Gael , Barbosa Damien , Delpech Guillaume , Maltese Joseph , Sarda Philippe , Tassan-Got Laurent
Published: January 2021

Abstract. Apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronological data are obtained through a combination of crystal selection, He content measurement by extraction from crystal and analysis using noble gas mass spectrometry, and measurement of U, Th and Sm contents by dissolution and solution analysis using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). In this contribution, we detail the complete protocols developed for over more than a decade that allow apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He data to be obtained with precision. More specifically, we show that the He content can be determined with a high precision using a calibration of the He sensibility based on the Durango apatite and its use also appears crucial to check for He, U-Th-Sm analytical problems. The Durango apatite used as a standard is therefore a suitable mineral to perform precise He calibration and yield (U-Th)/He ages of 31.1 ± 1.4 Ma with an analytical error of less than 5 %. The (U-Th)/He ages for the FCT zircon standard yields a dispersion of about 9 %, with mean age of 27.0 ± 2.6 Ma comparable to other laboratories. For the long-term quality control of the (U-Th)/He data, attention has been paid to evaluate the drift of He sensibility, blanks through time and those of (U-Th)/He ages and Th/U ratios (with Sm/Th when possible), all associated with the use of Durango apatite and Fish Canyon Tuff zircon as standards.
Banks Performance: Does Treasury Single Account matter? Evidence From Selected Commercial Banks in Tanzania
Authors: Mwambuli Erick Lusekelo , Igoti James Joseph
Published: January 2021

This research assess the impacts of treasury single account on the financial performance of selected commercial banks in Tanzania. Data were collected from annual report of fourteen (14) commercial banks and Bank of Tanzania for the period of ten (10) years. The study used net interest margin as a dependent variable, government deposits as independent variable and both bank size and leverage were used as controlling variables. The data were analyzed by both EVIEWS 12 and STATA 16 using an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model analysis. Our results concludes that treasury single account has impact on banks financial performance, the results shows that the government deposits has a significant positive effects on net interest margin. The possible reason for our results is the fact that Tanzania commercial banks were over relied on government funds rather than to mobilize funds from the un-banked among rural residents. Thus, the study recommend that for the commercial banks to improve their financial performance, they have to redefine the nature of competition, diversify economically and refocus on the original purposes for which they were set up- to collect deposits to customers especially from private sectors and un-banked Tanzanians.
Cyclic scope and processing difficulty in a Minimalist parser
Authors: Pasternak Robert , Graf Thomas
Published: January 2021

A common view in the theoretical literature is that quantifier raising (QR) is a clause-bounded operation. But in a paper published in Glossa, Wurmbrand (2018) argues that (i) QR is not clause-bounded, and the apparent clause-boundedness of QR is due to the human parser’s difficulty in processing extraclausal QR; and (ii) the relative difficulty of extraclausal QR depends on the size of the embedded clause from which QR takes place. She then proposes a theory of scope processing in which parsing Logical Form (LF) movement is costly for the human parser, which in conjunction with independently motivated assumptions about A′-movement generates the desired results. In this paper, we accept Wurmbrand’s descriptive observations and proposed syntax but offer an alternative, rigorously defined metric of scope processing difficulty that makes precise quantitative predictions. Our proposal is formalized with Minimalist Grammars (Stabler 1997) and expands recent work by Kobele et al. (2013), among others, that uses this formalism to account for numerous processing phenomena. Our metric correctly handles Wurmbrand’s observations as well as cases that are problematic for her account, and points the way toward an explanatory theory of scope processing.
Knowledge, Awareness and Willingness to use HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Among Students at the University of Namibia
Authors: Nakathingo Frieda Magano , Ashipala Daniel Opotamutale , Iiyambo Petrus Tweuthigilwa
Published: January 2021

Adequate knowledge, awareness and willingness to use HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is very important for HIV prevention mostly in developing countries where the burden of HIV infection continues to increase. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the level of knowledge, awareness, willingness to use HIV PrEP among tertiary students at the University of Namibia (UNAM), Rundu Campus. A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional design was used with a total of 232 first-year students across all three faculties at UNAM, Rundu Campus being selected using stratified random sampling. The study results showed that the majority (52% of the participants were female and 72% of the participants were aged between 18 and 24 years. It was also found that 45% of the participants reported that they had heard of PrEP and, of this number (n = 104), 88% reported that they were willing to use PrEP, although 8% only of the respondents had actually used it. Of the respondents who reported that they had heard of PrEP, both gender and the faculty at which they were studying were significantly associated (all p-values were less than 0.05) with their awareness and knowledge of, and willingness to use, PrEP. The study findings indicated a low level of awareness, knowledge and use of HIV PrEP among the respondents, although the degree of willingness to use PrEP was high among them.
Sperm retrieval by conventional testicular sperm extraction for assisted reproduction in patients with Zinner syndrome
Authors: Cito Gianmartin , Gemma Luca , Giachini Claudia , Micelli Elisabetta , Cocci Andrea , Fucci Rossella , Picone Rita , Sforza Simone , Nesi Gabriella , Santi Raffaella , Minervini Andrea , Masieri Lorenzo , Carini Marco , Coccia Maria Elisabetta , Natali Alessandro
Published: January 2021

We present data from three Caucasian men with Zinner syndrome who attended our center for the treatment of primary couple’s infertility. Each patient was scheduled for multiple conventional testicular sperm extraction (cTESE) and cryopreservation. The mean duration of infertility was 243 months. Sperm analysis confirmed absolute azoospermia. In patient 1, imaging revealed right and left testis volumes of 24 mL and 23 mL, respectively; dilatation of the right caput epididymis, corpus, and cauda; left seminal vesicle agenesis; severe right seminal vesicle hypotrophy; right renal agenesis; and left nephroptosis. The patient’s levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and total testosterone (TT) were 3.2 IU/L, 5.2 IU/L, and 22.3 nmol/L, respectively. Patient 2 exhibited right and left testis volumes of 18 mL and 16 mL, respectively; a left seminal vesicle cyst of 3228 mm; ipsilateral kidney absence; and right seminal vesicle agenesis. The patient’s levels of FSH, LH, and TT were 2.8 IU/L, 4.2 IU/L, and 14.3 nmol/L, respectively. In patient 3, ultrasound showed a testicular volume of 10 mL bilaterally, a 6546 mm left seminal vesicle cyst, right seminal vesicle enlargement, and left kidney agenesis. The patient’s levels of FSH, LH, and TT were 32.0 IU/L, 16.3 IU/L, and 9.0 nmol/L, respectively. Sperm retrieval via cTESE was successful in all patients. It may be advisable to perform cTESE to obtain fresh sperm on the day of oocyte retrieval. Sperm cryopreservation should be avoided, since thawing could further compromise the sperm quality.
Proprioceptive Perception: An Emergence of the Interaction of Body and Language
Authors: Vasquez-Rosati Alejandra , Cordero-Homad Carmen
Published: January 2021

This chapter provides a systemic perspective of human behavior, which reformulates the concept of effective behavior and cognition that derive from the classical vision of neuroscience and psychology based on the Cartesian reductionist functionalist paradigm. This systemic perspective, which is based on the theory of autopoiesis, proposes that the act of perceiving proprioception is decisive in the capacity of the human being to differentiate himself from an external space within which he is situated; a phenomenon that we will denominate “proprioceptive perception”. This complex phenomenon of dynamic character emerges from the relationship between the domains of the body and language in the individual’s relationship with their environment. Furthermore, from this systemic perspective, we will present the emotional states as cognitive states necessary for the conservation of the individual’s living identity and the close relationship they have with the sensorimotor patterns and proprioceptive perception. This chapter answers the question of how proprioceptive perception affects the human being’s experience of being different from others and from the environment in which they find themselves, having the possibility of being aware of themselves and of the world they perceive - in a present - within the environment in which they find themselves. And it explains how this phenomenon modulates its modes of emotion in congruence with what occurs in its present.
Lung Cancer Oncotherapy through Novel Modalities: Gas Plasma and Nanoparticle Technologies
Authors: Rasouli Milad , Fallah Nadia , (Ken) Ostrikov Kostya
Published: January 2021

Cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP) is emerging as new healthcare technology and it has a high potential through physical and chemical effects for cancer treatment. Recently, CAP, plasma activated liquid (PAL), and nanomaterial have been significant advances in oncotherapy. Reactive oxygen-nitrogen species (RONS), electrical field, and other agents generated by CAP interact with cells and induce selective responses between the malignant and normal cells. Nanomedicine enhances therapeutic effectiveness and decreases the side effects of traditional treatments due to their target delivery and dispersion in tumor tissue. There are various nanocarriers (NCs) which based on their properties can be used for the delivery of different agents. The combination of gas plasma and nanomaterials technologies is a new multimodal treatment in cancer treatment, therefore, is expected that the conjunction of these technologies addresses many of the oncology challenges. This chapter provides a framework for current research of NC and gas plasma therapies for lung cancer. Herein, we focus on the application of gas plasmas and nanotechnology to drug and gene delivery and highlight several outcomes of its. The types and features of the mentioned therapeutics strategy as novel classes for treating lung cancer individually and synergistic were examined.
Is Elastography Useful in Assessing Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Rats?
Authors: Hancerliogullari Kadir Oymen , Tosun Alptekin
Published: January 2021

Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is among the most common and destructive diseases in the neonatal period. Imaging methods are important in the early diagnosis and treatment of such diseases. Ultrasound elastography (USE) is a fast and non-invasive imaging technique that deals with the viscoelastic properties of tissues. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of USE, which determines tissue stiffness with grayscale and colored images, as an imaging tool in the diagnosis and treatment of NEC. Materials and Methods: Sixteen newborn Wistar albino gender rats were separated into two groups including eight rats each. The first group (G-I) was taken as a control group and was not exposed to any intervention. The second group (G-II) was exposed to 100% CO2 for 5 minutes and 4°C for 10 minutes. All these interventions were applied twice per day for 4 days. We observed elastographic data at 24, 48, and 96 hours. All rats were sacrificed on the fourth day. The combination of gray-scale US and elastography was performed by a 4-13 MHz with an average of 12 MHz bandwidth linear probe in Esaote Ultrasonography Systems, MyLab60 model, produced in Geneva, Italy; with ElaXto imaging application. Results: Statistically significant differences were detected in elastosonography ratios of terminal ileum at 24, 48, and 96 hours (P < 0.05). As ischemia period in NEC was prolonged, elastosonographic ratios of intestinum increased significantly. Conclusion: It was found that USE is a reliable technique with superior features in the assessment of the terminal ileum in the neonatal age group. It is due to its wide image window and better assessment of tissue stiffness with gray scale and color image. It has been observed that the USE technique is helpful in the diagnosis.
Evaluating the Risk Factors and Induced Cardiotoxicity in Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Razaghi Samira , Razmjoo Sasan , Ranjbaran Mitra , Haybar Habib
Published: January 2021

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common cancers among women. The survival of the BC patients is based on new treatment protocols. Cardiotoxicity is the most common side effect in these patients. Methods: This was a descriptive study in which we selected our patients randomly among the BC patients and used questionnaires for data completion.66 BC patients whose disease were confirmed according to the histology and laboratory data taken to the oncology section of Ahvaz Golestan hospital between 2017 - 2018. Risk factors, history of the patients, and the function of the heart were evaluated 6 and 12 months after chemotherapy through echocardiography. Result: Six months after chemotherapy, the follow-up patients in 6 indicated five significant risk factor included Age (P < 0.03), history of heart disease (P < 0.02), blood pressure (P < 0.00), diabetes (P < 0.00), and cholesterol (P < 0.04), which confirm the dysregulation function of heart and indication of cardiotoxicity. In 12 months follow- up, the result indicated that only the history of heart disease was significantly correlated with cardiotoxicity (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Finally, the detection of risk factors in BC can introduce a prognostic factor when cardiotoxicity occurs simultaneously with the conduction of chemotherapy.
Catalytic gasification of oil palm empty fruit bunch by using Indonesian bentonite as the catalyst
Authors: Aprianti Nabila , Faizal Muhammad , Said Muhammad , Nasir Subriyer
Published: January 2021

Oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) is one of the enormous waste expected to become a renewable energy source. This study aimed to convert OPEFB into syngas through a gasification process using bentonite as a catalyst. The effects of temperature and product gas catalysts were investigated, and the efficiency of the gasification process was summarized. The process has used an updraft gasifier at 350-550°C and air as the gasification medium (ER 0.2). The results indicate that syngas can be produced by updraft gasifier. When the temperature increase, the H2 and CO rising. The highest H2 and CO content of 27.74% and 20.43% are obtained at 550°C when bentonite applied. HHV and LHV range of 3.38~12.79 MJ/Nm3 and 3.03~11.58 MJ/Nm3 , respectively. The maximum carbon conversion efficiency (CCE) and cold gas efficiency (CGE) reach 85.49% and 82.34%. Bentonite has been able to increase the concentration of the gas composition especially H2 and CO and the heating value of syngas.
Una experiencia de integración de la Formación Sanitaria Especializada con la Universitaria de Posgrado: Entrenamiento por etapas en cirugía laparoscópica.
Authors: Flores-Funes Diego , Pellicer-Franco Enrique , Flores-Pastor Benito , Moreno-Cascales Matilde , Fernández-Villacañas-Marín Miguel Ángel , Aguayo-Albasini José Luis
Published: January 2021

Antecedentes: Diseño de un modelo de simulación para formación en cirugía laparoscópica. Métodos: Dentro del Máster Anatomía Aplicada a la Clínica se implementaron tres etapas de formación progresiva en médicos residentes. La etapa 1 se realizó en simulador con material no biológico: manejo de objetos, disección con pinza y tijera, y sutura laparoscópica. La etapa 2 utilizó material biológico (tubo digestivo en fresco) en simulador, para la práctica de sección intestinal y anastomosis intracorpórea. En la etapa 3 se realizaron técnicas laparoscópicas en cadáver en fresco (apendicectomía, colecistectomía, apertura de la transcavidad epiploica, hemicolectomías derecha e izquierda). Se añadió una encuesta de satisfacción a los participantes de la actividad. Resultados: El programa se impartió a 6 residentes de Cirugía General. Todos completaron los ejercicios de las etapas 1 y 2. En la etapa 3 se pudo realizar el neumoperitoneo sin dificultad y los tejidos presentaron una textura adecuada. Los residentes de primer año completaron la apendicectomía y la colecistectomía, pero procedimientos más complejos requirieron residentes con más experiencia. Los participantes encuestados reflejaron que el programa es adecuado y útil para el entrenamiento en laparoscopia. Conclusiones: El modelo propuesto es reproducible y adecuado en adquisición de competencias básicas en cirugía laparoscópica.

Background: Design of a simulation model training in laparoscopic surgery for surgical residents. Methods: Three stages of progressive training were programmed within a Postgraduate Degree in Clinical Anatomy. Stage 1 was performed in a box-trainer with synthetic materials: managing small objects, dissection with clamp and scissors, and laparoscopic intracorporeal suture. Stage 2 used biological material (fresh digestive tract from a human corpse) in box-trainer, practicing section and intracorporeal anastomosis. In stage 3, laparoscopy was performed on a fresh corpse (appendectomy, cholecystectomy, lesser sac opening, right and left colectomy). A satisfaction survey was carried out to the participants. Results: Some six General and Digestive Surgery residents took the program. All of them completed the stage 1 and 2 exercises. In stage 3, the pneumoperitoneum could be performed without any complications, and tissues presented an adequate texture. First-year residents completed appendectomy and cholecystectomy, but more complex procedures required more experienced residents. The participants reflected that the program is adequate and useful to gain basic skills in laparoscopy. Conclusions: The proposed model is reproducible and adequate in acquisition of basic skills in laparoscopic surgery.
Causation, Fault, and Fairness in the Criminal Law
Authors: Skolnik Terry
Published: January 2021

Over the past two decades, the Supreme Court of Canada has developed an overarching account of causation rooted in the need to prevent the conviction of the morally innocent. Despite these valuable contributions, there are certain limitations to the way causation is currently conceptualized in Canadian criminal law. This article aims to address those limitations and offer a plausible alternative account of causation and its underlying rationale. It advances three core arguments. First, it explains why judges should employ one uniform formulation of the factual causation standard: significant contributing cause. Second, it offers a new account of legal causation that distinguishes foreseeability as part of the actus reus from foreseeability inherent to mens rea. In doing so, it sets out why legal causation is primarily concerned with fairly ascribing ambits of risk to individuals. Third, it refutes the Supreme Court of Canada’s underlying justification for the causation requirement. Contrary to the Court’s invocation of the importance of moral innocence, this article demonstrates that causation principles actually tend to concede the accused’s moral fault while still providing reasons for withholding blame for a given consequence. This reveals that causation’s underlying rationale is more closely related to concerns about fair attribution rather than moral innocence. Ultimately, this article reframes causation to better answer one of the most basic questions in the criminal law: Why am I being blamed for this?
La visión de la participación polaca en los Sitios de Zaragoza (1808-1809) en Cenizas de Stefan Żeromski y Andrzej Wajda
Authors: González Caizán Cristina
Published: January 2021

En Polonia, el conocimiento de la participación de los legionarios de la Legión del Vístula y de los lanceros del Vístula en los Sitios de Zaragoza proviene principalmente de la literatura y el cine. Las primeras obras proceden del género novelístico. La falta de un estudio histórico riguroso propició que estos trabajos se alzasen como portadores auténticos de los hechos allí narrados, cuando, en realidad, eran interpretaciones creadas por la pluma del escritor de turno. De esta manera se fueron forjando mitos que han perdurado hasta la actualidad. Una de estas leyendas salió de la imaginación de Stefan Żeromski, quien, a partir de un texto anónimo, inventó una escena que ha sido motivo de remordimiento para generaciones de polacos: el suicidio de una religiosa al verse ante el inminente peligro de ser violada por la soldadesca en un convento de Zaragoza. Andrzej Wajda recogió ese pasaje plasmándolo en una escena de su película. Nosotros hemos demostrado que el texto inspirador de Żeromski, y, por ende, de Wajda, es apócrifo, probablemente por la propaganda zarista con el fin de ensuciar acciones polacas en las guerras napoleónicas, cuando los polacos volvieron a ser libres en tiempos del Ducado de Varsovia de la mano de Napoleón I Bonaparte. Con este artículo, demostramos la necesidad de volver a interpretar las fuentes originales, para desterrar mitos creadores de errores con fines políticos claros.
English-Arabic Translator Education Through Systemic Functional Linguistics: Analysis of Cohesive Devices in Investopedia Business Texts
Authors: Fahad Alshalan Reem , Suleiman Alyousef Hesham
Published: January 2021

In translation courses, students are asked to practice translation skills by translating a source text (ST) in a specific field. While teachers usually select texts based on topic and language accuracy, some such texts do not provide rich textual features that help students practice and improve their translation skills. This study aimed to analyze the cohesive features in business texts collected from “Investopedia” to investigate their suitability for use as STs to practice translation skills in the field of finance and administration. It was framed by Halliday’s (1978) systemic functional linguistics (SFL) approach to language and Halliday and Hassan’s (1976) cohesion analysis scheme. The findings demonstrated that the most prominent type used was lexical cohesion, followed by reference and conjunctions. Ellipses and substitution were rarely used. The findings indicated that the intensive use of lexical cohesion and the various subcategories used in these texts can help enrich the background knowledge of financial terminology and provide a communicative understanding of the ST while practicing various elements of textual features. The study provided a demonstration of the significance of SFL in providing coherent and cohesive STs that facilitate the needs of translation instructors and students in the field of finance and administration. Other SFL tools can be employed to provide a better understanding of these texts.
Artificial neural network with Taguchi method for robust classification model to improve classification accuracy of breast cancer
Authors: Rahman Md Akizur , Muniyandi Ravie chandren , Albashish Dheeb , Rahman Md Mokhlesur , Usman Opeyemi Lateef
Published: January 2021

Artificial neural networks (ANN) perform well in real-world classification problems. In this paper, a robust classification model using ANN was constructed to enhance the accuracy of breast cancer classification. The Taguchi method was used to determine the suitable number of neurons in a single hidden layer of the ANN. The selection of a suitable number of neurons helps to solve the overfitting problem by affecting the classification performance of an ANN. With this, a robust classification model was then built for breast cancer classification. Based on the Taguchi method results, the suitable number of neurons selected for the hidden layer in this study is 15, which was used for the training of the proposed ANN model. The developed model was benchmarked upon the Wisconsin Diagnostic Breast Cancer Dataset, popularly known as the UCI dataset. Finally, the proposed model was compared with seven other existing classification models, and it was confirmed that the model in this study had the best accuracy at breast cancer classification, at 98.8%. This confirmed that the proposed model significantly improved performance.
A Two-year Retrospective Review of Paediatric Mortality in a Tertiary Facility in North-western Nigeria
Authors: Ugege M. O. , Garba B. I.
Published: January 2021

Introduction: Mortality pattern is reflective of both the severity of illness and the quality of treatment given.

Objective: To identify the age, time and cause of death in the paediatric wards of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto.

Methods: This was a retrospective review of mortalities in children 5weeks to 15 years at the paediatric wards of UDUTH from 1st January 2016 to 31st December 2017. The bio-data, duration of illness, diagnoses, complications and duration of hospital stay were extracted from the mortality case files and analysed.

Results: There were 121 mortalities, representing 2.3% of 5,355 total admissions during the study period. Sixty-seven (55.4%) were males (M: F ratio 1.2:1). Seventy-five (62.0%) were under-fives and mean age ± standard deviation was 54 months ± 46.3. Most deaths 76 (62.0%) occurred between July and December and majority 96 (79.3%) occurred ≥ 24 hours after admission. Severe acute malnutrition [SAM] 31 (41.3%), severe malaria 12(16.0%), and septicaemia 9 (12.0%), were the leading causes of death in the under-fives, whereas severe malaria 8 (17.4%), meningitis 7(15.2%) and malignancy 5 (10.9%) predominate in those > 5 years [P<0.001]. There was delayed presentation ≥ 7 days in 87 (71.9%) children and 90 (74.4%) had at least one or more complications.

Conclusion: Severe acute malnutrition and severe malaria were the leading causes of mortalities in our facility. It is needful to scale up preventive and curative services targeted at curbing these diseases in Sokoto and environs.
Vitamin D Deficiency among Women Having Gestational Diabetes
Authors: Memon Fehmida Parveen , Baloch Ifat , Rehman Afra , Hingoro Rasheeda
Published: January 2021

Objective: To determine the vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women presented at tertiary care Hospital with gestational diabetes.

Methodology: This case control study has been conducted at gynecology department of Liaquat University of Medical and health Sciences, during one year from 2018 to 2019. Women having diagnosed as gestational diabetes, age more than 18 years and equal quantity of non-diabetic pregnant women were included in the study. A 5ml blood sample was taken from each patient and sent to the Hospital diagnostic laboratory to assess the vitamin D level. All the data was collected via self-made proforma. Data was analyzed by using SPSS version 20.

Results: Total 80 women with gestational diabetes and of non-gestational diabetes were studied. Mean age of the women was 34.23±12.3 years and mean gestational age was 29.34±5.7 weeks. Vitamin D deficiency was significantly high in women having gestational diabetes (P=0.0001). There was no difference in vitamin D deficiency according to occupation, residence, SES, booking status and parity.

Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency was significantly high in women having gestational diabetes as compared to normal women. By early assessment of vitamin D deficiency and its management can be reduce the risk of gestational diabetes.