bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Manifestation of the effect of heterosis and inheritance of valuable economic traits in F1 hybrids of winter rape
Authors: Yurchuk S.
Published: February 2025

Purpose. Study of intraspecific F1 hybrids of winter rape for the manifestation of heterosis and inheritance of economically valuable traits. Methods. Field (phenological observations and records), laboratory (recording of seed productivity, structural analysis of F1 hybrids), mathematical and statistical (objective evaluation of the obtained experimental data). Results. Studies on the manifestation of heterosis and the inheritance of economically valuable traits by structural elements of winter rape productivity in firstgeneration hybrids were conducted during 2022-2023 in the conditions of the experimental field of the Institute of Feed Research and Agriculture of Podillia of NAAS. The best hybrid combinations were identified, according to the characteristic “plant height”, the highest indicator of the degree of phenotypic dominance (hp) was noted in the hybrid combination Abacus/Black Giant (19.0), true heterosis (Hbt) – 7.8%, hypothetical heterosis (Ht) – 27.1%. According to the characteristic “number of pods per plant”, the highest manifestation of the effect of true heterosis – 14.5% was found in the hybrid combination Abacus/Black Giant, while the degree of phenotypic dominance (hp) was 6.8, hypothetical heterosis – 29.4%. According to the characteristic “number of seeds in a pod”, the degree of phenotypic dominance (hp) was recorded in the hybrid combination Antaria/Halytskyi and was 4.0, hypothetical heterosis (Ht) – 28.4%, true heterosis (Hbt) – 10.0%. According to the characteristic “mass of 1000 seeds”, the highest degree of phenotypic dominance (hp) was observed in the hybrid combination Chornyi veleten/Abakus, it was 37.0, hypothetical heterosis (Ht) – 26.0%, true heterosis (Hbt) – 3.8%. Conclusions. Hybrid combinations (F1) with positive dominance and the effect of heterosis are of interest for further scientific research and can be used in the breeding process to create new high-yielding varieties.
Premix in the composition of compound feed for young fattening pigs: productivity and meat quality
Authors: Hutsol A. , Hutsol N. , Mysenko O. , Chornolata L. , Mushyt S.
Published: February 2025

Purpose. To study the effect of feeding compound feed with NutriMix premix on productive, slaughter and physicochemical indicators of muscle tissue of the fattening young pigs. Methods. In the process of research, general scientific research methods were used: zootechnical (conducting scientific and economic experiments, establishing the nutritional value of compound feed), technological, laboratory, chemical analysis of feeds according to generally accepted methods, statistical (biometric materials), analytical. The method of zootechnical analysis was used to conduct laboratory research. The main methodological method of setting up the experiment was the method of similar groups. Methods of variational statistics were used to process the obtained experimental results. Results. The diet provided pigs with energy and protein in full, the total nutritional value of 1 kg of feed was 1.02 feed units and 136.94 g of digestible protein. Studies have shown that the studied premix in the composition of the compound feed was characterized by a positive productive effect when feeding its to young pigs. It was established that introduction of the NutriMix premix into the compound feed contributes to the increase in the average daily gains in pigs during fattening. Thus, the average daily gains of pigs in the second group were 958 g, which is 86 g or 9.86% more compared to the control group and feed costs per 1 kg of gain were 3.3% less. The introduction of NutriMix premix into the diet of pigs contributes to the increase in pre-slaughter weight by 5.2 kg, slaughter weight by 7.53 kg, carcass weight by 7.12 kg. It has a positive effect on the intensity of the paired meat coloring, the value of which was higher than the control by 10.8%, respectively, tenderness – by 19.8%, and has no affect on pH. Conclusions. Enrichment of the diet of fattening pigs with NutriMix premix contributes to the increase in average daily gains and allows obtaining pork with satisfactory quality physical and chemical indicators.
Carbohydrate complex of green mass of leguminous forage crops
Authors: Chornolata L. , Zdor L. , Honchar L.
Published: February 2025

Purpose. To analyze the significance of each of the indicators that are determined and used to characterize the carbohydrate-lignin complex of the green mass of legumes and cereals. Methods. In air-dried samples of the green mass of forage crops (alfalfa, sainfoin, goat's rue, horned yam, creeping clover, Pannonian peas), the content of crude fiber was determined in accordance with DSTU 8844:2019, starch - DSTU ISO 6493:2008; carbohydrate-lignin complex (sums of non-fibrous and structural carbohydrates, sugars, hemicellulose, cellulose) - DSTU 7982:2015; neutral detergent fiber – DSTU ISO 16472, acid detergent fiber and lignin – DSTU ISO 13906:2013. Results. It was established that the green mass of fodder crops in the composition of the carbohydrate-lignin complex contains BER, easily hydrolyzed carbohydrates, sugars, starch, pectin and structural carbohydrates, NDC, CDC, hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin. The highest level of BER – 58%, was observed in the budding and flowering phase of creeping clover. Easily hydrolyzed carbohydrates in horned clover reach 39-47% in the microphases of development. The content of sugars and starch varies: in alfalfa – 7-8% in the tillering phase and 1-1.5% – in full flowering; in goat's rue – 5%; in sweet clover – 7% in the budding phase, 4% – flowering and 2% in – full flowering. In sainfoin – at the level of 7-6% before flowering, with a drop to 2% at the end. In creeping clover, the sugar content is stable – 6% until the full flowering phase. Conclusions. The content of non-fibrous carbohydrates decreases as the plants develop, but in the phase of the beginning of flowering their content is highest, it is this phase of the green mass of leguminous forage crops that is most suitable for harvesting, making feed and feeding them to animals.
Economic efficiency of growing common bean (grain) in the western Forest-Steppe conditions
Authors: Olifirovych S. , Olifirovych V. , Temchenko I.
Published: February 2025

Purpose. To establish the economic efficiency of growing common (grain) beans depending on varietal characteristics, fertilization and seed inoculation. Methods. Field – to record grain yield; calculation – to determine the cost of production, net profit and level of profitability; statistical – for mathematical processing of yield data using the method of variance analysis. Results. The maximum impact on the level of economic efficiency of bean grain production had the cultivar. Thus, against the background of the application of mineral fertilizers at a dose of N32P32K32, the yield of beans in the cultivars ranged from 1.33 to 2.45 t/ha. Accordingly, with a selling price of bean grain of 28 UAH, the lowest cost of the resulting product was for the Galaktika variety – 37,24 UAH. The maximum cost of production from 1 ha of bean crops was provided by the Ros, Nata and Otrada cultivars – 64.96, 67.48 and 68,6 UAH, respectively. Due to the increase in bean yield in the variant using biological preparations for seed treatment, the level of profitability increased by 0.8- 9.7%. Carrying out two foliar top dressings with potassium humate increased the conditional net profit when growing the Nata and Slaviya varieties by 3099 and 3106 UAH/ha, and the profitability level by 6.7-7.4%, respectively. The increase in the cost of production from 1 ha was more significant when combining seed treatment with Rizoaktiv + Rootella biological preparations and carrying out two foliar top dressings of crops with potassium humate. The combination of these types of fertilizers in the common bean nutrition system ensured an increase in the cost of the resulting product by 3080-7560 UAH/ha, or 5.4-11%. Conclusions. Growing grain beans is profitable. The Ros, Nata and Otrada cultivars have the greatest impact on yield and economic efficiency, especially when treated with Rizoaktiv, Rootella biological preparations and fertilized with Gumifield.
Attentional Scope and Atomic Energy Levels: An Analogical Comparison.
Authors: Dolatabadi Mohsen
Published: February 2025

The article draws an analogical comparison between the electron arrangement in atoms and the attentional scope in human cognition. The Bohr atomic model and the orbital levels in quantum mechanics are compared to the different stages or levels of information processing in the brain. The contraction and expansion of attentional scope are related to the movement of electrons between energy levels in atoms. The abstractness of language is compared to the energy level of electrons near the valence level of particles. Finally, the concept of electropositivity in atoms is related to sociability in human interaction, while the effect of positive mood states on the cognitive scope is analogized to the behaviour of electrons across atoms or Ion radius.
The Need for Equivalence Testing in Economics
Authors: Fitzgerald Jack
Published: February 2025

Equivalence testing can provide statistically significant evidence that economic relationships are practically negligible. I demonstrate its necessity in a large-scale reanalysis of estimates defending 135 null claims made in 81 recent articles from top economics journals. 36-63% of estimates defending the average null claim fail lenient equivalence tests. In a prediction platform survey, researchers accurately predict that equivalence testing failure rates will significantly exceed levels which they deem acceptable. Obtaining equivalence testing failure rates that these researchers deem acceptable requires arguing that nearly 75% of published estimates in economics are practically equal to zero. These results imply that Type II error rates are unacceptably high throughout economics, and that many null findings in economics reflect low power rather than truly negligible relationships. I provide economists with guidelines and commands in Stata and R for conducting credible equivalence testing and practical significance testing in future research.
A New Theory of Global Climate and Ecosystem Change Based on Planetary Orbital Variations
Authors: Mao Kebiao , Liang Yuqi , Yuan Zijin , Liu Yangyang , Sun Xuehong , Cao Mengmeng , Bateni Sayed M. , Dube Timothy , Dube Timothy
Published: February 2025

Traditional climate change research has primarily focused on internal factors of Earth, particularly the impact of human activities on greenhouse gas emissions. This paper proposes the "Mao's Theory of Global Climate and Ecosystem Change Based on Planetary Orbital Variations", which suggests that changes in Earth's climate and ecosystems are primarily driven by the orbital variations of external celestial bodies. Earth's revolution around the Sun and its rotation determine seasonal transitions and day-night alternations, while climate evolution on other timescales is closely linked to changes in planetary orbital positions. Alterations in orbital positions directly affect Earth's temperature and atmospheric water vapor distribution, thereby driving the spatiotemporal evolution of ecosystems. The study finds that spatiotemporal variations in water vapor and temperature play a key role in global vegetation distribution and have a regulatory function on the greenhouse effect, partially offsetting the warming effects of carbon dioxide and demonstrating Earth's self-regulation capacity in response to temperature changes. Further analysis suggests that phenomena such as geomagnetic reversals, plate tectonics, and earthquakes are also related to the orbital variations of the Sun and other celestial bodies, with the emergence of life and biological evolution being active adaptations to orbital evolution and the Earth's internal spheres. Therefore, this theory offers new perspectives and methodologies for studying climate change and the spatiotemporal evolution of ecosystems, expanding new directions for climate prediction, disaster early warning, and species evolution research, and holds significant implications for future studies of climate and ecosystems.
Autistic traits and temporal integration of auditory and visual stimuli: The role of imagination
Authors: Tsuji Yurika , Nishiguchi Yuki , Noda Akari , Imaizumi Shu
Published: February 2025

Individuals with the autism spectrum disorder face temporal integration difficulties in some sensory modalities that may be related to imagination difficulties. In this study, we tested the hypotheses that among Japanese university students, (1) higher autistic traits and (2) greater imagination difficulties lead to correspondingly lower performance in tasks that require temporal integration. Two tasks were used to assess their temporal integration abilities: a speech-in-noise test using noise with temporal dips in the auditory modality and a slit-viewing task in the visual modality. The results showed that low performance in the speech-in-noise test was related to autistic traits and some aspects of imagination difficulties, whereas the slit-viewing task was related to neither autistic traits nor imagination difficulties. One must have the ability to temporally integrate fragments of auditory information to perceive speech in noise with temporal dips. The difficulties in perceiving sensory information as a single unified percept using priors may cause difficulties in temporally integrating auditory information and perceiving speech in noise. Furthermore, an exploratory analysis suggested that imagination difficulties predict the difficulty in perceiving speech in noise with temporal dips, which leads to social impairment.
Fixed or flexible perceptual rhythms?
Authors: Kaltenmaier Aaron , Davis Matthew H. , Press Clare
Published: February 2025

Our sensory inputs are never identical across time and contain temporal structure. Cognitive scientists have recently been fascinated by how these sensory rhythms interact with neural oscillatory rhythms to dictate perception. However, there are parallel lines of enquiry in audition and vision that propose clear, but apparently incompatible, answers to this question. Auditory research largely suggests that oscillations are flexible and correspond to the temporal structure of the external world, whereas visual research suggests these rhythms are fixed by intrinsic processes. Should visual and auditory processing really operate so differently? The aim of this Opinion is to highlight this incompatibility, while offering a new model of temporal sampling that cross-pollinates ideas and combines constraints found across sensory domains.
Conflict resolution and response inhibition: A simultaneous EEG-EMG-pupillometry study
Authors: Bundt Carsten , Raud Liisa , Thunberg Christina , Huster Rene
Published: February 2025

Inhibition in cognitive control has many implications. Behaviorally, the stop signal task is supposedly capturing inhibition of already initiated responses (response inhibition). In contrast, the flanker paradigm supposedly captures the inhibition of several competing responses (competitive inhibition). As the neural mechanisms for these behavioral phenomena are not clear, it begs the question of whether both response inhibition and competitive inhibition draw from a similar inhibitory resource pool and to what extent they might interact. In the current study, the potential interplay between inhibitory mechanisms was investigated in a combined stop-signal flanker task where (in-)congruent flankers were occasionally followed by stop signals. A multimodal task-setup was implemented allowing for examination of behavior, electromyography (EMG), electroencephalography (EEG), and pupillometry to assess different inhibition-related outcome measures.Model-based estimates of response inhibition speed (stop-signal reaction times; SSRTs) indicated an interaction with competitive inhibition, where stopping was faster in incongruent compared to congruent stop conditions. However, this interaction was not evident in physiological measures: neither stop-related EMG, EEG nor pupillometry measures showed such congruency modulations. Exploratory analyses showed that a larger pupillometry congruency effect was negatively associated with the congruency effect in SSRTs, suggesting that pupil dilation as a proxy for NE-LC activity might be linked to increased allocation of cognitive control. Taken together, our results do not provide clear evidence for an interaction between response inhibition and competitive inhibition.
Doing violence to reality: Theoretical models of cultural evolution
Authors: Ammar Madeleine Patra , Alvarez Niccole Porras , Deffner Dominik
Published: February 2025

Models are a tool to explore complex phenomena by simplifying reality through mathematical or computational representations, allowing scenarios to be played out that cannot be tested directly. Culture and its patterns of change emerge through the interplay of various cognitive, social and ecological factors. We demonstrate how theoretical models can be used to better understand cultural dynamics. Focussing on simulation models, we show how cultural evolutionary models address two fundamental questions: First, under which conditions do organisms develop the cognitive and social capacities underlying culture? Secondly, which processes shape cultural diversity across time and space? While models provide valuable insights, we emphasize that their conclusions depend on the underlying assumptions, so it is crucial to validate them through experimentation and observation.
Emergence (if at all) of a difference in inhibitory control between bilingual and monolingual infants
Authors: Barr Polly , Fiske Abigail , Hendry Alexandra , Holmboe Karla
Published: February 2025

Despite 30+ years of research, the debate about the existence of a bilingual advantage in cognitive control continues. One possible explanation for this inconclusion is the appropriateness of tasks used to measure inhibitory control in young participants. This study used the Early Childhood Inhibitory Touchscreen Task (ECITT; Holmboe et al., 2021) to measure response inhibition in infants aged 10 and 16 months(N=208). A significant effect of inhibitory control (better performance on accuracy and reaction time; p<.001 [-.47, -32]) was found, such that performance was better when there was no inhibitory demand. This did not differ depending on the age of the infant (10 or 16 months), language background (monolingual or bilingual) or the interaction of age and language. This suggests that exposure to two languages does not influence inhibitory control in young infants, or at least may not be detectable in behavioural tests in infants under 16 months old. KEY WORDS: Cognitive control, Bilingualism, Response Inhibition, Bilingual advantage, Preverbal infants
How do empathic concern and personal distress relate to types of self-construal? A canonical correlation analysis.
Authors: Alipanahi Kaveh , Khosrowabadi Reza , Yazdanpanah Aryan , Vahabie Abdol-Hossein
Published: February 2025

The benefits of living together among humans helped their survival in the face of harshness. It was only possible when evolution fitted humans' capacities in line with that goal and enabled them to see themselves connected and interdependent in societies. Between these abilities, empathy sounds pivotal in paving the way by facilitating mutual understanding and caring for others. Despite a global agreement on the role of empathy in making close relationships and social interactions, recent studies imply contrary behavioral consequences for its sub-components, especially for empathic concern and personal distress. After exploring the bivariate correlations, a Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) was conducted to examine the multidimensional relationship between two subscales of the self-construal scale (SCS; as the criterion variables) and four subscales of the interpersonal reactivity index (IRI; as the predictor variables). In the first yielded function, in which interdependent self-construal was dominant in relevance to the criterion variables, empathic concern was in the first order, and perspective taking was in the second order of relevance with predictor variables. In the second function -in which independent self-construal was the most related to the criterion variable, personal distress was the only dominant variable with the predictor variable. The different consequences of empathic concern and personal distress in relation to types of self-construal are discussed.
Random behavior is stable across tasks and time
Authors: Boger Tal , Yousif Sami Ryan , McDougle Samuel , Rutledge Robb
Published: February 2025

Whether it’s choosing a tennis serve or escaping a predator, the ability to behave randomly provides a range of adaptive benefits. Decades of work explores how people both produce and detect randomness, revealing profound non-random biases and heuristics in our mental representations of randomness. But how is randomness realized in the mind? Do individuals have a “one-size-fits-all” conception of randomness that they employ across different tasks and timepoints? Or do they instead use simple context-specific strategies? Here, we develop a model that reveals individual differences in how humans attempt to generate random sequences. Then, in three experiments, we reveal that random behavior is stable across both tasks and time. In Experiment 1, participants generated sequences of random numbers and one-dimensional random locations. Behavior was remarkably consistent across the two tasks. In Experiment 2, we gave participants both a random-number-generation and a two-dimensional random-location-generation task, such that the tasks diverged in structure. We again observed stable individual differences across tasks. Finally, in Experiment 3, we collected data from the same participants as in Experiment 2, but one year later; we found stable individual differences across that span. Across all experiments, we find idiosyncratic behaviors that are stable across tasks and time. Thus, we suggest that a trait-like randomness generator exists in the mind.
The unintended negative consequences of help in childhood
Authors: Sierksma Jellie , Shutts Kristin
Published: February 2025

Exchanges of help in childhood produce many positive consequences: They increases academic success, promote happiness, and foster positive peer relations. For these reasons, caretakers encourage helping behavior early in life and schools implement intervention programs to nurture children’s prosociality. An often-overlooked issue, however, is that providing and receiving help do not always produce positive outcomes. We review the latest research that converges to suggest that when children receive, witness, or provide help, there can be unintended negative consequences—for example, receiving help can produce feelings of incompetence. The discussion of the paper grapples with how to balance the negative and positive outcomes of helping behavior, with an eye toward promoting children’s wellbeing and social cohesion in society.
Subalternity in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness
Authors: Baskota Dhananjaya
Published: February 2025

Human civilization has a long history about power relation among the individuals and the societies. Power relations prominently try to 'other' them who are powerless, voiceless, socially backwards, culturally isolated and economically exploited. 'This paper presents how European elites make 'other' to the native Africans. The process of 'othering' establishes the idea of subalternity;which is reflected through the African natives in Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness.The native Africans are voiceless and put beyond the center of conversations among the non-African characters. The way of keeping Africans at bay is found in the novel; and they are made only slaves. This study tries to explore how subalternity is reflected in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Furthermore, this novel is viewed in this article from the subaltern perspectives proposed by Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937) Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak (1942), Ranajit Guha (1923-2023) using the qualitative research. The novel has reflected subalternity after the input of sources; and this is discussed for the objective conclusion.
Madhesh Province's Examination System of Nepal: Problems and Difficulties
Authors: Yadav Durga Kumari , Thapa Yogendra , Yadav Chandradip Kumar , Shahi Neelam , Bhattarai Ajaya
Published: February 2025

The main difficulties and problems with the examination system in Nepal's Madhesh Province are attempted to be brought up in this article. The entire educational system, including the curriculum, lecturers, instructional materials, and methodology, is intimately related to the examination system.The paper makes a strong case that the dualistic educational system, exclusion of local cultures, languages, and knowledge from the curriculum, pedagogy, and exams, lack of enough trained and qualified teachers, use of transmission-oriented pedagogy, and holding only three-hour paper-pencil tests to gauge students' intelligence once a year are the main obstacles to quality education in Madhesh Province, Nepal. Lack of access to high-quality education results in an undereducated workforce, increased rates of unemployment and poverty, war and violence, and perpetuation of prejudice, injustice, and inequality in Nepal's larger Madhesh Province society.This article aims to explore the problems and difficulties surrounding the examination system in the province, highlighting the socio-economic, infrastructural, and administrative barriers that hinder the system’s success.
Snake Species In The Vicinity Of Damak Municipality, Jhapa
Authors: Chettri Krishna Phuyal
Published: February 2025

Transformation of wetland to agricultural land and from agricultural land to urban land is the present layout of the Damak. These changes result in rapid habitat degradation of those plants and animals that had adopted in this environment from last many thousands of years. This changing scenario led to a rapid decline in the population of different kinds of flora and fauna including snakes also. The present study tries to identify the current status to serpent of Damak Municipality. All together 12 species of snake were identified in the study sites that belong to four families of snake species. One species belong to the Typhlopidae, one species belong to the Pythonidae, seven species belong to theColubridae and three species belong to the Elapidae family of snake species. Out of them only three species belong to Elapidae are venomous (25%)and the rest are nonvenomous. Five species i.e. Ptyasmucosus and Amphiesmastolatum from Colubridae and Bangarusfasciatus and Najanaja from Elapidae family were found quite adequate number. The result shows that the most populated human settlement site has least number of snake species as well as rate of snake encounter
Volatility Clustering of Inflation in Nepal: An ARCH Specification
Authors: Koirala T.P.
Published: February 2025

Available with full text.
Prevalent Microlending Methodologies in the LDCs
Authors: Bashyal Rama
Published: February 2025

Available in full text.
Renewable Natural Resource Extraction: Theory, Empirics and an Extension of Hotelling's r-percent Rule
Authors: Nepal Mani
Published: February 2025

Available with full text.
Determining the Solvability and Unsolvability of Quadratic Diophantine Equations Using Quadratic Residues and Continued Fractions
Authors: Tamang Bal Bahadur , Singh Ajaya
Published: February 2025

This paper determines the solvability and unsolvability of quadratic Diophantine equations using quadratic residues and continued fractions. Quadratic residues provide a framework for analyzing the conditions under which these equations have integer solutions, utilizing tools like the quadratic reciprocity law and the Legendre symbol. Continued fractions, particularly the periodic expansion of √D, provide a systematic approach to solving quadratic Diophantine equations like Pell’s equation x2-Dy2=N, where D is a positive, non-square integer and N is a non-zero integer. By combining these methods, we identify the solvability conditions and find integer solutions for quadratic Diophantine equations. The study also incorporates numerical approaches, supported by theorems, and demonstrates the results through illustrative examples.
Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticle Using Usnea cornuta Extract and its Application on Formaldehyde Sensing and Organic Dye Degradation
Authors: Lama Amit , Sapkota Asmita , Gurung Bindu , Sinjali Bishnu Bahadur , Mijar Krishna , Sharma Nirmala , Adhikari Achyut
Published: February 2025

Silver nanoparticles have been widely used in various electronic and sensing devices, coating materials, molecular switches, and data packing. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) has caught much attention in the present world, as it provides an alternative, eco-friendly, and cost-effective process of synthesizing nanoparticles. In this study, Ag NPs were synthesized using Usnea cornuta which was further applied for colorimetric sensing of methylene blue (MB) and formaldehyde in water. UV-visible, FTIR, and XRD techniques were used to characterize the synthesized Ag NPs. The formation of Ag NPs was confirmed by a color change and UV-visible spectroscopy which showed the absorption peak at 417 nm. The face-centered cubic (FCC) structure of a crystal with an average size of 8.3 nm was determined by XRD. The presence of polyphenolic groups as capping agents was confirmed by FTIR spectra. Moreover, the synthesized Ag NPs were able to detect methylene blue and formaldehyde solution even in diluted solution i.e. 1 ppm and 1 %, for MB and formaldehyde respectively. Additionally, the AgNps can degrade methylene blue solution. The degradation efficiency of AgNps was found to be 80% at four hours. The Usnea cornuta shows good potential as a reducing and stabilizing agent, thus it can be utilized for the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles. The silver nanoparticle can be utilized to sense organic chemical compounds such as methylene blue and formaldehyde in industrial wastewater as well as other wastes. Thus, Ag NPs show good promising colorimetric sensing abilities.
Phytochemical Analysis and Evaluation of Bioactivities of Artemisia vulgaris Solvent Extracts
Authors: Gautam Sijan , Bhusal Manisha , Magar Akash Budha , Basnyat Ram Chandra , Parajuli Niranjan , Sharma Khaga Raj
Published: February 2025

Artemisia vulgaris, a prominent medicinal species within the genus Artemisia, has drawn significant scientific interest due to its rich composition of biologically active secondary metabolites. This study evaluates the phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant, α-glucosidase inhibitory, and antimicrobial activities of Artemisia vulgaris, sourced from Khaptad National Park at an elevation of 2907 meters. Different solvent fractions, including water, methanol, dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate + hexane, and hexane, were used for the extraction of phytochemicals as secondary metabolites. Methanol and water extracts exhibited the highest total phenolic content (TPC), with values of 54.40 ± 1.55 mg GAE/g and 50.29 ± 1.69 mg GAE/g, respectively. The highest total flavonoid content (TFC) was observed in methanol and DCM extracts, measuring 42.31 ± 1.83 mg QE/g and 19.96 ± 0.89 mg QE/g, respectively. Methanol extracts demonstrated the strongest antioxidant activity, with a DPPH radical scavenging IC50 of 19.00 ± 0.81µg/mL, followed by DCM extracts at 25.90 ± 0.76 µg/mL. The methanol extract also exhibited the most potent α-glucosidase inhibition, with an IC50 of 63.23 ± 0.20 µg/mL, while DCM, water, and ethyl acetate + hexane extracts showed lower activity. Antimicrobial analysis revealed inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus with zones of inhibition (ZOI) of 9 mm for methanol and 5 mm for DCM extracts, and a ZOI of 4 mm for Escherichia coli with methanol extract. Results suggest that Artemisia vulgaris imparts the potential effect, particularly in antioxidant and antibacterial activities, underscoring its therapeutic potential. The plant could be used as a source of natural antioxidant and antibacterial agents for isolating the target compounds in the future drug development process.
Navigating Aging: Battling Illness, Overcoming Disabilities, Embracing Dependency, and Confronting Discrimination
Authors: Khanal Kashi Nath
Published: February 2025

This paper investigates the challenges faced by aging people, focusing on the critical issues, like illness, disability, dependency, poverty and social discrimination. As elderly population continues to grow due to improved healthcare and life expectancy, the complexities of their daily lives become more pronounced. There are numerous factors that result in illness, disability, dependency, poverty, and discrimination. We need a holistic approach to address intersecting factors that shape and reshape each other in aging. This study explores how cultural norms, economic factors, healthcare accessibility, family dynamics influence the experience of aging individuals. It examines the ways in which traditional respect for the elderly is being reshaped by modern pressures, such as urbanization, modernization and migration. The article also delves into the socio-economic conditions that exacerbate health problems and disabilities, emphasizing the role of inadequate pension systems and social security. Additionally, it focuses on how social discrimination and isolation impacts on physical and mental well-being in the elderly. Through the combination of qualitative and quantitative data and narratives, this paper provides a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted challenges faced  by aging individuals. It also calls for more inclusive and aging friendly policies and support systems to improve the quality of life for the aging individuals.
Gender and Society: Introducing Islam Social Life in Kathmandu
Authors: Acharya Chiranjivi
Published: February 2025

This paper investigates the basic social life of Muslim people in Kathmandu focusing particularly on gender dimension. It emphasizes that while Islam is often misrepresented as patriarchal, many injustices stem from interpretations rooted in cultural patriarchy rather than the religion itself. Despite limited literature on Nepali Muslims, this research explores aspects such as education, employment, and social roles through surveys conducted within the Muslim settlements. Findings reveal significant educational advancement among Muslim women, as evidenced by higher female enrollment in higher education compared to males. Nevertheless, traditional gender roles restrict women's economic participation, with a majority confined to domestic responsibilities. Political engagement among Muslims shows that most of them participated in recent elections, favoring a liberal democratic governance than the monarchy or communist, while community sentiments towards religious tolerance are notably positive. The study highlights a need for targeted interventions to address educational and economic difficulties, faced particularly for women, indicating the necessity of comprehensive strategies that promote equality and integration within the broader socio-political context of Nepal. Overall, the research contributes valuable insights into the socio-cultural and economic dynamics of Muslim people in Kathmandu, advocating for informed policy-making tailored to enhance the welfare and rights of this underrepresented demographic.
Cultivating Soft Skills Through Poetry: A Textual Analysis of Grade Ten Textbook
Authors: Paneru Narendra Raj
Published: February 2025

This study explores how poetry from grade 10 English textbook in Nepal can be utilized to enhance key soft skills for the 21st century in students. This study employed a textual analysis of selected poems of grade 10 and found the avenues for cultivating soft skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, leadership, empathy, adaptability and emotional intelligence. Despite the lack of explicit texts and tasks targeting these soft skills in the textbook, the poems’ composition and thematic content, and pedagogical strategies such as discussions, role-playing, reflective presentations, and group work enhance the students’ cognitive, emotional, and ethical growth resulting in cultivating soft skills. Furthermore, the study highlights that the poetry and poetry-based pedagogy into ELT classrooms can simultaneously enhance the linguistic proficiency and soft skills as well as provide the insights for curriculum designing, textbook writing and effective classroom teaching.
Konfrontatywna refleksja nad kategorią rodzaju gramatycznego rzeczownika w języku polskim i białoruskim
Authors: Siwirska Anna Berenika
Published: February 2025

Confrontative reflection on the category of grammatical gender of nouns in Polish and Belarusian The article dedicated to the presentation of similarities and differences in terms of grammatical gender of nouns in Polish and Belarusian. In the following parts of the text, the author presents the rules for classifying nouns into particular grammatical genders due to morphological and semantic criteria, as well as taking into account the semantic characteristics of liveliness and personality. In the final part of the article, the differences in separating and naming the categories of noun gender in Belarusian and Polish are listed, and changes that could be introduced in the description of the gender category of nouns in Belarusian are proposed.
Relacje pomiędzy Bogiem a człowiekiem w twórczości Ryhora Baradulina na podstawie tomu poezji Ksty
Authors: Kaliciński Mariusz
Published: February 2025

The relationship between God and man in the works of Ryhor Baradulin on the basis of the volume of poetry KSTY The cultural and political thaw in Belarus at the beginning of the 1990s unleashed a wave of artistic freedom, which contributed to the turn of many Belarusian writers towards religious themes. Among these writers was also the National Poet of Belarus Ryhor Baradulin. The article provides a closer look at the relationship between God and man in the works of R. Baradulin based on the volume of poetry Ksty. As a result of the analysis, it was found that the lyrical subject is a deeply religious being, representing the Christian worldview and Belarusian national identity. The image of God largely corresponds to the Christian vision of the Absolute – the good, merciful and gracious Father of the human race. An important component of the bond between God and man in Ksty is silence. The dialogues of the lyrical "I" with the Creator are distinguished by unconventionality, and one of the main issues raised are the matters of the Belarusian homeland and its representatives.
The Fate of the Belarusian Literary Language over Half a Century
Authors: McMillin Arnold
Published: February 2025

This article aims to outline the development of the Belarusian literary language from its beginnings before the period of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, through its rebirth in the 19th century, and its flourishing in the period from 1905 to 1916, and in the 1920s, as well as immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Most of this work concerns the various attempts of Russian leaders (and in time Lukašenka) to demean and assimilate the language, and the poets who vigorously resist this process. It asserts that by using the language they all help to keep this element of national consciousness alive, including those who with word-creation and experiment seek to advance the language’s further progress.
Фонавыя веды ў беларускамоўным навукова-гуманітарным дыскурсе (аргументалагічны аспект)
Authors: Savtchouk Tatiana
Published: February 2025

Background Knowledge in the Belarusian Scientific and Humanitarian Discourse (Argumentological Aspect) The article represents the results of the linguistic-argumentological (descriptive-normative) analysis of the appeal to background knowledge in the Belarusian-language discourse of the humanities. It is noted that the strategic goal of including background knowledge in humanitarian scientific argumentation is to promote emotional rapprochement with the addressee, based on common life experiences, a common system of assessments, beliefs, and values. Three groups of background knowledge are distinguished: 1) information about the facts of modern life, 2) retrospective information, 3) cultural knowledge. Verbalization techniques are systematized for each group, pragmatic potential is determined, conditions of effective application in scientific and humanitarian argumentative practice are explained. The role of contextual and situational factors (social, historical, cultural background; current model of the addressee) in the interpretation and reconstruction of implicit knowledge and assessments contained in the background information is emphasized.
The Infrastructure-an Indicator of Sustainable Development and Consumption in Integrated Plans of Bulgarian Cities
Authors: Ivanov Svilen , Serbezova Boryana , Nedev Yordan
Published: February 2025

This paper focuses on urban infrastructure as an indicator of sustainable consumption at the city level. To achieve the objective of the study, three cities in Bulgaria were selected - the capital city - Sofia; a large regional city - Varna; and a small university city - Svishtov. The aim is to establish the presence or absence of regional differences by comparing the municipalities’ integrated development plans for 2021-2027 4. Energy efficiency programs and their implementation are analyzed. The study results can serve as a guide for future comparative analysis of sustainable urban development strategies within the EU and an examination of these strategies’ impact on achieving its various objectives.
Nautical Tourism as an Incentive for Developing the Island of Šolta Into an Elite Destination
Authors: Favro Srećko , Jurić Ena
Published: February 2025

The island of Šolta, located in central Dalmatia near the cities of Split and Trogir, has outstanding natural resources, but its tourist offer is still underdeveloped and consists mainly of non-commercial accommodation. Currently, the brand image of the destination is mainly associated with the sun and sea. Due to its geographical characteristics, Šolta has significant potential for nautical tourism and the development of specialized tourism products. Nautical tourism, with its ability to elevate the brand image of the destination to an elite status, proves to be a promising avenue for the development of the island as a small-scale economy. By applying benchmarking techniques, making comparisons with analogous destinations, and observing trends in yachting, the optimal development strategy is to establish berths for mega yachts with the corresponding ancillary facilities and services for vessel owners and users. In establishing these facilities, nautical tourism plays a central role in positioning the island as an elite destination.
A New Frontier for Financial Systems. Exploring the Role and Implications of Cryptocurrencies
Authors: Grujić Miloš
Published: February 2025

Cryptocurrencies are new financial instruments that pose opportunities and challenges
for modern finance. This paper synthesizes previous research using a literature review method
and various academic databases. The results show that cryptocurrencies offer lower transaction
costs, greater privacy, diversification benefits, and alternative financing solutions for institutional
investors and individuals. However, they also face challenges such as regulatory uncertainty,
criminal activity, environmental costs, prohibitions and restrictions on use, security and privacy
concerns, and high volatility. The paper provides useful information for the academic and professional
public who want to understand these new financial instruments. The research question is,
“What are the opportunities and challenges of cryptocurrencies in modern finance?”
Academic Entrepreneurship at the Start of Industry 5.0 Era
Authors: Sterev Nikolay
Published: February 2025

The economic theory has been once again looping to the role of the entrepreneur. The differences that we find are based on the changing role of the Universities as well as the expected shift to Industry 5.0. The focus of the paper is set on the successful entrepreneurs that have been “created” in the universities. Accordingly, the main hypothesis is: the Industry 5.0 instruments reveal a quite new world for academic entrepreneurs working in virtual open academic entrepreneurial centers. The structure of the paper is following: the first paragraph analyses the shift of the University role to support entrepreneurs based on ‘business – academia’ cooperation; the second paragraph presents the entrepreneurial knowledge that is important nowadays; the third paragraph gives a discussion on the digital instruments that stay behind the contemporary entrepreneurial training; and finally, some recommendations how virtual co-creation and co-working clubs should be organized will be given in conclusion.
Employee Engagement in the Republic of North Macedonia in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Some Empirical Evidence
Authors: Bozhinovska Tihona , Eftimov Ljupcho
Published: February 2025

The aim of the paper is to research employee engagement in the Republic of North Macedonia. To achieve this goal, the instrument for measuring organizational and job engagement developed by Saks (2006) has been used on a sample of 104 respondents. The results from the regression analysis indicate that perceived organizational support and job characteristics, as well as gender, are statistically significant predictors of organizational engagement, while job engagement can be predicted only with job characteristics. Furthermore, the results indicate that organizational engagement is statistically significantly and positively related to organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and organizational citizenship behavior, while job satisfaction is positively and statistically significantly related to organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. Intentions to quit can be predicted only with organizational engagement, and as expected, this relationship is negative.
Mulheres e Trabalho no contexto da pandemia de covid-19
Authors: Mary Hellen de Itoz Debastiani  , Hieda Maria Pagliosa Corona  , Josiane Carine Wedig
Published: February 2025

Este artigo resulta de uma pesquisa, baseada na teoria decolonial, sobre as condições e opressões presentes nas relações de trabalho das mulheres do município de Pato Branco, Paraná, no contexto da pandemia de Covid-19. As condições de trabalho que permeiam o cotidiano social das mulheres sofreram alterações significativas na pandemia. A metodologia foi quanti-qualitativa, envolvendo 131 mulheres, acessadas através do Conselho Municipal de Defesa dos Direitos Humanos da Mulher. Os resultados evidenciam marcadores de desigualdades e opressões antes e durante a pandemia tais como: divisão sexual do trabalho e inter-relações com raça, classe, maternidade e escolaridade; baixa remuneração; desemprego e carga excessiva do trabalho de cuidado. Como conclusão evidencia-se a necessidade de políticas públicas efetivas e sensíveis às diversidades das mulheres, principalmente em períodos de crise; também, a importância de reconhecer e valorizar o trabalho das mulheres, superando divisões subalternizantes em relação a remuneração, violências e ênfase no trabalho reprodutivo