bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Thiram on the Bacteria-Pea (Pisum sativum) Symbiotic Complex
Authors: Laabas S. , Boukirat D. , Chaker H. , Berber F.
Published: July 2022

Background: Algerian agriculture, like many developing countries, has developed production systems based on the use of phytosanitary products. But today, the use of these products is called into question, with the awareness of the risks they can generate for agriculture, the environment, and even for human health. Methods: A trial was conducted in the greenhouse on two varieties of pea (Pisum sativum), with and without thiram treatment (recommended dose), to estimate the effect of the latter on the establishment of symbiosis and biological nitrogen fixation. In addition, a rhizospheric soil microflora count was carried out to determine and assess the bacterial concentration including PGPRs in each sample from two varieties tested with and without treatment. Result: The fungicide treatment and variety choice have no effect on the number of nodules and the fresh and dry weight of the aerial and root parts, and the low nodulation can be attributed to the low population of native rhizobia in the soil. A low bacterial concentration was observed in the rhizospheric region of the Gros Vert variety treated with the fungicide compared to the untreated control and Onward variety; this result may be due to the effect of fungicide thiram influencing the abundance of microflora in the soil and the differential response between cultivars of the same species.
Utilization of Immunoglobulin Y (IgY) as Alternatives to Laboratory Animals in Human and Veterinary Medical Practice: A Review
Authors: Naveenkumar Viswanathan , Nag B.S. Pradeep , Porteen Kannan , Varun Arasan , Rani R. Uma , Sasikumar S. , Balasubramanyam D.
Published: July 2022

Emerging infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance impose major threats to animals and humans throughout the world. The Emergence of various infectious and pandemic diseases alarms the need for prophylactic and therapeutic regimens in protecting both animals and humans. Hence, researchers are trying to identify newer methodologies to overcome the existing issues for better immune response and antibiotic resistance. In this view, chicken immunoglobulin Y (IgY) has gained momentum due to its role in prophylactic, therapeutic and diagnostic modalities with varying success rate. In an unpredictable and contagious COVID-19 like situations, the role of passive immunization through chicken immunoglobulin has turned to be important for controlling infectious disease transmission. This review focus on the immunoprophylactic and immunotherapeutic role of IgY in human and animal diseases and to explore the use of IgY for veterinary and human medicine.
​Standardization of Radicle Emergence Test to Predict Seed Vigour and Field Emergence in Blackgram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper]
Authors: Chinnasamy G.P. , Sundareswaran S. , Renganayaki P.R. , Vanitha C. , Srinivasan S.
Published: July 2022

Background: Blackgram is an important pulse crop grown in India. In which, prediction of planting value of seeds before sowing is important for assured yield. Standard germination test is time consuming and doesn’t always show the seed lots potential performance, especially if field conditions are not optimal. Radicle emergence test is considered as one of the important physiological vigour test. This is a quick vigour test and also determines the planting value of various seed lots under wide range of climatic conditions. Methods: The laboratory experiment was carried out at the Department of Seed Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during 2019-2020 to standardize the radicle emergence test to predict seed vigour and field emergence in ten different seed lots [L1 to L4: high vigour lots ( greater than 90% germination), L5 to L7: medium vigour lots (80-90% germination) and L8 to L10: low vigour lots ( less than 80% germination)] of blackgram var. VBN 6. The radicle emergence test was conducted through top of paper method adopting ISTA rules. Result: The results showed that the significant differences were observed between seed lots in terms of physiological parameters viz., speed of germination, germination percentage, root length, shoot length, dry matter production, vigour index, mean just germination time (MJGT), mean germination time (MGT), radicle emergence and field emergence and biochemical parameters viz., electrical conductivity of seed leachate and dehydrogenase enzyme activity. The results also revealed that the seed vigour can be grouped in three categories viz., high, medium and low vigour based on the relationship between MGT and field emergence. When the MGT was less than 25 hours, the seed lots which exceeds 85 per cent field emergence could be considered as high vigour; when the MGT was 25-26 hours, the seed lots with 70-85 per cent field emergence could be considered as medium vigour and when the MGT was greater than 26 hours, the seed lots with below 70 per cent field emergence which could be considered as low vigour.
​Cu-Chitosan Nanoparticle Induced Plant Growth and Disease Resistance Efficiency of Soybean [Glycine max (L.)]
Authors: . Swati , Joshi Arunabh
Published: July 2022

Background: Inefficient and excessive use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides causes environmental risks. Concurrent with the recent increase in agricultural productivity, agricultural systems are now also recognized to be a significant source of environmental damage. Chitosan is a biocompatible, biodegradable and nontoxic polymer with various applications. Methods: In the present investigation, the efficacy of Cu-chitosan nanoparticles (NPs) to plant growth promoting activity and antibacterial activity against bacterial pustule disease of soybean were evaluated. NPs treatments exhibited growth promoting effect in terms of plant height, root length, root weight, nodule number, weight of nodule and number of pods per plant in pot experiments. In field experiment, plant height, root length, root weight, nodule number, weight of nodule and number of pods per plant weight were enhanced in NPs treatments. Result: In control plants (water treated+inoculation) showed average disease severity 66.0%. All plants treated with 0.02 to 0.12% Cu-chitosan NPs showed significant antibacterial activity, express lower disease severity 50.0% to 33.3% and 55.3% to 34.0% in pot and in field condition respectively.
The Journey of Chu Ci in the Western World
Authors: Wang Xu , Tian Chuanmao
Published: July 2022

Chu Ci is classic traditional Chinese literature. It has been spreading in the western world for more than one hundred years. At present, the dissemination of the gems in traditional Chinese culture is advocated. After a large number of relevant literature on the translation and dissemination of Chu Ci has been read and analyzed, the situations in various stages of its dissemination in the Western countries have been sorted out in this paper, and the quality and effect of the translation and dissemination have been introduced and evaluated. In this way, valuable experience can be found by summarizing and reflecting, so as to promote the current dissemination of Chu Ci in the Western world.
Rodos Sancağına Bağlı İstanköy Adası[İncirli Adası] Kükürt Madeni
Authors: BAYKARA TAŞKAYA Arzu
Published: July 2022

Kükürtün birçok kullanım alanı vardır. Ham kükürdün büyük bölümü, kükürt dioksit gazı, sülfürik asit, karbon sülfür, tiyosülfat vb. üretiminde kullanılır. Arı kükürt, kara barut ve havai fişeklerin bileşimine girer. Bağlarda görülen külleme hastalığına karşı yapılan kükürtleme ile deri hastalıklarının tedavisinde kullanılan pomat ve şampuanların hazırlanmasında kükürtten yararlanıldığını özellikle belirtmek gerekir. Rodos Adası’nın İstanköy kazası’na bağlı on iki adanın bir topluluğu olan İncirli Adası Nahiyesinde kükürt madeni bulunmaktadır. 1840 yılına ait arşivdeki ilk evrakta, madene işletme imtiyazı verilmek istendiğinden adada kükürt madeni bulunduğunu anlıyoruz. 1857’ de bizzat Tophane-i Amire’ye bağlı olarak kurulan fabrikada kükürt madeni işlenmeye başlanmıştır. Belli bir dönem yabancıların imtiyazlarıyla işletilen kükürt madeninden üretilen toprak devlete bağlı olduğundan devletin verdiği özel izinlerle etraftaki adalarda yetişen bağlara yollanmıştır. Etraftaki başka adalarda da kükürtlü toprak bulunmasına rağmen, İncirli Adası’nın kükürt toprağı bağlara daha verimli olmuştur. İncirli Ada’da iki türde kükürt toprağı üretilmiştir. Meydana gelen deprem nedeniyle adada yeni kükürt madeni alanları açılmış, buradaki fabrika Tophane-i Amire’den mültezimlere devredilmiştir. Bu çalışmada kullanılan veri ve bilgiler ağırlıklı olarak Cumhurbaşkanlığı Osmanlı Arşivi’nde bulunan belgeler, döneme ilişkin resmi istatistikler ve diğer yayınlardan elde edilmiştir. İnceleme yaptığımız kükürt madeninin bulunduğu mevki, madenin cinsi ve üretim özellikleri, imtiyazın verildiği şahıslar tek tek incelenmiş, kükürt madeni üretimi anlatılırken Osmanlı Devleti’nin ekonomik yapısı içinde yer alan maden sektörü açıklanmıştır.
Calibration of Complex Discrete Fracture Network Using Microseismic Events and Fracture Propagation Modelling with Seamless Reservoir Production Simulation
Authors: Li Yanchao , Zhang Qing , Gong Yiwen , Liu Chuxi , Leines-Artieda Joseph Alexander , Yu Wei
Published: July 2022

During the unconventional reservoir development, a proper modelling of the underground fracture networks and their effects on production is crucial for reservoir development potential and realistic economic analysis. Conventionally, the complex fracture system formed by hydraulic and natural fractures is extremely difficult to capture, let alone to numerically simulate it. Most importantly, the current best solution can only rely on the knowledge of the natural fractures from the geology and geophysics team and hydraulic fractures from the engineering team. Nevertheless, this solution fails to realize the dynamic stress regime variations when fracturing jobs are done within the horizontal wellbore. In this study, a variety of data source and modelling tools is harnessed to delineate a more realistic and representative discrete fracture network (DFN). The first step is to obtain the original natural fractures already depicted from geological and geophysical information and the statistical information regarding the spatial configurations of this DFN. Next, a new set of natural fractures is generated by an in-house natural fracture generator while preserving the spatial characteristics of the original natural fractures at the same time. Then, a combined DFN of the original natural fracture and newly generated natural fractures is accomplished. This combined DFN is then intensity-calibrated by the given microseismic cloud events, especially focusing on the near-wellbore region. Then, a displacement discontinuity method- (DDM-) based in-house hydraulic fracture propagation model is used to generate hydraulic fractures with complex boundaries, honoring the fracturing job logistics from the engineering team. After this step, an ultimate and highly representative DFN can be achieved. By applying this very novel workflow, DFN characterizations of both a single-well scenario and well-pad (3 wells) scenarios have been highly successful. Statistics such as the cluster-wise hydraulic fracture half-length, height, aperture, and numbers of activated/nonactivated natural fractures can be easily presented. Through the powerful numerical method called the embedded discrete fracture model (EDFM), production simulation and stimulated reservoir volume evaluation can be seamlessly studied. Extents of 3D drainage volumes can also be plotted with ease. Overall, a holistic picture regarding the unconventional reservoir’s underground DFN can be reliably depicted, using the proposed workflow.
Dynamic Sealing Behavior of Sand Self-Juxtaposition Windows on a Trap-Bounding Fault in a Natural Gas Storage Site
Authors: Zhang Xiaoling , Fu Xiaofei , Wang Yachun , Meng Lingdong , Du Ruishan , Hong Shuxin , Yang Hongsong , Fu Xiandi , Cheng Yabin , Li Jian , Zhang Baishuang
Published: July 2022

An understanding of across-fault seals is essential for planning an injection/production strategy for a fault-bounded gas storage site. In addition, it is more likely to permit lateral leakage for a fault with sand self-juxtaposition windows. This paper is aimed at identifying the dynamic sealing behaviors of a sand self-juxtaposition fault on the geological and gas injection timescales. Banzhongbei gas storage site, China, was taken as a target area, and fault seals and hydrocarbon distributions within the original reservoirs were studied. The results showed that across-fault pressure differences of 0.085~0.146 MPa (equivalent to 41.6~71.5 m oil-column and 27.0~46.4 m gas-column heights) were supported by sand self-juxtaposition windows on the B816 fault, and the resultant absolute permeability (5.97×10−2~5.69×10−1 mD) of the fault was nearly 3~4 orders of magnitude lower than the average absolute permeability of reservoirs (1.16×102 mD). Gas composition contrasts, between the original and injection gas coupled with dynamic pressure monitoring data, indicated that lateral leakage occurred across sand self-juxtaposition windows under the condition of high across-fault pressure difference. However, the low-permeability fault showed strong negative influence on the efficiency of fluid flow in the model calculations and prolongs the timescales of pressure-difference decayed as much as 5 orders of magnitude relative to those of nonfault model calculations. These modeled dynamic sealing behaviors of sand self-juxtaposition windows may lead to a better understanding of the relative retardation of across-fault gas flow by weak sealing faults on the gas injection/production timescale.
The Corporality of Trauma and Testimony: Nora Okja Keller’s Comfort Woman
Authors:   PhD candidate, Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, IIT Roorkee, India, Verma Khushboo , Kumar Nagendra ,   Professor, Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, IIT Roorkee, India
Published: July 2022

The history of sexual violence taken into consideration for the present study goes back to the period of Second World War, where hundreds of thousands of young girls, euphemistically called the ‘comfort women’ from different Japanese colonies of the time like Korea, China, Philippines, Indonesia, and Taiwan, were abducted and rounded up by Japanese Imperial Army to provide sexual services to the Japanese soldiers at the military camps before and during the war. The most heinous acts of sexual violence, multiple gang rape, vaginal mutilation, venereal diseases and suicides are manifested in the testimonies and autobiographies of many former comfort women who after fifty years of silence finally found their voices to talk about their ordeal and the trauma they suffered. For the present work, Nora Okja Keller’s Comfort Woman (1997) is studied with a psychoanalytic lens to explore the traumatic history of the real comfort women or the victims of sexual violence. Further, the essay is divided into three other parts where in the first part, the significance of the survivors’ testimonies is investigated through Wendy S. Hesford’s essay “Reading Rape Stories: Material Rhetoric and the Trauma of Representation” (1999). The second part of the paper discusses the rise of trauma theory that has provided novelists with new ways of conceptualising trauma and has shifted attention away from the question of what is remembered of the past to how and why it is remembered charted out by Cathy Caruth’s 1996 published work, Unclaimed Experiences. And the final part is devoted to the transmission of intergenerational trauma as represented in fictional narratives studied through Anne Whitehead’s Trauma Fiction (2004).
Computer Artist Manuel Felguerez: A Brief Interview on the Pioneering Origins of Geometry Painting
Authors:   Professor & Researcher, Universidad de Guanajuato. Department of Art and Enterprise, Thompson Reynaldo , Felguerez Manuel
Published: July 2022

This interview cum memoir of Manuel Felguerez, by the author, describes the development of two projects in the words of the Mexican artist Manuel Felguerez himself. Felguerez speaks of his experience as a Latin American artist, his encounter with digital technology in the united states and the trajectory of art that his work takes during an intense and experimental period of creativity in the seventies. Felguerez’s explorations were embodied in two books, El espacio multiple (Paz 1988) and “The Aesthetic Machine” La máquina estética (Felguerez y Sasson 1983). The project involved the use of computers for the composition of incipient new media paintings, sculptures and engravings. After the project was concluded, the author avoided the use of computers again, and for different reasons. The value of this interview of a pioneering artist in contemporary America lies in the insider’s view of the situation in the art world, the artist’s first-person revealings and confessions and the deep personal life of the artist as an individual.
From White Supremacism To Black Liberation: Harry S. Truman, Lynching and Racial Justice
Authors:   University of Turin, Corvino Giovanni B.
Published: July 2022

President Truman transitioned from an initially more conservative policy advocated by white supremacists to a more progressive one that promoted a fairer social justice in the United States society, hitherto seldom heard. Through constitutional articles and debates, editorials, institutional records, and speeches in response to some of World War II’s black veteran lynching cases, this paper aims to explore Truman’s civil-political commitment to ending the frequent episodes of racial violence.
The Concept of Self-Sacrifice in the Philosophy of Andrei Tarkovsky’s Work
Authors:   B.N. Yeltsin Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg, Russia, Kirillova Natalia Borisovna
Published: July 2022

The article analyzes the fundamentals of the moral philosophy of Andrei Tarkovsky, a unique Russian film director, thinker, and art theorist whose films are recognized as masterpieces of screen culture along with the works of M. Antonioni, I. Bergman, L. Buñuel, L. Visconti, A. Kurosawa, F. Truffaut, F. Fellini, S. Eisenstein, and others. The subject under study is the concept of self-sacrifice in the works of Tarkovsky as a distinctive “code” of his spiritual heritage. Creating his own original artistic world, Tarkovsky dwelled upon such vital philosophical categories as “life and death”, “faith and faithlessness”, “man’s spiritual existence”, “problems of conscience”, “self-sacrifice”, etc. This is evidenced not only by his screen works, but also by archives, diaries, and theoretical works, based on which the author provides an interpretation of the philosophy of Andrei Tarkovsky’s work focusing on the concept of self-sacrifice and the specifics of its artistic interpretation.
The Association between Linguistic Competence Components and Listening Comprehension of Thai EFL Learners
Authors:   English Program, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Thailand, Singhkum Siwaporn , Patanasorn Chomraj ,   English Program, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
Published: July 2022

This study aimed to investigate the extent to which there is an association between components of linguistic competence and listening comprehension and to examine whether one component of linguistic competence is a stronger predictor of listening comprehension than another. Participants included 107 Thai EFL learners whose major is English, and they were asked to complete a linguistic competence test and a listening comprehension test. Correlation and multiple regression were used to determine the statistical relationship between linguistic competence components and listening comprehension. Results indicated that all components except syntactic competence significantly correlated with listening comprehension albeit mostly in small correlations. Listening comprehension significantly correlated with phonological competence (r = 0.296, p = 0.002), morphological competence (r = 0.292, p = 0.002), and the strongest predictor was semantic competence (r = 0.326, p = 0.001). Although linguistic competence significantly correlated with listening comprehension in EFL learners, it had only a small influence on listening comprehension due to the covariance of 16.4 per cent out of all factors involved in listening success.
The Body Politics of Gendered Subjects in Indonesian Post-Reform Films
Authors:   Doctorate Candidate of Media and Cultural Studies UGM/Lecturer of English Department, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto, Indonesia, Fatmawaty Lynda Susana Widya Ayu , Udasmoro Wening ,   Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Noviani Ratna ,   Media and Cultural Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Published: July 2022

The phenomenon of power, exercised through the issue of gender and sexuality, is represented in Indonesia along with different regimes. However, the gendered body becomes the target of experienced body politics. Thus, this article aims at investigating the body politics of the gendered subjects as revealed in Indonesian Post-Reform films entitled The Dancer (Sang Penari) and Memories of My Body (Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku). This study used the narrative method by applying Yuval-Davis’ theory. Through these two films, this paper argues that the intersection of gender and sexuality leads to the othering process of the gendered body through the notion of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). Further, the ambivalence construction of motherhood, which essentially deals with femininity, is practised toward the gendered bodies. However, the power relation positions the gendered subjects paradoxically by mystifying their body and also demystifying their existence. This shifting is operated under altered discourse in different regimes. Further, biopower is exercised not only by regulating the body but also by subjugating them through sexual slander. Indeed, it leads them to be demonized as PKI regarding the regime’s agenda in maintaining the Indonesian collective trauma of the 1965 Genocide. However, the gendered subjects define themselves as a subject through their agency by submitting to the master narrative.
Integration of the Traditions of Folk-Instrumental Art into the Works of Chinese Composers of the 20th and 21st Centuries
Authors:   Department of Music History, Lviv National Music Academy named after Mykola Lysenko, Lviv, Ukraine, Cheng Mengwei , Pang Botian , Zeng Xiaoxuan , Xu Weifeng , Chang Yuan
Published: July 2022

The problem of integration of folk art and, in particular, instrumental art, into the works of Chinese composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, in the light of the above-mentioned phenomena, is relevant, comprehensive and, to a certain extent, inexhaustible for the researchers of the world musicological science. This was a factor that prompted disclosure of the topic in the publication in question, which was at the same time the reason for writing the study. Its relevance stems from the importance of a deep understanding of such a phenomenon as folk instrumental art and its implementation in compositional practice. The purpose of this study is to investigate the process of integrating folklore (its instrumental branch) into professional academic music of China. The main methods for achieving this, are the principles and approaches chosen here to review, collect, study and a certain systematic compilation of sources relating to Chinese music in general, as well as its folk-instrumental field – in particular. The result of the activities undertaken is the categories of all the sectors of the problem under consideration, derived from the research process. They form a coherent structure of systems such as musical language (means of musical expression) and ways of processing folklore sources. The tables and the figure-chart illustrate this aspect. There is a considerable number of different scholarly judgments, perspectives of specialists who have addressed in their research activities the issue of integrating folk instrumental art into the works of Chinese composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. However, the problem of integrating folk instrumental art into the works of Chinese composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, as a holistic and comprehensive phenomenon, requires its own deep and comprehensive research. This fact determines the practical significance of the present study. It also demonstrates the promising nature of scientific knowledge in this field in the future.
Multimedisation of Contemporary Art in the Context of Globalisation and European Integration
Authors:   Department of Variety Directing and Mass Festivals, Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts, Kyiv, Ukraine., Derkach Svitlana , Melnyk Myroslava , Fisher Volodymyr , Moiseienko Volodymyr , Chystiakov Oleh
Published: July 2022

Modernity has given humanity such a quality of public life as globalisation in its various spheres. As the common root of this concept with the word “globe” suggests, it refers to an object that unites the whole world, including its most remote, unexplored corners into a single whole. The positive side of this phenomenon is the universal involvement in progressive trends in the history (meaning its modern stage) of mankind, the opportunity to acquire sources of fresh knowledge about the world, improvement of the quality of being in general. This also applies to such a sphere of consciousness as art, in particular, to its samples that emerged in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. As is known, it absorbed the whole huge complex of achievements of the cultural fund of previous eras, integrated various, sometimes very distant artistic traditions, schools, and their stylistic orientation into a single whole, also bringing its own new and unique word – extraordinary complexity, ambiguity, paradoxicity, and unpredictability of content. The energy of the experiment penetrates into the sphere of contemporary art as its integral quality, the most important component. In this regard, the interaction of artistic creativity with engineering science, including the latest achievements of information and communication technology software, becomes logically conditioned and natural. They are also designed to provide considerable assistance to the authors of works of modern culture in terms of the updated design of ideas and their presentation to the audience in a unique innovative format. Thus, the problem of studying the multimedisation of contemporary art in the context of globalisation and European integration becomes natural and urgent.
Formulaic Language and Style of Turkic Zhyrau of the 15-18th Centuries
Authors:   Department of Publishing, Editing and Design Arts, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan., Zhanabayev Kairat , Nagymzhanova Karakat ,   Department of Pedagogy and Psychology, Turan-Astana University, Nur-Sultan, Republic of Kazakhstan, Shaimerdenova Nursulu ,   Department of Russian and Foreign Literature, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan, Turgenbaeva Ayzhan ,   Department of Religious Studies and Cultural Studies, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan, Tleubayeva Nazerke
Published: July 2022

The article reveals the importance of studying the formulaic style in the oral epic culture of Kazakh (Turkic) zhyrau of the 15-18th centuries. The purpose of the article is to identify the specificity of the formulaic language and the style of the epic tradition of these singers, as well as to show the degree of their knowledge, based on the principles of oral theory by M. Parry and A. Lord and their followers. Zhyrau are singers of the times of the Golden Horde and the foundation of the Kazakh Khanate. In the analysis of the ancient forms of their epic thinking; the genesis of genres, principles of performance and transmission of tradition, formulaic style plays a major role. The method of discourse analysis, system review, referencing, comparative analysis, and the methods of previous researchers were applied in the study. The novelty is that the formulaic style was first studied on the oral material of the zhyrau dated the 15-18th centuries, where stable units are represented by a formula – the basis of the epic style and an important means of the singer’s oral-style technique. The theoretical significance of the article and its relevance, is based on a broad discussion of oral theory, and at the same time on its effectiveness and efficiency in studying the Kazakh (Turkic) epic tradition. The practical value of the research gives its results in the analysis of language and style, the distinction of styles and genres of zhyrau from other bearers of Turkic poetic culture. The Parry-Lord formulaic grammar can be applied both for the study of Turkic languages and to the quality of artistic translation.
Examining Teacher Competencies in Content and Language Integrated Learning: Professional Profiles and Ways Forward
Authors:   Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Hu Hengzhi
Published: July 2022

Despite the upsurge of research interest in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) teachers’ professional competencies, very little evidence has been presented from the Chinese academia. To bridge this gap and understand Chinese CLIL teachers’ status quo of competencies in relation to their demographic characteristics, the present study adopted a cross-sectional quantitative survey approach and investigated the differences of linguistic competence, content competence, pedagogic competence, CLIL fundamentals, interpersonal and collaborative competence, and reflective and developmental competence in a sample of 205 CLIL teachers from Chinese higher education providers. They had dissimilar genders, language expertise, content subject specialisation, affiliations, academic degrees, educational backgrounds, years of teaching CLIL and professional titles. Inferential analyses of the data obtained from a questionnaire indicated a high heterogeneity in the sample, allowing of the description of CLIL teachers’ profiles of professional competences in accordance with their demographic factors. It is concluded that professional training and ongoing research into CLIL teachers’ needs are essential to achieve the homogeneity of competencies and that a supportive network should be established to encourage active partnership amongst CLIL teachers and educational institutions.
Posthumanism and Cross-species Becoming in Zhuang Zi
Authors:   Professor of English and Comparative Literature, English Department, Beihang University, Xueyuan Rd 37, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, PR of China., Wang Quan
Published: July 2022

Posthumanism offers a fresh perspective to reconstructing productive relationships between human and non-human beings, but the prospect of posthumanist egalitarianism has its deficiency. Zhuang Zi’s concept of “cross-species becoming” is an edifying alternative: its monistic ontology resolves the contradiction of binary oppositions, its transversal subject replaces the enfolded self, and its integration of “equality of things” with becoming paves the way for egalitarian existence. Diachronically, “cross-species becoming” reflects cosmic development, the existence of zero boundary and fluid boundary. Rigid boundary corresponds to different stages of becoming. Synchronically, “cross-species becoming” interacts with myriad things to produce a polymorphic existence that is analyzed from three aspects: its definition, conditions, and manifestations. Zhuang Zi’s concept of “cross-species becoming” and posthumanism theory complement each other; together, they aspire us to reconstruct relationships between human and non-human species.
Comparative Analysis of Flash Fiction by A.P. Chekhov and J. Joyce: The Narrator and the Main Character in the Structure of Narrative
Authors:   L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, Baisarina Z. S. , Malikova A.M ,   Kazakh National University of Arts, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, Denisova O. I. ,   Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University), Moscow, Russia, Ulianishchev P. V. ,   Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russia, Ulianishcheva E. V. Mussaui- ,   K.G. Razumovsky Moscow State University of Technologies and Management (the First Cossack University, Moscow, Russia., Bogatyreva S. N.
Published: July 2022

The article presents a comparative analysis of the relationship between the narrator and the main character in the structure of flash fiction by A.P. Chekhov and J. Joyce. The authors conclude that there are typological similarities in the relationship between the narrator and the main character in the flash fiction of A.P. Chekhov and J. Joyce. This was influenced by the global trend in literature at the turn of the 20th century, according to which the role of the author as an omniscient and omnipresent demiurge of the fictional world started to wane. The paper puts forward that the unique entwinement of the narrator’s and the main character’s voices in A.P. Chekhov’s and J. Joyce’s short stories is the main structural-constructive factor of the free indirect speech and contributes to revealing the subtle creative substance of the works.
Severe Acute Hepatitis in Children: An Analysis from Philosophy of Science Using the Concept of Reduction
Authors:   Institute of Humanistic Studies, University of Talca, Talca Campus (Chile), López-Astorga Miguel
Published: July 2022

The present paper uses Carnap’s reduction concept to address the problem of new severe acute hepatitis in children. First, it tries to show how that concept can help understand why some previous hypotheses of causality on the new hepatitis in children should be rejected. Second, Carnap’s reduction concept is used to explain a complex hypothesis about the causes of that disease proposed in The Lancet in 2022. The latter hypothesis combines several factors: infection by SARS-CoV-2, a build-up of this virus in the bowel that comes in contact with blood circulation, and another infection by adenovirus. One of the points of the paper is to argue that a hypothesis can be described by means of a bilateral reduction sentence, which in turn would allow empirical comparison of the hypothesis in an easy way. Finally, the author considers a current cognitive framework, namely, the theory of mental models, to propose that bilateral reduction sentences should not be hard to handle for physicians or scientists.
The Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine: International Law and Power Politics or ‘What Happens Now’
Authors: Kwiecień Roman
Published: July 2022

The article deals with the relationship between international law and power politics in the light of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The relationship between international law and politics is very close, even natural, since the principles and rules of international law primarily act in international relations, that is in a political reality. It is the problem of observance and violations of the legal principles and rules on the use of force that is the key point of reference for the discussion of this issue. The serious breach of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter by Russia, the crime of aggression and other alleged crimes committed during this international armed conflict incline the author to address some questions on the power and weakness of international law. The power of international law is severely tested when it comes to the unilateral use of force by states. The Russian aggression against Ukraine is arguably the most important such test since the end of World War II, at least in Europe.  The author claims that such crises as the Russian aggression against Ukraine  clearly prove that international law is what states want it to be.
Provisional Application of Treaties. From the Vienna Convention to the UN ILC Guide and Beyond
Authors: Mik Cezary
Published: July 2022

The article is devoted to the provisional application of treaties (PATs) as it was given by the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, as well as that which results from further development of this legal institution, especially from the work of the International Law Commission and legal practice. In particular, the elements comprising the PATs mechanism, its place in the field of incurring international obligations, the legal effects of the PATs, the scope of the PATs, as well as the relation to other provisions of the Vienna Convention, and finally the use of the PATs during armed conflicts are critically analyzed. The pragmatic nature of the PATs is highlighted. The differences between the provisional application of the treaty and the situation when it has entered into force are shown. It is considered that PATs can be seen as one of the manifestations of the deformalization of international law, reducing the importance of formal consent to be bound by a treaty. The dangers of the temporality ex definitione produced by the PATs were also pointed out.
Competence of the European Union to Decide on Judicial Appointments in Poland
Authors: Harasimowicz Karolina
Published: July 2022

A member state of the European Union (EU) cannot function within the EU network of legal regulations if it rejects the principle of cooperation based on the impartiality of the courts. This principle subscribes to the EU standards of the rule of law and mutual trust and cooperation with the Court of Justice of the European Union. In November 2019, it received judicial recognition when the Court laid down the characteristics of an unbiased court within the EU legal framework. Thus, it is imperative for member states, which includes Poland, to recognise this principle and ensure its application in their domestic legal structure. They have to acknowledge that the EU is still a supranational network of regulation, economics, and values
Predicting Multiple Sclerosis Outcomes During the COVID-19 Stay-at-home Period: Observational Study Using Passively Sensed Behaviors and Digital Phenotyping
Authors: Chikersal Prerna , Venkatesh Shruthi , Masown Karman , Walker Elizabeth , Quraishi Danyal , Dey Anind , Goel Mayank , Xia Zongqi
Published: July 2022

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has broad negative impact on the physical and mental health of people with chronic neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective

We presented a machine learning approach leveraging passive sensor data from smartphones and fitness trackers of people with MS to predict their health outcomes in a natural experiment during a state-mandated stay-at-home period due to a global pandemic.

Methods

First, we extracted features that capture behavior changes due to the stay-at-home order. Then, we adapted and applied an existing algorithm to these behavior-change features to predict the presence of depression, high global MS symptom burden, severe fatigue, and poor sleep quality during the stay-at-home period.

Results

Using data collected between November 2019 and May 2020, the algorithm detected depression with an accuracy of 82.5% (65% improvement over baseline; F1-score: 0.84), high global MS symptom burden with an accuracy of 90% (39% improvement over baseline; F1-score: 0.93), severe fatigue with an accuracy of 75.5% (22% improvement over baseline; F1-score: 0.80), and poor sleep quality with an accuracy of 84% (28% improvement over baseline; F1-score: 0.84).

Conclusions

Our approach could help clinicians better triage patients with MS and potentially other chronic neurological disorders for interventions and aid patient self-monitoring in their own environment, particularly during extraordinarily stressful circumstances such as pandemics, which would cause drastic behavior changes.
On the Enlightenment of “MOOC” to the Cultivation of English Majors
Authors: Haixia Du
Published: July 2022

With the advent of the era of globalization and informationization, the opening and sharing of global higher education resources has become the trend of the times. As an emerging form of open education, " Mooc" takes the network as a platform, with college students as the main body, and is open to all members of society for free, and is receiving widespread attention and favor. How to use this effective platform to build English majors in colleges and universities, cultivate compound talents, and improve teachers' teaching level is the central topic of this paper.
Antibacterial Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized by Aspergillus flavus and its Synergistic Effect with Antibiotics
Authors: Khleifat Khaled , Qaralleh Haitham , Al-Limoun Mohammad , Alqaraleh Moath , Abu Hajleh Maha N. , Al-Frouhk Rahaf , Al-Omari Laila , Al Buqain Rula , Dmour Saif M.
Published: July 2022

Microbial antibiotic resistance is rapidly increasing as a result of overuse or misuse of antibiotics, as well as a lack of new, effective antibiotics. Alternative antimicrobial treatments, such as nanoparticles, and their potential for stronger synergetic effect when paired with other active chemicals, could be a viable option. This study is prepared to estimate the antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) that have been synthesized using the biomass-free filtrate of Aspergillus flavus. The formation of AgNPs was reported by color changed to a dark brownish-black after 72 hours of incubation. The AgNPs surface plasmon resonance peak was indicated in the UV–Vis spectrum at 427 nm. The synthesis of AgNPs with a nanoparticle size of 10 to 35 nm was validated using transmission electron microscopy. The increase in folding area was calculated to detect the synergistic potential of the combined AgNPs with a broad range of conventional antibiotics. AgNPs have broad-spectrum activity against all strains tested. The most sensitive strain was Escherichia coli (11 mm), whereas the most resistant strain was Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as indicated by the lowest inhibition zone (7 mm). The lowest Minimum Inhibitory Concentration indicated was against K. pneumonia and Enterobacter cloacae (0.025 mg/mL, each), followed by Staphylococcus epidermidis (0.05 mg/mL), E. coli and Shigella sp. (0.075 mg/mL, each), and then S. aureus (0.1 mg/mL). Notable synergy was reported between AgNPs and either ampicillin, erythromycin, ceftriaxone, vancomycin, azlocillin, or amoxicillin against S. aureus in the range between 29.3-fold to 8-fold. In addition, synergy was seen between AgNPs and either vancomycin, clindamycin, or erythromycin against P. aeruginosa (31.1-8.0-fold). Also, a maximum increase in IFA when erythromycin and vancomycin were synergized with AgNPs against E. cloacae was reported (IFA of 10.0 and 9.0, respectively). Similarly, AgNPs with either aztreonam or azlocillin against E. coli and amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, or ceftriaxone against Shigella sp. caused an increase in the fold area of inhibition of between 5.3-3.7-fold. This result may have an advantage in encouraging the use of combined AgNPS with conventional antibiotics in treating infectious diseases caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
In silico Evaluation of Dodonic Acid from Dodonaea viscosa Jacq on Target Proteins from Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Herrera-Calderon Oscar , Pari-Olarte Josefa Bertha , Chacaltana-Ramos Luz Josefina , Almeida-Galindo Jose Santiago , Andia-Ayme Vidalina , Peña-Rojas Gilmar , Luis-Arroyo-Acevedo Jorge Luis-Arroyo-Acevedo , Loyola-Gonzales Eddie
Published: July 2022

Dodonaea viscosa Jacq is known as “chamana” in the popular flora of Peru. The traditional medicine uses its leaves as ingredient in fermented beverages from Zea mays and also in external uses for anti-inflammatory diseases. The aim was to study the role of dodonic acid against several protein targets of S. aureus. This study was focused on to analyse the role of dodonic acid against S. aureus target proteins such as on Sortase-A, DNA gyrase, dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), clumping factor, dehydrosqualene synthase, and undecaprenyl di-phosphate synthase as a promising candidate molecule. The docking analysis of dodonic acid showed the best docking score energy on S. aureus undecaprenyl diphosphate synthase with -11.2 kcal/mol and demonstrated to be a very stable molecule at physiological conditions during the molecular dynamic for 50 ns. As conclusion, the extract demonstrated to be active against S. aureus and dodonic acid might be a promising molecule acting on the S. aureus undecaprenyl diphosphate synthase.
Antimicrobial Potential of Bio Vanillin an Industrial Product from Bacillus subtilis sp., MSJM5
Authors: Sujatha M. , Madhuri R. Jaya , Thagaraju K.
Published: July 2022

Vanillin is a natural fragrance molecule, we used a simple screening approach based on pH changes caused by ferulic acid breakdown to identify strains. By using a solvent extraction technique, wheat bran was collected and processed to get ferulic acid. The five MSJM strains exhibited a significant result by change in the colour from blue to yellow on the assay plates. The five MSJM strains biotransformed ferulic acid into vanillic acid, resulting in high yield (Yp/s) and productivity (Pr). To create vanillin, Bacillus subtilis MSJM5 was employed to ferment wheat bran with 0.05 percent ferulic acid as an persuader. To create vanillin, Bacillus subtilis was employed to ferment wheat bran with 0.05 percent ferulic acid as an persuar. HPLC was used to determine the amount of vanillin in the medium after three days of fermentation. The peak in standard vanillin corresponds to a sample from fermented medium with a purity of 99 percent. This demonstrated that vanillin was present in the fermentation medium. The antimicrobial activity and minimum inhibitory concentration in all the samples were also assessed by well diffusion method.
Bacteriological Profile and Antimicrobial Sensitivity Pattern of the Uropathogens in a Rural Hospital
Authors: Jangra Sweta , Agarwal Priti , Khandait Manisha , Solanki Shweta , Jangra Priyanka
Published: July 2022

Urinary tract infections are gaining much importance among community acquired infections. Poor personal hygiene may act as a contributory factor in such frequent infections in developing countries. The condition becomes serious with antimicrobial resistance among uropathogens. Specifically, surge of Extended Spectrum beta Lactamase (ESBL) producers poses much concern in the available treatment options. Present work was aimed to observe the bacteriological profile and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of uropathogens with special reference to ESBL producing strains. This study was carried out in the microbiology department, SGT University, Gurugram, Haryana. Total 600 samples were processed as per standard bacteriological procedures i.e, microscopy, culture and biochemical reactions followed by antibiotic susceptibility testing and interpreted as per CLSI guidelines. ESBL producer strains were spotted by double disc synergy testing (DDST). Out of 600 specimens, 128( 21.3%) showed culture positivity. Females contributed more compared to males. 21-40 years age group showed highest isolation rate. E.coli was predominant organism. Highest resistance towards amikacin was shown by gram negative organisms. Gram positive organisms demonstrated high resistance towards gentamicin, cotrimoxazole, ampicillin and ciprofloxacin. 34.4% ESBL producing E.coli strains were observed. Alarming rate of antibiotic resistance as well as beta lactamase production by strains and increasing urinary tract infections should be considered as potential threat to the community. Routine investigation should be done to see the burden in order to implicate advance treatment policies in order to treat such infections.