bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Social Elevator”: Research of Affirmative Action Program
Authors: Tarasova E. A.
Published: November 2024

This work investigates the academic performance of students enrolled in the “Social Elevator” program at Higher School of Economics (HSE University), which operates under the principle of affirmative action and aims to assist those students who have lower chances of admission due to various social reasons in a highly competitive environment. Objective admissions in Russian universities and the high selectivity of the HSE University, discussed in this paper, do not confidently allow the application of conclusions from foreign studies to the Russian experience. The program had not been previously researched. It was assumed that students of the program would show higher performance than their peers admitted on a general basis – this assumption follows from qualitative research that found that students of this program possess a progressive narrative of overcoming inequality. Regression with dummy variables based on administrative data on student performance and survey data on the socio-economic status of students are used for the analysis. According to the regression analysis results, all else being equal, students of the “Social Elevator” program demonstrate lower performance than students admitted on budgetary places on general grounds, although they average grades at the “good” level and therefore have a chance to get a return to education and overcome inequality. Further research on the topic is required to separate the secondary effects of inequality, as well as to assess the actual social mobility of students participating in the program. The results can be useful in designing educational policy in the field of expanding access to higher education.
Establishing the Institute of Independent Evaluation of Higher Education in the Russian Federation
Authors: Bolotov V. A. , Motova G. N. , Navodnov V. G.
Published: November 2024

The paper presents the results of the search, systematization and analysis of independent higher education evaluation systems that have been developed in the country in the recent decade. The research has been carried out using standardised evaluation mechanisms that adhere to the criteria of mass scale, openness, and stability. The analysis of the independent evaluation of higher education’s present situation revealed certain inconsistencies between the legislative and regulatory framework and real practice. It should be emphasised that, while different processes have now been developed for this type of evaluation, they still require enhancement. The assessment mechanisms themselves need to undergo an external, independent evaluation to ensure their reliability, integrity, and trustworthy evidence. It has been indicated that independent evaluation procedures have jointly developed into a system: the institution of independent evaluation. This system is characterised by integrity, orderliness, and definite linkages. One may consider the aggregating technology of the aforementioned evalu-ations to be the synergistic outcome of the system’s establishment. In order to achieve a synergistic effect on the evaluation of all higher education institutions and educational programmes in the country, the authors suggest a method for aggregating the outcomes of the described evaluation procedures. The obtained research outcomes prove their applicability to the internal and external evaluation of a higher education institution’s performance and to the strategic planning of the development of both the institution and the higher education system.
Fusing semantic and syntactic information for aspect sentiment triplet extraction
Authors: Su Na , Wang Anqi , Zhang Lingzhi
Published: November 2024

Aspect Sentiment Triplet Extraction (ASTE) aims to extract aspect terms, sentiment polarity and opinion terms explaining the reason for the sentiment from a sentence in the form of triplets. Many existing studies model the context by graph neural networks to learn relevant information from the generated graphs. However, some sentences may have syntactic errors or lack significant grammar, which may lead to poor results on the dataset of the model. In this paper, we propose the Fusing Semantic and Syntactic Information for Aspect Sentiment Triplet Extraction (FSSI) model, which incorporates both syntactic structure and semantic relevance in the context. Specifically, we construct a syntactic graph convolutional network to obtain comprehensive syntactic structure information and a semantic graph convolutional network to obtain global semantic relevance of sentences using the self-attention mechanism. Furthermore, we concatenate the graph representations generated by the two graph convolution networks to obtain the final enhanced representation. Finally, we apply an effective inference strategy to extract triplets. Extensive experimental results on benchmark datasets show that our model outperforms state-of-the-art approaches.
Research on adaptive circuit structure optimization in electronic design based on Asynchronous Advantage Actor Critic (A3C) algorithm
Authors: Sun Changzhi , Li Tai , Wu Mingxi , Chu Shiwei
Published: November 2024

The circuit structure optimizationed with the traditional method is often difficult to meet the complex and changeable design requirements. In this paper the A3C algorithm has been applied to integrate strategy learning and value learning for the circuit structure optimization. This integration can facilitate continuous interaction with the environment, enabling automatic adjustment of circuit structures to meet the complex design requirements. Gain, bandwidth, latency, and power consumption have been set as the optimization objectives, and the actions of the intelligent agent, which include adding, deleting, modifying connection lines, and adjusting component parameters have been introduced in detail. Once the Actor and Critic networks have been established, multiple agents can operate concurrently, translating optimization objectives into reward signals and providing direction and motivation for agent learning. Then with the proposed method, the circuit structure of one switch audio power amplifier has been designed in a simulation environment. The structure optimization results demonstrated that the gain can reach 78.4 dB at convergence of the A3C algorithm, while the bandwidth can reach 156.2 MHz at convergence, and both the circuit delay and power consumption have been reduced significantly. Obviously, the application of the A3C algorithm can effectively optimize the circuit structures through offering more flexible and efficient solutions.
State identification of Parkinson’s disease based on transfer learning
Authors: Zhao Dechun , Luo Zixin , Yao Mingcai , Wei Li , Qin Lu , Wang Ziqiong
Published: November 2024

BACKGROUND: The local field potential (LFP) signals are a vital signal for studying the mechanisms of deep brain stimulation (DBS) and constructing adaptive DBS containing information related to the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). OBJECTIVE: A Parkinson’s disease state identification algorithm based on the feature extraction strategy of transfer learning was proposed. METHODS: The algorithm uses continuous wavelet transform (CWT) to convert one-dimensional LFP signals into two-dimensional gray-scalogram images and color images respectively, and designs a Bayesian optimized random forest (RF) classifier to replace the three fully connected layers for the classification task in the VGG16 model, to realize automatic identification of the pathological state of PD patients. RESULTS: It was found that consistently superior performance of gray-scalogram images over color images. The proposed algorithm achieved an accuracy of 97.76%, precision of 99.01%, recall of 96.47%, and F1-score of 97.73%, outperforming feature extractors such as VGG19, InceptionV3, ResNet50, and the lightweight network MobileNet. CONCLUSIONS: This algorithm has high accuracy and can distinguish the disease states of PD patients without manual feature extraction, effectively assisting the working of doctors.
Study on the correlation between the level of insulin resistance and changes in the degree of cerebral atherosclerosis in non-diabetic patients
Authors: Zhi Jin , Li Zhao
Published: November 2024

BACKGROUND: Cerebral infarction is a health problem of global concern and brings a particular burden to medical treatment. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the correlation between insulin resistance (IR) levels and changes in cerebral atherosclerosis (AS) degree in non-diabetic patients with cerebral infarction. METHODS: A total of 134 non-diabetic patients with cerebral infarction who visited the Department of Neurology of our hospital from May 2019 to October 2020 were selected and underwent MRA/CTA (Magnetic resonance angiography/Computed tomography angiography) of cerebral arteries to refine the cerebrovascular imaging data, and according to the results of cerebral AS load, the patients were divided into mild AS group and severe AS group, and the insulin resistance index was calculated with HOMA-IR (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance) to evaluate the IR level and HOMA-IR was compared between the two groups. Spearman correlation was used to analyze the correlation between the levels of IR in patients and the changes in cerebral AS load. RESULTS: 54 individuals had severe AS and 80 patients had mild AS, according to an MRA/CTA of the cerebral arteries. There was a significant difference (P< 0.05) in HOMA-IR between the difficult and gentle AS groups. A significant link between HOMA-IR and the severity of cerebral AS in patients was found using Spearman correlation analysis (r= 0.850, P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: The IR phenomenon was prevalent in non-diabetic patients with cerebral infarction, and the level of IR was closely related to the severity of cerebral AS.
Responses of health professionals to coronavirus, coronavirus variants, and vaccines: Cross-sectional study
Authors: Siddiqui Maria Khadija , Taqi Muhamamd , Yaqoob Rabeea , Aslam Amjad Muhammad , Razak Huzaafa Shahid
Published: November 2024

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has affected millions of people around the world since its first case in 2019. In this pandemic, health professionals have been among the most vulnerable groups to contracting the virus or spreading it to others; therefore, their appropriate response in line with health and safety is crucial and needs to be addressed. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated health professionals’ behaviors and attitudes toward COVID-19. This includes testing, vaccination, history of infection, and fear of infection. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among health professionals practicing in Sindh, Pakistan. A sample size of 400 was considered for the present study, including dentists and medical doctors practicing in Sindh’s healthcare setups. RESULTS: According to the results, the response rate was 95.50%. 73.04% of participating health professionals reported a history of COVID-19 infection. The highest levels of fear and anxiety of getting infected with new COVID-19 variants were derived among junior medical professionals (RMOs). 98.69% of health professionals were reported to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 virus. 3% of participating health professionals revealed that they do not believe in testing. CONCLUSIONS: Although fear and anxiety towards new emerging COVID-19 variants were largely prevalent, negligible reluctance toward vaccination among health professionals of Sindh was reported in the study. More studies are required from other parts of Pakistan to address health professionals’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to aid health policymakers in establishing precise SOPs for health professionals, and to manage COVID-19-related negative psychological and corporal effects on them.
Counterfeit medical products in Ukraine and the world: terminology and definitions, distribution and detection
Authors: Лебедь С. О. , Немченко А. С.
Published: November 2024

The purpose of the work was to analyze the terminology and definitions used in the national legislation of developed countries, as well as modern problems of the distribution and detection of drug falsification
The object of the study were messages received by the global WHO system – The Global Surveillance and Monitoring System (GSMS), publications on the problems of the distribution of falsified drugs in scientific publications and specialized mass media, regulatory documents of various countries that regulate the circulation of medicinal products.
Analysis of scientific and public sources on the falsification of medicines in WHO member countries, as well as data published on the WHO website in the form of warnings, made it possible to establish that falsified medical products are widespread, this problem affects all regions, including highly developed countries, and any – what therapeutic categories of medicines. The most incidents were recorded in Great Britain, China and Nigeria (7 each), the USA and India (6 each), Cameroon (4), Colombia, Ghana, Congo, the Republic of Chad, Israel (3 each), France, Egypt, Turkey, Poland, Bangladesh, Malaysia. Iran, Uzbekistan (2 each), other countries (1 each). Such statistics indicate problems with the regulatory system in the pharmaceutical sector and the effectiveness of counterfeit detection mechanisms.
A study of the meaning of the term «counterfeit medicinal product», which is given in the legislation of various countries of the world (Australia, Great Britain, Canada, the USA, China, India), in particular in Ukraine (the current and new version of the Law of Ukraine «On Medicinal Products») and in the EU suggests that this definition is constantly changing, with different countries/organizations offering their own distinctive definitions.
With the new version of the Law of Ukraine «On Medicinal Products», the term «falsified medicinal product» was agreed with the definition proposed by the WHO and corresponds to Directive 2001/83/EC. At the same time, it is expedient to implement a new term for drugs that are illegally imported, illegally manufactured, or illegally put into circulation in domestic legislation.
“Chasing a Ghost” in Young Adult Literature: Mental Illness in Am I Normal Yet?
Authors: Demir Nalan , Uysal Mehmet Başak
Published: November 2024

The relative lack of attention given to mental health issues compared to physical health problems in society poses a significant barrier to the development of adequate literacy surrounding mental health concerns. Furthermore, the pervasive stigmatization of individuals suffering from these disorders exacerbates the burden they face. In light of the increasing prevalence of mental illnesses and the imperative for timely interventions, the potential of Young Adult Literature depicting mental illnesses to enhance literacy in this realm appears promising. Consequently, it is aimed to examine the representation of obsessive-compulsive disorder in Am I Normal Yet? by the British author Holly Bourne. Initially, the disorders are contextualized within a broader framework, followed by an exploration of their representation within the novel. Subsequently, a thorough analysis is carried out on these representations, with a specific emphasis on how symptoms and treatment alternatives are presented in the narrative. Furthermore, due to the impact of environmental factors on mental health problems, the reactions elicited by these disorders within the storyline are investigated and discussed.
Anti-Tales in Question: A Study on “Cinderella” of The Grimm Variations (2024)
Authors: Ayrım Oğuzhan
Published: November 2024

The Grimm Variations is an episodic anime series released on Netflix in April 2024. The series is composed of six classical stories of fairy tales inspired by the Brothers Grimm stories, from Cinderella to Little Red Riding Hood, from Hansel and Gretel to the Town Musicians of Bremen. The nature of the variations in the series does not come from the transfer of the stories as they are, but rather from certain changes in their content. The shifting rendition in each episode, however, comes with what we might call “a dark twist” and poses the question of “what if” Cinderella was not depicted as a passive heroine, and the Little Riding Hood was the one that hunts the wolf? These varied questions and answers are what classify this series as the composition of anti-tales, a phenomenon that is succinctly utilised by the feminist subversions of classical misogynistic stories. A comprehensive study of all episodes would be such a vast subject for this article. Therefore, this article limits itself to the critical standing of the first episode, “Cinderella”. The purpose of this article is to investigate the critical feminist standing of the Cinderella story as an anti-tale in its 2024 rendition on a comparative basis with the classical story of the Brothers Grimm version.
Time allocation among different sorts of activities: An overview of mathematical models
Authors: Ter-Akopov S. A. , Voronina N. D. , Mikhailova N. S. , Nagernyak M. A.
Published: November 2024

The history of time use research dates back more than 100 years. Russian scientists were among the first to conduct large-scale surveys in this field. Nowadays, this sphere has become interesting among scientists again. Rosstat has rebegun to conduct surveys on the daily time use, large-scale independent surveys have appeared, and media have increased their interest. The amount of empirical microdata that has emerged has made it possible to examine a complex concept as the household time use in ever more numbers. The purpose of this methodological overview is to describe the most significant mathematical models that have been used and are being used to study the time budgets of the population. This article overviews the first models in which time was considered as one of the means of production along with other goods, and households tried to maximize the utility function solely based on financial considerations. Then, modern models, where time is no less an important factor of well-being than material status, are represented. The article demonstrates how the new model classes that have recently emerged adapt to the data that is accessible in certain circumstances, modify themselves to accomplish fresh tasks, and become less costly when looking at analytical estimations. In order to categorize the population’s time budget structure under different research activities, the paper examines and systemsatizes a number of mathematical models
Who buys fakes in Russia and why?
Authors: Kotelnikova Z. V.
Published: November 2024

The recent departure of international brands from the Russian markets is unprecedentedly; its consequences require thoroughly study, especially in the context of consumer behavior towards non-original goods. This paper analyzes the dynamics of counterfeit purchases in Russia in 2021—2023 and socio-economic factors that explain the purchase of fakes, given that the latter differ from standard economic goods with high symbolic value. Quantitative data representing the Russian Internet audience aged 18 years and older is used. Three waves of the online survey were conducted: in 2021 (N = 4978 people), 2022 (N = 6000 people) and 2023 (N = 6000 people). According to the results, the purchase of counterfeits is a widespread phenomenon in Russia. Russians purchase non-original goods mostly unintentionally, although in the last two years of the survey there have been structural shifts towards their knowingly buying. With the help of multinomial regression, factors for purchasing counterfeits were revealed. The availability of counterfeits on the Internet and the financial limitations of Russian households contribute to expanding the audience of consumers of non-original goods, whereas a focus on high quality when choosing goods reduces the number of buyers of counterfeits. The role of well-known brands in the consumption of counterfeit products remains ambivalent
Russian exports amid geopolitical instability: The case of physical and transitional climate risks
Authors: Sokolova Y. D.
Published: November 2024

The paper examines the impact of physical and transitional climate risks, which to some extend shape the geopolitical situation in the world, on Russian exports. The gravity model of international trade was employed to model the existing relationship. Estimation of the gravity equation by means of the Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood (PPML) method using data on Russian export flows to 72 countries over the period 2010—2021 revealed that climate change and the ambitions of trading partner states towards low-carbon development determine the dynamics of Russian exports. In particular, national physical climate risks have a detrimental impact on Russia’s exports due to the destruction of infrastructure, loss of capital, reduced quality and availability of natural resources, and increased social tensions. Extreme climatic events and climate change measures in trading partner countries spur the development of Russian exports. Namely, physical climate risks of importing countries may increase the demand for key Russian goods for economic recovery purposes. Changes during the transition to a low-carbon economy in trading partner countries also generate opportunities for Russian export growth due to the country’s role as a major supplier of energy and mineral products, as well as technologies for the alternative energy production and electrification of transport
Pengaruh Kualitas Pelayanan dan Fasilitas Terhadap Minat Berkunjung Wisatawan di Karang Setra Waterland
Authors: Asti Karini Rieke Sri Rizki , Azziz Mochamad Abdul
Published: November 2024

Quality of Service and Facilities is the most important thing in every tourist destination, so if these two things are done well, it will automatically affect the interest in visiting. Thus, this study aims to determine how the influence of the quality of services and facilities on the interest in visiting Karang Setra Waterland. The method used is a verifiative descriptive quantitative method. The types used in this study are primary data and secondary data. The population in this study was taken from the average tourist visits in 2019-2023 of 4,700 and the sample used amounted to 100 respondents, the results of using the Slovin formula. The sampling technique is carried out by survey or questionnaire. Data collection was done by observation, questionnaires, interviews, and documentation. The questionnaire model in this study used the Likert Scale. The verifiative analysis used in this study is instrument test (validity test and reliability test), normality test, multiple linear regression analysis, determination analysis, and partial and simultaneous hypothesis test. The results of this study show that each statement item is said to be valid and reliable. The influence of the independent variable on the dependent variable in this study was 52.70%. The results of partial and simultaneous hypothesis tests show that the Quality of Service ( ) and Facilities ( ) has a positive and significant effect partially and simultaneously on Visiting Interest (Y) in Karang Setra Waterland.
Peran Travel Consultant dalam Penjualan Tiket Perjalanan dalam Negeri di Anta Express
Authors: Agoes Adrian , Firdaus Azhar
Published: November 2024

The tourism industry in Indonesia has experienced significant growth, particularly following the post-COVID-19 recovery and the rise of the creative economy. As the sector rebounds, travel agencies play a crucial role in facilitating domestic ticket sales and travel packages. Traditional travel agencies, such as PT Anta Express Tour & Travel, face competition from online booking platforms, which calls for a study on the unique value offered by travel consultants in enhancing customer experiences and the sales process. This study aims to explore the role of travel consultants at PT Anta Express Tour & Travel in domestic travel ticket sales. Using a qualitative research approach, data was gathered through direct observation, semi-structured interviews, and a review of relevant literature. The findings highlight four key roles played by travel consultants: providing personalized advice and recommendations, managing bookings, resolving issues, and delivering customer service. Additionally, three main reasons were identified for why customers still prefer using travel consultants: convenience, access to exclusive offers, and ongoing support during the trip. The study concludes that travel agencies can maintain their competitiveness by focusing on personalized services that appeal to specific customer segments, particularly those who value professional advice and human interaction in their travel planning. Therefore, traditional and online booking channels can coexist in the future, serving different market needs.
Analisa Wisata Edukasi Sejarah di Smart Museum Gedung Sate
Authors: Khalda Embun Ramadhana , Kemala Zia
Published: November 2024

The Gedung Sate Museum, a historical educational tourism destination in Bandung, is the focus of this research. This study aims to analyze the tourist attraction and the implementation of historical education tourism in the museum. The methods used include observation, interviews with visitors, and documentary studies. The research results show that the attraction of the Gedung Sate Museum lies in a unique combination of core resources in the form of an iconic historical building, modern and interactive additional services such as augmented reality technology, interactive floors, and interactive picture frames, intangible values that evoke nationalism through the stories of heroes' struggles, and strong context markers related to the history of Gedung Sate. Furthermore, the implementation of historical education tourism in this museum successfully integrates clear instructions, diverse teaching methods through visual and interactive media, and active learning experiences that directly involve visitors. These findings provide valuable insights for the development of historical education tourism in other museums, especially those adopting the smart museum concept.
Peran Digital Marketing pada UMKM dengan Prinsip-prinsip Syariah
Authors: Awa Awa , Safari Apay , Riyanti Anti
Published: November 2024

The rapid development of technology has greatly changed the marketing landscape in the world, where marketing methods that were previously completely traditional and conventional have now been integrated into the digital world. Understanding and awareness of the importance, role and influence of digital marketing in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) is still low. Its implementation is still considered not that important, on the grounds that the business being run is not a large business that requires digital marketing. Including its implementation of sharia principles is still very minimal. Research that explores the role of digital marketing in MSMEs with sharia principles in a comprehensive manner has never been conducted before. The aim of the research is to explore the role of digital marketing in MSMEs with sharia principles. The method used is library research, using critical analysis techniques. The results of research regarding the role or impact or influence of digital marketing in MSMEs with sharia principles are on the following 15 things: (1) facilitate access to information; (2) marketing products; (3) become a superior product; (4) healthy competition; (5) expanding target/market share; (6) expanding geographic reach; (7) building trust and reputation; (8) purchasing decisions; (9) increase in income; (10) increase in sales; (11) increasing business performance; (12) business sustainability and success; (13) application of Islamic marketing ethics; (14) development of halal label MSMEs; and (15) development of MSMEs through cooperatives.
It might not make a big DIF: Improved Differential Test Functioning Statistics That Account for Sampling Variability
Authors: Philip Chalmers R. , Counsell Alyssa , Flora David
Published: November 2024

Differential test functioning, or DTF, occurs when one or more items in a test demonstrate differential item functioning (DIF) and the aggregate of these effects are witnessed at the test level. In many applications, DTF can be more important than DIF when the overall effects of DIF at the test level can be quantified. However, optimal statistical methodology for detecting and understanding DTF has not been developed. This article proposes improved DTF statistics that properly account for sampling variability in item parameter estimates while avoiding the necessity of predicting provisional latent trait estimates to create two-step approximations. The properties of the DTF statistics were examined with two Monte Carlo simulation studies using dichotomous and polytomous IRT models. The simulation results revealed that the improved DTF statistics obtained optimal and consistent statistical properties, such as obtaining consistent Type I error rates. Next, an empirical analysis demonstrated the application of the proposed methodology. Applied settings where the DTF statistics can be beneficial are suggested and future DTF research areas are proposed.
Enhancing Student Engagement with AI-Driven Personalized Learning Systems
Authors: Zaharuddin  , Chen Yu  , Yao Goh
Published: November 2024

This paper explores the impact of AI-driven personalized learning systems on enhancing student engagement in educational settings. With the increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in various sectors, education is also experiencing a shift towards more adaptive and personalized learning environments. The study investigates how personalized learning paths, powered by AI algorithms, can address diverse learning needs and promote greater involvement from students. Through a comprehensive analysis of engagement metrics, pre-and post-implementation comparisons, and surveys from both students and educators, this research identifies key factors that contribute to improved student motivation, interaction, and academic performance. The findings suggest that AI-driven systems not only provide tailored learning experiences but also foster a deeper connection between students and their learning content. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research and practical applications in educational institutions to further optimize the use of AI for enhancing student engagement.
Realism and Multipolarity in the XXI Century. Challenges for the Balkans
Authors:   University of Warsaw, Babić Marko
Published: November 2024

The aim of this paper is to offer an insight into the phenomenon of multipolarity, a phenomenon that appeared on the global scene after the end of a unipolar moment that has lasted since the early 1990s. The paper is an attempt to present the main thesis of multipolarity as well as the correlation between multipolarity and realism as a theory in international relations. For this purpose, the most important explanatory achievements of realism have been reviewed. This was a springboard for analysing one of the world players and an active participant of the new multipolar order in the form of China, using all the realist instruments suggested, in its relations with selected countries of the Balkan region.
The Resolution on the Srebrenica Genocide and Dayton Peace Agreement: In Which Direction Is It Heading?
Authors:   University of Kragujevac, Dakić Dragan
Published: November 2024

This study explores the legal consequences and importance of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution (hereinafter: the Resolution) regarding the Srebrenica Genocide, which was adopted in light of the atrocities that occurred in 1995. The main aim is to assess the Resolution’s ability to initiate a supervening impossibility of performance (ius cogens superveniens) concerning the Dayton Peace Agreement. Utilising a qualitative approach, the research analyses the text of the resolution, the voting process, and the pertinent legal frameworks as well as the relevant scholarship. The ﬁndings highlight that although UNGA resolutions lack binding authority, they can signiﬁcantly aid in the evolution of Customary International Law (CIL). The aforementioned Resolution’s focus on accountability and genocide prevention emphasises its contribution to the development of international legal standards and its interpretative role. The investigation reveals that the Resolution contains elements that could be interpreted as binding, hinting at its intended nature. However, the binding nature of the Resolution, in terms of its components and interpretative role, cannot void nor terminate the Dayton Peace Agreement. For such an outcome to occur, the Resolution would have to establish a peremptory norm of general international law through general principles of international law or Customary International Law. In this context, the research clariﬁes that the Resolution possesses the legitimacy to support the formation of Customary International Law. Nevertheless, this does not suggest that the potential of Customary International Law automatically overrides the grounds of ius cogens superveniens for invalidating the Dayton Peace Agreement. Instead, the Resolution’s reliance on the binding sources of international law, which include peremptory norms along with the judicial interpretation that applies these norms, plays a vital role in this scenario. At the same time, any potential conﬂict between those principles and the Dayton Peace Agreement, despite being classiﬁed as peremptory principles, appears to be overly broad at this juncture.
The Path of the Republic of North Macedonia Towards a Functional Market Economy and the Ability to Cope With Competitive Pressure and Market Forces Within the European Union
Authors:   University of Tetova, Shabani Faton
Published: November 2024

The path of the Republic of North Macedonia towards European Union (EU) membership has been long and difﬁcult, with blockades from neighbouring countries and internal political instability that has hindered both the reform processes and the economic progress of the country. However, despite the difﬁculties and obstacles, the country remains determined and committed to continue its EU membership path through by implementing EU standards. North Macedonia started negotiations for membership in the EU in 2022, and, on that occasion, the European Commission began the screening process. However, the negotiation process on the horizon is not looking easy at all, since the Government is not only faced with the fulﬁlment of the demands as reached in an address by the Commission, but Bulgaria continues to insist on concrete results from the fulﬁlment of the obligations received from North Macedonia in a friendship agreement reached with Bulgaria in 2017. The purpose of this study is to shed light on North Macedonia’s ups and downs in this situation, which result from both external factors (disagreements with neighbours such as Greece and Bulgaria) and internal factors (the approach of certain Macedonian governments at certain stages to face demands in order to overcome disputes with neighbours in the name of Euro-integrations). The author intends to achieve such a goal through the selected methodology that is suitable for achieving the expected results and ﬁndings; empirical methods, analysis and synthesis, data collection and processing, the interpretation of results, and historical, comparative, inductive, and deductive methods. The most recent report from the Commission for North Macedonia (2023) ﬁnds essential treatment in this paper, with Cluster 2 and Cluster 3 being of interest for this study. The author concludes that the content of this report turns out to be not only an overview of the current situation in which North Macedonia ﬁnds itself, but also provides recommendations for improving the situation in the spheres and segments where either stagnation or a lack of progress has been detected.
Early Adequate Nutrition in ICU Is Associated with Survival Gain : Retrospective Cohort Study in Patient with Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Oh Junseo , Kim Jingyeong , Ahn Jihyeon , Choi Sunghoon , Kim Hyung Min , Lee Jaeim , Cho Hang Joo , Kim Maru
Published: November 2024

Objective : Patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) commonly exhibit a poor mental health status and can easily develop aspiration pneumonia. Thus, early proper nutrition through oral or tube feeding is difficult to achieve, leading to malnutrition. However, evidence regarding early nutritional support in the intensive care unit (ICU) is lacking. We aimed to assess the effect of early nutrition in patients with TBI admitted to the ICU.Methods : Data of adult patients with TBI admitted to the trauma ICU of a regional trauma center in Korea between 2022 and 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Those with ICU stay <7 days, younger than 18 years, and with underlying diseases that could alter baseline metabolism, were excluded. Nutritional support on day 4 of ICU admission was measured. The patients were classified into mortality and survival groups, and risk factors for mortality were evaluated. Subgroup analyses were performed based on TBI severity.Results : Overall, 864 patients were diagnosed with acute TBI, of whom 227 were included in this study. The mortality rate in the study population was 15% (n=34). Those in the survival group were younger, had longer hospital stays, had a higher initial Glasglow coma scale (GCS) score, and had a higher intake of calorie supplements than those in the mortality group. In a subgroup analysis of patients with non-severe TBI (GCS >8), total calorie intake (751.4 vs. 434.2 kcal, p=0.029), total protein intake (37.5 vs. 22.1 g, p=0.045), and ratio of supplied to target calories (0.49 vs. 0.30, p=0.047) were higher in the survival group than in the mortality group. Logistic regression analysis revealed that calorie intake (B=-0.002, p=0.040) and initial hemoglobin level (B=-0.394, p=0.005) were risk factors for mortality in patients with non-severe TBI.Conclusion : More calories were supplied to the survival group than the mortality group among patients with TBI. Additionally, logistic regression analysis showed that increased calorie supply was associated with reduced mortality in patients with non-severe TBI. The mortality group had low protein intake; however, this did not emerge as a risk factor for mortality. Early sufficient nutritional support improves the prognosis of patients with TBI.
Integrating Philosophy Into the Entrepreneurship Curriculum: Using Stoicism as a Practical Guide for Entrepreneurship Students
Authors: Silver Lawrence S.
Published: November 2024

Management education, and by extension, entrepreneurship education, is most effective when the ideas taught in the classroom are relevant to the workplace. The need to carefully examine business school curricula was presented in the 2013 book by the Graduate Management Admissions Council, Disrupt or be Disrupted: A Blueprint for Change in Management Education. One way for entrepreneurship programs to remain relevant is to keep up with current ideas and actions of practitioners. This paper examines Stoic philosophy, which is currently popular with many entrepreneurs and business leaders. The author argues that educators may want to integrate Stoic philosophy into the entrepreneurship curriculum.
Denizli İli Biber Üretim Alanlarında Virüs Hastalıklarının Belirlenmesi
Authors: Çulal Kılıç Handan , Deniz Fatma
Published: November 2024

2021 ve 2022 yılları vejetasyon dönemlerinde Denizli ili biber üretim alanlarında arazi çalışmaları gerçekleştirilmiştir. Virüs ve virüs benzeri simptomlar gösteren toplam 115 bitki örneği toplanmıştır. Örnekler, DAS-ELISA (Double Antibody Sandwich Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay) serolojik yöntemine göre testlenmiştir. Serolojik test yöntemlerinin uygulanmasında Biber örneklerinin testlenmesinde $Tomato$ $spotted$ $wilt$ $virus$ (TSWV), $Cucumber$ $mosaic$ $virus$ (CMV), $Tobacco$ $mosaic$ $virus$ (TMV) ve $Pepper$ $mild$ $mottle$ $virus$ (PMMoV)’e spesifik tanı kitleri kullanılmıştır. Test sonuçları, biber örneklerinin %6.9’u TSWV, %3.4’ü CMV, %2.6’sı PMMoV ve %1.7 ‘inin TMV ile tek bir etmen tarafından enfekte olduğunu göstermiştir. Ayrıca, %0.86 oranında TMV+TSWV, CMV+TSWV, PMMoV+TMV, PMMoV+CMV ve PMMoV+TMV+CMV olmak üzere ikili ve üçlü karışık enfeksiyonlar saptanmıştır. Hem vektör böcek hem de üretim materyali tohumlar ile taşınan bu etmenlerin yaygınlığının azaltılmasında, vektör popülasyonunun kontrol altına alınması ve sertifikalı üretim materyalinin kullanılması önerilmektedir
Detection of the Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis global panzootic lineage in Ecuadorian anurans of the Amazonian lowlands
Authors: Smart U , McCracken SF , Brunner RM , Rivera C , Rodriguez D
Published: November 2024

Considerable attention has been directed to studying the infection dynamics of the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) affecting amphibians in the high elevations of the Neotropics. However, lowland forests of the same realm remain comparatively understudied in this context. Herein, we attempt to bridge this gap by measuring the prevalence of Bd via quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in several anuran taxa inhabiting the Amazonian lowlands in the northeast of Ecuador. To this end, we sampled 207 anurans from 10 different families, 25 different genera, and 55 distinct host species originally collected in 2008. Taxonomy (at the family level), morphology (i.e. weight and snout-vent length), and life-long aquatic dependency of hosts (i.e. aquatic index) were also compiled to serve as potential predictors of Bd infection status. Our findings revealed a relatively high Bd prevalence of 58%, with 88% of sampled anuran families testing positive for the fungus at varying proportions. Model selection involving fitting and testing several different linear models, including mixed linear models, revealed a significant negative relationship between host weight and Bd infection status (p < 0.01). However, no significant associations were observed between taxonomy, aquatic dependency, snout-vent length, and Bd infections. In addition, we only detected the global panzootic lineage of Bd (Bd-GPL) and not the Bd-Asia-2/Bd-Brazil lineage via qPCR single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping. Our findings contribute to the understanding of Bd dynamics in the Neotropical lowlands and emphasize the need for future research on the ecological factors influencing Bd in the Amazon and their implications for amphibian conservation.
Beaked whales and El Niño: evidence for ENSO effects on Blainville’s beaked and goose-beaked whale space use in Hawaiian waters
Authors: Barrios DM , Baird RW , Kratofil MA
Published: November 2024

Large-scale climatic phenomena, like the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, influence marine systems across the Pacific and beyond. The effects of these cycles on Hawaiian marine communities, particularly their impact on cetaceans, remains understudied. Using location data obtained from satellite tags deployed on Blainville’s beaked whales Mesoplodon densirostris and goose-beaked whales Ziphius cavirostris, and sightings data from 2 decades of surveys off the west coast of Hawai‘i Island, we examined the effects of ENSO, season, and 2 other climatic cycles on the space use and sighting rates of these species. Beaked whale sighting rates during El Niño phases were more than double those during La Niña periods, and every period of effort during Central Pacific-‘flavored’ El Niño conditions yielded sightings of both species. Seasonal variation in goose-beaked whale sighting rates was also found. Moreover, both species exhibited variation in space use between climatic phases, with goose-beaked whales displaying a higher propensity to use the windward side of the island after extended La Niña conditions. Shifts in prey availability or predation avoidance in relation to seasons or ENSO events may be the primary drivers behind these findings. More tagging and sighting effort will be necessary to confirm the level of cycle intensity at which these species respond to ENSO cycles, as well as which combinations of climatic phenomena most intensely influence their environment. Our results provide valuable insights for the potential of climate change to influence space use by beaked whales and other odontocetes.
Developing of English Vocabulary Material Pocket Book for Pharmacy Vocational School Maarif 5 Kotagajah
Authors: Sanusi Taufik , Suhono Suhono , Hidayatullah Rizky , Sari Yeasy Agustina , Hidayah Yayuk
Published: November 2024

This research is motivated by the results of observations, that the learning process in English subjects at SMK Ma'arif 5 Kotagajah has so far been teacher-centered and currently the teaching and learning process is that the teacher only uses the lecture method and uses only limited learning media by teachers and schools. This research aims to describe the procedures for developing pocket books, determine the validity of developing pocket books, and determine the effectiveness of developing pocket books as an English language learning medium at SMK Ma'arif 5 Kotagajah. This research uses the Research and Development (R&D) method. This research uses a development model developed by Borg and Gall and the development model in this research uses a design from ADDIE. At the Development stage, this vocabulary pocket book was assessed for its suitability by material experts and media experts. The learning media validation results obtained a very valid category with a percentage of 92.2% by material experts and 91.4% by media experts. It can be concluded that research into the development of pocket books as a vocabulary learning medium is stated to be very strong when used as supporting teaching materials.
Keywords: English Vocabulary Material, Pocket Book Pharmacy, Developing English Material
‘Repeat Play’: Repetition and Truth-telling in Play, Faith Healer, and Irish Monologic Theatre
Authors: Graham Alan
Published: November 2024

This essay argues that the critical consensus concerning Brian Friel’s Faith Healer (1979) as the origin play for an Irish tradition of monologue theatre overlooks the indebtedness of Friel’s first monologue drama to Samuel Beckett’s Play (1963) and, in so doing, obfuscates Beckett’s influence in the evolution of Irish monologic theatre. Tracing the reliance of Play and Faith Healer on musical structures of variation and recurrence, the essay discerns the reach of their interrogation of dramatic storytelling and argues that the subversion of truth-telling in these key plays has exercised a profound influence on the approach to the monologue form in contemporary Irish theatre. The essay examines how Play operates a comprehensive critique of the aesthetic and epistemological traditions upon which western theatre has developed and how through its compulsion to repeat itself reduces theatre to a visceral demand for judgment. The complex forms of duplication in Faith Healer are similarly read in relation to an audience’s desire for narrative coherence and, reading the play against its Beckettian precursor, the essay demonstrates how these dramas not only problematise dramatic narrative but, more fundamentally, disrupt an audience’s relationship with theatrical presence. The essay concludes with a consideration of Play and Faith Healer as predecessors to the monologic turn in Irish theatre, arguing that the Irish monologue not only speaks back to socio-political narratives but contests theatre’s claim to truth-tell.
Collatz Sequence Proof (1st Way)
Authors: Muhammad Taha
Published: November 2024

Abstract of Solving Collatz Sequence I started from a loop containing all positive numbers and performed Collatz law on each number x in the loop, obtained algebraic equations, and defined the values of x, which not belong to the set of natural numbers except 1. Then I applied Collatz laws and obtained the elements of the loop, which are {4, 2, 1}. S (n)= {n/2 or 3n+1, ..., 4,2,1} for all N+. Thus LS (n) = {4,2,1} for all N+. I added extra work to support my proof: 1- Graph 2- Sketch 3- Chart 4- Table 5- Pattern 5- [If LS (n)= {4,2,1} for r = 3k] True Then I proved that [LS (n) = {4, 2, 1} for r+3= 3(k+1)] True 6- [If LS (n) has no loop if for r = 3k+h, h<3, h is a natural number] True Then I proved that [LS (n) has no loop if for r+1 = 3k+h+1=3k+2, h=1] True Therefore: LS (5) = LS (10^100) = LS ((10^1000) + 7) = LS (47) = ... = LS (1) = {4, 2, 1} only for all n in N+ Note: r = # of elements in a loop. K = 1 or 2