bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bacillus cereus endocarditis: a case-based literature review
Authors: Ehrenzeller Selina , Züger Karin , Oberli Lisa , Buonomano Roberto
Published: February 2025

Bacillus cereus, a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium known for both its environmental resilience and its pathogenic potential, has been increasingly recognised as a serious health threat outside the traditional contexts of food poisoning. This narrative review, anchored by a detailed case study, highlights the pathogen’s role in rare but severe infections like endocarditis, especially among intravenous drug users, who are particularly vulnerable, among other identified risk factors. The case of a 62-year-old female with a history of intravenous cocaine use who developed Bacillus cereus endocarditis underscores the complexities of diagnosing and managing such infections. Despite the challenges posed by the patient’s adverse reactions to vancomycin, the mainstay treatment, successful management was achieved through persistent administration adjusted for tolerance and side effects.
This review meticulously compiles all known cases of Bacillus cereus endocarditis from the past decades, beginning with the first identified case fifty years ago in 1974. It provides a thorough analysis, identifying various risk factors and outlining the evolution of treatment protocols. This comprehensive approach not only enhances understanding of the pathogen’s clinical impact but also clarifies the progression of therapeutic strategies, highlighting the individual adaptations necessary to address this challenging infection effectively.
Understanding International Law Through Moot Courts
Authors: Carey Henry F. , Mitchell Stacey M.
Published: February 2025

Understanding International Law through Moot Courts: Genocide, Torture, Habeas Corpus, Chemical Weapons, and the Responsibility to Protect consists of five sets of opposing legal briefs and judge’s decisions for five moot court cases held before the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. Each moot court brief included in the book addresses contemporary controversies in international affairs; issues ranging from the application of the newly emerging Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine, to the torture of detainees, to the derogation from international due process protections. These moot court briefs and case judgments help students formulate legal arguments that will be applicable to other similar cases. They also provide students with excellent sources of international and domestic law, as well as greater comprehension of topics ranging from jurisdictional disputes to matters of evidence. Chapter 1 of the book provides an overview of the book as well as instructions regarding the construction of a moot court. Chapter two, by George Andreopoulos discusses the interrelationship between human rights and international criminal law. Chapters 3 through 7 are the cases. The introduction to each chapter (and subsequently each case) lays out the facts of the case in question, discusses (where applicable) issues associated with the material and contextual elements of the crimes(s) in question, provides additional topics for classroom discussion, and also places the issues of contention between the parties within the broader context of foreign affairs and international relations. After each set of briefs and legal judgments is an appendix which includes an example moot court, as well as an appendix that includes a set of alterable facts that students and faculty could adopt to change the general legal argument of the particular case.
Beatific Enjoyment in Medieval Scholastic Debates
Authors: Kitanov Severin Valentinov
Published: February 2025

Beatific Enjoyment in Medieval Scholastic Debates examines the religious concept of enjoyment as discussed by scholastic theologians in the Latin Middle Ages. Severin Kitanov argues that central to the concept of beatific enjoyment (fruitio beatifica) is the distinction between the terms enjoyment and use (frui et uti) found in Saint Augustine’s treatise On Christian Learning. Peter Lombard, a twelfth-century Italian theologian, chose the enjoyment of God to serve as an opening topic of his Sentences and thereby set in motion an enduring scholastic discourse. Kitanov examines the nature of volition and the relationship between volition and cognition. He also explores theological debates on the definition of enjoyment: whether there are different kinds and degrees of enjoyment, whether natural reason unassisted by divine revelation can demonstrate that beatific enjoyment is possible, whether beatific enjoyment is the same as pleasure, whether it has an intrinsic cognitive character, and whether the enjoyment of God in heaven is a free or un-free act.

Even though the concept of beatific enjoyment is essentially religious and theological, medieval scholastic authors discussed this concept by means of Aristotle’s logical and scientific apparatus and through the lens of metaphysics, physics, psychology, and virtue ethics. Bringing together Christian theological and Aristotelian scientific and philosophical approaches to enjoyment, Kitanov exposes the intricacy of the discourse and makes it intelligible for both students and scholars.
Against Authenticity
Authors: Feldman Simon
Published: February 2025

“Be true to yourself”—it is a dictum so ubiquitous that it can seem like both philosophical wisdom and an empty truism. Should we aspire to an ideal of living authentically? What does it mean to be true to yourself? Against Authenticity: Why You Shouldn't Be Yourself is a philosophical exploration and critique of the ideal of authenticity. Simon Feldman argues that if being true to ourselves is a matter of maintaining a strong will, being psychologically independent, achieving self-knowledge, or being morally conscientious, then the best lives we can lead should be expected to involve substantial inauthenticity. Feldman suggests that various construals of the ideal of authenticity presuppose metaphysically confused notions of the self (for example, that there is a determinate “true self”) and that under the guise of indisputable wisdom the ideal perpetuates both objectionably relativistic as well as reactionary moral thinking.Feldman concludes that the ideal of authenticity is one that we would be better off abandoning, independent of our other moral or ethical commitments. With implications for every reader's conception of authenticity and identity, Against Authenticity is an exciting challenge for students and scholars of ethics, metaethics, metaphysics, and moral psychology.
Mystical Science and Practical Religion
Authors: Cimino Richard
Published: February 2025

Mystical Science and Practical Religion examines the religious discourse employed by Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh applied science professionals and students, mainly engineers and Information Technology (IT) workers. Although applied scientists, especially immigrants to the United States, have shown high rates of religiosity, there have been few studies of this subject. Based on interviews with forty-five professionals and students, Cimino finds that although they are from different faiths, these applied scientists share a common discourse that blends religion and science. They each view their religions as the “most scientific.” Their work and study reshapes how they practice and conceptualize their faiths, though not in the expected directions of secularization and fundamentalism. This book provides a unique look at how the much contested fields of science and religion interact in real life.
The Anthropology of Eastern Religions
Authors: Leaf Murray J.
Published: February 2025

The world’s “great” religions depend on traditions of serious scholarship, dedicated to preserving their key texts but also to understanding them and, therefore, to debating what understanding itself is and how best to do it. They also have important public missions of many kinds, and their ideas and organizations influence many other important institutions, including government, law, education, and kinship. Anthropology of Eastern Religions: Ideas, Organizations, and Constituencies is a comparative survey of the world’s major religious traditions as professional enterprises and, often, as social movements. Documenting the principle ideas behind eastern religious traditions from an anthropological perspective, Murray J. Leaf demonstrates how these ideas have been used in building internal organizations that mobilize or fail to mobilize external support.
Leading the Historical Enterprise
Authors: Dearstyne Bruce W.
Published: February 2025

Leading the Historical Enterprise: Strategic Creativity, Planning, and Advocacy for the Digital Age presents new ideas and strategies for leading and innovating in museums, historical societies, historic sites, and other state and local history programs. The book blends insights from the best practices of model historical programs and museums with themes from the best recent studies of leadership.

This is a practical book with concrete suggestions that can be applied in just about any program setting. It covers:

Demographics, technology, resource constraints, and other forces that are affecting the work of historical programs and museums

Developing mission and goals to keep programs responsive to changing needs, challenges, and opportunities

Effective strategies for leading and innovating to keep programs vibrant

Engaging users and audiences for our programs in new ways

Putting information technology to work and engaging users in new ways

Day-to-day leadership of historical programs and museums

The book will be of interest to trustees, directors and staff of museums, historic sites, historical societies, and other state and local history programs; policy makers, e.g, legislative staff with responsibility for policy or budgets of cultural programs; professors and students of public history; libraries; and other people interested in state and local history and in innovation in cultural programs.
Martha's Vineyard Basketball
Authors: Bayne Bijan C.
Published: February 2025

Year round on Martha’s Vineyard Island off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, residents and vacationers have played basketball—almost since the game was invented. The Oak Bluffs summer league on the Island was innovative, ethnically diverse, welcomed female players, and fostered thousands of friendships. President Obama, NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving, and Family Matters sitcom star Jaleel White have all played basketball on Martha’s Vineyard, as did future college stars, authors, war heroes, and entrepreneurs. Their stories touch current events from World War I through the Civil Rights Movement—and even include the filming of the blockbuster Jaws.

Martha’s Vineyard Basketball: How a Resort League Defied Notions of Race and Class follows the rich history of basketball on the Island and tells the stories of the players and coaches themselves. During the heyday of Martha’s Vineyard basketball in the 1970s and ‘80s, the courts provided a place for friendships that looked past social class and race—a unique situation given that nearby cities such as Boston were sites of violent demonstrations against integration. Original interviews with those who were there not only reveal the racial dynamics on Martha’s Vineyard, but also relate amusing anecdotes of encounters with celebrities that include Charles Lindbergh, James Cagney, Frank Sinatra, and future star James Taylor.

Martha’s Vineyard Basketball reveals little-known aspects of the Island, shares the realities and triumphs of residents and vacationers alike, and demonstrates the unifying power of basketball. New Englanders, basketball fans, and those interested in race and class relations will all find this book a noteworthy account of a singular place.
Achieving Disaster Resilience in U. S. Communities
Authors: Kostro Stephanie Sanok , Riba Garrett
Published: February 2025

This report examines the disaster resilience efforts of the executive and legislative branches of government and public-private partnerships. Its recommendations are the product of a series of dialogues hosted by the CSIS Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Program and the Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation. Reflecting thoughts, findings, and viewpoints gleaned from the series, the authors provide guidance for officials who want to make progress in bolstering planning, partnerships, and capabilities to address the real, localized, and oftentimes devastating effects of natural disasters.
Reference Guide to Africa
Authors: Kagan Alfred , Batoma Atoma
Published: February 2025

This third edition of the Reference Guide to Africa explains the most important resources for the study of the continent of Africa. It contains a general sources section and a larger disciplinary oriented section. All sources are annotated. A new edition is sorely needed since the last edition was published nine years ago. The previous editions have been successfully used in research libraries worldwide since 1999, and it has been used to teach several African studies research courses.

The book provides an orientation for researching almost any topic in the arts, humanities and social sciences concerning the continent of Africa, and all of its countries and ethnic groups. The first part explains and lists portals, databases, bibliographies, indexes, guides, encyclopedias, country sources, biography, primary sources, government publications, and statistics. The second part presents 16 subject-oriented chapters, mostly in the arts, humanities and social sciences, from agriculture and food security to women studies. It covers sources that broadly cover the continent, or in some cases only North Africa (and the Middle East). It generally excludes sources limited to one country or region of Africa, except for North Africa because of the nature of the literature.

One-third of the sources in this edition are new, and nearly half of them are available in electronic format. There are author/title and subject indexes.

This unique work is intended for students, teachers, librarians, and researchers. It likely will be used most by reference librarians and teachers for students in high school through graduate studies. It will also be used independently by undergraduate and graduate students. It can be used to answer simple reference questions, provide the resources for an undergraduate paper, or for comprehensive work by advanced students and researchers.
Stagg vs. Yost
Authors: Kryk John
Published: February 2025

Corruption, scandals, and reports of wrongdoing in college football are constantly in the news. From Penn State’s Joe Paterno to Ohio State’s Jim Tressel, we have come to learn that some of the most lauded coaches don’t always live up to their saintly reputations. Perhaps no era of college football was ever more emblematic of this than the early 1900s, a time when coaches worked the system with merciless flair to recruit the best players and then keep them eligible to play, even while other coaches were trying to steal already-enrolled players from rival universities. Amos Alonzo Stagg of the University of Chicago and Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan were no exception, and their bitter rivalry is one for the ages.

In Stagg vs. Yost: The Birth of Cutthroat Football, John Kryk brings to life a story that is both timeless and familiar to all football fans, indeed to all sports fans: one man’s obsession to end the pain of a long losing streak to a hated rival. This is the story of how Amos Alonzo Stagg covertly punted many of the principles he espoused in order to dismantle one of the most powerful machines the game has known—Fielding Yost’s Michigan Wolverines. Kryk reveals the extent to which Stagg schemed to achieve victory against the “Point a Minute” Wolverines and the lengths Yost went to prevent that from happening. In addition, this book provides insight into college athletics’ corruption as a whole during this time, from under-the-table payments to recruits to contracted loans from wealthy boosters—and why the current NCAA rulebook contains page after page of recruiting and eligibility regulations.

Featuring never-before-published internal correspondences of UM athletic leaders, Stagg’s surviving letters and notes, and reports from newspapers of the day, Stagg vs. Yost brings fresh insight into two legends of college football who would do almost anything to win. This book is a noteworthy and fascinating narrative for football fans, historians, and anyone interested in seeing where cutthroat college recruiting and coaching all began.
The Self-Propelled Voyager
Authors: Jamieson Duncan R.
Published: February 2025

Before the last quarter of the nineteenth century, people who wanted to travel independently either walked or rode horses. Then a newly invented machine changed forever the nature of personal transportation. The cycle—self-propelled bicycles, tricycles, and tandems—allowed almost anyone to travel around town, around their region, and around the world. While dramatic developments in equipment, clothing, road surfaces, and amenities make the physicality of cycling much different from the earlier era, the experience of cycling has seen little change.

The Self-Propelled Voyager: How the Cycle Revolutionized Travel recounts how a transportation innovation opened the world for not only those who made the journey but also for the armchair travelers who read with interest the cyclists’ accounts of faraway places. Following a brief history of the development of the cycle, this book describes the exploits of long-distance riders who wrote of their experiences, their triumphs, and their tragedies. Duncan R. Jamieson chronicles their journeys, their personal stories, and the times in which they lived, revealing that, despite the continuing rise and fall of cycling interest, people continue to enjoy traveling in the slow lane.

Drawing on books and articles by the women and men who rode and wrote of their travels, The Self-Propelled Voyager also features photographs from the 1880s up to the modern day, illustrating the development of the cycle through history. Accessibly written yet comprehensive in its coverage, this book will interest not only the cycling enthusiast but historians focusing on sport and sport tourism as well.
Pivot Principal
Authors: Perez Lori
Published: February 2025

This book will guide the reader to develop a personal leadership style for entrepreneurial success. The practical strategies and implementation notes will guide the reader to define a personal success style, promote team support and keep life in balance while working in a position that can feel chaotic at times. The book is written as a handbook filled with practicality followed by reflection notes for the reader to engage in mindful leadership. The daily interactions of a site principal are critical to the success of a school to thrive academically and socially. Every minute of a leader's day can be an opportunity for success or failure dependent upon the decisions made. Great decisions simply can not be made by burnt out, tired, out-of-touch administrators without a vision of success who haven’t learned to prioritize; keep kids first, make a plan then work it and truly lead others to their highest potential.
Common Sense
Authors: Gose Michael
Published: February 2025

“Finally a book about teaching that tells it like it is,” NEA Today said about Michael Gose’s first edition, What It Means to Be a Teacher. The second edition continues the stories that capture the meaning of teaching and now looks back with commentary on how those tales also work as parables. In the spirit of Thomas Paine, this second edition uses “Common Sense” to tell what is really going on with students, teachers, and schools. (Hint: the reality is actually a lot more optimistic than commonly portrayed in the media.)
Culture, Clichés, and Conversations
Authors: Barber Anthony P.
Published: February 2025

Relationships are everything in successful systems, and connections are cultivated by our actions and our words. Within our words, we contain the power to build relationships or bury them. Those who look for opportunities to converse on significant issues sustain and prosper. However, often times these conversations are cut short by our inability to discover the hidden meanings behind our chosen responses.

In today’s school systems, educational clichés are ending essential dialogue when they should begin and maintain it. Messages like “That’s why you make the big bucks” or “It is what it is” hinder our capacity to construct critical connections with each other. The focus of Clichés, Conversations and Culture: Cultivating Relations Between Teachers and Administrators is to unveil these clichés and explore alternatives that will foster connectedness. By improving our dialogue, we will be able to nurture a more viable culture for our building and bridge the gap that historically exists between administrators and teachers.
The Use of Literary Sources in Social Studies, K-8
Authors: Bukowiecki Elaine M.
Published: February 2025

The Use of Literary Sources in Social Studies, K-8 is a resource for teachers who wish to include varied literary genres in their social studies instruction along with a required social studies textbook. The literature described and exemplified in this book includes fiction, nonfiction, biographies, autobiographies, historical fiction, poetry, fairy tales, folktales, tall tales, and legends. Throughout this book, different instructional suggestions are presented for inclusion with varied social studies topics and literature sources.

Each chapter contains questions and pedagogical strategies for critically reading and responding to varied literary genres, modifications to meet the needs of diverse learners, assessment techniques, information tied to technology and the “new literacies,” and connections to the National Curriculum Standards for the Social Studies: A Framework for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment (2010) and the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (2010). The final chapter of this book describes the development and implementation of a classroom library for social studies teaching and learning.
The Deuce and a Half IPad
Authors: Thornthwaite Carrie
Published: February 2025

iPads are powerful tools for engaging students, encouraging creativity, stimulating critical thinking, and making significant strides in learning. This book is part of a two-book set that allows educators to realize the full potential of the iPad. Over 200 highly rated apps are covered with specific ideas for classroom activities and teaching strategies. Descriptions include ideas for using iPads in classrooms where each student owns an iPad, as well as where there is just a small number of iPads or even just a single device. The first chapter of this book specifically discusses how to promote discovery learning, engagement, understanding, and creativity in ways that enhance the learning experience of all students. Each subsequent chapter is dedicated to apps that have value to the following subject areas: mathematics, science, art, music, health and PE, ELL, and ESL. In consideration of education budgets, all the apps are free or low cost. The information in this book is appropriate for K12 teachers, university professors, media specialists, K12 administrators, parents, and students.
The Evolution of Teaching
Authors: Waters Rich
Published: February 2025

The Evolution of Teaching invites teachers to rethink what teachers and schools do. The need to rethink the role of teachers is driven by an abundance of data showing that teachers are increasingly unhappy with their work. Most critically, they feel a loss of control over their work and their profession as they witness teacher voices being marginalized by impersonal authorities outside of schools who dictate more and more of what teachers and schools must do.

The antidote to this condition is the evolution of teaching. Teachers need to take charge and lead change. They need to redefine teaching and schooling in such a way that it authentically supports student learning and teacher learning. They must redefine it in a way that supports every teacher’s desire to have a personal impact on students while having control over their own work, stakeholder standing as respected professionals, and a full career of professional growth.

As A Guidebook to the Advancement of Teaching, Teacher Education, and Happier Careers, this text will assist teachers in reconceiving the profession of teaching in ways that will make it more personally satisfying while acknowledging that the work of teachers in the twenty-first century must necessarily be different from what we have now, legacy practices of standardization left over from the industrial age.
Plot Building
Authors: Marks Arlene F. , Walker Bette J.
Published: February 2025

The Let Them Write Series is a classroom-tested, teacher-friendly resource for Language Arts teachers of grades 4 through 8. The program is organized in nine sections, each presenting a buffet of from five to nine 1- or 2-week modules. Each classroom-ready module consists of a series of comprehensive, easy-to-follow lesson plans complete with reproducible handouts and cross-curricular extensions, together creating a proven successful template for the teaching of writing and literary analysis skills.

Let Them Write: Plot Building focuses on conflict, suspense and narrative structure. Students practice first-drafting, editing, polishing and sharing original scenes and stories built around these three important elements of storytelling.
White Teachers, Black Students
Authors: Hines Mack T.
Published: February 2025

Can White teachers teach Black Students? This is the provocative and pointed inquiry that drives the creation of White Teachers, Black Students. The twin purpose of this book is how can White teachers consistently teach and reach Black students? Hines starts the book by framing these inquiries within the historical context of race, whiteness, and white people. He then carefully draws a line from this context to the modern day white framing of White teachers’ actions towards African American students. White teachers are challenged to disrupt this teaching identity for a more developed and diverse worldview regarding race. From there, Hines presents a framework for translating White racial awareness into the ultimate White racial actualization-an affirmation of the ability to facilitate Black student achievement.
Math for ELLs
Authors: Ewing Jim
Published: February 2025

Do you teach math to Spanish-Speaking ELLs (especially K-8)? If so, Math for ELLs is for you. There is a myth that “math is math” and there is no language involved; yet ELLs are not doing well in this subject. About three quarters of ELLs speak Spanish at home--this book focuses on these students. Make math come alive for Spanish-speaking ELLs. You will grasp the strategies as easy as “uno, dos, tres!”
Engaging Empathy and Activating Agency
Authors: Hays Alice
Published: February 2025

This book provides a step-by-step guide for teachers to implement an action-based curriculum, using young adult literature to engage students with contemporary issues. In addition to reading, ELA core standards including speaking and writing are addressed within this curriculum. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of the curriculum: helping students find their passion; guiding them in collaborative group reading of relevant novels; supporting them in researching, writing, and speaking about their topic; and helping them translate their ideas into action within their school and community. The book is set up in such a way that teachers can follow the curriculum from beginning to end—or, if they choose, incorporate only some of the chapters. The author brings the curriculum alive with teacher and student voices about their experiences. The appendix describes contemporary middle school and high school novels that address a variety of social justice topics. Ultimately, the book supports teachers as they inspire their students to examine issues with empathy, research potential solutions, and exercise agency as they take action to help address issues the students are passionate about.
Veils, Nudity, and Tattoos
Authors: Botz-Bornstein Thorsten
Published: February 2025

At first sight, tattoos, nudity, and veils do not seem to have much in common except for the fact that all three have become more frequent, more visible, and more dominant in connection with aesthetic presentations of women over the past thirty years. No longer restricted to biker and sailor culture, tattoos have been sanctioned by the mainstream of liberal societies. Nudity has become more visible than ever on European beaches or on the internet. The increased use of the veil by women in Muslim and non-Muslim countries has developed in parallel with the aforementioned phenomena and is just as striking.

Through the means of conceptual analysis, Veils, Nudity, and Tattoos: The New Feminine Aesthetics reveals that these three phenomena can be both private and public, humiliating and empowering, and backward and progressive. This unorthodox approach is traced by the three’s similar social and psychological patterns, and by doing so, Veils, Nudity, and Tattoos hopes to sketch the image of a woman who is not only sexually emancipated and confident, but also more and more aware of her cultural heritage.
African American Girls and the Construction of Identity
Authors: Walker Sheila
Published: February 2025

In African American Girls and the Construction of Identity, Sheila Walker closely examines socioeconomic class and explores the way it shapes how African American girls experience race and gender in the process of their identity formation. While all the girls who participated in the two-year study are African American, their lives are racialized and gendered in significantly different ways, in both public and private spaces. Affluence is not a guaranteed protection against the identity-damaging effects of racism, and poverty is not necessarily a risk factor for an irresolute identity. By examining identity through the lens of class, Walker provides researchers, educators, and parents a more in-depth appreciation of what is a very complex, multi-layered phenomenon.
A ROMAN FACE POT DISCOVERED IN REȘCA-ROMULA
Authors:   Assoc. Prof. Spiru Haret University, Bucharest/University of Craiova/University of Bucharest, Research Institute, Negru Mircea
Published: February 2025

Archaeological research has identified, starting in 1965, a large ceramic production district in the northern part of the Romanian city of Romula. Most clay material burning furnaces were used for firing vessels.
Face can be discovered in 2018, in the pit of potter's kiln no. 25, is an almost whole vessel. The vessel indicates a male character, with a tap-shaped chin, with bushy eyebrows and an elongated nose.
The decoration was made by adding material, by impresion and by incising.
The vessel was intended for funerary practices, an argument in this sense being the fact that the character had closed eyes, but also specialized literature.
This vessel has its origin in vessels of this type from Italy, which were adapted in the Danube provinces.
Evaluating the Success and Impact of Public Health Campaigns
Authors:   Faculty of Medicine Kampala International University Uganda, Francis I. Omeye
Published: February 2025

Public health campaigns play a critical role in promoting healthy behaviors, preventing diseases, and improving population well-being. This paper evaluates the methodologies, metrics, and challenges involved in assessing the success and impact of public health campaigns. By investigating case studies, such as campaigns targeting maternal health, substance use treatment, and mental well-being, we highlight the importance of quantitative and qualitative evaluation approaches. Effective campaigns not only achieve behavioral changes and health improvements but also maximize resource efficiency while minimizing harm. Our analysis underscores the necessity for robust evaluation frameworks to enhance the design and implementation of future campaigns.

Keywords: Public health campaigns, health promotion, behavioral change, quantitative evaluation, qualitative assessment.
The Role of Digital Twins in Personalizing Patient Treatment Plans in Healthcare
Authors:   Faculty of Science and Technology Kampala International University Uganda, Muthoni L. Kibibi
Published: February 2025

Digital twins, virtual replicas of physical entities or processes, have emerged as transformative tools in healthcare, offering unprecedented opportunities for personalizing patient treatment plans. By integrating real-time patient data with predictive models, digital twins enable healthcare providers to simulate outcomes, optimize interventions, and align treatment strategies with individual patient needs. This paper investigates the foundational concept of digital twins, their benefits in creating personalized treatment plans, and the technological infrastructure required for their implementation. It also examines ethical challenges and governance issues related to patient data, algorithmic biases, and decision-making. Furthermore, the discussion highlights future opportunities, including the integration of AI and machine learning to enhance digital twin systems. By addressing current limitations and ethical considerations, digital twins have the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery, reduce costs, and improve patient outcomes on a global scale.

Keywords: Digital twins, personalized medicine, healthcare technology, predictive modeling, real-time patient data.
Experimental Typography Typeface Design Inspired from Dates Palm Tree Bark Texture
Authors: Mushtaq Muhammad , Bushra  , Ibrahim Aansa , Adeel Muhammad , Murtaza Ghulam , Waleed Ahmad
Published: February 2025

This research investigates the relationship between nature and typography. By creating an experimental typeface based on the texture of palm tree bark. The research explores how organic texture might impact font design to create a distinctive visual language that unites digital typography and natural aesthetics. Using a combination of digital design tools and hand drawings, a typeface that resembles the complex patterns and inconsistencies of palm bark was produced. The findings provide a fresh viewpoint on the typeface. The design shows how natural texture can stimulate creative typographic designs.
Financial Risk and Financial Performance of Tier 3 Commercial Banks in Kenya
Authors: Wambua Sylvia Mbithe , Namusonge Gregory Simiyu , Odhiambo Romanus
Published: February 2025

Tier 3 commercial banks in Kenya play a vital role in the country’s economic growth by facilitating the supply of money and supporting economic ventures. However, these banks face significant challenges that affect their financial performance, with financial risk being a critical factor. Financial risk involves potential losses arising from inadequate revenue generation, operational failures, market volatility, or regulatory changes, and primarily manifests in credit, market, operational, and liquidity risks. The objective of the study was to assess the influence of financial risk on the financial performance of Tier 3 commercial banks in Kenya, with a focus on the moderating role of bank size. A cross-sectional survey research design was adopted, targeting branch managers, executive managers, finance managers, credit managers, and other key personnel from Tier 3 banks. Data collection involved questionnaires for primary data and a secondary data collection sheet for financial performance metrics, analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found that financial risk negatively affects financial performance, highlighting the need for effective risk management strategies. To mitigate financial risks, Tier 3 banks should implement robust risk-rating systems, continuous monitoring frameworks, and leverage financial innovations such as advanced analytics and digital tools to enhance decision-making. Strengthened internal controls, balanced loan portfolios, and adherence to prudential guidelines were also recommended to improve financial performance. Additionally, the study emphasized the importance of bank size as a moderating factor, underscoring the need for strategies aligned with the scale of operations. Future research could explore sector-specific risks and the role of emerging financial technologies in risk management for more granular insights.
Teacher’s Creativity, Innovation and Emotional Intelligence as Predictors of Transformational Education in Universities in South-East, Nigeria
Authors: Okechukwu John Ndubueze , Joseph Ayodele Abiodun , Ironkwe Athanasius Chinweze , Ezenwagu Stephen Abuchi , Obilor Peter Uzochukwu
Published: February 2025

This study examined teachers’ creativity, innovation and emotional intelligence as predictors of transformational education in universities in South-East, Nigeria. Three specific purposes; three research questions, and three hypotheses guided the study. Correlational research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised all the 4,240 teaching staff (2,778 in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; UNIZIK and 1,462 in Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo; AE-FUNAI). The sample size for the study was 424 teaching staff drawn through proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Structured instruments “Creativity Rating Scale (TCRS) developed by the researchers; Innovation Adoption and Impact Questionnaire (IAIQ) developed by Emily Carter in 2021; Emotional Intelligence Rating Scale (EIRS) developed by Schutte et al. in 1998; and Transformational Education Rating Scale (TERS) developed by the researchers” were used for data collection. The instruments were face validated by three experts in Faculty of Education; two lecturers in Educational Management and Policy and one lecturer in Measurement and Evaluation Unit, Department of Educational Foundations Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Internal consistencies co-efficient of 0.84, 0.90, 0.81, and 0.91 were obtained for TCRS, IAIQ, EIRS, and TERS respectively using Cronbach Alpha statistical method. The researchers administered the instrument to the respondents with the help of six research assistants. Out of the 424 copies of the instruments administered, 409 copies (96.46%) were retrieved duly completed, and used for data analysis. Simple linear regression statistics (R) was used for data analysis. The (R) was used to determine the predictive value of the independent variables and the dependent variable of the study. The p-value was used to determine the significance of the prediction for all hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. All analyses were carried out using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 25. The study findings revealed that teachers' creativity, innovation, and emotional intelligence are very strong predictors and significantly predict transformational education in universities in South-East Nigeria. Based on the empirical findings, it was concluded that teachers' creativity, innovation, and emotional intelligence are critical components that significantly enhance the effectiveness of transformational education in universities in South-East Nigeria. Based on the findings, the study recommended among others that policymakers should formulate and implement policies that encourage and support teachers' creativity and innovation. This includes funding for research and development in education, as well as policies that integrate emotional intelligence training into teacher preparation programmes.
Space mining: Sustainability for the future
Authors:   Research Group on Design, Analysis and Development of Engineering Systems – GIDAD, Fundación Universitaria Los Libertadores, Ortiz Edward Camilo Martinez , Muñoz Luisa Fernanda Mónico , Anzola John Petearson Anzola ,   Faculty of Engineering and Basic Sciences, Aerospace Systems Research Group – AERSYS, Fundación Universitaria Los Libertadores,   Faculty of Engineering and Basic Sciences, Applied Research Group on Signals and Systems (GUIAS), Fundación Universitaria Los Libertadores
Published: February 2025

This research analyzes the viability and impact of space mining on asteroids as a solution to the depletion of mineral resources on Earth, considering that reserves of key elements such as mercury (92%), silver (79%), gold (75%), arsenic (75%), iron (28%), aluminum (15%) and copper (50%) are being depleted, affecting essential sectors such as construction, telecommunications and metallurgy. While terrestrial mining has caused irreversible environmental damage to vital ecosystems, space mining emerges as an alternative to mitigate resource scarcity and as a milestone towards a sustainable space age. This challenge requires innovation, research and global cooperation that transcends borders. Space mining is emerging as a transformative response to mineral scarcity, capable of reducing the environmental impacts of terrestrial mining while promoting sustainability. Through international policies, technological advances and joint efforts, this initiative opens doors to an interplanetary future full of opportunities for humanity.

Keywords: Asterank, Asteroids, Celestial Bodies, Mining, Space Mining
Evaluating Barriers to Implementation of Open Innovation in SMEs: A Case Study in Ordu Province
Authors: Aytekin Ahmet , Korucuk Selçuk
Published: February 2025

Approaches such as innovation, innovation management, open innovation, and utilization of technology have become critical for almost all businesses to stay ahead of the competition in today's globalized corporate environment. Non-enterprise innovation applications, often known as open innovation in enterprises, are integrated by embedding them into internal systems. The production of innovative ideas in collaboration with non-enterprise partners can be classified as open innovation practices within small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). As a result, they are critical components in assisting organizations, such as offering a competitive advantage to SMEs, cost reduction, improving customer service quality, and responding to market needs on time. Yet, SMEs have a number of challenges when it comes to open innovation applications. The elimination of these barriers and problems will also increase the agility of SMEs. In this context, the barriers to open innovation implementation in SMEs were investigated, and the criteria that prevent open innovation were identified. The weight coefficients representing the importance levels of the criteria were calculated using the Interval Valued Intuitionistic Fuzzy Ranking Comparison (RANCOM) technique. According to the findings, the most critical barrier in the fulfilment of open innovation was " inadequacy or lack of management support."
Connective and Disjunctive Memory
Authors: Zvereva Vera
Published: February 2025

Digital memory scholars highlight a shift to “connective memory”, which connects individuals to a multitudes of users as opposed to the memory of a collective. Additionally, the importance of forgetting has become an essential demand of participants in digital communication, which leads to the importance of understanding “disjunctive memory” as well. Undermining the hopes for progressing empathy and understanding in the digital age, its disruptive effects materialize in Russian digital media discourse in the 2020s.
BALANCING TRANSPARENCY AND PERFORMANCE: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF EXPLAINABLE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (XAI) TECHNIQUES ACROSS DOMAINS
Authors: Grigoryan Arman
Published: February 2025

The increasing complexity of new artificial intelligence (AI) models has led to their being referred to as “black boxes,” in order not to attribute complex decision-making processes to them. This opacity is a big issue in critical areas like legal systems, finance and healthcare spheres, where it is essential to understand how AI makes its decisions. Explainable AI (XAI) is the answer to this problem as it makes the AI models and decisions more understandable and transparent without compromising efficiency.
This paper presents a study of various XAI techniques with their effectiveness, applicability, and the challenges encountered in finding the right balance between transparency and performance across domains. It provides a comprehensive taxonomy of interpretable AI, emphasizing its critical role in sectors such as healthcare, finance, and law. The paper highlights the necessity of transparency, trust, and compliance in leveraging XAI to enhance decision-making processes and ensure ethical and accountable AI adoption.
Internetinio klientų aptarnavimo plėtros modelis
Authors: Žaptorius Jonas
Published: February 2025

Straipsnyje nagrinėjamos internetinio klientų aptarnavimo problemos, išskiriami bei analizuojami efektyvų aptarnavimą lemiantys veiksniai: įmonės orientacija į klientą, aptarnavimo standartų kūrimas, žmogiškieji ištekliai, ryšių su klientais valdymas (CRM) ir kt. Atlikus Lietuvos elektroninio verslo būklės analizę, palyginta padėtis su ES ir išskirti veiksniai, stabdantys elektroninio verslo plėtrą. Internetinio aptarnavimo Lietuvoje padėtis išsiaiškinta atlikus anketinę apklausą. Išnagrinėjus teorinius ir praktinius internetinio aptarnavimo aspektus, sukurtas internetinio klientų aptarnavimo plėtros modelis. Elektroninės komercijos padėtis Lietuvoje po truputį gerėja, tačiau vis dar atsiliekame nuo Europos Sąjungos vidurkio. Tam turi įtakos žinių apie elektroninę komerciją stoka, apgaulės ar vagystės baimė, pateikiamų asmens duomenų nesaugumas bei prekių nepristatymo galimybė; neigiamos įtakos turi ir nepakankamas telekomunikacinių tinklų išplėtojimas, jų kokybė ir pralaidumas, aukšta paslaugų kaina.
CHITOSAN AND ITS MODIFIED FORMS: PREPARATION, PROPERTIES, APPLICATION. REVIEW
Authors: Agoeva Eleonora A. , Khashirova Svetlana Yu.
Published: February 2025

Over the past decades, increased interest has been shown to macromolecular materials, the raw materials of which are renewable resources. In this context, polysaccharides are a common, biodegradable and inexpensive natural resource. So one of the most common polysaccharides after cellulose is chitosan, which is obtained from chitin. The use of chitosan, a natural polymer, has recently increased due to its antimicrobial and antifungal properties, zero toxicity, biocompatibility, and ability to form biofilms and hydrogels. Applications and research areas include biomedicine, pharmaceuticals, biomaterials, water purification, and hair and skin care products. However, the use of chitosan is limited due to the complexity of modifying its structure and poor solubility in water. Among the main chemical modifications for the functionalization of the chitosan structure are N-substitution, O-substitution (with or without protection of chitosan reaction centers) and crosslinking with other compounds. These chemical modifications make it possible to improve its chemical and physical properties. Taking into account the current importance of using chitosan with chemical modification, this review examines the structure, production methods, physico-chemical properties, ways of chemical modification and application of chitosan, as well as the individual properties of chitosan, which make it possible to create innovative new materials with special characteristics revealing its adaptability and bio-value. Special attention is paid to the methods of modification of chitosan by various methods and functional components, which allow varying its qualitative, quantitative and biological characteristics. Approaches to the production of guanidine-containing chitosan and the properties of such composite materials, as well as a wide range of applications, are discussed.
For citation:
Agoeva E.A., Khashirova S.Yu. Chitosan and its modified forms: preparation, properties, application. Review. ChemChemTech [Izv. Vyssh. Uchebn. Zaved. Khim. Khim. Tekhnol.]. 2025. V. 68. N 3. P. 6-19. DOI: 10.6060/ivkkt.20256803.7083.