bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Preliminary Survey of the Avifaunal Diversity in Pampaimadu Premise of the University of Vavuniya, Vavuniya, Sri Lanka
Authors: Keerthanaram T.  , Wijerathna H.M.P.A.  , Sanjeewani H.K.N.  
Published: February 2024

Vavuniya is a lowland dry zone district of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, which is still unexplored with a natural forest cover of 1,238 km2. Even though there are many kinds of literature concerning the water birds of the Vavuniya, the diversity of tropical avifaunal species is still a gap which was the light of this study. The study area is situated 10 km from the center of Vavuniya along the A30 highway, with the dry-mixed evergreen forest as vegetation. The district is located within the dry zone which experiences a mean temperature of 28° C and annual rainfall of 1,400 mm. It also consists of 02 adjoined tanks along the boundary. The study points were used for the avifaunal survey during mid of March to end of July 2022. Habitat diversity within the study area was discussed using a prepared checklist and the community indices like the Shannon-Weiner index (H‘), Simpson‘s diversity index (D), Simpson‘s evenness (E), and Species richness (R) across various habitats ecosystem: Woodland-Paddy land (H1); Woodland-Water catchment area (H2); Forest (H3); Grassland with inundated land ecosystem (H4); and Manage Garden with Occasional trees (H5) of the study area. The checklist resulted in a total observation of 93 avifaunal species including 87 resident and 06 migrant species belonging to 47 families (including 09 endemics, and 05 nationally threatened species). Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) belongs to Family Columbidae with the highest frequency (68%, n=123) and is evenly distributed across different habitats but the family Ardeidae is found extensively dominating in H5 (39%). H1 is with the highest H‘ (3.5) and D (0.96); while H3 has the highest R (2.52) and E (0.62). The seasonally inundated habitats H2 and H4 bring water birds to the study area. It also increases the availability of avifaunal insectivores. Many anthropogenic disturbances, such as habitat alterations, intentional wildfire, and road mortality are the key threats encountered by the avifaunal species in the study area. In addition to that, the activity of stray dogs within the premises was observed to be a potential threat during the breeding season. Appropriate conservation strategies including landscape management, conservation of available forest land, and proper awareness of neighboring local communities are necessary to maintain the current ecological status.
Keywords: Avifauna, Checklist, Habitat variation, Species diversity, Vavuniya
Importance of the Conservation of Natural Forests in Protecting Red Listed Medicinal Plant Terminalia arjuna in the Perspective of Indigenous System of Medicine
Authors: Shifka W.F.  , Muthalib A.M.  
Published: February 2024

Sri Lanka the country which is rich in natural resources has a percentage of 29.9 (1,933,000 ha) covered by forest. In present the forests are being destroyed due to various reasons. Increased population leads to increased constructions and urbanization are some reasons of forest destructions. Indigenous system of medicine explains on the importance of various natural resources which are highly effective in treating multiple ailments especially, describes on many herbal plants. The study aims on the importance of red listed plant Terminalia arjuna which is being an extinct plant due to forest destruction. A systematic literature review has been carried out to gather information from Unani and Ayurveda classical texts, Pharmacopeias, ethno-botanical literatures, scientific journals, and web. Unauthentic articles and articles which did not match the theme and eligibility criteria were excluded. 39 articles were finally included for the study. The key words used in searching were T. arjuna, forest conservation, natural resources, red list plants in Sri Lanka, Indigenous medicine and therapeutic effects. Results revealed that T. arjuna belongs to the family Combretacea which is widely spread in mixed dry deciduous tropical forests of Sri Lanka. Various parts of this plant (specially the stem-bark) are very effective in treating cardiovascular complications such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, anginal pain and congestive heart failure. This plant contains tannin, the cardiac glycoside possessed from the bark and fruit is known to be an excellent cardiac tonic which is potent in strengthening the cardiac muscles, in improving the blood circulation of coronary artery and prevents the heart muscle from ischemic damage. Therefore, this study focuses on the importance of the conservation of forests and natural resources which are being helpful in the system of Indigenous medicine in various ways.
Keywords: Natural resources, Forest, Indigenous medicine, Terminalia arjuna, Cardiac tonic
EMG Testing throughout behavioral recovery after rat sciatic nerve crush injury results in exuberant motoneuron dendritic hypertrophy
Authors: Meadows Rena M. , Richards Sarah M. E.V. , Kitsis Michelle R. , Brown Todd J. , Jones Kathy J. , Sengelaub Dale R. 
Published: February 2024

Background: Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is the most common type of nerve trauma yet, while injured motoneurons exhibit a robust capacity for regeneration, behavioral recovery is protracted and typically poor. Neurotherapeutic approaches to PNI and repair have primarily focused on the enhancement of axonal regeneration, in terms of rate, axonal sprouting, and reconnection connectivity. Both electrical stimulation (ES) and treatment with androgens [e.g., testosterone propionate (TP)] have been demonstrated to enhance axonal sprouting, regeneration rate and functional recovery following PNI. To date, very little work has been done to examine the effects of ES and/or TP on dendritic morphology and organization within the spinal cord after PNI. Objective: The objective of the current study was to examine the impact of treatment with TP and ES, alone or in combination, on the dendritic arbor of spinal motoneurons after target disconnection via sciatic nerve crush injury in the rat. Methods: Rats received a crush injury to the sciatic nerve. Following injury, some animals received either (1) no further treatment beyond implantation with empty Silastic capsules, (2) electrical nerve stimulation immediately after injury, (3) implantation with Silastic capsules filled with TP, or (4) electrical nerve stimulation immediately after injury as well as implantation with TP. All of these groups of axotomized animals also received bi-weekly electromyography (EMG) testing. Additional groups of intact untreated animals as well as a group of injured animals who received no further treatment or EMG testing were also included. Eight weeks after injury, motoneurons innervating the anterior tibialis muscle were labeled with cholera toxin-conjugated horseradish peroxidase, and dendritic arbors were reconstructed in three dimensions. Results: After nerve crush and ES and/or TP treatment, motoneurons innervating the anterior tibialis underwent marked dendritic hypertrophy. Surprisingly, this dendritic hypertrophy occurred in all animals receiving repeated bi-weekly EMG testing, regardless of treatment. When the EMG testing was eliminated, the dendritic arbor extent and distribution after nerve crush in the treated groups did not significantly differ from intact untreated animals. Conclusions: The ability of repeated EMG testing to so dramatically affect central plasticity following a peripheral nerve injury was unexpected. It was also unexpected that gonadal steroid hormones and/or ES, two neurotherapeutic approaches with demonstrated molecular/behavioral changes consistent with peripheral improvements in axonal repair and target reconnection, do not appear to impact central plasticity in a similar manner. The significance of peripheral EMG testing and resulting central plasticity reorganization remains to be determined.
Teaching Mathematics with Creativity
Authors: Tap William , Bulbul Helicopter Mark , Jomah Sulieman A.S. , Rilando Ceasar Oromo , Lagure Ben Salibaa 
Published: February 2024

This article explores and reviews the literature about the latest research-based teaching and learning techniques or strategies that are used by passionate and enthusiastic classroom teachers, often for the purpose of enlightening, firing up, or illuminating classroom lessons to grab students’ immediate attention, curiosity, and overall interest in the learning process. The question used to guide the exploration of the existing literature is: How do effective classroom teachers manage to always create a conducive, welcoming, and exciting rather than depressive learning environment? Participants’ engagement, observation and informal-oral interviews (or conversations) were the methodologies employed for this review study. While the current research output is often forward-looking, that is, it is too busy moving forward as it comes up daily with suggested new ways of teaching and learning, almost nothing or little attention is given to what is already available. This means there is an implication that a valuable knowledge already discovered could remain largely un-utilized, unused knowledge domain which can be put into practice in classroom settings. Hence, this qualitative, cumulative, and narrative review article highlights some of the latest, creative, and effective teaching techniques that the authors explored and found impressive. These are effective strategies that might be overlooked, overshadowed, or blurred; but they are effective techniques that can be utilized by the most passionate and enthusiastic classroom teachers for the purpose of making mathematics attractive. It is therefore recommended that the classroom teachers be allowed certain decree of freedom to experiment with new ways of teaching.
Dmytro Ivanovych Kachenovskyi – a legal scholar, educator and teacher (based on the materials of Kharkiv Law Society)
Authors: Maliutina O. K. 
Published: February 2024

The article examines the scientific and pedagogical activities of the legal scholar, professor of Kharkiv University Dmytro Ivanovych Kachenovskyi (1827–1872). The researcher pioneered the national legal education and had a significant impact on its development. The study of the creative work of the mid-nineteenth century international law expert became relevant in the early twentieth century. In 1903, Kharkiv Law Society held a solemn meeting on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Dmytro Kachenovskyi’s death. Following the meeting, a collection of materials in memory of Dmytro Kachenovskyi was published. These materials are a valuable historical source that contain special information and contribute to a deeper study of the scientist’s scientific heritage. The study of the source expands the existing documentary base. The purpose of the study is to study and analyse the materials of the collection published by the Kharkiv Law Society in honour of Professor Kachenovskyi.
The analysis of memoirs helps to reconstruct the key episodes of a scientist's life in more detail, to form an idea of his personality, to explore the directions of his scientific research, views on topical social issues, attitude to teaching, relationships with colleagues, and influence on students.
It has been proved that the distinctive features of the scientist were humanistic guidelines, breadth of outlook, and diversity of scientific interests. His natural abilities, academic education, developed intellect, and ability to work determined his personality. His knowledge of foreign languages, foreign internships, personal contacts with foreign colleagues, and the study of European scientific literature in the original allows us to characterise him as a typical representative of the “inner West” who saw his mission in spreading education and the latest scientific achievements. His lectures, which were characterised by a comprehensive approach to teaching, brought up a generation of public and judicial figures of the era of great reforms.
Methodological aspects of forensic commodity examination of live animals
Authors: Krivoruchko N. V. , Menshykh T. M. 
Published: February 2024

The article is devoted to the generalisation of methodological approaches to the forensic commodity examination of live animals. It is determined that the main stages of the examination are: 1) verification of compliance of the characteristics of the object of study with the data provided in the case file; 2) determination of the value characteristics of the animal: age, breed, sex, colour, physical condition (weight, assessment of appearance), as well as examination of documents certifying the animal’s pedigree (if any); if it is necessary to use special knowledge to assess the physical condition of the animal, a forensic commodity expert may request a forensic veterinary examination; 3) market price research for live animals of the same breed, age, sex, etc.; 4) preparation of a forensic commodity examination report indicating the value of the object of research. It is established that animals which are the objects of forensic commodity expertise are subject to the legal regime of a thing. It is allowed to apply the main legal acts for conducting a commodity expertise, in particular, the Law of Ukraine “On Forensic Examination” and other laws of Ukraine, the Instruction on the appointment and conduct of forensic examinations and expert studies, as well as the Methodological Recommendations on the organisation and conduct of forensic examinations of livestock, poultry and other live animals - objects of management.
The article considers the peculiarities of applying the methods of assessment of live animals. During the examination, the expert must justify the feasibility of applying a particular approach, taking into account the purpose of the animal, its physical condition, and productivity indicators. To assess the value of domestic animals and individual heads of farm animals, it is advisable to use a comparative approach, which consists in finding out the market value of similar animals at the time of the study. For the purpose of livestock assessment, and depending on the subject matter of the claim (damage, recovery, etc.), it is advisable to take into account the amount of assessment calculated under the cost approach. When the real value of livestock depends on their productivity, it is advisable to take into account the amount of valuation determined by the income approach. This article analyses the state of information support on the basis of which such an assessment was made.
Aspects of conducting a forensic commodity examination of sunflower oil
Authors: Sоlоnіchenkо L. А. , Seredа D. Yu. 
Published: February 2024

Vegetable oil production has been growing steadily, driven by increased consumption, including industrial consumption, and by producers developing the production of oils from fruits, nuts and grains. In this regard, there is a need for constant examination of vegetable oils, including the development of new testing methods, finding ways to improve the quality and safety of this product, and preventing the entry of falsified vegetable oil into the Ukrainian market. When conducting an examination of vegetable oils, the following research goals are determined: identification of the type of vegetable oil; methods of falsification and methods of their detection. Assortment falsification in vegetable oils is of the following types: re-grading is widespread, with highly refined vegetable oils being substituted for unrefined and technical oils most often. Also, more valuable types of oils: corn, sunflower can be replaced with low-value (soybean, cottonseed, rapeseed, etc.). Moreover, in a refined form, when specific aromatic and coloring substances have been removed, it is almost impossible to distinguish one oil from another by organoleptic indicators. It is possible to establish the origin of the oil only with physical and chemical parameters, in particular the composition of fatty acids. Quality falsification of vegetable oils can be carried out in the following ways: violation of production technology, violation of recipe composition, violation of purification (refining) technology.
The article reveals the possibility of conducting a forensic examination of vegetable oil, considers the types of sunflower oil in terms of organoleptic, physicochemical and safety characteristics. The procedure for conducting the examination has also been considered. The article outlines the problems of falsification of vegetable oils, conducting commodity research, identifying commodity properties of vegetable oils, their technological features during forensic examination. Recommendations on quality control of castor oil for participants of foreign economic activity, expert organisations and consumers have been provided.
Food Waste Prevention and Local Policymaking: A Case Study Analysis of Food Waste Reduction Strategies in the City of Toronto and the City of Vancouver
Authors: Re Monica Da 
Published: February 2024

<p>Local governments are emerging as critical actors in the implementation of food waste interventions and are increasingly prioritizing the issue on local policy and planning agendas. However, systematic examination of policy instruments and evaluation procedures used by local governments to tackle food waste is lacking, particularly for Canadian cities. This paper presents a case study analysis of food waste strategies implemented by the City of Toronto and City of Vancouver to assess which policy instruments are being used. The findings demonstrate that although cities use a wide array of policy instruments, information-based instruments are the most common and are used to modify consumer behaviour and attitudes towards food waste. The findings also show that determining which policy interventions and instruments are most successful has been obscured by inconsistent or absent evaluation criteria. Accordingly, the potential for municipal policy interventions to be scaled and applied across other urban contexts remains underexploited. </p>
The biological interplay between air pollutants and miRNAs regulation in cancer
Authors: Giammona Alessandro , Remedia Sofia , Porro Danilo , Lo Dico Alessia , Bertoli Gloria 
Published: February 2024

Air pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5, with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm), represents a risk factor for human health. Many studies, regarding cancer onset and progression, correlated with the short and/or long exposition to PM2.5. This is mainly mediated by the ability of PM2.5 to reach the pulmonary alveoli by penetrating into the blood circulation. This review recapitulates the methodologies used to study PM2.5 in cellular models and the downstream effects on the main molecular pathways implicated in cancer. We report a set of data from the literature, that describe the involvement of miRNAs or long noncoding RNAs on the main biological processes involved in oxidative stress, inflammation, autophagy (PI3K), cell proliferation (NFkB, STAT3), and EMT (Notch, AKT, Wnt/β-catenin) pathways. microRNAs, as well as gene expression profile, responds to air pollution environment modulating some key genes involved in epigenetic modification or in key mediators of the biological processes described below. In this review, we provide some scientific evidences about the thigh correlation between miRNAs dysregulation, PM2.5 exposition, and gene pathways involved in cancer progression.
Predicting groundwater level using traditional and deep machine learning algorithms
Authors: Feng Fan , Ghorbani Hamzeh , Radwan Ahmed E. 
Published: February 2024

This research aims to evaluate various traditional or deep machine learning algorithms for the prediction of groundwater level (GWL) using three key input variables specific to Izeh City in the Khuzestan province of Iran: groundwater extraction rate (E), rainfall rate (R), and river flow rate (P) (with 3 km distance). Various traditional and deep machine learning (DML) algorithms, including convolutional neural network (CNN), recurrent neural network (RNN), support vector machine (SVM), decision tree (DT), random forest (RF), and generative adversarial network (GAN), were evaluated. The convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm demonstrated superior performance among all the algorithms evaluated in this study. The CNN model exhibited robustness against noise and variability, scalability for handling large datasets with multiple input variables, and parallelization capabilities for fast processing. Moreover, it autonomously learned and identified data patterns, resulting in fewer outlier predictions. The CNN model achieved the highest accuracy in GWL prediction, with an RMSE of 0.0558 and an R2 of 0.9948. It also showed no outlier data predictions, indicating its reliability. Spearman and Pearson correlation analyses revealed that P and E were the dataset’s most influential variables on GWL. This research has significant implications for water resource management in Izeh City and the Khuzestan province of Iran, aiding in conservation efforts and increasing local crop productivity. The approach can also be applied to predicting GWL in various global regions facing water scarcity due to population growth. Future researchers are encouraged to consider these factors for more accurate GWL predictions. Additionally, the CNN algorithm’s performance can be further enhanced by incorporating additional input variables.
Circulating micronutrient levels and their association with sepsis susceptibility and severity: a Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Wei Zhengxiao , Liu Yingfen , Mei Xue , Zhong Jing , Huang Fuhong 
Published: February 2024

Background: Sepsis, a global health challenge, necessitates a nuanced understanding of modifiable factors for effective prevention and intervention. The role of trace micronutrients in sepsis pathogenesis remains unclear, and their potential connection, especially with genetic influences, warrants exploration.Methods: We employed Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to assess the causal relationship between genetically predicted blood levels of nine micronutrients (calcium, β-carotene, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin D, and zinc) and sepsis susceptibility, severity, and subtypes. The instrumental variables for circulating micronutrients were derived from nine published genome-wide association studies (GWAS). In the primary MR analysis, we utilized summary statistics for sepsis from two independent databases (UK Biobank and FinnGen consortium), for initial and replication analyses. Subsequently, a meta-analysis was conducted to merge the results. In secondary MR analyses, we assessed the causal effects of micronutrients on five sepsis-related outcomes (severe sepsis, sepsis-related death within 28 days, severe sepsis-related death within 28 days, streptococcal septicaemia, and puerperal sepsis), incorporating multiple sensitivity analyses and multivariable MR to address potential heterogeneity and pleiotropy.Results: The study revealed a significant causal link between genetically forecasted zinc levels and reduced risk of severe sepsis-related death within 28 days (odds ratio [OR] = 0.450; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.263, 0.770; p = 3.58 × 10−3). Additionally, suggestive associations were found for iron (increased risk of sepsis), β-carotene (reduced risk of sepsis death) and vitamin C (decreased risk of puerperal sepsis). No significant connections were observed for other micronutrients.Conclusion: Our study highlighted that zinc may emerges as a potential protective factor against severe sepsis-related death within 28 days, providing theoretical support for supplementing zinc in high-risk critically ill sepsis patients. In the future, larger-scale data are needed to validate our findings.