Specific Character Research Articles

Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Loaded Hydrogel for Wound Healing; Systematic Review.

Wound healing is a biological process that involves a series of consecutive process, and its impairment can lead to chronic wounds and various complications. Recently, there has been a growing interest in employing nanotechnology to enhance wound healing. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have expanded significant attention due to their wide range of applications in the medical field. The advantages of AgNPs include their easy synthesis, change their shape, and high surface area. Silver nanoparticles are very efficient for topical drug administration and wound healing because of their high ratio of surface area to volume. The efficiency of AgNPs depends on the synthesis method and the intended application. Green synthesis methods offer an eco-friendly approach by utilizing natural sources such as plant extracts and fungus. The characterization of nanoparticles plays an important character, and it is accomplished through the use of several characterization methods such as UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). These techniques are employed to confirm the specific characters of the prepared Silver Nanoparticles. Additionally, the review addresses the challenges and future perspectives of utilizing green-synthesized AgNPs loaded in Polyacrylamide hydrogel for wound healing applications, including the optimization of nanoparticle size, and release kinetics. Overall, this review highlights the potential of green-synthesized AgNPs loaded in Polyacrylamide hydrogel as promising for advanced wound healing therapies. There are different approaches of usage of AgNPs for wound healing such as polyacrylamide -hydrogels, and the mechanism after their antibacterial action, have been exposed.

Effects of using superheroes in an undergraduate human anatomy curriculum.

Students often find human anatomy courses to be difficult due to the large amount of content covered at a fast pace, which can result in students failing to retain pertinent information. Superheroes are at the forefront of today's popular culture, with many students identifying with specific characters. Utilizing aspects of students' lives, or their agency, that they can resonate with in the classroom, such as their interests in superheroes or personal connections to fictional characters, may help drive students' motivation to learn course content. This study investigated if the use of superheroes in an anatomy curriculum helped undergraduate students learn, apply, and improve their anatomical knowledge. Two courses at The Ohio State University-Columbus Campus, one with a superhero-based curriculum and one with a traditional anatomy curriculum were compared over three semesters using quizzes and survey data. Results from this project found that the use of superheroes/pop culture in anatomy education is an effective way to teach content. The study also showed that most students found the use of superheroes increased their motivation to learn, helped them gain a deeper understanding of the material, and helped them find the content more approachable and enjoyable. In summary, anatomy curricula can still be taught and explained through these creative and "marvel"-ous examples as it can help students connect the material to their own agency and drive motivation to learn.

Isotopic reconstruction of the early life experience of individuals from the early Bronze age Vliněves site (Czech Republic)

This paper provides information on the early life experience of people from the Central European Early Bronze Age, reconstructed on the basis of the stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopic values from dentine serial sections of individuals from Vliněves (Czech Republic). This site yielded the largest known quantity of human remains from the Únětice culture, coming from both regular graves and settlement features. In this pilot study 27 individuals aged between 7 and 30–40 years were investigated.The average value of maximal nitrogen isotopic offset within the isotopic profile (Δ15Nmax) was 4.1 ± 1.2 ‰, which is higher than the recommended range for weaning under healthy circumstances. The reported ages at the first decrease in δ15N values, as well as at the final smoothing of the nitrogen isotopic curve, suggest that all individuals were weaned before 2.2 years of age. Most individuals (n = 20) showed positive covariance between δ15N and δ13C values during infancy and early childhood, which is the typical isotopic pattern of breastfeeding. Post-weaning isotopic values were typical for a terrestrial C3 based diet and suggest limited access to animal protein on the part of individuals buried in settlement pits. The mild increase in δ15N values in later childhood suggests that the explanation of the increased Δ15Nmax lies rather in the special character of the early childhood diet than in the common presence of nutritional/physiological stress. The similarities in the isotopic profiles of individuals from multiple burials suggest the shared dietary behaviour of these individuals.

Gazelles (Mammalia: Bovidae) from the early Pleistocene Tianzhen area, Shanxi Province, China

ABSTRACT Fossil gazelles have been discovered from the late Miocene to the late Pleistocene in China, but the Neogene gazelles were much more documented. The gazelle specimens unearthed from the early Pleistocene at Tianzhen are described and classified into three species: Gazella sinensis, G. blacki and Procapra cf. przewalskii. Based on the observation of extant Gazella subgutturosa and Procapra, we summarised the differential morphological characters of these species. Meanwhile, we reviewed and revised two diagnostic characters, morphology of p4 and size of horn cores, and we suggest that these should be used carefully in classification. Based on the new diagnostic characters, the Gazella cf. subgutturosa identified by Teilhard de Chardin and Piveteau in 1930 should be reassigned to G. sinensis. Partial materials of G. paragutturosa described by Bohlin in 1938 may be moved from Gazella to Procapra as P. gutturosa. We infer that the lectotype of G. blacki and other materials described by Chen in 1997 belong to the juvenile individuals based on the internal morphology of their horn cores. The different characters of the early Pleistocene G. sinensis and G. blacki are summarised after reviewing all materials classified into these two species in the previous works.

Modern foreign studies of information needs of students of higher educational institutions (review of publications

Educating of the culture of information needs of future specialists and teaching effective ways of how to meet them are among the urgent tasks of higher education. The goal of the paper is to characterize the status of research in the field of academic information needs. The author reviews the publications of 2015–2021, included into the Scopus and Web of Science databases. She characterizes the document flow, discusses the basic contexts of the studies, highlights the organizational and methodological aspects of research, and reveals the influence of the research base on the results of studying the hierarchy of student information needs. The relationship of and differences between the concept of academic information needs and the concept of information needs related to educational activities are demonstrated. The academic information needs are stipulated by the need to maintain academic performance, to adapt to academic work and future career, to overcome learning difficulties, to master learning methods, to get involved in student activities and academic life, to live on or off campus, and to participate in international programs, etc. The extrinsic factors affecting the formation, expression and satisfaction of academic information needs include: environment, area of study, the functions performed by the student and the timing for the assignment. The intrinsic factors are: level of education, previous experience, age, personal and physical characteristics, and level of motivation. The author argues that the specific character of academic information needs of older students is studied insufficiently. She also formulates the proposals on how to educate the culture of academic information needs.

Genetic basis of lineage-specific evolution of fruit traits in hexaploid persimmon.

Frequent polyploidization events in plants have led to the establishment of many lineage-specific traits representing each species. Little is known about the genetic bases for these specific traits in polyploids, presumably due to plant genomic complexity and their difficulties in applying genetic approaches. Hexaploid Oriental persimmon (Diospyros kaki) has evolved specific fruit characteristics, including wide variations in fruit shapes and astringency. In this study, using whole-genome diploidized/quantitative genotypes from ddRAD-Seq data of 173 persimmon cultivars, we examined their population structures and potential correlations between their structural transitions and variations in nine fruit traits. The population structures of persimmon cultivars were highly randomized and not substantially correlated with the representative fruit traits focused on in this study, except for fruit astringency. With genome-wide association analytic tools considering polyploid alleles, we identified the loci associated with the nine fruit traits; we mainly focused on fruit-shape variations, which have been numerically characterized by principal component analysis of elliptic Fourier descriptors. The genomic regions that putatively underwent selective sweep exhibited no overlap with the loci associated with these persimmon-specific fruit traits. These insights will contribute to understanding the genetic mechanisms by which fruit traits are independently established, possibly due to polyploidization events.

The Family Megachilidae (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) In Pollination Ecology- a Review

Family Megachilidae belongs to cosmopolitan family groups, making nests in the soil, and mostly prefer pre-existing cavities such as pithy stems, galls, and dead wood for nesting. Mostly they are solitary, long-tongued, and have pollen-collecting structure scopa present on the ventral side of the abdomen rather than hind legs (mostly in other bees). Genus Megachilid is generally known as leaf cutter and mason bees. Family Megachilidae is characterized by different groups of the bees such as solitary, mason, resin, carder, and leafcutter bees, and are the most important pollinators for agricultural, horticultural, medicinal, and aromatic plants. Female leafcutter bees have a special character to form brood cells by using their mandibles to cut leaves. Family Megachilidae is found throughout the world except for Antarctica, lowland tropical rain forests, deserts, and hilly ecosystems, and 238 species are listed from the Indian region. Our review is based on the significant role of the family Megachilidae and their different adaptive structures and behaviour to enhance their contribution to the pollination ecology.

ANALYSIS OF ISTISHNA' CONTRACT IMPLEMENTATION IN THE SALE OF FURNITURE PRODUCTS: A CASE STUDY IN BENGKALIS DISTRICT, RIAU PROVINCE

Background. The Istishna contract, from the point of view of mutsman (goods sold), has a special character, namely goods that are manufactured in nature, as explained in the theory of production, which, among other things, converts raw goods into finished goods. Therefore, an istishna’ contract of sale and purchase is impossible for natural goods, such as watermelons, durians, mangosteens, and bananas, because humans can’t make these things. However, manufactured goods, such as vehicles (cars, aeroplanes, ships), houses, buildings, and furniture, can be used as mutsman in buying and selling istishna’.Purpose. This study aims to determine how the Istishna contract’s implementation in buying and selling occurs at CV. Alsindo Furniture follows the perspective of Islamic Economics.Method. This research is classified as qualitative research with an empirical descriptive approach, examining the sources used as subjects in this study. The primary data is based on observation, interviews, and documentation.Results. The results of the research, it can be concluded that transactions occur at CV. Alsindo Mebel is following the Islamic Economics review, based on the Hanafi school’s opinion, where goods being transacted are clear in shape, type, and size. In other words, buyers can enjoy goods according to their wishes..Conclusion. The istisna contract was carried out on a CV. Alsindo Mebel follows the Islamic economics perspective. Based on the results of the research conducted, it can be concluded that the transactions that occurred at CV. Alsindo Mebel is following the Islamic Economics review, based on the Hanafi school’s opinion, where the goods being transacted are goods that are clear in shape, type, and size. In other words, buyers can enjoy goods according to their wishes.

New postcranial remains of ground sloths (Xenarthra, Folivora, Mylodontidae) from Southern Brazil

Diagnoses of Mylodontidae species are generally based on skull, mandibular, and tooth characteristics, and rarely on postcranial morphology, due to the lack of postcranial material associated with the cranial material. The studies of postcranial anatomy have generally a biomechanical focus and reflect a set of functions of skeletal structures, but their interpretation in phylogenetic analysis is still limited. In Pleistocene deposits of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, an important set of postcranial specimens was collected, belonging to Mylodontidae. They were morphologically and morphometrically analyzed, allowing us to observe some diagnostic characters such as the humeral entepicondylar foramen and crests, shape of the radial shaft, angle of distal articulation of the tibia, as well as the angle of proximal articulation of the astragalus. The material was also compared with specimens from other South American localities. Most of the remains were assigned to Glossotherium robustum and Lestodon armatus. In addition, a new Scelidotheriinae was recorded for Rio Grande do Sul State. The study indicated significant differences in the postcranial morphology, which allowed the recognition of some specific diagnostic characters. Keywords: Mylodontinae, Scelidotheriinae, hindlimb, forelimb, Pleistocene, Rio Grande do Sul.

The Impact of Special Character Areas on Property Values and Homeowners’ Experiences: Cases from Auckland, New Zealand

The importance of identifying and improving the distinctiveness of historical urban landscapes as a means of reinforcing place identity and supporting economic development has been widely acknowledged. However, research on the economic and social performance of heritage conservation areas is slow to develop, especially in New Zealand. In connection to the examination of Special Character Areas (SCAs) in Auckland, this paper seeks to quantify the value of the historical urban landscape and improve its management. A property value analysis is used to assess the impact of SCA designation on property values and an online questionnaire survey gathers information on homeowners’ experiences of living in an SCA. The results indicate that designated SCA properties have higher average values than non-designated properties and homeowners are appreciative of a sense of community and having certainty about the look and feel of their neighbourhood in the future. However, the majority of people who had gone through the processes of building and planning applications found it to be a negative experience because of the high cost in terms of time and money. A historic urban landscape approach to the development of management plans and design guidelines is recommended to improve the implementation of the Special Character Areas in Auckland and beyond.

Neural synchronization as a function of engagement with the narrative

We can all agree that a good story engages us, however, agreeing which story is good is far more debatable. In this study, we explored whether engagement with a narrative synchronizes listeners’ brain responses, by examining individual differences in engagement to the same story. To do so, we pre-registered and re-analyzed a previously collected dataset by Chang et al. (2021) of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scans of 25 participants who listened to a one-hour story and answered questionnaires. We assessed the degree of their overall engagement with the story and their engagement with the main characters. The questionnaires revealed individual differences in engagement with the story, as well as different valence towards specific characters. Neuroimaging data showed that the auditory cortex, the default mode network (DMN) and language regions were involved in processing the story. Increased engagement with the story was correlated with increased neural synchronization within regions in the DMN (especially the medial prefrontal cortex), as well as regions outside the DMN such as the dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex and the reward system. Interestingly, positively and negatively engaging characters elicited different patterns of neural synchronization. Finally, engagement increased functional connectivity within and between the DMN, the ventral attention network and the control network. Taken together, these findings suggest that engagement with a narrative synchronizes listeners’ responses in regions involved in mentalizing, reward, working memory and attention. By examining individual differences in engagement, we revealed that these synchronization patterns are due to engagement, and not due to differences in the narrative's content.

Meet-in-the-Middle Differential Fault Analysis on ITUbee Block Cipher

Differential fault analysis (DFA) was introduced by Biham and Shamir. It is a powerful analysis technique to retrieve the secret key by injecting fault into an internal state and utilizing the differences between the correct ciphertexts and the faulty ciphertexts. Based on the idea of meet-in-the-middle, some differential characters can help to recover the key of some symmetric ciphers. At CHES 2011, this technique was utilized to give analyses on AES. In this article, we propose several DFA schemes on ITUbee, a software-oriented block symmetric cipher for resource-constrained devices based on the meet-in-the-middle idea. Our attacks are efficient enough and more powerful than previous works. Furthermore, the attacks in this article break the protection countermeasure, meaning we have to review the protection method on devices for ITUbee.

Lexical indicators of exaggeration and understatement of the time of the English language (based on the material of literary texts)

The subject of the study is the exaggeration and understatement of the phenomenon in the modern English art text. The object of the study are nouns that act as a means of depicting an exaggerated and understated time continuum. The author examines in detail the semantics of such lexemes as second, minute, moment, year, hour, day, age and their changes within the framework of combinations with other lexical units, during which time intervals are stretched or narrowed. Special attention is paid to the presence of dictionary and author's phrases in the fiction text of the fiction genre, their quantitative calculation and analysis of the frequency of use. The novelty of the research lies in the search for new non-dictionary and author's phrases that are able to reflect time in terms of its exaggeration and understatement. Such an image of time affects the description of the hero, their actions, the characteristics of not only places, but also specific characters. A special flow of time in the context of a fiction genre literary text is caused by a different flow of the time continuum. The main conclusions of the study are the identification of a high frequency of the use of non-dictionary phrases for exaggeration and understatement of time, as well as a change in the meaning of dictionary phrases that are enclosed in the context of a dicteme that allows to expand the semantics of the proposed vocabulary combination of lexemes.

A Comparative Study of Sentiment Analysis Methods for Detecting Fake Reviews in E-Commerce

The popularity of the e-commerce system has increased, especially under the COVID scenario. Consumer product reviews from the past have had a significant impact on influencing consumers' purchasing decisions. Fake reviews—those written by humans and computers that engage in dishonest behavior—are consequently generated to increase product sales. The fake reviews hurt consumers and are dishonest. The goal of this research is to examine and evaluate the performance of various methods for identifying fake reviews. The well-known and widely-used Amazon Review Data (2018) dataset was used for this research. The first 10 product categories on Amazon.com with favorable feedback will be provided in the data section. After that, perform fundamental data preparation procedures such as special character trimming, bag of words, TF-IDF, etc. The models are trained to create a dataset for detecting fake reviews. This research compares the performance of four different models: GPT-2, NBSVM, BiLSTM, and RoBERTa. The hyperparameters of the models are also tuned to find the optimal values. The research concludes that the RoBERTa model performs the best overall, with an accuracy of 97%. GPT-2 has an overall accuracy of 82%, NBSVM has an overall accuracy of 95%, and BiLSTM has an overall accuracy of 92%. The research also calculates the Area Under the Curve (AUC) for each model and finds that RoBERTa has an AUC of 0.9976, NBSVM has an AUC of 0.9888, BiLSTM has an AUC of 0.9753, and GPT-2 has an AUC of 0.9226. It can be observed that the RoBERTa model has the highest AUC value, which is close to 1. Therefore, it can be concluded that this model provides the most accurate prediction for detecting fake reviews, which is the main focus of this research. Doi: 10.28991/HIJ-2023-04-02-08 Full Text: PDF

Value, Exchange, and Heinrich’s ‘New Reading of Marx’: Remarks on Marx’s Value-Theory, 1867–72

Abstract The exclusive emergence of value and abstract human labour through exchange of mere products is a fundamental principle within the ‘New Reading of Marx’, especially that of Michael Heinrich. He invokes both Capital and the manuscript Additions and Changes, where Marx revised his value-form analysis for the second edition of Capital. However, this manuscript does not support Heinrich’s view. In the same handwritten manuscript, Marx drafted the subsection on the fetishism of the commodity with two passages that Heinrich claims as evidence for his interpretation. Against this, we elaborate Marx’s understanding of abstract human labour as the specific social character of private labour; it does not result from exchange but rather is its prerequisite. Heinrich’s attempt fails to include demand in the magnitude of value. Finally, he does not explain the value-formation by circulation and production. Rather, his one-sided view of exchange means, by way of its logical implications, that the capitalist production process is no longer the unity of the labour process and the valorisation process, but mere production of use-values.

Consistency of phenolic profiles with taxonomic distribution and adaptation of birch species (Betula L.) to environmental conditions

The phenolic compounds in the leaves of 12 species of birch trees of the subgenera Neurobetula, Betulenta, and Betula were biochemically profiled using HPTLC. The duration of the vegetation period was found to be significantly related to the content of total phenols ( r = 0.74) and flavonoids in leaves ( r = 0.65). The correlations for Neurobetula plants were 0.86 and 0.91, respectively. The relationship between the duration of the growing season and the concentration of phenolic compounds in Betula plants was inverse ( r = −0.84). A cluster analysis of phytochemical profiles revealed that the studied birch species form groups that coincide with the subgenera proposed by De Jong due to an affinity with the qualitative composition of phenolic compounds. A multiple correlation analysis confirmed the relationship between the qualitative composition of phenolic compounds and the morphological characteristics of the leaves. The results of phytochemical profiling revealed that the qualitative composition of polyphenols in the leaves of 12 birch species is quite specific, allowing the use of individual compounds as additional differential biochemical characters in identifying species and hybrids and studying their potential role in plant adaptation to habitat conditions.

‘Missed Revolutions’: Historical Narratives During Italian Fascism (from Delio Cantimori to Camillo Pellizzi)

AbstractThis article analyses some examples of historical narratives that, long before the emergence of so‐called postmodern history, had a specific narrative character: the reconstructions of ‘missed revolutions’ taking into account a possible alternative history and tracing back the reasons for a social, political, and economic crisis to an interrupted process, one that, had it been completed, would have triggered some sort of progress. Even if this kind of historical representation cannot properly be classified as a form of alternate history, it can be placed between traditional historical accounts of the past and a more innovative pattern, which entails a more speculative argumentation, and therefore has been used to justify or suggest specific political claims. One of the most obvious examples of this literature are the narrations of the ‘unaccomplished Risorgimento’, which was a highly debated theme in the political, intellectual, and historical discussion from the period of the Italian unification until the economic and political reconstruction following the Second World War. This article will stress four possible functions of the ‘missed revolution’ narratives: first, as a way to discover some currents that have been underestimated by the official historiography or mainstream political discourse; second, to observe the role assigned to particular events in altering the destiny of a nation; third, to show how political and intellectual actors use history to justify political actions or events; and finally, to reveal how, conversely, by reconstructing ‘missed revolutions’ individual historians and, more generally, public intellectuals can take up a specific political stance while writing history.

Human Capital and Performance Management in the Albanian Public Organizations

Developing an effective, competent and forward-looking public service as well as strong but lean state institutions is one of the greatest challenges nations around the world face today. Researchers as well as governors have highlighted the central role of the human capital in the public services offer. Organization scientists have long considered human capital as a strategic asset that contributes to organizational effectiveness. Whereas the strategic importance of human capital has been widely studied in the case of for-profit organizations, measurement difficulties and the role of human capital in the public sector have received little attention. In a democratic, civil, postmodern society, one of the main tasks is the development of systems for managing the efficiency of human capital in the context of public administration, as a means of obtaining higher levels of labor productivity. Actually, it should be acknowledged that orienting the performance management system to support the attraction of new human potential in public administration at all levels can better achieve this efficiency in the utilization of human resources. In this context, a new approach to the human capital management process is being actualized, which includes employee engagement and key factors of employee engagement at every stage. Albania public administration organizations suffer a lack of flexibility in using the human capital management instruments in favor of a better individual and organizational performance because of the rigid legal framework under which it functions. On the other hand, the special character of the public administration organizations and the public services note the added value of the role of the public administrator. This study tends to bridge this gap on the literature on the importance of the human capital and its impact on the performance of the public organizations as well as to practically evaluate the influence of the human capital on the perceived performance of the Albanian public organizations.
 
 Received: 05 May 2022 / Accepted: 17 May 2023 / Published: 20 May 2023

Pharmacognostical and Pharmaceutical Analysis of Triphaladi Kashaya -An Ayurvedic Herbal Formulation for Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Triphaladi Kashaya is indicated as one of the drug management of Prameha, so for assurance of quality of polyherbal compounds pharmacognostical and pharmaceutical analysis should be done. Methods: Triphaladi Kashaya was subjected to microscopic evaluation like macroscopic /organoleptic study, Powder microscopy, Foreign matter, Loss on drying at 1050 C, Total ash, Acid insoluble ash, Alcohol-soluble extract, Water-soluble extract, TLC Analysis solvent systems: Toluene: Ethyl acetate: Formic acid (5:4:1) Stationary phase: Pre coated silica gel 60 F254 plates. Results: Pharmacognostical study showed the presence of certain identifying characters of all the ingredients of Triphaladi Kashaya which are Haritaki, Bibhitaki, Amalaki, Vishala, Devdaru, Mustaka. In pharmaceutical study, preliminary physiochemical analysis showed loss on drying 3.80% w/w, total ash 2.22% w/w, acid insoluble ash 0.18% w/w, alcohol soluble extract 2.49% w/w, water soluble extract 2.00%w/w, TLC analysis showed 6 spots in 254 nm and 4 spots in 366 nm. Conclusion: Pharmacognostical and physiochemical observation revealed the specific characters of all active constituents of Triphaladi Kashaya and confirm purity and actualities of the drug.

Measuring industry managerial discretion: a comparative study in the UK

PurposeThe theory of managerial discretion and the direct insights it provides in the understanding of the varying impact strategic and operational actions have on organizational change and business fortunes is an area of research potential underexplored in the UK. This study aims to establish whether the measurement of managerial discretion is constant between the two similar societal corporate frameworks of the UK and the USA listed markets.Design/methodology/approachThe extant managerial discretion ranking model, established in the USA, is empirically assessed for its validity and effectiveness across a sample of high- and low-discretion companies from the FTSE 350.FindingsUsing accounting measures, a clear and significant difference is established between UK high and low managerial discretion entities. The results prove to be significant in enabling the differential comparative analysis of the institutional characteristics of corporates.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study of this nature has been conducted previously in the UK context. While the original model developed in the USA is now several decades old, the UK results reflect similar industry rankings as found originally in the USA, subject to some differences considered to be a result of the changing nature of global business since the 1990s. This study opens a new seam of novel research, which has the potential to uncover, at a granular level, the differential mores and character of management ethics, styles and practices in such issues as organizational change, corporate culture, governance and social responsibility.