Expanding the Scope of Bioethics Mediation: New Opportunities to Protect the Autonomy of Terminally Ill Patients

Published in cooperation with the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolutio

Venture Capital and Business Angels and the Creation of Innovative Firms in Poland

The article also points out that conditions fostering further development of the described types of entrepreneurship and innovation financing and a dynamic environment generating innovative capacity should be created.W artykule zasygnalizowano również potrzebę kreowania uwarunkowań sprzyjających rozwojowi opisanych form finansowania przedsiębiorczości, innowacyjności i dynamicznego otoczenia generującego zdolności innowacyjne

Vernonia amygdalina Del (Bitter leaf) a traditional anti-diabetic gold mine - Mini Review

Diabetes mellitus is a worldwide epidemic that has serious consequences for public health. This in-depth analysis of Vernonia amygdalina, or Bitter Leaf, aims to shed light on the plant's potential anti-diabetic properties by discussing its botanical description, chemical composition, traditional uses, and mechanisms of action, scientific findings, safety concerns, and implications for future study. Vernonia amygdalina, a plant native to various nations in Africa, has gained popularity as a possible treatment for diabetes. Bitter leaf's traditional function in reducing diabetes-related complications is also highlighted, and the review goes deeply into the plant's rich historical and cultural context. The possible anti-diabetic properties of Bitter leaf are discussed, along with the processes that may be at play. These include the effect on insulin sensitivity, glucose homeostasis, and pancreatic beta cell activity. Improving glycemic control and insulin resistance is only two of the positive effects seen in clinical trials and research investigations. There is also discussion of precautions to take, including details on how this treatment could interact with standard drugs. The review continues by stressing the need for more study to fill up the gaps in our understanding and pave the path for the deliberate application of Vernonia amygdalina as an adjunctive method of diabetes care. This analysis of Bitter leaf's diabetes-fighting properties adds to the increasing body of information around diabetes natural treatments, opening up new lines of inquiry and possible therapeutic applications in the field

The F Word: An analysis of the perceptions and performance of feminisms amongst five Black, Xhosa women living in Langa

This independent study project analyzes the perceptions and practice of feminisms amongst female township residents through a small-scale research project that involved interviewing a group of five women living in Langa as well as research on the development of feminist thought on the African continent and in South Africa. Some might say that the South African constitution is decidedly feminist with Section 9 of its constitution guaranteeing equality for all, regardless of gender or sex. Despite the development of feminist thought in South Africa, especially in “the Academy”, articles often hint at the skepticism feminism receives in Black, female spaces and how the latter group often views feminism as a White, middle-class pursuit. Moreover, certain patriarchal practices in Xhosa communities are either deemed wholly sexist or protected under the guise of culture. However, few articles include in depth interviews of Black, Xhosa South African women who supposedly reject feminism and feminist thoughts so adamantly. Through my interviews, I examined my interviewees’ perceptions of feminisms through an, empirical, generational and linguistic lens. Although these interviews are hardly representative of the vastly different experiences of Black, Xhosa women living in Langa, let alone Black women living in other townships throughout South Africa, they do provide specific insight into how feminist thoughts and practices may or may not function in the domestic lives of five Xhosa women. In summation, the insights that can be taken away from this independent study project include, but are not limited to, the difficulties of using Western terminology to gauge equity in the interviewees’ domestic lives, the potential of a generational shift in attitudes about gender equity, and the real words and lived experiences of five Xhosa women living in Langa

Acute toxicity assessment of crude lead-extract from electronic waste materials in Nigeria

Lead, with its toxic emission and pollution, is one of the hazardous chemical components of electronic wastes (e-wastes) rapidly generated in developing countries. This study assessed the environmental health effects of crude lead extracted from e-wastes materials, as determined by its acute toxicity (rat, oral). Diluted HNO3 and hot concentrated HCl tests were used to confirm the presence of lead in the extract. LD50 (400 mg/kg) showed higher toxicity than the lowest toxic dose of 790 mg/kg reported in literature. There was a perfect positive correlation between the log dose and dead percentage, which was significant at 0.014, with 0.99° of confidence. The R2 (0.839) and significance F (0.029) showed high reliability. In view of this, we recommend the inclusion of enlightenment and making/enforcing adequate policies for improved management and control of e-waste materials.Key words: Environmental health effect, toxic chemical component, e-waste

Comparative effects of three levels of insect infestation on selected properties of five Nigerian cowpea (Vigna unguiculasta (L.) walp) varieties

Effect of three insect infestation levels (25%, 50% and 75%) on selected properties of five Nigerian cowpea varieties (Ife brown, Iron beans, Isiocha, Patasco, and Sokoto white) were compared and studied. Infestation levels of each variety were obtained by counting and combining infested and uninfested seeds. Samples were analyzed for protein, total dietary fiber (TDF), blue value index (BVI), swelling index (SI), foaming capacity (FC) and foam stability (FS). Infestation at all levels significantly (p0.05) reduced mean TDF (12%-21%), SI (3%-13%) and FS (22%-37%) of the cowpeas. Infestation also significantly (p0.05) reduced protein (21%-24%) and FC (21%-41%) of the cowpeas while it significantly (p0.05) increased BVI (49-80%). No significant difference (p0.05) was observed between mean values of control and 25% infested samples for BVI and FC. No significant difference (p0.05) was observed among mean values of 25%, 50% and 75% infested cowpeas for FS and between mean values of 25% and 50% infested cowpeas for protein. Infestationcaused higher reduction in protein and FS of Iron beans and higher increase in BVI and decrease in FC of Isiocha and Sokoto white. Patasco was least affected by insect infestation in protein content, level of starch damage and foaming capacity; Iron was least affected in TDF and SI while Ife brown was the least affected in foaming stability. Un-infested samples were better in all properties evaluated and these varied among the varieties. Un-infested Sokoto possessed better foam properties, with 2.0g/g foam stability.Key words: Cowpea varieties, infestation levels, blue value index, protein, Nigeria

Towards a long-term peace approach: A phenomenological analysis of contemporary and emerging conflicts

In today's multilateral and conflict-ridden world, the proliferation of nuclear weapons gives humanity the means to bring about its extinction. The war in Ukraine and other tensions around the world have made the deployment of nuclear weapons more likely than ever. Given these unprecedented threats, a conscious effort towards building long-term peace is crucial. This study follows four levels of inquiry. First, it explores the theoretical views of armed conflicts, analysing their causes and their consequences. Second, it conceptualises peace initiatives in the context of peace and conflict studies, exploring these definitions in relation to their significance for future generations. Third, it reviews existing peacebuilding approaches from different perspectives and re-emphasises their strengths and shortcomings in the face of emerging conflicts. Fourth and crucially, it proposes three levels of global priority for achieving long-term peace, ultimately arguing for the central role of the UN in peacebuilding initiatives. This study justifies how eliminating nuclear weapons and encouraging proactive diplomacy are crucial steps for achieving long-term peace

Anti-inflammatory medicinal plants and the molecular mechanisms underlying their activities

Background: Medicinal plant and plant products have shown tremendous potentials and are used  beneficially in the treatment of inflammation and in the management of diseases with significant  inflammatory components. Many medicinal plants employed as anti-inflammatory and antiphlogistic remedies lack the gastro-erosive side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) or the  plethora of unwanted side effects associated with steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In order to harness and optimise the applications of these herbs in inflammatory diseases, there is a need to understand how these herbs produce their anti-inflammatory actions.Materials and Methods: This paper is a review of some anti-inflammatory herbs and their molecular mechanisms of action. A literature search and analysis of published manuscript was employed to x-ray research findings that show how medicinal plants produce anti-inflammatory activities.Results: Many studies have shown that anti-inflammatory activities of herbal extracts and herb-derived compounds are mainly due to their inhibition of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism, cyclo-oxygenase  (COX), lipo-oxygenase (LOX), pro-inflammatory cytokines, inducible nitric oxide, and transcription activation factor (NF-êB). Some anti-inflammatory medicinal herbs are reported to stabilize lysosomal membrane and some cause the uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation of intracellular signalling  molecules. Many have also been shown to possess strong oxygen radical scavenging activities.Conclusion: Most of the mechanisms by which anti-inflammatory medicinal plants act are related and many herbal products have been shown to act through a combination of these molecular pathways.Key words: Medicinal plants, antiinflammatory, mechanism of action, molecular pathways.

Progressive Collapse Testing and Analysis of a Steel Building

This research investigates the progressive collapse vulnerability of an existing steel building, Haskett Hall, on the Ohio State University (OSU) campus. The building was tested by removing one of the first-story columns to observe its collapse resistance and to evaluate the effectiveness of current modeling and analysis guidelines. Progressive collapse is a partial or complete collapse of a structure due to the loss of a supporting element, a column in this case. Few researchers have been able to conduct full-scale experiments to understand the progressive collapse mechanism. One previous OSU study tested the vulnerability for progressive collapse of a steel building in Northbrook, Illinois, and another building on the OSU campus. It was concluded that more detailed models are needed to account for nonlinearity, three-dimensional and dynamic effects in analysis of a building frame including beams and columns surrounding the removed column. To address these issues, in this research deflections and deformations within the neighboring beams and columns were measured during column removal. A structural analysis program, SAP2000, is used to predict building response which is then compared to the experimental data. The goal of this study is to develop recommendations for improved procedures for static progressive collapse analysis of buildings.Undergraduate Research Fellowship from the College of EngineeringSummer Honors Research Scholarship from the Undergraduate Research OfficeNo embargoAcademic Major: Civil Engineerin