At the root of the social construction of nations, there are almost always founding mythologies supposed to explain the advent of this or that fact and/or phenomenon. The Koongo nation is no exception. It has a mythology that relates how the muuntu, the primordial being, in its primitive uniqueness, split into two individual entities, each retaining its specificity, and, at the same time, the trace of this ontological split. From this ontological split in primordial being came man and woman. The aim of this paper is to show how, from this ontological split, the symbolism of the woman, who has become the most prominent social figure in Koongo civilization, has imposed itself to the point of structuring the entire Koongo imaginary, so that the man is reduced to the role of stooge, charged with magnifying and dignifying the image of the woman.

Starch is the most abundant naturally occurring carbohydrate reserve in plants and is found in cereals, roots, tubers, legumes and some immature fruits like bananas or mangos. Starch is usually employed as a food additive, such as a thickening, stabilizer, or texture enhancer to improve some of the products quality characteristics, pharmaceutical and among other. The application of native starch is often restricted owing to its constricted solubility, weak functional attributes and limited tolerance to a wide array of processing conditions. Its low resistance to shear, high retrogradation, and poor freeze-thaw stability, limit the use of starch in industrial applications. These natural shortcomings can be overcome by different methods of modification. In recent decades, enzymatic modifications have been adopted, partly replacing the chemical and physical methods for the preparation of modified starch, as enzymes are safer and healthier than chemical method for both the environment and food consumers. Several enzymes viz., alfa-amylase, beta-amylase, glucose isomerase, pullulanase, xylanase, among others are use in modification of starch. The enzymatic modification of starch molecules directly affected properties of the modified starch especially in freeze-thaw stability of gels and retardation of retrogradation during storage. Combined enzymatic modification resulted in a marked increase in resistant starch and enzyme modified starch can be well utilized as a fat replacer. It is environment-friendly method and can provide desired functional characteristics.

This paper aimed at promoting intercultural communicative competence (ICC) through designing intercultural tourism brochures. This is expected to raise the awareness of the tourism stakeholders to the necessity of designing the intercultural tourism brochures and the tourists to insist on having pre- intercultural knowledge about the culture they are intending to have an excursion. Consequently, tourism will develop and prosper on a solid ground of intercultural understanding and diversity. The methodology of this paper was based on suggesting some tourism brochures about six different cultures and destinations. Each brochure includes, the culture, a photo of one of the landmarks, a quote from one of the icons of the targeted culture, an ICC concept, the cultural purpose and “Dos” and Don’ts”. This paper is original since it presents new and creative ideas, applies new method of promoting both tourism and intercultural understanding, and even provides a new vision for developing tourism sector. The study came up with sample tourism brochures, which interpret the concepts of intercultural communicative competence alongside promoting tourism. Consequently, the researcher recommends adopting these tourism brochures by both tourism stakeholders and individuals.

Ecological discourse analysis, as an emerging discipline, aims to reveal the role of language in ecology. The transitivity system serves as a theoretical foundation, which helps to explore the ecological ideas implied in ecological discourse. William Wordsworth, a British Romantic poet, is famous for his poetry depicting natural scenery. I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud is a representative work of his nature poems. Based on the transitivity system of systemic functional linguistics, this paper conducts a deep analysis of Wordsworth's nature poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud from the perspective of ecological discourse analysis, exploring the basic path of the poet's expression of his ecological view through language. On the one hand, the poet regards the relationship between humans and all things in nature as a harmonious and equal dialogue partnership. He wants to advocate respect for nature, awe of nature, and oppose anthropocentrism, promoting the ecological idea of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, which reflects his positive ecological view. On the other hand, by studying Wordsworth's ecological ideas, readers can be guided to establish a healthy ecological view, enhance their sense of ecological responsibility, and promote people's love for nature and friendship with nature.

Background & Objective: The desire for fairer skin has become a global phenomenon, with colonial remnants in South Asia being identified as contributory factors to the perception of white skin as supreme. Skin lightening products (SLPs) are commonly used to reduce melanin concentration in the skin and achieve a lighter complexion. While SLPs can be medicated for treating hyperpigmented disorders and other skin conditions, their predominant use is for brightening the skin tone. Aim: To investigate the prevalence of SLP usage among males and females in the young generation in Lahore, Pakistan, and assess their knowledge and perception of the associated risks. Additionally, the study will examine the ingredients commonly found in SLPs and their potential adverse effects. Methodology: The instrument employed for the study was self-administered Questionnaire designed by the researcher. The data collected were analyzed as descriptive and bivariate using percentages, mean and median. Result: The study found that a significant percentage of young males and females in Lahore, Pakistan, use skin-lightening products, with social media and advertisements influencing their knowledge about these products. While participants were aware of potential harm from skin-lightening creams, many could not identify the active ingredients. Study highlighted the need for more inclusive beauty standards and consumer education campaigns. The study's results contribute valuable insights into the multifaceted landscape of skin tone perceptions, skin whitening product usage, and the associated complexities. Conclusion: The findings underscore the importance of considering cultural, psychological, and health-related aspects.

This research aims to determine the effect of digitalization of tax services and tax understanding from taxpayers on the level of taxpayer compliance by making tax sanctions as an intervening variable. The sample and population of this study are corporate taxpayers registered with the KPP at the DJP Kanwil West Jakarta. The samples collected in this study totaled 112 samples. Research data from questionnaires distributed directly to the sample. Research data processing uses Smart PLS software. The findings show that digitalization has no impact on tax sanctions or taxpayer compliance. Taxpayer's tax knowledge influences tax sanctions and Taxpayer's tax compliance. Tax sanctions have an influence on taxpayer compliance. Tax sanctions cannot intervene in the digitalization of tax services for taxpayer compliance. Tax sanctions can intervene in the Taxpayer's tax understanding towards the Taxpayer's fulfillment of tax compliance.

This paper surveys the development of the Palestinian educational system in general and the English general and the English curriculum in specific. That is, it illustrates the developmental stages of the educational system across various periods of time and the Palestinian curriculum guidelines together with the achievements. It also addresses the English curriculum of the sixth grade, and analyzes Unit 7 of the 6th Grade textbook. Consequently, some modifications were suggested regarding various skills, and the need of including cultural spots in each unit was highlighted. The researcher suggested some ideas related to the use of role-cards in teaching speaking and cultural spots to teacher reading. For speaking, the researcher planned some role cards, in which each student has a role to play, i.e offering help for the grandparents in collecting olives. For reading, a cultural paragraph about the plant of mango in India was suggested. These sample activities make connections with students experience and the culture of others.

This study offers a cross-disciplinary analysis of literature and educational technology in order to examine past and present forms of school-based stigmatization directed at students with learning disabilities. Drawing on an analysis of L’Orange de Noël by Michel Peyramaure, a work that powerfully depicts educational exclusion in rural France in the early twentieth century, the research highlights social representations of cognitive difference, community dynamics of rejection, and forms of pedagogical resistance embodied by the teacher Cécile. At the same time, the study includes an extensive review of current uses of artificial intelligence in higher education, focusing in particular on tools that support reading, writing, and task organization for students experiencing cognitive vulnerability. Bringing these two bodies of material together reveals both the potential of artificial intelligence to foster personalized learning and the ethical, social, and pedagogical limits of its uncritical integration into learning environments. The study argues for an inclusive and reflective approach to educational technologies, grounded in attentive textual interpretation, recognition of cognitive diversity, and active participation of the individuals concerned. It contributes to ongoing debates on pedagogical innovation by demonstrating that genuine inclusion requires a simultaneous rethinking of tools, representations, and educational relationships.

Unemployment has become an intractable underdevelopment phenomenon in all economies. Though most empirical studies asserts that unemployment is higher in less developed economies as compared to developed ones, it is an established fact that no country has the capacity to provide jobs for all its citizen simultaneously. Hence, the attainment or maintenance of an acceptable rate of unemployment is a major theme of public policy formulators. It is on this backdrop that this research is carried out. The paper aims at showing how government intervention in the agricultural sector was able to develop the sector within a very short interval in Rivers State, Nigeria and using content analysis, draws lessons therefrom for the developing countries for dealing with unemployment.

Background: Numerous malignancies, both benign and malignant is hosted by the sinonasal cavity that poses a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to otolaryngologist and pathologists. One of the extremely rare neoplasm of the sinonasal cavity is secretory carcinoma (SC), previously called, mammary analogue secretory carcinoma (MASC). Majority of MASCs are localized to the parotid and salivary glands however, it is rarely documented in the sinonasal tract. Herein, we review the reported cases and report a twenty-one-year-old female patient presented to our ear, nose & throat outpatient department of tertiary care center as a polyp in the nasal cavity initially, which was excised on first diagnoses with normal histopathology (H/P). However, a year later she has a recurrence with an invasive course, followed by surgical exploration and confirmed as “Secretory Carcinoma” (SC) on histopathology, immunohistochemistry & genetic confirmation. At two-years follow-up, the patient has no clinical and radiological signs of recurrence. Aim: this review aims to outline the demographic, clinicopathologic, and confirmatory (radiologic, histopathologic, and immunohistochemistry) findings of the published cases. Methods: PubMed, Google Scholar, and MEDLINE search done with search words such as, secretary carcinoma, sinonasal tract, mammary analogue secretary carcinoma. Results: Total eight case including our case included in this review. The male/female ratio of occurrence of the SC of the sinonasal cavity was 3:5 (34.5:62.5%). Majority of the cases (7/8) reported in middle and old age group except one as reported in a 12 years old child. Equal case distribution among smoker ad non-smoker patients. The common symptoms were nasal obstruction, nasopharyngeal secretions, presence of mass, epistaxis and hyposmia. All cases were characterized by the presence of the ETV6-NTRK3 fusion transcript and / or rearrangement of ETV6 gene. Surgical excision with chemo/radiotherapy was the management considered in majority of the cases with good outcome. Almost all eight cases (100%) has no signs of recurrence both clinical and radiologically at a mean follow-up period of one year. Conclusion: Secretary carcinoma of the sinonasal tract is a new entity. More cases / studies are required to know the demographic, clinicopathologic nature, & prognosis of this newly emerging carcinoma.

Mental health has become a critical global concern, with increasing awareness of mental illnesses and their profound impact on individuals, families, and communities. Saudi Arabia is experiencing rapid social and economic changes, with the Vision 2030 initiative aiming to enhance healthcare, including mental health services. Family physicians play a pivotal role in the healthcare landscape, acting as the first point of contact for patients seeking medical assistance. In Saudi Arabia, the integration of mental health services into primary care settings could revolutionize the approach to mental health, addressing the stigma associated with mental illnesses, minimizing the service gap, and delivering timely interventions. This review article aims to explore the current state of mental health services in Saudi Arabia and assess the role of family physicians in identifying and managing mental health conditions.

Minor crimes can still be handled using the concept of a restorative justice approach. Restorative justice has an implementation method by means of penal mediation or by diversion of criminal acts. Penal mediation is used in handling ordinary crimes, in the sense that it is carried out by adults, while the use of diversion is carried out in cases involving children and is in the Children's Court. The problem in this research is how the punishment system for minor crimes is based on Pancasila justice. The research method uses a constructivist paradigm, with a social legal research approach method, and a descriptive research type. Types and sources of data use secondary materials in the form of primary legal materials, secondary legal materials and tertiary legal materials. Data collection methods use literature and qualitative analysis methods. The results of the research are that the punishment system for minor crimes is not yet fair, legal action is still carried out procedurally. One effort that can be made is a policy approach to resolving minor crimes (Tipiring) through restorative justice; so it is necessary to reconstruct the Regulations on Light Crimes Based on Pancasila Justice, namely in the Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP), in Article 205 Paragraph 1 and the Republic of Indonesia Prosecutor's Regulation Number 15 of 2020 concerning Termination of Prosecution.

This article analyzes the behavior of the exchange rate and its volatility for the period from December 2, 2003, to November 2, 2023. The analysis conducted was of a quantitative documentary nature; the statistical tool EViews9 was used for data capture, analysis, and interpretation; therefore, it was not experimental. Data analysis was performed using the ARIMA model for exchange rate estimation and the ARCH and GARCH model families for conditional variance estimation – volatility. The results obtained allow observing the trajectory of volatility, whose behavior has been affected by the economic policy followed by the economic authority and the crises generated by subprime mortgages and the pandemic. It is recommended to incorporate other volatility models, as well as comparison with other key variables in the financial sector, particularly the price and quotation index of the Mexican Stock Exchange, to include more relevant information that can improve the behavior of the exchange rate and its volatility.

Background: Hysterectomy, widely performed for benign gynecologic conditions, is increasingly done laparoscopically due to reduced pain, quicker recovery, and lower blood loss. Recommended by AAGL and ACOG, laparoscopic hysterectomy requires advanced skills, especially for large uteri, with innovations like uterine morcellation enhancing feasibility while improving surgical precision and patient outcomes. Aim of the study: This study aims to evaluate the perioperative outcomes of laparoscopic hysterectomy for large uteri in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This retrospective cohort study at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and two private Hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from February 2019 to January 2023 analyzed 120 patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy for large uteri (>300g). Patients aged 18+ with benign gynecological conditions were included, excluding those with malignancies, laparoscopic contraindications, or prior extensive abdominal surgeries. Comprehensive preoperative assessments were conducted. Surgeries followed standardized laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy protocols, addressing ovarian preservation/removal as needed. Intraoperative metrics included operating time and blood loss, while postoperative care emphasized early recovery and complication monitoring. Data were analyzed retrospectively, with outcomes reported as mean ± SD. Result: This study analyzed 100 women undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy, with a mean age of 46.5 years and a BMI of 23.3 kg/m². Most participants (58.3%) were parous, with a mean uterine weight of 585 grams. Uterine myoma (80%) was the leading preoperative diagnosis. The average operative time was 88.9 minutes, with 575.4 mL blood loss and a 1.5-day hospital stay. Hemoglobin drop averaged 1.7 g/dL, and 17.5% required transfusions. Major complications, including bowel, bladder, or ureter injuries, were absent. Mild postoperative complications affected a few patients, with no reoperations or wound infections, showcasing the procedure’s safety and efficacy. Conclusion: Laparoscopic hysterectomy for large uteri proves safe and effective in tertiary care, offering minimal complications, reduced morbidity, and shorter hospital stays. While challenges, like increased operative time and blood loss, exist, the absence of major injuries or reoperations confirms its feasibility, showcasing the advantages of minimally invasive techniques in skilled hands.

Background: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) poses a significant global health threat, with treatment challenges linked to patient non-compliance. Education has been proposed as a potential strategy to improve adherence and reduce the risk of MDR-TB. This study aims to assess the impact of education on non-compliance and MDR-TB risk among patients receiving treatment at a specialized hospital. Objective: The primary objective of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to determine whether education provided to MDR-TB patients could reduce non-compliance rates and subsequently mitigate the risk of MDR-TB. Methods: The study included 50 MDR-TB patients who had received at least three months of treatment. Data were collected from the MDR-TB wards at the National Institute of Disease of the Chest and Hospital in Dhaka, spanning from October 2011 to March 2012. Patient education interventions focused on treatment adherence and MDR-TB prevention. Results: The study's findings demonstrate a substantial decrease in non-compliance rates Among MDR-TB patients, 64% had a history of non-compliance, with 72% being male and primarily having lower educational backgrounds. Conversely, 70% of drug-compliant patients had attained at least a secondary education level. Educational interventions led to a significant 20% reduction in non-compliance, from an initial 28% to a final 8%, emphasizing their potential to reduce MDR-TB risk. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the positive impact of education on reducing non-compliance among MDR-TB patients. A 20% reduction in non-compliance rates indicates that educational interventions can effectively contribute to decreasing the risk of MDR-TB. Future efforts should prioritize integrating education into MDR-TB treatment programs to enhance patient adherence and reduce the burden of MDR-TB.