bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Ayurvedic Treatment Protocol on Diminishing Ovarian Reserve
Authors: U Divya , N Vijayakumar
Published: September 2020

Diminishing ovarian reserve (DOR) is a condition in which the ovary loses reproductive potential, compromising fertility. Nowadays 10-30% of female infertility is due to DOR and considered as “expected poor responder” for In vitro fertilisation (IVF).   Correlation of DOR can be done with Dathukshaya vandya (depletion or inadequate formation of dhatus) explained in Harithasamhita. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of Ayurvedic treatment protocol on Diminishing ovarian reserve. The study protocol includes- ashtachurna for deepana (appetiser), pachana (digestives) and kolakulathadi churna for udwarthana (powder massage). Sukumaragrutha used for snehapana (oral administration of medicated ghee), utharabasthi (intrauterine administration) and rasayana (rejuvenation therapy ). Danwantarathaila abhyanga (oleation) and ooshmasweda (sudation) done for 3 days. Sukumaraeranda was used for virechana (therapeutic purgation) and also Yogabasthi (medicated enema). The study design was pre and post interventional study with a sample size of 15 selected as per inclusion and exclusion criteria, conducted at hospital for women and children, Government Ayurveda College, Thiruvananthapuram. Assessment was based on Bologna criteria for DOR. The statistical techniques employed are Wilcoxon’s signed rank test and Paired t test. Results showed statistically significant effect on improving Antral follicle count (AFC) (p- 0.01), Estradiol (p- 0.005), conception (p- 0.014), on regulating amount of bleeding (p- 0.003), menstrual interval correction (p-0.001) and dyspareunia (p-0.005). But insignificant effect on improving Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH) (p- 0.469) and regularising LH/FSH ratio (p-0.104) was found.
Pharmaceutico-Analytical Study of Vatavidhvamsana Rasa
Authors: S Mahesh , Pillai Neethu S , K S Praveen Kumar , Prajapati Dilip , J Patgiri B
Published: September 2020

Vatavidhvamsana rasa (VVR) is a well-known herbo-mineral formulation explained in classical ayurvedic text Yogaratnakara and also quoted in Ayurveda Formulary of India (AFI) and is mainly indicated for Vatika disorders. There is a lack of data regarding the standardization of pharmaceutical process and analytical profile of VVR. Aim: To prepare vatavidhvamsana rasa and analyze it using various physicochemical parameters. Materials and methods: Total three batches of Vatavidhvamsana Rasa was prepared as per the classical method explained in the reference to evaluate the standard procedure. During the pharmaceutical process, all ingredients were mixed thoroughly and triturated thirty times with ten bhavana drugs for an average of 90 hours. The pharmaceutical and analytical parameters were completed and the data was recorded. Results: Three batches of Vatavidhvamsana Rasa after preparation showed an average increase of 12.93% yield. Pharmacognostical evaluation showed the presence of the ingredients used. Average values of physicochemical parameters of Vatavidhvamsana Rasa were as follows: loss on drying 6.19, pH 7, total ash value 36.46, acid insoluble ash 7.16, water soluble extractive value 17.24, alcohol soluble extractive value 7.13.  HPTLC of Vatavidhvamsana Rasa revealed a total of 11 and 12 bands at 254 nm and 366 nm. Conclusion: Data generated from pharmaceutical, analytical studies and HPTLC can be used to develop a preliminary standard profile for the formulation Vatavidhvamsana Rasa.
GC-MS Analysis and Phytochemical Screening of Indigofera tinctoria (Linn.) Leaf Extract Characterizing its Medicinal Use
Authors: N Mishra D , S Gomare K , V Sheelwant S
Published: September 2020

Indigofera tinctoria (Linn.), a perennial shrub belongs to the family Fabaceae (Leguminosae) is well known in Indian system of medicines for its traditional uses. The present study was carried to find out the possible bioactive components in the leaves of this plant in ethanol extract by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis and the therapeutic uses of each compound as per PASS and other database. The mass spectra of the extract found compounds that were matched with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST version 5.7.1) library database. The GC-MS study observed different peaks as per retention time and then those peaks were analysed determining presence of 26 phytochemical compounds. The qualitative phytochemical screening done by routine laboratory methods also indicated presence of these bioactive compound groups like alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and phenols, saponins, glycosides and terpenoids. These 26 compounds are understood to have different therapeutic activities as per in-silico databases, e.g. 2-Acetylamino-3-hydroxy-propionoic acid (glutamic acid) - used as Anti-diarrheal, Antiviral, Antipyretic, Protein synthesis inhibitor, Antidiabetic, Non-steroidal, Anti-inflammatory agent, Antipsoriatic, Antioxidant, Antifungal, Antineoplastic (sarcoma), Antiparasitic, Antibiotic Aminoglycoside-like, Antiseborrheic,  Anticataract, Antithyroid, Anticarcinogenic, Antileprosy, Hair growth stimulant, Lipoprotein lipase inhibitor, Dermatologic, Testosterone, Antituberculosic, Antirickettsial, Antianemic, etc. activities. Hence, Indigofera tinctoria is an excellent source of phytocompounds, which help to heal various diseases and health complications in human beings. The use of this plant in traditional methods for the treatment of such diseases appears scientifically relevant as per the therapeutic activity data of its bioactive compounds.
Transformación de un modelo educativo a través de la formación y las comunidades docentes de aprendizaje
Authors: De Dios Alija Teresa
Published: September 2020

En las últimas décadas han proliferado distintos enfoques sobre el estudio del desarrollo humano, la neurociencia y el aprendizaje, que parecen determinantes en la responsabilidad social que deben asumir los profesionales de la educación.
Los objetivos de esta investigación son 1) Identificar el espectro de concepciones que tiene el profesorado sobre la práctica de la enseñanza universitaria y su incidencia en variables determinantes en la calidad docente y 2) Proponer un modelo de trabajo en comunidades docentes que facilite un acercamiento a los planteamientos prácticos que propone el Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior. 
Siguiendo una metodología cuantitativa y cualitativa basada en encuestas y la técnica de Análisis Crítico del Discurso, se obtiene una información completa sobre la influencia de la motivación y las concepciones previas del profesorado en el proceso de enseñanza. Del análisis se deduce que existe una evidente discrepancia entre el planteamiento actual de los profesores sobre lo que es aprender y lo que se demanda desde la normativa europea.
En base a la información recogida se plantea un modelo de formación y trabajo en comunidades docentes de aprendizaje, que pretende facilitar el aprendizaje situado, colaborativo y transferible que debe lograrse en los universitarios.
En conclusión, podemos afirmar que participar en una comunidad docente de aprendizaje se reconoce como una práctica valiosa y necesaria para transformar las creencias y convicciones sobre el proceso de enseñanza en la universidad, que garantiza la reflexión sobre el aprendizaje, la formación, la responsabilidad  y la toma de decisiones de los profesores en su contexto natural.
Evaluación online orientada al aprendizaje universitario: Impacto del feedback en los resultados de los estudiantes
Authors: Navaridas-Nalda Fermín , González-Marcos Ana , Alba-Elías Fernando
Published: September 2020

Investigaciones recientes interesadas en garantizar la calidad de la Educación Superior subrayan con fuerza la conveniencia de introducir cambios en el modo tradicional de orientar la evaluación durante la actividad didáctica. Convencidos de su importancia, el presente estudio tiene como objetivo principal analizar el impacto del feedback en un sistema de evaluación online diseñado desde un enfoque formativo para promover y mejorar el aprendizaje de estudiantes universitarios. La intervención se realizó durante dos cursos académicos consecutivos con 90 estudiantes de ingeniería pertenecientes a titulaciones de grado y máster de la Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Industrial de la Universidad de La Rioja. Los análisis efectuados indican el efecto positivo que tiene el sistema propuesto, tanto en el rendimiento de los estudiantes como en su grado de satisfacción con la evaluación y feedback proporcionados. Entre las conclusiones obtenidas, cabe destacar que el sistema de evaluación diseñado permite proporcionar información que ayuda a los estudiantes a identificar a tiempo sus puntos débiles en el proceso de aprendizaje y a mejorar su propia cualificación.
El modelo flipped classroom, una forma de promover la autorregulación y la metacognición en el desarrollo de la educación estadística
Authors: Sánchez-Cruzado Cristina , Sánchez-Compaña M.ª Teresa
Published: September 2020

El objetivo de este estudio es obtener información a partir de una experiencia exploratoria, realizada en el Grado de Educación Primaria de la Universidad de Málaga, dentro del marco de una investigación-acción, en la que se utiliza el modelo flipped classroom en educación estadística, para evidenciar que, mediante la utilización de este modelo, se fomenta la autorregulación en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje, alcanzando la metacognición. Se pretende, desde un planteamiento metodológico activo, basado en la autonomía personal y la autorregulación, implicar al alumnado en su aprendizaje, promover la capacidad de análisis de datos y razonamiento estadístico, y además ser capaces de desarrollar el pensamiento crítico. De acuerdo a los resultados observados, con este modelo se consiguen desplazar fuera del aula las actividades matemáticas más instrumentales, favoreciendo el desarrollo de tareas mucho más funcionales y formativas en el aula.
Una herramienta para la gestión y el gobierno integrales del aprehendizaje universitario en entornos Active Learning.
Authors: Alé-Ruiz Rafael , Earle David H.
Published: September 2020

La enseñanza universitaria debe aportar al alumno no solo acervo personal y profesional -aprendizaje- sino, además, la capacidad para aumentarlo y generar continuamente valor durante su vida -aprehendizaje-.
Asumiendo esto, el marco del EEES y un uso estructural de la tecnología en la metodología docente, se revisan críticamente, desde la eficacia y la eficiencia sostenibles, los procesos estándar de aprendizaje y docencia universitaria.
Se concluye, primeramente, que aprendizaje y docencia no son procesos diferentes ni independientes, sino un único proceso -de naturaleza holística- que tiene como fin la generación del máximo aprehendizaje posible para cada alumno. Lo anterior implica cambios significativos en el rol del alumno y del profesor.
Seguidamente, se analizan los factores críticos de éxito (FCE) del proceso de aprehendizaje y cómo impactan en alumnos y profesores. Concluyendo que personalización, significación, y desarrollo de sinergias cognitivas -elementos todos ellos contenidos y avalados por los resultados de la Education Endowment Foundation y la iniciativa Visible Learning- son elementos vertebradores del aprehendizaje, y también que, la gestión integral del proceso es el FCE primario para su implementación exitosa. El entorno Active Learning es idóneo para aplicar este proceso holístico con éxito.
Se concluye, por último, que un uso estructural de la tecnología es determinante para que la gestión y el gobierno -la planificación y desarrollo temporal de la asignatura y la adaptación del aprendizaje a cada alumno- puedan integrarse exitosamente en aprehendizaje.
Se presenta y describe una herramienta informática que facilita esta integración en las aulas universitarias.
Evaluación del diseño de un programa de intervención gamificado para el desarrollo del pensamiento histórico en el alumnado de Educación Primaria
Authors: Martínez-Hita María , Miralles-Martínez Pedro
Published: September 2020

En las últimas décadas, el desarrollo del pensamiento histórico en el alumnado ha adquirido una mayor importancia en la educación histórica, así como la necesidad de modificar y mejorar los métodos y estrategias de enseñanza. Debido a esto, se ha diseñado un programa educativo basado en la gamificación, teniendo en consideración la base teórica al respecto. El programa ha sido diseñado para aportar una alternativa a las usuales prácticas de enseñanza que se llevan a cabo en muchas clases de Educación Primaria, especialmente cuando se enseñan los contenidos históricos. El objetivo de este artículo es evaluar y validar el diseño del programa de intervención gamificado para desarrollar el pensamiento histórico en el alumnado de cuarto de Educación Primaria. La validación fue llevada a cabo por un panel de cuatro expertos con experiencia en el tema, Didáctica de la Historia y las Ciencias Sociales, que completaron un cuestionario ya validado, con una escala Likert de cinco puntos. Esta investigación es de carácter cuantitativo descriptivo y los resultados  muestran que, aunque es necesario introducir algunas modificaciones para mejorar ciertas áreas del programa, el diseño es válido y altamente apropiado. Por tanto, el programa educativo gamificado puede ser implementado en el aula tras realizar los cambios necesarios.
Fashion and Textile Design with Photoshop and Illustrator
Authors: Hume Robert
Published: September 2020

A step-by-step guide to two essential tools for textile and fashion designers.

Designer and educator Robert Hume guides you from novice to expert through 20 carefully crafted projects. You’ll start by mastering layers and custom brushes, and learning about stripes and weaves, scanning and manipulation before moving on to repeats, colourways and simple geometry. Next, transformations, filters and effects become tools for your personal creativity and you’ll explore varied approaches to drawing garments. Finally, you’ll learn about key layout and presentation techniques in both programs. There’s also advice on sharing, communication and output, and help with diagnosing and correcting common problems. Files for many of the projects are available from: http://www.bloomsbury.com/hume-textile-design.

Seven case studies showcase the work and creative thinking of innovative professional designers. These designers offer insight and inspiration to help you develop your own successful and inventive designs.

This new edition incorporates updates to Photoshop and Illustrator CC, and a new extended introduction outlines the layout of each program and good practice in working with their tools and windows. There are also two new projects: the first will help you draw a pair of jeans using closed pathways, incorporating distressing and treatments such as stone-washing and whiskering. The second shows how to create a paisley design using Illustrator brushes to add complexity in design work.
A compact QCL spectrometer for mobile, high-precision methane sensing aboard drones
Authors: Tuzson Béla , Graf Manuel , Ravelid Jonas , Scheidegger Philipp , Kupferschmid André , Looser Herbert , Morales Randulph Paulo , Emmenegger Lukas
Published: September 2020

Abstract. A compact and lightweight mid-infrared laser absorption spectrometer has been developed as a mobile sensing platform for high-precision atmospheric methane measurements aboard small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The instrument leverages two recent innovations: a novel segmented circular multipass cell (SC-MPC) design and a power-efficient, low-noise, intermittent continuous-wave (icw) laser driving approach. A system-on-chip hardware control and data acquisition system enables energy-efficient and fully autonomous operation. The integrated spectrometer weighs 2.1 kg (including battery) and consumes 18 W of electrical power, making it ideally suited for airborne monitoring applications. Under stable laboratory conditions, the device achieves a precision (1σ) of 1.1 ppb within 1 s and 0.1 ppb CH4 at 100 s averaging time. Detailed investigations were performed to identify and quantify the effects of various environmental factors, such as sudden changes in pressure, temperature, and mechanical vibrations, which commonly influence UAV-mounted sensors. The instrument was also deployed in two feasibility field studies: an artificial methane release experiment and a study on vertical profiles in the planetary boundary layer. In both cases, the spectrometer demonstrated its airborne capability of capturing subtle and/or sudden changes in atmospheric CH4 mole fractions and providing real-time data at 1 s time resolution.
Short-term forecasting of regional biospheric CO2 fluxes in Europe using a light-use-efficiency model (VPRM, MPI-BGC version 1.2)
Authors: Chen Jinxuan , Gerbig Christoph , Marshall Julia , Totsche Kai Uwe
Published: September 2020

Abstract. Forecasting atmospheric CO2 concentrations on synoptic timescales (∼ days) can benefit the planning of field campaigns by
better predicting the location of important gradients. One aspect of this,
accurately predicting the day-to-day variation in biospheric fluxes, poses a
major challenge. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of using a
diagnostic light-use-efficiency model, the Vegetation Photosynthesis
Respiration Model (VPRM), to forecast biospheric CO2 fluxes on the timescale of a few days. As input, the VPRM model requires downward shortwave
radiation, 2 m temperature, and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and land
surface water index (LSWI), both of which are calculated from MODIS
reflectance measurements. Flux forecasts were performed by extrapolating the
model input into the future, i.e., using downward shortwave radiation and
temperature from a numerical weather prediction (NWP) model, as well as
extrapolating the MODIS indices to calculate future biospheric CO2
fluxes with VPRM. A hindcast for biospheric CO2 fluxes in Europe in
2014 has been done and compared to eddy covariance flux measurements to
assess the uncertainty from different aspects of the forecasting system. In
total the range-normalized mean absolute error (normalized) of the 5 d
flux forecast at daily timescales is 7.1 %, while the error for the model
itself is 15.9 %. The largest forecast error source comes from the
meteorological data, in which error from shortwave radiation contributes
slightly more than the error from air temperature. The error contribution
from all error sources is similar at each flux observation site and is not
significantly dependent on vegetation type.
Análisis del impacto de las reformas financieras de 2014 en las sociedades cooperativas de ahorro y préstamo de México
Authors: Cruz Lázaro Luis Miguel , Pérez Sosa Felipe Abelardo
Published: September 2020

El objetivo de la investigación es determinar si las reformas de 2014 a la Ley para regular las actividades de las sociedades cooperativas de ahorro y préstamo, tuvieron un impacto en el crecimiento de las Sociedades Cooperativas de Ahorro y Préstamo de México que fomentaran la inclusión financiera. Para ello, se analizaron seis bases de datos de las Sociedades Cooperativas de Ahorro y Préstamo (SOCAPS) de México, dos de ellas relacionadas con el comportamiento de estas (número de sociedades y número de sucursales) y cuatro de ellas como variables proxis de la inclusión financiera (créditos vigentes y estos divididos en créditos comerciales, al consumo y a la vivienda). Estas seis bases de datos se analizaron empleando la prueba de estabilidad estructural de Chow y la prueba de análisis estructural con variables dicótomas, partiendo de la base de que la reforma financiera causó un cambio estructural en el año 2014. Complementariamente, también se analizó la tendencia en el comportamiento de las seis bases de datos usando la línea de tendencia de cada una de ellas. Los resultados indican que la reforma financiera de 2014 sí provocó un cambio estructural en cinco de las seis variables analizadas de las SOCAPS, también, que en los casos donde se presentó el cambio estructural, este fue tanto en la pendiente como en la ordenada al origen, es decir, afecta en la tendencia del comportamiento de las variables y en su número. Basándose en los resultados, se pudo concluir: a) que la reforma financiera de 2014 si causó un cambio estructural en las SOCAPS; b) la reforma financiera impactó de manera positiva en el crecimiento de la SOCAPS de México que causó un aumento en el número de sociedades y de sucursales; c) la reforma financiera incrementó la cantidad de créditos otorgados por las SOCAPS, lo cual impactó positivamente a la inclusión financiera; y, c) los objetivos por los cuales se instrumentó la reforma financiera de 2014 se cumplieron.
Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Sanhueza-Alvarado Olivia
Published: September 2020

La falta de visión y de recursos de los sistemas de salud de las naciones de América Latina y El Caribe no ha permitido enfrentar de manera adecuada la pandemia por el nuevo coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, salvo honrosas excepciones. El énfasis en los sistemas curativos, tanto en infraestructura como en recursos humanos y financieros, en desmedro de la atención primaria de salud es uno de los principales ejemplos de esta falta de visión histórica, que disminuye la posibilidad de poder controlar una pandemia, efectivamente desconocida, pero de la cual ya se tenían los antecedentes necesarios para enfrentarla desde la prevención y la promoción de la salud en las poblaciones vulnerables de cada país. Se sumó a lo anterior la ausencia —en un número adecuado y de talento en la gobernanza— de enfermeros, por lo cual el escenario fue propicio para la diseminación de la pandemia y la consecuente afectación de los sistemas sanitarios, sociales, económicos y políticos de los países de América Latina.
Breastfeeding abandonment causes and success factors in relactation
Authors: Giraldo Montoya Dora Isabel , López Herrera Francy Edith , Quirós Jaramillo Alexandra Marcela , Agudelo Gómez Andrea , Sierra Cano Sara María , Agudelo Restrepo Daniela
Published: September 2020

Objective: To identify the causes of breastfeeding abandonment and the success factors associated with relactation in mothers with children attended in a specialised health institution. Methodology: Descriptive transversal design through non-probabilistic convenience sampling, with 100 mothers and their children. A structured survey was used and central tendency measurements and frequencies were analysed. The study was approved by the Ethics committee of the School of Health Sciences at the University Pontificia Bolivariana. Results: The average age was 26.8 years; 73 % had a low socioeconomic level; 59 % were cohabitating; 46 % were housewives; 32 % had a high school degree; 57 % were first-time mothers; 74 % had a high obstetric risk; and 59 % had children by caesarean section. Causes of breastfeeding abandonment were newborn hospitalization (79 %) and low birth weight (52 %). Health professionals suggested substitutes for hypogalactia in 18 % of the mothers. Incorrect maternal posture: 66.1 and 61 % with no previous experience. Relactation success factors were: chronological age under one month (48 %); effective newborn breast sucking (89 %); good newborn breast grasping (71 %). During the non-breastfeeding period, 72 % received mixed milk, 82 % did not breastfeed between 8 and 30 days, 98 % of the mothers were willing to relactate, 91 % considered the support of their families and health professionals as good. Conclusion: Children hospitalization was the main cause of breastfeeding abandonment and the main success factors for relactation were effective breast sucking, mothers’ readiness and support.
An Investigation of Factors Causing ESL Learning Anxiety in Classroom: A Case Study of ESL Learners at Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur
Authors: Abbasi Farah Naz , Channa Siraj Ahmed , Kurd Shehla Anwar , Shaikh Farheen
Published: September 2020

English language plays crucial role as an official language of Pakistan and it is applied normally as a medium of instructions crossway over instructional institutions and business organizations. Since anxiety hinders the studying and learning techniques, in this way it's been widely inquired approximately the world and indicates to be underneath seemed into Pakistani context. As a result the important aim of this research is to investigating factors causing language anxiety in learning to speak English in classroom among undergraduate students of Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan. This Study followed a case study with mixed method approach using both quantitative and qualitative tactics. The population of this research study was 214 learners of English from Faculty of social sciences, Departments of Economics, International Relations and Media Studies. In this research study sampling size of 150 students was taken randomly who participated. Questionnaire used “to know students’ level of anxiety was adopted from FLCAS scale, developed by Horwitz et al (1986)”. Qualitative data was also obtained by conducting semi-structured interviews from 15 students randomly from three departments, 5 from each, and classroom observation was also carried out for three weeks. The results showed that anxiety of English classes is high rated Mean=31.98, Secondly fear of negative evaluation Mean=30.62, thirdly communicative apprehension Mean= 25.01 and fourthly test anxiety Mean= 13.89. It indicated that students have problem of anxiety. The statistics was analyzed in element eventually each quantitative and qualitative findings have been mixed to attain the end result of the study. The Findings of study mostly shown anxiety factors in classroom and are prominent such as fear of teacher, other student’s fear of being mocked, fear of making mistakes, lack of confidence, peer pressure, anxious personality, unsure about their abilities, fear of negative evaluation, worry of failing in examination tests, low proficiency, lack of vocabulary. Therefore results are significant that students have problem of anxiety while learning to speak English in classroom.
Exploring Water Management Practices and Sustainability Implications in the Bamenda Metropolis of Cameroon
Authors: Nyuydine Wirba Lucas , Sani Gur Amawa , Konfor Ntoban Victor , Lainjo Baye Bruno , Nkembo Ngang Emmanuel , Nchuone Ngonga Linda , Kimengsi Jude Ndzifon
Published: September 2020

City governments, the world over, are grappling with the problem of sustaining water supply to their rapidly growing population. The need to meet up with this exigency has been emphasized in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 (Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all) and SDG 11 (Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable). While a series of demand and supply-side approaches to water management have been employed, the extent to which water management practices could guarantee (un)sustainability still require clarity, especially in the context of cities in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Taking the case of the Bamenda Metropolis of Cameroon, we contribute to address this lacunae, by identifying household level water management practices in Bamenda, and discussing the implications it has for sustainable water supply (availability, affordability). To obtain relevant data for this study, a random sample of 120 households, within 8 neighborhoods of Bamenda, was conducted. Furthermore, we employed descriptive and inferential statistical methods to test the relationship between household socio-economic characteristics and water management (consumption, rationing, preservation). The results  reveal the following: In terms of regularity, approximately 63% of the households have irregular water supply, and consume less than 50 litres of water per day. The key water source is pipe borne water (65%), supplied by CAMWATER and Community Water Systems. One of the main water management practice at household level is rainwater harvesting (41.7%), while sustainability is compromised by the weak management systems from supply side, and limited knowledge and resources at the demand side (household level). There is a need for policy (re)orientation to regulate household water distribution, consumption and affordability. Further studies are required to ground this assertion.
Factors That Influence Instructors’ Integration of Social Media Platforms Into Higher Education Pedagogy in Ghana
Authors: Ananga Patricia
Published: September 2020

Higher Education (HE) institutions have been exploring new approaches that will enable them to manage with the increasing demand of access to education. One key area is in the usage of new models, new innovations, and new ways of delivering the curriculum, connecting students with their instructors such as the use of Social Media (SM) in teaching. This paper examined the factors that influence instructors’ use of SM in Ghanaian HE pedagogy. The study employed the concurrent triangulation mixed method approach using questionnaire and semi-structured interview guide to obtain data from two hundred and thirty-five (235) instructors who were selected using the multistage sampling technique from the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) and the Ghana Technology University College (GTUC). The key findings point to the fact that instructors’ professional rank, intrinsic drive, functionality of SM platforms, user friendliness, motivation, ease of use of the SM platforms, access to internet connection and ease of communication in using the platforms were the factors that influenced instructors use of SM for teaching. The study concludes by indicating the implications of the findings for policy on the use of SM for delivering instruction in Ghana and recommends the need for HE authorities to come up with motivational packages that would encourage instructors to integrate SM into the pedagogy of HE in Ghana.
Fallas estructurales en la redacción del ensayo argumentativo a nivel universitario
Authors: Sandoval Armando José
Published: September 2020

El artículo presenta los resultados de la primera fase de la investigación. En él se abordan las fallas en la redacción del ensayo argumentativo, en este sentido, se identifican las dificultades más sentidas por el estudiantado de primer año de la carrera de Lengua y Literatura y además, los efectos de no emplear con pertinencia las etapas de la composición. El trabajo es producto del objetivo de investigación específico describir las dificultades de los estudiantes de primer año de la carrera de Lengua y Literatura en el uso de los esquemas gramaticales en la producción escrita de un texto diagnóstico de tipo argumentativo. Esta fase se realizó mediante metodología cualitativa, con tipo de investigación acción y el estudio de caso como enfoque para el análisis de los trabajos de los participantes. Por lo cual, la metodología de análisis es mediante triangulación, contrastación y comparación de la prueba diagnóstica con los resultados de la lista de cotejo, el cuestionario, guía de campo y preguntas metacognición. Se finaliza presentando las conclusiones de la primera fase.
Inserción extraordinaria del clítico lo de objeto directo en el español hablado por guaymíes costarricenses: notas preliminares
Authors: Marín Esquivel Rebeca
Published: September 2020

El objetivo de este artículo es explicar la inserción extraordinaria de clíticos del tipo 'lo voy a pensarlo', como posible resultado estructural del influjo de la lengua guaymí originaria de este grupo étnico, para lo cual, se recogió y se transcribió material oral de dieciocho hablantes bilingües de guaymí y español. Debido a que el análisis posee carácter exploratorio y revelador del fenómeno en cuestión, no se pretende llegar a conclusiones finales, sino únicamente proponer una explicación tentativa desde la perspectiva del contacto de lenguas.
The COVID-19 pandemic and resident-family and caregivers’ relationships in nursing home: A case study
Authors: Kuhnel Marie Laure , Ferrand Claude Yvonne
Published: September 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic bewildered the French population by its impact and particularly affected nursing homes. Older people living in nursing homes were at very high risk of being affected by COVID-19. This case study highlights its impact on resident-family dyad and caregivers’ relationships. The suffering and anger manifested by all, the difficulty in managing the stress of the caregivers, the cognitive and physical deterioration of the residents and their social isolation show us that this unexpected pandemic has not only had psychological consequences on all those involved, but also calls into question the foundations of support for the older people. This pandemic is an opportunity to step back from what has happened and to ask ourselves how we can preserve residents’ quality of life. Organization and measures need to be re-invented to limit and prevent the effects of this COVID-19 pandemic in the event of a resurgence of the virus.
Impact of Strategic Agility Determinants and Dimensions on Institutional Performance Excellence in Government Institutions in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Authors: Alsharah Atallah Mohammed Tayser
Published: September 2020

This study aims at investigating the impact of Strategic Agility Determinants and Dimensions on Organizational Performance Excellence in Government Organizations in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The study population consisted of all department heads or their representatives in Jordanian government organizations and departments affiliated to Prime Ministry according to the approved organizational structure of the state amounting 30 organization and department. Due to population large size, a random sample from these originations was selected. 252 questionnaires were distributed. 226 questionnaires were recollected so the response rate is (89.7%).The study concluded a set of results: the most important is that there is a statistically significant impact of strategic agility determinants and dimensions of (strategic sensitivity, strategic goals selection, and clarity of vision, shared responsibility, core capabilities, and collective commitment) on organizational performance excellence in Jordanian government organizations, The results showed that Jordanian government organizations have clear vision and mission for their future activities and they have clear goals known by all employees to achieve vision and mission. It was found that there is an integration and harmony in setting goals and work procedures among various Jordanian government organizations. The results also showed that Jordanian government organizations do not care much regarding involvement of their employees in strategic planning process, nor are they keen to discuss differentiated ideas and do not encourage creativity and provide suggestions by organizations employees in these. Also the top management in government organizations does not focus heavily on team working in one team spirit, nor does maintain their skilled employees.Finally, the study recommended a set of recommendations, the most important of which is the Jordanian government organizations have to increase their interest in all strategic agility dimensions and determinants due to their great role in achieving organizational performance excellence. And Government organizations should seek to achieve organizational excellence to increase interest in involving their employees in strategic planning process, discuss distinguished ideas, and encourage creativity and submitting proposals by their employees. Also, Team working with one team spirit is main pillar of organizational excellence, therefore it is necessary to increase interesting to and focus on this topic by top management in Jordanian organizations.
Indirect estimation of poverty indicators at poviat level
Authors: Wawrowski Łukasz
Published: September 2020

The availability of detailed and precise data on poverty at a low level of spatial aggregation is important when pursuing an effective cohesion policy. In Poland, this type of information is gathered during household surveys conducted by Statistics Poland and is made available at country, region, and selected socio-economic group level. Direct estimates relating to domains not included in a survey are burdened with a serious estimation error. In a situation of a limited (or in extreme cases zero) sample size, an estimation becomes possible through the application of small area estimation methods – indirect estimation. These techniques use variables which are strongly correlated with the researched phenomenon and which come from a census or from an administrative register. The aim of the study discussed in the article is to estimate two indicators: the rate of poverty and the depth of poverty at a poviat level, with the application of the Empirical Bayes (EB) method. The first indicator provides information on the scale of the phenomenon and the other one on its intensity, and so they constitute complementary measures of poverty. The study used data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions of 2011 and the National Census of Population and Housing 2011. Information about the scale and intensity of poverty at the poviat level was obtained through the adaptation of the EB method based on the linear mixed model and Monte Carlo simulations. The indicators estimated this way allow for an assessment of the diversity of poverty at a local level. In addition, they are more precise and consistent with administrative registers in comparison to direct estimation results.
Analysis of discrepancies in mirror data relating to the weight of goods in intra-EU trade statistics
Authors: Markowicz Iwona , Baran Paweł
Published: September 2020

In the research carried out to date by the authors of the article, the assessment of the quality of mirror data in the exchange of goods between European Union (EU) countries was based on the value of goods. A similar approach is applied by many researchers. The aim of the research discussed in the article is to assess the quality of data relating to intra-EU trade based on not only the value, but also on the quantity of goods. The analysis of discrepancies in data relating to trade between EU countries, with a particular emphasis on Poland, was based on selected research methods known from literature. Both the value-based and the quantitative approach constitute the authors' contribution to the development of research methodology.
Data quality indicators were proposed and data pertaining to the weight of goods were used. Information on trade in goods between EU countries in 2017 obtained from Eurostat's Comext database was analysed. The research relating to the dynamics also covered the years 2005, 2008, 2011, and 2014. The results of the analysis demonstrated that the total share of export of goods from Poland to a given country within the EU is different for data expressed in value (value of goods) and in quantity (weight of goods). Therefore, both approaches should be applied in the study of the quality of mirror data.
Diversity in the use of information and communication technologies among European Union countries
Authors: Wojnar Jolanta
Published: September 2020

The aim of the research discussed in the article is to assess the diversity among European Union countries in terms of the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). Fifteen indicators describing the use of ICT by natural persons and households were selected for the analysis. The data were obtained from Statistics Poland reports and from the Eurostat database for the year 2017. The method of principal components analysis was applied in the process of analysing the diversity. Moreover, a cluster analysis based on the k-means method was performed. The analysis demonstrates that Scandinavian and Benelux countries are the leaders in using ICT, while countries of southern and south-eastern Europe as well as Poland are the lowest rated.
Optimal Interpretation as an Alternative to Gricean Pragmatics
Authors: Zeevat Henk
Published: September 2020

The paper introduces an optimality theoretic notion of optimal

interpretation based on presupposition theory and shows that it is a viable

alternative for Gricean pragmatics. It moreover is directly applicable to

presupposition and rhetorical structure and improves the insights in those

areas. The last sections are concerned with provisionally making this point.
О прагматических особенностях русского слова однако в сравнении с немецкими аналогами
Authors: Смирнова Мария
Published: September 2020

This paper provides a detailed analysis of pragmatic particularities of the Russian functional word odnako. I claim that most Russian-German dictionaries have failed to account for the meaning of this word. Authors of bilingual dictionaries typically follow their own intuition and provide some accidental examples instead of pursuing a semantic analysis. I propose to use well-known methods in the study of polysemy such as Eve Sweetser's Three-level Approach to the description of functional words. More specifically, I divide odnako into three big groups according to its functions: connective, modal and communicative. The special object of investigation in this paper is its connective function. An analysis of Russian and German examples will show how the pragmatic context can influence the semantic meaning and the function of the connective.
Corpus-driven glossaries in translator training courses
Authors: Tagnin Stella Esther Ortweiler
Published: September 2020

A Linguística de Corpus tem-se mostrado um recurso valioso para a extração de candidatos a termos e unidades fraseológicas a partir de corpora especializados (Bowker & Pearson 2002). Na realidade, trata-se de uma abordagem relativamente nova já que a maioria dos glossários baseia-se, em geral, em material similar anteriormente existente. Embora haja muitos glossários no mercado, poucos foram compilados para atender às necessidades dos tradutores, cuja principal tarefa na tradução técnica é produzir um texto natural e fluente, seja na sua língua nativa, ou em uma língua estrangeira. Por essa razão, um glossário que consiste simplesmente de uma lista de termos e seus equivalentes não será satisfatório para o tradutor. Como produtores de texto, os tradutores precisam saber como a palavra é usada, ou seja, com quais palavras combina (Firth 1957; Sinclair 1991). Além disso, a linguagem técnica abriga termos que consistem de várias palavras assim como unidades fraseológicas ainda mais longas. A compilação de glossários era abordada no Curso de Especialização em Tradução na Universidade de São Paulo como metodologia para melhorar o conhecimento especializado dos alunos. Após algumas experiências, verificou-se que a abordagem condizia com o que Shreve (2006) chamou de “prática deliberada”, metodologia que contribui para o desenvolvimento das habilidades de pesquisa e de tradução dos alunos, levando à aquisição de conhecimento e de técnicas especializados (Maia 1997, 2002; Tagnin 2002), de que os aprendizes poderão se valer em qualquer área na qual venham a trabalhar. Este artigo descreverá como isso foi realizado em várias ocasiões, ou seja, com o recurso a uma abordagem baseada em corpus, e ilustrará, com exemplos de vários projetos, os passos seguidos.
Tradução automática, ma non troppo
Authors: Barreiro Anabela
Published: September 2020

This paper describes two machine translation tasks that require language expertise: (1) paraphrasing as a technique to prepare texts for translation and a method for linguistic quality assurance, and (2) the evaluation of translation produced by machine translation systems. These tasks will be exemplified through support verb constructions, a subtype of multiword units that machine translation systems have difficulty translating. The paper raises awareness of the need to integrate enhanced linguistic knowledge in machine translation systems and the need to place the human factor as a core value in order to ensure translation quality.
Corpógrafo, Terminologie, Phraséologie
Authors: Bacquelaine Françoise
Published: September 2020

The Corpógrafo results from interdisciplinary collaboration between linguists andcomputer engineers under Belinda Maia’s direction. This user-friendly tool for building and using tailor-made corpora allows not only for terminology extractionand management, but also for any research based on monolingual, comparable or parallel corpora. This paper presents the Corpógrafo’s evolution from the first to the fourth version, and two experiences of its use in three languages (English, French and Portuguese). The first experience is in the field of Bluetooth technology terminology extraction and management. The second deals with four Portuguese structures containing the universal quantifier 'cada' and expressing progression, «dropper», proportion between two sets of events or entities and proportion between a set and a subset of events or entities. These experiences show the strengths, weaknesses and limits of the Corpógrafo.
Глагольный вид и дополнение со значением меры в английском и русском языках
Authors: Мелиг Ханс Роберт
Published: September 2020

The paper is focused on predications with incremental arguments, for example, drinking tea, eating ice-cream, but also handing out books or throwing away letters, when these predications are understood in a temporal distributive

way, that is, when the entities denoted are consecutively involved in the situation. Predications with an incremental argument denote situations where there is a certain parallelism between the temporal duration of the situation on the one hand, and the increase or the decrease of the amount denoted by the incremental argument on the other. The more time one spends drinking one’s tea, the less tea remains in the cup. Predications denoting an incremental relation have been comprehensively discussed in formal semantics, and also from other perspectives. Here, it has been observed that neither in English nor in Russian the predications with an incremental argument can be coded as “ongoing”, as progressive, if the incremental argument is related to a bounded amount. Indeed, using the progressive form in an example such as Masha is drinking two cups of tea without further context can be understood only in such a way as to mean that Masha is drinking her tea alternately from both cups. The same is true for Russian if we use the imperfective aspect in its progressive reading. In Russian too, the equivalent example Maša p’et dve čaški čaja cannot be understood in such a way as to mean that Masha is drinking one cup after the other. So it may seem that a progressive coding of a situation and progressive coding of an incremental argument denoting a bounded amount are mutually exclusive. In this paper, I would like to describe in more detail when and why progressive coding of a situation and progressive coding of an incremental argument denoting a bounded quantity are mutually exclusive. In particular, I would like to show and explain why this restriction is not valid if the quantity of the amount denoted is known at the very beginning of the situation. For instance, if in our example Masha is drinking her two cups of tea/Maša p’et svoi dve čaški čaja the incremental argument is introduced with a possessive pronoun such as her/svoi and is thus related to an amount already specified in the context.
Peculiarities of expressing the apprehensive in Russian
Authors: Zorikhina Nilsson Nadezhda
Published: September 2020

The present paper deals with different ways of expressing apprehension in Russian by the verbal constructions using subordinating conjunctions как бы (не) and чтобы (не) and the -л-subjunctive verb form or infinitive. The formal structure of the constructions and the peculiarities of the synonymity of the conjunctions are examined in more detail. Special attention is given to the status of the negative particle не. We argue that negation in the apprehensive does not lose its semantic nature but its manifestations are uncommon due to the assertion-suspending contexts it operates within.