bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal Evaluation of an Integrated Post–COVID-19/Long COVID Management Program Consisting of Digital Interventions and Personal Support: Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)
Authors: Derksen Christina , Rinn Robin , Gao Lingling , Dahmen Alina , Cordes Cay , Kolb Carina , Becker Petra , Lippke Sonia
Published: June 2023

BACKGROUND

The postacute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) can be addressed with multidisciplinary approaches, including professional support and digital interventions.

OBJECTIVE

This research aimed to test whether patients who received a health care facilitation program including medical internet support from human personal pilots and digital interventions (intervention group [IG] and active control group [ACG]) would experience fewer symptoms and have higher work ability and social participation than an untreated comparison group (CompG). The second objective was to compare the impact of a diagnostic assessment and digital interventions tailored to patients’ personal capacity (IG) with that of only personal support and digital interventions targeting the main symptoms (ACG).

METHODS

In total, 1020 patients with PACS were recruited. Using a randomized controlled trial design between the IG and the ACG, as well as propensity score matching to include the CompG, analyses were run with logistic regression and hierarchical-linear models.

RESULTS

Symptoms decreased significantly in all groups over time (βT1-T2=0.13, t549=5.67, P<.001; βT2-T4=0.06, t549=2.83, P=.01), with a main effect of the group (β=–.15, t549=–2.65, P=.01) and a more pronounced effect in the IG and ACG compared to the CompG (between groups: βT1-T2=0.14, t549=4.31, P<.001; βT2-T4=0.14, t549=4.57, P<.001). Work ability and social participation were lower in the CompG, but there was no significant interaction effect. There were no group differences between the IG and the ACG.

CONCLUSIONS

Empowerment through personal pilots and digital interventions reduces symptoms but does not increase work ability and social participation. More longitudinal research is needed to evaluate the effects of a diagnostic assessment. Social support and digital interventions should be incorporated to facilitate health care interventions for PACS.

CLINICALTRIAL

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05238415; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05238415.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

RR2-10.1186/s12879-022-07584-z
Investigation of the Relationship between Patient Portal Utilization and Patient Outcomes among Cancer Patients: Secondary Analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey Data (Preprint)
Authors: Park Jaeyoung , Guo Shilin , Liang Muxuan , zhong xiang
Published: June 2023

BACKGROUND

Patients with cancer were reported to use patient portals far more frequently than other patient populations and patient portals have shown the potential to deepen relationships between care providers and cancer patients by increasing transparency of health information and supporting communication.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to examine the causal relationship between the usage of patient portals and cancer patients’ health self-efficacy outcomes.

METHODS

The National Institute’s HINTS 5 Cycle 1 (2017), Cycle 2 (2018), Cycle 3 (2019), and Cycle 4 (2020) data were used to perform a secondary data analysis. Patients who reported being ever diagnosed with cancer were included in the study population. Their portal usage frequency was considered as an intervention. Patients’ perceptions of self-efficacious health information-seeking behaviors, their capability to perform self-care, and the quality of care received were the primary outcomes considered and they were measured by survey respondents’ self-reported information. A set of conditional independence tests based on the causal directed acyclic graph were developed to examine the causal relationship between patient portal usage and the targeted outcomes.

RESULTS

We observed patient portals’ impact on strengthening cancer patients’ ability to take care of their own health and identified heterogeneous causal relationships between frequent patient portal usage and cancer patients’ perceived quality of care. We could not conclusively determine the causal effect between patient portal usage and patients’ confidence in getting advice or information about health or cancer care related topics.

CONCLUSIONS

The results advocate patient portals and promote the need to provide better support and education to patients. The proposed statistical method exploits the potential of national survey data for causal inference studies.
General Attitudes Towards and Readiness for Medical Artificial Intelligence among Medical and Health Sciences Students in Kazakhstan (Preprint)
Authors: Cruz Jonas Preposi , Sembekova Anara , Omirzakova Dinara , Bolla Srinivasa Rao , Balay-odao Ejercito Mangawa
Published: June 2023

BACKGROUND

Medical AI is an exponentially expanding field with great potential to revolutionize healthcare. Many tasks in healthcare are now and in the future will integrate AI. It is essential for future medical and healthcare providers to be ready and to use them to optimize patient care. However, in Kazakhstan, the attitudes and readiness of medical and health sciences students toward medical AI still need to be discovered.

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the general attitudes toward Artificial Intelligence (AI) and medical AI readiness among Kazakhstani medical and health sciences students and examined the factors influencing the students' medical AI readiness.

METHODS

A quantitative study using an online survey was conducted among medical and health sciences students at Nazarbayev University School of Medicine (NUSOM) in Spring 2023. We employed the “General Attitudes Towards Artificial Intelligence Scale” (GAAIS) to assess the students' AI attitudes and the “Medical Artificial Intelligence Readiness Scale for Medical Students” (MAIRS-MS) to measure the student's readiness for medical AI.

RESULTS

Nearly all of the students did not receive/ attended any education experience on AI from NUSOM (95.3%) or outside NUSOM (85.0%), and most of them received information about AI from the media (74.8%). The students reported poor knowledge of AI and its application in healthcare. The students demonstrated a negative to neutral general attitude toward AI and poor overall readiness for medical AI. Knowledge of AI applications in healthcare and a generally positive attitude toward AI was associated with increased readiness for medical AI among the students.

CONCLUSIONS

The study's findings can inform education policymakers and medical and health science professors in creating, introducing, and integrating new curricular content involving AI in medical schools. Including content on medical AI in medical and health sciences curricula will increase the students’ readiness and improve its use for more advanced patient care.
Epidemiological trends in cardiovascular disease mortality attributable to modifiable risk factors and its association with sociodemographic transition across BRICS-Plus (Preprint)
Authors: Nawsherwan Nawsherwan , Mubarik Sumaira , Bin Wang , Le Zhang , Sang Mangmang , Sang Mangmang , Lin Yijun , Zheng Jinrong , Wang Yan
Published: June 2023

BACKGROUND

BRICS-Plus (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and 30 other countries) is a group of 35 countries with emerging economies making up more than half of the world’s population. We explored epidemiological trends of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality attributable to modifiable risk factors and its association with period and birth cohort effects and sociodemographic index (SDI) across BRICS-Plus.

OBJECTIVE

To explore epidemiological trends of CVD mortality attributable to modifiable risk factors and its association with SDI across BRICS-Plus.

METHODS

The CVD mortality data were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019. We used joinpoint regression analysis to determine trend analysis, period and cohort effects on CVD mortality were estimated by using age-period-cohort (APC) modeling from 1990 to 2019. The rate ratio was calculated using the Maximum Likelihood (ML) of the APC-model Poisson with log (Y) based on the natural spline function (RR). Furthermore, the link between SDI and CVD mortality was examined using the spearman correlation coefficient (r).

RESULTS

Between 1990 and 2019, the all-ages CVD deaths increased by 85.2% (6.1 million to 11.3 million) and age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) of CVD decreased by 19.3% (367 to 296 per 100,000) across BRICS-Plus. BRICS-Plus accounted for 60.9%, 58.3%, and 64.4% of global CVD, ischemic heart diseases (IHD), and ischemic stroke (IS) deaths in 2019, respectively with India and China alone contributing ~ two-thirds of all CVD deaths. The CVD ASMR attributable to dietary risks and smoking significantly decreased across BRIC-Plus countries, with some exceptions. However, four-fifth of BRIC-Plus countries observed a remarkable increasing trend of high body mass-index (BMI)-related CVD deaths in particular among younger adults (25-49 years) and ≈3-fold higher CVD mortality in males than in females. Early birth cohorts and individuals aged greater than 50 years showed a higher risk of CVD mortality. Both China-ASEAN FTA and Mercosur regions stand out for their successful sociodemographic transition, with a significant reduction in CVD mortality over the study period.

CONCLUSIONS

The burden of CVD mortality varies remarkably among BRICS-Plus countries. Singapore and Brazil achieved great progress in CVD mortality reduction and the other BRICS-Plus countries should follow their lead in adopting public health policies and initiatives into practice.
Transforming Primary Care Data into the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership Common Data Model: Development and Usability Study (Preprint)
Authors: Fruchart Mathilde , Quindroit Paul , Jacquemont Chloé , Beuscart Jean-Baptiste , Calafiore Matthieu , Lamer Antoine
Published: June 2023

BACKGROUND

Patient monitoring software generates a large amount of data that can be reused for clinical audits and scientific research. The Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI) consortium developed the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) Common Data Model (CDM) to standardize electronic health record (EHR) data and promote large-scale observational and longitudinal research. Primary care data have not previously been mapped and integrated into the OMOP CDM.

OBJECTIVE

To transform primary care data into the OMOP CDM.

METHODS

We extracted primary care data from the EHRs at a multidisciplinary healthcare center in Wattrelos (France). We performed structural mapping between the design of our local primary care database and the OMOP CDM tables and fields. Local French vocabularies concepts were mapped to OHDSI standard vocabularies. To validate the implementation of primary care data into the OMOP CDM, we applied a set of queries. A practical application was achieved through the development of a dashboard.

RESULTS

Data from 18,395 patients were implemented into the OMOP CDM, corresponding to 592,226 consultations over a period of 20 years. 18 OMOP CDM tables were implemented. 17 local vocabularies were identified as being related to primary care and corresponded to the patient characteristics (sex, location, year of birth, and race), units of measurement, biometric measures, laboratory test results, medical histories, drug prescriptions. During semantic mapping, 10,221 primary care concepts were mapped to standard OHDSI concepts. Five queries were used to validate the OMOP CDM by comparing the results obtained after completion of the transformations with the results obtained in the source software. Lastly, a prototype dashboard was developed to visualize the activity of the health center, the laboratory test results, and the drug prescription data.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary care data have been implemented into the OMOP CDM format. Data concerning demographics, units, measurements, and primary care consultation steps were already available in OHDSI vocabularies. Laboratory test results and drug prescription data were mapped to available vocabularies and structured in the final model. A dashboard application provides healthcare professionals with feedback on their practice.
Combatting SARS-CoV-2 With Digital Contact Tracing and Notification: Navigating Six Points of Failure (Preprint)
Authors: Masel Joanna , Petrie James Ian Mackie , Bay Jason , Ebbers Wolfgang , Sharan Aalekh , Leibrand Scott Michael , Gebhard Andreas , Zimmerman Samuel
Published: June 2023

UNSTRUCTURED

Digital contact tracing and notification were initially hailed as promising strategies to combat SARS-CoV-2; however, in most jurisdictions, they did not live up to their promise. To avert a given transmission event, both parties must have adopted the technology, it must detect the contact, the primary case must be promptly diagnosed, notifications must be triggered, and the secondary case must change their behavior to avoid the focal tertiary transmission event. If we approximate these as independent events, achieving a 26% reduction in the effective reproduction number Rt would require an 80% success rate at each of these 6 points of failure. Here, we review the 6 failure rates experienced by a variety of digital contact tracing and contact notification schemes, including Singapore’s TraceTogether, India’s Aarogya Setu, and leading implementations of the Google Apple Exposure Notification system. This leads to a number of recommendations, for example, that the narrative be framed in terms of user autonomy rather than user privacy, and that tracing/notification apps be multifunctional and integrated with testing, manual contact tracing, and the gathering of critical scientific data.
SPREAD THE CREATIVITY VIRUS IN THE CLASSROOM
Authors: Ali Adel
Published: June 2023

A creative classroom is a pleasant and motivating place where students feel endowed to learn, where all ideas are welcome, and where learning is deep and significant. Students who are encouraged to be creative are better learners, and they are more alert of their own learning styles. Creativity is a lifelong skill that our students will take with them into their adult lives to solve problems and help build a better world. Unfortunately, traditional classrooms do not always value creativity, and sometimes even hold it back. Our role as teachers is to cultivate creativity at every opportunity because it is not an optional extra. Rather, creativity should be our best companion.
Una mirada alternativa a las dinámicas de revisión de las obsolescencias urbanas. Vestigios en Valparaíso revisitados como paisaje
Authors: Rojas Cabezas Cristian , Cuadra Díaz Nicolás , Fernández-Valderrama Aparicio Luz , Moreno Pérez José Ramón
Published: June 2023

Ante el problema que representa la sumatoria de detritus urbanos y espacios obsolescentes como resultado del proceso de modernización del último siglo, el presente artículo presenta una investigación centrada en la ciudad de Valparaíso y su objetivo fundamental es atender a la situación medioambiental anteriormente planteada a través de una valoración alternativa de este tipo de lugares en estado de abandono, contribuyendo a su habitabilidad desde una perspectiva alineada con la idea del decrecimiento: visibilizando estos espacios generando una percepción expandida de cada lugar al registrar lo efímero, lo variable, el tiempo distinto que cada sitio exhibe vivenciándolo como una experiencia significativa en su condición de vestigio material.
Casas experimentales en el Centro Interamericano de Vivienda-CINVA, 1952-1956
Authors: Galindo Díaz Jorge
Published: June 2023

En este artículo, resultado parcial de una investigación en curso, se describe la manera en que, durante sus primeros años de funcionamiento, el Centro Interamericano de Vivienda (CINVA) adoptó el método del desarrollo progresivo con el fin de diseñar y construir prototipos de viviendas de bajo costo y contribuir así a la solución del déficit habitacional existente. El resultado fue un conjunto de casas experimentales concebidas bajo los principios de estandarización, prefabricación e industrialización; sin embargo, un giro hacia la producción de viviendas por autoconstrucción marcó el fin de esta interesante experiencia tecnológica en el contexto latinoamericano.
DEVELOPMENT OF PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT ON BASIC PHYSICS PRACTICUM
Authors:   Universitas PGRI Sumatera Barat, Trisna Silvi , Rika Yanti Iing ,   Universitas PGRI Sumatera Barat
Published: June 2023

Basic Physics is one of the courses supported by practicum activities to increase students' understanding of the material presented in lectures. So to support the achievement of practical activities, an assessment is required. Where the assessment developed is the Performance Assessment is expected to make lecturers to improve the quality of assessment on the Physics Basic lab. Performance assessment is an assessment done by observing the activities of students in doing something. This assessment is suitable for assessing the competency achievement that requires students to perform certain tasks such as laboratory practice in accordance with the demands of the syllabus. This study aims to develop a Performance Assessment on a valid Physics Basic exercise. This study uses the development of the Plomp model which goes through the following stages: (1) preliminary research, (2) prototyping phase, and (3) test and assessment Phase. At the phase prototyping phase is done performance assessment design on the Physics Basic lab. Performance assessment that has been designed and then validated by 2 validators. Validation results obtained 85.17 with valid categories
Stock Price Prediction Using Time Series Forecasting
Authors: Kumar Ashish
Published: June 2023

Abstract: Accurately predicting stock market returns is a very difficult task due to the volatile and non-linear nature of financial stock markets. With the advent of artificial intelligence and increasing computing power, programmed forecasting methods have proven to be more efficient in predicting stock prices. In this work, artificial neural networks and random forest techniques are used to, predicted the next day's closing prices for five companies in various industries. Financial Data: Use the opening, high, low and closing prices to create new variables that will be used as inputs to the model. The model is evaluated against the standard strategy metrics RMSE and MAPE. The low values of these two indicators indicate that the model is efficient in predicting the closing price of the stock. Accurately predicting stock market returns is a very difficult task due to the volatile and non-linear nature of financial stock markets. With the advent of artificial intelligence and increasing computing power, programmed forecasting methods have proven to be more efficient in predicting stock prices. In this work, artificial neural networks and random forest techniques are used to, predicted the next day's closing prices for five companies in various industries.
IOT Based Smart Energy Meter
Authors: Awaze Prof. S. K. , Sudam Mr. Chaudhari Nikhil , Asaram Mr. Shere Mahesh , Sachin Mr. Nakade Shubham
Published: June 2023

Abstract: The labour involved in gathering utility metre readings for energy. The main goal of this project is to use the Internet of Things (IoT) to measure electricity consumption in home appliances and produce a bill automatically. IoT is an efficient and cost-effective way to transfer information about energy consumers wirelessly. A distributed architecture must be used to create the energy grid so that it can dynamically include various energy sources. IoT may be used for a variety of smart grid applications, including energy demand side management, distributed energy plant metering, smart metres for energy generation and consumption, and many areas of energy production.
Automatic Generation of Meeting Minutes Using NLP
Authors: Khodake Nikhil , Kondewar Shweta , Bhandare Swarda , Haridas Chinmay
Published: June 2023

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the globe to a different time period. Due to the widespread adoption of the workfrom-home culture, business meetings are increasingly taking place online. Minutes Of Meeting(MOM) maintains a record of the topics discussed in online business meetings. Meeting minutes is a written document used to inform participants and nonparticipants of what happened during the meeting. The main issue with meeting minutes is that the person should personally attend the meeting and it takes a lot of time to create MOM manually. We proposed a system to get fluent, concise, and adequate minutes of meeting from a given transcript. We observe better results than our baseline models and achieve eval_rouge1 score of 47.39 and an eval_loss of 1.56 for summarization tasks .
APLIKASI TEKNIK PLASMA SOLUSI PADA PRODUKSI KARET ALAM TERDEPROTEINASI (DPNR)
Authors: Kinasih Norma Arisanti , Magaraphan Rathanawan
Published: June 2023

Karet alam terdeproteinasi (DPNR) diproduksi untuk memenuhi kebutuhan persyaratan produk untuk gangguan alergi protein dan proses modifikasi partikel karet alam. DPNR dibuat dengan teknik plasma solusi dengan pengaplikasian beberapa nilai voltase yaitu 1, 5, dan 10 kV untuk mengamati degradasi tertinggi bagian non-karet di DPNR. DPNR yang dihasilkan melalui plasma solusi dengan voltase tegangan 1, 5, dan 10 kV selanjutnya disebut DPNR 1 kV, DPNR 5 kV, dan DPNR 10 kV. Degradasi bagian non-karet ditentukan menggunakan Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FT-IR), pengujian kadar nitrogen, kandungan gel, dan viskositas. DPNR 10 kV memiliki nilai rasio puncak protein dan kadar nitrogen terendah sebesar 65,9% protein karet terdegradasi. Hasil ini menunjukkan bahwa voltase 10 kV merupakan kondisi optimum untuk mendegradasi protein dengan teknik plasma solusi.
SELEKSI CALON KLON KARET UNGGUL TAHAN PENYAKIT GUGUR DAUN
Authors: Kusdiana Alchemi Putri Juliantika , Berlian Intan , Oktavia Fetrina
Published: June 2023

Keberhasilan budidaya tanaman karet dipengaruhi oleh beberapa faktor, salah satunya manajemen penyakit tanaman. Penyakit gugur daun merupakan salah satu penyakit penting tanaman karet karena dapat menurunkan produksi lateks. Penyakit gugur daun pada tanaman karet di lapangan cukup sulit diatasi. Pengendalian penyakit yang dianggap lebih efisien adalah dengan pencegahan melalui penggunaan klon yang memiliki sifat ketahanan tinggi terhadap patogen. Hal ini mendorong para pemulia karet untuk terus melakukan seleksi dan menghasilkan klon unggul baru yang berproduksi tinggi juga tahan terhadap penyakit daun. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk menseleksi sifat sekunder tahan penyakit gugur daun pada progeni F1 hasil persilangan klon PB 260 x RRIC 100 dan RRIC 100 x PB 260 pada tahapan seedling evaluation trials (SET). Pengamatan dilakukan terhadap 290 tanaman progeni F1 tahun tanam 2012 dan 2014 di kebun F1 (SET) Pusat Penelitian Karet Sembawa, Sumatra Selatan. Pengamatan keparahan penyakit dilakukan pada empat jenis penyakit gugur daun yaitu penyakit gugur daun Pestalotiopsis, Corynespora, Colletotrichum, dan Oidium. Pengamatan penyakit dilakukan secara visual dengan melihat persentase keparahan penyakit berdasarkan gejala penyakit dan luasan kanopi tanaman yang terserang, serta daun yang gugur akibat penyakit tersebut. Evaluasi ketahanan 290 progeni F1 menunjukkan variasi ketahanan setiap progeni terhadap setiap jenis penyakit gugur daun. Sebanyak 62 progeni memiliki tingkat ketahanan yang tinggi terhadap empat jenis penyakit gugur daun pada tanaman karet.
On Quantum Speedups for Nonconvex Optimization via Quantum Tunneling Walks
Authors: Liu Yizhou , Su Weijie J. , Li Tongyang
Published: June 2023

Classical algorithms are often not effective for solving nonconvex optimization problems where local minima are separated by high barriers. In this paper, we explore possible quantum speedups for nonconvex optimization by leveraging the global effect of quantum tunneling. Specifically, we introduce a quantum algorithm termed the quantum tunneling walk (QTW) and apply it to nonconvex problems where local minima are approximately global minima. We show that QTW achieves quantum speedup over classical stochastic gradient descents (SGD) when the barriers between different local minima are high but thin and the minima are flat. Based on this observation, we construct a specific double-well landscape, where classical algorithms cannot efficiently hit one target well knowing the other well but QTW can when given proper initial states near the known well. Finally, we corroborate our findings with numerical experiments.
On efficient quantum block encoding of pseudo-differential operators
Authors: Li Haoya , Ni Hongkang , Ying Lexing
Published: June 2023

Block encoding lies at the core of many existing quantum algorithms. Meanwhile, efficient and explicit block encodings of dense operators are commonly acknowledged as a challenging problem. This paper presents a comprehensive study of the block encoding of a rich family of dense operators: the pseudo-differential operators (PDOs). First, a block encoding scheme for generic PDOs is developed. Then we propose a more efficient scheme for PDOs with a separable structure. Finally, we demonstrate an explicit and efficient block encoding algorithm for PDOs with a dimension-wise fully separable structure. Complexity analysis is provided for all block encoding algorithms presented. The application of theoretical results is illustrated with worked examples, including the representation of variable coefficient elliptic operators and the computation of the inverse of elliptic operators without invoking quantum linear system algorithms (QLSAs).
The Formation of the German Literary Market and Translation Industry since the 18th Century
Authors:   Institute of Foreign Literature, Seo Jungil
Published: June 2023

Historian Rolf Engelsing defined the late 18th century as “a transitional period from intensive book reading to extensive reading.” But in the German-speaking world, domestic books alone could not fully satisfy the public's desire for reading. This is because people's cultural interests and tastes had diversified and increased. Therefore, the publishing world turned its attention to foreign literature and publications and began to translate foreign literature extensively. Until the early 1820s, translations were extremely rare. However, German writers and intellectuals migrated abroad due to censorship, leading to the shrinking of the German-speaking publishing culture. This contradictory phenomenon led to the growth of the translation industry in Germany, and the activities of translation factories were particularly active.
The Uzbek Language before the National Reform: A New Approach to Sart Ethnolinguistic Identity Based on the Late Chagatai Turkic Literature
Authors:   Institute of Foreign Literature, Song Ho-Lim
Published: June 2023

Following the end of the Governorate of Russian Turkistan (1867-1917), the Sart, who represented the majority of the local population, were absorbed by the new Uzbek nation with the establishment of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic in 1924. After only a year, Abdullah Qadiri published the first modern novel in the Uzbek language, “Bygone Days” (1925), and soon after released “Scorpion from the Altar” (1928), which decried the regime of Khudayar Khan and his Sart officialdom. However, it is difficult to fully assess the 19th century, which laid the foundations of the modern Uzbek language and national identity, from the perspective of a radical Jadid-socialist view. Therefore, this research intends to re-evaluate the ethnolinguistic identity of Sart writers through their literary achievements. Firstly, it discusses the origin of the words “Sart” and “Tajik” to clarify the ethnolinguistic distinction between Sarts and the other Turkic peoples. Finally, it sheds new light on the legacy of Sart literature still visible in modern Uzbek literature.
The Language-Image of the Dardenne Brothers Representing Solidarity: Focusing on Their Film, Deux jours, une nuit
Authors:   Institute of Foreign Literature, Oh Bobae
Published: June 2023

The film by Jean-Pierre et Luc Dardenne, Deux jours, une nuit (2014), shows the dilemma experienced by workers and their solidarity within an inhuman game based on the logic of capitalism. This film is characterized by the active use of language-image as well as words, language-text, which concretely describe the marginalization of the weak in contemporary society, the isolation of workers, and the hostility to each other reinforced by the capitalist system. The frames partitioned by the lines, colors or materials aroud the characters describe also the solidaristic landscapes, quietly deployed, despite everything. The purpose of this research is to find the language-images of the Dardenne brothers and to understand their social message, using the analysis of the images of the background and the movements of the characters which complete the plot of the film.
Teachers’ Beliefs about Teaching and Learning: Why is It Still a Challenge?
Authors:   University of Latvia, Lazdina Solvita , Daga-Krumina Evi
Published: June 2023

Teachers’ beliefs influence their classroom activities and students’ involvement in learning more than knowledge or curriculum, beliefs can slow down the implementation of educational reforms, the introduction of new practices, or support it. Exploring beliefs is difficult, teachers may not be open in expressing existing beliefs, or they may be unsure of their own beliefs, replacing them with slogans that are socially acceptable narratives. The purpose of this study is to identify teachers’ beliefs that characterize student teaching, additionally evaluating how these beliefs affect teacher agency. The answers to these questions were obtained by implementing a case analysis – studying the narrative identity of all mathematics teachers of one school, while the research process is like ethnographic research, data is obtained by interviewing respondents and observing them in practical work. The belief identified as a result of the research is that the teacher’s main task is to prepare students for sufficiently high results in the mathematics exam, describing how the identity of a “good teacher” is formed, which brings with it agency – an active contribution to make it happen. The second identified belief – some students cannot study in the classroom together with the others, this demonstrates the absence of teacher agency, teachers’ responsibility for children whose learning is a challenge, these children are handed over to other agents – parents and private tutors.
Informal Learning for Creating Professional Support Groups for Teachers and School Leadership Teams: A Case Study
Authors:   University of Latvia, Kaulēns Oskars , Sarva Edīte
Published: June 2023

From the school year 2020/2021 the implementation of a competence-based curriculum has started in Latvia which determines new learning outcomes for students and at the same time defines new professional development needs for teachers. There are changes in the content that teachers need to learn and the learning approach that teachers need to use for their professional development to ensure that they meet the new quality requirements of teaching. In order to successfully implement new teaching and learning approaches and to promote the development of a wider learning community, teachers’ formal professional development, such as attendance at lectures, seminars etc., has to be supplemented with informal professional development through sharing experiences, participation in learning groups, etc. The remote work experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has provided additional opportunities for a variety of online in-service teacher education activities based on principles of informal learning. The goal of the research conducted by the authors is to find out what is the interest of teachers to get involved in the teacher cooperation events “Emergency Methodological Assistance” organised by the Friendly Appeal Cesis State Gymnasium and what are the professional benefits of teachers’ participation in such informal learning activities. Within the framework of the research, a qualitative content analysis of the teachers’ reflection bulletins has been performed, which teachers have submitted at the end of events, evaluating their professional benefits from participation in the events. The data of the research show that teachers appreciate the opportunity to get acquainted with professionally tested and practical teaching methods and techniques for the implementation of new curriculum, to receive encouragement from other colleagues in the conditions of constant change and uncertainty, and to find professional partners among teachers for long-term planning and cooperation activities.
Rubrics as a Tool for Objective Assessment in Art Education
Authors:   Faculty of Education, Psychology and Art of University of Latvia, Avotina Austra , Froloviceva Valeria
Published: June 2023

The paper describes the importance of a rubric as an assessment tool in art education. The assessment of a work of art, for example, a landscape or a portrait painting usually consists of a combination of objective information and a subjective point of view, which makes it difficult for educators to assess students’ learning outcomes. The use of rubrics is considered an innovative way for educators not only to measure the student’s comprehension and skills but also as a teaching method to increase learners’ engagement in order to bring the creation of art to the forefront of the learning process within school art education. The relevance of the subject of this paper is defined by the changes in the evaluation system during the ongoing education reform in Latvia. The rubric, as an assessment tool in Latvia, was first introduced in 2020 as a part of the reform of the school curriculum. Rubrics for creative art assignments observe the main stages of the learning process, including sketching, expression of original ideas, creative work, documentation of the creation process and self-evaluation. It can be used for both, summative and formative assessments of learning outcomes. The criteria are based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Visual Literacy which was developed by The European Network of Visual Literacy. Therefore, the research aim is to determine the optimal way to evaluate students’ work in art lessons within the framework of school art education. The research involved two stages of data collection. During the first stage (2021) there was conducted a survey of 60 Latvian secondary school teachers that identified several problematic issues concerning the evaluation criteria. In the second stage (2022) the in-depth analysis was performed to investigate the connection between the feedback from educational practice and recommended rubrics in new curricula.
The Impact of Additional Sports Activities on the Development of Students in General Education Schools
Authors:   University of Latvia, Parandjuks Rihards
Published: June 2023

Sports can be diverse – dual career, sports for the general public, youth sports, and other levels. However, the level of general education schools is vital, as it is compulsory in the Latvian education system. Thus, for approximately 70% of Latvian children and young people, sports lessons are the only places to do sports. The study’s author has analyzed the “Sport everyone in the class” project organized by the Latvian Olympic Committee. The essence of the project is related to additional sports activities that depend on the capabilities of the particular school – both in terms of infrastructure and human resources. A quantitative and qualitative survey method has been performed. Data were obtained from 26 schools participating in the project. Number of respondents – students – n-582. The author analyzed the impact of additional sports activities on students’ work ethic, learning achievements, physical fitness, etc. Data were processed using the Windows SPSS program. It is concluded that students improve their ability to concentrate and complete the learning process and their eating habits. In qualitative surveys – interviews with school management, it was found that this type of process is recommended for all educational institutions because the benefits are more than the negative factors.
Multisensory Approach in Speech Therapy for Preschool Children
Authors:   University of Latvia, Tubele Sarmite
Published: June 2023

The paper is devoted to topical issue – multisensory approach in speech therapy. The aim of the paper is to substantiate the neccessity of multisensory approach in speech therapy sessions for pre-schoolers. The number of children with speech and language disorders is increasing every year and help is needed to alleviate the disorders. Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) have to work hard to overcome developmental difficulties. They have common features because of language problems, nevertheless they are so different in their learning styles, individual and personal characteristics, and the severity of their speech and language disorder. Speech therapist has to be creative and find the way to each child alongside the strict methodology, and promote their development. Multisensory approach in the essence is the use of all senses in the learning process and intervention. Speech therapists know how important it is to attach the attention and keep interest of a child to achieve the best results. Some senses are more accustomed in daily use; others are used only in special cases. The development in pre-school age is the basis for the future life, wellbeing and success. Therefore the fundamental must be strong, confident and reliable. Used methods: literature review based on specific key words in Google Scholar, questionnaire for speech therapists and statistical analysis of the obtained results. Main results specify frequently used senses (vision, hearing, touch) and more rarely used senses (smell and taste). Nevertheless the results of speech therapy intervention suggests more frequent use of all the senses. One of the conclusions is related to the need in the education of future speech therapists to pay more attention to the use of a multisensory approach in daily sessions for children with speech and language disorders.
LA TRANSFORMACIÓN DE LAS MENTALIDADES CRISTIANAS Y LA EVOLUCIÓN DE LAS ORGANIZACIONES ECLESIÁSTICAS ESTADOUNIDENSES (1840-1945)
Authors: Abreu Colombri José Antonio
Published: June 2023

Like the Christian belief system, the mindsets of the many established Christian communities in the United States have changed over time. The article tries to establish a period of great transformation at a social and cultural level, which goes from the great transformation of the later period until the end of the Second World War. In a generalized way, almost all the ecclesiastical organizations linked to the branch of Reformed Protestantism expanded geographically and demographically, this trend also led to an intense propagation of the moral principles and biblical interpretations of this Protestant confessional bloc. On the other hand, the ecclesiastical organizations linked to the main line of Protestantism lost an important part of their social mass, while conserving their social influence and their capacity for cultural leadership. The complexity of the institutions and diversity of Christian thought, from different conjunctural approaches, are studied in all the thematic sections of this study.
MINDFULNESS, SAÚDE MENTAL E ESPIRITUALIDADE BUDISTA
Authors: De Moura Carvalho Isabel Cristina , Dos Santos Giovanna Paccillo
Published: June 2023

O artigo aqui apresentado busca compreender como se produzem os sentidos seculares, médicos e científicos do Mindfulness: uma prática associada, ao mesmo tempo, ao autocuidado e bem-estar no Ocidente, e à meditação budista, originária do Oriente. Vamos partir da ideia de que as práticas de Mindfulness fazem parte do que se tem denominado amplamente de “espiritualidade”, remetendo às cosmologias imanentes e seculares em oposição às religiões da transcendência. Nestas últimas, o sagrado é postulado como uma dimensão emanada de uma fonte externa a este mundo, que se alcança através de rituais mediadores, como, por exemplo, no cristianismo. Nas espiritualidades seculares, trata-se do cultivo de virtudes para viver neste mundo e encontrar nele sentidos que podem reencantar a existência. As espiritualidades seculares, de modo geral, envolvem todos os sentidos humanos, estão situadas num tempo-espaço vivido no presente, onde os sentidos do bem viver passam pelo corpo, pela natureza, e pela virtude de enfrentar, com o menor sofrimento, as contingências e as ansiedades do dia a dia.
NOTAS SOBRE EVANGÉLICOS, POLÍTICA E GÊNERO A PARTIR DAS ELEIÇÕES DE 2022
Authors: Rosas Nina
Published: June 2023

Trago neste texto apontamentos sobre religião e política, a partir de duas estratégias. Tomo como referência, de um lado, o artigo Mulheres evangélicas para além do voto: notas sobre processos de engajamento, política e cotidiano, de Jacqueline Teixeira e Lívia Reis. De outro, cotejo-o com uma breve reflexão sobre a Teologia do Domínio e a aproximação de parte dos evangélicos com o bolsonarismo, exemplificada por Ana Paula e André Valadão. Proponho, fazendo eco às autoras, que as chaves de leitura atuais se centrem em sistemático escrutínio e revisão de categorias, como família e guerra espiritual, e em tomarmos como imprescindível análises a partir da variável gênero, que está indissociavelmente ligada a raça e classe.
Population assignment from genotype likelihoods for low-coverage whole-genome sequencing data
Authors: DeSaix Matthew , Rodriguez Marina , Ruegg Kristen , Anderson Eric
Published: June 2023

Low-coverage whole genome sequencing (WGS) is increasingly used for the
study of evolution and ecology in both model and non-model organisms;
however, effective application of low-coverage WGS data requires the
implementation of probabilistic frameworks to account for the
uncertainties in genotype likelihood data. Here, we present a
probabilistic framework for using genotype likelihood data for standard
population assignment applications. Additionally, we derive the Fisher
information for allele frequency from genotype likelihood data and use
that to describe a novel metric, the effective sample size, which
figures heavily in assignment accuracy. We make these developments
available for application through WGSassign, an open-source software
package that is computationally efficient for working with whole genome
data. Using simulated and empirical data sets, we demonstrate the
behavior of our assignment method across a range of population
structures, sample sizes, and read depths. Through these results, we
show that WGSassign can provide highly accurate assignment, even for
samples with low average read depths (< 0.01X) and among
weakly differentiated populations. Our simulation results highlight the
importance of equalizing the effective sample sizes among source
populations in order to achieve accurate population assignment with
low-coverage WGS data. We further provide study design recommendations
for population-assignment studies and discuss the broad utility of
effective sample size for studies using low-coverage WGS data.
The eco-evolutionary risks of not changing seed provenancing practices in changing environments
Authors: Jordan Rebecca , Harrison Peter , Breed Martin
Published: June 2023

Rapidly changing environments combined with increasing global
restoration initiatives require improved seed sourcing strategies for
native revegetation. Sourcing seed from local populations (local
provenancing) has been the long-standing default for native revegetation
for numerous eco-evolutionary reasons including local adaptation and
species co-evolution. However, the evidence-base has shifted, revealing
risks for both non-local and local provenancing in changing
environments. As alternative strategies gain interest, we argue for
effective decision-making that weighs the risks of changing and not
changing seed sourcing strategies in a changing environment that
transcends a default position and the polarising local vs. non-local
debate.
The FLOWERING LOCUS T LIKE 2-1 gene of Chenopodium triggers precocious flowering in Arabidopsis seedlings
Authors: Storchova Helena , Abeyawardana Oushadee A. J. , Moravec Tomáš , Krüger Manuela , Belz Claudia , Gutierrez-Larruscain David , Vondráková Zuzana , Eliášová Kateřina
Published: June 2023

The FLOWERING LOCUS T ( FT) gene is the essential
integrator of flowering regulatory pathways in angiosperms. The paralogs
of the FT gene may perform antagonistic functions, as exemplified
by BvFT1, that suppresses flowering in Beta vulgaris,
unlike the paralogous activator BvFT2. The roles of FT
genes in other amaranths were less investigated. Here, we transformed
Arabidopsis thaliana with the FLOWERING LOCUS T like (
FTL) genes of Chenopodiumficifolium and found,
that both CfFTL1 and CfFTL2-1 accelerated flowering,
despite having been the homologs of the Beta vulgaris floral
promoter and suppressor, respectively. The floral promotive effect of
CfFTL2-1 was so strong that it caused lethality when
overexpressed under the 35S promoter. CfFTL2-1 placed in
inducible cassette accelerated flowering after the induction with
methoxyphenozide. The spontaneous induction of CfFTL2-1 led to
precocious flowering in some primary transformants even without chemical
induction. The CqFT2-1 homolog from Chenopodium quinoa had
the same impact on viability and flowering as CfFTL2-1, when
transferred to A. thaliana. After the FTL gene duplication
in Amaranthaceae, the FTL1 copy maintained the role of floral
activator. The second copy FTL2 underwent subsequent duplication
and functional diversification, which enabled to control the onset of
flowering in amaranths to adapt to variable environments.
Cone beam computed tomography analysis of maxillary vestibular bone thickness in the esthetic region
Authors: Djurdjevic Milica , Bubalo Marija , Lukovic Ana , Igic Ana , Acovic Aleksandar , Kanjevac Tatjana
Published: June 2023

Background/Aim. Insufficient buccal bone thickness (thickness less than 2 mm) frequently leads to fenestration and dehiscence, and their consequences are additional bone resorption. That represents an additional problem during implant placement. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is becoming a priority in the diagnosis of bone thickness needed for implant placement since it has proven to be an accurate and largely reliable diagnostic tool in the image of morphology and buccal wall thickness. The aim of this study was to measure the vestibular bone thickness of the anterior maxillary region in the Serbian population and compare the difference between men and women, as well as between the left and right sides of the jaw. Methods. CBCT images of 68 patients were examined from the existing database. The length from the cementoenamel junction to the beginning of the alveolar bone was measured, followed by the thickness of the vestibular bone at various clinically relevant locations. The data were statistically processed and analyzed. Results. A total of 373 teeth of the frontal region of the upper jaw, including 128 central incisors, 124 lateral incisors, and 121 canines, were analyzed. The thickness of the buccal bone in more than 88% of cases was less than 1.5 mm at all reference points, with mean values from 0.72 to 1.02 mm. Conclusion. A very small number of maxillary teeth have a vestibular bone thickness greater than 2 mm; therefore, the criterion to provide at least 2 mm of thickness needed for implant placement is difficult to meet. That increases the use of auxiliary methods of bone augmentation during immediate implant placement.