bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intrarenal Mechanisms of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors on Tubuloglomerular Feedback and Natriuresis
Authors: Koh Eun Sil , Kim Gheun-Ho , Chung Sungjin
Published: July 2023

When sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors were first introduced a decade ago, no one expected them to have substantial effects beyond their known glucose-lowering effects, until the emergence of evidence of their robust renal and cardiovascular benefits showing that they could attenuate progression of kidney disease, irrespective of diabetes, as well as prevent the development of acute kidney injury. Still, the precise and elaborate mechanisms underlying the major organ protection of SGLT2 inhibitors remain unclear. SGLT2 inhibitors inhibit the reabsorption of sodium and glucose in the proximal tubule of the kidney and then recovers tubuloglomerular feedback, whereby SGLT2 inhibitors reduce glomerular hyperfiltration. This simple demonstration of their beneficial effects has perplexed experts in seeking more plausible and as yet undisclosed explanations for the whole effects of SGLT2 inhibitors, including metabolism reprogramming and the modulation of hypoxia, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Given that the renal benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with kidney disease but without diabetes were comparable to those seen in patients with diabetes, it may be reasonable to keep the emphasis on their hemodynamic actions. In this context, the aim of the present review is to provide a comprehensive overview of renal hemodynamics in individuals with diabetes who are treated with SGLT2 inhibitors, with a focus on natriuresis associated with the regulation of tubuloglomerular feedback and potential aquaresis. Throughout the discussion of alterations in renal sodium and water transports, particular attention will be given to the potential enhancement of adenosine and its receptors following SGLT2 inhibition.
A study of menstrual hygiene practices and associated environmental & social factors among adolescent girls in rural Puducherry
Authors: SUBRAMANI Hema Priya , KARUPPUSAMY Sivakumar , PALANISAMY KANDASAMY Mohanraaj , CHOUDHARY Arbind Kumar , MANIKKOTH RAMAPURATH Ramya , NATARAJAN Nishanthini
Published: July 2023

Introduction. Adolescent females were prevented from receiving the appropriate knowledge due to social restrictions and traditional beliefs, which in turn led to poor hygiene habits.

Material and methods. A community-based descriptive cross-sectional study employing a semi-structured questionnaire was carried out in the rural field practice region of MGMCRI, Puducherry, between the 15th of March 2019 and the 31st of April 2021. The study was done in Puducherry. The comprehensive enumeration yielded a total of 528 countable teenage females.

Results. The vast majority of the teenage females (89.2%) reported using sanitary pads, whereas just 6.6% and 4.2%, respectively, reported using fresh or reused towels. 65.3% of the girls changed their wet absorbent between two and five times during the day. The vast majority of the girls, or 60.8% of them, disposed of their spent absorbent by either burying it or burning it. 67.9% of the girls were cleansing their genitalia when they were urinating. 54.4% of people cleaned their hands using soap and water, whereas 1.4% utilized ash soil, muddy dirt, or other types of soil. There was a statistically significant correlation between the style of housing and the availability of sanitary latrines (p<0.005) in relation to menstrual hygiene behaviors.

Conclusions. This research also highlighted the absence of sanitary toilet facilities in the majority of residences, which negatively impacted the girls' ability to maintain their privacy and led to bad practices around menstruation hygiene.
De servicio público a vía de ingresos
Authors: Dussaillant Christie Jacqueline
Published: July 2023

Este artículo estudia la práctica de insertar avisos en la prensa chilena y latinoamericana entre 1800 y 1850 en el contexto del desarrollo de una sociedad capitalista post colonial, para descubrir su origen como forma de financiamiento. Con muestras extraídas de 3.700 ejemplares correspondientes a 280 periódicos de la América española y portuguesa, se registró la percepción que los editores tenían de los avisos, y se calculó y comparó el número de estos, la superficie que ocupaban y los precios que por su inserción se cobraba. La prensa iberoamericana entre 1800 y 1850 ha sido estudiada principalmente desde una perspectiva política asociada a las guerras de independencia, mientras que el papel desempeñado por la publicidad apenas se menciona o se le analiza en casos muy concretos. Este artículo busca llenar ese vacío mediante una revisión amplia en términos espaciales y temporales, que permita comprender el periódico como punto de conexión entre distintos agentes económicos.
An “American” silkmoth endemic to Himalayas, part I: life history and natural distribution of Antheraea compta Rothschild, 1899 (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae)
Authors: Liu Zhengyang
Published: July 2023

Females of the uncommon Antheraea compta Rothschild, 1899 were collected at the natural habitat in the Tibetan Sub-Himalayas, descendants of which were reared on Quercus yunnanensis (Fagaceae) successfully, with all the preimaginal instars recorded morphologically. Correlated characters revealed a close relationship between this taxon and New World Antheraea spp., suggesting more attention and protection towards this key species is necessary in the future.
Introduction of two novel species of Hymenopellis (Agaricales, Physalacriaceae) from Thailand
Authors: Niego Allen Grace T. , Thongklang Naritsada , Hyde Kevin D. , Raspé Olivier
Published: July 2023

Hymenopellis is the most diverse genus in the group of oudemansielloid/xeruloid taxa (Physalacriaceae). This genus has a worldwide distribution with records mostly from Europe and America. Asian taxa are least represented. In this paper on Hymenopellis from Thailand, two novel species are introduced, and a Hymenopellis collection affine to H. orientalis is described. Macro and micromorphological characters are described. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses were performed on combined ITS and nrLSU regions to confirm taxonomical placement and infer the phylogenetic affinities of the studied species. Hymenopellis straminea sp. nov. is straw-yellow, with medium-sized basidiomata, abundant and diverse in form cheilocystidia, few, narrowly lageniform to fusiform pleurocystidia, and clamp connections at the lower part of the stipe. Hymenopellis utriformis sp. nov. has mostly utriform pleurocystidia and 2-spored basidia. In the inferred phylogenies, the new species from this study formed distinct clades well supported by bootstrap proportions and posterior probabilities. The studied specimen affine to H. orientalis produced 2-spored basidia whereas published descriptions of other specimens mention 4-spored basidia. Moreover, the genetic distance between ITS sequences of this specimen and that of a Hymenopellis orientalis specimen from GenBank was 1.30–2.57%. Therefore, the conspecificity of our specimen with H. orientalis is uncertain, and additional specimens are needed to fully confirm its identity.
2ʹ,3,3,5ʹ-Tetramethyl-4ʹ-nitro-2ʹH-1,3ʹ-bipyrazole exerts antinociceptive effect using various nociception models
Authors: Bseiso Yousra , Alqudah Abdelrahim , Qnais Esam , Wedyan Mohammed , Abu-Safieh Kayed , Gammoh Omar
Published: July 2023

Background: 2ʹ,3,3,5ʹ-Tetramethyl-4ʹ-nitro-2ʹH-1,3ʹ-bipyrazole (TMNB) is a novel bipyrazole compound that exhibited antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory properties. However, its analgesic effect has not been investigated. This study aimed to assess the antinociceptive activity of TMNB using different nociception mouse models.

Methods: TMNB doses (50, 100, 150, and 200 µg/kg) were assessed in mice using the acetic acid-induced writhing test, hot plate test, and formalin-induced paw licking assay. The effects were compared to those of mice treated with acetylsalicylic acid or morphine in the presence or absence of naloxone. Capsaicin- and glutamate-induced paw-licking tests were also used to evaluate the involvement of the vanilloid and glutamatergic systems, respectively.

Results: TMNB produced significant dose-dependent inhibition of nociceptive behavior in the acetic acid-induced writhing test, showing 66% inhibition at a dose of 200 µg/kg. TMNB also caused a significant increase in the latency period in response to the hot plate test (68.2% at 200 µg/kg), and significantly inhibited both the neurogenic and inflammatory phases in the formalin-induced paw-licking test. Naloxone significantly reverses the effect of TMNB in both the hot plate test and formalin-induced paw-licking test. Moreover, TMNB significantly inhibited the neurogenic nociception induced by intraplantar injections of glutamate and capsaicin (53% and 77.1%, respectively at a dose of 200 µg/kg).

Conclusion: TMNB possesses antinociceptive activity in mice that is mediated through both central and peripheral pathways.
Two new species of Aphis (Toxoptera) Koch (Hemiptera, Aphididae) from China
Authors: Cheng Zhentao , Huang Xiaolei
Published: July 2023

Two new aphid species, Aphis (Toxoptera) fafuensis Cheng & Huang, sp. nov., feeding on Adinandra millettii (Pentaphylacaceae) from Fujian, China, and Aphis (Toxoptera) sennae Cheng & Huang, sp. nov., feeding on Senna bicapsularis (Fabaceae) from Yunnan, China, were described. Morphological characters and molecular data supported the taxonomic position of the new species within the subgenus Aphis (Toxoptera). A key for identifying species of apterous viviparous females in this subgenus is provided.
Pilates versus Bruegger’s exercises for forward head posture associated with temporomandibular joint dysfunction
Authors: Malode G.S. , Vijay K.
Published: July 2023

The aim of the trial was to determine and compare the effect of Pilates exercises and Bruegger’s exercises in conjunction with low level laser therapy (LLLT) in forward head posture (FHP) associated with temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD). The study was conducted on 30 participants diagnosed with TMD associated with forward head posture. Through randomisation, participants were divided into Pilates (n=15) and Bruegger’s (n=15) exercise groups. LLLT was a common intervention for both the groups. Intervention was given for 3 times a week for 3 weeks. Outcome measures were pain intensity using visual analogue scale (VAS), craniovertebral angle (CVA) using ‘ON Protractor’ software application, range of motion (ROM) of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) using ruler and functional impairment using mandibular function impairment questionnaire (MFIQ) assessed at baseline and 3rd-week post-intervention. A statistically significant difference was noted in pain intensity, ROM of TMJ, CVA and functional impairment with pre- and post-intervention comparison (P<0.001). Between-group analysis showed that Pilates group was better than Bruegger’s exercise group in terms of improving CVA (P<0.001), mouth opening (P<0.01) and reducing functional impairment (P<0.01). However, both the groups were equally effective in in reducing pain intensity (P<0.01). Pilates was better compared to Bruegger’s exercises in reducing functional impairment, improved mouth opening and correcting FHP. Further both the groups were equally effective in reducing pain intensity.

Clinical trial registry India: CTRI/2021/09/046969
The impact of online learning on the mathematics learning process in Indonesia: A meta-analysis
Authors: Turmuzi Muhammad , Lu'luilmaknun Ulfa
Published: July 2023

The goal of this meta-analysis is to ascertain how online learning has affected Indonesian students' ability to learn mathematics. Descriptive analysis was used to compile info from 41 pieces of information about the research, such as sample size, standard deviation, mean values for the experimental and control groups, and other data. Data analysis methods include testing for heterogeneity, effect size calculations, summary outcome calculations the random effect models, and publication bias identification. Forest plots are used as the data source for the meta-analysis. The outcomes revealed that the impact of online learning in Indonesia was 1,268 which had a high influence on the education process of student mathematics. The online learning model also has a higher impact at the primary school level than at the middle school, high school, and university levels. The research area in Indonesia that has the biggest impact is the province of North Sumatra. A sample size of more than 30 gives a greater effect than a sample size of 1-30.
New extrapolation projection contraction algorithms based on the golden ratio for pseudo-monotone variational inequalities
Authors: Zhang Cuijie , Chu Zhaoyang
Published: July 2023

In real Hilbert spaces, for the purpose of trying to deal with the pseudo-monotone variational inequalities problem, we present a new extrapolation projection contraction algorithm based on the golden ratio in this study. Unlike ordinary inertial extrapolation, the algorithms are constructed based on a convex combined structure about the entire iterative trajectory. Extrapolation parameter $ \psi $ is selected in a more relaxed range instead of only taking the golden ratio $ \phi = \frac{\sqrt{5}+1 }{2} $ as the upper bound. Second, we propose an alternating extrapolation projection contraction algorithm to better increase the convergence effects of the extrapolation projection contraction algorithm based on the golden ratio. All our algorithms employ non-constantly decreasing adaptive step-sizes. The weak convergence results of the two algorithms are established for the pseudo-monotone variational inequalities. Additionally, the R-linear convergence results are investigated for strongly pseudo-monotone variational inequalities. Finally, we show the validity and superiority of the suggested methods with several numerical experiments. The numerical results show that alternating extrapolation does have obvious acceleration effect in practical application compared with no alternating extrapolation. Thus, the obvious effect of relaxing the selection range of parameter $ \psi $ on our two algorithms is clearly demonstrated.
Stationary distribution and extinction of a stochastic Alzheimer's disease model
Authors: Lang Ruoyun , Tan Yuanshun , Mu Yu
Published: July 2023

In this paper, a stochastic Alzheimer's disease model with the effect of calcium on amyloid beta is proposed. The Lyapunov function is constructed, followed by the feasibility and positivity and the existence of a stationary distribution for the positive solutions of the proposed model. The sufficient conditions for the extinction of the stochastic Alzheimer's disease model are derived through the Lyapunov function. This indicates that beta-amyloid plaque and the complex of beta-amyloid oligomers with prion protein may go extinct and there is a possibility of a cure for the disease. Furthermore, our numerical simulations show that as the intensity of the random disturbance increases, the time it takes for the disease to go extinct decreases.
Métodos de prospectiva estratégica y participación local en el análisis de estudios de futuro en áreas naturales protegidas
Authors: Ibáñez Blancas Alexis Nicolás , La Torre-Cuadros María de los Ángeles , Díaz del Olmo Fernando
Published: July 2023

Los estudios de futuro consideran una serie de propuestas metodológicas y conceptuales, las cuales se aplican a diferentes campos del conocimiento. Entre estas, el empleo de herramientas de valoración para la gestión de los servicios de los ecosistemas permite recoger importantes aspectos de la percepción local sobre elementos de conservación y sobre los valores no económicos de los ecosistemas. Estos aspectos se pueden incorporar a ejercicios de construcción de escenarios de futuro a través del desarrollo de herramientas de prospectiva estratégica participativa, adaptadas a las condiciones culturales de los líderes y autoridades de las poblaciones locales. Esta investigación considera un balance de las metodologías de valoración de importancia de prospectiva estratégica y de prospectiva social, a partir de los resultados alcanzados en la Reserva Nacional Salinas y Aguada Blanca (Perú). Por otra parte, incluye las limitaciones encontradas y la comparación con herramientas complementarias sobre la construcción de escenarios. Este trabajo constituye un ejercicio crítico de cara a la capacidad de réplica de procesos similares en áreas naturales. Entre los resultados alcanzados tenemos el contraste entre impulsores de cambio y factores críticos que afectan a los servicios de los ecosistemas y formalizan las percepciones locales sobre los futuros posibles de los servicios. Se concluye que la gestión de la biodiversidad por la población local es clave para la definición de los futuros posibles de la reserva, como también el responsable de regular el uso de un servicio.
Incomplete Resyllabification and Ambisyllabic Gestural Coupling in Spanish
Authors: Bradley Travis G. , Morris Kimberly , Jones Lillian
Published: July 2023

In the generative literature, the pattern of coronal fricative lenition found in the traditional Chinato Spanish dialect is commonly cited as a phonological argument that the resyllabification of word-final prevocalic consonants is complete, in the sense that onsets derived by resyllabification are structurally identical to canonical (word-level) onsets. However, recent acoustic studies of Northern-Central Peninsular Spanish have problematized the completeness of resyllabification with experimental evidence that /s̺/ is shorter and more voiced as a derived onset than as a canonical onset. Using a split-gesture, competitive, coupled oscillator model of the syllable in Articulatory Phonology, which divides consonants into a separate constriction and release gesture, we propose a novel representation of ambisyllabicity that predicts the phonetic behavior of derived onset /s̺/ in Northern-Central Peninsular Spanish. We then show that ambisyllabic coupling permits a simpler phonological analysis of coronal fricative lenition in Chinato Spanish as compared to alternative accounts. Our analysis makes typological predictions that are confirmed by patterns from other contemporary Spanish varieties. Lastly, we examine the consequences of ambisyllabicity for the analysis of Spanish rhotic consonants, which have also been argued to support complete resyllabification. We offer an analysis of rhotics that is entirely compatible with an ambisyllabic representation of incomplete resyllabification.
Inside Out, or Storytelling Through Truths and Reclamation
Authors: Cheechoo Keri
Published: July 2023

This chapter will explore the ensuing trifecta of themes: “storytelling,” “Indigenous education theory and practice,” and “creating culturally sustaining pedagogies” by speaking to and through the intertextualities, potentialities, and complexities of mino-pimatiswin, to engage and embody best practices around student engagement and support. The chapter begins with a conversation about Indigenous education theory and practice by offering an opportunity to learn about the importance of engaging ethical space by enacting ethical relationality, and how these concepts extend into kinship theory and practice. This chapter then shifts an introspective storytelling lens towards the author to share how, as an Iskwew scholar and educator, she teaches mino-pimatisiwin through a trauma informed perspective. This chapter will also speak to culturally safe care by (re)conceptualizing the red road by introducing culturally sustaining pedagogies.
An Indigenous Early Childhood Pedagogy
Authors: Wood Jeffrey
Published: July 2023

This chapter explores the principles necessary to implement an Indigenous early childhood pedagogy and the importance of the land, language, culture, and identity in learning for Indigenous children. This approach sees children in relation; sees them holistically, including the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual; helps nurture the gift each child has for the community; focuses on the language, traditional teaching, ceremony, and storytelling; and finally decolonizes the curricula and the classroom. To effectively teach indigenous culture we need to teach the language and to teach the language we need to be on the land.
A Guide to E-Learning
Authors: Bsharat Tahani R. K. , Behak Fariza , Ismail Islam A.
Published: July 2023

The authors pinpoint the fact that e-learning had been successfully implemented in the classroom before the pandemic. This implantation was mainly found in the tutorials. These tutorials were helpful to students through online recorded classes and other learning systems. Together, the present chapter presents a historical development of e-learning from 2000 to the present time. Another promising aim of this chapter is to offer newly employed teachers a proper understanding of types of e-learning; thus, they can employ e-learning effectively in their classes. Planned comparisons were revealed regarding the benefits and drawbacks of e-learning. The chapter concludes that the educational field received a massive change by giving the opportunity for education to carry on during the school shut. E-learning gives both students and teachers a variety of multimedia options to meet the curriculum outcomes without a physical appearance in the classroom.
Rapid Game Development Using LiveCode in SEN and DHH Education
Authors: Chan Gwendoline Laurissa , Whitehead Jack
Published: July 2023

For over 30 years, literacy has been recognized as a key concern in Special Education Needs (SEN) and especially in Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) education. No different in Mauritius, these children struggle to get passing marks in French language at elementary level. Addressing this concern, literature has been reviewed in the context of games for SEN and DHH education. Taking advantage of the potential of gamification, simple letter games have been developed using LiveCode. The games were administered to a sample of 14 SEN and DHH elementary students using the underlying action research theoretical framework. To assess the effectiveness of the games, the students' level of motivation after using the games was measured using the Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS) based on Keller's (2010) ARCS motivation model. The results demonstrated the potential of using LiveCode to develop timely serious games to support SEN and DHH students' literacy skills.
The Rapid E-Learning Method
Authors: Santally Mohammad Issack , Rajabalee Yousra Banoor , Beetul Ashvin
Published: July 2023

Rapid e-learning is a method to develop and deploy quality interactive learning materials in a shorter time span, and to address learning needs in different contexts—academic, professional, or commercial. Resources developed via rapid e-learning methods can be used in educational institutions from pre-primary to tertiary levels. They can also be used for professional training, short courses, or more advanced training that leads to alternative qualifications or micro-credentials that are recognised in the workplace. Often, they can be used as agile content to train sales officers on a new product on the market. In such situations, their relevance and lifespan are limited. Rapid e-learning allows for maximum flexibility in terms of re-use of learning materials and modification of content provided it is carefully planned and designed. One has to also design accessibility to ensure inclusiveness in the educational delivery approach. In this chapter, the authors provide an overview of the rapid e-learning method and its application to the development of interactive learning materials.
Convergence of Energy Efficiency in OECD Countries
Authors: Gorus Muhammed Sehid , Karagol Erdal Tanas
Published: July 2023

Studying energy efficiency is becoming a common trend in energy economics research recently. This chapter aims to explore the stochastic convergence of energy efficiency across 27 OECD countries from 1971 to 2018. For this aim, this chapter calculates the energy efficiency index based on the Fisher's Ideal index. Then, this chapter utilizes the panel stationarity test with sharp and smooth breaks introduced by Bahmani-Oskooee et al. There are two main advantages of this methodology over the conventional panel stationarity tests. First, it considers the cross-sectional dependency in the series. Second, the test combines both sharp and smooth structural breaks in the series. The empirical results of this study state that the energy efficiency index does not converge to the OECD average for 1971-2018. This result shows that the dissemination of the technology is limited across OECD countries. The empirical result of this study provides significant policy implications for energy and environmental issues.
Efficiency of the Turkish Labor Market
Authors: Bekaroğlu Can
Published: July 2023

This chapter examines the employment efficiency in the Turkish labor market between 1988 and 2021 and measures the efficient level of Turkish employment by 2030, using the data obtained from TUİK (Turkish Statistical Institute), employing an alternative methodology named “Regressive Envelopment Analysis” or simply REA. The study uses a two-stage analysis where the first stage measures how efficiently the labor force is created from the pool of economically active population, while the second stage measures how efficiently the labor force is put to employment. The overall (1988-2021) employment efficiency average is found to be about 94%, and the bulk of the efficiency loss is the result of the first stage, which is fundamentally shaped by the structural unemployment. It is suggested that long-term unemployment rates, even at the efficient employment levels, will steadily rise from an average of 8% in 2000 to 12% in 2030 for both sexes, but especially for females, nearing 14%.
Environmental Violations and Mandatory Disclosures by Oil and Gas Companies
Authors: Othman Radiah , Ameer Rashid
Published: July 2023

Environmental degradation will continue if the corporate continues to misbehave. This study offers evidence for whether environmental violators are more likely to disclose if they are in sensitive industries, faced higher penalties, and required to implement an environmental project. This chapter examines how environmental violations have shaped the mandatory and discretionary environmental disclosures of oil and gas companies in 10-k reports filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission from 2011 to 2020. Using the Leximancer text mining tool, the violators' annual reports were examined before and after the violations. The results suggest that disclosure tended to be discretionary, and it is possible that selective information was traded off with other discretionary non-financial information for the sake of legitimacy. This chapter provides evidence of the effectiveness of regulators' efforts for higher mandated disclosures to encourage firms to deal with environmental matters proactively to prevent further environmental misbehaviour.
The Quality of Academic Services to First-Year Engineering Students
Authors: George Bibin Mohan
Published: July 2023

The objective of this study is to investigate student's satisfaction with academic services offered at a university of technology by measuring the gap between student's expectations of services and perceptions of the actual service provided and to identify the areas that need improvement. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among the first-year students who were admitted to a department in the faculty of engineering at the University of Technology in the Republic of South Africa. The sample was 39 students. The instrument comprised 25 questions assessing five dimensions of the academic services provided to students during teaching. The results indicate that students were not satisfied with the academic service quality in relation to all the dimensions in the SERVQUAL model. The study showed negative gaps for the five dimensions evaluated in academic service quality and compared to another study found the results similar. This could provide the management of the faculty with information about the aspects of academic service that promote more student satisfaction.
A Critique of the Southern African Development Community's Protocol on Education and Training
Authors: Banda Agnes M. , Mpolomoka Daniel L.
Published: July 2023

This chapter provides a detail of the Southern African Development Community's (SDAC) Protocol on Education and Training, which covers all levels of education. Its primary focus is on higher education. It shows how all levels of education, with the exception of postgraduate training and research, are seen to be “largely the responsibilities of each member state.” The chapter further covers aspects of the protocol, which include (a) the primary purpose of the SADC Protocol; (b) regulative, normative, and cultural-cognitive aspects of the Protocol; (c) formation of regional quality assurance systems and qualification frameworks; (d) national education system, structure, governance; (e) regional access and mobility; (f) thematic areas, normative in nature (democracy and participation; equity and access; resourcing; improvements in quality; academic freedom; partnerships; valuing research; regional cooperation, collaboration, and sharing resources; lifelong education; reduction of duplication); (g) implementing equivalence, harmonisation, and standardisation of education and training systems.
Being a Queen Bee, Sister, or Crab?
Authors: Uçel Ela Burcu , Yilmaz Benan Kurt , Dalkiliç Olca Sürgevil
Published: July 2023

Gender inequalities and deeply rooted gender stereotypes create enormous challenges for women in working life. Female academics in Turkey face these challenges and try to overcome them. The current study focused on female leaders' experiences in academia about these challenges. The findings showed that in order to survive in the male dominant working life, some female academics establish sisterhood with other women and enjoy solidarity behaviors, and others try to cope with the hardships via showing crab and queen bee behaviors. Thus, the study presents a portrayal of these three metaphors, queen bee, sisterhood, and crabs in a barrel in academic circles in the country.
Perceptions of Doctoral-Affiliated Professionals
Authors: Crawford Caroline M. , Bullard Derrick L. , Cesar LaToya D. , Dillard James , Jackson Jillian N. , Hill Angela McCall , Neely Teri L. , Samonte Ferdinand D. “Sam” , Moffett Noran L.
Published: July 2023

Doctoral students can find themselves in an especially vulnerable position, as they delve into a totally new way through which to view subject matter specialization information while equally focus upon closely working with faculty and doctoral student colleagues. Creating impactful lifelong doctoral experiences and associated professional bonds are consistently maintained levels of scholarly community expectation. The co-author colleagues come together to reflect upon their experiences with Queen Bees throughout their doctoral studies as well as professional life parallel reflections, no matter whether the Queen Bees are found in the role of faculty, administration, staff, or other doctoral student colleagues. This chapter coalesces from different universities, from different places in their professional journey, and from diverse perspectives of experience, towards lending credence to the voices of colleagues who recognize differentiated aspects of the Queen Bee in all of us.
International Relations and Climate Change
Authors: Lanquar Robert
Published: July 2023

Climate change and biodiversity collapse have severe consequences for the future of international relations and diplomacy. As there is a need to build a transformational governance to cope with their impact, multilateralism must be reinforced as well as the science-policy interfaces (SPI). Some stick to the status quo, for economic lucrativeness, as bilateralism could lead to protectionist and nationalist positions. After describing the role of the COPs, the author presents some practices of bilateral cooperation on climate change and biodiversity protection. He shows the importance of establishing indicators based on ISO standards. He describes scenarios that could emerge for the future. Only a scenario based on convivence (i.e., “the art of living together in mutual respect for otherness”) by environmental multilateral and bilateral projects could conduct to reinforce mitigation and adaptation to climate change and reduce biodiversity loss.
Creation of Digital Solutions in Higher Education
Authors: Mengalli Neli Maria , Carvalho Antonio Aparecido
Published: July 2023

This chapter is based on research on learning in phygital transformation in higher education. Texts referring to methodologies as strategies were read and paradigms were created to vivify the transform(active) methodology with disruptive innovation, linked to reflections on disruptive opportunities and phygital transformation, as well as the inclusion of theories regarding educational innovation. It is evident that texts read were analyzed and interpreted from the unveiling of the contemporary world and the face-to-face, remote, and hybrid modes of teaching and learning, as well as of acting and thinking in different times and spaces. Opportunities for disruptive mental configurations in times of Industry 5.0 in higher education emerge through a real universe that is volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous, fragile, anxious, non-linear, and incomprehensible. It was concluded that further research is needed, and new paradigms need to be legitimized and recognized by the scientific community.
The Impact of Digital Learning Technology on Higher Education Students' Mental Health
Authors: Oztosun Latif , Gonzo Faithfull , Nadda Vipin
Published: July 2023

This chapter examines the impact of digital technology, particularly its effect on student mental health and well-being. While digital technology has transformed the way students' access and engage with education, its impact on mental health has received relatively less attention. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the mental health crisis among higher education students due to the abrupt transition from in-person to online learning. This chapter provides recommendations on how higher educational institutions could utilise digital technology to mitigate the impact of mental health on students. The chapter also suggests that educators must choose appropriate technology and use it effectively to enhance the learning experience. Ultimately, the chapter underscores the importance of leveraging digital technology to improve student engagement through interactive and personalised learning experiences that promote active learning and collaboration.
Exploring Visual Texts in Higher Education (Online) Settings
Authors: DeHart Jason D.
Published: July 2023

This chapter draws upon the methodology of self-study to consider the ways in which a teacher/researcher engaged with students online both prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the chapter draws on the use of particular visual texts, including comics, film, and additional digital tools, to explore vignettes of the pandemic teaching experience and the unique nature of an online pedagogical infrastructure in a time during which face-to-face interactions were greatly limited.
Examining Teachers' Perspectives on Equitable Digital Education
Authors: Efthymiou Efthymia
Published: July 2023

In an era of advancing digital education, ensuring equal access to high-quality learning experiences for students with special needs poses a significant challenge. This chapter investigates the teachers' perspectives on the provision of inclusive, accessible, and exceptional digital education to these students. Drawing from qualitative analysis of interviews with teachers in a general education school, the study delves into the obstacles encountered when implementing digital technology. Themes such as limited resources, insufficient training, and the necessity for technical support emerged, shedding light on the need to overcome these barriers for effective classroom implementation. The special and general education teachers stress the importance of accessible tools, equitable technology access, navigating learning curves, integrating digital practices, and empowering students to use technology inclusively and proficiently.
Digital Marketing in Tourism Services in India
Authors: Patro Chandra Sekhar , Katta Rama Mohana Rao
Published: July 2023

The tourism sector has grown substantially during the last two decades in many countries, including India. The growth in income levels, increased work pressures, change in lifestyles, investments in development of tourist destinations, expanded transport facilities and hospitality, and modern digital technologies are responsible for such an impressive performance of the sector. This chapter analyses the growth of tourism in India digital marketing initiatives, and finds the potential for digital applications in the marketing of tourism services. The study emphasizes the need for more digital applications to reach greater market segments in the domestic as well as international markets. The tourism sector widely uses information and communication technologies and other digital devices to create accessibility, information, expectations, and convenience to the potential tourists; and also to promote tourism in many new segments. This inquiry will be beneficial to the practitioners who play a pivotal role by adopting digital marketing practices in the tourism sector.
Use of Python Modules in Ecological Research
Authors: Rajamani Santhosh Kumar , Iyer Radha Srinivasan
Published: July 2023

Python is a popular programming language in the field of ecology and environmental research. Python is simple to use, has a sizable and active user community, and offers a plethora of libraries and frameworks that may be utilized for these types of Ecological studies. Python has many libraries for working with and analyzing large datasets, such as NumPy and pandas. It also has libraries for creating a wide range of visualizations, including Matplotlib and Seaborn. Python has a number of libraries for working with GIS data, including ArcPy (a library for working with ESRI's ArcGIS software) and GDAL/OGR (a library for working with raster and vector data). Python has a number of libraries for implementing machine learning algorithms, including scikit-learn and TensorFlow. These can be used to build models for predicting species distributions, forecasting the impacts of environmental changes, and so on. Python has a number of libraries for scientific computing, including NumPy and SciPy, which can be used for tasks such as numerical optimization, integration, and interpolation.
Green Spaces
Authors: Thakur Anusha
Published: July 2023

Ensuring ecological sustainability is one of the interlinked principles of the New Urban Agenda implemented, with respect to sustainable housing development. The strategic innovations empower the communities and governments to enhance the performance of the systems and make them resilient and adaptive. Urban areas are conventionally characterized by heavy construction and high population density to cater to commercial and residential amenities. Densification-prompted activities in the cities pose to be a challenging factor in cities, in terms of maintaining the ecological balance and well-being of the individuals. Cities in Asia are emphasizing ways to make their environment livable by incorporating strategies and models for the improvement of land, water, and air. This chapter emphasizes the need for green spaces and infrastructure in the Asian countries. It caters to the different trends, impacts, and challenges, of green spaces in the different countries across Asia.
State of the Art of Apple Waste in the Circular Economy
Authors: Büyükselçuk Elif Çaloğlu
Published: July 2023

With the increasing world population, the use of resources has accelerated, environmental problems have increased, and the climate crisis has been faced. As in many sectors, investments are made for the changing process in industry, food, agriculture, livestock, and similar fields. Studies are carried out to evaluate various fruit and vegetable wastes obtained as a result of agricultural activities all over the world. One of these products is apple. In the literature, there are studies on waste generated after processing apple fruit as fruit juice or other apple products. It would not be correct to qualify these residues as waste. Revaluation of these wastes as a result of certain processes is one of the activities of the circular economy. In this chapter, different evaluation methods such as composting, bioenergy production, biochemical production, landfilling, animal feed production, or vegan leather productions that can be applied to apple waste are introduced. The application of different evaluation methods, their advantages and disadvantages are examined.
Crop Yield Forecasting using Machine Learning Techniques - A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Dissanayake D. M. P. W. , Rathnayake R. M. K. T. , Chathuranga L. L. Gihan
Published: July 2023

The utilization of machine learning has become increasingly important in the prediction of crop yields for facilitating decisions regarding crop cultivation and management during the growing season. Numerous machine learning and data mining algorithms have been developed to support research in crop yield forecasting. In this study, a systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted on research published between 2016 and 2021 to investigate the use of machine learning in crop yield forecasting. A total of 261 relevant studies were identified from five electronic databases, out of which 15 studies were selected for further analysis based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The selected studies were thoroughly examined, and their methods and features were analyzed, to provide suggestions for future research. The results showed that evapotranspiration, temperature, precipitation, and soil type were the most commonly used features in crop yield forecasting, while RMSE, MSE, MAE, and R2 were the most commonly used evaluation parameters. The challenges include selecting appropriate input variables, handling missing data and outliers, and capturing non-linear relationships between variables. The authors discuss various techniques such as feature selection, regularization, imputation, non-linear machine learning, data preprocessing, and data augmentation to address these challenges. The Support Vector Machine, Linear Regression, Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) were identified as the most commonly used algorithms in these models.
Emotional Intelligence, Academic Performances and Associated Factors among Nursing Undergraduates in Selected Government Universities in Sri Lanka
Authors: Senevirathna D. M. N. D. , Meegoda M. K. D. L.
Published: July 2023

Background: Emotional intelligence (EI) is considered as a main aspect that impacts the academic performance of students, particularly in the health field. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of EI on the academic achievement of the students and the socio-demographic factors affecting it. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in four selected government universities. The systematic random sampling method was used to select/recruit participants. EI was assessed using a validated self-administered Genos EI scale (a concise version consisting of 7 domains; 31 questions equally weighted; total score of 155). Socio-demographic data were obtained using a self-administered questionnaire and the academic performance was assessed by the year GPA of the students who had completed the semester examinations. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of KAATSU International University. Analysis was done by using the Spearman rank correlation, Mann-Whitney U test, and the Kruskal Wallis test employed since the data were not normally distributed. Results: Of 200 students; 80.0% were females (mean age 24.2 ± 2.59 years). The median total EI score was 114.0 (females-113.0, males-125.0; p = 0.073). Median score was highest for Emotional reasoning (male-21.00, Female-19.0; p=0.04) and lowest for Emotional Self Control (male-15.0, Female-14.0; p=0.067). A majority of 53.5% obtained 96-126 of total EI score. Demographic variables – gender, having siblings, family type, loss of parents, participation in extracurricular activities or parental education were not associated with the total EI score (p>0.05) except socio economic status (p=0.028) and study year (p=0.022). Academic performances were assessed by the GPA, and there was a moderate positive correlation between GPA and Emotional Intelligence among all three batches, 2nd year (p=0.004; r=0.435), 3rd year (p =034, r =0.376), 4th year (p=0.000; r = 0.641).A significant weak positive correlation was found with family relationships (p=0.003; r=0.214) and satisfaction with study of nursing (p=0.000; r=0.316). Conclusions: Emotional intelligence was associated with the factors such as study year, income level, self-satisfaction on the nursing programme whereas age, gender, education level, parental influence did not show any significant relationship. EI was shown to have a significant positive weak correlation with the GPA.
The Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (Sseit) for Use Among Nursing Students in a Defence University, Sri Lanka
Authors: Weerasinghe G. D. D. B. , Patabendige P. N. M. , Thuduwage S. V. R. , Arumapperumachchi P. M. , Gamage C. K. W. , Hettigoda K.
Published: July 2023

The ability to recognize, control, and evaluate emotions is defined as emotional intelligence (EI). EI is a vital part of ward management and patient care in nursing practice. When EI is assessed and instilled in nursing students regularly, it paves the way for a long-term career. Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) has been identified as a useful tool for assessing emotional intelligence in nursing students. The goal of this study was to translate and adapt the 33-item SSEIT to use in Sinhala. The developer granted permission to translate the SSEIT into Sinhala. The cross-cultural adaptation was completed in five stages: (I) initial translation, (II) translation synthesis, (III) back translation, (IV) Expert Committee Delphi review, and (V) pre-final version testing. The translated version's content and consensual validity were assessed using a two-round Delphi process with five experts. Items rated 0-3 range by 70% of the raters were removed or reworded. The process was repeated for the reworded items, and those with 70% or higher ratings in categories 4-6 and/or 7-9 were kept. Following that, the Content Validity Index (CVI) was evaluated using I-CVI, Universal Agreement (S-CVI/UA), and Average CVI (S-CVI/Ave). Finalized SSEIT was administered to 197 nursing undergraduates from Kotelawala Defence University in Sri Lanka. In the Sinhala version of the SSEIT, the maximum CVI of each individual item (I-CVI=1.0) and the maximum overall CVI (S-CVI/UA = 1.0; S-CVI/Ave = 1.0) were also displayed. Cronbach's alpha was 0.963 which indicates a very high internal consistency The Sinhalese version of the SSEIT is a robust and reliable tool that has been culturally adapted to test EI in nursing students.