bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inclusive Language Education and Digital Games
Authors: Soyoof Ali , Vazquez-Calvo Boris , McLay Katherine Frances
Published: November 2021

Digital technologies play a significant role in language education. One of the most well-received technologies by language learners is digital games. These games facilitate connections between diverse language learners regardless of age, gender, sociocultural and educational background, and diversity. Since the concept of inclusive education is gaining momentum, the popularity of digital games presents new possibilities for inclusive practices in language learning. In research for this chapter, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 EFL students who had extensive experience playing video games. The objective was to discover whether digital games had the potential to drive inclusive language education forward and how this could be done. Student insights into the value of playing video games are presented based on interview data that were analyzed thematically. Finally, the implications and suggestions to use digital games for inclusive language education are discussed.
The Biophilia Hypothesis and Mental Health
Authors: King Bonnie Carter
Published: November 2021

The purpose of this chapter is to highlight literature related to the benefits of spending time in nature and the usefulness of biophilic design to boost mental health. Biophilic design can increase feelings of well-being of workers or inhabitants, increase connection to purpose and meaning-making, and inspire creativity. This chapter will outline (1) research connected to the mental health benefits of spending time in nature for both children and adults; (2) a description of the biophilia hypothesis; (3) an exploration of nature, spirituality, and meaning-making through the lens of the biophilia hypothesis; (4) biophilic design and equity regarding nature access in urban areas for underserved populations; and (5) a call for increased integration of biophilic design into architecture and urban planning.
Information
Authors: Al Sabei Sulaiman Dawood
Published: November 2021

Sharing accurate and high-quality information is critical during the pandemic to reduce people's anxiety, making them well informed, and ensuring they follow the correct steps. Despite the importance of information in pandemic management, too much information or its untimely release can be harmful to individuals and communities. During the time of COVID-19 pandemic, as an example, people were overwhelmed with the amount of information they received from the public, newspapers, and social media. The information might not be from trusted sources, which might negatively affect people's psychological health. This chapter will examine the ways in which this can occur and the potential impacts of pandemic-related information overload on mental health and psychological well-being. The chapter will also examine the important issue of timeliness in releasing information through the traditional media or online, highlighting situations in which the untimely release of information has exacerbated the crisis in some national settings.
Official Uses of Social Media
Authors: Alsalmi Jamal Mattar , Shehata Ahmed Maher Khafaga
Published: November 2021

Many people use social media as a main source of information and news, and unofficial sites attract vast numbers of visitors. It has become crucial for governments and healthcare authorities to establish and use social media in order to communicate with their populations and counteract misinformation. Beyond this, technical efforts need to be established to ensure that internet and social media users are directed effectively to these official channels. It is also important to encourage these websites to share and repost their content. Social media and IT companies also have a sensitive role to play in supporting this and validating reliable information while disrupting fake news and false content. This chapter covers a number of themes relating to this issue, such as the reasons for and potential benefits of social media communications by governments and health authorities, the role of social media and tech companies to improve the quality of online information, and the risks and challenges of disseminating official information via social media.
Active Discussion Approaches for the Synchronous Online World Language Classroom
Authors: Sellers Julie A.
Published: November 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the context of world language teaching and learning around the globe in 2020 when schools unexpectedly switched to remote learning. In the face of this unanticipated shift, world language educators sought ways to adapt communicative language teaching to remote delivery. Active discussion approaches effectively encourage students to master course material and gain proficiency in synchronous online classes. This chapter discusses best practices for active discussions and offers examples for creating engaging discussion approaches for synchronous online world language classes.
Empowering and Motivating Language Students in an Online Environment
Authors: Conroy Kelly N. , Lykens Jillian L.
Published: November 2021

This chapter explores pandemic-driven innovations in world language (WL) curriculum design and content delivery that encouraged student communication during remote learning. The study focused on questionnaire data from 49 WL instructors who identified specific pedagogical techniques acquired and honed during the COVID-19 pandemic, even amidst unprecedented hardships. Results indicated that WL instructors found most successful the types of activities which allowed for more timely feedback and student choice and built communicative skills for real-life situations. Furthermore, the instructors shared post-pandemic plans to employ more of these technological tools that fostered student collaboration and engagement, with a focus on building community and supporting social and emotional learning. Educators also emphasized deepened awareness regarding the myriad inequities among learners, the importance of establishing rapport with students, and the value of their own professional networks.
Teaching Culture Online
Authors: Baumgardt Julia C. , Ikeda Yuriko
Published: November 2021

This chapter explores the ways in which the language educator can be successful teaching culture together with language specifically in an asynchronous online environment. It provides examples of content, activities, and assessments that are meaningful, collaborative, and learner-centered, and that employ mobile technology familiar to the average instructor. In addition, it discusses the new role of the language professor in facilitating an integrated language and culture curriculum in a fully online setting. Through shifting the responsibilities and roles of the instructor, emphasizing social and teacher presence, and employing flexible learner-centered content and activities, previously face-to-face language classes can be successfully transformed to foster cultural competency asynchronously.
Using Multimodal Pedagogy to Teach Languages Online
Authors: Tolosa-Casadont Lou
Published: November 2021

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 immediately exposed inequities among students and teachers in terms of technological access and pedagogical skill. Educators responded to this new reality by modifying their teaching and interactions with learners and by seeking opportunities for introspection, reflection, and transformation. The field of teacher education was also affected by the pandemic. This chapter presents the transformation of an in-school face-to-face pre-clinical language teaching and learning experience at the elementary school level into an innovative virtual hands-on online one-on-one language pre-clinical teaching and learning experience. It also includes how teacher candidates (TCs) participating in this program designed and taught highly engaging multimodal virtual lessons, the pros and cons of teaching in this type of setting, and the lessons learned though this experience.
Fostering Student Engagement and Oral Practise in an Online French Course During COVID-19
Authors: Ly Annelise
Published: November 2021

Effective foreign language learning requires students to be engaged and to interact with the teacher and peer students in the target language during class. How can this be achieved effectively when the course is suddenly moved online? This chapter reports on the implementation of a Business French course in a business school in Norway using the flipped classroom method online during COVID-19. The author designed the course focusing on two key elements: fostering student engagement and creating a space for oral practise. Several measures were implemented: grammar and vocabulary lessons were moved out of class time, classes were synchronous and not recorded with activities in breakout rooms, and digital lunches were held to build a sense of community. The chapter provides an empirical case of course adaptation and draws on this experience to offer some recommendations that other foreign language teachers can use to implement an engaging course online.
Online Work Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Ersin Pınar , Atay Derin , Eskiçırak Fatoş Uğur
Published: November 2021

The COVID-19 global pandemic affected many areas adversely, mainly health and education, all over the world. In education, this sudden pandemic led to efforts to bring about a set of rapid and radical solutions. As in many parts of the world, in March 2020, Turkey took steps to mitigate the potentially devastating consequences of the pandemic by changing face-to-face (F2F) education to online education. This unparalleled change in the method of delivery was new to many teachers ranging from subject matter to foreign language teaching, from novice to experienced, and most of them were unprepared. They had to face many challenges, one of which was work engagement. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no studies have been conducted on online work engagement of instructors under the pandemic conditions in Turkey. Thus, the present study was an attempt at contributing to the field by examining second language (L2) English instructors' level of work engagement on online education and their perceptions on work engagement.
Redefining Interaction in Study Abroad Programs
Authors: Griffin Kim
Published: November 2021

As international borders closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, study abroad programs struggled to send students back to their home countries and to maintain academic continuity by transitioning from in-person to remote instruction. Afterwards, university administrators found themselves in the unenviable position of having to make decisions based on limited information regarding the feasibility and safety of allowing students to travel abroad. Uncertain mobility and visa processes, limited flights, health risks, and lack of preparedness for managing students abroad in a pandemic contributed to cancellations. Some programs remained open by reinventing their programming and procedures. In the meantime, those responsible for study abroad, both on home campuses and on international sites, began to examine different ways to provide opportunities to interact with first language (L1) speakers without physical proximity. This chapter focuses on how interaction has been redefined and adapted to limited in-person, hybrid, and virtual study abroad.
The Resilience Enhancement Programme for Students (REP-S)
Authors: Robinson Oliver , Sebah Ilham , Avram Ana A.
Published: November 2021

The Resilience Enhancement Programme for Students (REP-S) is an intervention that has been designed to boost resilience in students. The current study involved the remote delivery of the REP-S via an online platform to students, and an empirical evaluation of the intervention via a pre-post one-group quantitative design over one month and a post-intervention qualitative element. Fifty-six students from the University of Greenwich qualified for inclusion in the study. Results indicated that perceived stress and trait neuroticism decreased over the month of the study, while resilience increased. Engagement with the intervention also predicted a reduction in neuroticism. Students reported experiencing a complex range of difficulties over the duration of the pandemic and that 80% of participants found the workshop to be effective in addressing these problems. Overall, participants found more positives than negatives in the online delivery of the workshop. If rolled out on a wider basis, the REP-S has the potential to improve wellbeing and mental health across the higher education sector.
Understanding the Effect of Social Media Use on Psychological Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Murphy Niall , Saxena Deepak
Published: November 2021

This study examines the effect of the modern technology of social media on psychological stress during Irish COVID-19 quarantine restrictions. Literature indicates mixed findings regarding social media usage and psychological stress. Acknowledging its multifaceted nature, social media use in this study is examined through the category usage motivators of consuming, participating, and producing. Usage motivators significantly indicate variations in terms of impact on stress. Social media use for the purpose of consuming is moderately correlated with increased levels of psychological stress. Social media use for the purpose of participating exhibits a weak correlation with decreasing levels of psychological stress. Social media use for the purpose of producing exhibits no significant relationship with psychological stress during quarantine. Findings of this study are valuable for government and corporate policy makers and mental health and marketing professionals, with implications in psychological wellbeing practices and mindful social media use during quarantine.
The Ethnographic Vignette as Innovative Tool in Intersectional Social Justice Activist Research
Authors: Burrington Debra D.
Published: November 2021

This chapter leverages ethnographic narratives written during the author's year of nearly daily ‘walking tourism' in New York City on the heels of 9/11 as a vehicle to illustrate an innovative approach to community-based research for intersectional social justice purposes. Since the 1990s, the author has employed creatively crafted vignettes as an activist researcher working with alliances of racial, gender, queer, economic, and labor organizations that joined together to conduct progressive intersectional social justice interventions in a conservative Western US state. Here the author extracts pieces of her “New York Stories” for use as vignettes that could be employed in practice-based research as discussion prompts to foster restorative dialogue and participatory action research efforts in community groups and organizations committed to the work of intersectional social justice.
Intersectionality
Authors: Tackett Amber
Published: November 2021

Women continue to be underrepresented as P-12 school administrators, and this marginalization is more conspicuous in Appalachian Kentucky public schools. This chapter presents a review of extant scholarship on the intersectionality of the focus population as women, educational leaders, and residents of Appalachia Kentucky. The critical consciousness of administrators was examined in both male and female participants. Personal and school predictor variables served as additional variables in the prediction model to better understand the context of the participants. Comparisons of means and multiple regression analysis were utilized to potentially create predictive equation of social justice leadership propensity of school administrators and to determine differences between gender and if personal and school predictor variables had any effect on the critical consciousness of the sample. This chapter reveals the importance of context, intersectionality, and need for more inclusive quantitative instruments for the study of social justice leadership.
Agency at Play for Collective Impact in Human Services Systems
Authors: Yadav Prithi , Taboada Manuela B , Vickery Nicole
Published: November 2021

Responses to urban human services issues such as housing and unemployment often overlook lived experiences through these systems and are formulated from a top-down (systems, services, or policy-level) perspective. This study integrates systems thinking and design justice principles for centering the voices of those experiencing these issues towards exploring ‘agency'—the capacity to act—from the bottom-up and top-down in responding to these issues. An agency typology encompassing various bottom-up and top-down agencies is developed through an analysis of Digital Games for Change (DG4C) for the various agencies they can initiate. The agency typology's contributions are threefold—in research (as a method and analytical tool), in practice (as design principles) and in education (for teaching collective action, impact). The agency typology can drive ‘concerted agency' or collective action, where top-down and bottom-up agencies work together, enabling multipronged targeted approaches to complex social issues and maximizing social justice efforts through collective impact.
Cultural Probes as a Carefully Curated Research Design Approach to Elicit Older Adult Lived Experience
Authors: Mikus Jenna , Grant-Smith Deanna , Rieger Janice
Published: November 2021

There is growing recognition that methods that elicit the perspectives of vulnerable and marginalized people are essential in understanding the needs and aspirations of this group and therefore necessary when developing impactful policies, services, and environments that support them. Creative elicitation methods, which privilege participant voice, can be useful for conducting research with such populations. This chapter explores how research informed by care ethics, appreciative inquiry, and communicative methodology can support participant self-determination through the achievement of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. By advancing deliberate, iterative, and care-full research design that emphasizes belonging, dignity, and justice, cultural probes provide practical potential and ethical utility as a research method. The effectiveness of this care-full cultural probe approach is demonstrated and examined through a case study of a co-design research project concerned with designing for health and well-being at home with and for older adults.
What Is the “Public Good” in a Pandemic? Who Decides?
Authors: Janosek Diane M.
Published: November 2021

Governments in liberal democracies, such as the U.S. and in Europe, derive their authority from the consent of the people and exist for the “public good.” This chapter explores the proper role of government in communicating information and in enacting public health measures to prevent the spread of infection during a pandemic. This chapter includes historical context and exemplars of government policy makers' dissemination of COVID-19 health information, both accurate and inaccurate ones. Government officials have a responsibility to promote and support public policy initiatives that balance public safety with individual rights and self-determination. In some cases, citizens did not trust the government initiatives nor the associated misinformation or lockdowns. People reacted by exercising their right to protest. This chapter highlights government actions that were not based on accurate information and contributed to its spread and an increase of cyberchondria across the population, demonstrating the public good may not have been well served.
Cyberchondria and Medical Student Syndrome
Authors: Aulia Afkar , Pratiti Budi
Published: November 2021

Health anxiety is a disorder that can be very distressful and cause unnecessary examinations. A doctor is expected to handle health anxiety in terms of examination, diagnosis, therapy, and counselling processes. To provide optimal patient counselling, a doctor needs confidence, empathy, and good mental health. However, the process to become a medical doctor requires a student to read through a large amount of medical information, which arguably might induce “medical student's syndrome,” or health anxiety. Contradicting research findings exist about such conditions, however, most of them use traditional measures of health anxiety and do not consider students' online behaviour. The authors hypothesized that a medical student is susceptible to cyberchondria, a form of health anxiety due to excessive internet use. Some studies have shown that there may be higher cyberchondria scores among medical students compared to the general population. Cyberchondria needs to be studied further to improve the mental health condition of medical students and to provide optimal future healthcare for patients.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Educational Leader Wellbeing
Authors: Burke Jolanta , Dempsey Majella
Published: November 2021

The COVID-19 outbreak resulted in higher anxiety levels, in which cyberchondria played a significant role. However, little is known about the factors that helped individuals maintain their wellbeing amid the pandemic. The current chapter presents selected results from three surveys carried out with school leaders in Ireland in relation to their source of stress, and factors that helped them cope with the COVID-19 crisis. The first survey took place a week after the COVID-19-related school closure (study 1, N = 2,864). The second survey took place two months after the school closure (study 2, N = 939). The third survey took place three months after the school re-opening (study 3, N = 861). Participants were asked about their source of stress and the actions they took to maintain wellbeing. Similarities and differences were identified across all three samples using thematic analysis. Unique factors associated with specific stages of the pandemic were identified. This chapter discusses implications in relation to the policy and practice of school leaders during the school closure.
Evaluation of Hospital Supply Chain Performance During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Maryono Doni , Ambarwati Rita
Published: November 2021

The pandemic has an impact on almost all sectors of people's lives, in the economic, political, and socio-cultural sectors. The government has implemented large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) as an effort to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. With the PSBB, it causes disruption to the hospital supply chain management. As a step to anticipate the hospital's impact on the PSBB, the hospital needs to evaluate the performance of supply chain management. The purpose of this chapter is to describe the performance evaluation of hospital supply chain management using a balanced scorecard approach. A new finding from this study is to measure the performance of hospitals experiencing various disruptions in their supply chain management caused by the COVID-19 pandemic with a balanced scorecard. The author concludes that measurements with the balanced scorecard approach can provide information about the performance of hospital supply chain management broadly in areas experiencing disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Smart Monitoring IoT-Based System for Hydroponic Agriculture
Authors: Chowdhary Sunil Kumar , Jain Shailendra Kumar , Rawat Seema , Urooj Shabana
Published: November 2021

In India, the land of farmers, where agriculture has always been the primary occupation of the people, more than 50% of the population is still engaged in agriculture and its allied sectors. However, over the years, a significant decline has been observed in the contribution by the agriculture sector towards India's GDP. This chapter aimed towards identifying the gap between the ratio of high inputs and low yields by portraying the various limitations in traditional Indian agriculture methods and how hydroponic agriculture is the need of the hour for the growth of Indian agriculture. Hydroponic agriculture or hydroponics, around the world, has proved to be an efficient and more productive method of agriculture than geoponics (i.e., the traditional agriculture practice carried out in the soil). Although bearing a large bouquet of advantages, there are some limitations associated with it as well. This chapter aimed at overcoming these limitations to enhance this novel approach of agriculture even further.
Telemedicine
Authors: Herrera Luis F. , Carrion Belinda del Carmen , Figueroa Andrea , Guzmán Jesseyfer , Armendariz de la Fuente Salma Helena , Garcia Jesus , Muñoz Maria J.
Published: November 2021

Using telemedicine systems, physicians around the world have been able to provide health access to their own communities and others abroad. Telemedicine is still a developing field in the health sciences, but much progress has been made with the advent of new communication technologies. Today, telemedicine offers an alternative to traditional physician consultations, especially for those patients with different needs. Patients with mobility issues, low socioeconomic standing, and far away from big cities have seen benefits from this form of patient care. Not only has telemedicine been able to just bridge these gaps, but it has also provided a new way for the international community of health practitioners to cooperate and aid areas in need of specialized care in the developing world. New cooperation programs between developed and developing countries have been developed to bring specialist knowledge to areas that otherwise would not have access to it. Telemedicine is a way to take care of patients in this technological area and perhaps will become the new standard of care.
Telenutrition
Authors: Rodríguez Castelán Julia , Luna Vázquez Fabiola
Published: November 2021

In the last 20 years, telenutrition has gained popularity and visibility. This term refers to the incorporation of tools and skills of telecommunication into nutritional management. Telenutrition already had many reported uses even before the COVID-19 pandemic. In the present chapter, Telenutrition will be addressed considering important aspects such as differences with traditional care, the most relevant findings in pathologies relevant to the area, some suggestions for tools and marketing, as well as some ethical aspects.
Mechanical Engineering Students Project-Based Learning in OUAS
Authors: Kekkonen Mira , Isoherranen Ville
Published: November 2021

This chapter introduces project-based learning approach which is used in the Oulu University of Applied Sciences (OUAS), School of Engineering and Natural Resources, Mechanical Engineering Department to get local companies to offer project works to mechanical engineering students. The concept is based on organizing a local event or online event for the companies to come to OUAS campus to present their challenges needing engineering students to solve. The companies are then competing, selling, or pitching their problem for engineering students as the engineering students will then individually select the most interesting cases to be solved, and which has linkage to potential summer job and thesis work opportunities if projects are successful. The concept has proven to be successful, and it has been established as traditional event with many companies returning to the pitching event annually to get their industry problems solved by group of motivated engineering students.
Influence of Game-Based Methods in Developing Engineering Competences
Authors: Costa Helder Gomes , Sheremetieff Frederico Henrichs , Araújo Elaine Aparecida
Published: November 2021

This research aims to understand the influence of game-based learning methods on engeineer competences. Competencies expected from an engineer, which competencies are commonly explored by game-based learning methods, and perceptions from a sample composed of 92 respondents about the question that drives the research are explored. All competencies analyzed had more positive influence responses than negative ones, or non-impact responses. The competence analyzed most positively is “problem solving”; the one with the most negative impact responses is “second language learning,” and the one with the most non-impact responses is “continuous search for career improvement.” This study fills the following gaps: compiles and analyzes articles on game-based learning methods and carries out unprecedented research regarding the influence of game-based learning methods on the professional competences of graduates of engineering courses.
A Scrum-Based Classroom Model for Learning Project Management
Authors: Lopes Erik Teixeira , Aquere André Luiz
Published: November 2021

Brazilian higher education uses traditional learning methods centered on the professor and lectures. However, active learning methodologies have recently been gaining ground, especially in courses in the health area, due to legal guidelines for their implementation in Brazil. At the same time, the use of active methodologies in engineering education to optimize learning results is already widespread in several countries. In this sense, this chapter aims to propose a structure that addresses the interface between the agile Scrum framework applied to education, known as EduScrum, and the active learning methodologies to develop a more applied and results-focused approach. Thus, the scope of this work includes a review of the literature and the structuring, application, and evaluation of a hybrid method adequate for training engineering students for modern technological advancements. Finally, the results obtained, as well as a roadmap, are presented to guide the application of the model in other learning contexts.
Training Graduated Students in an Industrial Context of a Retail Company
Authors: Mota Rui , Mesquita Carolina
Published: November 2021

Graduate students are a source of knowledge to companies. Their youth, readiness to show recently acquired abilities, and high levels of motivation to “change the world” are appreciated by human resources hiring teams to complete their purpose: to identify talent that can enhance business areas accomplishing relevant goals. However, “competences” do not always come along with the “full package” of a recent graduate. This chapter describes how a Portuguese retail company developed and implemented a Lean School to (1) upskill internal knowledge, skills, and behaviors about Lean in the existing work force and to (2) prepare the newcomers to use Lean in such a good way as if they had been part of the company for years. The authors will also describe some of the active learning methods used in the Lean School programs and report the evolution on some performance indicators like number of students in attendance and satisfaction levels.
Team Teaching in PBL
Authors: van Hattum-Janssen Natascha , Alves Anabela C. , Fernandes Sandra R. G.
Published: November 2021

Project-based learning (PBL) is a challenging learning methodology, also for teachers, questioning common assumptions of teachers, like control over the classroom and reliance on expert knowledge. Most challenging is teamwork. Team teaching has been explored in many disciplinary areas, both in traditional as well as in PBL curricula. Teachers may feel uncomfortable with sharing knowledge and being assessed by students and peers. This chapter explores characteristics of team teaching in a PBL context through two consecutive literature reviews. The first seeks to characterise team teaching and its meaning to teachers, zooming in from team teaching in general to team teaching in a PBL context in engineering education. The second connects this characterization to the experiences of a specific PBL teaching team in an engineering context, resulting in insights in experiences at practitioners' level. The authors argue that successful team teaching is crucial for the success of PBL in engineering education and is important as an example for students to engage in collaboration.
A New Approach Towards Intuitionistic Fuzzy Multisets
Authors: Majumdar Pinaki
Published: November 2021

In this paper a new definition of Intuitionistic fuzzy multisets (IFMS) has been introduced. Algebraic operations on these intuitionistic fuzzy multisets are defined and their properties under these algebraic operations are studied. The author has also introduced a new notion of complement for an IFMS in which the complement of the original set is also an IFMS. The notion of distance and similarity between two IFMS’s has been defined and their properties have also been studied here. An application of IFMS in solving a medical diagnosis problem has been provided at the end.
Livability Dimensions and Sense of Community in a Developing Country
Authors: Macke Janaina , Sarate João Alberto Rubim , Moschen Suane de Atayde
Published: November 2021

The sense of community can be understood as a sense of belonging to a collectivity, making citizens develop trust and awareness for collective action projects. This study aims to identify the livability dimensions and their relationship with the sense of community. The survey method was applied, and a sample of 392 residents of a Brazilian region was interviewed. The results show that three dimensions – (i) trust and safety; (ii) work and bridging relations; and (iii) housing and city performance - explain livability. Among these dimensions, Trust and Safety, and Housing and city performance have a significant relation to the sense of community, explaining 32.4% of the sense of community. These results point out elements for the elaboration of plans and public policies in the cities and as critical elements for future research.
Understanding the Use of Challakere Grasslands by the Local Communities and Their Livestock
Authors: Kadabagere Shrinivas R. , Mukherjee Jayanti R.
Published: November 2021

Challakere grasslands have been in news since the allotment of Amruth Mahal Kavals to the prestigious institutions like the BARC, DRDO, ISRO and IISC in 2008. There was lot of anger and demonstration being held from Challakere to the national capital New Delhi. The supreme court formed a Central Inquiry Committee and heard the queries of both the contestant parties. Finally there is access to only few things in the allocated kavals like the temple, drinking water and few important roads. The lifestyle of the people who are staying around these kavals have changed since last ten years. The people who always grew some crops during the rainy season and then grazed their livestock in the vast kavals have lost hopes on both, thanks to the diminished rains and shrinking of kaval. The livestock number is fast decreasing due to the scarcity of fodder which is shown both in secondary data and also from the socio-economic survey we conducted. Wildlife has dwindled with number and the imbalance in predator- prey population may pose a threat to the future remaining agricultural lands.
A Simulation Analysis of a PV-Powered Inc-Cond MPPT-Based Hybrid Filter for Power Quality Improvement
Authors: Arulmurugan R.
Published: November 2021

This paper proposed a transformer-less hybrid active filter that upgrades the power quality in single-stage frameworks with steady renewable photo voltaic. It strengthens basic loads and carrying on as high-consonant impedance that does not lower the critical loads. It manages energy management and power quality issues identified with electric transportation and concentrates on enhancing the electric vehicle load connected to the grid. The control technique was intended to anticipate current harmonic distortions with the nonlinear loads to control the flow of utility with no standard massive and expensive transformer. Power factor alongside AC side will likewise keep up some esteem and furthermore dispense with the voltage distortions at the common coupling point.
How Do Investors Perceive the Materiality of Data Security Incidents
Authors: Juma'h Ahmad H. , Alnsour Yazan
Published: November 2021

Data security incidents are continually increasing; hackers, governments, and other actors increasingly attempt to gain unauthorized access to confidential data. Information Systems (IS) users are becoming more vulnerable to the risks of data breaches. Many stakeholders perceive cybersecurity incidents as indicators of firms' operational and technological internal deficiencies. Previous research has revealed that investors react negatively to data breaches, yet little is known about investors' reactions to material data security incidents. Using a sample of 232 data security incidents for 132 publicly traded companies in the United States, we applied an event study methodology to discern investors' reactions to material versus immaterial incidents. We also use multivariate regression and time-to-event analysis to examine what determines the degree of investors' reactions, considering several intervals around the event day. Our results show that investors perceive material data security incidents as a deficiency of breached companies in comparison to immaterial incidents.
Massive haematometrosalpinx in a young girl with cloacal anomalies: Laparoscopic management
Authors: Silva D. , Randombage P. , Gankanda W. , Mathanamohan J. , Abeygunasekera S.
Published: November 2021

A cloacal anomaly refers to the collection of defects that occur during fetal development, where the intestinal, urinary and reproductive tracts open into a common cavity. It is imperative to address this condition since despite its fairly low incidence and limited data, it has a very high impact on the patient's quality of life, and therefore mandates further study to effectively manage these patients. This study is regarding a 13-year-old girl diagnosed to have a cloacal anomaly since birth presenting with cyclical abdominal and pelvic pain for 6 months. She had undergone multiple abdominal and pelvic corrective surgeries since birth, leading to a colostomy and Mitrofanoff channel for bowel and bladder control, respectively. Diagnostic imaging revealed bilateral haematosalpinx for which ultrasound guided aspiration followed by subcutaneous administration of GnRH analogues was given as a temporary mode of relief which eventually recurred within 4 months. Following an extensive Multidisciplinary discussion, the team proceeded with the crucial decision of a hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy. The surgery itself was challenging due to multiple adhesions, scarring and difficulty in port placement. Following surgery, the patient's quality of life significantly improved allowing her to attend to her activities of daily living and maintain a social life. The need for future appointments to address sexual functions and fertility wishes was explained.
A case of new-onset SLE during pregnancy an initial manifestation with all diagnostic criteria: The challenges of diagnosis and managing a complex disease in a low resource setting
Authors: Kamsan S. , Subhani B. , Rishard M. , Akarawita J.
Published: November 2021

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex chronic multiorgan autoimmune disease. When newly diagnosed during pregnancy or puerperium, it is known as new-onset SLE during pregnancy. Delayed or missed diagnosis of newonset SLE during pregnancy may occur due to similar clinical manifestation of SLE with normal physiological changes of pregnancy and lupus nephritis with preeclampsia. New-onset SLE during pregnancy has major organ involvement with poor maternal and foetal outcomes. Management options are limited due to teratogenic side effects of drugs in pregnancy. This is further compounded in a low resource setting with lack of health seeking behaviours and inadequate access to timely care. Multidisciplinary management with close medical, obstetric, neonatal monitoring, patient education and improved access to care is essential for better outcomes. Our aim is to report a 19 year old primigravida with new onset SLE in pregnancy and multiorgan involvement fulfilling all criteria for diagnosis of SLE at the first presentation.
Combating the rising caesarean section (CS) rates in Sri Lanka using new technology
Authors: Piyadigama I. , Jayasundara D. M. C. S. , Perera A. A. M. B. A. , Jayawardane A.
Published: November 2021

No abstract available
Postnatal care during hospital stay
Authors: Dasanayake D. L. W. , Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Sri Lanka College of
Published: November 2021

No abstract available
Impact of Pharmacokinetics to Reduce Bleeding in a Cohort of Patients with Severe Hemophilia A in a Personalized Comprehensive Management Program
Authors: Sarmiento Doncel Samuel , Diaz Mosquera Gina Alejandra , Cortes Javier Mauricio , Ramirez Plazas Nelson , Meza Francisco Javier , Agudelo Rico Carol
Published: November 2021

In recent decades, hemophilia A treatment has been focused on body weight, without taking pharmacokinetic parameters into account. Previous research has shown that the individual pharmacokinetic response is more effective in predicting the required dose of clotting factor. We want to evaluate the impact on reducing the frequency of bleeding in patients treated with recombinant factor VIII, based on a personalized comprehensive management program. Our aim was to compare the results of a standard comprehensive treatment program (stage I) vs. a personalized pharmacokinetic-based treatment program (stage II) in a cohort of 60 patients with severe hemophilia without inhibitors. The median age was 15.5 years (3–68). The ABR was 1.03 (62 episodes) in the first stage and 0.58 (35 episodes) in the second one, (p = 0.004). By type of bleeding, the impact of the intervention differs significantly in spontaneous bleeding (p = 0.007) and a 73% reduction in the first stage. There were no significant differences in traumatic bleeding. The use of pharmacokinetics for personalized dosing of patients with severe hemophilia A, significantly reduces ABR and spontaneous bleeding, improving the patient's quality of life and costs for the health system.
The effect of imatinib and nilotinib on blood calcium and blood potassium levels in chronic myeloid leukemia patient: a literature review
Authors: Prenggono Muhammad Darwin , Yasmina Alfi , Ariyah Misna , Wanahari Tenri Ashari , Hasrianti Nuvita
Published: November 2021

Imatinib and nilotinib are first-line treatments for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients, which act specifically against target cells. However, these drugs may cause side effects, such as electrolyte disturbances. This literature review aimed to provide a comparison of the effects of imatinib and nilotinib on blood potassium and calcium levels. It also summarized their hypothetical mechanism. A comprehensive electronic search of the different databases was conducted using "chronic myeloid leukemia”, “tyrosine kinase inhibitors”, “imatinib”, “nilotinib”, “potassium”, “calcium”, “electrolytes” as keywords. This review used Pubmed-MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar as electronic databases. Related 16 articles published from 2006 to 2020 were reviewed. Changes in blood potassium levels range from increased to decreased levels, while changes in blood calcium levels tend to below the normal value. Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs), including imatinib and nilotinib, have a non-specific target, namely platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), which indirectly affects blood potassium and calcium levels in CML patients. The clinical manifestations of these changes vary from being visible only in laboratory tests to displaying a variety of signs and symptoms.
Tick-borne pathogens in Iran
Authors: Khoobdel Mehdi , Jafari Amir Sajad , Telmadarraiy Zakkyeh , Sedaghat Mohammad Mehdi , Bakhshi Hasan
Published: November 2021

Objective:

Different studies have been performed on the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in different areas of Iran; however, as far as our knowledge, there is no regional meta-analysis available for consideration and estimation of tick species infected with different pathogens in Iran.

Methods:

In this review, among different databases, a total of 95 publications were included, and the infection of different tick species to different tick-borne pathogens was determined; furthermore, presence of pathogens (with 95% confidence intervals) in tick vectors was calculated separately for each province, using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 2 (Biostat, USA).

Results:

Totally, among all 95 studies, 5 673 out of 33 521 investigated ticks were positive according to different detection methods. Overall estimated presence of pathogens in tick vectors in Iran was 8.6% (95% CI 7.0%-10.6%, P<0.001). Of all 46 species of ticks in 10 genera in Iran, 28 species in 9 genera, including Alveonasus, Argas, Boophilus, Dermacentor, Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma, Ixodes, Ornithodoros, and Rhipicephalus were infected with at least 20 pathogens in 10 genera including Aegyptianella, Anaplasma, Babesia, Borrelia, Brucella, Orthonairovirus [Crimean- Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV)], Coxiella, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia and Theileria in 26 provinces of Iran. The presence of pathogens in ticks collected in western Iran was more than other regions. Hyalomma anatolicum (20.35%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (15.00%), and Rhipicephalus bursa (14.08%) were the most prevalent infected ticks for different pathogens. In addition, most literatures were related to CCHFV and Theileria/Babesia spp.

Conclusions:

Public health and veterinary professionals should be aware of diagnosing possible diseases or outbreaks in vertebrates.
Intracellular calcium ions facilitate dengue virus entry into endothelial cells and compromise endothelial barrier integrity
Authors: Shu Meng-Hooi , Wong Pooi-Fong , Sam Sing-Sin , Loong Shih-Keng , Teoh Boon-Teong , AbuBakar Sazaly
Published: November 2021

Objective:

To investigate the involvement of Ca2+ in dengue virus (DENV)-infected human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and the disruption of endothelial integrity.

Methods:

HUVECs were infected with DENV-2 in the presence of intracellular Ca2+ or endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ chelators. Virus infectivity was measured by focus-forming assay and quantitative RT-PCR. Intracellular Ca2+ was measured using Fluo-4-AM dye. VE-cadherin and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) expressions were investigated by immunofluorescence and immunoblotting assays, respectively.

Results:

DENV infection increased intracellular cytosolic Ca2+ levels and caused disassembly of the adherens junction protein, VE- cadherin as evidenced by decreased VE-cadherin expression at the periphery of DENV-2 infected HUVECs. Depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores, particularly those of the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+, significantly decreased DENV yield in HUVECs. Decreased virus yield following the depletion of intracellular Ca2+ was caused by the inhibition of viral entry into HUVECs and not the inhibition of viral binding or attachment. DENV-2 infection also resulted in Ca2+-dependent activation of FAK.

Conclusions:

Intracellular Ca2+ is required for the early phases of DENV infection in endothelial cells. Increased cytosolic Ca2+ levels in endothelial cells during DENV infection activated FAK, disrupted adherens junctions and compromised barrier integrity. Thus, Ca2+ plays an important role in DENV infection in endothelial cells.