bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Laptops and learning spaces
Authors: Brown Cheryl , Pallitt Nicola
Published: October 2024

Researchers in the field of networked learning have recently sought to understand the sociomaterial practices involved in networked learning (McConnell et al., 2012). This paper investigates the sociomaterial influence of laptops as students traverse a variety of learning spaces and considers the role of these devices in changing learning. Current conceptions of learning spaces in Higher Education prioritise physical ‘places’ such as libraries and lecture theatres. The mobility of laptops and related technologies challenge this perception. This paper brings together some central ideas for understanding learning spaces (Boys, 2011; Temple, 2011; Savin-Baden, 2008) and positions these in relation to networked learning. We consider the interrelationship between physical learning places and immaterial, technologically mediated spaces. The paper reports on data from a one-to-one laptop pilot at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. While the initial project was conceptualised as an evaluation of students' laptop use in four courses, the pilot evolved according to the needs of the project and became more akin to participatory action research over time. We consider dynamics related to networked learning in a resource constrained higher education environment, where personal computer access and internet connectivity is not the norm. In our context, many students rely on mobile phones as their primary means of internet access off campus (Czerniewicz, Williams & Brown, 2009). Students’ laptop use suggests that learning spaces cross boundaries between formal and informal learning, include a range of physical settings, and involve learning both online, offline and in between. Our analytic focus has shifted from separate contexts or bounded spaces to a continua of activities across domains. This paper contributes to previous research on reconceptualising learning space in networked learning (Smith, 2012) and concurs with Ryberg & Larsen (2008) that we are seeing increased opportunities for individualised as well as connected learning. As a mobile device, the laptop facilitates interactions, challenges traditional learning spaces and influences educational practice. We argue that the notion of learning spaces allows researchers to attend to the nuances of teaching and learning interactions with technologies in a variety of physical places. In relation to laptop use at university, networked learning involves the orchestration and personal management of learning spaces online, offline and in between which depends on students' discipline-specific needs.
"Laptops are better." Medical students' perceptions of laptops versus tablets and smartphones to support their learning
Authors: Curtis Fiona , Cranmer Sue
Published: October 2024

In recent years there has been a shift from the expectation that students will be supporting their learning with desktop and laptop computers to the increasing use of tablet computers (Payne, Wharrad, & Watts, 2012). This move has been reflected by initiatives from universities in the US and UK that have provided medical students with tablets to support their studies (Mathis, 2011; The University of Manchester, 2013).
Noting this trend and considering how tablets might better support medical students, lecturers within the medical school at Lancaster University sought to find out whether their students - who had been provided with a laptop when they began their studies - perceived that they would be better served in their medical degrees by issuing them with either a laptop or a tablet. In March-April 2013, 137 students completed an online questionnaire which included open questions in which they were also encouraged to qualify their reasons.
The quantitative results showed clearly that the students wanted to retain the provision of laptops rather than receiving tablets and this view was reinforced by responses to the open questions. For example, the responses showed that the medical students had a clear preference for writing up reports on a laptop rather than on a tablet. Even so, responses to the questions suggested some limitations in how far the students understood and used the capabilities of tablet computers even amongst those who already owned a tablet and/or a smart phone. Results were surprising in light of the noted trend towards tablet provision and uptake amongst medical students and therefore warrant further consideration. Emerging findings suggest that many of the medical students do not perceive tablets as suitable devices for writing, which brings forward issues relating to the concept of affordances (Parchoma, in press) and possibly medical students' levels of digital literacy. These and other ideas will be much further developed by the point of the conference.
The paper is currently work in progress. A literature review is underway; quantitative results have been analysed and coding has just begun for the analysis of the qualitative results. The results of the study will be presented at the conference for feedback.
Why it’s not all about the learner
Authors: Gourlay Lesley , Oliver Martin
Published: October 2024

Digital literacies are seen as an important area of current research and practice, but most accounts of this rely on capability or competence models of "digital literacy". These decontextualised, cognitive accounts ignore the insights of New Literacy Studies (e.g. Lea & Street, 1998), which have shown that focusing on a 'free floating' learner, ignoring settings, resources and cultures, and failing to explain important aspects of how literate practice is achieved and enacted.
Adopting a sociomaterial account of learning provides an alternative to these free-floating narratives about student literacy. From this perspective, 'literacy' is an achievement that involves the successful coordination of human and non-human actors - including teachers, other learners, pupils, devices, texts and so on. Drawing on work undertaken as part of a JISC-funded project, we will present a critique of mainstream 'learner-centred' accounts of digital literacy; outline the theoretical framework on which our work has been based; and present a series of case studies that show how an individual's ability to act in a digitally literate way depends on much more than an assumed set of stable, internalised qualities. These cases involve data collected by students through multimodal journalling over a period of 9-12 months, and from in-depth interviews that explored what these meant to them.
This analysis shows that learners' practices are shaped in important ways by the social and material environments in which they are enacted, and that learners are engaged in an ongoing, improvisatory process of both adapting to the environments in which they work, whilst also adapting these environments.
Design and the functioning of a productive learning network
Authors: Pinto Ana
Published: October 2024

In our networked society, formal and informal networks (or a combination of the two) can open up powerful learning opportunities for lifelong learning. However, designing such networks conducive to learning is very complex. It involves the intertwining of learning tasks, physical and digital resources, and divisions of labour, traversing many different layers and scales. Educational design research is continuously searching for effective methods and tools to support design. This paper reports outcomes from a PhD project being undertaken as part of a broader program of research into the analysis and design of productive learning networks. The paper introduces key concepts from research on design for networked learning and offers a novel perspective on analysing learning networks, based on a framework that integrates ideas and methods from pedagogy, design and architecture. This perspective explores the structural elements in complex learning environments, and their influence on emergent activity. A number of different entities (human and non-human, material and immaterial) become assembled together in emerging technological arrangements. The analytical framework allows the researcher to get ‘behind the screen’ to reconstruct the deeper architecture of what has been created for, and by, the participants in the network. The study also draws on ideas from urban and architectural design, especially the work of Christopher Alexander on pattern language theory. Alexander’s work is concerned with sharing good design ideas that take into consideration human emotion and values. In our broader program of work, we aim to develop patterns and pattern languages which (a) show how deep values, including pedagogical values, can imbue designs, and (b) are reusable by others – such that they can be adapted to meet new needs in other places. This paper discusses the application of these analytical ideas in an existing example of a productive network as a means to extract useful, reusable design ideas. More specifically, it explores how designed features in a complex network were combined to support learning. The preliminary outcomes from this study suggest that connections can be drawn between some of the key qualities of what has been designed, and the fundamental values that are meant to guide activity and shape experience within the network.
Costs, rewards and social reciprocity
Authors: Van den Beemt Antoine , Ketelaar Evelien , Diepstraten Isabelle , De Laat Maarten
Published: October 2024

This paper discusses teachers' perceptions of learning networks and arguments for participating in these networks, viewed from a social exchange and symbolic interaction perspective. Although the use of learning networks to improve informal learning of teachers appears to be promising, teacher participation in informal networks is scarce. In this paper we try to find reasons for this scarcity by studying teachers' considerations for (non-) participation in learning networks. Central to this type of studies is the theme of reciprocity. Previous research approached reciprocity from a rational exchange perspective. We do an effort to extend this approach with elements from symbolic interactionism, aiming at an understanding of the relation between a) teachers' perceptions of learning networks, and b) considerations for participation in learning networks. Participation in learning networks does not only depend on a rational consideration of costs and rewards, but also on traditions and rituals because of belonging to a social order. We pursue our exploration, guided by the following research question: What is the relation between teachers' perceptions of learning networks, and their considerations for (non-) participation in these networks? We answer this question by means of data from structured interviews among 25 teachers in secondary education. The data show perceptions of learning networks as organised both inner-school and outside school, and mostly focused around specific content knowledge or themes. The considerations for (non-) participation range from costs, such as time and self-efficacy, to rewards such as useful content for lessons and contacts with others. In addition to these economic motives for participating in learning networks, we also found symbolic arguments for networking such as joy, sharing, mutual understanding and meaning giving resulting from the networking activities. The results led us to conclude that in addition to social exchange motives, symbolic aspects of communication and interaction play an important role in considerations for participation in (online) learning networks. The results of our exploration can be used to support the development of (informal) learning networks for teachers.
Material entanglement in a primary school learning network
Authors: Yeoman Pippa , Carvalho Lucila
Published: October 2024

Activity in learning networks is often digitally mediated. By virtue of this, studies of learning networks have not focused solely on human-human relations, but have acknowledged the role of digital infrastructure in mediating relations between people. This research draws on sociomaterial studies of learning and theoretical approaches from anthropology and archaeology to investigate the connection between activity and the setting in which it occurs. In exploring relations between humans and things, sociomaterial studies of learning surface the role of materials in learning practice. Whilst sociomaterial descriptions are used to examine the nuanced relations between humans (H) and things (T) they often fail to consider the object nature of things. Archaeologist Ian Hodder addresses this issue highlighting that things are not isolated or inert, that they endure over different temporalities and where we see them as non-things or fail to see them at all, we are unable to trace their effects. In this paper, we argue that educational designers, teachers and others involved in networked learning would benefit from understanding the object nature of things (T) and their entanglement with humans (HT), as they engage in creating new resources for networked learning. Furthermore, it will be fundamental to understanding the changes that these ever-evolving and increasingly ubiquitous technologies will bring to future place-based instantiations of networked learning. This paper discusses these issues through the analysis of a learning network within a primary school context and whilst schools have not customarily been considered sites of networked learning, we argue that the way this school uses online structures to co-ordinate face-to-face activity necessitates the network attribution. Our research is based on an ethnographic study conducted in a digitally enabled, open plan learning space that is home to 180 year five and six students and their team of seven teachers. We present an analysis of a single, seventy-five minute episode selected from 549 hours of observation. Our analysis, whilst particular to this moment in time, draws on what was observed over a nine month period and the encounter was selected as illustrative of the intricate entanglement of place, task and social organisation that is characteristic of learning activity at this site.
Symposium 4: The Global Institution, the Homely, and the Overwhelming
Authors: Knox Jeremy
Published: October 2024

While being a relatively recent phenomenon in higher education, the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) has attracted significant media attention for offering free participation and attracting unprecedented enrolment numbers, often in the tens of thousands. Coursera, and edX have emerged as the principle MOOC platform providers, entering into partnerships with a significant number of higher education institutions, mostly located in the US, and promoting themselves as global organisations that disrupt geographical barriers to higher education. MOOCs are often marketed in terms of accessibility and egalitarianism by providing unproblematic admittance to university education. However, the space of the MOOC is significantly under-theorised, and like much of education in general it is often ‘left unexamined as simply a different context, container or backcloth for curriculum and pedagogy’ (Fenwick et al. 2011, p220). This paper draws from spatial theory and the mobilities turn to consider what kinds of spaces are being (per)formed in the emerging domains of the MOOC. It will describe three different enactments of space: the ‘global institution’; the ‘homely’; and the ‘overwhelming’, involving from the promotion of particular MOOC platforms and the activities of two specific courses. The paper will draw upon visual, discursive and technological elements in these examples to consider how notions of space can be articulated and enacted through promotion, participation and digital intervention. ‘Global-institutional’ space concerns the ways that MOOC platforms advance an arrangement that maintains the traditional structure of the institution alongside claiming a global reach. ‘Homely’ space involves promotion of a local community building as the locus of course activity during a specific MOOC, privileging a central and authentic site of scholarly occupation. ‘Overwhelming’ space concerns participant responses to an unconventional MOOC utilising distributed social media spaces and encouraging student-created content. Student responses from this course will be used to enact the space of the MOOC, not as the passive scenery external to educational activity, but rather as an active and relational process which emerges within; through relations with the subjects, activities, technologies and objects of online education.
Chemical sensors: From fundamentals to the future—A review
Authors: Richard Tony , Climensa Shiny
Published: September 2024

Chemical sensors bridge the gap between the chemical and electrical/optical domains, offering a powerful tool for analyzing our environment. These ingenious devices, with detection limits reaching parts-per-billion (ppb) for some analytes, rely on interactions between a specific material and the target molecule. This interaction, which can involve changes in electrical current, light emission, or mass, is translated into a measurable signal. This review delves into the core working principles of various sensor types, highlighting their diverse applications. From environmental monitoring (tracking air and water pollutants at concentrations as low as 10 ppb) to medical diagnostics (detecting biomarkers for early disease identification), chemical sensors play a crucial role in shaping a safer and healthier future. Recent advancements, such as miniaturization and integration with nanomaterials, promise even greater sensitivity, portability, and affordability, paving the way for a new era of sensor-driven innovation. This review article explores these advancements and their potential impact on various fields, inspiring further development and exploration of this transformative technology.
Rethinking institutional coordination as a transformational issue in providing and administering urban land for housing development in Ethiopia: Evidence from Bahir Dar metropolitan city
Authors: Emiru Mitiku Alemayehu , Adam Achamyeleh Gashu , Dadi Teshome Taffa
Published: September 2024

Institutional coordination and robust land administration are essential to ensuring sustainable land delivery and housing development in fast-growing cities. It also benefits urban dwellers, particularly low-income groups and homeless individuals. Despite efforts, Ethiopia’s metropolitan areas have institutional coordination challenges. The horizontal and vertical coordination between land administration and the government heavily influences the output of housing. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of existing institutional coordination in urban land management to support effective land supply for residential purposes. The institution’s current and desired levels of coordination reveal a significant lack of vertical and horizontal coordination. In order to meet the study’s objectives, a mixed methodology was used, combining primary and secondary sources. The data collection process utilised rigorous methods like questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions, field observations, and desk reviews to ensure accuracy and reliability for analysis and further decision-making. The findings unequivocally demonstrate that urban land administration institutions lack adequate vertical and peer coordination, severely hindering their ability to deliver land for housing development efficiently and effectively. Thus, urban and regional governments must rethink and restructure the current institutions for urban land administration, paving the way for a more efficient and effective system. This restructuring should incorporate robust vertical and horizontal coordination and address identified performance capability deficiencies. Ultimately, the study has provided a clear exit strategy that will contribute to the establishment of effective and efficient land administration functions. The study’s findings have significant implications for future urban land administration in Ethiopia and similar urban locations worldwide.
Monitoring and Research on urban impervious surface rainfall runoff pollution
Authors: Zhao Shuqi , Wang Zhongzheng , Zhou Yuwen , Yang Weiming , Gao Lin
Published: September 2024

Urban impervious surface rainfall runoff pollution is an important part of non-point source pollution, and the pollutants accumulated on urban impervious surface in non rainy days are the main source of pollutants in rainfall runoff. Taking the first 10 rainfall events in 2015 as an example, the impervious surfaces such as the roof of teaching buildings, campus roads and adjacent main traffic roads within the university campus in southeast Beijing were selected as the research objects to conduct field sampling and Analysis on the natural rainfall and the rainfall runoff pollution. The results show that the first rainfall runoff pollution after winter is serious, and the water quality is inferior to class v. After that, the rainfall runoff pollution is reduced; the severity of water pollution is different at different sampling points; the closer to the building toilet exhaust outlet, the higher the ammonia nitrogen pollution concentration; the existence of pervious surface facilities can reduce the degree of runoff pollution. According to the analysis and research results, some suggestions for controlling and harnessing urban rainfall runoff pollution are put forward.
The distribution characteristics of heavy metal contamination in the central segment of Xiaonan River, Shenyang
Authors: Lan Yinglian , Ma Ying , Gao Jing , Zhou Peng , Song Chuang , Li Yanlong
Published: September 2024

The middle segment of Xiaonan River, which feeds into the Puhe River, was chosen for research. Samples including its water, river bottom mud, river bank soil, and nearby vegetation were collected from six monitoring sites. These samples were analyzed by ICP-OES to determine heavy metal distribution. The results showed that main contamination of heavy metals in the Xiaonan River are Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn. Notably, Cr and Zn are in high levels, and Cr surpassed the limit of third-grade standard, indicating severe contamination. By using the potential ecological risk index method, Cd showed a high coefficient, severely damaging the surface water and riparian soil. The migration patterns of Cr and Zn were different. Cr tended to accumulate more in riverbank soils, while Zn showed higher concentrations in river bottom mud. Plants of nearby vegetation showed minimal absorption and transfer capabilities for Cd, while Ni transferred most. By applying the ecological risk index, potential pollution sources were inferred to assess each metal's distribution, so to offer a basis from its origin, and to protect the ecological health of the Puhe River Basin.
Investigation the Use of Waste Glass and Waste Paper as an Alternative Construction Binding Material: An Approach Towards Sustainable Environment
Authors: Saifullah Mohammad , Hasan Mehedi , Debnath Tarun , Rob M A , Tusar Azizul Hakim , Rabbani Md. Liton
Published: October 2024

The idea of repurposing garbage as a resource within the building industry has drawn much attention in light of growing worldwide concerns about sustainable development and waste management. This thesis explores the intriguing idea of using waste materials as a practical and ecological replacement for construction materials and also carefully evaluates the technical, environmental and financial viability of incorporating various waste products, like household waste paper and waste glass into different construction applications. The results of this research project are incredibly insightful. Regarding waste paper as a cement replacement, the experiment demonstrated that substituting 10%, 20% or 30% of cement with waste paper is not a recommended practice. In all instances, the resulting concrete blocks exhibited a significant reduction in strength when compared to traditional concrete formulations. This outcome underscores the limitations of waste paper as a viable substitute for maintaining concrete strength. Conversely, findings regarding glass waste replacement in cement are particularly exciting. At just 7 days of curing, concrete blocks incorporating 10% and 20% glass waste replacements displayed higher strength than their conventional counterparts, showcasing an early strength advantage. By the 14-day mark, the strength of these glass waste-reinforced blocks closely approached that of standard concrete, highlighting their potential for use in sustainable construction practices. Even more impressively, at 21 days of curing, when conventional concrete reached its peak strength at 28.33 KN per square meter, the blocks with 10%, 20% and 30% glass waste replacement-maintained robustness, with strengths of 26.4, 25.26 and 19.44 KN per square meter respectively. This prolonged strength retention suggests that glass waste-reinforced concrete can serve as a sustainable alternative without compromising structural integrity, even in the long term.
Critical Exploration of Eliza’s Use of Restricted Code and Elaborated Code in Pygmalion
Authors: Sethi Maira
Published: September 2024

This research paper explored the character of Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion and its movie adaptation, My Fair Lady, through the use of Restricted and Elaborated Code. These concepts examined Eliza’s transformation from a common flower girl to a duchess at the hands of Henry Higgins. The research employed the qualitative method and used Restricted Code and Elaborated Code concepts presented by Basildon Bernstein in his 2003 book, Theoretical Studies towards a Sociology of Language (Class, Codes and Control) for deductive thematic analysis. Given the context, Eliza’s dialogues and the settings in the play and the movie where she delivered those dialogues were also taken into account because the relationship between social class and language could not be ignored in the society Eliza inhabits. The study also focused on her dilemmas, dreams, desires and struggles to determine the outcomes of Eliza’s transformation, whether it was a blessing or a curse. By analysing Eliza’s use of language and interactions, the findings offered insights into the power dynamics of language and social class in shaping individual’s identity.
AESTHETIC SURGICAL APPROACH FOR STURGE-WEBER SYNDROME AND FACIAL ARTERIOVENOUS TUMORS
Authors: Cruz Thaylandiê Basílio Cavalcante , Tavares Marcos Túlio Monteiro , Pessoa Salustiano Gomes de Pinho , Freire Isabela Franco , Marangoni Anik Moraes , Araújo Kalyne Saraiva Fontenele de
Published: October 2024

Introduction: Sturge-Weber Syndrome (SWS) is a rare, congenital neurovascular condition associated with facial cutaneous capillary or venous malformations. The manifestations are intrinsically related to vascular malformations, resulting in neurological symptoms, soft tissue abnormalities, and restricted bone growth. Methodology: This is a case report of a single patient diagnosed with SWS, following the guidelines established by Resolution 466/12 of the National Health Council of Brazil (CNS). Results and Discussion: A Vascular Surgery approach with embolization was performed prior to the Plastic Surgery intervention. It is important to note that this particular patient did not present the common neurological manifestations. Additionally, port-wine stains manifested as giant hemangiomas on the face. Conclusion: A multidisciplinary team is essential for patients with this condition, as it can facilitate surgical resection when vascular studies are performed prior to surgery. Moreover, a multidisciplinary approach is crucial due to the varied clinical presentation and chronic conditions that require treatment.
IMPACTOS DA ATIVIDADE FÍSICA MATERNA NA SAÚDE DA PROLE: UM ESTUDO DURANTE A GESTAÇÃO
Authors: Gomes Pedro Pazinatto , Geraldi Luiz Osvaldo Becker , Matiusso Camila Cristina Ianoni
Published: October 2024

A programação metabólica e as alterações nutricionais e hormonais que as acompanham, quando presentes nas janelas de desenvolvimento humano, como gestação e lactação, impactam diretamente no crescimento e na vida saudável. Barker sustenta a ideia de que deve haver um equilíbrio entre os períodos de desenvolvimento, evitando consequências de alterações ou influências adversas durante a vida intrauterina ou pós-natal. Pensando nisso, a prática de exercícios físicos é fundamental nesse período, proporcionando inúmeros benefícios à prole. O objetivo do trabalho foi compreender o impacto da prática do exercício físico durante a gestação no desenvolvimento da prole. Trata-se de uma revisão de literatura integrativa. A busca foi realizada nas bases de dados SciELO e PubMed, utilizando os descritores “Gravidez”, “Lactação”, “Exercício Físico” e “Desenvolvimento Fetal”, com auxílio dos operadores booleanos AND e OR para melhor cruzamento de dados. Para serem incluídos, os artigos deveriam estar disponíveis gratuitamente e publicados nos últimos 10 anos. Foi realizada uma triagem dos textos primeiramente pelo título, seguida da leitura completa. Os resultados encontrados em gestantes fisicamente ativas foram significativamente superiores às fisicamente inativas, em relação à saúde e desenvolvimento da prole. A prática de atividade física reduz os riscos de parto prematuro e baixo peso ao nascimento. Em gestantes fisicamente ativas, o desenvolvimento placentário é favorecido e resulta em melhor troca de nutrientes entre mãe e feto. Espera-se que a prática se expanda amplie hábitos ativos em gestantes, promovendo desenvolvimento saudável para a prole e melhorias nas complicações intrauterinas e pós-natais.
THE RISK OF SKIN IRRITATION OF CLARTÉ IN EXPERIMENTAL RABBITS
Authors: Nguyen Xuan Tuan , Nguyen Thuc Thu Huong , Ho My Dung , Mai Phuong Thanh , Phan Hong Minh
Published: September 2024

CLARTÉ is an external genital hygiene product, thus assessing skin irritation is an important test before commercializing the product for the community. Objectives: The study evaluated the local irritation on healthy rabbit skin of CLARTÉ manufactured and supplied by VIHECO PHARMA., JSC. Methods: The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Vietnam Ministry of Health, ISO 10993-10, and OECD on skin irritation assessment for topical products. Three healthy white New Zealand rabbits were shaved off the fur on the back. Animals were applied directly 0.5 mL of CLARTÉ solution on the back skin and covered the application sites with a 2,5 cm × 2,5 cm non-occlusive dressing for 4 hours.  We evaluated the irritation index including erythema and edema on the skin at 1, 24, 48, and 72 hours after removing the patches. Results: Three rabbits were still healthy, and living normally. There was very slight or well-defined erythema and very slight edema on the rabbit's skin applied by CLARTÉ after the first 24-hour treatment. The irritation index of CLARTE’ was 0.44, corresponding to negligible skin irritation during 72 hours of continuous monitoring. Conclusions: CLARTÉ product applied topically caused negligible irritation on healthy rabbit skin.
Вплив ділової етики на безпеку даних в IT- секторі в системі корпоративної культури
Authors: Осмятченко В. О. , Згурська О. М. , Мартиненко М. О.
Published: October 2024

У статті розглядаються питання ділової етики в IT-секторі, що є надзвичайно актуальним у сучасному цифровому середовищі, особливо в контексті збереження конфіденційності даних та захисту персональної інформації. Важливість теми зумовлена швидким розвитком інформаційних технологій і зростанням кількості етичних викликів у сфері безпеки даних. Метою дослідження є аналіз основних етичних принципів у сфері IT та розробка рекомендацій для формування ефективної корпоративної культури, що сприятиме захисту даних та підвищенню довіри до IT-компаній. У дослідженні використано методи порівняльного аналізу етичних кодексів різних компаній, аналіз кейсів порушень конфіденційності та опитування IT-фахівців щодо дотримання етичних норм. Підхід базується на поєднанні теоретичного аналізу літератури та практичних досліджень, що дозволило отримати комплексне бачення проблеми. Отримані нові дані свідчать про недостатнє дослідження питань міжкультурної етики та впливу штучного інтелекту на безпеку даних. Основна гіпотеза полягає в тому, що розвиток чітких етичних стандартів зможе підвищити безпеку та стабільність у IT-секторі. Методами дослідження стали аналіз наукової літератури, порівняння етичних кодексів, опитування фахівців, а також аналіз випадків порушення етичних норм у практичній діяльності IT-компаній. Встановлено, що дотримання етичних норм значно впливає на ефективність роботи компаній та їх репутацію. Виявлено ключові етичні виклики, пов’язані з конфіденційністю, використанням корпоративних ресурсів та міжкультурною комунікацією. Сформульовано рекомендації щодо розробки етичних кодексів із урахуванням сучасних технологій, зокрема штучного інтелекту. Теоретичне значення дослідження полягає в розширенні розуміння етичних проблем у IT-секторі, що може бути корисним для науковців. Практичне значення – у застосуванні результатів для розробки нових етичних стандартів у компаніях. Оригінальність дослідження полягає в інтеграції етичних норм у контекст міжкультурної комунікації та нових технологій. Основні висновки підтверджують важливість розробки етичних стандартів для підвищення безпеки даних. Подальші дослідження мають зосередитися на етичних викликах, пов’язаних з великими даними та автоматизованими системами. Стаття є теоретичною.
WHOLE-CLASS AUTOMATIC PROMOTION IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL AND PUPILS’ LITERACY ACHIEVEMENT
Authors: Tante Achu
Published: September 2024

The present study had two research questions to investigate whole-class promotion in primary school and pupils’ achievement in literacy. The study adopted the cross-sectional survey research design. The target population was composed of all teachers and pupils in primary schools in Fako Division, in Cameroon, while the accessible population was made up of all Classes Four (Grade 4), Five and Six pupils, and 60 teachers, selected using purposive sampling techniques. The instruments for data collection were a structured questionnaire and an interview guide. The descriptive statistical tools used were frequency count, percentages, and multiple response sets while Spearman’s rho test was used in testing the study's hypotheses. The findings of the study indicated that teachers’ use of alternative resources has a significant effect on pupils’ literacy achievement. Findings also indicated that remedial teaching has a significant effect on pupils’ literacy achievement. Some recommendations included both trainees and qualified teachers to receive more training regarding alternative resources and remedial teaching.
Identification of bivoltine breeds tolerant to high temperature and humidity using marker assisted selection in silkworm Bombyx mori
Authors:   Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute, Berhampore-742101, West Bengal, India, VS Raviraj , Hussain Md. Akib ,   Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute, Berhampore-742101, West Bengal, India, Sonowal Anu ,   Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute, Berhampore-742101, West Bengal, India, Devi Y. Surjalata ,   Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute, Berhampore-742101, West Bengal, India
Published: September 2024

The growth of bivoltine silk production in eastern and north-eastern india lags behind drastically in comparison to southern states due to non-availability of suitable bivoltine hybrids. The major constraints in bivoltine popularization are adverse climatic conditions. to overcome this limitation and to continuously rear bivoltine hybrids in these harsh climatic conditions throughout the year, the present proposal aims to identify robust and abiotic stress tolerant bivoltine silkworm breeds through integrating conventional breeding (directional selection) for improved productivity and advanced genome technologies such as MAS (marker assisted selection), gene specific markers for high humidity and thermo-tolerant DNA markers (Pyx3, Pyx4, S0803 and S0816) for tolerance to high temperature and high humidity and other abiotic factors. These robust hybrids could be reared throughout the year and would provide opportunities for further popularizing and improving bivoltine raw silk production in the eastern and north-eastern region. the present investigation identified wb1hh bivoltine breed to be having highest survival rate and better shell ratio of 18.81% in abiotic stress condition. MAS selection identified DNA markers in all breeds and among them WB1HH showed all four markers, confirming the genetic ability of the breed for tolerance to high temperature and humidity.
Role of Visits of Chalicodoma Cincta (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) on Bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris) Flowers at Sarh (Chad)
Authors:   University of Douala, Institute of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Department of Agronomy, P.O. Box 2701 Douala, Cameroon, Tchindebe Georges , Ningatoloum Clautin ,   Department of Biological Sciences, University Adam Barka of Abéché, P.O. Box 1173, Abéché, Chad, Mainkété Senghor ,   Department of Environmental Sciences, University Institute of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, University of Sarh, P.O.Box105 Sarh, Chad, Douka Chantal ,   Laboratory of Zoology, Higher Teacher Training College, University of Yaoundé I,P.O. Box 47 Yaoundé, Cameroon, Brahim Amada ,   National Committee for Development of Technologies, Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation (CNDT/MINRESI), Yaoundé, Cameroon, Madjimbé Guiguindibaye ,   Department of Environmental Sciences, University Institute of Agricultural Sciences and Environment,  University of Sarh, P.O.Box105 Sarh, Chad, Dounia Dounia ,   Laboratory of Zoology, Higher Teacher Training College, University of Yaoundé I,P.O. Box 47 Yaoundé, Cameroon
Published: September 2024

The role of visit of pollinator insect(Chalicodoma cincta) on the production of Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris, Rose variety),were studied at Sarh in September 2021 and 2022. The experiments were made on four treatments. The activity behavior of Chalicodoma cincta on the flower were appreciated to determinate is impact on the yield. Results indicate that among seven insect species recorded on flowers, C. cincta ranked first (31.41%) and harvested nectar. Throughout the importance of the flower visit, this insect provoked a significant increase of the podding rate (30.45 %), the mean number of seeds per pod (22.42 %) and the percentage of normal seeds (32.81%). The conservation and installation of C. cincta nests close the plantation fields is recommended to improve pod production.
Divertículo de Zenker
Authors: Durán Monge María del Pilar , Chinchilla Araya Tamara
Published: October 2024

Resumen El divertículo de Zenker corresponde al divertículo esofágico más común y está ubicado en el triángulo de Killian. Debido a que únicamente involucra mucosa y submucosa, es un falso divertículo. Su etiología no se tiene totalmente clara y se han involucrado alteraciones en el músculo cricofaríngeo e incordinación durante la deglución y cambios generados por el envejecimiento. Estos y otros factores conllevan a aumento de la presión intraluminal esofágica que generalmente se presenta en mayores de 60 años. Muchas veces, tiene un curso asintomático; sin embargo, la disfagia es el síntoma más común. Además, se puede presentar con síntomas de reflujo gastroesofágico, tales como regurgitación de alimentos, tos y cambios en tonalidad de voz. El diagnóstico se realiza con un trago de bario, con el cual se observa una dilatación del esófago y por medio de fluoroscopía continua dinámica. Entre los diagnósticos diferenciales se encuentran la acalasia, estenosis esofágica, reflujo gastroesofágico, entre otros. El tratamiento es quirúrgico, mediante cirugía abierta o con endoscopía rígida o flexible. El objetivo del tratamiento es el alivio de los síntomas.
Impacts of displacement: Displacement linked to sea level rise on Plantain Island, Sierra Leone
Authors:   Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC)
Published: October 2024

Plantain Island, which hosts a fishing community of around 5,800 people, has been losing homes and land to the sea for several decades. Many of those who lost their homes left the island, seeking refuge in other communities in the mainland. Those who were unable to leave the island were forced to move further inland on the island itself. Sierra Leone’s National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) conducted joint research on this displacement situation in June 2024. This report presents key findings, potential solutions and ways forward.
Proposed Study on the Existing Body of Literature on Innovation Performance in China’s High-Tech SMEs
Authors: Yang Xing , Kheng Yeoh Khar , Jaafar Abdul Rahman
Published: October 2024

This study investigates the intricate relationship between top management capability, relational capability, technological capability, learning capability, innovation strategy, and innovation performance within the context of high-technology Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in China. Through a synthesis of the Resource-Based View and Dynamic Capability Theory, this research delves into how these diverse capabilities intersect to shape innovation outcomes in a rapidly evolving market landscape. Drawing upon empirical data collected from a comprehensive sample of high-tech SMEs operating across various industries in China, this study examines how top management capability influences the firm's strategic direction and innovation agenda. Furthermore, the research explores the role of relational capability in fostering collaborative relationships with stakeholders, such as customers, suppliers, and partners, to access valuable resources and knowledge for innovation initiatives. Moreover, the study investigates how technological capability enables firms to harness advanced technologies and expertise to drive innovation, while learning capability facilitates the absorption, assimilation, and application of new knowledge and insights to fuel continuous innovation efforts. Through an analysis of innovation strategies adopted by high-tech SMEs and their alignment with dynamic capabilities, this research elucidates the mechanisms through which firms leverage their diverse capabilities to formulate and execute effective innovation strategies, ultimately impacting innovation performance. The findings contribute to both theoretical understanding and practical implications, providing insights for high-tech SMEs in China on how to develop and leverage dynamic capabilities across multiple dimensions to enhance innovation performance and achieve sustainable competitive advantage in today's dynamic business environment.
Gamification of Elderly Life: The Impact of E-sports on Improving the Quality of Life of the Elderly
Authors: Zhang Yuming , Wu Xiang
Published: October 2024

With the increasing trend of global population aging, it is particularly important to explore effective ways to improve the quality of life of the elderly. This study adopts a qualitative research method to deeply explore the integration of e-sports in the life of the elderly in China and its positive impact on the quality of life of the elderly. Through semi-structured interviews, observations and related case studies, the purpose of this study is to reveal how e-sports as a new form of game to meet the social, psychological and physiological needs of the elderly, and thus improve the quality of their daily life.
Reviewer acknowledgements for Environment and Pollution, Vol. 13, No. 2
Authors: John Albert
Published: September 2024

Reviewer acknowledgements for Environment and Pollution, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2024.
The Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Effects of Equisetum arvense Extracts
Authors: Eren Ayşe , İnci Şule , Kırbağ Sevda
Published: September 2024

Equisetum arvense L, also known as horsetail, is a medicinal plant used in traditional medicine. Especially, it is used in the treatment of bleeding, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, urethritis, jaundice and hepatitis. In the study, the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of extracts obtained from different solvents of E. arvense were investigated. Antimicrobial activity of E. arvense extracts was determined using the disc diffusion method. The antimicrobial activity was determined utilizing the pathogenic microorganisms Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Bacillus megaterium, Candida albicans and Candida glabrata. In the results obtained, it was determined that the ethanol extract of E. arvense at 500 µg concentration showed antimicrobial activity at different rates (14.3-28.0). Ethanol extract showed the highest antimicrobial activity against Candida glabrata (28.0 mm) at the same concentration. It was detected that the chloroform extract showed antimicrobial activity (7.3-10.6 mm) against the microorganisms used. The antioxidant activity of the aerial parts of E. arvense at different concentrations of methanol extract was determined according to the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil radical scavenging capacity method. The highest radical scavenging capacity of the methanol extract was observed at a concentration of 10mg/mL (91.5%). The IC50 value of the methanol extract of E. arvense was calculated as 3.13 mg/mL.
Diagnosis of Permanent Magnet Assisted Synchronous Reluctance Motor Winding Fault by Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Bayrak Ayse , Taştimur Canan , Akın Erhan
Published: September 2024

In recent years, the use of machine learning models for fault detection has become commonplace. Its goal is to identify and fix problems with permanent magnet synchronous reluctance motors. This research’s primary goal is to identify and categorize errors in their early stages. We classified winding faults using machine learning approaches, such as Independent Component Analysis and Deep Learning models. We could distinguish between vibration and current signals from the engine signals by using Independent Component Analysis (ICA). We experimented on multiple architectures using the convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture we designed from scratch and the Transfer Learning technique, testing two distinct datasets we generated using the signals we got. According to experimental findings, the suggested scratch CNN model performed exceptionally well in classification, achieving 98.6% with current signals and 99.4% with vibration signals.
Penerapan Metode ROC, MAUT, dan MOORA dalam Sistem Pendukung Keputusan untuk Menentukan Benih Jagung Unggul
Authors: Siahaan Melva Aliyah Royani , Eka Muhammad
Published: September 2024

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menyoroti pentingnya penentuan benih jagung unggul untuk hasil yang optimal. Fokus utama penelitian ini adalah menetapkan kriteria benih jagung unggul dengan spesifikasi umur benih 120 hari, kadar air 15-20%, tanaman bersih, populasi klobot kering minimal 85%, dan uji daya tumbuh 95%. Berdasarkan kriteria ini, "Benih Jagung A" diakui sebagai benih jagung unggul. Petani sering mengalami kesulitan dalam menentukan kriteria benih jagung, yang berdampak pada komposisi kimia dan hasil panen.Untuk mengatasi masalah ini, penelitian ini menerapkan Sistem Pendukung Keputusan (SPK) menggunakan metode Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT), Multi-Objective Optimization by Ratio Analysis (MOORA), dan pembobotan Rank Order Centroid (ROC). SPK terkomputerisasi digunakan untuk menganalisis data, menghitung kriteria, dan mengubah data menjadi informasi yang mendukung pengambilan keputusan petani. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa metode MAUT, MOORA, dan pembobotan ROC secara efektif membantu dalam menentukan benih jagung unggul, dengan "Benih Jagung A" sebagai pilihan terbaik berdasarkan kriteria yang ditetapkan. Temuan ini memberikan kontribusi signifikan terhadap pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan dan solusi ilmiah untuk mendukung pengambilan keputusan yang optimal dalam sektor pertanian. Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini diharapkan dapat diterapkan secara luas dalam pengambilan keputusan di sektor pertanian untuk meningkatkan kualitas benih dan hasil panen.