bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The missing link for learning from analytics
Authors: Gunn Cathy , McDonald Jenny , Donald Claire , Blumenstein Marion , Milne John
Published: May 2024

Learning analytics is an area of growing importance in higher education. Lead practitioners acknowledge this development as a convergence of many fields, including educational data mining, technology systems development, learning design and SoTL, and encourage synergistic connections. Past experience of learning technology innovations shows that incentives and professional development for teachers are keys to successful adoption, along with easy to use tools, evidence of benefits and institutional support. However, current literature shows little evidence of initiatives designed to forge connections between these fields of practice, and a review of papers from a leading learning analytics conference does not identify professional development as a priority. This paper outlines a professional development initiative designed to address this gap and make learning analytics practice accessible to tertiary teachers. The area needs urgent attention if the potential of learning analytics to increase knowledge about learning and inform learning design is to be realized.
It's what you do with IT that matters!
Authors: Gill Lincoln
Published: May 2024

'The reality is that technology is doing more harm than good in our schools' says education chief (Bagshaw, 2016, article title). This April 1st headline for a Sydney Morning Herald article was no April Fool's joke. It referenced comments made in an address by OECD education director Andreas Schleicher at a global education forum. The statement is quite poignant for the ASCILITE (2016) conference given its theme is 'Show me the learning' focussing upon 'demonstration of learning aided by the adoption of technology in the education space' (para 4). This paper will examine questions raised by these comments, vignettes from a doctoral study that offer some answers to them, and propose the need for holistic assessment of contexts to more fully understand what is happening within them. It is suggested that while this paper is particularly relevant to initial teacher education, the principles are applicable to tertiary education more broadly.
Facilitating Summative Peer Review of Teaching
Authors: Wache Dale
Published: May 2024

This paper reports on a summative peer review of teaching process implemented in a university. Software was developed to facilitate the peer review process, demonstrate principles of transparency, fairness and equity and support the academic values of collegiality, confidentiality and communication.
Open Educational Practices
Authors: Dubien Danielle , Davis Niki , Kamp Annelies
Published: May 2024

Demand for higher education is increasing globally, and to help meet the demand, there are plenty of Open Educational Resources (OERs) available. OERs are openly licensed educational materials. Unfortunately, OERs are slow to be adopted. What is needed are Open Educational Practices (OEPs) which are policies, tools, and actions, among other things that create an environment suited to using OERs. This research aims to find ways to support OEP implementation, particularly the OEPs related to the design and development of effective courses. The research methods include action research on course design and ethnography to describe the organizational context. This poster presents emerging findings from the pilot study carried out at the Open Education Resource universitas (OERu).
Blended learning in first year curriculum
Authors: Dark Leigha
Published: May 2024

Blended learning involves a careful and considered approach to the identification and combination of different modes, times, places and purposes of learning, with emphasis on judicious integration of fit-for-purpose educational technologies in order to enhance student learning experience and outcomes. Students commence their first year of university with a vastly diverse set of personal, social and cultural characteristics that can shape their tertiary experience and engagement with learning. This can present a challenge to first year curriculum design, delivery and evaluation. This presentation will explore how blended learning pedagogy, transition pedagogy and transparent pedagogies were melded within a first year Allied Health unit at Australian Catholic University in an aim to enhance student engagement with and empowerment within the program. Processes of decision making regarding design, delivery and evaluation of first year curriculum will be shared and supported with case examples and data from the discipline of Speech Pathology.
Application of Personal Learning Environment to an Independent Study Experience
Authors: Bolton David , Crossland Irene
Published: May 2024

The study applied the concept of personal learning environments to the individualized instruction of a foreign language pre-service teacher in an assessment class. The student was given the opportunity to develop their own personal learning environment by deciding upon specific educational goals, developing lifelong learning resources, and negotiating assessment. The student developed an enthusiasm for the subject matter not seen with other students. However, the situation is unique in that it is an individualized learning situation with a mature, returning student. In the future, attempt will be made to apply the same principles to a whole-class situation.
Poetyka insynuacji
Authors: Hendrykowski Marek
Published: May 2024

Studium poświęcone analizie mechanizmów komunikacyjnych specyficznego typu przekazu, jaki stanowi insynuacja, wykorzystuje zaadaptowane z myślą o dzisiejszych potrzebach klasyczne instrumenty badawcze poetyki i retoryki.
Edukacja dla pokoju: odpowiedź na wojnę czy integralny obszar kształcenia człowieka?
Authors: Piejka Agnieszka
Published: May 2024

In this article I justify the need to recognize education for peace as one of the most important permanent areas of human education. Thinking about it should go beyond reacting to the violence and aggression we experience and the pedagogical actions we undertake should be a permanent area of human lifelong education. My argumentation is in the broad understanding of peace, according to which it is a complex and multifaceted process, subject to constant change. I also refer to the premise that peacebuilding is the business and responsibility of all people. All teachers and educators should feel obliged to work in this area, because each of them, can create an educational space for experiencing peace in the individual’s relations with the environment.
Koniec zabijania w imię pokoju? Rewizja modelu fikcyjnego mściciela w komiksie oraz serialu „Peacemaker”
Authors: Żaglewski Tomasz
Published: May 2024

Within the discussion of popular narratives that place the idea of ‘peace’ at their core, stories about fictional superheroes seem to be a potentially ideal area for scientific exploration. However, when delving into the specificity of selected comic book, film and TV series examples, it turns out that the issue of the ‘peace-centricity’ of this type of story requires a more in-depth reflection, going beyond the often naive ideas about the actual ideological content present here. A perfect example of this type of reflection is a fictional character nicknamed Peacemaker, whose transmedia incarnations accurately illustrate the complex status of the superhero mission as a ‘fight for peace’.
Sieciowy aktywizm. Oddolne działania w odpowiedzi na konsekwencje dynamicznego rozprzestrzeniania się informacji oraz medialności kryzysów światowych
Authors: Kwitkowska Zuzanna , Strzelecka Maria
Published: May 2024

This article aims to characterize grassroots activities in an era of increasingly rapid spread of information and mediatization of conflicts and global disasters. In the current environment, dubbed dense mediaenvironment by Eyal Weizman, new opportunities are being created to build forms of public engagement. Their development is particularly influenced by such phenomena as OSINT, aspects of which are described in the article. The grassroots activities described detail the research methodologies used, based on data and open sources. The contexts of Fortress Europe are also presented, and an analysis is made of the circumstances that resulted in the humanitarian crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border. The following part of the article describes the background of the creation and operation of the wallobserver.eu online platform. It focuses on the problem of archiving media articles leading the narrative around migration situations happening on the external land borders of the European Union and the process of its fortification.
Kooperation, Koproduktion und Widerstand: Der Fall der „Iddir“ Begräbnisvereine als Akteure in der Stadtentwicklung von Addis Abeba
Authors: Baron Nicole
Published: May 2024

Globale Entwicklungsagenden fordern die Beteiligung der Zivilgesellschaft an der Umsetzung nachhaltiger Stadtentwicklung, aber es ist wenig darüber bekannt, wie diese Forderung im Lichte afrikanischer städtischer Realitäten umgesetzt wird. Dieser Artikel untersucht dieses Thema am Beispiel der „Iddir“ in Addis Abeba, Äthiopien. Die Iddir sind von Bürger*innen getragene Nachbarschafts- und Begräbnisvereine. Sie unterstützen ihre Mitglieder im Trauerfall, dienen aber auch als informelle Krankenversicherungen und lokale Entwicklungsgruppen. Allein in der äthiopischen Hauptstadt gibt es über 7.800 von ihnen. Das Wissen über ihre aktuelle Rolle in der Stadt- und Quartiersentwicklung ist jedoch lückenhaft und spiegelt den viel diskutierten Mangel an wissenschaftlichen Daten und Theorien aus dem globalen Süden wider. Der vorliegende Artikel gibt einen Einblick in die vorhandene Literatur zu Iddir in der Stadt- und Quartiersentwicklung und beleuchtet Kooperationsformen mit kommunalen Akteur*innen in Addis Abeba. Gegenwärtig gibt es ein wachsendes Interesse an der Erforschung der Interaktion von Zivilgesellschaft und Staat in der afrikanischen Stadt, um Wissenslücken in Bezug auf städtische Governance und die Entwicklung afrikanischer Städte zu schließen und globale Agenden angesichts der Realitäten afrikanischer Städte zu relativieren.
Leiblicher Glaube
Authors: Winter-Tietel Roman
Published: May 2024

In der gegenwärtigen Diskussion um Leiblichkeit wird der Glaubensbegriff nur selten thematisiert. Dieser Beitrag reflektiert ausgehend von der Neuen Phänomenologie die leibliche Bedingung des christlichen Glaubens als Selbstaffektion Gottes. Mit Rekurs auf Michel Henry und Meister Eckhart wird die Gottesgeburt in den Seelengrund als eine Bewegung des Lebens verstanden, die den menschlichen Leib als Fleisch lebendig und affektiv erfüllt. Im Anschluss daran wird der Glaubensbegriff als ein Vermögen entwickelt, worin Gott sich als Gabe in einem Sich des Menschen selbstaffiziert und erkennt. Korrelativ dazu wird ein Verständnis der Sünde skizziert, das im Vergessen dieser Gottesgeburt als Sohn wurzelt.
Finite Freedom and its split from the Absolute in Schelling’s Bruno
Authors: Rodríguez Juan José
Published: May 2024

The dialogue Bruno of 1802 is arguably the natural starting point for any investigation on the concepts of finitude, evil and human freedom in Schelling’s middle metaphysics. In this dialogue the author elaborates for the first time in his system a concept of freedom and independence of the finite, which extends via his reformulation in Philosophy and Religion of 1804 to the Freedom Essay of 1809 and beyond to the works of 1810 and 1811 – Stuttgart Private Lectures and The Ages of the World. The central ontological problem of the dialogue relates to the possibility of a separation between the absolute and the world as space of finite beings, which, according to the system of identity first presented in 1801, cannot exist as such. The question we will then address concerns the status of the finite as such and how would it be possible to admit both its existence for consciousness and the positing of an absolute and infinite principle of philosophy. We will show how Schelling’s interest shifts, almost unintentionally, from the infinite principle to the finite as such, as a principle of freedom and self-initiation independent of the real.
Reanimating Public Happiness: Reading Cavarero and Butler beyond Arendt
Authors: Borg Kurt
Published: May 2024

This article takes as its point of departure Hannah Arendt’s discussion of public happiness, contextualising it within her thoughts on politics, democracy and revolution. It draws on Arendt’s discussion of how the expression “pursuit of happiness” has historically shifted from a public understanding of happiness into an increasingly privatised one. The article engages with Arendt’s account of public happiness in order to reanimate her radical democratic critique of how representative politics reduces the scope of political action and participation; and how the notion of happiness in a neoliberal era can only be interpreted in economistic and subjectivist terms. Furthermore, the article turns to examine how recent works in contemporary political thought, namely, those by Adriana Cavarero and Judith Butler, extend and transform the stakes of Arendt’s account of public happiness. On one hand, Cavarero’s notion of surging democracy is considered as an account of radical politics that keeps alive the Arendtian concern with public happiness by contextualising it within contemporary political struggles and social movements. On the other hand, Butler problematises Arendt’s discussion of politics for its neglect of precarity; however, this article argues that Butler’s work on assembly extends Arendt’s by highlighting possibilities of resistance, radical democracy and even public happiness amid experiences of loss and grief. Although prima facie it might appear that happiness and precarity are opposed to each other, this article points towards contemporary political practices, such as those of Ni Una Menos, that are critically reanimating public happiness through the intertwining of affective registers that range from joy to grief.
Investigation of radioactivity concentrations and soil-to-plant transfer factors in soil samples taken from different distance zones to the Metsamor nuclear power plant
Authors: Dizman Serdar , Sari Selim , Yesilkanat Cafer Mert
Published: May 2024

Monitoring radioactivity around nuclear power plants is important to avoid the risks of radiation. This study provides an overview of the radioactive emission impact on the near surroundings of the Metsamor nuclear power plant in Armenia. In this context, 29 soil samples were collected from the 40, 80, 120, 160 km radius areas determined in the direction of Iğdır province by accepting the Metsamor nuclear power plant as the center. The activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs in soil samples ranged from 7.90 to 23.44, 7.11 to 33.55, 132.54 to 502.69 and 0.33 to 17.61 Bq/kg, respectively. In addition, the radioactivity concentrations in some agricultural products and the transfer factors from soil to plant were determined. As a result, there is no significant radiological risk in terms of studied radioisotopes for people living in this region.
The Beginnings of the Secularisation of Marriage in Poland
Authors: Michalik Piotr
Published: May 2024

The incorporation, under the Treaty of Tilsit of 1807, of part of the Polish lands of the Prussian partition into the Grand Empire of Napoleon as the Duchy of Warsaw, opened the way to the implementation of the post-revolutionary provisions of marriage law of the Napoleonic Code in Poland. In 1810, this code was introduced in the lands of the Austrian partition annexed to the Duchy of Warsaw, with its centre in Cracow. The French secular model of marriage, although contradictory to the centuries-old Polish legal culture and the Catholic religion professed by the vast majority of the city’s inhabitants, was nevertheless accepted by the political and legal elites of the time. Not only did it survive the fall of Napoleon, but under the autonomy of the Free City of Cracow it was maintained in 1818 and functioned until 1852, i.e. until the Austrians restored their mixed marriage model regulated by the Abgb.
A rágalmazás „tényállása” az Ószövetségben és a rabbinikus jogtudományban
Authors: Ruff Tibor
Published: May 2024

The Law of Moses, the Torah, does not explicitly divide the crimes that can be committed in the field of communication into criminal and civil categories, contrary to the legal system of modern and postmodern European states. In the theocratic legal system of the ancient state of Israel, where all sins against human beings were first and foremost offences against God (i.e., being a holy nation, they were also a matter of holiness), this distinction was at most separable in the way in which cases were dealt with, and in the fact that prosecution of certain crimes was mandatory, while prosecution of others was, in modern terms, on the basis of private accusation.  The Ten Commandments forbid two acts of communication: the vain (empty, meaningless, false, blasphemous, etc.) use of the name of God (Yhwh), and, in human relations, bearing false witness against someone.  In my study, I intend to give an overview of the latter element of the Ten Commandments as a general clause, using the Torah and the sources of rabbinic jurisprudence and relevant literature in a historical context.
The Illusion of Control: Living with Digital Others
Authors: Nowotny Helga
Published: May 2024

The text explores the theme of controlling technology—specifically, the development and deployment of artificial intelligence and generative models like large language models. It reflects on the challenges of maintaining control in the face of technological advancements, drawing parallels with historical attempts to control industrialization. The narrative emphasizes the multifaceted nature of control, extending beyond technical functioning to encompass societal, ethical, and environmental dimensions. The discussion delves into the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, considering the competition among major corporations and the societal impact of technologies like ChatGPT. It explores the illusion of control and its consequences, questioning the effectiveness of safety measures in the context of rapidly advancing technologies. The text also addresses anthropomorphism, the blurred lines between human and machine agency, and the potential loss of control in the face of the capabilities of artificial intelligence. Finally, it contrasts the modern world’s reliance on a transcendental framework with the enchanted universe of our ancestors. It raises questions about the erosion of transcendental bearings in the face of technological advancements and the potential for a redefined relationship with digital entities. The text concludes by suggesting that embracing uncertainty and reimagining control as a coevolutionary process may pave the way for living harmoniously with the digital Others in an uncertain and collectively imagined future.
“The Part of the Music Industry That God Forgot”
Authors: Blakeley Ryan
Published: May 2024

In October 2020, the B2B (business-to-business) background music company Soundtrack Your Brand—formerly Spotify Business—launched the world’s first full-catalog on-demand streaming service for background music. Although background music providers have licensed, curated, and distributed music to businesses for nearly a century, they have only recently started embracing the new possibilities of streaming. Now, streaming is rapidly influencing the background music industry’s features, music selection practices, and economics. While scholars in music and media studies have extensively studied B2C (business-to-consumer) streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, they have largely neglected streaming’s impact on background music.

This article investigates how streaming is impacting the B2B background music industry, drawing upon platform analysis, marketing materials, and interviews with background music CEOs and researchers. After reviewing background music’s history and effects, the article examines how streaming is influencing business-oriented background music features, such as scheduling, zoning, messaging, and monitoring. It then considers streaming’s impact on background music selection practices, demonstrating how businesses are increasingly using features popularized by mainstream consumer services, such as playlists, algorithmic recommendations, and massive catalogs of music. The final section explores how streaming is shaping the economics of the background music industry, particularly for rightsholders who have historically been underpaid billions of dollars in public performance royalties. I argue that streaming may improve background music’s efficiency for businesses, but it also potentially reifies broader concerns about social control, surveillance, and inequitable artist remuneration that have become increasingly prevalent in the streaming age.
Contrasting the Performance of Active and Passive Unit Trusts under Normal Market Conditions: Is the Experience of Emerging Markets Different?
Authors: Gopane Thabo J. , Ravhura Mukundi
Published: May 2024

The predominant tradition in the literature is to scrutinise the competitive performance of passive and active investment strategies with less regard to the prevailing market climate. The thesis of this paper is that volatile market conditions may necessitate investment strategy adjustments. Such readjustments may confound empirical comparison of passive and active investing if econometric models do not adapt accordingly. Currently, the literature cannot give a stylised fact of whether the historical claims of passive–active relationships relate to normal market conditions or not, which is a flaw. The present study reduces the flagged knowledge gap by answering the question whether passive investment outperforms active investing under normal market conditions. The study applies the parametric and non-parametric risk-adjusted models of the Jensen alpha and Sharpe index. The empirical analysis is based on the weekly returns of 16 unit trusts listed on South Africa’s Johannesburg Stock Exchange for ten years (between 2009 and 2019). Consistent with the hypothesis of inefficient capital markets in developing economies, the study finds that active investing significantly outperforms passive investment strategy under normal market conditions. The results should benefit investors and policymakers in the era of increasing competitiveness, digitalisation, and globalisation.
Fostering Inclusion in Digital Marketplace: Vistas into the Online Shopping Experiences of Consumers with Visual Impairment in India
Authors: Benny Thadikaran Greeshma , Kumar Singh Sandeep
Published: May 2024

Online shopping has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, overshadowing traditional brick-and-mortar shopping. Research has tried to understand the online shopping experiences of various consumers. However, the online shopping experiences of consumers with visual impairment (CWV) gained less attention. This study captures the online shopping experiences of CWV by employing a phenomenological qualitative approach. Data was collected from CWV through semi-structured interviews. The sample size of this study was fifteen, and data was analyzed using NVivo14. The findings indicate a growing preference for online shopping among the CWV. The results explore the accessibility-related issues encountered by CWV and strategies employed to overcome them. Additionally, the paper underscores the benefits of independence and the impact of online shopping on the personal growth and well-being of CWV. The study provides insights to marketers to foster inclusion in the digital marketplace. This study helps marketers and other stakeholders to understand the online shopping experiences of CWV and ensures consumer well-being and inclusion.
Volatility Dynamics of Base Metal Futures: Empirical Evidence from an Emerging Economy
Authors: Samal Laxmidhar
Published: May 2024

The paper examines the leverage effects and the spillover effects in the base metal cash and futures market. The study also attempts to find the trend and the pattern of volatility clustering in the base metal markets of India. Further, the significance of the risk premium and the possible downside risk of the market are also examined. The study confirms that unlike aluminium futures market, leverage effect is found for copper futures traded at MCX, India. Similar to aluminium, it is evident that the market advances generate larger volatility than the market turbulence in the cash and futures market of nickel. The study finds that the variance term (ξ) is not statistically significant for both cash and futures markets, which indicates that the risk premium of the asset is not significant to hedge. Further, unlike copper and aluminium, short-run volatility spillover is absent from the futures to the cash market of nickel. The paper concludes that the long-run volatility shock of futures has a persistent effect on the cash market of aluminium, copper and nickel and vice-versa. Future research might address the cross-volatility spillover between the base metal futures market. Further, the spillover between the Indian and London base metal futures markets is left for future research.
Restoring the earth’s damaged temperature regulation is the fastest way out of the climate crisis. cooling the planet with plants
Authors: Bunyard Peter P , Collin Eliza , Laet Rob de , Hodnett Martin , Fourman Morel
Published: May 2024

Reversal of global warming is accepted as an urgent necessity. Atmospheric CO2 concentration is widely used as a proxy and predictive indicator for global warming. Scientific calculation of the cooling efficiency of carbon sequestration options provides a rational basis for optimising climate investment. Based on evapotranspiration data and average rainfall over the Amazon Basin, we determine the cooling power of latent heat transport over the tropical rainforest. A healthy rainforest acts as a heat pump, cooling the Earth’s surface and releasing heat into space. Because of the heat pump, the cooling engendered by evapotranspiration and subsequent cloud-forming is two orders of magnitude greater than the cooling brought about by carbon sequestration in forming biomass. In rainforests situated far inland, the levels of rainfall, evapotranspiration, and latent heat release during cloud formation remain as high, or even higher, than near those near the coast. Whether the coastal forests attract ocean clouds through a biological pump mechanism, or are nourished by on-shore winds, the net result is the amplification of the Amazon's heat pump effect across millions of square kilometres and, therefore, deep into the interior of South-America.
Diabetes and co-occurring osteoarthritis, and yoga 2023
Authors: Marks Ray
Published: May 2024

Persons diagnosed as having Type 2 diabetes, one of the common chronic diseases affecting older adults, may also suffer from multiple adverse health conditions such as disabling osteoarthritis. In a search for low cost approaches to mitigate these health conditions, this mini review updates selected facts concerning the association between Type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis and their possible mitigation using yoga to control excess glucose levels. Drawn from data posted between January 2020-mid October 2023 using PUBMED and PubMed Central data bases, a qualitative overview shows adults living in the community with Type 2 diabetes may be at high risk for disabling osteoarthritis, and those who are obese alongside osteoarthritis may incur Type 2 diabetic manifestations. Yoga, an ancient from of therapeutic exercise, and its applications appears to have the ability to help control or normalize blood glucose levels in older adults with Type 2 diabetes and may thus have some degree of benefit for reducing prevailing osteoarthritis pathological and pain processes, as well as for enhancing overall life quality. Fostering the ability to reduce stress levels and to move more ably appears to underpin the heightened ability of yoga practices to control blood sugar and obesity levels. Understanding the possible utility of one or more forms of yoga for decreasing excess diabetes and osteoarthritis morbidity has considerable potential and should be explored more intently.
Does insulin therapy affect all-cause mortality? machine learning complements propensity score analysis in a pharmacoepidemiologic study of adult diabetic females in Barranquilla, Colombia
Authors: Cure Carlos Cure , Almario Eileen E Navarro , Gu Yuan , Eustaquio John D , Cure Pablo , Husain Anwar , Wu Colin O , Tian Xin , Galindo Ramiro , Crentsil Victor , Sopko George , Csako Gyorgy , Hasan Ahmed A
Published: May 2024

Aims: To investigate all-cause mortality (ACM) attributable to insulin treated diabetes mellitus through propensity score (PS)-weighting with and without novel confounders identified by Random Survival Forest (a machine learning approach). Methods: Prospective clinic encounter data was obtained from 1517 females with Type 2 diabetes (mean age 63±12 years) from Barranquilla, Colombia (2003 – 2016, censored August 2017) for a median 10-year mortality follow-up. Risk variables of importance for ACM were identified on RSF screening. Survival was compared in retrospective cohorts, identified by baseline treatment with glucose-lowering therapy, and balanced for confounders through PS-weighting with and without RSF variables using multivariable Cox regression. Results: RSF screening identified new risk variables (e.g., recruitment year, parity, reproductive lifespan) for ACM in women receiving insulin. The unweighted risk estimate showed a nonsignificant increased risk for ACM [HR 1.32 (.9, 2), p=0.2] compared to noninsulin treated women. After balancing for risk covariates in the compared cohorts, PS showed no significant effect of insulin on all-cause mortality [HR 95% CI 0.83 (0.5, 1.4) p=0.5] whereas PS-weighted analyses incorporating RSF novel variables approached conservative ACM estimates [HR 95% CI 0.56 (0.3, 1.0) p=0.07)]. The estimated ACM risk from active smoking was also more conservative with RSF weighting. Conclusion: In this observational study, insulin treatment appeared to be a surrogate for higher-risk women with diabetes mellitus. RSF-augmented PS analysis showed that insulin treatment may potentially be associated with a survival advantage compared to non-insulin treatment in older female diabetics.
Effect of plant based diets and GK3 decoction in type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Yada Ram Adhar , Joshi Amit Man , Shrestha Sirjana
Published: May 2024

Background: Numerous interventional studies have indicated that plant-based diets offer medical advantages, particularly in regulating glycemic levels, for individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Nonetheless, there have been no clinical trials conducted in context of Nepal, where reliance on plant-based foods is more common than in Western societies. This study aims to compare the impact of plant-based diets along with decoction of Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Katuki (Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora), Khadira (Acacia catechu) and Kakamachi (Solanum nigrum), termed as GK3 decoction in patients diagnosed with T2DM among Nepalese population. Materials and methods: Participants diagnosed with T2DM were intervened with plant based diets and GK3 decoction (n = 36) for a duration of 12 weeks. Glycosylated hemoglobulin (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FBG), 2-h post-prandinal glucose (2-h PPG), complete blood count, lipid profile, renal function test, liver function test, c-reactive protein levels were measured at days 0, 30, and 120, with the primary study endpoint being the change in HbA1c levels over the 120 days. Results: There was a statistically significant decrease of HbA1C levels of the participants by 9.0 % after intervention of plant based diets with GK3 decoction at week 12. Likewise, there was a statistically significant decrease in FBG, 2-h PPG, diastolic blood pressure and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hemoglobulin and red blood cell counts, but increase in triglyceride levels in the participants after the intervention at day 120 when compared with day 0. Conclusion: Plant based diets with GK3 decoction was found to be effective for glycemic control among T2DM patients. However, there was onset of anemia in the participants after the intervention. Hence, the plant based diets with GK3 decoction to manage T2DM could not be recommended and further randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm the study findings.
Charcot foot: the unknown diagnosis and the unwilling treatment
Authors: Xu Juliana Chen , Coelho Ângela , Lemos Rosa
Published: May 2024

A 55-year-old Caucasian female presented with one year old oedema of the right foot, flattened, and deformed with no scratch, wound or ulcer. There was no difference in temperature between the feet and it was not painful. The left foot had previously presented two episodes of diabetic ulcers which were treated successfully. The patient had a history of type 2 Diabetes mellitus with need of insulin therapy and associated organ damage. Foot radiography demonstrated and confirmed inactive consolidated Charcot neuroarthropathy. Comfortable custom-made footwear was advised by Orthopedics. No other follow-up was arranged. In Portugal, Charcot foot is not readily recognized, and its management is far from the recommended by the present literature. There are almost no published article about Portuguese Charcot neuroarthropathy cases. Therefore, it is important to showcase Charcot feet in order to make clinicians aware of its existence and their appropriate treatment.
Recommendations to Improve Neonatal Circumcision Training
Authors: Rosen Jennifer , Rosoklija Ilina , Walton Ryan F. , Matoka Derek J. , Seager Catherine M. , Maizels Max , Holl Jane L. , Johnson Emilie K.
Published: May 2024

BACKGROUND

Although multiple specialties perform neonatal circumcision (NC), overall NC proceduralist availability is limited. The approach to training new practitioners varies. This study aims to describe NC training experiences, current practices, and make suggestions for future improvements.

METHODS

Perinatal physicians across 11 hospitals in a large Midwestern United States city who perform NC or who conduct newborn examinations and provide circumcision counseling were recruited for semistructured interviews about NC care. Interviews were transcribed; training-related comments underwent inductive and deductive qualitative coding. Themes related to circumcision training and recommendations for improving the experience of future circumcision learners were summarized.

RESULTS

Twenty-three physicians (10 family medicine, 8 pediatrics, and 5 obstetrics; 78% currently perform circumcision) participated. All participants conducted newborn examinations and provided circumcision counseling, but only 21/23 were trained to perform circumcision. Several themes related to training emerged: (1) personal training experience, (2) training others to perform circumcision, and (3) current training needs and barriers. Most reported learning in residency by a “see one, do one, teach one” approach with minimal formal didactic or structured training. Compared with their personal experience, participants noted a shift toward more direct supervision and preprocedure preparation for current trainees. However, most reported that circumcision learning continues to be “hands-on.” Participants desired a more structured approach for future trainees.

CONCLUSIONS

Perinatal physicians noted a shift in the current NC training to a more hands-on approach than they experienced personally. Development of a structured NC curriculum was recommended to improve training.
The Production of Smalt and Other Cobalt Compounds at the Blaafarveværket, Modum, Norway
Authors: Bjørnland Lasse Hermansen , Degryse Patrick , Schibille Nadine , Eremin Katherine , Walton Marc Sebastian , Gratuze Bernard , Braekmans Dennis , Shortland Andrew J.
Published: May 2024

Forensic analysis of fine art and objet d’art uses accurately determined pigment compositions to confirm or deny provenance, dating and attribution. Some of the most important pigments in this respect are those associated with cobalt. The Blaafarveværket, or Blue Colour Works, based near Modum in Norway, was a producer of cobalt products (especially smalt and zaffre) during the eighteenth and nineteenth, exploiting local cobalt ores and other raw materials locally sourced and brought in from more distant areas. century. The Blue Colour Works is now a museum and study of its archive has detailed type and quantity of its production, showing that it was perhaps the most important producer of cobalt products in the early nineteenth century, and the largest mining operation in Norway. The archive gives details of the production processes for some of the products and shows that these processes changed through time. The museum preserves samples of different parts of the intermediate and end products, showing that the output was a smalt very low in manganese and zinc, with some nickel, significant iron and arsenic and relatively raised bismuth and uranium contents. REE element analysis combined with lead isotopes shows that different sources of silica were probably used, since both are quite variable, supporting archive suggestions that external sources of silica and plant ash were employed on occasions.
Determination of the limits of operational loads of rubber shock absorbers during compression
Authors: Assin Igor , Zybaylo Sergiy
Published: May 2024

Determining the limits of operational loads of rubber shock absorbers is an urgent task in the development of methods of non-destructive control of their condition. Therefore, the object of research is the influence of the limit values of the parameters of rubber shock absorbers during their static compression under harsh operating conditions. One of the most problematic issues is cylindrical shock absorbers with a form factor of less than 1.0.
In the work, rubber shock absorbers of different hardness were used, which are model samples for tests of cylindrical shock absorbers with a form factor of 0.42, which were carried out on a laboratory stand. The study of compression process of rubber shock absorbers is an urgent task in modelling the conditions of their operation. The obtained results make it possible to simulate the most effective diagnostic parameter of rubber shock absorbers during compression and to establish its limit and permissible values. It has been established that different rubber hardnesses provide different compression rates, which can be used to study non-destructive testing of shock absorbers, especially under which conditions they can be used in practice. According to the indicators of relative deformation during compression, the use of rubber shock absorbers from the group of high hardness is recommended for more severe load conditions during exploitation. Soft and medium-hard rubbers are characterized by an increased relative deformation of the shock absorber's geometric size (height) during compression, which can lead to their destruction under increased loads.
The obtained results on model samples can be checked on rubber shock absorbers manufactured in industrial conditions. The conducted research allows to create methods of choosing rubber shock absorbers for certain operating conditions depending on the coefficient of its shape. Limits of indicators simulating operating loads for different types of rubber shock absorbers have been established, which can be used when choosing a type of rubber for certain load conditions, and choosing a reinforcing material for the rubber array of the shock absorber and its shape.
Conditions of the Local Green Economy in the Period 2010-2020
Authors: Pawlik Andrzej , Dziekański Paweł
Published: May 2024

The green economy is an important tool for ensuring sustainable development, and is characterised by a high quality of life for the population, along with careful and rational use of natural resources. The aim of the article was to analyse the spatial differentiation of the green economy in 2010-2020. The research used a synthetic measure that allows for the studied districts to be ranked and grouped according to the main criterion, as well as investigating whether and to what degree the variables determine differentiation in the green economy. In order to achieve this aim, the authors used the following research methods: analysis of the subject literature, followed by statistical analysis using a synthetic measure. To construct the synthetic measure, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution method was used. The research results present the spatial differentiation of the selected districts in the period 2010-2020.
Greening and ‘De-concreting’ of Polish Cities – Directions, Best Practices and Recommendations
Authors: Rynio Dorota , Sokołowski Jakub , Zakrzewska-Półtorak Alicja
Published: May 2024

The purpose of the paper was to identify and assess the directions of changes in the development of urban space in Poland in terms of greening and ‘de-concreting’ (‘decementification’), as well as to formulate preliminary recommendations in this regard. The research selected the following Polish cities: Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, Gdańsk, Katowice, and Lublin. The primary methods used in the study were literature and source materials analysis, comparative analysis, and case study. As a result, three different groups of actions taken in Polish cities to fight ‘concretosis’ (cementification) were identified. It was also found that there is still a lot of scope for expanding these actions, both in terms of tools and areas of urban space affected by changes. Finally, the authors proposed recommendations that may facilitate Polish city planning, ‘de-concreting’, and greening.
Inteligencia artificial para la generación de contenidos en Iberoamérica
Authors: Apablaza-Campos Alexis , Wilches Tinjacá Jaime Andrés
Published: May 2024

Tras leer materiales sobre el uso de Inteligencia Artificial - IA en medios de comunicación de Estados Unidos, de Europa y de otras partes del mundo nos surgieron una serie de preguntas sobre las experiencias en Iberoamérica. Así, entendimos que necesitábamos investigar, convocar a medios de comunicación de diferentes países y construir un reporte de excelsas características como el que estás a punto de leer, porque esta situación nos involucra, nos interesa y somos parte
APRIMORANDO A PARTICIPAÇÃO: ESTRATÉGIAS PARA APOIAR ALUNOS COM AUTISMO NA EDUCAÇÃO FÍSICA ESCOLAR
Authors: Almeida Pedro Henrique Pereira Sousa de , Mazoni Anna Rachel Gontijo , Conceição Vagner Miranda da
Published: May 2024

A investigação sobre como a Educação Física escolar pode promover a inclusão de alunos com autismo é crucial diante do despreparo dos educadores e do aumento da prevalência do TEA. Este estudo visa identificar as dificuldades enfrentadas pelos alunos com autismo nesse contexto e as estratégias dos professores para superá-las, além de elaborar um material de apoio para a prática educativa. Utilizando uma abordagem de revisão integrativa de literatura, com análise de conteúdo em 20 artigos, os resultados destacam a importância de uma pedagogia sensível e adaptativa, focada nas capacidades individuais dos alunos. É essencial que os educadores monitorem de perto esses alunos, implementando estratégias que promovam sua interação social e autonomia, visando uma participação mais ativa nas atividades escolares. Espera-se que o material desenvolvido possa estimular reflexões e impulsionar mudanças tanto no ambiente acadêmico quanto social, contribuindo para a qualidade de vida dos indivíduos com autismo.
LRRK2:DARPins complex preparation v1
Authors: Sanz Murillo Marta
Published: May 2024

Protocol used to create LRRK2-RCKW: DARPin complex for cryo-EM grid preparation.
Examining Sociocultural Dimensions of Metropolitan Youth Culture in Chetan Bhagat’s Five Point Someone
Authors: A Vimal , R Subramania Pillai
Published: May 2024

This paper delves into the sociocultural landscape portrayed in Chetan Bhagat’s novel Five Point Someone to provide insights into the youth culture of metropolitan India. The narrative explores the lives of three protagonists as they navigate the demanding academic environment of an elite engineering institute in Delhi. Through a sociocultural lens, we examine how these characters grapple with societal expectations, peer pressure, and the impact of a rigid educational system on their identities and aspirations. The analysis focuses on key themes such as identity formation, rebellion against tradition, and the clash between individual desires and societal norms. We also investigate the characters' responses to familial pressures, the pursuit of personal goals, and the challenges they face while striving for academic success. This examination of Five Point Someone offers a deeper understanding of the sociocultural dynamics that shape the lives of metropolitan youth in contemporary India. By shedding light on the complexities of their experiences, we contribute to a broader conversation about the evolving youth culture in urban settings.
A Structural Analysis of Noun Phrases in English and Vietnamese: A Comparative Study
Authors: Nguyen Chung T. T. , Pham Giang T.
Published: May 2024

Noun phrases play a crucial role and appear in almost all sentences of any languages, including English and Vietnamese. Understanding the meaning of noun phrases therefore facilitates the understanding of sentences. The structures of noun phrases are usually complicated as they consist of many constituents and layers, especially for noun phrases used in research articles published in high-ranking business and economic journals. In this article, based on the theories of Greenbaum (1989) on the structures of noun phrases, the authors aim to analyze the constituents or the structures of noun phrases used in English and Vietnamese business and economic articles, compare these constituents to identify the similarities and differences between the two languages, then propose some implications for the study and translation of noun phrases from one language to another.
The Impact of Three Social Factors on the Variation of “Qaf” in Ammani Arabic
Authors: Sider Lina ‘Moh’d Anwar’
Published: May 2024

This study aims to explore the effects of three social factors on the variation of (Qaf) in Ammani Arabic. In specific, the social factors investigated were gender, age, and level of education. In order to elicit a corpus of vernacular speech, thirty sociolinguistic interviews with 30 speakers who were all born and raised in Amman were conducted. Using computer software GOLDVARB X (Sankoff et al., 2005), it was found that all social factors were statistically significant. Furthermore, gender was considered the most significant factor while education appeared to be the least significant factor. The results of the study support previous research that females frequently use [?], presenting their feminine identity. In regard of age, old participants favored the use of [g] rather than [?] while [?] was most frequently used by young speakers. Moreover, education was also found as a significant social factor. In this respect, low-educated preferred [g] and highly-educated speakers preferred [q]. In regard to education, the researcher followed Abdel-Jawad’s (1987) proposal that education in Arabic is a genuine variable which directly affects language variation in Arabic.