bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Forecasting of Food Security and Sustainable Development of Rural Territories in Russia's North
Authors: Ryumkin Sergey , Malykhina Inga
Published: May 2022

National security is always directed at ensuring the country's sovereignty, protection of national interests, as well as the provision of sustainable economic development. Food security is a specific dimension of national security. The development of the circumpolar territories in the northern areas of the Asian part of Russia shifts the emphasis of food supply and gives new impetus to the development of agricultural production. In this chapter, the authors argue that the self-sufficiency of northern territories in the Asian part of Russia may be achieved by 2030 by means of development of vegetable production.
Mental Informatics and Agricultural Issues
Authors: Gere Attila , Radványi Dalma , Sciacca Richard , Moskowitz Howard
Published: May 2022

This chapter presents an approach to understanding the importance of connected aspects of a topic, such as the relevance of issues for global change or for sustainable agriculture. The approach, Mind Genomics, identifies a specific topic, creates a battery of related questions which in concert “tell a story,” requires the researcher to provides several alternative answers to those questions, and then tests the answers as combinations, as vignettes. Respondents rate the vignettes on judgmental attributes, such as the degree to which the respondent “agrees” with the story being told by the vignette, or the emotion that the respondent feels when reading the vignette. The analysis of such data shows the impact of each of the answers, the “communication elements,” as a drive of “agreement with the values of the respondent,” and the linkage of each element to a set of emotions. Mind Genomics provides a new tool to understand responses to agricultural issues, creating in its wake the possibility of a new “mental informatics.”
Violence, Politics, and Food Insecurity in Nigeria
Authors: Allen Fidelis
Published: May 2022

This chapter explores how violence and politics affect food security in Nigeria against the backdrop of existential oil, cult, herdsmen versus farmers conflict and Boko Haram insurgency. It examines the contribution of politics and violence in the rising rate of food insecurity in parts of Nigeria. When villagers run away from the violence of cult groups, herdsmen and farmers clashes, and the terror of Boko Haram, the impact on availability and affordability of food requires more accountability. So is the link between oil violence and food insecurity, considering how the industry, through pollution, has considerably reduced cultivable land and fishing in the Niger Delta. Relying on secondary and primary data, the chapter argues that a complex mesh of illegal political relationships and considerations in frequent cases of non-state and criminal armed violence is fast reducing men and women labor in peasant agriculture, such that availability and affordability of food have become threatened.
Membrane Distillation for Aqueous Feeds Treatment
Authors: Criscuoli Alessandra
Published: May 2022

Membrane distillation (MD) is a thermally-based membrane operation in which the distillation of aqueous feeds occurs through a membrane. Although first works on MD appeared in the literature in the 1960s, the application of MD has been limited, mainly due to the lack of membranes and modules specifically designed, as well as to the thermal demand. Nevertheless, MD attracted the attention of many researchers, and significant improvements of the MD performance have been achieved. In this chapter, MD features, drawbacks, and possible solutions are presented and discussed.
Polymers in Water Purification
Authors: Giri Nitai Charan , Samal Sushanta Kumar , Patro Bhanja Prasad
Published: May 2022

Polymers play an important role in water purification due to advantages such as the enhanced capacity of the treatment plant, the lowering of sludge production compared to inorganic coagulants, etc. The formation of clay/polymer complex during the coagulation-flocculation process facilitates the removal of toxic pollutants from water. Although polymers have been utilized in the coagulation-flocculation processes, there is not much information about the relationship between polymer structure and treatment performance. The use of polymers as membranes is mainly due to their flexibility, ease of handling, and cost-effectiveness compared to inorganic membranes. However, they also have some disadvantages, such as chemical attacks, membrane fouling, etc. Therefore, recent studies have focused on improving chemical resistance, antifouling properties, etc. through blending and surface modification. This chapter will review the applications of various polymers in water purification, the deficiencies of current membranes, and possible ways of improving them with novel polymer chemistry.
New Kinetic Parameters for Natural Water Quality Assessment
Authors: Bunduchi Elena , Duca Gheorghe , Gladchi Viorica
Published: May 2022

The work describes the processes occurring in the natural waters from a kinetic perspective, highlighting the role of various components of the oxygen cycle and putting into evidence two water quality parameters that evaluate the contents in two intermediate products of oxygen reduction up to water, namely hydrogen peroxide and OH radicals. The flows of oxidative equivalents, hydrogen peroxide, and reducers that interact with it are evaluated by the redox state indicator. The pollution by OH “traps” is evaluated by measuring the inhibition capacity (Σki,OH[Si,OH]) parameter. In this work, the authors present the pollution assessment and water self-purification process supported by hydrogen peroxide and OH radicals during the years 2015-2019. The monitored objects were Nistru River in the Dubasari-Vadul-lui-Voda dam segment; its tributaries, Raut and Ichel, at the mouths of confluence with the river; and the Ghidighici and Danceni lakes, the surface water bodies in the Republic of Moldova.
Electrochemical Treatment of Water as an Effective and Emerging Technology
Authors: Obijole Adewale Olumuyiwa , Ogungbemi Samson Tunde , Adekunbi Adedayo Enoch , Sani Badruddeen Saulawa , Idi Mohammed DanSuleiman , Oke Isaiah Adesola
Published: May 2022

Environmental pollution has been a major problem worldwide. This makes environmental pollution control an important ingredient to a healthy environment. During the last few years, water has become an increasingly important issue in developing nations. Progress in health and education is dependent on access to affordable sanitation and safe water. This chapter as a further study of the authors' previous studies presents a review of articles on designs, models, and applications of electrochemical processes with particular attention to the removal of environmental pollutants (conventional and emerging pollutants). The study revealed that electrical treatment processes can be in the form of electrochemical, electrocoagulation, electrophoresis, electro-flotation, electro-precipitation, electro-adsorption, and electrooxidation. It was concluded that electro-driven technologies can be used in many applications; electrochemical technologies have been proven to be quite useful approaches regarding wastewater treatment, and power sources of electrochemical can be wind and solar photovoltaic.
Water Scarcity Best Practices and Innovation Pathways
Authors: Belhassan Kaltoum , Rasouli Hafizullah , Vaseashta Ashok
Published: May 2022

North Africa is limited in the north by the Mediterranean Sea, in the east by the Red Sea, in the west by the Atlantic Ocean, and in the south by the Sahara Desert. North Africa includes five countries: Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya. North Africa has a Mediterranean climate, which is characterized by mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers. Many areas in North Africa have faced water scarcity or water crisis, as well as the result of population pressures, rising urbanization, climate change, and also increasing pollution of water. All these factors have led to a rise in water demand and thereby to water shortage. In North Africa, rising temperatures and long droughts periods linked with climate change are expected to decrease the land areas suitable for agriculture and reduce crop yields. These are reflected in the increased consumption of freshwater. It is critical to understand a balance between water demand and water supply through an understanding of the impacts of climate change on freshwater and its direct consequences on water security.
Monitoring of Groundwater Suitability for Irrigation Under Severe Arid Conditions
Authors: Hajji Soumaya , Karoui Sedki , Allouche Nabila , Bouri Salem
Published: May 2022

Water quality assessment is a necessity for groundwater resource management, especially in arid regions. Nevertheless, many difficulties appear in choosing the most appropriate models for the evaluation of water suitability. The present study reports the groundwater (GW) suitability for irrigation purposes in Rjim Maatoug, Southwestern Tunisia, where the Complex Terminal (CT) aquifer is solicited by the growing population needs. To attempt the objective of this study, EFA-CFA method was undertaken using the hydro-chemical, hydro-geological, and statistical approaches. Based on water wells data, hydro-chemical results show that the rock-water interaction and climatic conditions are the main origins of water mineralization. The application of the EFA-CFA method to the groundwater allowed identifying two factors of water degradation: (1) natural, due to the water-rock interaction and climatic conditions, and (2) anthropogenic, mainly due to the excessive use of chemical fertilizers. The results show that the groundwater in the study area is considered unsuitable for irrigation.
Water and Law
Authors: Norouzi Nima
Published: May 2022

The various consequences of climate change are increasing rapidly, and most of its negative effects are on poor and marginalized people around the world. This situation has made existing human inequalities more vulnerable because these societies are less able to adapt to the current situation due to poverty, and this has made the issue of climate change and human rights more intertwined as the consequences of change. This chapter is a descriptive-legal analysis. Much of the research material is on the contents of human rights instruments and the United Nations Security Council. Because their analysis needs to introduce and describe the contents of these documents, the need to provide information and introduce these documents has caused some parts of the research to be descriptive, and in other parts, the analytical method has been used.
The Journey of Balancing Life and Work While Managing Stress
Authors: Papson Alexander
Published: May 2022

With the arrival of a new child to the family and family illness mixed with added work responsibilities, the stress in the author's life seemed to be growing exponentially. With each day, new stressors seemed to be added to the ever-growing problem. The realization and acceptance for change did not occur until the author faced severe personal illness from the stress. This chapter will focus on the stressors faced, the options the author discovered to help manage the stress, and what actually worked to improve the day-to-day stress. Although the author is not a professional in the field of stress management, by illustrating personal experiences, the hope is that other individuals will have a comprehensive list of options in one place and an understanding that they are not alone and they can make simple changes to help each day go by easier while managing the stress better.
Living Faithfully
Authors: Dadesh Nuha
Published: May 2022

A year at the University of Tripoli included countless and seemingly endless bombs targeted at the author's campus, city, and country, Libya, during an international proxy war instigated by a warlord named Khalifa Haftar, backed by some countries including France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who terrified the city of Tripoli in 2019-2020. His assault began the day that the United Nations Secretary-General Guterres was to fly into the capital city, April 4, 2019, to provide impetus for a forthcoming peace conference. The chapter shares how wellness was sustained in the most tumultuous setting given deep and abiding faith, which was reaffirmed even further in the midst of conflict. The author shares insights and experiences about the role of faith in higher education during violent upheaval. It also addresses the question: What do faith and wellness have to do with each other in the midst of scholarly pursuits from the perspective of living and studying in a country that had experienced a 42-year dictatorship?
The Case for Inclusive Innovations in Early Childhood Education and Care
Authors: Hau Isabelle C.
Published: May 2022

The chapter starts with why inclusive innovations in early childhood education and care (ECEC) are needed before turning to the how. The early years have been massively under-funded and under-innovated for years in the U.S. The chapter outlines key ECEC innovations and trends across (1) whole child (innovations fostering early learning skills, self-regulation, social and emotional development, and physical well-being), (2) whole family (innovations in family engagement, family economic mobility, and family well-being), (3) whole school (innovations to support and empower teachers), and (4) whole community (innovations fostering cradle-to-career approaches, increasing kinship, and rethinking city design to optimize for young children's learning). The chapter also highlights the gaps where more innovations are needed.
Irreconcilable Differences?
Authors: Heuston Benjamin
Published: May 2022

There is a schism between early childhood educators and schoolteachers around what comprises school readiness and how it is best achieved. While early educators see the child as naturally self-educating through development and discovery, schoolteachers see explicit instruction and practice as the best way for children to master critical skills. These differing world views reflect different underlying value systems which manifest in divergent views of how, when, and what children learn. An examination of the Perry Preschool Project reveals a mostly successful real-world attempt to accommodate both world views, although there are reasons to doubt the practicality of the model as a solution. These same tensions surrounded the rise of kindergarten; tellingly, the debate has been settled by the school system assimilating kindergarten into its worldview. Ultimately, the two sides are irreconcilable, which has important implications for the future of America's early childhood efforts.
Rethinking the Design of School Readiness Assessments
Authors: Dorrian Jane
Published: May 2022

This chapter looks at the current purposes and design of school readiness assessments and examines factors that affect their effectiveness, including the content and administration of the tests, how they relate to wider assessment practices, and the impact the practitioner can have on the process and outcomes. The chapter draws on a range of international approaches and practices to discuss the limitations of current processes and suggests that these need to be reconsidered, with school readiness being recognized as a process not a one-off event.
Transition From the Perspectives of Kurahashi and Tsumori
Authors: Nishi Ryutaro
Published: May 2022

Transition has been seen primarily as movement between institutions and daily changes. However, it is also a process of transformation of the inner world for the child. In the field of transition research, the perspective of the inner world is yet to be studied, but the Japanese ECCE philosophers Sozo Kurahashi and Makoto Tsumori have developed theories and practices that emphasize the inner world. Based on the ideas of Kurahashi and Tsumori, this chapter clarifies the perspective of how the internal process of transition can be understood. Their developmental and pedagogical theories are summarized as 1) nurturing the inner driving force of development, 2) respecting all forms of development beyond preconceptions, 3) trusting relationships based on sensitivity to subtle interactions, and 4) mutual growth through reflection of practitioners. Accordingly, this chapter examined how transition and school readiness can be perceived. Detailed case studies will enhance building the mutually trusting relationships that will support children throughout elementary school and life beyond.
Building Readiness Through Formal and Informal Patterns of Instruction
Authors: Manzone Jessica A. , Kaplan Sandra N.
Published: May 2022

There is a misnomer that early childhood experiences are defined as either formal and teacher-directed or informal and play-based. Early childhood centers, curriculum developers, and classroom teachers often acknowledge they are involved in a forced-choice scenario where one instructional approach excludes the other. Learning experiences that build school readiness do not need to exist as distinctly formal or informal. Learning experiences can intersect and intermingle formal and informal instructional pedagogies. This chapter hopes to accomplish three major goals: (1) to define formal and informal instruction, (2) to demonstrate the relationship that exists between formal and informal instruction, and (3) to provide alternative pathways for educators to choose appropriately between formal and informal instruction. This chapter proposes four patterns that highlight the many and varied intersections between formal and informal instruction within the same learning experience. A series of examples and questions for consideration aligned to each pattern of instruction are also provided.
Virtual Learning, Real Results
Authors: Lavallee Collins Kristelle , Rich Michael
Published: May 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic shifted norms and expectations regarding young children's use of and exposure to media and profoundly reshaped their formal and informal education, especially in the earliest years of pre-school and kindergarten, a time when the social milieu of the classroom is so important. While it has been well documented that media use can affect young children's physical, mental and social health, development, and aspects of their learning, we don't yet fully understand how young children's learning and development will evolve in our post-pandemic, screen-saturated reality. This chapter explores several key elements of young children's learning with digital media including: 1) understanding digital media as tools for achieving focused learning goals, 2) strategies for selecting media that are optimal for young children's learning, and 3) how to recognize and avoid the potential risks involved with young children's learning with screen media.
The Effects of Innovation Policy on Science-to-Business Collaboration
Authors: Beraha Isidora Avram , Đuričin Sonja Obrad
Published: May 2022

The growing complexity of innovation has led to transition to an open innovation approach. Achieving sustainable economic growth based on knowledge and innovation depends on the efficiency and intensity of interactions between the government, business sector, and academia. Searching for ways to improve the innovation performance of small and medium-sized enterprises is high on the agendas of policy makers in developed and even more in developing countries. Through innovation policy, a favorable environment and stimulating system is created in which innovation activities are realized, information and knowledge are flowed, and cooperation between different actors is established. Academia plays a key role in the open innovation approach and is perhaps the most important partner for small and medium-sized enterprises. The subject of the research is the effects of innovation policy support on science to business collaboration in Serbia, with additional emphasis on the national innovation system and innovation performance of Serbia.
Marketing and Open Innovation
Authors: Kelleci Alpaslan
Published: May 2022

This chapter describes the interplay between marketing and innovation, between the “emergent marketing paradigm” and open innovation, and at a further level, between “sustainable marketing paradigm” and post open innovation, not to mention how these two disciplines provide ground for each other in increasing market share, boosting firm performance and producing value-added results for society. Over the last decade, both marketing and innovation have been navigating into a new phase. The third wave of open innovation, together with the “sustainable marketing paradigm,” heralds a profound change concerning how sustainable value is created through open value networks (OVNs) in a post-innovation era.
Critical Barriers to Overcome When Corporates Engage With Startups
Authors: Pisoni Alessia , Giovannoni Sveva , Onetti Alberto
Published: May 2022

The chapter aims at investigating the different implementation modes of open innovation (OI) adopted by companies when engaging with startups. In the last years, a significant body of literature has been published on OI-related issues. Research on OI is multidisciplinary and scattered among different fields of research. Based on this, the authors perform a comprehensive and systemized literature review to identify and describe the most critical issues to be considered when companies engage with startups. Specifically, they aim to identify the main barriers to corporate-startup collaboration and, in doing so, to provide a comprehensive framework able to shed new light on the proposed issue and to provide guidance to future research directions.
Microscopic and Macroscopic Interpretations of the Entropy Within the Framework of Quantum Mechanics
Authors: Jendoubi Ibtissem , Essefi Elhoucine
Published: May 2022

The objective of this work was to microscopically and macroscopically interpret entropy within the framework of quantum mechanics: quantum computer, Coulomb crystal, chaos, and cosmology. Indeed, in quantum physics, the concept of information is the very basis of the minimal interpretation of the concept of state vector as a contextual prediction tool. The Coulomb crystal is the basic element for the development of a quantum computer. For example, the Coulomb crystal represents the basic element of high precision clocks, provides a favorable environment for the detailed study of chemical reactions, and constitutes an original technology for the development of a quantum computer. In addition, the combination of chaos with the recent definition of entropy allows us to understand very small systems at the atomic and quantum microscopic level, as well as very large systems at the macroscopic level of galaxies and black holes.
Theoretical Analysis on a Household Heat Pump Water Heater With Immersed Condenser Coil
Authors: Missaoui Sami , Ben Slama Romdhane , Chaouachi Bechir
Published: May 2022

In this study, a coupling model between the water tank with immersed condenser coil and the vapor compression system was developed in ANSYS fluent for simulating the heat transfer between the refrigerant in condenser and water in the storage tank. Further study was performed to analyze the effect of condenser coil location on the heating process. The results indicated that, when the condenser coil is placed in a lower part of the water tank, a higher water velocity can be observed. From the testing results, when the condenser coil is placed in the lower part of the water tank, the convective heat transfer is better than the other positions.
Barriers to Healthy Nutrition and Exercise Behaviors Among Healthcare Workers
Authors: Mazzola Joseph J.
Published: May 2022

Healthcare workers often struggle with being able to complete healthy eating and exercise behaviors, and this can lead to issues like obesity and chronic illness. The focus of this chapter is on the healthy nutrition and exercise behaviors of healthcare workers, specifically workplace barriers encountered that hinder those behaviors. The major barrier categories discussed in this chapter are time and shiftwork issues, job demands/work stress, absence of healthy options, lack of health knowledge, the work environment, social barriers, and personal factors. Potential facilitators to health behavior and initiatives organizations can implement to improve the health of healthcare employees are also included.
Prioritizing Well-Being for Healthcare Professionals
Authors: Allen Melyssa
Published: May 2022

Many rising issues within the healthcare industry were highlighted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Burnout among healthcare professionals, increasing rates of lifestyle-related chronic illness, and lack of emphasis on professional self-care have contributed to a continued crisis within healthcare organizations. Numerous organizational and systemic issues have been combined with societal norms to create an unsustainable healthcare system operating on mechanisms of disease management versus of health promotion. This chapter aims to address the factors contributing to the overall health of healthcare professionals and proposed solutions to these issues through an integrative resilience model consisting of lifestyle medicine and positive psychology.
Mentally Healthy Healthcare
Authors: Giusino Davide , De Angelis Marco , Mazzetti Greta , Faiulo Ilaria Rita , Innstrand Siw Tone , Christensen Marit , Nielsen Karina
Published: May 2022

Interventions addressing healthcare workers' mental health should build upon an exhaustive understanding of the major causes of both work-related stress conditions (i.e., job demands) and positive mental health (i.e., job resources) in the workplace at all the levels they might unfold, namely the individual, the group, the leader, and the organization. The chapter draws upon a multilevel workplace mental health needs assessment exercise performed within three different departments of a large healthcare institution and involving both managers and employees. It aims to illustrate the job demands and resources at multiple levels in the targeted organization, differentiate among healthcare workers' mental models of their working conditions, and discuss the research and practical implications of such findings. Also, it offers practical recommendations on how to effectively conduct such activities by, on the one hand, considering both healthcare workers' mental health risk and protective factors and, on the other hand, encompassing multiple workplace levels of analysis.
COVID-19 and Healthcare Staff Wellbeing
Authors: French Lorna , Hanna Paul , Huckle Catherine
Published: May 2022

This conceptual chapter offers a critical review of contemporary theory and research in relation to ‘burnout' and ‘moral injury' to consider how understandings of burnout and moral injury can be usefully applied to healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors find that whilst there are significant overlaps in the conceptualisation of ‘burnout' and ‘moral injury', there is also significant potential in drawing on systemic understandings of moral injury originating in military literature to understand and support healthcare workers. A focus on the systemic and organisational support needed to work with moral injury in healthcare staff would reduce staff burnout, time-off, and turnover improving patient outcomes and offering economic advantages to healthcare organisations. Whilst much research has been undertaken in relation to healthcare staff burnout, this chapter offers an original contribution to knowledge by offering a conceptual account of the usefulness of systemic understandings of moral injury in healthcare settings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mindfulness-Based Approaches to Reduce Injuries Among Nurses and Nursing Aides
Authors: OBrien William H. , Chavanovanich Jennifer , Jarukasemthawee Somboon , Pisitsungkagarn Kullaya , Kalantzis Maria A.
Published: May 2022

Physical and psychological injuries occur at a high rate among nurses and nursing assistants (NNAs). The humanitarian and economic costs associated with injuries to these vulnerable workers is a global health concern. The characteristics and organization of work are major determinants of injuries. Individual differences are also important determinants with mindfulness skills being particularly relevant for injury prevention. There is a developing and promising literature examining mindfulness-based behavior therapy (MBBTs) for NNA psychological and physical injuries. Most research has been limited to Western countries and Western NNAs using MBBT interventions that use concepts and techniques from Eastern philosophy, religion, and cultures. The borrowing of these concepts and techniques was haphazard and incomplete which may limit their effectiveness. There is a pressing need to develop and evaluate MBBTs for NNAs that more thoughtfully and carefully integrate Eastern concepts and techniques. Interventions that better integrate East-West concepts and techniques are acceptable, feasible, and effective.
Working With Medical Personnel in the Aftermath of a Mass Shooting
Authors: Winch Ashley T. , Sunderman Kathryn , Beidel Deborah C.
Published: May 2022

The rising number of mass casualty incidents in the United States has exposed hospital personnel to more traumatic events on the job than ever before, with research citing a lack of mental health support following such events. It is often assumed that the advanced training of medical professionals serves as a protective factor against PTSD and other mental health disorders resulting from occupational trauma. However, this notion is false, and if left untreated, these mental health issues may extend beyond personal distress and negatively impact patient care. Furthermore, not all hospital personnel who are directly exposed to mass casualty incidents have advanced medical training, and many of these individuals have had no experience with these types of traumas. This chapter outlines planning and implementation measures that hospitals can take prior to a mass casualty incident occurring, followed by steps, strategies, and supports that can be deployed once a hospital has become a treating facility for victims of a mass casualty incident.
Biogenic Synthesis of Nanoparticles and Drug Delivery Systems
Authors: Verma Varsha , Thakur Piyush Kumar , Singh Monika , Verma Santosh Kumar
Published: May 2022

In today state of interaction, biological strategies endow us with a green tool for the design of nonmaterials. It is vital to espouse safer substitute strategies to integrate miscellaneous nanoassemblies. Nanomedicine and nano delivery systems are a moderately new but hurriedly mounting science where materials in the nano scale range are employed to serve as means of diagnostic tools or to deliver therapeutic agents to specific targeted sites in a proscribed manner. The exploration of nanostructured drug delivery systems allows the encroachment of novel stages for the efficient transport and controlled release of drug molecules in the unsympathetic microenvironment of diseased tissues of living systems. The chapter deals with a brief account of delivery devices produced from green methods and describes site-specific drug delivery systems (including their pros and cons) and their relevance in the field of green nanomedicine.
Nanotechnology-Based Drug Delivery of Phytotherapeutics
Authors: Barik Rakesh , Sugunan Sinoy , Pal Abhisek
Published: May 2022

The purpose of this chapter is to review nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems of herbal medicines. The advancement of phytochemical and phytopharmacological sciences has enabled elucidation of several plant products' composition and biological activities. The activities of many species of medicinal plants depends on the supply of active compounds. Most of the biologically active phyto constituents are water soluble but have low absorption due to their large molecular size and inability to cross the lipid membranes of the cells resulting in loss of bioavailability and efficacy. Hence, the combination of herbal medicine with nanotechnology might be able to potentiate the action of plant extracts, reducing the required dose and side effects and improving activity. Nanosystems can deliver the active constituent at a sufficient concentration during the entire treatment period at the desired site of action.
Nanotechnology-Based Drug Delivery System
Authors: Bhutta Zeeshan Ahmad , Shoaib Muhammad , Kanwal Ayesha , Ashar Ambreen , Mahfooz Ashar , Huma  , Ahmed Rizwan , Ali Moazam , Kulyar Muhammad Fakhar-e-Alam , Li Kun
Published: May 2022

Nanomedicine and nano drug delivery systems are pretty new but swiftly evolving sciences that use nanoscale materials as diagnostic tools for the controlled delivery of therapeutic agents to specific sites. Nanotechnology offers many benefits in the treatment of chronic human diseases by providing accurate medicines to specific target areas. Recently, nanomedicines (chemotherapeutic agents, biological agents, immunotherapeutic agents, etc.) have found many important uses in the treatment of various diseases. This chapter summarizes the latest developments in nanomedicine and nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems and describes the discovery and use of nanomaterials to improve the efficacy of new and old drugs (such as natural products) and diagnosis by disease marker molecule. It also discusses the potential and challenges of nanomedicines in delivering medicines from synthetic/natural sources for their clinical applications. Moreover, this chapter also includes the trends and prospects in nanomedicine.
Nose-to-Brain Targeted Drug Delivery Bypassing the Blood-Brain Barrier
Authors: Pandey Manju
Published: May 2022

The treatment of brain disorders like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, etc. has been challenging due to a variety of obstacles of effective delivery of the drugs to the brain. Intranasal drug delivery (INDD) is a non-invasive and convenient route of drug intake and hence has been useful for drugs targeting neurological (brain) disorders. This method bypasses the blood-brain barrier (BBB), delivering the medication directly to the brain. The intranasal route is the direct transportation of drugs via the olfactory and trigeminal nerve pathways to the brain overcoming the BBB. An enormous range of macromolecular to micromolecular medications can be delivered to the CNS via this pathway. INDDS offers a non-invasive, safe, and convenient route of direct drug administration to the brain and increasing the bioavailability of the drug. Bypassing the BBB is an important factor due to the low permeability of some drugs, and INDDS helps overcome this barrier.
Instructional Design to Elicit Meaningful Learning in Students
Authors: Ramos José Luis Gómez , Martínez Esther Portal , Ruiz Natalia Hipólito
Published: May 2022

This chapter highlights the importance of discriminating rote and meaningful learning theoretical fundaments for instructional design. Due to the incongruity of rote learning with the assimilation theory, the authors only dwell on it to highlight its differences with meaningful learning. They also indicate that both types of learning are stored differently in the cognitive structure of the learner. In the same way, meaningful learning requires a certain organizational structure of the material, which will be related not arbitrarily but substantially to the knowledge that the learner already possesses. These and other important characteristics dichotomize considerably to the meaningful learning of rote learning.
Argumentation Skills for the Design of Formative Assessment Queries
Authors: Campillo Rosa María López , Ramos José Luis Gómez
Published: May 2022

This chapter surveys the benefits of critical and argument skills in bilingual pre-service teachers' future careers for assessment pursuits. It also examines how informal logic for pedagogical purposes is scarcely considered in education settings – both primary and university levels. Yet, such a lack of teacher training will negatively influence subsequent feedback and ad hoc formative assessments to measure bilingual pupils' knowledge accurately. Hence, taking as referents argumentation and critical thinking and enquiring, the chapter aims to establish the fundamental theoretical foundations for understanding and designing formative queries.
Myths, Stereotypes, and Misconceptions on Mathematics Teaching and Learning
Authors: Martínez Esther Portal , Castro Juan Lirio , Campillo Rosa María López
Published: May 2022

This chapter reveals how mathematics plays a central role in infant, primary, and secondary education curriculums and has a decisive bearing in study plans for many university qualifications. For the dismantling of the stereotype of mathematical brilliance, this chapter examines the construction of this myth from its historical roots and how misconceptions have been created among teachers, parents, students, and society as a whole. Thus, the negative myth impacts on teaching and learning mathematics are described from a historical basis. In considering the work of disassembling the notion of an exceptionally gifted for mathematics, strategies are outlined, including prioritising process, investigation, and experimentation over the outcome. The idea is to aid with acquiring, understanding, and using mathematical language and establishing the teaching-learning dialectic on corporative work, in which errors are not signs of incompetence but symptoms of experimentation and learning.
The Contribution of Blended Learning in Students of the Universidad de Ibagué
Authors: Narváez Miguel Ángel Brand , Patiño Sandra C. , Gomez Miguel A. Mora , Brayan Tabares Jaramillo.
Published: May 2022

This chapter encompasses the current situation due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic accelerating students' migration to virtual platforms. Thus, in the chapter, it is proposed to reflect and analyze the role of teachers both leading and belonging research groups at the Universidad de Ibagué, in Colombia, who, in times of pandemic and facing the difficulty of continuing their activities in person, implement methodologies such as b-learning and research in the classroom. To enrich its theoretical meaning and applicability in the Colombian education settings, the chapter restarts as a theoretical basis the Ausubelian perspective from the different contributions. Yet, the present proposal is approached from the qualitative paradigm of descriptive scope and phenomenological design with a hermeneutic approach. The intention is to outline the transformations of the teaching and learning processes, recognizing the notion of students from the nature of the mind and the direct reflection of the beliefs teaching based on and related to loads of history, culture, and learning assumptions.
Drawing as an Opportunity to Assess Meaningful Learning in College Students
Authors: Borjas Mónica , Serrano José A. Aparicio , Molina Andrea Lafaurie , Altamar Javier Franco , de Alba Martha
Published: May 2022

This chapter presents the results of a qualitative study conducted by researchers from the Universidad del Norte (Barranquilla, Colombia) and the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana de México with postgraduate students in education at a Colombian university on the use of drawings as a means of assessing meaningful learning. The combination of drawing and rubrics as means of assessment constitutes a promising tool for assessing meaningful learning, in terms of the potential of drawing to help make explicit and reflect on prior knowledge, and of rubrics as a means of feedback. The research confirms that the use of drawing at two moments—at the beginning and at the end of the course—allows for explicit information to contrast previous knowledge with the significant learning that the student constructs during a course.
Barriers to Effective Teaching and Meaningful Learning of Science in Rural Disadvantaged Schools
Authors: Chauke Basambilu , Goosen Leila
Published: May 2022

To summarize and provide readers with an overview of the content, the purpose of this chapter is stated as to design measurement strategies towards addressing barriers or challenges to the effective teaching and meaningful learning of science in rural disadvantaged schools of the Mopani District of Limpopo Province, South Africa. The background section of the chapter will provide a literature review, while the main focus of the chapter will be on issues, problems, barriers, challenges, etc. as these relate to the theme of the book and topic of the chapter. Towards solutions and recommendations, the following sections of the chapter will look at research methodology and analysis, whereas future research directions related to the research outcomes will also be considered. Finally, the conclusion of the chapter will provide a discussion and summary.
Fast Digitalization in the Pandemic Era and the Urgency to Discover New Business Model Opportunities for Italian Small Grocery Retailers
Authors: Tongiani Maria Giovanna , Ferrari Eva , Alaimo Adriana
Published: May 2022

The traditional food distribution channel has enjoyed a primary position in Italy, largely because the proximity service offered to the customer plays a fundamental role in the choice of store, understood in terms of the distance and effort that the consumer is willing to endure for obtaining supplies from a given point of sale. The characteristics of the Italian small retailers, strongly appreciated by customers, are however facing the evolutions and changes of the habits and demands of the reference buyers, encouraged and favoured by the pandemic events. In the light of these considerations, the aim of this work is to obtain information for underlining and arguing the changes that Italian small grocery retailers will have to implement in order to consolidate and develop their position in the market.
The Impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on Hotel Classification Ratings
Authors: Sufi Tahir , Vagena Akrivi
Published: May 2022

There has been increased interest among researchers and industry to generate insights from user-generated data and ratings on account of valuable information such as data carry and its authenticity. Numerous studies offer insight into how traditional hotel classification ratings are influenced by the information and communication technology. However, no such studies that explore the relationship between traditional hotel ratings and the largest online hotel review website, TripAdvisor, could be found. To bridge the gap, the study uses the TripAdvisor hotel rating data from Greek hotels to explore this relationship using Kruskal-Wallis H test. The results show that mean TripAdvisor ratings of hotels are in proportion to the traditional hotel classification ratings.
Marine Fungal Metabolites
Authors: Suresh J. Immanuel , V. Iswareya Lakshimi
Published: May 2022

Fungi from marine environments are promising sources of therapeutics against cancer due to the production of various metabolites which contribute against the cancer cell growth and development. Various marine fungal metabolites have been studied against breast and cervical cancer which are the most common causes of death in women. Scopararane I from marine sediment fungi Eutypella sp. FS46 showed better activity against MCF 7. Alterporriol L from marine fungus Alternaria sp. induced cancer cell apoptosis by altering the reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial membrane potential. Apoptosis-inducing metabolite NMKD7 from marine sponge fungal symbiont Monascus sp. reported significant anticancer activity against breast cancer. Neoechinulin A and physcion produced by Microsporum sp. exhibited anticancer activity against cervical cancer by altering expressions of p53, caspase-9, etc. This review gives insight about the various marine fungal metabolites with potential anticancer activity against cervical and breast cancer and evidences it as a promising source of anticancer therapeutics.
Medicinal Plants for the Treatment of Liver Cancer
Authors: Thanh Tung Bui , Ngan Dang Kim , Khanh Do Thi Hong
Published: May 2022

Liver cancer, which is fifth most common malignancy worldwide, is caused by drugs, chemicals, pollutants, and infections from parasites, etc. WHO estimates about three quarters of the world's population currently use herbs to cure various diseases, including liver cancer, which show that the medicinal plants have a very important place in the health of humans. Many experimental studies have been conducted to find the plants and their formulations for treatment of liver cancer. Many medicinal plants showed antiviral activity, antihepatotoxicity activity, stimulation of liver regeneration, and anticancer activity. Furthermore, many bioactive compounds in plants could protect the liver by antiproliferative activity. In this chapter, the authors review diverse medicinal plants and their bioactive compounds used in therapeutic and management intervention against liver cancer.
Flavonoids
Authors: Deepak Praveen
Published: May 2022

Flavonoids are biologically active phytochemicals that are naturally found in the everyday diet. They are bio-active polyphenolic compounds that have profound effects in inhibiting the growth and development of tumors. They are found to exert anti-tumor effects by acting in several ways: they modulate ROS production, regulate cancer cell proliferation, induce apoptosis, suppress the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines with simultaneous increase in the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines, and inhibit proto-oncogenes. Moreover, flavonoids eliminate the deleterious side effects of anti-cancer chemotherapeutic regimen. Thus, flavonoids can be used as a potential anti-cancer natural compound that not only achieves anti-cancer efficacy but also improves the survival and life expectancy of cancer patients.
Lectin as an Anticancer Therapeutic Agent
Authors: Mane Vinuta , Arakera Suresh B. , Pingle Shubhangi , Thakkar Lucky
Published: May 2022

Every year nearly 9.6 million people die from cancer worldwide. One third of cancer deaths are due to behavioural and dietary risks and lack of physical activity. Lectins are powerful oral and parental immunogens and some of their physiological effects are intricately linked to interference with immune function. Lectins are produced by wide range of living organisms from microbes to mammals. They function as both allergens and heamagglutinins. Various lectins have been identified which are associated with different types of cancers. Because of this property, they are currently employed as therapeutic agents in cancer treatment.
Anticancer Properties of Some Antioxidants
Authors: Unsal Velid
Published: May 2022

The purpose of this chapter is to reveal the important properties of some anticancer antioxidants. Cancer can be defined as a disease caused by very different cell types and organs of the human body and characterized by very fast growth and the ability to metastasize to other organs. Cancer cells typically exhibit higher levels of basal ROS than normal cells, mainly due to their increased metabolism, oncogene activation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Antioxidant system is a form of defense against high ROS production in cells. Quercetin plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of many types of cancers. Resveratrol is considered a potential candidate for the prevention and treatment of many types of cancer. Antioxidants such as CAPE, Quercetin Resveratrol, which have antioxidant properties and destroy ROS, may be a promising treatment strategy in cancer. Antioxidants are thought of as popular natural remedies that are used by the majority of people and have few side effects. However, even with the available data, more experimental and clinical studies are needed.