bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research, Reflection, Practice: Intuition and Research: Are They Compatible?
Authors: Dorward Jim
Published: December 2020

Knowledge about what does and does not work in any given classroom situation requires reflecting on a multitude of factors, including the content we need to teach, the methods we use, and the characteristics of our students. Experienced teachers know a lot about what mathematics to teach and how to orchestrate their instruction in ways that promote achievement in their students.
Links to Literature: Working Cotton: Toward an Understanding of Time
Authors: Monroe Eula Ewing , Orme Michelle P. , Erickson Lynnette B.
Published: December 2020

For years, teachers have observed students' frustration as they grappled with learning to read an analog clock (see, e.g., Kelly and Burke [1998]). We ourselves have felt frustrated, not fully understanding why learning to tell time is difficult for students or how to help. Unfortunately, much of our past instruction has been based on an incomplete understanding of the idea that “two aspects of time have to be distinguished in teaching: firstly, one must try to develop a concept of time in a child; and secondly, one must teach the child to ‘tell the time' (teaching clock time)” (Grauberg 1998, p. 50). Moreover, the tools commonly used for time instruction, including manipulative clock faces and paper-and-pencil activities, may not be sufficient for developing children's understanding. These tools usually focus on telling time, not on developing concepts of time.
Honoring Traditions: Making Connections with Mathematics through Culture
Authors: McLean Deborah L.
Published: December 2020

In traditional Yup'ik culture, children are expected to carefully observe as adults teach them skills. Little verbal interaction occurs between the elder or family member and the child. Second-grade children observe elder Lilly Pauk as she estimates and predicts the amount of material she will need for a man's quspuk (hooded shirt). The children laugh as Lilly speaks in Yup'ik. Literally translated, her words mean that she was looking to see how “fat” the man was. (Manokotak, Alaska, 1999)
It's Not Just Notation: Valuing Children's Representations
Authors: Perry Jill A. , Atkins Sandra L.
Published: December 2020

Mathematics teachers often say to their students, “Show your work,” when what they really mean is, “Show this to me as I showed it to you” or “Show my work.” During our first few years as mathematics teachers, we spent much of our time trying to make our students think as we thought—to use the symbols that we were using in the ways in which we were using them. We find it uncomfortable to admit that during those years we spent little time trying to find out what our students were thinking. We valued the process and product looking like ours more than the process and product being theirs. We expected our students to use conventional representations before we had given them sufficient time to develop mathematical concepts.
Fostering Flexibility with Number in the Primary Grades
Authors: Sisul Jennifer S.
Published: December 2020

As a primary teacher, I eagerly work to create opportunities to foster young mathematicians' flexibility with number. As I watch young children explore the world of mathematics, I have noticed that children who are more flexible when thinking about number are also more confident with different concepts and more willing to try new strategies. Creative ideas can emerge from the simplest materials, as I have discovered with a hundred pocket chart.
Who Should Lead Mathematics Instruction at the Elementary School Level? A Case for Mathematics Specialists
Authors: Reys Barbara J. , Fennell Francis (Skip)
Published: December 2020

We frequently ask students in our preservice elementary mathematics methods courses if they realize that they are preparing to become mathematics teachers. Many, if not most, of the students are uncomfortable with thinking of themselves as “mathematics teachers,” preferring to call themselves “elementary classroom teachers.” They consider themselves to be teachers of children, rather than teachers of subjects such as mathematics. However, the mathematics instruction that most elementary school students receive is organized and delivered by their elementary classroom teachers. Therefore, elementary teachers also are mathematics teachers, as well as social studies teachers, science teachers, and, most prominently, reading teachers. It is essential that elementary teachers understand the nature and extent of the vital role that they play in teaching mathematics to their students. It is equally important that school systems explore ways to ensure that students receive mathematics instruction from teachers who understand mathematics content, know how students learn mathematics, and are able to use instructional and assessment strategies that help students learn mathematics.
Early Childhood Corner: Laying the Foundation for Computational Fluency in Early Childhood
Authors: Griffin Sharon
Published: December 2020

Educators tend to think of computational fluency and number sense as two different types of mathematical knowledge. Computational fluency seems to entail a well-practiced and efficient use of procedures to compute how many items are in a set or how many there will be if sets are joined or separated. Number sense seems related to a deep understanding of the meaning of numbers. Through the phrasing of its major curriculum recommendations, NCTM may have unintentionally reinforced the tendency to think of these two types of knowledge as distinct or as opposed in some fundamental way. An oppositional frame of mind about these forms of knowledge is prompted by the suggestion that mathematics teaching should move away from an emphasis on facts and procedures and toward a focus on number sense (NCTM 1989), as well as a more recent recommendation that number sense should remain the dominant focus in mathematics teaching but computational fluency should not be neglected (NCTM 2000). One begins to wonder whether the two types of knowledge are acquired in different contexts and whether they require different methods of teaching. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Algebraic Problem Solving in the Primary Grades
Authors: Femiano Robert B.
Published: December 2020

You may be surprised to learn that most first graders can solve for x in such problems as 2x + 1 = 21. I know so because they do it in my classroom daily, just not in the abstract form of x's and y's. Even though primary-grade students may lack the formal level of thinking required to “efficiently” solve equations, algebraic reasoning is still possible when approached in less sterile and more practical ways. This article shares teaching experiences that show just that outcome: when an equation is redesigned into a problemsolving story or a logic puzzle or is in some other way wrapped in meaning, even six-yearolds know enough mathematics to solve it.
In My Opinion: Professing Teacher Knowledge beyond the Classroom Walls
Authors: Boerst Timothy A.
Published: December 2020

In rooms a bit smaller or larger than 24' × 30', millions of schoolchildren across the country learn valuable mathematics from teachers who masterfully integrate knowledge of mathematics, curriculum, and students to enact high-quality instruction. One of the biggest challenges to improving mathematics education may lie not in standard-setting, teacher recruitment, or accountability but in encouraging mathematics teachers to share their knowledge and practices with those outside the 24' × 30' space in which they teach every day. Teachers tend to treat their knowledge of teaching in ways that remove it from benefiting the profession (Shulman 1993). What teachers know and can do certainly impacts the hundreds, and possibly thousands, of students they teach over the course of their careers. Imagine the impact if mathematics teachers routinely shared their complex, refined understandings of teaching in ways that could be built on to benefit other students and teachers. If we hope to ensure NCTM's vision of quality mathematics instruction for all students, we must move beyond the private production and possession of mathematics teaching knowledge.
Building theaters
Authors: Polly Drew
Published: December 2020

Block-buster movie releases have become a fixture of summer, stretching from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend. When the sweltering summer heat gets to be too much to bear, students can look forward to slipping into a cool, dark movie theater: just the ticket for a refreshing afternoon.
Redefiniendo el Trabajo Social: nuevos yacimimientos de empleo en el envejecimiento. Una propuesta desde la intervención social
Authors: Díaz Román Cristina , Martín Cano Mª del Carmen , De la Fuente Robles Yolanda María
Published: December 2020

Nos encontramos en un contexto sociodemográfico en el que aumenta progresivamente el número de personas que necesitan de cuidados, principalmente personas mayores de 65 años, colectivo mayoritario en la actualidad, en España. Ello genera que aparezcan nuevas demandas y expectativas sobre la atención prestada. Esto supone para la intervención social enfrentarse a un gran reto. Hasta el momento, las formas de intervención social y de atención proporcionados por el sistema, no parecen cubrir con plenitud las necesidades emergentes, fundamentalmente por su escasa adaptación a los nuevos contextos sociales y estilos de vida. Socialmente figuras profesionales como la del/ de la asistente personal suponen una inversión provechosa y sostenible en el contexto de la atención y prestación de servicios, puesto que, desde la praxis profesional del Trabajo Social, así como desde el prisma académico o investigador, supone una apuesta para que las personas en situación de dependencia puedan llevar a cabo su proyecto de vida con libertad e independencia. Por ello, en este trabajo se pretende por un lado visibilizar las necesidades percibidas y expresadas por las personas mayores y/o en situación de dependencia, así como sus demandas  y, por otro, definir  una nueva figura profesional conceptualizada como Técnico/a de Autonomía Personal y Prevención de la Dependencia (TAP) que de respuesta a los retos planteados a través de la implementación de las nuevas intervenciones basadas en el paradigma de accesibilidad universal y diseño para todas las personas.

We are in a socio-demographic context in which the number of people in need of care, mainly people over the age of 65, a majority collective today, in Spain, is increasing progressively. This leads to new demands and expectations about the attention paid. This means that social intervention is facing a great challenge. So far, the forms of social intervention and care provided by the system do not seem to fully meet emerging needs, mainly because of their poor adaptation to new social contexts and lifestyles.Socially professional figures such as that of the personal assistant represent a profitable and sustainable investment in the context of the care and provision of services, since, from the professional practice of Social Work, as well as from the academic prism or researcher, it is a bet so that people in dependency can carry out their life project with freedom and independence. Therefore, this work aims on the one hand to make visible the needs perceived and expressed by the elderly and/or in a situation of dependence, as well as their demands and, on the other hand, to define a new professional figure conceptualized as Technical of Personal Autonomy and Prevention of dependency (TAP) that responds to the challenges posed through the implementation of new interventions based on the paradigm of universal accessibility and design for all people.
Pandemia por COVID-19 y los desafíos de avizorar/ocluir problemas sociales. Un análisis desde las políticas sociales como grafías
Authors: Cena Rebeca
Published: December 2020

El título que posee este escrito se vincula al contexto de la pandemia y los desafíos de avizorar y/o de ocluir problemas sociales. Este artículo ha sido elaborado con la intención de compartir un ejercicio de problematización en relación a las políticas sociales. El objetivo es analizar una serie de políticas sociales que se han implementado en el contexto de la pandemia por COVID-19 en Argentina y que serán abordadas aquí en tanto grafías. Es decir, en tanto símbolos que nos permiten tensionar algunos aspectos respecto a las sociedades donde se implementan. Se trabaja a partir del análisis documental explorando algunas intervenciones sociales que se han dado desde marzo a agosto de 2020. Se concluye que estas intervenciones estatales operan como indicios acerca de un capítulo no menor de los problemas expresión de la cuestión social. Junto con ello, que en tanto disputa de sentidos, recorte y delimitación, participan de la definición de algunos problemas incluyendo otros.

The title of this writing is linked to the context of the pandemic and the challenges of envisioning and / or occluding social problems. This article has been prepared with the intention of sharing an exercise of problematization in relation to social policies. The objective of this writing is to analyze a series of social policies that have been implemented in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina and that will be addressed here as spellings. That is, as symbols that allow us to stress some aspects regarding the societies where they are implemented. It works from the documentary analysis exploring some social interventions that have taken place from March to August 2020. It is concluded that these state interventions operate as indications about a not minor chapter of the problems expressing the social question. Along with this, as a dispute of meanings, clipping and delimitation, they participate in the definition of some problems, occluding others.
Mundtlighed i danskfaget og dets læremidler
Authors: Carlsen Dorthe , Skov Lene Illum
Published: December 2020

Mundtlighed er en central del af al undervisning, hvor læreren viser tilrette gennem samtale, men netop i modersmålsfaget er mundtlighed samtidig indhold. Eleven skal lære at ytre sig, tale og lytte og indgå i mange forskellige mundtlige kommunikationssituationer (Undervisningsministeriet, 2019). Man må derfor forvente, at læremidler til danskundervisningen giver et bud på, hvordan læreren kan undervise i mundtlighed. Samtidig tyder meget på, at mundtlighed ikke fylder meget som indhold i modersmålsundervisningen (Haugsted, 1999; Penne & Hertzberg, 2015, Hvass, 2017). I denne artikel fremstilles en læremiddelanalyse (Hansen & Skovmand, 2011) af to didaktiske læremidler. Analysen fokuserer på hvordan og i hvilken udstrækning mundtlighed gøres til indhold i et de mest anvendte læremidler til modersmålsundervisningen samt et temabaseret, præmieret læremiddel med særligt fokus på mundtlighed. Analysen munder ud i en vurdering af læremidlernes “potentielle læringspotentiale” (Bundsgaard & Hansen, 2011). Teoretisk forankres undersøgelsen i en nordisk tradition inden for mundtlighedsdidaktik som bygger på især Haugsted (1999), Dysthe (1997) og Høegh (2017; 2018). Lytning anses for en integreret del af mundtligheden (Høegh 2018). Teorien operationaliseres i ”Mundtlighedstrekanten”, som bidrager med et metasprog om mundtligt sprog, der også ville kunne anvendes i lærerens fagdidaktiske planlægning og refleksion.
Educating for Cultural Survival in Nunavut: Why Haven’t We Learned from the Past?
Authors: McMillan Barbara
Published: December 2020

This is a paper about the culture of the Inuit in the Nunavut Territory of the Canadian Arctic, and the role that education should take in preventing its slow dilution, demise, and loss. The measures to be taken are evident. Inuit philosophy (Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit) must be the framework, and Inuit must be in control, not only of policy and curricula, but also of the school system, the schools, and the classrooms. It can take decades for outsiders embedded in a different culture to communicate and see through an unfamiliar worldview. Inuit do not have the luxury of time to wait for this to happen. Non-Inuit need to understand what Inuit are saying, to appreciate what they aim to achieve, and then get out of the way. If this is not done, the Inuit culture will go the way of so many other Indigenous cultures that once flourished. It’s inconceivable that we non-Inuit Canadians are willing not only to watch this happen but continue to be the cause.
Queerly Inside and Out in School…A Conversation
Authors: Keener Terrah
Published: December 2020

“Queerly Inside and Out in School ... A Conversation” draws upon the research from See Me, Hear Me ... Queerly Visible: Conversations About Family and School with Non-Heterosexual Parents and Their Children (Keener, 2012) that explored the schooling experiences of non-heterosexual parents and their children in Nova Scotia. Leveraging visual arts and performance as both a means of data generation and data representation, the generated artifacts illustrated how dominant cultural practices and narratives surrounding school and family perpetuate heteronormative ideology, while excluding and silencing non-heterosexual parents and their children. Queer visibility became a re-occurring place of reflection and tension for parents as they re-told their stories of creating a queer family presence in their child’s school. The stories represented within this paper provide a window into the experience of parents and children who on a daily basis run the risk of not being “seen” by their teachers, school administrators, and the broader school community.
Teaching as Contemplative Professional Practice
Authors: Falkenberg Thomas
Published: December 2020

Starting with the argument that what we attend to is important for how we act in and on the world – and, thus, our moral living – the article conceptualizes teaching as contemplative practice, arguing that attending pre-conceptually and non-judgmentally to our inner life as teachers as we teach moment-by-moment will give us the basis upon which we can engage developmentally in teaching as a moral endeavour. Central to the conceptualization of teaching as contemplative professional practice is the idea of on-going wok on one’s awareness, attention, and noticing of one’s inner life while teaching. Such on-going professional development is undertaken in regard of others, the students, and, thus, makes teaching as contemplative practice a moral endeavour.
Dissimilarities Between Deweyan Pragmatism and Confucianism
Authors: Shen Russell
Published: December 2020

Over the past decade, numerous Deweyan philosophers have been arguing that Deweyan Pragmatism and Confucianism have significantly similar philosophical underpinnings and thus a Deweynised Confucian society is highly plausible. This article examines the social and historical backdrops against which Deweyan and Confucian thoughts were developed. It then explores the starkly contrasting and oftconflicting views of Dewey and Confucius on the purpose of education, the curriculum in schools, and the respective roles of teachers and students, morality, individuality, sociality as well as politics. The conclusion of this paper is that Deweyan Pragmatism is a context-specific, anti-dualist, and egalitarian theory whereas Confucianism is a transcendental virtue-oriented, universalist, and elitist philosophy. Therefore, any effort to promote the co-optation of Confucianism in Deweyan applications within Confucian civilisations, no matter how well intentioned, blocks the path to truth.
Relevance of Asian Philosophy to Philosophy of Education Today: An Interview with Roger Ames
Authors: Bai Heesoon , Ames Roger T.
Published: December 2020

Professor Roger T. Ames is Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Hawai‘i, Manoa. The following is a short excerpt from an interview with Professor Ames that took place on the eve of 2009 PESA Conference, December 1, 2009. Heesoon Bai, Editor of Paideusis, accompanied by Avraham Cohen, interviewed Professor Ames in his office.
Taking on the Traditions in Philosophy of Education: A Symposium
Authors: Burns David P. , Chinnery Ann , Ruitenberg Claudia W. , Waddington David I.
Published: December 2020

In this symposium, we highlight the importance of critical engagement with philosophical traditions in philosophy of education. On one hand, it is important to critique the exclusionary nature of canons of knowledge that have shaped both philosophy and education; on the other, we believe it is important to acknowledge that our thinking, as well as the thinking of philosophers of education before us, is undeniably and indelibly marked by these traditions. Framed by Jacques Derrida’s reflections on the “figure of the philosopher” and Michael Naas’s conception of “taking on the tradition,” David Burns invites us to revisit the Stoic conception of character as a counterpoint to current discourses of character education in Canadian schools; David Waddington examines how Thomas Jefferson’s writings influenced John Dewey’s conception of democracy and democratic education; and Ann Chinnery proposes acknowledgement of intellectual indebtedness as an essential scholarly disposition, looking specifically at the “difficult inheritance” of Emmanuel Levinas’s debt to Martin Heidegger.
Open-minded Environmental Education in the Science Classroom
Authors: Burns David P. , Norris Stephen P.
Published: December 2020

In this paper we will discuss the issue of environmental advocacy in science education in light of William Hare’s concept of open-mindedness. Although we shall assume that science teaching and learning must go beyond the scientific facts and theories and deal with the implications of science for society, we shall argue that science education should also demand an open-mindedness about environmental concerns such that all proposals for sustainability and the like are weighed against the alternatives using the best scientific knowledge available. Our approach will be to describe two examples of environmental education that recommend insufficiently open-minded forms of teaching and a third example that avoids this shortcoming yet provides a sound basis in environmental education.
Sensitive Controversy in Teaching to Be Critical
Authors: Forrest Michelle
Published: December 2020

The sensitive nature of certain controversies is particularly problematic for teaching across difference. Questions as to what makes a controversy sensitive and how care and empathy are implicated in discussing it are considered through examples connected to the author’s own practice and in light of the traditional rationalist concept of critical spirit and feminist strong reflexivity. The suggestion is made that discussing sensitive controversy requires a ‘doubled view’ and that this is needed at all levels of inquiry.
Andragogical Epistemology and the Lacanian Discourse of the Hysteric: Learning Through Trauma, Trauma Through Learning
Authors: Berry Michael D.
Published: December 2020

Harm, this paper proposes, is a viable teaching objective. Presenting an andragogy of post secondary liberal arts education, this paper explores the relationship between critical thinking and subjective harm, arguing that subjective harm is an inevitable outcome of critical thinking practice. The author situates this teaching methodology within the discourse theory of psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan, positioning this critical thinking andragogy specifically within the Discourse of the Hysteric, which interrogates the institutionalized epistemology present in universities. Defining critical thinking as a subjective cognitive technique adjoined to reflexivity and reflective practice, this paper examines and refutes the university principle of primum non nocere (do no harm), arguing that it represents a logical incoherence in university principles. Semantically and conceptually examining the terminologies involved, the author contends that, to the extent that we accept the definition of “harm” found in the Discourse of the University, any teaching practice that valorizes critical thinking inevitably will, and should, be harmful.
Normative Analysis and Moral Education: How May We Judge?
Authors: Burns David P.
Published: December 2020

The viability of philosophy of education as a distinct and valued field of inquiry in educational research is under significant threat. While the debate over the proper role and value of philosophy of education continues, courses and faculty positions in philosophy of education become increasingly rare. I advance the view that this situation requires philosophers of education find new ways to bring their work to practicing educators. I propose a particular kind of normative analysis, within the context of moral education, as one way to bring valuable philosophic work to the daily practice of teaching. It is argued that the use of normative criteria, comprised of certain key characteristics for moral education, can serve not only as valuable analytic tools but may also draw practicing educators into conversations that generally take place between philosophers of education in the academy.
Subjects-in-Process/ on-Trial: The Construction of Teacher Subjects in an Early Field Experience Course
Authors: Bach Jacqueline
Published: December 2020

Increased standardization of teacher education programs urges a reconsideration of how pre-service teacher identities are constructed/being constructed and evaluated. The purpose of my study was to examine the writings of pre-service teachers enrolled in an early field experiences course in order to identify moments in which they interacted, negotiated, and subverted the teacher-making process, which they officially enter during the semester they take this course. I approach this question from a philosophical viewpoint, and I use the theories of French post-structuralist, Julia Kristeva. My analysis of pre-service teachers enrolled in an early field experience course illustrates how their language disrupts the standardized language and expectations of a teacher education program.
“If English Was Good Enough for Jesus, It’s Good Enough for Me”
Authors: Kovacs Peter
Published: December 2020

Since the end of World War II, English has become the virtual lingua franca of the planet. However, this development carries significant ethical and educational questions: What are the consequences of the worldwide dominance of the English language? How has it affected and how will it affect the fortunes of other languages? What can and should we as educators to do to minimize or eliminate the harmful effects on some of the endangered languages of the world? This paper will invite educators into a philosophical discussion of the ethical complexities of teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language.
The Opacity of the Self, Sovereignty & Freedom: In Conversation with Arendt, Butler & Derrida
Authors: Giles Graham , Delgado Vintimilla Cristina
Published: December 2020

This paper asks and examines the question “who are you?” In doing so it embarks across the conceptual terrain of subjectivity, passing through five different regions. First is the subject and otherness, in which are considered Arendtian notions of the “who” of the individual in the appearing world. Next is the relation between the “I” and the “you” in systems of recognition, and how those systems are creations and expressions of social normativity. This is followed by the idea of the sovereignty of the self as a reaction to its dislocation within systems of recognition. Sovereignty as such is viewed through the thought of Jacques Derrida and Hannah Arendt. With Foucault, the authors approach the question of social normativity as a frame rather than a constraint by which the self is stylized. The fourth section of the paper then explores self-questioning as a means of explicit or intentional self-stylization. Contrasting the “mere liberation” of thinking in Arendt’s thought with broader understandings of freedom, the fifth section relates Arendt’s conception of the miraculous with Derrida’s of the event. The paper’s trajectory returns in conclusion to the implications of its course for the initial question of who one is, particularly with respect to the teaching subject.
Redefining Success
Authors: Ricci Carlo
Published: December 2020

Two interconnected arguments are made: 1) that we eliminate standardized testing 2) that we oppose mainstream schooling. Schooling and education are two very different concepts, and do not necessarily coincide in practice. A case in point: our current schooling system is anti-educational. This paper makes the case for unschooling and learner-centred democratic alternatives.
Artistic and stylistic uniqueness of the Crimean motifs in visual art of the late XIX – early XX centuries
Authors: Zolotukhina Natal'ya  Anatol'evna
Published: December 2020

The object of this research is the Russian visual art of the turn of the XIX – XX centuries. The subject of this research is the Crimean theme in visual art of that period. The goal consist in determination of artistic and stylistic uniqueness of the Crimean motifs in paintings and graphics of the late XIX – early XX centuries. Research methodology is comprised of the cultural and historical method, which allow analyzing the evolution of artistic and stylistic systems in the national landscape genre, as well as the development of Crimean theme in art. Based on the synthesis of culturological and art methods, the author reviews cultural and stylistic distinctness of the Crimean motifs of the late XIX – early XX centuries. The novelty of this work lies in the statement that Crimean motifs that enjoyed wide popularity in the artworks of this period are considered one of the style-forming and meaning-forming factors in development of the art and style modes of landscape genre in Crimea. Specificity of the image of nature is defined by the art and style modes that substantiate the authorial concept and system of pictorial means. It is established that the uniqueness of Crimean motifs in painting and graphic art at the turn of the XIX – XX centuries lies in application of vibrating color, fusion with rough strokes of colored shadows, rhythmic principle of creating gradation of colors, soft airy and lighting environment of Crimean landscapes.
KINK INSTABILITIES OF A PLASMA COLUMN WITH ELLIPTICAL CROSS-SECTION
Authors: GU YONG-NIAN  , QIU NAI-XIAN  ,   中国西南物理研究所
Published: December 2020

Kink instabilities of a sharp boundary plasma column with elliptical cross-section are studied. A general form of dispersion relation expressed in terms of elliptical eigenfunctions and analytical results for single-mode and double-mode perturbation (to second order in ellipticity ε) are given. For an arbitrary ellipticity, numerical calculations are carried out.Numerical results show that the coupling among modes has a destabilizing effect. qΣ required for stability increases rapidly with e. Accordingly, the number of coupled modes to be taken into account will also increase. When the coupled modes for a given e increases to a certain number, qΣ approaches a limit. With a/b > 2 and in the absence of a conductive shell, we obtain approximately: qΣ-l∝(a/b)2. For a system of finite length, perturbations having wavelength equal to the system length are the most dangerous ones. In the case of small ellipticity, as the system length shortens (i.e. the aspect ratio decreases) the value of qΣ required for those perturbations increases only slightly. A conductive shell close to the plasma has a stabilizing effect to some extent. However, if a/b is large enough, either perturbation with finite wavelength or any conductive shell has hardly any effect on the value of qΣ. In addition, in the presence of a conductive shell, qΣ changes abruptly at certain values of a/b. The stability condition is more stringent in the high-β system than in low-β system.
Perceptions of Competency-Based Teaching and Learning by Teachers and Students of Secondary Schools in Cameroon: Evidence from Implementation of the History Syllabus in Form Five of the Bilingual Grammar School, Buea, South West Region
Authors: Alemnge Fedelis Lekeaka
Published: December 2020

The effective implementation of any syllabus partly depends on the instructional methods and evaluation strategies used. The revised secondary school syllabuses in Cameroon are based on the competence approach, with entry through real life situations. The objective is to enable learners develop a number of competences for successful interaction within the school milieu and the society in general and to enable learners make a smooth transition from school to the world of work. This study therefore, examines the history syllabus in order to determine how teaching and assessment methods used in its implementation contribute to the development of the stipulated student competences. The case study design was used to carry out the study. The study population consisted of students and teachers of Balingual Grammar School Molyko Buea. 210 Form Five History students and 3 teachers of the same class made up the sample. The sample school was selected using the convenience sampling technique while the sample for students and teachers was selected using the purposive sampling procedure. A focused group discussion and classroom observation schedules were used to collect data. The focused group discussion data were analyzed using thematic analysis, and the observation data were analyzed by simply counting the number of classes where a particular toll was used. The findings revealed that the prescribed learner-centred teaching methods were only partially used, but effectively used in these instances. Therefore the use of teaching methods did not significantly influence learners’ development of competences. Findings from teachers, students and observation were conclusive that evaluation methods were very effective in enabling leaners develop the required competences. Based on the findings, it was recommended that policy makers multiply opportunities for teacher’s professional development to improve on the quality of teaching and enable learners acquire the expected learning outcomes.
Measure of Slope Rotatability for Second Order Response Surface Designs under Intra-class Correlated Structure of Errors Using Pairwise Balanced Designs
Authors: Beeraka Sulochana , Re Victorbabu B.
Published: December 2020

In this paper, measure of slope rotatability for second order response surface designs using pairwise balanced designs under intra-class correlated structure of errors is suggested and illustrated with examples.
Comparison of Forecasting Performance with VAR vs. ARIMA Models Using Economic Variables of Bangladesh
Authors: Khan Md. Salauddin , Khan Umama
Published: December 2020

The main concept of this research was forecasting a group of variables simultaneously, thus making use of correlations among the variables. This research aims to check forecasting performance among different VAR and ARIMA models applying some economic indicators of Bangladesh. Data sets were collected from secondary sources of Bangladesh such as Bangladesh bank bulletin, Bangladesh economic review, Monthly economic trends of Bangladesh Bank, and Statistical yearbook of Bangladesh. The stationary VAR and ARIMA models were applied for predicting these financial variables and then checked the accuracy by comparing ME, RMSE, MAE, MPE, MAPE, and MASE of respected the variables. This research found that the VAR model presented a better forecast than ARIMA models for the highly correlated variables such as GDP vs. GNP, Export vs. Import, etc. But ARIMA and VAR models performed almost the same for comparatively low correlated variables. That's means the variables were comparatively low correlated couldn't give a better forecast in the multivariate time series model rather than the univariate time series model. Finally, researchers concluded that before forecasting the authority should check correlations among the variables, and for high correlated variables, the VAR model should be used for forecasting, and otherwise, they can consider any models for both of these correlated and uncorrelated variables.
Influence of Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) on Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Seed Extracts of Selected Citrus Species
Authors: Kolarević Lamija , Horozić Emir , Ademović Zahida , Kundalić Broza Šarić- , Husejnagić Darja
Published: December 2020

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs), as an alternative to ionic liquids, have greener credentials than ionic liquids and have attracted increasing attention in many applications. Choline chloride-based DESs in combination with different hydrogen bond donors (organic acid, sugars and urea), showed a high extraction efficiency. The aim of this study was to examine the possible effects of choline chloride-based eutectic solvents on the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of lemon and mandarin orange seed extracts. Lactic acid, glucose, urea and water were used to prepare choline chloride-based Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADESs). Ferric-Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) Assay and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) method were used to determine antioxidant activity. Antibacterial activity was investigated by diffusion method on reference bacterial strains E. coli, E. faecalis, S. aureus, B. subtilis and L. monocytogenes. The analysis revealed a significant reduction potential of the eutectic solvent based on lactic acid as well as significant antioxidant activity of lemon and mandarin seed extracts. In general, mandarin extracts showed better antioxidant capacity. In vitro antibacterial activity assays showed a complete absence of bacterial growth inhibition of the extracts. However, eutectic solvents with lactic acid have shown a significant antimicrobial effect.
Serum High Sensitive Cardiac Troponin-T (hs-cTnT) as a Biomarker in Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension due to Congenital Left to Right Cardiac Shunt
Authors: Sameaa Hadeer Thabet Abd El , Shabana Ahmed Hamdy , Ammo Desoky Ezzat Abo , Zoair Amr Mohamed
Published: December 2020

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a frequent complication of congenital heart disease (CHD) with left-to-right shunt. Increased pulmonary pressure leads to vascular remodeling and RV dysfunction.

Objectives: To analyze the role of  high-sensitive cardiac  troponin T (hs -cTnT) in the determination of myocardial injury caused by volume and pressure load due to pulmonary hypertension (PH) in children with left to right cardiac shunt.

Patients and Methods: Twenty  patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) with left to right shunt and PAH-CHD, 20 patients with CHD with left to right shunt but without PH, and 20 healthy children, in total 60 individuals, were included in the study. All cases aged between 3 and 36 months. Plain x-ray chest and heart, electrocardiography, Doppler and Two –dimensional, M- mode echocardiographic evaluation of CHD and pulmonary pressure were performed in all patients. Blood samples were obtained from all cases for measurement of serum high-sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) levels by highly sensitive third-generation quantitative test.

Results: The mean hs-cTnT levels were significantly higher in patients with PH than in patients without PH (p < 0.05) with a sensitivity 70% and specificity 95%. A statistically significant positive correlation was determined between pulmonary artery pressure and hs-cTnT levels, and significant negative correlation with EF% and FS %( by echocardiography).

Conclusions: Serum levels of high-sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) were significantly elevated in PAH-CHD children denoting myocardial injury caused by volume and pressure load due to PH in children with left to right cardiac shunts, so it could be used as a cardiac biomarker in PAH-CHD children with good diagnostic and prognostic value and high sensitivity and specificity, which may be useful in the management of PH in childhood.
Examining the Economic Interaction between Liquidity and Firms’ Financial Performance: Evidence from the Ghana Stock Exchange
Authors: Baafi Joseph Antwi , Duodu John Kwame , Sarkodie Eric Effah , Boachie Williams Kwasi
Published: December 2020

This study examined the economic interaction between liquidity and financial performance of manufacturing firms listed on Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE). Specifically, the study sought to examine the relationship between liquidity as measured by current ratio, quick ratio and cash ratio and firms’ financial performance as measured by return as assets, return on equity and return on capital employed and determine the interactive effects on share value of firms. Data extracted from the audited and published annual reports of twenty-one (21) firms for the period 2008 to 2019 was used for the study. The study used correlation analysis for relationship and ANCOVA modeling for interactive effects. The study found that there was a weak positive statistically significant relationship between return on assets and measures of liquidity; there was a weak positive statistically insignificant relationship between return on equity and measures of liquidity; there was a weak negative statistically insignificant relationship between return on capital employed and measures of liquidity. The study also found positive effects of liquidity and performance on share value. However, the magnitude of interactive effect of liquidity and firm’s performance was much higher that the single effects. Based on the findings, the study recommended among others that authorities in listed manufacturing firms in Ghana should try and maintain an ideal level of liquidity that can meet their firms’ operational needs
Optimization for Die Attach Film Delamination on Nickel-Palladium-Gold Die Pad
Authors: Capili Michael D.
Published: December 2020

In the Semiconductor Industry, the delamination performance of integrated circuit packaging is being aggressively improved. However, this task is complicated and difficult, as the defective failure is highly dependent on the compatibility of the material characteristics that may affect the entire Integrated Circuit package system under certain stress levels, both mechanical and thermal. This research work aims to study Die Attach process optimization in DAF adhesive for Nickel-Palladium-Gold Die Pad leadframe to achieve maximum reliability performance under IPC / JEDEC Moisture Sensitivity Level 1 (MSL1) at 260°C reflow. Strategic optimization of the Die Attach process is needed to ensure robust reliability. And one of the solutions is to apply the Scrubbing method, which is a machine feature used at a constant temperature to aid in the wetting of adhesives and the removal of voids.
Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography and Multifocal Electroretinography Results in the Long-Term Follow-Up of Glaucoma Patients
Authors: Cetınkaya Ersan , Inan Sibel , Yıgıt Kenan , Sabaner Mehmet Cem , Inan Ümit Übeyt
Published: December 2020

Objective: To investigate the changes in macular retinal layers and panretinal neuroretinal functions in the long-term follow-up of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma.

Materials and Methods: Forty-one patients diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma were followed up for 12 months. According to their mean deviation (MD) values), the patients were put into two groups as Group 1 with early stage glaucoma (MD≥-6) and Group 2 with middle-advanced stage glaucoma (MD<-6). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) were performed at the baseline and at the sixth- and 12th-month evaluations. The OCT, retinal layer and mfERG findings were compared between the two groups.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of gender and age In Group 2, the mean baseline macula Retina Nerve Fiber Layer, Ganglion Cell Layer and Inner Pleksiform Layer measurements were lower in each quadrant compared to Group 1. Concerning progression in OCT measurements, there was no significant difference between the two groups. However, it was noteworthy that in Group 2, there was a decrease especially in the first and second ring amplitudes of the P1 and N2 waves and prolongation of the implicit time. At the 12-month evaluation, there was prolongation of the implicit time of the N1 wave and a decrease in the P1 wave amplitude in Group 1.

Conclusion: Retinal layers are affected in patients with intermediate and advanced stage glaucoma. In the follow-up of early stage glaucoma patients, mfERG measurements can show damage that may occur.
Porphyromonasgingivalis gingipains potentially affect MUC5AC gene expression and protein levels in respiratory epithelial cells
Authors: Miya Chihiro , Cueno Marni E. , Suzuki Ryuta , Maruoka Shuichiro , Gon Yasuhiro , Kaneko Tadayoshi , Yonehara Yoshiyuki , Imai Kenichi
Published: December 2020

Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) is a periodontopathic pathogen that may affect MUC5AC‐related mucus hypersecretion along airway epithelial cells. Here, we attempted to establish whether Pg virulence factors (lipopolysaccharide, FimA fimbriae, gingipains) affect MUC5AC in immortalized and primary bronchial cells. We report that MUC5AC gene expression and protein levels are affected by Pg culture supernatant, but not by lipopolysaccharide or FimA fimbriae. Cells treated with either Pg single (Kgp or Rgp) or double (Kgp/Rgp) mutants had altered levels of MUC5AC gene expression and protein levels, and MUC5AC staining of double mutant‐treated mouse lung cells showed that MUC5AC protein levels were unaffected. Taken together, we propose that Pg gingipains may be the primary virulence factor that influences both MUC5AC gene expression and protein levels.
High Disease Severity Among Asian Patients in a US Multiethnic Cohort of Individuals With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: DeQuattro Kimberly , Trupin Laura , Murphy Louise B. , Rush Stephanie , Criswell Lindsey A. , Lanata Cristina M. , Dall'Era Maria , Katz Patricia , Yazdany Jinoos
Published: December 2020

Objective

Knowledge about systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) outcomes among US Asian patients is lacking. The present study was undertaken to examine SLE disease activity, severity, and damage among Asian patients of primarily Chinese and Filipino descent in a multiethnic cohort.

Methods

California Lupus Epidemiology Study (n = 328) data were analyzed. Data were collected in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, or Spanish using validated instruments for disease activity (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index), disease severity (Lupus Severity Index [LSI]), and disease damage (Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index). We assessed differences in SLE outcomes among racial/ethnic groups using multivariable linear regression including interaction terms for age at diagnosis and race/ethnicity.

Results

Asian was the largest racial/ethnic group (38% [Chinese = 22%; Filipino = 9%; Other = 7%]). Average age at diagnosis was younger among Asian patients (27.9 years), particularly Filipino patients (22.2 years), compared with White (29.4 years) and Black patients (34.0 years). After adjustment, disease activity and damage were not significantly different across groups. Disease severity among Asian patients was significantly higher than among White patients (LSI score 7.1 versus 6.5; P < 0.05) but similar among Black and Hispanic patients. Early age at diagnosis was associated with greater organ damage among Asian, Black, and Hispanic patients, but not White patients.

Conclusion

SLE was more severe among US Asian patients compared to White patients. Filipinos were affected at strikingly young ages. Asian patients and non‐White groups with younger age at diagnosis had greater organ damage than White patients. Such racial/ethnic distinctions suggest the need for heightened clinical awareness to improve health outcomes among Asian patients with SLE. Further study of SLE outcomes across a range of US Asian subgroups is important.