bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cause and Effect: Can Large Language Models Truly Understand Causality?
Authors: Ashwani Swagata , Hegde Kshiteesh , Reddy Mannuru Nishith , Singh Sengar Dushyant , Jindal Mayank , Chaitanya Rao Kathala Krishna , Banga Dishant , Jain Vinija , Chadha Aman
Published: November 2024

With the rise of Large Language Models (LLMs), it has become crucial to understand their capabilities and limitations in deciphering and explaining the complex web of causal relationships that language entails. Current methods use either explicit or implicit causal reasoning, yet there is a strong need for a unified approach combining both to tackle a wide array of causal relationships more effectively. This research proposes a novel architecture called Context-Aware Reasoning Enhancement with Counterfactual Analysis (CARE-CA) to enhance causal reasoning and explainability. The proposed framework incorporates an explicit causal detection module with ConceptNet and counterfactual statements, as well as implicit causal detection through LLMs. Our framework goes one step further with a layer of counterfactual explanations to accentuate LLMs' understanding of causality. The knowledge from ConceptNet enhances the performance of multiple causal reasoning tasks such as causal discovery, causal identification, and counterfactual reasoning. The counterfactual sentences add explicit knowledge of `not caused by' scenarios. By combining these powerful modules, our model aims to provide a deeper understanding of causal relationships, enabling enhanced interpretability.
Evaluation of benchmark datasets shows improved performance across all metrics, such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 scores.
We also present CausalNet, a novel dataset specifically curated to benchmark and enhance the causal reasoning capabilities of LLMs. This dataset is accompanied by code designed to facilitate further research in this domain.
Limitations of Feature Attribution in Long Text Classification of Standards
Authors: Beckh Katharina , Jacob Joann Rachel , Seeliger Adrian , Rüping Stefan , Mousavi Nejad Najmeh
Published: November 2024

Managing complex AI systems requires insight into a model's decision-making processes. Understanding how these systems arrive at their conclusions is essential for ensuring reliability. In the field of explainable natural language processing, many approaches have been developed and evaluated. However, experimental analysis of explainability for text classification has been largely constrained to short text and binary classification. In this applied work, we study explainability for a real-world task where the goal is to assess the technological suitability of standards. This prototypical use case is characterized by large documents, technical language, and a multi-label setting, making it a complex modeling challenge. We provide an analysis of approx. 1000 documents with human-annotated evidence. We then present experimental results with two explanation methods evaluating plausibility and runtime of explanations. We find that the average runtime for explanation generation is at least 5 minutes and that the model explanations do not overlap with the ground truth. These findings reveal limitations of current explanation methods. In a detailed discussion, we identify possible reasons and how to address them on three different dimensions: task, model and explanation method. We conclude with risks and recommendations for the use of feature attribution methods in similar settings.
QUARL: Quantifying Adversarial Risks in Language Models
Authors: Ackerman Joshua , Cybenko George , Lintilhac Paul , Scheible Henry , Bastian Nathaniel D.
Published: November 2024

It is well documented that artificial intelligence (AI) systems have various types of vulnerabilities and associated risks. As such systems are deployed in safety-critical domains, it has become necessary not only to identify and enumerate the vulnerabilities but also to quantify the resulting risks. In this position paper, we discuss approaches for the challenge of quantifying AI risks. The approach is based on a general framework for testing and evaluating language model systems that we have previously developed (called TEL'M). In particular, we extend TEL'M to deal with the problem of quantifying the effort required by an adversary to discover and exploit a language model vulnerability.
Better Apprenticeship Learning with LLM Explanations
Authors: Grover Rynaa , Vats Aryan , Moorman Nina , Agrawal Aviral , Gombolay Matthew
Published: November 2024

As the population ages, care robots will play an increasing role in assisting caregiving by taking on repetitive or physically cumbersome activities. To effectively provide care, robotic agents must be able to meet the needs and preferences of care receivers. However, these needs and preferences may change over time, making it intractable to pre-define the way the care robot should act before deployment. Instead, the care robot should be able to learn directly from non-expert end-user demonstrations. However, prior work investigating the feasibility of learning a policy from older adult demonstrations finds that older adult demonstrators desire a better understanding of what the robot needs them to do, and how. To help demonstrators understand how to improve on suboptimal or heterogeneous demonstrations, we propose to utilize a Large Language Model to provide human-interpretable explanations of Shapley values of a policy. These explanations enable the demonstrator to understand how the policy is performing, and what changes are needed, informing their corrective demonstrations. We showcase our framework's performance in deterministic and stochastic versions of Wumpus World.
Talk2Care: Facilitating Asynchronous Patient-Provider Communication with Large-Language-Model
Authors: Xu Xuhai , Yao Bingsheng , Yang Ziqi , Zhang Shao , Rogers Ethan , Intille Stephen , Shara Nawar , Gao Guodong , Wang Dakuo
Published: November 2024

Despite the plethora of telehealth applications to assist home-based older adults and healthcare providers, basic messaging and phone calls are still the most common communication methods, which suffer from limited availability, information loss, and process inefficiencies. One promising solution to facilitate patient-provider communication is to leverage large language models (LLMs) with their powerful natural conversation and summarization capability. However, there is a limited understanding of LLMs' role during the communication. We first conducted two interview studies with both older adults (N=10) and healthcare providers (N=9) to understand their needs and opportunities for LLMs in patient-provider asynchronous communication. Based on the insights, we built an LLM-powered communication system, Talk2Care, and designed interactive components for both groups: (1) For older adults, we leveraged the convenience and accessibility of voice assistants (VAs) and built an LLM-powered conversational interface for effective information collection. (2) For health providers, we built an LLM-based dashboard to summarize and present important health information based on older adults' conversations with the VA. We further conducted two user studies with older adults and providers to evaluate the usability of the system. The results showed that Talk2Care could facilitate the communication process, enrich the health information collected from older adults, and considerably save providers' efforts and time. We envision our work as an initial exploration of LLMs' capability in the intersection of healthcare and interpersonal communication.
Supporting the Digital Autonomy of Elders Through LLM Assistance
Authors: Roberts Jesse , Roberts Lindsey , Reed Alice
Published: November 2024

The internet offers tremendous access to services, social connections, and needed products. However, to those without sufficient experience, engaging with businesses and friends across the internet can be daunting due to the ever present danger of scammers and thieves, to say nothing of the myriad of potential computer viruses. Like a forest rich with both edible and poisonous plants, those familiar with the norms inhabit it safely with ease while newcomers need a guide. However, reliance on a human digital guide can be taxing and often impractical. We propose and pilot a simple but unexplored idea: could an LLM provide the necessary support to help the elderly who are separated by the digital divide safely achieve digital autonomy?
Generating Ontology-Learning Training-Data through Verbalization
Authors: Zaitoun Antonio , Sagi Tomer , Peleg Mor
Published: November 2024

Ontologies play an important role in the organization and representation of knowledge. However, in most cases, ontologies do not fully cover domain knowledge, resulting in a gap. This gap, often expressed as a lack of concepts, relations, or axioms, is usually filled by domain experts in a manual and tedious process. Utilizing large language models (LLMs) can ease this process; a fine-tuned LLM could receive as input up-to-date and reliable domain knowledge natural text and output a structured graph in OWL RDF/Turtle format, which is the standard format of ontologies. Thus, to fine-tune a model, text-owl sentence pairs that constitute such a dataset must be acquired. Unfortunately, such a dataset does not exist in the literature or within the open-source community. Therefore, this paper introduces our LLM-assisted verbalizer to create such a data set by converting OWL statements from existing ontologies into natural text. We evaluate the verbalizer on 322 classes from four different ontologies using two different LLMs, achieving precision and recall as high as 0.99 and 0.96, respectively.
Improving Ontology Requirements Engineering with OntoChat and Participatory Prompting
Authors: Zhao Yihang , Zhang Bohui , Hu Xi , Ouyang Shuyin , Kim Jongmo , Jain Nitisha , De Berardinis Jacopo , Meroño-Peñuela Albert , Simperl Elena
Published: November 2024

Past ontology requirements engineering (ORE) has primarily relied on manual methods, such as interviews and collaborative forums, to gather user requirements from domain experts, especially in large projects. Current OntoChat offers a framework for ORE that utilises large language models (LLMs) to streamline the process through four key functions: user story creation, competency question (CQ) extraction, CQ filtration and analysis, and ontology testing support. In OntoChat, users are expected to prompt the chatbot to generate user stories. However, preliminary evaluations revealed that they struggle to do this effectively. To address this issue, we experimented with a research method called participatory prompting, which involves researcher-mediated interactions to help users without deep knowledge of LLMs use the chatbot more effectively. The participatory prompting user study produces pre-defined prompt templates based on user query, focusing on creating and refining personas, goals, scenarios, sample data, and data resources for user story. These refined user stories will subsequently be converted into CQs.
Emerging Directions in Leveraging Machine Intelligence for Explainable and Equity-Focused Simulation Models of Mental Health
Authors: Giabbanelli Philippe J.
Published: November 2024

Simulation models support policymakers, clinicians, and community members in identifying and evaluating interventions to improve population health. While these models are particularly valuable to measure the fairness of interventions, such measurements may require simulating massive populations in order to isolate effects for specific groups (e.g., by race and ethnicity, gender, age). This can create a computational bottleneck, forcing tradeoffs such as simplifying a model (thus potentially losing accuracy) or running fewer simulations (thus accepting wider confidence intervals) in exchange for sufficiently large populations. In addition, policymakers, clinicians, and community members can be involved at the design stage of a simulation model but its complex set of rules often tends to preclude participation at later stages. This discussion considers the use of Machine Intelligence to tackle both challenges, by automatically scaling up simulations and explaining them to stakeholders. This potential is illustrated through the public health challenge of mental health, focusing on agent-based models for suicide prevention.
Automatic Screening for Children with Speech Disorder Using Automatic Speech Recognition: Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Liu Dancheng , Yang Jason , Albrecht-Buehler Ishan , Qin Helen , Li Sophie , Hu Yuting , Nassereldine Amir , Xiong Jinjun
Published: November 2024

Speech is a fundamental aspect of human life, crucial not only for communication but also for cognitive, social, and academic development. Children with speech disorders (SD) face significant challenges that, if unaddressed, can result in lasting negative impacts. Traditionally, speech and language assessments (SLA) have been conducted by skilled speech-language pathologists (SLPs), but there is a growing need for efficient and scalable SLA methods powered by artificial intelligence. This position paper presents a survey of existing techniques suitable for automating SLA pipelines, with an emphasis on adapting automatic speech recognition (ASR) models for children’s speech, an overview of current SLAs and their automated counterparts to demonstrate the feasibility of AI-enhanced SLA pipelines, and a discussion of practical considerations, including accessibility and privacy concerns, associated with the deployment of AI-powered SLAs.
Self-Attention Mechanisms as Representations for Gene Interaction Networks in Hypothesis-Driven Gene-based Transformer Genomics AI Models
Authors: Qin Hong
Published: November 2024

In this position paper, we propose a framework for hypothesis-driven genomic AI using self-attention mechanisms in gene-based transformer models to represent gene interaction networks. Hypotheses can be introduced as attention masks in these transformer models with genes treated as tokens. This approach can bridge the gap between genotypic data and phenotypic observations by using prior knowledge-based masks in the transformer models. By using attention masks as hypotheses to guide the model fitting, the proposed framework can potentially assess various hypotheses to determine which best explains the experimental observations. The proposed framework can enhance the interpretability and predictive power of genomic AI to advance personalized medicine and promote healthcare equity.
Human Perception of Robot Failure and Explanation During a Pick-and-Place Task
Authors: Ngo Huy Quyen , Carter Elizabeth J. , Steinfeld Aaron
Published: November 2024

In recent years, researchers have extensively used non-verbal gestures, such as head and arm movements, to express a robot's intentions and capabilities to humans. Inspired by past research, we investigated how different explanation modalities can aid human understanding and perception of how robots communicate failures and provide explanations during block pick-and-place tasks. Through an in-person, within-subjects experiment with 24 participants, we studied four modes of explanations across four types of failures. Some of these were chosen to mimic combinations from prior work in order to both extend and replicate past findings by the community. We found that speech explanations were preferred to non-verbal and visual cues in terms of similarity to humans. Additionally, projected images had a comparable effect on explanation as other non-verbal modules. We also found consistent results with a prior online study.
Adamts1 and Cyst Expansion in Polycystic Kidney Disease
Authors: Kakade Vijayakumar R. , Akman Zafer , Motrapu Manga , Cassini Marcelo F. , Xu Leyuan , Moeckel Gilbert , Somlo Stefan , Cantley Lloyd G.
Published: November 2024

Key Points

Adamts1 mRNA expression in the kidney was increased with loss of Pkd1, leading to cleavage of V1 isoform of versican in the tubular basement membrane.

Increased versican cleavage promoted peritubular accumulation and activation of macrophages.

Deletion of both Adamts1 and Pkd1 reduced versican cleavage, macrophage accumulation, and cyst growth and improved kidney function and survival.

Background

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is characterized by mutations in either the Pkd1 or Pkd2 genes, leading to progressive cyst growth and often kidney failure. We have previously demonstrated that tubules can enlarge after loss of Pkd1 without an increase in tubular cell numbers, suggesting that tubular basement membrane remodeling is important for cystic dilation. RNA sequencing of Pkd1 null kidneys revealed increased expression of 17 metalloproteinases, of which A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase with Thrombospondin Motif 1 (Adamts1) is the most highly expressed and upregulated.

Methods

Mice were generated with inducible tubule-specific knock-out of Adamts1 alone (AtsTKO), Pkd1 alone (PkdTKO), or both (P/ATKO) after doxycycline induction from age 4 to 6 weeks. Uninduced mice were used as controls. AtsTKO mice had no detectable phenotype through age 12 weeks.

Results

Upregulation of Adamts1 in PkdTKO kidneys correlated with a significant increase in the 70 kDa cleavage product of the V1 isoform of versican, which localized to the tubular basement membrane and adjacent interstitial mononuclear cells. Simultaneous deletion of both Adamts1 and Pkd1 (P/ATKO) reduced Adamts1 expression levels by >90%, prevented V1 versican cleavage, and reduced interstitial macrophage accumulation and activation. P/ATKO mice demonstrated reduced cystic enlargement, improved BUN and creatinine, and better survival than did PkdTKO mice.

Conclusions

Preventing Adamts1 upregulation after loss of tubular Pkd1 effectively reduced cyst growth and preserved kidney function.
Creating a Practical Transdisciplinary Learning in Teaching Construction Entrepreneurship
Authors:   Construction Engineering and Management Program, Universitas Agung Podomoro, Hansen Seng , Rostiyanti Susy F. ,   Construction Engineering and Management Program, Universitas Agung Podomoro
Published: November 2024

Abstract : Construction Entrepreneurship is a unique subject taught in the Construction Engineering and Management program at the Universitas Agung Podomoro in Indonesia. As a new course, it is necessary to develop an effective and efficient teaching syllabus. This study describes construction entrepreneurship teaching through a transdisciplinary learning approach as an effective way to develop its syllabus. The transdisciplinary learning approach was chosen to provide insights into real-world problems to students through collaborative learning with industry speakers. Six construction entrepreneurs were invited to share their experiences in starting a construction business, followed by two reflective discussion forums to explore lessons learned from the sharing sessions. At the end of the term, online surveys were distributed to seek feedback from the enrolled students on the design, methods, and benefits of learning construction entrepreneurship. In addition, the survey was also intended to gather perspectives on the relevance and significance of this subject from construction students who had never taken it before. Overall, the approach to teaching construction entrepreneurship to enrolled students was found to be effective. The statistics also reveal the high interest of students from other construction-related programs in taking this subject. Keywords: construction entrepreneurship; entrepreneurs; teaching; transdisciplinary learning.
A Novel 360° Framework for Developing a Graduate as a Whole Person by Enhancing the Affective Domain Skills
Authors:   Professor/EEE Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, India., Brindha V. Evelyn , Latha C. Beulah Christalin ,   Associate Professor/ Digital Sciences Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, India
Published: November 2024

Abstract: “It takes more than intelligence to act intelligently”. An education that enriches and kindles the thinking ability of a person and ignites not only the knowledge but also the skills and attitude to draw to an innovative conclusion with holistic development is termed Whole Person Education (WPE). A framework for achieving a 360-degree development of a student is devised and used. This framework consists of 14 indicators that are mapped with the Graduate Attributes (GA) defined by NBA. These 14 indicators include research, advanced studies, industry interactions, publications, IPR, sports, and other life skills such as communication, leadership skills, teamwork, and character building. Keywords: Whole Person Education, Affective Domain, Performance Indicators, Attainment of Program Outcomes, Graduate Attributes, Cognitive D o m a i n , P s y c h o m o t o r D o m a i n , R u b r i c s , Accreditation.
Employing CEFR Speaking Rubrics to Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Framework to Assess Undergraduate Level Students Speaking Skills
Authors:   Department of English, B V Raju Institute of Technology, Narsapur, Medak, 502313, Telangana State, India., Raju M , Sivapurapu Lavanya ,   Department of English, K L E F (Koneru Laxmaiah Educational Foundation) Deemed to be University,Vaddeswaram, Guntur, A.P, India,, Sasanka B Mrunalini ,   Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Vardhaman College of Engineering, Shamshabad, Ranga Reddy, 501218, Telangana State, India., Thumma Thirupathi ,   Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Vardhaman College of Engineering, Shamshabad, Ranga Reddy, 501218, Telangana State, India.
Published: November 2024

Abstract: The primary objective of the current research is to improve the speaking skills of undergraduate students by employing the Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Framework (PECTF). Initially, a pre-test was conducted on 61 undergraduate students, following a random speaking test administered to 116 students at a traditional undergraduate college offering conventional courses such as B.A., B.Com., and B.Sc. The pre-test scores were evaluated using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) speaking descriptors. Students scoring at the A1 level or below were selected for participation in a 6-month Intervention Programme (IP) centered around PECTF. Subsequently, a posttest was conducted, and the recordings were analyzed using the adopted CEFR speaking rubrics. The study revealed significant improvements in speaking skills when comparing the meticulously analyzed results of both pre and post-tests. A qualitative analysis method was extensively utilized in this research. The findings suggest that PECTF can effectively enhance speaking skills, positioning it as a valuable teaching tool for language development, particularly in the context of speaking skills. The researcher sought to explore innovative paradigms and approaches to enhancing speaking skills through the utilization of PECTF. Keywords: CEFR, Enhancement, Paul-Elder Critical T h i n k i n g F r a m e w o r k , S p e a k i n g S k i l l s , Undergraduate.
Search for new bioactive compounds based on microbial transformation of oleanane type pentacyclic triterpenoids
Authors:   Perm Federal Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, Plotnitskaya Natalia A. ,   Perm State University, Grishko Victoria V. ,   Perm Federal Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, Ivshina Irina B. ,   Perm Federal Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Science,   Perm State University
Published: November 2024

Against the backdrop of a lack of highly effective pharmacological agents for the treatment of socially significant diseases, the search for new chemical compounds with biological activity based on plant pentacyclic triterpenoids, including oleanolic (OA) and glycyrrhetic (GA) acids, is urgent. These triterpene acids are used to obtain derivatives with pronounced antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and hepatoprotective activities. The transformation of triterpenoids is mainly carried out using chemical methods, requiring extreme acidity, temperature, the use of expensive catalysts or protective groups of the reactive centers of the molecule. This review presents the results of our own research and data from the scientific literature of recent years regarding the assessment of the possibility of using the biological transformation of OA and GA based on the enzymatic activity of microorganisms.
Structural employment shifts in an industrial region: About improved living standards of population
Authors:   Chelyabinsk Branch of the Institute of Economics, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Melenkina Svetlana A. , Uzhegov Artyom O. ,   Chelyabinsk Branch of the Institute of Economics, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Published: November 2024

Introduction. The labour market is the most important part of the economic system of the country and the region, while the ongoing changes reflect the current trends in economic development. There are many studies aimed at identifying cause-and-effect relationships that have led to a decline in the standard of living among population in the Russian regions, but only a few are focused on the analysis of employment as the main factor in the standard of living. The aim of the study is to assess the shifts in the employment structure of the region. To do this, the study analyses the dynamics of labour income and employment in the context of the sectoral structure of the economy in Chelyabinsk Region and the Russian Federation, refers to the shift-share analysis, identifies promising sectors of the economy in Chelyabinsk Region with the localization coefficient, and recommends scenarios of regional socio-economic policy with regard to the proposed typology of economic activities. Materials and Methods. The shift-share analysis and the localization coefficients help examine the dynamics of structural elements. Chelyabinsk Region was chosen to be the object of the analysis in the context of current growth of economy driven by the technologically developed industrial regions. The period of the study is 2017–2022. Results. The article examines the dynamics of living standards, labour income and employment of population in terms of the sectoral structure of the economy in Chelyabinsk Region in 2017–2022. The calculated localization coefficients define the priority industries for investment and support. Conclusions. The results of the study demonstrate the decline in the living standards of the population in the industrial region, the insufficient remuneration of employees in the majority of economic activities, which means the regional employment policy is ineffective and requires adjustment of its methodological support. The methodology proposed in the article can be used to design an employment policy and manage regional investment resources.
PHENOMENON OF BACTERIAL RESISTANCE IN OIL PRODUCTION AND GATHERING SYSTEM
Authors: Karachevsky D.Yu. , Voloshin A.I. , Valekzhanin I.V.
Published: November 2024

In this paper, the active substances of bactericides and the mechanisms of their action are considered. Information on the mechanism of bacterial adsorption to the metal surface, which forms the most corrosive form of bacterial colonies – the adhered one – is presented. Methods of biological contamination control, both physical and chemical, are also considered. The mechanism of bactericidal action of chemical compositions consisting of 3 stages (interaction with water, interaction of bactericide aqueous solutions with bacterial cell membranes, interaction of bactericide with cytoplasmic membrane) is also reviewed. The main types of bacterial resistance common in water circulation systems, reservoir pressure maintenance systems, oil production, transportation, gathering and storage systems are summarized. The mechanisms of occurrence of each type of manifestation and method of spreading resistance between colonies are considered. It is important to note that at the moment, methods to control each of the cases of resistance when using bactericides in oil production have been poorly studied, while constant and non-alternating dosing of reagents leads to bacteria mutation and a decrease in the effectiveness of bactericidal action, which, in turn, leads to significant technological problems and economic costs. Therefore, an important step in choosing bactericides, types and methods of treating an infected environment is to study bacterial resistance. The article accumulates and summarizes information on the methods currently used to prevent bacterial resistance.
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF TEMPERATURE ERROR OF NEGATIVE PRESSURE WAVE METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE LOCATION OF A PIPELINE LEAK
Authors: Baghirov A.F. , Allahverdiyeva N.N.
Published: November 2024

The article is devoted to the qualitative analysis of the temperature error of the negative pressure wave method for determining the location of a pipeline leak. Recording the arrival time of the negative wave at both ends of the pipeline allows you to determine the location of a pipeline leak. In contrast to known works on this topic, this article proposes a method for qualitative analysis of the error in determining a leak location. Based on the variational optimization method, an optimal ratio of the mode indicators at which the minimum error in determining the location of a leak can be achieved is defined. A method for qualitative analysis of the error in determining the leak location using the negative pressure difference wave method is proposed. The optimal correlation of the mode functions is determined at which the minimum error in determining the leak location is achieved. An expression for estimating the relative error in determining the leak location using the negative pressure difference wave method is obtained.
DRILLING MUD THINNER BASED ON TECHNICAL LIGNOSULFONATES FROM WASTE OF CATALYST PRODUCTION
Authors: Karimov Oleg Kh. , Rodnova Valentina Yu. , Tsarkov Aleksandr Yu. , Flid Vitaly R. , Movsumzade Eldar M.
Published: November 2024

The article presents the results of research on obtaining liquid thinners for drilling muds from waste generated at one of the technological stages in the production of sulfocationic catalysts from technical lignosulfonates.During the production of heterogeneous sulfo-cationic sorbents and catalysts from technical lignosulfonates, acidic waters containing low-molecular-weight fractions of lignosulfonates, residues of hemicellulose hydrolysis products, water-soluble, and extractive substances are generated at the stage of washing off the residual acid. One of the ways to utilize the generated waste could be its further processing into new reagents. Therefore, the aim of this work was to develop a formulation of a thinner based on the generated waste and study its effectiveness in typical drilling muds. A dry industrially produced lignosulfonate was used as a reference reagent.The possibilities of using the resulting liquid waste to obtain highly effective thinners for drilling muds based on lignosulfonates are shown. It is revealed that the resulting reagent reduces the rheological parameters of the drilling mud, is comparable in effectiveness to dry industrially produced lignosulfonate (0.5 % by weight and 1 % by weight), and is technologically easy to use. In fresh water solutions, the modified form of the reagent with the addition of oxyethylidenediphosphonic acid is more effective, while in mineralized solutions the unmodified form is more effective.
Betriebliches Gesundheitsmanagement (Folge 3): Theater meets „Gesunde Führung“ – Wie ein Workshop die Sicht auf die Gesundheit der Mitarbeitenden verändert!
Authors:   Merck KGaA, Frankfurt am Main, Hoffmeister Dirk , Balser Nils ,   Merck KGaA, Frankfurt am Main
Published: November 2024

Occupational Health Management (Part 3): Theater meets “Healthy Leadership” – How a workshop changes the view on employee health! You know that? An employee interview goes wrong. Would you like to turn back the time and start the conversation all over again? This is now possible with Merck’s innovative workshop format! Using the forum theater method, participants can immerse themselves in the world of healthy leadership! Managers experience at first hand the direct influence they have on the health and performance of their employees. The motto here is: “Leadership mistakes are expressly permitted!”
Cross-Border Data Flows and the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 – Part II: The Data Transfer Provision
Authors: Coetzee Juana
Published: November 2024

The Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) was introduced to protect the right to privacy of the South African data subject. The Act prescribes obligations that a responsible party must fulfil to achieve this purpose. However, personal information is very often collected and processed by responsible parties who are outside the Republic. Alternatively personal information is collected by a responsible party in the Republic and then transferred out of the country. Part I of this article discussed the territorial scope provision (section 3) and concluded that it can give rise to interpretative uncertainties with the result that personal information processed by responsible parties outside the Republic would not be covered by the Act. However, responsible parties often move their processing activities out of the country to escape liability. This part of the article analyses the data transfer provision (section 72), a provision that is directed at the regulation of the transfer of data outside the Republic. Section 72 lays down certain conditions before a responsible party can export data out of the Republic to a third party. The discussion will show that the provision has certain shortcomings which could limit its effectiveness in providing the necessary protection if compared to its counterpart in the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Consequently, legislative revision or clarification by the Information Regulator in the form of a Guidance Note would be welcomed. The article concludes with a brief analysis of the interplay between sections 3 and 72 to illustrate the need for both these provisions in our law.
Bye-Bye Mr Postman: A Consideration of the Electronic Delivery of Notices in Terms of the National Credit Act 34 of 2005
Authors: Singh Ciresh
Published: November 2024

The outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic in South Africa prompted many local companies to consider new ways of conducting business without compromising the legality and compliance aspect of operations. The COVID-19 national lockdown and related restrictions posed a huge challenge in litigious proceedings, in particular with the delivery of legal notices. In South Africa most legislations, such as the National Credit Act 34 of 2005, require the physical delivery of legal notices by registered post or by the Sheriff of the Court. The requirement of physical delivery proved difficult during the pandemic due to the existence of various restrictions such as the need for social distancing and the limitations on travel. Electronic delivery consequently became an alternative tool for satisfying the delivery requirement. The electronic delivery of legal notices ensured that notices were correctly delivered to recipients in a timely and cost effective manner. Today the move to the use of electronic services and e-delivery has become more prevalent across all business sectors. However, national legislation has failed to develop in this regard, as most Acts still require the delivery of notices by registered post. This dichotomy has given rise to questioning the legitimacy and security of electronically delivered notices, and to a need to examine whether the time has arisen for legislative change in this position.
The enactment of critical digital pedagogical (CDP) practices through pedagogical reasoning.
Authors: Nazira Hoosen  , Makhuvha Nozuko , Munsamy Natasha
Published: November 2024

Abstract
This study examines the influence of educator beliefs and pedagogic awareness apropos of their teaching practices due to the invisible nature of pedagogical reasoning especially when facilitating in online teaching environments. The research question focuses on the role of pedagogical reasoning in the enactment of critical digital pedagogy (CDP) at a Centre for Learning, Teaching and Development (CLTD) mandated to support academics. A transformative learning theory lens and the model for pedagogical reasoning and action was employed as the theoretical analytical framework. This study aligns with the qualitative paradigm and considers pedagogical reasoning in CDP practices through a reflective journal as a research instrument and data source. Thematic analysis was engaged in to identify underlying themes. The study foregrounds the importance of reflection through pedagogical reasoning thereby showing how critical practice in CDP endorses the outline and enactment of inclusive teaching settings in blended learning (BL) environments.
Enriching the professional identity of early childhood development teachers through mentorship
Authors: Bipath Keshni
Published: November 2024

The purpose of this paper is to highlight three professional identity tensions that are experienced by beginning teachers: the change in role from student to teacher; conflicts between expectations and realities of mentor support given to students (mentees), and contradictory notions of learning to teach. Research shows that Early Childhood Development (ECD) is losing many highly qualified teachers due to the perceived lack of proper mentorship in developing professional identity. This article outlines a study to explore the mentoring needs of ECD teachers in developing a positive professional identity. Participatory Reflection and Action (PRA) as a data collection method, which relied heavily on interpretivism as epistemology was conducted. The research sample consisted of all fourth year (final-year) undergraduate BEd students (n=713), who had to attend the compulsory teaching-practice component of the teacher training programme for the first time during the second and third quarters of the academic year. The BEd (Foundation Phase) students’ completed matrices (maps) were transcribed, coded and categorised through thematic analysis. As a result, two dimensions of the participants’ identity construction emerged: (1) Positive Role Modelling and (2) Missed Opportunities. It is suggested that mentor training, as well as scheduled talk-time and reflection opportunities between the mentors and mentees could transform the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) landscape and enrich the professional identity of Early Childhood Education teachers.
Emergency remote teaching during COVID-19: an examination of selected secondary school teachers’ experiences on technology integration in Namibia
Authors: Munyanyo Johanna , Simunja Clement
Published: November 2024

This study examines the experiences of secondary school teachers in Namibia in integrating technology during emergency remote teaching (ERT) necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Aided by the TPACK framework and an interpretive qualitative case study approach. The data were gathered through semi-structured interviews of 17 secondary school teachers selected using purposive sampling. Findings revealed teachers innovatively employed available technological resources to ensure continuity of education, sharing and customising instructional content to promote student interaction. The study also found a significant role for parental involvement in supporting ERT. However, the integration of technology in the transition to ERT was associated with challenges, including lack of access to digital technologies, technical glitches, and maintaining student engagement. Unexpectedly, feelings of professional isolation were also reported among teachers, potentially due to the abrupt shift to online teaching lacking conventional face-to-face professional collaboration. The research underscores the importance of adequate digital literacy skills, essential technological resources, and the role of policymakers and educators in creating effective tactics to overcome emerging challenges. The findings suggest technology can significantly enrich and support educational continuity in crisis situations.
Evaluation of a school-based health promotion intervention in a resource-constrained community
Authors: Ngwenya Mandiza Dinah , Ferreira Ronél , Fraser William
Published: November 2024

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of a school-based health promotion intervention that was implemented in three primary schools in a resource-constrained community in Bronkhorstspruit, South Africa, among Grade 4 to 6 learners. I accordingly investigated the learners’, teachers’ and parents’ experiences, perceptions and potential behavioural changes in terms of healthy food practices after the implementation of the Win-LIFE (Wellness in Lifestyle, Intake, Fitness and Environment) intervention. The study forms part of a broader institutional project. I followed an evaluation research design, applying Participatory Reflection and Action (PRA) principles, an interpretivist paradigm and a qualitative approach. The conceptual framework was based on Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) bio-ecological theory and Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive learning theory. A purposeful sample of 31 learners, 18 teachers and 31 parents participated in PRA-based data-generation and documentation activities. In addition, I used observation-as-context-of-interaction, field notes, research diaries and audio-visual techniques. In terms of results, the teacher-participants valued the PRA-based nature and their involvement as partners in developing and implementing the intervention. They also perceived the intervention as valuable to others, experienced some challenges during the implementation and made certain recommendations for future implementation. The parent-participants indicated that they gained knowledge about healthy food practices because of the Win-LIFE intervention. They started applying their newly gained knowledge yet required additional guidelines. Finally, the learner-participants’ experiences (reported as part of two master’s studies) of the enriched Life Skills curriculum (Bentley, 2016) and Natural Sciences and Technology curriculum (De Vos, 2017) were positive. They valued the experiential and cooperative learning approach and supportive facilitators, resulting in positive learning outcomes and their application of the newly gained knowledge, despite some challenges they identified. The findings thus indicate that the Win-LIFE intervention was valuable to teachers, learners and parents, increasing their awareness of, as well as their knowledge and skills regarding healthy eating practices (food choice, production, preparation and storage) and healthy living, thereby enabling them to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Furthermore, the teachers’ repertoire ofteaching strategies was extended. The learners, on the other hand, began to engage in their own learning more actively, based on the confidence, discipline and ability that they gained to retain information. Learners also transferred their knowledge and skills to their parents and other family members.
Diálogos y resistencias: un camino obligado para la sociedad ecuatoriana
Authors:   PUCE, Barrera Guarderas Augusto , Espín María Augusta ,   UCE, Granda Merchán Sebastián ,   Universidad Politécnica Salesiana (Ecuador), Oetzel Ralf ,   GMX
Published: November 2024

Durante octubre de 2019 y junio de 2022 las organizaciones indígenas y campesinas, especialmente CONAIE, FENOCIN y FEINE junto a otros sectores populares irrumpieron con un extenso repertorio de acciones contenciosas como respuesta a las medidas económicas adoptadas por los gobiernos de Lenín Moreno y Guillermo Lasso, respectivamente. Estos dos últimos “levantamientos” forman parte de la trayectoria de varias décadas de conflicto entre el estado ecuatoriano y los pueblos y nacionalidades indígenas y sectores populares que se ha procesado en las calles, en las elecciones, en los medios y en las instituciones. Se trata de una fractura social, económica y cultural profunda que podría considerarse como constitutiva de un estado-nación que tiene en su pasado un hecho colonial y se ha edificado sobre seculares injusticias
Del dicho al hecho. Presente y futuro de los derechos indígenas en el Ecuador
Authors:   Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Ortiz-T. Pablo
Published: November 2024

El presente texto sintetiza un informe más amplio denominado “Estudio de situación de las políticas públicas en torno a derechos colectivos de los pueblos indígenas y nacionalidades del Ecuador (brechas, actores involucrados, casusas y efectos” (Ortiz-T., 2023), cuya realización se ejecutó a mediados del 2023, en el marco del acuerdo vigente entre la Universidad Politécnica Salesiana y el Programa “Diálogo para la Paz” de la Cooperación Técnica Alemana (GIZ) en Ecuador. El objetivo central del trabajo giró en torno a levantar información primaria, sobre la base de las experiencias y percepciones de las principales organizaciones indígenas del país, en torno al estado de situación de los derechos colectivos que están reconocidos en la Constitución y demás instrumentos del marco jurídico del país.
La acción noviolenta estratégica en los procesos de diálogo democrático
Authors:   PUCE, Garrido María Belén , Lozada Paola ,   PUCE, Peñafiel-Cevallos Pryanka ,   Universidad de Massachussets Boston, Mouly Cécile ,   FLACSO, Pugh Jeff ,   Universidad de Massachussets Boston
Published: November 2024

La conflictividad social es un elemento constante en la historia mundial y más aún en los procesos de democratización de América Latina y del Ecuador, donde la exclusión, el autoritarismo, la desigualdad y la discriminación de todo tipo continúan presentes. Frente a estas realidades, el conflicto, la resistencia, la lucha social y los diálogos son términos que resuenan frecuentemente, con varios matices, recuerdos y connotaciones.
Entre conflicto y resolución: el derecho a la EIB. Principales tensiones y avances
Authors:   Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Espinosa Andrade Alejandra
Published: November 2024

La educación intercultural bilingüe (EIB) en el Ecuador se origina en procesos de lucha social del movimiento indígena, buscando preservar la riqueza lingüística y cultural de los pueblos y nacionalidades así como también fomentar la equidad y la inclusión de los sectores indígenas en el sistema social y político. Las primeras experiencias de EIB se remontan a los años 1940 con las escuelas bilingües de Dolores Cacuango, posteriormente, en los años 1980, estas experiencias se institucionalizan para finalmente, en 1988, crear la Dirección Nacional de Educación Intercultural Bilingüe DINEIB. La DINEIB adquiere el control de la EIB y concreta los lineamientos de la política educativa con base en las propuestas de la Confederación de la Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas CONAIE (Rodríguez Cruz, 2018).
Percepciones de los estudiantes en torno a los acuerdos sobre educación superior
Authors:   Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Viteri Frank Bolívar , Chela Chimborazo, sdb Jaime ,   Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Guananga Dennis ,   Universidad Politécnica Salesiana
Published: November 2024

La educación y la comunidad indígena en Ecuador están conectadas en una red compleja, donde las tensiones y la necesidad de reconocimiento dan forma a la relación. Principalmente, esta dinámica se distingue por el conflicto suscitado en torno al ejercicio del derecho a la educación, extendiéndose más allá de los niveles de enseñanza básica estipulados por el gobierno ecuatoriano, hasta abarcar el acceso a la educación superior, situación que resalta en el contexto latinoamericano. Históricamente, esta coyuntura ha estado marcada por una política de imposición de la cultura hegemónica, dirigida a la asimilación de las comunidades indígenas (Osorio, 2022).