bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Helping Students to Connect Subtraction Strategies Improves Mathematical Reasoning for Students and Teachers
Authors: Sci Eve
Published: June 2022

After administering an end of unit assessment written by the school’s math program, teachers of three second grade classes in a New York City school noticed a majority of the students had not demonstrated mastery of subtracting two, two-digit numbers. The teachers worked with the school’s math coach to implement an instructional unit that required students to make connections among three different subtraction strategies. Implementation of the unit resulted in improved mathematical reasoning for students and teachers in addition to an improvement in students’ subtraction skills.
LEAD TEACHERS IN COLLABORATIVE ACTION RESEARCH: PERCEPTIONS OF ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY
Authors: Bruce Catherine D. , Jarvis Daniel H. , Flynn Tara , Brock Erin
Published: June 2022

In 2008-09, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) sponsored a professional learning initiative entitled, Teachers Learning Together: The Math Journey. The context for teachers was one of team-based, collaborative action research (CAR) dealing with a mathematics topic of their own choosing. University researcher teams in provincial regions were also enlisted to facilitate the CAR activities and to conduct case study research and reporting. Each teacher team designated a Lead Teacher (LT) for the duration of the project. This paper highlights the case study research findings pertaining to perceptions of role and responsibility of the LTs, and focuses on four emergent roles, namely that of manager, motivator, model, and mediator. Lead Teachers are shown to be essential to the collaborative action research process. Notwithstanding, recommendations regarding the actual LT designation, and a clearer communication of LT role and responsibility are also made.
THE INFERNAL TRIANGULATION
Authors: Clausen Kurt W.
Published: June 2022

Doomed by its roots, the poor sunflower cannot break free from these chains, but only watch helplessly as the things of life pass over. The source of the light (indeed what gives the plant its name) is beyond comprehension, but is so attractive that the flower must not turn its face away. Trapped in a cycle, therefore, the plant must perform this instinctive, repetitive act for the rest of its life, rather than breaking free from its pre-design to fly into the area of free thought and action. To Blake, the act of rationalization (of which the concept of time was a shining example) and the cold Platonic dichotomy of mind and body did more to destroy meaning in the world than anything else.
ACTION RESEARCH: EFFECTS OF SELF-EFFICACY TRAINING ON LOW ACHIEVING FRESHMEN
Authors: Haselden Polly G. , Sanders Marla , Sturkie Lindsay
Published: June 2022

This action research project investigated the effects of self-efficacy training on low achieving high school freshman who were considered to be at risk for academic failure. Six students participated in psycho-educational group counseling sessions for forty-five minutes weekly over the course of a nine-week reporting period. Findings indicated significant gains on all six domains of the Piers Harris 2 from pretest to posttest. Additionally, follow up interviews reflecting on the intervention indicated that students would indeed continue with the sessions and were more confident about their academic capabilities as a result of the experience.
Costello, P. J. M. (2011). Effective action research: Developing reflective thinking and practice (2nd Ed.). New York, New York: Continuum. Pp. 132.
Authors: Aberdeen Trudie
Published: June 2022

In order to foster an environment of reflective practice, some colleges and universities are requiring that preservice teachers conduct action research projects in place of larger essay assignments. Costello’s book was written to meet the demands of undergraduate students completing these kinds of assignments. Preservice teachers who may have had limited exposure to conducting research would benefit from using this book as a class textbook. Although Costello has designed the book for preservice teachers, he signals that it may be used in other instructional environments such as management or public relations where action research is frequently employed (p. 1).
THE ENDS AND THE MEAN-SPIRITED IN ACTION RESEARCH
Authors: Clausen Kurt W.
Published: June 2022

Recently, I was informed by a member of the academy that Action Research, as a technique, really didn’t exist in a methodological sense. Instead, it was this person’s impression that the loose term was too informal in its approach and seldom identified any underpinnings of its research. From what she could see, it was not really quantitative because it was not “truth-seeking”, but neither should it be considered qualitative because it was not even “perspective-seeking”. Rather, she believed that it should be seen more as professional development, in that it offered a good pretext to free up teachers’ and other “practitioners’” time to learn more about their classes. She then brought her thesis to a triumphant conclusion - however justifiable, action research could not be placed in a category of “scholarly” research.
LOOKING BACKWARDS, LOOKING FORWARDS: A CONSIDERATION OF THE FOIBLES OF ACTION RESEARCH WITHIN TEACHER WORK
Authors: Steele Astrid
Published: June 2022

This backward-looking reflection, which stems from experiences of an action research project with teachers, begins with an overview of current perspectives on action research in education settings. Significant details of the project are described to provide context for identification and discussion of the strengths and weaknesses relating to action research encountered by the author. Strengths include collegiality, dedicated time and space, facilitation and transparency and weaknesses discussed are issues of emancipation, the role of the researcher/facilitator, locus of power, data collection, professional development and teacher talk are discussed. The author attempts to orient both the methodology and the practical aspects of her action research experiences as a way to prepare for future research endeavors.
WHY AM I TEACHING THIS? INVESTIGATING THE TENSION BETWEEN MANDATED CURRICULUM AND TEACHER AUTONOMY
Authors: Costello David
Published: June 2022

This article shares the experience of a teacher investigating the tension between a mandated literacy program and his desire to teach in response to his perceptions of students’ needs. Qualitative teacher research methodology is used to study the impact of mandated literacy practices on teaching and learning; and to answer the question: how is my teaching situated within the literacy program? Data, collected through a research journal, were analyzed using a Foucauldian lens of discourse, and reading theory. This study unveils the mechanisms supporting mandates, and conflicts between theoretical and practical applications of mandated practices and the teacher’s instructional beliefs.
INCLUSIVENESS & LARGE SCALE STUDIES: AN EXPLOSIVE ISSUE
Authors: Clausen Kurt W.
Published: June 2022

Landmines are a particular nasty side of war. They care nothing about your political or economic stances, age, religion, culture, social status or skin colour. Their only target is proximity. If you happen to be in the area when one goes off, there is no discrimination. It is truly a killer with no reasoning ability: just blind mayhem. This is why the elimination of this equal opportunity assassin had been the top priority of many peacemakers in the world. Jody Williams, Hendrik Ehlers, and Princess Diana have all raised awareness of this menace. However, when it comes to eliminating the more than 110 million active landmines found in over 70 countries around the world, the work becomes a little trickier. Cheap to make and plant (as low as 3 dollars per), it can cost 50 times as much to remove these hidden bombs. The question then remains, what is the best way to proceed with their eradication?
EXAMINING ROLE ISSUES IN INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS THROUGH PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH
Authors: Lyons Wanda E.
Published: June 2022

This participatory action research study engaged classroom teachers, special education teachers, teacher assistants, and a principal in examining and resolving role issues within inclusive classrooms. Analysis of data from multiple sources revealed three predominant findings: (a) when teachers were confronted with role problems, they identified an underlying issue of instruction; (b) when tasked with transforming instruction, there was a tendency for participants to add supplementary programs and supports; and (c) role issues were resolved through action planning and equipping classroom teachers with instructional strategies, materials, and support to teach all students within their classrooms. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
WHAT’S GETTING IN THE WAY OF PLAY? AN ANALYSIS OF THE CONTEXTUAL FACTORS THAT HINDER RECESS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Authors: McNamara Lauren
Published: June 2022

This article describes the first two years of an ongoing, collaborative action research project focused on the troubled recess environment in 4 elementary schools in southern Ontario. The project involves an iterative, dynamic process of inquiry, planning, action, and reflection among students, teachers, university researchers, university student volunteers, and community agencies. The goal is to proactively transform the social landscape of recess into an engaging, positive, inclusive, and active environment. We present a brief review of research on recess in order to contextualize our project and highlight the important links between recess activities, school engagement, and academic outcomes. We then highlight the children’s voices about their recess environment, and add perspectives from the teachers, principals, and playground volunteers. Finally, we present our collective suggestions for action that will lead us into the next phase of our project.
MENTORING FOR SUCCESS: ACCOMMODATION STRATEGIES FOR ELLS
Authors: Munro Jill , Abbott Marilyn , Rossiter Marian
Published: June 2022

We investigated the extent to which a seven-week action research mentoring project would help two junior high school science teachers to feel more confident and successful in their abilities to use accommodation strategies to support the English language learners (ELLs) in their classes, and consequently to increase their ability to assess more accurately the curricular competence of ELLs. The participants completed pre- and post-study questionnaires and participated in weekly mentoring sessions on accommodation strategies. Results showed that both participants benefited from the mentoring project and felt an increased level of familiarity and comfort in implementing the accommodation strategies.
“HOW, WHEN, WHY” – A COMPARISON OF TWO ACTION RESEARCH METHODS TO EXAMINE THE HIDDEN TONES IN ANNOTATION FEEDBACK
Authors: Ball Elaine , Regan Paul
Published: June 2022

This recent study broadly confirms earlier conclusions in which action research findings identified that annotated feedback on student assignments carried an unfavourable lecturer tone and, because of which, failed to motivate the student as a learner. It was important to take the action research process further to show how tone is so easily manifested in annotation. By subverting the feedback process, annotation was read as marginalia in temporary isolation of the assignment and tone was easily identified. Two different action research (AR) studies were carried out by researchers to examine the same issue. One study examined annotation using participatory action research (PAR) (Marshall et al. 2011), while the other study utilised action research using semi-structured questionnaires (McNiff et al 2003). This paper demonstrates how the chosen methodology can either support or restrict action research if the methods are considered ill-matched to the study. It also demonstrates the importance of triangulation. Therefore, the
Ramage, G. (2012). The Modern Languages Teacher’s Handbook. London, UK: Continuum.
Authors: Eloit Wendy
Published: June 2022

Ramage’s book covers the main areas that every teacher needs to know when teaching a foreign language class. Her book is divided into ten chapters which cover topics such as reasons why students should take foreign language classes, lesson planning, the four main language skills, grammar, using the language in class, assessment of students, and exploitation of real-life language learning opportunities.
Arthur, A., Campbell, A., Kim, A., Lynn, J., McIsaac, W., Mott, C.,, Russell, S., & Solomon, S. (2010). Creating Spaces: Embedding Equity in Education. Toronto, ON: OSSTF/FEESO.
Authors: Kovaliova Natalia
Published: June 2022

Creating Spaces: Embedding Equity in Education is a project developed and written by educators for educators. This educational resource is not only a response to the Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy put forward by the Ministry of Education in 2009, but also a resource that contributes greatly to the scholarship of teaching practices in the province and the country in general. This project fits well in the series of Ministry Programs related to equity and inclusive education and draws upon such initiatives as the Ontario’s Aboriginal Education Strategy, Special Education Programs, Safe Schools Strategy, and the New Teacher Induction Program.
INDIGENIZING TEACHER EDUCATION: AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT
Authors: Kitchen Julian , Raynor Margaret
Published: June 2022

This action research report focuses on a new elective course entitled “Indigenizing Education: Education for/about Aboriginal Peoples” that was developed and taught by two teacher educators—one Euro-Canadian and the other Métis. The purpose of the course was to increase understanding of Indigenous peoples and of the impact of colonization on Aboriginal communities. The course had an experiential orientation: participation by an Aboriginal Elder, educators working in Aboriginal settings, and educators who incorporate Indigenous knowledge and pedagogy into mainstream classrooms. Action research was conducted to determine the degree to which the course achieved its purpose with a view to enhancing future iterations of this course and contributing to teacher educator knowledge about effective teacher education approaches to including Aboriginal content and ways of knowing in teacher education. In particular, the authors were interested in the degree to which teacher candidates were responsive to Indigenous elements in the curriculum and teaching. Given the Aboriginal focus of this research, the Medicine Wheel is employed as an Indigenous framework for presenting and analyzing the findings.
TEACHER ASSOCIATIONS SUPPORTING AR: MANITOBA, ONTARIO, AND NUNAVUT
Authors: Brown Willow
Published: June 2022

In the first Notes from the Field column, I highlighted some supporting structures for action research in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Yukon – regions where I have experience as a teacher or teacher educator. In this second column, I invite you to continue with me across Canada, east from Saskatchewan to Manitoba and Ontario and from Yukon to Nunavut (with my apologies to the Northwest Territories – we’ll come back to you!). Given the vast expanse of our Canadian geography as well as the complexity of the action research landscape, I have focused this column on the support for action research offered by teacher’s professional associations.
LOOKIN’ FOR A HOME
Authors: Clausen Kurt W.
Published: June 2022

During my childhood, whenever there was a lull in the conversation in the car, my father would frequently break into a lilting hum. More often than not, the tune he chose was an old Brook Benton chestnut, the Boll Weevil Song. And, as my father was never one to be troubled with lengthy verses, he tended to settle into the refrain and remain there for quite some time. I can remember many a drive in the country hearing nothing but the low, baritone call of…
A NEW PATRON FOR THE AR
Authors: Clausen Kurt W.
Published: June 2022

In Canada, Action Research needs as much help as it can get. This is because it is largely disadvantaged by the natural predisposition of the country itself. Divided into 10 provinces and three territories, and almost 10 million square kilometers of formidable terrain, it is tough for people of like interests to get together. This has had mixed blessings for Action Research. It has led to a certain amount of decentralization and self-determinacy: If the will is in place, educator-researchers have opportunities to pursue projects with a certain amount of non-intervention that a more dictatorial and closely monitored system would not usually permit. However, it has also led to a great deal of educational solitude, forcing teachers to have colleagues of proximity rather than of shared interest and passion.
MAKING TRACKS 1.0: ACTION RESEARCHING AN ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION EDUCATION PROGRAM
Authors: Robinson Daniel , Foran Andrew , Robinson Ingrid
Published: June 2022

This paper reports on the results of the first cycle of an action research project. The objective of this action research was to examine the implementation of a school-based active transportation education program (Making Tracks). A two-cycle action research design was employed in which elementary school students’ (ages 7-9), middle school students’ (ages 10-12), and high school students’ (ages 15-17) experiences with Making Tracks were investigated. Qualitative data were collected through field observations, student questionnaires, and follow-up focus group interviews with elementary school “walkers,” middle school “cyclists,” and high school leaders. Results suggest Making Tracks ought to be recognized as a program that has great potential in school and after-school community contexts. Notwithstanding these positive results, additional changes to the program might be considered so as to enable additional positive results in the future.
Barbour, R. (2007). Doing Focus Groups. London: SAGE Publications. 174 pp. ISBN 978-0- 7619-4978-7.
Authors: Zenari Vivian
Published: June 2022

Focus groups can be used to gather data for primary analysis or to identify areas of need as a preliminary step in research design. Rosaline Barbour’s Doing Focus Groups should be of interest to those considering the use of focus groups for their action research. This book is one of the eight-volume SAGE Qualitative Research Kit series edited by Uwe Flick, professor of qualitative research in social science and education at the Free University of Berlin. It has eleven chapters and includes a glossary, reference list, author index, and subject index. The book begins with broader conceptual topics (Chapter One is called “Introducing Focus Groups”) and grows more practical in later chapters, which are arranged in the order by which a research project would tend to unfold. The chapters are organized similarly. Each begins with an internal table of contents and a list of learning objectives. At the end of each chapter is a list of key ideas and supplementary readings relevant to that chapter.  The book contains a generous number of illustrative examples from published research--often the Barbour’s own work in health research--to help elucidate chapter contents.
THINKING GLOBALLY, SPEAKING LOCALLY
Authors: Clausen Kurt
Published: June 2022

Most Canadians today are familiar with the term “the Global Village”. It is a catch-phrase loaded with positive connotations of unity, familiarity, and humanity on an international scale. Through the modern miracle of electronic networks, most now believe that very personal linkages can be created between just about anyone in any part of the world, regardless of the distance. In short, it means that no-one need be a stranger anymore. However, this is a bit of an incomplete reading of what Marshall McLuhan meant when he originally coined the term. While to the modern urban-dweller a village rustles up images of tire swings, porch doors and the time to sit and talk about the “important things” of life, McLuhan would admonish this perspective as mere nostalgia from people who never actually lived in a village. To him, a village is more claustrophobic, people not as caring as one would think. Instead, it is a place where nosy parkers know your business, the crack in your drapes is a focal point for snoopy neighbors, and a non-stop stream of gossip is purveyed at the local post office. To McLuhan, life in the Global Village was a life lived vicariously. He did not condemn this, but just discussed this facet of the future with a sense of inevitability.
DEVELOPING READING AND WRITING SKILLS OF LEARNERS’ FROM ARABIC-SPEAKING BACKGROUNDS
Authors: Fuqua Jason
Published: June 2022

The number of native Arabic-speaking students coming to America to study English in university programs has grown over the past few years, and continues to be substantial. It has also been noticed by the English Language Institute (ELI) at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) that these students often struggle more with reading activities in class, completing them slowly, and having difficulty understanding why their work is incorrect. In addition, it seems that this group fails reading and writing to a greater extent than listening and speaking, which suggests an imbalance in the students’ language learning progress. The purpose of the study is to solve the problems associated with reading and writing in English that Arabic speaking students currently have using the 'read and copy' strategy. After using the 'read and copy' strategy for a three we
ENHANCING CLASSROOM PARTICIPATION OF RURAL TRAINEE TEACHERS OF ENGLISH THROUGH USE OF ACTION RESEARCH: A REFLECTON FROM A CHINESE TEACHER TRAINER’S PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Ping Wang
Published: June 2022

A common problem for Chinese teacher trainers is coping with a passive class with silent trainee learners, when trainees tend to be unresponsive and avoid interactions with the trainer. This is especially true when a trainer seeks interactions in the process of training, such as asking questions to the class as a whole or expecting at least one trainee to respond. This can be a frustrating experience for both sides. This action research explores this problem and has created an interactive trainer-to-trainee and trainee-to-trainee class atmosphere and improved the trainees’ participation in teaching Integrated English, which is shown here as a successful example.
ALARA 9TH ACTION LEARNING ACTION RESEARCH AND 13TH PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH WORLD CONGRESS
Authors: ALARA
Published: June 2022

CONFERENCE DATES: 4 – 7 November 2015VENUE: St. George Hotel and Conference Centre, Centurion, South Africa
STRUGGLING WRITERS’ USE OF IPAD ART AND TEXT APPS FOR STORY WRITING
Authors: Dunn Michael
Published: June 2022

Many children struggle with writing. Idea generation, planning, organizing ideas, editing, and encoding a final text all have a part in a child’s producing a publishable copy. Part of the challenge for these students is how working memory can be overloaded when initially planning and writing at the same time. To address this issue, the author offered eight struggling writers the opportunity to employ a mnemonic strategy entitled STORY, which included verbalizing story ideas while noting them in an illustration with an iPad art app and then later keyboarding the text. The students received intervention programming over 24 sessions, 45 minutes each. All students demonstrated improvement with story content and quality. Two of the lowest-performing students participated in an additional 24 sessions to promote improvement.
Action Research Network of the Americas Annual Conference 2019, June 26-28, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Authors: Annual Conference Action Research Network of the Americas
Published: June 2022

The 2019 ARNA organizing committee have chosen the theme of Repoliticizing P/AR. It is hoped that this will generate debate, discussion and deliberation on the future directions of P/AR in an era of neoliberal globalization characterized by social and political upheaval, and economic austerity.
BLOGGING AND E-LEARNING PLATFORM WITH COMPANY PORTFOLIO
Authors:   Department of IT JSPM’s Jaywantrao Sawant Polytechnic Pune, Maharashtra, India, Kiran Inamke Vinit , Sameer Shaikh Asfahan ,   Department of IT JSPM’s Jaywantrao Sawant Polytechnic Pune, Maharashtra, India
Published: June 2022

In this paper we will focus on Blogging and ELearning platform for the member of organization. This platform aims to provide a platform for organizations to build a digital presence for their members. It can be used for any type of organization. Members will be able to configure a personal website or blog on the platform. The platform will provide the ability for the organization to configure how the platform is presented, including branding and background images. Organizations need to provide a blogging environment as a platform for the members. To achieve this, organization need to have a platform with which they could build a custom blogging environment. This platform should be able to create an environment for the members.
AI SYSTEMS AND TESTING FOR AERIAL COMBAT
Authors:   Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, Sundaram Aishwarya
Published: June 2022

Artificial intelligence systems are used in aviation like autopilot systems, UAVs, Drones, etc., AI in near future would revolutionize aviation industry assisting the fighter pilotsduring aerial combat beyond their human abilities. The need for assistance of AI systems for combat emerged with the evolution of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Technology can identify, manipulate, and act faster than human beings helping the fighter pilots to cover them during a combat and handle the adversaries at the same time so that the pilots move on with their next target. The environment for civil or commercial aviation automation is not the same for the military aviation. It must be smart and swift to decide and execute the counter measures. There by effective and artificially intelligent algorithms and systems is required right from the beginning of the development till the live execution. This paper aims in discussing the major concerns in developing and testing AI systems specific for air combat gathered from various articles, accident and incident reports and resources.
SUSPICIOUS E-MAIL DETECTION USING VARIOUS TECHNIQUES
Authors:   Jain University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, Raj S Jeevan , K Sejpal Raghav ,   Jain University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, N Priya ,   Jain University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, Aadil Dr Mir ,   Jain University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Published: June 2022

In today's world, email spam has become a serious concern, since the number of internet users has grown rapidly. Illegal and unethical practices, such as phishing and fraud, are taking advantage of the diverse classes of users that use different web services. Users that send unsolicited emails with the intention of disrupting or attracting legitimate customers are known as "spammers" by infecting the user system by sending malicious links in a spam email. Spammers prey on those who are unaware of their deceptions by posing as real people in their unsolicited emails and setting up bogus social media profiles and email accounts. These fraudulent spam emails must be identified. The work is an attempt to analyze different machine learning approaches to serve the purpose. This article uses Deep Learning methods for the identification of spam emails with high precision and accuracy.
Chronic Kidney Disease Staging Among Type II Diabetes Mellitus Patients in Kedah, Malaysia: Prevalence and its Factor Associated
Authors: Mohd Zuki Abdul Hadi , Rodi Isa Mohamad
Published: June 2022

Diabetes mellitus is often associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is one of the significant predictors of the development of CKD. The study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors for CKD among diabetes type II diabetes mellitus patients. This cross-sectional study using secondary data from National Diabetes Registry’s (NDR) audited patients for the year of 2018 to 2020 at Padang Terap, Kedah. All audited patients were included in the analysis of the study. The eGFR was calculated from serum creatinine value and classified into CKD status based on KDIGO classification. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the associated factors. A total of 963 patients were involved in this study. The prevalence of CKD among T2DM patients was 38.6% (95% CI: 35.5, 41.7). The factors associated with CKD among T2DM patients were age group (p<0.05), female [adj. OR: 1.974 (95%CI: 1.460, 2.669). triglyceride [Adj. OR: 1.263 (95%CI: 1.099, 1.451)], high density lipoprotein [Adj. OR: 0.663 (95%CI: 0.425, 0.989)] and patients received calcium channel blocker [Adj. OR = 0.658 (95%CI: 0.499, 0.868)]. The statistical model can discriminate 68.8% [95%CI: 65.4, 73.5), p<0.001]) to predict CKD among DM patients. Age, female, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, and treatment with calcium channel blocker were found to be significant factors for CKD among T2DM patients. Treating patients with anti-hypertensive and anti-hyperlipidemic are very important to reduce the prevalence of CKD among T2DM patients.
Single Leg Balance, Vestibular Input, Turns During Gait and Cognitive Components as Predictors of Gait Speed Alteration in Hispanic Latinx Participants Living with HIV
Authors: Rosario Martín G. , Kessler Kennedy , Myers Taryn , Jamison Leah
Published: June 2022

Those living with HIV experience a number of complications that negatively affect gait. Gait speed is an important predictor of overall health, and people living with the virus experience an accelerated decline as the disease progresses. Purpose: To identify components associated with gait speed decreased. Methods: Thirty individuals diagnosed with HIV, a stable immune system (cd4=878.5) and aged 60.31±7.8 years (19 males, and 11 females) were recruited for this study from a clinical fitness specialized in HIV. Participants completed the HIV dementia scale, vestibular fukuda test, 5 challenging single leg balance tests, 5 time sit to stand, and a 7-meter walk. Results: A multiple linear regression analysis revealed the association of all components to the prediction of gait speed (R2 = [.963], F(df regression =15, df residual=6) = [F-10.5], p = [p-0.004]) except for the lower limb strength. Conclusion: Exercise interventions that include vestibular stimulation, such as head rotations, single limb activities, and dynamics turning tasks, should be added to a 3 point (cardio, strengthening and stretching) exercise program. Physical therapists and exercise physiologists should assess and treat all those aforementioned components.
On the Dynamics of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Under Awareness and Treatment
Authors: Oukouomi Noutchie Suares Clovis , Mafatle Ntswaki Elizabeth , Guiem Richard , M'pika Massoukou Rodrigue Yves
Published: June 2022

In this paper, we develop and extend the work of Jia and Qin on sexually transmitted disease models with a novel class of non-linear incidence. Awareness plays a central role both in the susceptible and the infectious classes. The Existence, uniqueness, boundedness, and positivity of solutions are systematically established. Concavity arguments and the occurrence of a vertical asymptote are essential in the proof of the existence of a unique endemic equilibrium. Conditions for the stability of all steady states are investigated. In particular, numerical simulations are performed in order to capture the asymptotic behavior of solutions.

AMS Classification: 92D30, 34D23.
The Impact of Mass Exodus on the Resurgence of COVID-19 Cases: Case Study of Regions in Indonesia
Authors: Aini Wirdatul , Sukandar Kamal Khairudin , Nuraini Nuning , Handayani Dewi
Published: June 2022

Consideration of human mobility is essential for understanding the behavior of COVID-19 spread, especially when millions of people travel across borders around Eid al-Fitr. This study aims to grasp the effect of mass exodus between regions on active cases of COVID-19 through a mathematical perspective. We constructed a multiregional SIQRD (susceptible–infected–quarantined–recovered–death) model that accommodates the direct transfer of people from one region to others. The mobility rate was estimated using the proposed Dawson-like function, which requires data from an origin–destination matrix. Assuming that only susceptible, inapparently infected, and recovered individuals travel around Eid al-Fitr, the rendered model well-depicted the actual data at that time, giving either a significant spike or decline in the number of active cases due to the mass exodus. Most agglomerated regions such as Jakarta and Depok City experienced a fall in active case numbers, both in actual data and in the simulated model. However, most rural areas experienced the opposite, such as Bandung District and Cimahi City. This study confirmed that most travelers journeyed from big cities to the rural regions, and it scientifically demonstrated that mass mobility affects COVID-19 transmission between areas.
Detecting Genetic Variation of Colonizing Streptococcus agalactiae Genomes in Humans: A Precision Protocol
Authors: Zhou Yan , Zhao Xue-Chao , Wang Lin-Qi , Chen Cheng-Wen , Hsu Mei-Hua , Liao Wan-Ting , Deng Xiao , Yan Qing , Zhao Guo-Ping , Chen Chyi-Liang , Zhang Liang , Chiu Cheng-Hsun
Published: June 2022

Deciphering the genotypic diversity of within-individual pathogens and verifying the evolutionary model can help elucidate resistant genotypes, virulent subpopulations, and the mechanism of opportunistic pathogenicity. However, observed polymorphic mutations (PMs) are rare and difficult to be detected in the “dominant-lineage” model of bacterial infection due to the low frequency. The four pooled group B Streptococcus (GBS) samples were collected from the genital tracts of healthy pregnant women, and the pooled samples and the isogenic controls were genomically sequenced. Using the PMcalling program, we detected the PMs in samples and compared the results between two technical duplicates, GBS-M001T and GBS-M001C. Tested with simulated datasets, the PMcalling program showed high sensitivity especially in low-frequency PMs and reasonable specificity. The genomic sequence data from pooled samples of GBS colonizing carrier pregnant women were analyzed, and few high-frequency PMs and some low-frequency PMs were discovered, indicating a dominant-lineage evolution model. The PMs mainly were nonsynonymous and enriched in quorum sensing, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, etc., suggesting antimicrobial or environmental selective pressure. The re-analysis of the published Burkholderia dolosa data showed a diverse-community model, and only a few low-frequency PMs were shared between different individuals. Genes of general control non-repressible 5-related N-acetyltransferases family, major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporter, and ABC transporter were positive selection candidates. Our findings indicate an unreported nature of the dominant-lineage model of GBS colonization in healthy women, and a formerly not observed mutation pool in a colonized microbial community, possibly maintained by selection pressure.
Application of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Techniques for Informing Select Agent Designation and Decision Making
Authors: Pillai Segaran P. , Fruetel Julia A. , Anderson Kevin , Levinson Rebecca , Hernandez Patricia , Heimer Brandon , Morse Stephen A.
Published: June 2022

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Select Agent Program establishes a list of biological agents and toxins that potentially threaten public health and safety, the procedures governing the possession, utilization, and transfer of those agents, and training requirements for entities working with them. Every 2 years the Program reviews the select agent list, utilizing subject matter expert (SME) assessments to rank the agents. In this study, we explore the applicability of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) techniques and logic tree analysis to support the CDC Select Agent Program biennial review process, applying the approach broadly to include non-select agents to evaluate its generality. We conducted a literature search for over 70 pathogens against 15 criteria for assessing public health and bioterrorism risk and documented the findings for archiving. The most prominent data gaps were found for aerosol stability and human infectious dose by inhalation and ingestion routes. Technical review of published data and associated scoring recommendations by pathogen-specific SMEs was found to be critical for accuracy, particularly for pathogens with very few known cases, or where proxy data (e.g., from animal models or similar organisms) were used to address data gaps. Analysis of results obtained from a two-dimensional plot of weighted scores for difficulty of attack (i.e., exposure and production criteria) vs. consequences of an attack (i.e., consequence and mitigation criteria) provided greater fidelity for understanding agent placement compared to a 1-to-n ranking and was used to define a region in the upper right-hand quadrant for identifying pathogens for consideration as select agents. A sensitivity analysis varied the numerical weights attributed to various properties of the pathogens to identify potential quantitative (x and y) thresholds for classifying select agents. The results indicate while there is some clustering of agent scores to suggest thresholds, there are still pathogens that score close to any threshold, suggesting that thresholding “by eye” may not be sufficient. The sensitivity analysis indicates quantitative thresholds are plausible, and there is good agreement of the analytical results with select agent designations. A second analytical approach that applied the data using a logic tree format to rule out pathogens for consideration as select agents arrived at similar conclusions.
Construction of an Antibiotic-Free Vector and its Application in the Metabolic Engineering of Escherichia Coli for Polyhydroxybutyrate Production
Authors: Liao Ying-Cheng , Saengsawang Boonyawee , Chen Jun-Wei , Zhuo Xiao-Zhen , Li Si-Yu
Published: June 2022

An antibiotic- and inducer-free culture condition was proposed for polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production in recombinant Escherichia coli. First, antibiotic-free vectors were constructed by installing the plasmid maintenance system, alp7, hok/sok, and the hok/sok and alp7 combination into the pUC19 vector. The plasmid stability test showed that pVEC02, the pUC19 vector containing the hok/sok system, was the most effective in achieving antibiotic-free cultivation in the E. coli B strain but not in the K strain. Second, the putative phaCAB operon derived from Caldimonas manganoxidans was inserted into pVEC02 to yield pPHB01 for PHB production in E. coli BL21 (DE3). The putative phaCAB operon was first shown function properly for PHB production and thus, inducer-free conditions were achieved. However, the maintenance of pPHB01 in E. coli requires antibiotics supplementation. Finally, an efficient E. coli ρ factor-independent terminator, thrLABC (ECK120033737), was inserted between the phaCAB operon and the hok/sok system to avoid possible transcriptional carry-over. The newly constructed plasmid pPHB01-1 facilitates an antibiotic- and inducer-free culture condition and induces the production of PHB with a concentration of 3.0 on0.2 g/L, yield of 0.26 /L0.07 g/g-glucose, and content of 44 /g3%. The PHB production using E. coli BL21 (DE3)/pPHB01-1 has been shown to last 84 and 96 h in the liquid and solid cultures.
Mechanical Distribution and New Bone Regeneration After Implanting 3D Printed Prostheses for Repairing Metaphyseal Bone Defects: A Finite Element Analysis and Prospective Clinical Study
Authors: Liu Bingchuan , Li Xingcai , Qiu Weipeng , Liu Zhongjun , Zhou Fang , Zheng Yufeng , Wen Peng , Tian Yun
Published: June 2022

Critical metaphyseal bone defects caused by nonunion and osteomyelitis are intractable to repair in clinical practice owing to the rigorous demanding of structure and performance. Compared with traditional treatment methods, 3D printing of customized porous titanium alloy prostheses offer feasible and safe opportunities in repairing such bone defects. Yet, so far, no standard guidelines for optimal 3D printed prostheses design and fixation mode have been proposed to further promote prosthesis stability as well as ensure the continuous growth of new bone. In this study, we used a finite element analysis (FEA) to explore the biomechanical distribution and observed new bone regeneration in clinical practice after implanting 3D printed prostheses for repairing metaphyseal bone defects. The results reflected that different fixation modes could result in diverse prosthesis mechanical conductions. If an intramedullary (IM) nail was applied, the stress mainly conducted equally along the nail instead of bone and prosthesis structure. While the stress would transfer more to the lateral bone and prosthesis’s body when the printed wing and screws are selected to accomplish fixation. All these fixation modes could guarantee the initial and long-term stability of the implanted prosthesis, but new bone regenerated with varying degrees under special biomechanical environments. The fixation mode of IM nail was more conducive to new bone regeneration and remodeling, which conformed to the Wolff’s law. Nevertheless, when the prosthesis was fixed by screws alone, no dense new callus could be observed. This fixation mode was optional for defects extremely close to the articular surface. In conclusion, our innovative study could provide valuable references for the fixation mode selection of 3D printed prosthesis to repair metaphyseal bone defect.
Integrative Analysis Revealed Stemness Features and a Novel Stemness-Related Classification in Colorectal Cancer Patients
Authors: Ye Meng-Ling , Li Si-Qi , Yin Yi-Xin , Li Ke-Zhi , Li Ji-Lin , Hu Bang-Li
Published: June 2022

Cancer stem cells play crucial roles in colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis and treatment response. This study aimed to determine the value of the mRNA stemness index (mRNAsi) in CRC and introduce a stemness-related classification to predict the outcome of patients. mRNAsi scores and RNA sequence data of CRC patients were analyzed. We found that high mRNAsi scores were related to early-stage CRC and a better patient prognosis. Two stemness-based subtypes (subtype I and II) were identified. Patients in subtype I presented a significantly better prognosis than those in subtype II. Patients in these two subtype groups presented significantly different tumor immunity scores and immune cell infiltration patterns. Genomic variations revealed that patients in subtype I had a lower tumor mutation burden than those in subtype II. A three-gene stemness subtype predictor was established, showing good diagnostic value in discriminating patients in different subtypes. A prognostic signature based on five stemness-related genes was established and validated in two independent cohorts and clinical samples, showing a better predictive performance than other clinical parameters. We concluded that mRNAsi scores were associated with the clinical outcome in CRC patients. The stemness-related classification was a promising prognostic predictor for CRC patients.
The Sperm Olfactory Receptor OLFR601 is Dispensable for Mouse Fertilization
Authors: L González-Brusi , JG Hamzé , I Lamas-Toranzo , M Jiménez-Movilla , P Bermejo-Álvarez
Published: June 2022

Fertilization involves the fusion of two gametes by means of yet unknown membrane binding and fusion events. Over the last years, many sperm proteins have been uncovered to play essential roles in sperm-egg fusion in mammals, but their precise role in fertilization remains unknown, being unclear how these proteins interact with each other or with other yet unknown sperm proteins. The aim of this study has been to identify possible sperm proteins interacting with TMEM95, a protein essential for fertilization located in the sperm membrane. A list of 41 sperm proteins that were pulled down with TMEM95 and identified by mass spectrometry did not include other sperm proteins known to play a role in fertilization, suggesting an independent role of TMEM95 in fertilization. Between these lists, OLFR601 is allocated to the acrosomal region and may mediate affinity for an odorant involved in fertilization. However, Olfr601 disruption did not impair the sperm fertilization ability, suggesting that its function may be redundant with that of other sperm proteins.
Cells Dynamically Adapt to Surface Geometry by Remodeling Their Focal Adhesions and Actin Cytoskeleton
Authors: Dede Eren Aysegul , Lucassen Amy W. A. , Tuvshindorj Urandelger , Truckenmüller Roman , Giselbrecht Stefan , Eren E. Deniz , Tas Mehmet Orhan , Sudarsanam Phanikrishna , de Boer Jan
Published: June 2022

Cells probe their environment and adapt their shape accordingly via the organization of focal adhesions and the actin cytoskeleton. In an earlier publication, we described the relationship between cell shape and physiology, for example, shape-induced differentiation, metabolism, and proliferation in mesenchymal stem cells and tenocytes. In this study, we investigated how these cells organize their adhesive machinery over time when exposed to microfabricated surfaces of different topographies and adhesive island geometries. We further examined the reciprocal interaction between stress fiber and focal adhesion formation by pharmacological perturbations. Our results confirm the current literature that spatial organization of adhesive sites determines the ability to form focal adhesions and stress fibers. Therefore, cells on roughened surfaces have smaller focal adhesion and fewer stress fibers. Our results further highlight the importance of integrin-mediated adhesion in the adaptive properties of cells and provide clear links to the development of bioactive materials.
Phosphoregulation of Kinesins Involved in Long-Range Intracellular Transport
Authors: Kumari Diksha , Ray Krishanu
Published: June 2022

Kinesins, the microtubule-dependent mechanochemical enzymes, power a variety of intracellular movements. Regulation of Kinesin activity and Kinesin-Cargo interactions determine the direction, timing and flux of various intracellular transports. This review examines how phosphorylation of Kinesin subunits and adaptors influence the traffic driven by Kinesin-1, -2, and -3 family motors. Each family of Kinesins are phosphorylated by a partially overlapping set of serine/threonine kinases, and each event produces a unique outcome. For example, phosphorylation of the motor domain inhibits motility, and that of the stalk and tail domains induces cargo loading and unloading effects according to the residue and context. Also, the association of accessory subunits with cargo and adaptor proteins with the motor, respectively, is disrupted by phosphorylation. In some instances, phosphorylation by the same kinase on different Kinesins elicited opposite outcomes. We discuss how this diverse range of effects could manage the logistics of Kinesin-dependent, long-range intracellular transport.