bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Đánh giá tác động của Polybrene lên quá trình chuyển gen GFP vào tế bào gốc trung mô từ mô mỡ chuột
Authors: Trúc Phạm Lê Bửu , Ngọc Vũ Bích , Cường Nguyễn Ngọc , Anh Bùi Thị Vân
Published: April 2021

Tế bào gốc trung mô từ mô mỡ (Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells-ADSCs) có những ưu điểm như khả năng tự làm mới, biệt hóa thành nhiều loại tế bào, dễ dàng thu nhận, ít gây xâm lấn, số lượng tế bào dồi dào và đặc biệt là có thể sử dụng làm nguồn tự ghép. Để thực hiện các nghiên cứu nhằm ứng dụng ADSCs cho y học tái tạo và công nghệ mô, việc chuyển gen gfp vào tế bào này nhằm theo dõi sự di cư, biệt hóa và các tác động của tế bào ghép trong cơ thể nhận là một việc cần thiết. Trong nghiên cứu này, ADSCs chuột (mADSCs) được chuyển gen gfp trong điều kiện có (lô polybrene) và không có polybrene (lô non-polybrene). Tác động của polybrene lên quá trình chuyển gen được đánh giá thông qua khả năng phát sáng của tế bào được chuyển gen, phần trăm số tế bào phát sáng và thời gian nhân đôi của tế bào sau chuyển gen. Kết quả cho thấy gen gfp đã được chuyển vào mADSCs ở cả 2 lô: lô polybrene và lô non-polybrene. Tuy nhiên, hiệu quả chuyển gen ở lô non–polybrene cao hơn lô polybrene (86,2% > 71,13%). Thời gian nhân đôi của mADSC-gfp ở lô non-polybrene tương đương với thời gian nhân đôi của mADSC bình thường (32,5 giờ ~ 32,64 giờ); trong khi thời gian nhân đôi này ở mADSC-gfp lô polybrene dài hơn lô non-polybrene và lô đối chứng (40,98 giờ > 32,5 giờ ~ 32,64 giờ).
Nghiên cứu đánh giá khả năng xử lý nước thải giết mổ bằng bể phản ứng sinh học giá thể cố định
Authors: Trang Mai Thị Thuỳ , Danh Phạm Ngọc , Hà Trần Thái
Published: April 2021

Nghiên cứu được thực hiện nhằm đánh giá khả năng xử lý nước thải giết mổ heo từ một cơ sở tại tỉnh Bến Tre bằng bể phản ứng sinh học giá thể cố định (Biofilter). Nghiên cứu được thực hiện bằng việc xây dựng mô hình bể biofilter, kèm theo quan sát việc hình thành màng sinh học trên giá thể. Hiệu quả xử lý nước thải được đánh giá thông qua bốn chỉ tiêu ô nhiễm gồm: TSS, BOD, N-NH+4, độ đục. Hiệu quả thu được tốt nhất qua nghiên cứu là: TSS 78,93%, BOD 88,77%, NNH+4 87,50% và độ đục 96,61%. Tuy nhiên nồng độ BOD, TSS, Amoni sau bể phản ứng vẫn cao hơn giá trị cho phép xả thải quy định trong QCVN 40-2011/BTNMT nên bể phản ứng sinh học giá thể cố định chỉ nên được áp dụng như là công đoạn tiền xử lý và cần thiết phải có công đoạn xử lý tiếp theo để các chỉ tiêu trên đạt quy chuẩn.
Nghiên cứu tinh sạch thể vùi Nucleo Polyhedrosis Virus (NPV) sâu khoang và tạo dạng chế phẩm
Authors: Hà Lê Thanh Hải , Trinh Lê Văn
Published: April 2021

Hiệu lực phòng trừ sâu hại cây trồng của một chế phẩm virus tùy thuộc rất lớn vào hàm lượng thể vùi của NPV có trong chế phẩm và đảm bảo phải đạt từ 9,0 x 1011 đến 3,0 x 1012 OB/ha sau khi phun rải trên đồng ruộng. Vì vậy, việc tinh sạch và định lượng thể vùi khi tạo dạng sử dụng sản phẩm là yêu cầu cần thiết. Kết quả nghiên cứu trong năm 2017 đã xác định có thể tinh sạch để thu hoạch thể vùi tinh của virut NPV sâu khoang (Spodoptera litura Fabricius) bằng việc phối hợp sử dụng 2 lần SDS xen kẽ với 3 lần nước cất thì lượng thể vùi thu được cao nhất, đạt tới 2,35 x 1010 OB/ml và tỷ lệ thu hồi thể vùi tới 83,93%. Khi tạo dạng sử dụng chế phẩm với liều lượng 500 gam/ha dưới dạng bột thấm nước có hàm lượng thể vùi 2,0 x 109 OB/gam, tương đương 1 x 1012 OB/ha cho hiệu quả gây chết sâu khoang trong điều kiện phòng thí nghiệm đạt 81,23% với chế phẩm không bổ sung Boric và đạt 87,14% với chế phẩm có bổ sung thêm 5% axit Boric, đạt tới 81,13 % và 82,92% (tương ứng) trong điều kiện nhà lưới ở thời điểm 7 ngày sau phun.
Bước đầu nghiên cứu tạo enzyme pectinase dạng bột từ Aspergillus niger và khảo sát một số đặc tính của chế phẩm
Authors: Hiền Đỗ Thị , Trang Huỳnh Phan Phương
Published: April 2021

Enzyme pectinase dạng bột dễ vận chuyển và bảo quản. Vì vậy, nghiên cứu đã sử dụng enzyme pectinase hoạt tính 194 UI/mL từ Aspergillus niger để tạo chế phẩm dạng bột bằng phương pháp sấy phun (nồng độ chất trợ sấy maltodextrin 10% (w/v), nhiệt độ sấy 130°C, tốc độ nhập liệu 288 mL/h). Bên cạnh đó, nghiên cứu đã xác định được thông số động học của chế phẩm enzyme Km là 28,4 mg/mL, pH tối ưu 5,0, nhiệt độ tối ưu 40°C, Cu2+ là chất hoạt hóa và Ag+ là chất kìm hãm hoạt động enzyme.
Khảo sát hiệu quả xử lý nước thải chăn nuôi heo sau bể biogas bằng công nghệ lọc sinh học kết hợp bãi lọc thực vật
Authors: Tường Phan Nguyễn , Trang Hoàng Thanh , Tiên Cao Thị Mỹ , Hà Trần Thái
Published: April 2021

Nghiên cứu được thực hiện nhằm đánh giá khả năng xử lý nước thải chăn nuôi heo sau bể biogas từ một cơ sở chăn nuôi hộ gia đình tại tỉnh Bình Dương bằng công nghệ lọc sinh học kết hợp bãi lọc thực vật. Hiệu quả xử lý nước thải được đánh giá thông qua bốn chỉ tiêu chất lượng nước thải: Tổng rắn lơ lửng (TSS), nhu cầu oxi sinh hóa (BOD), amoni (NH+4), độ đục. Hiệu quả ghi nhận được tốt nhất qua nghiên cứu tại bể lọc sinh học là: TSS 36,96%, BOD 34,69%, Amoni 36,07% và độ đục 34,77%. Hiệu quả thu được tốt nhất qua nghiên cứu tại bể lọc thực vật là: tại bể lọc thực vật A (wetland A) với BOD 45 %, Amoni 70%, TSS 80%, độ đục 50 % và tại bể lọc thực vật C (wetland C) với BOD là 40 %, Amoni là 50%, TSS là 70%, độ đục là 48 %. Kết quả thực nghiệm cho thấy công nghệ lọc sinh học kết hợp bể lọc thực vật, làm giảm nồng độ chất ô nhiễm BOD, TSS, Amoni... một cách hiệu quả. Tuy nhiên, trong nghiên cứu này thì sự kết hợp giữa việc xử lý bằng bể lọc sinh học và bể lọc thực vật vẫn chưa đảm bảo nước thải sau xử lý đạt giá trị cho phép xả thải quy định trong QCVN 62-MT: 2016/BTNMT. Kết quả nghiên cứu cho thấy sự kết hợp giữa bể lọc sinh học và bể lọc thực vật là rất tiềm năng trong việc áp dụng để xử lý nước thải chăn nuôi sau biogas.
Bán tinh sạch và ứng dụng enzyme pectinase từ nấm mốc Aspergillus niger vào xử lý nước ép táo và nho
Authors: Hiền Đỗ Thị
Published: April 2021

Enzyme pectinase sử dụng trong nghiên cứu hoạt tính 194 UI/mL từ Aspergillus niger bước đầu tinh sạch bằng các phương pháp khác nhau: tủa muối, tủa bằng dung môi hữu cơ, lọc màng. Chế phẩm sau tinh sạch bằng lọc màng ứng dụng để tăng hiệu suất thu hồi, làm trong dịch ép táo và nho. Kết quả cho thấy sử dụng enzyme pectinase xử lý puree táo ở nhiệt độ phòng, nồng độ enzyme 8% (v/w), thời gian ủ 150 phút cho hiệu suất trích ly 82,7% tăng gần 24%, độ trong tăng 36%, độ nhớt giảm 18,8% so với mẫu không sử dụng enzyme. Đối với puree nho xử lý bằng enzyme pectinase ở nhiệt độ phòng, nồng độ enzyme 5% (v/w), thời gian ủ 120 phút cho hiệu suất trích ly 87,2% tăng gần 8,1%, độ trong tăng 66,7%, độ nhớt giảm 23,8% so với mẫu đối chứng.
Technical Efficiency and the Factors that Affect it in Rice Production in Central Sulawesi of
Indonesia
Authors: - Muhardi , - Effendy
Published: April 2021

Most of the population of Asia depends on consuming rice to support their lives. This implies that rice production needs attention. The existence of inefficiencies in lowland rice production could reduce rice yields for consumption, so the measurement of technical efficiency in lowland rice production needed to be studied. This research aimed to analyze the level of technical efficiency in lowland rice cultivation and identify the factors that affected it. The research was done in Palolo and Torue Sub-District Indonesia. The number of samples used was 249 lowland rice farmlands consisting of 106 farmers of organic lowland rice cultivation and 143 farmers of inorganic lowland rice cultivation. The results show that land, fertilizer, seeds, and labor had a positive and significant effect on lowland rice production. The average technical efficiency of lowland rice cultivation was around 78.2%. The results also show that manager education, extension contacts, superior seeds, and organic lowland rice cultivation have a significant effect on the level of technical efficiency in lowland rice production. We concluded that there was an opportunity for farmers to increase lowland rice yields if they could manage production factors in an efficient manner. The government could provide support for farmers, such as formal and informal education, extension, superior seeds, and ready-to-use organic materials.
"A quantitative microbiological exposure assessment model for bacillus cereus in packaged rice cakes with thermal processing"
Authors: Park Hyeon Woo , Mi Kim Kyung , Han Gwi Jung , Byong Yoon Won
Published: April 2021

"The objective of this study was to develop quantitative microbial exposure assessment models for Bacillus cereus in packaged rice cakes (PRC). Probability distribution for growth of B. cereus in PRC was estimated and effects of thermal processing and acidification on extending the shelf-life of PRC were quantitatively assessed. Heat penetration curves at cold point for retort process and pasteurization were successfully predicted using heat transfer simulation model (RMSE < 0.77 ºC). The retort process showed a better sterilization effect than the pasteurization process, but degraded the quality of rice cakes such as color, shape, and texture. The final contamination level in PRC of slab shape package (> 6.63 log CFU/g at 95% level) was lower than that in randomly packed sample (> 7.77 log CFU/g at 95% level) because the cold point in the slab shape package was closer to the surface. Acidification significantly inhibited the growth of B. cereus and also affected the inactivation of B. cereus. A combination of acidification and low temperature pasteurization extended the shelf-life of PRC, while minimizing quality degradation of products (< 0.43 log CFU/g at 95% level)."
Simulation in food catering industry. A dashboard of performance indicators
Authors: Tufano Alessandro , Accorsi Riccardo , Gallo Andrea , Manzini Riccardo
Published: April 2021

"Contract catering industry is concerned with the production of ready-to-eat meals for schools, hospitals and private companies. The structure of this market is highly competitive, and customers are rarely willing to pay a high price for this catering service. A single production sites may be demanded up to 10.000 meals per day and these operations can hardly be managed via rule of thumbs without any quantitative decision support tool. This situation is common at several stages of a food supply chain and the methodologies presented in this paper are addressed to any food batch production system with similar complexity and trade-offs. This paper proposes an original KPI dashboard, designed to control costs, time and quality efficiency and helping managers to identify criticalities. Special emphasis is given on food safety control which is the management’s main concern and must be carefully monitored in each stage of the production. To calculate the value of KPIs a Montecarlo simulation approach is used to deal with production complexity and uncertainty. A case study showcases the potential of simulation in this complex industrial field. The case study illustrates an application of the methodology on an Italian company suffering local recipe contamination. The company aims at defining the best standard for production, identifying cycles being sustainable from an economic and environmental point of view."
"Sustainability evaluation of last mile food delivery: pick up point using lockers versus home delivery"
Authors: Saad Sameh M. , Bahadori Ramin
Published: April 2021

"The Last mile delivery is known as one of the most costly and highest polluting stages within the food supply chain where food companies deliver the food products to the final consumers. As a new approach in this area, currently, a few food retailers offering pick up point service delivery using lockers. This paper provides a comprehensive comparison of the sustainability performance between home service delivery and picks up point service delivery using lockers. Hypothetical last mile food models for both approaches are developed. A Vehicle Route Problem with Time Window (VRPTW) is developed to minimise the CO2 emission and implemented using the simulated annealing algorithm which is programmed in MATLAB software. Supply Chain GURU Software is adapted to implement the Greenfield analysis to identify the optimal number and the location of the locker facilities through a Greenfield service constraint."
"Life cycle analysis and environmental impact of manufacturing Chateau and burgundy wine barrels"
Authors: Flor-Montalvo Francisco Javier , Jiménez-Macías Emilio , Pérez de la Parte Mercedes , Latorre-Biel Juan-Ignacio , Martínez-Cámara Eduardo , Blanco-Fernández Julio
Published: April 2021

"In the process of red wine aging, the barrel plays a fundamental role both in the contribution of aromas and in the stabilization of the wine and its color. There are, however, different types of barrels, depending on materials, species and origin of the oak, morphology and geometry, and capacity (from 225 liters to larger formats of 300 and 500 liters). The purpose of this work is to perform the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of these barrel formats and compare them with the 225-liter Bordeaux barrel, providing detailed information on these products that can serve as a reference for their use in the calculation of the impact of its application in the wine aging processes. We will consider, for the realization of the present LCA, all the phases of process and manufacture of the barrel that cover from the contribution of materials and their processing until the final storage."
"Hyperspectral data processing and adaptive modelling for the Natural Objects properties detection"
Authors: Grigoreva Olga V. , Mochalov Viktor F. , Zelentsov Vjasheslav A.
Published: April 2021

"The article proposes a method for assessing the state of natural objects that is based on the complex use of heterogeneous models and hyperspectral Earth remote sensing data used to estimate the parameters of these models. The base model is an artificial neural network, for the training of which multiparametric models of radiation transfer, gradient search algorithms, as well as regression empirical models supplementing them, can be used and adaptively adjusted. The advantage of the method is the ability to determine the state of water bodies and vegetation under conditions of uncertainty with the possibility of making more precise estimates for the limited volume of ground measurements at reference points. Examples of approbation of the method in determining the state of coastal waters of the Black Sea with the use of hyperspectral imaging materials from “Resurs-P” satellite, as well as in assessing the state of vineyards, are shown."
"Investigation of pressure loss coefficient of hot duct break scenario in ALLEGRO reactor using the CATHARE thermohydraulic code"
Authors: Mayer Gusztáv , Guba Attila
Published: April 2021

"Preliminary thermohydraulical calculations carried out for the ALLEGRO 75 MW CEA 2009 design (Mayer and Bentivoglio 2014) pointed out that the peak cladding temperature exceeded the required temperature limit in case of hot duct break scenario, when the aggravation event of the stop of the second blower was taken into account. The value of the pressure loss coefficient used in the hot duct break modeling plays pivotal role in the corresponding peak cladding temperature (PCT). In this study we investigate how this pressure loss value influences the peak cladding temperature in ALLEGRO reactor. We selected the French CATHARE thermohydraulical code as a simulation tool to describe the hot duct break transient and to determine the PCT values. We carried out several transient calculations by varying the pressure loss coefficient and the results confirmed its importance. It was found that if the pressure loss value is less than 1.4 the PCT limit exceeds the criterion of 850 oC."
Modelling and control of a photovoltaic energy system with battery storage
Authors: García-Ramos Carlos Y. , González-Cava Jose M. , Gómez González José F. , González Pérez Sara
Published: April 2021

"This work presents a simulated study of the energy management of an energy system connected to the grid with photovoltaic generation and battery storage. The work proposes a energy management system based on fuzzy logic. It is intended to be used in the hotel industry. The objective of the proposed controller is to maximise the renewable power source but including also economic criteria in the management. The proposal was implemented in simulation considering a 5,1kW peak photovoltaic installation and a set of batteries with a capacity of 384Ah. First results obtained show that the system achieves the specifications proposed. Thus, the study evidences the potential of the proposed control algorithm and demonstrate the suitability of the use of intelligent techniques for the energy management in hotels."
Bureaucratic Reform in Indonesia: Policy Analyst Experiences
Authors: Diprose Rachael , Wulandari Primatia , Williams Elena , Yustriani Levriana
Published: April 2021

In recent years, Indonesia has introduced reforms to its bureaucracy in response to critiques of the quality of government policy design and delivery. The Grand Design of Bureaucratic Reform strategy seeks to reduce the number of civil servants employed in administrative or managerial positions (structural appointments) in favour of skills-based recruitment into ‘functional’ positions. Specifically, the introduction of the ‘policy analyst’ position as a functional position in the civil service has sought to improve evidence-based policy making and the quality of policy outcomes, by incorporating merit-based recruitment, appointment and promotion. The role of functional policy analysts (Jabatan Fungsional Analis Kebijakan or JFAKs) is to assist policy makers in identifying policy issues, analyse evidence available on these issues, and ultimately make policy recommendations. This report overviews the recent experiences of different policy analyst cohorts since the role’s creation in 2015. It investigates these experiences to better understand the extent to which policy analysts are playing the role intended for them, and the factors enabling or inhibiting this.
Análise da qualidade sanitária do leite em propriedades rurais do município de Almenara/MG
Authors: Aguilar Lícia Silva , Santos Paulo Eduardo Ferreira dos , Quaresma Luiz Rodolfo Antunes , Batista Perecles Brito , Laurindo Sumaia da Silva
Published: April 2021

Objetivou-se diagnosticar a qualidade sanitária do leite cru, proveniente das propriedades rurais do município de Almenara-MG. As amostras eram coletadas em horário de ordenha em cada propriedade, onde os testes de CMT (California Mastitis Test) e Alizarol eram realizados. Todas as propriedades visitadas e analisadas neste trabalho apresentaram animais com mastite subclínica. Faz-se necessária a assistência técnica aos produtores para que problemas como esse não venham acarretar prejuízos econômicos e prejuízos para a sanidade humana e animal.
Massively Multiplayer Online Gamers’ Language: Argument for an M-Gamer Corpus
Authors: Bawa Papia
Published: April 2021

The past few decades have seen a steady, and sometimes rapid rise in the production and consumption of Massively Multiple Online Games (MMOGs), spanning a global arena. Players from a wide variety of demographical, economic, geographical, cultural and linguistic backgrounds congregate under the banner of MMOGs and spend a considerable amount of time interacting and communicating with one another, in the context of playing and socializing through such playing. It is only logical then, to see such players become part of larger and extended socio-communal landscapes, wherein they may appropriate multiple roles in conjunction with their MMOG player roles, such as teachers, learners, family members and workplace cohorts. It is also equally logical for a curious mind to speculate the effects of the communication and language characteristics of such gamers on themselves, and the greater communities they may inhabit, investigate the realms of such possibilities, and appropriate knowledge garnered from such investigations to share. That is precisely what this study and paper is about. In this paper, I report the findings of an investigation of the communication and language characteristics of MMOG players, using 23 participants for interviews and journal writing, as well as multiple online documents. The findings suggest that MMOG players share some unique communication and language patterns, based on which they can be justifiably categorized as a sub culture with their own corpus. Additionally, researcher and practitioner implications are also discussed.
Interaction between Students’ Motivation and Physics Teachers’ Characteristics: Multiple Case Study
Authors: Korur Fikret , Eryilmaz Ali
Published: April 2021

This study identified the process of interaction between students’ motivation and characteristics of two physics teachers: one who exhibited effective physics teacher characteristics frequently and one who exhibited the characteristics rarely. The two case teachers were selected to predict contrasting and comparable results. The data gathered from the semi-structured interviews, follow-up interviews, direct observation, video recordings, and field notes were analyzed both by single case and by cross-case analysis to strengthen the findings from two case teachers. Findings indicated that teachers’ characteristics like enthusiasm and giving examples from daily life increased students’ motivation by increasing their attention and willingness to participate in the classroom discussion. Even though a teacher frequently exhibited the effective characteristics by providing every opportunity for their learning, students wanted a classroom environment where they could stay calm and be more passive. The students did not like to be constantly forced by the teacher to share their views. In the lesson of a teacher who rarely exhibited the effective characteristics, students demanded a classroom environment where they could be more active. The students were not satisfied when their teacher avoided asking questions or had difficulty in solving the problems. Students, in general, resisted the teacher’s behaviors or characteristics when the teachers exhibited inconsistent behaviors.
An Autoethnography of Culturally Relevant Leadership as Moral Practice: Lived Experiences through a Scholar-Practitioner Lens
Authors: Lowery Charles
Published: April 2021

In this autoethnography, I am concerned with cultural relevance as an experience of a scholar-practitioner educational leader. I question my own cultural competence as a teacher and school principal. Turning a reflective gaze on my lived experiences as an educator creates a space in which I attempt to make meaning of the phenomenon of culturally relevant practices in the field of education. As an act of pedagogical and personal meaning-making, this autoethnographic work centers on the value of cultural relevance as informed by scholarly practice.
Multilayered Analyses of the Experiences of Undocumented Latinx College Students
Authors: Shi Yue , Jimenez-Arista Laura , Cruz Joshua , McTier Terrence , Koro-Ljungberg Mirka
Published: April 2021

Being the target of constant discrimination and marginalization can often cause intense negative psychological reactions and shame for undocumented students. The following qualitative study describes past and current undocumented Latinx students’ experiences of educational inequality in higher education influenced by labels associated with “being undocumented.” In this study we used a constructivist theoretical perspective which enabled us to focus on undocumented participants’ perspectives, experiences, meaning-making processes, values, and beliefs. Data was collected through hour-long, semi-structured interviews with five undocumented students. Student narratives were analyzed using a multi-layered analysis approach: (1) narrative, (2) thematic, and (3) critical incident analysis. Findings for this study provided insight on the narratives of carrying labels, themes associated with various labels, and critical incidents in the narratives and lives of undocumented students. Through our findings, we are able to contribute to existing literature and provide directions for future research.
Hermeneutic Phenomenological Interviewing: Going Beyond Semi-Structured Formats to Help Participants Revisit Experience
Authors: Lauterbach Alexandra
Published: April 2021

Phenomenological research traditionally involves multiple focused interviews that rely on the participants’ memories and reflections to revisit experiences. There are many other interview formats that have the potential to support participants in this process by instead engaging with the phenomenon as it presents itself to their consciousness. In this paper, I present an example of how multiple interview formats, including think-aloud, stimulated recall, and semi-structured were used in a hermeneutic phenomenology study exploring expert teachers’ perceptions of teaching literacy within their content area to secondary students with learning disabilities. I provide example protocols in which I used multiple interview formats (i.e., think-aloud, stimulated recall, and semi-structured) to help participants engage with the phenomenon in ways that did not rely on memory and reflection alone. I describe how the data collected during different interview formats were analyzed using hermeneutic phenomenological methods. Finally, I highlight one participant’s findings, discussing how each interview contributed to the findings, and providing illustrative examples of how going beyond semi-structured formats helped this participant revisit experiences in ways that new meaning emerged and enhanced understanding of the phenomena.
Data Analysis Methods for Qualitative Research: Managing the Challenges of Coding, Interrater Reliability, and Thematic Analysis
Authors: Belotto Michael
Published: April 2021

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of some of the principles of data analysis used in qualitative research such as coding, interrater reliability, and thematic analysis. I focused on the challenges that I experienced as a first-time qualitative researcher during the course of my dissertation, in the hope that how I addressed those difficulties will better prepare other investigators planning endeavors into this area of research. One of the first challenges I encountered was the dearth of information regarding the details of qualitative data analysis. While my text books explained the general philosophies of the interpretive tradition and its theoretical groundings, I found few published studies where authors actually explained the details pertaining to exactly how they arrived at their findings. Some authors even confirmed my own experience that few published studies described processes such as coding and methods to evaluate interrater reliability. Herein, I share the sources of information that I did find and the methods that I used to address these challenges. I also discuss issues of trustworthiness and how matters of objectivity and reliability can be addressed within the naturalistic paradigm.
Indonesian Perspective of Wellbeing: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Maulana Herdiyan , Obst Patricia , Khawaja Nigar
Published: April 2021

Cross-cultural research suggests that wellbeing may be experienced differently by distinct populations. While research on wellbeing in non-Western populations has increased, there is limited empirical evidence regarding wellbeing in Indonesia. As the fourth largest country in the world, and with its unique socio-cultural characteristics, the potentially distinctive Indonesian experience of wellbeing has been overlooked by international scholars. The present research investigated the Indonesian perception of wellbeing using a qualitative thematic analysis approach. Thirty Indonesian adults participated in semi structured interviews which focused on their understanding and experience of wellbeing. The analysis revealed a number of keythemes: fulfilment of basic needs; social relations with family and community; and the positive world views of self-acceptance, gratitude, and spirituality as key aspects of wellbeing. Although these overarching themes are commonly reported in wellbeing research, the expression of these themes was unique to the Indonesian context. This study enriches the wellbeing literature and understanding of the experience of wellbeing in the Indonesian context and paves the ways for further research.
Making the Invisible Visible: Affordances and Hindrances of Using Tangible Objects in Identity Research
Authors: Simpson Amber
Published: April 2021

The purpose of this manuscript is to highlight the role of tangible objects (i.e., rings) in understanding individual’s STEM identity, which in this study is defined as an interdisciplinary belief that an individual has about her or himself regarding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The rings allowed participants to position themselves within STEM disciplines and to further illustrate and narrate this position through the various ring sizes, and for some, the spatial arrangement of the rings. However, the use of the rings seemed to limit participants to describing who they are within STEM in the moment, as well as not providing an opportunity to illustrate how micro- and macro-level external forces shaped their identity.
An Introduction to Transformative Inquiry: Understanding Compelling and Significant Relationships for Personal and Societal Transformation
Authors: McCaslin Mark , Kilrea Kelly
Published: April 2021

Transformative inquiry is a theoretical model designed to facilitate the inquiry of important and meaningful relationships that transform and potentiate us. Creswell (2007) described the essential elements of a research agenda: the axiological, ontological, epistemological, methodological, and rhetorical. Each carries with it assumptions that hold implications for practice and research. Transformative inquiry addresses all of these elements through considerations given to deep ecology, transdisciplinarity, integral meta-theory, heuristic research, and eudaimonistic philosophy, respectively. Transformative inquiry is an approach to understanding and fostering the full range of deep and meaningful relationships from the personal to the political, and beyond. It is a theoretical model designed to support investigation into the important and meaningful relationships that both transform and potentiate us. Transformative inquiry provides a theoretical context in which to approach any question related to obtaining a deep understanding of the rich, nuanced experience of meeting deeply with (and being transformed by and with) another. What do such relationships do in the world? They transform us, and they transform the world. Understanding deep, potent, lasting transformation means to understand the relationships that foster, support, and co-create it. Such relationships generate a paradigmatic shift of consciousness. But deeply, this shift is about the uncovering of a beautiful personality, a deep goodness within, an enduring truth of self. Within this context, transformative inquiry in general and deep heuristics in particular, is designed to allow researchers to expand farther and reach deeper than our current models and methodologies require.
Academic Discourse Socialization, Scaler Politics of English, and Racialization in Study Abroad: A Critical Autoethnography
Authors: Sah Pramod
Published: April 2021

In this age of rising animosity to newcomers in host societies, study abroad students are often reported to receive maltreatment and discrimination. To this end, I conducted a critical autoethnographic study that responds to the trajectory of my English language learning in the UK and explores my adjustment difficulties and factors such as racialized linguistic discrimination. It also reveals the types of agency that I employed in the process of academic discourse socialization and unpacks causes and processes of renegotiating and reconstructing my identity as a learner and user of the English language. The data for this study was gathered from Facebook posts, written assignment feedback, and my personal narratives and memory. The study reveals that upon finding myself in a community different from what I had imagined prior to my sojourn and with contested power dynamics between local peers and international students in classroom discourse socialization, I became disappointed and stressed and that, in turn, obstructed my learning process. However, my personal investment and agency later led me to develop my own community of practice with those who shared similar linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Meanwhile, I received what seemed to me to be racial discrimination based on my identity as a non-native speaker of English, which was the result of a scaler politics of English and perhaps blatant racism toward a student of a third-world country that saw my use of English as inferior. Therefore, the study invites institutions in host countries to reflect on their language orientation and how it is responsive (not responsive) to newcomers.
Thinking about Cross-Cultural Differences in Qualitative Interviewing: Practices for More Responsive and Trusting Encounters
Authors: Au Anson
Published: April 2021

Existing methodological efforts subsume the interview into broad epistemological abstractions, neglecting actual mechanics of the interview as practice, and dismiss linguistic and cultural asymmetry in the interview as a matter of (in)adequate resources. Reflecting on 24 semi-structured interviews exploring social media use among Hong Kong youth, this article develops a culturally sensitive approach that democratically exposes the way cultural norms surface in communication, using strategies which (a) transform the dialogical mechanics of an interview—reflecting back and encouraging; (b) transform the positionality of the researcher—building intersubjectivity and emotional rapport; (c) transform the context of the interview—making shifts in space, language, and presentation. In doing so, a culturally sensitive approach generates practical recommendations for (a) humanizing the researcher to dismantle power imbalances and social distances and (b) naturalizing the interview into a more conversational form, both of which combine to expose the cultural logics that govern action and interpretation whilst constructing results into intimate narratives of people’s life-worlds.
Dropped into Battle: Transitioning to Middle School
Authors: Wandmacher Vikki
Published: April 2021

Early adolescence is the beginning of huge changes that eventually move humans from children to adults. One important transition during this time is moving from elementary into middle school. This paper explores my own memories of transitioning from a two-room elementary to a large three-story middle school and the difficulties I encountered. Through the use of the autoethnographical process, I explore my complex relationship as both a middle school student and a middle school principal to this phase of development. Writing the autoethnography allowed for an assessment of my own transition, while also affording the opportunity to reflect these memories against my current professional beliefs. Through this exploration, I found a number of clear connections such as understanding the importance of building relationships with students, making sure the school has a strong monitoring system for student movement, and the creation of a purposeful transition program for incoming 6th grade students. Before this project, I understood the importance of these features, but now I grasp why I have a strong drive and passion to ensure these elements for students.
On the Discursive Appropriation of the Antinatalist Ideology in Social Media
Authors: Rossolatos George
Published: April 2021

Antinatalism, a relatively recent moral philosophical perspective and ideology that avows “it is better not to have ever existed,” has spawned a new social movement with an active presence in social media. This study draws on the discourse historical approach (DHA) to critical discourse analysis for offering a firm understanding as to how the collective identity of the Facebook antinatalist NSM is formed. The findings from the analysis of the situated interaction among the NSM’s members demonstrate that collective identity is far from a knitty-gritty concept, but a dynamic schema that includes a plethora of micro-interactions. Individuals constantly negotiate its meaning in context, as they seek to streamline the antinatalist system of ideas with their lifeworld through a web of interlocking schemata, discursive and rhetorical strategies.
Cancer Blog Narratives: The Experience of Under-Fifty Women with Breast Cancer during Different Times after Diagnosis
Authors: Martino Maria Luisa , Gargiulo Anna , Lemmo Daniela , Margherita Giorgia
Published: April 2021

The recent literature shows an increase of breast cancer in women under 50, however still few are the studies which analyse the impact of the disease in this specific target age. This study aims at exploring the most prevalent topics in Italian cancer blogs of women who have received a breast cancer diagnosis before the age of 50, in order to understand their experience of illness and the characteristics of women’s narrations at different times after diagnosis (1 year, 2 years, 3 years). We collected the textual corpus of 4 Italian breast cancer blogs and performed a thematic analysis. Five themes resulted, which, after interpretation using factorial mapping, fall into 3 sense vectors: toward the thought of the experience; from the external to the internal world; breast cancer: from rigidity to mobility. The blog analysis allows to build a first step of the scientific knowledge about the traumatic specificity of this experience, showing a need for processing the emotions. This allows to think about clinical support practices tailored to this group, in order to develop a diachronic processing of the experience and the construction of a new continuity of life.
Nine Rules of Engagement: Reflections on Reflexivity
Authors: Owren Thomas
Published: April 2021

Wishing to be reflexive, to critically examine our assumptions, is easy. Doing it is less so. For researchers doing a study in their own professional field, it represents a particular challenge. In this essay, I explore this challenge using my own study as exemplar. I am researching workplace inclusion of workers with intellectual disability. As a professional, I have worked with and for people with intellectual disability for many years. The knowledge I bring to my inquiry – about the inabilities, vulnerabilities and needs ascribed to persons labelled thus – is deeply entrenched in common culture, as well as in my professional training. How can I handle this knowledge in my research? To what extent may, or must, it command my perceptions and interpretations? How may I challenge and look beyond it? Exploring this, I consult a handful of researchers who have examined pitfalls of involving informants with intellectual disability in research. I also call upon four giants of social science – Hans-Georg Gadamer, Charles Taylor, Pierre Bourdieu and Michel Foucault – as well as Brian Eno, British musician and producer extraordinaire. Departing from a concrete situation, the essay winds its way through nine discussions, each generating a “rule of engagement.” Although the discussions are specific to my project, these nine methodological suggestions, ranging from seemingly trivial to decidedly non-trivial, are not. My belief is that they may hold some interest for any qualitative researcher.
Exploring the Function of Member Checking
Authors: Candela Amber
Published: April 2021

Member checking is commonly used in qualitative research as a means to maintain validity; however, little has been published about the effects the member checking process may have on participants. In this article, I provide the experiences of two participants in a qualitative case study and argue how member checking should be used as a reflective space for participants.
Putting Ethnography on the Witness Stand: Review of Interrogating Ethnography: Why Evidence Matters
Authors: Keeler Janet
Published: April 2021

Lawyer, historian and author Steven Lubet’s Interrogating Ethnography: Why Evidence Matters puts several well-known urban ethnographies on the figurative witness stand and finds that some don’t hold up to legal (and journalistic) scrutiny. The author encourages social science researchers to employ fact-checking techniques to increase the veracity of their work. While Lubet praises social science researchers for their altruistic missions and painstaking data collection in the field he finds follow-up research often lacking. He recognizes that ethnographers do not want to be the adversaries of marginalized subjects but believes that more rigorous vetting of data is crucial to the survival of ethnography as a respected research method. His book provides a blueprint to achieve what he says is needed credibility.
Autoethnography as a Lighthouse: Illuminating Race, Research, and the Politics of Schooling: A Book Review
Authors: Sonkeng Katja
Published: April 2021

What do a lighthouse and an autoethnography have in common? Whether symbolically or literally, both elements seek to help to navigate through rough waters by providing warnings and guidance. Using this powerful analogy, the editors Stephen Hancock, Ayana Allen, and Chance W. Lewis (2015) crafted a powerful narrative, titled Autoethnography as a Lighthouse: Illuminating Race, Research, and the Politics of Schooling as a volume in the book series Contemporary Perspectives on Access, Equity, and Achievement, edited by Chance W. Lewis and published by Information Age. As poignantly stated right at the beginning of the introductory chapter, the primary aim of this collective work is to “move from invisibility to visibility and silence to voice” (Hancock, Allen, & Lewis, 2015, p. 3). Ultimately, this book attempts to lend voice to often marginalized and “othered” scholars who conduct autoethnographic research from a racial, gendered, and critical theoretical framework, which is the so-called culturalized autoethnography. Equally important, however, this edited volume aims to serve as a lighthouse to the readers—illuminating pathways through which readers might navigate more knowledgeably and consciously through the deeply entangled intersections of race, research, and school politics.
Spark: A Book Review
Authors: Watson Ashleigh
Published: April 2021

Spark, a social research novel by Patricia Leavy, innovatively explores the complexities of doing collaborative, complex research. The story follows Sociology Professor Peyton Wilde during a week-long research seminar in Iceland with, as her invitation reads, "some of the greatest thinkers of our time." With an intriguing setup, swift plotline and lively characters, Leavy reaches to the heart of key concerns in interdisciplinary and mixed-methods research. Such concerns are well-discussed in the wider scholarly literature; Leavy uniquely handles and examines these concerns in fiction in a way that will be valuable to teachers and students alike. Spark makes an impressive contribution to fiction-based inquiry.
MANAGEMENT COMPETECIES FOR ENHANCING EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AT WORK: A CASE STUDY OF THE RAJBY INDUSTRIES KARACHI
Authors:   Institute of Business & Technology, Karachi., Yaqoob Aneeta
Published: April 2021

Purpose- Major aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of competency management on employee engagement and to identify leadership or management behaviors which are key drivers of employee engagement. A competency approach was adopted in this study to define the constellation of skills and behaviors required by an individual manager to facilitate employee engagement in their staff. In Pakistan there are serious management problems across the organizations. Line managers or senior managers do not have proper training, skills and experience to effectively manage employees at work. Therefore, the prime purpose of this study was to explore and identify core competencies of managers in order to enhance employee engagement in the workplace. Methodology/sample- The study involved use of questionnaires filled by 100 respondents (with age ranging from 21 to 60) of Rajby industries. Respondents comprised non-managerial staff only. Random sampling technique was used to carry out this research. To analyze the data, Regression and ANOVA tests were applied. Findings- The analysis of results clearly suggested that there was significant impact of competent management on employee engagement. It shows that in order to enhance employee engagement, it is important for managers to display competent behaviors such as giving feedback on proper time, praise and recognition etc Practical Implications- The outcomes of the research might help organizations to design and develop competency framework which provide clear guidelines to managers and supervisors to foster employee engagement.
ANALYSIS OF ENVIROMENT CONDUCIVE FOR ISLAMIC BANKING & FINANCE: A CASE OF TANDO ALLAHYAR
Authors:   Sindh University Laar Campus Badin., Patoli Abdul Qadir
Published: April 2021

Purpose:- This study is aimed at analyzing the environment conduciveness for Islamic Banking & Finance in the rural region of Sindh. A case study is being conducted to analyze such a situation through observations from respondents of Tando Allahyar Taluka, Sindh. Methodology/sample:- This pure and qualitative study called for primary data, collected through a structured questionnaire, from the residents of Tando Allahyar Taluka of Sindh. The observations converted into a discrete data set and analyzed statistically on descriptive statistics and sample T-Testing for measuring the significance of sample. Findings:-The outcome of the study remained as per expectations that lack of awareness and prevalence of Ambivalence are found prominent in case of Islamic Banking and Finance. Which provides an insight for the environment is conducive for banking, rather than Islamic banking & finance. It was also observed that the majority of the earning population is using Banking services, but rarely are using finances, just because of the interest factor. Practical implications:- Islamic mode of banking & finance can play a vital role in bridging the gap of conventional banking & finance and derive the need of religion-centered people towards such banking & finance circle, so that it can further the business cycle of the economy and enhance profitability. Research limitations:- The results of the study are restricted to the educated part of rural population and cannot be inferred for all population. The result of the study is also restricted to the urbanized area of rural Sindh.
Kajian Hasil Prediksi Konsentrasi Aerosol PM10 Dari Data ECMWF Dengan Hasil Pengukuran Di Stasiun Pemantau Atmosfer Global Bukit Kototabang (Agam) dan Kota Padang
Authors: Darmadi Darmadi
Published: April 2021

Emisi polutan udara yang bersumber dari kebakaran hutan dan lahan serta dari transportasi di wilayah perkotaan menjadi perhatian baik bagi pemangku kepentingan dan masyarakat. Salah satu jenis polutan udara yang sering menjadi indikator utama adalah particulate matter 10 micron (PM10). Sedikitnya titik lokasi pengukuran konsentrasi PM10 menyebabkan ketersediaan data dan informasi polutan udara ini terbatas. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melakukan kajian terhadap penggunaan data dari model ECMWF sebagai prediksi untuk konsentrasi PM10 di dua lokasi, yaitu di Stasiun Pemantau Atmosfer Global Bukit Kototabang dan Kota Padang. Metode penelitian yang digunakan mengacu pada analisis data secara kuantitatif menggunakan metode korelasi dan statistik deskriptif. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa konsentrasi PM10 dengan menggunakan data ECMWF terhadap data observasi di kota Padang menunjukkan nilai selisih 25% (H-1), 20% (H-2), dan 17% (H-3), dan nilai prediksi terbaik adalah untuk data ECMWF pada H-3. Sementara itu nilai prediksi konsentrasi PM10 dengan menggunakan data ECMWF terhadap data observasi di Stasiun Pemantau Atmosfer Global Bukit Kototabang menunjukan nilai 12% (H-1), 23% (H-2), dan 24% (H-3). Hasil nilai prediksi terbaik konsentrasi PM10 di Stasiun Pemantau Atmosfer Global Bukit Kototabang adalah untuk data ECMWF pada H-1. Secara umum, konsentrasi PM10 dan hasil observasi menunjukkan profil yang sama, meskipun hasil dari ECMWF memberikan nilai konsentrasi yang berbeda di dua lokasi penelitian.
Kata kunci: PM10, ECMWF, Bukit Kototabang, Kota Padang.