bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlation of hTERT Expression with Cervical Cytological Abnormalities and Human Papillomavirus Infection
Authors: Zejnullahu Vjosa A. , Zejnullahu Valon A. , Josifovska Slavica , Vukovik Nikola , Pakovski Kiril , Panov Sasho
Published: April 2018

Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (TERT) is the main catalytic sub-unit of telomerase, a reverse transcriptase enzyme. Telomerase expression is regulated at many levels, with numerous studies suggesting that up-regulation of human TERT gene (hTERT) at transcriptional level results in immortal cell phenotype associated with cancer. The aim of this study is to determine the correlation between hTERT expression and different cervical precursor lesions, as well as with cervical cancer in patients with confirmed Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

The study included molecular analyzes on cervical samples from 214 women and matched Papanicolaou (Pap) test results. HPV detection and genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genotyping. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed using TaqMan probes and were calculated relative to the reference gene.

Results showed significantly increased hTERT mRNA expression levels in high-grade and low-grade lesions compared to normal control samples (p<0.01) associated with 6.31 fold higher risk for developing ASC-US and 9.20 for LSIL. Strong correlation between HPV infection and hTERT expression in the high-grade lesions and cervical cancer was also observed. hTERT relative expression values showed 98% specificity and 100 % sensitivity as indicator of cervical lesions particularly for the ACS-H, HSIL and cervical cancer. In conclusion, hTERT expression correlate with the cytological grade of the cervical lesions and HPV infection and has a potential to be used as a diagnostic and prognostic marker.
Application of Passive Methods of Robust Estimation: Baarda's and Pope's in Real Estate Market Analysis
Authors: Śpiewak Beata
Published: April 2018

The article presents the results of research into the appraisal of the usefulness and effectiveness of passive methods of robust estimation in real estate market analysis. Two methods are considered, i.e.: Baarda's and Pope's. The research is based on a database of flats sold in Kraków in 2015.

It has been proved that algorithms of robust estimation allow for eliminating outlying transactions from the collected database, causing the set of observations to become coherent and free of observations which might be fraught with gross error caused by the human factor.
The Time-Varying Nature of Reits
Authors: Zhu Bing
Published: April 2018

This paper investigates changes in the nature of REITs by estimating the time-varying long-run relationship among securitized real estate, direct real estate, and stock performance. The informational environment of U.S. REITs has matured gradually since their introduction. As more information on this asset class has become available, the “true” nature of REITs has thus become more apparent. We find that the long-term elasticity of direct real estate total returns on REIT total returns has increased since 1980, and became significant at the beginning of the 1990s, while the elasticity of general equity total returns remained insignificant. During the 2000s, the underlying property market was able to predict nearly 30% of REIT variance in the long term. Consequently, ignoring changes in the “nature” of REITs may lead to an underestimation of the influence from the underlying property market, and misspecification of the optimal weights in the long-term inter-asset portfolio.
The Value of Urban Parks in Lodz
Authors: Olbińska Katarzyna
Published: April 2018

An awareness of the role of public space is growing among the inhabitants of cities. This space is an integral part of our daily lives. It consists of places outside the home where we spend free time, i.e. the streets we walk on, the squares and greeneries where we meet, as well as playgrounds, parks and green areas where we rest and do sports. The quality of such space affects many aspects of human life.

Positive trends in terms of growing public awareness do not, however, seem to be reflected in the awareness and actions of public entities in Poland, strong evidence of which are the widely criticized amendments of regulations governing the felling of trees.

The goal of this article is to present the different dimensions of the value of urban parks, as well as to apply the direct use approach to measure the recreational value of the park system in Lodz. Expressing different aspects of the value of public space, especially parks, in monetary units and incorporating these values in spatial planning analysis can contribute to a significant improvement in the quality of life of urban dwellers and their perception of urban space.
Ways of Acquiring Land Property for the Construction of Province Roads
Authors: Noga Karol , Balawejder Monika , Nosek Grzegorz
Published: April 2018

The topic of this article is related to issues connected with public roads. The thematic scope of the work includes the presentation and analysis of the legal regulations governing the acquisition of real estate under provincial public roads. The purpose of the article is to carry out an analysis of the legal and technical regulations governing the entire process of acquiring real estate along these roads, and assessing their completeness, adequacy and coherence. The analysis was carried out in the aspect of a number of operations, technical activities and the requirements of government agencies operating in the field of public roads, in an aim to manage and carry out investments on provincial roads. The paper presents and elaborates on problems connected with the acquisition of real estate along provincial roads on two levels. The first involves the regulation of the legal status of the existing regional road network from the 1st January 1999, while the second is the implementation of new road investments within the network of provincial roads.
A Perspective on Industry Classification and Market Reaction to Corporate News: Evidence from India
Authors: Bhattacharjee Nayanjyoti , De Anupam
Published: April 2018

In this paper, we provide a cross-industry perspective on the market reaction to different corporate news in the context of Indian stock market. We have studied the price and volume movements associated with eight broadly defined news categories namely Analyst Calls, Earnings, Earnings Forecasts, Finance, Legal and Regulatory, Management, Operations and Restructuring. We have employed the standard event study methodology on a sample of stocks listed on the National Stock Exchange of India for the purpose of our study. We observe that the market reaction to firm specific corporate news varies according to the type of news across different industry groups. We also observe that the sentiment of the news is a critical factor which influences the market reaction to such news flow across industry groups. We also provide a cross-industry perspective on the relative importance of different corporate news categories after taking into account the sentiment of the news in the context of Indian stock market.
Rethinking Microfinance in a Dual Financial System: An Agent-based Simulation
Authors: Bourhime Sara , Tkiouat Mohamed
Published: April 2018

Critics concerning the real impact of traditional microfinance as a tool for poverty alleviation are becoming frequent. In contrast, the financial crisis brought out interest for Islamic finance, whose models have been increasingly studied. Today, the real challenge lies in evaluating the impact of microfinance in a complex environment, where both Islamic and conventional microfinance institutions exist and address evolving clients in constant interaction. New methods and models are therefore needed in order to test the efficacy and assess the impact of introducing Islamic microfinance products, compared to the conventional system. In this context, this paper proposes an approach to build an Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) framework, which is aiming to test the effects of such products implementation using Islamic interest-free group loans. It also helps assess the impact of the behavioral biases as well as agents’ interactions within the repayment process.
The Day-of-the-Week Effect: Evidence from Selected Balkan Markets
Authors: Karanovic Goran , Karanovic Bisera
Published: April 2018

The main aim of this paper is to investigate the existence of the “day of the week” financial effect in select Balkans stock markets indices. Many findings of market anomalies have corroborated the presence of the “day of the week” effect in developed markets; however, so far scarce research has been presented on this subject for the Balkan capital markets. Hence, an additional objective of this paper is to examine the impact of this market anomaly on the market efficiency hypothesis. The methodology used in this paper employs a regression including dummy variables which will help determine the existence of the effect. The authors use daily mean returns of selected stock indices found to be lower at the beginning of the week but not necessarily on Monday. The results are interpreted and expounded taking into consideration the history and market development. The paper provides academia and investors as well as policy makers new perspective of the market anomalies linked to the financial behavior of the capital markets in select Balkan countries.
Dinamika Kelompok Tani Hutan Agroforestry di Kabupaten Bandung
Authors: Rimbawati Dyah Ekaprasetya manggala , Fatchiya Anna , Sugihen Basita Ginting
Published: April 2018

Keberadaan kelompok tani hutan (KTH)  yang tetap dinamis dan seberapa besar kontribusi kedinamisan kelompok terhadap keberhasilan KTH diperlukan adanya penguatan kelompok dalam hal ini dinamika kelompok. Tujuan penelitian yaitu untuk menganalisis dinamika kelompok tani hutan agroforestry dan menganalisis faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi dinamika kelompok tani hutan agroforestry di Kabupaten Bandung. Penelitian dilaksanakan dari bulan Februari-April 2017. Jumlah sampel penelitian adalah 78 orang. Analisis data menggunakan Partial Least Square (PLS). Kesimpulan penelitian yaitu bahwa dinamika kelompok tani hutan agroforestry tergolong dalam kategori rendah yaitu kelompok kurang mampu dalam menggerakkan anggota untuk mencapai tujuan kelompok. Adapun unsur yang rendah pada tujuan, struktur, pembinaan dan pengembangan, kekompakan, suasana dan tekanan kelompok, sedangkan yang kuat adalah unsur fungsi tugas dan keefektifan kelompok. Rendahnya dinamika kelompok tersebut dipengaruhi oleh rendahnya tingkatan peran penyuluh, ketidaksesuaian materi penyuluhan dan kurangnya kemitraan. Selain itu dipengaruhi oleh tingginya motivasi dan kekuatan kepemimpinan ketua KTH.
Güneş pilleri için ZnO'nun yapısal ve elektronik özelliklerinin incelenmesi: Ab-initio çalışması
Authors: KÜRKÇÜ Cihan , MERDAN Ziya
Published: April 2018

ZnO bileşiğinin kristal yapısı yoğunluk fonksiyonel teorisi (DFT) ile

genelleştirilmiş gradyant yaklaşımı (GGA) kullanılarak yüksek hidrostatik

basınç altında 100 GPa’ya kadar çalışıldı. Çevre koşullarında ZnO, uzay grubu

P63mc olan wurtzite (B4) tipi yapıda kristalleşir. Bu yapı üzerine

artan basınç uygulandığında, ZnO’nun B4 yapısı uzay grubu

 olan NaCl (B1) tipi yapıya dönüşmüştür. Bu çalışmada elde edilen faz geçişinin deneysel sonuçlarla

uyumunu araştırmak için toplam enerji ve entalpi hesaplamaları yapıldı. Bu

hesaplamalar sonucu faz değişiminin 9 GPa civarında gerçekleştiği sonucuna

varıldı. Bu sonucun literatür ile uyum içinde olduğu görüldü. Ayrıca ZnO’nun

elektronik özellikleri de incelendi. B4 ve B1 yapıları için band aralıkları

sırası ile 0.7 eV ve 1.95 eV olarak elde edildi.
Computational Chemoproteomics to Understand the Role of Selected Psychoactives in Treating Mental Health Indications
Authors: Fine Jonathan , Lackner Rachel , Samudrala Ram , Chopra Gaurav
Published: April 2018

We have developed the Computational Analysis of Novel Drug Opportunities (CANDO) platform to infer homology of drug behavior at a proteomic level by constructing and analyzing structural compound-proteome interaction signatures of 3,733 compounds with 48,278 proteins in a shotgun manner. We applied the CANDO platform to predict putative therapeutic properties of 428 psychoactive compounds that belong to phenylethylamine, tryptamine, and cannabinoid chemical classes for treating mental health indications. Our findings indicate that these 428 psychoactives are among the top-ranked predictions for a significant fraction of mental health indications, demonstrating a significant preference for treating such indications over non-mental health indications, relative to randomized controls (p-value < 10-12). Also, we analyzed the use of specific tryptamines for the treatment of sleeping disorders, bupropion for substance abuse disorders, and cannabinoids for epilepsy. Our innovative use of the CANDO platform may guide the identification and development of novel therapies for mental health indications and provide an understanding of their causal basis on a detailed mechanistic level. These predictions can be used to provide new leads for preclinical drug development for mental health and other neurological disorders.
Mobilising Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry in a Synthetic Biology Analytics Workflow
Authors: Sinclair Eleanor , Hollywood Katherine A. , Yan Cunyu , Blankley Richard , Breitling Rainer , Barran Perdita
Published: April 2018

Chromatography based mass spectrometry approaches (xC-MS) are commonly used in untargeted metabolomics, providing retention time, m/z values and metabolite specific-fragments all of which are used to identify and validate an unknown analyte. Ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) is emerging as an enhancement to classic xC-MS strategies, by offering additional separation as well as collision cross section (CCS) determination. In order to apply such an approach to a synthetic biology workflow, verified data from metabolite standards is necessary. In this work we present experimental DTCCSN2 values for a range of metabolites in positive and negative ionisation modes using drift time-ion mobility-mass spectrometry (DT-IM-MS) with nitrogen as the buffer gas. Creating a useful database containing DTCCSN2 measurements for application in metabolite identification relies on a robust technique that acquires measurements of high reproducibility. We report that 86% of the metabolites measured in replicate have a relative standard deviation lower than 0.2 %. Examples of metabolites with near identical mass are demonstrated to be separated by ion mobility with over 4% difference in DTCCSN2 values. We conclude that the integration of ion mobility into current LC-MS workflows can aid in small molecule identification for both targeted and untargeted metabolite screening which is commonly performed in synthetic biology.
Oxidase Catalysis via an Aerobically Generated Dess-Martin Periodinane Analogue
Authors: Maity Asim , Hyun Sung-Min , Wortman Alan , Powers David
Published: April 2018

Hypervalent iodine(V) reagents, such as Dess-Martin periodinane (DMP) and 2-iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX), are broadly useful oxidants in chemical synthesis. Development of strategies to access these reagents from O2 would immediately enable use of O2 as a terminal oxidant in a broad array of substrate oxidation reactions. Recently we disclosed the aerobic synthesis of I(III) reagents by intercepting reactive oxidants generated during aldehyde autoxidation. Here, we couple aerobic oxidation of iodobenzenes with disproportionation of the initially generated I(III) compounds to generate I(V) reagents. The aerobically generated I(V) reagents exhibit substrate oxidation chemistry analogous to that of DMP. Further, the developed aerobic generation of I(V) has enabled the first application of I(V) intermediates in aerobic oxidation catalysis.
Research Fundamentals: Data Collection, Data Analysis, and Ethics
Authors: Jameel Bismah , Majid Umair
Published: April 2018

This is the third and final article of a three-part series that follows up the discussion on the fundamentals of writing research protocols for quantitative clinical research studies. In this editorial, the authors discuss key elements of data collection, data analysis, and the ethical considerations and implications that come with clinical research. This editori-al is the concluding segment on providing guidelines for undergraduate researchers interested in publishing their pro-tocol in the Undergraduate Research in Natural and Clinical Sciences and Technology (URNCST) Journal.
Tucker Signing como Herramienta Fónica para el Desarrollo de la Conciencia Fonética en Niños
Authors: Valbuena Amanda Carolina
Published: April 2018

Para desarrollar la lectura de manera efectiva, es necesario tener en cuenta tres objetivos durante el proceso: reconocimiento automático de las palabras (desarrollo de conciencia fonémica), comprensión lectora y deseo por leer. Este artículo se enfoca en promover la conciencia fonémica en inglés como segunda lengua, a través del programa Tucker Signing. Veinticinco estudiantes de primer grado de un colegio público participaron en el estudio usando el programa Tucker Signing como instrucción fónica. Los estudiantes que participaron en el proceso tenían que observar una palabra, hacer el movimiento con la mano izquierda como representación de cada grafema de la palabra, y finalmente reproducir el sonido de cada grafema. Para analizar si el programa era útil, los estudiantes tomaron un test diagnóstico y un test posterior a la implementación del programa con el propósito de comparar los resultados. Los hallazgos muestran que el programa ayudo a los niños a desarrollar conciencia fonémica a través de la identificación y de la relación de cada uno de los veintisiete grafemas (letras) en inglés y la mayoría de sus fonemas correspondientes (sonidos). Al final los estudiantes desarrollaron conciencia fonémica a través de la identificación de los fonemas en inglés, sin mezclar o traducir de su L1 (español) a su L2 (ingles); sin embargo algunas vocales y fonemas como “th” /θ/ /ð/, “j” /dʒ/  necesitarían más refuerzo.
La Eficacia de la Lectura de Cuentos en Voz Alta en el Desarrollo del Idioma Extranjero en Niños
Authors: Norato Cerón Catalina
Published: April 2018

Este proyecto de investigación acción examina el impacto de la lectura de cuentos en voz alta en el desarrollo de estrategias de comprensión lectora y de pensamiento crítico así como también analiza el impacto en el aprendizaje del inglés como lengua extranjera. Con el propósito de recolectar información se analizaron las notas de los diarios y se hicieron transcripciones de las grabaciones de las sesiones de lectura. Los datos recolectados revelaron que los niños mejoraron sus habilidades de comunicación discutiendo diferentes aspectos del cuento leído, al mismo tiempo aprendieron nuevas palabras que emplearon para expresar su opinión,  a pesar de tener un bajo nivel de inglés. Los resultados también revelaron que los materiales y metodologías utilizados en las clases, contribuyeron a que los niños desarrollaran su pensamiento crítico y su comprensión lectora.
Los Efectos de la Instrucción Diferenciada en el Proceso de Lectoescritura de los Estudiantes con Escolaridad Interrumpida
Authors: Niño Santisteban Liliana
Published: April 2018

El estudio analiza el proceso lectoescritor de un grupo de estudiantes de procesos básicos de un colegio público de Bogotá, Colombia. Los participantes fueron 15 niños hisponoparlantes y jóvenes adolescentes, cuyo nivel más alto de educación corresponde a primer grado de primaria. 8 de los 15 niños pertencen a población desplazada y los otros fueron afectados por la violencia, problemas familiares y dificultades cognitivas. Estos grupos de estudiantes asisten a una escuela pública ubicada en Bogotá, Colombia. La mayoria de estos estudiantes ha visto interrumpida su escolaridad  debido a diversos factores sociales. En consecuencia, en cada salón de clase existen niños de diferentes edades y estratos sociales pertenecientes a la población desplazada. Para intervenir el grupo se usó la instrucción diferenciada, formatos de observación en lectura, escritura y planeación a través de GANAC (Goal, Activating Prior knowledge, New information, Aplication, Generalization), tanto en las clases de lectoescritura como de inglés. Los resultados mostraron por un lado, que hay poco impacto de la instrucción diferenciada en la producción escrita y en la adquisición de vocabulario y por otro, que la instrucción diferenciada sí impactó la comprensión lectora especialmente al hacer inferencias, comparar y contrastar textos narrativos los cuales fueron seleccionados para el estudio.
Intraferencia de Símbolos Lingüísticos en Mensajes de Texto y Correos Electrónicos: Implicaciones para la Enseñanza y el Aprendizaje de Inglés Estándar
Authors: Bode Ekundayo Omowumi Steve
Published: April 2018

El artículo expone cómo los remitentes de mensajes de texto y correo electrónico informal utilizan símbolos lingüísticos de una forma innovadora para comunicarse. Incluso una mirada somera a un mensaje de texto o correo electrónico informal mostrará que su estilo es diferente al utilizado en un escrito formal. Dos mil veinte mensajes de texto y quinientos  correos electrónicos informales fueron analizados desde junio de 2004 a marzo de 2013 para establecer cómo es la intraferencia de símbolos lingüísticos; es decir, cómo son  tomados de los ámbitos de aplicación comúnmente conocidos y reasignados en los mensajes de texto y correos electrónicos donde no son formalmente usados. Los textos y mensajes de correo electrónico fueron analizados bajo el contexto de las reglas de escritura formal del idioma inglés. Este estudio histórico y descriptivo muestra que los remitentes cambian creativamente la ubicación de los signos de escritura al crear nuevas formas de uso de las reglas del inglés y sus entornos de aplicación.  Por lo tanto, el hábito es concebido como la intraferencia de símbolos lingüísticos y reglas. Intraferencia es la redistribución de las reglas lingüísticas y las características que han sido establecidos por su uso en otros ámbitos del mismo lenguaje donde no se solían aplicar. El artículo afirma que los métodos de mensajes de texto y correo electrónico no afectan la efectiva comunicación en inglés. Por el contrario, los métodos de visualización son una nueva e interesante manera de comunicación de acuerdo con la dimensión tecnolingüística. Esta variedad de símbolos hace referencia a la distribución creativa de las normas lingüísticas existentes por la dinámica limitada de los dispositivos mecánicos o tecnológicos, los cuales deben ser aislados y enseñados como tales en el inglés estándar o para este caso, en el inglés nigeriano formal.
Factors Affecting Academic Resilience in Middle School Students: A Case Study
Authors: Rojas F. Luisa Fernanda
Published: April 2018

This research was carried out with the purpose of identifying how and which risk and protective factors affect academic outcomes. The study explored how different family and individual environmental factors foster academic resilience. The exploratory study took place with a group of six students from a public school in Bogotá, Colombia. The school is located in a low-income and marginalized area of the city, where social problems such as poverty and violence are common. Data collection techniques included document analysis, as well as interviews with teachers and parents. The data collection was focused on identifying how academic resiliency skills can be developed in vulnerable young people. It was found that it is possible to identify and describe different protective factors from the family, such as family guidance, family support, and opportunities for meaningful family involvement that explicitly foster academic resilience in at risk-students. It was also possible to address how individual characteristics also foster positive outcomes, including optimism, perseverance, or motivation.
Effectiveness of Systemic Text Analysis in EFL Writing Instruction
Authors: Velasco Tovar Ender
Published: April 2018

This action research study investigates the effectiveness of a model based on the theory of systemic text analysis for the teaching of EFL writing. Employing students’ pieces of writing and a teachers’ survey as data collection instruments, the writing performance of a group of monolingual intermediate level adult students enrolled on a private EFL school in Bogota, Colombia was gauged before and after the model implementation. The results suggest that the proposed model is somewhat effective for the teaching of factual EFL writing and that it has a seemingly positive effect on the writing performance of EFL students in terms of cohesion and coherence at the paragraph level.
Lexical Competence and Reading Comprehension: A Pilot Study with Heritage Language Learners of Spanish
Authors: Velásquez Edna
Published: April 2018

The basic questions that guide this study are: (a) what percentage of vocabulary from a passage would a Spanish learner need to know to demonstrate ‘adequate’ (a score of 70 out of 100) comprehension of it? And, (b) what type of curve would best describe the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension? Fifty-three students enrolled in two courses of Spanish as a Heritage Language (SHL) at a metropolitan university read a newspaper article, underlined the unknown vocabulary and then answered a reading comprehension test. Our findings suggest, as in previous studies for English as a Second Language (ESL), that a 98% of vocabulary coverage is needed to show adequate comprehension of an authentic passage. The curve that best describes this relationship was not linear as they concluded but was similar to a logarithmic function, which appears to suggest a relationship that obeys to a law of diminishing returns for Spanish as a Second Language (SSL) reading.
Repensar el currículo en el componente lingüístico de un pregrado en educación bilingüe
Authors: Arias-Cepeda Carlos , Rojas Sandra
Published: April 2018

El objetivo de este artículo es reportar los resultados parciales derivados de un estudio fenomenológico que intenta documentar las fuentes teóricas y empíricas que sustentan una eventual propuesta curricular para el componente lingüístico de un programa de pregrado en educación bilingüe. Desde el punto de vista teórico este artículo presentará algunas perspectivas acerca del currículo en la educación terciaria y del papel de la lingüística en un pregrado de educación bilingüe. En cuanto a los datos empíricos, el documento reportará cómo profesores en las áreas  de la enseñanza de una segunda lengua y de la lingüística, cuando analizan el componente lingüístico en el currículo del programa de pregrado, advocan el uso consciente de metalenguaje,  la selección de contenidos que empoderen a los futuros docentes para construir su praxis y competir en su campo del conocimiento, el uso de la primera y segunda lengua como códigos y objetos de instrucción en lingüística y un cambio de enfoque hacia la naturaleza problémica del objeto de estudio en lugar de la fragmentación subdisciplinar del conocimiento. Este escrito además triangula algunas de las perspectivas de los participantes con la teoría existente con el objetivo de lograr unas bases más sólidas para la propuesta curricular.
Promotion of Learner Autonomy in a Freshmen’s English Course at a Colombian University
Authors: Ramírez Alexander
Published: April 2018

This paper presents the results of an Action-Research cycle conducted at Universidad del Valle, which aimed at fostering learner autonomy in freshmen from a foreign languages program, within an English course. The study established the freshmen’s entrance profile regarding learner autonomy, and implemented a course based on the development of autonomous behaviors. Finally, an exit profile was established to measure the impact of the intervention. The results show significant progress in the development of some behaviors and suggest that this type of initiatives need to be planned in a long-term basis.
Constructing Sociocultural Awareness from the EFL Classroom
Authors: Bautista Pérez Nancy Yolanda
Published: April 2018

This article reports an action research project carried out with a group of 24 undergraduate students in a private university in Ibagué, Colombia. The study aimed to characterize the development of university students’ sociocultural skills, to analyze their perceptions and to examine the teacher’s procedures and possible implications required to implement the Raising Cultural Consciousness Macrostrategy taken from the Postmethod Pedagogy. To reach these objectives a series of interconnected tasks were designed and implemented in three different stages. To collect the data, five data collection methods were used: the students’ artifacts, teacher’s field notes, questionnaires, video recordings and a focus group. The findings revealed that these university students became gradually aware of the importance of having the opportunity to develop tasks that allowed them to connect the English classroom with the local and global context. Furthermore, students suggested that this type of pedagogy should be an explicit component of the curricula of their professional programs. A review of the literature also showed that in our local context this kind of sociocultural study with a postmethod orientation is scarce, thus this study intends to bridge this gap in the Colombian ELT field
Peningkatan aktivitas, perilaku, dan hasil belajar materi peristiwa alam melalui model guide inquiry pada siswa kelas V semester II SDN Rejosari 03 semarang Tahun pelajaran 2016/2017
Authors: SUSANTO JOKO
Published: April 2018

Abstrak: Pembelajaran di SDN Rejosari 03 Kota Semarang masih berlangsung satu arah, perilaku siswa kurang, dan nilai ketuntasan belajar secara klasikal belum mencapai 75% dari jumlah siswa. Penyebabnya pembelajaran berpusat pada guru dan belum menggunakan model pembelajaran yang sesuai dengan materi pembelajaran. Permasalahan dalam penelitian ini adalah Bagaimana peningkatan aktivitas, perilaku, dan hasil belajar siswa setelah diberikan pembelajaran dengan model guide inquiry. Penelitian ini bertujuan mendeskripsikan peningkatan aktivitas, perilaku, dan hasil belajar peristiwa alam kelas V melalui guide inquiry. Jenis penelitian ini penelitian tindakan kelas. Subjek penelitian siswa kelas V SDN Rejosari 03 Kota Semarang tahun pelajaran 2016/2017. Instrumen terdiri atas lembar pengamatan, lembar hasil belajar. Teknik analisis data secara deskriptif persentase dan uji peningkatan menggunakan N-gain. Peningkatan aktivitas siswa yaitu 74% menjadi 88%, perilaku siswa dari 69% menjadi 87%, dan hasil belajar siswa dari 70% menjadi 100%. Pembelajaran IPA dengan pendekatan guide inquiry terbukti meningkat. Seyogyanya peneliti atau guru dapat menerapkan model pembelajaran yang sesuai dengan materi yang diajarakan misalnya model guide inquiry. Kata kunci: Aktivitas, Perilaku, Hasil Belajar, Guide Inquiry.
PENERAPAN MODEL PEMBELAJARAN KOOPERATIF TIPE STAD UNTUK MENINGKATKAN HASIL BELAJAR MATEMATIKA TENTANG FAKTOR PRIMA PADA SISWA KELAS V SEMESTER I TAHUN PELAJARAN 2015/2016 SD 3 WATES UNDAAN KUDUS
Authors: Rahayuningsih Sri
Published: April 2018

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkanhasil belajar Matematika materi faktor prima pada siswa kelas V Semester I Tahun Pelajaran 2015/2016 SD 3 Wates Undaan Kudus. Penelitian ini menggunakan rancangan Penelitian Tindakan Kelas kolaborasi yang dilaksanakan dalam dua Siklus, meliputi tahap perencanaan, pelaksanaan tindakan, pengamatan, serta refleksi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan hasil belajar siswa pada data awal secara klasikal rata-rata 30,00% dan pada Siklus I ada 65,00% mengalami kenaikan 35,00 sedangkan pada Siklus II hasil belajar siswa secara klasikal rata-rata 85,00% mengalami kenaikan 20,00 atau sebesar 20,00%. Penerapan model pembelajran kooperatif tipe Student Teams Achievement Devisions (STAD) dapat meningkatkan pembelajaran Matematika materi faktor prima pada siswa kelas V Semester I Tahun Pelajaran 2015/2016 SD 3 Wates Undaan Kudus. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian disarankan bahwa, pada proses pembelajaran guru harus mampu menciptakan suasana belajar yang menyenangkan serta melibatkan aktivitas seluruh siswa.
WAYANG KULIT WONG KOMUNITAS LIMA GUNUNG: KAJIAN TEKS DRAMA DALAM SEMIOTIKA TEATER
Authors: Arisyanto Prasena
Published: April 2018

AbstractThis research aim to analyze wayang kulit wong performance from dramatic text or manuscript. The manuscript that analyze taken from story of Menjunjung Langit Mencium Bumi. As analyzing concept it used theatre of semiotic from Tadeus Kowzan that focussed in dramatic text analyzing. Research method is qualitative method with theatre semiotic approach. Data collection techniques use observation, interview, and document study. Research result shows that wayang kulit wong performance not need a manuscript because the player only following instruction from the director so that the performance can go on. So, researchers make a performance transcript as manuscript subtituter. Based on manuscript, there is a meaning in wayang kulit wong performance with story of Menjunjung Langit Mencium Bumi. The meaning related to Sumpah Pemuda commemoration as frame of program. Manuscript of Menjunjung Langit Mencium Bumi story also has an uniqueness of plot, figure character, and dialogue.
Analiza i ocena działalności inwestycyjnej polskich gmin przez pryzmat ich zadłużenia w aspekcie wykorzystania środków unijnych
Authors: Kołodziej-Hajdo Marta
Published: April 2018

Cel. Rozwój lokalny możliwy jest jedynie dzięki działalności inwestycyjnej. Na szczeblu lokalnym ciężar finansowy spoczywa przede wszystkim na jednostkach samorządu terytorialnego. Przystąpienie Polski do Unii Europejskiej, jak również możliwość korzystania przez samorządy ze środków unijnych, przyczyniło się do wzrostu atrakcyjności rezydencjalnej i inwestycyjnej wielu gmin, ale także do dynamicznego wzrostu poziomu ich zadłużenia. Zatem z jednej strony zwrotne finansowanie pozwala samorządom funkcjonować w sytuacji niedopasowania dochodów do wydatków realizowanych zadań, z drugiej natomiast pojawia się problem wzrostu poziomu długu publicznego. Nadmierne zadłużenie jst należy postrzegać jako zagrożenie dla stabilnego funkcjonowania i rozwoju lokalnego tych jednostek. W artykule podjęto dociekania naukowe w zakresie oceny poziomu działalności inwestycyjnej samorządów w ujęciu regionalnym i jego wpływu na zadłużenie jednostek samorządu terytorialnego (jst), przez pryzmat korzystania przez te jednostki ze środków unijnych w latach 2010-2015.

Metoda. W artykule wykorzystano analizę danych wtórnych oraz wnioskowanie. Przetwarzanie materiałów oparte jest na analizie logicznej, dedukcji oraz analogii. Problem badawczy ujęty został ilościowo.

Wyniki. Podjęta w niniejszej publikacji problematyka pozwala na syntetyczną ocenę działalności inwestycyjnej lokalnych samorządów w przekroju regionalnym i jej wpływu na poziom zadłużenia poprzez pryzmat możliwości korzystania ze środków unijnych na finansowanie wydatków majątkowych o charakterze inwestycyjnym.
R-D-L me this: A simple semi-directed learning approach to teaching first year physics students.
Authors: Mears Matthew John
Published: April 2018

Students often enter physics courses at higher education with a background experience of “spoon fed” learning yet academic staff expect students to engage in self-directed learning. The Revise, Do, Learn method presented here provides a first intermediary step between “spoon fed” and independent learning. A small to moderate positive effect (d = 0.38) was found between subsequent cohorts that, when considered with the minimal time and effort required to implement the method, provides an easy win for improving student learning.
An evaluation of a STEM summer undergraduate research internship scheme: student-perceived learning gains
Authors: Williams Neil , Hussain Humma , Manojkumar Pinali , Thapa Asim
Published: April 2018

The organisation of a STEM-wide summer undergraduate research internship scheme to ensure equal opportunities for all students is reported. Student engagement in the internship programme is much greater in the Biological, Pharmaceutical and Chemical Sciences (142 applications in 2016) than in Engineering and Computing (30 applications in 2016). To evaluate the impact of the scheme, previous interns were surveyed about their perceived learning gains from doing an internship. Twenty three responses were received from 46 previous interns. The greatest gains were reported for key skills such as: project and time management and working independently. Though the number of responses was small, engineering interns reported lower perceived learning gains than science interns. The survey indicated that perceived gains in key skills such as oral presentation and scientific writing were not rated very highly. In addition, more oral presentation and writing a final report were rated amongst the lowest for changes that might improve the learning gain from doing an internship.Keywords:  Research Internship, learning gain
Perspectives on motivation and engagement in an extracurricular project
Authors: Bell Jake , Mulrooney Hilda
Published: April 2018

To enhance employability opportunities, a range of co-curricular opportunities are offered to Nutrition students at Kingston University. Student uptake of these opportunities tends to be limited to a small group of highly motivated students. Using an unpaid public health project undertaken as a staff-student partnership as a case study, both the processes involved in the project and the motivation of staff and student partners are explored. Understanding what elements of motivation were involved may help to pinpoint aspects of co-curricular work to focus upon in order to increase student uptake, thus potentially enhancing graduate employability.Keywords: Intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, partnership, autonomy, engagement
Supporting student transitions to placement and work: developing a new self-identity
Authors: Webster Gemma , Smith Sally , Smith Colin
Published: April 2018

Moves towards the marketisation of higher education together with concerns over the challenges of graduate employment have led to an increased prioritisation of students undertaking relevant work experience while they study. Recognising a strong student demand for placements, universities are establishing employability initiatives including those designed to increase the availability of quality paid placements for students. To complement this activity, industry, sector-specific, regional placement projects such as e-Placement Scotland, take an employer-led approach to maximise opportunities for students across a number of universities. In spite of these initiatives, not every student will successfully obtain a placement, and so e-Placement Scotland aims to ‘add value’ for students in various other ways. Interventions such as industry tech talks and speed networking sessions have been deployed to develop awareness of the employment landscape and encourage students to start thinking about their self-identification, easing their transition into the workplace. Adopting the lens of identity theory, this study explores student and professional identity in order to recognise the transition from student to graduate, and to consider the role of placement and other value-adding activities in that transition. The study found that, while the incidence of students self-identifying as professionals increases in later years of their courses, placement preparation interventions did not themselves have an observable effect. These findings challenge the project assumption that placement preparation activities can offer students valuable insights that can help them identify with their profession. Keywords: Student identity, placement, professional identity
Incorporating Entrepreneurship skills into Chemistry and Related Curriculums
Authors: Ghatora Baljit Kaur , Strutt Robert
Published: April 2018

With the ever increasing pace of change in the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, universities need to be more aware of the skill set that employers are seeking in graduates. These skills often include risk taking, creative thinking and entrepreneurship; skills that are not naturally associated with chemistry-related curriculums. This research focusses on the authors’ experiences of applying for strategic grants which underpin the dissemination of such skills, and explores how these were used as the basis for creating specific learning content for final year students. Students’ experiences after completing assignments were gathered through an online survey and subsequent analysis identified areas for improvement in chemistry curriculums. Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Chemical & Pharmaceutical industry, innovation
Utilising graduate teaching assistants to implement active learning at university level
Authors: Read David , Barnes Stephen Michael , Harrison Charles Kenneth , Koramoah Rachel , Ivanova Iveta
Published: April 2018

Active learning is recognised as a crucial component of university courses in enhancing performance and retention. However, universities face numerous challenges in broadening the provision of active learning, including time constraints, and a lack of staff training and confidence to develop appropriate activities.  This article outlines an approach taken at the University of Southampton to engage a team of graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in the process of developing, delivering, and evaluating active learning resources to support small-group teaching in chemistry on a Science Foundation Year programme.  A team of four GTAs developed nine activities during the 2015/16 academic year, with evaluation supporting their enhancement for 2016/17.  The article outlines the progress of this work over two academic years, providing evidence of a positive impact on students and teachers alike.Keywords: Active learning; peer-assisted learning; GTAs
Transition from Passive Learner to Critical Evaluator through Peer-Testing of Programming Artefacts
Authors: Grov Gudmund , Hamdan Mohammad , Kumar Smitha , Maarek Manuel , McGregor Léon , Shaikh Talal , Wells J. B. , Zantout Hind
Published: April 2018

Offering timely feedback on programming while encouraging learners to engage in critical evaluation of programs are the objectives of peer-testing. We report on a peer-testing experiment with students on distant campuses using a Web platform. The experiment shows the potential that peer-testing has to help students transition from passive learners to critical evaluators.  Keywords: Computer science education, peer testing, peer feedback, software testing, student transitions
Research support-oriented MATLAB learning: tackling difficult concepts and promoting personalised learning
Authors: Yang Chunhua , Smith David
Published: April 2018

This study investigated the acquisition of MATLAB programming skills by postgraduate students, and whether this learning was improved by research support-oriented teaching. Questionnaire surveys were given to academic staff asking about what they considered the most important knowledge and skills in programming to be. Questionnaire surveys were also given to students asking about what programming concepts they found the most difficult and confusing to understand. The intersection between what knowledge and skills in programming the researchers deemed the most important, and what areas in programming students had most difficulty with, was carefully addressed in subsequent teaching in a module teaching the essentials of programming to postgraduate students. Student learning performance, as measured by examination marks on the module, before and after the intersection concepts were emphasised was compared. The student learning performance improvement, together with interviews to students about their perceptions about programming, suggests that teaching oriented to research support is effective at increasing student understanding of programming in MATLAB.Keywords: Programming; MATLAB; Research support
Maths Advice and Revision for Chemistry (MARC)
Authors: Paschke Beth , Ahmed Shazia
Published: April 2018

It has been recognised for some time by Science and Engineering departments that students are entering Higher Education ill-equipped in terms of their mathematical skills, despite having in many cases, attained good grades at Higher/A level (The Engineering Council 2000; Fry, Ketteridge & Marshall 1999; Score Education 2009). In an attempt, therefore, to ensure that all students progressing on to Chemistry degrees are equally prepared (in terms of ability and confidence) to attempt the more mathematical aspects of our courses, the School of Chemistry has over recent years been sequentially introducing   mathematics support into the curriculum.  As part of the School’s ongoing mathematical support provision, the aim of this project was two-fold:  1)    to assess the popularity and effectiveness of tailored maths support sessions and 2)    in relation to the teaching of mathematical concepts to science students, collate examples of existing appropriate open educational resources to provide additional support to facilitate student learning such as RSC Discover Maths for Chemistry and Math Centre (Royal Society of Chemistry; MathCentre 2016). A pilot project has been carried out during the academic year 2015-2016, where support sessions were delivered in tutorial format by the Maths Adviser. Although the sessions were open to all 3rd year students studying on chemistry degree programmes, the expectation was that they would mainly be attended by students with little formal mathematics training and those who are less confident about their abilities.  Keywords:  Chemistry, Mathematics, Student Support, Maths Support
Measuring the Impact of Context and Problem Based Learning Approaches on Students’ Perceived Levels of Importance of Transferable & Workplace Skills
Authors: Williams Dylan P , Lo Fan Hin Shane
Published: April 2018

Year-one chemistry students at two different institutions were asked to rate the importance of a series of discipline-specific, transferable and laboratory skills by responding to a series of Likert-type questions. The students at both institutions had studied similar curricula but had different levels of experience of the Context and Problem Based Learning (C/PBL) approach. Analysis of the responses to the questionnaire was conducted by determining the “Level of Importance” (reported as the percentage of students at each Institution rating each skills as “Important” or “Very Important”). Both cohorts assigned a very similar level of importance to all discipline-specific and laboratory skills (i.e. under 10% difference). There were larger (>15%) differences between responses from the two institutions to statements on two transferable skills: Team-working Skills and Oral Presentation Skills, the cohort with exposure to C/PBL giving the higher level of importance in each case. This study has revealed some potentially important differences in the perceived level of importance chemistry students place on the development of oral presentation and team-working skills which may be related to the use of C/PBL in the early stages of degree programmes. The study has also shown that the level of importance students assign certain transferable skills (such as Problem Solving Skills) may be independent of exposure to C/PBL.Keywords: CBL; PBL; Transferable Skills; Workplace Skills; Active Learning; Chemistry
NADİR GÖRÜLEN BİR AKUT ABDOMEN SEBEBİ: EPİPLOİK APANDİSİT
Authors: Şirik Mehmet , Özdaş Sabri
Published: April 2018

Epiploik apandisit, akut abdomen görünümü veren ve
klinik semptomlarından dolayı akut apandisit ve divertikülit benzeri durumları
taklit edebilen, cerrahi gerektiren bir hastalık olmamasına rağmen akut karın
bulgularını taklit ettiğinden dolayı gereksiz laparotomilere neden olan nadir
bir hastalıktır. Epiploik apendiksler kolon segmentleri boyunca sigmoid kolon
distal kesimine kadar uzun bir trasede bulunurlar ve epiploik apandisit
bunların torsiyonu, trombozu veya inflamasyonu gibi sebeplerle gelişen iskemik
ve inflamatuar bir durumdur. Karın ağrısı bulunan olgularda epiploik apandisit
akılda tutulmalı ve klinik ve radyolojik değerlendirmede göz önünde
bulundurulmalıdır. Biz burada akut batın bulguları ile acil servise gelen 52
yaşındaki kadın olguyu değerlendirdik.