bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Four new species of the genus Diploderma Hallowell, 1861 (Squamata, Agamidae) from China
Authors: Liu Shuo , Hou Mian , Ananjeva Natalia B. , Rao Dingqi
Published: February 2023

Four new species of Diploderma are described from Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, southwestern China, based on an integrative taxonomic approach, combining morphological and genetic data. The first new species from Danba County, Sichuan Province, is morphologically most similar and phylogenetically closely related to D. flaviceps, but it can be diagnosed from the latter by having a relatively much shorter tail and by a genetic distance of 4.4% in the ND2 gene; the second new species from Muli County, Sichuan Province, is phylogenetically closely related to D. daochengense, D. yongshengense, and D. yulongense, but it can be diagnosed from the latter three species by having a pale yellow gular spot and by genetic distances of 5.6–6.7% in the ND2 gene; the third new species from Jiulong County, Sichuan Province, is morphologically most similar and phylogenetically closely related to D. angustelinea, but it can be diagnosed from the latter by having a relatively much longer tail and by a genetic distance of 2.8% in the ND2 gene; and the last new species from Weixi County, Yunnan Province, is phylogenetically closely related to D. aorun, but it can be diagnosed from the latter by having a pale yellow gular spot and by a genetic distance of 2.9% in the ND2 gene. Our work brings the number of species within the genus Diploderma to 46.
Optical Coherence Tomography Findings in Cherry-Red Spot: Implications for Understanding Pathophysiology and Visual Prognosis
Authors: Lee Terry , Velez Federico G. , Galoyan Nelli , Prasad Vinod K. , El-Dairi Mays A.
Published: February 2023

Purpose:

To report optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings of cherry-red spots from Tay-Sachs and Niemann-Pick disease.

Methods:

Consecutive patients with Tay-Sachs and Niemann-Pick disease evaluated by the pediatric transplant and cellular therapy team, for whom a handheld OCT scan was obtained, were included. Demographic information, clinical history, fundus photography, and OCT scans were reviewed. Two masked graders evaluated each of the scans.

Results:

The study included 3 patients with Tay-Sachs disease (5, 8, and 14 months old) and 1 patient with Niemann-Pick disease (12 months old). All patients had bilateral cherry-red spots on fundus examination. In all patients with Tay-Sachs disease, handheld OCT revealed parafoveal ganglion cell layer (GCL) thickening, increased nerve fiber layer, and GCL reflectivity, and different levels of residual normal signal GCL. The patient with Niemann-Pick disease had similar parafoveal findings, but there was a thicker residual GCL. Sedated visual evoked potentials were unrecordable in all 4 patients despite 3 of them demonstrating normal visual behavior for age. Patients with good vision had relative sparing of the GCL on OCT.

Conclusions:

The cherry-red spots in lysosomal storage diseases appear as perifoveal thickening and hyperreflectivity of the GCL on OCT. In this case series, residual GCL with normal signal proved to be a better biomarker for visual function than visual evoked potentials and could be considered for future therapeutic trials.

[
J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus
. 2023;60(6):435–440.]
Single dendritic neural classification with an effective spherical search-based whale learning algorithm
Authors: Yu Hang , Shi Jiarui , Qian Jin , Wang Shi , Li Sheng
Published: February 2023

McCulloch-Pitts neuron-based neural networks have been the mainstream deep learning methods, achieving breakthrough in various real-world applications. However, McCulloch-Pitts neuron is also under longtime criticism of being overly simplistic. To alleviate this issue, the dendritic neuron model (DNM), which employs non-linear information processing capabilities of dendrites, has been widely used for prediction and classification tasks. In this study, we innovatively propose a hybrid approach to co-evolve DNM in contrast to back propagation (BP) techniques, which are sensitive to initial circumstances and readily fall into local minima. The whale optimization algorithm is improved by spherical search learning to perform co-evolution through dynamic hybridizing. Eleven classification datasets were selected from the well-known UCI Machine Learning Repository. Its efficiency in our model was verified by statistical analysis of convergence speed and Wilcoxon sign-rank tests, with receiver operating characteristic curves and the calculation of area under the curve. In terms of classification accuracy, the proposed co-evolution method beats 10 existing cutting-edge non-BP methods and BP, suggesting that well-learned DNMs are computationally significantly more potent than conventional McCulloch-Pitts types and can be employed as the building blocks for the next-generation deep learning methods.
An E-Government Portal Maturity Model
Authors: Cheikhi Laila , Fath-Allah Abdoullah , Al-Qutaish Rafa E. , Idri Ali , Abran Alain
Published: February 2023

E-government portals are now playing an important role in facilitating citizens' lives by executing services at any time and from any location. Such a way of providing services results in great benefits for citizens and agencies, particularly within the COVID-19 pandemic context. Over the past few years, a number of best practices have been identified for designing and developing e-government portals but have been documented piecewise across the literature. A key approach to facilitating access to such best practices is their integration into a structured maturity model tailored to a domain of application. A digital twin is a digital representation of a physical object or system. However, data from the e-government, which is a part of what is called smart city, can be transferred to a digital twin to work with other data from other systems, such as IoT systems. Thus, these insights can be used to make better decisions.
Corporate Financial Management Decisions During COVID-19
Authors: Veerasamy Rengarajan , Subramanian Kabaly , Muthuraman Subrahmaninan
Published: February 2023

Financial decisions such as investment and financing will have to be made in accordance with the environmental conditions prevailing in a particular time. This chapter will focus on the corporate financial decisions during the current pandemic situation. In financing decisions, cost of capital is the determining factor, and accordingly, financing modes are preferred by the organizations. Financial decisions made in a difficult time are resulting in negative cash profits in most of the cases. With the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the stock markets suffered a severe shock resulting in negative returns, and the stock market crash risk has become higher than normal. COVID-19 has made the financing and investment markets more challenging. Financing decisions are the hardest decisions that companies could make during COVID-19 times as the cost of capital might skyrocketed and the companies themselves would find their profits declining significantly. Corporates must now be thinking seriously about alternative sources of funding for their business requirements.
The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on Firm Performance During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Ahmed Essia Ries , Al-Alawi Jawaher Hamdan , Al-Rissi Hajar Saeed
Published: February 2023

This study investigates the impact of corporate social responsibility's features as predictor variables of firm performance with a sample of firms belonging to financial and industrial sectors in the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) in the Sultanate of Oman. This study analysed data for 75 financial and industrial firms. It used annual reports for the physical years 2019 and 2020 to analyze the impact of CSR features on firm performance during COVID-19 pandemic. The present study tested the hypotheses and utilised variables via utilizing the Smart-PLS for data analysis. The results found that CSR has a positive impact on firm performance in the financial and industrial sectors in the Sultanate of Oman.
Impact of COVID-19 on Capital Structure Towards Maruti Suzuki India Limited
Authors: Janaki P.  , Mounaarthi K.
Published: February 2023

The purpose of the study is to analyse the change in capital structure of Maruti Suzuki India Limited during the time of COVID-19. The main objective of the study is to analyse the key determinants of capital structure of a company before and during pandemic period. In order to analyse the capital structure of Maruti Suzuki India Limited, the ratio analysis has been used. The ratio includes capital gearing ratio, leverage, debt equity ratio, total investment to long-term liabilities, ratio of fixed assets to funded debt, ratio of current liabilities to proprietors' funds, ratio of reserve to equity capital, and interest coverage ratio. The study covers the period of five years, and it is based on secondary data obtained from the published annual report of Maruti Suzuki India Limited. From the analysis, it shows that the overall capital structure of the company is satisfactory during the study period. However, the company performance in the pandemic period is good.
Biopsychosocial Model
Authors: Taukeni Simon George , Mathwasa Joyce , Ntshuntshe Zoleka
Published: February 2023

The emphasis in health psychology is to persuade people using diverse approaches to embrace health promotion, maintenance, and illness prevention. Health psychology studies how biological, psychological, and social factors influence people's attitudes toward their health. This chapter aims to investigate potential contributory relationships between bio-psychosocial factors and population health. The book delves into the bio-psychosocial model, which can assist individuals in developing and maintaining healthy lifestyles in order to promote good health and prevent illness. It endeavours to accelerate the integration of biopsychosocial model in public health systems and healthcare facilities in the context of biological, psychological, and social factors to promote better health and prevent illnesses at a population level. A desk research was adopted to come with relevant literature at the same time adhering to the ethics code. The BPS model is recommended for its robust holistic focus on the person rather than just their infirmity.
Community Participation as an Integral Part of the Biological, Psychosocial, and Social Aspects of the Management of Diseases and Illnesses
Authors: Nuuyoma Vistolina
Published: February 2023

Community participation is one of the pillars of primary healthcare. In a primary healthcare approach, the community is considered vital to the design, implementation, and evaluation of healthcare services. Ideally, community participation entails efforts to reach underserved community members. Although healthcare service policies promote community participation, there is evidence of major gaps in community members', policymakers', and practitioners' understandings of its purpose, process, and outcomes. Therefore, this chapter will unpack the concept of community participation, firstly by giving broader definitions of community and participation and then explaining typology of community participation as well as the application of community participation in public health initiatives. In addition, the role of community participation in the prevention and management of COVID-19 is discussed.
Main Manifestations of the Psychological and Behavioural Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Populations
Authors: Mouhatti Saga , Rkhaila Amine , Ounine Khadija
Published: February 2023

Several research studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed its negative impact on the psychological well-being and quality of life of the population. The objective of this research-synthesis is to reveal the psycho-behavioral influence of the pandemic on the population. The authors conducted a systematic review according to the PRISMA (preferred elements for systematic review and meta-analysis) criteria, which included experimental and non-randomized controlled trials, observational research, and qualitative research using a biopsychosocial approach. They selected 23 publications that met the inclusion criteria and then ranked the main specific findings on the psychological and behavioural impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the community. The results revealed that the pandemic generates stress, anxiety, helplessness, and social behavioural difficulties in the population. The research synthesis identified gaps and strengths in the prevention and management of population mental health in order to help governments develop well-structured intervention and protection programs.
The Challenges of Mentoring
Authors: Majali Nokuphiwa , Gerwel Proches Cecile Naomi , Singh Nikita
Published: February 2023

This study aimed at exploring the dynamics of the mentor-mentee working relationship, at identifying challenges influencing the productivity of mentees, and at examining the influence of public sector resource inadequacies on the mentoring of junior doctors in the trauma emergency department of a South African state hospital. The study was qualitative in nature and grounded in an interpretivist paradigm. This was facilitated through the use of focus groups with mentees and one on one, semi-structured interviews with their mentors. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The study revealed that there were several factors influencing the mentorship process such as difficulties in the mentor-mentee working relationship, issues influencing the productivity of mentees, and the effect of resource inadequacies in the South African public health sector. The mentor-mentee relationship requires understanding, trust, respect, empathy, and various other soft skills from both parties to be effective.
Yoga
Authors: Jaiswal Garima , Karmakar Mousumi , Sinha Keshav
Published: February 2023

In the current global situation, half of the world is experiencing ethnic and religious conflicts that impact millions of lives, particularly among women. The stress of war can lead to various health issues, such as cyclical mastalgia and psychosis. During times of conflict, access to medical treatment may be limited. However, the ancient practice of yoga is effective in treating various illnesses. This chapter will explore various current therapies and yoga therapy for cyclical mastalgia (CM). Previous research has suggested using primrose oil, vitamins, and physical activity as treatments for CM. However, there have been few studies on the use of yoga for cyclical mastalgia. This investigation also examined the impact of current therapies on psychological outcomes. The results showed that while biochemical clinical trials can be effective, they may have side effects, and primrose oil and seed treatment were ineffective. Integrated yoga therapy has been shown to provide high-quality treatment for individuals suffering from cyclical mastalgia.
Digitization of Mental Health Therapy in the Era and Post-Pandemic COVID-19
Authors: Johar Siti Sarawati , Suhaimy Khairul Azman Mohamad , Ismail Fadillah , R. Ibrahim R Zirwatul Aida , Saputra Jumadil
Published: February 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic is an entity moving in momentum with various eruptions of human senses to directly or indirectly impact mental health. This chapter discusses the model of health beliefs, resilience in facing the challenges, stress, and depression, psychosocial support initiatives through therapy digitization. Detail the relevance of this issue to a health belief model that cannot be seen from the aspect of physical illness alone. Online therapy is mental health digitization that works to help communities experiencing stress. Through online therapy, efforts to help reduce and restore mental health problems caused by the pandemic are being made jointly between government agencies and NGOs. In addition, the ability to cope with new living norms will enable society to live life in a more balanced and prosperous emotional, mental, and physical state. In line with the current COVID-19 pandemic scenario, it is an emotional challenge to strengthen mental health therapy as one of the progressive and pragmatic alternatives in helping community members adapt to new norms of living better.
An Investigation of the Impact of Socioeconomic Factors on Students' Career Self-Efficacy and Career Maturity in Technical Vocational Institutions
Authors: Talib Jasmi Abu , Padli Jaharuddin , Mohamad Zakaria , Saputra Jumadil , Raji Nurul Atiqah Ab
Published: February 2023

The present study examined the influence of social factors on career self-efficacy among technical students in Malaysia. This research implemented cross-sectional data with the ordinary least square analysis method. The sample consisted of 500 students from five technical vocational institutions in Terengganu, Malaysia. The sample was selected using a random sampling technique. The data were analyzed descriptively using mean and percentage alongside the inference analysis based on correlation. The results revealed that family income had a positive relationship with career self-efficacy. The study revealed that two courses, a diploma in external structure engineering and a certificate in plan drawing, positively correlate with career self-efficacy. Social factors, such as the training place, the number of households, and gender, are proven unrelated to career self-efficacy. These findings can guide an institution to improve students' career self-efficacy. Further studies are required to strengthen the findings of this study.
Emotional Intelligence, Occupational Stress, and Job Satisfaction at the Workplace
Authors: Singh Sneha , Chaturvedi Shakti
Published: February 2023

Occupational stress is a much-considered issue that leads to burnout, affecting employees' job performance and satisfaction. Emotional intelligence, in this regard, has become of paramount importance in recent times, especially in the field of psychological research to combat occupational stress. This study explores the relationship between emotional intelligence and occupational stress and its outcome on employees' job satisfaction. 353 doctors working in private hospitals Bengaluru region of Karnataka, India, were administered the designed questionnaire. The study's outcome was in the expected direction showing a negative correlation between emotional intelligence (EI) and stress in the workplace. Finally, the relationship between EI, work stress, and various demographic variables such as age, gender, and educational qualification was investigated, and the results are discussed in the organizational frame.
Rethinking Self-Care in Occupational Stress
Authors: Smith Aaron P. B. , McMillan Colleen
Published: February 2023

An abundance of literature on the subject of self-care reveals many understandings and, the authors suggest, misunderstandings, regarding self-care. Such (mis)understandings have impacted how both individuals and organizations alike have approached and even prescribed self-care practices. This chapter reviews several common (mis)understandings of self-care, including the notion of work-life balance, the disconnect between self-care theory and reality, and self-care and its relationship to occupational stress. Finally, drawing on both literature and the authors' experiences as therapists and educators, this chapter discusses how rethinking self-care can help individuals and organizations shift understandings of self-care, and in so doing, establish novel strategies for practicing self-care and dealing with occupational stress.
Role of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Imaging
Authors: Sharma Avinash Kumar , Tripathi Pranav Kumar , Sharma Sushant
Published: February 2023

A trendy technique based on computer science called artificial intelligence (AI) creates software and algorithms to make machines smart and effective at carrying out activities that often call for expert human intellect. Machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), traditional neural networks, fuzzy logic, and speech recognition are only a few of the subsets of AI that have distinctive skills and functions that might enhance the performance of contemporary medical sciences. Biomedical imaging might undergo a revolution thanks to AI, which could increase the efficiency and precision of picture processing and interpretation. Radiologists could miss tiny abnormalities that can be detected by AI systems that have been taught to spot patterns in those pictures that are challenging for humans to interpret. AI may also be used to generate customized medicine by evaluating a patient's medical pictures and other data to customize treatment regimens, as well as to enhance image processing and visualization.
Role of AI-Based Methods in Colorectal Cancer Diagnostics
Authors: Tripathi Pankaj Kumar , Jain Chakresh Kumar
Published: February 2023

Colorectal cancer ranks as the second most prevalent cause of death, and proven to be a major cause of morbidity, where one in every six people worldwide dies from cancer. The early diagnostics have always been a torch bearing insight towards better and timely treatment, thus saving the life. In the recent, advanced medical technology has facilitated large amounts of variable data set for analysis, whereas artificial intelligence (AI) technology has the proven role in automatic cancer detection, enabling us to analyze more patients in less time and money hence, commonly used in oncology. The convolutional neural network based models have been quite popular to evaluate cancer imaginary data in current scenario. In this chapter, the authors summarize the computational resources, basic architecture, and applications of advanced AI based methods / soft computing methodologies; i.e. machine learning, deep learning, CNN, RNN, SVM and other machine learning methods for early and faster diagnostics of colorectal cancer with imaginary classification of patient data with challenges.
A Review of Recent Machine Learning Techniques Used for Skin Lesion Image Classification
Authors: Upadhyay Mayank , Rawat Jyoti , Kriti
Published: February 2023

Skin cancer is amongst the most common forms of cancer and can become life-threatening if not detected early. Due to the rise in the number of cancer cases, there is a growing interest in using computational diagnostics for early cancer detection as the specificity rate of even an expert dermatologist is around 59%. Computer-aided diagnosis can significantly contribute to skin lesion image analysis. Skin cancer prognostication can be achieved with a classification that assigns data objects to particular classes based on extracted features. The steps for image classification are pre-processing where noise is removed and lesion features are highlighted, making it easier to classify the image, detection of the lesion on skin (i.e. segmentation), extracting useful features, and finally applying classification algorithm. This paper provides a review of the recent studies in the bailiwick of skin cancer image classification using machine learning (ML) algorithms.
A Medical Assistant for the Visually Impaired
Authors: Pandey Kavita , Pandey Dhiraj , Khan Rijwan
Published: February 2023

A visually impaired individual loses vision when a part of the eye or the brain that processes images becomes diseased or damaged. Visually impaired people face many problems during their daily activities such as walking around places, identifying objects, identifying people's feelings or emotions, detecting obstacles, etc. Several solutions work around these problems. The area that needs the attention of researchers is helping the visually impaired people in reading the medical reports, a product's name, and a device's reading. To make them independent, this paper proposed a medical assistant “M.A.V.I” which helps a visually impaired person to read medical blood reports, products, normal reports, and LED screens of inaccessible medical devices like a glucose monitor, BP machine, and weighing machine, etc.
Applications of Machine Learning Models With Medical Images and Omics Technologies in Diabetes Detection
Authors: Jain Chakresh Kumar , Kulshreshtha Aishani , Agarwal Avinav , Saxena Harshita , Tripathi Pankaj Kumar , Kaushik Prashant
Published: February 2023

Diabetes mellitus is a long-term condition characterized by hyperglycaemia resulting in the emergence of a variety of health problems, such as diabetic retinopathy, kidney failure, dental problems, heart disease, nerve damage, etc.; and is governed by several factors, i.e. biological, genetics, food habits, sedentary lifestyle choices, poor diets and environments, etc. According to the recent morbidity figures, the global diabetic patient population is anticipated to reach 642 million by 2040, implying that one out of every ten people will be diabetic. The data generation and AI based methods—i.e., SVM, kNN, decision tree, Baysian method in medical health –have facilitated the effective prediction and classification of voluminous size of biological data of different types of BMI, skin thickness, glucose, age, tongue and retinal images apart from Omics data, for early diagnostics. The chapter summarizes the basic methods and applications of machine learning and soft computing techniques for diabetes diagnosis and prediction with limitations of integrative approaches.
Concept of Adjustment for First-Year Students at South African Universities
Authors: Kananaga Kananga Robert , Mntuyedwa Vuyo
Published: February 2023

The first year of university is a crucial time for most students. They experience various challenges that require them to learn and develop the skills needed to negotiate their new environment and discover a major that fits their talents and needs. This chapter focuses on the adjustment concept for first-year students. Their adjustment depends on various factors such as student support services in collaboration with academic staff, pre-entry work for the practical orientation to their studies, skills developments, institutional strategies, and assessment. It further develops a historical background of South African Higher Education. It demonstrates how peer group pressure influences the FYSs' experiences at South African universities. It establishes a conceptual framework for factors influencing peer groups and their formation among FYSs transitioning from high school to university. It discusses FYSs' experiences associated with the types of groups and peer pressure. It examines the advantages and disadvantages and factors influencing peer groups, peer pressure, and their formation.
Coping Mechanisms for First-Year Students
Authors: Okello Lazarus Millan , Oure Eliud Oyoo
Published: February 2023

After secondary education, many students around the world make transit to institutions of higher learning. This transition necessitates the need for appropriate adjustment, which has been classified into academic, emotional, and social. Each student should know copying mechanisms that they can consider adapting during their transition. Successful transition from secondary school to university is essential for the academic, emotional, and social success of any student and smooth adjustment process can be achieved through internalizing the character, culture, and behavioral norms of the institution in which the student is enrolled. Students who are given adequate parental love are likely to adjust themselves more quickly than students who are deprived of this. The study recommends good relationships with lecturers and social integration with other students for positive adjustments of the learners. The students' ability to set goals and achieve a balance between academic and social activities is critical during the first-year transition.
Enabler Factors for the Successful Adjustment of First-Year Students
Authors: Onyango Pamela Awuor
Published: February 2023

This chapter presents a synopsis of enabler factors for successful adjustment of first-year students. Reviewed literature addresses the main enabler factors, which include positive and helpful interaction of students with lecturers, orientation, family environment, student experience during transition into the university and information literacy. While other students have been living in rural areas, others come from urban areas. Consequently, the two categories of learners do not adjust to institutions of higher learning in the same way. This fact has been taken into account in the course of literature review. Study findings recommend the need for the university administration and other stakeholders to acknowledge the significance of enabler factors for the successful adjustment of first-year students.
The Challenges Behind Living a Double Life Among First-Generation University Students
Authors: Cornell Audrey , Searight H. Russell
Published: February 2023

First-generation (F.G.) university students whose parents did not attend college comprise 30-50% of those pursuing higher education in the United States. Research suggests that compared with those whose parents attended college, F.G. students are less likely to graduate. American universities reflect upper middle class values, implying that academic success requires students' independence from family. Previous research suggests that F.G., compared with non-F.G. students, place a greater value on interdependence relative to independence. The current study was a multi-method investigation involving quantitative and qualitative assessment approaches. Specifically, on standardized measures, F.G. students scored significantly higher on the Communal Orientation Scale, reflecting norms of social reciprocity and attentiveness to others. Results of qualitative interviews indicated that F.G. students are often self-conscious about their family status more likely to experience university culture as ambiguous and frequently overwhelming and lack a knowledgeable support system.
Psychological Adjustment Challenges of First-Year Students
Authors: Hako Anna Niitembu , Shikongo Prisca Tautiko , Mbongo Emilia Ndapandula
Published: February 2023

This chapter presents an overview of the psychological adjustment challenges of first-year students. A review of the literature has been carried out to address the main research question of this study: “What are the psychological adjustment challenges that first-year university students face?” The chapter discusses the most common factors that negatively affect adjustment to universities such as stress, anxiety and fears, depression, self-esteem, the importance of self-esteem, signs of high and low self-esteem, and the coping strategies used by first-year university students in the university transition adaptation process. The chapter recommends university authorities initiate stress management programmes such as expanding counselling activities and providing adequate facilities and resources at the campus. Similarly, efficient advisory mechanisms and extracurricular activities and psychological and academic counselling services should be geared toward the needs of the students.
Personal Reflections and Effective Coping Mechanisms When Transitioning to Higher Education
Authors: Lubin Robert , Freibaum Joel , Michaels Shelby E. , Hersch Tyler , Miller Elisheva M.
Published: February 2023

The chapter's objective is to present a framework to understand the transition to higher education. The transition is a time of uncertainty for the emerging college student. The chapter includes events and experiences from college students. The issue of mental health, identity, and group formation will be explored. Successful programs and existing infrastructures will be highlighted to demonstrate effectiveness and efficiency systems. The chapter will provide the reader with a personal inside perspective about the transition to higher education.
Proactive Coping Strategies Among First-Years in Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Ajayi Oluwakemi Bolanle
Published: February 2023

This chapter explores how first-year students at higher education institutions deal with adjustment issues, with a focus on proactive coping strategies. Students in their first year of university must adjust to a range of constraints, including emotional, cognitive, social, and intellectual commitments, which can create significant stress and feelings of hopelessness given that the transition from school to higher education can be stressful. Coping, a fundamental process necessary for adaptation and survival, shows how individuals recognise, evaluate, respond to, and take away lessons from stressful situations. The emerging directions include development of programmes to help learners prepared for higher education and quickly adapt to their new circumstances. Additionally, the emergence of developmental theories that depict student-adoptable coping mechanisms.
Learner Experience Design
Authors: Oughebbi Ali
Published: February 2023

Bad experiences from users are often the result of misunderstandings about needs and expectations, poorly coordinated design, and organizational shortcomings. By mimetism, companies often design their learner experiences with efficiency in mind. They seek a short-term return on investment through productivity, process industrialization, activation, and conversion, basically in “fish where the fish are” mode. This strategy obviously does not allow for end-to-end rethinking of learner experiences in a “human centric” mode, with the risk of losing sight of the vision of the learner experience. Nor does it fully benefit from the potential of digital technology. However, the irruption of digital technology in e-learning projects is radically changing the way we come into contact with learners, interact with them, and perform “customer care.” It is the key that will enable the success and optimization of omnichannel experiences, without which any e-learning project will be limited or ultimately doomed to failure.
From the Conceptualization of an Architecture of a Pedagogical Scenario to the Design of a Model of Pedagogical Scenarios in Online Education
Authors: Anoir Lamya , Khaldi Maha , Erradi Mohamed , Khaldi Mohamed
Published: February 2023

In recent decades, education researchers have taken an interest in what teachers do in the classroom. For a long time, one of the main research goals has been to identify teacher behaviors in the classroom that promote learner learning. The issue of teachers' conceptualizations of learning situations is of strategic importance in the field of ICT. After focusing on issues of resource creation, pooling, and reuse, pedagogy research insists on the need to consider learner activities more and put the concept of learning scenarios back at the center of the debate. The objective in this chapter is to propose in the first place to conceptualize an architecture of a pedagogical scenario for a learning situation of a content specific to a discipline of this activity. Secondly, the authors propose the design and scenarization of an online teaching by proposing the different possible scenarios depending on the nature of the learning or assessment activities related to a learning situation without taking into consideration the nature of the discipline and the nature of the concept to be treated.
Designing a Predictive Model of an Online Adult Training System
Authors: Eddine Barhone Jamal , Mohamed Erradi
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this chapter is to study the problem of the design and development of e-learning systems intended for adult education and lifelong learning. The authors describe the theoretical framework underlying adult learning, going through the different models evoked by the specialized literature. The objective is to gather all the relevant data for the development of a predictive model of the learning management system. The authors place themselves in the context of engineering and instructional design to describe their methodological approach concerning the modeling and implementation of adult learner profiles, learning situations, recommendation processes, and situation problem-solving processes.
Designing and Conducting an E-Learning Course
Authors: Frissa Kenza , Nejjari Amel , Khaldi Mohamed , Belmir Ibrahim
Published: February 2023

At a time when society is evolving at a dizzying pace on all levels, all the actors of the educational world found themselves faced with a situation where innovation, originality, and digital were essential notions to develop more abilities in education. A large majority of teachers who started putting their courses online didn't have the reflex to design or develop a course with specific activities planned for the online courses. A distance learning course must be structured around predefined activities and tasks in which the resources provided are invested, including the objectives, the methods of evaluation, the content to be assimilated, and the structuring activities. All these elements require a very demanding preparation and anticipation on the part of teachers, who are not necessarily trained or familiar with this type of training. Faced with this challenge, the authors asked themselves about the design and animation of online training (distance learning). To do this, they decided to study the theoretical references and the practical uses for the best engineering of the online course.
Design and Implementation of Collaborative Pedagogical Scenarios for Adaptive Learning
Authors: Zargane Kawtar , Erradi Mohamed , Khaldi Mohamed
Published: February 2023

Adaptive systems propose the use of a platform that adapts to the behavior of the learner. The research problem concerns the representation of educational content, but the field of educational engineering makes it possible to reorganize different devices specific to the use of techniques and methods or pedagogical tools that meet well-defined pedagogical objectives adapted to each learner leading to the acquisition of knowledge. For this, after having defined the basic concepts concerning scripting, collaboration, and adaptation, the authors propose a design of collaborative pedagogical scenarios for adaptive learning based on pedagogical engineering.
Design and Development of E-Learning Training Using Project-Based Learning
Authors: Izquierdo-Álvarez Vanessa , Narrea-Concha Diana Gabriela
Published: February 2023

The impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) has spread to various fields, with education being an area that has been revolutionized by these changes. In recent years, the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 also caused them. Consequently, many training centers had to adapt their content and learning materials to online training models. In this sense, a methodology that has been shown to respond to educational needs in these online formats is project-based learning (BPL), since it allows collaborative and meaningful learning, proving to be effective when combined with ICT. The objective of this work is to present an innovative solution for remote teaching, using PBL and ICT for the didactic unit “Non-Traditional Media.” This subject is taught in the Advertising career at a Peruvian higher education center.
Mediatization and Pedagogical Mediation in a Multimedia Techno-Pedagogical Environment
Authors: Chelliq Ikram , Erradi Mohamed , Khaldi Mohamed
Published: February 2023

As information and communication technologies (ICT) have evolved, new types of digital learning resources have been developed. The learning object has become a key element in the field of computer-based environments for e-learning. This chapter focuses on the mediatization of learning objects which extends to the science of pedagogy and e-learning. One of the major problems is the lack of coherence in the different definitions, mainly due to the variety of points of view adopted to address the issue of mediatization. In this chapter, the authors give an overview of the learning object and then define the two concepts, mediation and mediatization. Then, they focus on the mediatization of the learning activity for a learning object by identifying the forms, effects, and tools of mediatization as well as their articulation mediatization according to previous studies.
Implementation of an E-Learning Module in Learning Training Platforms
Authors: Hrich Najoua , Khaldi Mohamed
Published: February 2023

E-learning is seeing a significant rise in terms of use in initial or continuing education. At first glance, it seems necessary for the authors to take an interest in the different definitions proposed for this term, although this does not necessarily lead to a consensus in the existing literature. E-learning addressed by this chapter will answer the frequently asked question, “What is e-learning?” This chapter is also intended to provide an overview of current standardization efforts that ensure the transferability of educational resources and the interoperability of virtual training environments. Hence, to highlight the issues and concerns relating to e-learning standards and requirements, the authors present the different standardization approaches adopted at the economic, technical, and educational levels. E-learning from a pedagogical point of view is included in the last part of this chapter.
E-Learning and Development of Digital Skills for Future Teachers in Morocco
Authors: Bakkali Imane
Published: February 2023

This chapter aims to present an experience of using a distance learning platform, UPTICE, with students of Bachelor's Degrees in Education (primary and secondary) at the Higher Normal School (ENS) of the University Abdelmalek Essaadi of Tetouan, Morocco. The objective is to reflect on what the use of e-learning devices can contribute to the development of digital competences of future teachers. Specifically, the authors present the aspects that improve and complete the classroom training offered in these degrees, some difficulties that arise, and finally, proposals for improvement.
A Review on the Effect of Minimum Quantity Lubrication on Different Machining Parameters Emphasizing Vegetable Oil-Based Lubricants for Sustainable Manufacturing
Authors: Chandrakant Sheth Pushpak , Patel Bhaveshkumar K.
Published: February 2023

The cutting fluid plays a significant role in minimizing heat generation and chip removal process during the machining of materials, hence improving tool life and surface finish of the workpiece. Many researchers have focused on minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) among the existing methods on the application of the coolant as it reduces the usage of coolant by spurting a mixture of compressed air and cutting fluid in an improved way instead of flood cooling. The MQL method has demonstrated to be appropriate as it fulfills the necessities of ‘green’ machining. Additionally, considering current environmental issues and provisions for safe healthy working conditions at the workplace, it is important to divert machining processes towards an eco-friendly path. Hence, the focus of research has been shifted to MQL using eco-friendly lubricants for green and sustainable manufacturing processes. In this review paper, the effect of different vegetable oil-based biodegradable coolants like castor oil, coconut oil, palm oil, etc. for different machining process parameters like cutting force, cutting temperature, surface finish, tool wear, etc. has been reviewed. It is observed that proper selection of cutting parameters along with lubricant through MQL can provide enhanced machinability to get desired outputs.
Structural and Optical Properties of TiO2 Thin Films prepared by the Dip-Coating Method: Effect of Thickness and Annealing Temperature
Authors: Daamouche Mosbah , Guitoume Djamaleddine
Published: February 2023

In this work, the Sol-Gel dip-coating technique is used to report the effect of thickness and annealing temperature on structural and optical properties of TiO2 thin films. To study the effect of the annealing temperature, the prepared samples were annealed at different temperatures: 300, 400, and 500 °C for 1 h. By increasing the annealing temperature, an amelioration of the crystalline quality is observed. The best crystalline quality was obtained at 500 °C. Additionally, the band gap value Eg, evaluated from transmission spectra, does not vary with the increasing of the annealing temperature. All the films with different thicknesses present crystalize in the Anatase structure, and the crystallite size value does not practically change with thickness increase. It was also found that the TiO2 film band gap value decreases with the film thickness increase, demonstrating the possibility of band gap tuning by varying the TiO2 film thickness.
Preparation and Characterization of an Electrospun Polycaprolactone/Polyurethane Scaffold for Soft Tissue Applications
Authors: Najim Manar A. , Jabur Akram R. , Al-Shammari Ahmed Majeed , Al Hassani Emad S. , Al Nasir Waleed A. H. , Raad Khansaa
Published: February 2023

In this study, a synthetic scaffold was prepared from polycaprolactone (PCL) and polyurethane (PU) blend, in a ratio of [2:1] [PCL: PU], using electrospinning technique. Electrospun scaffolds from native PCL and PU were also prepared for comparison, using the same polymer concentration 15% weight/ volume w/v. The detailed microstructure and other properties, like mechanical properties, porosity, and contact angle were investigated and compared between the three prepared scaffolds. Then, the survival, adhesion, proliferation and penetration of rat embryonic fibroblast (REF) cells were evaluated on these three prepared scaffolds after being in vitro cultured with these cells for 21 days, using scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis and histological analysis. The results showed that, all the studied properties, including mechanical properties and contact angle were enhanced by combining PU with PCL in the [PCL: PU] scaffold. The average diameter of fiber and the average size of pore were suitable and proper for cell attachment, cell proliferation, and also the big average pore size in [PCL: PU] scaffold was enough for cell penetration to form a three- dimension 3-D structure, which is the aim of this study.
Sılıcon Based Gel to Shut-Off of Water in the Well-Bore
Authors: Huseynov Maharat , Tapdiqov Shamo , Ahmad Fariz , Kazimova Sevda
Published: February 2023

The quality of gel - based silicon, which forms an insulating content to prevent water and sand in oil and gas wells, have been improved. Based on the reaction between the liquid glass and hydrochloric acid, the optimal concentration of the initial reagents for the formation of the gel process was determined. The rheology, initial and final setting time of the silicon based gel, and the temperature dependencies of the gel forming process were also studied by adding 0.1-1.0% (mass ratio) of urea as cross-linking to the Na2SiO3/HCl solution. At the same time, the impact of the obtained gel of the permeability of the rock pores was determined and the filtration characteristics were studied. It has been determined that with 0.1-0.8% mass concentration of the urea added to the Na2SiO3/HCl solution, the setting time of the gel could be regulated according to the well-layer regime. The resulting silicone-based gel can be used as an injection solution that can set in 3-22 hours in oil and gas wells between the temperature of 20-80 °C.
Appraisal on user satisfaction for neighborhood sustainability; A case from Colombo
Authors: Wijesundara Jeeva , Weerasinghe U. G. D. , Perera L. S. R.
Published: February 2023

Neighbourhoods are the most-local communities of human habitat. Inhabitants sense that they intuitively realize what a ‘good neighbourhood’ mean, for their satisfaction, with the degree of neighbourly interactions; mutual support, gathering places, convenient and appealing environment, or in a ‘bad neighbourhood’, for dissatisfaction; danger, anti- social interaction, exclusiveness, isolation, inconvenience, and dereliction.
In this paper, the inquiry into both architectural and environmental behaviour, is a growing body of qualitative, descriptive research, focusing on human responsiveness to a place, a neighbourhood. Particularly the study expresses neighbourhood as built environments, converging to the environmental experiences of residents. In response, they are the non-physical sensual component of built forms and spaces that refines the built environment inscribing a living quality into it. The study investigates the physical formation of the neighbourhood and it reveals the degree, of user satisfaction; to which the neighbourhood space is sensed from the viewpoint of inhabitant engagement.