bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Magnetic Field in the Milky Way Filamentary Bone G47
Authors: Stephens Ian W. , Myers Philip C. , Zucker Catherine , Jackson James M. , Andersson B.-G. , Smith Rowan , Soam Archana , Battersby Cara , Sanhueza Patricio , Hogge Taylor , Smith Howard A. , Novak Giles , Sadavoy Sarah , Pillai Thushara G.S. , Li Zhi-Yun , Looney Leslie W. , Sugitani Koji , Coudé Simon , Guzmán Andrés , Goodman Alyssa , Kusune Takayoshi , Santos Fábio P. , Zuckerman Leah , Encalada Frankie
Published: February 2022

Star formation primarily occurs in filaments where magnetic fields are expected to be dynamically important. The largest and densest filaments trace the spiral structure within galaxies. Over a dozen of these dense (∼104 cm−3) and long (>10 pc) filaments have been found within the Milky Way, and they are often referred to as “bones.” Until now, none of these bones has had its magnetic field resolved and mapped in its entirety. We introduce the SOFIA legacy project FIELDMAPS which has begun mapping ∼10 of these Milky Way bones using the HAWC+ instrument at 214 μm and 18.″2 resolution. Here we present a first result from this survey on the ∼60 pc long bone G47. Contrary to some studies of dense filaments in the Galactic plane, we find that the magnetic field is often not perpendicular to the spine (i.e., the center line of the bone). Fields tend to be perpendicular in the densest areas of active star formation and more parallel or random in other areas. The average field is neither parallel nor perpendicular to the Galactic plane or the bone. The magnetic field strengths along the spine typically vary from ∼20 to ∼100 μG. Magnetic fields tend to be strong enough to suppress collapse along much of the bone, but for areas that are most active in star formation, the fields are notably less able to resist gravitational collapse.
High Prevalence of Previously Undiagnosed Axial Spondyloarthritis in Patients Referred With Anterior Uveitis and Chronic Back Pain: The SpEYE Study
Authors: van Bentum Rianne Elise , Verbraak Frank D. , Wolf Sanne , Ongkosuwito Jenny , Boers Maarten , Tan H. Stevie , van der Horst-Bruinsma Irene E.
Published: February 2022

Objective.

To reduce the diagnostic delay in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), guidelines recommend referring patients with acute anterior uveitis (AAU) and chronic back pain (CBP) to a rheumatologist. This observational study in daily practice evaluated the prevalence of previously unrecognized axSpA in patients with AAU who were referred by ophthalmologists because of concurrent CBP.

Methods.

All patients with AAU referred with CBP (≥ 3 months, age of onset < 45 yrs) from 5 ophthalmology clinics underwent rheumatologic assessment, including pelvic radiographs. Patients with previously diagnosed rheumatic disease and AAU due to other causes were excluded. The primary endpoint was a clinical axSpA diagnosis by the rheumatologist.

Results.

Eighty-one patients fulfilled the referral criteria (52% male, 56% HLA-B27 positive, median age 41 yrs, median CBP duration 10 yrs). In total, 58% (n = 47) had recurring AAU, of whom 87% already had CBP during previous AAU attacks. After assessment, 23% (n = 19) of patients were clinically diagnosed with definite axSpA (10/19 radiographic), 40% (n = 32) with suspicion of axSpA, and 37% (n = 30) with no axSpA. AxSpA was diagnosed more often in men (33% of the men vs 13% of the women).

Conclusion.

A high prevalence of axSpA was found in patients with AAU referred because of CBP. There was substantial diagnostic delay in the majority of patients with recurring AAU, as many already had CBP during previous AAU flares. In AAU, screening for CBP and prompt referral has a high diagnostic yield and should consistently be promoted among ophthalmologists.
Carotid Intima-media Thickness/Diameter Ratio and Peak Systolic Velocity as Risk Factors for Neurological Severe Ischemic Events in Takayasu Arteritis
Authors: Wang Li , Sun Ying , Dai Xiaojuan , Kong Xiufang , Ma Lingying , Dai Xiaomin , Ma Lili , Jiang Lindi
Published: February 2022

Objective

To characterize Takayasu arteritis (TA) with supra-aortic involvement and determine the associations between clinical features, carotid ultrasonographic (US) variables, and neurological severe ischemic events (SIEs).

Methods

Patients with supra-aortic involvement including brachiocephalic trunk, bilateral common carotid artery and internal carotid artery, and bilateral subclavian and vertebral artery and baseline carotid US examination were enrolled from the East China TA cohort. Bilateral carotid diameter, intima-media thickness (IMT), and peak systolic velocity (PSV) were measured by US. Then, the IMT/diameter ratio (IDR) was calculated. Risk factors associated with neurological SIEs were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression.

Results

In total, 295 patients were included, of whom 260 (88.14%) were female, and 93 (31.53%) experienced neurological SIEs. Involved supra-aortic artery distribution (P= 0.04) and number (P< 0.01) differed between subjects with neurologic and nonneurologic SIEs, showing higher prevalence of common carotid and vertebral artery involvement after Bonferroni correction and 56.99% patients having ≥ 4 involved arteries in the neurological SIE group. The bilateral IDR (P< 0.01) differed between patients with and without neurological SIEs. The carotid IDR (left: cut-off value ≥ 0.55, OR 2.75, 95% CI 1.24–6.07,P= 0.01; right: ≥ 0.58, OR 2.70, 95% CI 1.21–6.02,P= 0.01) and left carotid PSV (≤ 76.00 cm/s, OR 3.09, 95% CI 1.53–6.27,P< 0.01), as well as involved supra-aortic artery number (≥ 4, OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.15–4.72,P= 0.02) were independently associated with neurological SIEs.

Conclusion

The carotid IDR and PSV might be performed as valuable markers for recognizing neurological SIEs in patients with TA with supra-aortic lesions.
Dynamic pricing and sales effort in dual-channel retailing for seasonal products
Authors: Hu Wanting , Ding Jingjing , Yin Pengzhen , Liang Liang
Published: February 2022

This paper studies the joint strategies of dynamic pricing and sales effort involving a seller and a third-party e-commerce platform (TPECP). The seller sells seasonal products through both offline and online channels, and the latter is opened on the TPECP. Considering a dual-channel setting, this paper fills a gap in the studies of joint strategies of dynamic pricing and sales effort. This paper formulates dynamic decision models and investigates them under both centralized and decentralized decision-making cases. Furthermore, a revenue-cost sharing contract is proposed to coordinate the two parties' decisions in the decentralized case, and it is validated theoretically and numerically. The key findings are as follows: For a given selling slot, the optimal online price decreases and the optimal sales effort level increases in the centralized case as the inventory level increases and remains below a threshold; however, when the inventory level exceeds the threshold, both the optimal online price and sales effort level remain fixed as the the inventory level increases in both cases. In addition, for a given inventory level below the threshold, the optimal online price decreases and the optimal sales effort level increases over time in both cases; however, when the inventory level exceeds the threshold, over time, the optimal online price increases and the optimal sales effort level decreases in the centralized case, and both the optimal online price and sales effort level increase in the decentralized case. Finally, a numerical experiment and some management implications are provided.
Interlocked feedback loops balance the adaptive immune response
Authors: Zhou Lingli ,   School of Mathematical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China, Fu Fengqing , Wang Yao , Yang Ling ,   Center for Systems Biology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China,   Jiangsu Institute of Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215000, China,   State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
Published: February 2022

Adaptive immune responses can be activated by harmful stimuli. Upon activation, a cascade of biochemical events ensues the proliferation and the differentiation of T cells, which can remove the stimuli and undergo cell death to maintain immune cell homeostasis. However, normal immune processes can be disrupted by certain dysregulations, leading to pathological responses, such as cytokine storms and immune escape. In this paper, a qualitative mathematical model, composed of key feedback loops within the immune system, was developed to study the dynamics of various response behaviors. First, simulation results of the model well reproduce the results of several immune response processes, particularly pathological immune responses. Next, we demonstrated how the interaction of positive and negative feedback loops leads to irreversible bistable, reversible bistable and monostable, which characterize different immune response processes: cytokine storm, normal immune response, immune escape. The stability analyses suggest that the switch-like behavior is the basis of rapid activation of the immune system, and a balance between positive and negative regulation loops is necessary to prevent pathological responses. Furthermore, we have shown how the treatment moves the system back to a healthy state from the pathological immune response. The bistable mechanism that revealed in this work is helpful to understand the dynamics of different immune response processes.
Stvarni statut u hrvatskom ZMPP-u iz 2017.
Authors:   Pravni fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska, Bouček Vilim
Published: February 2022

U radu autor analizira mjerodavno pravo za stvarnopravne odnose na temelju odredaba hrvatskog Zakona o međunarodnom privatnom pravu iz 2017. (HRZMPP). Nakon uvodnog dijela, u kojemu daje povijesni i poredbenopravni prikaz načela lex rei sitae, autor u drugome dijelu rada de lege lata razmatra odredbe stvarnog statuta u čl. 20. do 23. HRZMPP-a, a u trećem dijelu iznosi svoja de lege ferenda promišljanja o kolizijskopravnom ustroju općih odredaba mjerodavnoga prava za stvarnopravne odnose. U zaključku ovoga rada autor konstatira da je hrvatsko MPP svojim ZMPP-om iz 2017. europeiziralo opće odredbe stvarnoga statuta ponudivši zakonska pravila koja su u skladu s općim odredbama MPP-a koje postoje i u neunificiranim poredbenopravnim odredbama država europskog kontinentalnog pravnog kruga. Ipak, autor također napominje da je hrvatski zakonodavac 2017. u kodifikaciji hrvatskog MPP-a istodobno propustio prigodu dati novim odredbama stvarnoga statuta viši stupanj elastičnosti uvođenjem većega broja suvremenih poveznica, bitno uže veze kao posebne klauzule izuzeća, ali i mogućnost ograničene primjene stranačke autonomije.
Prikaz knjige: Dubravka Hrabar, Nenad Hlača, Dijana Jakovac-Lozić, Aleksandra Korać Graovac, Irena Majstorović, Anica Čulo Margaletić, Ivan Šimović, “Obiteljsko pravo”, Narodne novine, Zagreb, 2021.
Authors:   Pravni fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska, Preložnjak Barbara
Published: February 2022

Knjiga Obiteljsko pravo iznimno je vrijedno i važno znanstveno djelo objavljeno u listopadu 2021. u izdanju Narodnih novina d. d. Nastala je kao rezultat suradnje skupine renomiranih sveučilišnih nastavnika te pravnih znanstvenika, koji čitatelju kroz analizu smisla, značenja i dosega zakonskih te međunarodnopravnih normi nastoje na pravilan i razumljiv način približiti uređenje obiteljskih odnosa u hrvatskom pravnom sustavu. Knjiga, uz predgovor, sadržava dvanaest poglavlja (Uvod u obiteljsko pravo, Bračno pravo, Izvanbračna zajednica, Podrijetlo djeteta, Obiteljskopravni odnosi roditelja i djeteta, Mirno rješavanje obiteljskih prijepora, Posvojenje, Istospolne zajednice, Skrbništvo, Uzdržavanje, Imovinski odnosi, Europsko obiteljsko pravo), a na kraju knjige nalaze se kazalo pojmova i popis korištenih propisa. Unatoč opsežnosti sadržaja knjige (str. 543) autori su na pregledan i cjelovit način uspjeli približiti čitatelju društveni kontekst pozitivnopravnih propisa o kojemu ovisi smisao i značenje pojedinih normi. Tome uvelike doprinosi jednostavan i razumljiv jezik pisanja te činjenica da knjiga tvori jedinstvenu stilsku cjelinu iako je djelo sedam autora. Knjiga obiluje bilješkama (755), ima iscrpan popis literature i pravnih izvora koji su izvrstan putokaz svima koji žele produbiti svoje znanje. Možemo zaključiti da je knjiga Obiteljsko pravo iznimno štivo kojim su autori na sveobuhvatan, pregledan i znanstveno utemeljen način uspjeli posložiti i približiti materiju obiteljskopravnih odnosa studentima i stručnjacima u praksi (ponajprije sucima, odvjetnicima i socijalnim radnicima), i to unatoč brojnim izazovima koje su pred njih stavile kolizije pozitivnopravnih normi, njihova nomotehnička neujednačenost i nelogičnost.
Apprendre la nature à l’école primaire française (1867-1909)
Authors: Dasi Pierre
Published: February 2022

L’une des missions fondamentales de l’école de la Troisième République fut d’être l’institutrice de la nation. Mais comment procéder pour que chaque écolier ait « la patrie au cœur » ? Dès 1867, l’idée neuve apportée par les philosophes-pédagogues, pour faire la France, n’était pas d’enseigner l’histoire ou la morale ; c’était d’apprendre la nature. D’où la lancinante cantilène du « miracle naturel de la France » dont l’écho a résonné dans toute la littérature scolaire jusqu’au XXe siècle. En prenant vigoureusement appui sur l’étude de la nature, les contenus disciplinaires bénéficièrent d’une opportune cure de jouvence que le renouvellement des méthodes pédagogiques - promenades, jardins, herbiers, leçons de choses – a accompagnée. Chose plus inattendue, en s’installant dans les salles de classe, l’éducation à la nature a fait émerger ce que l’on peut appeler une « éthique de la nature ».
Workplace Spirituality for More Sustainable Organizations
Authors: Kalafatoğlu Yaprak
Published: February 2022

Climate change is threatening the Earth. Organizations are the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. If organizations do not take any action against climate change, the world will soon enter an irreversible path. This chapter begins with the definitions of climate change and pro-environmental behavior. Spirituality directs individuals to live a more meaningful life, and workplace spirituality can benefit green organizations. After the conceptual definitions of spirituality and workplace spirituality, their effects on green organizations were explored. The chapter then follows with eco-spirituality that combines a positive attitude towards the environment and spiritual elements. The chapter concludes with recommendations to decision-makers and future research ideas.
Impact of Spiritual Resources Within the Health Impairment Process of the Job Demands Resources Model Across Diverse Geographical Regions
Authors: Shililu Henry
Published: February 2022

This study investigated the effects of spiritual resource variables on employee emotional exhaustion and emotional ill-health across different geographical regions in the context of job demands and resources (JD-R) theory. Overall, the findings largely confirmed the JD-R hypothesis as spiritual resources did not directly predict emotional exhaustion and subsequently emotional ill-health. The study further confirmed that spiritual resources are relatively independent since spiritual resources were seen to be directly associated with the motivation process of the JD-R model. The findings also suggested that the effects of spiritual resources on emotional exhaustion and emotional ill-health may differ across cultures. Although these findings largely supported the JD-R model and previous studies, in some cases, some findings were not similar across cultures. The findings provided tangible information and data to decision-makers allowing them to make informed choices about which spiritual resource variables mitigate emotional exhaustion and emotional ill-health in different cultures.
Partnering With LGBTQ+ Communities
Authors: Fondrie Suzanne
Published: February 2022

What issues and considerations are involved in developing and facilitating service-learning projects with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities? This chapter presents results of examining the limited scholarship on service-learning projects conducted with these communities. The author proposes possible reasons for the lack of scholarship and offers suggestions for pre-, during-, and post-project considerations. These suggestions include identifying and surveying potential collaborators, preparing students for engaging with the communities, facilitating reflection during the project, and debriefing students afterward, along with analyzing results in order to improve future collaboration efforts.
Service-Learning as Service to Teacher Candidates
Authors: Lukenchuk Antonina
Published: February 2022

Since its first initiative in 2004, service-learning has become a bona fide hallmark of National Louis University that is embedded in its mission and strategic goals. In 2015, the university was recognized by the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification as an engaged campus. Unique to the context of its institutional practices, service-learning has received its widest implementation in the college of education. Those who have been integrating service-learning components into coursework have come to appreciate its practical benefits for teacher candidates. The purpose of this chapter is to report on the findings of a pilot case study conducted with teacher candidates who chose service-learning projects as part of the requirement in educational foundations and research courses. The findings of this study support research and scholarship on the benefits of service-learning for teacher education.
Implementing Service-Learning Through an Online Graduate Course in Instructional Design
Authors: Trespalacios Jesús H. , Armstrong Tera , Goodwill Cynthia
Published: February 2022

The following paper describes a collaborative service-learning project done in an online graduate class on instructional design. With the help of the university's service-learning program, a community issue was identified related to encouraging underserved populations to pursue STEM careers. Graduate students developed a data analysis from surveying high school students, designed and implemented a website where information about specific careers can be found, and evaluated the project with the help of a high school science teacher. The project also required that the graduate students reflected about the service activity to gain a deeper understanding of course objectives. The course instructor and graduate students' experiences during this service-learning project are discussed.
Integrated Service Learning Strategies for Student Engagement
Authors: Dodd Sara L. , Follmer-Reece Holly E. , Nuñez CiCi A. , Cude Kathryn L. , Gonzales Gloria C.
Published: February 2022

This chapter explores the synergies experienced when a required upper level undergraduate course (entitled Family in the Community) at a public research university adapted a service-learning model and directly connected students with serving community programs for youth. The experience of faculty and staff seeking to contribute to a university's strategic goals for transforming lives and communities through outreach and engaged scholarship is described and discussed. Service-learning pedagogy and practice at the subject university are reviewed before moving on to description and discussion of how the course structure and content was adapted to foster authentic engagement among students, community programs, and service recipients. Stakeholder experiences and perspectives are shared and explored, including the reflections of the service-learning students. The chapter closes with implications for integrated service learning as a tool for preparing students for meaningful and sustainable community engagement.
Integrating Service-Learning Pedagogy Into Community College Coursework
Authors: Leonard Timothy , Flink Patrick J.
Published: February 2022

Developmental students face significant academic and life challenges as they pursue a college degree. As students in developmental studies often struggle to complete their courses, research focused on innovative pedagogy that engages students while developing skills is needed. This project sought to investigate implementing an on-campus, service-learning (SL) component into developmental reading courses. Students participated in SL by reading to children at the on-campus Early Childhood Center (ECC) one time per week, during scheduled class, with time provided for structured metacognition through reflective journals. A phenomenological approach was used for this study, and Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to examine responses and note trends in data. It was found that students who participated in SL as part of their developmental reading course reported multiple positive effects such as developing a positive academic mindset, improving self-efficacy, and increasing motivation to read.
Gamification in Service Learning
Authors: Varela-Candamio Laura , Enríquez-Díaz Joaquín , Rouco-Couzo Marcos
Published: February 2022

This chapter aims to disseminate an educational innovation project using a game-based learning developed during the 2016/2017 academic year at the University of A Coruna (Spain) and conducted in several schools. The project is called “Economy With Science and Conscience: Toward an Emotionally Intelligent School.” It seeks to awaken the critical awareness of pre-college students in relation to economic issues as well as citizen participation in the university community. The formula of service learning used fit perfectly with this project for a better understanding of economic decision making based on social values. The main aim is to build bridges between the university and other educational levels to contribute to an educational process committed to society. Findings show good results achieved in engagement, motivation, and amusement of students to accelerate the development of knowledge and skills, and also to modify social patterns related to behavioral economics.
Higher Education Out-of-the-Box
Authors: Lytras Miltiadis D. , Papadopoulou Paraskevi , Marouli Christina , Misseyanni Anastasia
Published: February 2022

Engaged Scholarship entails utilizing Technology driven Learning Innovation in Higher Education (HE) in an integrative manner and more than before in an Out-of-the-Box approach. Proper use of ICTs in higher learning educational systems ensures that not only the resources of the institutions are put in good use but that academic service learning, community based research and community engagement are enhanced. This chapter looks to discuss and address the various challenges HE institutions face as they try to adopt engaged scholarship by putting emphasis on proper use of ICTs and examining the implementation and impact of various ICT tools and of the social media. This will drive engaged scholarship, and the type of learning and development required to empower the stakeholders. Our main point is that proper and often Out-of-the-Box use of ICT tools in Higher Education could increase the engagement of the individuals in the learning process, help empower them and thus also improve their Quality of Life but also lead to improved Economic Development and Sustainability.
Perceptions of Service-Learning in the Sunshine State
Authors: Plante Jarrad D. , Murray Lauren I. , Bowdon Melody A. , Wolcott Amanda M.
Published: February 2022

College students enroll in service-learning coursework for many reasons. For some, the opportunity to enhance classroom-based learning by engaging in hands-on activities benefiting the community serve as an important motivator. As the nation's only campus-based civic engagement association, Campus Compact promotes community and public service that forges partnerships, provides training and resources for faculty seeking community-based learning (service-learning) into their curriculum while developing students' citizenship skills. Florida Campus Compact is comprised of over 50 college and university presidents committed to engaging students in active citizenship via participation in public and community service. In this chapter, researchers surveyed 437 students enrolled in service-learning courses from nine (9) participating Florida Campus Compact institutions. The purpose of the project was to examine how service-learning and student volunteer opportunities are shaping educational experiences from transdisciplinary backgrounds for students and impacting the communities around them. Participation in the project provided a complete assessment of students' connections to their communities, political activism, and career employability. The results will shape service-learning practices at those participating campuses across the state of Florida.
Grounding Institutions of Higher Learning as Learning Organizations for Developing Intellectual-Knowledge Society
Authors: Tshishonga Ndwakhulu Stephen
Published: February 2022

This chapter explores the complex and dynamic environment in which institutions of higher learning (HEIs) have to operate and the imperative for them to transform themselves into learning organizations. This chapter is underpinned by the concept of learning organizations as its theoretical exposition to gauge the capacity of universities to learn and transform themselves. The chapter argues that institutions of higher learning are strategically poisoned to transform themselves as learning organizations. Thus, learning organization-based HEIs could be advanced by transmitting knowledge through teaching and learning, knowledge production through research and managing, and disseminating knowledge through community engagement or service learning. These responsibilities form part of the integral and core business of the HEIs, especially of the universities.
Cultural Factors in Preparing Students for Community-Engaged Scholarship
Authors: Zastoupil Garret J. , Tryon Elizabeth , Madden Haley C. , Keita Nasitta A. , Lipscomb Tashiana Dajaé
Published: February 2022

For over a decade, the authors of this chapter have heard from community partners that many college students are unprepared for community engagement. This chapter makes the case for student preparation and training by examining the current literature regarding student preparation and the authors' own research. The authors offer guiding frameworks, teaching strategies, and theoretical orientations to support student preparation before and throughout community engagement to build transformative community-based learning experiences. Using examples from their own practice, the authors illustrate strategies that lead toward successful student preparation for cross-cultural engagement.
Challenged by Respect
Authors: Watts Andrew
Published: February 2022

This chapter explores how service-learning programs offered by U.S. colleges and universities might partner with Native American communities on reservations. It reviews relevant scholarship on approaches to cross-cultural learning, such as the Authentic and Culturally Engaging (ACE). It provides background for the participating partners in a current service-learning program. It examines issues affecting cross-cultural service-learning on reservations in light of ongoing historical, social and cultural trauma. It addresses pedagogical issues unique to Humanities (Religion) service-learning programs. It provides a description of various strategies used in the program that implement service-learning and learning theories. Throughout the chapter Native American voices and scholars serving as community partners for this specific program offer critical perspectives on pedagogy and partnerships.
Changing Conceptions of Inclusion From an African Perspective
Authors: Majoko Tawanda , Dudu Annah
Published: February 2022

African-level debates on inclusion have focused on meeting the individual needs of learners with special education needs that manifest from disability or learning difficulty. Until recently, inclusion has been understood as meeting the diverse and unique needs of this category of learners within regular and not separate special educational contexts. Discussions surrounding specialist-segregated services provision, integration, and mainstreaming underpin the conceptualisation of inclusion in African countries. This chapter presents the divergent and continually changing conceptions of inclusion in African countries. It draws on studies that identify developments in policy and practice related to inclusion, revealing a shift in paradigm from special educational needs to special needs education, from inclusive education to inclusive systems of education.
Resourcing of Schools for an Inclusive Education System
Authors: Mashiyane Dina , Masuku Mfundo Mandla
Published: February 2022

Assistive technologies (AT) are revolutionising and reinventing learning practices for learners with special needs. Opportunities have been created to embrace and accommodate those who were previously marginalised in mainstream educational settings. The 4IR is still an improbable idea in developing countries, where the ravages of poverty create inequalities and social exclusion amongst people with disabilities. Years after decolonisation, African countries are still struggling to reap the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICT) due to social, economic, and political challenges. The digital divide is exacerbated daily, as resources are limited to enhance access to inclusive education. This chapter examines the phenomenological principle of “Ubuntu” to curb and solve indigenous problems that are difficult to remedy through Westernised methods. Ubuntu must guide technological transformation and direct educational experts in designing curriculum and learning practices relevant to the African context.
Didactic Approaches to Inclusive Education Settings
Authors: Nkomo Duduzile , Dube Buyisani
Published: February 2022

Effective accommodation of all learners in mainstream schools in Africa demands careful use of teaching and learning approaches that have a capacity to influence academic growth of every learner. Therefore, this chapter discusses different didactic approaches that can be adopted in inclusive settings to ensure that the needs of all learners, including those with special educational needs are met. The approaches include multi-sensory, systematic, explicit, diagnostic, differentiated, learner-centered, and distributed teaching approaches. The selection of teaching approaches to deliver certain concepts depends on individual aspects such as learning styles, preferences, and paces of concept mastery. These should also advance the principle of ‘ubuntu', which permeates the entire African social fabric. The chapter further discusses the influence of assessment, knowledge and attitudes of teachers, and a multi-disciplinary team towards effective use of different didactic approaches. A conceptual analysis of words that are considered paramount in this chapter is given as the chapter unfolds.
Modeling Inclusive Education in Urban Schools
Authors: Mpofu Jabulani
Published: February 2022

Over the last few decades, advances and innovations in the field of disability and disability supports have resulted in changes in the way in which disability is understood and conceptualised. These changes, which embrace a person-environment fit model of disability, have obvious implications for disability supports and research. Within such conceptualizations, more attention must be given to the interaction between people with disability and the environments in which they live, learn, work, and play. As such, there has been increased attention on the rights of people with disabilities to be fully included in their communities and to the importance of self-determination, participation, and quality of life. This emphasis also underscores the importance of inclusive education in creating learning spaces for children with disabilities. This chapter explores what is inclusive education in an African context and outlines a good model of inclusive education schools in an urban setting from an African philosophy of Ubuntu.
Practices and Challenges in Inclusive Education in an African Context
Authors: Majoko Tawanda , Dudu Annah
Published: February 2022

This study examined practices and challenges in inclusive education in an African context. Embedded in international research findings on inclusion in multigrade teaching, this descriptive study drew on a purposeful sample of eight mainstream primary school teachers in Zimbabwe. Non-participant observations and semi-structured individual interviews were used to collect data. A constant comparative approach of organisation of data with continual adjustment was used. Teachers understood inclusion and had positive attitudes towards it. They used differentiated assessment, student-centred pedagogy, cross-grade grouping, and teacher-centred pedagogy in inclusion in multigrade teaching grounded in their professional training and agency and social justice. Individual and institutional capacity building including collaboration of stakeholders in pooling resources could enhance inclusion in multigrade teaching.
An African Perspective of a Curriculum for Learners Experiencing Barriers to Learning
Authors: Masuku Mfundo Mandla
Published: February 2022

The education system in Africa has its contradictions and complexities, all of which hinder the successful implementation of inclusive education. Learners with disabilities in Africa have suffered widespread violations of their rights. Inclusive education for learners with learning barriers should be acknowledged in an African context. The lens of ubuntu provides an unconventional knowledge system which places the needs of the child at the centre of its focus. Ubuntu philosophy, as one of many African epistemologies, is useful in studying African experiences. Despite the various interventions that have been in place to undo the barriers to inclusive education, there is still a dearth of research in finding solutions to improve the quality of inclusive education. The values of ubuntu may ensure equal access to education. The incorporation of the values of ubuntu into the curriculum that may inspire learners to act according to social accepted norms and values. African governments should consider African epistemologies as tools to address learning barriers.
Retraining of Teachers for Inclusive Education
Authors: Masalesa Metse Juliet
Published: February 2022

The aim of this chapter is to reflect on the importance of retraining teachers on inclusive education. The chapter focuses on the comprehensive training and retraining of teachers, giving education that is providing them with the necessary skills to deal with learners with barriers and the necessities, overall, whatever their starting point, foundation, capacity, or conditions. One of the aspects discussed pertains to curriculum differentiation for making the curriculum accessible to all learners irrespective of their abilities. The chapter is intended for all the stakeholders in the education system.
Women's Empowerment as a Tool for Sustainable Development of Higher Education and Research in the Digital Age
Authors: Kurchenko Lina , Kolomiyets-Ludwig Evhenia , Ilnytskyy Denys
Published: February 2022

The chapter deals with the global issue of advancing women's role in higher education and research (HE&R) as a mechanism for reaching the Sustainable Development Goal 5 – gender equality. Gender analysis method is employed to identify historical and current differences between women and men relative to their participation in HE&R and access to decision-making and resources therein. The focus is on the global challenge of gender disparities, including horizontal and vertical segregation, the androcentric academic culture, and the gender pay gap. The authors warn of possible contamination of AI with human gender biases, which can be detrimental to academic hiring and assessment procedures. Summarizing gender-equality policies and practices available worldwide, the authors give recommendations on women's empowerment in HE&R on the global, national, and organizational levels.
Second to None
Authors: Boss Ginny Jones , Davis Tiffany J. , Porter Christa J. , Moore Candace M.
Published: February 2022

The purpose of this chapter is to foreground the experiences of women of Color who serve in full-time, contingent faculty roles and interrogate the policies and practices that present both barriers and opportunities for these faculty members within the academy. Using a conceptual framework of previous literature in combination with critical race feminism and structuration theory, the authors discuss the ways in which identity (race, gender, and age) and position (contingent vs. tenure-track) influence faculty life and teaching. Throughout this discussion, the authors also introduce results from a study they conducted on Black women contingent faculty. The chapter concludes with the authors offering suggestions for institutional policy and practice.
The Evolution of Gender Studies and Its Impact on the African Society in the 21st Century
Authors: Kurebwa Jeffrey
Published: February 2022

This study traces the evolution of gender studies from the 1970s to the 21st century. The impact of gender studies to the African society is also covered in greater detail. Gender studies includes a method to appreciate the ideologies, social patterns, and descriptions that shape our world and our lives. It raises questions about how and why a gender divide is created or preserved and also many times resisted or weakened. Gender studies explores the multiple interfaces among race, caste, class, and gender. It investigates traditional disciplines through an interdisciplinary perspective that focuses on the significance of sex as a social construct and the importance of gender and gender roles. It also advances the historical and existing portrayal of both women and men in religion, arts, literature, and many other arenas.
It's Like Felting
Authors: Orr Elizabeth
Published: February 2022

This is a personal story describing the role and importance of local action whilst reflecting on collective and collaborative feminist community practices. The craft of felting is used as a metaphor for merging feminist social and community work theory and practices that encourage engagement with continuing cycles of activism aimed towards gender equality and Indigenous sovereignty. Following a rough chronology of engagement with movements for social change and respect for human and environmental rights, this chapter points to the value of post modernists' treatise of doubt, tension, and uncertainty. It also contains a plea for a continuation of the modernist social work activism to decrease suffering and inequality. Narrating and evaluating the ideas and actions of real-time practice, the author will demonstrate how knowledge of place, process, and strength in work towards interpersonal peace and planetary survival was achieved.
Auditory Profile of Children With Some Rare Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Authors: Jain Saransh , Narne Vijaya Kumar
Published: February 2022

Neurodevelopmental disorder is an umbrella term comprising many muscular, skeletal, metabolic, endocrinal, systemic, and immune-related diseases, which are caused due to the improper/inaccurate development of the central nervous system. Most of these disorders are highly prevalent, but some express rarely in human beings. Such disorders with least prevalence rates are known as rare neurodevelopmental disorders. The sensory system is affected in all individuals with these rare neurodevelopmental disorders, although to a varying extent. Sensory processing in terms of hearing loss is reported by many researchers in many rare neurodevelopmental disorders, but the pathophysiology of audiological findings are seldom investigated. In this chapter, the authors highlight the possible relationship between underlying cause and the resultant audiological symptoms in some of the rare neurodevelopmental disorders. Further, the research studies on the audiological profiling in such disorders are discussed.
2-3-Year-Old Children and the Use of Smart Devices
Authors: Kalnina Daiga , Kalnins Armands
Published: February 2022

In order to find out how 2–3-year-old children use smart devices and what the impact on children's development is, a systematic analysis of literature has been performed. Articles published in the EBSCOhost database during the period 2009–2019 have been selected for the analysis. They deal with studies focusing on 2–3-year-old children and the use of smart devices. The studies describe how 2–3-year-old children use touchscreen devices, as well as summarizing the benefits and risks of using touchscreen devices in the early years. It is concluded that the studies conducted are rather similar regarding form and content. Children use touchscreen devices for similar purposes and with similar time limits. Children under the age of two should not use smartphones and tablets; in turn, 2–3-year-old children should not be denied the technologies, though there should be awareness that use of the smartphone or tablet, along with positive benefits, also creates risks.
Innovations in the Healthcare Industry Using Blockchain Technology
Authors: Aithal P. S. , Dias Edwin
Published: February 2022

With blockchain technology, the healthcare sector can have data efficiency, data access flexibility, interconnection, transparency, and security. This chapter reviews the development of blockchain technology usage, current implementation challenges of blockchain technology, and includes references for the applications of blockchain technology in healthcare. A systematic review of current status, desired status called ideal status, and the research gap of use of blockchain technology in application areas of the healthcare industry are included along with identification of possible research agendas for future research.
Securing Healthcare Data With Blockchain
Authors: Gupta Harsh , Bharadwaaj Rahul
Published: February 2022

This chapter shows that blockchain has a lot of potential for revolutionizing the traditional healthcare industry. When attempting to completely integrate blockchain technology with existing EHR systems, however, a number of research and operational hurdles remain. The authors evaluated and discussed some of these issues in this chapter. After that, they discovered a variety of possible research topics, such as IoT, big data, machine learning, and edge computing. They offer a methodology for implementing blockchain technology in the healthcare industry for electronic health records (EHR). The goal of the proposed structure is to first integrate blockchain technology for EHR and then to enable safe storage of electronic data for users of the framework by setting access controls. They hope that this review will help us gain a better understanding of the development and deployment of future generation EHR systems that will benefit humankind.
Advanced Control of Doubly Fed Induction Generator for Wind Power Systems: Optimal Control of Power Using PSO Algorithm
Authors: Boussaid Ibrahim , Harrouz Abdelkader , Wira Patrice
Published: February 2022

This paper provides the modeling and control of stator active and reactive power for doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) under wind turbine systems using a direct power control (DPC) is applied to the grid side converter (GSC), also the rotor side converter (RSC) of the DFIG is controlling with the field control (FOC) to realize the decoupling control of the active and reactive power. For tuning the PI controllers is a tedious work and it is difficult to tune the PI gains optimally due to the nonlinearity and the high complexity of the system. This paper presents an approach to use the particle swarm optimization algorithm to design the optimal PI controllers for the rotor side converter (RSC) of the DFIG. Based on the simulation results, the PSO-PI provides lower value for the criteria and better response compared with the PI conventional.
Effects of miR-939 and miR-376A on ulcerative colitis using a decoy strategy to inhibit NF-κB and NFAT expression
Authors: Lin Yongwei , Zhou Zhipeng , Xie Lang , Huang Yongsheng , Qiu Zhenghua , Ye Lili , Cui Chunhui
Published: February 2022

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of miR-939 and miR-376A on the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC) by using a decoy strategy to regulate the expression of nuclear transcription factor kappa B (NF-κB) and nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT). Such strategies represent a potential novel treatment for UC. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis was used to detect the differences between the expression of miR-939, miR-376a, NF-κB, NFAT in the tissue samples from the resting and active stages of UC and healthy controls, and analyzed the correlation. The electrophoretic mobility shift assay was used to validate the ability of miRNAs to bind to NF-κB and NFAT. The expression of components of the intestinal barrier in UC and changes in apoptosis-related factors were examined by western blotting, qPCR, and immunofluorescence. After a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mouse model of UC was established, the morphological changes in the colonic tissues of mice, the changes in serum inflammatory factors, and the changes in urine protein or urine leukocytes, liver enzymes, and prothrombin time were measured to examine intestinal permeability. The expression of miR-939 and miR-376a in human UC tissue was significantly lower than that in the normal control tissue, and was negatively correlated with the expression of NF-κB and NFAT. miR-939 and miR-376a decoy strategies resulted in a beneficial increase in the expression of claudins, occludins, and ZO-1 protein and inhibited apoptosis in intestinal epithelial cells. The disease activity index of the UC model group was significantly higher than that of the normal control group. The expression of inflammatory factors in the decoy group was higher than that in the UC model group. Therefore, from the experimental results, it can be concluded that using miR-939 and miR-376a to trap NF-κB and NFAT inhibits the activation of transcription factors NF-κB and NFAT, which in turn inhibits the expression of inflammatory factors and results in partial recovery of the intestinal barrier in UC. The decoy strategy inhibited apoptosis in the target cells and had a therapeutic effect in the mice model of UC. This study provides new ideas for the development of future clinical therapies for UC.
Stretching prior to resistance training promotes adaptations on the postsynaptic region in different myofiber types
Authors: Jacob Carolina dos Santos , Barbosa Gabriela Klein , Rodrigues Mariana Pasquini , Pimentel Neto Jurandyr , Rocha Lara Caetano , Ciena Adriano Polican
Published: February 2022

The morphology of the neuromuscular junction adapts according to changes in its pattern of use, especially at the postsynaptic region according to the myofibrillar type and physical exercise. This investigation revealed the morphological adaptations of the postsynaptic region after static stretching, resistance training, and their association in adult male Wistar rats. We processed the soleus and plantaris muscles for histochemical (muscle fibers) and postsynaptic region imaging techniques. We observed muscle hypertrophy in both groups submitted to resistance training, even though the cross-section area is larger when there is no previous static stretching. The soleus postsynaptic region revealed higher compactness and fragmentation index in the combined exercise. The resistance training promoted higher adaptations in the postsynaptic area of plantaris; moreover, the previous static stretching decreased this area. In conclusion, the neuromuscular system’s components responded according to the myofiber type even though it is the same physical exercise. Besides, static stretching (isolated or combined) plays a crucial role in neuromuscular adaptations.