bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Safeguarding academic integrity in the face of emergency remote teaching and learning in developing countries
Authors: Mutongoza Bonginkosi Hardy , Olawale Babawande Emmanuel 
Published: March 2022

With the operationalisation of lockdowns and restrictions on public gatherings, education systems across the entire globe were confronted with an urgent need to reconsider alternative forms of teaching, learning and assessment. Some institutions in developing countries were especially hard-hit by the shift owing to inadequacies in training and infrastructure because unlike their more developed counterparts who had already made inroads into adopting online technologies, some institutions in the developing world had no such technologies in place. As such, the shift to online learning was rushed and somewhat a “learning on the job” experience for students and educators. While remote online teaching, learning and assessment are novel experiences for many higher education institutions, developing countries are incessantly presented with many challenges, particularly when safeguarding academic integrity. Invigilated assessments, which are often considered more secure, are not an option given the current situation, thus detecting any cheating would be significantly challenging. As a result, this study examined assessment security in the digital domain and critically evaluated the practices to safeguard academic integrity in developing countries across three Southern African universities, including associated challenges. Underpinned by the pragmatist paradigm, the study employed a mixed-methods research approach that utilised in-depth qualitative and quantitative data from university managers, lecturers and students to investigate how academic integrity is safeguarded in the advent of online learning. Our findings revealed that although the transition to online learning and assessment was abrupt, higher education institutions have generated creative strategies to secure and ensure the continuity of learning and assessment. Such strategies include administering several versions of the same examination, as well as the use of “text-matching” software to detect the originality of work done by students. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that to guarantee the authenticity of online assessment, institutions must ensure that assessment practices relate to real-world needs and the context in which students can apply acquired knowledge.
Shaping the future of distance learning in teacher education: MOOCS during COVID-19
Authors: Donitsa-Schmidt Smadar , Ramot Rony , Topaz Beverley 
Published: March 2022

The current research aimed to investigate the perceptions of pre-service students regarding the usefulness and contribution of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in initial teacher education programmes, particularly in times of emergency. Participants comprised 202 second-career pre-service students who enrolled in alternative teacher education programmes during COVID-19. On average, students studied 4–5 courses that were a mandatory component of their programme. Students completed an anonymous, voluntary, self-report questionnaire at the end of their studies. Findings show that students found the MOOCs to be a good teaching model. They were satisfied with their MOOC studies and reported their learning experience to be significantly more rewarding and positive than lonely and stressful. Learning outcomes were ranked high. In terms of the usefulness and contribution of the MOOCs, three student profiles were identified. The “zealous” type is enthralled by the merits of MOOCs including their impact on their future teaching, professional development and lifelong learning. The “guarded” type perceives only some of the MOOCs’ attributes as positive, primarily convenience, independent learning and studying a variety of courses with well-known experts. The “pragmatic” type is highly opportunistic and utilitarian, perceiving MOOCs only as a means to overcoming barriers of time and place. Finally, students who study more MOOCs perceive them as having a positive impact on their future teaching, acknowledge their importance in times of crisis and opt for including a higher proportion of MOOCs in initial teacher education programmes. The favourable impact of studying several MOOCs as part of an initial teacher education programme is one of the main findings of the current research highlighting the importance of students experiencing several such courses during their pre-service studies.
The need for revision of selected aspects of online Master's and doctoral student supervision
Authors: Ferreira-Meyers Karen 
Published: March 2022

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions have been concerned about their Master and doctoral students, in particular how and when they would be able to continue and complete their research activities and dissertations. Scholars have noted the potential deterioration in the quality of research projects for a variety of reasons (transformation and/ or abandoning of approved research methods, anxiety-related lowered performance rates, altered modes of supervision and delays in completion times). In this article, I discuss the findings of a small-scale study, undertaken in July 2020, on whether there has been a significant change in the supervision of Master’s and doctoral students in Africa due to the outbreak and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. I used a Google Form online survey to obtain participants’ opinion on the frequency of interactions between supervisors and supervisees, the medium of interaction as well as the Master’s and doctoral candidates’ general progress. The study participants were all instructors in higher education who supervise Master and PhD students. There has been a change in frequency and means of supervision, that there is more reliance on videoconferencing tools and interaction “at a distance”. However, the data cannot conclusively confirm that there has been a significant transformation in the way students are supervised because many study participants indicated their wish to return to the way things were done pre-pandemic. Nevertheless, there will probably be more reliance on social media, email and other online tools such as Zoom and Skype post-pandemic. In the words of the study participants, “online supervision is developing” and “the pandemic has also given us more tools of engagement, which is good”.
Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and evaluation of psychometric properties of cystic fibrosis stigma scale
Authors: Oliveira Victor Hugo Brito , de Mendonça Karla Morganna Pereira Pinto , Alchieri João Carlos , Pakhale Smita , Balfour Louise , Silva Whitney Houston Barbosa dos Santos , Nogueira Ivan Daniel Bezerra , Nogueira Patrícia Angélica de Miranda Silva 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background: Stigma is present during the lifespan of individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF); consequently, instruments to assess this psychosocial aspect are necessary. Few instruments are validated and adapted to Brazilian Portuguese. We aimed to translate, cross-culturally adapt, and evaluate psychometric properties of the CF stigma scale. Methods: We conducted an exploratory study of cross-cultural adaptation involving translation, back translation, revision by an expert committee, and a pre-test. Psychometric properties (content validity, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity) were analyzed based on the adapted version of the scale and responded by 52 Brazilian individuals with CF older than 18 years. Results: Translation and cross-cultural adaptation obtained kappa indexes higher than 0.61 on the expert committee phase and between 0.48 and 0.72 on pre-test. The Brazilian version of CF stigma scale showed excellent psychometric properties: i) internal consistency, α = 0.836; ii) mean correlation between items and test-retest: r = 0.886, p < 0.0001; and iii) convergent validity, CF stigma scale correlated positively with anxiety scale and negatively with general and specific scores of quality of life in CF. Conclusion: CF stigma scale was adequately translated and cross-culturally adapted for the Brazilian population. Psychometric properties of the Brazilian version favor its use in future studies regarding stigma conducted with Brazilian individuals with CF.
A retrospective investigation into the outbreaks of abortions and orchitis in livestock in Namibia
Authors: Samkange Alaster , Westhuizen Jolandie van der , Voigts Anselm Siegfried , Chitate Frank , Kaatura Israel , Khaiseb Siegfried , Hikufe Emmanuel H. , Kabajani Juliet , Bishi Alec S. , Mbiri Pricilla , Hawanga Ndahafa N. , Mushonga Borden 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
This study investigated outbreaks of seemingly related abortions and orchitis which occurred in Namibia from 2016 to 2018. A combination of epidemiological studies (using questionnaires), necropsies, microbiology, serology, molecular biological techniques like PCR and mineral analytical techniques were used in an attempt to establish the aetiology of these abortion and orchitis outbreaks. The results showed that the outbreaks were limited to Namibia's east and central regions and mainly occurred on farms that reared cattle, sheep and goats and on farms with a mixture of these species. In some cases, horses and game species were also affected. Gross pathological findings included testicular enlargement, with focal haemorrhages and soft to hard testicular consistency in males. Histopathological findings included severe chronic orchitis, testicular degeneration, prominent interstitial mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltration with a few multinucleated inflammatory cells. In samples obtained from aborted fetuses, significant histopathological findings included meconium aspiration, funisitis, placentitis and cardiomyopathy in fetal tissues, whereas endometritis was the primary pathology observed in females. Brucella spp., Enterococcus spp., Escherichia coli, Streptococcus spp., Truperella pyogenes, micronutrient imbalances toxic and pathogenic abiotic nanoparticles which resulted from drought conditions that preceded these outbreaks, were identified as possible causes.
Prediction of ABO hemolytic disease of the newborn using prenatal quantification of maternal vascular endothelial cadherin and anti-A/anti-B IgG titer in China
Authors: Jiang Dandan , Ding Jiane , Shao Shuling , Dong Xiumei , Li Shanshan , Liu Peng 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Objective To study the value of maternal vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) level and anti-A/B IgG titer in the prenatal diagnosis of ABO hemolytic disease. Methods We conducted a case-control study of blood group O Rh(D) positive mothers according to the occurrence of ABO-HDFN in newborns. Then the level of maternal VE-cadherin and anti-A /B IgG titer of the two groups were compared and analyzed, and their correlation with total bilirubin in children, and their value for the prenatal diagnosis of ABO-HDFN was analyzed.Results The VE-cadherin level and anti-A/B IgG titer of pregnant women in the ABO-HDFN group were higher than those of the control group (P<0.001). There was a positive correlation between VE-cadherin level and total bilirubin (r=0.3520, P<0.05) in the ABO-HDFN group, but no significant correlation between IgG titer and TBIL (r=0.1289, P=0.4605). The AUC of the VE-cadherin level was 0.762, the sensitivity and the specificity was 80.95%, 63.16%; the AUC, sensitivity and specificity of IgG titer were 0.862, 88.10% and 71.05%, respectively. The AUC, sensitivity and specificity of the combined diagnosis were 0.915, 92.86% and 84.21%, respectively. Conclusion The level of maternal VE-cadherin and anti-A/B IgG titer have important reference value for the prenatal diagnosis of ABO-HDFN, and they have good joint diagnostic efficacy.
Did the COVID-19 pandemic stimulate telemedicine in pediatric diabetes care in Germany? A multicenter analysis of the year 2020 in the DPV-registry.
Authors: Raile Klemens , Biester Torben , Eckert Alexander , von Sengbusch Simone , Böhle Anne , Faller Uta Faller , Klee D , Bokelmann Jessica , Mirza Joaquina , Holl Reinhard 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Objectives: We analyzed uptake, volume and covariates of telemedicine use in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes in 2020 with focus on the COVID-19 lockdown in Germany and provide first outcome data associated with telemedicine use. Research design and methods: Based on data from the German Diabetes Prospective Follow-up Registry (DPV) in 2020, we included 247 pediatric diabetes centers following 26,365 children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Centers and individuals were characterized according to telemedicine use. Effects of the lockdown from March 13th to May 13th 2020 versus the entire years 2020 and 2019 were analyzed.Results: During the lockdown in 2020, telemedicine visits increased from pre-lockdown 0.6% of all patient visits to 12.8% and remained 3.5 % until end of 2020. Among 247 centers only 11 provided telemedicine to more than 50 patients, while telephone contacts were the preferred telemedicine-mode during lockdown. Patients receiving telemedicine in 2020 had lower HbA1c, longer distance to diabetes centers, less frequently migration background and higher use of insulin pumps or CGMS. Discussion: Telemedicine experienced a dramatic boost during and after the strict lockdown in Germany. Anyhow absolute numbers of telemedicine in outpatient contacts remained below 5% and thus telemedicine did not take a load-carrying role in pediatric diabetes care in Germany. Having migration background and not using diabetes technology possibly reflect barriers to scale up digital communication.
Impact of Parental Status on Medical Student Specialty Selection
Authors: Morrison Georgia Mae , Cocco Bianca L. Di , Goldberg Rebecca , Calderwood Audrey H. , Schulman Allison R. , Enestvedt Brintha , Yu Jessica 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Background: Medical training occurs during peak childbearing years for most medical students. Many factors influence specialty selection. The aim of this study was to determine whether being a parent affects specialty choice among United States medical students in 2020.Methods: The authors performed a multicenter web-based survey study of medical students enrolled in Oregon Health and Science University, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, and University of Michigan Medical School. The 22-item instrument assessed parenthood status, specialty preference, specialty perceptions, and factors influencing specialty choice.Results: 537 out of 2236 (24.0%) students responded. Among respondents, 59 (10.9%) were current or expecting parents. The majority (359, 66.8%) were female and 24-35 years old (430, 80.1%). Of the students who were parents or expecting, 30 (50.9%) were female, and the majority (55, 93.2%) were partnered. Top specialties preferred by both groups were family medicine, emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), internal medicine, psychiatry, and pediatrics. Specialties rated most family-friendly included family medicine, dermatology, pediatrics, psychiatry, radiology, emergency medicine and pathology. The specialties rated least family-friendly were surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, and OB/GYN. These rankings were the same between groups. Passion for the field, culture of the specialty, and quality of life were the top three factors students considered when choosing a specialty. Being a parent or future parent ranked more highly for parents than non-parents, but was not in the top three factors for either group.Conclusions: Parental status did not affect specialty choices of medical students. While being a parent was considered more heavily by current student parents than non-parents, this was not weighed as heavily as passion for the field, culture of the specialty and quality of life. Medical school training and simultaneous parenting is daunting, yet student parents are putting their passion first when making a career choice.
Enhancing the information of nonlinear SU(1, 1) quantum systems interacting with a two-level atom
Authors: Abd-Rabbou M.Y. , Ali S. I. , Ahmed M. M. A. 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
The effect of nonlinearity, initial atomic state, and different resonance cases on the interaction between nonlinear SU (1, 1) quantum states and a two-level atom is discussed. The optimal behaviours of decoherence, entanglement and quantum coherence are predicted via using the skew information, tomographic entropy, and the relative entropy of coherence, respectively. It is shown that the detuning parameter has a destructive effect on the coherence and consequently on the entanglement if the quantum system is regulated in the ideal SU (1, 1) quantum systems. For the nonlinear SU (1, 1) quantum systems, the ability to suppress the decay of entanglement induced by the detuning may be increased by preparing the initial atomic state in its excited state.
A multichannel optical neural network for advanced machine vision
Authors: Fang Lu , Xu Zhihao , Yuan Xiaoyun , Zhou Tiankuang 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Endowed with the superior computing speed and energy efficiency, all-optical and optoelectronics neural networks (ONNs) have attracted ever-growing attention in recent years. Previous studies lacking viable way for multichannel optical processing, mainly implement single-channel optical computing to solve simple tasks including hand-written digit classification, saliency detection, etc. Aiming for more powerful ONNs to solve complex tasks, we innovatively develop Monet: a multichannel optical neural network for advanced machine vision. The inter- and intra- channel connections are mapped to optical interference and diffraction. By further designing a novel projection-interference-prediction framework on the basis of these connections, optical interference patterns are generated by projecting and interfering the multichannel inputs in a shared domain. These patterns encoding the correspondences together with feature embeddings are iteratively produced through the projection-interference process to predict the final output. Unlike existing ONNs trying to inherit ANN architectures, the framework of Monet is initially designed following the innate characters of light propagation and interaction, to fully explore the potential of wave optics for optical computing. For the first time, we validate that Monet is capable for advanced machine vision tasks such as 3D depth estimation and moving objection detection. Moreover, a prototype system of Monet is developed to accomplish 3D perception for real-world scenarios. We anticipate that the proposed technique will accelerate the development of more powerful optical AI as critical support for modern advanced machine vision.
Designing all Optical Half Adder Based on Photonic Crystal Ring Resonator
Authors: Parandin Fariborz , Sheykhian Arezoo 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
In this paper, we have tried to design and present a half adder based on two-dimensional photonic crystals which have small dimensions and simple structure. Half adders are an important component of logic circuits, and as a result, designing a half adder with good performance improves the function of computational circuits. In designing this half adder, in addition to the dimensions and simplicity of the structure, attention has been paid to the speed and accuracy of the design. The proximity of the state output 0 of this circuit to zero exponentiation and the proximity of the state output 1 to the maximum exponentiation value has led to a significant distance between the two values of reasonable 0 and 1. In this design, cylindrical silicon rods in the field of air are used. This half adder is designed to be utilized in the widely used telecommunication frequency of 1550nm. All computations are performed for TM mode and through using the finite difference methods in domain of time (FDTD).
Combined Phacoemulsification and Intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) versus Dexamethasone Implant in Diabetics with Coexisting Cataract and Centre-involving Diabetic Macular Edema
Authors: N SHILPA I , Bhende Muna , Raman Rajiv , Natarajan Viswanathan 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Purpose: To compare the anatomical and functional outcome in groups who underwent combined phacoemulsification with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) versus combined phacoemulsification with intravitreal dexamethasone implant who had centre-involving diabetic macular edema (CI-DME) with significant cataract.Methods: Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central subfield thickness (CST) were retrospectively evaluated in both groups at baseline,1 month, 3 months and 6 months follow up period. Results: Fifty six eyes were analysed, 36 in phacoemulsification with anti-VEGF group and 20 in phacoemulsification with dexamethasone implant group. BCVA showed improvement from baseline of log MAR 0.54 ± 0.58 to 0.49 ± 0.57 at 1month in combined phacoemulsification with anti-VEGF group. Phacoemulsification with intravitreal dexamethasone implant showed baseline BCVA of 0.43 ± 0.34 and 0.55 ± 0.44 at 6 months follow up with not much of visual improvement due to the chronicity of the DME. Mean CST groups of less than 300μm, 300-600μm and more than 600μm disclosed comparable trends in both Anti-VEGF (p=0.005) and Dexamethasone group (p=0.018) from the baseline to the 6 month follow up period. 300-600μm CST group showed no such statistical significance in either group whereas in the ≥ 600μm mean CST group, there was significant statistical difference only in the dexamethasone group with p value of 0.043. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that individuals with CI-DME with lower baseline CST values undergoing combined phacoemulsification with either intravitreal Anti-VEGF or dexamethasone implant shows similar anatomical and functional success at six months. Eyes with higher baseline CST had better anatomical response to dexamethasone implant.
Modelling of CSTR Flow Field for Agaricus bisporus Residue Fermentation Based on CFD Numerical Simulation
Authors: Li Jiayu , Wei Xuan , Zou Jinping 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Agaricus bisporus production gets a lot of residues, which could be fermented by a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). This research was conducted to study the characteristics of the multiphase flow field in the reactor and its influence on the efficiency of biogas production in the CSTR fermentation process of Agaricus bisporus residue by using CFD numerical simulation technique. The aim is to reveal the relationship between the reactor operating conditions, flow field characteristics, and biogas production efficiency at the micro-level. We compared the results of different turbulence models by evaluating the power quotients and flow quotients with the experimental results to derive the most suitable flow field model inside the reactor for the Agaricus bisporus residues. The results showed that, under the condition that the number of grids does not affect the simulation results, and considering the model accuracy and efficiency, the numerical method can be chosen as the multiple reference frame (MRF) method of the second-order upwind discrete scheme with the realizable \(k-\epsilon\) model. In this way, we can make use of edible mushroom residue as a substrate for resource utilization and provide basic data and theoretical basis for the design and scale-up with anaerobic fermentation to biogas reactor.