Search results for: National Taiwan Sport University

Authors: Sheillah Hlamalani Mboweni, Lufuno Makhado

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Background: The increasing number of people who tested HIV positive and who demand antiretroviral therapy (ART) prompted the National Department of Health to adopt WHO recommendations of task shifting where Professional Nurses(PNs) initiate ART rather than doctors in the hospital. This resulted in the decentralization of services to primary health care(PHC), generating a need to capacitate PNs on NIMART. After years of training, the impact of NIMART was assessed where it was established that even though there was an increased number who accessed ART, the quality of care is of serious concern. The study aims to answer the following question: What are the challenges influencing NIMART implementation in primary health care. Objectives: This study explores challenges influencing NIMART training and implementation and makes recommendations to improve patient and HIV program outcomes. Methods: A qualitative explorative program evaluation research design. The study was conducted in the rural districts of North West province. Purposive sampling was used to sample PNs trained on NIMART. FGDs were used to collect data with 6-9 participants and data was analysed using ATLAS ti. Results: Five FGDs, n=28 PNs and three program managers were interviewed. The study results revealed two themes: inadequacy in NIMART training and the health care system challenges. Conclusion: The deficiency in NIMART training and health care system challenges is a public health concern as it compromises the quality of HIV management resulting in poor patients’ outcomes and retard the goal of ending the HIV epidemic. These should be dealt with decisively by all stakeholders. Recommendations: The national department of health should improve NIMART training and HIV management: standardization of NIMART training curriculum through the involvement of all relevant stakeholders skilled facilitators, the introduction of pre-service NIMART training in institutions of higher learning, support of PNs by district and program managers, plan on how to deal with the shortage of staff, negative attitude to ensure compliance to guidelines. There is a need to develop a conceptual framework that provides guidance and strengthens NIMART implementation in PHC facilities.

Keywords: antiretroviral therapy, nurse initiated management of retroviral therapy, primary health care, professional nurses

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Authors: Thea Werkhoven, Wayne Cotton

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Adult and childhood rates of obesity in Australia are health concerns of high national priority, retaining epidemic status in the populations affected. Attempts to prevent further increases in prevalence of childhood obesity in the population aged below eighteen years have had varied success. A multidisciplinary approach has been used, employing strategies in schools, through established health care system usage and public health campaigns. Over the last decade a plateau in prevalence has been reached in the youth population afflicted by obesity and interest has peaked in school based strategies to prevent and treat overweight and obesity. Of interest to this study is the importance of the tertiary training of future health educators or health professionals destined to be involved in obesity prevention and treatment strategies. Health educators and health professionals are considered instrumental to the success of prevention and treatment strategies, required to possess sufficient and accurate knowledge in order to be effective in their positions. A common influence on the success of school based health promoting activities are the weight based attitudes possessed by health educators, known to be negative and biased towards overweight or obese children during training and practice. Whilst the tertiary training of future health professionals includes minimal nutrition education, there is no mandatory training in health education or nutrition for pre-service health educators in Australian tertiary institutions. This study aimed to assess the impact of a pedagogical intervention on pre-service health educators and health professionals enrolled in a health and wellbeing elective. The intervention aimed to increase nutrition knowledge and decrease weight bias and was embedded in the twelve week elective. Participants (n=98) were tertiary students at a major Australian University who were enrolled in health (47%) and non-health related degrees (53%). A quantitative survey using four valid and reliable instruments was conducted to measured nutrition knowledge, antifat attitudes and weight stereotyping attitudes at baseline and post-intervention. Scores on each instrument were compared between time points to check if they had significantly changed and to determine the effect of the intervention on attitudes and knowledge. Antifat attitudes at baseline were considered low and decreased further over the course of the intervention. Scores representing weight bias did decrease but the change was not significant. Fat stereotyping attitudes became stronger over the course of the intervention and this change was significant. Nutrition knowledge significantly improved from baseline to post-intervention. The design of the nutrition knowledge and attitude amelioration content of the intervention was semi-successful in achieving its outcomes. While the level of nutrition knowledge was improved over the course of the intervention, an unintentional increase was observed in weight based prejudice which is known to occur in interventions that employ stigma reduction methodologies. Further research is required into a structured methodology that increases level of nutrition knowledge and ameliorates weight bias at the tertiary level. In this way training provided would help prepare future health educators with the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to be effective and bias free in their practice.

Keywords: education, intervention, nutrition, obesity

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Authors: Gökhan Balci

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“Armies march on their stomachs “mentioned Napoleon, who drew attentıon to the importance of logistics for the armies…In today’s World, in whıch continental trade gained importance, the crucial role of logistics became conspicuous since it was accepted by the business World that an effective logistics system is the key factor for success. Depending of the new developments in technology and techniques of logistics, the modern military institutions increase their effectiveness. The modern national armies or allied forces which operate in overseas, realize the importance of logistics as well. This study will focus on the applications of logistics in civilian business sector and modern armies, which may shed light on logistical problems of the other armies.

Keywords: modern logistics, application in armies, new technology in logistics, new developments in technology

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Authors: Shu-Lien Chou, Chung-Feng Liu

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Self-health management of chronic illnesses plays an important part in chronic illness treatments. However, various kinds of health information (health education materials) which government or healthcare institutions provide for patients may not achieve the expected outcome. One of the critical reasons affecting patients’ use intention could be patients’ perceived Information overload regarding the health information. This study proposed an extended model of Theory of Planned Behavior, which integrating perceived information overload as another construct to explore patients’ use intention of the health information for self-health management. The independent variables are attitude, subject norm, perceived behavior control and perceived information overload while the dependent variable is behavior intention to use the health information. The cross-sectional study used a structured questionnaire for data collection, focusing on the chronic patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), who are the potential users of the health information, in a medical center in Taiwan. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of the basic information distribution of the questionnaire respondents, and the Partial Least Squares (PLS) structural equation model to study the reliability and construct validity for testing our hypotheses. A total of 110 patients were enrolled in this study and 106 valid questionnaires were collected. The PLS analysis result indicates that the patients’ perceived information overload of health information contributes the most critical factor influencing the behavioral intention. Subjective norm and perceived behavioral control of TPB constructs had significant effects on patients’ intentions to use health information also, whereas the attitude construct did not. This study demonstrated a comprehensive framework, which extending perceived information overload into TPB model to predict patients’ behavioral intention of using heath information. We expect that the results of this study will provide useful insights for studying health information from the perspectives of academia, governments, and healthcare providers.

Keywords: chronic patients, health information, information overload, theory of planned behavior

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Authors: Mohammed T. Shukri

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The failure of bridges due to excessive local scour during floods poses a challenging problem to hydraulic engineers. The failure of bridges piers is due to many reasons such as localized scour combined with general riverbed degradation. In this paper, we try to estimate the temporal variation of scour depth at nonuniform cylindrical bridge pier, by experimental work conducted in hydraulic laboratories of Gaziantep University Civil Engineering Department on a flume having dimensions of 8.3 m length, 0.8 m width and 0.9 m depth. The experiments will be carried on 20 cm depth of sediment layer having d₅₀=0.4 mm. Three bridge pier shapes having different scaled models will be constructed in a 1.5m of test section in the channel.

Keywords: scour, local scour, bridge piers, scour depth

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Authors: Kemal Kehan, Emine Aktas Bajalan

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This study was carried out to determine the burnout levels and related factors of teachers working in primary schools affiliated to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Ministry of National Education during the COVID-19 pandemic period. The research was conducted in descriptive cross-sectional design. The population of the research consists of 1071 teachers working in 93 primary schools in 6 central districts affiliated to the TRNC Ministry of National Education in the 2021-2022 academic year. When the sample size of the study was calculated by power analysis, it was determined that 202 teachers should be reached with 95% confidence (1-α), 95% test power (1-β) and d=0.5 effect size. Within the scope of the inclusion criteria of the research, the main sample of the study consisted of 300 teachers and the baist random sampling method was used. The data were collected using the Sociodemographic Data Form consisting of 34 questions, including the sociodemographic characteristics of the teachers and the 22-item Maslach Burnout Scale (MBS). The analysis of the data was carried out using descriptive and correlational analyzes in the SPSS 22 package program. In the study, it was determined that 65% of the teachers were women, 68% were married, 84% had a bachelor's degree, 70.33% had children, and 67.67% were dependents. Regarding how teachers evaluate the COVID-19 pandemic period; 90% of them said, “I am worried about my family's health and the risk of infection”, 80% of them, “I feel that my profession does not get the value it deserves”, 75.67% of them mentioned “My hopes for the future have started to wane”, 75.33% of them say “I am worried about my own health”. It was determined that they gave the answer of, “I am worried about the issue”. It was found that the teachers' MBS total score average was 48.63±8.01, the burnout level was moderate, and the average score they got from the sub-dimensions of the scale was also moderate. It has been found that there are negative correlations between the professional satisfaction scores of the teachers during and before the COVID-19 pandemic and the scores they received from the general and sub-dimensions of MBS. It was determined that there was a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) between the scores of teachers diagnosed with COVID-19 from the scale and its sub-dimensions. As a result, it is suggested that social activities should be increased and professional development and promotion opportunities should be offered in order to ensure that teachers are satisfied with their work areas, to reduce their burnout levels or to prevent them completely.

Keywords: teachers, burnout, maslach burnout scale, pandemic, online education

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Authors: Wuttigrai Ngamsirijit

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Creative tourism is an ongoing development in many countries as an attempt to moving away from serial reproduction of culture and reviving the culture. Despite, in the destinations with diverse and potential cultural resources, creating new tourism services can be vague. This paper presents how tourism experiences are modularized and consolidated in order to form new creative tourism service offerings in evanescent cultural communities of Bangkok, Thailand. The benefits from data mining in accommodating value co-creation are discussed, and implication of experience modularization to national creative tourism policy is addressed.

Keywords: co-creation, creative tourism, new service design, experience modularization

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Authors: Berta Rodrigues Maia, Mariana Marques, Frederica Carvalho

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Introduction: Personality traits play is related to many forms of psychological distress, such as body dissatisfaction. Aim: To explore the associations between appearance schemas and personality traits. Method: 494 Portuguese university students (80.2% females, and 99.2% single), with a mean age of 20.17 years old (SD = 1.77; range: 18-20), filled in the appearance schemas inventory-revised, the NEO personality inventory (a Portuguese short version), and the composite multidimensional perfectionism scale. Results: An independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare the scores in appearance schemas by sex, with a significant difference being found in self-evaluation salience scores [females (M = 37.99, SD = 7.82); males (M = 35.36, SD = 6.60); t (489) = -3.052, p = .002]. Finally, there was no significant difference in motivational salience scores, by sex [females (M = 27.67, SD = 4.84); males (M = 26.70, SD = 4.99); t (489) = -1.748, p = .081]. Having conducted correlations separately, by sex, self-evaluation salience was positively correlated with concern over mistakes (r = .27), doubts about actions (r = .35), and socially prescribed perfectionism (r = .23). moreover, for females, self-evaluation salience was positively correlated with concern over mistakes (r = .34), personal standards (r = .25), doubts about actions (r = .33), parental expectations (r = .24), parental criticism (r = .24), organization (r = .11), socially prescribed perfectionism (r = .31), self-oriented perfectionism (r = .32), and neuroticism (r = .33). concerning motivational salience, in the total sample (not separately, by sex), this scale/dimension significantly correlated with conscientiousness (r = . 18), personal standards (r = .23), socially prescribed perfectionism (r = . 10), and self-oriented perfectionism (r = .29). All correlations were significant at a level of significance of 0.01 (2-tailed), except for socially prescribed perfectionism. All the other correlations (with neuroticism, extroversion, openness, agreeableness, concern over mistakes, doubts about actions, parental expectations, and parental criticism) were not significant. Conclusions: Females seem to value more their self-appearance than males, and, in females, the salience of appearance in life seems to be associated with maladaptive perfectionism, as well as with adaptive perfectionism. In males, the salience of appearance was only related to adaptive perfectionism. These results seem to show that males are more concerned with their own standards regarding appearance, while for females, other's standards are also relevant. In females, the level of the salience of appearance in life seems to relate to the experience of feelings, such as anxiety and depression (neuroticism). The motivation to improve appearance seemed to be particularly related, in both sexes, to adaptive perfectionism (in a general way concerning more the personal standards). Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the causality of the results. Acknowledgment: This study was carried out under the strategic project of the Centre for Philosophical and Humanistic Studies (CEFH) UID/FIL/00683/2019, funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT).

Keywords: appearance schemas, personality traits, university students, sex

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Authors: Kenza Benali

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Over the past decade, a number of remarkable projects in urban brownfield reconversion emerged across Canada, including the reconversion of former military bases owned by the Canada Lands Company (CLC) into sustainable communities. However, unlike other developments, the regeneration project of the former Canadian Forces Base Rockcliffe in Ottawa – which was announced as one of the most ambitious Smart growth projects in Canada – faced serious obstacles in terms of social acceptance by the local community, particularly urban minorities composed of Francophones, Indigenous and vulnerable groups who live near or on the Base. This turn of events led to the project being postponed and even reconsidered. Through an analysis of its press coverage, this research aims to understand the causes of this urban conflict which lasted for nearly ten years. The findings reveal that the conflict is not limited to the “standard” issues common to most conflicts related to urban mega-projects in the world – e.g., proximity issues (threads to the quality of the surrounding neighbourhoods; noise, traffic, pollution, New-build gentrification) often associated with NIMBY phenomena. In this case, the local actors questioned the purpose of the project (for whom and for what types of uses is it conceived?), its local implementation (to what extent are the local history and existing environment taken into account?), and the degree of implication of the local population in the decision-making process (with whom is the project built?). Moreover, the interests of the local actors have “jumped scales” and transcend the micro-territorial level of their daily life to take on a national and even international dimension. They defined an alternative view of how this project, considered strategic by his location in the nation’s capital, should be a reference as well as an international showcase of Canadian ambition and achievement in terms of urban sustainability. This vision promoted, actually, a territorial and national identity approach - in which some cultural values are highly significant (respect of social justice, inclusivity, ethnical diversity, cultural heritage, etc.)- as a counterweight to planners’ vision which is criticized as a normative/ universalist logic that ignore the territorial peculiarities.

Keywords: smart growth, brownfield reconversion, sustainable neighborhoods, Canada Lands Company, Canadian Forces Base Rockcliffe, urban conflicts

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Authors: Phil P. Wagner

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There is an overwhelming amount of athlete-centric information available for sport practitioners in this era of tech and big data, but protocols in athletic rehabilitation remain arbitrary. It is a common assumption that the rate at which tissue heals amongst individuals is the same; yielding protocols that are entirely time-based. Progressing athletes through rehab programs that lack individualization can potentially expose athletes to stimuli they are not prepared for or unnecessarily lengthen their recovery period. A 7-year aggregated and anonymous database was used to develop reliable and valid assessments to measure athletic resilience. Each assessment utilizes force plate technology with proprietary protocols and analysis to provide key thresholds for injury risk and recovery. Using a T score to analyze movement qualities, much like the Z score used for bone density from a Dexa scan, specific prescriptions are provided to mitigate the athlete’s inherent injury risk. In addition to obliging to surgical clearance, practitioners must put in place a clearance protocol guided by standardized assessments and achievement in strength thresholds. In order to truly hold individuals accountable (practitioners, athletic trainers, performance coaches, etc.), success in improving pre-defined key performance indicators must be frequently assessed and analyzed.

Keywords: analytics, athlete rehabilitation, athlete resilience, injury prediction, injury prevention

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Authors: Mike-Franck Mienlam Essi, Joseph Quentin Yene Atangana, Mbida Yem

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The Kribi-Campo sub-basin belongs to the southern domain of the Cameroon Atlantic Margin in the Gulf of Guinea. It is the African homologous segment of the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin, located at the northeast side of the Brazil margin. The onset of the seafloor spreading period in the Southwest African Margin in general and the study area particularly remains controversial. Various studies locate this event during the Cretaceous times (Early Aptian to Late Albian), while others suggested that this event occurred during Pre-Cretaceous period (Palaeozoic or Jurassic). This work analyses 02 Cameroon Span seismic lines to re-examine the Early marine incursion period of the study area for a better understanding of the margin evolution. The methodology of analysis in this study is based on the delineation of the first seismic sequence, using the reflector’s terminations tracking and the analysis of its internal reflections associated to the external configuration of the package. The results obtained indicate from the bottom upwards that the first deposits overlie a first seismic horizon (H1) associated to “onlap” terminations at its top and underlie a second horizon which shows “Downlap” terminations at its top (H2). The external configuration of this package features a prograded fill pattern, and it is observed within the depocenter area with discontinuous reflections that pinch out against the basement. From east to west, this sequence shows two seismic facies (SF1 and SF2). SF1 has parallel to subparallel reflections, characterized by high amplitude, and SF2 shows parallel and stratified reflections, characterized by low amplitude. The distribution of these seismic facies reveals a lateral facies variation observed. According to the fundamentals works on seismic stratigraphy and the literature review of the geological context of the study area, particularly, the stratigraphical natures of the identified horizons and seismic facies have been highlighted. The seismic horizons H1 and H2 correspond to Top basement and “Downlap Surface,” respectively. SF1 indicates continental sediments (Sands/Sandstone) and SF2 marine deposits (shales, clays). Then, the prograding configuration observed suggests a marine regression. The correlation of these results with the lithochronostratigraphic chart of Sergipe-Alagoas Basin reveals that the first marine deposits through the study area are dated from Pre-Cretaceous times (Palaeozoic or Jurassic). The first deposits onto the basement represents the end of a cycle of sedimentation. The hypothesis of Mike.F. Mienlam Essi is with the Earth Sciences Department of the Faculty of Science of the University of Yaoundé I, P.O. BOX 812 CAMEROON (e-mail: [email protected]). Joseph.Q. Yene Atangana is with the Earth Sciences Department of the Faculty of Science of the University of Yaoundé I, P.O. BOX 812 CAMEROON (e-mail: [email protected]). Mbida Yem is with the Earth Sciences Department of the Faculty of Science of the University of Yaoundé I, P.O. BOX 812 CAMEROON (e-mail: [email protected]). Cretaceous seafloor spreading through the study area is the onset of another cycle of sedimentation. Furthermore, the presence of marine sediments into the first deposits implies that this package could contain marine source rocks. The spatial tracking of these deposits reveals that they could be found in some onshore parts of the Kribi-Campo area or even in the northern side.

Keywords: cameroon span seismic, early marine incursion, kribi-campo sub-basin, pre-cretaceous period, sergipe-alagoas basin

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Authors: John Doe

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This paper presents the research project “Escape Through Culture”, which is co-funded by the European Union and national resources through the Operational Programme “Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation” 2014-2020 and the Single RTDI State Aid Action "RESEARCH - CREATE - INNOVATE". The project implementation is assumed by three partners, (1) the Computer Technology Institute and Press "Diophantus" (CTI), experienced with the design and implementation of serious games, natural language processing and ICT in education, (2) the Laboratory of Environmental Communication and Audiovisual Documentation (LECAD), part of the University of Thessaly, Department of Architecture, which is experienced with the study of creative transformation and reframing of the urban and environmental multimodal experiences through the use of AR and VR technologies, and (3) “Apoplou”, an IT Company with experience in the implementation of interactive digital applications. The research project proposes the design of innovative infrastructure of digital educational escape games for mobile devices and computers, with the use of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality for the promotion of Greek cultural heritage in Greece and abroad. In particular, the project advocates the combination of Greek cultural heritage and literature, digital technologies advancements and the implementation of innovative gamifying practices. The cultural experience of the players will take place in 3 layers: (1) In space: the digital games produced are going to utilize the dual character of the space as a cultural landscape (the real space - landscape but also the space - landscape as presented with the technologies of augmented reality and virtual reality). (2) In literary texts: the selected texts of Greek writers will support the sense of place and the multi-sensory involvement of the user, through the context of space-time, language and cultural characteristics. (3) In the philosophy of the "escape game" tool: whether played in a computer environment, indoors or outdoors, the spatial experience is one of the key components of escape games. The innovation of the project lies both in the junction of Augmented/Virtual Reality with the promotion of cultural points of interest, as well as in the interactive, gamified practices of literary texts. The digital escape game infrastructure will be highly interactive, integrating the projection of Greek landscape cultural elements and digital literary text analysis, supporting the creation of escape games, establishing and highlighting new playful ways of experiencing iconic cultural places, such as Elefsina, Skiathos etc. The literary texts’ content will relate to specific elements of the Greek cultural heritage depicted by prominent Greek writers and poets. The majority of the texts will originate from Greek educational content available in digital libraries and repositories developed and maintained by CTI. The escape games produced will be available for use during educational field trips, thematic tourism holidays, etc. In this paper, the methodology adopted for infrastructure development will be presented. The research is based on theories of place, gamification, gaming development, making use of corpus linguistics concepts and digital humanities practices for the compilation and the analysis of literary texts.

Keywords: escape games, cultural landscapes, gamification, digital humanities, literature

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Authors: S. Brahmi, S. Aitouche, M. D. Mouss

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Every modern company should measure the value of its intellectual capital and to report to complement the traditional annual balance sheets. The purpose of this work is to measure the intellectual capital in an Algerian company (or production system) using the Weightless Wealth Tool Kit (WWTK). The results of the measurement of intellectual capital are supplemented by traditional financial ratios. The measurement was applied to the National Company of Wells Services (ENSP) in Hassi Messaoud city, in the south of Algeria. We calculated the intellectual capital (intangible resources) of the ENSP to help the organization to better capitalize on its potential of workers and their know-how. The intangible value of the ENSP is evaluated at 16,936,173,345 DA in 2015.

Keywords: financial valuation, intangible capital, intellectual capital, intellectual capital measurement

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Authors: Na Young Kim

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This is a study on the relation between the introduction bill of the Whistle Blowing Act and the CPI (Corruption Perception Index) from 1998 to 2019. It shows that the degree of corruption can be relatively lowered when WBA is introduced, and the system is matured. And when WBA was introduced at the national level and matured, it was found that it could have a greater impact on corruption. Secondly, it shows that OECD countries may have relatively low levels of corruption. In addition to the two variables representing democracy, when additional control variables (GDP (economic power), population size, HDI (education level), etc.) are controlled under the same conditions, the degree of corruption in countries with high political rights can be low (it means clean), while those with high civil freedom can be serious (it means not clean).

Keywords: Whistle Blowing Act, anti-corruption, CPI, GDP

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Authors: Yih-Jer Wu, Ling-Lang Huang

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Shared decision-making (SDM) is a critical aspect of determining optimal medical strategies. However, current patient decision aids (PDAs) often prioritize evidence-based discussions over value-based considerations. Despite its significance, there is limited research addressing the 'value gap' between patients and healthcare providers. To address this gap, we developed the 'Patient-Doctor Relationship Questionnaire,' consisting of 12 questions. To explore potential variations in the patient-doctor value gap across different medical specialties, we conducted interviews with physicians, surgeons, and their respective patients, utilizing the questionnaire. Between 2020 and 2022, we interviewed a total of 144 patients and 19 doctors. Among the 12 questions, physicians demonstrated significant patient-doctor value gaps in 5 questions, while surgeons in 3 questions. Only one question turned out significant gaps in both physicians and surgeons. When asking both doctors and their patients to choose one from the following 6 answers (1. No issue significant; 2. Not knowing how to make a medical decision; 3. Not confident in the doctor’s clinical judgment; 4. Not knowing how to articulate one’s own condition; 5. Unable to afford medical expenses; 6. Not understanding what doctors explain) in response to the question “what the most significant issue is in the medical consultation”, over 50% of doctors chose “Not knowing how to make a medical decision” (physicians vs. patients, 50% vs. 11%, p=0.046; surgeon vs. patients, 83% vs. 29%, p=0.001), while significantly more patients chose “No issue significant” (10% vs. 52%, p=0.002; 0% vs. 33%, p<0.001, respectively). Our findings indicate that value gaps do exist between patients and doctors and that most patients in Taiwan "fully trust" their doctors' recommendations for medical decisions. However, when treatment outcomes are far from ideal, this overinflated "trust" may turn into frustration, which could become the catalyst for medical disputes. Doctors should spend more time having more effective communication with their patients, particularly regarding potentially dissatisfactory treatment outcomes. This study underscores the substantial variability in the patient-doctor value gap, often overlooked in SDM. Patients from different clinical backgrounds may hold values distinct from those of their healthcare providers. Bridging this value gap is imperative for achieving genuine and effective SDM.

Keywords: share-decision making, value gaps, communication, doctor-patient relationship

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Authors: Peter Ecke

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This research presents insights from a questionnaire study and autobiographic narrative analyses about the language and cultural backgrounds, challenges, interests, and needs, as well as perceptions about bilingualism and language learning of undergraduate students at a Public University in the southwestern United States. Participants were 650 students, enrolled in college-level general education courses, entitled “Becoming multilingual: Learning and maintaining two or more languages” between 2020 and 2024. Data were collected via pre- and post-course questionnaires administered online through the Qualtrix XM platform and complemented with analyses of excerpts from autobiographical narratives that students produced as part of the course assignments. Findings, for example, show that course participants have diverse linguistic backgrounds. The five most frequently reported L1s were English (about 50% of course participants), Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, and Korean (in that order). The five most frequently reported L2s were English, Spanish, French, ASL, Japanese, German, and Mandarin (in that order). Participants also reported on their L2, L3, L4, and L5 if applicable. Most participants (over 60%) rated themselves bilingual or multilingual whereas 40% considered themselves to be monolingual or foreign language learners. Only about half of the participants reported feeling very or somewhat comfortable with their language skills, but these reports changed somewhat from the pre- to the post-course survey. About half of participants were mostly interested in learning how to effectively learn a foreign language. The other half of participants reported being most curious about learning about themselves as bi/multilinguals, (re)learning a language used in childhood, learning how to bring up a child as a bi/multilingual or learning about people who speak multiple languages (distributed about evenly). Participants’ comments about advantages and disadvantages of being bilingual remained relatively stable but their agreement with common myths about bilingualism and language learning changed from the pre- to the post-course survey. Students’ reflections in the autobiographical narratives and comments in (institutionally administered) anonymous course evaluations provided additional data on students’ concerns about their current language skills and uses as well as their perceptions about learning outcomes and the usefulness of the general education course for their current and future lives. It is hoped that the presented findings and discussion will spark interest among colleagues in offering similar courses as a resource for college students (and possibly other audiences), including those from migrant, indigenous, multilingual, and multicultural communities to contribute to a more harmonious bilingualism and well-being of college students who are or inspire to become bi-or multilingual.

Keywords: autobiographic narratives, general education university course, harmonious bilingualism and well-being, multilingualism, questionnaire study

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Authors: Mohamed Mamdouh Al-Banna, Warda Youssef Mohamed Morsy, Hanaa Ali El-Feky, Ashraf Hussein Abdelmohsen

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Background: The mechanically ventilated patients need a special nursing care with continuous closed observation. The patients’ body mass index may affect their prognosis or outcomes. Aim of the study: to investigate the relationship between BMI and selected outcomes of critically ill mechanically ventilated patients. Research Design: A descriptive correlational research design was utilized Research questions: a) what is the BMI profile of mechanically ventilated patients admitted to critical care units over a period of six months? b) What is the relationship between body mass index and frequency of organ dysfunction, length of ICU stay, weaning from mechanical ventilation, and the mortality rate among adult critically ill mechanically ventilated patients? Setting: different intensive care units of Cairo University Hospitals. Sample: A convenience sample of 30 mechanically ventilated patients for at least 72 hours. Tools of data collection: Three tools were utilized to collect data pertinent to the current study: tool 1: patients’ sociodemographic and medical data sheet, tool 2: BURNS Wean Assessment Program (BWAP) checklist, tool 3: Sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA score) sheet. Results: The majority of the studied sample (77%) was males, and (26.7 %) of the studied sample were in the age group of 18-28 years old, and (26.7 %) were in the age group of 40-50 years old. Moreover, two thirds (66.7%) of the studied sample were within normal BMI. No significant statistical relationship between BMI category and ICU length of stay or the mortality rate among the studied sample, (X² = 11.31, P value = 0.79), (X² = 0.15, P value = 0.928) respectively. No significant statistical relationship between BMI category and the weaning trials from mechanical ventilation among the studied sample, (X² = 0.15, P value = 0.928). No significant statistical relationship was found between BMI category and the occurrence of organ dysfunction among the studied sample, (X² = 2.54, P value = 0.637). Conclusion: No relationship between the BMI categories and the selected patients’ outcomes (weaning from MV, length of ICU stay, occurrence of organ dysfunction, mortality rate). Recommendations: Replication of this study on a larger sample from different geographical locations in Arab Republic of Egypt, conducting farther studies to assess the effect of the quality of nursing care on the mechanically ventilated patients’ outcomes.

Keywords: mechanical ventilation, body mass index, outcomes of mechanically ventilated patient, organ failure

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Authors: Peniah Mabaso-Shamano

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The paper evaluates Shona terms that were created to teach Phonetics and Phonology courses at Great Zimbabwe University (GZU). The phonetics and phonology terms to be discussed in this paper were created using different processes and strategies such as translation, borrowing, neologising, compounding, transliteration, circumlocution among many others. Most phonetics and phonology terms are alien to Shona and as a result, there are no suitable Shona equivalents. The lecturers and students for these courses have a mammoth task of creating terminology for the different modules offered in Shona and other Zimbabwean indigenous languages. Most linguistic reference books are written in English. As such, lecturers and students translate information from English to Shona, a measure which is proving to be too difficult for them. A term creation workshop was held at GZU to try to address the problem of lack of terminology in indigenous languages. Different indigenous language practitioners from different tertiary institutions convened for a two-day workshop at GZU. Due to the 'specialized' nature of phonetics and phonology, it was too difficult to come up with 'proper' indigenous terms. The researcher will consult tertiary institutions lecturers who teach linguistics courses and linguistics students to get their views on the created terms. The people consulted will not be the ones who took part in the term creation workshop held at GZU. The selected participants will be asked to evaluate and back-translate some of the terms. In instances where they feel the terms created are not suitable or user-friendly, they will be asked to suggest other terms. Since the researcher is also a linguistics lecturer, her observation and views will be important. From her experience in using some of the terms in teaching phonetics and phonology courses to undergraduate students, the researcher noted that most of the terms created have shortcomings since they are not user-friendly. These shortcomings include terms longer than the English terms as some terms are translated to Shona through a whole statement. Most of these terms are neologisms, compound neologisms, transliterations, circumlocutions, and blends. The paper will show that there is overuse of transliterated terms due to the lack of Shona equivalents for English terms. Most single English words were translated into compound neologisms or phrases after attempts to reduce them to one word terms failed. In other instances, circumlocution led to the problem of creating longer terms than the original and as a result, the terms are not user-friendly. The paper will discuss and evaluate the different phonetics and phonology terms created and the different strategies and processes used in creating them.

Keywords: blending, circumlocution, term creation, translation

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Authors: Alessandro Balbo, Gianvito Colucci, Matteo Nicoli, Laura Savoldi

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Hydrogen is expected to become a game changer in the energy transition, especially enabling sector coupling possibilities and the decarbonization of hard-to-abate end-uses. The Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan identifies hydrogen as one of the key elements of the ecologic transition to meet international decarbonization objectives, also including it in several pilot projects for the early development in Italy. This matches the European energy strategy, which aims to make hydrogen a leading energy carrier of the future, setting ambitious goals to be accomplished by 2030. The huge efforts needed to achieve the announced targets require to carefully investigate of their feasibility in terms of economic expenditures and technical aspects. In order to quantitatively assess the hydrogen potential within the Italian context and the feasibility of the planned investments and projects, this work uses the TEMOA-Italy energy system model to study pathways to meet the strict objectives above cited. The possible hydrogen development has been studied both in the supply-side and demand-side of the energy system, also including storage options and distribution chains. The assessment comprehends alternative hydrogen production technologies involved in a competition market, reflecting the several possible investments declined by the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan to boost the development and spread of this infrastructure, including the sector coupling potential with natural gas through the currently existing infrastructure and CO2 capture for the production of synfuels. On the other hand, the hydrogen end-uses phase covers a wide range of consumption alternatives, from fuel-cell vehicles, for which both road and non-road transport categories are considered, to steel, and chemical industries uses and cogeneration for residential and commercial buildings. The model includes both high and low TRL technologies in order to provide a consistent outcome for the future decades as it does for the present day, and since it is developed through the use of an open-source code instance and database, transparency and accessibility are fully granted.

Keywords: decarbonization, energy system optimization models, hydrogen, open-source modeling, TEMOA

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Authors: M. Ismail, E. Grifell-Tatjé, A. Paz

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A significant discussion on the topic of blockchain as a solution to the issues of intellectual property highlights the relevance that this topic holds. Some experts label this technology as destructive since it holds immense potential to change course of traditional practices. The extent and areas to which this technology can be of use are still being researched. This paper provides an in-depth review on the intellectual property and blockchain technology. Further it explores what makes blockchain suitable for intellectual property, the practical solutions available and the support different governments are offering. This paper further studies the framework of universities in context of its outputs and how can they be streamlined using blockchain technology. The paper concludes by discussing some limitations and future research question.

Keywords: blockchain, decentralization, open innovation, intellectual property, patents, university-industry relationship

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Authors: Evren Şar İşbilen

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As it is known, the movies and tv series are occupying a large part in the daily lives of adults and children in our era. In this connection, in the present study, the most popular historical TV series of recent years in Turkey, “Muhteşem Yüzyıl” (The Magnificent Century), was selected as the sample for the data collection in order to explore the perception of history of university students’. The data collected was analyzed bothqualitatively and quantitatively. The findings discussed in relation to the possible educative effects of historical non-educational TV series and movies on students' perceptions related to history. Additionally, suggestions were made regarding to the utilization of non-educational TV series or movies in education in a positive way.

Keywords: education, history, movies, teacher candidates

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Authors: Daniele Traversaro

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Problem: Senior citizens have been facing a challenging reality as a result of strict public health measures designed to protect people from the COVID-19 outbreak. These include the risk of social isolation due to the inability of the elderly to integrate with technology. Never before have information and communication technology (ICT) skills become essential for their everyday life. Although third-age ICT education and lifelong learning are widely supported by universities and governments, there is a lack of literature on which teaching strategy/methodology to adopt in an entirely online ICT course aimed at third-age learners. This contribution aims to present an application of the Think-Pair-Share (TPS) learning method in an ICT third-age virtual classroom with an intergenerational approach to conducting online group labs and review activities. This collaborative strategy can help increase student engagement, promote active learning and online social interaction. Research Question: Is collaborative learning applicable and effective, in terms of student engagement and learning outcomes, for an entirely online third-age ICT introductory course? Methods: In the TPS strategy, a problem is posed by the teacher, students have time to think about it individually, and then they work in pairs (or small groups) to solve the problem and share their ideas with the entire class. We performed four experiments in the ICT course of the University of the Third Age of Genova (University of Genova, Italy) on the Microsoft Teams platform. The study cohort consisted of 26 students over the age of 45. Data were collected through online questionnaires. Two have been proposed, one at the end of the first activity and another at the end of the course. They consisted of five and three close-ended questions, respectively. The answers were on a Likert scale (from 1 to 4) except two questions (which asked the number of correct answers given individually and in groups) and the field for free comments/suggestions. Results: Results show that groups perform better than individual students (with scores greater than one order of magnitude) and that most students found it helpful to work in groups and interact with their peers. Insights: From these early results, it appears that TPS is applicable to an online third-age ICT classroom and useful for promoting discussion and active learning. Despite this, our experimentation has a number of limitations. First of all, the results highlight the need for more data to be able to perform a statistical analysis in order to determine the effectiveness of this methodology in terms of student engagement and learning outcomes as a future direction.

Keywords: collaborative learning, information technology education, lifelong learning, older adult education, think-pair-share

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Authors: Enyia James Diwa, Dodeye Ina Igbong, Archibong Eso Archibong

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The creep life of an industrial gas turbine is determined through a physics-based model used to investigate the high pressure temperature (HPT) of the blade in use. A performance model was carried out via the Cranfield University TURBOMATCH simulation software to size the blade and to determine the corresponding stress. Various effects such as radial temperature distortion factor, turbine entry temperature, ambient temperature, blade metal temperature, and compressor degradation on the blade creep life were investigated. The output results show the difference in creep life and the location of failure along the span of the blade enabling better-informed advice for the gas turbine operator.

Keywords: creep, living, performance, degradation

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Authors: Prabhvir Singh Marway, Kai Lok Chan, Maria-Ruxandra Jinga, Rachel Bok Ying Lee, Matthew Bok Kit Lee, Krishan Nandapalan, Sze Yi Beh, Harry Carr, Christopher Kui

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We piloted a structured series of online workshops on the 3D segmentation of anatomical structures from CT scans. 33 participants were recruited from four UK universities for two-day workshops between 2020 and 2021. Open-source software (3D-Slicer) was used. We hypothesized that active participation via real-time screen-sharing and voice-communication via Discord would enable improved engagement and learning, despite national lockdowns. Written feedback indicated positive learning experiences, with subjective measures of anatomical understanding and software confidence improving.

Keywords: medical education, workshop, segmentation, anatomy

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Authors: Belyihun Muchie

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This study investigates the low English oral communication skills of 5 second-year English major students at Debark University. It aims to identify the key factors contributing to their weaknesses and propose effective interventions to improve their spoken English proficiency. Mixed-methods research will be employed, utilizing observations, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews to gather data from the participants. To clearly identify these factors, structured and informal observations will be employed; the former will be used to identify their fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary use, and grammar accuracy, and the later will be suited to observe the natural interactions and communication patterns of learners in the classroom setting. The questionnaires will assess their self-perceptions of their skills, perceived barriers to fluency, and preferred learning styles. Interviews will also delve deeper into their experiences and explore specific obstacles faced in oral communication. Data analysis will involve both quantitative and qualitative responses. The structured observation and questionnaire will be analyzed quantitatively, whereas the informal observation and interview transcripts will be analyzed thematically. Findings will be used to identify the major causes of low oral communication skills, such as limited vocabulary, grammatical errors, pronunciation difficulties, or lack of confidence. They are also helpful to develop targeted solutions addressing these causes, such as intensive pronunciation practice, conversation simulations, personalized feedback, or anxiety-reduction techniques. Finally, the findings will guide designing an intervention plan for implementation during the action research phase. The study's outcomes are expected to provide valuable insights into the challenges faced by English major students in developing oral communication skills, contribute to the development of evidence-based interventions for improving spoken English proficiency in similar contexts, and offer practical recommendations for English language instructors and curriculum developers to enhance student learning outcomes. By addressing the specific needs of these students and implementing tailored interventions, this research aims to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical speaking ability, equipping them with the confidence and skills to flourish in English communication settings.

Keywords: oral communication skills, mixed-methods, evidence-based interventions, spoken English proficiency

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Authors: Humaira Irfan Khan

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The paper explores teaching of creative writing in Pakistani classroom. The data collected from the questionnaire and focus group interview with a large public sector university’s Master of Arts in English students, who are also in-service school teachers, discovers that English teachers in Pakistan do not teach to develop the creative writing of pupils. The findings show that English teachers can define creative writing but are confused about strategies needed in rousing learners’ interest in creative writing. The teachers make their students memorise compositions from the textbooks to be reproduced in class. English teachers must be encouraged and trained to engage in activities that are essential for enhancing creative writing in schools.

Keywords: creative writing, teaching creative writing, textbooks, Pakistan

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Authors: Sh. Khoshemehry, M. E. Bahram, M. J. Pourvaghar

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Sport has found a special place as an effective phenomenon in all societies of the contemporary world. The relationship between physical activity and exercise with different sciences has provided new fields for human study. The range of issues related to exercise and physical education is such that it requires specialized sciences and special studies. In this article, the psychological and social sections of exercise have been investigated for children and adults. It can be used for anyone in different age groups. Exercise and regular physical movements have a great impact on the mental and social health of the individual in addition to body health. It affects the individual's adaptability in society and his/her personality. Exercise affects the treatment of diseases such as depression, anxiety, stress, body image, and memory. Exercise is a safe haven for young people to achieve the optimum human development in its shelter. The effects of sensorimotor skills on mental actions and mental development are such a way that many psychologists and sports science experts believe these activities should be included in training programs in the first place. Familiarity of students and scholars with different programs and methods of sensorimotor activities not only causes their mental actions; but also increases mental health and vitality, enhances self-confidence and, therefore, mental health.

Keywords: anxiety, mental health, physical activity, serotonin

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Authors: Hassan Hamidi, Fereshteh Zarei

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In this study, we compared amount of compete motivation between young and adult volleyball players. Compete motivation has three sections: success achieves score, defeat avoiding score and ability score. For measuring motivation, we used sports attitude inventory of Willis and Layne. The statistical population was elite's men volleyball players in range of young and adult and the study subjects were randomly selected from participant teams in volleyball professional league. In total, 65 adult and 75 young were selected. For collecting the required information, the research inventories were distributed in practice's locations and then were collected after being completed by players. For analyzing the data, we used descriptive statistics including mean, standard deviation and frequency tables. We also used conceptual statistics such as independent sample t-student and Pierson correlation. The results showed a significant difference between young and adult volleyball players in success achieve score and ability score. However, there was no significant difference between young and adult volleyball players in defeat avoiding score and compete motivation. In addition, there was not significant relationship between the length of activities and motivations' sections in adult and young volleyball player. The application of this study to other sports will be discussed.

Keywords: compete motivation, volleyball player, statistical analysis, sport psychology

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Authors: T. Mcgraw, F. N. Morin, N. Desai

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Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a critical issue in global health care and a significant contributor to increased patient morbidity and mortality. Suspected urinary tract infection (UTI) is a key area of inappropriate antibiotic prescription in pediatrics. Management patterns of infectious diseases have been shown to vary by provider type within a single setting. The aim of this study was to assess compliance with national UTI management guidelines by nurse practitioners in a pediatric emergency department (ED). Methods: This was a post-hoc analysis of a retrospective cohort study to review and evaluate visits to a tertiary care freestanding pediatric emergency department. Patients were included if they were 60 days to 36 months old and discharged with a diagnosis of UTI or ‘rule-out UTI’ between July 2015 and July 2020. Primary outcome measure was proportion of visits seen by Nurse Practitioners (NP) which were associated with national guideline compliance in the diagnosis and treatment of suspected UTI. We performed descriptive statistics and comparative analyses to determine differences in practice patterns between NPs, and physicians. Results: A total of 636 charts were reviewed, of which 402 patients met inclusion criteria. 17 patients were treated by NPs, 385 were treated by either Pediatric Emergency Medicine physicians (PEM) or non-PEM physicians. Overall, the proportion of infants receiving guideline-compliant care was 25.9% (21.8-30.4%). Of those who were prescribed antibiotics, 79.6% (74.7-83.8%) received first line guideline recommended therapy and 58.9% (53.8-63.8%) received fully compliant therapy with respect to age, dose, duration, and frequency. In patients treated by NPs, 16/17 (94%(95% CI:73.0-99.0)) required antibiotics, 15/16 (93%(95% CI: 71.7-98.9)) were treated with first line agent (cephalexin), 8/16 (50%(95% CI:28-72)) were guideline compliant of dose and duration. 5/8 (63%(95% CI:30.6-86.3)) were noncompliant for dose being too high. There was no difference in receiving guideline compliant empiric antibiotic therapy between physicians and nurse practitioners (OR: 0.837 CI: 0.302-2.69). Conclusion: In this post-hoc analysis, guideline noncompliance by nurse practitioners is common in children tested and treated for UTIs in a pediatric emergency department. Care by a Nurse Practitioner was not associated with greater rate of noncompliance than care by a Pediatric Emergency Medicine physician. Future appropriately powered studies may focus on confirming these results.

Keywords: antibiotic stewardship, infectious disease, nurse practitioner, urinary tract infection

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Authors: Yoseph Halala Handiso, Zewdi Gebregziabher

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Background: Malnutrition in hospitalized patients remains a major public health problem in both developed and developing countries. Despite the fact that malnourished patients are more prone to stay longer in hospital, there is limited data regarding the magnitude of malnutrition and its effect on length of stay among surgical patients in Ethiopia, while nutritional assessment is also often a neglected component of the health service practice. Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of malnutrition at admission and its effect on the length of hospital stay among adult surgical patients in Wolaita Sodo University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, South Ethiopia, 2022. Methods: A facility-based prospective cohort study was conducted among 398 adult surgical patients admitted to the hospital. Participants in the study were chosen using a convenient sampling technique. Subjective global assessment was used to determine the nutritional status of patients with a minimum stay of 24 hours within 48 hours after admission (SGA). Data were collected using the open data kit (ODK) version 2022.3.3 software, while Stata version 14.1 software was employed for statistical analysis. The Cox regression model was used to determine the effect of malnutrition on the length of hospital stay (LOS) after adjusting for several potential confounders taken at admission. Adjusted hazard ratio (HR) with a 95% confidence interval was used to show the effect of malnutrition. Results: The prevalence of hospital malnutrition at admission was 64.32% (95% CI: 59%-69%) according to the SGA classification. Adult surgical patients who were malnourished at admission had higher median LOS (12 days: 95% CI: 11-13) as compared to well-nourished patients (8 days: 95% CI: 8-9), means adult surgical patients who were malnourished at admission were at higher risk of reduced chance of discharge with improvement (prolonged LOS) (AHR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.29-0.47) as compared to well-nourished patients. Presence of comorbidity (AHR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.50-90), poly medication (AHR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.55-0.86), and history of admission (AHR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.55-0.87) within the previous five years were found to be the significant covariates of the length of hospital stay (LOS). Conclusion: The magnitude of hospital malnutrition at admission was found to be high. Malnourished patients at admission had a higher risk of prolonged length of hospital stay as compared to well-nourished patients. The presence of comorbidity, polymedication, and history of admission were found to be the significant covariates of LOS. All stakeholders should give attention to reducing the magnitude of malnutrition and its covariates to improve the burden of LOS.

Keywords: effect of malnutrition, length of hospital stay, surgical patients, Ethiopia

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