Search results for: post mortem interval

Authors: Nasrin Akter, Bilkis Banu, Farhana Faruque, Fatema Afrin, Sujana Haque Chowdhury, Sarder Mahmud Hossain

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Objectives: To combat the growing prevalence of hypertension in Bangladesh, it is pivotal to have an in-depth understanding of quality of life (QOL) among hypertensive people. The aim of this study was to measure QOL of hypertensive people and its determinants in a selected tertiary hospital in Dhaka city. Design & Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected 300 hypertensive patients from two cardiac departments of Square Hospitals Limited. Data were collected through the face-to-face interview method. WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was used to assess the QOL. Mean scores of quality of life were analyzed through descriptive statistics. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were applied to estimate the internal consistency, and the level of agreement among different domains of WHOQOL-BREF, respectively. Chi-square test followed by binary regression analyses were used to measure the association between QOL domains and independent variables. Results: Both overall QOL and domains had a good internal consistency, (r = 0.13–0.77, p< 0.01). The QOL among hypertensive patients was found to be poor in the psychological (71%) and social (74.7%) domains and good in the environmental (63%) and physical (65%) domains. Backward binary regressions revealed that being older (p=0.01), diabetic (p=0.02), having history of COVID-19 (p=0.01), and poor monthly income (USD ≤853.14) (p=0.01) were significantly associated with poor QOL in all domain. Moreover, older age (p=0.01) and poor lifestyle (p=0.02) were significantly associated with poor overall quality of life and poor general health perception. Conclusion: The results revealed low QOL in the psychological and social domain including significant factors associated with the poor QOL in all domains. To enhance the quality of life for hypertensive patients—especially those who are older, diabetic, have lower incomes, experienced COVID-19, and maintain poor lifestyles—effective interventions and health system strengthening are crucial.

Keywords: quality of life, hypertension, WHOQOL-BREF, analytical cross-sectional study

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Authors: Yasmin Nanabhay

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The paper scrutinizes the literature on accountability and non-accountability, and then presents an analysis of a South African case which demonstrated consequences of a lack of accountability. Ethical conduct displayed by members of the public sector is integral to creating a sustainable democratic government, which upholds the constitutional tenets of accountability, transparency and professional ethicality. Furthermore, a true constitutional democracy emphasises and advocates the notion of service leadership that nurtures public participation and engages with citizens in a positive manner. Ethical conduct and accountability in the public sector earns public trust; hence these are key principles in good governance. Yet, in the years since the advent of democracy in South Africa, the government has been plagued by rampant corruption and mal-administration by public officials and politicians in leadership positions. The control measures passed by government in an attempt to ensure ethicality and accountability within the public sector include codes of ethics, rules of conduct and the enactment of legislation. These are intended to shape the mindset of members of the public sector, with the ultimate aim of an efficient, effective, ethical, responsive and accountable public service. The purpose of the paper is to analyse control systems and accountability within the public sector and to present reasons for non-accountability by means of a selected case study. The selected case study is the corruption trial of Jackie Selebi, who served as National Commissioner of the South African Police Service but was dismissed from the post. The reasons for non-accountability in the public sector as well as recommendations based on the findings to enhance accountability will be undertaken. The case study demonstrates the experience and impact of corruption and/or mal-administration, as a result of a lack of accountability, which has contributed to the increasing loss of confidence in political leadership in the country as elsewhere in the world. The literature is applied to the erstwhile National Commissioner of the South African Police Service and President of Interpol, as a case study of non-accountability.

Keywords: corruption, internal control, maladministration, non-compliance, oversight mechanisms, public accountability, public sector

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Authors: Isabel Lopez-Oliva, Akshay Paropkari, Shweta Saraswat, Stefan Serban, Paola de Pablo, Karim Raza, Andrew Filer, Iain Chapple, Thomas Dietrich, Melissa Grant, Purnima Kumar

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Objective: We aimed to explicate the role of the subgingival microbiome in the causal link between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and periodontitis (PD). Methods: Subjects with/without RA and with/without PD were randomized for treatment with scaling and root planing (SRP) or oral hygiene instructions. Subgingival biofilm, gingival crevicular fluid, and serum were collected at baseline and at 3- and 6-months post-operatively. Correlations were generated between 72 million 16S rDNA sequences, immuno-inflammatory mediators, circulating antibodies to oral microbial antigens, serum inflammatory molecules, and clinical metrics of RA. The dynamics of inter-microbial and host-microbial interactions were modeled using differential network analysis. Results: RA superseded periodontitis as a determinant of microbial composition, and DAS28 score superseded the severity of periodontitis as a driver of microbial assemblages (p=0.001, ANOSIM). RA subjects evidenced higher serum anti-PPAD (p=0.0013), anti-Pg-enolase (p=0.0031), anti-RPP3, anti- Pg-OMP and anti- Pi-OMP (p=0.001) antibodies than non-RA controls (with and without periodontitis). Following SRP, bacterial networks anchored by IL-1b, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13, MIP-1b, and PDGF-b underwent ≥5-fold higher rewiring; and serum antibodies to microbial antigens decreased significantly. Conclusions: Our data suggest a circular relationship between RA and PD, beginning with an RA-influenced dysbiosis within the healthy subgingival microbiome that leads to exaggerated local inflammation in periodontitis and circulating antibodies to periodontal pathogens and positive correlation between severity of periodontitis and RA activity. Periodontal therapy restores host-microbial homeostasis, reduces local inflammation, and decreases circulating microbial antigens. Our data highlights the importance of integrating periodontal care into the management of RA patients.

Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, periodontal, subgingival, DNA sequence analysis, oral microbiome

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Authors: Bing Lu, Shuang Li, Hongyuan Zhou

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The steel–concrete hybrid structure has been extensively employed in high–rise buildings and super high–rise buildings. The light gauge steel–concrete hybrid structure, including light gauge steel structure and concrete hybrid structure, is a new–type steel–concrete hybrid structure, which possesses some advantages of light gauge steel structure and concrete hybrid structure. The seismic behavior and loss assessment of three high–rise buildings with three different concrete hybrid structures were investigated through finite element software, respectively. The three concrete hybrid structures are reinforced concrete column–steel beam (RC‒S) hybrid structure, concrete–filled steel tube column–steel beam (CFST‒S) hybrid structure, and tubed concrete column–steel beam (TC‒S) hybrid structure. The nonlinear time-history analysis of three high–rise buildings under 80 earthquakes was carried out. After simulation, it indicated that the seismic performances of three high–rise buildings were superior. Under extremely rare earthquakes, the maximum inter–storey drifts of three high–rise buildings are significantly lower than 1/50. The inter–storey drift and floor acceleration of high–rise building with CFST‒S hybrid structure were bigger than those of high–rise buildings with RC‒S hybrid structure, and smaller than those of high–rise building with TC‒S hybrid structure. Then, based on the time–history analysis results, the post-earthquake repair cost ratio and repair time of three high–rise buildings were predicted through an economic performance analysis method proposed in FEMA‒P58 report. Under frequent earthquakes, basic earthquakes and rare earthquakes, the repair cost ratio and repair time of three high-rise buildings were less than 5% and 15 days, respectively. Under extremely rare earthquakes, the repair cost ratio and repair time of high-rise buildings with TC‒S hybrid structure were the most among three high rise buildings. Due to the advantages of CFST-S hybrid structure, it could be extensively employed in high-rise buildings subjected to earthquake excitations.

Keywords: seismic behavior, loss assessment, light gauge steel–concrete hybrid structure, high–rise building, time–history analysis

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Authors: Stephen Grant Atkins

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Radical use of project-based learning (PBL) in a small New Zealand business school provides an opportunity to longitudinally examine its effects over a decade of pre-Covid data. Prior to this business school’s implementation of PBL, starting in 2012, the business pedagogy literature presented just one example of PBL replacing an entire core-set of courses. In that instance, a British business school merged four of its ‘degree Year 3’ accounting courses into one PBL semester. As radical as that would have seemed, to students aged 20-to-22, the PBL experiment conducted in a New Zealand business school was notably more extreme: 41 nationally-approved Learning Outcomes (L.O.s), these deriving from 8 separate core courses, were aggregated into one grand set of L.O.s, and then treated as a ‘full-year’/‘full-time’ single course. The 8 courses in question were all components of this business school’s compulsory ‘degree Year 1’ curriculum. Thus, the students involved were notably younger (…ages 17-to-19…), and no ‘part-time’ enrolments were allowed. Of interest are this PBL experiment’s effects on subsequent performance outcomes in ‘degree Years 2 & 3’ (….which continued to operate in their traditional ways). Of special interest is the quality of ‘group project’ outcomes. This is because traditionally, ‘degree Year 1’ course assessments are only minimally based on group work. This PBL experiment altered that practice radically, such that PBL ‘degree Year 1’ alumni entered their remaining two years of business coursework with far more ‘project group’ experience. Timeline-wise, thus of interest here, firstly, is ‘degree Year 2’ performance outcomes data from years 2010-2012 + 2016-2018, and likewise ‘degree Year 3’ data for years 2011-2013 + 2017-2019. Those years provide a pre-&-post comparative baseline for performance outcomes in students never exposed to this school’s radical PBL experiment. That baseline is then compared to PBL alumni outcomes (2013-2016….including’Student Evaluation of Course Quality’ outcomes…) to clarify ‘radical PBL’ effects.

Keywords: project-based learning, longitudinal mixed-methods, students criticism, effects-on-learning

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Authors: David Mason-Cox

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Existing academic analyses of The Beatles cover a huge array of topics. This research explores one clear but multifaceted aspect of The Beatles: the development of their creativity. While its importance cannot be underestimated, a thorough appraisal of the roots of the group’s individual and collective artistic blossoming deserves more attention. This paper investigates the mechanisms that caused or enabled the group to eventually exert such an immense and long-lasting influence on popular music and culture. It suggests that the artistic inspiration of Astrid Kirchherr during their time in Hamburg may be much more far-reaching than has previously been credited. It further addresses the effect of the confluence of conditions and events which essentially ‘hot-housed’ the four working-class Liverpudlians, providing them with the incentives and the means to far exceed their apparent potential. Thirdly, it looks at the competitive nature of The Beatles, both as a group and as individuals, and how that competitive streak sparked them to improve as musicians, songwriters, and showmen. In viewing these triggers through the lens of creative theory, the research attempts to analyse what made The Beatles’ innovative ascendancy so extraordinary and why creativity can be misunderstood. This then is the tale of impressionable youths from post-war austerity Britain; the lure of an artist with strong aesthetic sensibilities in an exotic locale, the media boom of the early 1960s, the machinations of the music business, the national grief in the US following Kennedy’s assassination, and, finally the resilience and determination of four young men who were prepared to take advantage of every opportunity to prove, and improve, themselves -the harbingers of a new creative paradigm. This paper is part of a broader study which also examines how their growth toward artistic maturity informs The Beatles’ significance and impact on the culture and the counterculture during the 1960s and beyond. It will eventually combine critical textual analysis with a series of interviews of musicians, other creatives, and intellectuals. These will be conducted to advance the existing erudition and to develop a more accurate understanding of the group’s cultural influence upon real-world individuals.

Keywords: artistic influence, Beatles, competition, creative theory, new creative paradigm

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Authors: R. Alramyan, S. Alsalamah, R. Alrashed, R. Alakel, F. Altheyeb, M. Alessa

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Background: Nutritional support with total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is usually commenced with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) patients. However, it has its benefits and risks. Complications related to central venous catheter such as infections, and metabolic disturbances, including abnormal liver function, is usually of concern in such patients. Methods: A retrospective charts review of all pediatric patients who underwent HSCT between the period 2015-2018 in a tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Patients' demographics, types of conditioning, type of nutrition, and patients' outcomes were collected. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 22. Frequencies and percentages were used to describe categorical variables. Mean, and standard deviation were used for continuous variables. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered as statically significant. Results: a total of 162 HSCTs were identified during the period mentioned. Indication of allogenic transplant included hemoglobinopathy in 50 patients (31%), acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 21 patients (13%). TPN was used in 96 patients (59.30%) for a median of 14 days, nasogastric tube feeding (NGT) in 16 (9.90%) patients for a median of 11 days, and 71 of patients (43.80%) were able to tolerate oral feeding. Out of the 96 patients (59.30%) who were dependent on TPN, 64 patients (66.7%) had severe mucositis in comparison to 17 patients (25.8%) who were either on NGT or tolerated oral intake. (P-value= 0.00). Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) was seen in 14 patients (14.6%) who were receiving TPN compared to none in non-TPN patients (P=value 0.001). Moreover, majority of patients who had SOS received myeloablative conditioning therapy for non-malignant disease (hemoglobinopathy). However, there were no statistically significant differences in Graft-vs-Host Disease (both acute and chronic), bacteremia, and patient outcome between both groups. Conclusions: Nutritional support using TPN is used in majority of patients, especially post-myeloablative conditioning associated with severe mucositis. TPN was associated with VOD, especially in hemoglobinopathy patients who received myeloablative therapy. This may emphasize on use of preventative measures such as fluid restriction, use of diuretics, or defibrotide in high-risk patients.

Keywords: hematopoeitic stem cell transplant, HSCT, stem cell transplant, sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, total parenteral nutrition

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Authors: Ching-Yuan Chen, Lung-Kwang Pan

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Objective: Back pain is a major health problem costing billions of health budgets annually in Taiwan. Thousands of back pain surgeries are performed annually with up to 40% of patients complaining of back pain at time of post-surgery causing failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS), although diagnosis in these patients may be complex. The aim of study is to assess the feasibility of using bone SPECT-CT imaging to localize the active lesions causing persistent, recurrent or new backache after spine surgery. Materials and Methods: Bone SPECT-CT imaging was performed after the intravenous injection of 20 mCi of 99mTc-MDP for all the patients with diagnosis of FBSS. Patients were evaluated using status of subjectively pain relief, functional improvement and degree of satisfaction by reviewing the medical records and questionnaires in a 2 more years’ follow-up. Results: We enrolled a total of 16 patients were surveyed in our hospital from Jan. 2015 to Dec. 2016. Four people on SPEC/CT imaging ensured significant lesions were undergone a revised surgery (surgical treatment group). The mean visual analogue scale (VAS) decreased 5.3 points and mean Oswestry disability index (ODI) improved 38 points in the surgical group. The remaining 12 on SPECT/CT imaging were diagnosed as no significant lesions then received drug treatment (medical treatment group). The mean VAS only decreased 2 .1 point and mean ODI improved 12.6 points in the medical treatment group. In the posttherapeutic evaluation, the pain of the surgical treatment group showed a satisfactory improvement. In the medical treatment group, 10 of the 12 were also satisfied with the symptom relief while the other 2 did not improve significantly. Conclusions: Findings on SPECT-CT imaging appears to be easily explained the patients' pain. We recommended that SPECT/CT imaging was a feasible and useful clinical tool to improve diagnostic confidence or specificity when evaluating patients with FBSS.

Keywords: failed back surgery syndrome, oswestry disability index, SPECT-CT imaging, 99mTc-MDP, visual analogue scale

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Authors: Richa Shri, Varinder Singh, Kundan Singh Bora, Abhishek Bhanot, Rahul Kumar, Amit Kumar, Ravinder Kaur

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The term ‘neuroprotection’ means preserving/salvaging function and structure of neurons. Neuroprotection is an adjunctive treatment option for neurodegenerative disorders. Oxidative stress is considered a major culprit in neurodegenerative disorders; hence, management strategies include use of antioxidants. Our search for a neuroprotective agent began with Allium cepa L. or onions, (family Amaryllidaceae) - a potent antioxidant. We have investigated the neuroprotective potential of onions in experimental models of ischemic stroke, diabetic neuropathy, neuropathic pain, and dementia. In pre and post-ischemic stroke model, the methanol extract of outer scales of onion bulbs (MEOS) prevented memory loss and motor in-coordination; reduced oxidative stress and cerebral infarct size. This also prevented and ameliorated diabetic neuropathy in mice. The MEOS was fractionated to yield a flavonoid rich fraction (FRF) that successfully reversed ischemia-reperfusion induced neuronal damage, thereby demonstrating that the flavonoids are responsible for the activity. The FRF effectively ameliorated chronic constriction induced neuropathic pain in rats. The FRF was subjected to bioactivity-guided fractionated. It was seen that FRF is more effective as compared to the isolated components probably due to synergism among the constituents (i.e., quercetin and quercetin glucosides) in the FRF. The outer scales of onion bulbs have great potential for prevention as well as for treatment of neuronal disorders. Red onions, with higher amounts of flavonoids as compared to the white onions, produced more significant neuroprotection. Thus, the standardized FRF from the waste material of a commonly used vegetable, especially the red variety, may be developed as a valuable neuroprotective agent.

Keywords: Allium cepa, antioxidant activity, flavonoid rich fraction, neuroprotection

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Authors: Dirson Santos De Campos, Deller James Ferreira, Anderson Cavalcante Gonçalves, Uyara Ferreira Silva

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Rubrics to learning research provide many evaluation criteria and expected performance standards linked to defined student activity for learning and pedagogical objectives. Despite the rubric being used in education at all levels, academic literature on rubrics as a tool to support research in SQL Education is quite rare. There is a large class of SQL queries is syntactically correct, but certainly, not all are semantically correct. Detecting and correcting errors is a recurring problem in SQL education. In this paper, we usthe Rubric Abstract Framework (RAF), which consists of steps, that allows us to map the information to measure student performance guided by didactic objectives defined by the teacher as long as it is contextualized domain modeling by rubric. An empirical study was done that demonstrates how rubrics can mitigate student difficulties in finding logical errors and easing teacher workload in SQL education. Detecting and correcting logical errors is an important skill for students. Researchers have proposed several ways to improve SQL education because understanding this paradigm skills are crucial in software engineering and computer science. The RAF instantiation was using in an empirical study developed during the COVID-19 pandemic in database course. The pandemic transformed face-to-face and remote education, without presential classes. The lab activities were conducted remotely, which hinders the teaching-learning process, in particular for this research, in verifying the evidence or statements of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) of students. Various research in academia and industry involved databases. The innovation proposed in this paper is the approach used where the results obtained when using rubrics to map logical errors in query formulation have been analyzed with gains obtained by students empirically verified. The research approach can be used in the post-pandemic period in both classroom and distance learning.

Keywords: rubric, logical error, structured query language (SQL), empirical study, SQL education

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Authors: Adamnesh A. Bogale, Dorte Thorsen

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This paper aims to learn how children/siblings left behind due to parental migration experience care and the effects of the separation. It also aims to unpack the experiences of youth migrants in rural Ethiopia. It focuses specifically on how children and youth are affected in order to highlight in which areas intervention can enhance or inadvertently undermine the development impact of migration on young people. Based on a qualitative study in South Wollo, Ethiopia, which was undertaken in three stages in 2017-19 and involved 34 households and a number of key informants, the analysis offers insights into how migration contributes to household sustainability and, in the process, alters intergenerational relationships and dynamics. Contemporary migration in Ethiopia is complex and highly gendered. For young women, the migration corridor from Ethiopia to the Middle East is the most important, whereas young men mostly engage in local migration or travel to South Africa or Sudan. Arguing that children and youths’ experience of migration must be understood in the context of the moral, affective, and material economies, the paper distinguishes between young people’s experiences of migration as children of migrants, as siblings of a migrant, and as migrants. The material shows that children and youths demonstrate different experiences in parental migration depending on age, care arrangement, and the ability to communicate with an absent mother. Migration has a different implication for younger siblings depending on their gender. The division of work and future responsibilities post marriage combine to disadvantage female siblings while male siblings are either unaffected or reaped the benefits of investments made with remittances. Finally, migration is a mechanism to change generational power relationships. As remitters, young migrants yield better recognition in the family, though not always to the degree that they can control the use of remittances. The power to make decisions is not tied only to material resources and the household; migration facilitates social change that opens space for young women to have more influence over their own lives.

Keywords: migration, youth, Ethiopia, generations

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Authors: Shanza Akram, Samir Salah, Imran Saleem, Ashraf Alzaabi, Jassim Abdou

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Introduction: 300 million people worldwide are affected by asthma .In UAE, prevalence is around 10% (900,000 people).Patients with persistent symptoms despite using high dose ICS plus a second controller +/- OCS are considered to have severe asthma. Omalizumab (Xolaire) an IgE monoclonal antibody is approved as add on therapy for severe allergic asthma. Objective: To determine the efficacy of omalizumab based on clinical outcomes in our cohort of patient pre and post 52 weeks of treatment to assess safety and tolerability of treatment. Methods: Medical records of patients receiving omalizumab therapy for asthma at ZMH ,Abu Dhabi were retrospectively analyzed.Patients fulfilling the criteria of severe allergic asthma as per GINA guidelines were included. Asthma control over 12 months prior to and 12 months after commencement of omalizumab therapy was analysed by taking into account the number of exacerbations and hospitalizations in addition to maintenance of medication dosages, need for rescue reliever therapy and pulmonary function testing. Results: Total cohort of 21 patient (5 females), average age 41 years and av length of therapy 22 months were included. Seven patients (total 11/52%) managed to stop steroids on treatment while four were able to decrease the dosage. Mean exacerbation rate decreased from five/ year pre treatment to 1.36 while on treatment. Number of hospitalizations decreased from mean of two per year to 0.9 per year. Rescue reliever inhaler usage decreased from mean of 40 puffs to 15 puffs per week. 2 patients discontinued therapy, 1 due to lack of benefit (2 doses) and 2nd due to severe persistent side effects including local irritation, severe limb and joint pains after 6 months. Conclusion: Treatment with omalizumab showed effect in terms of reduced number of exacerbations, maintenance therapy and reliever medications. However, no improvement was seen in PFTs.There is room for improved documentation in terms of symptom recording and use of rescue medicationas as well as for better patient education and counselling in order to improve compliance.

Keywords: asthma, omalizumab, severe allergic asthma, UAE

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Authors: Faezeh Jahanpour, Shahin Dezhdar, Saeedeh Firouz Bakht, Afshin Ostovar

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Objective: The hospitalized premature babies often undergo various painful procedures such as venous sampling. The Kangaroo mother care (KMC) method is one of the pain reduction methods, but as mother’s presence is not always possible, this research was done to compare the effect of swaddling and KMC method on venous sampling pain on premature neonates. Methods: In this randomized clinical trial 90 premature infants selected and randomly alocated into three groups; Group A (swaddling), Group B (the kangaroo care), and group C (the control). From 10 minutes before blood sampling to 2 minutes after that in group A, the infant was wrapped in a thin sheet, and in group B, the infant was under Kangaroo care. In all three groups, the heart rate and arterial oxygen saturation in time intervals of 30 seconds before, during, 30-60-90, and 120 seconds after sampling were measured and recorded. The infant’s face was video recorded since sampling till 2 minutes and the videos were checked by a researcher who was unaware of the kind of intervention and the pain assessment tools for infants (PIPP) for time intervals of 30 seconds were completed. Data analyzed by t-test, Q square, Repeated Measure ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, Post-hoc and Bonferroni test. Results: Findings revealed that the pain was reduced to a great extent in swaddling and kangaroo method compared to that in control group. But there was not a significant difference between kangaroo and swaddling care method (P ≥ 0.05). In addition, the findings showed that the heart rate and arterial oxygen saturation was low and stable in swaddling and Kangaroo care method and returned to base status faster, whereas, the changes were severe in control group and did not return to base status even after 120 seconds. Discussion: The results of this study showed that there was not a meaningful difference between swaddling and kangaroo care method on physiological indexes and pain in infants. Therefore, swaddling method can be a good substitute for kangaroo care method in this regard.

Keywords: Kangaroo mother care, neonate, pain, premature, swaddling, venipuncture,

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Authors: Mahfouz Saeed

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Cu₂(ZnSn)(S)₄ (CTZS) offers potential advantages over CuInGaSe₂ (CIGS) as solar thin film because to its higher band gap. Preparing such photovoltaic materials by electrochemical techniques is particularly attractive due to the lower processing cost and the high throughput of such techniques. Several recent publications report CTZS electroplating; however, the electrochemical process still facing serious challenges such as a sulfur atomic ration which is about 50% of the total alloy. We introduce in this work an improved electrolyte composition which enables the direct electrodeposition of CTZS from a single bath. The electrolyte is significantly more dilute in comparison to common baths described in the literature. The bath composition we introduce is: 0.0032 M CuSO₄, 0.0021 M ZnSO₄, 0.0303 M SnCl₂, 0.0038 M Na₂S₂O₃, and 0.3 mM Na₂S₂O3. PHydrion is applied to buffer the electrolyte to pH=2, and 0.7 M LiCl is applied as supporting electrolyte. Electrochemical process was carried at a rotating disk electrode which provides quantitative characterization of the flow (room temperature). Comprehensive electrochemical behavior study at different electrode rotation rates are provided. The effects of agitation on atomic composition of the deposit and its adhesion to the molybdenum back contact are discussed. The post treatment annealing was conducted under sulfur atmosphere with no need for metals addition from the gas phase during annealing. The potential which produced the desired atomic ratio of CTZS at -0.82 V/NHE. Smooth deposit, with uniform composition across the sample surface and depth was obtained at 500 rpm rotation speed. Final sulfur atomic ratio was adjusted to 50.2% in order to have the desired atomic ration. The final composition was investigated using Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy technique (EDS). XRD technique used to analyze CTZS crystallography and thickness. Complete and functional CTZS PV devices were fabricated by depositing all the required layers in the correct order and the desired optical properties. Acknowledgments: Case Western Reserve University for the technical help and for using their instruments.

Keywords: photovoltaic, CTZS, thin film, electrochemical

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Authors: Xinyu Wang

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In the context of the rapid development of Internet technology and the increasing prevalence of online social media, this study investigates the impact of digital communication on social learning. Through three behavioral experiments, we explore both affective and cognitive social learning in online environments. Experiment 1 manipulates the content of experimental materials and two forms of feedback, emotional valence, sociability, and repetition, to verify whether individuals can achieve online emotional social learning through reinforcement using two social learning strategies. Results reveal that both social learning strategies can assist individuals in affective, social learning through reinforcement, with feedback-based learning strategies outperforming frequency-dependent strategies. Experiment 2 similarly manipulates the content of experimental materials and two forms of feedback to verify whether individuals can achieve online knowledge social learning through reinforcement using two social learning strategies. Results show that similar to online affective social learning, individuals adopt both social learning strategies to achieve cognitive social learning through reinforcement, with feedback-based learning strategies outperforming frequency-dependent strategies. Experiment 3 simultaneously observes online affective and cognitive social learning by manipulating the content of experimental materials and feedback at different levels of social pressure. Results indicate that online affective social learning exhibits different learning effects under different levels of social pressure, whereas online cognitive social learning remains unaffected by social pressure, demonstrating more stable learning effects. Additionally, to explore the sustained effects of online social learning and differences in duration among different types of online social learning, all three experiments incorporate two test time points. Results reveal significant differences in pre-post-test scores for online social learning in Experiments 2 and 3, whereas differences are less apparent in Experiment 1. To accurately measure the sustained effects of online social learning, the researchers conducted a mini-meta-analysis of all effect sizes of online social learning duration. Results indicate that although the overall effect size is small, the effect of online social learning weakens over time.

Keywords: online social learning, affective social learning, cognitive social learning, social learning strategies, social reinforcement, social pressure, duration

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Authors: Rreze Gecaj, Corina Schanzenbach, Benedikt Kirchner, Michael Pfaffl, Bajram Berisha

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The maintenance of corpus lutem (CL) during early pregnancy in cattle is a critical and multifarious process. A luteotrophic mechanism originating from the embryo is widely accepted as the triggering signal for the CL maintenance. In the cattle, it is the interferon-tau (IFNT) secretion form conceptus that prevents CL regression and ensures progesterone production for the establishment of pregnancy. In addition to endocrine and paracrine signals, microRNA (miRNA) can also support CL sustainability during early pregnancy. MiRNA are small non-coding nucleic acids that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally and are shown to be involved in the modulation of CL function. However, the examination of miRNAs in corpus luteum function at the early pregnancy still remains largely uncovered. This study aims at profiling the expression of miRNA in CL during the early pregnancy in cattle by comparing it with the CL form late cycle and with the regressed CL. Corpora lutea were assigned in two different groups during the cycle (C13 group, late CL: days 13-18 and C18, regressed CL group: day >18) and during the early pregnancy (group P: 1-2 month). The estrous cycle was determined by macroscopic examination and to age the fetus crown-rump length measurement was applied. A total of 9 corpora lutea from individual animals were included in the study, three corpora lutea for each group. MiRNAs population was profiled using small RNA next-generation sequencing and biologically significant miRNAs were evaluated for their differential expression using the DESeq2-methodology. We show that 6 differentially expressed miRNAs (bta-mir-2890, -2332, -2441-3p, -148b, -1248 and -29c) are common to both comparisons, P vs C13 and P vs C18. While for each stage individually we have identified unique miRNAs differentially expressed only for the given comparison. bta-miR-23a and -769 were unique miRNAs differentially expressed in P vs C13, whereas forty-four unique miRNAs were identified as differentially expressed in P vs C18. These data confirm that miRNAs are highly abundant in luteal tissue during early pregnancy and potentially regulate the CL maintenance at this stage of fetus development.

Keywords: bovine, corpus luteum, microRNA, pregnancy, RNA-Seq

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Authors: Helen Coronel, Will Brewer, Peggy Bergeron, Clarissa Hall, Victoria Casson

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Simulation-based training provides the nurse practitioner (NP) student with a safe and controlled environment in which they can practice a real-life scenario. This type of learning fosters critical thinking skills essential to practice. The expectation of this study was that students would have an increase in their competency and confidence after performing the simulation. Approximately 8.4% of Americans suffer from depression. The state of Alabama is ranked 47th out of 50 for access to mental health care. As a result of this significant shortage of mental health providers, primary care providers are frequently put in the position of screening for and treating mental health conditions, such as depression. Family nurse practitioners are often utilized as primary care providers, making their ability to assess, diagnose and treat these disorders a necessary skill. The expected outcome of this simulation is an increase in confidence, competency and the empowerment of the nurse practitioner student’s ability to assess, diagnose and treat a common mood disorder they may encounter in practice. The Kirkpatrick Module was applied for this study. A non-experimental design using descriptive statistical analysis was utilized. The simulation was based on a common psychiatric mood disorder frequently observed in primary care and mental health clinics. Students were asked to watch a voiceover power point presentation prior to their on-campus simulation. The presentation included training on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of a patient with depression. Prior to the simulation, the students completed a pre-test, then participated in the simulation, and completed a post-test when done. Apple iPads were utilized to access a simulated health record. Major findings of the study support an increase in students’ competency and confidence when assessing, diagnosing, and treating an adult patient with depression.

Keywords: advanced practice, nurse practitioner, simulation, primary care, depression

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Authors: Reynante E. Autida, Maria Ana T. Quimbo

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The chemistry education curriculum provides an excellent avenue where students learn the principles and concepts in chemistry and at the same time, as a central science, better understand related fields. However, the teaching approach used by teachers affects student learning. Cased-based teaching (CBT) is one of the various forms of inductive method. The teacher starts with specifics then proceeds to the general principles. The students’ role in inductive learning shifts from being passive in the traditional approach to being active in learning. In this paper, the effects of Small-Group Case-Based Teaching (SGCBT) on college chemistry students’ achievement, critical thinking, and attitude toward chemistry including the relationships between each of these variables were determined. A quasi-experimental counterbalanced design with pre-post control group was used to determine the effects of SGCBT on Engineering students of four intact classes (two treatment groups and two control groups) in one of the State Universities in Mindanao. The independent variables are the type of teaching approach (SGCBT versus pure lecture-discussion teaching or PLDT) while the dependent variables are chemistry achievement (exam scores) and scores in critical thinking and chemistry attitude. Both Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and t-tests (within and between groups and gain scores) were used to compare the effects of SGCBT versus PLDT on students’ chemistry achievement, critical thinking, and attitude toward chemistry, while Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were calculated to determine the relationships between each of the variables. Results show that the use of SGCBT fosters positive attitude toward chemistry and provides some indications as well on improved chemistry achievement of students compared with PLDT. Meanwhile, the effects of PLDT and SGCBT on critical thinking are comparable. Furthermore, correlational analysis and focus group interviews indicate that the use of SGCBT not only supports development of positive attitude towards chemistry but also improves chemistry achievement of students. Implications are provided in view of the recent findings on SGCBT and topics for further research are presented as well.

Keywords: case-based teaching, small-group learning, chemistry cases, chemistry achievement, critical thinking, chemistry attitude

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Authors: Berkas Khaoula, Chaoui Kamel

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Polyethylene (PE) pipes are one of the best options for water and gas transmission networks. The main reason for such a choice is its high-quality performance in service conditions over long periods of time. PE pipes are installed in contact with different soils having various chemical compositions with confirmed aggressiveness. As a result, PE pipe surfaces undergo unwanted oxidation reactions. Usually, the polymer mixture is designed to include some additives, such as anti-oxidants, to inhibit or reduce the degradation effects. Some other additives are intended to increase resistance to the ESC phenomenon associated with polymers (ESC: Environmental Stress Cracking). This situation occurs in contact with aggressive external environments following different contaminations of soil, groundwater and transported fluids. In addition, bacterial activity and other physical or chemical media, such as temperature and humidity, can play an enhancing role. These conditions contribute to modifying the PE pipe structure and degrade its properties during exposure. In this work, the effect of distilled water, sodium hypochlorite (bleach), diluted sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and toluene-methanol (TM) mixture are studied when extruded PE samples are exposed to those environments for given periods. The chosen exposure periods are 7, 14 and 28 days at room temperature and in sealed glass containers. Post-exposure observations and ISO impact tests are presented as a function of time and chemical medium. Water effects are observed to be limited in explaining such use in real applications, whereas the changes in TM and acidic media are very significant. For the TM medium, the polymer toughness increased drastically (from 15.95 kJ/m² up to 32.01 kJ/m²), while sulfuric acid showed a steady augmentation over time. This situation may correspond to a hardening phenomenon of PE increasing its brittleness and its ability for structural degradation because of localized oxidation reactions and changes in crystallinity.

Keywords: polyethylene, toluene-methanol mixture, environmental stress cracking, degradation, impact resistance

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Authors: Mahdi Taheri Asl

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Using a variety of strategies to read text plays an important role to make students strategic independent, strategic, and metacognitive readers. Given the importance of comprehension instruction (CI), it is essential to support the fostering comprehension skills at elementary age students, particularly those who struggle with or dislike reading. One of the main components of CI is activating metacognitive skills, which double function of elementary students. Thus, it’s important to evaluate the implemented comprehension interventions to inform reading specialist and teachers. There has been limited review research in the area of CI, so the conduction review research is required. The purpose of this review is to examine the effectiveness of metacognitive reading strategies in a regular classroom environment with elementary aged students. We develop five inclusion criteria to identify researches relevant to our research. First, the article had to be published in a peer-reviewed journal from 2000 to 2023. second, the study had to include participants in elementary school it could include of special education students. Third, the intervention needed to be involved with metacognitive strategies. Fourth, the articles had to use experimental or quasi experimental design. The last one needed to include measurement of reading performance in pre and post intervention. We used computer data-based site like Eric, PsychoINFO, and google scholar to search for articles that met these criteria. we used the following search terms: comprehension instruction, meta cognitive strategies, and elementary school. The next step was to do an ancestral search that get in reviewing the relevant studies cited in the articles that were found in the database search. We identified 30studies in the initial searches. After coding agreement, we synthesized 13 with respect to the participant, setting, research design, dependent variables, measures, the intervention used by instructors, and general outcomes. The finding show metacognitive strategies were effective to empower student’s comprehension skills. It also showed that linguistic instruction will be effective if got mixed with metacognitive strategies. The research provides a useful view into reading intervention. Despite the positive effect of metacognitive instruction on students’ comprehension skills, it is not widely used in classroom.

Keywords: comprehension instruction, metacogntion, metacognitive skills, reading intervention

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Authors: Jason Dellatolla, Scott Thomas

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Much of the current literature pertaining to resistance training (RT) volume prescription lacks ecological validity, and very few studies investigate true high-volume ranges. Purpose: The present study sought to investigate the effects of ecologically-valid high- vs low-volume RT on muscular size and strength in trained men. Methods: This study systematically randomized trained, college-aged men into two groups: low-volume (LV; n = 4) and high-volume (HV; n = 5). The sample size was affected by COVID-19 limitations. Subjects followed an ecologically-valid 6-week RT program targeting both muscle size and strength. RT occurred 3x/week on non-consecutive days. Over the course of six weeks, LVR and HVR gradually progressed from 15 to 23 sets/week and 30 to 46 sets/week of lower-body RT, respectively. Muscle strength was assessed via 3RM tests in the squat, stiff-leg deadlift (SL DL), and leg press. Muscle hypertrophy was evaluated through a combination of DXA, BodPod, and ultrasound (US) measurements. Results: Two-way repeated-measures ANOVAs indicated that strength in all 3 compound lifts increased significantly among both groups (p < 0.01); between-group differences only occurred in the squat (p = 0.02) and SL DL (p = 0.03), both of which favored HVR. Significant pre-to-post-study increases in indicators of hypertrophy were discovered for lean body mass in the legs via DXA, overall fat-free mass via BodPod, and US measures of muscle thickness (MT) for the rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, long-head of the biceps femoris, and total MT. Between-group differences were only found for MT of the vastus medialis – favoring HVR. Moreover, each additional weekly set of lower-body RT was associated with an average increase in MT of 0.39% in the thigh muscles. Conclusion: We conclude that ecologically-valid RT regimens significantly improve muscular strength and indicators of hypertrophy. When HVR is compared to LVR, HVR provides significantly greater gains in muscular strength but has no greater effect on hypertrophy over the course of 6 weeks in trained, college-aged men.

Keywords: ecological validity, hypertrophy, resistance training, strength

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Authors: Tumusiime Humble Abel, Twebaze Paul, Turyamureeba Joshua Eldard

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The challenges of rapid urbanization have continued to threaten the governance of many urban centers, especially in developing countries. Poor solid waste management continues to not only constrain the delivery of services but also threatens the health and quality of life of people, especially urban dwellers. Addressing this challenge requires a comprehensive, coordinated approach informed by thorough investigation and research. While several studies have been carried out on solid waste management, most of these run short of comprehensive analysis to examine the challenges of solid waste management (SWM) in local and municipal governance settings. The study was carried out to assess the challenges and constraints of Municipal waste solid management, management mechanisms, and communities’ knowledge about the dangers of poor solid waste management. It was carried out in Kibuye 1 Parish- one of the 21 parishes that make up Makindye Division. The study employed a descriptive design and was mainly qualitative, although some quantitative data was collected. It employed semi-structured in-depth interviews. In-depth interviews were carried out with city solid waste managers, managers of private sector companies in Solid Waste Management (SWM), political leaders, especially local councilors and opinion leaders. These respondents were purposely sampled. The sample size study was calculated using the Kish and Leslie formula for a single proportion, with a precision of 10%, at a confidence interval of 95%, with a prevalence of 49% representing the proportion of solid waste collected and disposed of by KCC and private companies. The households were the study units; 100 respondents were also purposively selected based on the population size of the 5 zones. Twenty respondents were purposively selected from each of the 5 Zones. A total of 10 key informants were also interviewed, with 5 selected from Makindye Division and another 5 from Kampala Capital City Authority. Regarding the composition of waste generated, the study findings revealed that the biggest percentage of the waste generated in Kibuye 1 Parish was biodegradable waste and mixed fines (85%), plastic (6%), Animal Waste (3%), Sanitary waste (2%), paper and cardboard (2%), textile (1%). In comparison, others were also (1%). The field findings also indicated that Kibuye 1 Parish employed various practices to control and minimize the solid waste generated, which included disposal in Municipal skips (35%), burning (20), open space dumping (15%), recycling (10%), compositing (6%), and burying (5%), others. Study findings reported that the major challenges facing solid waste management include failure to collect the waste on time, insufficient capital, weather vagaries, nature and composition of the waste, limited space and inadequate containers for waste collection and segregation. It was recommended that Makindye Municipality works with private sector actors such as recycling industries and energy generation companies to support waste management at source points, including separating waste and building broad-based support for composting and recycling through the ‘garbage is money’ programs. It was also noted that Makindye municipality/division develops a deliberate policy that encourages the community and various stakeholders to play an active role in managing waste, carrying out environmental education amongst the communities and establishing strong partnerships with private sector companies to provide services to the people. It was also recommended that the Division works with Non-Governmental organizations (NGOs), development partners, recycling companies, energy generation companies and community groups to develop economic incentives for community members to develop sustainable waste management initiatives. The study also highlighted a need to strengthen the capacity (financial, institutional, technological and infrastructural) to drive environmentally solid waste management practices for sustainable solid waste management.

Keywords: refuse, municipal, management, waste

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Authors: Prama Mukhopadhyay, Rishika Mukhopadhyay

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The twentieth century has seen the world getting divided into three distinct blocks, created by the proponents of the mainstream developmental discourse. India, which has now gained the label of being a ‘developing nation’, stands in between these three groups, as it constantly tries to ‘catch up’ and emulate the developmental standards of the ‘west’. In this endeavour, we find our country trying really hard to blindly replicate the health care infrastructures of the ‘first worlds’, without realizing the needs of evaluating the ground reality. In such a situation, the sudden outbreak of child death in the district of Malda, WB, poses an obvious questions towards the kind of development that our country has been engaging in, ever since its Post Colonial inception. Through this paper we thus try to understand the harsh veracity of the health care facility that exists in rural Bengal, and thereby challenge the conventional notion of ‘health-care’ as is normally discussed in the mainstream developmental discourse. Grounding our research work on detailed ethnography and through the help of questionnaire, interviews and focus group discussions with the local government officials(BDOs), health workers (ICDS, ASHA workers, ANHM and BMOHs) and members of families with experiences of child deaths, we have tried to find out the real and humane factors behind the sudden rise of reported infant deaths in the district, issues which are normally neglected and left out while discussing and evaluating IMR in the mainstream studies on health care and planning in our nation. Therefore the main aim of this paper is to try and look at child death from a ‘wider perspective’, where it is seen from an eye not bounded by the common registers of caste, class and religion. This paper, would thus be an eye opener in some sense, bringing in stories from the rural belt of the country; where the people are regularly torn between the binaries of the developing and shining modernity of ‘India’ which now gets ready to run the last lap and gain the status of becoming a ‘developed nation’ by 2020, and the staggering, dark traditional ‘ Bharat, which lags behind.

Keywords: child mortality, development discourse, health care, tradition and modernity

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Authors: Cindy Davis

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Higher education is changing globally and there is increasing pressure from professional social work accreditation bodies for academic programs to demonstrate how students have successfully met mandatory graduate competencies. As professional accreditation organizations increase their demand for evidence of graduate competencies, strategies to document and recording learning outcomes becomes increasingly challenging for academics and students. Studies in higher education have found support for the pedagogical value of ePortfolios, a flexible personal learning space that is owned by the student and include opportunity for assessment, feedback and reflection as well as a virtual space to store evidence of demonstration of professional competencies and graduate attributes. Examples of institutional uses of ePortfolios include e-administration of a diverse student population, assessment of student learning, and the demonstration of graduate attributes attained and future student career preparation. The current paper presents a case study on the introduction of ePortfolios for social work graduates in Australia as part of an institutional approach to technology-enhanced learning and e-learning. Social work graduates were required to submit an ePortfolio hosted on PebblePad. The PebblePad platform was selected because it places the student at the center of their learning whilst providing powerful tools for staff to structure, guide and assess that learning. The ePortofolio included documentation and evidence of how the student met each graduate competency as set out by the social work accreditation body in Australia (AASW). This digital resource played a key role in the process of external professional accreditation by clearly documenting and evidencing how students met required graduate competencies. In addition, student feedback revealed a positive outcome on how this resource provided them with a consolidation of their learning experiences and assisted them in obtaining employment post-graduation. There were also significant institutional factors that were key to successful implementation such as investment in the digital technology, capacity building amongst academics, and technical support for staff and students.

Keywords: accreditation, social work, teaching, technology

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Authors: A. Bajek, J. Skopinska-Wisniewska, A. Rynkiewicz, A. Jundzill, M. Bodnar, A. Marszalek, T. Drewa

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Traumatic injury and age-related degenerative diseases associated with cartilage are major health problems worldwide. The articular cartilage is comprised of a relatively small number of cells, which have a relatively slow rate of turnover. Therefore, damaged articular cartilage has a limited capacity for self-repair. New clinical methods have been designed to achieve better repair of injured cartilage. However, there is no treatment that enables full restoration of it. The aim of this study was to evaluate how collagen gel with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and collagen gel alone will influence on the hip cartilage repair after injury. Collagen type I was isolated from rats’ tails and cross-linked with N-hydroxysuccinimide in 24-hour process. MSCs were isolated from rats’ bone marrow. The experiments were conducted according to the guidelines for animal experiments of Ethics Committee. Fifteen 8-week-old Wistar rats were used in this study. All animals received hip joint surgery with a total of 30 created cartilage defects. Then, animals were randomly divided into three groups and filled, respectively, with collagen gel (group 1), collagen gel cultured with MSCs (group II) or left untreated as a control (control group). Immunohistochemy and radiological evaluation was carried out 11 weeks post implantation. It has been proved that the surface of the matrix is non-toxic, and its porosity promotes cell adhesion and growth. However, the in vivo regeneration process was poor. We observed the low integration rate of biomaterial. Immunohistochemical evaluation of cartilage after 11 weeks of treatment showed low II and high X collagen expression in two tested groups in comparison to the control one, in which we observed the high II collagen expression. What is more, after radiological analysis, we observed the best regeneration process in control group. The biomaterial construct and mesenchymal stem cells, as well as the use of the biomaterial itself was not sufficient to regenerate the hip cartilage surfaces. These results suggest that the collagen gel based biomaterials, even with MSCs, are not satisfactory in repar of hip cartilage defect. However, additional evaluation is needed to confirm these results.

Keywords: collafen gel, MSCs, cartilage repair, hip cartilage

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Authors: Anamika Choudhary, Neha Qurrat Ain

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Background: Congenital agenesis of uterine cervix is a rare anomaly often associated with partial or complete agenesis of vagina. Here is a case report of a 14 year old girl who presented with primary amenorrhea and cyclical abdominal pain since last one year with suprapubic mass palpable. On examination complete absence of a vagina was found, and ultrasound along with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suggested cervicovaginal agenesis associated with cryptomenorrhea, which resulted in hematometra and b/l hematosalpinx with pelvic endometriosis. After proper counseling regarding anastomosis failure and the need for future laprotomy or hysterectomy, the patient planned for laparoscopic uterovaginal anastomosis with modified McIndoe vaginoplasty with split skin graft. Case Summary: Chief complaint: The 14 year old girl presented with primary amenorrhea and cyclical abdominal pain. Diagnosis:On history, examination and investigations we made differential diagnoses of cervicovaginal agenesis, cervicovaginal atresia. Post operatively, we concluded it’s a cervicovaginal agenesis. Intervention: Laparoscopic uterovaginal anastomosis was done, and neovagina was created using split skin graft from the thigh and silicone stent. The graft was kept patent, and restenosis was prevented using a dental mould as vaginal dilator. Outcome: Postoperatively 1 year follow-up has been done. We have observed successful uterovaginal anastomosis and good uptake of graft. We also observed the resumption of normal menstrual bleeding. Currently, there has been no restenosis, abnormal vaginal discharge and decreased dysmenorrhea. Conclusion: Laparoscopic-assisted uterovaginal anastomosis can be the treatment of choice in patients with cervical agenesis and atresia instead of hysterectomy, thereby preserving the reproductive function. This conservative approach has better outcomes, as stated in the procedure below. The procedure is successful insofar as the resumption of menstrual function. However, long-term reproductive outcomes, progression of endometriosis, functioning of fallopian tubes, and sexual life in these girls will require further follow-up.

Keywords: cervicovaginal agenesis, uterovaginal anastomosis, dental mould, silicon stent

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Authors: Thien Van Ngo

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The engineering design process is a systematic approach to solving problems. It involves identifying a problem, brainstorming solutions, prototyping and testing solutions, and evaluating the results. The engineering design process can be used to teach students how to solve problems in a creative and innovative way. The research aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of using the engineering design process to enhance student learning outcomes in a physics course. A mixed research method was used in this study. The quantitative data were collected using a pretest-posttest control group design. The qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The sample was 150 first-year students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology at Cao Thang Technical College in Vietnam in the 2022-2023 school year. The quantitative data were collected using a pretest-posttest control group design. The pretest was administered to both groups at the beginning of the study. The posttest was administered to both groups at the end of the study. The qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews with a sample of eight students in the experimental group. The interviews were conducted after the posttest. The quantitative data were analyzed using independent sample T-tests. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The quantitative data showed that students in the experimental group, who were taught using the engineering design process, had significantly higher post-test scores on physics problem-solving than students in the control group, who were taught using the conventional method. The qualitative data showed that students in the experimental group were more motivated and engaged in the learning process than students in the control group. Students in the experimental group also reported that they found the engineering design process to be a more effective way of learning physics. The findings of this study suggest that the engineering design process can be an effective way of enhancing student learning outcomes in physics courses. The engineering design process engages students in the learning process and helps them to develop problem-solving skills.

Keywords: engineering design process, problem-solving, learning outcome of physics, students’ physics competencies, deep learning

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Authors: Teklay Gebrecherkos

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Background: Serological testing for SARS-CoV-2 plays an important role in epidemiological studies, in aiding the diagnosis of COVID-19 and assess vaccine responses. Little is known about the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 serology in African settings. Here, we aimed to characterize the longitudinal antibody response profile to SARS-CoV-2 in Ethiopia. Methods: In this prospective study, a total of 102 PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients were enrolled. We obtained 802 plasma samples collected serially. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were determined using four lateral flow immune assays (LFIAs) and an electrochemiluminescent immunoassay. We determined longitudinal antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 as well as seroconversion dynamics. Results: Serological positivity rate ranged between 12%-91%, depending on timing after symptom onset. There was no difference in the positivity rate between severe and non-severe COVID-19 cases. The specificity ranged between 90%-97%. Agreement between different assays ranged between 84%-92%. The estimated positive predictive value (PPV) for IgM or IgG in a scenario with seroprevalence at 5% varies from 33% to 58%. Nonetheless, when the population seroprevalence increases to 25% and 50%, there is a corresponding increase in the estimated PPVs. The estimated negative-predictive value (NPV) in a low seroprevalence scenario (5%) is high (>99%). However, the estimated NPV in a high seroprevalence scenario (50%) for IgM or IgG is reduced significantly from 80% to 85%. Overall, 28/102 (27.5%) seroconverted by one or more assays tested within a median time of 11 (IQR: 9–15) days post symptom onset. The median seroconversion time among symptomatic cases tended to be shorter when compared to asymptomatic patients [9 (IQR: 6–11) vs. 15 (IQR: 13–21) days; p = 0.002]. Overall, seroconversion reached 100% 5.5 weeks after the onset of symptoms. Notably, of the remaining 74 COVID-19 patients included in the cohort, 64 (62.8%) were positive for antibodies at the time of enrollment, and 10 (9.8%) patients failed to mount a detectable antibody response by any of the assays tested during follow-up. Conclusions: Longitudinal assessment of antibody response in African COVID-19 patients revealed heterogeneous responses. This underscores the need for a comprehensive evaluation of serum assays before implementation. Factors associated with failure to seroconvert need further research.

Keywords: COVID-19, antibody, rapid diagnostic tests, ethiopia

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Authors: C. Flynn, Q. Yuan, C. Reinhardt

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Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting broad areas of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. More than 95% of AD cases are representative of sporadic AD, where both genetic and environmental risk factors play a role. The main pathological features of AD include the widespread deposition of amyloid-beta and neurofibrillary tau tangles in the brain. The earliest brain pathology related to AD has been defined as hyperphosphorylated soluble tau in the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) neurons, characterized by Braak. However, the cause of this pathology and the ultimate progression of AD is not understood. Increasing research points to a connection between the gut microbiota and the brain, and mounting evidence has shown that there is a bidirectional interaction between the two, known as the gut-brain axis. This axis can allow for bidirectional movement of neuroinflammatory cytokines and pathogenic misfolded proteins, as seen in AD. Prebiotics and probiotics have been shown to have a beneficial effect on gut health and can strengthen the gut-barrier as well as the blood-brain barrier, preventing the spread of these pathogens across the gut-brain axis. Our laboratory has recently established a pretangle tau rat model, in which we selectively express pseudo-phosphorylated human tau (htauE14) in the LC neurons of TH-Cre rats. LC htauE14 produced pathological changes in rats resembling those of the preclinical AD pathology (reduced olfactory discrimination and LC degeneration). In this work, we will investigate the effects of pre/probiotic ingestion on AD behavioral deficits, blood inflammation/cytokines, and various brain markers in our experimental rat model of AD. Rats will be infused with an adeno-associated viral vector containing a human tau gene pseudophosphorylated at 14 sites (common in LC pretangles) into 2-3 month TH-Cre rats. Fecal and blood samples will be taken at pre-surgery, and various post-surgery time points. A collection of behavioral tests will be performed, and immunohistochemistry/western blotting techniques will be used to observe various biomarkers. This work aims to elucidate the relationship between gut health and AD progression by strengthening gut-brain relationship and aims to observe the overall effect on tau formation and tau pathology in AD brains.

Keywords: alzheimer’s disease, aging, gut microbiome, neurodegeneration

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Authors: Mona Maria Mombeck

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Social participation in heterogeneous classrooms is one of the main goals in inclusive education. Children with special educational needs (SEN) and children with learning difficulties, or behavioural problems not diagnosed as SEN, are more likely to be excluded by other children than others. It is proven that the presence of dogs, as well as contact with dogs, increases the likelihood of positive social behaviour between humans. Therefore, animal-assisted pedagogy may be presumed to be a constructive way of inclusive teaching and facing the challenges of social inclusion in school classes. This study investigates the presence of a friendly dog in heterogeneous groups of pupils in order to evaluate the influence of dogs on facets of social participation of children in school. 30 German pupils, aged from 10 to 14, in four classes were questioned about their social participation before and after they were educated for a year in school with animal-assisted-pedagogy, using the problem-concerned interview method. In addition, the post-interview includes some general questions about the putative differences or similarities of being educated with and without a dog. The interviews were analysed with the qualitative-content-analysis using QDA software. The results showed that a dog has a positive impact on the atmosphere, student relationships, and well-being in class. Regarding the atmosphere, the pupils mainly argued that the improvement was caused by taking into account the dog’s well-being, respecting the dog-related rules, and by emotional self-regulation. It can be supposed that children regard the rules concerning the dog as more relevant to them than rules, not concerning the dog even if they require the same behaviour and goal. Furthermore, a dog has a positive impact on emotional self-regulation and, therefore, on pupil’s behaviour in class and the atmosphere. In terms of the statements about relationships, the dog’s presence was mainly seen to provide both a unifying aim and a uniting topic to talk about. The improved well-being was described as a feeling of joy and peace of mind. Moreover, the teacher was evaluated as more friendly and trustworthy after animal-assisted teaching. Nevertheless, animal-assisted pedagogy can, rarely, cause problems as well, such as jealousy, distraction, or concerns about the well-being of the dog. The study could prove the relevance of animal-assisted pedagogy for facing the challenges of social participation in inclusive education.

Keywords: animal-assisted-pedagogy, inclusive education, human-animal-interactions, social participation

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