Search results for: university sports team

Authors: Catherine Mangan, Beth Anderson

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There has been a significant drive to use online or hybrid learning in Higher Education (HE) over recent years. HEs with a virtual presence offer their communities a range of benefits, including the potential for greater inclusivity, diversity, and collaboration; more flexible learning packages; and more engaging, dynamic content. Institutions can also experience significant challenges when seeking to extend learning spaces in this way, as can learners themselves. For example, staff members’ and learners’ digital literacy varies (as do their perceptions of technologies in use), and there can be confusion about optimal approaches to implementation. Furthermore, the speed with which HE institutions have needed to shift to fully online or hybrid models, owing to the COVID19 pandemic, has highlighted the significant barriers to successful implementation. HE environments have been shown to predict a range of organisational, academic, and experiential outcomes, both positive and negative. Much research has focused on the social aspect of virtual platforms, as well as the nature and effectiveness of the technologies themselves. There remains, however, a relative paucity of synthesised knowledge on the psychology of learners’ relationships with their institutions; specifically, how individual difference and interpersonal factors predict students’ ability and willingness to engage with novel virtual learning spaces. Accordingly, extending learning spaces remains challenging for institutions, and wholly remote courses, in particular, can experience high attrition rates. Focusing on the last five years, this pragmatic review summarises evidence from the psychological and pedagogical literature. In particular, the review highlights the importance of addressing the psychological and relational complexities of students’ shift from offline to online engagement. In doing so, it identifies considerations for HE institutions looking to deliver in this way.

Keywords: higher education, individual differences, interpersonal relationships, online learning, virtual environment

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Authors: Wafula Simon Peter, Kimuli Nabayego Ibtihal, Nabaggala Kimuli Nashua

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The worldwide use of information and communications technology (ICT) equipment and other electronic equipment is growing and consequently, there is a growing amount of equipment that becomes waste after its time in use. This growth is expected to accelerate since equipment lifetime decreases with time and growing consumption. As a result, e-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams globally. The United Nations University (UNU) calculates in its second Global E-waste Monitor 44.7 million metric tonnes (Mt) of e-waste were generated globally in 2016. The study population was 80 respondents, from which a sample of 69 respondents was selected using simple and purposive sampling techniques. This research was carried out to investigate the problem of e-waste and come up with a framework to improve e-waste management. The objective of the study was to develop a framework for improving e-waste management at the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT). This was achieved by breaking it down into specific objectives, and these included the establishment of the policy and other Regulatory frameworks being used in e-waste management at CEDAT, the determination of the effectiveness of the e-waste management practices at CEDAT, the establishment of the critical challenges constraining e-waste management at the College, development of a framework for e-waste management. The study reviewed the e-waste regulatory framework used at the college and then collected data which was used to come up with a framework. The study also established that weak policy and regulatory framework, lack of proper infrastructure, improper disposal of e-waste and a general lack of awareness of the e-waste and the magnitude of the problem are the critical challenges of e-waste management. In conclusion, the policy and regulatory framework should be revised, localized and strengthened to contextually address the problem. Awareness campaigns, the development of proper infrastructure and extensive research to establish the volumes and magnitude of the problems will come in handy. The study recommends a framework for the improvement of e-waste.

Keywords: e-waste, treatment, disposal, computers, model, management policy and guidelines

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Authors: Lavinia Flueckiger, Roselind Lieb, Andrea H. Meyer, Cornelia Witthauer, Jutta Mata

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Objective: Health behaviors tend to show a high variability over time within the same person. However, most existing research can only assess a snapshot of a person’s behavior and not capture this natural daily variability. Two intensive longitudinal studies examine the variability in health behavior over one academic year and their implications for other aspects of daily life such as affect and academic performance. Can already a single day of increased physical activity, snacking, or improved sleep have beneficial effects? Methods: In two intensive longitudinal studies with up to 65 assessment days over an entire academic year, university students (Study 1: N = 292; Study 2: N = 304) reported sleep quality, physical activity, snacking, positive and negative affect, and learning goal achievement. Results: Multilevel structural equation models showed that on days on which participants reported better sleep quality or more physical activity than usual, they also reported increased positive affect, decreased negative affect, and better learning goal achievement. Higher day-to-day snacking was only associated with increased positive affect. Both, increased day-to-day sleep quality and physical activity were indirectly associated with better learning goal achievement through changes in positive and negative affect; results for snacking were mixed. Importantly, day-to-day sleep quality was a stronger predictor for affect and learning goal achievement than physical activity or snacking. Conclusion: One day of better sleep or more physical activity than usual is associated with improved affect and academic performance. These findings have important implications for low-threshold interventions targeting the improvement of daily functioning.

Keywords: sleep quality, physical activity, snacking, affect, academic performance, multilevel structural equation model

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Authors: Udomporn Pangnakorn, Settawut Prasatporn, Sombat Chuenchooklin

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The effect of biopesticide on growth, yield and pest infestation of maize (Zea mays Linn.) (variety DK 6818) was evaluated during the drought season. The experimental plots were located at research station of Faculty of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand. The extracted substance from plants was evaluated in the plots in 4 treatments: 1) water as control; 2) bitter bush (Chromolaena odorata L.); 3) neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss), 4) golden shower (Cassia fistula Linn.). The experiment was followed a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 4 treatments and 4 replications per treatment. The results showed that golden shower gave the highest growth of maize in term of height (203.29 cm), followed by neem and bitter bush with average height of 202.66 cm and 191.66 cm respectively with significance different. But neem treatment given significantly higher average of yield component in term of length, width, and weight of pod corn with 18.89 cm 13.91 cm and 166.46 g respectively. Also, treatment of neem showed the highest harvested yield at 284.06 kg/ha followed by the golden shower and bitter bush with harvested yield at 245.86 kg/ha and 235.52 kg/ha respectively. Additionally, treatment of neem and golden shower were the highest effectiveness for reducing insects pest infestation of maize: corn leaf aphid Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch, corn borer Ostrinia fumacalis Guenee and corn armyworm Mythimna separata Walker. The treatment of neem, golden shower, and bitter bush given reduction insect infestation on maize with leaves area were infested at 5,412 mm², 6,827 mm² and 8,910 mm² respectively with significance different when compared to control.

Keywords: maize, Zea mays Linn., biopesticide, bitter bush, Chromolaena odorata L.), neem, Azadirachta indica A. Juss, golden shower, Cassia fistula Linn.

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Authors: C. Fortin, D. Tokmeninova, O. Ushakova

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Among 500 Russian universities Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) is one of the youngest (established in 2011), quite small and vastly international, comprising 20 percent of international students and 70 percent of faculty with significant academic experience at top-100 universities (QS, THE). The institute has emerged from close collaboration with MIT and leading Russian universities. Skoltech is an entirely English speaking environment. Skoltech curriculum plans of ten Master programs are based on the CDIO learning outcomes model. However, despite the Institute’s unique focus on industrial innovations and startups, one of the main challenges has become an evident large proportion of nearly half of MSc graduates entering PhD programs at Skoltech or other universities rather than industry or entrepreneurship. In order to increase the share of students joining the industrial sector after graduation, Skoltech started implementing a number of unique practices with a focus on employers’ expectations incorporated into the curriculum redesign. In this sense, extended knowledge exchange with industrial partners via collaboration in learning activities, industrial projects and assessments became essential for students’ headway into industrial and entrepreneurship pathways. Current academic curriculum includes the following types of components based on extended knowledge exchange with industrial partners: innovation workshop, industrial immersion, special industrial tracks, MSc defenses. Innovation workshop is a 4 week full time diving into the Skoltech vibrant ecosystem designed to foster innovators, focuses on teamwork, group projects, and sparks entrepreneurial instincts from the very first days of study. From 2019 the number of mentors from industry and startups significantly increased to guide students across these sectors’ demands. Industrial immersion is an exclusive part of Skoltech curriculum where students after the first year of study spend 8 weeks in an industrial company carrying out an individual or team project and are guided jointly by both Skoltech and company supervisors. The aim of the industrial immersion is to familiarize students with relevant needs of Russian industry and to prepare graduates for job placement. During the immersion a company plays the role of a challenge provider for students. Skoltech has started a special industrial track comprising deep collaboration with IPG Photonics – a leading R&D company and manufacturer of high-performance fiber lasers and amplifiers for diverse applications. The track is aimed to train a new cohort of engineers and includes a variety of activities for students within the “Photonics” MSc program. It is expected to be a successful story and used as an example for similar initiatives with other Russian high-tech companies. One of the pathways of extended knowledge exchange with industrial partners is an active involvement of potential employers in MSc Defense Committees to review and assess MSc thesis projects and to participate in defense procedures. The paper will evaluate the effect and results of the above undertaken measures.

Keywords: Curriculum redesign, knowledge exchange model, learning outcomes framework, stakeholder engagement

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Authors: Azadeh Jafari, Farzin Ghanadi, Matthew J. Emes, Maziar Arjomandi, Benjamin S. Cazzolato

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The turbulence within the atmospheric boundary layer induces highly unsteady aerodynamic loads on structures. These loads, if not accounted for in the design process, will lead to structural failure and are therefore important for the design of the structures. For an accurate prediction of wind loads, understanding the correlation between atmospheric turbulence and the aerodynamic loads is necessary. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of turbulence within the atmospheric boundary layer on the surface pressure on a flat plate over a wide range of turbulence intensities and integral length scales. The flat plate is chosen as a fundamental geometry which represents structures such as solar panels and billboards. Experiments were conducted at the University of Adelaide large-scale wind tunnel. Two wind tunnel boundary layers with different intensities and length scales of turbulence were generated using two sets of spires with different dimensions and a fetch of roughness elements. Average longitudinal turbulence intensities of 13% and 26% were achieved in each boundary layer, and the longitudinal integral length scale within the three boundary layers was between 0.4 m and 1.22 m. The pressure distributions on a square flat plate at different elevation angles between 30° and 90° were measured within the two boundary layers with different turbulence intensities and integral length scales. It was found that the peak pressure coefficient on the flat plate increased with increasing turbulence intensity and integral length scale. For example, the peak pressure coefficient on a flat plate elevated at 90° increased from 1.2 to 3 with increasing turbulence intensity from 13% to 26%. Furthermore, both the mean and the peak pressure distribution on the flat plates varied with turbulence intensity and length scale. The results of this study can be used to provide a more accurate estimation of the unsteady wind loads on structures such as buildings and solar panels.

Keywords: atmospheric boundary layer, flat plate, pressure coefficient, turbulence

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Authors: Philippa Hunter

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How might history education support teachers and students to see the past as a provocation, be open to possible futures, and act differently? As teacher educators in an age of diversity and uncertainty, we need to question history’s curriculum nature, pedagogy, and policy intent. The cultural politics of history’s identity in the senior secondary curriculum influences educational socialization (disciplinary, professional, research) and engagement with curriculum decision-making. This paper reflects on curriculum disturbance that shaped a critical pedagogy stance to problematize school history’s certainties. The context is situated in an Aotearoa New Zealand university-based initial teacher education programme. A pedagogic innovation was activated whereby problematized history pedagogy [PHP] was conceptualized as the phenomenon and method of inquiry and storied in doctoral work. The PHP was a reciprocal research process involving history class’ participants and the teacher as researcher, in fashioning teaching identities, identifying with, and thinking critically about history pedagogy. PHP findings revealed evocative discourses of embodiment, nostalgia, and connectedness about living ‘inside the past’. Participants expressed certainty about their abilities as teachers living ‘outside the past’ to interpret historical perspectives. However, discomfort was evident in relation to ‘difficult knowledge’ or unfamiliar contexts of the past that exposed exclusion, powerlessness, or silenced voices. Participants identified history programmes as strongly masculine and conflict-focused. A normalized inquiry-transmission approach to history pedagogy was identified and critiqued. Individuals’ reflexive accounts of PHP implemented whilst on practicum indicate possibilities of history pedagogy as; inclusive and democratic, social and ethical reconstruction, and as a critical project. The PHP sought to reimagine history curriculum and identify spaces of possibility in secondary postgraduate teacher education.

Keywords: curriculum, pedagogy, problematise, reciprocal

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Authors: Monika Sobolewska, Aleksandra Majchrzak, Bartlomiej Chojnacki, Katarzyna Baruch, Adam Pilch

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The main purpose of the study is to perform the measurement and analysis of noise harmfulness in public utility facilities. The World Health Organization reports that the number of people suffering from hearing impairment is constantly increasing. The most alarming is the number of young people occurring in the statistics. The majority of scientific research in the field of hearing protection and noise prevention concern industrial and road traffic noise as the source of health problems. As the result, corresponding standards and regulations defining noise level limits are enforced. However, there is another field uncovered by profound research – leisure time. Public utility facilities such as clubs, shopping malls, sport facilities or concert halls – they all generate high-level noise, being out of proper juridical control. Among European Union Member States, the highest legislative act concerning noise prevention is the Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC. However, it omits the problem discussed above and even for traffic, railway and aircraft noise it does not set limits or target values, leaving these issues to the discretion of the Member State authorities. Without explicit and uniform regulations, noise level control at places designed for relaxation and entertainment is often in the responsibility of people having little knowledge of hearing protection, unaware of the risk the noise pollution poses. Exposure to high sound levels in clubs, cinemas, at concerts and sports events may result in a progressive hearing loss, especially among young people, being the main target group of such facilities and events. The first step to change this situation and to raise the general awareness is to perform reliable measurements the results of which will emphasize the significance of the problem. This project presents the results of more than hundred measurements, performed in most types of public utility facilities in Poland. As the most suitable measuring instrument for such a research, personal noise dosimeters were used to collect the data. Each measurement is presented in the form of numerical results including equivalent and peak sound pressure levels and a detailed description considering the type of the sound source, size and furnishing of the room and the subjective sound level evaluation. In the absence of a straight reference point for the interpretation of the data, the limits specified in EU Directive 2003/10/EC were used for comparison. They set the maximum sound level values for workers in relation to their working time length. The analysis of the examined problem leads to the conclusion that during leisure time, people are exposed to noise levels significantly exceeding safe values. As the hearing problems are gradually progressing, most people underplay the problem, ignoring the first symptoms. Therefore, an effort has to be made to specify the noise regulations for public utility facilities. Without any action, in the foreseeable future the majority of Europeans will be dealing with serious hearing damage, which will have a negative impact on the whole societies.

Keywords: hearing protection, noise level limits, noise prevention, noise regulations, public utility facilities

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Authors: Leilani Forby, Farid Pazhoohi, Alan Kingstone

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There is abundant research on the nature and content of mind wandering (MW) in neurotypical (NT) adults, however, there is little to no research in these areas on autistic individuals. The objective of the current study was to uncover any differences between low and high autistic trait individuals in their MW. In particular, we examined their attitudes toward, and the themes and temporal dimensions (past, present, future) of, their MW episodes. For our online study, we recruited 518 students (394 women and 124 men), between the ages of 18 and 51 years (M = 20.93, SD = 3.40) from the undergraduate Human Subject Pool at the University of British Columbia. Participants completed the Short Imaginal Processes Inventory (SIPI), which includes the three subscales Positive-Constructive Daydreaming (SIPI-PC), Guilt and Fear of Failure Daydreaming (SIPI-GFF), and Poor Attentional Control (SIPI-PAC). Participants also completed the Past (IPI-past) and Present (IPI-present) subscales of the Imaginal Processes Inventory (IPI), the Deliberate (MW-D) and Spontaneous (MW-S) Mind Wandering scales, the Short Form Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4), and the 10-item Autism Quotient (AQ-10). Results showed that overall, participant AQ-10 scores were significantly correlated with MW-S, SIPI-GFF, and PSS-4 scores, such that as the number of autistic traits endorsed by participants increased, so did their reports of spontaneous mind wandering, guilt and fear of failure themed day dreaming, and stress levels. This same pattern held for female participants, however, AQ-10 scores were positively correlated with only PSS-4 scores for males. These results suggest that compared to males with autistic traits, MW in females with autistic traits is more similar to individuals with low autistic traits in terms of content and intentionality. Results are discussed in terms of clinical implications, their limitations, and suggested directions for future research.

Keywords: autism, deliberate, mind wandering, spontaneous, perceived stress

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Authors: Sabrina Neururer, Marco Schweitzer, Werner Hackl, Bernhard Tilg, Patrick Raudaschl, Andreas Huber, Bernhard Pfeifer

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History and the current outbreak of Covid-19 have shown the deadly potential of infectious diseases. However, infectious diseases also have a serious impact on areas other than health and healthcare, such as the economy or social life. These areas are strongly codependent. Therefore, disease control measures, such as social distancing, quarantines, curfews, or lockdowns, have to be adopted in a very considerate manner. Infectious disease modeling can support policy and decision-makers with adequate information regarding the dynamics of the pandemic and therefore assist in planning and enforcing appropriate measures that will prevent the healthcare system from collapsing. In this work, an agent-based simulation package named “survival” for simulating infectious diseases is presented. A special focus is put on SARS-Cov-2. The presented simulation package was used in Austria to model the SARS-Cov-2 outbreak from the beginning of 2020. Agent-based modeling is a relatively recent modeling approach. Since our world is getting more and more complex, the complexity of the underlying systems is also increasing. The development of tools and frameworks and increasing computational power advance the application of agent-based models. For parametrizing the presented model, different data sources, such as known infections, wastewater virus load, blood donor antibodies, circulating virus variants and the used capacity for hospitalization, as well as the availability of medical materials like ventilators, were integrated with a database system and used. The simulation result of the model was used for predicting the dynamics and the possible outcomes and was used by the health authorities to decide on the measures to be taken in order to control the pandemic situation. The survival package was implemented in the programming language Java and the analytics were performed with R Studio. During the first run in March 2020, the simulation showed that without measures other than individual personal behavior and appropriate medication, the death toll would have been about 27 million people worldwide within the first year. The model predicted the hospitalization rates (standard and intensive care) for Tyrol and South Tyrol with an accuracy of about 1.5% average error. They were calculated to provide 10-days forecasts. The state government and the hospitals were provided with the 10-days models to support their decision-making. This ensured that standard care was maintained for as long as possible without restrictions. Furthermore, various measures were estimated and thereafter enforced. Among other things, communities were quarantined based on the calculations while, in accordance with the calculations, the curfews for the entire population were reduced. With this framework, which is used in the national crisis team of the Austrian province of Tyrol, a very accurate model could be created on the federal state level as well as on the district and municipal level, which was able to provide decision-makers with a solid information basis. This framework can be transferred to various infectious diseases and thus can be used as a basis for future monitoring.

Keywords: modelling, simulation, agent-based, SARS-Cov-2, COVID-19

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Authors: Zahra Fotovatnia, Jeffery A. Jones, Alexandra Gottardo

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Speech communication often occurs in environments where noise conceals part of a message. Listeners should compensate for the lack of auditory information by picking up distinct acoustic cues and using semantic and sentential context to recreate the speaker’s intended message. This situation seems to be more challenging in a nonnative than native language. On the other hand, early bilinguals are expected to show an advantage over the late bilingual and monolingual speakers of a language due to their better executive functioning components. In this study, English monolingual speakers were compared with early and late nonnative speakers of English to understand speech in noise processing (SIN) and the underlying neurobiological features of this phenomenon. Auditory mismatch negativities (MMNs) were recorded using a double-oddball paradigm in response to a minimal pair that differed in their middle vowel (beat/bit) at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada. The results did not show any significant structural and electroneural differences across groups. However, vocabulary knowledge correlated positively with performance on tests that measured SIN processing in participants who learned English after age 6. Moreover, their performance on the test negatively correlated with the integral area amplitudes in the left superior temporal gyrus (STG). In addition, the STG was engaged before the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) in noise-free and low-noise test conditions in all groups. We infer that the pre-attentive processing of words engages temporal lobes earlier than the fronto-central areas and that vocabulary knowledge helps the nonnative perception of degraded speech.

Keywords: degraded speech perception, event-related brain potentials, mismatch negativities, brain regions

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Authors: L. Sun, C. Hardacre, A. Garforth, N. Zhang

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Higher Education (HE) degrees in the UK are attractive for international students. The recognized reputation of the HE and the world-leading researchers in some areas in the UK imply that the HE degree from the UK might be a passport to a successful career for abroad students. However, it is a challenge to inspire outstanding students applying for the universities in the UK. The incentives should be country-specific for undergraduates and postgraduates. The potential obstacles to stop students applying for the study in the UK mainly lie in these aspects: different HE systems between the UK and other countries, such as China; less information for the application procedures; worries for the study in English for those non-native speakers; and expensive international tuition fees. The hybrid incentives have been proposed by the efforts from the institutions, stuffs, and students themselves. For example, excellent students from top universities would join us based on the abroad exchange programs or ‘2+2 programme’ with discount tuition. They are potential PhD candidates in the further study in the UK. Diversity promotions are implemented to share information and answer queries for potential students and their guardians. Face to face presentations, workshops, and seminars deliver chances for students to admire teaching and learning in the UK, and give students direct answers for their confusions. WeChat official account and Twitter as the online information platform are set up to post messages of recruitment, the guidance for the application procedures, and international collaboration in teaching and research as well. Students who are studying in the UK and the alumni would share their experiences in the study and lives in the UK and their careers after obtaining the HE degree would play as a positive stimulus to our potential students. Short term modules in the UK with exchangeable credits in summer holidays would give abroad students firsthand experiences of the study in the reputable schools with excellent academics, different cultures and the network with international students. Successful cases at the University of Manchester illustrated the effectiveness of these presented methodologies.

Keywords: abroad students, degree study, high education, hybrid incentives

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Authors: Lubna Khondker

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Background: Melasma is a common pigmentary dermatosis, manifested by hyperpigmented macules or patches on the face, commonly occurring in females due to an acquired disorder in the melanogenesis process. Although several treatments are currently used, it remains a great challenge due to recurrence and refractory nature. It was recently reported that tranexamic acid (TA-plasmin inhibitor) is an effective treatment for melasma. Objective: This study aims to compare the efficacy and side effects of intralesional injection of Tranexamic acid with oral Tranexamic acid in the treatment of melasma. Methods: A clinical trial was done in the Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, for a period of 4 years. A total of 100 patients with melasma who did not respond to topical therapy were included in the study as group A and group B. Group A Patients were administered intralesional injection (10 mg/ml) of Tranexamic acid( TA) weekly for 6 weeks, and group B patients were treated with oral tranexamic acid 250 mg 12 hourly for 12 weeks after taking informed consent. The severity and extent of pigmentation were assessed by the modified melasma area severity index (MASI). The response to treatment was assessed by MASI at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks after stopping treatment. Results: The study showed the MASI scores at the baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks in group A were 18.23±1.22, 6.14±3.26, 3.21±2.14 and 2.11±2.01 respectively, and in group B, 17.87±1.12, 11.21±6.25, 6.57±4.26 and 6.41±4.17 respectively. The mean MASI significantly reduced in group A compared to group B in the 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks. The present study showed that among group A patients, 56% rated excellent (>75% reduction) in outcome, 32% good (50-75% reduction), 8% moderate (25-50% reduction) and only 4% (<25% reduction) was unsatisfactory and among group B patients, 14% rated excellent in outcome, 28% good, 36% moderate and 22% was unsatisfactory. Overall improvement in our study in group A was 96% and in group B 78%. Side effects were negligible, and all the patients tolerated the treatment well. Conclusion: Based on our results, intralesional Tranexamic acid (10 mg/ml) is more effective and safer than oral Tranexamic acid in the treatment of melasma.

Keywords: intralesional tranexamic acid, melasma, oral tranexamic acid, MASI score

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Authors: Mohammad Hassanzadeh

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As far as incidental vocabulary learning is concerned, the basic contention of the Involvement Load Hypothesis (ILH) is that retention of unfamiliar words is, generally, conditional upon the degree of involvement in processing them. This study examined input modality and incidental vocabulary uptake in a task-induced setting whereby three variously loaded task types (marginal glosses, fill-in-task, and sentence-writing) were alternately assigned to one group of students at Allameh Tabataba’i University (n=2l) during six classroom sessions. While one round of exposure was comprised of the audiovisual medium (TV talk shows), the second round consisted of textual materials with approximately similar subject matter (reading texts). In both conditions, however, the tasks were equivalent to one another. Taken together, the study pursued the dual objectives of establishing a litmus test for the ILH and its proposed values of ‘need’, ‘search’ and ‘evaluation’ in the first place. Secondly, it sought to bring to light the superiority issue of exposure to audiovisual input versus the written input as far as the incorporation of tasks is concerned. At the end of each treatment session, a vocabulary active recall test was administered to measure their incidental gains. Running a one-way analysis of variance revealed that the audiovisual intervention yielded higher gains than the written version even when differing tasks were included. Meanwhile, task 'three' (sentence-writing) turned out the most efficient in tapping learners' active recall of the target vocabulary items. In addition to shedding light on the superiority of audiovisual input over the written input when circumstances are relatively held constant, this study for the most part, did support the underlying tenets of ILH.

Keywords: Keywords— Evaluation, incidental vocabulary learning, input mode, Involvement Load Hypothesis, need, search.

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Authors: Nadia Belu, Laurenţiu Mihai Ionescu, Agnieszka Misztal

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The automotive industry is one of the most important industries in the world that concerns not only the economy, but also the world culture. In the present financial and economic context, this field faces new challenges posed by the current crisis, companies must maintain product quality, deliver on time and at a competitive price in order to achieve customer satisfaction. Two of the most recommended techniques of quality management by specific standards of the automotive industry, in the product development, are Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Control Plan. FMEA is a methodology for risk management and quality improvement aimed at identifying potential causes of failure of products and processes, their quantification by risk assessment, ranking of the problems identified according to their importance, to the determination and implementation of corrective actions related. The companies use Control Plans realized using the results from FMEA to evaluate a process or product for strengths and weaknesses and to prevent problems before they occur. The Control Plans represent written descriptions of the systems used to control and minimize product and process variation. In addition Control Plans specify the process monitoring and control methods (for example Special Controls) used to control Special Characteristics. In this paper we propose a computer-aided solution with Genetic Algorithms in order to reduce the drafting of reports: FMEA analysis and Control Plan required in the manufacture of the product launch and improved knowledge development teams for future projects. The solution allows to the design team to introduce data entry required to FMEA. The actual analysis is performed using Genetic Algorithms to find optimum between RPN risk factor and cost of production. A feature of Genetic Algorithms is that they are used as a means of finding solutions for multi criteria optimization problems. In our case, along with three specific FMEA risk factors is considered and reduce production cost. Analysis tool will generate final reports for all FMEA processes. The data obtained in FMEA reports are automatically integrated with other entered parameters in Control Plan. Implementation of the solution is in the form of an application running in an intranet on two servers: one containing analysis and plan generation engine and the other containing the database where the initial parameters and results are stored. The results can then be used as starting solutions in the synthesis of other projects. The solution was applied to welding processes, laser cutting and bending to manufacture chassis for buses. Advantages of the solution are efficient elaboration of documents in the current project by automatically generating reports FMEA and Control Plan using multiple criteria optimization of production and build a solid knowledge base for future projects. The solution which we propose is a cheap alternative to other solutions on the market using Open Source tools in implementation.

Keywords: automotive industry, FMEA, control plan, automotive technology

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Authors: Checkfaith I. Aizebeoje, Temitope O. Lawal, Bolanle A. Adeniyi

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The overuse and abuse of antibiotics in treating zoonotic infections in humans and opportunistic infections in rabbit has contributed to the increase in antimicrobial drug resistance, therefore, an alternative to antibiotics is needed in treating these infections. The study was carried out to determine the antimicrobial activity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from rabbit’s faeces against multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens isolated from the same rabbit. Twelve faecal samples and twelve swabs from fur samples were randomly collected aseptically from apparently healthy rabbits from Ajibode, Ibadan and University of Ibadan research farm in Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria. Lactic acid bacteria and multidrug-resistant pathogens were isolated using appropriate agar media and identified by partial sequencing of the 16SrRNA gene. Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of isolated bacteria and LAB were determined by the agar diffusion method. The antibacterial activity of the LAB against the test pathogens was determined using the agar overlay and agar diffusion methods. The pathogens Myroides gitamensis, Citrobacter rodentium, Acinetobacter johnsonii, Enterobacter oryzendophyticus and Serratia marcescens as well as twenty-eight (28) species of LAB belonging to Acetobacter and Lactobacillus genera were identified and characterized. Lactobacillus plantarum had the highest (60.71%) occurrence of the LAB. Viable cells and cell free supernatant (CFS) of isolated LAB inhibited the growth of the test organisms with the largest zone of inhibition (40 mm) produced by Lactobacillus plantarum against Citrobacter rodentium. This study showed that LAB from rabbit possess considerable antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria from the same environment.

Keywords: antibacterial activities, cell-free supernatant, lactic acid bacteria; multidrug-resistant pathogens, rabbits’ faeces

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Authors: S. M. Rashed Ul Islam, Shahina Tabassum, Afsana Anwar Miti

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Objective: HIV testing and counseling center (HTC) is an important component of the HIV/AIDS detection, prevention and control interventions. The service was first initiated at the Department of Virology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) since the first case detection in 1989. The present study aimed to describe the demographic profile among the attendees tested HIV positive. Methods: The present study was carried out among 219 HIV positive cases detected through screening at the Department of Virology of BSMMU during the year of 2012-2016. Data were collected through pre-structured written questionnaire during the counseling session. Data were expressed as frequency and percentages and analyzed using SPSS v20.0 program. Results: Out of 219 HIV cases detected, 77.6% were males, and 22.4% were females with a mean age (mean±SD) of 35.46±9.46 years. Among them, 70.7% belonged to the 26-45 age groups representing the sexually active age. The majority of the cases were married (86.3%) and 49.8% had primary level of education whereas, 8.7% were illiterate. Nearly 42% of cases were referred from Chittagong division (south-east part of the country) followed by Dhaka division (35.6%). The bulk of study population admitted to involvement in high-risk behaviour (90%) in the past and 42% of them had worked overseas. The Pearson Chi-square (χ2) analysis revealed significant relationship of gender with marital (χ2=7.88 at 2% level) and occupation status (χ2=120.48 at 6% level); however, no association was observed with risk behaviour and educational status. Recommendations: HIV risk behavior was found to be a prime source for HIV infection among the study population. So, there is need for health education and awareness program to bring about behavioral changes to halt the yearly increase of new cases in the country with special attention to our overseas workers on HIV/AIDS risk and safety.

Keywords: Bangladesh, health education, HIV testing and counseling (HTC), HIV/AIDS, risk behavior

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Authors: Naziema Begum Jappie

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In higher education, particularly within South African universities engaged in regional and global collaborations, the integration of intercultural competencies into teaching, learning, and assessment is essential for student success. Intercultural competencies and the digital platform are intwined in the fabric of teaching, learning, and assessments for student success in higher education. These are integral to virtual learning and exchange within higher education, which are expected to develop these competencies. However, this is not always the case because these are not always explicitly integrated into the academic agenda. Despite the prevalence of international students and exchange programmes, there is often a lack of deliberate integration of these competencies into academic agendas, even for South African students from different cultural, ethnic and language groups. This research addresses this gap by examining the impact of infusing intercultural activities into both face-to-face and digital learning platforms. Adopting an intersectional perspective, the study recognizes how social identities interact to shape individuals' self-perceptions and experiences in a university. Methodologically, this study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to assess the effectiveness of integrating intercultural competencies into digital platforms. Surveys administered to students and faculty measure changes in intercultural skills and attitudes before and after the implementation of targeted interventions. In-depth interviews with participants will provide further insights into the qualitative aspects of these changes, including their experiences and perceptions of the integration process. The research evaluates whether the strategic integration of intercultural competencies into digital platforms enhances students' intercultural skills and social justice awareness. The findings provide valuable insights for higher education academics and internationalization practitioners seeking to develop effective strategies for cultivating intercultural competencies among students.

Keywords: digital platform, higher education, intercultural competencies, interventions

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Authors: Maria Ledinskaya

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This paper is part case study and part literature review. It seeks to introduce Agile, Lean, and Hybrid project management concepts from business, software development, and manufacturing fields to museum conservation by looking at their practical application on a recent conservation project at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts. The author outlines the advantages of leaner and more agile conservation practices in today’s faster, less certain, and more budget-conscious museum climate where traditional project structures are no longer as relevant or effective. The Morris Collection Conservation Project was carried out in 2019-2021 in Norwich, UK, and concerned the remedial conservation of around 150 Abstract Constructivist artworks bequeathed to the Sainsbury Centre by private collectors Michael and Joyce Morris. It was a medium-sized conservation project of moderate complexity, planned and delivered in an environment with multiple known unknowns – unresearched collection, unknown conditions and materials, unconfirmed budget. The project was later impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, introducing indeterminate lockdowns, budget cuts, staff changes, and the need to accommodate social distancing and remote communications. The author, then a staff conservator at the Sainsbury Centre who acted as project manager on the Morris Project, presents an incremental, iterative, and value-based approach to managing a conservation project in an uncertain environment. The paper examines the project from the point of view of Traditional, Agile, Lean, and Hybrid project management. The author argues that most academic writing on project management in conservation has focussed on a Traditional plan-driven approach – also known as Waterfall project management – which has significant drawbacks in today’s museum environment due to its over-reliance on prediction-based planning and its low tolerance to change. In the last 20 years, alternative Agile, Lean and Hybrid approaches to project management have been widely adopted in software development, manufacturing, and other industries, although their recognition in the museum sector has been slow. Using examples from the Morris Project, the author introduces key principles and tools of Agile, Lean, and Hybrid project management and presents a series of arguments on the effectiveness of these alternative methodologies in museum conservation, including the ethical and practical challenges to their implementation. These project management approaches are discussed in the context of consequentialist, relativist, and utilitarian developments in contemporary conservation ethics. Although not intentionally planned as such, the Morris Project had a number of Agile and Lean features which were instrumental to its successful delivery. These key features are identified as distributed decision-making, a co-located cross-disciplinary team, servant leadership, focus on value-added work, flexible planning done in shorter sprint cycles, light documentation, and emphasis on reducing procedural, financial, and logistical waste. Overall, the author’s findings point in favour of a hybrid model, which combines traditional and alternative project processes and tools to suit the specific needs of the project.

Keywords: agile project management, conservation, hybrid project management, lean project management, waterfall project management

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Authors: Y. Abdul Aziz, E. L. K. Osafo, S. O. Apori, A. Osman

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A sixteen week trial was conducted at the Research Farm (Technology Village) of the Department of Animal Science, School of Agriculture, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana. This study sought to investigate the effects of Probiotic (RE3) on growth performance, diarrhea incidence and blood parameters of N’dama calves. Sixteen N’dama calves aged 3 months of an average initial weight of 44.2 kg were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments according to their body weight, age, and sex. Treatment 1 (T1) serve as a control animal (No RE3 supplementation). Treatment 2 (T2) receives 0.03 ml RE3 per kg body weight. Treatment 3 (T3) receives 0.06 ml RE3 per kg body weight, and Treatment 4 (T4) also receives 0.09 ml RE3 per kg body weight in a Completely Randomize Design (CRD). There were 4 replicates per treatment. The calves were allowed access to feed and water ad libitum. The body weight of the calves was recorded at the start of the experiment and thereafter regularly at two weeks interval. Weighing was done early morning before the calves are allowed to access feed and water and were also observed in their pens for occurrence of diarrhea and faecal scores recorded. Blood samples were obtained from each calf at the end of the study through jugular vein puncture. Supplementation of RE3 to calves had showed a beneficial effect by reducing the incidence of diarrhea. The highest faecal score was recorded in T1 and the least faecal score was recorded in T3. There was significant difference (P < 0.05) in the faecal score between the treatment group and the control after two weeks of the experiment. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the average daily gain of the animals. Hematological and biochemical indices of calves were all within the normal range except in treatments (1, 3 and 4) which recorded high White Blood Cell (WBC) count with no significant difference (P > 0.05).

Keywords: probiotics (RE3), diarrhea incidence, blood parameters, N’dama calves

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Authors: Moustafa Elwan, Sohier Shehata, Fatma Sedek, Manar Hussine

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One of the most risky factors that lead to a foot injury during physical activities are both high and low arched feet. Normally the medial longitudinal arch of the foot develops in the first 10 years of life, so flexible flat foot has an inversely relationship with age in the first decade, all over the world, the prevalence of flat foot is increasing. In approximately 15% of foot deformities cases, the deformity does not disappear and remains throughout adulthood, 90% of the clinical cases are complaining from foot problems are due to flatfoot. Flatfoot creates subtalar over pronation, which creates tibial and femoral medial rotation, and that is accompanied with increases of pelvic tilting anteriorly, which may influence the lumbar vertebrae alignment by increasing muscle tension and rotation. Objective: To study the impact of the flexible flatfoot on lumbosacral angle (angle of Ferguson). Methods: This experiment included 40 volunteers (14 females &26 males) gathered from the Faculty of Physical Therapy, Modern University of Technology and Information, Cairo, Egypt, for each participant, four angles were measured in the foot( talar first metatarsal angle, lateral talocalcaneal angle, , Calcaneal first metatarsal angle, calcaneal inclination angle) and one angle in the lumbar region (lumbosacral angle). Measurement of these angles was conducted by using Surgimap Spine software (version 2.2.9.6). Results: The results demonstrated that there was no significant correlation betweenFerguson angle and lateral talocalcaneal (r=0.164, p=0.313). Also, there was no significant correlation between Ferguson angle and talo first metatarsal “Meary’s angle" (r=0.007, p=0.968). Moreover, there was no significant correlation between Ferguson angle and calcaneal-first metatarsal angle (r=0.083, p=0.612). Also, there was no significant correlation between Ferguson angle and calcaneal inclination angle (r= 0.032, p= 0.846). Conclusion: It can be concluded that there is no significant correlation between the flexible flat foot and lumbosacral angle So, more study should be conducted in large sample and different ages and conditions of foot problems.

Keywords: calcaneal first metatarsal, calcaneal inclination, flatfoot, ferguson’s angle, lateral talocalcaneal angle, lumbosacral angle, and talar first metatarsal angle

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Authors: Catherine Harrison

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Faced with arrest, imprisonment and the denazification process in 1945, Tübingen University’s Professor of Theology, Gerhard Kittel, refused to abandon the “Christian” antisemitism which he had first expounded in his Die Judenfrage [The Jewish Question] (1933 and 1934). At the heart of this paper is a critical engagement with Die Judenfrage, the first in English. Putting Die Judenfrage into dialogue with Kittel’s 1946, Meine Verteidigung [My Defence] (1945-6) exposes the remarkable consistency of Kittel’s idiosyncratic but closely argued Christian theology of antisemitism. Girdling his career as a foremost theologian, antisemite and enthusiastic supporter of Hitler and the NSDAP, the consistency between Die Judenfrage and Meine Verteidigung attests Kittel’s consistent and authentic, intellectual position. In both texts, he claims to be advancing Christian, as opposed to “vulgar” or racial, antisemitism. Yet, in the thirteen years which divide them, Kittel had mediated contact with Nazi illuminati Rudolph Hess, Alfred Rosenberg, Winnifred Wagner, Josef Goebbels and Baldur von Schirach, through his publications in various antisemitic journals. The paper argues: Die Judenfrage, as both a text and as a theme, is axiomatic to Kittel’s defence statement; and that Die Judenfrage constitutes the template of Kittel’s arcane, personal “Christian” antisemitism of which Meine Verteidigung is a faithful impression. Both are constructed on the same theologically chimeric and abstruse hypotheses regarding Volk, Spätjudentum [late Judaism] and Heilgeschichte [salvation history]. Problematising these and other definitional vagaries that make up Kittel’s “Christian” antisemitism highlight the remarkable theoretical consistency between Die Judenfrage and Meine Verteidigung. It is concluded that a deadly synergy of Nazi racial antisemitism and the New Testament antisemitism shaped Kittel’s judgement to the degree that, despite the slipstream of concentration camp footage which was shaking the foundations of post-war German academia, Meine Verteidigung is a simple restatement of the antisemitsm conveyed in Die Judenfrage.

Keywords: Gerhard Kittel, Third Reich theology, the Jewish Question, Nazi antisemitism

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Authors: Seyhan Sahan-Firat, Meryem Temiz-Resitoglu, Demet Sinem Guden, Sefika Pinar Kucukkavruk, Bahar Tunctan, Ayse Nihal Sari, Zumrut Kocak

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We hypothesized that mTOR inhibition may prevent the multiple organ failures following severe multiple tissue injury associated with increased NADPH oxidase system activity occur in zymosan-induced systemic inflammation. Therefore, we investigated the role of mTOR in oxidative/nitrosative stress associated with increase in NADPH oxidase activity in zymosan-induced systemic inflammation model in rats. Male Wistar rats received saline (4 ml/kg, i.p.) and zymosan (500 mg/kg, i.p.) at time 0. Saline, or zymosan-treated rats were given rapamycin (1 mg/kg, i.p.) 1 h after saline or zymosan injections. Rats were sacrified 4 h after zymosan challenge and kidney, heart, thoracic aorta, and superior mesenteric artery were collected. NADPH oxidase activity, p22phox, gp91phox, and p47phox protein expression and nitrotyrosine levels were measured in tissue samples. Zymosan administration caused an increase in NADPH oxidase activity, p22phox, gp91phox, and p47phox protein expression and nitrotyrosine levels in kidney, heart, thoracic aorta, and superior mesenteric artery. These changes caused by zymosan reversed by rapamycin, a selective mTOR inhibitor. Rapamycin alone had no effect on the parameters measured. Our results demonstrated that zymosan-induced oxidative/nitrosative stress presumably due to enhanced activity of NADPH oxidase, expression of p22phox, gp91phox, and p47phox and production of peroxynitrite were mediated by mTOR. [This work was financially supported by Research Foundation of Mersin University (2016-2-AP3-1900)].

Keywords: oxidative stress, mTOR, nitrosative stress, zymosan

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Authors: Molly Parker

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Unintended pregnancy rates in Australia are amongst the highest in the developed world. Women with Substance Use Disorder often have riskier sexual behavior with nil contraceptive use and face disproportionately higher unintended pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Infections, alongside Substance Use in Pregnancy (SUP) climbing at an alarming rate. In an inner-city Drug and Alcohol (D&A) service, significant barriers to sexual and reproductive health services have been identified, aligning with research. Rapid pathways were created for women seeking D&A treatment to be referred to Sexual and Reproductive Health services for the administration of Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) and sexual health screening. For clients attending a D&A service, this is an opportunistic time to offer sexual and reproductive health services. Collaboration and multidisciplinary team input between D&A and sexual health and reproductive services are paramount, with rapid referral pathways being identified as the main strategy to improve access to sexual and reproductive health support for this population. With this evidence, a rapid referral pathway was created for women using the D&A service to access LARC, particularly in view of fertility often returning once stable on D&A treatment. A closed-ended survey was used for D&A staff to identify gaps in reproductive health knowledge and views of referral accessibility. Results demonstrated a lack of knowledge of contraception and appropriate referral processes. A closed-ended survey for clients was created to establish the need and access to services and to quantify data. A follow-up data collection will be reviewed to access uptake and satisfaction of the intervention from clients. Sexual health screening access was also identified as a deficit, particularly concerning due to the higher rates of STIs in this cohort. A rapid referral pathway will be undergoing implementation, reducing risks of untreated STIS both pre and post-conception. Similarly, pre and post-intervention structured surveys will be used to identify client satisfaction from the pathway. Although currently in progress, the research and pathway aim to be completed by December 2023. This research and implementation of sexual and reproductive health pathways from the D&A service have significant health and well-being benefits to clients and the wider community, including possible fetal/infancy outcomes. Women now have rapid access to sexual and reproductive health services, with the aim of reducing unplanned pregnancies, poor outcomes associated with SUP, client/staff trauma from termination of pregnancy, and client/staff trauma following the assumption of care of the child due to substance use, the financial cost for out of home care as required, the poor outcomes of untreated STIs to the fetus in pregnancy and the spread of STIs in the wider community. As evidence suggests, the implementation of a streamlined referral process is required between D&A and sexual and reproductive health services and has positive feedback from both clinicians and clients in improving care.

Keywords: substance use in pregnancy, drug and alcohol, substance use disorder, sexual health, reproductive health, contraception, long-acting reversible contraception, neonatal abstinence syndrome, FASD, sexually transmitted infections, sexually transmitted infections pregnancy

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Authors: Ludmilla Wikkeling-Scott, Amira Karim

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Background: In a rapidly developing environment, concerns for pollution and depletion of natural resources are challenges facing global communities. A major source of waste on university campuses is the use of plastic bottles, while cost of production and processing is high. Consumer demand stimulates popularity of plastic bottle production, but researchers agree this is not a sustainable solution. This pilot study assesses plastic water bottle used and attitude towards alternatives among Emirati college students. Methods: This study was conducted in December 2016, using an anonymous self-administered survey of 17 questions. The survey included personal characteristics, plastic water bottle used, attitude towards alternative replacement and sustainability. For statistical analysis, STATA 14C was used to determine significance of association. Results: A total of 500 Emirati students (94.6% female) completed the survey. Of the students, 82.6% preferred bottled water over tap water, and 44.6% reported disposable bottled water use in their household, 42.6% purchased disposable bottled water more than twice a week, and 44.2% purchased bottled water at least once, while on campus. Students were willing to consider switching to alternative water bottle use if it was more convenient (22.54%), cost less (55.13%) or improved the taste (22.54%), while only 7.85% students would not consider any alternatives. There was a significant difference in attitude towards alternatives to water bottle use by area of study (p < 0.005). Conclusion: The UAE strives to be at the forefront of sustainable development and protecting biodiversity. However, a major challenge is the increasing amount of waste, exacerbated by the increasing consumer demand for convenience as seen in this billion-dollar industry. Plastic bottles, for all purposes, pose a serious threat to the environment and sustainable campus initiatives can help reduce the ecological footprint, improve awareness of safe alternatives and benefits to the environment.

Keywords: ecological foot print, emirati students, plastic bottle consumption, sustainable campus

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Authors: Marah El-Beeli, Abdullah Balkhair, Zakaryia Al Muharmi, Samir Al Adawi, Mansoor Al-Jabri, Abdullah Al Rawahi, Hazaa Al Yahyae, Eman Al Balushi, Yahya M. Al-Farsi

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The health care service and the anticancer chemotherapeutics has changed the natural history of cancer into manageable chronic disease and improve the cancer patient’s lifestyle and increase the survival time. Despite that, still, infection is the major dilemma opposing the cancer patient either because of the clinical presentation of the cancer type and impaired immune system or as a consequence of anticancer therapy. This study has been conducted to1) track changes in the epidemiology of hospital-acquired bloodstream infections among patients with malignancies in the last five years. 2) To explore the causative pathogens and 3) the outcome of HA-BSIs in patients with a different types of malignancies. An ampi-directional study (retrospective and prospective follow up) of patients with malignancies admitted at Sultan Qaboos University hospital (570-bed tertiary hospital) during the study period (from January 2015 to December 2019). The cumulative frequency and prevalence rates of HA-BSIs by patients and isolates were calculated. In addition, the cumulative frequency of participants with single versus mixed infections and types of causative micro-organisms of HA-BSIs were obtained. A total of 1246 event of HA-BSIs has occurred during the study period. Nearly the third (30.25%) of the HA-BSI events was identified among 288 patients with malignancies. About 20% of cases were mixed infections (more than one isolate). Staphylococcus spp were the predominant isolated pathogen (24.7%), followed by Klebsiella spp (15.8%), Escherichia spp (13%), and Pseudomonas spp (9.3%). About half (51%) of cases died in the same year, and (64%) of the deaths occur within two weeks after the infection. According to the observations, no changes in the trends of epidemiology, causative pathogens, morbidity, and mortality rates in the last five years.

Keywords: epidemiology, haematological malignancies, hospital acquired bloodstream infections, solid malignancies

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Authors: Obasa Joshua Ifeoluwa

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Phonetics is the foundation and most important part of language learning. This article, through an acoustic experiment as well as using Praat software, uses Yoruba students’ Chinese consonants, vowels, and tones pronunciation to carry out a visual comparison with that of native Chinese speakers. This article is aimed at Yoruba native speakers learning Chinese phonetics; therefore, Yoruba students are selected. The students surveyed are required to be at an elementary level and have learned Chinese for less than six months. The students selected are all undergraduates majoring in Chinese Studies at the University of Lagos. These students have already learned Chinese Pinyin and are all familiar with the pinyin used in the provided questionnaire. The Chinese students selected are those that have passed the level two Mandarin proficiency examination, which serves as an assurance that their pronunciation is standard. It is discovered in this work that in terms of Mandarin’s consonants pronunciation, Yoruba students cannot distinguish between the voiced and voiceless as well as the aspirated and non-aspirated phonetics features. For instance, while pronouncing [ph] it is clearly shown in the spectrogram that the Voice Onset Time (VOT) of a Chinese speaker is higher than that of a Yoruba native speaker, which means that the Yoruba speaker is pronouncing the unaspirated counterpart [p]. Another difficulty is to pronounce some affricates like [tʂ]、[tʂʰ]、[ʂ]、[ʐ]、 [tɕ]、[tɕʰ]、[ɕ]. This is because these sounds are not in the phonetic system of the Yoruba language. In terms of vowels, some students find it difficult to pronounce some allophonic high vowels such as [ɿ] and [ʅ], therefore pronouncing them as their phoneme [i]; another pronunciation error is pronouncing [y] as [u], also as shown in the spectrogram, a student pronounced [y] as [iu]. In terms of tone, it is most difficult for students to differentiate between the second (rising) and third (falling and rising) tones because these tones’ emphasis is on the rising pitch. This work concludes that the major error made by Yoruba students while pronouncing Chinese sounds is caused by the interference of their first language (LI) and sometimes by their lingua franca.

Keywords: Chinese, Yoruba, error analysis, experimental phonetics, consonant, vowel, tone

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Authors: Paola Utreras, Yazmina Olmos, Loreto Sanhueza

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This work has the purpose of study and incorporate Problem Based Learning (PBL) for engineering students, through the analysis of several thermal images of dwellings located in different geographical points of the Region de los Ríos, Chile. The students analyze how heat is transferred in and out of the houses and how is the relation between heat transfer and climatic conditions that affect each zone. As a result of this activity students are able to acquire significant learning in the unit of heat and temperature, and manage to reverse previous conceptual errors related with energy, temperature and heat. In addition, student are able to generate prototype solutions to increase thermal efficiency using low cost materials. Students make public their results in a report using scientific writing standards and in a science fair open to the entire university community. The methodology used to measure previous Conceptual Errors has been applying diagnostic tests with everyday questions that involve concepts of heat, temperature, work and energy, before the unit. After the unit the same evaluation is done in order that themselves are able to evidence the evolution in the construction of knowledge. As a result, we found that in the initial test, 90% of the students showed deficiencies in the concepts previously mentioned, and in the subsequent test 47% showed deficiencies, these percent ages differ between students who carry out the course for the first time and those who have performed this course previously in a traditional way. The methodology used to measure Significant Learning has been by comparing results in subsequent courses of thermodynamics among students who have received problem based learning and those who have received traditional training. We have observe that learning becomes meaningful when applied to the daily lives of students promoting internalization of knowledge and understanding through critical thinking.

Keywords: engineering students, heat flow, problem-based learning, thermal images

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Authors: Josie Gardner

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The overall intention of this research is to reimagine peacebuilding in both in theory and practical application in light of the shortcomings and unsustainability of the current peacebuilding paradigm. These limitations are identified here as an overly rational-material approach to peacebuilding that neglects the inner dimension of peace for a fragmented rather than holistic model, and that espouses a conflict and violence-centric approach to peacebuilding. In counter, this presentation is purposed to investigate the dynamics of inner and outer peace as a holistic, complex system towards ‘inner-outer’ peacebuilding. This paper draws from primary research in the protracted conflict context of north-western India (Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh) as a case study. This presentation has two central aims. First, to introduce the process of inner (psycho-spiritual) peacebuilding, which has thus far been neglected by mainstream and orthodox literature. Second, to examine why inner peacebuilding is essential for realising sustainable peace on a broader scale as outer (socio-political) peace and to better understand how the inner and outer dynamics of peace relate and affect one another. To these ends, Josephine (the researcher/author/presenter) partnered with Yakjah Reconciliation and Development Network to implement a series of action-oriented workshops and retreats centred around healing, reconciliation, leadership, and personal development for the dual purpose of collaboratively generating data, theory, and insights, as well as providing the youth leaders with an experiential, transformative experience. The research team created and used a novel methodological approach called Mapping Ritual Ecologies, which draws from Participatory Action Research and Digital Ethnography to form a collaborative research model with a group of 20 youth co-researchers who are emerging youth peace leaders in Kashmir, Jammu, and Ladakh. This research found significant intra- and inter-personal shifts towards an experience of inner peace through inner peacebuilding activities. Moreover, this process of inner peacebuilding affected their families and communities through interpersonal healing and peace leadership in an inside-out process of change. These insights have generated rich insights and have supported emerging theories about the dynamics between inner and outer peace, power, justice, and collective healing. This presentation argues that the largely neglected dimension of inner (psycho-spiritual) peacebuilding is imperative for broader socio-political (outer) change. Changing structures of oppression, injustice, and violence—i.e. structures of separation—requires individual, interpersonal, and collective healing. While this presentation primarily examines and advocates for inside-out peacebuilding and social justice, it will also touch upon the effect of systems of separation on the inner condition and human experience. This research reimagines peacebuilding as a holistic inner-outer approach. This offers an alternative path forward those weaves together self-actualisation and social justice. While contextualised within north-western India with a small case study population, the findings speak also to other conflict contexts as well as our global peacebuilding and social justice milieu.

Keywords: holistic, inner peacebuilding, psycho-spiritual, systems youth

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Authors: Oscar E. Cariceo

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In Chile, social workers´ professional training is developed in the undergraduate level, mainly. Despite the fact that several schools have been launched Master of Social Work programs, the Bachelor in Social Work is the minimum qualification to start a professional career. In the current Chilean higher education system, there exist different financial aid options in order to guarantee equal access to higher education. These policies, which are student loans and scholarships, basically, are applied and distributed by Government agencies. They are linked to academic performance and socio-economic needs, in terms of standardized test scores and social vulnerability criteria. In addition, institutions that enroll students with high scores, also receive direct financial support. In other words, social work students must compete for the resources to pay for college tuitions and fees with other students from different programs and knowledge fields and, as a consequence, they can indirectly enhance schools´ money income. This work aims to describe the reality of social work students to access to financial aid in Chile. The analysis presents the results of the University Selection Test of students, who were accepted in social work undergraduate programs during 2014 related to their qualifications to apply to three main financial aid programs, and their contribution to attracting resources to their schools. In general, data show that social work students participate in a low proportion in the distribution of financial aid, both student loans and scholarships. Few of them reach enough scores to guarantee direct financial resources to their institutions. Therefore, this situation has deep implications on equal access to higher education for vulnerable students and affects equal access to training options for young social workers, due to the highly competitive financial aid system.

Keywords: social work, professional training, higher education, financial aid, equity

Procedia PDF Downloads 289