Search results for: Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire

Authors: Michael McTighe

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of many large-scale in-person sporting events, which led to an increase in the availability of virtual ultra-marathons. This study intended to assess how participation in virtual long distances races relates to levels of physical activity for an extended period of time. Moreover, traditional ultra-marathons are known for being not only physically demanding, but also mentally and emotionally challenging. A second component of this study was to assess how psychological contructs related to emotion regulation and mental toughness predict overall performance in the sport. Method: 83 virtual runners participating in a four-month 1000-kilometer race with the option to exceed 1000 kilometers completed a questionnaire exploring demographics, their performance, and experience in the virtual race. Participants also completed the Difficulties in Emotions Regulation Scale (DERS) and the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ). Logistics regressions assessed these constructs’ utility in predicting completion of the 1000-kilometer distance in the time allotted. Multiple regression was employed to predict the total distance traversed during the fourmonth race beyond 1000-kilometers. Result: Neither mental toughness nor emotional regulation was a significant predictor of completing the virtual race’s basic 1000-kilometer finish. However, both variables included together were marginally significant predictors of total miles traversed over the entire event beyond 1000 K (p = .051). Additionally, participation in the event promoted an increase in healthy activity with participants running and walking significantly more in the four months during the event than the four months leading up to it. Discussion: This research intended to explore how psychological constructs relate to performance in a virtual type of endurance event, and how involvement in these types of events related to levels of activity. Higher levels of mental toughness and lower levels in difficulties in emotion regulation were associated with greater performance, and participation in the event promoted an increase in athletic involvement. Future psychological skill training aimed at improving emotion regulation and mental toughness may be used to enhance athletic performance in these sports, and future investigations into these events could explore how general participation may influence these constructs over time. Finally, these results suggest that participation in this logistically accessible, and affordable type of sport can promote greater involvement in healthy activities related to running and walking.

Keywords: virtual races, emotion regulation, mental toughness, ultra-marathon, predictors in performance

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Authors: Sezen Gulec, Bilge Uzun

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Almost all of the world population marries at least once in their lifetime. Nevertheless, in reality, only half of all marriages last a lifetime. The most important factor in marriage to manage is the satisfaction that they obtain. It is reality that marital satisfaction does not only related to maintain the relationship but also related to the social and work relationships. In this respect, the purpose of the present research is to find the personal and relational factors predicted marital satisfaction. The sample including 378 (178 male and 200 females) married individuals were administered to marital life scale, multidimensional perfectionism scale, trait forgivingness scale, adjective based personality test and relationship happiness questionnaire. The findings revealed marital happiness, forgiveness and extravertedness and emotional inconsistency factors were found to be significant predictors of marital satisfaction.

Keywords: marital satisfaction, happiness, perfectionism, forgiveness, five factor personality

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Authors: S. Hussain, C. Grieco, M. Brosnan

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Background and Aims: Autism is a complex neurobehavioural disorder, characterised by impairments in the development of language and communication skills. The study involved a state-of-art systematic review, in addition to qualitative data analysis, to establish the evidence for social stories as an intervention strategy for autistic children. An up-to-date review of the use of digital technologies in the delivery of interventions to autistic children was also carried out; to propose the efficacy of digital technologies and the use of social stories to improve intervention outcomes for autistic children. Methods: Two student researchers reviewed a range of randomised control trials and observational studies. The aim of the review was to establish if there was adequate evidence to justify recommending social stories to autistic patients. Students devised their own search strategies to be used across a range of search engines, including Ovid-Medline, Google Scholar and PubMed. Students then critically appraised the generated literature. Additionally, qualitative data obtained from a comprehensive online questionnaire on social stories was also thematically analysed. The thematic analysis was carried out independently by each researcher, using a ‘bottom-up’ approach, meaning contributors read and analysed responses to questions and devised semantic themes from reading the responses to a given question. The researchers then placed each response into a semantic theme or sub-theme. The students then joined to discuss the merging of their theme headings. The Inter-rater reliability (IRR) was calculated before and after theme headings were merged, giving IRR for pre- and post-discussion. Lastly, the thematic analysis was assessed by a third researcher, who is a professor of psychology and the director for the ‘Centre for Applied Autism Research’ at the University of Bath. Results: A review of the literature, as well as thematic analysis of qualitative data found supporting evidence for social story use. The thematic analysis uncovered some interesting themes from the questionnaire responses, relating to the reasons why social stories were used and the factors influencing their effectiveness in each case. However, overall, the evidence for digital technologies interventions was limited, and the literature could not prove a causal link between better intervention outcomes for autistic children and the use of technologies. However, they did offer valid proposed theories for the suitability of digital technologies for autistic children. Conclusions: Overall, the review concluded that there was adequate evidence to justify advising the use of social stories with autistic children. The role of digital technologies is clearly a fast-emerging field and appears to be a promising method of intervention for autistic children; however, it should not yet be considered an evidence-based approach. The students, using this research, developed ideas on social story interventions which aim to help autistic children.

Keywords: autistic children, digital technologies, intervention, social stories

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Authors: Prince S. Campbell, Janine B. Adams, Melusi Thwala, Opeoluwa Oyedele, Paula E. Melariri

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Schistosomiasis, often known as bilharzia, is a parasitic water-borne disease caused by trematode flatworms of the genus Schistosoma. Schistosomiasis infection and prevention have been found to be influenced by a range of socio-cultural risk factors, including human characteristics (e.g., gender, age, education, knowledge, attitude, and practices), as well as environmental and economic elements. Lack of awareness of the disease may also contribute to an individual's tendency to participate in behaviours or activities that heighten their susceptibility to infection. The current study assessed the community knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) on schistosomiasis and implemented an educational intervention following pre-test interviews. A cross-sectional quasi-experimental research design was used in this quantitative study. Pre- and post-intervention interview format surveys were conducted using a structured questionnaire, targeting individuals aged 18–65 years residing within 5 km of select water bodies. The questionnaire contained 54 close-ended questions about schistosomiasis causes, transmission, and clinical symptoms and the participants were interviewed face-to-face in their homes. Data was captured on Question Pro and analyzed using Microsoft Office Excel 365 (2019) and R (version 4.3.1) software. Overall, 380 individuals completed the pre and post-intervention assessments; 194 and 185 were males (51.1%) and females (48.7%), respectively. A notable 91.3% of participants did not know about schistosomiasis in the pre-intervention phase; however, the mean post-intervention test score (9.4 ± 1.4) for knowledge among participants was higher than the pre-intervention test score (2.2 ± 2.1) indicating a good and improved knowledge of schistosomiasis among the participants. Furthermore, the paired samples t-test results demonstrated that the increase in knowledge levels was statistically significant (p<0.001). Also, the post-intervention improvement of both practice (p<0.001) and attitude (p<0.001) levels was statistically significant. A positive correlation (r=0.23, p<0.001) was found between knowledge and attitude in the pre-intervention stage. Knowledgeable participants had a more positive attitude towards obtaining medical assistance and disease prevention. Moreover, attitudes and practices correlated negatively (r=-0.13, p=0.013) post-intervention; hence, those with positive attitudes did not engage in risky water-related practices, which was the desired outcome. The educational intervention had a favourable impact on the KAP of the study population as the majority were able to recall the disease aetiology, symptoms, transmission pattern, and preventative measures three months post-intervention. Nevertheless, previous research has suggested that participants were unable to recall information about the disease following the intervention. Consequently, research should prioritize behavioural modification strategies that may result in a more persistent outcome in terms of the participants' knowledge, which could ultimately contribute to the development of long-term positive attitudes and practices.

Keywords: educational intervention, knowledge, attitudes and practices, schistosomiasis

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Authors: Touraj Hashemi, Zahara Saeidi, Paxshan H. Gader-l-Shateri

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The present study aimed to determine the relationship between dimensions of psychological capital and psychological well-being. This research was conducted with a correlatiove method. The study population included the students of Sulaymaniyah, Garmian, and Halabja Universities in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Therefore, using the one-stage cluster method, 300 subjects were selected and completed Riff's psychological well-being scale, and Luthans' psychological capital questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the multiple regression method. Results showed that self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience had a positive relationship with psychological well-being. Hence, it can be concluded the four dimensions of psychological capital are able, in addition to modulating the effects of stress sources, to set the stage for the motivational use of life's stressors in order to develop new challenges and help the individual to continuous effort in order to develop new goals and expand happiness.

Keywords: psychological well-being, self-efficacy, optimism, hope, resilience

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Authors: Komol Phaisarn, Natcha Wattanaprapa

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This research is a survey research with an objective to study the safety of data storage devices of graduate students of academic year 2013, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University. Data were collected by questionnaire on the safety of data storage devices according to CIA principle. A sample size of 81 was drawn from population by purposive sampling method. The results show that most of the graduate students of academic year 2013 at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University use handy drive to store their data and the safety level of the devices is at good level.

Keywords: security, safety, storage devices, graduate students

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Authors: Zeinab Amini Moghaddam, Alireza Dehkhodania

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Nowadays, organizations have found a high status in the cultural and social structures of societies. The purpose of current study is to investigate the relationship between organizational climate with job burnout as well as job satisfaction. The research method is descriptive and correlational. The population of the study includes all employees in Tehran Electric Company, which equals 1984 people in 2018. The sampling was performed in the form of a consensus, and all employees were regarded as samples. The data gathering tools consist of three questionnaires of Smith’s Job Satisfaction Questionnaire, Halpin and Craft's Occupational climate, and Maslach and Jackson's Job burnout. The results showed that there was a direct and positive relationship between organizational climate and job burnout, as well as job satisfaction. The organizational climate variable could successfully predict job satisfaction. It was also able to predict job burnout.

Keywords: organizational climate, job burnout, job satisfaction, descriptive, correlational

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Authors: Geum Yeon Sim, Jasal Patel, Anand Kumthekar, Stanley Wainapel

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A 65-year-old right-hand dominant African-American man, formerly employed as a security guard, was referred to Rehabilitation Medicine with bilateral hand stiffness and weakness. His past medical history was only significant for myelofibrosis, diagnosed 4 years earlier, for which he was receiving scheduled blood transfusions. Approximately 2 years ago, he began to notice stiffness and swelling in his non-dominant hand that progressed to pain and decreased strength, limiting his hand function. Similar but milder symptoms developed in his right hand several months later. There was no history of prior injury or exposure to cold. Physical examination showed enlargement of metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints with finger flexion contractures, Swan-neck and Boutonniere deformities, and associated joint tenderness. Changes were more prominent in the left hand. X-rays showed mild osteoarthritis of several bilateral PIP joints. Anti-nuclear antibodies, rheumatoid factor, and cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies were negative. MRI of the hand showed no erosions or synovitis. A rheumatology consultation was obtained, and the cause of his symptoms was attributed to myelofibrosis-related arthropathy with secondary osteoarthritis. The patient was tried on diclofenac cream and received a few courses of Occupational Therapy with limited functional improvement. Primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is a rare myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by clonal proliferation of myeloid cells with variable morphologic maturity and hematopoietic efficiency. Rheumatic manifestations of malignancies include direct invasion, paraneoplastic presentations, secondary gout, or hypertrophic osteoarthropathy. PMF causes gradual bone marrow fibrosis with extramedullary metaplastic hematopoiesis in the liver, spleen, or lymph nodes. Musculoskeletal symptoms are not common and are not well described in the literature. The first reported case of myelofibrosis related arthritis was seronegative arthritis due to synovial invasion of myeloproliferative elements. Myelofibrosis has been associated with autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, progressive systemic sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Gout has been reported in patients with myelofibrosis, and the underlying mechanism is thought to be related to the high turnover of nucleic acids that is greatly augmented in this disease. X-ray findings in these patients usually include erosive arthritis with synovitis. Treatment of underlying PMF is the treatment of choice, along with anti-inflammatory medications. Physicians should be cognizant of recognizing this rare entity in patients with PMF while maintaining clinical suspicion for more common causes of joint deformities, such as rheumatic diseases.

Keywords: myelofibrosis, arthritis, arthralgia, malignancy

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Authors: Evelyn Kropfreiter, Roland Bernhard

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There has been an increased interest in school-based whole-child development in the Austrian education system in the last few years. Although there is a consensus among academics that teachers' beliefs are an essential component of their professional competence, there are hardly any studies in the German-speaking world examining teachers' beliefs about school-based character education. To close this gap, we are conducting a mixed methods study combining qualitative interviews and a questionnaire in Austria (doctoral thesis at the University of Salzburg). In this paper, we present preliminary insights into the quantitative strand of the project. In contrast to German-speaking countries, the Anglo-Saxon world has a long tradition of explicit character education in schools. There has been a rising interest in approaches focusing on a neo-Aristotelian form of character education in England. The Jubilee Centre strongly influences the "renaissance" of papers on neo-Aristotelian character education for Character and Virtues, founded in 2012. The quantitative questionnaire study (n = 264) is an online survey of teachers and school principals conducted in four different federal states in spring 2023. Most respondents (n = 264) from lower secondary schools (AHS-Unterstufe and Mittelschule) believe that character education in schools for 10-14-year-olds is more important for society than good exam results. Many teachers state that they consider themselves prepared to promote their students' personal development and life skills through their education and to attend further training courses. However, there are many obstacles in the education system to ensure that a comprehensive education reaches the students. Many teachers state that they consider themselves prepared to promote their students' character strengths and life skills through their education and to attend further training courses. However, there are many obstacles in the education system to ensure that a comprehensive education reaches the students. Among the most cited difficulties, teachers mention the time factor associated with an overcrowded curriculum and a strong focus on performance, which often leaves them needing more time to keep an eye on nurturing the whole person. The fact that character education is not a separate subject, and its implementation needs to be monitored also makes it challenging to implement it in everyday school life. Austrian teachers prioritize moral virtues such as compassion and honesty as character strengths in everyday school life and resilience and commitment in the next place. Our results are like those reported in other studies on teacher's beliefs about character education. They indicate that Austrian teachers want to teach character in their schools but see systemic constraints such as the curriculum, in which personality roles play a subordinate role, and the focus on performance testing in the school system and the associated lack of time as obstacles to fostering more character development in students.

Keywords: character education, life skills, teachers' beliefs, virtues

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Authors: Nathaniel Oladimeji Dixon, Adekemi Dorcas Fadun

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Educational managers have observed a downward trend in the administrative effectiveness of non-teaching staff in federal universities in South-west Nigeria. This is evident in the low-quality service delivery of administrators and unaccomplished institutional goals and missions of higher education. Scholars have thus indicated the need for the deployment and adoption of a practice that encourages information collection and sharing among stakeholders with a view to improving service delivery and outcomes. This study examined the extent to which knowledge management correlated with the administrative effectiveness of non-teaching staff in federal universities in South-west Nigeria. The study adopted the survey design. Three federal universities (the University of Ibadan, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, and Obafemi Awolowo University) were purposively selected because administrative ineffectiveness was more pronounced among non-teaching staff in government-owned universities, and these federal universities were long established. The proportional and stratified random sampling was adopted to select 1156 non-teaching staff across the three universities along the three existing layers of the non-teaching staff: secretarial (senior=311; junior=224), non-secretarial (senior=147; junior=241) and technicians (senior=130; junior=103). Knowledge Management Practices Questionnaire with four sub-scales: knowledge creation (α=0.72), knowledge utilization (α=0.76), knowledge sharing (α=0.79) and knowledge transfer (α=0.83); and Administrative Effectiveness Questionnaire with four sub-scales: communication (α=0.84), decision implementation (α=0.75), service delivery (α=0.81) and interpersonal relationship (α=0.78) were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple regression at 0.05 level of significance, while qualitative data were content analyzed. About 59.8% of the non-teaching staff exhibited a low level of knowledge management. The indices of administrative effectiveness of non-teaching staff were rated as follows: service delivery (82.0%), communication (78.0%), decision implementation (71.0%) and interpersonal relationship (68.0%). Knowledge management had significant relationships with the indices of administrative effectiveness: service delivery (r=0.82), communication (r=0.81), decision implementation (r=0.80) and interpersonal relationship (r=0.47). Knowledge management had a significant joint prediction on administrative effectiveness (F (4;1151)= 0.79, R=0.86), accounting for 73.0% of its variance. Knowledge sharing (β=0.38), knowledge transfer (β=0.26), knowledge utilization (β=0.22), and knowledge creation (β=0.06) had relatively significant contributions to administrative effectiveness. Lack of team spirit and withdrawal syndrome is the major perceived constraints to knowledge management practices among the non-teaching staff. Knowledge management positively influenced the administrative effectiveness of the non-teaching staff in federal universities in South-west Nigeria. There is a need to ensure that the non-teaching staff imbibe team spirit and embrace teamwork with a view to eliminating their withdrawal syndromes. Besides, knowledge management practices should be deployed into the administrative procedures of the university system.

Keywords: knowledge management, administrative effectiveness of non-teaching staff, federal universities in the south-west of nigeria., knowledge creation, knowledge utilization, effective communication, decision implementation

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Authors: Shiamaa Eltantawy, Gihan Sobhy, Alif Alaam

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Wilson disease, or hepatolenticular degeneration, is an autosomal recessive disease that results in excess copper buildup in the body. It primarily affects the liver and basal ganglia of the brain, but it can affect other organ systems. Musculoskeletal abnormalities, including premature osteoarthritis, skeletal deformity, and pathological bone fractures, can occasionally be found in WD patients with a hepatic or neurologic type. The aim was to assess the prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia in Wilson’s disease patients. This case-control study was conducted on ninety children recruited from the inpatient ward and outpatient clinic of the Paediatric Hepatology, Gastroenterology, and Nutrition department of the National Liver Institute at Menofia University, aged from 1 to 18 years. Males were 49, and females were 41. Children were divided into three groups: (Group I) consisted of thirty patients with WD; (Group II) consisted of thirty patients with chronic liver disease other than WD; (Group III) consisted of thirty age- and sex-matched healthy The exclusion criteria were patients with hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, renal failure, Cushing's syndrome, and patients on certain drugs such as chemotherapy, anticonvulsants, or steroids. All patients were subjected to the following: 1- Full history-taking and clinical examination. 2-Laboratory investigations: (FBC,ALT,AST,serum albumin, total protein, total serum bilirubin,direct bilirubin,alkaline phosphatase, prothrombin time, serum critine,parathyroid hormone, serum calcium, serum phosphrus). 3-Bone mineral density (BMD, gm/cm2) values were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). The results revealed that there was a highly statistically significant difference between the three groups regarding the DEXA scan, and there was no statistically significant difference between groups I and II, but the WD group had the lowest bone mineral density. The WD group had a large number of cases of osteopenia and osteoporosis, but there was no statistically significant difference with the group II mean, while a high statistically significant difference was found when compared to group III. In the WD group, there were 20 patients with osteopenia, 4 patients with osteoporosis, and 6 patients who were normal. The percentages were 66.7%, 13.3%, and 20%, respectively. Therefore, the largest number of cases in the WD group had osteopenia. There was no statistically significant difference found between WD patients on different treatment regimens regarding DEXA scan results (Z-Score). There was no statistically significant difference found between patients in the WD group (normal, osteopenic, or osteoporotic) regarding phosphorus (mg/dL), but there was a highly statistically significant difference found between them regarding ionised Ca (mmol/L). Therefore, there was a decrease in bone mineral density when the Ca level was decreased. In summary, Wilson disease is associated with bone demineralization. The largest number of cases in the WD group in our study had osteopenia (66.7%). Different treatment regimens (zinc monotherapy, Artamin, and zinc) as well as different laboratory parameters have no effect on bone mineralization in WD cases. Decreased ionised Ca is associated with low BMD in WD patients. Children with WD should be investigated for BMD.

Keywords: wilson disease, Bone mineral density, liver disease, osteoporosis

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Authors: Malinda Gayan Sirisena

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The aim of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of software quality assurance approaches of Sri Lankan offshore software development organizations, and to propose a framework which could be used across all offshore software development organizations. An empirical study was conducted using derived framework from popular software quality evaluation models. The research instrument employed was a questionnaire survey among thirty seven Sri Lankan registered offshore software development organizations. The findings demonstrate a positive view of Effectiveness of Software Quality Assurance – the stronger predictors of Stability, Installability, Correctness, Testability and Changeability. The present study’s recommendations indicate a need for much emphasis on software quality assurance for the Sri Lankan offshore software development organizations.

Keywords: software quality assurance (SQA), offshore software development, quality assurance evaluation models, effectiveness of quality assurance

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Authors: S.lanasri, A.Boudjerrane, R.Belgherbi, O.Hadjoudj

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Introduction: Bread is the most popular food in Algeria. The aim of this study was to examine the consumption of salt from bread by hypertensive patients. Materials and methods: sixty breads were collected from different artisans Algiers bakeries, each sample was mixed in harm distilled water until homogeneous and filtered. Analysis of the salt content was carried out according to the Mohr method titration. We calculated the amount of salt in bread consumed by 100 hypertensive patients using a questionnaire about the average amount of bread per day. Results: The salt content values from bread were 3.4g ± 0.37 NaCl / 100g.The average amount of salt consumed per day by patients from only bread was 3.82 g ± 3.8 with a maximum of 17 g per day. Only 38.18% of patients consume bread without salt even then 95% knew that excess salt intake can complicate hypertension. Conclusion: This study showed that bread is a major contributor to salt intake by Algerian hypertensive patients.

Keywords: salt, bread, hypertensive patients, Algiers

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Authors: Mohammad Jafariahangari, Marjan Habibi, Miresmaeil Mirnabibaboli, Mirza Hassan Hosseini

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Self-service technologies (SSTs) make an important contribution to the daily life of people nowadays. However, the introduction of SST does not lead to its usage. Thereby, this paper was an attempt on discovery of the most preferred SST in the customers’ point of view. To fulfill this aim, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied based on Saaty’s questionnaire which was administered to the customers of e-banking services located in Golestan providence, north of Iran. This study used qualitative factors in association with the intention of consumers’ usage of SSTs to rank three SSTs: ATM, mobile banking, and internet banking. The results showed that mobile banking get the highest weight in consumers’ point of view. This research can be useful both for managers and service providers and also for customers who intend to use e-banking.

Keywords: analytical hierarchy process, decision-making, e-banking, self-service technologies, Iran

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Authors: Aissa Hanifi

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People across different world societies are using information and communication technology (ICT) for different purposes. Unfortunately, in contemporary societies, some people have little access to ICT and thus cannot have effective participation in society compared with those who have better access. The purpose of this study is to test the impact of ICTs on university life in general and students' performance in particular. The study relied on an online survey questionnaire that was administered to 30 undergraduate students at Chef University. The findings of the survey revealed that there is still an important number of students who do not have easy access to ICT. Such limited access to ICTs is attributed to varied factors. Some students live in rural areas, where due to the poor internet coverage, they face difficulties in competing with students who live in urban areas with better ICT access. The lack of ICT access has hindered the students' university performance in general and their language skills, and the exchange of information with teachers and classmates.

Keywords: access, communication, ICT, performance, technology

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Authors: G. Robles, A. Stifi, José L. Ponz-Tienda, S. Gentes

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This research paper aims to identify, analyze and rank factors affecting labor productivity in Spain with respect to their relative importance. Using a selected set of 35 factors, a structured questionnaire survey was utilized as the method to collect data from companies. Target population is comprised by a random representative sample of practitioners related with the Spanish construction industry. Findings reveal the top five ranked factors are as follows: (1) shortage or late supply of materials; (2) clarity of the drawings and project documents; (3) clear and daily task assignment; (4) tools or equipment shortages; (5) level of skill and experience of laborers. Additionally, this research also pretends to provide simple and comprehensive recommendations so that they could be implemented by construction managers for an effective management of construction labor forces.

Keywords: construction management, factors, improvement, labor productivity, lean construction

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Authors: Changiz Valmohammadi

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The main purpose of this study is to explore the perception of Iranian experts and executive managers of sample organizations on the benefits and barriers of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions implementation. Based on the review of the related literature and web sites, benefits and barriers of successful implementation to IoT solutions were identified. Through a self-administered questionnaire which was collected from 67 Iranian organizations the ranking and importance of benefits and barriers of IoT solutions implementation were determined based on the perception of the experts of the surveyed organizations. Analysis of data and the obtained results revealed that “improved customer experience” and “Supply chain optimization and responsiveness” are the most important benefits that the survey organizations expect to reap as a result of IoT solutions implementation. Also,” Integration challenges" and “cannot find right suppliers” were ranked as the most challenging barriers to IoT solutions implementation.

Keywords: internet of things (IoT), exploratory study, benefits, barriers, Iran

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Authors: Sawitree Suvanno

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The objective of this study is to investigate the Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University (SSRU) image among people in Bangkok. This study was conducted in the quantitative research and the questionnaires were used to collect data from 360 people of a sample group. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in data analysis. The result showed that the SSRU’s image among people in Bangkok is in the “rather true” level of questionnaire scale in all aspects measured. The aspect that gains the utmost average is that the university is considered as royal-oriented and conservative; 2) the instructional supplies, buildings and venue promoting Thai art and tradition; 3) the moral and honest university administration; 4) the curriculum and the skillful students as well as graduates. Additional, people in Bangkok with different profession have the different view to the SSRU’s image at the significant level 0.05; there is no significant difference in gender, age and income.

Keywords: Bangkok, demographics, image, Suan Sunandha Rajabhpat University

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Authors: Wesal Maash

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This paper is part of a PhD mixed-method project currently conducted in the Saudi context. This paper explores the challenges novice Arabic language teachers (ALT) face when starting the teaching profession through semi-structured interviews with ten teachers and a questionnaire with 208 teachers. The data provided details of the challenges faced by those teachers and reasons why they face such a challenge. From the data, it can be deduced that schools are advanced and updated continuously, and the preparation program does not cope with that. This situation makes teachers struggle to cover the gap between what they learnt in their preparation and what is expected from them as teachers when they started their teaching profession. This paper suggests conducting further research to better understand this phenomenon by shedding light on the content of teachers' preparation programs.

Keywords: educational technologies, novice teachers, arabic language teachers, Saudi Arabia

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Authors: Keerthana Gonella, Kamesh Apparaju

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Teams are all pervasive and team leadership is a much discussed topic in managing projects that characterize the modern work environment. Biotechnology industry in India is an area of research interest for scholars on leadership, especially, team leadership. The present paper examines the perception of team members on the effectiveness of their team leaders in the biotechnology industry in India. This is an empirical study in which the data was collected by administering the closed-ended questionnaire to the respondents from across India. The effectiveness of the team leader is dependent upon his goal orientation that creates a collaborative climate. Leaders with technical know-how inspire teamwork with trust. They build confidence, mitigate the differences and expand team capabilities through teamwork. Effective leaders also create team identity making the most of the differences with a vision.

Keywords: collaboration, perception, team, team capabilities, team leadership

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Authors: Asish O. Mathew, Lewlyn L. R. Rodrigues

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The organizations in the knowledge economy era have recognized the importance of building knowledge assets for sustainable growth and development. In comparison to other industries, Information Technology (IT) enterprises, holds an edge in developing an effective Knowledge Management (KM) program, thanks to their in-house technological abilities. This paper tries to study the various knowledge-based incentive programs and its effect on Knowledge Sharing and Learning in the context of the Indian IT sector. A conceptual model is developed linking KM incentives, knowledge sharing, and learning. A questionnaire study is conducted to collect primary data from the knowledge workers of the IT organizations located in India. The data was analysed using Structural Equation Modeling using Partial Least Square method. The results show a strong influence of knowledge management incentives on knowledge sharing and an indirect influence on learning.

Keywords: knowledge management, knowledge management incentives, knowledge sharing, learning

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Authors: Shruti Soudi, Anushka Nayak

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Altruism is a voluntary helping behavior that is not motivated by rewards. The empathy-altruism hypothesis states that altruistic behavior results from empathy, a constant emotional response between the helper and the individual in need. Individual variances in familiar ways of thinking, feeling, and acting are called personalities. The personality of an individual determines their behavior. More importantly, Adler was among the first psychologists to document the importance of birth order on personality. The present study aims to understand the influence of personality and birth order on altruism. A questionnaire consisting of standardized tools to measure altruism (Hindi Self Report Altruism Scale) and personality (Big Five Personality Inventory) will aid in studying the relationship between these variables among young adults in India. A statistical analysis of the data will be completed using ANOVA and T-Test in the SPSS Software.

Keywords: altruism, personality, birth order, ANOVA, young adults

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Authors: Natnicha Hasoontree

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The purposes of this research was to study the relationship of television viewers with brand awareness and brand loyalty from the perspective of customers in Bangkok. A probability random sampling of 482 television viewers was utilized. A Likert-five-scale questionnaire was designed to collect the data and small in-depth interviews were also used to obtain their opinions. The findings revealed that the majority of respondents reported a positive relationship between time of viewing television and brand awareness and brand loyalty. The more they watched the advertisement of a particular brand, the more positive the information was perceived and thereby increasing brand loyalty. Finally, the findings from the in-depth interviews with small group of television producers revealed that they are convinced that advertising exposure had a positive impact on brand awareness and brand loyalty.

Keywords: brand awareness, brand loyalty, television viewers, advertisement

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Authors: Karolina Wieczorek, Zofia Przypaśniak

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Climate change is a rapidly growing threat to global health, and part of the responsibility to combat it lies within the healthcare sector itself, including adequate education of future medical professionals. To mitigate the consequences, the General Medical Council (GMC) has equipped medical schools with a list of outcomes regarding sustainability teaching. Students are expected to analyze the impact of the healthcare sector’s emissions on climate change. The delivery of the related teaching content is, however, often inadequate and insufficient time is devoted for exploration of the topics. Teaching curricula lack in-depth exploration of the learning objectives. This study aims to assess the extent and characteristics of climate change and sustainability subjects teaching in the curriculum of a chosen UK medical school (Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry). It compares the data to the national average scores from the Climate Change and Sustainability Teaching (C.A.S.T.) in Medical Education Audit to draw conclusions about teaching on a regional level. This is a single-center audit of the timetabled sessions of teaching in the medical course. The study looked at the academic year 2020/2021 which included a review of all non-elective, core curriculum teaching materials including tutorials, lectures, written resources, and assignments in all five years of the undergraduate and graduate degrees, focusing only on mandatory teaching attended by all students (excluding elective modules). The topics covered were crosschecked with GMC Outcomes for graduates: “Educating for Sustainable Healthcare – Priority Learning Outcomes” as gold standard to look for coverage of the outcomes and gaps in teaching. Quantitative data was collected in form of time allocated for teaching as proxy of time spent per individual outcomes. The data was collected independently by two students (KW and ZP) who have received prior training and assessed two separate data sets to increase interrater reliability. In terms of coverage of learning outcomes, 12 out of 13 were taught (with the national average being 9.7). The school ranked sixth in the UK for time spent per topic and second in terms of overall coverage, meaning the school has a broad range of topics taught with some being explored in more detail than others. For the first outcome 4 out of 4 objectives covered (average 3.5) with 47 minutes spent per outcome (average 84 min), for the second objective 5 out of 5 covered (average 3.5) with 46 minutes spent (average 20), for the third 3 out of 4 (average 2.5) with 10 mins pent (average 19 min). A disproportionately large amount of time is spent delivering teaching regarding air pollution (respiratory illnesses), which resulted in the topic of sustainability in other specialties being excluded from teaching (musculoskeletal, ophthalmology, pediatrics, renal). Conclusions: Currently, there is no coherent strategy on national teaching of climate change topics and as a result an unstandardized amount of time spent on teaching and coverage of objectives can be observed.

Keywords: audit, climate change, sustainability, education

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Authors: Elizabeth Adebomi Akinlotan, Olukemi Odukoya

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INTRODUCTION: Physical Activity is defined as activity that involves bodily movement which is done as a part of daily activity in the form of working, playing, active transportation such as walking and also as a form of recreational activity. Physical inactivity has been identified as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality and morbidity causing an estimated 3.2 million deaths globally and 5.5% of total deaths and it remains a pressing public health issue. There is a shift in the major causes of death from communicable to non-communicable diseases in many developed countries and this is fast becoming the case in developing countries. Physical activity is an important determinant of health and has been associated with lower mortality rates as it reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, stroke, cancer and osteoporosis. It improves musculoskeletal health, controls weight and reduces symptoms of depression. AIM: The aim is to study the knowledge, attitude and practices of physical activity among adults in Alimosho local government area. METHODOLOGY: This was a descriptive cross sectional survey designed to study the knowledge, attitude and practice of physical activity among adults in Alimosho Local Government Area. The study population were 250 adults aged 18-65 who were residents of the area of more than 6 months duration and had no chronic disease condition or physical disability. A multistage sampling method was used to select the respondents and data was collected using interviewer administered questionnaires. The data was analyzed with the use of EPI-info 2007 statistical software. Chi Square was thereafter used to test the association between selected variables. The level of statistical significance was set at 5% (p<0.05). RESULTS: In general, majority (61.6%) of the respondents had a good knowledge of what physical activity entails, 34.0% had fair knowledge and 4.4% had poor knowledge. There was a favorable attitude towards physical activity among the respondents with 82.4% having an overall positive attitude. Below a third of the respondents (26.4%) reported having a high physical activity (METS > 3001) while 40.0% had moderate (601-3000 METS) levels of activity and 33.6% were inactive (<600METS). There is statistical significance between the gender of the respondent and the levels of physical activity (p=0.0007); 75.2% males reached the minimum recommendations while 24.8% were inactive and 55.0% females reached the minimum recommendations while 45.0% were inactive. Results also showed that of 95 respondents who were satisfied with their levels of physical activity, 33.7% were insufficiently active while 66.3% were either minimally active or highly active and of 110 who were unsatisfied with their levels of physical activity, 72.0% were above the minimum recommendations while 38.0% were insufficiently active. CONCLUSION: In contrast to the high level of knowledge and favorable attitude towards physical activity, there was a lower level of practice of high or moderate physical activities. It is recommended that more awareness should be created on the recommended levels of physical activity especially for the vigorous intensity and moderate intensity physical activity.

Keywords: METS, physical activity, physical inactivity, public health

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Authors: Yujia Sun

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Research on nominalizations in English can be traced back to at least the 1960s and even centered in the field nowadays. At the very beginning, the discussion was about the relationship between verbs and nouns, but then it moved to the distinct senses embodied in different forms of nominals, namely, various types of nominalizations. This paper tries to address the issue that how speakers perceive different forms of verbal nouns, and what might influence their perceptions. The data are collected through a self-designed questionnaire targeted at native speakers of American English, and the employment of the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA). The results show that semantic differences between different forms of nominals do play a role in people’s preference to certain form than another. But it still awaits more explorations to see how the frequency of usage is interrelates to this issue.

Keywords: corpus of contemporary American English, derived nominalization, frequency of usage, ing-formed nominalization

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Authors: B. Gangloff, N. Malleh

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Well-being at work has many positive aspects. Our general hypothesis is that employees who feel well-being at work will be positively valued by their superiors, and that this positive value, which evokes the concept of social norms, allows us to assign to well-being at work a normative status. Three populations (line managers, students destined to become human resource managers, and employees) responded to a well-being questionnaire. Managers had to indicate, for each item, if they appreciated (or not) an employee feeling the well-being presented in the item; students had to indicate which items an employee should check if s/he wants to be positively (versus negatively) appreciated by his/her superior; and employees had to indicate to what degree each item corresponded to the well-being they used to feel. Three hypotheses are developed and confirmed: Managers positively value employees feeling some sense of well-being; students are aware of this positivity; spontaneously employees show a state of well-being, which means, knowing that spontaneous self-presentation is often produced by social desirability, that employees are aware of the well-being positivity. These data are discussed under a conceptual and applied angle.

Keywords: normativity, well-being at work, organization, evaluation

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Authors: Bahloul Amel

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This study is an attempt to raise the awareness of the stakeholders and the authorities on the sensitivity of Algerian secondary school teachers of English as a Foreign Language about the students’ loss of English language skills learned during formal schooling with effort and at expense and the supposed measures to arrest that loss. Data was collected from secondary school teachers of EFL and analyzed quantitatively using a questionnaire containing open-ended and close-ended questions. The results advocate a consensus about the need for actions to be adopted to make assessment techniques outcome-oriented. Most of the participants were in favor of including curricular activities involving contextualized learning, problem-solving learning critical self-awareness, self and peer-assisted learning, use of computers and internet so as to make learners autonomous.

Keywords: lifelong learning, EFL, contextualized learning, Algeria

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Authors: Secil Kaya Gulen

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Face to face and virtual classrooms that came up with different conditions and environments, but similar purposes have different characteristics. Although virtual classrooms have some similar facilities with face-to-face classes such as program, students, and administrators, they have no walls and corridors. Therefore, students can attend the courses from a distance and can control their own learning spaces. Virtual classrooms defined as simultaneous online environments where students in different places come together at the same time with the guidance of a teacher. Distance education and virtual classes require different intellectual and managerial skills and models. Therefore, for effective use of virtual classrooms, the virtual property should be taken into consideration. One of the most important factors that affect the spread and effective use of the virtual classrooms is the perceptions and opinions of students -as one the main participants-. Student opinions and recommendations are important in terms of providing information about the fulfillment of expectation. This will help to improve the applications and contribute to the more efficient implementations. In this context, ideas and perceptions of the students related to the virtual classrooms, in general, were determined in this study. Advantages and disadvantages of virtual classrooms expected contributions to the educational system and expected characteristics of virtual classrooms have examined in this study. Students of an online distance education graduate program in which all the courses offered by virtual classrooms have asked for their opinions. Online Distance Education Graduate Program has totally 19 students. The questionnaire that consists of open-ended and multiple choice questions sent to these 19 students and finally 12 of them answered the questionnaire. Analysis of the data presented as frequencies and percentages for each item. SPSS for multiple-choice questions and Nvivo for open-ended questions were used for analyses. According to the results obtained by the analysis, participants stated that they did not get any training on virtual classes before the courses; but they emphasize that newly enrolled students should be educated about the virtual classrooms. In addition, all participants mentioned that virtual classroom contribute their personal development and they want to improve their skills by gaining more experience. The participants, who mainly emphasize the advantages of virtual classrooms, express that the dissemination of virtual classrooms will contribute to the Turkish Education System. Within the advantages of virtual classrooms, ‘recordable and repeatable lessons’ and ‘eliminating the access and transportation costs’ are most common advantages according to the participants. On the other hand, they mentioned ‘technological features and keyboard usage skills affect the attendance’ is the most common disadvantage. Participants' most obvious problem during virtual lectures is ‘lack of technical support’. Finally ‘easy to use’, ‘support possibilities’, ‘communication level’ and ‘flexibility’ come to the forefront in the scope of expected features of virtual classrooms. Last of all, students' opinions about the virtual classrooms seems to be generally positive. Designing and managing virtual classrooms according to the prioritized features will increase the students’ satisfaction and will contribute to improve applications that are more effective.

Keywords: distance education, virtual classrooms, higher education, e-learning

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Authors: Anna Słupik, Krzysztof Jaworski, Anna Mosiołek, Dariusz Białoszewski

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Background: Maintaining the correct body balance is essential in the prevention of falls in the elderly, which is especially important for women because of postmenopausal osteoporosis and the serious consequences of falls. One of the exercise methods which is very popular among adults, and which may affect body balance in a positive way is the pilates method. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of regular pilates exercises on the ability to maintain body balance in static conditions in adult healthy women. Material and methods: The study group consisted of 20 healthy women attending pilates twice a week for at least 1 year. The control group consisted of 20 healthy women physically inactive. Women in the age range from 35 to 50 years old without pain in musculoskeletal system or other pain were only qualified to the groups. Body balance was assessed using MatScan VersaTek platform with Sway Analysis Module based on Matscan Clinical 6.7 software. The balance was evaluated under the following conditions: standing on both feet with eyes open, standing on both feet with eyes closed, one-leg standing (separately on the right and left foot) with eyes open. Each test lasted 30 seconds. The following parameters were calculated: estimated size of the ellipse of 95% confidence, the distance covered by the Center of Gravity (COG), the size of the maximum shift in the sagittal and frontal planes and load distribution between the left and right foot, as well as between rear- and forefoot. Results: It was found that there is significant difference between the groups in favor of the study group in the size of the confidence ellipse and maximum shifts of COG in the sagittal plane during standing on both feet, both with the eyes open and closed (p < 0.05). While standing on one leg both on the right and left leg, with eyes opened there was a significant difference in favor of the study group, in terms of the size of confidence ellipse, the size of the maximum shifts in the sagittal and in the frontal plane (p < 0.05). There were no differences between the distribution of load between the right and left foot (standing with both feet), nor between fore- and rear foot (in standing with both feet or one-leg). Conclusions: 1. Static balance in women exercising regularly by pilates method is better than in inactive women, which may in the future prevent falls and their consequences. 2. The observed differences in maintaining balance in frontal plane in one-leg standing may indicate a positive impact of pilates exercises on the ability to maintain global balance in terms of the reduced support surface. 3. Pilates method can be used as a form preventive therapy for all people who are expected to have problems with body balance in the future, for example in chronic neurological disorders or vestibular problems. 4. The results have shown that further prospective randomized research on a larger and more representative group is needed.

Keywords: balance exercises, body balance, pilates, pressure distribution, women

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