Evaluating the impact of toxicological risk assessment tools on chemical spill response: a critical analysis of exposure prediction models

Drinking water production facilities are designed to filter contaminants that are ever-present in raw water. These facilities, however, pose risks of tap water contamination or water supply discontinuation in the event of a massive chemical spill. A managed aquifer recharge (MAR) offers the advantage of purifying surface water as well as maintaining water underground for extended periods of time, thus securing sufficient time for a response to contaminant infiltration and dramatically increasing consumer safety. However, contaminated aquifers are difficult to recover; accordingly, it is important that MAR sites engage in preemptive responses to chemical spills in order to protect their aquifers. This study assesses potential risks in order to quantify the detrimental impacts of chemical spills in cities located in river basins on drinking water supply facilities. The targets of analysis are two MAR sites in South Korea. The potential risk analysis offers grounds upon which aggressive basin management can be implemented to ensure water supply facility operation safety. The lack of data for available for analysis is addressed using a stochastic methodology that ranks cities in which MAR sites are endangered based on the cities’ potential risk probability distributions. The results of the analysis show that water supply facilities surrounded by larger cities have relatively higher potential risks, and would, therefore, need to handle more management targets to prevent chemical spills. Furthermore, the proposed methodology contributes not only to potential risk management of existing water supply facilities, but also to MAR site selection.

Although green building certifications aim to promote environmentally sustainable design, their impact on user experience and spatial satisfaction remains underexplored. This gap raises questions about the extent to which sustainability goals align with user expectations. This study investigates employee satisfaction in the Küçükçekmece Municipality New Service Building, the first public administration building in Türkiye certified by BREEAM. Multiple variables, including physical environmental comfort, perception of green building features, functionality, and motivation, were analyzed. A mixed-method research design was used where quantitative data were collected using 5-point Likert scale surveys and qualitative data were collected via interviews with open-ended questions. Frequency analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), t-test, ANOVA, and Chi-Squares test were used to analyze the study data. The results indicated that certain environmental factors, including lighting and ergonomics, were associated with relatively higher satisfaction levels, while there was significant dissatisfaction as regards indoor air quality and thermal comfort. Furthermore, it was found that demographic variables, including gender and age, had significant effects on motivation levels. The study results suggested that the physical environment in sustainable public buildings should be assessed not only in terms of technical but also psychosocial aspects.

Background: This study was conducted to examine essential content needs in E-course training to improve the knowledge and skills of immunization staff members in Thailand. Methods: This study used a mixed-method research design. Quantitative methodology was used to study 449 staff members of government care facilities in the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI). Surveys were conducted by using the perceived needs for immunization training questionnaire. Qualitative methodology employed in-depth interview guidelines on immunization content that were used to interview 14 staff members at EPI. The quantitative data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Interview data were analyzed in content analysis. Results: The participants were immunization staff members of three positions: registered nurses, pharmacists and public health technical officers. The participants had different E-course training content needs concerning vaccine-report registration, administering the vaccines and dealing with adverse events following immunization (AEFI) with a statistical significance of .05. This was consistent with the findings from in-depth interviews, which showed staff members had both varying and connected work responsibilities, giving members from all three groups a need for the same basic knowledge pertaining to immunization. In some aspects, staff members required different training content details depending on job descriptions. Public health technical officers were found to require details on vaccine-report registration. Nurses required knowledge dealing with AEFI and administering the vaccines. Pharmacists needed details on the cold-chain system the most. Conclusion: Executives at the policy level should specify essential content requiring development for each position in addition to designing training models to meet the needs of EPI staff, enabling access and promoting effective use.

A mixed methods research design, which is a complex approach, combines both quantitative and qualitative data in a single study or succession of studies. This design can be particularly functional for exploring complex research questions that cannot be fully answered by using a single research design. Moreover, a mixed methods design is necessary to examine the relationships between different variables because examining the relationships between diverse variables is not viable just through a single research design. This design is required to complement and cater to the increasingly multifarious requirements of contemporary researchers. This article, which explores and discusses types, purposes, strengths, challenges and criticisms of the mixed methods research design as its objectives, stems from an analysis of some notable works in the field. It is grounded on the secondary qualitative data accumulated in the forms of words from journal articles and books related to the research designs. It assists the novices in the field of research in particular and other researchers in general by providing them with an overview of mixed methods design along with its types, such as convergent parallel, explanatory sequential, exploratory sequential, embedded, transformative and multi-phage designs.

This study investigates the determinants of teachers’ well-being and self-efficacy, measuring these variables and exploring influencing factors within educational settings. A mixed-method research design was employed, with sixty participants selected through purposeful sampling from different teaching contexts and career stages, including both pre-service and in-service teachers from government and private schools. Data collection involved the Teacher Well-Being Scale (TWBS) and the Teacher Sense of Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES), along with semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data from the psychological tools were scored and analyzed statistically using means and standard deviations, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Findings indicate that in-service teachers exhibit higher self-efficacy, peaking at 16-20 years of experience, while pre-service teachers show more variability. Well-being scores reveal that in-service teachers mainly fall into “High” categories, while pre-service teachers are evenly distributed across “Average” and “High” categories. Government school teachers report higher well-being than private school teachers. Teachers’ work experience correlates with higher efficacy, stabilizing in mid to late career stages, while well-being varies across experience ranges, with stability in the 31-35 years of experience. Factors that influence teachers’ well-being include infrastructure, autonomy, interpersonal relationships, decision-making participation, and work-life balance, along with professional and personal growth. Determinants of self-efficacy include enactive mastery experiences, effective classroom management, and strong subject matter command. Vicarious experiences through colleagues and supervisors, verbal persuasion, and psychological states influenced self-efficacy. The study reveals a positive correlation (? = 0.322658) between teacher well-being and self-efficacy, indicating an interconnected relationship where enhanced well-being contributes to higher self-efficacy. The study underscores the importance of creating conducive teaching environments that foster supportive physical and psychological environments and support systems to enhance teacher well-being and self-efficacy.

The increasing number of accidents involving chemical spills demands development of not only feasible emergency strategies, but also a consistent framework to protect the environment and prevent accidents. This can be possible only by a sound understanding of the environmental impact of spills and their potential long-term effects. Furthermore, the impact assessment of chemical spills can not be done disregarding the spatial-temporal pattern of previous exposures reciprocally influenced by both chemical and environmental properties. In this context, the thesis proposes a general framework to quantify the cumulative effects of chemical spills at any given point of a certain area based on a “present” history of exposure coupled with chemical and environmental properties designated as relevant to predict possible pictures o f future exposure and estimate in advance potential alarming levels of pollution. To achieve this purpose, the following objectives are set up. The first objective is to develop a four-dimensional model to simulate a single-spill event based on certain assumptions about chemical and soil characteristics. The second objective is to develop an algorithm to assess the cumulative effects of chemical spills on a selected area using the model for a single-spill event while taking into account the effects of those spills of the spatial-temporal zone adjacent to the study area.

The increasing number of accidents involving chemical spills demands development of not only feasible emergency strategies, but also a consistent framework to protect the environment and prevent accidents. This can be possible only by a sound understanding of the environmental impact of spills and their potential long-term effects. Furthermore, the impact assessment of chemical spills can not be done disregarding the spatial-temporal pattern of previous exposures reciprocally influenced by both chemical and environmental properties. In this context, the thesis proposes a general framework to quantify the cumulative effects of chemical spills at any given point of a certain area based on a “present” history of exposure coupled with chemical and environmental properties designated as relevant to predict possible pictures o f future exposure and estimate in advance potential alarming levels of pollution. To achieve this purpose, the following objectives are set up. The first objective is to develop a four-dimensional model to simulate a single-spill event based on certain assumptions about chemical and soil characteristics. The second objective is to develop an algorithm to assess the cumulative effects of chemical spills on a selected area using the model for a single-spill event while taking into account the effects of those spills of the spatial-temporal zone adjacent to the study area.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore an optimal research design for research on women entrepreneurs involved in negotiating term sheets for private equity capital. This research explores new ways for researchers to connect with such current “invisibles” through the use of a mixed method and mixed mode research design to expand sampling options and secure respondent participation. The authors discuss existing data sets that have been used as secondary sources for data on financing of companies and consider their inadequacy for research questions about process issues in negotiation. The authors present process-related findings regarding the efficacy of the research design. Design/methodology/approach – This paper reviews research on research methodology, incorporating a discussion of practices outside of the entrepreneurship discipline to discover effective practices for identifying respondents and data not currently captured in entrepreneurship data sources. The respondents were found through social media sites, angel networks, University networks and via identification through a proprietary financial intelligence database. Findings – An optimal research design to identify women business owners of growth-oriented firms who have negotiated private equity should consider mixed methods designs and mixed modes, including the use of digital networks that signal to potential respondents that research is being done. Research limitations/implications – Although the authors developed the multi-method, mixed mode (MMMM) research design, the sample size is still relatively small. This raises concerns about generalizability to the larger population and limits statistical analysis more suitable with larger data sets. However, the MMMM research design has enabled the authors to reach a difficult target sample. It has proven effective, although a longer time frame would have been helpful. Research limitations/implications – All of the large scale databases in entrepreneurship have limitations in providing optimal sampling frames for process-related research. The present research study was able to use conventional networks, social media sites and angel networks to connect with women business owners who have raised private equity, but who lack visibility in current data sets. The study shows that through the use of multiple methods, women entrepreneurs can be researched and some will share their experiences about process issues. The sample size was small and the quantitative data cannot be generalized. However, the methodology works and allows researchers to explore experiences that are not captured in existing data sets. Social implications – Entrepreneurship researchers can connect with “invisibles” by becoming more “social” and using social media sites that are used by women entrepreneurs. Researchers may not have immediate access to women entrepreneurs through these means, but rather they need to develop interpersonal contacts, build a social presence and trust to recruit respondents to complete online questionnaire studies about substantive topics such as negotiating term sheets for equity investments in their companies. Originality/value – This paper summarizes the “research on research methodologies” in entrepreneurship, reviews secondary data sources and discusses their limitations for specific types of research questions. A review of the value of MMMM research designs and best practices in online survey research outside of entrepreneurship provides insights into the incorporation of digital tools in other disciplines.

Management decisions aimed at protecting aquatic resources following accidental chemical spills into rivers and coastal estuaries require estimates of toxic thresholds derived from realistic spill conditions: acute pulse exposures of short duration (h), information which often is unavailable. Most existing toxicity data (median lethal concentration or median effective concentration) come from tests performed under constant exposure concentrations and exposure durations in the 24-h to 96-h range, conditions not typical of most chemical spills. Short-exposure hazard concentration estimates were derived for selected chemicals using empirical toxicity data. Chemical-specific 5th percentile hazard concentrations (HC5) of species sensitivity distributions (SSD) from individual exposure durations (6-96 h) were derived via bootstrap resampling and were plotted against their original exposure durations to estimate HC5s and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) at shorter exposures (1, 2, and 4 h). This approach allowed the development of short-exposure HC5s for 12 chemicals. Model verification showed agreement between observed and estimated short-exposure HC5s (r(2) adjusted = 0.95, p < 0.0001), and comparison of estimated short-exposure HC5s with empirical toxicity data indicated generally conservative hazard estimates. This approach, applied to 2 real spill incidents, indicated hazard estimates above expected environmental concentrations (acrylonitrile), and suggested that environmental concentrations likely exceeded short-exposure hazard estimates (furfural). Although estimates generated through this approach were likely overprotective, these were derived from environmentally realistic exposure durations, providing risk-assessors with a tool to manage field decisions. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:1918-1927. © 2013 SETAC.

Istanbul Strait is one of the most important and dangerous maritime passage in the world. In this study, the hazards for possible accidents of the tankers carrying various chemicals through the Istanbul Strait were investigated and a significant risk was identified due to the intensive transportation of the chemicals. The purpose of this work is to define some risk control options in order to establish an efficient management system which can minimize the probability of accidents and hazardous effects of possible chemical spills to human life and environment. The risk is assessed by using the Formal Safety Assessment Methodology of the International Maritime Organization. Following this methodology hazards of accidents were identified through a questionnaire which is applied to a group of experts focussed on a passage of Istanbul Strait. In addition to this, a frequency analysis of the accidents was carried out on the defined sections along the strait using the accident database in order to determine the geographical distribution of the type and cause of the accidents. On the other hand, the maritime traffic of the Istanbul Strait was simulated using computer based software in order to investigate the effects of the local traffic on the passage. As a conclusion of the simulation the hot spots were defined as the potential locations for collisions. Also the consequences of such probable accidents were evaluated by using different dispersion modelling software for the spilled chemicals. As a result, a comprehensive management system for preparedness and response to chemical spills in the Istanbul Strait were proposed by taking into account the current management system and response equipment. Furthermore, a detailed economic analysis of the proposed system was also performed.

The aim of this study is to investigate the VTSs implemented by EFL lecturers and also to identify their attitudes towards vocabulary along with the difficulties faced by them in vocabulary teaching. In line with this aim, a mixed-method research design was used. 170 lecturers working at twenty-five universities participated in the study. The researchers used a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. The quantitative data instrument was the Vocabulary Teaching Strategies Questionnaire. The quantitative data were analyzed by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 23. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 8 lecturers. The collected qualitative data were content-analyzed. The analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data showed that the participants applied determination strategies while teaching their students to discover the meanings of new words. On the other hand, while teaching students to consolidate the learned words, they used metacognitive, memory, cognitive and social (consolidation) strategies respectively. Additionally, it was found that the participants experienced difficulties in vocabulary teaching such as students’ lack of practice and repetition, students’ low proficiency levels, time limitation, and students’ tendency to use a bilingual dictionary.

This research investigated the implementation of inter-language pragmatics instruction which is less explored in the research literature of instructional pragmatics in EFL contexts. Specifically, it examined the extent to which instructors of private EFL institutes implement interlanguage pragmatic instruction in their classrooms in Iran. A mixed-method research design was employed in this study. Two hundred and thirty eight instructors participated in this study to collect the questionnaire data and 67 classes were involved in the observation. Questionnaire and observation checklists made up the quantitative instruments for data collection while observation field notes provided the qualitative data. The quantitative data was subjected to descriptive statistics through the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 21 software and the qualitative data was analyzed based on Martinez-Flor and Uso-Juan’s 6Rs instructional model. Findings from both the quantitative and qualitative data showed that Iranian EFL instructors rarely implemented and practiced the features of inter-language pragmatics in their classes in comparison with other language areas. The study suggests the inclusion of adequate pragmatic information not only in the instructors’ guidebooks but also in learners’ EFL textbooks and teacher training courses. The quality of EFL teaching can then be further enhanced at the higher learning institutions in EFL contexts. Keywords: Praxis; Interlanguage pragmatic instruction; private EFL institutes; mixed-methods approach, EFL context

This research was conducted to investigate the use of visual storytelling in teaching English vocabulary to young learners at Viet Anh Primary School in Vietnam’s context. Specifically, the research aimed to determine the possible advantages and disadvantages of using visual storytelling to teach vocabulary to young learners, as well as to explore specific solutions to disadvantages of using visual storytelling in teaching English vocabulary to young learners. The study followed a mixed-methods research design which collected both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data was collected with a questionnaire, while qualitative data was collected with interviews. The study took place at Viet Anh Primary School in Ca Mau City and included 30 teachers from the school as participants. All the teachers responded to the questionnaire, whereas five teachers participated in the interviews. The findings revealed that teachers perceived various benefits associated with visual storytelling, including affective, cognitive, teaching, and behavioral/social benefits. Visual storytelling was considered an effective way to motivate students to learn vocabulary. The affective and cognitive benefits were perceived most prominently. Concerning the disadvantages, the findings showed that the teachers struggled with preparing relevant and suitable visual stories, evaluating students’ performances during visual storytelling activities, and preparing stories in a reasonable timeframe. The interview participants recommended solutions to address these challenges, which included using pre-made resources, effective time management, collaboration, involving students in the process, customizing content, utilizing various sources, observing engagement, and implementing assessments. The research findings can serve as a useful reference for English teachers of young learners and those with similar contexts.

In today’s fast-changing global environment, education must equip learners not only with academic knowledge but also with essential 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, communication, leadership, collaboration, and creativity. While national policies like India’s NEP 2020 emphasize holistic and competency-based learning, there remains a significant research gap regarding the extent to which these goals are realized in residential girls' schools, particularly in underserved or rural contexts. This study addresses this gap by evaluating how effectively Kanya Shiksha Parisars (KSPs) in Madhya Pradesh are fostering 21st-century skills among girl students through a holistic and inclusive educational approach. To achieve this, a mixed-methods research design was employed, combining quantitative survey data and qualitative insights. The study draws on responses from 1,259 students, 130 teachers, and 26 head teachers across 26 Kanya Shiksha Parisar’s (KSPs) of Madhya Pradesh, selected through stratified random sampling. Quantitative data from structured student questionnaires and qualitative feedback from semi-structured teacher interviews and Focus Group Discussions were analyzed to assess the development of skills such as teamwork, time management, leadership, and problem-solving. Findings indicate a high level of student engagement in skill-building activities, with over 85% affirming the positive role of KSPs in their personal development. However, the study also reveals gaps in digital literacy, access to leadership opportunities, and creative skill enhancement. Teachers express strong intent to support these competencies but are constrained by curriculum overload and limited resources, which hinder the integration of innovative pedagogies. The study concludes that while KSPs are significantly contributing to girls’ 21st-century skill development, further progress depends on systemic support, targeted teacher training, and infrastructure development.

This study investigates effective customer service improvement strategies within an operations management framework, with particular emphasis on technological integration, employee capability development, multi-channel service systems, and systematic utilization of customer feedback. A mixed-methods research design was employed to ensure methodological rigor, combining quantitative survey data and qualitative interview insights. The sample comprised 200 customer service managers and frontline employees representing diverse industry sectors. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, while qualitative data were examined through thematic analysis to capture deeper operational perspectives. The findings demonstrate that the integration of artificial intelligence and customer relationship management (CRM) systems significantly enhances service efficiency, responsiveness, and overall customer satisfaction. Furthermore, comprehensive and continuous employee training emerges as a critical enabler for maximizing technological benefits and addressing increasingly complex customer expectations. The study also highlights that effective multi-channel service delivery depends on platform integration and employee readiness to ensure service consistency across touchpoints. Additionally, the strategic collection and application of customer feedback play a vital role in strengthening customer trust, loyalty, and long-term engagement. Importantly, aligning customer service initiatives with broader organizational objectives enhances strategic coherence and operational performance. This study offers a holistic and empirically grounded framework for improving customer service operations, contributing valuable insights to both academic discourse and managerial practice in contemporary service management.