Activity Monitoring Research Articles

Revealing the different levels of action monitoring in visuomotor transformation task: Evidence from decomposition of cortical potentials.

This study investigates the cortical correlates of motor response control and monitoring, using the Theory of Event Coding (TEC)as a framework to investigate signals related to low-level sensory processing of motor reafference and high-level response monitoring, including verification of response outcomes with the internal model. We used a visuomotor paradigm with two targets at different distances from the participant. For the recorded movement-related cortical potentials (MRCPs), we analyzed their different components and assessed the movement phases during which they are active. Residual iteration decomposition (RIDE) and multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) were used for this analysis. Using RIDE, we separated MRCPs into signals related to different parallel processes of visuomotor transformation: stimulus processing (S-cluster), motor response preparation and execution (R-cluster), and intermediate processes (C-cluster). We revealed sequential activation in the R-cluster, with execution-related negative components and positive contralateral peaks reflecting reafference processing. We also identified the motor post-imperative negative variation within the R-cluster, highlighting the response outcome evaluation process included in the action file. Our findings extend the understanding of C-cluster signals, typically associated with stimulus-response mapping, by demonstrating C-activation from the preparatory stages through to response termination, highlighting its participation in action monitoring. In addition, we highlighted the ability of MVPA to identify movement-related attribute encoding: where statistical analysis showed independence of stimulus processing activity from movement distance, MVPA revealed distance-related differences in the S-cluster within a time window aligned with the lateralized readiness potential (LRP). This highlights the importance of integrating RIDE and MVPA to uncover the intricate neural dynamics of motor control, sensory integration, and response monitoring.

Heartbeat classification using various machine learning models: A comparative study

Cardiac arrhythmias, known as irregular heartbeats, pose a notable health threat that necessitates prompt diagnosis, as untreated arrhythmias can lead to severe heart complications. Among the various methods for arrhythmia detection, electrocardiography is the most prevalent due to its non-invasive monitoring of heart activity. However, manual electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis is inefficient and prone to errors, prompting the exploration of machine learning (ML) models for ECG feature recognition. Integrating ML models with ECG analysis can revolutionize cardiac diagnostics by improving healthcare efficiency and outcomes by enhancing the accuracy and consistency of existing approaches as well as their processing speed for large datasets. Unfortunately, current ML methods encounter two key limitations: prolonged training times and the need for manual feature selection. To address these issues, we propose using ML models enhanced with innovative techniques such as the Fourier transform (FT) and Gaussian noise injection for improved cardiac health assessment. To validate this approach, we utilized statistical tools, including Pearson correlation and p-values, to uncover relationships within the data. In addition, we employed the FT technique to extract and analyze frequency-domain features. Our comparative study of different ML models relied on metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and receiver operating characteristic area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, demonstrating XGBoost’s impressive average recall of 0.956 with 99.96% overall accuracy. An average precision of 0.956 further underscored the accuracy of XGBoost’s predictions, indicating its high level of reliability in distinguishing various cardiac conditions. These results highlight the considerable potential of ML techniques for precise ECG-based clinical diagnoses, helping healthcare professionals make more accurate and timely decisions in patient care.

Cost of COVID-19 vaccine delivery in nine States in Nigeria via the U.S. Government Initiative for Global Vaccine Access

BackgroundIn 2022, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collaborated with implementing partners, African Field Epidemiology Network and Sydani Group, to support COVID-19 vaccination efforts in Nigeria. To characterize the costs of COVID-19 vaccination, this study evaluated financial costs per dose for activities implemented to support the intensification campaign for COVID-19 vaccination.MethodsThis retrospective evaluation collected secondary data from existing expenditure and programmatic records on resource utilization to roll out COVID-19 vaccination during 2022. The study included incremental financial costs of the activities implemented to support an intensification campaign for COVID-19 vaccination across nine states and six administrative levels in Nigeria from the perspective of the external donor (U.S. Government). Costs for vaccines and injection supplies, transport of vaccines, and any economic costs, including government in-kind contributions, were not included. All costs were converted from Nigerian Naira to 2022 U.S. Dollars (US$).ResultsThe estimated financial delivery cost of the COVID-19 vaccination intensification campaign was US$0.84 per dose (total expenditure of US$6.29 million to administer 7,461,971 doses). Most of the financial resources were used for fieldwork activities (86%), followed by monitoring and supervision activities (8%), coordination activities (5%), and training-related activities (1%). Labor (58%) and travel (37%) were the resource inputs that accounted for the majority of the cost, while shares of other resource inputs were marginal (1% for each). Most labor costs (79%) were spent on payments for mass vaccination campaign teams, including pay-for-performance incentives. By administrative level, the largest share of costs (46%) was for pay-for-performance incentives at the community, health facility, or campus levels combined, followed by local government area level (24%), community level only (15%), state level (9%), national level (3%), campus level only (1%), and health facility level only (< 1%).ConclusionsFindings from the evaluation can help to inform resources needed for vaccination activities to respond to future outbreaks and pandemics in resource-limited settings, particularly to reach new target populations not regularly included in routine childhood immunization delivery.

An ecological vulnerability index to assess impacts of offshore wind facilities on migratory songbirds

Abstract As offshore wind (OSW) energy expands globally, migratory songbirds are at risk of mortality from collisions with turbine blades, though the magnitude of this threat and which species are most vulnerable, remains poorly understood. Ecological vulnerability indices are commonly used to assess species' susceptibility to harmful factors, with results used to direct scarce research and monitoring resources to species showing relatively high vulnerability. These indices are based on the traits that elevate a species risk to adverse impacts (sensitivity), the overlap in occurrence between a species and the potentially harmful agent (exposure) and the influence of this exposure on the species' local or global persistence (resilience). We modified ecological vulnerability indices for seabirds to assess vulnerability of migratory songbirds to OSW related mortality. As a pertinent case study, we considered songbirds that fly across the Northwest Atlantic during their autumn migration. We utilized readily available information on each species' migratory behaviour, life history, and conservation status to calculate an index score that could range from 1 (lowest vulnerability) to 125 (highest vulnerability). We found scores of 3 to 55.2 for the 101 songbird species evaluated, with New World warblers (Parulidae) over‐represented among the highest scoring species. We found the scores to be sensitive to uncertainty in index components, highlighting the importance of considering scoring uncertainty when evaluating ecological vulnerability indices. Finally, we found that for seven of the top 10 highest scoring species, modest improvements in population trends had the potential to lower the scores substantially. Synthesis and applications. Our methodology is readily applicable to other regions where offshore wind (OSW) development is planned and songbird migration is common, allowing research and monitoring activities to be targeted to species most likely to be negatively affected by OSW facility encounters.

Pengaruh Gaya Kepemimpinan Transformasional dan Fasilitas Kerja terhadap Kinerja Aparatur Sipil Negara dengan Pengawasan Kerja Sebagai Variabel Intervening pada Biro Umum Sekretariat Daerah Provinsi Jambi

Transformational and work facilities on performance with work supervision as an intervening variable at the General Bureau of the Jambi Province Regional Secretariat. The method used in this research is descriptive and quantitative descriptive statistics. The research object in this study is the influence of transformational leadership style and work facilities on employee performance with work supervision as an intervening variable at the General Bureau of the Regional Secretariat of Jambi Province with a total of 91 specimens. This research uses the Smart PLS 3.0 analysis tool. Based on the reflection of the transformational leadership style, work facilities, supervision of activities and results of activities of employees of the General Bureau of the Regional Secretariat of Jambi Province, it shows that the transformational leadership style has a total score of 4366 in the good category. Then, for an overview of the work facilities variable, it shows that the work facilities at the General Bureau of the Regional Secretariat of Jambi Province are higher with a total score of 2499 in the very good category. Furthermore, the description of the work supervision variable shows a total score of 3449 with good criteria, while the reflection of objects resulting from the activities of the State Civil Service with a total score of 4495 is quite satisfactory. Based on the results of a study using the Smart PLS 3.0 application, transformational leadership style has a relevant impact on monitoring activities, work facilities have a relevant impact on monitoring activities, transformational leadership style has a positive and relevant impact on the activities of the State Civil Service, work facilities have a positive and relevant impact on the activities of the State Civil Apparatus, supervision has a good and relevant impact on the activities of the State Civil Service, transformational leadership style has a relevant impact on activities.

Perceptions of fairness, inclusion and safety: the differential impact of contrasting experiences on academics and professional services staff

AbstractThe current study explores how organizational dimensions relate to and impact organizational commitment, comparing staff in academic positions with staff in professional services roles. Data was collected from 281 academic and 294 professional services staff within university environments who completed extensive questionnaires. Overall academics manifested lower levels of emotional attachment to, and perceived obligation to remain in their university, felt less safe to take interpersonal risks, to speak up and lower support for their work-life balance than their professional services colleagues. The perception of procedural fairness and discrimination impacted academics loyalty and felt obligation to remain and reciprocate organizational investments to a higher extent. Psychological safety positively influenced staff’s commitment. Emotional and obligation-based types of commitment were more strongly affected by psychological safety among academics than professional services staff. Finally, work-life balance support positively influenced staff’s commitment, appearing to be an equally important dimension to drive emotional and obligation-based types of commitment from both academics and professional services staff. This study brings important contributions to research on the working environment of academics and professional services staff and indicates that development of clear policies to promote and maintain fairness, psychological safety and work-life balance, together with active monitoring and evaluation of their impact, should be a key focus for higher education institutions.

In-situ cured gel polymer/ecoflex hierarchical structure-based stretchable and robust TENG for intelligent touch perception and biometric recognition

Gel-based sensors for next generation touch panels have been acknowledged for their exceptional sensitivity and flexibility. However, these sensors typically depend on a metal grid connection, which is susceptible to structural deformation under heavy stress applications and necessitates external power. Here, we report a novel in-situ cured gel polymer electrode-based triboelectric nanogenerator (GPE-TENG) that is stretchable, semi-transparent, and durable, designed to enable a self-powered touch panel for intelligent touch perception. The in-situ curing of the hierarchical structure of the ionic polymer gel encapsulated within the ecoflex ensures robust adhesion of the ionic conductive polymer gel (PEO/LiTFSI) to the ecoflex layers, addressing the issue of delamination in TENG components under mechanical stress. As a result, the GPE-TENG demonstrates high durability, enduring under stretching of approximately 375 % and sustaining heavy mechanical deformations (under folding, twisting, and rolling) over a long period (approximately 2 months) without loss of functionality. Remarkably, the GPE-TENG exhibits outstanding energy harvesting capabilities with a peak power density of 0.36 W m-2. Notably, the GPE-TENG generates electrical signals through simple device stretching, thus serving as a self-powered wearable sensor for human activity monitoring. Moreover, a 9-digital arrayed (3 × 3) flexible, semi-transparent, and self-powered touch panel based on the GPE-TENG shows multifunctionality, including touch track/pattern recognition (i.e. touch and sliding mode) and a highly accurate (∼98 %) deep learning assisted smart biometric system for user identification.

Online monitoring of methane transfer rates unveils nitrogen fixation dynamics in Methylococcus capsulatus.

This study explores methane utilization by the methanotrophic microorganism Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) for biomass production, presenting a promising approach to mitigate methane emissions and foster the development sustainable biomaterials. Traditional screening methods for gas cultivations involve either serum flasks without online monitoring or costly, low-throughput fermenters. To address these limitations, the Respiration Activity MOnitoring System was augmented with methane sensors for real-time methane transfer rate (MTR) monitoring in shake flasks. Utilizing online monitoring of the MTR in shake flasks results in enhanced throughput and cost-effectiveness for cultivating M. capsulatus. Simultaneous monitoring of transfer rates for oxygen, methane, and carbon dioxide was conducted in up to eight shake flasks, ensuring the success of the cultivation process. Alterations in methane-to-oxygen transfer rate ratios and carbon fixation rates reveal the impact of transfer limitations on microbial growth. Detection of gas transfer limitations, exploration of process parameter influences, and investigations of medium components were enabled by the introduced method. Optimal nitrogen concentrations could be determined to ensure optimal growth. This streamlined approach accelerates the screening process, offering efficient investigations into metabolic effects, limitations, and parameter influences in gas fermentations without the need for elaborate offline sampling, significantly reducing costs and enhanced reproducibility.

The Asian Citrus Psyllid (&lt;i&gt;Diaphorina citri&lt;/i&gt;) in Africa: using MaxEnt to predict current and future climatic suitability, with a focus on potential invasion routes

The Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) (Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, 1908) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) is a major citrus pest. The species has been introduced to West and East Africa, but has not yet spread to southern Africa, where it could have a devastating impact on citrus farming and livelihoods. A proactive response is key to mitigating the species’ impacts, particularly the ongoing monitoring of potential invasion routes and entry points into South Africa. Species distribution models (SDMs) were developed under current and future climates for ACP in Africa, and these models were used to (1) determine where the species likely poses a threat, (2) identify potential invasion routes into South Africa, and (3) assess how these factors will be affected under climate change. The SDMs indicated that there is an almost contiguous band of suitable climate along the east coast of Africa that joins the species’ current range in East Africa to South Africa, and under aggressive climate change a potential route of invasion through Namibia and Botswana. Much of South Africa is climatically suitable for the species, but under climate change, climatically suitable areas are likely to shift further inland. The spread of ACP into South Africa is unlikely to be prevented, but the outputs of the present models will inform monitoring activities and assist with preparations to respond to this predicted biological invasion.

The Asian Citrus Psyllid (&lt;i&gt;Diaphorina citri&lt;/i&gt;) in Africa: using MaxEnt to predict current and future climatic suitability, with a focus on potential invasion routes

The Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) (Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, 1908) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) is a major citrus pest. The species has been introduced to West and East Africa, but has not yet spread to southern Africa, where it could have a devastating impact on citrus farming and livelihoods. A proactive response is key to mitigating the species’ impacts, particularly the ongoing monitoring of potential invasion routes and entry points into South Africa. Species distribution models (SDMs) were developed under current and future climates for ACP in Africa, and these models were used to (1) determine where the species likely poses a threat, (2) identify potential invasion routes into South Africa, and (3) assess how these factors will be affected under climate change. The SDMs indicated that there is an almost contiguous band of suitable climate along the east coast of Africa that joins the species’ current range in East Africa to South Africa, and under aggressive climate change a potential route of invasion through Namibia and Botswana. Much of South Africa is climatically suitable for the species, but under climate change, climatically suitable areas are likely to shift further inland. The spread of ACP into South Africa is unlikely to be prevented, but the outputs of the present models will inform monitoring activities and assist with preparations to respond to this predicted biological invasion.

Active symptom monitoring for premenopausal women with breast cancer initiating adjuvant endocrine therapy: Protocol for the SWOG S2010 randomized controlled efficacy trial

BackgroundPremenopausal women with early stage, high risk hormone receptor positive breast cancer are at risk of early discontinuation of adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET), primarily because of toxicity, which can increase the risk of disease recurrence and death. We hypothesize that identification of bothersome symptoms between clinic visits, and automated notification of clinicians about symptoms, will result in improved persistence with ET. MethodsPre- and perimenopausal women planning to receive adjuvant treatment with tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor plus ovarian function suppression or ablation for treatment of breast cancer are eligible. A total of 540 participants will be enrolled and randomized 1:1 to patient education with or without Active Symptom Monitoring (ASM). The ASM intervention includes 6 symptom questions (hot flashes, sadness, anxiety, insomnia, vaginal dryness, joint pain) that will be completed via text, email, or telephone weekly for 24 weeks, then every 4 weeks for 48 weeks. All participants will complete a battery of questionnaires every 12 weeks to examine symptoms, beliefs about medicine, self-efficacy, and ET adherence. Optional blood draws will be collected at baseline and after 12, 48, and 72 weeks of therapy to examine estradiol and ET concentrations. The primary endpoint is time to nonpersistence with initially prescribed ET within the first 72 weeks, evaluated using Kaplan-Meier plots and multivariable Cox regression. ConclusionWe expect early identification and management of ET-related toxicities to improve persistence with breast cancer therapy, breast cancer outcomes, and quality of life for premenopausal women at high risk of breast cancer recurrence.Clinicaltrials.govNCT05568472

Lipophilic bisphosphonates reduced cyst burden and ameliorated hyperactivity of mice chronically infected with Toxoplasma gondii.

The current treatments for toxoplasmosis are only active against fast-growing tachyzoites, present in acute infections, with little effect on slow-growing bradyzoites within tissue cysts, present in latent chronic infections. The mitochondrion of Toxoplasma gondii is essential for its survival, and one of the major anti-parasitic drugs, atovaquone, inhibits the mitochondrial electron transport chain at the coenzyme Q:cytochrome c oxidoreductase site. Coenzyme Q (also known as ubiquinone [UQ]) consists of a quinone head and a lipophilic, isoprenoid tail that anchors UQ to membranes. The synthesis of the isoprenoid unit is essential for cell growth and is inhibited by lipophilic bisphosphonates, which inhibit the parasite growth. In this work, we investigated the effect of lipophilic bisphosphonates on the chronic stages of T. gondii. We discovered that three lipophilic bisphosphonates (BPH-1218, BPH-1236, and BPH-1238), effective for the acute infection, were also effective in controlling the development of chronic stages. We showed effectiveness by testing them against in vitro cysts and in vivo derived tissue cysts and, most importantly, these compounds reduced the cyst burden in the brains of chronically infected mice. We monitored the activity of infected mice non-invasively and continuously with a novel device termed the CageDot. A decrease in activity accompanied the acute phase, but mice recovered to normal activity and showed signs of hyperactivity when the chronic infection was established. Moreover, treatment with atovaquone or BPH-1218 ameliorated the hyperactivity observed during the chronic infection.IMPORTANCETreatment for toxoplasmosis is challenged by a lack of effective drugs to eradicate the chronic stages. Most of the drugs currently used are poorly distributed to the central nervous system, and they trigger allergic reactions in a large number of patients. There is a compelling need for safe and effective treatments for toxoplasmosis. Bisphosphonates (BPs) are analogs of inorganic pyrophosphate and are used for the treatment of bone disorders. BPs target the isoprenoid pathway and are effective against several experimental parasitic infections. Some lipophilic BPs can specifically inhibit the mitochondrial activity of Toxoplasma gondii by interfering with the mechanism by which ubiquinone is inserted into the inner mitochondrial membrane. In this work, we present the effect of three lipophilic BPs against T. gondii chronic stages. We also present a new strategy for the monitoring of animal activity during disease and treatment that is non-invasive and continuous.

18F]NaF PET/CT as a Marker for Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva: From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Applications in Bone Disorders.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare genetic bone disorder characterized by episodic flare-ups in connective tissue, which are frequently followed by the formation of heterotopic ossification. The absence of available plasma-soluble biomarkers for flare-ups or heterotopic bone formation poses severe challenges to the monitoring of disease activity to measure or predict disease progression. Recently, 18-fluor-sodium fluoride positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([18F]NaF PET/CT) was introduced as a potential marker for ossifying FOP activity. This review discusses the pharmacokinetics of [18F]NaF in relation to the pathophysiology of FOP, and its use as a marker of local bone metabolism in a variety of bone-related disorders. In addition, the review specifically addresses the applicability of [18F]NaF PET/CT imaging in FOP as a monitoring modality.

Enzyme-Triggered Chromogenic and Fluorogenic Probes for Myrosinase Activity Detection.

Myrosinase, a thioglucosidase, is a key enzyme in the mechanism of defense of plants that hydrolyzes glucosinolates (GSLs) into isothiocyanates. These isothiocyanates are the main bioactive molecules exerting protective effect in Brassicales plants. These plants that contain this specific enzyme-substrate couple belong to our daily human diet and have demonstrated health benefits, such as chemopreventive effects. Thus, the detection of myrosinase activity is a key aspect of the production of isothiocyanates from glucosinolates. Two novel chromogenic and fluorogenic GSLs, GSL p-nitrophenoxy (GSL-pNP) and GSL-4-methylumbelliferone (GSL-4MU), were designed and synthesized to be used as simple and reliable molecular tools to spectrophotometrically detect myrosinase activity in simple and complex mixtures. Notably, the chromogenic GSL enabled the UV-vis detection and quantification of isolated myrosinase activity, while fluorogenic GSL could be used for in vitro activity monitoring of more complex plant materials, such as seeds.

Active monitoring of production status in discrete manufacturing workshops driven by digital twins

Active monitoring of production status in discrete manufacturing workshops driven by digital twins

Enhanced Real‐Time Monitoring of Catalytic Therapy Efficacy with Dual‐Channel MRI and Fluorescent Platform

AbstractCatalytic therapies, such as chemodynamic therapy and ferroptosis, harness the tumor microenvironment to enhance the specificity and penetration of treatments, thus improving targeted tumor therapy. Despite these advancements, treatment effectiveness varies due to individual differences, making precise monitoring of drug activity and dosage essential to optimize therapy. Traditional imaging strategies, which monitor metal ion release or reactive oxygen species production, frequently fail to well correlate with therapeutic outcome. Herein, this study have developed an integrated self‐monitoring catalytic therapy platform that combines palladium‐ and manganese‐based nanoparticles (PdMn NPs) with caspase‐3 activated probe (Casp probe). Dual‐channel MRI and fluorescent probe, responsive to both low pH and caspase‐3 activity, significantly enhances the accuracy of real‐time therapeutic evaluations, allowing for early reporting treatment response (in 6 h), earlier than tumor volume reduction (8 days). This approach improves the assessment of therapeutic outcomes and aligns with the shift toward individualized cancer treatment protocols.

Locomotor and gait changes in the LPS model of neuroinflammation are correlated with inflammatory cytokines in blood and brain.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge in mice has been used to identify the mechanisms and therapeutics for neuroinflammation. In this study, we aimed to comprehensively evaluate the behavioral changes including locomotion, exploration, and memory, correlating them with a panel of thirteen inflammatory cytokines in both blood and brain.We found that acute LPS administration (0.83 mg/Kg i.p.) reduced body weight, food intake, and glucose levels compared to the saline-injected mice, concomitant with decreased activity in home cage monitoring. Locomotion was significantly reduced in Open Field, Introduced Object, and Y-Maze tests. Decreased exploratory behavior in the Y-Maze and Introduced Object tests was noticed, by measuring the number of arms explored and object interaction time, respectively. Additionally, in rotarod, LPS administration led to a significant decrease in the distance achieved, while in the MouseWalker, LPS led to a reduction in average velocity.LPS induced a decrease in microglia ramification index in the motor cortex and the striatum, while surprisingly a reduction in microglia number was observed in the motor cortex.The concentrations of thirteen cytokines in the blood were significantly altered, while only CXCL1, CCL22, CCL17, G-CSF, and IL-12p40 were changed in the brain. Correlations between cytokine levels in blood and brain were found, most notably for CCL17 and CCL22. TGFβ was the only one with negative correlations to other cytokines. Correlations between cytokines and behavior changes were also disclosed, especially for CCL17, CCL22, G-CSF, and IL-6 and negatively for TGFβ and IL-10.In summary, our study employing acute LPS challenge in mice has revealed a comprehensive profile of behavioral alterations alongside significant changes in inflammatory cytokine levels, both in peripheral blood and brain tissue. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the interplay between inflammation and behavior, with possible implications for identifying prognostics and therapeutic targets for neuroinflammatory conditions.

Rational Molecular Design of a Fluorescent Probe for Selectively Sensing Human Cytochrome P450 2D6.

Cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) is a key enzyme that mediates the metabolism of various drugs and endogenous substances in humans. However, its biological role in drug-drug interactions especially mechanism-based inactivation (MBI), and various diseases remains poorly understood, owing to the lack of molecular tools suitable for selectively monitoring CYP2D6 in complex biological systems. Herein, using a tailored molecular strategy, we developed a fluorescent probe BDPM for CYP2D6. BDPM exhibits excellent specificity and imaging capability for CYP2D6, making it suitable for the real-time monitoring of endogenous CYP2D6 activity in living bio-samples. Therefore, our tailored strategy proved useful for constructing the highly selective and enzyme-activated fluorescent probes. BDPM as a molecular tool to explore the critical roles of CYP2D6 in the pathogenesis of diseases, high-throughput screening of inhibitors and intensive investigation of CYP2D6-induced MBI in natural systems.

Leadership in Education: Strengthening Human Resources and Learning Outcomes Following the ‘Program Sekolah Penggerak’ Intervention

“Program Sekolah Penggerak” is a strategic initiative and a challenge for principals in implementing the program, including limited human resources, demands for improving the quality of learning, and adaptation to educational transformation policies. This study aims to analyze principals' strategies after participating in the School Mover program, focusing on improving human resource performance and school learning quality. This study uses a qualitative case study approach. The research informants were three principals participating in the “Program Sekolah Penggerak”. Data analysis was done by summarizing transcripts, presenting information, drawing conclusions and verifying. The results of the study indicate that in improving human resource performance, principals involve teachers and staff in formulating schools (vision, mission, goals), implementing a participatory leadership approach, routinely identifying human resource development needs, building a collaborative culture, and giving awards for the achievements and contributions of teachers and staff. Improving the quality of learning is done by increasing academic standards, improving monitoring and evaluation activities, and optimizing differentiated learning. The leadership model of the principal after the School Mover program facilitation, which was originally instructional, tends towards a transformational leadership model.

A comparative study of the elevated radioactivity in beach placer deposits of Bangladesh.

Beach sediments are mineral deposits formed through weathering and erosion of either igneous or metamorphic rocks. Among the rock constituent minerals are some natural radionuclides that contribute to ionizing radiation exposure on Earth. Kolatoli and Kuakata are the two major beaches with heavy mineral deposits and important tourist sites in Bangladesh. Natural radioactivity in Kolatoli and Kuakata beach sand deposits along the southern coast of Bangladesh was assessed and compared to identify the sources, causes, and possible environmental impact. Result shows most of the radionuclides have higher activity concentrations than the background level, and the activity varies with the sample locations. The dominant radionuclides were found to be the radionuclides of thorium series i.e. Th-232 and Ra-228 followed by uranium series and K-40. The radioactivity in Kolatoli beach sands was observed to be much higher than Kuakata beach due to the presence of a higher content of heavy minerals i.e. illmenite, rutile, zircon, garnet and monazite. Furthermore, monazite and zircon are the two radioactive minerals that are considered to be the main contributors to the radioactivity in Kolatoli beach sand. These minerals are dominated by the activity of thorium series radionuclides i.e. Th-232 and Ra-228 surpass the activity of all other radionuclides such as U-238, U-234, Th-230, Ra-226, Po-210, and K-40. However, major contribution of radioactivity in Kuakata beach sand comes from uranium series radionuclides such as U-238, U-234, Ra-226, and Po-210. Beach morphology, sedimentological, and geochemical evolution of those minerals might be important areas of further study for the radioactivity monitoring activity in those areas.