Adequate Progress Research Articles

University Research, Climate and Organizational Culture in a Peruvian University

Objective: To determine the relationship between the participation of engineering faculty students in university research, climate and organizational culture in a Peruvian university. Theoretical Framework: Science research as a development of scientific competencies is a way of learning production and learning development in the promotion of critical thinking and argumentative forms in the growth and ability to interact among students with scientific level research (Valdiviezo, 2023). Method: The research is basic, non-experimental, descriptive and correlational level; providing scopes for an adequate progress of the strategic objectives of the university institution with a quantitative approach (Hernández & Mendoza, 2018). Methods, techniques and instruments were applied for the collection of information for the treatment, analysis and presentation of results (Sánchez & Reyes, 2015). Results and Discussion: It was evidenced the existence of correlation between the study variables University research and Organizational climate (rho=0.442 and p=0.000<0.05) as well as between University research and Organizational culture (rho=0.328; p=0.000<0.05 ), being a moderate positive correlation. Research Implications: Scientific production is a fundamental part of the university professor's activity and dissemination through the publication of scientific articles has become an essential pillar (Delgado et al., 2021). Originality/Value: The research will contribute to the improvement of scientific research processes in universities by promoting a climate and culture of research character to generate the conditions for the development of research projects and the participation of the university community.

Performance Metrics for Implementation of Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plans

Safely walking or wheeling in a wheelchair in the community is a civil and human right. Some progress has been made in the US towards making walking/wheeling paths more accessible for people with disabilities through the construction of new curb ramps, fixing sidewalk barriers, and installing accessible pedestrian signals. However, pedestrians with disabilities continue to be limited by infrastructure barriers on sidewalks and streets. To encourage progress and government transparency, we developed a set of performance metrics for local governments to monitor and report their progress in implementing barrier removal plans, called Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transition plans. We used the five-step Nominal Group Technique to systematically develop and prioritize a set of performance metrics with an expert panel of ADA coordinators, disability organizations, and state and federal Department of Transportation staff. The research resulted in obtaining 53 metrics across five goals and 14 objectives that can be used to measure all phases of implementation and are intended to be customized to fit different community contexts and capacities. The metrics could be used by federal and state transportation agencies, as well as internationally, with some adaptation to ensure that adequate progress in barrier removal is being made. Local governments can use the metrics to document and communicate their progress and effectively reduce ADA compliance litigation concerns.

It Didn’t Work as I Expected: Intensifying Writing Instruction to Meet the Needs of Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Sometimes, despite the most perfectly delivered writing lesson implemented with fidelity, students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) do not make the progress expected by teachers or themselves. In these instances, teachers may individualize and differentiate for students with EBD not making adequate progress by purposefully intensifying elements of the writing instruction and supports provided to students. This article describes and explains how to intensify writing instruction to meet student needs.

25 The Hybrid Learning Environment During Covid-19: A Case Study on IEP Implementation for a Student with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Objective:An effective support system for families with children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) consists of multiple methods of educational and therapeutic delivery. Such methods are adapted to meet a family’s needs and needs of the time, like the COVID-19 pandemic. Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) are established by schools to support success in academics for children with ASD. IEPs can vary depending on the district and accessibility, thus, the effective implementation and communication between this support system is important for its success. The current case study examines academic and therapeutic outcomes of an IEP implementation during hybrid learning of a child with ASD and their family.Participants and Methods:Purposeful sampling identified a participant from a previous IRB approved study through the UNLV Educational Psychology program that interviewed parents on their remote learning experience. A qualitative case study was applied to further investigate student outcomes. Parent interview and the child’s progress report were coded and analyzed systematically. The identified family included correspondence from the mother (Lisa, 37) and her son (Noah, 9). Noah attended third grade at a Charter School and was diagnosed with ASD in 2019. His IEP included 80% in General Education (online) with Special Education assistance (in person; reading, writing, and mathematics) and Occupational (OT), Speech/Language (SLP), and Physical Therapy (PT) (hybrid).Results:Noah began hybrid learning in October 2020, with in-person learning two days a week and remote learning everyday for two to three hours each day. Progress report and interview were collected in April 2021 at the halfway point of his IEP implementation which described Noah’s current special education and therapy services goals/outcomes in March 2021. This included 11 goals that were observed and assessed in OT (2), PT(2), Reading (2), Writing (1), Math (2), and SLP (2). Noah progressed in 9 of 11 goals, with 1 being met and 8 classified as satisfactory by displaying some improvement in respective skills mid year. The remaining OT (2) goals showed no definitive conclusion. Lisa mentioned that lack of direct observation of particular skills and too many online classes to attend led to inconclusive outcomes. Lisa and Noah came across difficulties while engaging in OT online sessions encountering emotional stress when adjusting to the mode of delivery. Lisa expressed positive emotions when referring to the support system and described it as collaborative with adequate attention to multiple aspects of his development. She voiced understanding of her’s and other professionals’ role and the extent of their abilities in the context of the pandemic.Conclusions:Of the 11 IEP goals, there was adequate progress for the child amid hybrid learning. The parent preferred that OT be delivered in person as certain procedures require direct contact and affected outcomes. Hybrid learning has allowed for parents to directly access their children’s endeavors and heighten communication with professionals. This suggests that maintenance of IEP standards can be satisfactory in a hybrid learning model with adequate monitoring from parents and treatment teams for children with ASD.

Determinants of Unsuccessful TB Treatment Outcomes Among Patients on Directly Observed Treatment Short Course in Jimma Town Health Facilities, Southwest Ethiopia: A Case-Control Study.

Even though Ethiopia's Federal Ministry of Health has been implementing several programs aimed at reducing the burden of tuberculosis (TB), It does not demonstrate adequate progress. As a result, identifying the determinants of unsuccessful outcomes of directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS) is critical. This study aimed to assess the determinants of unsuccessful TB treatment outcomes among patients with DOTS in Jimma town, southwest Ethiopia. An unmatched case-control study using secondary data was conducted among 118 cases and 472 controls from April 1 to June 1, 2021. Cases were TB cases with unsuccessful treatment courses whereas controls were those of successful treatment. Data were collected using a standardized tool. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 23 software. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify the determinants. We found that the determinants including age > 35 years (AOR=1.9, 95% CI: 1.14-3.2), lack of contact person (AOR= 27, 95% CI: 15.8-46.3), being HIV positive (AOR=7.3, 95% CI: 3.7-14.2)), and being malnourished (AOR=4.5, 95% CI: 1.5-12.9) were significantly associated with unsuccessful tuberculosis treatment outcome. In this study, advanced age, being HIV positive, lack of contact person, and being malnourished were determinant factors for unsuccessful TB treatment outcomes. Hence, careful monitoring, screening, and management of risk factors are recommended.

Mindset × Context: Schools, Classrooms, and the Unequal Translation of Expectations into Math Achievement.

Mindset × Context: Schools, Classrooms, and the Unequal Translation of Expectations into Math Achievement.

Prevention of prolonged labour in term nulliparas with oxytocin alone versus with oxytocin and an antispasmodic

Background: Poor progress of labour is a common problem with nulliparous deliveries. It occurs when the cervical dilatation rate in the active phase of the first stage of labour is <1cm/hr, and is mainly due to poor uterine contractions or slow cervical dilatation. Without interventions, poor progress could degenerate into prolonged labour which is associated with increased maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Augmentation of labour with oxytocin is the traditional management for poor progress as it enhances uterine contractions. At times, despite adequate uterine contractions poor progress will persist due to cervical smooth muscle spasms. Antispasmodics can relieve smooth muscle spasms. Aim/objective: This study compared the duration of labour in term nulliparous parturients with poor progress following augmentation with oxytocin alone versus with oxytocin and an antispasmodic (drotaverine). Methods: The study was a single-blinded randomized controlled trial involving 156 term nulliparous parturients with poor progress of labour, that were randomized into two groups in eight months. Each group had 78 parturients which were augmented with either oxytocin with placebo or oxytocin with drotaverine. They were monitored until delivery and the duration of labour in both groups after the intervention was compared. Data obtained were analysed using SPSS version 23 software. The level of significance was set at 0.05. Results: The two groups were similar in their sociodemographic characteristics, and the mean pre-intervention duration of labour was also similar (6.02 ±2.04 vs. 6.09± 2.07hr p=0.23). In this study 135(86.5%) parturients had vaginal delivery while 21(13.5%) had emergency caesarean section. Among those who had a vaginal delivery, the mean duration of labour following augmentation was significantly shorter in the oxytocin-drotaverine group than in the oxytocin-placebo group (6.20 ±0.40hrs vs. 6.64±0.34hrs, MD- 26.4minutes, p<0.01). There was no difference in the duration of the second stage of labour in both groups. Conclusion: The use of drotaverine with oxytocin in managing poor progress of labour in term nulliparous women leads to a significantly shorter duration of the first stage of labour than oxytocin alone.

A Teacher’s Toolkit for Assessment When Implementing Data-Based Individualization in Mathematics

This article provides teachers with a toolkit for assessing students in the context of data-based individualization (DBI) in mathematics. Assessing students is a critical component of DBI because it provides teachers with information about what they may need to modify in their instructional programs. In this article, we provide teachers with step-by-step procedures for assessing students within the DBI process, including selecting an appropriate progress-monitoring tool, collecting baseline data, and analyzing graphed data to determine whether a student is making adequate progress. In addition, diagnostic assessment is discussed to help teachers target instructional priorities based on student needs. Providing a toolkit for assessment and supplementary resources should enable teachers to use DBI procedures more effectively and, ultimately, to boost students’ mathematics achievement.

Content Analysis of Water Birth Policies With Implications for Practice and Research

ObjectiveTo identify areas of agreement and variation in clinical guidance documents (protocols, policies, or guidelines) that direct water birth care. DesignQualitative descriptive. SettingThe clinical guidance documents studied covered water birth in home and hospital settings. SampleThe sample included 22 water birth guidance documents in English from six countries. The documents were obtained by request and resulting snowball sampling. MeasurementsThe framework method was adapted as an analytic tool, and a structured matrix output was used to organize and support the method of qualitative content analysis using a general inductive approach. Areas of general agreement and variations in practice guidelines for water birth were identified. ResultsCriteria for a term, singleton, and cephalic presentation with reassuring maternal and fetal status were the most consistent for inclusion. The reliance on “low-risk” status was strongly present but without a uniform definition. A history of previous cesarean birth, body mass index, use of opioid pain medication, adequate labor progress, and vaginal bleeding were found to vary in directed care, and scarce supporting evidence was offered. Meconium-stained fluid variably excluded water birth in most documents, but this was not supported by evidence. The inconsistent findings from this study are cohesive in the evidence they provide for needed research in areas that affect access to water birth. The findings also provide nurses and birth providers with evidence-based guidelines for water birth care. ConclusionThere was variation across guidance documents, demonstrating that water immersion is a flexible intervention that can be implemented in different settings and locations while following individual facility protocols for processes for care. An identified area of concern comes from examples of overly restrictive policies for water birth based on opinion or perceived risk rather than evidence from research.

The Functions of Safety in Psychotherapy: An Integrative Theoretical Perspective Across Therapeutic Schools.

There is a certain consensus in the psychotherapeutic literature that safety plays a central role in human development and psychotherapy and that lack of safety undermines mental health. However, the role of safety in psychotherapy has not yet been thoroughly examined. In this article, we identify and integrate the diferent functions of safety in psychotherapy on a theoretical basis. We made a panoramic overview of the concept of safety across some of the main psychotherapeutic schools that represent major paradigms in contemporary psychotherapy (psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, humanistic). We then analyzed, compared, and synthetized the findings to identify the common functions that safety plays both in ontogenesis and in clinical practice across different therapeutic orientations. Our analysis showed that safety is indeed rightly prioritized across psychotherapy schools because of its developmental value in promoting change and adaptation both in ontogenesis and clinical settings. The findings suggest that the main functions of safety are to secure survival, facilitate restoration, promote exploration, sustain risk-taking, and enable integration, with these functions being complementary and dependent on the context. However, safety seems to be in a dialectical and paradoxical relationship to psychotherapy and human development. Adequate ontogenetic development and treatment progress do not appear to require continuous maintenance of maximum possible safety. Rather, they seem to require enough safety, adequately and timely modulated according to developmental needs and treatment phases. Although safety provides the necessary basis that enables restoration, fuels exploration, and facilitates treatment progress, safety's misdosage (e.g., lack, excess), misconstruction (e.g., misattunement, misinterpretation), or misuse (exploitation, idealization) may hinder the healthy development of attachment, identity, autonomy, self/co-regulation as well as the ability to tolerate and cope with dangers, risks, insecurities, or frustrations. Future research is suggested to further explore the role of safety in psychotherapy.

Teaching Fraction-to-Decimal Translation Using the Number Line

Rational number proficiency is predictive of later mathematics achievement, especially for rigorous mathematics courses, such as Algebra I. Students with learning disabilities (LD) in mathematics struggle to make adequate progress on rational number concepts and skills that lay the foundation for successfully completing secondary mathematics courses. However, recent research has demonstrated that utilizing effective instructional design, such as the use of a number line with systematic and explicit instruction, can result in academic progress for students with LD in mathematics. This article presents teachers with a four-step teaching sequence utilizing the number line and effective strategies for teaching students with LD in mathematics to introduce fraction-to-decimal relationships in upper elementary, a prerequisite for middle school mathematics.

Effect of Concentration Variation of Cacao Leaf Extract (Theobroma cacao.) Inhibitor on the Corrosion Rate of ST 37 Steel in 3% HCl Solution

The effectiveness of cacao leaf extract (Theobroma Cacao.) used as an inhibitor on St 37 steel sample. Which cures in HCl 3 % Corrosive Medium for 144 hours, the inhibitor concentration variation added 0 %, 3%, 6 %, 9 %, and 12 %, respectively. The sample rate is measured by using the loose-weight method. The results show that the lowest sample is 1.397 mm/y of 12%, and the highest is 3.694 mm/y of 0 %. Inhibitor efficiency to the sample St 37 Stainless steel portrays adequate progress to 62.66% with 12% concentration. X-Ray Diffraction Results acquired BCC with Fe-a phase along with SEM that forms an agglomeration, cracked, and holes which result in its corrosion. In addition, EDS contains FeO Element, which indicates that stainless is still affected by corrosion and the reduced FeO content in the sample was less. Thus three samples characterized and measured show that avocado leaves effectively as an inhibitor to the sample St 37 in HCl 3% corrosive medium.

Unfolding the role of placental-derived Extracellular Vesicles in Pregnancy: From homeostasis to pathophysiology.

The human placenta is a critical structure with multiple roles in pregnancy, including fetal nutrition and support, immunological, mechanical and chemical barrier as well as an endocrine activity. Besides, a growing body of evidence highlight the relevance of this organ on the maternofetal wellbeing not only during gestation, but also from birth onwards. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are complex macromolecular structures of different size and content, acting as carriers of a diverse set of molecules and information from donor to recipient cells. Since its early development, the production and function of placental-derived EVs are essential to ensure an adequate progress of pregnancy. In turn, the fetus receives and produce their own EVs, highlighting the importance of these components in the maternofetal communication. Moreover, several studies have shown the clinical relevance of EVs in different obstetric pathologies such as preeclampsia, infectious diseases or gestational diabetes, among others, suggesting that they could be used as pathophysiological biomarkers of these diseases. Overall, the aim of this article is to present an updated review of the published basic and translational knowledge focusing on the role of placental-derived EVs in normal and pathological pregnancies. We suggest as well future lines of research to take in this novel and promising field.

Traditional African vegetables in modular living walls: a novel approach towards smart cities

In terms of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), combined with good health and wellbeing (SDG 3), are vital. The world is not making adequate progress in meeting the UN’s targets to address food security (SDG 2). In South Africa, the growing population, rapid urbanization, poverty, and unemployment exacerbate the issue of food security; even more so considering climate change (SDG 13). The built environment needs to respond to these demands and incorporate green initiatives that can provide ecosystem services. Novel approaches are required to optimize land use and promote sustainable built environments through food production. This paper consolidates literature on local vertical urban food production with vegetable crops to enhance ecosystem services and lower the carbon footprint of buildings in the Global South. The literature review points to the potential of small-scale edible living walls that utilize local materials and traditional African vegetable (TAV) species to enhance system sustainability and resilience. TAV species offer advantages as opposed to exotic food crops as they are tolerant to extreme heat and drought, have a high nutritional value, and have low irrigation and agrochemical maintenance requirements.

APInf: Adaptive Policy Inference Based on Hierarchical Framework

Deep reinforcement learning has made adequate progress in addressing complex visual tasks. However, policy inference in relatively large neural networks is costly. Inspired by the fact that some states in a specific task can easily make decisions, we propose an APInf framework that can achieve low policy inference costs with quality guarantees. Two-stage training is proposed: First, to accelerate inference at easy states, sub-policy networks ordered by increasing capacity are generated; Second, to keep the quality of policy, master-policy is designed to choose a suitable sub-policy network subjected to state difficulty dynamically. We also improve the efficiency of master-policy inference by sharing the convolution layer between sub-policy networks and master-policy and then train master-policy under an extended MDP. Extensive experiments conducted in gym show that the adaptive inference framework reduces the FLOPs by 41.2% while maintaining similar quality. Furthermore, APInf outperforms the existing dynamic network structure in terms of policy quality and inference cost.

HPR66 Cost Savings Associated with One-Stage vs Two-Stage Spinal Cord Stimulation from Medicare Perspective

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an FDA approved therapy for failed back surgery syndrome. In clinical practice typically patients undergo a trial phase, in which temporary electrodes are implanted in the patients. Only those patients who experience adequate pain relief progress to the next step where the SCS electrodes and the pulse generator device are permanently implanted (trial success rate). Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) policy mandates this two-stage process for reimbursement eligibility.

2.5 Million Annual Deaths-Are Neonates in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Too Small to Be Seen? A Bottom-Up Overview on Neonatal Morbi-Mortality.

(1) Background: Every year, 2.5 million neonates die, mostly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), in total disregard of their fundamental human rights. Many of these deaths are preventable. For decades, the leading causes of neonatal mortality (prematurity, perinatal hypoxia, and infection) have been known, so why does neonatal mortality fail to diminish effectively? A bottom-up understanding of neonatal morbi-mortality and neonatal rights is essential to achieve adequate progress, and so is increased visibility. (2) Methods: We performed an overview on the leading causes of neonatal morbi-mortality and analyzed the key interventions to reduce it with a bottom-up approach: from the clinician in the field to the policy maker. (3) Results and Conclusions: Overall, more than half of neonatal deaths in LMIC are avoidable through established and well-known cost-effective interventions, good quality antenatal and intrapartum care, neonatal resuscitation, thermal care, nasal CPAP, infection control and prevention, and antibiotic stewardship. Implementing these requires education and training, particularly at the bottom of the healthcare pyramid, and advocacy at the highest levels of government for health policies supporting better newborn care. Moreover, to plan and follow interventions, better-quality data are paramount. For healthcare developments and improvement, neonates must be acknowledged as humans entitled to rights and freedoms, as stipulated by international law. Most importantly, they deserve more respectful care.

6 - Availability of Study Time for Undergraduate Finance Students at an Open and Distance Learning Institution in South Africa

Adult learners at open distance learning institutions often experience in- creased demands from their employers, families and society. Continuously challenged by time constraints, adult learners are confronted with time allocation decisions of meeting academic responsibilities while maintain- ing a work–life balance. This research evaluated the time management of adult learners by determining whether adult learners commit the appropriate number of study hours to their academic responsibilities in accordance with the prescribed notional credit hours. An online questionnaire was distrib- uted to a sample of students studying towards a baccalaureate degree in financial management within an academic department at an open distance learning institution. The results suggested that students commit insufficient time to academic responsibilities measured against the notional credit hour system. To manage time better, adult learners should be informed of the rationale behind the notional credit hour system and be introduced to a time management tool whereby those students who fail to make adequate progress should be enrolled on time management courses.

The Effects of a Multitiered System of Language Support on Kindergarten Oral and Written Language: A Large-Scale Randomized Controlled Trial.

The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to examine the effects of a multitiered system of language support (MTSLS) on kindergarteners' narrative retelling, personal stories, writing, and expository language. Participants were 686 kindergarten students from four school districts in the United States. Twenty-eight classrooms were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 337 students) or control (n = 349 students) conditions. The treatment group received 14 weeks of oral narrative language instruction using Story Champs, a multitiered language program. Classroom teachers delivered large group (Tier 1) instruction for 15-20 min a day for 4 weeks. After this short-duration whole-class instruction, speech-language pathologists began small group Story Champs (Tier 2) intervention with a random sample of students who did not make adequate progress from the large group instruction (n = 49). These students received Tier 2 intervention for 20 min twice a week in addition to continued Tier 1 instruction. Results indicated that the students in the treatment group had significantly higher scores on all outcome measures compared to the students in the control group. Analyses of outcomes from the 49 students who received Tier 2 intervention compared to a matching sample of at-risk control students revealed that the treatment group had significantly higher scores on narrative retells, personal stories, and expository retells. When compared to matched average-performing and advanced-performing control peers, the students who received Tier 2 intervention had significantly higher narrative retell scores and no longer had significantly lower personal story, expository, or writing scores. This effectiveness study demonstrated that MTSLS can lead to meaningful improvements in kindergarteners' oral and written language skills, even helping at-risk students catch up to high-achieving peers.

Asymmetric Impact of External Pressure on Li/Solid-Electrolyte Interfacial Stability

All solid-state batteries (SSB) have attracted a lot of attention as next-generation battery technology with exceptional potential to achieve high energy density, high safety and low cost. Despite development of a wide range of new solid electrolytes, poor interfacial stability within SSB is limiting its success as it leads to poor power density, low coulombic efficiency and short cycle life. Although there is adequate progress in Li/solid electrolyte interface, it still requires better understanding and improvements. The present work uses a Li/Li symmetric cell with a solid composite electrolyte (SCE) to showcase the non-trivial impact of pressure on the lithium stripping/plating at Li/solid electrolyte interface. Evolution of interphase between Li and solid electrolyte is influenced by applied pressure and whether lithium metal went through initial plating or stripping. SSB performance and stability exhibits a significant sensitivity to the applied uniaxial pressure. There is a non-monotonic correlation among the applied pressure, cell polarization, and coulombic efficiency. The performance enhancement reaches an optimum level after which there is a degradation of electrochemical performance with increased external pressure. The intermittent electrochemical characterization of the Li/SCE/Li cells during long-term cycling together with the postmortem analyses of the components are used to shed light on the impact of pressure on the interfacial stability of SSB.