Continuation Of Response Research Articles

Examining educational continuity in distance learning guidance documents: A content analysis of the Ministry of Education response to COVID-19 in Belize

This article examines educational continuity in distance learning guidance documents developed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology in Belize during school closure for the 2019–2020 school year. Documents that were purposefully developed as part of the ministry's response to school closure because of the pandemic were collected and analyzed. The four themes that emerged from the analysis—access to technology, home-based learning and resources, continuing professional development, and adjustments to instructional planning and academic policies—describe how the ministry's guidance documents on distance learning supported educational continuity in Belize during school closure for the 2019–2020 school year. The analysis also reveals that the ministry’s reachability effort relied heavily on low or no-tech modalities to ensure educational continuity in response to the pandemic.

THE ARCHAIC ROOTS OF PATERNALISM: CONTINUITY IN ATTITUDES TOWARDS SLAVES AND SLAVERY IN THE ODYSSEY, XENOPHON'S OECONOMICUS, AND BEYOND

This article discusses differences and continuity in responses to issues of slave management in two texts from different periods of Greek history (Xenophon's Oeconomicus and the Odyssey) and compares these responses to those of slave owners in the Antebellum South, ancient Rome, and the ancient Near East. In particular, it examines different expressions of paternalistic attitudes towards slaves (a well-studied feature of slave-owning classes throughout history) that it finds are present in both of these examples. The article explores the possibility that intertextual links were responsible for these similarities but suggests instead that they are reflective of real Greek slaveholding ideology across hundreds of years, which primarily served to justify an exploitative system and disguise the cruelty and violence inherent in maintaining it.

Commonality and Continuity in Responses to Pandemic and Endemic COVID-19

Commonality and Continuity in Responses to Pandemic and Endemic COVID-19

Electrodynamical Coupling of the Geospace System During Solar Flares

AbstractReduced daytime upward E×B drifts and weakened fountain effects in equatorial ionosphere have been frequently observed during the initial stage of solar flares. The cause of this phenomenon, however, remains unresolved. The latest state‐of‐art whole geospace model provides an unprecedented opportunity to explore the origin of this response. We show that both prompt penetration electric fields (PPEFs) and internal changes in the wind dynamo process are responsible for the reduced upward ion drifts. Solar‐flare‐induced PPEFs are caused by a reduced high‐latitude potential as a result of flare‐enhanced ionospheric conductances which are distinct from traditional PPEFs that respond to changes in solar wind conditions or magnetosphere dynamics. The neutral wind dynamo source is mainly a reduction in the background low‐latitude eastward electric field. This reduction occurs to maintain current continuity in response to the flare enhancement of low‐latitude Cowling conductance that is relatively greater than the enhancement of the dynamo current source.

E-learning: A way out in COVID-19 Crisis

COVID-19 pandemic has not only negatively impacted the socio-economic attributes worldwide1 but also led to the confrontation of the education system with enormous challenges. This necessitated the immediate transition from face-to-face teaching to e-learning.2 This abrupt shift was primarily attributed to the need for social distancing due to the contagiousness of this disease and hence was intended to save humanity from coronavirus infection.3
 Availing the e-learning alternatives for academic continuity in response to pandemic was the only solution. The teachers shared educational resources in the form of presentations, audio-visual videos, and documents, etc. by using assorted modalities like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Webinar.4 Although this exercise demanded stringent efforts of our teachers this bestowed them with an exhilarating opportunity to modify their pedagogical strategies.5
 Lockdown imposition and abrupt closure of academic organizations considerably impacted the domain of higher studies. Everybody adapted to deliver their services remotely. The lectures, practicals, tutorials, examinations all were suspended with immediate effect amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.6 Although most of our students managed to attend online classes this modality was perceived inefficient in coverage of the whole curriculum in terms of acquisition of practical skills.7 No doubt synchronous and asynchronous teachings were done by using diverse instructional methods but adjustment of teaching pace, constructive feedback to the students’ assignments, and activation of students’ prior knowledge were reported to be immensely deficient.8
 Resource-constrained countries profoundly faced problems in the smooth execution of virtual learning.9 Considerable uncertainties pertinent to COVID-19 along with limited facilities in the execution of prosperous e-learning academia made the scenario quite cumbersome. Tutors implicated in e-learning universally were dealt with issues of online connectivity, capacity building for proficient content delivery, and efficient interactivity with students.10 Designing an appropriate framework to bridge the gaps in e-learning conduction is deemed necessary for the provision of quality education without compromising the established standards amidst rampant outbreaks.

Qualitative Assessment of Environmental Health Risk Perceptions and Community Challenges in a Puerto Rican Community: Change and Continuity in Response to Hurricanes Irma and María

Culebra, a geographically isolated island located 17 miles from the eastern coast of Puerto Rico’s main island, suffers from an amalgam of significant environmental health risk and associated social determinants of health that are affecting the community. In 2017, two major Hurricanes (Irma and María) impacted Culebra, resulting in an increase of preexisting environmental health risk. The present study’s primary aim was to explore community attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of environmental health risk, and to describe the social priorities of Culebrenses in relation to these risks and challenges. Semi-structured interview guide and Rapid Qualitative Inquiry (RQI) focused on topics of environmental health risk was followed. Qualitative focus groups and individual interviews were conducted among community members in Culebra before and shortly after Hurricanes Irma and María affected the island. Environmental health factors identified included: presence of mosquitoes, trash disposal, water quality and tourism. Additionally, a strong sentiment of island pride was found potentially generating a sense of community that could facilitate solutions to the existing environmental health challenges. Preexisting environmental health risk magnified after the pass of Hurricanes Irma and María. Sustainable and community engagement approaches are needed to develop strategies that can assist in the mitigation and resolution of the identified environmental health risk and challenges, including factors associated with threats such as disasters and pollution.

Evolving Strategy and Incident Management Systems in Hard to Reach Areas and Fragile Security Settings: The Case of Ebola Response in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Introduction:DRC Ministry of Health declared the 9th outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the Equator province on May 8, 2018, that ended on July 25, 2018. There were 54 cases with 38 confirmed, 33 deaths (61%), and 21 survivors in three “zones de santé” (districts). On August 1, 2018, the 10th EVD outbreak of the country was declared in the Ituri and North Kivu provinces. This one is the most important outbreak ever experienced. By November 18, 2018, 373 cases were reported with 326 confirmed and 214 deaths (58%) in two provinces including 14 “zones de santé.” While the 9th outbreak occurred in hard-to-reach areas, the 10th is occurring in fragile security settings, requiring specific strategic/operational approaches.Aim:To describe strategic and operational approaches including IMSs used to address these deadly outbreaks.Methods:A case study methodology using response strategy documents and observations was used, coupled with the use of operation review exercises.Results:The response strategy evolved continuously taking into account the epidemiological context, including geographical spread. It also took into account cultural, political, and sociological (community resistances) sensitivities. Conditions of pre-existing health system and services were considered. The prevailing security context (armed groups) was taken into account. The evolving situation impacted implementation of response areas including critical interventions like setting up confirmation and treatment centres, rapid response teams, and IMS structures. Areas of response were reviewed continuously, including response structures with further decentralization, outreach, or locally delegated interventions to ensure geographical access and continuity in response services.Discussion:Response areas to deal with EVD outbreaks are well known. However, an effective response requires a continuous adjustment of the strategy and a flexible response structures with related IMSs based on regular deep situation analysis. Social sciences still have a critical role to play for that purpose.

New Tension-Compression Damage Model for Complex Analysis of Concrete Structures

AbstractA new damage model, based on continuum damage mechanics and simulating the opening, closing, and reopening of cracks in concrete using only one surface of discontinuity, is proposed in this article. The model complies with the thermodynamics principles of nonreversible, isothermal, and adiabatic processes. Two scalar internal variables have been defined: a tensile damage variable d+ and a compressive damage variable d−; the threshold of damage is controlled by only one surface of discontinuity and a new parameter controlling the damage variable that should be activated. This new parameter represents the ratio of tensile stress to compressive stress in the damaged material. The continuity of response under complex loads, which is one of the aims of this work, is ensured. An adequate response under different types of loads leads to the conclusion that the proposed model provides a powerful tool to numerically analyze reinforced concrete structures. Validation and illustrative examples are included i...

Does the Emperor Have Any Clothes: Using Mechanistic Information or Doing Houdini Risk Assessments?

Risk assessment research rarely quells controversy. Mega-mouse, and mega-rat, experiments contradicted a threshold for carcinogenesis, yet thresholds are still argued. High to low dose continuity of response from cigarette smoking to environmental tobacco smoke, and from occupational asbestos exposure to take-home asbestos, contradict thresholds in people. Nevertheless, mechanistic hypotheses allege “Houdini Risk Assessments”, which make risks disappear or allow industries to escape from protecting workers. Despite concerns for animal-to-human extrapolations, priority occupational exposures with sufficient or substantial evidence of carcinogenicity in people not addressed by new exposure limits include silica, sulfuric acid mist, chromates, diesel particulate matter, particulate matter generally, metalworking fluids, welding fume, and formaldehyde. “Houdini Risk Assessments” are exercises in “anti-hypothesis generation”: ignore selected tumor sites and types; ignore data from people (as with formaldehyde and diesel); choose the most resistant species in laboratory tests; select biochemical parameters in which the most resistant species resembles people; assume a mechanism that gives threshold or steep exposure response for carcinogenic effect; and reduce estimated people risk by the parameter ratio to the most resistant species. NORA research should focus on quantitative reconciliation of laboratory and epidemiology studies, and develop a counter “anti-hypothesis” generation research agenda for key exposure circumstances.

‘A Thread of Blue’: Rabbi Gershon Henoch Leiner of Radzyń and his Search for Continuity in Response to Modernity

‘A Thread of Blue’: Rabbi Gershon Henoch Leiner of Radzyń and his Search for Continuity in Response to Modernity

Novelty-induced opioid analgesia in the terrestrial snail, Cepaea nemoralis

Exposure for 1–15 min to the surface of either a non-functional (22°C) hot-plate or a polypropylene tube increased the thermal (38.5°C) nociceptive thresholds of the terrestrial snail, Cepaea nemoralis. This “analgesic response,” which was evident 10–15 sec after exposure to the new stimuli and lasted for 15–30 min, was blocked by the opiate antagonist naloxone. The analgesic response was not observed in snails previously made familiar with the test situation. Snails exposed to a functional (36.5°C) stressful hot-plate surface to which they were aversive also displayed a naloxone-reversible analgesia. However, the level and duration of analgesia was markedly greater than that observed following exposure to the novel non-physically stressful stimuli and was not inhibited by prior familiarization with the stimuli. These observations demonstrate that novelty per se can activate endogenous opioid system(s) and induce an analgesic response in a snail. They also suggest a phylogenetic continuity in responses to novel stimuli and environmental conditions.

Work inequalities for plastic fracturing materials

Studied are second-order work inequalities for stability of plastic strain increments and fracturing stress decrements. It is found that the positiveness of the second-order work during small loading cycles does not necessarily require normality; it also allows non-normal plastic strains or fracturing relaxations which do no work, as well as non-normal ones which always do non-negative work. The latter ones include plastic strains and fracturing relaxations that are tangential to the loading surface. It is shown that the endochronic theory follows from Drucker's postulate by the same arguments as classical plasticity. The endochronic loading surface has the significance of separating the directions for which Drucker's postulate is satisfied from those for which it is not, whereas in classical plasticity it separates the stress increment directions for which the plastic strain increment vector points outside the loading surface from those for which it would point inward. The incremental linearity of classical plasticity is shown to be a tacitly implied hypothesis which does not follow from Drucker's postulate and the existence of the loading surface. Various incrementally nonlinear stress-strain relations satisfying Drucker's postulate, both such that do and do not obey normality, are demonstrated.Furthermore, it is found that for frictional materials there exists, in addition to Drucker's (or Il'yushin's) postulate, another inequality that also suffices for stability and reflects the fact that a release of elastic energy blocked by friction or by resistance to fracturing due to compression cannot cause instability. This enlarges the domain of all stable stress increment vectors from a halfspace to a reentrant wedge. The corresponding plastic strain increment vectors have no unique direction and occupy a fan, one boundary of which is the normal vector. Dependence of the second-order work in loading cycle upon the angle between the strain increment vector and the normal is useful for comparing various theories. For the incrementally linear vertex model one needs to introduce at the tangential direction a discontinuity in this dependence.Finally, some related questions of uniqueness or continuity of response are discussed, particularly for the case of a staircase path in strain space approaching a straight path as the number of stairs tends to infinity. For endochronic theory as well as some vertex models and for plasticity with a corner on the loading surface, the response to the staircase path in the limit does not approach the response to the straight path. Although this is not physically unreasonable, it is nevertheless possible to slightly adjust the definition of intrinsic time so that continuity (uniqueness) is achieved.