Class Formation Research Articles

Tips for Building a Community for Incoming Medical Students Virtually in the COVID-19 Era.

A sense of community benefits medical trainees by preserving mental well-being, nurturing collegiality and mentorship, and grounding ties with partnering organizations and services. Within medical school, building these support relationships often begins shortly after matriculation. In the current pandemic and the accompanying shift to a virtual class format, we believe that a dedicated effort to foster this sense of community is crucial for students who otherwise may feel untethered to their new learning environment. Here, we detail tips for building a medical school community virtually in the COVID-19 era between peers, within the school institution, and within the surrounding environment.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-021-01447-z.

Structured plasmonic beam: in-plane manipulation of light at the nanoscale

The brief review on recent approaches on the formation of a new class of subwavelength scale localized structured surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) beams is discussed. For the Janus-like particle (including the geometrically symmetric particles with different dielectrics) the morphology of the field localization area and its properties depends on the particle shape and material. Plasmonic hook (PH) beam does not propagate along straight line but instead follow curved self-bending trajectory. Wavefront analysis behind of such symmetric and asymmetric mesoscale rectangle structure reveals that the unequal phase of the transmitted plane wave results in the irregularly concave deformation of the wavefront inside the dielectric which later leads to creation of the PH. Such dielectric structures placed on metal film enable the realization of new ultracompact wavelength-selective and wavelength-scaled in-plane nanophotonic components. SPP have potential to overcome the constrains on the speed of modern digital integrated devices limitation due to the metallic interconnects and increase the operating speed of future digital circuits.

Repeated reversals of concurrent olfactory discriminations in rats: A search for functional equivalence

Equivalence class formation has been difficult to demonstrate in nonhumans, but one method that has been successful is a simple discrimination procedure in which contingencies associated with two sets of arbitrary discriminative stimuli are repeatedly reversed. Pigeons and sea lions shift responding after encountering the newly-reversed contingency with only a few set members, showing evidence of functional equivalence. We used this strategy to determine whether similar findings would occur in rats using olfactory stimuli. Rats were trained to nose-poke in the presence of six stimuli arbitrarily designated as members of the positive set; responses to the six members of the negative set were not reinforced. When discriminative performance was established, contingencies associated with each set were reversed and re-reversed each time subjects met a performance criterion. All subjects successfully acquired the concurrent simple discriminations and were exposed to between 12 and 60 reversals, but none showed clear evidence of functional class formation until a final procedure in which the stimulus sets that had been in place were arbitrarily rearranged. Acquisition with these new stimulus sets was impaired, showing that class membership generated by the original stimulus sets interfered with learning the new ones, thus providing evidence of functional equivalence.

Shifting tides, regional reverberations: a class-relational analysis of the ALBA-TCP

ABSTRACT The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) represents the most dramatic regional departure from neoliberalism under Latin America’s pink tide, based on principles of anti-imperialism, mutual development, and barter exchange. Since 2015 however, trade and social programmes between member countries have deteriorated, while regional support for ALBA has declined. In order to account for the rise and relative fall of ALBA-TCP, this article mobilizes the theory of social property relations to trace the international, regional and national forces and structures that have shaped the development trajectory of the ALBA since its creation in 2004. It argues that ALBA’s characteristics are principally constituted through concrete class formations, struggles and institutional resolutions that shape the pattern of ALBA’s international relations. Ultimately, the contradictions of ALBA’s social base with its uneven insertion into the broader international division of labour has created a series of tensions and roadblocks.

Migrants during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Discursive Class Formation of Returnee Expatriates

Amidst the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, migrants are the most affected parts after the Health and economy. More than half a million migrants have returned from February to May 2020 to Bangladesh. The state and society have stigmatized returnee expatriates as suspected disease carriers. Some of them are being physically assaulted and humiliated by their neighbor and society. Researchers revealed a new dimension of "Othering" discourse; where consent of hate crime formed being solely blamed for bring coronavirus and ignoring mandatory quarantine period. The government officially stigmatized them by putting quarantined seals at their hands and hoisting red flags at their homes. Interestingly, we have found the distinction of stigmatization between returnee expatriates, where returnee workers were being humiliated rather than high-skilled returnee professionals from a so-called developed country. Returnee expatriates experienced a transformation of identity. Researchers argued about the discursive formation of a class of returnee expatriates who were once highly respected and spoiled of their identity as a probable source of virus carrier. Once labeled as a remittance fighter of the economy have to transients their so-called positions, and has to prove their worthiness as a citizen of the state, after starting the pandemic, governments and their developing partners were not humane, concerned about the returnee expatriates' social discrimination, risk of unemployment, uncertainty, economic crisis, and instability. Returnee expatriates' abandonment as a suspected carrier of the COVID-19 virus by the state and society should be worked out more comprehensively to protect them from social and economic exploitation.

Expressions of Care in an Art Museum Education Course During COVID-19: Moving to an Online Class Format

"Expressions of Care in an Art Museum Education Course During COVID-19: Moving to an Online Class Format." Art Education, 74(6), pp. 46–47

Incorporating the Conference into the Professional Development/Capstone Class Experience

COVID-19 restrictions required course delivery pivots. This is a review of a basic change to a class format and new content inclusion.

494 Walk the Talk – Teaching Is Still Teaching – Just Expanding Your Tool Box

Beef Cattle Production & Management (ANSC 406) is a Texas A&M University “Communications” course and an elective in the undergraduate Animal Science curriculum. This course (3 hr lecture, 2 hr lab) is taught in Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. The author has taught this (or equivalent) course since 1995, and various teaching technologies have incrementally crept into the course. Prior to COVID-19 restrictions, the class was taught traditionally through in-person lecture and lab meetings, with in-class, closed-note exams, and supported with online resources. Students are assigned to groups of 4 or 5 for semester-long work on a ranch management project with peer review comprising 20% of the grade. This report summarizes student exam grades and ranch project peer evaluations through semesters Fall 2019 to Fall 2020 where the class format was (1) traditional face-to-face (TF2F), (2) initially TF2F then switched abruptly to 100% remote/online, (3) 100% remote/online for the entire semester, and (4) a blended/hybrid format, respectively. Semester-to-semester exam grades and group member peer evaluations were compared through mixed model analyses of variance. There were no differences in exam grades (P > 0.10) across these semesters with the exception of Exam 3 that deviated 3.7% (P = 0.020) from lowest to highest mean scores. Relative exam grade variability (based on CV and range) remained almost constant from closed-book to open-note format. Remote vs. F2F status did not influence (P > 0.05) group peer evaluation scores regarding Q1: “Overall level of participation” or Q4: “Willingness to work for success of your group” when group number or student were included in statistical models. Model R-square values for Q1/Q4 increased from 0.037/0.050 to 0.161/0.171, and 0.424/0.457 when group, and student were added, respectively. Individual student perceptions and experiences appear to be major drivers of learning outcomes no matter the course delivery style.

МЕСТО И ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ СРЕДНЕГО КЛАССА В СОВРЕМЕННОЙ РОССИИ

Objective of the study is to consider the main factors influencing the situation of the modern Russian middle class, such as consumer ideology, under-consumption, the influence of global capitalism, the artificial environment formed in modern times on the state of the middle class in Russia. The structure of the study includes consideration of the specifics of the Russian middle class, then it is proved that the state of the middle class is determined by consumption, and its level differs depending on the distance of the regions. Next, we assess the negative impact of global factors and consumer ideology on the middle class, and consider the modern exploitation implemented in the sphere of not only production, but also consumption. It is assumed that in order to maintain the economic condition of the middle class, cooperative or associative forms of interaction are necessary, which contribute to the disclosure of collectively reproducible forms of human existence. In conclusion, the main results of the study are presented. The methodological basis of the research are the comparative method and the dialectical method, based on the theoretical propositions of Marxism. Research results. 1. The present situation of the middle class in Russia is revealed. 2. The nature of the impact of modern negative factors on society, including the middle class, is considered; 3. It is noted that the reason for the unstable situation of the middle class is consumerism and the underdevelopment of the material basis, so it is necessary to improve the material and spiritual sphere of society. Prospects of the study lie in the possibility of finding constructive ways to solve the problem associated with the scientific establishment of a specific status of the middle class in Russia in industrial and social relations as the basic superstructure foundations of society. To this end, the author substantiates the need to identify ways to improve the spiritual sphere of Russian society on the basis of a developed basis, as well as the formation of a stable middle class, which, with the help of cooperation, can overcome some instability associated with its position in the labor market. It is assumed that further development of opportunities for the expansion and development of the stability of the middle class will be possible while overcoming some of the negative aspects of the present time.  

PRE-WAR TREATMENT OF CHILDREN WITH INTELELCTUAL DISABILITIES IN JUVENILE HOMES FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING BASED ON THE 1940 GOVERNMENT SURVEY AND RECORDS IN JAPA

This paper is part of a study to clarify the treatment of children with intellectual disabilities in the Homes for Juvenile Training and Education. Befor World War II, there were no legal criteria such as intelligence quotient to enter a juvenile training and education in Japan. In the National Survey by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 1940 which was used as the subject of analysis the following two issues were given priority: First, the criteria for admission to the Homes and the treatment of children with intellectual disabilities who were refused admission and second, to clarify in detail the class organization and treatment of those children in the Homes. The results were as follows: in facilities that had criteria for admission, the intelligence quotient (IQ) was used as the admission criterion (the standard was generally 70- 50). However, the actual number of children admitted to the facilities included those who did not meet the criteria for admission. When children with intellectual disabilities were denied admission, mental hospitals and facilities for children with disabilities were judged to be appropriate places for them. However, there were only a few such facilities. The formation of classes in juvenile training schools did not rely on the chronological age of the children, but was done comprehensively based on intelligence quotient, academic ability, and school attendance. In addition, the five facilities that had “special classes” for children with intellectual disabilities and others had, in relative terms, more children and more staff. Special education and treatment for those children included reducing the time for academic study and lengthening the recess time, assigning only farm work, and one-on-one teaching at the children’s speed: all of which were based on the characteristics of mentally handicapped children.

Loss Assessment of Qualitative and Quantitative Composition of The Middle Class in Terms of Sustainable and Digital Development

The article studies the trends of quantitative changes in social class in Ukraine as an important factor of sustainable socio-economic development. The use of a complex criterion for determining the core of the middle class in the population structure is substantiated. It takes into account the level of income, self-identification, and qualitative characteristics. The article proves the hypothesis of conformity of the distribution of households by average per capita equivalent income to the theoretical log-normal distribution. The paper provides the quantitative characteristics of the impact of digitalization on the size of the middle class, determines the consequences of distribution of information technology for its existence. The main directions and tools for influence are proposed to ensure the conditions for the formation, development, and growth of the middle class in modern society, and to achieve a high level of economic development and welfare of the population.

BIMASR: Framework for Voice-Based BIM Information Retrieval

Voice is the most convenient means for human beings to communicate with others, even if the objects of their communication are not other humans but machines or computers. Many industries, and even the architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AECO) industry, have attempted to study and apply speech recognition systems in their operations to improve work efficiency and productivity. However, previous studies on speech recognition had two limitations: they used keywords requiring basic knowledge of building information modeling (BIM) commands for using them and in searching BIM data, they relied on the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) format, which involves converting BIM data to IFC. Such methods did not conduce to direct retrieval in BIM software. In the latter case, data search was possible, but data manipulation was not. To improve on the limitations of previous studies, this study developed a building information modeling automatic speech recognition (BIMASR) framework that requires no knowledge of BIM commands, which allows for the input of natural language (NL)-based questions into BIM software using human voice to search and manipulate data. The framework consists of three modules: one for voice recognition, one for natural language processing (syntax and semantic analysis), and one for BIM data preprocessing and interworking with relational databases. The manipulation of BIM data with NL-based speech recognition converts the BIM operating environment from an expert-oriented into a user-oriented environment. This conversion allows for more BIM interaction and the popularization of BIM use and enhances the use of BIM in dynamic environments such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and holograms, where conventional input devices are typically absent.

The Phenomenon of Anti-Café or New Places for Leisure Time Activities of Young People in the Context of Virtualization of the Urban Space (The Case Study of Rubikovʼs Cube Smart Place in the City of Saransk)

Introduction. New places for leisure time activities in the format of anti-café, created by initiative townsmen, have been gaining popularity in the urban space over the past ten years, which has made the study of this topic relevant. The article studies the leisure time activities of young people, identifies the features of the structure, content, and functions in the conditions of an anti-café, and conceptualizes the causes and potential of the phenomenon of anti-café in the urban space. Materials and Methods. Data from unstructured interviews with visitors and the management, as well as participant observation of Rubikov’s Cube Smart Place in the city of Saransk were used as the empirical basis for this study. Using analytical methods and research techniques (analysis, generalization, induction, deduction, as well as the systemic approach) made it possible to substantiate the authors’ point of view on the causes, functions and potential of new places for leisure time activities of young people in the urban space. Results. The authors have raised the theoretical problem of the emergence of new places for leisure time activities of young people in the context of hypermodernity and the development of media technologies in urban spaces. Based on the data from a case-study of the anti-café, popular leisure time activities have been identified, as well as structure, content, and functions of the anti-café, and motivations for visiting such places and socio-demographic characteristics of the main anti-café customers. The authors have also identified the contradictions in the reasons for the popularity of anti-cafés in the context of hypermodernity, emphasizing that anti-cafés create new forms of loneliness and the need for the “third place”, multi-layered, hybrid spaces (where public turns into private, private into public, and online and offline communications intersect) in collective practices, which the city satisfies. Discussion and Conclusion. Based on the conducted research, the authors have drawn a conclusion about the role of anti-cafés (time clubs, coworking spaces) in the formation of the future creative class, without which an effective economy is impossible. The difficulties in studying this topic were due to the lack of statistical data on the problem. The materials of this article will be useful for public authorities, entrepreneurs, specialists engaged in creating places for leisure time activities in the urban space, as well as when elaborating such training courses as “Sociology of the City” and “Sociology of Culture”.

20th Century Western Visayan Millenarian Representations: The Case of “Emperor” Flor Intrencherado in the Local Press, 1925-1929

20th Century Western Visayan Millenarian Representations: The Case of “Emperor” Flor Intrencherado in the Local Press, 1925-1929

Absenteeism of undergraduate medical students in large class format lectures: causes, solutions and the way forward

Despite compulsory attendance rule and strict policies, absenteeism from lectures is an ongoing phenomenon which is becoming a point of serious concern because it is associated with inadequate learning and poor academic performance of medical students. Student absenteeism springs from a variety of contributing factors that need to be addressed promptly and collectively. This review gives an overview of some of the factors that account for absenteeism interrelated with students, faculty, curriculum and learning environment. We propose that ‘Need Based Standardized Faculty Development Programs’, ‘Innovative teaching and learning methodologies’, ‘Good governance’ and ‘Institutional commitment should aim to replace the traditional passive mode of instruction with active learning and inquiry-based approach to ensure considerable attendance of medical students. We are optimistic that the suggested measures will help to improve the quality and delivery of lectures for better attendance and a shift from traditional way of teacher centered learning, to self-directed learning.

WBA-DNN: A hybrid weight bat algorithm with deep neural network for classification of poisonous and harmful wild plants

In this study, a deep neural network structure is proposed for the classification of poisonous and harmful wild plants in fields. Furthermore, a novel metaheuristic weight bat-inspired algorithm is developed for training the devised deep neural network. The harmful wild plant dataset is obtained from the agricultural field contains the purslane plants and harmful plants. The feature of the plants extract with mean absolute deviation, the dataset is consists of four features, two classes information, and contains 3452 samples, one-third of these samples are classified as purslane plants. Firstly, the performance of the proposed weight bat-inspired algorithm based deep neural network is evaluated by using ten UCI data repository datasets and the obtained results are compared with state-of-the-art classification algorithms. Then, classification of the harmful wild plant dataset is performed, results of the proposed weight bat-inspired algorithm based deep neural network are compared to two categories of classification algorithms, including (i) the most well-known classification algorithms, including decision tree, k-nearest neighbors, backpropagation based deep neural network, naïve bayes, random forest, AdaBoost, and support vector machine; (ii) optimization-based deep neural network, including bat algorithm, genetic algorithm, particle swarm optimization, equilibrium optimizer, A bio-inspired based optimization algorithm, and salp swarm algorithm. The proposed weight bat-inspired algorithm based deep neural network has outperformed the most well-known classification algorithms and optimization-based deep neural network in terms of CA, FPR, REC, PRE, TNR, AUC, F1-M, and F-M by 0.980, 0.020, 0.980, 0.980, 0.980, 0.980, 0.980, and 0.980, respectively. The highest performance has indicated that the training of deep neural networks by the weight bat-inspired algorithm is proven to be a very effective and useful tool for the classification of poisonous and harmful wild plants.

Students Perception Towards Online Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study

The aim of this study is to find out the students attitude towards online learning in the pandemic of COVID-19. In this study, we focus on understanding Agricultural Student’s perception and preference towards the online learning through an online survey of 111 students. The study also explored the student’s preferences for various attributes of online classes, which will be helpful to design effective online learning environment. Majority of the students preferred to use smart phone for online learning. Most 76 (68.5 %) of students are Highly Satisfied with Online Learning. Majority 93(83.8%) of the students are learning classes through Zoom Meeting. Most 69(62.2%) of the respondents stated Recorded classes that is uploaded at University website/YouTube/any other application was the most preferred class format.

Elimination of aromatic fusel alcohols as by-products of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains engineered for phenylpropanoid production by 2-oxo-acid decarboxylase replacement

Engineered strains of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are intensively studied as production platforms for aromatic compounds such as hydroxycinnamic acids, stilbenoids and flavonoids. Heterologous pathways for production of these compounds use l-phenylalanine and/or l-tyrosine, generated by the yeast shikimate pathway, as aromatic precursors. The Ehrlich pathway converts these precursors to aromatic fusel alcohols and acids, which are undesirable by-products of yeast strains engineered for production of high-value aromatic compounds. Activity of the Ehrlich pathway requires any of four S. cerevisiae 2-oxo-acid decarboxylases (2-OADCs): Aro10 or the pyruvate-decarboxylase isoenzymes Pdc1, Pdc5, and Pdc6. Elimination of pyruvate-decarboxylase activity from S. cerevisiae is not straightforward as it plays a key role in cytosolic acetyl-CoA biosynthesis during growth on glucose. In a search for pyruvate decarboxylases that do not decarboxylate aromatic 2-oxo acids, eleven yeast and bacterial 2-OADC-encoding genes were investigated. Homologs from Kluyveromyces lactis (KlPDC1), Kluyveromyces marxianus (KmPDC1), Yarrowia lipolytica (YlPDC1), Zymomonas mobilis (Zmpdc1) and Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus (Gdpdc1.2 and Gdpdc1.3) complemented a Pdc− strain of S. cerevisiae for growth on glucose. Enzyme-activity assays in cell extracts showed that these genes encoded active pyruvate decarboxylases with different substrate specificities. In these in vitro assays, ZmPdc1, GdPdc1.2 or GdPdc1.3 had no substrate specificity towards phenylpyruvate. Replacing Aro10 and Pdc1,5,6 by these bacterial decarboxylases completely eliminated aromatic fusel-alcohol production in glucose-grown batch cultures of an engineered coumaric acid-producing S. cerevisiae strain. These results outline a strategy to prevent formation of an important class of by-products in ‘chassis’ yeast strains for production of non-native aromatic compounds.

Quantitative characteristics and distribution pattern of living and dead standing trees of secon-dary Picea forest in Guandi Mountain, northern China

Based on the survey data from a 4 hm2 secondary Picea forest plot in the Pangquangou Nature Reserve, Guandi Mountain, Shanxi Province in 2010 and 2015, we analyzed the quantitative characteristics, distribution pattern, and correlation of living and dead standing trees during five years from four aspects, including species composition, diameter class structure, spatial pattern, spatial correlation between different diameter classes of living standing trees and dead standing trees, and intercorrelation between different diameter classes of dead standing trees. The results showed that there were 25811 living standing trees with DBH≥1 cm in the plot in 2010, belonging to 30 species, 22 genera, and 11 families. The distribution of individual diameter class was an inverted "L" type, and the number of individuals decreased in a fracture pattern with the increases of diameter class. During the five years (2010-2015), a total of 2145 dead standing trees were formed, involving 12 species, 10 genera, and 5 families. Most of the dead standing trees were distributed in diameter of 5-10 cm. At the scale of 0-50 m, the spatial distribution of living and dead standing trees was generally similar, indicating that the spatial pattern of dead standing trees was limited by that of living standing trees to some extent. The spatial correlation analysis of each diameter class of dead standing trees and living standing trees showed that with the increases of individual diameter class of trees, the intensified competition for space resources might be the main reason for the generation of dead standing trees. With the increases of diameter class of dead standing trees, the spatial correlation between living and dead standing trees was weakened to varying degrees, indicating that environment might be the key factor for the formation of large diameter class of dead standing trees. For the the dead standing trees, there was an obvious positive correlation between 5 cm≤DBH<20 cm dead standing trees and DBH<5 cm dead standing trees, between 10 cm≤DBH<20 cm dead standing trees and 5 cm≤DBH<10 cm dead standing trees, and between DBH≥20 cm dead standing trees and 5 cm≤DBH<20 cm dead standing trees. Our results indicated that dead standing trees would impact the subsequent dying of living standing trees.

More Than Three Meals per Day

More Than Three Meals per Day