Level Of Integration Research Articles

ПРЕДУПРЕЖДЕНИЕ И ЛИКВИДАЦИЯ ЧРЕЗВЫЧАЙНЫХ И КРИЗИСНЫХ СИТУАЦИЙ: ПРОБЛЕМЫ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ МЕЖДУНАРОДНО-ПРАВОВОГО РЕГУЛИРОВАНИЯ

The conceptual concept and types of interaction of international legal regulators on the prevention and liquidation of emergency and crisis situations are formulated The role of generally recognized principles of international law in ensuring international cooperation in the prevention of emergencies and crisis situations has been established. International cooperation in this area is based on and implemented through universal, regional international legal mechanisms, as well as bilateral treaties. The role of the United Nations in the normative, programmatic and expert support of cooperation between states on disaster risk reduction, as well as universal international organizations and conferences in the development of international legal regulators for countering emergency and crisis situations is considered. The analysis of the activities of international regional organizations on the international legal provision of emergency prevention, including in the arctic region, is carried out. In conclusion, it is concluded that there is an insufficient level of coherence and integrity of the international legal regulation of the prevention and liquidation of emergency and crisis situations.

The coupling and coordination of digital economy and manufacturing transformation and upgrading for industry 5.0 in Hebei Province

In the context of the widespread application of digital technologies such as the Internet, big data, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing, digital transformation in the manufacturing sector has become an important engine to promote high-quality economic development in Hebei Province. This paper aims to objectively analyze the current situation of industrial integration between the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei digital economy and the manufacturing industry and conduct level measurement so as to promote the in-depth integration and development of the digital economy and manufacturing industry in Hebei Province, so that the manufacturing enterprises in Hebei Province can rebuild their competitive advantages in future development, finally realize digital transformation, and promote the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry in Hebei Province. Therefore, it is very important to carry out empirical research on the integrated development of the digital economy and manufacturing industry in Hebei Province. First of all, this paper constructs the index evaluation system of the digital economy and manufacturing industry, respectively, takes the relevant data of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in the past five years as data samples, uses the entropy weight-TOPSIS method to measure the level of digital economy development and manufacturing industry transformation, and uses the coupling coordination degree model to measure the level of industrial integration of the two. The final results show that: (1) The development level of the digital economy in Hebei Province fluctuates greatly, and there is still a certain gap with Beijing and Tianjin, but the future development potential of the digital economy is huge. (2) The transformation level of manufacturing industry in Hebei Province shows a trend of fluctuation and rise on the whole, and the development trend is good, and the gap between Hebei Province and developed regions is gradually narrowing. (3) The integration of the digital economy and manufacturing industry in Hebei Province has a good development trend, but there is still a certain gap with Beijing and Tianjin, and there are problems of inadequate, unstable, and unbalanced industrial integration. Finally, based on the research conclusions, suggestions are put forward to promote the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, improve the level of digital economy and manufacturing integration of industrial convergence development, raise the level of digital infrastructure construction, and raise the level of science and technology innovation. This paper reveals the mechanism of the digital economy affecting the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry, studies the whole process of digitalization, information technology, and intelligence integration into the development of the manufacturing industry, and fully releases the positive effect of the digital economy driving the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry, which has important theoretical and practical significance for promoting the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry and formulating relevant industrial policies.

The coupling and coordination of digital economy and manufacturing transformation and upgrading for industry 5.0 in Hebei Province

In the context of the widespread application of digital technologies such as the Internet, big data, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing, digital transformation in the manufacturing sector has become an important engine to promote high-quality economic development in Hebei Province. This paper aims to objectively analyze the current situation of industrial integration between the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei digital economy and the manufacturing industry, and conduct level measurement, so as to promote the in-depth integration and development of the digital economy and manufacturing industry in Hebei Province, so that the manufacturing enterprises in Hebei Province can rebuild their competitive advantages in the future development, finally realize digital transformation, and promote the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry in Hebei Province. Therefore, it is very important to carry out empirical research on the integrated development of digital economy and manufacturing industry in Hebei Province. First of all, this paper constructs the index evaluation system of digital economy and manufacturing industry respectively, takes the relevant data of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in recent five years as data samples, uses entropy weight-TOPSIS method to measure the level of digital economy development and manufacturing industry transformation, and uses the coupling coordination degree model to measure the level of industrial integration of the two. The final results show that: (1) The development level of digital economy in Hebei Province fluctuates greatly, and there is still a certain gap with Beijing and Tianjin, but the future development potential of digital economy is huge. (2) The transformation level of manufacturing industry in Hebei Province shows a trend of fluctuation and rise on the whole, and the development trend is good, and the gap between Hebei Province and developed regions is gradually narrowing. (3) The integration of digital economy and manufacturing industry in Hebei Province has a good development trend, but there is still a certain gap with Beijing and Tianjin, and there are problems of inadequate, unstable and unbalanced industrial integration. Finally, based on the research conclusions, suggestions are put forward to promote the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, improve the level of digital economy and manufacturing integration of industrial convergence development, raise the level of digital infrastructure construction, and raise the level of science and technology innovation. This paper reveals the mechanism of digital economy affecting the high-quality development of manufacturing industry, studies the whole process of digitalization, information technology and intelligence integration into the development of manufacturing industry, and fully releases the positive effect of digital economy driving the high-quality development of manufacturing industry, which has important theoretical and practical significance for promoting the high-quality development of manufacturing industry and formulating relevant industrial policies.

Blockchain-Enabled Security Solutions for Medical Device Integrity and Provenance in Cloud Environments

The current period of medicine using digital technology for patient care presents a new level of integration of monitoring devices with the cloud computing environment that enables the collection, storage and access to data in ways that were never possible earlier. As the obvious part of this development, it is worth noting that the objective of such innovation is mostly on the integrity of data, provenance and security. Data integrity from as well as security of the Internet connected healthcare devices should be assured in the first place to keep patient safety and protect data privacy along with improve data-based decision-making. The centralized system and crowded nature of the current equipment are susceptible to single point of failure, data breach and potential manipulations of data, which raise questions and create doubts with regards data management processes pertaining to medical device systems. This work is addressed to the analysis of a novel security system based on blockchain that guarantees the implementation of a high performance with the solution of two medical device integrity and provenance safety issues in the cloud ecosystem. Fundamentally differentiating from the centralized systems that exist today, blockchain technology that is based on distributed database architectures, immutable logs, and consensus mechanisms provides for a new way to bring reliability and traceability to the entire medical device data chain. The suggested procedure is based on properties of blockchain technology. Such a solution can help to provide a clear and secure audit trail for medical devices. Storing, securing and accessing the device data can be carried out credibly, maintaining these data’s integrity and provenance. Ultimately, the solution, rely on the implementation of smart contracts, cryptocurrency processes, and the confidentiality and privacy of data, can be the answer which make up the practice of secure data sharing, data accessing and complying with regulations. The journal creates a modular system combining Medical devices, a cloud platform, and Blockchain solution. The architecture is intended to display the blockchain network's essential components, data validation and access control, and secure data storage mechanisms. Furthermore, the recommended solution implies state-of- the-art security tools, such as data encryption, access control, and abidance by regulatory systems, including HIPAA and GDPR. Implementation of an actual scenario of the proof-of-concept and performance evaluation are done to show the efficiency and performance of the blockchain-based solution provided. The results suggest that the proposed solution can establish the data reliability level, record all the various versions of modifications, and strengthen the security and transparency of medical device data processing in cloud computing. Through the exploration of the applications of blockchain for medical data management that this study proposes, we are laying the foundations of a future healthcare environment, which is expected to be more secure and trustworthy, where the sensor data of medical devices can be reliably controlled and accessed without jeopardizing the patient's safety or data privacy. To a great extent, the suggested solution can contribute to building trust in the digital tools utilized in health care, leading to more well-informed clinical decisions and ultimately improving the patients' results.

Is Microcredit and Health Insurance Access Effective for Vulnerable Peoples?

Using secondary data collected from Dschang in the West region of Cameroon, we examined the effectiveness of microcredit and health insurance access on vulnerable groups which includes the physically disabled and other forms of vulnerability. We undertook a statistical and qualitative econometric analysis using a logit model and obtained the following results: microcredit and health insurance access reduce the vulnerability of people via their health, financial and social status. Our findings open the way for some economic measures that should be taken to assist vulnerable people. From a macroeconomic perspective, these measures include the implementation of a food policy targeted towards increasing access to nutrition; a financial policy to improve access to drugs for individuals, and a social policy to achieve a high level of integration of vulnerable peoples and a high level of literacy of individuals. From a microeconomic perspective, we recommend that microfinance managers develop more products specific to and targeting the vulnerable population as well as those involved in small jobs and the informal sector with specific loans that can help them move to formal and more conventional jobs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper with this objective and methodology focusing on the dataset along with the same case study.

Considerations for open-label randomized clinical trials: Design, conduct, and analysis.

Randomization and blinding are regarded as the most important tools to help reduce bias in clinical trial designs. Randomization is used to help guarantee that treatment arms differ systematically only by treatment assignment at baseline, and blinding is used to ensure that differences in endpoint evaluation and clinical decision-making during the trial arise only from the treatment received and not, for example, the expectation or desires of the people involved. However, given that there are times when it is not feasible or ethical to conduct fully blinded trials, we discuss what can be done to improve a trial, including conducting the trial as if it were a fully blinded trial and maintaining confidentiality of ongoing study results. In this article, we review how best to design, conduct, and analyze open-label trials to ensure the highest level of study integrity and the reliability of the study conclusions.

A Comprehensive Review of Security Measures and Implementation Challenges in Cloud Computing

Cloud computing has emerged as a cornerstone technology in the IT industry, transforming industries by providing flexible, scalable computing resources but the widespread adoption of cloud services has raised serious data security and privacy concerns. Cybercriminals always pose a threat by targeting sensitive information stored on cloud servers. To mitigate these risks, cloud encryption has emerged as an important safeguard, aiming to protect users data from unauthorized service providers against them and against unauthorized malicious hackers This paper examines the ongoing data security issues associated with cloud computing and analyzes the features and structures of cloud encryption. By examining complex approaches to cloud cryptography including encryption, key management and access control, this paper aims to provide insights into how these technologies can shape the security level of cloud-based systems confidentiality, integrity and availability are maintained, ensuring trust and confidence in cloud computing ecosystems

A Research on The Social Integration of Migrant Children: The Case of Mamak

Throughout history, there have been many social, cultural and economic changes due to migration movements in countries exposed to immigration. Because, by residing temporarily or permanently in the countries they migrate, immigrants both transform themselves and the society they live in. Türkiye has historically been a transit country for immigrants. However, in recent years, there has been a serious migration movement towards Türkiye due to the political, economic and social problems experienced in the surrounding countries. While some of the immigrants in Türkiye immigrated to Western countries, most of them continue to stay in Türkiye. For this reason, it is important for immigrants who are expected to live in Türkiye for a long time to adapt to Turkish society. In this context, in this study, the factors affecting the adjustment level of 90 Iraqi secondary school students between the ages of 9-15 residing in Mamak district of Ankara were investigated. In this study, which was based on Iraqi students, 8 Syrian, 1 Qatari and 1 Uyghur students from the same age group and schools were added, and the sample reached 100 people. In this direction, a questionnaire study was applied to these 100 students to have information about their perception about their adaptation processes. The data obtained were analyzed and interpreted by using the SPSS statistical analysis program. As a result of the analyzes; it has been observed that factors such as having a Turkish or near mother tongue, parental education level, country of origin, income level, number of siblings and length of stay in Türkiye have significant effects on the integration level of immigrant children. In line with the research findings, recommendations for policy and strategic goals were made to decision makers, NGOs and researchers in the field of migration so that the integration processes of migrant children can progress more effectively.

Simplified decoy-state quantum key distribution based on planar lightwave circuit integration module

The BB84 protocol with decoy states for quantum key distribution (QKD) has generated significant interest due to its theoretical unconditional security. Presently, the most of QKD systems demonstrated rely on bulk optics. Nevertheless, in upcoming large-scale commercial availability, it is imperative to have highly integrated, consistently performing, and cost-effective systems. Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) based on silica planar lightwave circuits (PLCs) play a crucial role in QKD due to its mature manufacturing process, excellent stability, low loss, and high integration level. We develop a simplified BB84 time-bin QKD experiment system that can significantly improve the key rate because it does not require time basis decoding. And two silica PLC asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer (AMZI) module are used with a high-precision temperature control system (±0.01 °C). Three quantum states |ψ0⟩, |ψ1⟩ and |ψ+⟩ are encoded and decoded with the module. The system achieves an estimated key rate about 3.4 Mbps using an analytical model with one decoy state at a clock repetition rate of 1.25 GHz. Finally, we experimentally obtain a key rate of 531 kbps over a 20 km single-mode fiber (SMF) at a clock repetition rate of 156.25 MHz.

Integrable 2D and 3D piecewise smooth vector fields with chaotic behavior and preserving energy or not

In this paper we exhibit 2D and 3D piecewise smooth vector fields that have, at the same time, first integrals and chaotic behavior. The fact of existing first integrals means that the trajectories are tangent to foliations. Also, in some of these examples the trajectories live in an unique level of the first integrals, and so the system preserves energy, and in other cases the trajectories visit distinct levels of the first integrals and the system does not preserves the energy.

Ultrafast-response H2S MEMS gas sensor based on double phase In2O3 monolayer particle film

The regulation of crystal structure plays a crucial role in gas sensing. In this work, by precisely controlling the annealing temperature, we first synthesized rhombohedral corundum-type In2O3 (h-In2O3), cubic bixbyite-type In2O3 (c-In2O3) and double phase In2O3 (c/h-In2O3). The c/h-In2O3 possesses the heterostructures of double phases, the abundant oxygen vacancies (61.1 %), and the more adsorbed oxygen (35.9 %). Subsequently, by self-assembly method, the sensors with one monolayer In2O3 particle film were successfully fabricated. The c/h-In2O3 sensor shows excellent H2S sensing performances with high response of 54.4 (50 ppm), extremely fast response time of 3.3 s and low limit of detection (LOD) of 20 ppb at 160 °C. The reasons for the ultrafast response of the sensor were unveiled through the comparison experiment of 4 layers particle film sensor and the theoretical analysis. Additionally, the outstanding sensing performance could be attributed to the abundant oxygen vacancies, the double phase heterojunction and the monolayer particle film. This work provides a new idea for designing micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) gas sensors with high sensitivity, extremely fast response, low power consumption and high level of integration.

Design of an Iterative Method for Enhanced Retinal Image Analysis Using Stacked Deep Learning Operations

The necessity for advanced diagnostic techniques in ophthalmology has become increasingly evident, particularly for conditions such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, which necessitate precise retinal image analysis. Current methodologies, while effective to a degree, fall short in terms of accuracy, efficiency, and adaptability, especially in semantic segmentation and disease classification tasks. These limitations underscore the need for more sophisticated and reliable approaches to retinal image analysis. In response, this work introduces a comprehensive framework leveraging Fully Convolutional Neural Networks (FCNNs) for optic disc segmentation and Cup-to-Disc Ratio (CDR) estimation. The selection of FCNNs is predicated on their demonstrated proficiency in semantic segmentation, ability to discern spatial dependencies, and capacity to learn intricate structures within fundus images without relying on manually engineered features. This approach aims to surpass existing segmentation accuracy benchmarks, targeting over 95% Intersection over Union (IoU) while reducing the mean absolute error in CDR estimation to below 10%. To address the challenges of data variability and quality, the framework incorporates Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) for synthetic data generation, enhancing local contrast while preserving image integrity levels. This method is expected to improve contrast in augmented images by 30%, simultaneously enhancing image quality metrics. Furthermore, the introduction of an overlapping sliding window technique with adaptive patch sizes ensures meticulous coverage and analysis of fundus images, significantly elevating lesion detection sensitivity and reducing false positives. Lastly, the framework employs an innovative multi-disease classification strategy utilizing ensemble learning and stacking of CNN architectures. This synergistic approach amalgamates multiple base models to diminish overfitting risks and enhance generalization capabilities, aiming for a classification accuracy surpassing 95% in binary assessments and 85% for specific retinal diseases. The proposed model not only addresses the current gaps in retinal image analysis but also sets a new standard for precision, reliability, and efficiency in diagnosing and managing ocular diseases, marking a significant step forward in the application of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology.

Psychometric properties and factor structure of the traditional Chinese version of the Community Integration Questionnaire-Revised in traumatic brain injury survivors.

This study aimed to translate and validate the traditional Chinese version of the Community Integration Questionnaire-Revised (TC-CIQ-R) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). We included participants aged ≥20 years and diagnosed as having TBI for ≥6 months from neurosurgical clinics. The 18-item TC-CIQ-R, Participation Measure - 3 Domains, 4 Dimensions (PM-3D4D), Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOSE), and Taiwanese Quality of Life After Brain Injury (TQOLIBRI) were completed. The sample included 180 TBI survivors (54% male, mean age 47 years) of whom 87% sustained a mild TBI. Exploratory factor analysis extracted four factors - home integration, social integration, productivity, and electronic social networking - which explained 63.03% of the variation, after discarding the tenth item with a factor loading of 0.25. For criterion-related validity, the TC-CIQ-R was significantly correlated with the PM-3D4D; convergent validity was exhibited by demonstrating the associations between the TC-CIQ-R and TQOLIBRI. Known-group validity testing revealed significant differences in the subdomain and total scores of the TC-CIQ-R between participants with a mean GOSE score of ≤6 and >7 (all P < 0.001). The TC-CIQ-R exhibited acceptable Cronbach's α values (0.68-0.88). We suggest the 17-item TC-CIQ-R as a valid tool for rehabilitation professionals, useful for both clinical practice and research in assessing community integration levels following TBI.

Ageing with spinal cord injury: a longitudinal study

Abstract Limited studies have evaluated the impact of recreation on successful ageing (SA) for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) in a longitudinal manner. Most existing SA models emphasise biomedical-based dimensions of physical functioning, which has been criticised as unrealistic and limited, especially for people with disabilities. Various researchers and organisations have proposed that SA needs to be reassessed using more self-perceived, self-reported measurements. Understanding long-term life satisfaction predictors for individuals ageing with SCI is still limited, particularly when including longitudinal recreation participation data. This study, based on Rowe and Kahn's SA model and utilising self-reported measurements, observes the long-term changes in self-reported health status, recreation participation time and social integration levels, and evaluates the long-term impacts of these predictors on life satisfaction among individuals with SCI. The sample comprises individuals with SCI (N = 11,450) who are at least 45 years old at the time of injury or have lived with their injury for over 15 years. Results indicate that when ageing with SCI, life satisfaction increases over time, but their recreation time, social interactions and self-perceived health status decline. Moreover, regular participation in recreational activities, engagement in and maintenance of certain levels of social relationships, and high self-evaluation of health can positively impact life satisfaction during ageing. The study explores the feasibility of using self-perceived measurements to replace biomedical-based variables in Rowe and Kahn's SA model and examines their impacts on life satisfaction among people ageing with disabilities. In the future development of SA models, researchers can incorporate more self-reported, self-evaluated assessment variables to better capture the ageing experience, especially for people with disabilities.

A METHODOLOGY FOR ASSESSING THE RISK OF INJURY AT THE WORKPLACE OF EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES

The modern approach to ensuring the occupational safety of workers in Ukraine should rely on a risk-oriented approach. Essential requirements for risk assessment methods are a sufficient level of informativeness, reliability of results, and the ability to adapt them to the conditions in which the methods will apply. In particular, it concerns the assessment of injury risks at workplaces of representatives of vulnerable groups of workers—primarily elderly workers and workers with disabilities. Difficulties in assessing workplace injury risks for vulnerable groups of workers limit the development of occupational inclusion at a time when promoting the employment of people with disabilities has become a key priority for governments around the world. The article aims to develop a methodology for assessing risks at the workplaces of employees with disabilities one can use to evaluate the level of risk at enterprises, particularly in small and medium-sized businesses. When determining the injury risks to employees of vulnerable groups, one should account for both the individual characteristics of the employee and the characteristics of the workplace and work process. The input information is the conclusions of the medical experts regarding the types and degrees of impact of life restrictions, as well as the value of individual risk according to the company’s field of activity. The analysis of the workplace, planned for the employment of a person with a disability, of the technological process, and the surrounding working environment follows the factors the company forms based on their internal and external context. Comparing the result with the limit value of the risk is necessary to decide on the possibility of performing work tasks by the employee and the need to take additional safety measures. When choosing a risk threshold against which to compare the assessment result, the company must consider its goals for achieving the required level of safety. Thus, this technique allows one to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the level of risk at the disabled employee’s workplace, which will contribute to increasing the level of occupational safety and professional integration of persons with disabilities. Keywords: risk, disability, workplace, labour process, injuries.

Embedded Highway Health Maintenance System Based on Digital Twin Superposition Model

INTRODUCTION: The highway monitoring data acquisition technology develops quickly. Based on the traditional form of continuous monitoring, intelligent management system focuses on digital and wireless transmission. In the operation of highway maintenance system, each system is independent of each other, lacking of effective connection. Moreover, the level of continuous monitoring is obviously backward, which restricts the development of highway health monitoring. It is necessary to further study the level of integration to achieve the real-time tracking and the monitoring of highway’s healthy development.&#x0D; OBJECTIVES: This paper presents a highway health maintenance system based on digital twin technology, which intends to provide a solution for efficient, stable and automatic data transmission of the highway operation and maintenance management.&#x0D; METHODS: The output of the algorithm after the noise reduction effect is compared with the data containing the generated noise. The average number of nodes is set before running the algorithm to determine the actual length of the vertical position of the embedded sensor (calculating the position of two sensor nodes). The vertical length can be referred to the combined noise level formed and the combined test to determine the position. With the help of the overall data, it can be seen that the Kalman low-pass filtering algorithm can well describe the trend of the received signal and retain the key information in the received signal.&#x0D; RESULTS: It proves that the algorithm in this paper has fast calculation speed and high efficiency, and the basic working principle is simple. Thus, it is a good data denoising solution.&#x0D; CONCLUSION: The output in the paper ensures the data exchange and the update of the whole life cycle of highway, defines the digital twin entity model, and provides a reference for the establishment of information and data network.

Cryopreservation of ram semen: baicalein efficiency on oxidative stress, chromatin integrity, viability and motility post thaw.

Baicalein (B) has potential antioxidant properties, but it has not been tested as a ram semen extender. This study aimed to assess the impact of B on various sperm parameters and determine its potential influence on semen quality after the freeze-thawing process. During the breeding season, ejaculates were obtained from four rams with the aid of an artificial vagina. The collected mixed semen samples were divided into four groups: control (C; 0), B0.5 (0.5 mM), B1 (1 mM), and B2 (2 mM). After semen extension, the samples were loaded into 0.25 mL straws and stored for 2 h at 4°C prior to freezing in liquid nitrogen vapor and thawed in a water bath at 37°C. Among the groups, B0.5 demonstrated the highest progressive motility results, while B1 and B2 exhibited reduced motility (p < 0.05). In terms of high mitochondrial membrane potential, plasma membrane and acrosome integrity, and viability, B0.5 showed significantly superior outcomes to the other B groups (p < 0.05), although it was not significantly better than C. B1 displayed the highest plasma membrane integrity levels (p < 0.05). Notably, B2 displayed the lowest total antioxidant status levels among the groups (p < 0.05). The findings of this study suggested that the in vitro spermatological characteristics of ram spermatozoa such as progressive motility and chromatin integrity can be protected from the freeze-thawing process by using the 0.5 mM dose of baicalein as a semen extender. The treatment of sperm freezing might benefit from further in-depth research on the role of B in the improvement of cryoinjury and its underlying processes.

PICRAT Analysis of Technology-Integration Activities in U.S. K–12 Public Schools

This study examined technology integration in K–12 public schools based on the PICRAT (Passive, Interactive, Creative, Replace, Amplify, Transformative) matrix classification. Seventy-six K–12 teachers voluntarily completed an online survey between December 2020 and February 2021 that asked about their (a) grade-level teaching (b) implementation frequency of various technology-integrated activities, and (c) support. Results showed that teachers’ real-class implementation of technology-integrated activities and the PICRAT levels of integration differed significantly between K–6 vs. 7–12 grades. More frequent use of overall technology-integrated activities was found in grades 7–12 than in K–6. Further, an analysis based on the PICRAT matrix found higher frequencies for Passive and Replace levels and lower frequencies for Creative and Transformative use for all grades. Finally, teacher support significantly predicted overall technology-integration frequencies for both K–6 and 7–12 grades. With regard to prediction on each level of PICRAT classification, support in K–6 grades was significantly related to all levels of technology integration except for Passive. However, in 7–12 grade, support failed to predict the frequency of technology integration for all levels except Amplify. Future directions are discussed, including the role of professional development and the importance of technology-integration frameworks in practice.

Monolithically Integrated GaN Power Stage for More Sustainable 48 V DC–DC Converters

In this article, a fully monolithically integrated GaN power stage with a half-bridge, driver, level shifter, dead time and voltage mode control for 48 V DC–DC converters is proposed and analyzed. The design of the GaN IC is presented in detail, and measurements of the single function blocks and the DC–DC converter up to 48 V are shown. Finally, considerations are given on a life cycle assessment with regard to the GaN power integration. This GaN power IC or stage demonstrates a higher level of integration, resulting in a reduced bill of materials and therefore lower climate impact.

RheumMadness Over Two Years: Engaging Participants in Active Learning and Connecting Early Trainees to the Rheumatology Community.

RheumMadness is an online learning collaborative that seeks to actively engage the rheumatology community. The objective of this manuscript is to analyze the educational experience of RheumMadness over two years. Direct measures of participant engagement were obtained using web-based analytics. An electronic survey was created after the tournament to capture self-reported engagement and educational experience using the Community of Inquiry framework. Data were analyzed according to the following objectives: (1) compare demographics, engagement, and educational experience of participants between 2021 and 2022; (2) describe the educational experience of those who created scouting reports; (3) explore the impact of RheumMadness on early learners (medical students and residents). Compared with 2021, the 2022 tournament had more participants who submitted a bracket, more early learners, and more scouting report creators. Self-reported engagement and educational experience was high in both years of the tournament among all participants. Over 85% of scouting report creators reported that making a report was a fun and valuable learning experience. Early learners reported significantly higher levels of knowledge integration, sense of belonging in the rheumatology community, social connection, and overall learning experience compared with more advanced participants. Eighty-five percent of early learners reported that RheumMadness increased their interest in rheumatology. RheumMadness expanded from 2021 to 2022, engaging more participants in collaborative learning. Our results demonstrate that RheumMadness is particularly impactful among medical students and residents by helping them explore rheumatology topics and connect with the rheumatology community.