Main Research Research Articles

Decolonizing the Teaching and Learning of Indigenous Nguni Music Instruments in Higher Institutions of Learning in South Africa

This is an ethnographic study which was carried out to determine appropriate and effective models, approaches, strategies and techniques, for the transmission of Indigenous African Music (IAM), as practised in the communities of Tsembeyi village in the Eastern Cape Province and Impunga Village in KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa to the institutions of higher learning. The research explored pedagogical intervention measures for transplanting the teaching and learning of indigenous Nguni music instruments at Walter Sisulu University. This enquiry is underpinned by the praxial and Ubuntu theories, which ensure that participants are practically involved in doing, making, and experiencing learning as a collective. The study adopted an interpretive paradigm entrenched in a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews and participant observation were administered to collect data from 13 preservice music teachers including the main researcher and 3 community music experts drawn from the amaXhosa and AmaZulu, who are part of the Nguni nation in the Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. The thematic analysis revealed that the importance of engagement of the community in teaching and learning Nguni music instruments, underlying philosophical knowledge, and the understanding and approach to the construction and playing of IAM instruments. The authors argue for the possibility of breaking down the barriers of marginalization, and discrimination and celebrating human capabilities through the use of local resources and engagement of the community, thus, striking a meaningful and appropriate balance between the approaches that are used in traditional communities and institutions of higher learning. Keywords: Decolonization, Transmission, Curriculum, Indigenous African Music, and Nguni.

Research hotspots in urticaria: A bibliometric study of the top 100 most cited articles.

Urticaria is a prevalent recurrent skin allergic condition. Severe itching significantly impacts patients' quality of life. This paper aims to investigate the development status of urticaria through bibliometric analysis to predict future research hotspots and trends. OnOctober29,2023, a literature search was conducted in the Web of Science (WOS) database to collect urticaria-related publications. The top 100 most cited articles were charted, and VOSviewer software was utilized for the literature data analysis. A visual analysis was performed on the number of articles, journals, main researchers, keywords, and so on. The research involved 415 authors from 28 countries, published across 25 journals, ranging from 1963 to 2023. Marcus Maurer was the leading author, with the United States being the foremost country in urticaria research. CEH Grattan received the most citations, and The Medical University of South Carolina had the highest number of publications. Key research focuses include epidemiology, pathogenesis, drug therapy, and quality of life assessments. "Anti-high affinity IgE receptor α chain (FcεRIα)," "chronic idiopathic urticaria," "autoantibodies," "histamine-release" emerged as the keywords with the highest prominence. The field of urticaria research has attracted substantial attention over the past few decades, witnessing rapid development. This study highlighted the top 100 articles by citation frequency within the urticaria field. Bibliometric analysis revealed a shift in treatment methods from traditional antihistamines to biological agents, with significant emphasis on improving the quality of life in chronic urticaria management. These areas represent the current research focal points and indicate future trends in urticaria research.

Mellisa officinalis Leaf Extract Green-Synthesized AgNPs: Investigation of Its Anaesthetic and Analgesic Activities

Investigating and studying natural origin agents, such as nanocompounds obtained from plants that have less harmful effects, is the main research aim in the field of treatment of diseases. For this goal, extensive research have been performed on several medicinal herbs and their nanoparticles, and their cytotoxic and therapeutic properties have been determined. In the current experiment, the Ag nanoparticles green-synthesis were carried out by the Mellisa officinalis extract. The formulated NPs were analyzed by FESEM, TEM, and UV-Vis. In the in vivo design, after oral administration, paw edema was significantly decreased in mice. CH3COOH-induced writhing episodes were dose-dependently and significantly decreased. The results of anesthetic activity were indicated that the nanoparticles made the local anesthetic effects in guinea pig and frog models. In addition, the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties were determined in several doses.

Bibliometric Analysis of Research in Pediatrics Related to Virtual and Augmented Reality: A Systematic Review.

The amount of research exploring the use of virtual reality [VR] and augmented reality [AR] technologies in health care has exploded. This has resulted in a massive body of work, making it difficult to obtain all of the research. The objective of this study was to map out and put together the scientific output of research and global trends in virtual and AR in pediatrics. Publications were collected from the Web of Science [WoS] database. The R tool was used to categorize and evaluate the research outputs, as well as the most productive and influential countries, journals, institutions, authors, articles, subject areas, and the latest research themes. The most utilized and co-occurring keywords were also examined. Texts, tables, and images were used to assess and describe the retrieval of findings. The research was based on information from 7423 publications. The strongest growth in publications occurred in 2020. The most productive and influential country was the USA. The journal was Pediatrics, the author was G Riva, and the institution was the University of Washington. The most frequently occurring keywords were simulation, rehabilitation, and stroke. The main research themes were therapy, surgical education, and rehabilitation. Pain, stroke, anxiety, depression, fear, dementia, and neurodegenerative illnesses were all common medical issues investigated. VR studies have mainly focused on surgical education or procedures, simulation technologies, and neurological conditions. Neurological conditions are linked to balance, gait, and rehabilitation, reflecting the prevalence of these disease groups. This article provides a thorough overview of VR and AR studies in the healthcare field. This work will allow academics, policymakers, and practitioners to gain a deeper understanding of the evolution of VR and AR studies in the healthcare field and its potential practical implications. Future VR and AR research should focus on bridging the gap between VR and AR healthcare research and clinical applications. Emerging trends in related fields, such as navigation, rehabilitation, stroke, dementia, and VR exposure therapy, should be given special attention.

Enhancing Teachers’ Interdisciplinary Professional Development through Teacher Design Teams: Exploring Facilitating Conditions and Sustainability

Teachers in secondary vocational education face challenges in interdisciplinary teaching due to their traditional teacher education within specific subject domains. Collaborative efforts—like those implemented in Teacher Design Teams (TDTs)—can prepare and support teachers for interdisciplinary teaching. Research has demonstrated the factors determining the effectiveness of TDTs. However, it is noted that the sustainable continuation of TDTs remains uncertain over the years. This research investigates the conditions that facilitate the sustainability of TDTs within the context of interdisciplinary teaching. Over the course of three school years, this qualitative study monitored 14 teachers participating in four TDTs within the context of an interdisciplinary vocational education course. During the initial two school years, the TDTs received external support from the main researcher, transitioning to an autonomous operation in the third school year. A yearly interview with each participating teacher and meeting reports were collected and analysed with thematic analysis. One of the main findings reveals that while the internal coach contributes to supporting TDTs’ progress, the support of the school leader is particularly crucial for sustainability. Although this study focused on school-based TDTs, it underscores the importance of support from outside the school for TDTs’ sustainability.

A cross-database bibliometrics analysis of blended learning in higher education: Trends and capabilities

This study looks closely at research papers about blended learning (BL) from the last 10 years (2014-2023). It pulls information from Scopus and Web of Science (WoS). By using both, it gives a full picture of what is being published and what’s important in BL research. The search found 1,704 articles in Scopus and 1,545 in WoS. After putting them together and removing duplicates, there were 2,455 articles for the study. The study used a Bibliometrix R to look at who published a lot, which countries and schools did most, who worked together, and which articles got mentioned a lot. Each year, the number of articles grew by about 15.58%. Most of these, 93.00%, were articles. Universities in Australia were among those that wrote the most. “Education and Information Technologies” and “International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education” were often cited, which shows they have big roles in this research area. Some of the main researchers who connect a lot of the work are Zhu, Graham, and Jackson. It is found that keywords “higher education”, “online learning”, “students”, and “COVID-19” are very common in discussions and help shape the research being done. While much research comes from Australia and the West, there is also growing work from Asia and the Middle East. This shows that BL is becoming important in different parts of the world. But there’s a chance to get more research from less wealthy countries. This study puts together a clear picture of BL research. It looks at what’s been published, who talks to who, and which places are doing the work. The research has grown who the main people are, where there’s a gap between different regions, and what we should think about for the future. This can help make policies and change how we teach.

Attitudes of high school students towards visualization of mathematical content

Teaching is a process for which its plan should contain reflection onto previous experience. With that in mind, teaching situations should be continuously researched and improved in accordance with the research results. Led by this thought and the fact that students are uncritically using visualization to solve mathematical problems, we defined the aim of this research–determine the attitude of students about the visualization of mathematical content (VMC). The subject of this research are the attitudes of students towards VMC. By analyzing our research subject, we have discovered the research problem–students use visual aid to solve problems uncritically. Based on this problem, we have set the aim of our research. Our aim was to determine the students’ attitudes (and their opinions) about VMC. Based on the aim of our research, we have set four research tasks. Based on these research tasks, we have established the main (leading) research question–What is the attitude of high school students towards the application of VMC? We divided the main research question into five questions: Do high school students consider that they understand the term ‘VMC’? Who considers they use more methods of solving mathematical problems using visual aid–high school male students or female students? Students of which grades consider that they use solving problems using visual aid more? What is the attitude of high school students about the relationship between the substantiality of the picture (the amount of data it encompasses) and the difficulty of solving the problem? What is the attitude of students about the use of software to solve mathematical problems? The research has been conducted with 1,240 high school students from Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina. For the purposes of this article, we employed a survey, questionnaire-based research. The research was created as part of a larger study conducted in the context of preparing a doctoral dissertation related to VMC. It is one fundamental research. An essential aspect of this research involves students’ attitudes toward VMC. After obtaining all necessary approvals from relevant institutions and parents, students proceeded to testing and surveying in their school classrooms, under the supervision of designated individuals who facilitated the conduct of the research. The distribution of the data was not normal, so we used the Pearson Chi-square, likelihood ratio Chi-square, and linear-by-linear association test to examine the association between student attitudes and categorical variables (gender and grade). In addition, we used frequencies and percentages. It has been concluded that the students are mostly positive towards applying visualization in their process of solving mathematical problems and these should be used in the direction of improving the students’ success, their confidence and their level of contentment in their mathematics class, as well as in other life situations that encompass mathematical content. In future research, it could be examined why students expressed such attitudes about the presented situations. Additionally, it would be significant to explore why students do not consider themselves successful in applying VMC, despite claiming to understand the term. The analysis could extend to the content presented in textbooks or instructional materials students use–how visualized the content is or whether students are required to visualize it themselves. It would also be worthwhile to investigate the extent to which teachers encourage students to visualize specific tasks or do so on their behalf. Given the fluctuation in results (we observe affirmative answers–partially or completely) observed across grades–initial decrease, subsequent increase, followed by another decrease–it might be explored whether this is related to the curriculum taught in each grade (such as content, volume, number of class hours, etc.). Regarding images leading to incorrect conclusions, it would be interesting to investigate the types of images students have in mind, how frequently they encounter such situations, where they use these images, who creates them, and similar aspects. These are just some questions for future research.

Emigration from Ukraine to Germany in the Context of the Russian-Ukrainian War

A new topic is submitted in the article, namely the study of changes in the social structure of modern Ukrainian society, in particular, forced migration processes in Ukraine and abroad, caused by the active phase of the Russian-Ukrainian war started on February 24, 2022. The adaptation mechanisms in Germany, where the second in number largest group of the forced migrants stay are considered in the work. The main issues include granting a residence permit in Germany with refugee status, state support, housing, material and medical assistance, educational services, employment, etc. Also the activities of Ukrainian public organizations in FRG, in particular diplomatic, confessional, volunteer, scouting, etc. are described. The paper is aimed at the conducting an analytical ethnological study of socio-cultural aspects, systematization of the statistical data on the emigration of the population from Ukraine to Germany from various sources (scientific literature, Internet resources, mass media, own field notes and illustrative materials from the participants of these processes, etc.). The main researcher’s attention is paid to the adaptation period of the war refugees, their adjustment to the new realities of life in Germany and the negative consequences of migration processes for Ukraine, both demographic, economic and ethnopolitical, ethnocultural. The emigration problem is extremely important and sensitive for modern society, requiring constant statistical updates, analysis and generalisation, therefore its relevance is obvious and timely. The general scientific methods and special ethnological ones are used in the study: system analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, classification (to reveal the subject of the article, structure it and summarise information in a single semantic wholeness). Interviews and audio recording of field material are used among the special methods (to replenish the factual base and clarify the current state of the problem). The method of critical discourse analysis has been used to analyse the interview texts. It provides the most complete picture of the migrant’s condition and adaptation in foreign and unusual surroundings. The scientific novelty of the submitted topic lies in the generalised analysis of statistical and demographic data on the scale of forced emigration of Ukrainians, which has and will continue to have a negative impact on the gene pool of our country.

Capital Structure Determinants of Listed Private and State Companies

Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to determine and analyze the determinants of the capital structure of joint-stock companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina that are listed on the Banja Luka Stock Exchange. This study will answer the question as to which factors determine the capital structure of BiH companies and whether existing financial theories of the capital structure hold true in that context. The main research objective is to estimate the effects of a firm’s level determinants on its capital structure measures in different ownership structures. Those findings will certainly advance our understanding of listed companies financing behavior. Methodology. For the research, we took into account firm-specific characteristics and divided joint-stock companies into private and state-owned. The results of the research show that the capital structure of these two groups of enterprises is differently affected by individual determinants. Findings and implications. While state-owned enterprises rely more on borrowed resources to finance both short-term and long-term assets, private enterprises even finance part of their short-term assets with their own capital. However, the most important determinant in both groups of enterprises is the share of inventories in short-term assets, which confirms that short-term liabilities, i.e. free sources of financing in the form of liabilities to suppliers are the determinant that most positively affect the indebtedness of all enterprises. Unlike previous research that observed enterprises according to their size or affiliation to individual industries, the focus of our research is enterprises of different ownership structures. The empirical statistical results provide basis for logical conclusion and appropriate policy implications. The study points to the specifics of the capital structure in private and publicly listed joint-stock companies. The stated opposite influence of certain ratios on the indebtedness of the enterprises is explained by a number of factors. Limitations. This study focuses only on the presentation of the recent indicators of capital structure of listed companies - listed on the Banja Luka Stock Exchange, which is one of its major limitations. The limitation of this search is the sample size which can be considered low. Further research may be conducted by using other capital markets to explore more information regarding the effect of the variables affecting the capital structure. In addition, further research may also be conducted by using other proxies or by adding more variables, sample size, and research period to get a better result. Originality. The study is an original research paper. It has not been published in any other peer-reviewed journal not under consideration for publication by any other journal. The paper adds to the existing literature on Bosnia and Hezegovina by giving an overview of recent developments in the flexi purity concept, pointing out the areas that require policy response.

Molecular basis of distinct responses to drought between rice and wheat genotypes

The water-intensive cultivation of rice in flooded conditions poses a great challenge to global water resources, particularly in the face of climate change. Wheat requires significantly less water than rice with fairly high yields. A main research question is whether there are any drought adaptive mechanisms in rice similar to those existing in wheat. We report a study, where precise moisture stress was imposed at the vegetative stage using a high-throughput drought simulator phenomics facility. Variability in stress response was captured through untargeted metabolome analysis. In the first experiment, using two rice cultivars with contrasting drought responses (IR64 and Apo) and a wheat cultivar, Weebill, we found distinct variations in regulation of metabolite levels under well-watered or water-limited conditions, both between and within species. Several biosynthetic pathways, including those of polyamines, flavonoids, flavones, and specific metabolites like sphinganine-1-phosphate and anthranilate were enhanced under water-limited conditions. These metabolites were more abundant in wheat than in rice. Among the rice cultivars, Apo had higher abundance of metabolites than IR64. Regulatory patterns governing these metabolic pathways provided basis for stress responses of the tolerant rice cultivar and wheat. A second experiment was conducted to screen rice germplasm lines for acquired tolerance traits contrasting for drought responsiveness. Eight genotypes (four sensitive and four tolerant ones) were selected to validate the candidate metabolites from the first experiment. In the third experiment, an RT-PCR analysis of the key regulatory genes governing the metabolic pathways was conducted, using plant materials from both experiments. The results of this third experiment provided a strong validation for the relevance of these metabolic pathways under stress in rice. We identified promising rice genotypes that exhibited fold change levels of stress resistance metabolites comparable to those of the wheat cultivar Weebill. This study helped identify key candidate metabolites that can be either developed as markers or as elicitors, and genotypes that can be used as trait donor lines for rice improvement.

Marketing Strategies Towards Global Brand Model among Selected Resort Industry in Plaridel Bulacan

In this section, the data generated through the questionnaires is segregated into constituent parts. Analysis of the data together with the result information is presented in the same sequence as the sub-problems. In the end, the analysis is focused on the main research on marketing strategies towards the global brand model among the selected resort industry in Plaridel Bulacan. The study aimed to analyze the competitiveness of marketing strategies among selected resorts in Plaridel, Bulacan. Specifically, determine the level of the competitiveness of resorts in terms of their physiography and climate, mix of activities, special events, infrastructure, awareness and image, and cost/value; determine the marketing strategies employed by the resorts in Plaridel Bulacan in terms of product, price, place, and promotion; test the significant difference when grouped according to the profile variables; and to propose an action plan to enhance marketing strategies of the resorts in Plaridel, Bulacan. This study used a quantitative design; data were gathered from three (3) selected resorts in Plaridel, Bulacan using convenient sampling. The researcher-made survey questionnaire was distributed in person. Weighted the weight, chi-square, percentage, and person r, were used to determine the significant relationship. The study concluded that all key factors of resorts are competitive, and the most rated are the physiography and climate, followed by awareness and image, cost/value, mix of activities, special events, and infrastructure respectively. Marketing strategies such as place is most agreed upon, product, price, and promotion, respectively. When classified by profile, there was a substantial difference in the degree of competitiveness. It reveals the highest for a customer why they revisit resorts was Fast response times at 75%, the second was Consistency across channels at 55%, 3rd was Knowledgeable staff at 52%, 4th was Clear consistent messaging at 46%, 5th was Person to speak with 37% .6th was Multiple contacts points 28% and 7th last was Easy to use tools for service for about 23%. Based on the recommendations derived from the survey under study, pointed out the importance of opening roads to help in the free flow of goods and services, and conducting surveys to determine, among other things, shop needs and requirements of Business. All of these factors should be assessed and analyzed efficiently based on the Balance Scorecard to guarantee the financial health and stability of the business, and to draw a conclusion regarding the efficiency and financial status of any business concerns. Indicates the significance of differences in the marketing strategies in the selected resort industry in Plaridel, Bulacan. The business owners implement global branding, (t = 8.08, p = 0.001), towards the tourist volume (t = 5.45, p = 0.000), in repeat visits of the resorts (t = 12.79, p = 0.000), in the effects of social media marketing (t = 9.12, p = 0.000), ads use images marketing (t = 10.11, p = 0.000), ads use in video marketing (t = 7.07, p = 0.000). This study suggested that marketing strategies derive from the interactions among marketing mix, social media marketing, and ads used in images and video marketing. As a concept, it can only be portrayed in terms of its dimensions or components. Each dimension is a result of the types of interactions of the indicators of marketing strategies in the marketing mix with the dimensions usually correlated with the dimension and (b). However, the correlation is significant, the indicator correlates more with another dimension. Based on the foregoing findings and the discussions presented in the previous chapter, the following conclusions are hereby concluded: The respondents that provided the information used in this study are successful resort business owners”. They usually possess rating levels in all the different dimensions of successful resort business owners that are suggested by marketing strategy literature. The data used reflects the true picture of the resort owner’s situation in the resort sector in Plaridel Bulacan and, since the size of the resort’s members are in the area, it could be said that it represents the picture of the sector in the whole area. The concept of marketing strategy can be described, namely, social media marketing, ads used in images, and video marketing. All the dimensions were generated by the interactions of the indicators marketing mix of social media marketing, ads use in images, and video marketing. Keywords: competitiveness, marketing strategies, resort, tourism, Plaridel, Bulacan

Attention Autism™ training for occupational therapists: a pilot study

Purpose At present, there is no reference to Attention Autism (AA) as a framework and therapeutic tool with autistic children in occupational therapy (OT) literature. By way of introducing AA as a potential intervention to the OT community, this study aims to investigate the extent to which participation in a two-day AA training could contribute to increasing confidence and inspire changes in practice for Irish occupational therapists (OTs) supporting autistic children. Design/methodology/approach A pilot study design with mixed qualitative and quantitative methods was used to evaluate the impact of a two-day AA training on six OTs. The OTs support autistic children throughout Ireland across public, private and voluntary sectors. They completed brief, non-standardised questionnaires 2 weeks before the training (Time 1) and again 12 weeks post (Time 2) training session. At Time 2, additional exploratory questions were answered by OTs regarding their use of AA in practice. Findings This explorative study’s quantitative findings presented percentage change increases within three areas of confidence for all OTs. These include establishing attention, motivating and developing functional skill goals with autistic children. One of the participants did not score any change in confidence in a fourth area, building rapport, however, the five other participants scored percentage change increases. Qualitative data provided by participants showed that they were implementing AA in practice since attending the training. Five of the participants reported positive experiences of using AA and one participant reported the programme was not suitable for her caseload because of their level of understanding and need. Research limitations/implications This was a small, exploratory, practice-based study. As this is the first study exploring this area of practice for OTs, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, there were no standardised methods of assessment available, therefore a self-designed survey was used by the author which had a limited number of open-ended questions and four Likert scale questions. This study was also limited in that there was one main researcher who also delivered the two-day AA training. The sample data set was small which resulted in the limitation of the choice of methods used to analyse the quantitative data. Percentage changes were used as the only available and reliable method for a small data set. Originality/value Findings of this study, despite their preliminary nature, indicate that AA training may be a useful professional development consideration for OTs who provide a service for autistic children. Further AA research in OT is required including larger and more rigorous studies. An alternative training option of The Curiosity Programme may be considered for OTs supporting children who may not yet be ready to participate in AA.

Food Quality and Customer Loyalty of Eateries in Uyo Metropolis, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

This study was necessitated by the quest to unravel the effect of food quality on customer loyalty at eateries in Uyo metropolis. The main objective of the study was to investigate the effect of food quality on customer loyalty at eateries in Uyo metropolis. The researcher adopted survey design as the main research design. The study was conducted in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Structured questionnaire was use as the main instrument of data collection. 296 customers were respondents for the study. The data from the field was analyzed using simple linear regression. The result revealed a significant relationship between food quality dimensions and customer loyalty. The researcher concluded that the variables of food quality do enhance customer loyalty to a very large extent and recommended that Mechanism should be put in place by management to provide instant fresh meal for customers rather than storing them for days and that food should be presented in an enticing and hygienic manner.

Model-Based Analysis of the Accuracy of Tracking Control and Energy Efficiency of a Six-Wheeled Skid-Steered Robot

This article concerns the modeling and motion control of a mobile robot with six independently driven and non-steered wheels. The main research issue is analyzing the influence of the structure of the control system and wheel track on the control accuracy and energy efficiency during robot motion on horizontal paved ground. For this purpose, the kinematic relationships for the robot are discussed and a simplified dynamics model for control applications is developed. The robot’s dynamics model takes into account the most important phenomena of the wheel interaction with the paved ground, including slip. In addition, it is supplemented with a model of the robot’s drive units. Two versions of the control system were adopted for analysis, i.e., with the wheels’ controller only and additionally equipped with a pose controller. Simulation studies were carried out for the developed robot dynamics model and the analyzed versions of the control system in order to investigate the influence of the track width of the wheels and the structure of the control system on motion accuracy and energy efficiency. In order to quantitatively compare the results for the analyzed solutions, quality indices were introduced. The results of the simulation research indicate the influence of the track width of the wheels on the accuracy of motion when using the wheels’ controller, as well as its impact on energy efficiency. Moreover, they show that it is possible to significantly improve the accuracy of motion by using an additional pose controller, which allows limiting the impact of the non-optimal geometric parameters of the robot and the slip of the wheels on trajectory tracking errors. However, the addition of the pose controller does not significantly affect the energy efficiency during the robot’s motion, which may be even worse in this case.

Responsible leadership in a military organization (in the light of opinion surveys of professional soldiers)

<p>Military leadership is currently an extremely popular and important aspect of managing human resources in difficult, changeable, and unpredictable conditions. The solutions used in modernly managed, well-organized, subsidized, and ethically militarized systems become a point of reference and a model for organizations that encounter perturbations in the management of the organization’s human resources. The most important of them are certainly the sense of trust of subordinates in their superiors and the leaders’ responsibility for the level of staff development. The aim of the research undertaken was to verify the thesis that can be formulated in this affirmative sentence: “A modern commander should be honorable, self-confident, and have the ability to influence his subordinates and shape friendly interpersonal contacts in the group he reports.” The literature search in the field of leadership and questionnaire research were aimed at answering the main research question: “What mental properties and behavioural features should characterize a responsible leader in military organizations?”. The work uses the diagnostic survey method, and the interview was conducted using a multi-factor survey questionnaire on a 30-person study group consisting of professional soldiers aged 25–40. The adopted age range of the study group corresponds to the period of active military service, from the age of graduation to the year of termination of active military service. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire is composed of two scales, creating a total of 37 randomly ordered statements in the form of single-choice questions. To analyze the distribution of answers, ranks were used to assess the degree of their compliance with the respondents’ beliefs. Based on the conclusions from the conducted research, we have grounds to believe that professional soldiers expect their leader to be helpful to his subordinates and to ensure that the soldiers are motivated to act and perform their tasks. An important behavior that is expected from the commander is the desire to have a common mission in achieving the goal. Based on the research results, it was found that an undesirable feature is the inconsistency of commanders when pointing out the mistakes of their subordinates, who do not devote interest and time to learning how to avoid mistakes and to improve the competence of their subordinates.</p>

Trends and patterns in ESG research: A bibliometric odyssey and research agenda

AbstractThe paper provides a detailed analysis of the ESG literature with the aim of bringing clarity to this area of research and proposing a research agenda. An overview of the development of the literature on ESG pillars is offered through a review of 903 peer‐reviewed articles. The paper identifies four thematic clusters: impacts of ESG disclosure and practices, sustainability, accounting, and responsible investments. The main research streams and sub‐streams for each cluster are discussed, highlighting the most frequent theoretical perspectives and methodologies. Furthermore, the evolution of ESG research across time is delineated. The paper also identifies future research directions within each cluster to advance knowledge, and proposes an integrative framework based on focal themes and their reciprocal connections.

Ultrasound-guided deployment of ProGlide™ device in transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation and risk reduction of vascular complications: A propensity-matched cohort study.

ProGlide is a percutaneous suture-mediated closure device used in arterial and venous closure following percutaneous intervention. Risk of vascular complications from use, particularly related to failure in hemostasis, or acute vessel closure, remains significant and often related to improper suture deployment. We describe a technique of ultrasound-guided ProGlide deployment in transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TF-TAVI). The aim of this study is to assess vascular outcomes for ultrasound-guided deployment of ProGlide vascular closure devices in patients undergoing TF-TAVI. We collected relevant clinical data of patients undergoing TAVI in a large volume centre. main access Valve Academic Research Consortium 3 (VARC-3) major vascular complication. any major/minor VARC-3 vascular complication, its type (bleed or ischemia), and treatment required (medical, percutaneous, or surgical). We performed inverse weighting propensity score analysis to compare the population undergoing ultrasound-guided versus conventional ProGlide deployment for main TAVI access. Ultrasound technique for ProGlide insertion was performed as described below. Five hundred and seventeen patients undergoing TF-TAVI were included. In 126 (ultrasound-guided) and 391 (conventional ProGlide insertion), 0% versus 1.8% (p < 0.001) had a major VARC-3 vascular complication, respectively. 0.8% (one minor VARC-3 bleed) vs 4.1% (13 bleeds and three occlusions) had any VARC-3 vascular complication (major and minor) (p < 0.001). Surgical treatment of vascular complication was required in 0.8% versus 1.3% (p = NS). Ultrasound-guided deployment of ProGlide for vascular closure reduced the risk of major vascular complications in a large population undergoing TAVI.

Are New Campus Mobility Trends Causing Health Concerns?

An influx of new mobility trends such as fare-free bus transportation, ride hail, and e-scooter services to improve access and affordability of transportation on campus may be shifting the travel behavior of campus patrons such that it affects their long-term health outcomes. The main research questions explored in this study are as follows: (1) why university patrons choose new modes of travel?; (2) what existing mode did the new modes of travel replace for the riders?; and (3) is the average body mass index (BMI) of users primarily using non-motorized transit options lower than those using motorized or both (referred to as hybrid) for on-campus travel needs? An online survey was administered to a campus community (n = 3309) including students (48%), faculty (15%), and staff (37%) in fall of 2018 when fare-free bus transportation and e-scooters became available on campus, and a gradual increase in ridership of ride-hail services was simultaneously observed. This study found that campus patrons were more inclined to replace active modes of travel with affordable and accessible modes of transportation, thereby substituting their walking or biking routine with app-based transportation services. The mean BMI among travelers who chose motorized transportation modes was more than active travelers, and the BMI was statistically significantly associated with age, gender, race, class standing (undergraduate/graduate), and residence on/off campus. This study concludes with suggestions to prevent substitution of active with non-active transport choices and provides policy guidelines to increase awareness on achieving physical activity levels through active modes of travel for university patrons.

Immersive Virtual Reality Serious Game Studies in Education: A Brief Review

Currently, immersive virtual reality environments(IVR) are providing interactive learning experiences in various fields including “education”. Especially after covid-19 pandemic, the popularity of the online learning environment has increased, and the IVR would be a possible alternative to other mediums in online learning. The previous reviews usually contain related literature before the pandemic. There is a need to better understand the current body of knowledge on IVR. The specific application contexts, research designs, and possible results of the current works needed to be clarified. To answer this question a literature review was conducted between 2013-2023 years on the “Web of Science” database for “IVR” and “serious games” keywords in the field of “education”. Then, 18 articles are reviewed and the main themes are provided. As a result, the majority of the articles were found as “applied studies” and the main research intent was to determine “cognitive effects” including knowledge improvement. Depending on literature analyses qualitative and quantitative study results can be listed as; “IVR in the form of serious game” in general was found and perceived as an effective medium for learning in various fields of education. In addition, some study results about instructional design decisions of IVR applications and the effectiveness of IVR comparing other types of mediums are provided. The study recommends taking into account educational theories behind the design of IVR and related multimedia design principles.

Assessment of Genetic Variability and Character Associations in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) Yield Related Traits

Aims: To investigate yield and yield related characteristics for variability and association studies in fifty-two powdery mildew differentials of sunflower.&#x0D; Study Design: Augmented block design.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Main agricultural Research station, University of Agricultural Science, Raichur, Karnataka between November 2022 and February 2023.&#x0D; Methodology: Study included 52 powdery mildew differentials of sunflower studied factors such as genetic variability, heritability, and genetic advance in characters such as head diameter, seed filling percent, test weight, number of seeds per head, volume weight, oil content and seed yield. Correlation and path analysis was also done.&#x0D; Results: Findings revealed significant differences among the traits, especially in seed yield per plant, head diameter, seed filling percent, test weight, and number of seeds per head which conclude that there is variability present in the studied character and there is scope for crop improvement. Correlation coefficients showed positive connections between seed yield per plant and traits like head diameter, test weight, seed filling percentage, and number of seeds per head. However, volume weight had a negative correlation. Path coefficient analysis helped us understand the direct and indirect impacts of these traits on seed yield per plant. Head diameter, seed filling percentage, test weight, and number of seeds per head had positive direct effects on seed yield per plant. In contrast, volume weight had a negative direct effect.&#x0D; Conclusion: The study contributes to the understanding of the genetic architecture of sunflower traits related to yield and provides a foundation for developing targeted breeding strategies. These insights can guide sunflower breeding programs in selecting traits for improved yield.