Practical Means Research Articles

Continuance Intention on Gamifikasi in E-Learning Using Extended Expectation-Confirmation Model

In an effort to examine user continuance intentions after using gamification in e-learning, this research was conducted to identify the factors that influence gamification in e-learning using the theoretical model of ECM, then analyze the relationship between the influencing construct variables, and explain the practical and theoretical implications of the effect of gamification in e-learning on user's continued intention to reuse. The theoretical model was developed from the Extended Expectation-Confirmation model (ECM) by integrating the influencing determinants. Descriptive analysis and hypothesis testing using the SEM technique used the Amos 24 application to analyze and interpret data from 496 respondents who participated in an online questionnaire distributed via chat applications and social media. Significant test results have been found for users after using gamification in e-learning, the confirmation variable has a high positive correlation in influencing satisfaction according to the expectations felt by users. The results of the Pearson correlation test conducted show that if the value of gamification user satisfaction in e-learning increases, the intention to continue using e-learning will also increase as found in the five hypothetical determinants that have a direct effect on continuous intention, namely perceived usefulness, satisfaction, engagement, flow, perceived enjoyment. The practical meaning of the findings has a significant effect on continuous intention for educational institutions to research and develop innovative online learning models with gamification to increase the level of user participation, for teachers to ensure that the implementation of the gamification feature has a positive direct effect on sustainability intentions, for users to be able to provide confirmation of benefits obtained with a sense of satisfaction to continue using gamification in e-learning. This study predicts the continuance intention of gamification users in e-learning by analyzing theoretical models influenced by 4 basic ECM constructs plus 3 exogenous variables of engagement, perceived enjoyment and flow. Testing the construct hypothesis, presenting a comprehensive SEM analysis, producing direct and indirect positive significance tests on continuous intention.

Study on the use of new trends, materials and exercises for the development of coordination in 5th grade students (10-11 years old)

From studying the bibliography and from experience we found that education issues regarding coordination abilities are addressed very vaguely and made by practical means scientifically unproven as effective. In today's sports branches, the importance of coordinative capacities is the starting point in the correct performance of motor skills but also in the ability to quickly adapt to different situations or working conditions. With the increase in the level of development of these motor capacities, in schools, through dedicated lessons, we could speak of a much better selection for certain sports branches but also for performance sports. Research presented at various scientific conferences and the published papers had a good impact on the specialists of Sport Science and Physical Education. We believe today that these studies are just the beginning to modernize the entire contents aimed at optimizing the motor capacities of the child. We know that today's young people, with problems of a motor nature, also have problems of an affective-social nature. This psychosocial imbalance is closely related to psychomotor development. In this sense, psychomotricity must be promoted as the main part of personality development.

CPEC is Blessing for Regional Peace and Prosperity

CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) is expected to be a significant opportunity to bring peace, development and prosperity to China, Pakistan and the wider region. The CPEC program takes into account a wide range of perspectives, including but not limited to promoting domestic employment prospects and strengthening regional connectivity. The project's ability to handle many political, economic, and geopolitical difficulties and threats facing Pakistan is one of the project's many multifaceted components that are examined in the article, which principally relies on extensive literature research. The goal of the present study was to examine whether the CPEC project could be a practical means of fostering regional peace and development.This paper attempts to examine the importance of the CPEC initiative in developing domestic employment opportunities and enhancing regional connectivity, although considerable work has already been done on the CPEC project. The qualitative method is adopted to deal with the objectives. The article concludes that the CPEC initiative is poised to usher in a new era of economic development and prosperity for the people of Pakistan, thereby serving as a major turning point for the region. In addition, the study identifies several limitations that may warrant further investigation in future research on the topic.

특수학교 전공과 전문적학습공동체의 개인중심 ITP 운영에 관한 협력적 실행

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to reveal the practical meaning by examining in detail the process of establishing and implementing an individualized transformation education plan based on the philosophy of person-centered planning through cooperative practice using a specialized learning community on post-secondary program for vocational education in special school. Method: For a total of 10 months from April 2020 to February 2021, the collaborative implementation research method using the professional learning community is not applied, but the data collected in the implementation process are analyzed using considerable analysis procedures, and the four upper categories and It consisted of 12 individual subcategories, 28 meanings. Results: 1) Laying the basis for practicing individualized transformation education reflecting the individual-centered plan through cooperation between teachers. 2) Improving vocational rehabilitation and independent living skills of students participating in the study by operating a curriculum reflecting the individual-centered plan. 3) Curriculum reflecting the ITP. 4) The educational effect of ITP is enhanced when students, teachers, and parents are together. Conclusion: Based on these research results, Basic information and implications for ITP implementation were presented.

Ho Chi Minh's ideology on education

Education plays a particularly important role, not only contributing to the development of human personality but also a driving force for the development of society. Therefore, most countries in the world consider investment in education as an investment in the future and define educational development. Ho Chi Minh left the Vietnamese people an invaluable theoretical legacy on the fundamental issues of the Vietnamese revolution, including the ideology of religion expressed in his views on the role, purpose, content, and methods of education are very profound, so far still have the same theoretical and practical meaning.

Pharmacy Practice Innovation: Pharmacist Embeddedness as a Comprehensive Framework for Collaborative Practice.

Pharmacy policy should conceptualize a practice that is both attainable and stable. To attain consistency, predictability, and effectiveness in development and implementation of pharmacy practice innovations, a framework is required. Pharmacist embeddedness (PE) supports the uptake of innovations, the creation of new roles, and guides practice innovation. As paradigm and benchmark of practice, PE is consistent with the concept of 'seven-star pharmacist'.PE is based on a broader definition of practice. PE will help policy makers and practitioners to engage in proactive, objective, and meaningful practice innovation.

Beyond persuasive representations of facts: “figuring out” what sustainable value creation means in practice

PurposeAlthough accounting and reporting visualisations (i.e. graphs, maps and grids) are often used to veil organisations’ untransparent actions, these practices perform irrespectively of their ability to represent facts. In this research, the authors explore accounting and reporting visualisations beyond their persuasive and representational purpose.Design/methodology/approachBy building on previous research on the rhetoric of visualisations, the authors illustrate how the design of accounting visualisations within integrated reports engages managers in a recursive process of knowledge construction, interrogation, reflection and speculation on what sustainable value creation means. The authors articulate the theoretical framework by developing a longitudinal field study in International Fashion Company, a medium-sized company operating in the fashion industry.FindingsThis research shows that accounting and reporting visualisations do not only contribute to creating unclear and often contradicting representations of organisations’ sustainable performance but, at the same time, “open up” and support managers’ unfolding search for “sustainable value” by reducing its unknown meaning into known and understandable categories. The inconsistencies and imperfections that accounting and reporting visualisations leave constitute the conditions of possibility for the interrogation of the unknown to happen in practice, thus augmenting managers’ questioning, reflections and speculation on what sustainable value means.Originality/valueThis study shows that accounting and reporting visualisations can represent good practices (the authors are not saying a “solution”) through which managers can re-appreciate the complexities of measuring and defining something that is intrinsically unknown and unknowable, especially in contexts where best practices have not yet consolidated into a norm. Topics such as climate change and sustainable development are out there and cannot be ignored, cannot be reduced through persuasive accounts and, therefore, need to be embraced.

Development and validation of experienced work-integrated learning instrument (E-WIL) using a sample of newly graduated registered nurses – A confirmatory factor analysis

IntroductionResearch indicates that newly graduated registered nurses struggle to develop practical skills and clinical understanding and to adapt to their professional role. To ensure quality of care and support new nurses, it is vital that this learning is elucidated and evaluated.AimThe aim was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of an instrument assessing work-integrated learning for newly graduated registered nurses, the Experienced Work-Integrated Learning (E-WIL) instrument. MethodThe study utilized the methodology of a survey and a cross-sectional research design. The sample consisted of newly graduated registered nurses (n = 221) working at hospitals in western Sweden. The E-WIL instrument was validated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). ResultsThe majority of the study participants were female, the average age was 28 years, and participants had an average of five months' experience in the profession. The results confirmed the construct validity of the global latent variable E-WIL, “Transforming previous notions and new contextual knowledge into practical meaning,” including six dimensions representing work-integrated learning. The factor loadings between the final 29 indicators and the six factors ranged from 0.30 to 0.89, and between the latent factor and the six factors from 0.64 to 0.79. The indices of fit indicated satisfactory goodness-of-fit and good reliability in five dimensions with values ranging from α = 0.70 to 0.81, except for one dimension showing a slightly lower reliability, α = 0.63, due to the low item number. Confirmatory factor analysis also confirmed two second-order latent variables, “Personal mastering of professional roles” with 18 indicators, and “Adapting to organisational requirements” with 11 indicators. Both showed satisfactory goodness-of-fit, and factor loading between indicators and the latent variables ranged from 0.44 to 0.90 and from 0.37 to 0.81, respectively. ConclusionThe validity of the E-WIL instrument was confirmed. All three latent variables could be measured in their entirety, and all dimensions could be used separately for the assessment of work-integrated learning. The E-WIL instrument could be useful for healthcare organisations when the goal is to assess aspects of newly graduated registered nurses' learning and professional development.

Robust Adaptive Beamforming Based on a Convolutional Neural Network

To address the advancements in jamming technology, it is imperative to consider robust adaptive beamforming (RBF) methods with finite snapshots and gain/phase (G/P) errors. This paper introduces an end-to-end RBF approach that utilizes a two-stage convolutional neural network. The first stage includes convolutional blocks and residual blocks without downsampling; the blocks assess the covariance matrix precisely using finite snapshots. The second stage maps the first stage’s output to an adaptive weight vector employing a similar structure to the first stage. The two stages are pre-trained with different datasets and fine-tuned as end-to-end networks, simplifying the network training process. The two-stage structure enables the network to possess practical physical meaning, allowing for satisfying performance even with a few snapshots in the presence of array G/P errors. We demonstrate the resulting beamformer’s performance with numerical examples and compare it to various other adaptive beamformers.

Panax notoginseng alleviates oxidative stress through miRNA regulations based on systems biology approach

BackgroundHerbal medicine Sanqi (SQ), the dried root or stem of Panax notoginseng (PNS), has been reported to have anti-diabetic and anti-obesity effects and is usually administered as a decoction for Chinese medicine. Alternative to utilizing PNS pure compound for treatment, we are motivated to propose an unconventional scheme to investigate the functions of PNS mixture. However, studies providing a detailed overview of the transcriptomics-based signaling network in response to PNS are seldom available.MethodsTo explore the reasoning of PNS in treating metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, we implemented a systems biology-based approach with RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and miRNA sequencing data to elucidate key pathways, genes and miRNAs involved.ResultsFunctional enrichment analysis revealed PNS up-regulating oxidative stress-related pathways and down-regulating insulin and fatty acid metabolism. Superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), peroxiredoxin 1 (PRDX1), heme oxygenase-1 (Hmox1) and glutamate cysteine ligase (GCLc) mRNA and protein levels, as well as related miRNA levels, were measured in PNS treated rat pancreatic β cells (INS-1). PNS treatment up-regulated Hmox1, SOD1 and GCLc expression while down-regulating miR-24-3p and miR-139-5p to suppress oxidative stress. Furthermore, we verified the novel interactions between miR-139-5p and miR-24-3p with GCLc and SOD1.ConclusionThis work has demonstrated the mechanism of how PNS regulates cellular molecules in metabolic disorders. Therefore, combining omics data with a systems biology strategy could be a practical means to explore the potential function and molecular mechanisms of Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of metabolic disorders.

Plurality of Hryhorii Skovoroda`s philosophical practices in the modern reading

Hryhorii Skovoroda's philosophy is distinguished by a variety of interests and a combination of different genres of the embodiment of philosophical ideas. Skovoroda's philosophical views were reflected in his various life practices in different ways. And yet these different practices harmoniously support each other, ensuring the successful integral self-support of Hryhorii Skovoroda both as a philosopher and as a person. He highly valued the importance of practice for human improvement, but did not develop a special concept of practice of his own. Since Skovoroda himself did not clearly distinguish different types of practices, it is necessary to reconstruct them based on modern ideas about possible philosophical practices. Among the various types of philosophical practices, which are distinguished by modern philosophy and some signs of which can be found in the life and work of Hryhorii Skovoroda, the following were found: practices similar to avoiding metanarratives; practices similar to deconstruction; practices of metaphorization; informational diet practices; improvisation practices; practices of avoiding the effects of the society of the spectacle; spiritual self-reference practices; critical thinking practices; social networking practices. The article attempts a reverse theoretical reconstruction of Hryhorii Skovoroda's philosophical practices. That is, from the standpoint of modern philosophical concepts, the meaning of those life practices that Hryhorii Skovoroda adhered to when he embodied his philosophical views in his actions, mostly without unnecessary declarations, has been partially reconstructed. Skovoroda's practical philosophy was not built by him as a theoretical system, although his life clearly shows the coherence of various life practices. All the practices followed by Hryhorii Skovoroda were fundamentally philosophical – he lived like a philosopher and approached everything like a philosopher, with a philosophical heart and a philosophical head. There were many of these practices, and this article mentions only some of them, namely those that seem significant to us today in the light of the later development of European philosophy – as we know it to this day. It is quite likely that other philosophers of our time, and even more so philosophers of the future, will see in Skovoroda's philosophical life also other various practices.

Fragments of Diary

The newly developing video environment offers various types of approaches to self-writing or self-making, including digital montage with less expensive and complex software, social media platforms, and personal archives as an ongoing development of self. However, the craft and process of making moving image have been less discussed in terms of their artistic value because, most of the time, the process is considered a draft that will be removed from the finished work. My Diary Project (2022-ongoing) focuses on the new meaning of diaristic practice and diagrammatic mental space in the process of making influenced by Jonas Mekas’ 365 Day Project (2007), Walden (1969), and short videos on his website, exploring the ways in which the conception of “diaristic” can be practised as an art form.
 The various diaristic practices create unique ways of crafting and making that cannot be defined in a specific structure, form, or purpose that can be called a genre. The concept of the diary started from the formal documentation of events, functions, and statistics for tribal and national archives and expanded to both the private and public spheres in the twenty-first century. Now, its meaning continues to both romantic and positivist sense, personal archive or recording memories, which requires an expanded understanding as an intimate artistic practice. This quasi-public and quasi-private practice contains the expression of inner thought, the regular record of daily life, the archive of memories, and commentary on self.
 Jonas Mekas saw his practice through the lens of late Romanticism and poetic expression through the on-camera-editing and recording of daily life, widening the moving image field into craftsmanship and its performative qualities beyond the filmic machine. Using fragmentary elements from the personal archive, he creates intimate sensations in a set of frame spaces. Gilles Deleuze claims that the image we see on the screen is delimited from the rest of the world, spatially and temporally, in terms of the "whole of relations" but to which each set is open. Thus, the frame generates the whole of inner relations and bursts to the outside of the frame to the viewer as a new diagram.
 Bringing Mekas and Deleuze together, my project explores poetic subjectivity through my personal video archive and multi-frame experiments with a handheld camera, diaristic expression, and representation of the whole. This method attempts to create a new diagrammatic relation between fragments of times, places, and self in daily life, questioning what new types of relational inner space those diaristic practices can make and what the relationship between the fragmentation of continuous and discontinuous time and space in the cinematic frame can be recontextualised in the concept of the diagram. In doing so, it not only traces the new meaning of the diaristic practice but also challenges ways of collecting and using the videos in cinematic practice both online and in the experiment, Diary Project (2022-ongoing). Finally, it expands the notion of the personal diary to the “fragmentations in diagram” in terms of expanding video frames in diaristic moving image practice.

Meaning in derogatory social practices

AbstractVerbal derogation is not only a linguistic but also, and perhaps more importantly, a political phenomenon. In this paper, I argue that to do justice to the political relevance of derogatory terms, we must not neglect the social practices and structures in which the use of these terms is embedded. I aim to show that inferentialist semantics is especially helpful to account for this social embeddedness and, consequently, the political relevance of derogatory terms. I am concerned with specifying the linguistic and political aspects of terms that are at the core of derogatory language use. I explain them with the help of Brandomian inferentialism, which tends to be quickly dismissed or ignored in discussions about the meaning of derogatory terms. My inferentialist account is in line with Lynne Tirrell's broader inferentialist framework for understanding derogatory communicative practices. I provide the semantic details of her broader inferentialist view and thereby aim to show that inferentialist semantics is a promising theory which cannot be neglected in further discussion of meaning and politics in derogatory language use.

Is distanced mothering a neglectful or normative parenting strategy? Evidence from three countries

Distanced and intensive mothering constitute the opposite ends of parenting. Unlike intensive parenting, distanced parenting has attracted less attention from researchers, though it is not uncommon. Distanced parenting has been used interchangeably with disengaged parenting, which is treated as a mild form of parental neglect based on low warmth and control. Yet, it also may be used intentionally as a culturally fostered parenting strategy. The current study examines the commonsense conceptualization of distanced mothering, its acceptance among mothers, and their variability in three countries previously found as varying in intensive parenting. Mothers (N = 80) of school-age children in the Netherlands, Poland, and Turkey were first interviewed on how a distanced mother behaves in her relation with her child. Then mothers were asked to use a Likert-scale to evaluate, how good is distanced parenting. Results revealed that all mothers discussed distanced mothering as low in warmth (involvement, care, affect, rarely rejection) and high in parenting control (rule-oriented, punitive, and independence fostering parenting). Cross-national comparisons revealed that: (1) the Turkish and Polish mothers used more descriptors related to control and occasionally evaluated distanced mothering as neutral or positive; (2) only the Dutch mothers described distanced mothering in the context of rejection. Results discuss the interpretation of distanced mothering and its meaning for psychological practice and cross-cultural studies.

Concepts of trait diversity – the key to effective IPM for resilience in arable systems?

Modern agriculture is perceived to be unsustainable having pursued a high productivity, reductionist approach for many decades. The solution proposed for restoring ‘sustainability’ is often encapsulated in the term ‘diversity’ but this is frequently as ill-defined and open to wide interpretation as the word sustainable. Key to determining whether diversity is ‘the answer’ is defining what diversity means in practice in the field. We attempt to describe the concepts and components of diversity and, crucially, how they might combine and interact in agricultural systems. The key concepts are: (1) complexity, (2) variation, and (3) spatio-temporal interaction, with the latter comprising (a) heterogeneity, (b) spatial connectivity, and (c) temporal connectivity. We suggest that this might lead to new strategies of diversity deployment and an index of resilience, a key ingredient of sustainability. These measures of diversity are explored in the context of crop resistance to pests and pathogens and the potential to maximise the benefits for integrated pest management in arable crops.

Maximum Power Point Tracking Achievements and Challenges in Photovoltaic Systems

The ever-increasing demand for electrical energy in recent decades has necessitated the exploration of alternative energy sources, one of which is solar energy. The most practical means of utilizing solar energy is through the use of a Photovoltaic (PV) system. Nevertheless, the energy harvested by PV modules is constrained by low conversion efficiency, nonlinearity, and susceptibility to weather conditions, such as temperature and irradiance levels. To address these limitations, Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) techniques have been developed to optimize the output of PV systems under specific circumstances. This academic article provides an in-depth analysis of the most widely used MPPT techniques, utilizing both traditional and soft computing methods. The article discusses the fundamental principles and practical applications of these techniques, as well as the challenges associated with MPPT, such as coping with rapidly changing irradiance and partial shading scenarios.

Bifurcation control analysis based on continuum model with lateral offset compensation

The study of traffic flow bifurcation control analysis is of great significance for understanding the essential evolution law of traffic flow, controlling traffic flow with practical means and alleviating traffic congestion. This paper describes the influence of lateral distance compensation in the process of lane change, and adjusts the traffic flow from the perspective of bifurcation control, which can capture the characteristics of traffic flow better, so as to describe the practical significance of the actual traffic phenomenon better. For example, the green ratio of traffic lights in the road, the planning and design of traffic signs, and the guidance of traffic condition prediction in ITS. In addition, the traffic flow is introduced and applied to the traffic model from the perspective of random function, and the bifurcation control is carried out according to the bifurcation behavior in traffic. That is, the bifurcation characteristics of the system are modified by the designed feedback controller, and the appearance of the equilibrium point of the system is adjusted to make it move forward, backward or disappear, so as to prevent or alleviate traffic congestion. There are few researches on bifurcation control of traffic flow model with lateral distance compensation. This paper introduces stochastic function based on lateral compensation model to study Hopf bifurcation phenomenon and Hopf bifurcation control. Firstly, the existence condition of Hopf bifurcation at the equilibrium point in the model is proved theoretically. Then, a feedback controller is designed to control the amplitudes of the Hopf bifurcation and the limit cycles formed by the Hopf bifurcation. Finally, the theoretical results are verified by numerical simulation. The research shows that by adjusting the control parameters in the feedback controller, the influence of boundary conditions on the stability of the traffic system is fully described, the effect of unstable focus and saddle point on the system is inhibited, and the traffic flow is slowed down. In addition, the unstable bifurcation points can be eliminated, and the amplitude of the limit cycle formed by Hopf bifurcation can be adjusted, so as to achieve the stability of the control system.

Optimizing the electrochemical corrosion performance of laser cladded Ni-based single crystal superalloy via manipulation of γ′(Ni3Al) phase

The morphology of γ′(Ni3Al) phase is essential for the performance of laser additive manufacturing repaired Ni-based single crystal superalloy, thereby, it is of crucial significance to manipulate γ′ phase in order to optimize the corrosion performance of laser cladded component. In this research, the morphology of γ′ phase is tuned via different heat treatments. The microstructure and corrosion behaviors of laser repaired superalloy are analyzed by electron microscopy and electrochemical measurements. It is found that the electrochemical corrosion resistance of as-deposited part is superior than that of the substrate, and the dominant morphology of γ′ phase changes from spherical shape to cuboidal shape and to rafted morphology with increasing heat treatment temperature. The corrosion resistance peaks at 1050 °C, attributing to the combined effects of decreased volume fraction of γ′ phase and favored distribution of Cr, W, and Al. Our results offer a practical means for the post-repair heat treatment of single crystal turbine blades.

Epistolizing accountability: a critical exploration of INGO annual report leaders' letters

PurposeThis paper explores how INGOs communicate their activities and achievements. In doing so, the study seeks to increase our understanding of INGOs' accountability practices.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses thematic analysis to analyse 90 ‘leaders’ letters' (the letters that many charities include at the beginning of their Annual Reports and Accounts), published by 39 INGOs between 2015 and 2018.FindingsThis paper argues that within the Annual Report letters under consideration, INGOs' accountability practices focus on quantitative, process-driven, output reporting. In doing so, it is the actions and agency of INGOs that are primarily emphasised. INGO constituents are largely excluded from representation. Donors are presented only as contributors of financial capital. Drawing on field theory, the paper argues that this representational practice means INGO constituents are almost irrelevant to INGOs' representational and accountability communication practices.Originality/valueThis paper is indebted to previous important work and, building on such scholarship, seeks to contribute to the ongoing conversation about INGO accountability. While reinforcing some prior knowledge, the findings here also differ in the understanding of how donors are portrayed. The paper extends previous analyses by using field theory to show that the INGO field as considered here is a space in which representations of accountability are based on organisational and transactional factors, and does not value the humanity of INGOs' constituents. This connects to operations of power, between donors, INGOs, and constituents, and reinforces inequitable power within the development system.

Offset supper-cell model of polymer composites with oriented anisotropic fillers for thermal conductivity prediction considering shape factor

Thermal conductivity of polymer composites with oriented anisotropic fillers is commonly predicted based on the simplified cuboid unit-cell models. However, the models are too simple to reveal the real thermal conductivity of composites without absolutely aligned fillers. Here, a super-cell model with offset fillers based on a hexagonal prism primitive-cell after considering shape factor [Chem. Eng. J. 2022, 441, 136104.] is established to predict thermal conductivity as close to reality as possible for polymer composites with oriented fibrous, wirelike, and flake fillers. The impact of shape factor, fillers’ intrinsic thermal conductivity, size and loading, polymer's intrinsic thermal conductivity, and thermal interface resistance between polymer and fillers, on the anisotropic thermal conductivity of polymer composites are systematically evaluated by performing finite element numerical simulation. The model is applied to predict the anisotropic thermal conductivity of polymer based highly through-plane thermally conductive thermal interface materials, and highly in-plane thermally conductive thermal diffusion materials, which are in excellent agreement with the experimental ones. This work not only provides a practical means to predict the thermal conductivity of the oriented anisotropic fillers /polymer composites, but also has the guiding significance for designing thermal management materials.