Prior Preparation Research Articles

CREATING A PROTOTYPE OF AN INTERACTIVE LEARNING GAME IN MOLECULAR AND CELL BIOLOGY

At the beginning of medical studies at Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU), students’ knowledge and skills differ widely. In the first semester, students must take a course, “Molecular and Cell Biology.” In many cases, problems in students’ abilities to absorb new information of this new, specific nature are evident. The reason for this is insufficient prior preparation. On average, 3-4 % of students failed this course each academic year. After focus group discussions and interviews with colleagues and leading specialists in information technologies, we concluded the need to create an interactive and pedagogically correct tool for improving students` competence in molecular and cell biology; one such tool could be an interactive learning game. This article describes the process of creating a learning game prototype in molecular and cellular biology. With the help of selected RSU students, a prototype was created. The involvement of students proved beneficial for them (improving understanding of the topics) and for us (clarifying students’ preferences for the game’s design).The learning game was tested with a target group (1st-semester students from the Medicine and Dentistry faculties of RSU). Initial feedback from the students and teachers certifies that this example is an opportunity to provide a desired, low-stress self-paced learning resource.

Teaching-learning in the pandemic period

The Covid-19 pandemic caused global changes in the teaching-learning process at all levels, including higher education. In view of this scenario, the research carried out aimed to compare the perception of professors and students in relation to the teaching-learning process in face-to-face undergraduate courses in the area of Applied Social Sciences in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, which was carried out in a remote due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For that, a quantitative and descriptive research was used, operationalized through a cross-sectional survey. The sample analyzed was composed of 36 valid respondents, 17 professors and 19 students. For data analysis, Pearson's chi-square test with Monte Carlo adjustment and the Mann-Whitney U test were used. The results showed that the perception of professors and students regarding the remote teaching-learning process differs in terms of prior preparation for said change (p=0.031), indicating that professors had less time/conditions to adapt. The findings also suggest that in the future there will be more remote hours in courses in the mentioned area due to theoretical disciplines, minimization of costs and scope of remote classes.

Penerapan Finger Painting dalam Mengembangkan Aspek Perkembangan Motorik Halus Anak Kelas A di Taman Kanak Islam Terpadu Ya Bunayya Sambas

The application of Finger Painting to develop fine motor development in class A children at TKIT Ya Bunayya Sambas is a study that reveals clear information about: 1). How is the implementation of finger painting to develop fine motor development in class A children at TKIT Ya Bunayya Sambas, 2). The results of implementing finger painting to develop fine motor development in class A children at TKIT Ya Bunayya Sambas 3). Supporting factors inhibiting the implementation of finger painting to develop fine motor development in class A children at TKIT Ya Bunayya Sambas. This study uses a qualitative approach to the type of phenomenological research. Data collection techniques using observation, interviews, and documentation. While the data analysis techniques consist of data reduction, data display, data verification and conclusions. The data sources are educators, principals and students. The research results show that; 1. Implementation of finger painting to develop fine motor development in class A children at TKIT Ya Bunayya Sambas is carried out by prior preparation by making RPPH (daily learning implementation plan), providing tools and materials in the form of paper, finger painting dough, coloring, tissues, 2. The results of the implementation of finger painting to develop fine motor development in class A children at TKIT Ya Bunayya Sambas show that fine motor development is developing very well (BSB) as evidenced by the child's fingers becoming more flexible in coloring using colored pencils and being able to make pattern in the picture, 3. Factors supporting finger painting to develop fine motor development in class A children at TKIT Ya Bunayya Sambas namely good motivation and enthusiasm for children, good environment from family and school, attention and stimulus that supports children's fine motor development , there are sufficient facilities for an children and good nutrition and health for children and the inhibiting factor is the lack of enthusiasm or mood of some students due to illness.

A Study on Emergency Management Policy Triggered by The Crowd Crush in Itaewon, South Korea

On the evening of October 29, 2022, a large-scale crowd crush killing more than 150 people occurred in Itaewon, South Korea. It aroused the attention of the whole world. To prevent crowd crush and stabilize the social environment, improving existing emergency management policies is necessary. Analyzing the crowd crush in Itaewon, the author finds that due to the impact of the epidemic, people's psychology and behavior when going out in the post-epidemic era are different from those in the early years. Because of the absence of large-scale crowd crush accidents for a long time, people's safety awareness is very weak compared with the early years. And many rumors and bad information about crowd crush appeared on Korean social platforms, which brought bad impact on society and caused secondary injuries to survivors. At the same time, the South Korean government also suffers from problems like loose systems and insufficient prior preparation. Therefore, governments should strengthen the construction of emergency management systems, and refine emergency response plans in advance. Real-time dynamic monitoring can also be adapted to conduct real-time investigation of the flow and the density of people during a large-scale activity, so as to achieve early warning and timely action. It is also necessary to strengthen the construction of the network environment, promptly stop the spread of rumors and bad information, and do a good job of effectively refuting rumors and providing psychological treatment to disaster survivors.

Optical response of Au films for reproducible Si nano-structuring and its application for efficient micro-drop SERS with portable Raman system

Si nanostructuring by metal assisted chemical etching is highly sensitive to morphology of thin metal film, here we demonstrate use of plasmon driven optical or dielectric response of Au films for predicting nanopore or nanowire Si prior to etching, ensuring the process reproducibility. By controlling growth temperature, it is shown that same mass thickness of Au films can produce either nanopore, nanowire or hybrid (mix of the two) Si nanostructures, useful for various applications. Ag nanoparticles coated nanostructure Si is shown to be efficient surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate for dry state measurements with micro-Raman system. In contrast, by exploiting super-hydrophilicity and strong light coupling of nanostructure Si, a novel micro-drop SERS using portable Raman spectrometer is demonstrated as low-cost, reliable and easy field-deployable technique. With very low sample volume about 50 μL of as prepared Au nanoparticles and analyte, it is capable of producing SERS signal in samples containing 120 pg thiram, 240 pg Rh6G, 455 pg malachite green and 48 pg methylene blue. With advantages of micro-drop SERS, mainly high intensity signal with 3D dynamic hot-spots at high laser power, longer shelf-life colloidal gold, reusable substrates with no prior sample preparation, this method is envisaged to be an inexpensive technique for on-site trace detection applications and importantly quick generation of large experimental SERS data-set for machine learning (ML) driven studies. This is demonstrated by principal component analysis with ML classifier for 100% accurate prediction of trace dyes, pesticide and their binary mixtures.

Tradisi Jeguran Pada Peringatan Malam Satu Syuro Di Desa Kajen Kab. Pati

This paper was compiled and created to study and analyze the implementation process and religious values ​​contained in the jeguran tradition at the first syuro night commemoration in Kajen village, Kab. Pati. The method used in this study is descriptive qualitative with an ethnographic approach. Data collection techniques in this study through observation and interviews. The research subject is the jeguran tradition at the first syuro night commemoration in Kajen village, District Pati. The object of research is the people in the village of Kajen, District Pati. The results in this study found that this tradition had prior preparation in its implementation. Preparation begins with a committee meeting, reading prayers, and draining the pond which is used as a ritual place to be filled with clean water. Then the implementation is carried out after isya or around 19.00 WIB until midnight alternating between children and adults. There are religious values ​​contained in this tradition, including monotheistic values, worship values, integrity values, struggle values, trust values, brotherhood values, and Islamic boarding school values ​​(simplicity, humbleness, and patience).

Establishment and Test Effect of Artificial Intelligence Optimization Model Based on Convolutional Neural Network

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are often used in tasks involving vision processing, and unclear images can hinder the performance of convolutional neural networks and increase its computational time. Furthermore, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are related technologies, which are considered a branch of computer science, which are used to simulate and enhance human intelligence. In e-healthcare, AI and ML can be used to optimize the workflow, automatically process large amounts of medical data, and provide effective medical decision support. In this paper, the authors take several mainstream artificial intelligence models currently open on the market for reference. In this paper, the optimized model (AL-CNN) is tested for noise image recognition, and the AL-CNN model is established by using activation functions, matrix operations, and feature recognition methods, and the noisy images are processed after custom configuration. Not only does this model require no prior preparation when processing images, but it also improves the accuracy of dealing with noise in convolutional neural networks. In the AL-CNN in this paper, the architecture of the convolutional neural network includes a noise layer and a layer that can be automatically resized. After the comparison of the recognition experiments, the accuracy rate of AL-CNN is 20% higher than that of MatConvNet-moderate, and the accuracy rate is 40% higher than that of MatConvNet-chronic. In the second set of experiments, the accuracy exceeds MXNet and TensorFlow by 50% and 70%, respectively. In addition, the authors optimized the convolutional layer, pooling layer, and loss function of AL-CNN in different parameters, which improved the stability of noise processing, respectively. After customizing the two configuration optimizations, the authors found that the second optimized AL-CNN has higher recognition accuracy, and after the optimization test, the error rate can be continuously decreased as the number of recognition increases in a very short number of times.

Educating Egypt: Civic Values and Ideological Struggles by Linda Herrera

Egypt’s perennially under-resourced educational sector embodies many of the complex challenges facing education policymakers and practitioners. Linda Herrera’s book, based on fieldwork spanning more than three decades, engages some of the most difficult issues facing Egyptian students, parents, teachers, and state officials as this critical sector struggles under the accumulated weight of failed policies promoted by both Egyptian officials and international development “experts.” Herrera’s book brings together work from a number of previously published articles and chapters. The first half of the book is based on ethnographic research she conducted in 1990-91 for her master’s thesis. Drawing on her research at a public middle school for girls in downtown Cairo, she recounts in alternatingly humorous, angering, and heart-breaking detail the stories of a former villa, clearly past its prime, converted into a school; of teachers—the young, the enthusiastic, the seasoned, the jaded, the cruel, and the corrupt; and of a principal, a determined woman, on a mission of reform. Also central to the story, of course, are the students, the young women whom the system seeks to mold into the kind of future wives and mothers the Egyptian state and society expect. They come from different socioeconomic classes, with varying levels of prior academic preparation and interest; and, sadly, despite some teachers’ and the principal’s best efforts, by the end of Herrera’s research stint, 70% of them fail their end-of-year exams.

Application of Direct Thermal Desorption-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry for Determination of Volatile and Semi-Volatile Organosulfur Compounds in Onions: A Novel Analytical Approach.

The population is now more aware of their diets due to the connection between food and general health. Onions (Allium cepa L.), common vegetables that are minimally processed and grown locally, are known for their health-promoting properties. The organosulfur compounds present in onions have powerful antioxidant properties and may decrease the likelihood of developing certain disorders. It is vital to employ an optimum approach with the best qualities for studying the target compounds to undertake a thorough analysis of these compounds. In this study, the use of a direct thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method with a Box-Behnken design and multi-response optimization is proposed. Direct thermal desorption is an environmentally friendly technique that eliminates the use of solvents and requires no prior preparation of the sample. To the author's knowledge, this methodology has not been previously used to study the organosulfur compounds in onions. Likewise, the optimal conditions for pre-extraction and post-analysis of organosulfur compounds were as follows: 46 mg of onion in the tube, a desorption heat of 205 °C for 960 s, and a trap heat of 267 °C for 180 s. The repeatability and intermediate precision of the method were evaluated by conducting 27 tests over three consecutive days. The results obtained for all compounds studied revealed CV values ranging from 1.8% to 9.9%. The major compound reported in onions was 2,4-dimethyl-thiophene, representing 19.4% of the total area of sulfur compounds. The propanethial S-oxide, the principal compound responsible for the tear factor, accounted for 4.5% of the total area.

Reasoning about crowd evacuations as emergent phenomena when using participatory computational models

How do students apply systems thinking to make sense of a computational model of crowd evacuation? We developed a participatory simulation in which users play the role of evacuees that move through a narrow passageway. This simulation demonstrates that when exceeding a certain speed, moving through narrow bottlenecks, is more likely to create clogs, leading to a slower passing rate. The participatory simulation was introduced in a lesson about school evacuation in a group of 9th graders. Their explanations of crowd evacuation, were compared to a similar group of 9th graders who learned the same ideas in a lecture without using the simulation. We found that using the simulation did not improve students’ system thinking about crowd evacuation compared to lecture-based instruction. About 80% of the students in both groups suggested partial/incomplete explanations of the inverse relationship between the desire to move faster as individuals and the opposite consequence of slower evacuation. Interviews with students revealed that some of them perceived the simulation scenario to be different from the organized and coordinated evacuation drills that they partook. Others, were engrossed in their own experiences as evacuees, that obscured their ability to relate the motion of individual evacuees and the overall evacuation rate of the crowd. In a second study, we examined whether prior learning of a different emergent process (spread of a disease) with a computational model, can prepare students for learning the counterintuitive phenomenon of crowd evacuation. We found that introducing a participatory simulation of the spread of a disease in a different group of 9th graders, increased their appreciation of the evacuation simulation as a learning tool, and consequently–their explanations. We conclude that computational models have the potential to enhance systems thinking, but their affordances depend on prior preparation for learning with other complex systems models.

Comparing the Experience of Pre-Service Teachers in the First and Final Semesters in Online Learning Using a Focus Group Study

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, online learning has become the innovation and an alternative virtual education adopted by universities, due to campus closures. The sudden adoption of the innovation without prior preparation and training causes the ineffective implementation of online learning in most institutions. Based on this description, insufficient information is available regarding the experiences of the student population, which are the most affected by online learning in higher education. Therefore, this study aims to explore the experiences of pre-service teachers regarding their numerous abilities to provide a good online learning program. Using a qualitative focus group study design, data were obtained through the focus group discussion (FGD) on 58 and 52 teachers, which were divided into 10 study groups during the first and final semesters. The results showed that both groups had similar and different experiences, regarding lecturers' ability to effectively perform online learning. According to the experience of the participants, the lecturers with pedagogical and social-personal skills were able to emphasize and encourage the attractiveness of online learning. In addition, some of the differences highly depended on the specific indicators of the two aspects. These results are expected to provide a framework for university lecturers and administrators, towards implementing the learning process.

Are Intelligent People Better Liars? Relationships between Cognitive Abilities and Credible Lying.

Lying is essential to social communication. Despite years of research, its detection still poses many challenges. This is partly because some individuals are perceived as truthful and reliable, even when lying. However, relatively little is known about these effective liars. In our study, we focused on the cognitive functioning of effective liars. We tested 400 participants who completed tasks measuring executive functions, verbal fluency, and fluid intelligence, and also made four statements (two true and two false, half of them written and half oral). The reliability of the statements was then assessed. Only fluid intelligence was found to be relevant for reliable lying. This relationship was only evident for oral statements, suggesting that the importance of intelligence is highlighted when statements are made spontaneously without prior preparation.

USING ACTIVE CARBONS TO DEODORIZE FLORENTINE WATER

The presence of biologically active substances (BAS) in the composition of fir hydrolate allows the use of this waste from essential oil production in the manufacture of functional food products. However, the specific taste and aroma of the hydrolate limits its use without prior preparation in the production, in particular of beverages. The purpose of the work is to study the possibility of using carbon-containing sorbents to extract compounds that negatively affect the organoleptic properties of fir hydrolate without a significant change in biologically active substances. The object of study is fir hydrolat (florentine water), obtained in the process of fir oil production by steam distillation. Activated carbons of BAU-A and ABG grades acted as adsorbents. The effect of hydrolate treatment with sorbents (static and dynamic methods) was assessed by changing the composition of the hexane extract of the hydrolate by gas-liquid chromato-mass spectrometry (Agilent 6890N chromatograph), as well as organoleptically. The main components of the original hydrolate are borneol and bornyl acetate. When using the infusion method (static method), the taste and aroma of the hydrolate are optimized only after 3 and 8 hours of contact with BAU-A and ABG coals, respectively, at a dose of 10–12 g/100 cm3, however, the concentration of borneol in comparison with the initial value decreases by 4 times (coal BAU-A). Treatment of hydrolate by filtration (dynamic method) through a layer of adsorbent at a rate of 0.3–1.2 dm3/h significantly reduces the severity of organoleptic characteristics. At the same time, the use of coal of the ABG grade contributes to an increase in the amount of borneol by 15%, of the BAU-A grade by 50% in relation to the initial value. The observed changes are due both to the properties of the adsorbents used and to multiple processes (redox, catalytic) occurring on the surface of the coals. The results obtained allow us to speak about the fundamental possibility of using activated carbons for the treatment of fir hydrolates to extract compounds that worsen the taste and aroma characteristics, while maintaining the main biologically valuable components. The work needs to be continued in the direction of searching for new sorbents and optimizing processing conditions.

Rapid screening of high-priority N-nitrosamines in pharmaceutical, forensic, and environmental samples with paper spray ionization and filter cone spray ionization-mass spectrometry.

The burgeoning concern of N-nitrosamine (NAM) contamination found in various pharmaceutical compositions has increased the demand for rapid and reliable screening methods to better assess the breadth of the problem. These carcinogenic compounds are also found in food, water, and soil, and they have been used in poison-related homicides. A combination of complementary, ambient ionization methods, paper spray ionization (PSI) and filter cone spray ionization (FCSI)-mass spectrometry (MS), was characterized towards trace-level residue screening of select NAMs (e.g., N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosodiethylamine, N-nitrosodibutylamine) directly from complex and problematic matrices of interest, including prescription and over-the-counter tablets, drinking water, soil, and consumable goods. Spectral data for analyte confirmation and detection limit studies were collected using a Thermo LCQ Fleet ion trap mass spectrometer. PSI-MS and FCSI-MS readily produced mass spectral data marked by their simplicity (e.g., predominantly protonated molecular ions observed) and congruence with traditional electrospray ionization mass spectra in under 2min. per sample. Both methods proved robust to the complex matrices tested, yielding ion signatures for target NAMs, as well as active pharmaceutical ingredients for analyzed tablets, flavorants inherent to food products, etc. Low part-per-million detection limits were observed but were shown dependent on sample composition. PSI-MS and FCSI-MS were successful in detecting trace-level NAMS in complex liquid- and solid-phase matrices with little to no prior preparation. This work suggests that these methodologies can provide a means for assessing problematic pharmaceutical adulterants/degradants for expedited quality control, as well as enhancing environmental stewardship efforts and forensic investigations.

Enhanced in-situ liquid transport investigation setup for pharmaceutical tablet disintegration analysis using terahertz radiation

The disintegration process of pharmaceutical solid dosage forms commences on contact with the dissolution medium and continues with subsequent spontaneous imbibition of the medium in the tablet matrix. Identifying the location of the liquid front in situ during imbibition, therefore, plays a significant role in understanding and modelling the disintegration process. Terahertz pulsed imaging (TPI) technology can be used to investigate this process by its ability to penetrate and identify the liquid front in pharmaceutical tablets. However, previous studies were limited to samples suitable for a flow cell environment, i.e. flat cylindrical disk shapes; thus, most commercial tablets could only be measured with prior destructive sample preparation. This study presents a new experimental setup named open immersion to measure a wide range of pharmaceutical tablets in their intact form. Besides, a series of data processing techniques to extract subtle features of the advancing liquid front are designed and utilised, effectively increasing the maximum thickness of tablets that can be analysed. We used the new method and successfully measured the liquid ingress profiles for a set of oval convex tablets prepared from a complex eroding immediate-release formulation.

Ion Mobility Spectrometry for the Metabolomic Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Using the Volatile Organic Compounds Profile in Human Serum and Urine

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an immune-mediated disease characterized by chronic mucosal inflammation of the digestive tract. The IBD diagnosis is currently based on the results of imaging, clinical, and histopathological tests. The gold standard diagnostic method is endoscopy, an invasive imaging technique that requires patient sedation and prior bowel preparation and is expensive. In the present work, monitoring the volatile compound fingerprint of serum and urine by headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) is presented as a rapid and reliable diagnostic complementary test for patients with IBD. The analytical method was optimized and applied for the analysis of serum (118) and urine (123) samples from patients with IBD (in remission and active phase of the disease) and healthy volunteers without IBD. Orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis was performed using all the integrated markers present in the topographic maps of each sample type, allowing the differentiation between healthy IBD volunteers and IBD patients and between IBD status (remission or active). The individual study of markers allowed the identification and quantification of twelve and six compounds in urine and serum samples, respectively. This information was further used to perform a one-way analysis of variance to compare the different categories.

Application of Micron-Sized Zero-Valent Iron (ZVI) for Decomposition of Industrial Amaranth Dyes.

Dyes are highly toxic and persistent in the environment. Their presence in water causes environmental and social problems. Dyes must be effectively removed from the water. A UV/ZVI/H2O2 process was applied to decompose two organic dyes, AM E123 and AM ACID. A commercial ZVI product, Ferox Flow, was used, and its properties were determined using SEM and XRF. The zeta potential, surface area, and optical properties of ZVI were also determined. The efficiency of dye removal in optimal conditions was 85.5% and 80.85% for AM E123 and AM ACID, respectively. Complete decolorization was observed in all samples. The decomposition of both dyes occurred according to a modified pseudo-second-order reaction and there was a statistically significant correlation between the TOC decrease, pH, and process time. The catalyst was observed to have high stability, and this was not affected by the performance of the treatment process even after the third cycle, as confirmed by the results of the catalyst surface analysis and iron diffusion test. Slight differences in process efficiency were observed after each cycle. The need for only a small amount of catalyst to decompose AM E123 and AM ACID, coupled with the ability to reuse the catalyst without the need for prior preparation, may reduce catalyst purchase costs.

Online support for students with diverse learning needs at an inclusive private school in South Africa

Teachers of diverse classes often include different forms of support in their teaching to accommodate the varying learner needs, while some benefit from the services of Learning Support Educators (LSE) who manage the learning needs of students who experience barriers to learning. With the onset of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, the shift to online teaching and learning left students with diverse learning needs feeling adrift and on their own to grapple with the change, without prior preparation. As teachers also had to adapt to the shift to online teaching, the diverse learner needs became a secondary concern to them. The LSE were also unable to offer support in the traditional form due to physical distancing and lockdown rules. This paper explores possible ways in which teachers of diverse classes and LSEs can assist learners with diverse needs to succeed in their online learning. The study followed action research methodology that was conducted by an LSE who case-managed seven learners in a Johannesburg private school with inclusive teaching practices. The qualitative research study explored new ways to support diverse learners in their online learning by finding possible alternatives to the challenges that online learning posed for them. Observations, self-reflections, and information collected from students, their teachers and parents, were analysed using content analysis technique to propose possible workable solutions. Checking in on learners and their parents regularly during lockdown and giving them strategies for coping was found to be helpful. Teachers who had previously incorporated ‘blended’ teaching in their practice were found to be generally more collaborative: they varied their teaching, had their students produce better results, were able to include online inclusive activities and groupwork activities in their teaching in order to avoid learner boredom, and they were found to be giving quality feedback to the learners and their parents.

The Experience of Remote Teaching in Higher Education: A Scenario of Challenges and Opportunities

In March 2020, within a short space of time and no prior preparation, the educational offer of HE institutions shifted from in-person teaching to remote online teaching. All teaching and learning activities started to be conducted through digital platforms and technologies, rarely used before then. This study used qualitative methodology, two data collection instruments were used: semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers from different institutions, and opinion essays about the experience written by 10 students. To analyze the data, we conducted content analysis. The results obtained suggest that this experience of teaching and learning in a digital environment represented a great challenge, both from the teaching point of view and the way students learn. In addition, it boosted the digitalisation of pedagogical action, advocated for more than a decade by the Bologna Process, opening new paths for the reformulation of teaching and learning processes in higher education. This challenging scenario has opened a window of opportunity for a new paradigm of teaching to emerge, based on the use of digital technologies.

Common Carotid Artery Pseudoaneurysm: A Perilous Powderkeg

Abstract An 11-year-old boy presented with pseudoaneurysm of the common carotid artery, which posed an anaesthetic and surgical challenge. Just prior to the incision, the pseudoaneurysm ruptured necessitating manual compression and emergent endovascular coiling to arrest the bleeding. Appropriate resuscitative steps were undertaken simultaneously, and the coiling was successful thereby saving the patient. Definitive flap reconstruction was later performed. The case report highlights vulnerability of pseudoaneurysms to rupture without warning and causing torrential and life-threatening hemorrhage. The necessity of prior planning and preparation to manage such an emergency should it arise cannot be overemphasized.