Real-world Issues Research Articles

Fostering Creative Problem-Solving Abilities in Chinese Language and Literature Majors

This paper discusses the importance and necessity of fostering creative problem-solving abilities among Chinese language and literature majors. Traditional teaching methods such as lecturing have limitations in cultivating students' creative problem-solving abilities, lacking open-minded thinking training and interdisciplinary practices. The evolution of Chinese language and literature education from emphasizing language rhetoric to literary history is analyzed for its impact on student capability development. To effectively enhance students' creative thinking and practical problem-solving skills, the recommendation is to introduce diversified methods and interdisciplinary training in teaching, enabling students to flexibly apply literary knowledge to address real-world issues. This reform not only contributes to cultivating well-rounded professionals in the field of literature but also provides crucial support for societal and literary research advancement.

Teaching Critical Reflection on Epistemic Injustice: The Case of a Collaborative International Public Health Course

We present pedagogical reflections on teaching the concept of epistemic injustice through an undergraduate course run collaboratively at campuses in Kyrgyzstan, Palestine, Sierra Leone, and the United States. Our course, entitled Solving Each Other’s Public Health Problems, enabled students to engage with epistemological power structures by playing the role of both international development donor and local beneficiary. By building on discussions of realworld issues, fostering interpersonal relationships, modeling productive discourse through transparent feedback and providing intellectual space for selfreflection and empathy, the course provides a pedagogically transformative framework for international collaborative education.

Environmental Case Method in Learning Poetry of Students at Senior High School: An Ethnoecological Literature Study

Literature and poetry play a crucial role in education by fostering students' sensitivity and reasoning towards literary works. This study aims to explore and describe practical approaches for teaching poetry using the environmental case method to students at SMA Negeri 1 Palu. This is a qualitative study, with data collected from class XI students during the 2022/2023 academic year through discussions and activities involving the case method. The descriptive qualitative method was employed to address two primary challenges: (1) students' difficulty in writing poetry and (2) students' difficulty in reading poetry. The findings reveal practical strategies to overcome these challenges by integrating environmental cases into the case method model. Specifically, this method helps students improve their poetry writing and reading skills by contextualizing poetry within real-world environmental issues. The implications of this research suggest that employing the environmental case method can enhance poetry teaching strategies broadly, making poetry more accessible and engaging for students. By applying this method, students can develop their poetry writing and reading abilities, thereby enriching their overall literary experience and appreciation.

Integrating Risk-Averse and Constrained Reinforcement Learning for Robust Decision-Making in High-Stakes Scenarios

This paper considers a risk-averse Markov decision process (MDP) with non-risk constraints as a dynamic optimization framework to ensure robustness against unfavorable outcomes in high-stakes sequential decision-making situations such as disaster response. In this regard, strong duality is proved while making no assumptions on the problem’s convexity. This is necessary for some real-world issues, e.g., in the case of deprivation costs in the context of disaster relief, where convexity cannot be ensured. Our theoretical results imply that the problem can be exactly solved in a dual domain where it becomes convex. Based on our duality results, an augmented Lagrangian-based constraint handling mechanism is also developed for risk-averse reinforcement learning algorithms. The mechanism is proved to be theoretically convergent. Finally, we have also empirically established the convergence of the mechanism using a multi-stage disaster response relief allocation problem while using a fixed negative reward scheme as a benchmark.

Destructive belief systems and violent behavior within and between groups and identities

This special issue celebrates 25 years of the Sage journal Group Processes and Intergroup Relations. In this article, we use examples of the current sociopolitical climate to highlight the importance of the scientific inquiry into group processes and intergroup relations. Ingrained identities that arise from groups are responsible for causing wars, protests, community clashes with law enforcement, violence, climate change, major public health crises, and societal change. However, just as blame goes to groups, collectives can be harnessed for solutions. This special issue contains 13 articles that showcase the diversity of research in Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, all of which contribute to theory advancement and the application of science to real world issues.

Thrilling Encounters in Social Settings: A Retelling of The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz

This study analyzes the social situations depicted in the novel "The Eyes of Darkness" by Dean Koontz, focusing on themes such as abuse, thriller elements, tragedy, mental health, and the virus. Using a descriptive-qualitative approach, we delve into the novel's narrative to uncover how these themes are portrayed and their implications on the characters and broader societal reflections. The analysis reveals that the novel intricately weaves these social situations to create a compelling story that resonates with real-world issues. Abuse is depicted through the misuse of power and its devastating consequences, while thriller elements introduce suspense and supernatural occurrences that challenge characters' perceptions of reality. Tragedies highlight the unpredictability of life and the resilience needed to overcome adversity. The exploration of mental health, particularly through the character of Tina, emphasizes the impact of grief and trauma and the journey towards healing. Lastly, the portrayal of the virus, notably the Wuhan-400, offers a chillingly prescient reflection of global pandemics, underscoring the ethical considerations in scientific research. This study highlights the novel's relevance in addressing complex human experiences and societal issues, offering valuable insights into the interplay between fiction and reality.

Toward effective secure code reviews: an empirical study of security-related coding weaknesses

Identifying security issues early is encouraged to reduce the latent negative impacts on the software systems. Code review is a widely-used method that allows developers to manually inspect modified code, catching security issues during a software development cycle. However, existing code review studies often focus on known vulnerabilities, neglecting coding weaknesses, which can introduce real-world security issues that are more visible through code review. The practices of code reviews in identifying such coding weaknesses are not yet fully investigated. To better understand this, we conducted an empirical case study in two large open-source projects, OpenSSL and PHP. Based on 135,560 code review comments, we found that reviewers raised security concerns in 35 out of 40 coding weakness categories. Surprisingly, some coding weaknesses related to past vulnerabilities, such as memory errors and resource management, were discussed less often than the vulnerabilities. Developers attempted to address raised security concerns in many cases (39%-41%), but a substantial portion was merely acknowledged (30%-36%), and some went unfixed due to disagreements about solutions (18%-20%). This highlights that coding weaknesses can slip through code review even when identified. Our findings suggest that reviewers can identify various coding weaknesses leading to security issues during code reviews. However, these results also reveal shortcomings in current code review practices, indicating the need for more effective mechanisms or support for increasing awareness of security issue management in code reviews.

Manipulation and Control by Large Corporations in American Society -- Analysis of Superhero Television Series "The Boys"

This article explores the themes of manipulation, exploitation, and resistance in the TV show The Boys, which portrays a world where superheroes are controlled and dehumanized by powerful corporations for profit. Through its compelling storytelling and thought-provoking analysis, the show sheds light on the dangers of unchecked corporate power and the impact it has on society. By examining the parallels between the show's depiction of corporate influence and real-world issues, this essay delves into the broader implications of allowing greed and power to dictate social norms and values. The article highlights the importance of collective action and awareness in challenging corporate dominance, as depicted by the resistance group in the series. Ultimately, The Boys serves as a powerful critique of unbridled corporate power, urging viewers to question the role of corporations in shaping our world and remain vigilant against the influence of profit-driven entities. In a society dominated by capitalism and power, The Boys is a timely reminder of the dangers of allowing corporations to wield unchecked power over individuals and society as a whole, calling for greater awareness and resistance against corporate interests.

Manipulation and Control by Large Corporations in American Society -- Analysis of Superhero Television Series "The Boys"

This article explores the themes of manipulation, exploitation, and resistance in the TV show The Boys, which portrays a world where superheroes are controlled and dehumanized by powerful corporations for profit. Through its compelling storytelling and thought-provoking analysis, the show sheds light on the dangers of unchecked corporate power and the impact it has on society. By examining the parallels between the show's depiction of corporate influence and real-world issues, this essay delves into the broader implications of allowing greed and power to dictate social norms and values. The article highlights the importance of collective action and awareness in challenging corporate dominance, as depicted by the resistance group in the series. Ultimately, The Boys serves as a powerful critique of unbridled corporate power, urging viewers to question the role of corporations in shaping our world and remain vigilant against the influence of profit-driven entities. In a society dominated by capitalism and power, The Boys is a timely reminder of the dangers of allowing corporations to wield unchecked power over individuals and society as a whole, calling for greater awareness and resistance against corporate interests.

LIBS as diagnostics of analytical chemistry for surface mapping of complex mixed samples simulating debris inside the TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPS) reactor cores

The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) launched the Nuclear Education, Skills and Technology (NEST) Framework to pursue careers in the nuclear field, by exposing researcher working on these topics to international challenging project of real-world issue and by transferring the knowledge and expertise accumulated in the current generation to them through hands-on training.In this framework the 2022 edition of the NEST project offered a training educational period at the Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning (CLADS) located at Tomioka, Futaba District, in the Fukushima prefecture (Japan).Among the research sectors active at CLADS there is the application and development of the LIBS technique as diagnostics of analytical chemistry aiming at characterizing the debris inside the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)’s FDNPS reactor cores after the tsunami of March 2011, which destroyed three of the six reactors of the plant. These debris need to be chemically characterized with techniques suitable to be implemented in compact, remote and radiation resistant devices, due to the residual radioactivity of the cores. The present study shows the results in realizing chemical bi-dimensional maps of samples in the form of compressed tablets of mixed oxides, with a complex distribution and concentration of chemicals simulating these debris. The results allowed to create detailed maps of the samples, with spatial resolution down to 0.5 mm and an excellent correspondence between the real spatial distribution of the materials and that reconstructed by LIBS.Moreover, it was found a good correspondence between the nominal concentration of the chemicals and the concentration estimated by using LIBS.This study shows the potentialities of LIBS in the realization of chemical maps on samples of interest for FDNPS, providing multi-elemental images of the samples under analysis.

Understanding and Detecting Real-World Safety Issues in Rust

Understanding and Detecting Real-World Safety Issues in Rust

CMOS operational amplifier design for industrial and biopotential applications: Comprehensive review and circuit implementation

This paper provides a detailed exploration of CMOS operational amplifiers (Op-Amps) aimed at enhancing understanding of their development, design, and application. To achieve this, a comprehensive examination of the common characteristics, parameters, and bibliographic reviews of Op-Amps, distinguishing among various chosen operational amplifiers. A comprehensive bibliographic review of the operational amplifier's keywords between 2008 and 2018 has also been conducted. A bibliometric analysis of 4997 documents from the Web of Science (WOS) Collection is conducted using VOSviewer software. Furthermore, an analysis and comparison of these Op-Amps across functional aspects relevant to industrial and biomedical applications, emphasising the salient characteristics of each technique. After the survey, a novel Op-Amp design is proposed, incorporating a differential amplifier at the first stage, along with a compensating capacitor and a high gain stage. The biasing circuitry is replaced with an active load resistor (MOS transistor), simplifying layout design, and reducing the amplifier's area and power consumption compared to traditional two-stage designs. The power source for this design is 3.3 V. This designed operational amplifier achieved a gain of 62.9449 dB, a high CMRR of 92.8079 dB, and a unity gain bandwidth of 33 MHz, and the optimised layout area is 0.001476 μm2. The proposed circuit was designed and simulated utilising the Cadence Virtuoso 180 nm CMOS process. The simulation results show that the desired criteria have been met. Additionally, the challenges and future possibilities in analog circuits, laying the groundwork for research in both analogue and digital circuits to tackle complex real-world issues have been addressed.

Living labs as transformative incrementalism: lessons learned on the role of a university living lab in mobilising just sustainabilities on campus

ABSTRACT The Living Lab approach is an opportunity for diverse actors to co-create solutions to solve real-world issues. Simon Fraser University, situated on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, Katzie, Kwikwetlem, Qayqayt, Kwantlen, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen peoples in British Columbia, Canada developed a Living Lab program to apply the university’s leading climate research expertise to solve its own infrastructure, operations and service challenges. Projects were led by “Living Lab Scholars,” graduate students who form teams with faculty and staff to co-design research to help the university meet its sustainability and equity goals. The scholars took part in experiential learning, received mentorship and financial support and were provided with the opportunity to apply their academic research skills to address four sustainability issues: (1) waste management, (2) sustainable transportation, (3) carbon footprint of streaming, and (4) food security. While being grounded in participatory action research and integrating justice, decolonisation, equity, diversity and inclusivity considerations into the process design, the limited resources, time scarcity and operational reality reflected that the reality of implementing the solutions resulted in varying degrees of transformational impact. This paper applies autoethnography to enable the participants to reflect upon how the university as a system can support advances in just sustainabilities and highlights practical lessons learned for future Living Lab practitioners who aim to mobilise their solutions on campus. Findings from the project highlight the role of the Living Lab in supporting “transformative incrementalism” and challenging the conventions of academic knowledge production.

An Innovative Approach to Teaching Environmental Education Through Mind-Mapping and Creating Radio Programming

Abstract The primary aims of environmental education and courses at universities are for students to develop an environmental mentality and to be able to apply that mindset to solving real-world issues. In this study, pre-service elementary students participated in active learning environments through creating educational radio program activities by researching scientific information on seven topics: water, air soil, global warming, population, green chemistry and artificial intelligence. Presentations of their radio programs were followed by construction of mind maps to exhibit knowledge of the environmental concepts they had learned. This approach demonstrated useful knowledge for future classroom applications for teaching about environmental issues. Mind maps were used to help university students establish patterns between concepts and thoughts, understand cause-effect relationships, and organize and systematize their complex knowledge about environmental issues. A case study design was implemented. Participants were second-year students enrolled in a public university's Elementary Teaching Program in Izmir, Turkey. Results indicated that the incorporation of educational radio activities with mind maps to consider the most prominent environmental education issues and their alternative solutions raised students' awareness of how lesser-known issues are related to the environment. Students concentrated on a cognitive and affective process; learning to look at multidimensional environmental issues from many viewpoints by adding new concepts to those they previously knew.

Conflict management in garment manufacturing company

Conflict is an imperative issue- even considered as burning issue in many industries- that is inevitably needed to dissolve or minimize in order to operate the organization successfully. Many researches and studies of conflict management have been conducted on several industries, but this researcher eagerly recognized to present an exclusive literature review on garment manufacturing industry not only from theoretical perspective but also based on his valuable long work-experience in this garment industry. It is hypothetically deemed by the garment factory owners and top management in Bangladesh that, somebody should research on this real-world issue in light of his/her acquaintance pertinent to this industry. The main purpose of this literature review is to present the practical and pervasive state of conflict management in garment manufacturing companies, and to find the techniques of resolution according to this researcher’s practical experience. This study provides an extensive literature review on conflict management in the context of Bangladesh garment manufacturing industry. It described meticulously about conflict zones, conflict types, conflict process, and some treasured techniques of conflict control- especially applicable for garment factories. It is amplified that, to control or minimize conflict in garment factory, conflict resolution skills and attributes should be taken into consideration, and top management’s positive intention is required to establish an effective conflict management system. Furthermore, along with the literature review, this study recommends some pragmatic solutions incorporating to different perspectives of conflict patterns and styles, and the guidelines of this study will lead the garment organizations to formulate defacto conflict management strategies for their employees.

The governance of affordable housing through public-private partnerships: Critical entanglements

The debates about Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in planning and housing are characterised by varying perspectives, with some considering PPPs efficient and others viewing them as inherently problematic. These differing views often revolve around the perceived dichotomy between public and private sector objectives and timelines. While dichotomies can provide initial clarity, they often oversimplify the nuances and complexities of real-world issues, including in PPPs. This paper draws on the literature on governance, planning and housing with a focus on teasing out public-private sector relationships in land and property. Using a case study approach of a PPP programme for affordable housing led by Lisbon Municipality, the three main goals of the paper are to, first, determine whether and how partnerships can contribute to social infrastructure provision, including affordable housing; second, determine the multiple objectives of the various stakeholders involved in a public-private partnership; and third, determine the timelines for those objectives. Our findings suggest that there is a tendency for PPP participants and observers to rely on overly simplistic interpretations of the public interest, and on dichotomies or simplistic viewpoints on the objectives and timelines of the various stakeholders. By avoiding these oversimplifications, we can better understand the growing complexity of urban governance in the development of social infrastructure, particularly in affordable housing.

Adaptive Iterative Learning Constrained Control for Linear Motor-Driven Gantry Stage with Fault-Tolerant Non-Repetitive Trajectory Tracking

This article introduces an adaptive fault-tolerant control method for non-repetitive trajectory tracking of linear motor-driven gantry platforms under state constraints. It provides a comprehensive solution to real-world issues involving state constraints and actuator failures in gantry platforms, alleviating the challenges associated with precise modeling. Through the integration of iterative learning and backstepping cooperative design, this method achieves system stability without requiring a priori knowledge of system dynamic models or parameters. Leveraging a barrier composite energy function, the proposed controller can effectively regulate the stability of the controlled system, even when operating under state constraints. Instability issues caused by actuator failures are properly addressed, thereby enhancing controller robustness. The design of a trajectory correction function further extends applicability. Experimental validation on a linear motor-driven gantry platform serves as empirical evidence of the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Efficient Class of Variance Estimators for Population using Supplementary Information in Stratified Random Sampling

This paper addresses an efficient class of variance estimators for population using stratified random sampling. The suggested class of estimators using supplementary information has been studied in different circumstances. The expressions of bias and mean square error (MSE) of the proposed estimators are derived up to the first degree of approximation. The theoretical comparison of the proposed and considered estimators is also discussed, which shows that the proposed estimators are more efficient than the existing estimators. Theoretical findings are validated by three different types of real data sets and simulation studies. The numerical results of the proposed and existing estimators are compared in terms of mean square error, percentage relative efficiency and diagrams. It is observed that all the proposed estimators outperform the existing estimators. For instance, the traditional unbiased estimator Ozel et.al [6] and other existing estimators. Lastly, appropriate recommendations have been provided for researchers to use these suggested estimators to solve real-world issues.

How to Facilitate Learning Through Problem Solving

In today s evolving social environment, problem-solving is crucial for personal growth and social adaptation. Learning isn t just about acquiring knowledge, but applying it to real-world issues. The education sector increasingly values problem-solving in learning, as it bridges theory and practice, deepens knowledge understanding, and boosts learners ability to apply knowledge in solving actual problems. This article explores problem-solving in learning for practitioners reference.

Implementing Lean 4.0: a review of case studies in pharmaceutical industry transformation

PurposeThe purpose of this systematic review is to critically analyze pharmaceutical industry case studies on the implementation of Lean 4.0 methodologies to synthesize key lessons, benefits and best practices. The goal is to inform decisions and guide investments in related technologies for enhancing quality, compliance, efficiency and responsiveness across production and supply chain processes.Design/methodology/approachThe article utilized a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology following five phases: formulating research questions, locating relevant articles, selecting and evaluating articles, analyzing and synthesizing findings and reporting results. The SLR aimed to critically analyze pharmaceutical industry case studies on Lean 4.0 implementation to synthesize key lessons, benefits and best practices.FindingsKey findings reveal recurrent efficiency gains, obstacles around legacy system integration and data governance as well as necessary operator training investments alongside technological upgrades. On average, quality assurance reliability improved by over 50%, while inventory waste declined by 57% based on quantified metrics across documented initiatives synthesizing robotics, sensors and analytics.Research limitations/implicationsAs a comprehensive literature review, findings depend on available documented implementations within the search period rather than direct case evaluations. Reporting bias may also skew toward more successful accounts.Practical implicationsSynthesized implementation patterns, performance outcomes and concealed pitfalls provide pharmaceutical leaders with an evidence-based reference guide aiding adoption strategy development, resource planning and workforce transitioning crucial for Lean 4.0 assimilation.Originality/valueThis systematic assessment of pharmaceutical Lean 4.0 adoption offers an unprecedented perspective into the real-world issues, dependencies and modifications necessary for successful integration, absent from conceptual projections or isolated case studies alone until now.