Remedial Plan Research Articles

Action Research for Enhancing the English Learning Needs of College Students

This study explored English learning challenges faced by freshman students in a Hainan vocational university. Participants, who had completed vocational diplomas and professional internships, struggled with English, affecting their undergraduate coursework. Analysis of the data revealed several key issues, including lack of interest and motivation, disconnect from practical needs, overemphasis on vocabulary and grammar, dissatisfaction with learning outcomes, inappropriate assessment standards and content, lack of relevance to major, and exam-oriented learning. In response, a remediation plan is proposed, aiming to stimulate learning interest, strengthen foundational skills, enhance classroom engagement, leverage technology and resources, promote cultural awareness and communication skills, and implement regular feedback and assessment. A new round of action research will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of this plan and make further improvements. The aim is to provide valuable insights and pave the way for tailored educational interventions to support the academic journey of these students.

Climate change policing: Integrating environment-sensitive approaches in Nigerian security operations

Climate change has shifted from being solely a severe environmental challenge to becoming a critical threat to global security. Despite efforts to securitise climate change through speeches, policies, research, media and advocacy by various organisations, the specific roles of security agencies, especially in developing countries dealing with insurgencies, remain undefined. This study emphasises that an effective securitisation process must outline clear roles for security agencies, beginning with the creation of an environment friendly operational plan. In Nigeria, non-state violent groups use natural environments like forests and water bodies as hideouts, leading security forces to turn these areas into battlegrounds without environmental assessments or post-conflict remediation plans. This study investigates how eco-friendly practices are integrated into Nigerian security operations. Through 30 interviews and a critical analysis of climate-related policies, it was found that climate policies are not incorporated into security operations. This is evident in the criminalisation of forests, unsustainable disposal of crude oil and drugs, and correctional processes that ignore climate sensitivity. The study concludes that Nigerian security operations need a paradigm shift towards integrating climate-sensitive approaches, recommending that security agencies adopt practices that consider ecological impacts.

Oklahoma leaders reject settlement on jail MH services

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and other state leaders have rejected a legal settlement of a federal lawsuit over long delays in providing mental health treatment to jail detainees found not competent to stand trial, the Oklahoma Voice policy news service reported Oct. 8. State Attorney General Gentner Drummond had pushed for the negotiated settlement, which included a remediation plan that would revamp the state's current system for restoring offender competency and increase the state's number of forensic beds devoted to competency restoration (see “Legal settlement would expedite MH treatment for Oklahoma detainees,” MHW, July 1, 2024; https://doi.org/10.1002/mhw.34099). But Stitt and the commissioner of the state Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Allie Friesen, have characterized the settlement as overly costly and burdensome. Shortly before an Oct. 8 meeting of a review board chaired by Stitt, Friesen announced that she was terminating Drummond as the state's counsel in the case. Friesen indicated with regard to the proposed settlement that she would “resign before signing an agreement like this,” Oklahoma Voice reported. The lawsuit was originally filed in March 2023 in U.S. District Court on behalf of three incarcerated inmates. It alleges that detainees' long waits for needed mental health treatment have caused their conditions to deteriorate, and this violates the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Bacterial specialists playing crucial roles in maintaining system stability and governing microbial diversity in bioremediation of oil-polluted sediments under typical deep-sea condition

Ecologically, interactions and contributions of microbiota generalists and specialists remain largely unexplored in remediation of deep-sea oil pollution. Herein, ecological and evolutionary characteristics of the two taxa were comprehensively investigated in restoration of oil-polluted sediment at deep-sea microcosm. Niche-specialized taxa exhibited rapid speciation rate, more complex network structure and highly interspecific mutualism. In contrast, generalists possessed higher richness but with poor local performance, as evidenced by higher extinction rate, lower stability, and more interspecific antagonism. Generalists were the primary oil degraders, while specialists acted as auxiliaries promoting degradation via production of biofilm and biosurfactant. Evolutionarily, the continuous transition from specialists to generalists insured the exclusion of generalist at a relatively constant level for ecological trade-offs. Collectively, the findings emphasize the importance of specialists in facilitating oil degradation by elucidating their vital roles in maintaining system stability and regulating microbial diversity during process, and offer valuable guidance for designing remediation plans.

A Holistic Isotopic and Mineralogical Investigation of Ancient Thasos Theatre: Technology and Provenance of Thasos Marbles

The Stable Isotope Unit of the National Centre of Scientific Research and the Ephorate of Kavala and Thasos collaborated on a project to investigate construction materials from the Ancient Theatre on Thasos Island, which was funded by NSRF European funds (2007-2013 and 2014-2020). Bulk samples of marble were collected to determine their provenance, technology, degradation features, and mechanical and physicochemical properties, with the ultimate goal of developing a conservation plan. By utilizing novel scientific techniques, the research team was able to date constructions discovered within excavations and establish remedial and preventive conservation plans using marble technology. The samples were characterized in terms of their isotopic, chemical, and mineralogical composition. Additionally, extended physicochemical and mechanical testing was applied to estimate the current condition of the Ancient Thasos Theatre. The 13C and 18O isotopic composition of the calcitic marbles was analysed to determine the environmental conditions during calcite formation, making it possible to define the marble provenance. Compositional and morphological analyses were achieved using energy-dispersive X-ray analysis by scanning electron microscopy, while the mineralogical phases were detected using X-ray diffraction and petrographic (polarized optical microscopy) analysis. Mechanical testing according to European Standards was achieved through the examination of compressive tensile strength and grain size distribution.

A Targeted Clinical Reasoning Remediation Program for Residents and Fellows in Need.

Background There is no standardized, widely accepted process for individualized clinical reasoning remediation. Objective We describe a novel, targeted assessment and coaching process that allows for individualized intervention for residents and fellows struggling with clinical reasoning. Methods Residents and fellows at the University of Virginia with performance concerns are referred to COACH (Committee on Achieving Competence Through Help) and assessed by a remediation expert. A subset is referred to a clinical reasoning remediation coach who performs an additional assessment and cocreates an individualized remediation plan. Following remediation, residents and fellows are reassessed by their respective programs. We report the frequency of struggle, remediation time invested, and academic outcomes. Results From 2017 to 2022, 114 residents and fellows referred to COACH met inclusion criteria, of which 38 (33%) had a deficiency in clinical reasoning. Targeted assessment revealed the following microskill deficits: hypothesis generation (16 of 38, 42%); data gathering (6 of 38, 16%); problem representation (7 of 38, 18%); hypothesis refinement (3 of 38, 8%); and management (6 of 38, 16%). Remediation required a mean of nearly 23 hours per trainee. Of the 38 trainees, 33 (87%) are in good standing at the time of writing. Conclusions Our unique program offers a feasible, targeted approach to clinical reasoning remediation based on our current understanding of the clinical reasoning process. Early hypothesis generation was the most common microskill deficit identified.

Factors Contributing to World Hunger and Remedial Plans

Factors Contributing to World Hunger and Remedial Plans

Potentials Challenges of Twenty-First Century Pedagogies in Nigeria

The concept of 21st-century pedagogies is the creative use of technological-aided teaching methods for the benefit of the students based on the prevailing situation. The pedagogies include the use of technology integration, collaborative learning, student-centred learning, flipped classroom and gamification and game-based learning usually student-centred. The concept of pedagogy in Nigeria, as in many other countries, refers to the strategies, methods, and approaches employed in the teaching and learning process. The paper identified skills development, technology integration, increased student engagement, collaborative learning and teacher professional development as some potential that significantly contribute to enhancing the quality of education and equipping students with employable skills needed to succeed in the world of work. The paper identified technology barriers, teacher training and professional development, large class sizes, curricular rigidity, resistance to change and limited resources as some of the challenges confronting the use of 21st-century pedagogies in educational institutions in Nigeria. However, policy reforms, teacher training and professional development, technology integration, partnerships and research and monitoring are suggested as remedial plans to improve the use of 21st-century pedagogies in Nigerian schools.

Legal settlement would expedite MH treatment for Oklahoma detainees

Yearlong negotiations have led to the proposed settlement of a federal lawsuit over long delays in providing mental health treatment to Oklahoma jail detainees who are found incompetent to stand trial. However, opposition from Gov. Kevin Stitt could derail the remediation plan set out in the settlement, which also requires state legislative approval.

Environmental Implications of the Soil-to-Groundwater Migration of Heavy Metals in Mining Area Hotspots

Groundwater contamination was studied at several hotspot sites in the Majdanpek copper mining area (Serbia). These sites include a milling facility, a metallurgical wastewater treatment plant, a heavy vehicle service area, and a waste disposal site. In addition to Cu, high concentrations of As and heavy metals (Cd and Pb) were detected in groundwater and soil at the same sampling points. Mining operations and heavy vehicle transport activities have been identified as the main sources of pollution. The migration of metals from soil to groundwater, expressed as a concentration ratio, were the highest for Co and the lowest for Mn. The environmental implications of groundwater pollution were studied using the heavy metal pollution index (HPI), Nemerov pollution index (NPI), hazard index (HI), and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR). HPI and NPI show the high potential of groundwater to have adverse environmental effects. HPI ranges in the following descending order of metals: Cd > Pb > As > Mn > Ni > Cr > Hg > Cu > Zn. NPI exceeds the threshold of 0.7 in 66.7% of the samples. Potential human exposure to the studied groundwater may cause severe health problems in adults, with HI ranging from 0.61 to 5.45 and ILCR from 1.72 × 10−4 to 1.27 × 10−3. Children were more susceptible to non-carcinogenic risk than adults, with HI ranging from 0.95 to 8.27. However, the results indicated that children were less prone to carcinogenic risks, with ILCR ranging from 5.35 × 10−5 to 3.98 × 10−4. Arsenic is the most contributing element to both risks. This research imposes the need for enhanced groundwater monitoring at hotspots in the mining area and the adoption of remediation plans and measures.

Perceptions of Remediation Policies and Procedures in Pharmacy Education

ObjectiveThis study aimed to (1) explore the perceptions of current remediation processes among pharmacy program administrators and faculty, and (2) identify factors surrounding successful or unsuccessful remediation in a pharmacy program. MethodsThis qualitative study used the following 3 stakeholder focus groups with distinct perspectives: didactic faculty, experiential faculty, and administrators. A screening survey was used to identify eligible participants, and quota sampling was used to represent various institution types and stakeholder experience. Focus groups were conducted using structured interview questions by an expert interviewer who was not part of the research team. Data were coded using the constant comparison method until consensus was achieved on the identified themes. ResultsThree themes associated with remediation were identified with 12 coded categories. The codes discussed by all 3 stakeholder groups included methods to identify students who need remediation, types of remediation, remediation challenges, consequences of remediation, remediation effectiveness, and necessary improvements to the remediation process. The didactic and experiential faculty groups discussed the management of remediation plans, methods of remediation prevention, and lessons learned from remediation. The timing of remediation was discussed by didactic faculty. The experiential faculty noted the need for preceptor development to provide timely feedback and ensure successful remediation. All 3 groups mentioned having clear policies and procedures for successful remediation. ConclusionOverall, faculty and administrators had similar perceptions regarding remediation practices. The differences in concerns about remediation were most notable between the experiential and didactic faculty. While all 3 groups believed that remediation may be useful and necessary, challenges remain and monitoring is needed to determine the most effective practices, particularly in experiential education.

Recognising the social causes of student underperformance in medical education: a scoping review

The social aspects of underperformance in medical education can be perceived as an uncomfortable topic in some contexts. Vaughn’s [1]evergreen description of underperformance: the state where a student’s academic performance is significantly below that which isexpected of them – because of a ‘specific affective, cognitive, structural, or interpersonal difficulty’ was used in this study. With up to15% of medical students experiencing significant difficulties during medical training [2], the session mandate is to explore social causes of underperformance towards best practice approaches for student’s support, discomfort notwithstanding. A scoping review was conducted using the JBI framework [3] to explore social issues surrounding medical student underperformance. A PubMed search using ‘medical underperformance’ and ‘remediation’ was used as an expansive template to find papers that described key concepts. Forty-six papers were identified and in papers that the titles dealt with the topic, 20 full texts were reviewed. Framework analysis [4] was used to identify themes from key papers. A key social reason for medical students’ underperformance was cultural clashes. An evidence-based process of management can be used to deduce root causes of underperformance and assist the affected student back on track with their self-regulated learning. Aims• Critically analyse the social difficulties faced by underperformingstudents.• Practice the creation of evidence-based tailored remediation plans. Engagement: I intend to use a case study and questions to engage attendees.

Enhancing Reading Comprehension Proficiency of Grade 10 Students: Input for Supplementary Reading Materials

This present study investigated the reading comprehension levels of the Grade 10 students, their levels of macro and micro reading comprehension skills, and the different reading activities provided to them by the teachers. Considering the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Grade 10 students’ acquisition of reading comprehension skills has been affected. Consequently, assessment of students’ reading comprehension is essential to collect information and make inferences about the level of their reading comprehension skills which would help the Grade 10 teachers determine the underlying problems in students’ reading skills and eventually guide them in the crafting of the most appropriate reading interventions and well-designed remediation plans. The instrument used to assess the student’s level of reading comprehension skills was categorized into two based on Douglas Henry Brown’s micro and macro reading skills and an interview for teacher-respondents on the activities provided to the students in teaching reading. The results of this study indicated that the student’s reading comprehension proficiency was at a proficient level and yet more intensive reading comprehension activities should be given, well-designed supplementary reading materials be provided, and varied and effective learning strategies be employed by the teachers to improve their reading comprehension.

Feature Extraction and Classification of Power Quality Disturbances Using Optimized Tunable-Q Wavelet Transform and Incremental Support Vector Machine

The widespread integration of renewable energy sources (RESs) into power systems using power electronics-based interface devices has led to a substantial rise in power quality (PQ) issues. There is an immediate requirement for effective monitoring, detection, and classification of power quality disturbances (PQDs) that is needed to take remedial measures and design planning of the system architecture. This study presents a hybrid approach with an objective for the feature extraction and classification of PQDs. The proposed hybrid approach is comprised of an optimized tunable-Q wavelet transform (OTQWT) for the feature extraction and incremental support vector machine (ISVM). A four-stage approach is suggested for the PQ detection and classification in this study. In the first stage, the various data are retrieved both in the form of synthetic data by mathematical formulations and real-time data with prototype design setup. In the second stage, regardless of the specified wavelet function, the PQD signals are decomposed into low-pass and high-pass sub-bands using the tunable-Q wavelet transform (TQWT). However, the utilization of default decomposition parameters to address nonstationary PQ signals may lead to information loss and reduced performance of the system. To avoid this limitation, an OTQWT as an enhanced technique to TQWT based on an Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization (APSO) is suggested. A modified objective function based on the mean square error (MSE) is used to improve the decomposition process. In the third stage, an efficient classifier is suggested based on the ISVM. Lastly, to test and evaluate the performance of the proposed approach, twelve types of PQDs including noise and multiple occurrences are considered. The comparative analysis with other popular methods reflects the better performance of the proposed approach and justifies its use for PQ detection and classification purposes in real-time​ conditions.

Implementing Quality Improvement Initiatives to Improve the Use of Adolescent- and Youth-Friendly Health Services in Zou, Benin.

In Benin, the unmet need for family planning services is especially high for adolescent girls and youth aged 15-24 years. The Challenge Initiative (TCI) supported the health system to assess and improve the quality of adolescent and youth sexual reproductive health services and enhance contraceptive uptake in 65 service delivery points (SDPs) of the Zou department. Between June 2019 and March 2021, TCI supported the health districts in Zou to train an assessment team to complete 3 cycles of quality assessments (QAs) using a QA checklist adapted to the local context. Based on assessment scores, the SDPs were categorized into poor, moderate, or good to excellent quality. The SDP managers developed remedial action plans after each cycle and for each SDP and followed up with supportive supervision. The first QA cycle showed that 52% of assessed SDPs achieved a good to excellent classification; by the second QA cycle, this reached 74%. However, the quality of adolescent- and youth-friendly health services regressed during the third QA cycle (during COVID-19 pandemic disruptions), when only 40% of SDPs achieved the good to excellent category. Between the first and second QA cycles, contraceptive uptake for adolescents and youth improved in the SDPs that had good or excellent quality of services, compared to the ones that were of lower quality (established significance level of 5% with a P value of .031). Further assessments could deepen our understanding of the internal and external factors that can affect service quality. The findings reinforce the importance of investing in quality improvement strategies to maximize the use of sexual and reproductive health services among adolescents and youth. They also underscore the need for a contextual and nuanced approach to ensure enduring results.

Deep resistivity geophysics of the San Juan–Silverton caldera complex, San Juan County, Colorado (USA)

Magnetotelluric (MT) and audiomagnetotelluric (AMT) data are used to better understand the subsurface geology and mineral resources in the San Juan–Silverton caldera complex located near Silverton, Colorado, western United States, as part of the extensive southern Rocky Mountains volcanic field that covers much of southwestern Colorado and northern New Mexico. Seven MT and AMT profiles of varying lengths image resistivity structure to depths of ~5 km. The AMT inversion models characterize geophysical responses of near-surface lithologies, structures, and mineralized systems and also help corroborate airborne electromagnetic data at shallow levels. The MT inversion models extend our depth of investigation from near the surface to great depths (~5 km) and help to form hypotheses about roots of the hydrothermal plumbing that fed shallower mineralized systems. Subsurface high resistivities occur beneath intermediate-composition lava flows and Proterozoic units. Subsurface moderate- to low-resistivity values may reflect hydrothermal plumbing that served as flow paths for mineralizing fluids and metallic ore formation. The model interpreta­tions presented in this study could be utilized in remediation planning or mineral resource applications. The methods used could be applied to other watersheds with similar volcanic environments containing acid-generating historical mines or hydrothermally altered and mineralized source rocks.

The Effect of Implementing a Remedial Plan Based on Reading Strategies on Improving the Achievement of Jordanian EFL Eleventh Grade Students of the Vocational Stream in Reading Comprehension

The Effect of Implementing a Remedial Plan Based on Reading Strategies on Improving the Achievement of Jordanian EFL Eleventh Grade Students of the Vocational Stream in Reading Comprehension

Characterizing low-grade refractory gold ores using automated mineralogy coupled with LA ICP-MS

Researchers have made notable progress in quantifying refractory components causing gold losses in traditional extraction methods. The potential for improving gold recoveries lies in targeted re-treatment of the 'invisible' gold fraction hosted within various ore minerals, even at low concentrations. This study presents a methodology for analysing the refractory components that cause gold losses in traditional extraction methods. The approach utilizes automated mineralogical techniques in conjunction with in-situ laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA ICP-MS) to characterize low-grade refractory ores and assess gold deportment. The methodology combines pre-concentration gravity separation, traditional chemical and mineral techniques, and LA ICP-MS to generate comprehensive datasets. To demonstrate the practical application of the methodology, a case study was conducted on historical tailings material from Witwatersrand's Evander Goldfield in South Africa. The case study aimed to determine the mineralogical distribution of gold that cannot be extracted through cyanidation. The results indicated that invisible gold is primarily hosted in pyrite (with an average concentration of 10.21 ppm representing 32 % of total gold), other sulphides (with an average concentration of 1.29 ppm representing 0.42 % of total gold), and oxides (with an average concentration of 0.50 ppm representing 1 % of total gold). The remaining gold is present in discrete fine cyanide amenable phases (with 28 % deportment) and silicate-hosted phases (with 39 % deportment). Environmental monitoring of the Witwatersrand tailings material revealed a net “acid-producing” nature, with high concentrations of heavy metals (such as As, Cu, Pb, Mn, Hg, and Ni) associated with sulphides (with over 78 % deportment). The deportment information obtained through this approach can optimize ore processing strategies and provide valuable insights for future remediation plans. By characterizing the refractory components causing gold losses and understanding the distribution of gold within the ore, this methodology offers the potential to enhance gold recovery and improve the efficiency of ore processing operations.

Nearshore fish community changes along the Toronto waterfront in accordance with management and restoration goals: Insights from two decades of monitoring.

Aquatic habitat in the Greater Toronto Area has been subject to anthropogenic stressors. The subsequent aquatic habitat degradation that followed led to the Toronto and Region waterfront being listed as an Area of Concern in 1987. Thus, extensive shoreline and riparian habitat restoration have been implemented as part of the Toronto and Region Remedial Action Plan in conjunction with local stakeholders, ministries, and NGOs in an overall effort to increase fish, bird, and wildlife habitat. A key aspect of current fish habitat restoration efforts, monitored by Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, is to account for long-term community changes within the target ecosystem to better understand overall changes at a larger spatial scale. Here we use electrofishing data from the past 20 years with over 100,000 records and across 72km of coastline to show how declines and fluctuations in fish biomass and catch along the waterfront are driven by a few individual species across three main ecotypes, such as coastal wetlands, embayments, and open coast sites, with the remaining species showing a high level of stability. Using community traits and composition for resident species we demonstrate native warmwater species have become more dominant along the waterfront in recent years, suggesting that restoration efforts are functioning as intended. Additionally, piscivore and specialist species have increased in their relative biomass contribution, approaching existing restoration targets. Altogether this waterfront-wide evaluation allows us to detect overall changes along the waterfront and can be beneficial to understand community changes at an ecosystem level when implementing and monitoring restoration projects.

Dutch dismissal practices: characteristics, consequences, and contrasts in residents' case law in community-based practice versus hospital-based specialties.

In the Netherlands, 2 to 10% of the residents terminate training prematurely. Infrequently, termination of training is by dismissal. Incidentally, residents may disagree, dispute and challenge these decisions from the programme directors. Resident dismissal is always a difficult decision, most commonly made after, repeated assessments, and triangulation of the resulting assessment data and one or more remediation attempts. Nevertheless, the underlying reasons for dismissal and the policies for remediation and dismissal may differ between training programmes. Such differences may however impact the chance of remediation success, the chance of dismissal and subsequent residents' appeals. We included a total of 70 residents from two groups (community-based and hospital-based specialties) during 10 years of appeals. Subsequently, we compared these groups on factors potentially associated with the outcome of the conciliation board decision regarding the residents' dismissal. We focused herein on remediation strategies applied, and reasons reported to dismiss residents. In both groups, the most alleged reason to dismiss residents was lack of trainability, > 97%. This was related to deficiencies in professionalism in community-based practice and medical expertise in hospital-based specialties respectively. A reason less frequently mentioned was endangerment of patient care, < 26%. However, none of these residents accused of endangerment, actually jeopardized the patients' health, probably due to the vigilance of their supervisors. Remediation strategies varied between the two groups, whereas hospital-based specialties preferred formal remediation plans in contrast to community-based practice. A multitude of remediation strategies per competency (medical expertise, professionalism, communication, management) were applied and described in these law cases. Residents' appeals in community-based practice were significantly less likely to succeed compared to hospital-based specialties. Hypothesised explanatory factors underlying these differences include community-based practices' more prominent attention to the longitudinal assessment of professionalism, the presence of regular quarterly progress meetings, precise documentation of deficiencies, and discretion over the timing of dismissal in contrast to dismissal in the hospital-based specialties which is only formally possible during scheduled formal summative assessment meetings.