Research Study Research Articles

THE EFFECT OF LEADERSHIP AND INTERNAL COMMUNICATION ON JOB SATISFACTION AT PDAM TIRTA GIRI NATA, CIREBON CITY

The purpose of this study is to investigate how internal communication and leadership affect work satisfaction at PERUMDA Tirta Giri Nata in Cirebon City. This study's research methodology is a quantitative approach. With a sample of 66 workers, the population under study consisted of 190 employees of PERUMDA Tirta Giri Nata Cirebon City. A questionnaire was employed for data collection, and multiple analytic regressions were used to analyze the data. The study's findings demonstrated that leadership and internal communication were positively and significantly impacted at the same time. Internal communication had a positive and substantial impact on job satisfaction with a value of (2,296 1.99773) and a significant value of (0.025 0.05), whereas work on job satisfaction had a calculated value of (10,046 1,99773) and a significant value of (0.000 0.05). The F test, which was derived from the test results of 79.179 3.140 and a significant value of 0.000 0.05, revealed the simultaneous test between leadership and internal communication on job satisfaction at PDAM Tirta Giri Nata Cirebon City. This indicates that both leadership and internal communication had a positive and significant impact on job satisfaction.

Unlocking Success: Measuring Higher Education Students' Performance Through E-Books and M-Learning

Digital integration in higher education (HE) has made significant progress in the first quarter of the twenty-first century, paving the way for more significant strides in the future. The present study investigated the role of E-books and M-learning on the academic performance of university students in Pakistan. We selected 430 university students from 10 universities in Punjab province using multi-method and multi-stage sampling techniques. The study's research design was a descriptive survey with cross-sectional data collection using a self-developed questionnaire. For the data analysis, we used Jamovi software (Version 2.4.11). The results revealed that E-books (B = 1.635, SE = .10, t = 15.1, p <.001) significantly contribute to students M-learning behaviour, which (B = 1.149, SE = .092, t = -1.59, p <.001) significantly contribute to university students’ academic performance. It was also found that M-learning was a significant mediator for the relationship between E-books and academic performance at (B = .421, SE = .03, 95 % CI [.365, .502], Z = 12.6, p < .001), predicting 57.5 % of the total mediation. Based on the study’s results, we suggested that university students should effectively use E-books and M-learning to enhance their academic performance, leading to academic success.

"Our Community Comes First": Investigating Recruitment Ads That Represent and Appeal to Black Women for Online, HIV-Related Research Studies.

Black women are underrepresented in health-related research. Consulting Black women in the creation of recruitment materials may help increase their representation in research studies, but few of these recruitment materials have been evaluated. This manuscript reports on the impact of two ads (one featuring older women and one featuring younger women) created through multiple focus group sessions with Black women. The purpose of the ads were to recruit Black women to participate in an online research study about HIV prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP. Questions about the ads were embedded in the eligibility screener for inclusion in the online parent research study. Respondents were asked which ad they saw, what they liked about it, and what about the ad piqued their interest in the study. In total, 301 Black women completed the eligibility screener for the online study and answered questions pertaining to the two ads. Most participants reported seeing the ad with younger women (260/301, 86.4%). Representation of Black women (n = 70), ad design (n = 64), relevance to Black women and the Black community (n = 60), and comprehensiveness of ad content (n = 38) were the top 4 ad features respondents liked. Relevance to Black women and the Black community (n = 104) as well as ad content (n = 54) (i.e., study purpose, location, duration, images, incentive) were the top two reasons provided about ads that piqued respondent's interest in the online study. Findings showcase how recruitment ads informed by Black women could help increase their interest and participation in research.

Use of COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Among Healthcare Workers in Teaching Hospitals of Khorramabad, Iran

Background and Objective: In light of the pivotal role played by personal protective equipment (PPE) in mitigating the transmission of the novel coronavirus, this study aimed to investigate the utilization of personal protective equipment in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic among medical personnel and students affiliated with Lorestan University of Medical Sciences in the year 2019. Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive research study collected essential data, encompassing personal characteristics and inquiries concerning the use of personal protective equipment, the extent of their utilization, training regarding proper equipment use, and adherence to health guidelines, including hand hygiene and disinfectant usage. Data were gathered through a questionnaire developed in accordance with international standards, specifically the PPE Safe Survey. The questionnaire was administered to medical staff, including physicians, nurses, and medical students, working in healthcare facilities that admitted COVID-19 patients within the Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, situated in Khorramabad. Results: Our investigation involved a total of 201 participants, comprising 82 (40.8%) males and 119 (59.2%) females. The average age of the participants was 32 years, with an average daily duration of personal protective equipment utilization amounting to 8.9 hours. Notably, 44 (21.9%) participants worked in emergency wards, 63 (31.3%) in general medical wards, 12 (6.0%) in administrative departments, 14 (7.0%) in surgical units, 11 (5.5%) in anesthesiology, 17 (8.5%) in intensive care units, and 40 (19.9%) in miscellaneous contexts. Conclusion: The study findings underscore the imperative need for healthcare professionals to consistently employ suitable personal protective equipment, encompassing face masks, eye protection, gowns, and eye shields. Furthermore, our study highlights the significance of appropriate training and rigorous adherence to equipment utilization protocols during healthcare tasks, coupled with consistent hand hygiene practices in healthcare facilities.

Building bridges to engineering interest: Connections between student perceptions of instructor actions and interest in engineering classes

AbstractBackgroundDevelopment of subject‐matter interest can motivate long‐term learning. Prior research indicates that what instructors do in learning environments and how students feel about their relationship to instructors influence students' learning via the motivational mechanism of interest. This study's research into instructor actions in online learning contexts and in student perceptions of relatedness and interest was inspired by the 21st century transition to online instruction accelerated by COVID‐19.Purpose/Hypothesis(es)This study sought to determine links between student‐perceived teaching presence and immediacy behaviors, perceptions of relatedness to the instructor, and course subject interest. We hypothesized that student interest develops from instructor actions mediated by perceptions of relatedness to the instructor.Design/MethodMultiple methods were used to investigate associations between instructor actions in college‐level engineering courses taught synchronously online and students' perceptions of relatedness to instructor and interest. Qualitative interviews with engineering instructors corroborated use of teaching presence and immediacy behaviors as constructs to describe online instructional actions. Quantitative surveys were administered to undergraduate students (n = 141) enrolled in synchronous, online engineering classes. Qualitative interviews with 10 students supplemented survey findings.ResultsPath modeling and regression models of results indicated that students' perceptions of teaching presence online, but not immediacy behaviors, were predictive of relatedness to instructor and situational interest in course content. Qualitative data corroborated the survey findings by giving voice to students' lived experience.ConclusionsSynthesis of results suggests strategies that could develop teaching presence and enhance student perceptions of relatedness to instructors online, ultimately enhancing interest in engineering.

Embracing occupational history: A doctoral research study investigating the career aspirations of older workers

What are the career aspirations of older professional workers in business advisory services? How does their career history influence their aspirations as they navigate toward retirement? These are the principal questions underlying the doctoral research programme showcased in this article. In contemporary society the concept of retirement is being challenged as the population ages and the government review their social strategies. ‘Traditional’ career pathways of older professional workers reflected an ascendant career which embraced their expertise and service, but now, with continuing organisational turbulence, some face a changing environment where their career path looks less certain. This article illustrates some of the main issues facing a new doctoral researcher; it is written at the beginning of the second year of research and addresses some critical questions that a new researcher needs to consider when they set out on their research journey. This reflective article takes Rudyard Kipling’s (1902) ‘six honest servingmen (sic)’ as its framework.

Biomedical researchers' perspectives on the reproducibility of research.

We conducted an international cross-sectional survey of biomedical researchers' perspectives on the reproducibility of research. This study builds on a widely cited 2016 survey on reproducibility and provides a biomedical-specific and contemporary perspective on reproducibility. To sample the community, we randomly selected 400 journals indexed in MEDLINE, from which we extracted the author names and emails from all articles published between October 1, 2020 and October 1, 2021. We invited participants to complete an anonymous online survey which collected basic demographic information, perceptions about a reproducibility crisis, perceived causes of irreproducibility of research results, experience conducting reproducibility studies, and knowledge of funding and training for research on reproducibility. A total of 1,924 participants accessed our survey, of which 1,630 provided useable responses (response rate 7% of 23,234). Key findings include that 72% of participants agreed there was a reproducibility crisis in biomedicine, with 27% of participants indicating the crisis was "significant." The leading perceived cause of irreproducibility was a "pressure to publish" with 62% of participants indicating it "always" or "very often" contributes. About half of the participants (54%) had run a replication of their own previously published study while slightly more (57%) had run a replication of another researcher's study. Just 16% of participants indicated their institution had established procedures to enhance the reproducibility of biomedical research and 67% felt their institution valued new research over replication studies. Participants also reported few opportunities to obtain funding to attempt to reproduce a study and 83% perceived it would be harder to do so than to get funding to do a novel study. Our results may be used to guide training and interventions to improve research reproducibility and to monitor rates of reproducibility over time. The findings are also relevant to policy makers and academic leadership looking to create incentives and research cultures that support reproducibility and value research quality.

Parenting and the Educational Performance of Secondary Schools Students’ in Rivers State, Nigeria

This paper looks at parenting and the educational performance of secondary schools’ students’ in Rivers State, Nigeria. Survey methodology were employed to collect data from the population of all registered secondary school in Rivers State which was estimated as 3,467 as at 2023. Taro Yamane formula were used to arrive at a sample size of 400 and questionnaire was distributed of which 387 returned. With a mean criterion of 3.0, SPSS and Crombach Alpha coefficient of 0.05 were used to analyse the study's research topics. Reviewing the effect of parenting on the educational performance of secondary schools’ students’ in Nigeria we found out that absent of either father/mother from home, keeping children/wards in the hands of house help/care giver to take care of, family responsibility/obligation which made parents to show less concern in children/wards academic, devotion to work, lack of time, love, care, concern etc. are the effect of poor parenting that lead to poor academic performance of secondary school students River State, Nigeria. The study concluded that parent should try to involve themselves in their children/wards academics than just paying their fees, giving them good meals/snacks to school, buy whatever the children/ward’s needs, enrol them in expensive school then leave them in the hands of the teachers’ as academic involvement and child training is far beyond this knowing that they are their child/ward first teacher in life and also no one can train their child/ward better than they do knowing the fact that “charity begins at home”.

Users' Concerns and the Internet of Things (IoT) Risk Beliefs

This paper builds a prediction model with four predictor variables and one dependent variable. The predictor variables are users' concerns about IoT privacy, users' concerns about IoT security, users' concerns about IoT awareness, and users' concerns about IoT device use. The dependent variable is users' IoT risk beliefs. The prediction model determines the influential predictor variables that predict the users' IoT risk beliefs. An instrument with five constructs was designed and administered to subjects working in various organizations in the USA. Collected data from 386 usable data were analyzed through multiple regression analysis. The analysis was used to answer the study's research question, which asked which of the four independent/predictor variables are influential in predicting the dependent variable. Results indicated that all four predictor variables were influential in predicting users' IoT risk beliefs, with IoT security concerns more influential than the other three. The findings, theoretical implications, practical implications, and future work are discussed.

Bridging Employees' Perceptions of Corporate Social Responsibility, Sense-Making for Meaningfulness, and Work Engagement for Successful Self-Regulation.

In response to calls for research on the psychological mechanisms, such as perceptions and attitudes toward corporate citizenship, in promoting positive outcomes at work, this research presents a novel approach by empirically testing a calling conditioned path model from P perception of corporate CSR (P-CSR) to work engagement via meaningfulness under the theoretical framework of self-determination theory. Survey data collected from 224 corporate employees in the US were tested using the PROCESS plugin (version 4.3) in SPSS. The regression results supported the positive direct and indirect paths from employees' P-CSR to meaningfulness and work engagement but not the conditioning effect of calling work orientation. This study's unique findings, limitations, future research, and implications are discussed, expanding micro-CSR research and unboxing the management assumptions of employees as purposeful autonomous agents seeking consistent interpretations and authentic perceptions of organizational CSR activities during their sense-making processes. Non-confirming of the calling conditioning the path model shed light on it being a dynamic multi-dimensional and multi-level construct to be further researched.

LAIKO JUOSTOS UŽDUOČIŲ TAIKYMAS MOKANT SUPRASTI ISTORINĮ LAIKĄ PRADINĖS MOKYKLOS TREČIOJE KLASĖJE

School history content in recent years has been shifting away from the "grand" story of history towards historical literacy, based on critical thinking and historical research skills. This encourages the explora-tion of the possibilities of developing these skills from primary school onwards, using a variety of ac-tive learning methods in social education classes. The aim of the study was to determine whether the targeted use of timeline tasks in the educational process can improve the historical time comprehension skills of third grade pupils in Lithuanian primary schools. The focus of the study was the use of timeline tasks in the understanding of historical time. The aim of the study was to explore the changes in the historical time comprehension skills of 3rd grade pupils in a primary school when timeline tasks are purposefully applied in the educational process. An action re-search study was carried out, 16 educational activities were organized in two primary school third grade classes. In one classroom, 8 activities involved the purposeful use of timeline tasks. Students' historical time comprehension skills in the category of timeline application were assessed through quantitative and qualitative content analysis of the questionnaires completed by students. It was found that before the educational activities, some of the pupils in grade 3 had not reached the level of devel-oping understanding of historical time at level A in the category of application of the timeline. A com-parative analysis of the data after the educational activities showed that the pupils in Class X who worked on the timeline tasks during the educational activities achieved higher results than their peers in Class Y who did not work on the timeline tasks during the educational activities. The results of the study suggest that the use of timeline activities in history learning enables students to better orient themselves in historical time and to achieve higher learning outcomes. Keywords: understanding historical time, timeline application, primary education, action research

EXPLORING KAZAKH EFL TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY: A QUANTITATIVE STUDY

This study's extensive quantitative research design to investigate the professional identities of in-service EFL teachers in Kazakhstan and Turkistan makes it stand out. A comprehensive survey, unparalleled in scope and exhaustiveness, was distributed to 470 English instructors in 45 state schools, offering an extensive synopsis of how these educators see their professional identities. The survey findings provide insights into several professional identity factors, including the propensity to teach, act as role models, and establish productive learning settings. The results show that participants' professional identities were generally average, with major exceptions for knowledge-sharing and role modeling. Simultaneously, less emphasis was placed on recognizing students' original language culture and establishing a favorable classroom atmosphere. The study also looks at how different professional identities are within qualification categories, and it finds statistically significant variances that highlight how teachers' self-perception and professional growth are influenced by their educational background. These findings have implications for teacher education and professional development initiatives and a deeper knowledge of the elements influencing EFL instructors' professional identities in Kazakhstan.

Structure and Function of Soil Bacterial Communities in the Different Wetland Types of the Liaohe Estuary Wetland.

Soil bacterial communities play a crucial role in the functioning of estuarine wetlands. Investigating the structure and function of these communities across various wetland types, along with the key factors influencing them, is essential for understanding the relationship between bacteria and wetland ecosystems. The Liaohe Estuary Wetland formed this study's research area, and soil samples from four distinct wetland types were utilized: suaeda wetlands, reed wetlands, pond returning wetlands, and tidal flat wetlands. The structure and function of the soil bacterial communities were examined using Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology in conjunction with the PICRUSt analysis method. The results indicate that different wetland types significantly affect the physical and chemical properties of soil, as well as the structure and function of bacterial communities. The abundance and diversity of soil bacterial communities were highest in the suaeda wetland and lowest in the tidal flat wetland. The dominant bacterial phyla identified were Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota. Furthermore, the dominant bacterial genera identified included RSA9, SZUA_442, and SP4260. The primary functional pathways associated with the bacterial communities involved the biosynthesis of valine, leucine, and isoleucine, as well as lipoic acid metabolism, which are crucial for the carbon and nitrogen cycles. This study enhances our understanding of the mutual feedback between river estuary wetland ecosystems and environmental changes, providing a theoretical foundation for the protection and management of wetlands.

Primary School Teachers' Views on the Integration of Sustainable Development into Learning

In this study, we sought an answer to the question of what can be done to integrate sustainable development into learning environments in the context of teacher opinions. We use a case study design to achieve this goal. The research's study group consists of 15 primary school teachers from northwest Turkey who were chosen using criterion sampling. We used an interview form to gather research data and analyzed it with content analysis. Teachers think incorporating sustainable development into the learning environment brings many benefits to children. According to findings, sustainable development provided many gains to students. Findings in the context of teacher opinions were: 1) eco-friendly behavior; 2) literacy; 3) awareness of green technologies; and 4) awareness of green professions. In this context, sustainable development should be integrated into primary school curricula. Also, in the study, we emphasize a sustainable education for a sustainable future. In this context, the outputs of sustainable development should be used effectively in education and training environments.

Event-related potentials emotion features of sleep-deprived and non-sleep-deprived drivers: a preliminary study

This paper explains the study of Event-Related Potentials (ERP) emotion features related to sleep-deprived and non-sleep-deprived drivers. The study's research protocol consists of four stages - initial brainwave recording, four one-minute emotional stimulation experiments for happy, fear, sad, and calm, three sets of driving tests, and baseline brainwave recording. The data collected is pre-processed and then classified using Binary Linear Regression (BLR). The BLR classification of emotion-based ERP for sleep-deprived and non-sleep-deprived signals shows 86.1% accuracy. Though this result is still at the preliminary stage, it concluded that emotion-based ERPs can be used as promising features of brain signals to detect and classify the sleep-deprived and non-sleep-deprived.

Metode Hypnoteaching melalui Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) dalam Keterampilan Berbicara Bahasa Arab

<table style="width: 688px;" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="501"><p>This qualitative descriptive research with a literature review design adopts the hypnoteaching method through the Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) approach as an innovative effort to enhance students' motivation in speaking the Arabic language. The study's research question is if the hypnoteaching approach based on Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) can boost students' motivation to speak Arabic. The study's findings suggest that the hypnoteaching method and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) are useful in educational growth, especially the Arabic language. The steps of hypnoteaching involve motivation, pacing, leading, positive words, praise, modeling, and teacher expertise. The application of NLP involves understanding students' characteristics, using outcomes, rapport, sensory acuity, and flexibility. Furthermore, the use of hypnoteaching through NLP in learning Arabic speaking can be an effort to enhance students' learning motivation, create more effective learning, overcome psychological barriers, and encourage students' motivation to actively develop Arabic speaking skills. Thus, this forms a strong foundation for the significant development of students' speaking skills.</p></td></tr></tbody></table>

<b>Accelerating Firm’s Operational Performance through GSCM Practices and Lean Management: A Case of the Textile Sector of Karachi</b>

Sustainable performance remains a debate among the business community however, achieving it remains a challenge. Globally, firms have incorporated different initiatives to gain efficiency and effectiveness, but developing nations are still in transit. Operationalization of green initiatives to gain operational performance was rare in Asian literature and practice. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the role of green supply chain management practices that impact a firm’s operational performance and the mediating role of lean management in the textile sector of Karachi. A quantitative method was used in this research study and data were collected from 184 respondents from the textile sector of Karachi through a convenience sampling technique. The data were analyzed by partial least structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) through Smart PLS 3.0. The results indicated that lean management significantly mediates the relationship between green manufacturing, green procurement, and operational performance. Whereas eco-design without lean management does not positively affects operational performance. This study recommends local companies adopt green practices religiously to compete internationally and to educate workers and suppliers about the importance of using these practices.

Types of learning and varieties of innovation: how does policy learning enable policy innovation?

Policy innovation is considered important for addressing major challenges such as climate change and the sustainable energy transition. Although policy learning is likely to play a key role in enabling policy innovation, the link between them remains unclear despite much research on both topics. To address this gap, we move beyond a binary treatment of policy innovation and differentiate policy problem innovation from policy instrument innovation and policy process innovation. Subsequently, we synthesise the literature on policy learning with the research on the multiple streams framework (MSF), a well-known lens for explaining policy innovation. Like earlier policy learning studies, we distinguish several types of learning by posing the key questions of learning, but in the context of each stream of the MSF: who learns (actors), what (beliefs), how (modes), and to what effect (ripening). This new conceptualisation clarifies the relationship of each type of policy learning to the varieties of policy innovation. Further, it indicates that policy learning is likely to result in policy innovation if and only if it influences the coupling among the three streams during a window of opportunity – through policy entrepreneurship – and not otherwise. We conclude with the implications of this study for future research on policy innovation, policy learning, and the MSF.

An Empirical and Deep Learning Investigation of Working Conditions and Musculoskeletal Outcomes in Wheat Farmers

Background: In developing countries, various farming activities are performed manually with the help of traditional hand tools. Therefore, agriculture is recognized as one of the risky occupations Objective: This research study aims to identify the critical working conditions of wheat farmers in Rajasthan state, India. Method: Data were collected through the survey conducted on 75 randomly selected wheat farmers of Rajasthan. The survey questionnaire gathered information related to demographic, occupational, and musculoskeletal discomfort faced by the farmers. In addition, a deep learning-based posture detection study of the workers was performed to assess the postural risks through a rapid upper limb assessment score. Result: The collected data were analyzed further for fruitful insights. The survey outcomes showed that awkward posture (41%) and repetitive movement (35%) were the most reported reasons for the severe risks of musculoskeletal disorders among farmers. The posture evaluationbased study outcomes showed that approximately 51% of subjects lie in the action category 4, which shows the higher level of risks in the activities performed by farmers. Conclusion: It is suggested to apply the principles of physical ergonomics in the agriculture sector and spread awareness among the farmers about the agriculture risks associated with farming activities.

The Effects of Quercetin on the Expression of Collagen I, Collagen III and Elastin in Vaginal: An Experimental Animal Study

Background: Vulvovaginal atrophy is part of the genitourinary syndrome of menopause caused by hypoestrogenic changes. This pathophysiological mechanism alters the concentration of collagen and elastin, which modifies the vaginal mucosa and impairs the function of the pelvic floor muscles. Quercetin is one of the flavonols found in plants, fruits, and vegetables. Quercetin helps to improve the syndrome through a variety of actions and estrogen-like effects. This study aimed to analyze the impact of quercetin on collagen I, collagen III, and elastin in a vaginal menopausal rat model. Method: This study's research design was an in vivo randomized control group post-test. The research was conducted at the animal laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga. Rattus norvegicus, used in the study, were divided into 5 groups: normal rat, menopausal model without treatment, menopausal model given 17-β estradiol valerate 0.18 mg/kg, quercetin 12.5 mg/kg, and quercetin 50 mg/kg. The effectiveness of therapy was assessed from the immunohistochemical expression of collagen I, collagen III, and elastin in vaginal tissue. Results: The standard group in this study had the highest average expression levels of collagen I and elastin. The group of menopausal models without treatment in the study had the highest average expression of collagen III. Collagen I expression (p < 0.001), collagen III expression (p < 0.001), and elastin expression (p < 0.001) all showed significant differences. The menopausal rat model without treatment and the standard group showed the most differences in the expression of collagen I, collagen III, and elastin. Conclusions: The expression of collagen I, collagen III, and elastin in the vagina of the menopausal model was affected by the administration of quercetin at a level of 50 mg/kg. Thus, quercetin can be an alternative herbal treatment option to improve vulvovaginal atrophy in menopausal conditions.