Subject Matter Research Articles

‘Bapedi A Re Boeleng Setṧong’ - Consequences of Undermining Ancestral Beliefs with Regards to the Concept of ‘Mohlobolo’ from Bapedi People’s Cultural Perspective

There appears to be an increasing interest in the integration of the concept ‘mohlobolo’ and traditional wedding ceremony (monyanya) in the Bapedi society, and this revives and strengthens Bapedi people’s traditional relationship with the ancestral realm. Strengthening interactions of ancestors of both families (bride and groom) through the significance role played by ‘mohlobolo’ has been a common practice for ages in the Bapedi society, but some families deliberately ignore this practice as the consequence of being mesmerized by external theological beliefs and modern technologies. There has been unsatisfactory integration of the concept ‘mohlobolo’ and traditional wedding ceremony even though Bapedi cultural heritage and identity advocates its use, and significant meaning stating that it strengthens the marriage relationship and preserves Bapedi people’s cultural wedding practice. Amongst Bapedi people, teamwork is preferable to get everyone involved and to facilitate ancestor veneration. This paper has its goal a drive to recognize ancestral beliefs as the foundation of a happy family and the creation of spiritual and religious values within Bapedi people’s cultural context. To address the objectives of this study, the following primary research questions were considered: 1) What are the consequences of undermining the pivotal role played by the concept ‘mohlobolo’ in traditional Bapedi wedding ceremonies? and 2) why are innocent children and grandchildren suffering because of the ignorance and negligence by their parents and grandparents? The primary sources for data collection include observations and oral interviews that were conducted through face-to-face interaction. The interviews were aimed at eliciting first-hand information on the knowledge of the subject matter. The secondary sources included among others, materials such as journal articles, books and theses, and of course personal experience. The results have shown that in the Bapedi society, some families are disintegrated as the consequence of undermining the pivotal role played by the concept ‘mohlobolo’. There appears to be unpleasant marriage relationship in some families; female partners cannot procreate, etc. It was concluded that ‘mohlobolo’ serves as the eternal bond between the families and the ancestors of the two families that are coming together through the bride and bridegroom.

Facial aesthetics is shaped not only by genetic predispositions but also by the cultural norms and values

The positioning of teeth is of significant importance, both in terms of function and aesthetics. Aesthetics is a subjective matter, and there is often a discrepancy between the perceptions of patients and those of medical professionals. The act of wearing a mask has been demonstrated to impair the ability to evaluate facial attractiveness, thereby reaffirming the visual importance of the oral cavity in the context of facial aesthetics. The notion that a face perceived as beautiful is inherently exceptional is a fallacy. An average face is defined as one that exhibits characteristics that are common to the group. However, cultural mutations occur at a faster rate than genetic mutations. With regard to changes in facial aesthetics, cultural differences have a more immediate effect than genetic mutations. The advent of the internet meme may herald the advent of an era in which the average face that defines a beautiful face is determined by the internet.

Student comprehension of biochemistry in a flipped classroom format

Concept-heavy courses such as Biochemistry in life and physical science curricula are challenging for many college-aged students. It is easy for students to disengage in a lecture and not learn the subject matter while in class. To improve student learning and participation, we employed a flipped format for the first half of the course and compared learning outcomes and attitudes with the traditional lecture in the second half of the course. The experimental course was an upper-level biochemistry course taken primarily by juniors (49%), seniors (40%), and some graduate students (10%) at the college level. Our results indicate that lower-performing students academically benefited from the flipped format (twofold lower failure rate as compared to previous years), whereas, there was no change with higher performing students when comparing student grades from previous courses. Academic assessments were derived from exams, quizzes, in-class activity/participation, and out-of-class homework. Participation and overall satisfaction with the course was significantly much higher in the flipped format (88% of students) than in the traditional lecture (< 10%) for all students. In-class activities in both faculty preparation and execution were crucial to the success of the flipped format. Our conclusions are that the flipped pedagogy is better for the reinforcement of difficult concepts for struggling students (95% students in agreement) and merits higher participation than the traditional lecture. Two-way communication between instructor and students is encouraged and enhanced with in-class activities and case studies. Due to the success of this project and in agreement with ~ 75% of the students, the entire course will be flipped going forward.

Konsep Pendidik dan Peserta Didik dalam Perspektif Pendidikan Islam

The phenomenon of education today is that educators do not interact well with students. One example is educators who only explain subject matter from the beginning of class to the end of class without providing stimulus or response to their students. So that students become bored and learning objectives are not achieved. This research aims to describe the concept of educators and learners in the view of Islamic Education. The method used in this research is library research. The results of the study showed that educators are responsible not only for transmitting academic knowledge, but also for being moral role models, guiding students in character development, and integrating Islamic teachings into daily life. Islamic education emphasizes the importance of character education that includes moral values, ethics, and spirituality so that students become individuals who obey God and have noble morals. Thus, close collaboration between educators and learners in an Islamic education environment is expected to form individuals who are not only academically intelligent but also have noble character and spirituality.

Pre-hospital management of penetrating neck injuries: derivation of an algorithm through a National Modified Delphi

BackgroundTimely and effective pre-hospital management of penetrating neck injuries (PNI) is critical to improve patient outcomes. Pre-hospital interventions in patients with PNI can be especially challenging due to the anatomical injury site coupled with a resource-limited environment. Nationally, in the United Kingdom, no consensus statement or expert agreed guidance exists on how to best manage PNI in the pre-hospital setting.MethodWe conducted a national modified e-Delphi study with subject matter experts (SMEs) from multiple professional specialities with experience in the management of PNI. Pre-identified SMEs were contacted and consented prior to participation allowing for a remotely conducted Delphi using REDCap and Microsoft Teams. In Round 1, statements drawn from the literature base were distributed to all SMEs. Round 2 comprised a facilitated and structured discussion of the statements and then an online survey provided final ratification in Round 3. Of the participating SMEs consensus was set a priori at 70%.ResultsOf the 67 pre-identified SMEs, 28 participated, resulting in a response rate of 42%. From the first two rounds, 19 statements were derived with every statement achieving consensus in Round 3. Subsequently, an algorithm for the pre-hospital management of PNI was developed and agreed with SME consensus.ConclusionCuration of national consensus statements from SMEs aims to provide principles and guidance for PNI management in a complicated patient group where pre-hospital evidence is lacking. Multi-professional national consensus on the best approach to manage these injuries alongside a novel PNI management algorithm aims to optimise time critical care and by extension improve patient outcomes.

From Data to Recommendations: A Comprehensive Review of Ten Bibliometric Papers in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of ten papers published in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, focusing on the identification of critical gaps and the integration of diverse analytical approaches. Through a detailed review, we observed missing indicators such as comprehensive bibliometric metrics and qualitative assessments of research impact. The findings underscore the need for a more balanced approach in future studies, combining quantitative bibliometric data with qualitative evaluations to provide a fuller understanding of the research landscape. Our analysis highlights the importance of integrating systematic reviews and meta-analyses to achieve a holistic view of the subject matter. By adopting diverse indicators and methodologies, researchers can better capture the multifaceted nature of the field, including the impact on patient care and treatment outcomes. We emphasize the necessity for authors and reviewers to clearly understand and define the main theme and objectives of their studies, avoiding potential confusion that may arise from mixing different analytical methods. Incorporating these recommendations will enhance the clarity and effectiveness of research in aesthetic plastic surgery, bridging the gap between academic metrics and practical applications. This approach aims to foster more informed advancements in the field, ultimately contributing to improved patient outcomes and a deeper understanding of aesthetic practices.No Level Assigned This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each submission to which Evidence-Based Medicine rankings are applicable. This excludes Review Articles, Book Reviews, and manuscripts that concern Basic Science, Animal Studies, Cadaver Studies, and Experimental Studies. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Widening Access to Surgical Education Through Free Digital Platforms: An Evaluation of the Mind the Bleep Surgical Team's Impact.

Introduction Mind The Bleep (MTB) is an online medical education organisation run by United Kingdom-based resident doctors. It represents one of a number of free-open access online medical resources (FOAMed) that have increased in popularity, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. The surgical team of MTB works to produce high-quality surgical educational resources aimed at early postgraduate doctors. This paper provides an appraisal of the teams' current methods of teaching and the learning points identified from these. Methods This was a retrospective mixed-method review analysing quantitative and qualitative data sources including website analytics and feedback surveys. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to identify significant differences between pre- and post-session confidence levels in the subject matter. Results A total of 22 online targeted education programmes, with a total of 140 webinars were completed between November 2021 and August 2024. The total live viewership was 6733 participants with a mean of 48.1 per webinar. The total attendance including live and watched later was 10221 participants, with a mean of 73 total viewers per webinar. Of the total viewers, 4714 provided feedback (46.1%).Across all webinar series, we identified a statistically significant increase in participant-rated confidence (p<0.05). Discussion Our ability to produce consistent high-quality content is due to leveraging a near-peer teaching model and recruiting resident doctors as teachers. This method ensures cognitive congruence between participant and educator and provides doctors an opportunity to gain teaching experience. Our social media advertising has ensured wide reach. To the best of our knowledge, we provide the first large-scale breakdown of the work done by an online surgical education organisation. Limitations include a low feedback rate and feedback limited to Kirkpatrick type 1 learner reaction.

Developing standard criteria for robotic process automation candidate process selection

&lt;p&gt;Robotic process automation (RPA) is a cutting-edge technology that provides software robots to repeat and mimic the repeatable tasks that a human user earlier performed. The use of software robots is encouraging because of their cost efficiency and easy implementation. Selecting and prioritizing a candidate process for automation is always challenging as all the business processes in an organization are not equally suitable for RPA implementation. Various studies have highlighted several criteria found in the literature for determining, prioritising, and selecting a business process for RPA. Nevertheless, there are no set standards for evaluating and analyzing a certain process or its tasks to determine whether they may be automated to use RPA. This paper aims to develop standard criteria and propose a consistent model to select and prioritize candidate process for RPA projects. To assess these criteria's applicability in the context of RPA, surveys among subject matter experts (SMEs) are used to validate them. Principal component analysis (PCA) and correlation are used to identify the top 20 criteria. Naïve Bayes algorithm is applied on the collected data for decision-making. The developed multi-criteria model exhibits strong precision and recall measures, with training and validation accuracy of 96% and 90%, respectively.&lt;/p&gt;

Meningkatkan Keterampilan Berpikir Kritis dan Hasil Belajar IPA Menggunakan Model PBL, SAVI, dan GI pada Siswa Kelas V SD

The low levels of critical thinking skills and student learning outcomes in the science curriculum of class V at SDN Lokrawa Barito Kuala are the study's main concerns. This is because learning in the classroom is still primarily focused on the teacher, which discourages students from speaking up for what they think is right, does not offer learning exercises that encourage critical thinking, puts students in a passive role when solving problems, and results in a lack of comprehension of the subject matter. This may be the best course of action using the paradigms of group research, problem-based learning, and SAVI (Somatic, Auditory, Visual, and Intellectual). Action research in the classroom is used in this study (PTK). This class action research study aims to demonstrate the enhancements in student learning outcomes and critical thinking abilities. Exams for individual evaluation are utilized to gauge the learning objectives of students, and observation sheets are employed to gather data on the critical thinking and action abilities of both teachers and students. The study's findings demonstrated that, at meeting 4, the pupils' and teacher's traditional activity met both the very good and the extremely active requirements. At meeting 4, 93% of the students' learning objectives and critical thinking abilities were satisfied in a conventional way. These findings imply that the application of group investigation models, problem-based learning, and SAVI (Somatic, Auditory, Visual, Intellectual) might enhance students' learning outcomes in science courses as well as teachers' and students' critical thinking abilities.

Runway Configuration Assistance: Offline Reinforcement Learning Method for Air Traffic Management

Runway configuration management deals with the optimal selection of runways and their direction of operation for aircraft arrivals and departures. The configurations are chosen based on the traffic, surface winds, and other meteorological conditions that are complex to model and difficult to predict. In this paper, we develop the runway configuration assistance tool, an automated approach based on offline model-free reinforcement learning (RL) that provides decision support for air traffic controllers (ATCOs). The proposed tool processes historical data of interest, including decisions made regarding the runway configuration, and their subsequent outcome, to identify a policy that encourages good decisions. The policy search is guided by an appropriately chosen weighted multi-objective utility function (e.g., based on maximizing traffic throughput, minimizing transit times on the surface of the airport, and mitigating safety issues such as go-arounds). The proposed tool is validated using data from two major U.S. airports based on performance metrics developed in collaboration with subject matter experts and is compared against several baseline approaches such as the most frequent configuration chosen by ATCOs, supervised learning, and other RL-based approaches.

International and Interdisciplinary Perspectives on School Violence and Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Cyber Deviance: An Introductory Essay

ABSTRACTSchool violence and bullying, cyberbullying, and cyber‐deviance have become subject matters of great concern for various disciplines, such as social work, criminology, psychology, education, medicine, public health, and nursing. In the past years, scholars in different countries have adopted the theoretical perspectives developed in their respective disciplines to separately examine issues of school violence and bullying, cyberbullying, and cyber deviance. For example, researchers in the field of social sciences tend to adopt psychosocial theories and perspectives, while public health scholars tend to adopt medical‐ or health‐related theories. There is a call for the international and interdisciplinary perspectives to examine these topics and their potential interconnectedness. There is also an urgent need to systematic strategies, policies, and intervention to tackle school violence and bullying, cyberbullying, and cyber deviance. The purpose of this special issue is to deepen our understanding of issues related to school violence and bullying, cyberbullying, and cyber‐deviance, to expand our cross‐disciplinary and integrated perspectives on these topics, and to provide potential legal strategies, policy, and intervention to tackle these social problems.

Analisis Hambatan Guru dalam Penerapan Model PBL pada Pembelajaran PAI di SMP Darul Hikmah Pagutan Mataram

The problem based learning (PBL) model is very suitable for use in Islamic religious education (PAI) learning in schools. This PBL model links subject matter to students' daily life situations, however in its application this PBL model does not always work effectively but there are several obstacles experienced by teachers. This article aims to analyze teachers' obstacles in implementing the problem based learning (PBL) learning model in PAI learning at Darul Hikmah Pagutan Mataram Middle School. This research uses qualitative research methods with a descriptive approach. Data collection uses the Miles and Huberman framework by means of data condensation, data presentation, and data verification. The results of this research show that the obstacles for teachers in implementing the PBL model in PAI learning at Darul Hikmah Pagutan Mataram Middle School are hampered by the lack of facilities and infrastructure that support PBL model learning, lack of teacher readiness because they have additional duties as school administrators, limited study time, and Students' thinking abilities are not the same because each student has a different background.

Impact of AI on the Cyber Kill Chain: A Systematic Review

The Cyber Kill Chain (CKC) defense model aims to assist subject matter experts in planning, identifying, and executing against cyber intrusion activity, by outlining seven stages required for adversaries to execute an attack. Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have empowered adversaries to execute sophisticated attacks to exploit system vulnerabilities. As a result, it is essential to consider how AI-based tools change the cyber threat landscape and affects the current standard CKC model. Thus, this study examines and categorizes how attackers use AI-based tools and offers potential defense mechanisms. We conducted a systematic literature review of 62 papers published between 2013 and 2023 from the Web of Science and Google Scholar databases. Our findings indicate that AI-based tools are used most effectively in the initial stages of cyberattacks. However, we find that current defence tools are not designed to counter these sophisticated attacks during these stages. Thus, we provide insights to 1) highlight the changing threat landscape due to AI and 2) to guide the development of cyberdefense mechanisms.

Authoring instructional flow in iVR learning units to promote outcome-oriented learning

Despite the recognized efficacy of immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) in skill learning, the design of iVR-based learning units by subject matter experts (SMEs) based on target requirements is severely restricted. This is partly due to a lack of flexible ways of authoring instruction flows to arrange the learning activities in alignment with the desired learning objectives. Our research provides a workflow design enabling SMEs to author the flow of learning activities developed by the Virtual Reality (VR) developers, with an aim to enable learners achieve desired goals progressively in a virtual environment. Additionally, this outcome-oriented flow authoring utilizes a scalable learning framework that categorizes learning activities into four instructional phases: Introduction, Presentation, Practice, and Application. Such frameworks can be easily integrated into the instruction to plan a class or a series of classes to cover an entire concept or chapter. Using a welding use case, our user study evaluation with 12 experienced welders indicated positive ratings about the usefulness of such workflows for flexible planning of training scenarios. We envision adoption of such methods could facilitate greater and more efficient adoption of the iVR technologies in pedagogical settings.

New Legal Instruments for Digitizing Judicial Cooperation in the European Union and Access to Justice in Cross-border Civil, Commercial, and Criminal Matters

The article outlines the most important amendments and additions to the legislative framework of the European Union law on the digitisation of judicial cooperation between Member States and access to justice in cross-border civil, commercial, and criminal matters. The updating of the legislation in this aspect is the result of two legal acts, Regulation 2023/2844 and Directive 2023/2843, adopted on 13 December 2023 by the European Parliament and the Council, which are analysed according to their effect on the subject matter, time, place and legal subjects. Included are the amended acts of European Union law in this area, as well as the domestic legal acts which, in accordance with the new digital challenges, are to be amended or supplemented in the process of transposition of the said Directive, in order to modernise and strengthen judicial cooperation and to ensure a fair trial for the parties in cases with a cross-border element. The progress made by the European Commission on the implementation of the technological measures foreseen in the Regulation is noted.

The freedom to learn-independent campus curriculum for shielded metal arc welding: A teaching module development

This study was triggered by the existing teaching modules for the Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) subjects taught at vocational high schools, which do not align with the Freedom to Learn-Independent Campus (FLIC) learning objectives, and do not provide a systematic organization. In order to enhance the learning experience, this research developed a new learning module that integrated Problem-based Learning (PBL), promoting critical thinking, and the practical application of theoretical concepts, following the FLIC curriculum. Utilizing a Research and Development (R&amp;D) approach with the Instructional Design Institute (IDI) model, this study involved two welding instructors and four lecturers as validators to assess the content and usability of the module. The IDI model comprised three steps: instructional (define), development (develop), and institute (evaluate). The research findings regarding the validity assessment by subject matter experts yielded a final validity score of 0.924, while media and language experts provided a score of 0.936, meeting the valid criteria. The practical usability test of the learning module resulted in a score of 94%, indicating that it is highly practical for students to use as learning media. Based on the validity and practicality assessments of the developed module, it can be concluded that the SMAW learning module is highly practical to use as teaching media, aligning with FLIC curriculum.

Interactive Teaching Media Design for Past Tense Lesson Material Using VB.NET

The development of information technology has influenced the use of various types of media, as a tool in the learning process. So teachers are expected to be able to use these tools or equipment effectively classroom learning. In this article, we design teaching media or applications for English subjects. This teaching media is designed using the Microsoft Visual Studio 2022/VB.Net programming language with Past Tense subject matter. The aim of this teaching media design is to increase students' understanding through a visual and interactive approach. This application provides a menu including simple past tense, past continuous tense, past perfect tense, past perfect continuous tense, and is equipped with quiz questions. With this, it is hoped that students will be more involved in the learning process so that they can master the use of past tense effectively and have fun.

Design of Windows-Based Learning Applications on Educational Philosophy Material

This journal discusses the design and development of Windows-based learning applications focused on educational philosophy material. Philosophy of education has an important role in shaping the goals and methods of education, but is often considered difficult by students. This research focuses on the development of a Windows-based learning application aimed at the topic of Philosophy of Education. Information technology is essential for teaching in the modern era to improve student interaction and their understanding of the subject matter. Students can learn the basic concepts of philosophy of education with this interactive application. Planning, modeling, construction, verification, and maintenance are the stages of the waterfall model used as the development method. This application uses Visual Basic.Net and Microsoft Visual Studio development tools. The results show that this application not only fulfills educational needs but also improves the quality of learning because it has features that support a more dynamic learning process. Therefore, it is expected that this learning application will help improve the quality of education in Indonesia by offering students a more efficient and engaging learning method.

Assessing Student Satisfaction with the eBook 'Database All About': A Survey of DTK Students at Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah

This study evaluates student satisfaction with the eBook Database All About, a resource developed for Diploma in Electronic Engineering (Computer) (DTK) students at Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah. Prior to the introduction of this eBook, students relied on lecturers’ notes and slides, which were not standardized and often resulted in difficulties in covering and understanding the subject matter. This gap led to challenges in exam performance. With the aid of the eBook, students now benefit from clearer explanations, attractive illustrations, and compact notes for each topic. The inclusion of sample questions in each chapter also aids exam preparation. This study investigates the eBook’s effectiveness, focusing on its content, usability, and impact on learning. Results indicate high satisfaction levels, and future data from additional polytechnics will provide a clearer picture of its overall impact.

The Impact of Teacher-Student Relationships on Students' Perceptions of Teachers' Educational Effectiveness

The impact of teacher-student relationship on student perception of the teacher's effectiveness in the delivery of education lies in the limited understanding of how the teacher-student relationship specifically shapes students' perception of the education provided by the teacher. While numerous studies have explored the impact of teacher-student relationships on various educational outcomes, such as academic achievement and student engagement, there is a lack of research specifically examining how this relationship affects students' perceptions of the teacher's educational qualifications. This study aimed to determine whether a positive and strong teacher-student relationship can influence students' perception of their teachers' knowledge and expertise in the subject matter being taught among Bachelor of Technical Vocational Teacher Education (BTVTEd) college students. This descriptive, correlational and causal-comparative quantitative study was conducted to 94 BTVTEd college students of Tagum City College of Science and Technology Foundation, Inc. using an adapted-modified survey questionnaire checklist. In addition, correlation analysis and simple linear regression analysis were used in interpreting the obtained data. Findings showed a high correlation between teacher-student relationship and students' perceptions on teacher's effectiveness in the delivery of education. Thus, teacher-student relationship factor specifically teaching style significantly influences how the BTVTEd college students perceived their teacher's effectiveness in the delivery of education.