Alrayan Abdalgafar Osman Mohamed Sharif, Abubaker A. Mohamedsharif, Isra B. S. Mohammed
et al.
Abstract This study aims to detect the presence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) among butchers in Khartoum State, Sudan, using serological methods. The objectives include determining the frequency of HBV infection, identifying associated risk factors, exploring the association between positive HBV results and previous jaundice, and comparing the infection rates between vaccinated and non-vaccinated butchers. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2022 to March 2023, encompassing 385 butchers from various localities in Khartoum State. Data were collected through structured interviews and blood samples, which were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The study revealed that 3.1% (12/385) of the butchers tested positive for HBsAg. No significant associations were found between HBsAg positivity and factors such as age, marital status, educational level, previous occupation, knife-sharing, or surgical history. However, a significant association was identified between HBsAg positivity and years of butchery experience, with newer butchers (< 1 year) showing higher infection rates (p = 0.005). Notably, all HBsAg-positive individuals were unvaccinated. The study highlights a significant prevalence of HBV among butchers in Khartoum State, underscoring the need for enhanced public health interventions. The absence of vaccination in all HBsAg-positive cases highlights critical gaps in preventive measures. Recommendations include targeted education and training programs, increased vaccination coverage, and regular health screenings to mitigate the risk of HBV infection in this high-risk occupational group. These interventions are essential to reduce HBV transmission and improve occupational health standards.
L’enseignement des sciences de la nature à l’école n’est pas une nouveauté de IIIe République en France. Dès la deuxième moitié du XIXe siècle, l’accent est mis sur l’introduction effective de cet enseignement scientifique particulier que la Révolution française a imaginé mais n’a pas eu le temps de mettre en œuvre. Ainsi, le ministre de l’Instruction publique de l’empereur Napoléon III, Victor Duruy, décrète le 2 juillet 1866 que des notions de botanique doivent être désormais enseignées dans les écoles normales de manière obligatoire, dès la première année de la formation des élèves-maîtres, à l’image des autres enseignements scientifiques. L’introduction progressive de l’enseignement de la botanique entraîne alors l’élaboration de différents programmes d’études pour l’administration scolaire, des aménagements spécifiques au sein des établissements, et représente un nouveau marché lucratif pour un très grand nombre d’entrepreneurs. C’est à ces diverses conséquences que s’intéresse l’étude présentée ici.
Muhamad Kholil, M Afif Ansori, An An Andari
et al.
This research aims to examine the role played by Ma'arif Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Educational Institutions in depicting the dynamics of Islamic education development in Indonesia. The focus of this research is to analyze the contribution of these educational institutions to the evolution of the Islamic education system, both in terms of curriculum, teaching methods, and their impact on student character formation. The research method includes historical analysis discussing the history and development of Ma'arif NU Educational Institutions since their establishment. The main data sources involve historical documents, archives, and interviews with key actors in these educational institutions, such as teachers, students, and administrators. The results of this research are expected to provide a comprehensive overview of how the role of Ma'arif NU Educational Institutions has shaped and influenced the context of Islamic education in Indonesia. Additionally, this research will also discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by these educational institutions in responding to the changing times and evolving educational demands.
إنَّ أسلوب النداء ظاهرة لغوية متكاملة على مستويات اللغة (الصوت، والصرف، والدلالة والتداولية)، وهذه الظاهرة لا يمكن دراسة ومعرفة أي مستوى منها بغض النظر عن المستويات الأُخر، وما يحصل من فصل بينهم هنا فيكون لغايات البحث والدراسة، فارتأت الباحثة دراسة هذا الأسلوب ضمن مستويين من مستويات اللغة، المستوى النحوي وما يرتبط به من مستوى دلالي، وانتهجتْ لذلك منهجاً وصفياً تحليلاً لوصف نحوية هذا الأسلوب وبيان دلالته، معتمدةً رؤية العلماء في وصف أساليب النداء الوارد ة في هذا الدعاء، وتحليلها تحليلاً نحوياً دلالياً وفق ما يقتضيه السياق الذي يرد فيه، لذا ارتكز البحث على أمرين هما: دراسة نحوية أسلوب النداء في دعاء كميل، واستنباط المعاني الدلالية التي يمكن قراءتها واستنتاجها من صيغ النداء في كل مقطع من مقاطع هذا الدعاء، وهذا يتطلب من الدارس ربط أسلوب النداء بالظروف والمقامات التي استخدم فيها؛ للكشف عن المعاني الدلالية المتولدة فيه.
We present a method for incorporating a stochastic point of view into physics exercises of mathematics education. The core of our method is the randomization of some inputs, the system model used does not differ from what we would use in the deterministic approach. We consider exercises from the theory of projectile motion and statics. The outputs of stochastic models are random variables, and we usually determine their probability distributions, expected values, variances, and relative standard deviations, and the probabilities of some events related to them are also calculated. Students and teachers familiar with elementary probability theory and mechanics may find these exercises useful for understanding some basic concepts of stochastic mechanics.
Graphs are essential representations in the professions and education concerning the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Beyond their academic relevance, graphs find extensive utility in everyday scenarios, ranging from news media to educational materials. This underscores the importance of people's being able to understand graphs. However, the ability to understand graphs is connected to the ability to create graphs. Therefore, in school education, particularly in STEM subjects, not only the understanding but also the skill of constructing graphs from numerical data is emphasized. Although constructing graphs is a skill that most people do not require in their everyday lives and professions, it is a well-established student activity that has been empirically studied several times. Therefore, since a synthesis of the research findings on this topic has not yet been conducted, a summary of the studies investigating graphing via various viewpoints and differing methods could be a valuable contribution. To provide an overview of the empirical literature on this important topic, our systematic review identifies how the construction of convention-based graphical representations of numerical data, referred to as graphing, has been studied in previous research, how effective graphing is, and which types of difficulties are encountered by students. Based on these aspects, we defined inclusion criteria that led to 50 peer-reviewed empirical studies on graphing in K-12 STEM education found in SCOPUS, ERIC, and PsychInfo. Graphing instruction seemed to be beneficial for student learning, not only improving graph construction but also graph interpretation skills. However, the students experienced various difficulties during graphing, both during graph construction and the interpretation and usage of data.
Los Niveles de Adquisiciones de 1964 culminan un proceso de renovación pedagógica de la Escuela primaria del altofranquismo que se había iniciado con los Cuestionarios Nacionales de 1953, y señalan por primera vez en la normatividad de nuestra historia educativa los aprendizajes que debían alcanzar los escolares para pasar de curso. Contemplaban un total de 20 asignaturas, de las que 15 tenían cuestionarios comunes, dos, cuestionarios separados para niños y niñas, y tres eran exclusivos para niñas. Aportaron dos novedades pedagógicas importantes: por un lado, la enunciación explícita de ‘ejercicios’, ‘nociones’ y ‘hábitos’, que encontraremos más adelante en la reforma de 1990 (LOGSE), con las denominaciones respectivas de contenidos procedimentales, conceptuales y actitudinales, y por otro lado, unas ‘destrezas’ que en 1990 se llamarán contenidos transversales.
The research on Jānis Rupais (1889–1974), engineer, pedagogue, and graduate of the Department of Chemistry (1916) of Riga Polytechnic Institute (RPI), was conducted using the documents of the National Archives of Latvia, the Latvian State Historical Archive and the Latvian State Archives, as well as Gulbene Municipality Museum of History and Art. The article about the well-known pedagogue in Latvia in the 20th century – the long-term and only Principal of Gulbene State Commercial School and Vocational School (1926–1944) J. Rupais also reflects on his activities after World War II at Riga Industrial Polytechnicum. It describes both the educational institutions, the principal and pedagogue J. Rupais and his work methods, and the contribution he made to Gulbene and Latvia.
History (General), Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
Joseph J. van Vreede, Romy Parker, Janieke van Nugteren
Background: Chronic pain and depression are closely related conditions, which commonly exist as comorbid disorders. Understanding the prevalence of depression in patients presenting with chronic pain is vital for effective pain management.
Aim: Our study aimed to establish the prevalence of a history of depression in patients presenting with chronic pain to a chronic pain management clinic at a tertiary academic hospital and to describe the characteristics of patients with both conditions.
Setting: Groote Schuur Hospital, Chronic Pain Management Clinic, Cape Town, South Africa.
Method: A retrospective review of 665 medical charts of consecutive patients accessing the clinic over a 7-year period was conducted. Baseline, patient-centred data were collected.
Results: Of the 665 charts, 623 were analysed. The median age of patients was 53 years. The prevalence of depression in patients presenting with chronic pain was 32%, three times higher than the national life-time prevalence in South Africa. The majority (77%) of patients with chronic pain and depression were female (p 0.01). Overall, 51% of the patients assessed were unemployed with low levels of education. The majority of our study patients had received a tricyclic antidepressant at some time prior to presentation.
Conclusion: The high prevalence of a history of depression in patients presenting with chronic pain in our study, emphasises the importance of looking for and understanding the interrelation of the physiological, psychiatric, psychological and socio-economic factors that are common to both depression and chronic pain. Pain relief alone is insufficient to ensure optimal rehabilitation of these patients and integrating the management of their depression should improve patient outcomes and overall well-being.
Anne van der Linden, Ralph F. G. Meulenbroeks, Wouter R. van Joolingen
Research on cognitive effects of educational games in general shows promising results. However, large variations in learning outcomes between individual educational games exists. Research on the design process and different design elements of educational games has led to some interesting directions, but some design aspects remain unclear. We examined how an educational game designed on the basis of intrinsic integration theory, based on a strong alignment between game and learning goals, supports the learning of Newtonian mechanics. This study applied a mixed methods approach. An pre and posttest design was used to examine possible learning and transfer effects fostered by playing the educational game, Newtons Race. To examine how players played the game, log data of each player was digitally recorded during gameplay. Our findings demonstrated a significant positive learning effect of Newtons Race. This finding can be explained with acquired log data. Log data show that players gameplay mostly matched expected learning during the game, with physically correct game settings occurring more and more as gameplay progressed. The ability to transfer learned knowledge onto other situations was shown to be limited to situations closely resembling the game environment. Similar designed intrinsically integrated games on different (physics) subjects could also foster learning in a relative short time. In order to foster transfer to other situations we propose embedding the game within other instructional activities.
Alexandre Borovik, Zoltan Kocsis, Vladimir Kondratiev
Mathematics enters the period of change unprecedented in its history, perhaps even a revolution: a switch to use of computers as assistants and checkers in production of proofs. This requires rethinking traditional approaches to mathematics education which is struggling through a crisis of its own, socio-economic and political by its nature. The mathematical community faces Pandora's box of problems, which, surprisingly, are not usually discussed in any connected form. The present paper attempts to address this issue in a bit more joint and cohesive way.
I describe the design and implementation of a series of university MSc courses in Switzerland and in Italy on the topic of Cosmic Structure Formation whose goal has been to provide to the students a formative experience using interwoven research practice and fundamental scientific content. The course educational framework, which is based on the ISEE Inquiry Framework, emphasizes science, as much in teaching as in research, as a set of practices, rediscovering and actualizing in modern terms the original pivotal role which these practices had in education in ancient times. In particular, the courses focus on formative, intuitive, student-centered and dialogic learning in opposition to the informative, mnemonic, teacher-centered and monologic teaching of frontal lecture based instruction, which is still the dominant teaching framework in university education, at least in Europe. I describe how course activities are designed in such a way as to mirror authentic research, including all aspects which are usually not practiced in lecture-based courses and standard laboratories (e.g., generating and refining questions; making and testing assumptions; developing one's own research path; and sharing, explaining and justifying ideas and results with peers). Finally, I discuss the major outcomes of the courses and the main challenges which were faced in order to provide to the students a truly transformative experience which could allow them to improve both as learners and future scientific researchers, as well as members of a larger community.
Objective This study aimed to determine the magnitude and associated factors of obstetric fistula (OF) awareness among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia.Methods This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 15 683 reproductive-aged women in Ethiopia. Following the presentation of a case vignette, women’s OF awareness was measured by asking if they had ever heard of OF. A multilevel multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed. A 95% CI and p<0.05 were used to declare statistical significance.Result The magnitude of women’s awareness of OF was 38% (95% CI 0.37 to 0.39). Individual level variables including being in the age group of 20–25 (adjusted OR, AOR 1.17; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.35), 26–30 (AOR 1.50; 95% CI 1.27 to 1.76) and >30 (AOR 1.76; 95% CI 1.50 to 2.07), being Muslim (AOR 0.83; 95% CI 0.73 to 0.94), having primary (AOR 1.70; 95% CI 1.53 to 1.89), secondary (AOR 3.43; 95% CI 2.95 to 3.99) and tertiary education (AOR 5.88; 95% CI 4.66 to 7.42), history of pregnancy termination (AOR 1.31; 95% CI 1.13 to 1.51), media exposure (AOR 1.33; 95% CI 1.2 to 1.49), internet use (AOR 2.25; 95% CI 1.84 to 2.75), medium (AOR 1.17; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.34) and rich house hold wealth (AOR 1.50; 95% CI 1.31 to 1.72) and community level factors including high community media exposure (AOR 1.30; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.61), high community antenatal care rate (AOR 1.66; 95% CI 1.37 to 2.02) and low health facility distance problem (AOR 1.49; 95% CI 1.23 to 1.81) were significantly associated with women’s awareness of OF.Conclusions and recommendations The magnitude of women’s awareness of OF was very low in Ethiopia. Awareness of OF was influenced by sociodemographic, economic, obstetric and community-related factors. Thus, tailored public health education is required at the national level to enhance women’s awareness of OF.
Nils Gasslander, Sven Alfonsson, Amanda Jackalin
et al.
Abstract Background The burden caused by chronic pain is significant, affecting at least 10 percent of the world´s population. While internet-based treatments based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have been shown to be promising in this area, attrition levels vary significantly. The purpose of this study was to investigate predictor variables for participants’ adherence to an internet-based CBT treatment for individuals with chronic pain as well as to investigate associations between adherence and treatment outcome. Methods Data for this study was retrieved from a randomized controlled trial including 95 individuals with chronic pain who received internet-based CBT. Treatment adherence was studied through three outcome variables: treatment progress, treatment completion and exercise completion. The predictor variables were grouped into four clusters: background variables (age, gender, marital status, level of education, and typical computer usage); the second cluster included health status variables (sick leave, current psychiatric diagnosis, previous psychotherapy for pain, current pharmacological treatment, previous depression, current depression, and current depressive symptoms); the third cluster included pain-related variables (opioid medication, history of pain, and pain symptoms) and the fourth cluster included motivation variables (measured with treatment preference, treatment credibility, compliance to the treatment schedule and contact with the therapists). Results Findings showed that treatment progress was predicted by higher treatment credibility at baseline, whereas participants who were behind schedule in the second week of the program finished fewer treatment modules. When analyzing each cluster of predictor variables separately, current depressive symptoms also predicted fewer completed treatment modules. Among the pain-related variables, higher pain acceptance was the only predictor for completing more treatment modules. Treatment completion (which in this study was defined as having completed at least 75% of treatment modules) was predicted by higher treatment credibility and fewer depressive symptoms at baseline, and was thus similar to the results regarding treatment progress. Finally, all adherence variables predicted the treatment outcome pain interference. Conclusions Low treatment credibility, depressive symptoms and falling behind the treatment schedule early on were the most important predictor variables for low treatment adherence, while a number of demographical and pain-related variables were not related to adherence. The results from this study may help clinicians identify patients who are less likely to complete, and thus benefit from, their pain treatment. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NTC03316846.
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is a research activity that started in the late 1950s, predating the arrival of "Big History" and "Astrobiology" by several decades. Many elements first developed as part of the original SETI narrative are now incorporated in both of these emergent fields. However, SETI still offers the widest possible perspective, since the topic naturally leads us to consider not only the future development of our own society but also the forward trajectories (and past histories) of many other intelligent extraterrestrial forms. In this paper, I present a provocative view of Big History, its rapid convergent focus on our own planet and society, its oversimplified and incomplete view of events in cosmic history, and its limited appreciation of how poorly we understand some aspects of the physical world. Astrophysicists are also not spared - in particular those who wish to understand the nature of the universe in "splendid isolation", only looking outwards and upwards. SETI can help re-expand all of our horizons but the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence may also require its own practitioners to abandon preconceptions of what constitutes intelligent, sentient, thinking minds.
We shall present with examples how analysis of astronomy data can be used for an educational purpose to train students in methods of data analysis, statistics, programming skills and research problems. Special reference will be made to our IAU-OAD project `Astronomy from Archival Data' where we are in the process of building a repository of instructional videos and reading material for undergraduate and postgraduate students. Virtual Observatory tools will also be discussed and applied. As this is an ongoing project, by the time of the conference we will have the projects and work done by students included in our presentation. The material produced can be freely used by the community.
We present an Open Educational Resource system that instructors can use to assign automatically graded, randomized, and scaffolded assessment questions for astronomy classes.
Jo Ellen Wilson, Kristina Stepanovic, Baxter Rogers
et al.
OBJECTIVES/GOALS: To explore the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in association with hippocampal and amygdala volumes in ICU survivors. We hypothesize that the severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms in ICU survivors is associated with lower volumes of both the hippocampus and amygdala. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Secondary analysis of the VISIONS study, a prospective sub-study of the BRAIN-ICU cohort, which included survivors of critical illness. Patients were screened for preexisting PTSD before discharge. The PTSD Checklist Specific (PCL-S) was used at 3 and 12 months to evaluate the ICU as a traumatic experience. A score of >30, indicated significant symptoms of PTSD. A Philips Achieva 3T MRI scanner was used to scan patients at both discharge and 3-month follow-up. To compare median brain volumes at discharge and 3 months for those with and without significant PTSD symptomatology (PCL-S ≥30) at 3 and 12 months, we used a Kruskal-Wallis (KW) equality-of-populations rank test. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The median age for our sample was 58.5 (52.6, 63.7). One-third of the sample was female, and 90% were Caucasian. Fifty-seven percent of individuals (N = 12) had at least one prior mental health diagnosis, with two having a prior history of PTSD. One third of individuals experienced delirium during their critical illness. At 3-month follow up, there were three patients with PTSD symptomatology and one at 12-month follow up. Median brain volumes (hippocampus or amygdala) did not differ between individuals with or without PTSD symptomatology at either 3 or 12 months (p-values for all tests >0.05). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Although our study did not reveal significant differences in brain volumes between PTSD patients and non-PTSD patients, sample size is a major limitation and larger scale studies should be undertaken to elucidate possible neurobiological markers of PTSD in ICU survivors. CONFLICT OF INTEREST DESCRIPTION: Dr. Wilson would like to acknowledge salary support from the Vanderbilt Faculty Research Scholars Program (1KL2TR002245), HL111111 and GM120484. Drs. Ely and Jackson as well as Mrs. Kiehl all receive funding for their time working on this investigation from AG035117 and HL111111. Dr. Ely would additionally like to acknowledge salary support from the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC). Dr. Ely will also disclose additional funding for his time from AG027472 and having received honoraria from Orion and Hospira for CME activity; he does not hold stock or consultant relationships with those companies. The authors would like to acknowledge the following: this work was conducted in part using the resources of the Center for Computational Imaging at Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science and the Advanced Computing Center for Research and Education at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, and study data were collected and managed using REDCap electronic data capture tools hosted at Vanderbilt University.
The article presents the integrated course “The History of Science and Technology” developed for the students of pedagogical universities, majoring in physics, mathematics, and computer sciences. The authors highlight the effective forms, methods and means of teaching the course. The qualitative research methods included observations, conversations with students, verbal and written surveys regarding course effectiveness; the quantitative methods applied testing of students’ progress. 56 students from Poltava V. G. Korolenko National Pedagogical University studying the course “The History of Science and Technology” and 53 students from National Pedagogical Dragomanov University attending the traditional courses, such as “The History of Mathematics”, “The History of Physics”, “The History of Computer Science” were involved in the experiment. The results show that important components for organising science history teaching and future pedagogical activities for students are assessment, developing and using teaching aids, and solving problems referring to history. The survey of teachers showed that the effectiveness of studying the course is mostly influenced by 3 main factors: enhancing students’ educational and cognitive activity in the process of introducing new material (76 %); solving problems referring to history during lectures, seminars and doing homework (62 %); doing individual tasks by students (56 %). The efficiency of the course “The History of Science and Technology” is achieved through: revising previously studied material at the beginning of the lecture; introducing problem-based learning; team teaching; individual tasks, summative assessment. The course “The History of Science and Technology” provides students with integrated knowledge about the development of science as well as the readiness to use historical information in future pedagogical activities in the conditions of STEM-education.