Farhad Rezazadeh, Shirin Aali, Fariborz Imani
et al.
<i>Background and Objectives:</i> Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is associated with altered neuromuscular control. Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) targets core–limb coordination; however, its specific impact on lower-limb electromyographic (EMG) activity during gait remains unclear. <i>Materials and Methods:</i> Fifty-five young adults with non-specific CLBP (pain ≥ 3 months with no identifiable specific pathology) completed the trial (overall mean age 23.7 ± 1.3 years). Participants were randomized to an 8-week DNS program or a control. Pre-/Post-intervention surface EMG during gait and clinical outcomes (VAS, ODI) were assessed. <i>Results:</i> Compared with control, DNS showed lower adjusted Post-test VAS (3.08 ± 0.25 vs. 6.13 ± 0.24; <i>ηp</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.596) and ODI (15.73 ± 1.55% vs. 34.36 ± 1.52%; <i>ηp</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.579). Directionally, DNS was associated with phase-specific EMG modulation: tibialis anterior during mid-stance was lower (<i>ηp</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.137), rectus femoris during push-off was lower (<i>ηp</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.119), biceps femoris during push-off was lower (<i>ηp</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.168), and vastus medialis at heel-strike was higher (<i>ηp</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.077) relative to control. Other muscle–phase pairs showed no adjusted between-group differences. <i>Conclusions:</i> An 8-week DNS program was associated with clinically meaningful reductions in pain and disability and with phase-specific changes in lower-limb EMG during gait. These findings support DNS as a promising rehabilitation option for young adults with CLBP; confirmation in larger trials with active comparators is warranted.
Model Cornerstone Assessments (MCAs) are sample benchmark assessments that accompany the National Core Arts Standards. This column will examine the Create MCA. The Create artist process asks students to compose musical works with intention, and the MCA gives a sample assessment task to measure the Create standards. This column explores the makeup of the MCA document, looks at pre-knowledge requirements and cultural bias in the assessment, and then proposes ways that teachers can modify the assessment to better serve their learners and classroom environments.
Маякова Елизавета Владимировна, Тер-Григорян Анна Эммануиловна, Блинова Александра Олеговна
Социальные сети стали неотъемлемой частью нашей жизни, и молодежь – одна из самых активных групп на этих платформах. Цифровая среда существенно изменила формат коммуникаций, формируя иную коммуникационную культуру. Отобраны и изучены действующие площадки для онлайн-коммуникации: ВКонтакте, Одноклассники, Telegram, YouTube, составлен перечень формальных молодежных сообществ, выявлены типы, критерии отбора и специфика их формирования. На основе проведенных экспертных интервью с заместителями директоров по воспитательной работе, советниками по воспитанию, кураторами школ и колледжей определены молодежные сообщества, осуществляющие взаимодействие с образовательными организациями в рамках воспитательной работы через социальные сети: Российское движение детей и молодежи «Движение первых», Общероссийская общественная организация «Российский союз молодежи», Всероссийское детско-юношеское военно-патриотическое общественное движение «Юнармия», Всероссийский конкурс «Большая перемена», Всероссийское общественное движение «Волонтеры Победы», Мосволонтер, Юные инспекторы движения России. Проанализированы официальные страницы/каналы молодежных сообществ в социальных сетях с целью выявления особенностей контента и деятельности сообществ, представлена сравнительная таблица характеристик молодежных сообществ в социальной сети «ВКонтакте» по разработанным критериям. В заключении авторами были сделаны выводы о том, что ВКонтакте является самой востребованной социальной сетью среди молодежных организаций; мессенджер Telegram в основном полностью дублирует его содержание; основной контент, отражающий деятельность организаций офлайн, включает: новости о конкурсах, акциях, проведенных мероприятиях, посты, освещающие активность молодежных организаций вне рамок мероприятий и конкурсов; наибольший отклик у подписчиков вызывают викторины и голосования. Полученные результаты позволяют сделать выводы о возможности использования социальных сетей в построении воспитательного процесса в образовательных организациях.
This article is based on the content analysis of the Polish Facebook group Nauczyciele historii (“History Teachers”) which is administered by, and addressed to, practicing and prospective history teachers. The group’s over six thousand members engage and interact by writing, reading, reacting to, and commenting via as many as twenty plus posts daily. We examined the group’s on-line discussions for manifestations of the member-teachers’ epistemic considerations: their reasoning about the epistemic nature of history; their assumptions regarding the goals and meaning of history as a school subject; and their attitudes toward the narratives of difference, diversity, and multi-perspectivism. Our findings reveal that Polish history teachers’ epistemology is poorly conceptualized, rather naïve, and largely unaffected by the developments in historical and didactical theories of the last 50 years. Those teachers do not reflect on the epistemic nature of history. They approach history as a “science”, which they presume to be objective and unambiguous. They tend to see themselves as transmitters of knowledge about the past which their pupils should internalize, and as propagators of those “patriotic” values that - according to certain received, long-established discourses - strengthen national identity and social cohesion.
The purpose of this study is to explore the existing problems associated with using generative AI in education and to propose a potential solution for addressing those issues through the design of pedagogical AI agents. The existing problems are examined from two different perspectives: those of teachers and students. The proposed solutions for designing pedagogical AI agents are systematically presented, including main concepts, design considerations, functions, procedures, and structure/templates. An example of how to apply the proposed solution in designing a pedagogical AI agent is provided, illustrating its application in teaching order words (or sequencing words). Finally, the paper concludes with a discussion of potential topics for further research.
Noor Islam Pappu, Ida Öberg, Ulrika Byrskog
et al.
<h4>Background</h4> Midwifery-led care is a key factor in reducing maternal and new-born mortality globally. In Bangladesh, only a third of births are attended by professionals and almost 70% of births occur outside healthcare facilities. Midwifery is a relatively new profession in Bangladesh and a midwifery centre care model has only recently been introduced. This study aims to explore the willingness within the healthcare system to support a greater role for midwifery centres in maternity services. <h4>Methods</h4> Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews with 55 midwives, midwifery educators and final year midwifery students. Two of the midwifery educators were principals of nursing institutes involved in the government’s midwifery leadership and considered as experts in the midwifery care system. The data was analysed using qualitative content analysis. The transcribed interviews comprised 150 pages. The study received ethical approval from the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery in Bangladesh. <h4>Results</h4> One main category emerged from the study: “The foundations of a midwifery centre care model need to be strengthened for the sustainable implementation of midwifery centres in Bangladesh to continue”. Five additional categories were identified: 1) The midwifery centre care model is inaccessible for communities, 2) Striving for acceptable standards of care within a midwifery centre care model is not a priority 3) Respectful, woman-centred care is weak, 4) Community engagement with the midwifery centre care model is insufficient, and 5) The midwifery centre care model is not integrated into the healthcare system. These categories were supported by the identification of 11 sub-categories. <h4>Conclusion</h4> The willingness to commit to a midwifery centre care model is not yet in place in Bangladesh. Advocacy, information, and education about the benefits of normal birth assisted by professional midwives is needed at all levels of Bangladeshi society.
Attila-Károly Szabó, János Bálint, Attila Molnár
et al.
In the present study, field surveys were conducted to detect potential associational susceptibility of crop plants (potato, alfalfa and maize) caused by Canadian goldenrod, Solidago canadensis (L.), one of the most common invasive weeds in Central and Eastern Europe, via plant associated virus vectoring aphids. Assessments were made in two major agricultural land types: crops grown under high input vs. low-input (LIF) conditions, with and without fertilizers and pesticides. The two most frequent aphid species, found both on Canadian goldenrod and crop plants, were the leaf-curling plum aphid, Brachycaudus helichrysi Kaltenbach and the glasshouse-potato aphid, Aulacorthum solani (Kaltenbach). Plant viruses in both weed and crop plants were identified using high-throughput sequencing of small RNAs. Peroxidase (POD) enzyme activity was tested in weed and crop plants to connect aphids feeding processes in weeds and crops. In addition, conceptual modeling was used to detect direct relationships between viruses and other crops. The Canadian goldenrod density was only relevant in the LIF regime. Furthermore, its association with B. helichrysi and associational susceptibility was detected only in LIF. In total, 18 viruses comprising 17 plant and one insect virus were detected in Canadian goldenrod, of which 11 were also detected in potato and alfalfa crops. POD activity was high and correlated with high aphid density in both weed and crop plants, suggesting a direct associational susceptibility between these plants through aphid infestation and viral transmission.
ObjectiveTo explore the status quo and influencing factors of discharge readiness in patients with schizophrenia.MethodsA total of 140 patients with schizophrenia hospitalized in 4 tertiary grade A hospitals in Taiyuan from December 2021 to April 2022 were conveniently selected and surveyed by a general information questionnaire，Social Support Rating Scale（SSRS），and Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale（RHDS）.ResultsThe total score of SSRS was（33.390±6.651） points，and the total score of RHDS was （99.630±7.585） points.Pearson correlation analysis showed that the scores of SSRS and RHDS were positively correlated（<italic>r</italic>=0.543，<italic>P</italic><0.001）.Multiple linear regression analysis showed that residence，education，course of the disease，and social support were the influencing factors of discharge readiness of schizophrenia patients，explaining 54.7% of the total variance.ConclusionThe discharge readiness of schizophrenic patients is generally at a high level.Medical staff should strengthen the education of patients with rural residence，low education background and short course of disease，providing them guidance to actively seek social support in order to further improve their readiness for discharge.but the education of patients with rural residence，low education background and short course of disease should be strengthened，so as to guide them to actively seek social support and further improve their readiness for discharge
Since the founding of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in 2004, this institution has been actively involved in large-scale international cultural relations. The purpose of creating this fund was to preserve and popularize the legacy of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev, to convey the truth about Azerbaijan to the world community, and to familiarize with its history, culture, and spiritual values. The purpose of this article is to determine the stages of formation and development of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, to analyze the directions of its multi-vector activity and to justify the role of the Foundation in forming a positive image of independent Azerbaijan. Along with general logical methods, the methods of political monitoring, content analysis, historical and comparative analysis are used, which make it possible to highlight the complex of activities carried out by the Fund and to forecast the trends of its further activity. Since the foundation of the Foundation, important projects have been developed and successfully implemented to protect the welfare of the Azerbaijani people, protect their national heritage and moral values. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation, paying special attention to the expansion of cooperation with Islamic countries in the field of science and culture, ensured the achievement of the highest level of development of relations between Azerbaijan and the Islamic Organization for Education, Science and Culture. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation paid serious attention to the expansion of cooperation within the framework of the UN, which resulted in the adoption of the Program on creating conditions for the use of information and communication technologies by people with visual impairments. According to the results of the research, it was established that the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, in cooperation with the government, parliament and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, plays the role of one of the effective means of implementing the foreign policy, social, humanitarian, political, economic and cultural strategy of Azerbaijan. The Foundation was able to form a positive image of Azerbaijan on an international scale, establishing constructive cooperation in all spheres, both with individual states and with influential international and regional organizations.
Sociology (General), Economic history and conditions
Introduction. The personal subjective attitude to different aspects of a human’s life is one of the key components of his mental organization, because it’s a link between the objective manifestations of the psyche and the individual’s internal personal position. The basis of personal subjective attitude is social conditions and relationships of the individuum with society. Despite this, the personal position in relation to these conditions is individual and may not coincide with objectively manifested behavior. The problem is more important when the individual rates his own personal qualities, where the level of personal subjective attitude can change to the different human characteristics, that he shows in behavior. The personal value sphere may be one of these characteristics. The problem is relevant in university student research, because the period of professional education is significant in personal development. The article presents the research of the differences in the personal subjective attitude level to significant values of university students.Materials and Methods. The purpose of the research is to find and study the differences in the personal subjective attitude to significant values of university students. The sample is 59 students of first course at the age of 17-21, 24 men and 35 women. To spot significant values we use a Schwarz's Method for studying personality values, and to identify the level of the personal subjective attitude to significant values, according to results of Schwarz’s Method, we constructed narrative situations.Results. For university students the significant values were: «Hedonism», «Benevolence» and «Self-Direction», which corresponds to relationships in which they are involved. The comparison of the personal subjective attitude level shows the statistically significant differences between all values (p < 0,001).Discussion and Conclusions. Value «Benevolence» shows highest personal subjective attitude level and «Hedonism» shows the lowest one. That shows heterogeneity in the personal subjective attitude level to significant values of university students.
Marjo Mäntyjärvi, Elina Viljamaa, Anna-Maija Puroila
Artikkelissa tarkastellaan yksityisen varhaiskasvatuksen johtajuutta erilaisissa suhteissa muovautuvana ilmiönä. Tutkimuksessa on haastateltu erilaisissa johtajuuspositioissa olevia yksityisen varhaiskasvatuksen johtajia eri puolilta Suomea. Dialogisen analyysin avulla tunnistetaan haastatteluista johtajien puhuvan johtajuudesta suhteessa itseensä, elämänkulkuun, substanssiin, työhön, sidosryhmiin ja yhteiskuntaan. Johtajien puheissa erottuu kolme erilaista johtajuuskertomusta; elämäntapajohtajuus, tasapainoileva johtajuus ja kehittämisjohtajuus.
Ricardo St Aime, Grace Rhodes, Michael Jones
et al.
Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is an important fiber and oil crop grown worldwide. Water and nutrient stresses are major issues affecting cotton production globally. Root traits are critical in improving water and nutrient uptake and maintaining plant productivity under optimal as well as drought conditions. However, root traits have rarely been utilized in cotton breeding programs, a major reason being the lack of information regarding genetic variability for root traits. The objective of this research was to evaluate ten selected cotton genotypes for root traits and water use efficiency. The tested genotypes included germplasm lines (PD 1 and PD 695) and cultivars that are currently grown in the southeastern USA (PHY 499WRF, PHY 444WRF, PHY 430W3FE, DP 1646B2XF, DP 1538B2XF, DP 1851B3XF, NG 5007B2XF, and ST 5020GLT). Experiments were conducted under controlled environmental conditions in 2018 and 2019. A hardpan treatment was included in the second year to evaluate the effect of a soil hardpan on root traits and water use efficiency. Genotype PHY 499WRF ranked at the top and NG 5007B2XF ranked at the bottom for root morphological traits (total and fine root length, surface area, and volume) and root weight. PHY 499WRF was also one of the best biomass producers and had high water use efficiency. PHY 444WRF, PHY 430W3FE, and PD-1 were the other best genotypes in terms of root traits and water use efficiency. All genotypes had higher values for root traits and water use efficiency under hardpan conditions. This trend indicates a horizontal proliferation of root systems when they incur a stress imposed by a hardpan. The genotypic differences identified in this research for root traits and water use efficiency would be valuable for selecting genotypes for cotton breeding programs.
This study reports how a validation argument for a learning trajectory (LT) is constituted from test design, empirical recovery, and data use through a collaborative process, described as a “trading zone” among learning scientists, psychometricians, and practitioners. The validation argument is tied to a learning theory about learning trajectories and a framework (LT-based data-driven decision-making, or LT-DDDM) to guide instructional modifications. A validation study was conducted on a middle school LT on “Relations and Functions” using a Rasch model and stepwise regression. Of five potentially non-conforming items, three were adjusted, one retained to collect more data, and one was flagged as a discussion item. One LT level description was revised. A linear logistic test model (LLTM) revealed that LT level and item type explained substantial variance in item difficulty. Using the LT-DDDM framework, a hypothesized teacher analysis of a class report led to three conjectures for interventions, demonstrating the LT assessment’s potential to inform instructional decision-making.
There are available by now many arguments concerning the intrinsic and endemic value of the humanities, and both from a medievalist and a modernist perspective. Similarly, there continue to be many critics who would not mind the elimination of the humanities and argue vociferously for this goal. Every critical investigation of how to defend our field thus proves to be highly valuable, but we in the humanities must also develop specific points concerning the importance of our research that will convince both students, parents, administrators, and politicians in concrete, pragmatic terms regarding the supreme relevance of college education. Fortunately, the current COVID-19 crisis has also profiled in a dramatic fashion what proves to be of fundamental importance for human life, both past and present, reminding us of the critical importance of the humanities. An existence without virtues, a completely narcissistic or egoistical concept of life, or a society entirely predicated on materialistic interests would cut us off from our own future. This article discusses several literary works and also a modern movie in which the constant quest for meaning and relevance in our lives comes to the fore and gives us direction and understanding.
History of scholarship and learning. The humanities