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The SIR Iber highlights the geographical location of Ibero-American universities by positioning them according to the indicators grouped into three main factors: research, innovation and social impact. The 2020 edition highlights the formation of three groups of countries according to the production capacity of higher education institutions. In group 1 we have: Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Colombia as Latin American countries that managed to publish more than 60,000 papers in the period 2014-2018. This paper analyzes and compares the indicators from the five (05) Latin American countries in group 1 of the SIR Iber 2020 referring to investment in I+S as a percentage of its Gross Domestic Product (PIB), the number of full-time equivalent researchers (Inv JCE), the production (%) of scientific works in the university education sector, to name a few. A conglomerate formed with the Normalized Impact (NI) of public and private IESs is presented, regarding the global average of citation, with the data published in the SIR IBER 2020 Report, and highlights that Chile has a normalized impact above the World average for both public and private IES publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study was to define a procedure useful to evaluate the potential environmental, social and economic benefits contained in paper and cardboard (or other recyclables), which are wasted in the unsorted fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW). To give a practical example, the procedure was applied to the 550 municipalities of the Campania region, in Southern Italy, but the developed procedure is applicable in any context in an 'urban mining' perspective. The procedure consists of five phases and uses two methodologies: one for the estimation of the composition analysis of the unsorted residual waste and another for the calculation of sustainability indicators able to measure the benefits wasted in the unsorted residual MSW. Six indicators were defined: two for the environment (carbon footprint and ecological footprint), two for the society (health footprint and occupational benefits) and two for the economy (economic profit and economic saving). The first methodology was developed by the regional environmental protection agency to update the MSW regional management plan. The second methodology is based on the use of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) through which it was possible to calculate the reference parameters useful for the calculation of the impacts (i.e., loss of benefits) for recycling, mechanical and biological treatment (MBT), incineration and landfilling of paper and cardboard contained in the unsorted residual waste. The obtained results confirmed the presence of such an enormous deposit of recyclable materials contained in the unsorted residual waste, which is a potential source, but not exploited, of environmental, social and economic benefits. For instance, the paper and cardboard 'urban mine' of Naples was greater than 16 million of euro (economic profit + economic saving), with a potential saving of around 11.4 million of kgCO 2 eq. (carbon footprint), 207 million of m2 (ecological footprint), 44 Disability Adjusted Life Years (health footprint), with a creation of 30 job positions in the waste management sector (occupational benefits). [Display omitted] • A procedure consisting of five phases was developed using two methodologies. • One methodology estimates the composition analysis of the unsorted residual waste. • Another methodology used a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. • Two indicators for the environment, two for the society and two for the economy. • The paper and cardboard 'urban mine' of Naples was greater than 16 million of euro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to analyze the relationships between discourse leading indicators and citations from perspectives of integrating altmetrics indicators and tries to provide references for comprehending the quantitative indicators of scientific communication in the era of open science, constructing the evaluation indicator system of the discourse leading for academic journals and then improving the discourse leading of academic journals. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the theory of communication and the new pattern of scientific communication, this paper explores the formation process of academic journals' discourse leading. This paper obtains 874,119 citations and 6,378,843 altmetrics indicators data from 65 international multidisciplinary academic journals. The relationships between indicators of discourse leading (altmetrics) and citations are studied by using descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, principal component analysis, negative binomial regression analysis and marginal effects analysis. Meanwhile, the connotation and essential characteristics of the indicators, the strength and influence of the relationships are further analyzed and explored. It is proposed that academic journals' discourse leading is composed of news discourse leading, social media discourse leading, peer review discourse leading, encyclopedic discourse leading, video discourse leading and policy discourse leading. Findings: It is discovered that the 15 altmetrics indicators data have a low degree of centralization to the center and a high degree of polarization dispersion overall; their distribution patterns do not follow the normal distributions, and their distributions have the characteristics of long-tailed right-peaked curves. Overall, 15 indicators show positive correlations and wide gaps exist in the number of mentions and coverage. The academic journals' discourse leading significantly affects total cites. When altmetrics indicators of international mainstream academic and social media platforms are used to explore the connotation and characteristics of academic journals' discourse leading, the influence or contribution of social media discourse, news discourse, video discourse, policy discourse, peer review discourse and encyclopedia discourse on the citations decreases in turn. Originality/value: This study is innovative from the academic journal level to analyze the deep relationships between altmetrics indicators and citations from the perspective of correlation. First, this paper explores the formation process of academic journals' discourse leading. Second, this paper integrates altmetrics indicators to study the correlation between discourse leading indicators and citations. This study will help to enrich and improve basic theoretical issues and indicators' composition, provide theoretical support for the construction of the discourse leading evaluation system for academic journals and provide ideas for the evaluation practice activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent reforms have introduced integrated science, technology, engineering, and math education (STEM) that has highlighted an interdisciplinary approach to train students as better problem solvers. In addition to STEM disciplines, art, language, and other disciplines integration are also stressed (STEM+). In this paper, a STEM+ (STEM + art + entrepreneurship) activity was presented related to acid-base chemistry, specifically, pH indicator and strips designs. 13 junior pre-service chemistry teachers participated in the activity and produced indicator solutions from plant sources found easily at grocery stores and produced pH paper strips by the use of filter paper and coffee filters. After producing indicators and strips, participants were encouraged to marketing their products through product logo design and product advertisement. The activity is useful regarding learning acid-base chemistry, indicators and strips' properties, carrying out investigations, and designing solutions. The activity can also be easily applied to address high school physical science standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of wines for compliance with standards is determined by only a few standardized physical and chemical indicators. Moreover, two of them (the minimum content of the extract and the maximum content of citric acid) were introduced relatively recently. As practice shows, these indicators are often not enough to obtain an objective conclusion on the authenticity of wines. At the same time, abroad, to assess the authenticity and quality of wines, controlled indicators are used, for which it is impossible to establish a single norm, but this can be done for certain wine groups specifically for certain regions of production. The paper conducted a phased approach to the search for criteria-based assessments for controlled indicators. Organoleptic analysis was carried out and the investigated wine products were classified according to quality criteria. Based on the data of organoleptic analysis of 154 wine samples, regardless of their type and category, they are conditionally divided into three groups: the first group is wine, the authenticity of which is beyond doubt, it includes samples that received from 8.1 to 9.9 points, the second group - wines of satisfactory quality, the authenticity of which requires confirmation, the wines of this group had a tasting rating from 7.4 to 8.8 (12 samples), the third group - wines of low or unsatisfactory quality, received a tasting rating from less than 7.0 to 8, 0 points (20 samples). Next, 54 wine samples produced in Russia were examined more thoroughly. The technological parameters of table wines were studied on the basis of which a criterion for assessing the quality of wine according to the extract components was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on work undertaken in Cambodia to develop a monitoring framework that integrates Multi-lingual Education (MLE) with Child Friendly School (CFS) indicators. I begin by comparing CFS dimensions and indicators in Cambodia with those of the Philippines, and Nepal, and aligning MLE principles, arguments and foci with the CFS framework. I argue that an evidence-referenced system, such as the use of a rubric, is a model for giving meaning to achievement by linking it to evidence of growth or progress and measurement along a developmental continuum. Rather than just monitoring against a summative checklist, an evidence-based system describes the evidence so that progress can be benchmarked, and programs can be improved. Based on analysis of this research, I suggest an approach that could be used to reflect MLE indicators within the CFS framework, using an evidence-based rubric to monitor progress along a developmental continuum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of biological indicators currently being employed during formaldehyde decontamination. Data suggest that detectable amounts of formaldehyde are absorbed into the paper strips contained in currently used biological indicators. Absorbed formaldehyde has the potential to inhibit the growth of indicator spores, thus leading to false negative results. Indicators composed of either stainless steel carriers or paper strips were investigated to determine whether stainless steel carriers can be used as an alternative to paper strip indicators. Biological indicators were exposed to formaldehyde gas and were tested for the presence of formaldehyde and any possible inhibition of spore growth. Absorbed formaldehyde was detected in the paper strip carriers while no formaldehyde was detected from any of the stainless steel carriers. Exposed paper strips were found to inhibit growth of up to 1 × 10 spores while the stainless steel carriers did not inhibit the growth of spores. During decontamination, biological indicators composed of paper spore strips absorb formaldehyde and inhibit growth of any surviving spores. Stainless steel carriers do not absorb formaldehyde and are an ideal alternative substrate for biological indicators. The popular paper strip biological indicator can lead to false negative results during decontamination and is unsuitable for validating formaldehyde decontamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the interconnections and relative importance of seven determinants implicit in the development of sustainable tourism indicators. These determinants provide a framework for understanding the process of indicator selection for sustainable tourism. This research has suggested that some of the implicit determinants may be interconnected and some may be more important than others. The paper reports findings from twelve stakeholder groups in two Scottish National Parks which are engaged in developing sustainable tourism indicators. It is important for park authorities to be aware of the different views of stakeholder groups on the issues surrounding indicator selection and development and this research provided an opportunity for such groups to be consulted. The paper will examine the relative importance each group placed on the implicit determinants and consider possible reasons for between-group differences. Analysis will also focus on the existence of linkages between individual implicit determinants. The paper concludes that different typologies of stakeholder groups exist, affecting both the interpretation of, and importance attributed to, the determinants and that the framework as a whole serves to be more than the sum of its parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]