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Understanding how and why science works is a major goal of science education. The aim of this article is to analyze the influence of a research experience in real science contexts, in the thinking and practice of preservice elementary teachers regarding inquiry and nature of science teaching. An in-depth case study which highlights the affordances and shortcomings of the participants' immersion in real science contexts and in seminars and its impact on participants' thoughts and practices of nature of science and inquiry will be presented. Interviews, observations, diaries, and videotaped seminars were used for data collection. Our findings suggest that the research experience, as well as moments of reflection, contributed to enhance the relevance of an inquiry-based teaching and teaching about NOS in the participants' discourse. However, the implementation of these classroom practices was limited and seemingly prevented due to various constraints, namely the initial teacher training, participants' lack of teaching experience, and those associated with elementary students and the curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prominent feature within the sphere of international macroeconomics surrounds the notion of the domestic economy succumbing to a "sudden stop" — i.e. the point at which creditors are no longer willing to enter into fresh exposures vis-à-vis debtors. One avenue which has been increasingly adopted as a means to survey a nation's external sustainability (i.e. its vulnerability to sudden stops) is through the net international investment position (NIIP) — the difference between stocks of cross-border claims and liabilities. On the basis that financial account transactions are larger than current account transactions in terms of both volume and value, this paper by conjoining several strands of the international macroeconomics literature presents three motivations to suggest that the notion of external sustainability can be decoupled from the NIIP, namely that while a nation may in theory be a net creditor vis-à-vis the rest of the world in accordance with its NIIP, in reality, its susceptibility to sudden stops may be larger than an economy which is a net debtor as a consequence of (1) stock or (2) flow effects. Moreover, should the domestic economy succumb to a sudden stop as a result of either stock or flow effects, (3) this may not translate into changes to NIIP, thereby masking the fact that even though the domestic economy has succumbed to balance of payments difficulties, it continues to appear as a net creditor. To achieve its objectives, each motivative factor is presented through systems of financial accounts. Separate annexes also disseminate how delays between payment and settlement result in credit risks, in addition to how exchange rate fluctuations can impose accounting losses/gains on the balance sheets of counterparties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between financial inclusion, institutional quality, and bank stability in sub-Saharan Africa. Using a sample of 48 countries from 2002 to 2021, the study employs the Prais-Winsten and Hansen (2000) panel threshold estimation techniques. The findings suggest that financial inclusion, measured by account ownership, ATMs, borrowers, depositors, and bank branches, positively impacts bank stability, except for bank branches which have a negative effect. Institutional quality is found to have a significant and positive impact on bank stability, indicating its importance in reducing transaction costs and addressing asymmetric information. The study also explores the moderating role of institutional quality, revealing that the presence of institutions enhances the positive effects of ATMs, borrowers, and depositors on bank stability, while negatively impacting the relationship between bank branches and stability. Moreover, the study identifies threshold effects, with certain indicators showing different impacts on bank stability below and above specific thresholds. Policy recommendations include the need for strong institutions to promote bank stability, fostering financial inclusion in the presence of institutions, and implementing strategic reforms to increase the number of ATMs, borrowers, and depositors. Regulators are urged to focus on developing more robust institutions to enable the positive impact of borrowers and bank branches on bank stability in sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relational skills are an essential work-related tool for several professions, especially teaching. This specific domain of teacher competence is acquiring ever-increasing attention due to the connection between social and emotional aspects of education and student school success. Nonetheless, a persistent focus on content-related knowledge, didactic skills and digital literacy has generated uncertainties about what teacher relational skills effectively are. In this respect, our study presents an alternative bottom-up approach for the definition of teacher relational skills based on the use of a modified Delphi method. Four iterative rounds of data collection and analysis were carried out on a sample of 35 experienced teachers. This Delphi was pushed to generate innovative definitions, taking advantage of its bottom up perspective with teachers simultaneously involved as reflective professionals and as experts by experience of professional development completion. The emerging innovative elements were coherently integrated with previous literature thanks to a circular relationship between the Delphi panelists and an external group of experts. As a result, 6 relational domains, 44 relational skills and 180 practical examples of their application were identified. Our findings underline the importance of stimulating the debate around direct experiences of effective practices for the development of competence-based working approaches, especially in the areas of socialization, relations and emotions, where well established theoretical frameworks are still a long way off. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses how women entrepreneurs of Turkish origin do context in constructing their entrepreneurial identities and experiencing their entrepreneurship in two national contexts, namely Türkiye and the Netherlands. In order to study context, we use the term opportunity structures and analyse how these entrepreneurs interpret and perceive opportunity structures, and construct their entrepreneurial identities in relation to their interpretations. Relying on the life story narratives of 21 women entrepreneurs, we analyse social, political and institutional opportunity structures and the relationship between these and the processes of entrepreneurial experiences and identity construction. We propose that Turkish women entrepreneurs make, unmake and remake context during these processes. In the Netherlands, these entrepreneurs challenge existing opportunity structures either by providing alternative images of a Turkish migrant woman or questioning culturalist perspectives behind these opportunity structures. In Türkiye, they are compelled to be more hesitant in challenging the opportunity structures. They either have to step down from their enterprises or downgrade their entrepreneurial affiliations to fulfil the requirements of opportunity structures. This study contributes to the field of entrepreneurship in its contextualisation by providing an extended understanding of the ways in which entrepreneurs do context. Plain English Summary: While there is criticism on the lack of contextual analysis of entrepreneurship, there are also concerns about over-contextualisation and disintegration in the field. As a response to the scholar's interest to categorise successful entrepreneurs in creating and enacting their contexts and to understand how and why they became successful compared to others, this study demonstrates the power relations between and across opportunity structures that lead to imbalances between entrepreneurial agency and context. It shows how some entrepreneurs make context, while some others can also unmake and remake context. In this way, it extends our understanding of entrepreneurial diversity, and questions whether categorising entrepreneurs as successful or not is doing justice to the entrepreneurs who face more powerful opportunity structures with possible sanctions imposed on them. Future studies can further this discussion on entrepreneurial diversity by analysing how and for which contexts power dynamics plays out differently in the nexus of entrepreneur and context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching is a demanding profession with teachers of very young children reporting high rates of stress and exhaustion. We tested the effects of a relationship-focused professional development intervention designed to enhance teachers' use of mindfulness-based strategies to support coping on trajectories of teachers' stress, exhaustion (emotional, physical, and mental), and coping. Infant and toddler teachers (N = 81) from Early Head Start (EHS) or EHS childcare partnerships (CCP) were randomized to the intervention or usual care control condition. Using ecological momentary assessment, teachers completed twice-weekly reports of stress, exhaustion, coping, and coping strategy effectiveness via smartphones for 40 weeks. Multilevel linear regression modeling, accounting for within-person repeated measures, showed no intervention effects on stress and exhaustion trajectories. Teachers in the intervention reported increased use of mindfulness-based strategies for coping over time as compared to the control group, although frequency of use peaked and then declined. While perceptions of stress and exhaustion did not change, teachers' increased use of mindfulness-based strategies suggests improvements in how teachers managed stress and exhaustion; however, the decline in use of coping suggests the need for ongoing support within the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intake of students with autism is increasing in inclusive classrooms. Teacher preparedness in teaching these students is an essential requirement for effective education. Little is known about teachers' current educational experiences underpinning their preparedness in teaching autistic students. This study utilised semi-structured interviews to explore pre-service teachers' (n = 8) and recent teacher graduates' (n = 8) educational experiences and preparedness. Thematic analysis of the data identified the key findings: (1) the need for more in-depth learning about teaching autistic learners; (2) strengthening the onboarding strategy for novice teachers; (3) exposure to real-world situations with teaching different strategies related to autism. To promote inclusive education for students with autism, teachers should be equipped with expertise and prepared to implement inclusive practices. Implications for training opportunities and professional learning for teachers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viewpoints on different assessment systems used in many educational bureaucracies are diverse and continually evolving. Schools are tasked with translating those reforms' philosophies and principles into school-based assessment practices. However, it is unclear from research evidence what approach and factors best support the implementation of assessment reforms. To guide school leaders to design and implement school-based assessment reforms, there is a need to develop coherent knowledge of how school-based assessment reforms are implemented. We reviewed the literature on school-based assessment reforms using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. From a synthesis of the 28 articles included, we reported what approaches are used to implement assessment reforms and what factors influenced their implementation. Furthermore, we have proposed a framework that defines the political, cultural, structural, chronological, paradigmatic, and technological perspectives that need careful attention when implementing assessment reforms in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The linear production and consumption of plastics today is unsustainable. It creates large amounts of unnecessary and mismanaged waste, pollution and carbon dioxide emissions, undermining global climate targets and the Sustainable Development Goals. This Perspective provides an integrated technological, economic and legal view on how to deliver a circular carbon and plastics economy that minimizes carbon dioxide emissions. Different pathways that maximize recirculation of carbon (dioxide) between plastics waste and feedstocks are outlined, including mechanical, chemical and biological recycling, and those involving the use of biomass and carbon dioxide. Four future scenarios are described, only one of which achieves sufficient greenhouse gas savings in line with global climate targets. Such a bold system change requires 50% reduction in future plastic demand, complete phase-out of fossil-derived plastics, 95% recycling rates of retrievable plastics and use of renewable energy. It is hard to overstate the challenge of achieving this goal. We therefore present a roadmap outlining the scale and timing of the economic and legal interventions that could possibly support this. Assessing the service lifespan and recoverability of plastic products, along with considerations of sufficiency and smart design, can moreover provide design principles to guide future manufacturing, use and disposal of plastics.Four future greenhouse gas emission scenarios for the global plastics system are investigated, with the lead scenario achieving net-zero emissions, and a series of technical, legal and economic interventions recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to evaluate the impact of utilization of self-service cash deposit machines (SSCDMs) on the financial performance of Tanzanian commercial banks, focusing on key parameters like capital adequacy, asset quality, management quality, earning ability, and liquidity. The research, conducted over six years (2017–2022), utilizes a CAMEL analysis and combines secondary data review with primary data collected through interviews. Four commercial banks' audited financial statements serve as the primary data source. The findings indicate a mixed impact of SSCDM utilization on bank performance, with some banks experiencing positive effects on capital adequacy and liquidity ratios, while others show performance fluctuations. Overall, SSCDMs are found to enhance operational efficiency and convenience, attracting more customers and increasing deposit volumes. However, potential liquidity management challenges are noted. This study contributes valuable insights to the evolving Tanzanian banking sector, aiding policymakers and bank management in informed decision-making regarding self-service banking technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to identify which determinants are responsible for impacting the user experience of three peer-to-peer (P2P) payment services in the Spanish market. Design/methodology/approach: A sample of all online reviews (n = 16,048) published in Google Play of three paytech apps—Bizum, Twyp, and Verse—was analyzed using text mining and sentiment analysis. Findings: A holistic interpretation of the seed terms included in each aspect allowed to label them based on the preferences expressed by paytech app users in their reviews. Six latent aspects were identified: ease of use, usefulness, perceived value, performance expectancy, perceived quality, and user experience. In addition, the results of the analysis suggest a positivity bias in the online reviews of fintech P2P app users. Our results also show that online reviews of apps associated with banks or financial institutions, such as Bizum (to a greater extent) or Twyp, show more negative emotions, whereas independent apps (Verse) show more positive emotions. Moreover, the most critical users are those of unidentified gender, while women remain in a more neutral position, and men tend to express their opinions more positively regarding P2P payment apps. Practical implications: Paytech providers should analyze the problems faced by users immediately after an encounter. By applying text mining analysis, service providers can gain efficiency in understanding user sentiments and emotions without tedious and time-consuming reviews. Originality/value: This is a pioneering study on peer-to-peer (P2P) mobile payment systems from the user's perspective because it investigates the emotions and sentiments that users convey through bank reviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent boom in house prices in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic and the possibility of household financial distress are of concern among some central banks. We revisit the empirical modelling of house prices and household debt with a policy-oriented perspective using Norwegian data over the last four decades within the cointegrated VAR model. Our findings suggest, in line with previous work, a long-run mutually reinforcing relationship between these financial magnitudes, and thus the potential for the build-up of financial instabilities and spillover effects to the real economy. Applying a policy control analysis, we find that both house prices and debt are controllable magnitudes to some pre-specified target levels through the mortgage interest rate, which enables the central bank to reduce large fluctuations and bubble tendencies in the housing market. The present control analysis thus provides some useful policy implications from empirically relevant representations of two important financial factors entering the decision process of the policy maker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A professional training or staff development endeavor is known as an in-service program. During these programs, professionals get training and have the opportunity to discuss their work with others who are in their peer group. In the context of the field of education, the term "in-service classes" refers to the process by which instructors participate in additional education or training over the duration of their job in order to maintain or improve their level of professional knowledge, abilities, and practices. In spite of the fact that publicizing in-service programs for language teachers is of utmost significance, not enough focus has been placed on elaborating how they contribute to teacher-related traits. In this study, an effort was made to compare and contrast the outcomes and progress of language instructors who attended or did not attend an in-service program, as well as the effects of this decision on the teachers' resilience, immunity, L2-teacher grit, and reflective teaching. This research was of a quasi-experimental type, and it included participation from 103 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. During this research project, members of the first group, known as the control group, were not required to attend any in-service courses, whereas members of the second group, known as the experimental group, were. According to the findings of the MANOVA, EFL teachers who participated in in-service training courses had a significantly better level of resilience, immunity, L2-teacher grit, and reflectivity. It is hoped that the outcomes of this study will shed light on the significant contributions offered by in-service training programs and open up new avenues for the mental well-being of EFL teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows quantitative research regarding knowledge, soft and hard skills, and experience acquired by students hired by a University Software Development Company (USDC). Additionally, suggestions regarding how to set up a USDC in an academic environment, facing real customers, are shown. There have been good and bad experiences, both will be presented in this paper. Furthermore, students' perceptions will be discussed. To identify students' perceptions a questionnaire (survey) was applied. Its reliability was calculated through Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α = 89). Additionally, the Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated (r) in order to identify questions that should be deleted to increase the questionnaire's reliability. Outcomes could be useful when a software engineering faculty wishes to set up a USDC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of larvae and the growth and feeding of juveniles of the veined rapa whelk Rapana venosa, an invader in the Black Sea, has been studied in experimental conditions. With a balanced diet consisting of six microalgal species and at a water temperature of 22−23°C, the planktonic life of this gastropod lasted 22 days. The metamorphosis finished when the individuals changed their feeding behavior for the predatory type on the 25th day after the larvae emerged from the egg capsules. Cases of cannibalism have been recorded among the young individuals. The size of juvenile individuals capable of perforating bivalve shells has been clarified. One to five holes of various shapes per mussel shell could be observed. Rapa whelks bored through the thin edge of a mussel shell most often with a hole projection onto the mantle edge and most rarely with a projection onto the anterior contractile muscles of the foot. The study of the perforated holes using scanning electron microscopy has shown that individuals with a size of 20−25 mm bore mussel shells with the radula and dissolve the walls with a secretion produced by the accessory boring organ (ABO). Correlations of the mass and size values (Wtot = 0.002H2.9377, R2 = 0.9769), feeding rate (P = 0.64H2.8769, R2 = 0.9699), and perforation diameters (d = 170.78e0.1029H, R2 = 0.9403) with the gastropod shell height have been established in mussel spat shells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze the research work and present an SLR (Systematic Literature Review) on the initiatives taken by players in the banking sector, especially toward the technological innovations done in the field of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) that have contributed to the growth of the sector as well towards the ease of doing and building trust amongst consumers in the digitalized era of Banking. Growing security risks in cyberspace accompany the enormous and complex digital versions of virtual services. In total, 734 articles were reviewed to explore how Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning have been used in various banking facets and how they have evolved to cater to different banking sector requirements. The findings reveal the areas where these modern-age technologies have been adopted and where the same can be used efficiently. Lastly, this study elaborates and evaluates the applications of these technologies on the parameters of scalability going further, keeping in mind the unprecedented dynamic times, and serving the very purpose of banks and how the banks are dealing with all the opportunities and challenges these new technologies bring in. This SLR also provides an overview of the research that can be taken up in future by the researchers in this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold metal transfer wire arc additive manufacturing (CMT-WAAM) has attracted attention in recent years due to its ability to print walls with higher dimensional accuracy than regular WAAM. To print near-net shape parts by CMT-WAAM, there is a need to define a set of height-related geometrical parameters (HGPs) that can capture, quantify, and compare the quality of the height of the produced parts. In the presenting study, a set of HGPs, namely, the average height error, maximum height variation, and average absolute slope are defined and assessed. Fifteen single-track multi-layer walls are printed to check the effect of process parameters on the defined HGPs. It is found that the stability and quality of the print cannot be guaranteed by checking the visual appearance of the single beads and at least five-to-ten-layer walls should be printed. It is also found that the travel speed and the wire feed speed have positive monotonic relationships with average absolute slope and maximum height variation, respectively. Correlations between process parameters and HGPs are modeled and optimized using multi-objective optimization, and a validation test is performed to check the validity of the developed models. Moreover, HGPs of walls printed using unidirectional and bidirectional path strategies are calculated and compared. Defined HGPs are able to quantify, capture, and compare the quality of height of a wall with only three parameters. The HGPs can be used in further studies to report and compare the quality of height of thin wall structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of the content of alkalis on zircon solubility in multicomponent model silicate melts was experimentally studied within the temperature range of 1300–1400°C and 1 atm total pressure. It was demonstrated that the addition of Na2O and K2O to the melt results in a comparable increase in zircon solubility. The advantages and disadvantages of the parameters describing the effects of the melt composition on zircon solubility are briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acquired aplastic anemia (AA) is a chronic debilitating disease, often fatal with no effective treatment. Intense research into its pathogenesis is ongoing with promising results. The present study explores apoptosis and ATM gene expression in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in idiopathic aplastic anemia (IAA). The study included 15 acquired IAA patients and 17 patients with non-aplastic non-neoplastic disorders and matched age and sex distribution as a control group. Long-term bone marrow (BM) cultures for patients and controls followed for isolation of MSCs isolation and their flow cytometry identification using CD44 and CD105 and apoptosis assessment using annexin V and propidium iodide (PI). For the expression of the ATM gene, we used reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We demonstrated a significantly higher MSC apoptEosis in AA patients than in the controls (median = 0.7 versus 0.3, p value = 0.000). Early apoptosis (D1%) was significantly higher in patients than controls (median = 66.1 versus 14.4, p values = 0.000). The ATM gene expression was significantly lower in cultured MSCs of patients compared to controls (median = 0.2 versus 0.8, p values = 0.0000). Abnormal bone marrow MSCs kinetics may contribute to the pathogenesis of idiopathic AA and might thus be a potential therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much resilience research in young children focuses on high-risk samples with marked adversity despite the broad acknowledgement that all children, regardless of levels of adversity experienced, have opportunities to engage in resilience processes (Avdagic et al., 2018; Ungar, 2019). To advance understanding of "everyday resilience", the current study explores resilience qualitatively in a convenience sample of kindergarten children who were not selected on basis of a risk factor. Caregivers (n = 91) answered a phone interview question in which they were asked to; "Describe a time when your child overcame a difficult situation." Responses to this indirect assessment of resilience were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Although participants were asked to speak about resilience indirectly, responses were largely consistent with well-established conceptualizations of resilience, including the social-ecological framework for resilience. Indeed, caregivers conceptualized childhood resilience as occurring across four main domains: change, peer(s), health, and rule following. In terms of resilience behaviours, caregivers reported a mix of child- and adult-initiated strategies: the most frequently reported child-initiated resilience strategies were seeking adult support and confronting the adversity, and the most common adult-initiated strategies included verbal collaboration with the child regarding the adversity and problem-solving. Findings support the use of indirect measures of resilience to reduce socially desirable responding and capture detailed and nuanced responses. Highlights: Adult support was the resilience strategy used most frequently among all sources of daily adversity, reflecting the centrality of adult support to childhood resilience building. Use of the Five-Minute Speech Sample to indirectly enquire about resilience resulted in responses consistent with existing conceptualizations of resilience responses, supporting its use as an alternative to written responses or quantitative measures. Consistent with the social ecological model of resilience, participants described resilience processes occurring in key contexts (e.g. school, home) that should be purposefully designed to facilitate the development of resilience (e.g., introducing new experiences). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Living modified organisms (LMOs) in South Korea are managed under the Transboundary Movement, Etc. of LMOs Act, the domestic implementation law of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The Ministry of Environment (MOE) oversees the risk review and safety management of LMOs for environmental remediation, and consultative review on the risk posed to the natural ecosystem by LMOs for other purposes. In particular, the MOE operates a risk assessment institute to promote scientific and systematic safety management by standardizing an evaluation criterion for the relevant LMOs. These must be established according to the standards of the LMOs Act. In this review, a new technique for reliable management of the LMO facility, including a confined field, was proposed to comply with the safety standards of the MOE. Based on the analysis of the LMOs Act and the practices of established LMO facilities, potential facility management directions under the MOE were discussed from the perspectives of the facility, cultivation, waste, record, and education. These suggestions can help physically isolate LMO facilities and prevent the unintentional release of LMOs, thus helping avoid hybridization between LMOs and non-LMOs. In addition, a monitoring system was proposed to prevent transgene escape and subsequent hybridization with the wild relatives of LMOs. These proposals can be widely used for safety management when researching the development and commercialization of LMOs at facilities under the MOE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the value creation and destruction associated with the implementation of International Banking Facilities (IBFs) by publicly-traded US banks. Overall, we find that the implementation of an IBF negatively impacts bank value. However, our further results suggest that value creation or destruction varies across interest rate regimes. IBF implementation is more likely to be value creating during increasing-rate environments, but value destroying during decreasing-rate environments. Our results also suggest that banks with foreign branches see higher levels of value creation. Lastly, while systematic risk does not increase for IBF-implementing banks, there is an increase in overall risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the existing 3P model, this paper constructed a new 3P model under the blended-project-based learning (BPBL) environment, used the course teaching data to verify this model, and revealed the potential factors that affect the learning process and learning outcomes. The results showed that the presage variables of academic motivation and course design positively affect the process variables of blended learning experience and learning engagement, respectively. The presage variable of academic motivation and the process variable of learning engagement positively affect the product variable of transferable skill development, respectively. In blended-project-based learning, it is necessary to enhance students' sense of experience and engagement by improving their academic motivation and optimizing course design, thereby promoting the development of students' transferable skills. This study has certain implications for optimizing blended-project-based teaching and promoting the development of students' team work ability, demonstration skills, management skills, and other transferable abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to discuss family literacy practices that can support a collaboration between families and children as well as families and schools in ways that can strengthen this relationship and motivate early childhood learners to engage in literacy. First, family literacy programs, initiatives, and practices are discussed, Next, a framework of family literacy is proposed that gives book access to parents, offers models and guidelines about how to use pedagogies and approaches teachers use in class when reading with children, and invites parents to school settings as partners who can enjoy literacy experiences with their children and enhance their children's literacy experiences in positive ways. Points to consider about this model along with some conclusions are presented. In addition, challenges with literacy-program implementation and its implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formative assessment has been considered an essential concept for motivating and improving learning. However, implementing formative assessment has been confronted with challenges in Confucian-heritage culture (CHC) contexts such as Hong Kong and Shanghai, where the atmosphere of high-stakes tests dominates at policy and classroom levels. Whether formative assessment can lead to learning achievement in examination-oriented contexts remains an open issue. To unleash the potential benefits of formative assessment, CHC cities such as Hong Kong have been making great efforts to create conditions that can bring about the positive effect of formative assessment on learning achievement. To test this potential benefit of formative assessment in CHC contexts, the current study compared the impact of formative assessment on reading achievement in Hong Kong and Shanghai by including the mediation of motivation between formative assessment and achievement. Results of multi-group path analysis with the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 data showed: (a) a positive direct effect of formative assessment on achievement in Hong Kong and a negative direct effect in Shanghai, (b) a positive indirect effect through motivation both in Hong Kong and Shanghai, and (c) a total positive effect in both Hong Kong and Shanghai, but this total effect was more substantial in Hong Kong whereas trivial in Shanghai. The positive impact of formative assessment, particularly the relatively more significant total effect on the Hong Kong side, supports the potential of using formative assessment to enhance student learning in CHCs through local policy reform on assessment and teacher training on assessment literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the school-based vocational education and training system, so-called hybrid teachers, i.e. who both work in a vocational school and a business, can add value to the quality of VET as well as can solve ageing and the threat of shortages among VET teachers. In this research, the motivation of becoming a VET teacher as a second career and its perception by participants were examined using a mixed-method explanatory sequential study design. In the first phase, 114 VET teachers from 33 VET institutions in Lithuania were surveyed using the Factors Influencing Teaching (FIT) Choice scale. In the second phase, five vocational teachers were interviewed. The qualitative results supported and complemented the results of quantitative research by emphasizing the importance of intrinsic motivation to teach and explained in-depth the components of antecedent socialisation and perceptions of teaching. The results were discussed considering similar studies on second-career teachers conducted in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basic financial services facilitate people's ability to manage their finances, save, and receive payments from employers or the government. Drawing on survey data as well as qualitative interviews with 80 mothers with limited incomes, we find that parents take a pragmatic view and use a wide range of financial services to meet their needs including fintech, prepaid cards, and mobile phone-based solutions, as well as traditional banks. Mistrust in institutions is an important factor in shaping the services mothers avoid. Structural factors, like employers' payment methods, also play a role in financial service use. These low-income parents of young children are actively using a range of financial services, much broader than those provided by traditional banks. Many mothers engaged in complex financial management practices to receive income and pay their bills. This opens room for potentially costly errors and is, at least, taxing their cognitive bandwidth. Researchers must attend to the diverse set of financial services with which parents engage and investigate how this affects families' financial wellbeing and inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the wake of the 2008 Great Recession, a section of the Dodd–Frank Act (DFA) ostensibly provided greater protection to low-income borrowers by capping bank charges on small dollar mortgages (defined here as less than $100,000) and requiring more bank oversight by outside auditors. Previous research has shown that both actions had the perverse consequence of reducing the availability of mortgage credit to low-income borrowers. Building on these findings, we investigate the following question: Did the decline in access to credit lead to a decrease in demand for homes in high poverty census tracts, and a corresponding decline in property values in these areas? Using an OLS regression model of home values and census tract data in Forsyth County, North Carolina from 2007 to 2020, we calculate that nominal home values dropped by over 40% in the county's lowest income census tracts after the institution of the DFA, relative to the rest of the county. Our paper offers evidence that DFA has harmed those that the Act was intended to help. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars contend that presidents exert some influence over the implementation of national policy. Yet, prior research has overlooked the importance of local context, specifically socio-political conditions, and how it can shape an agency's response to executive-level guidance. We examine the effect of local context on county-level immigration removals by ICE agents from 2013 through 2018. We predict local removals starting with the Secure Communities program, continuing under Obama's two-year Priority Enforcement Program (PEP), and up through Trump's zero-tolerance policies. Obama-era executive guidance, which advised agents to target only dangerous criminal immigrants, did lead to a significant national decline in total removals. However, conservative localities continued to remove large numbers, even during PEP. Notably, the difference between conservative and liberal communities was largest for non-criminal immigrant removals. Despite Obama's guidance to focus on dangerous immigrants, ICE agents continued to remove undocumented immigrants without criminal records from conservative U.S. counties. Our analysis indicates street-level agents are most responsive to chief-executive direction in the absence of local-level opposition to top-down demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study extends the asymmetric timeliness measure (ATM) framework described in Ball et al. (Journal of Accounting Research 51(5): 1071–1097, 2013a) to investigate the validity of tests for differences in conservative accounting practices across firms and time. This extension is important because that framework is not designed to measure or test for differences in conservatism, which is the explicit focus of nearly all conservatism research. This extension identifies three structural biases (which we refer to as the misclassification, contemporaneous income, and growth biases) inherent in the Basu (Journal of Accounting and Economics 24(1): 3–37, 1997) ATM. We show that correcting for the contemporaneous income bias results in a substantial reduction in ATM estimates. Additionally, the estimated magnitude of the contemporaneous income bias is so large that the typically reported significantly positive relationship between conservatism and leverage and the negative relationship between conservatism and size become insignificant after correcting the traditional ATM to control for this bias. Also, the positive relationship between conservatism and book-to-market ratio is attenuated significantly. Developing empirical controls for the misclassification and growth biases identified in our framework is problematic, but one or both are expected to be sufficiently large as to raise significant concerns about results of conservatism studies that rely on the ATM. Until methods to control for or eliminate all sources of bias are established, we suggest that future research use ATMs that focus only on conditionally conservative accruals or on alternative measures of conditional conservatism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2002 enactment of Section 403(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX403) made option backdating less viable for firms. I examine whether the loss of the benefits obtained from option backdating is associated with more fraud after the enactment of SOX403. For firms suspected of backdating options (suspect firms), I find an increase in fraudulent financial reporting after the enactment of SOX403. The increase in fraud is more prominent for suspect firms more affected by SOX403. I also find an increase in insider trading profits from fraud for individuals who formerly benefited from option backdating. My study highlights an unintended consequence of SOX403. The opportunistic timing of executive option compensation appears to be replaced with fraudulent activities that are likely more value-destroying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic affected higher education in a myriad of ways. One of the most notable effects however was the rapid and sudden transition of nearly all courses at most institutions to an online environment. And while there are a growing number of courses offered online already, this transition to nearly 100% remote education presented numerous challenges for instructors and students of face-to-face and hybrid style courses. Since student perceptions are closely tied to recruitment and retention, it is important to know if there are differences in student perceptions present in the way different courses are taught. This study extends the work of other authors that have investigated student perceptions by looking specifically at how the COVID-19 pandemic may have changed student views of course difficulty and quality both overall and across discipline or institution categories. Course evaluations from 837 courses from 191 different schools archived on RateMyProfessors.com were used in a general linear model where a statistically significant overall decline of 6% in perceived course difficulty and 4% decline in perceived quality was detected. In addition to calculating this mean decrease, courses were also categorized on the basis of academic discipline (Business, Engineering and Mathematics, Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences), institution type (2-Year, 4-Year), and whether instructors had previous experience teaching online courses (No, Yes) to determine any variation in differences that may have appeared as a result of more nuanced details in course type or delivery. Most notably, declines in course difficulty were slightly more apparent with instructors that had no previous online teaching experience. No other discipline, institution type, or teaching experience interactions were detected with either difficulty or quality variation. These data suggest that there were very real changes in perceived quality and difficulty but that these changes were largely universal irrespective of discipline, institution type, or prior experience teaching online (with exception of course difficulty). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved protocol with a key agreement authentication using parallel Pollard rho algorithm for electronic payment system is proposed in this paper. The protocol employs a two step of key agreement and authentication with parallel Pollard rho and encryption of transaction information using Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA). Pollard rho was used in parallel as a key calculator that measures attack on discrete logarithm problem (DLP) of three main e-payment parties, namely customer, merchant and bank. Customers card information was used to infer the discrete logarithm problem which in turn was reused by the merchant and bank. The ECDSA was applied to encrypt information, resulting in a combination of the summation of participatory key, l. The length l serves as a diversion against intruders’ attempt to guess the DLP. The result shows that the protocol ensured higher security within a shorter period of time in comparison with others in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The distributions and alignments of over 200 prehistoric dykes exposed in the walls of the Valle del Bove caldera on Mount Etna have been plotted, and samples collected from some 10% of those occurring in the southern wall. Important tectonic trends are reflected by the dykes, along which magma movement was facilitated prior to the formation of the caldera. Close directional relations between the dyke trends and the orientations of historic fissures on the volcano, point to the existence of a plexus of interconnecting subsurface fissures immediately to the south-east of the summit. A model is envisaged within which magma enters this «clearing house» from depth, and is distributed via fissures to other parts of the volcano including the summit region. Here, the interaction of fissures with the conduits of the summit craters is put forward as a mechanism to explain the behaviour of recent activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a clearing house for a variety of mental and emotional problems a psychiatric outpatient clinic necessarily receives for singleinterview study and consultation many individuals whose needs do not properly come within the scope of its continued services. Undoubtedly this would always be true of a specialized clinic. Yet in its reports to referring agencies and physicians on those cases not acceptable for continued treatment, it has been able to make recommendations regarding institutional care, to confirm diagnoses, or to suggest possible avenues of further study. This survey of one-contact cases over the years 1930-1935 shows the wide community use of the facilities which a psychiatric outpatient clinic has to offer. The greater use of the psychiatric clinic for patients needing continued psychotherapy will be presented in later studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucose metabolism and DNA repair are fundamental cellular processes frequently dysregulated in cancer. In this study, we define a direct role for the glycolytic Aldolase A (ALDOA) protein in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. ALDOA is a fructose biphosphate Aldolase that catalyses fructose-1,6-bisphosphate to glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (G3P) and dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP), during glycolysis. Here, we show that upon DNA damage induced by ionising radiation (IR), ALDOA translocates from the cytoplasm into the nucleus, where it partially co-localises with the DNA DSB marker γ-H2AX. DNA damage was shown to be elevated in ALDOA-depleted cells prior to IR and following IR the damage was repaired more slowly. Consistent with this, cells depleted of ALDOA exhibited decreased DNA DSB repair via non-homologous end-joining and homologous recombination. In support of the defective repair observed in its absence, ALDOA was found to associate with the major DSB repair effector kinases, DNA-dependent Protein Kinase (DNA-PK) and Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) and their autophosphorylation was decreased when ALDOA was depleted. Together, these data establish a role for an essential metabolic protein, ALDOA in DNA DSB repair and suggests that targeting ALDOA may enable the concurrent targeting of cancer metabolism and DNA repair to induce tumour cell death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease started in late 2019 and still continues as a global pandemic, spreading among people around the world. There is limited knowledge about the role of contaminated environmental surfaces, especially high-touch public surfaces, in the transmission of the disease. The objective of the present investigation was detection of different variants (Delta, UK, and Omicron) of SARS-CoV-2 RNA (genome) on inanimate surfaces in high-touch public environmental surfaces in different seasons. Automated teller machines of banks (ATM), point-of-sale (POS) machine, gas station pump nozzles, and escalator handrails of malls were selected as high-touch environmental surfaces in public places. Overall, 75 samples were collected from these places and examined for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA (genome), and 21 samples (28%) were positive. Although the role of fomite transmission of COVID-19 is understood, more studies should be conducted to determine the virus survival rate as well as the required efforts to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 such as frequent cleaning and the use of efficient disinfectants on environmental surfaces, especially high-touch public places. In conclusion, the results address the importance of touching contaminated inanimate objects as well as transmission through environmental surfaces, and they could be used to establish an effective protocol to prevent indirect environmental transmission of SARS-CoV-2, slow down the spread of the virus, and reduce the risk of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Losses and damages that any company or organization experience is usually caused by some unidentified risks that hit them unprepared. Some companies even must close their business or discontinue their operation due to the huge negative impact of the risk that hit them. Knowing the risks that an organization face is important. Risk needs to be identified properly. Though there had been some approaches a person can use in identifying risk, most of those approaches are complex, require several people involved, are too subjective, and are not able to identify unseen risks. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to know which risk identification method can identify more risks when knowledge of the context is controlled. The study made use of experimental research design with the use of covariance analysis in analyzing the data. With a 95% level of confidence, it was found that risk identification methods affect the number of risks identified. The business process approach seems to identify more risks than the work breakdown structure approach and placebo. The step-by-step procedures in doing the business process approach and work breakdown structure approach are also introduced in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current video surveillance systems that employ manual face detection and automatic face recognition in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have limited accuracy, typically below 90%. This is due to the utilization of a small number of Eigenfaces for principal component analysis transformation. Detecting faces in cloud-based Internet of Things (IoT) video frames involves separating video/image windows into two classes: one with faces (to train the surroundings) and the other with matches (in the foreground). The face detection process is further complicated by geometries, inconsistent image/video qualities, and lighting conditions, as well as the possibility of partial occlusion and disguises. Moreover, a fully automated iris image-based face recognition and detection system could prove useful in surveillance applications such as automated teller machine user security, whereas an automated face recognition system using UAV video frames in a cloud-integrated-IoT-based distributed computing environment is better suited for mug-shot matching and surveillance of distrustful objects. This is because controlled conditions are present when capturing mug shots. The proposed hybrid approach was rigorously tested, and the experimental results suggest that its real-world performance will be far more accurate than existing systems. Intelligent surveillance knowledge databases contain vast amounts of information on landmarks, terrain, events, activities, and entities that need to be efficiently and accurately processed and disseminated. Therefore, discovering the appropriate knowledge to detect distrustful objects plays a crucial role in future analysis. The experimental findings indicate that the proposed hybrid approach has high accuracy, low overall and average error rates, and very high average recall rates for benchmark and self-generated datasets. These results demonstrate the robustness, efficiency, and reliability of the authors' choices. Although further improvements in results are possible, the proposed approach is sufficient for detecting distrustful objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International schools encourage international mindedness, which in turn supports global citizenship education (GCE). This article responds to the notion that GCE fits into the narrative of international schools, yet not much information indicates how it is being approached in practice. Although the international curriculum provides opportunities for GCE, it can also pose several challenges for these schools. On the one hand, international schools are, to a great extent, independent institutions that follow an international curriculum and foster an international orientation toward knowledge and attitude; on the other hand, they are committed to preserving the status quo, due to the various backgrounds of their students. They expand on teaching students about global issues in a manner that does not cross the boundaries of their school's socio-cultural context. Nonetheless, international school educators understand their responsibility to teach students skills that will allow them to function successfully in the new globalized reality. This includes an awareness of current affairs, the ability to navigate media and social media in the era of fake news, and an understanding that the actions of a few do not represent the entire culture. Furthermore, experimental learning and extracurricular activities give schools a major opportunity to internationalize and promote active citizenship. Such outsourcing helps international schools provide GCE education, yet at the same time, keep themselves relatively neutral in their core. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the risk management practices of an electricity retailer motivated by the Dutch electricity market. We examine the effectiveness of the existing base- and peak-load futures contracts as a risk management tool for the electricity retailers. We analytically characterize the retailer's optimal hedging policy as a function of the serial correlation of the prices and the demand profiles of its customers. We find that the retailer typically over-hedges in the futures market, and the over-hedging amount increases when both base- and peak-load contracts are used. Our findings indicate that although the existing contracts in the futures market are quite efficient to replicate the exposure from profiled customers, when industrial consumers and renewable generation are included to the retailer's portfolio, the effectiveness of such contracts decreases substantially. In our motivating example, hedging the risk of the profiled customers with base-load contracts, the firm may reduce the variance of its cash flows by 85.9%. In addition to the base-load contracts, including peak-load contracts into the hedging portfolio of the retailer increases the efficiency of hedging to 89.3%. However, when we consider the aggregate portfolio of the retailer including profiled customers, industrial consumers and renewable contracts, the efficiency of hedging through the existing futures contracts goes down as low as 32.8% during certain periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to deploy digital technology in ways that would help mathematics teachers in a remote rural Taiwanese middle school construct a differentiated classroom aligned with students' needs. We attempted to develop seventh-grade mathematics course modules that could meet quality educational requirements and equal opportunities for customized learning by empowering teachers through instructional coaching. Mixed methods were used to collect relevant qualitative and quantitative data from 4 mathematics teachers, 3 instructional coaches, and 16 students. Analysis of the findings reveals that instructional coaching contributes to teacher engagement and transformation for implementing differentiated strategies. The results also indicate the perceptions of the participating students in their learning motivation, anxiety, attitude, classroom interaction, and acceptance of technology. Based on the results of this study, pedagogical implications and future research directions are discussed regarding how instructional coaching can be executed to leverage professional development while preparing mathematics teachers for the improved interaction and involvement of ethnically and socioeconomically diverse students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a model of a housing market with a fixed supply of land available for future development. Building density and the rate of land development are both endogenous. Competition amongst atomistic landowners leads to welfare-maximizing development policies. However, a monopolist landowner develops land faster, with lower building density, than a welfare-maximizing social planner. Unless demand is very high, the first effect dominates, because a monopolist landowner increases the size of the housing stock faster than a social planner. Rapid, low-density development is a commitment device. It boosts the monopolist's development proceeds by making it more difficult to flood the market with new housing in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have argued that the relationship between health expenditures and health outcomes is more significant among the poor than the non-poor. However, public spending alone does not improve health status. Quality of governance is considered not only as an important determinant of health outcomes but also of the efficiency of public expenditure on health. In low-income countries, barriers to quality service provision can be observed, which may explain the effects of health expenditures. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the relationship between health expenditures and maternal and child mortality in Madagascar and the potential bottlenecks in the flow of funds for maternal and child health. Methods: Using panel data, fixed and random effect models for the 22 regions of Madagascar over the period 2010 to 2017 were used. Then bottlenecks related to the flow of funds for maternal and child health were identified. Results: The results reveal that, on the one hand, funding for maternal health, mainly constituted by equipment endowments for health facilities, significantly contributes to the improvement of maternal health (-0.35; p-value = 0.00). On the other hand, child health financing, often realized through transfers of funds to the health system, does not affect children's health (0.22; p-value = 0.88). The bottleneck analysis illustrates that the transferred funds can suffer from delay or misappropriation and only few parts reach beneficiaries. Conclusions: Equipment endowments contributed more to health improvement and would be more effective than monetary financing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teacher decision-making and pedagogical reasoning have been extensively investigated in the last two decades. However, there is a scarcity of research that examines the two constructs together in one single study. This study was an attempt to address this gap by implementing a teacher education course using the self-evaluation of teacher talk (SETT) framework that aimed to reshape the decision-making and pedagogical reasoning of ten non-native teachers. Data were collected over a 10-week period through Camtasia, which facilitated video-stimulated recall sessions. Conversation analysis was employed to analyze the interactions in classroom context between the learners and the novice teachers and the interactions between the novices and the first researcher-as-a-participant or experienced teacher. The findings showed that the novices relied on the SETT-oriented metalanguage to justify their decisions after the teacher education course (POST-TEC). In addition, although in the PRE-TEC phase, they lost their temper and codeswitched because of frustration when facing learners' reticence, they used a number of useful interactive decisions such as avoiding teacher echoes and on-the-spot corrections during discussions in the POST-TEC. It can be concluded that examining the SETT modes separately contributes to our richer understanding of classroom discourse, as each mode has its own specific pedagogic goals that teachers should pay attention to in their classroom decisions. Suggestions for further research and implications for making the decision-making and pedagogical reasoning of language teachers more explicit are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examined the effects of pairing sounds with positive and negative outcomes in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). A number of published studies using the BART incorporate sounds into the task, where a slot machine or cash register sound is produced when rewards are collected and a popping sound is produced when balloons pop. However, some studies do not use sound, and other studies do not specify whether sound was used. Given that sensory information contributes to the intensity of experiences, it is possible that outcome-related sounds in the BART influence risk-taking behaviors, and inconsistent use of sounds across the many BART variations may affect how results are interpreted. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of sounds paired with outcomes in the BART, and whether the presence or valence of a sound would systematically alter participants' risk-taking. Across two experiments using Bayesian censored regressions, we show that sounds, regardless of the outcomes they were paired with or their valence, did not affect risk-taking in an adult, non-clinical sample. We consider the implications of these results within methodological and theoretical contexts and encourage researchers to continue dissociating the role of auditory stimuli in feedback processing and subsequent responding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]