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The purpose of this paper is to define and describe the 'Telos' or purpose of special education. We argue that special education has three main (tripartite) functions: (a) research, (b) a distinct system, and (c) special instruction. The overall Telos of special education is to provide an educational service to better serve students whose disabilities adversely affect their learning. Despite this overall Telos of special education, we see a more specific Telos for each function. In particular, the Telos of special education research should be based on the search for truth, whereas the Telos of the special education system focuses on promoting equality of opportunity, equity, and social justice. Last, the Telos of special education instruction is to optimize learning through specialized, individualized, and effective instruction, which is essential to achieve the overall Telos of special education. Current challenges to all three parts of special education's telos are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay defines the metaverse and its many uses. It then draws parallels to adventure and examines the elements that make adventure a unique learning medium. Next, it predicts the future based on the present and the past and discusses the drawbacks of this process and its outcomes. Finally, it concludes with a few observations and expectations around adventure not being easily replaced by the metaverse in the near future, but long term advances might tell a different story. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many children's Bible lessons, even those that are intended to be child-oriented lessons, are consciously or unconsciously designed in ways that serve adult agendas for children rather than serving the interests of children themselves. By engaging the growing movements of childism and childist biblical interpretation, as well as studies in how children read and understand the Bible, religious educators can better facilitate and guide children in Bible lessons that are driven by the children themselves and that better connect to their life contexts, experiences, and felt needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses a question posed by the increase of democratic backsliding: whether democracy itself is compatible with human nature. It analyses democracy as a layered system consisting of three levels: the political/institutional, the social/interactional and the psychological/intrapsychic. At each level it uses evolutionary theory to describes features of a 'light side' of human nature that makes democracy possible, and of a 'dark side' of human nature that leads to democratic backsliding. At the political/institutional level these features are the reduction of reactive aggression and the capacity for the intragroup stranger. At the social/interactional level they are the cultural evolution of cooperative norms and an inclusive group identity. At the psychological/intrapsychic level they are the coherent, continuous positive self-experiences produced by shared positive emotions. However, these mechanisms can misfire at each level, producing the dark side that leads to democratic backsliding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of economics involves core issues of sustainable development very relevant to society, such as growth, consumption or wellbeing. Accordingly, its epistemology and teaching contents influence other disciplines, the conception of society and the political agenda. From this perspective, it is strategic that the teaching of economics promotes sustainable development. The aim of this article is to examine what the subjects of economics and business economics teach about sustainability at the upper secondary education level in Spain, and if they contribute to the acquisition of the key competencies of the education for sustainable development. A content analysis is carried out of both the curriculum and the textbooks to that end. Our results emphasise that the ideas, concepts and values transmitted by the Spanish upper secondary economics textbooks do not adequately promote knowledge about sustainability or the learning of the key competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the discourse of value-laden tourism research, knowledge about the mechanisms that manifest civilized tourism is limited. This paper uses empirical research as a basis from which to explore the generative powers of civilized tourism at the structural level of society. It identifies the structural properties of civilized tourism and five situational logics. Civilized tourism is related to civility, China's Dream, and social etiquette. These other ideas provide a condition for civilized tourism to exist. All the situational logics function to co-determine the nature of civilized tourism in the cultural system. Based on the findings, it concludes that the call for civilized tourism in China provides a condition for the formation of ethicality in tourism, which is not reducible to tourism stakeholders. The formation of ethicality is conditioned by the product of past socio-cultural interactions whilst engineered by the protective and corrective situational logics of the idealizations taking place in the present time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we state and prove ad hoc "Separation Theorems" of the so-called Smooth Commutative Algebra, the Commutative Algebra of C ∞ -rings. These results are formally similar to the ones we find in (ordinary) Commutative Algebra. However, their proofs are not so straightforward, since they depend on the introduction of the key concept of "smooth saturation." As an application of these theorems we present an interesting result that sheds light on the natural connection between the smooth Zariski spectrum and smooth real spectrum of a C ∞ -ring, the C ∞ -analog of the real spectrum of a commutative unital ring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports an empirical study on moral reasoning. It seeks to answer two questions: in the moral framing of tourism matters, what does this reasoning consist of? How are these elements mobilized by actors to reach moral pronouncement(s)? Through the means of group interviews, abduction and retroduction, this study finds that moral muteness (i.e. silence to socially unacceptable conduct) seems to be the moral pronouncement that the participants are likely to conduct in a condition whereby the social and cultural systems being perceived insufficient to protect individuals who pursue a righteous action. The analysis reveals that (1) moral template, reflexivity, self-efficacy and emotions are constitutive elements of moral agency; (2) these agential properties permit the emergence of four moral reasoning processes, which explain moral muteness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this interview, Daniel Little provides an overview of his life and work in academia. Among other things, he discusses an actor-centred approach to theory of social ontology. For Little, this approach complements the assumptions of critical realism, in that it accords full ontological importance to social structures, causal mechanisms, and enduring and influential normative systems. The approach casts doubt, however, on the idea of 'strong emergence' of social structures, the idea that social structures have properties and causal powers that cannot, in principle be explained by their constituents (social actors) and their relationships. Little's approach to social ontology endorses instead the idea of relative explanatory autonomy. During the interview, many points of convergence become evident between this actor-centred approach to social ontology and the fundamental insights of critical realism. According to Little, analysis of social ontology also turns out to be especially relevant to philosophy of history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clutch performance refers to improved or successful performance under pressure. Whether such performances should be assessed using objective indicators (e.g., performance statistics) or subjective indicators (e.g., athletes' perceived performance) remains an important unresolved issue within the field. The aim of this study was to examine the types of performance indicators that basketballers use to identify clutch performance. A mixed-methods multiple case study design was adopted involving four semi-elite basketballers (3 male, 1 female). Four sources of data were collected: (1) performance statistics; (2) a screening questionnaire measuring pressure and perceived performance; (3) observations; and (4) event-focused interviews. As two participants reported on two different performances, a total of six cases were included. Within-case analysis was conducted to become familiar with each case, followed by an integrated cross-case analysis. Results suggested that whilst objective indicators are important for identifying clutch performance, these were often viewed through a subjective lens. Further, subjective indicators such as perceived effort and control appear similarly important in assessing clutch performance. Lastly, it was reported that clutch performances do not always require winning, but may rather be about a sense of contributing to the team performance. Overall, these findings suggest that operationalizations of clutch performance should consider athletes' subjective interpretations, and not rely solely on objective indicators. Lay summary: An important step in facilitating performance under pressure is understanding how to measure such performances. This study suggests that athletes' perceptions of their performance under pressure are important to consider, and may not align with traditional objective performance indicators, such as performance statistics. When examining performance under pressure, practitioners should consider athletes' own interpretations of objective performance indicators Practitioners may also consider examining subjective indicators of performance, such as perceived effort or control when measuring performances under pressure Encouraging athletes to contribute toward the team performance, rather than focusing on the outcome, may facilitate assessments of clutch performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is a discussion of the original concept of Holism by Jan Christiaan Smuts. Summarizing the precepts of Holism is followed by critiques of various natural science writers. A holistic "thought experiment" offers an answer to the question: Can you remove anything from the universe, the whole? Conversely, social science writers are suggested to be unscientific and colloquial at best to their understanding of Holism, with a few exceptions. Discussion continues with new information of how Holism is a force of change. Examples are provided to include three applications. Conclusion suggests the utility of Holism for scientific inquiry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid expansion of urban areas and the continuous population growth has resulted in a dramatic increase in the contamination of water bodies with heavy metals, toxic anions, and organic pollutants. As a result, scientists concentrated their efforts on developing new environmentally-friendly composite materials to remove various pollutants from wastewaters through adsorption techniques. Herein, the preparation of a neoteric clay-based material is reported that is capable of complexing metal ions. This new material was obtained from montmorillonite and dopamine-functionalized poly(benzofurane-co-arylacetic) acid. The structure, morphology, and chemical composition of the synthesized material, as well as its sorption capacity for heavy metals, were investigated using a variety of analytical techniques that included scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Stock solutions of Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni and contaminated surface water samples collected from Roșia River (Roșia Montană Mining Area) were used to evaluate the material's suitability for metal removal from wastewaters. The results obtained with the new clay-based material highlight its selectivity for certain metals and excellent removal efficiencies on stock solutions (87-100% adsorption efficiency for Fe, Cu, Pb, Cr and Cd) and real contaminated wastewaters (100% adsorption efficiency for Cr and Cd, 96% for Fe and 79% for Cu). Further research should be conducted to optimize the structure of clay-based materials for this type of environmental application in order to increase the number of pollutants adsorbed simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the concept of adaptive research design, in which topic, theoretical framing, method, and data are in principle open to adaptation during the research process. The main premise is that adaptations in one element of the research process can trigger changes in other elements. Both positive and negative reasons for adaptivity are discussed along with various valid reasons for limiting adaptivity in particular cases. Grasping the different couplings between concepts, theories and methods is useful to discern the possibilities and limits of adaptive methodology in situ. To deepen the understanding of the adaptive capacity of methodology, we broaden the discussion to look at the embedding of methodology in academia and its disciplines. In our perspective, methods appear as devices structuring thinking and observation and are well used and placed if they enhance and enable the continuation of observation and reflection and if they allow the researcher to remain open for alternative observations and interpretations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes PA research on organizational performance in a new direction by testing a configurational model using self-organizing maps, a machine learning methodology. The model was built and tested using six performance dimensions from 2017 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS). Four distinct performance profiles or groups were identified: very low performers, average performers, transitional performers, and high performers. Implications for theory development and practice of configurational models of public organizational performance were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Septo-optic dysplasia (SOD) and optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH) cause congenital visual impairment. Their aetiology is mostly unknown. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of selected ophthalmological features in patients with these disorders. A chart review was performed on patients with SOD/ONH. Ophthalmological data were extracted. There were 102 patients (56 males). The median age at the end of the study was 12.7 years. Best-corrected visual acuity ranged from normal to no light perception. Bilateral ONH was more common than unilateral ONH. Strabismus (85%) and to a lesser extent nystagmus (52%) were both very common in our cohort. Patients with esotropia had worse visual acuity than those who had exotropia. The presence of nystagmus was more likely in cases with bilateral ONH. Therefore, patients with SOD/ONH may have normal visual acuity. Many have strabismus, which may cause amblyopia thereby further decreasing visual acuity. Nystagmus occurs commonly and its presence typically indicates bilateral ONH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theological impetus and practical outworking of the beliefs and approaches held by Christian parents was investigated in ten case study families over a three-year period. The sample represented contrasting parental theological understandings of childhood faith. Each child's faith was observed annually, using the lens of a child as a model of the Kingdom of God, reflecting Matthew 18. Analysis permitted investigation of the impact of parental theological beliefs on a child's onward faith. The data indicated that such beliefs and persuasions significantly impact the modes of faith nurture in the home, ultimately impacting the nature of faith exhibited in the children. Many of the participants felt that sharing faith with their children was very important but they seemed minimally aware of their beliefs and theological perceptions regarding faith in childhood. Insights and recommendations are provided for nurturing children's faith more effectively within such variety of beliefs, values and approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that people tend to overweight arguments accompanied by neuroscientific terminology, which is dubbed as the seductive allure of neuroscience explanations (SANE) in the literature. Such an effect might be of particular significance when it comes to physicians and mental health professionals (MHP), given that it has the potential to cause significant bias in their understanding as well as their treatment approaches toward psychiatric symptoms. In this study, we aimed to test the SANE effect among Turkish medical students, and assess its uniqueness by comparing it with a discipline that still maintains an important role in contemporary psychiatric training in Turkey: psychoanalysis. 109 medical students with a basic level of knowledge of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience were asked to rate the credibility of explanations of differing quality (good vs. circular) for psychological phenomena, followed by three types of information: none, neuroscientific (SNI) or psychoanalytical (SPI). Our findings showed that SNI significantly increased the judged quality of explanations for both conditions with the effect being more prominent for circular explanations. On the other hand, SPI had no effect on good explanations but enhanced the judged quality of circular explanations in a level comparable to that of SNI. For the first time, the SANE effect was replicated among medical students and provided preliminary data in favor of a similar effect for psychoanalytically oriented information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite changes in tools and practices, the conceptual foundations of performance measurement and management (PMM) are still predominantly rooted in control systems research. While PMM approaches have delivered significant organisational benefits, including creating alignment, supporting monitoring and control, and enabling prediction and optimisation of resource allocation, this paper argues that this paradigm is not capable of responding to increasingly complex and highly uncertain organisational environments. Drawing on ideas emerging in the literature on systems engineering and complex systems, we propose a novel perspective that considers PMM from a ‘system of systems’ (SoS) point of view, whose essential characteristics are autonomy, belonging, connectivity, diversity and emergence. After identifying the assumptions underpinning existing PMM approaches, we outline a SoS-based paradigm to PMM and conclude by articulating the main implications for the practice of PMM and setting out a research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data science follows a data-driven approach focused on non-hypothesised pattern discovery from data in an automatic manner (or semi-automatic). Social science areas frequently address latent variables, whose study is mainly guided by a deductive paradigm and requires a confirmatory scope. Both areas, data science and latent variable research, have ample development, but their combination is not mature. The objective is to develop a practical and reproducible framework for data science projects from a psychometric perspective for the study of latent variables. The framework is practical and integrative, and consists of nine steps, which guide from the construct definition, discovery and confirmed patterns (structural equation modelling and considering goodness-of-fit, reliability, validity, equity and subjects' segmentation) to the use of patterns. This last step includes three sub-steps: one for structural hypotheses contrast and two computational approaches (supervised: machine learning; and non-supervised: principal component analysis). Additionally, the framework is efficient and accessible due to its semi-automation using the R language. The framework is applied to study the relationship between class quality and student satisfaction and is consistent with the reproducible research paradigm, widely used in computational areas and recently demanded by social science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio-based nanotechnology has its existence in biological dimensions e.g. microbial cell factories (bacteria, fungi. algae, yeast, cyanobacteria) plants, and biopolymers. They provide multipurpose biological platforms to supply well-designed materials for diverse nano-biotechnological applications. The "green or bio-based synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs)" has witnessed a research outburst in the past decade. The bio-based synthesis of NPs using microbial cell factories is a benign process and requires mild conditions for the synthesis with end products being less/non-toxic. As a result, its application has extended in multitudinous industries including environment, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical. Thus, the present review summarizes all the significant aspects of nanotechnology and the reason to switch towards the bio-based synthesis of NPs using microbial cell factories. It consists of a detailed description of the bio-based methods employed for the synthesis and classification of NPs. Also, a comprehensive study on the application of bio-based NPs in the various industrial and biotechnological domains has been discussed. The limitation and its solution would help identify the applicability of NPs to "identified and unidentified" sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing focus on business analytics and data-driven decision-making, there is a greater need for humans to interact effectively with data. We propose that presenting data to human users in terms of instances and attributes provides a more flexible and usable structure for querying, exploring, and analysing data. Compared to a traditional representation, an instance-based representation does not impose any predefined classification schema over the data when it is presented to users. This paper examines the potential utility of instance-based data through two laboratory experiments – the first focusing on exploration of data for pattern discovery (open-ended tasks) and the second on retrieval of information (closed-ended tasks). In both cases, participants were able to achieve better results in tasks using instance-based data than using class-based representations. Given the growing need for self-service analytics, as well as using information for purposes not anticipated when it was collected, we show that instance-based representations can be an effective way to satisfy the emerging needs of information users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though agent-based modelling is seen as committing to a mechanistic, generative type of causation, the methodology allows for representing many other types of causal explanations. Agent-based models are capable of integrating diverse causal relationships into coherent causal mechanisms. They mirror the crucial, multi-level component of emergent phenomena and recognize the important role of single-level causes without limiting the scope of the offered explana- tion. Implementing various types of causal relationships to complement the generative causation offers insight into how a multi-level phenomenon happens and allows for building more complete causal explanations. The capacity to work with multiple approaches to causality is crucial when tackling the complex problems of the modern world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay critically examines the so-called 'unnaturalness' of historical thinking. I identify and analyse three lines of argument frequently invoked by historians to defend the validity of historical inquiry in response to scepticism, which is often couched in postmodern terms. In doing so, I highlight that these lines of argument are predicated upon historians' thought processes and concepts being domain general. This idea of historical thinking as part of our ordinary thinking could help us develop a history curriculum in which students are required to employ those processes and concepts to solve both everyday and historical questions. With such a curriculum, students could more easily see the relevance of history education to their daily lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism as a social phenomenon is still in a status of ethicality that we hope can be improved. However, we still do not know how to effectively enhance morally guided tourism. It is argued that this knowledge gap is attributed to the absence of an appropriate philosophical underpinning informing the epistemological approaches adopted in ethical tourism studies. In this paper, the author posits that critical realism is a robust and fruitful underlabourer that will help researchers to uncover the 'deep' domain of ethical tourism. It is proposed that future research should investigate (1) what structural, cultural, and agential emergent properties of the systemic components of the ethical tourism system are operant, and (2) how a generative mechanism functions to influence, not determine, the moral conduct of tourism stakeholders. By addressing these two areas of knowledge, we will be able to understand how things work in ethical tourism so that we can make changes to enhance its uptake. Some examples are provided to illustrate how a realist inquiry can be carried out. It is hoped this paper will initiate further discussions on theorizing ethicality in tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address current knowledge management (KM) research critically and constructively, this paper analyses the research papers in an essential, recurrent KM forum, IFKAD (International Forum on Knowledge Asset Dynamics). Our approach compared all research papers (N = 491) from three annual KM conferences providing complementary insights to past journal-based reviews. We offer a new combination of philosophy-of-science frameworks, which allowed us to categorise the findings into four representations of knowledge, two typologies of concepts, and four paradigmatic classifications. All the papers heavily emphasised the existing knowledge and accepted methodology. Their state of the art revealed that less than ten percent of the papers represented new scientific contributions at all. Less than three percent contributed to a better understanding of the essential sustainability areas or the climate crisis. Our novel cross-paradigmatic framing supports our concluding pluralistic framework, emphasising practice-near, curiosity, and problem-driven studies for improving future KM research. A relevant and engaged research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current experiment envisages estimating nitrification and elucidates the mechanistic processes of nitrogen mineralization in a long-term fertilizer experiment (LTFE) on a soybean-wheat cropping system. The experiment had four treatments: fallow (no fertilizer and no crop), control (no fertilizer), inorganic (recommended dose as 100% NPK), and integrated (100% NPK + farmyard manure FYM). The potential nitrification rate (PNR) estimated as µg NO3− produced g−1 soil d−1 was 0.88 in fallow, 1.86 in control, 1.278 in 100% NPK, and 1.493 in 100% NPK + FYM. Real-time PCR quantification of bacterial amoA gene (× 104amoA gene copies g−1 soil) was 19.33 in fallow, 43.33 in control, 30.33 in 100% NPK, and 29.33 in 100% NPK + FYM. The amoA gene copies (x 104 gene copies g−1 soil) of archaea ranged from 11.67 to 38.67. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) of soils indicated that the intensity of the NH4+ minerals was highest in control and lowest in fallow. Soybean grain and biomass yields were highest in 100% NPK + FYM and lowest in control. The study highlights that continuous cropping without fertilizer may alter soil microbial metabolism for the acquisition of nitrogen from mineralization of readily unavailable mineral fractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this wide-ranging interview, Dave Elder-Vass discusses his main contributions to critical realist theory over two decades. In the first half, he explains his early work on emergence, agency, structure, the concept of culture and norm circles, as well as his work on a broad array of social theorists and positions. Sometimes this has involved differences with other realists, including Tony Lawson, Margaret Archer, Alison Sealey and Bob Carter, which he also comments on here. In the second half, he discusses the common themes of his two most recent books (focused on economic form and value respectively) and current project (focused on the concept of profit), in which he is developing a critical realist approach to political economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the first part of the article, the central role of theory in emotion psychology is underscored and reasons are given why more theoretical psychology of emotion is needed. In the second part, nine tasks for the theoretical psychology of emotion are defined, by refining and extending three of the general tasks of theoretical psychology proposed 70 years ago by Sigmund Koch [Theoretical psychology, 1950: An overview. Psychological Review, 58(4), 295. ]. The nine tasks are: (1) Analysis, rational reconstruction and critique of existing emotion theories. (2) Comparison of different theories. (3) Systematization and integration of theories. (4) Reconstruction of the development of theories over time. (5) Analysis, reconstruction and critique of theory-data and data-theory inferences. (6) Analysis, reconstruction and critique of the complete set of arguments for and against specific emotion-theoretic assumption and whole theories. (7) Analysis, reconstruction and critique of measurement theories for emotions. (8) Development of new emotion theories and theories of emotion measurement. (9) Information about theoretical and methodological developments of interest to emotion psychology in other subdisciplines of psychology and in neighbouring sciences, and export of theories and methods to other disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: How can it be that a disease as serious as CFS affecting such a large number of people could be so unknown to the general population? The answer given to this question is based on Pierre Bourdieu's analyzes of symbolic violence. Method: The "letters to the editor" by CFS patients to three national Spanish newspapers were subjected to various qualitative and quantitative analyzes. Results: Based on the qualitative analyzes and their theoretical interpretation, 13 mechanisms of symbolic violence were identified: non-recognition, institutionalized un-care, condescension, authorized imposition of illegitimate verdicts, delegitimization, disintegration, imposition of discourse, euphemization, silencing, invisibilization, isolation, uncommunication, and self-blaming. Multiple Correspondence Analysis made it possible to identify that the structural mechanisms (non-recognition, disintegration) were combined with the most symbolic ones, which came to the forefront producing the observed effects of symbolic violence. The 13 clusters obtained in the Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering confirmed this result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary art conservation is constantly facing challenges relating to materials of poor stability that artists incorporate in their practice, the obsolescence of technological elements within artworks, as well as the multitude of ethical issues that these artworks raise. With the conceptual aspect of artworks often being given emphasis, questions about what values exist within the context and content of the artwork, its universe, is becoming critically important. These questions have become even more complicated since the introduction of replicas created with the use of digital reproduction tools; 3D scanning, 3D printing, digital image capturing and reproduction, and wiki-style documentation methods. Using philosophical frameworks, an attempt is being made to clarify what form replicas of contemporary artworks can take and what conservators should be aware of. The analysis of the values associated with these replicas is illustrated by three case studies; street art, a time-based media artwork, and the work of an artist who specialises in 3D assisted creations. The influence of replicas of contemporary artworks in the decision-making process through their values and interaction with the original amplifies the conservator's feeling of responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with local approaches to innovation in two former industrial cities and explores how these can be explained. It focuses on local debates that have contributed to locally dominant narratives and the ideas embedded in these narratives about the possibilities and conditions for taking innovative paths. Conceptually, the authors pursue an interpretive approach that emphasizes that it is not (seemingly) given objective conditions that determine innovation, but rather the communication-based interpretation of these conditions in terms of possibilities and limits of action by local actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to explain differences between cities regarding innovations will be addressed in this article from an interpretive perspective: actors have to develop an understanding of what constrains them and what they can achieve, how, and with whom. 'External' factors are therefore not explanatory variables in themselves. This means that actors have to develop an understanding about conditions for innovations in their city. This understanding gives meaning to action, and has to be developed through communicative interaction by being constantly reproduced or transformed during communicative interaction. Mechanisms involved in such communicative interaction will be shown and how they have to be applied to particular local narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to industrial development, the volume of carbon dioxide (CO2) is rapidly increasing.. Several techniques have been used to eliminate CO2 from the output gas mixtures. One of these methods is CO2 capturing by ionic liquids (ILs). Computational models for estimating the CO2 solubility in ILS is of utmost importance. In this research, a white box model in the form of a mathematical correlation using the largest data bank in literature is presented by the group method of data handling (GMDH). This research investigates the application of GMDH intelligent method as a powerful computational approach for predicting CO2 solubility in different ionic liquids with temperature lower and upper than 324 K. In this regard, 4726 data points including the solubility of CO2 in 60 ILs were used for model development Moreover, seven different ionic liquids were selected to perform the external test. To evaluate the validity and efficiency of the suggested model, regression analysis was implemented on the actual and estimated target values. As a result, a proper fit between the experimental and predicted data was obtained and presented by various figures and statistical parameters. It is also worth noting that the predicted negative values in the proposed models are considered zero. Also, the results of the established correlation were compared to other proposed models exist in the literature of ionic liquids. The terminal form of the models suggested by GMDH approach and obtained based on temperature are two simple mathematical correlations by exerting input parameters of temperature (T), pressure (P), critical temperature (Tc), critical pressure (Pc) and, acentric factor (ω) which does not suffer from the black box property of other neural network algorithms. The model suggested in this work, would be a promising one which can act as an efficient predictor for CO2 solubility estimation in ILs and is capable of being used in different industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful shared decision making (SDM) in clinical practice requires that future clinicians learn to appreciate the value of patient participation as early as they can in their medical training. Narratives, such as patient testimonials, have been successfully used to support patients' decision-making process. Previous research suggests that narratives may also be used for increasing clinicians' empathy and responsiveness in medical consultations. However, so far, no studies have investigated the benefits of narratives for conveying the relevance of SDM to medical students. In this randomized controlled experiment, N = 167 medical students were put into a scenario where they prepared for medical consultation with a patient having Parkinson disease. After receiving general information, participants read either a narrative testimonial of a Parkinson patient or a fact-based information text. We measured their perceptions of SDM, their control preferences (i.e., their priorities as to who should make the decision), and the time they intended to spend for the consultation. Participants in the narrative patient testimonial condition referred more strongly to the patient as the one who should make decisions than participants who read the information text. Participants who read the patient narrative also considered SDM in situations with several equivalent treatment options to be more important than participants in the information text condition. There were no group differences regarding their control preferences. Participants who read the patient testimonial indicated that they would schedule more time for the consultation. These findings show that narratives can potentially be useful for imparting the relevance of SDM and patient-centered values to medical students. We discuss possible causes of this effect and implications for training and future research. Trial registration: The study was pre-registered on the pre-registration platform AsPredicted (aspredicted.org) before data collection began (registration number: #29,342). Date of registration: 17 October 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information systems (IS) integration is a critical challenge for value-creating mergers and acquisitions. Appropriate design and implementation of IS integration is typically a precondition for enabling a majority of the anticipated business benefits of a combined organization. Often, IS integration projects are subject to deficiencies (e.g., loss of the target firm’s business capabilities with expedited integration) that limit value creation. Drawing on a configurational perspective, we reanalyze 37 published case studies of problematic IS integrations and identify the potential deficiencies and how they are produced. Our findings reveal nine causal configurations that together explain deficiency as a consequence of multiple paths of interconnected mechanisms and contextual conditions that drive their actualization. Finally, based on a post hoc analysis of 25 cases where no negative outcomes are reported, we discuss approaches for managing IS integration to avoid realizing the actualization of deficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Opioid is the second most prevalent illicit drug worldwide, whose consumption is very high in Iran, due to Iran's geographical proximity to producing countries. Methadone maintenance therapy is one of the most prevalent and accepted methods of substance abuse treatment. Nevertheless, cognitive disorders have been reported as one of its complications. This study was conducted to evaluate cognitive impairment in methadone maintenance patients (MMPs) and to compare it with abstinent opioid users (AOUs). This cross-sectional analytical study was performed on 25 MMPs and 25 AOUs. Samples were selected through convenience sampling method whereby a self-made questionnaire was distributed among them to assess demographic information, clinical variables such as methadone and opioid use history, underlying disease and medication history, as well as 13-item Beck depression inventory. Then, they were interviewed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) questionnaire. Significant differences were found in MoCA questionnaire total scores (p = 0.018) and orientation to time and place dimension (p = 0.008) between the two groups, with the mean scores being higher in AOU group. Duration of opioid use was the only factor influencing cognitive assessment score in both Groups. (p = 0.029) We suggest monitoring and assessing cognition function in patients receiving methadone especially for those with a long history of opioid use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering scaffolds that can not only act as a vehicle for stem cell delivery but also support axon regeneration, may significantly improve the treatment outcome of spinal cord injury (SCI). In this study, we developed chitosan scaffold containing human endometrial stem cells (hEnSCs) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to provide a controlled environment for facilitating cell ingrowth and differentiation and also to persuade axon nervous tissue repair. The results showed that 80 µL PRP-loaded chitosan scaffold has excellent hEnSCs viability and can promote the regeneration of nerve fibers and angiogenesis and prevent the formation of scar tissue in the repair of SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Passaic River in New Jersey, USA is heavily polluted by chlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (CDDs). Highly chlorinated CDDs are dechlorinated by anaerobic bacteria from these sediments, producing lightly chlorinated or even non-chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (DD) daughter products. Surficial Passaic River sediments were enriched under aerobic conditions and three bacterial strains (PR1, PR2 and PR3) were isolated using dibenzofuran (DF) as a model substrate. PR1 is closely related to Janibacter terrae (99.4%), a known CDD and DD degrader. PR2 and PR3 are closely related to Agromyces mediolanus (99.2%) and Arthrobacter oryzae (99.5%), respectively, which are genera not known to degrade CDDs. Janibacter PR1 grew more rapidly on DF than PR2 and PR3. The less well characterized PR2 and PR3 both degraded DD and 2-monochlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2MCDD), at similar rates. Neither PR2 nor PR3 transformed 2,7-dichlodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,7DCDD). An angular dioxygenase 99.7% identical to that in Terrabacter sp. DBF63 was detected by PCR in Janibacter PR1 and Agromyces PR2. PCR did not detect an angular dioxygenase in Arthrobacter PR3. In this work, novel aerobic bacterial strains that can aerobically degrade the products of dechlorination were identified in surficial Passaic River sediments. The presence of these bacteria could enable an in situ treatment process that completely removes all CDDs from the sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an essay in environmental philosophy on the way toward field philosophy, using the Chinese National Park System (CNPS) as a case study. The CNPS was initiated in 2015, which began with the assumption of state ownership, to be passed down from generation to generation, with the aim of addressing the problems such natural reserves traditionally have and will continue to face, put into a Chinese context. The CNPS makes it possible to unify the current multiple management structure and correct the practice that has given priority to economic benefits. One key element of the CNPS is the resettlement of local residents from parklands. This revives perennial questions of the nature of the human-land relationship, and parallels the history of the US National Park system. I claim that three ethical principles should be used for the migration of people out of parks: informed consent, participation, and sufficiency. I also analyze four pilot projects' plans of CNPS, and find that the three ethical principles were already present, albeit in a limited and indirect fashion. In future plans for individual national parks, this situation should be improved. Finally, I identify other opportunities and challenges for doing field philosophy on CNPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Becoming a teacher involves not merely the accumulation of disciplinary knowledge and pedagogical techniques, but also significant transformations of identity. A sensitive and research-based appreciation of the nature of these transformations, and their significance for beginning teachers, is potentially valuable for both pre-service teacher education and early-career teacher support practices. Drawing from a recent empirical study this article examines liminality, or paradoxical in-betweenness, as an inherent, and inherently difficult, experiential quality of becoming a teacher. Analysis of four individual case studies of beginning teachers reveals three concrete manifestations of liminality: 'being-a-stranger'; 'being-a-fraud'; and 'dancing in the disequilibrium'. The findings show how these unstable, inbetween spaces of identity-making present complex challenges, but also constitute sites of agency and productive identity-work, for beginning teachers. The discussion provokes questions regarding how teacher educators and school administrators can account for, and respond to, liminality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Task enrichment is an important teacher competency that can be considered as a special case of problem posing. For that reason, the theoretical framework of this article includes an overview of this topic, complemented with the analysis of inverse problems. The field work of this research was carried out in master courses in the University of Granada, Spain, where a couple of modelling problems were proposed to prospective teachers, who were asked to reformulate them in an inverse way to produce a richer version. The results are described, and the prospective teachers' strategies for problem posing and task enrichment are analysed, and also conclusions about this experience in teacher training courses are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on a small-scale research project conducted in Australia investigating the perceptions of some Godly Play storytellers in relation to children as a means of grace. Seven Godly Play storytellers were chosen indiscriminately to participate by writing a short anecdote about a time during one of their Godly Play classes in which a child acted as a means of grace. A phenomenological framework drawing on the evocative method was used to present and analyse the written anecdotes. Two of the findings of this research are presented through phenomenological writing – (1) grace is communicated during moments of serendipitous insight, and (2) grace is communicated in the Kairos moment which demands an ability to know how to act – to seize the moment. While these findings are valuable, further research is needed to examine and verify ways in which children can act as a means of grace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay claims that Stiegler's sense of metaphor gives his work an overlooked rigour. Part one argues that La Faute d'Epiméthée's key claim (that technics is philosophy's "unthought") opens an excess of potential that threatens to overwhelm Stiegler's work. Part two looks at two metaphors (the pharmakon and organ). Part three argues that a focus on Stiegler's technique of metaphor mitigates suspicions that his work is trivial or jargonistic, and allows it to emerge as a counterbalance to a positivistic tendency in contemporary philosophy of technology. This tendency is the legacy of an "empirical turn" in philosophy of technology in the late 1990s; it is problematic, I argue, because it threatens to turn philosophical engagements with technologies into endorsements of Zeitgeist-seizing artifacts (smartphones or social media, for example), to the detriment of what Stiegler's sense of metaphor allows him to address as the broader "pharmacological" and "organological" implications of technologies for society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biosolarization is a fumigation alternative that combines solarization with organic amendments to suppress pests and pathogens in agricultural soils. The generation of volatile biopesticides in the soil, stemming from biodegradation of carbon-rich amendments, contributes to pest inactivation. The purpose of this study was to (1) profile volatiles that may contribute to pest control under field conditions and (2) measure volatile compounds that may present nuisance or exposure risks for humans near biosolarized fields where larger-scale anaerobic degradation of residues occurs. Biosolarization was performed using prominent agricultural waste products, hulls and shells from several almond varieties as soil amendments. After 8 days of biosolarization, soil samples were analyzed using solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Volatile fatty acids and ketones made up 85% of biosolarized soil headspace, but terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, and sulfides were detected as well. Different almond variety residues produced distinct volatile profiles, and nonpareil-amended soils had a much richer and more diverse profile, as well as a fivefold greater VOC abundance, than pollinator-amended soil. Identified volatiles with low US recommended exposure limits were quantified via internal and external standards, including acetic acid, 2-butanone, butanal, hexanal, and phenylethyl alcohol. Across biosolarization treatments, headspace concentrations of selected compounds did not exceed 1 mg/m3. This study demonstrates that almond processing residues recycled into the soil as biosolarization substrates produce a high diversity of bioactive degradation compounds on a field scale, with low potential of non-target risks to humans. Implications: This manuscript has implications for two policy goals in the state of California: to reduce landfill disposal of organic waste, and to reduce emissions from soil fumigants. Almond hulls and shells are an increasing source of organic waste, and novel recycling strategies must be developed. Here, recycling almond residues as soil amendments promoted the rapid formation of VOCs which may act as alternatives to chemical fumigants. Headspace concentrations of potentially deleterious VOCs produced from treated soil were low, on the order of parts per billion. These results will help achieve policy goals by expanding waste usage and fumigation alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-isolation is a vital element of efforts to contain COVID-19. We set out to test whether decision aids can support self-isolation. We conducted a pre-registered online experiment with a nationally representative sample (n = 500). Three stages tested: (i) whether decision trees help people to decide whether they need to self-isolate; (ii) whether an online planning tool increases people's confidence in their ability to self-isolate; and (iii) whether infographics help people to absorb advice on managing a household in which someone must self-isolate. (i) Accuracy of matching symptom patterns to a response scale for the need to self-isolate; (ii) self-reported confidence in coping with self-isolation; (iii) objective tests of recall and comprehension. Decision trees improved decisions about when self-isolation was necessary, although participants systematically underestimated the need to self-isolate with less common COVID-19 symptoms (e.g. sore throat, fatigue). The online planning tool increased confidence about coping with self-isolation only among the adults aged under 40. Infographics improved recall and comprehension of how to manage self-isolation. Decision aids can be used to support self-isolation during COVID-19. The study also demonstrates how even an emergency public health response can benefit from rapid experimental pre-testing of interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]