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Researchers in the 1980s identified strong school-parent relations as a significant potential in the church sector, but this potential has not received enough attention in the European context. However, a serious obstacle to this partnership can be the unpreparedness, overwork, and deficit orientation of teachers, as well as their narrow-mindedness towards parents. Our analysis, based on Epstein’s typology of parental involvement, focuses on the question whether partnership with parents in church-run schools shows any differences from that in state schools. Our qualitative research involved semi-structured interviews with teachers from 32 primary schools. Despite the similarities between school providers, we detected differences between church-run and state schools regarding Epstein’s types of parental involvement. While in the former sector, schools appeared more active in creating a parental community, the latter was characterised by formal and individual ways of parental participation. The practical result of our research is that the parent-school partnership is an area in need of improvement and that different school providers can learn from each other’s good practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis comparative study, constituting Part B of our extensive investigation into robust optimization (RO) in inventory management, builds on the foundational insights from Part A’s survey. It conducts a thorough analysis of various RO formulations and algorithms, emphasizing their practical application, efficacy, and computational considerations in inventory management contexts. This study is meticulously structured to address the pivotal inquiries identified in Part A, encompassing the effective representation of uncertainty, the selection of optimal decision criteria, the influence of decision rules on inventory management performance, computational challenges, and the adaptability of these methods to evolving technological and market conditions. This research juxtaposes theoretical findings with empirical data, offering a comprehensive evaluation of the strengths, limitations, and practical implications of each robust inventory model discussed in the literature. This investigation not only complements the survey in Part A but also serves as a standalone, in-depth contribution to robust inventory management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finnish and Chinese teacher education have gained worldwide attention because of their pupils’ significant achievements in international assessments. Focusing on the manifestations of teacher competencies in the respective teacher education frameworks, this article compares Finnish and Chinese teacher education and their curricular traditions. The mixed-method analysis of the two national frameworks draws attention to significant differences and similarities. Due to particular cultural contexts, while the Chinese Framework emphasises ethics, student management, and assessment competencies, Finnish teacher education focuses comparatively more on adaptive teaching, innovation, and partnering. The competencies of subject matters, pedagogy and subject didactics, teaching technologies, communication, multidisciplinarity, reflection and inquiry, and professional development are emphasised in both countries. This article provides insights into manifestations of teacher competencies in the context of hybrid curriculum traditions in Finland and China through adapting and applying an international framework, offering alternative perspectives on quality teacher education beyond Anglo-American approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This comparative study of everyday life in Norwegian and French preschools explores how 'risk' related to children's body practices is understood, practised and negotiated by teachers and how this may regulate educational practices in a short- and long-term perspective. Studying educational institutions in two different societies illuminates institutional constraints, normative principles and cultural values influencing everyday practices. Using a polyphonic ethnographic approach, the staff of five settings were invited to react to edited videos of daily life in these settings, and to critically reflect on their own and others' practices. The results show how the teachers articulated the handling of risks and challenges according to the frames and resources related to children and the adults' responsibilities. Six different risk-related themes were identified: the risk of illness, injury, restricting children's bodies and the inability to cope, and risks related to teachers and to pedagogy. These themes also elucidated the different perceptions and values of indoor and outdoor activities through the identification of these risks. Body practices in ECEC appear as socio-political tools to either support or restrict children's experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internationally, research comparing education systems across countries and jurisdictions is valuable and can elicit nuanced insights into how particular systems operate. This paper's interest lies in considering the scope and content of research comparing education systems across the four UK nations (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales). This study sought to determine the coverage of UK cross-national comparative education research ('home international' research) between 2000 and 2022. We chose this time period as 1999 marks the devolution of education policy to each UK nation. We aimed to investigate what educational issues had been discussed in the literature and identify any gaps in the content covered by the research. An exploratory, high-level review of 'home international' education research was conducted, based on the review of abstracts. We searched several research databases using a variety of keyword combinations to identify relevant literature published since 2000. Our search identified 53 studies that met our selection criteria. Using a meta-synthesis approach, we coded the content of each abstract to build a picture of the range and thematic coverage of research involving comparisons between at least two of the four UK nations. The analysis of abstracts identified that, over the last two decades, UK 'home international' research has tended to include comparisons of all four nations, coverage of multiple educational phases and a focus on national education policy reviews. Furthermore, we pinpointed a number of gaps in coverage that might not have been anticipated (e.g. relatively little cross-national research focusing on assessment). This high-level review uncovers the landscape of recent 'home international' research, allowing us to view issues that are driving the cross-national research agenda in the UK and recognise implications relevant to education systems that may resonate with jurisdictions beyond these four UK nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractInternational students’ contact and engagement with various cultures has received increased scholarly attention. This scholarship tends to either celebrate students’ cosmopolitanism or highlight their difficulties ‘adapting’ in their receiving countries. In this paper, we examine students’ own perceptions of and engagement with their sending and receiving countries’ cultures through the dialectic of distance and proximity, gleaned from mobilities studies. Based on 20 in-depth online interviews with Vietnamese nationals studying in Vancouver and Paris, our analysis highlights how these students construct or deconstruct notions of distance and proximity between Vietnam and their receiving countries (i.e. France and Canada), as well as between themselves and each of these countries. First, we examine how, before their departure, students cultivate a sense of cultural proximity to their geographically distant countries of destination, through studying and consuming media in French or English. Second, we address students’ rapport with French and Canadian societies as well as their sense of proximity to or distance from Vietnamese culture while studying in France and Canada. We examine how these (de-)constructions of distance can be related to students’ cosmopolitanism. We argue that notions of distance and proximity help foster a nuanced understanding of international students’ mobilities and cosmopolitanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjective: To observe the efficacy and safety of sodium valproate (VPA) compared to levetiracetam (LEV) in the treatment of severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI).Methods: In this blind, prospective study, eighty-four sTBI patients who had craniotomy from August 2021 to August 2023 were randomly split into two groups through random number table method: LEV and VPA, each with 42 patients. Both received comprehensive treatment post-craniotomy. LEV group: LEV injection on surgery day, transitioning to LEV tablets from day two. VPA group: VPA injection on surgery day, switching to VPA extended-release tablets from day two. The study compared hospital stay, neurological function, clinical outcomes, seizures, and drug reactions between groups.Results: The length of hospital stay showed no significant difference between the LEV and VPA groups. Both groups demonstrated improved neurological function post-treatment (NIHSS and BI scores), with no significant between-group differences. Clinical outcomes at 3 months post-treatment were similar in both groups. Seizure occurrence within 3 months after treatment showed no significant difference between the LEV (19.05%) and VPA (23.81%) groups. However, the VPA group experienced a significantly higher rate of drug-related adverse reactions (40.48%) compared to the LEV group (21.43%).Conclusion: Both VPA and LEV are effective in treating sTBI, showing no significant difference in improving neurological function, daily life abilities, treatment outcomes, and seizure occurrence. However, VPA treatment exhibited a significantly higher incidence of drug-related adverse reactions compared to LEV, indicating that LEV might be a safer option for sTBI treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A curriculum is generally regarded as an instructional plan that describes what, why and how students should learn. In this comparative study, we analysed the Czech and Slovak intended curricula of science subjects (physics, chemistry, biology, geography, and geology) and mathematics by comparing their national curriculum documents in terms of learning outcomes at the lower secondary level (ISCED level 2). Our analysis showed significant differences in the number of obligatory learning outcomes, which were much higher in the Slovak curriculum than in the Czech curriculum. The structure of these outcomes also differed across subjects and between countries. Nevertheless, the cognitive demands of the learning outcomes analysed using the revised Bloom's taxonomy were similar in the two countries, but metacognitive knowledge and higher-level cognitive processes were rarely represented in either. Additionally, by inductive content analysis of the Slovak curriculum document, we identified two significant groups of cross-curricular requirements, namely outcomes related to scientific inquiry and outcomes requiring working with information. Overall, these learning outcomes are underrepresented in both analysed documents (particularly in the Czech document) even though the skills that these outcomes develop are in high demand in the current context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectiveMethodsResultsConclusionTo analyze and compare the application advantages of Edaravone and Edaravone Dextrosanol in elderly patients with acute cerebral infarction (ACI).A retrospective analysis of clinical data from 113 elderly AIS patients admitted to our hospital between January 2022 and January 2023 was conducted. Based on the treatment interventions received, patients were divided into a control group (n = 56) and an observation group (n = 57). The control group received Edaravone in addition to routine treatment, while the observation group received Edaravone Dextrosanol in addition to routine treatment. compared clinical outcomes, motor and neurological function, self-care ability, neural damage indicators, inflammatory markers, and adverse reactions between the two groups.① Total effective rate in the observation group (91.23%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (75.00%) (p < 0.05). ② After treatment, higher FMA and Barthel scores, lower NDS score in observation group vs control group (p < 0.05). ③ After treatment, lower NSE and MMP-9 levels in observation group vs control group (p < 0.05). ④ After treatment, lower IL-1β, IL-6, and hs-CRP levels in observation group vs control group (p < 0.05). ⑤ No significant difference in adverse reaction incidence between groups (p > 0.05).Edaravone Dextrosanol proves effective in treating elderly AIS patients. Compared to Edaravone, it boosts effectiveness, neurological recovery, motor & self-care abilities, and reduces neural damage & inflammation markers. Its safety profile is comparable to Edaravone, without significantly increasing adverse reactions. These findings suggest that Edaravone Dextrosanol is worthy of clinical promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparative study was conducted to compare the accident cause analysis methods of fault tree analysis (FTA) and 24Model. A major accident – the Xinjia Hotel collapse accident – was selected as the research object, the causes of the accident were reanalysed and accident prevention countermeasures were designed based on 24Model and FTA, respectively, and the systematic characteristics of 24Model were summarized. The research shows that both 24Model and FTA can carry out risk assessment, accident cause analysis and preventive countermeasure design based on their own rules. Different from FTA, 24Model has static and dynamic structures of specific forms, the definition of causes and factors in the model is more comprehensive and the analysis method is more hierarchical and normative. 24Model can analyse the deep-level cultural and system causes, but the analysis process does not use quantitative methods, only qualitative methods. 24Model has eight systematic characteristics, such as integrity, hierarchy and dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, smart transportation has been more and more deeply integrated into urban governance, economic development and people’s life now. Current research on smart transportation lacks an examination from the perspective of public policy. And the analysis and experience summary of smart transportation policies are not enough. Therefore, on the basis of literature review on smart transportation policies, this paper selects smart transportation policies issued by Beijing and Shanghai as the research object, constructs a three-dimensional analytical framework containing policy objective, policy instrument and policy thematic characteristics, and makes a comparative analysis on smart transportation policies of Beijing and Shanghai based on text mining and content analysis. And the models of smart transportation development of Beijing and Shanghai are extracted. Finally, this paper puts forward some suggestions to optimize smart transportation policies so as to provide useful reference for the formulation and implementation of smart transportation policies in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bridge deterioration reflects changes in bridge conditions and is caused by many factors. Predicting bridge deterioration is critical for implementing predictive interventions, but developing such credible models that consider multiple influencing factors remains difficult. This study uses Markov Chain (MC) and Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) to establish deterioration prediction models. Then, comparative studies of these two models are conducted on a censored database regarding the mean deterioration progress, deterioration progress of bridges with different deck types, deterioration progress of a single bridge, and the influence of each factor on deterioration progress. The results indicate that RNN-predicted deterioration to a worse state takes less time than MC-predicted deterioration, but the difference is less than 5 years. Deterioration progresses of bridges with different deck types show that PC deck and steel deck are more durable than RC deck and concrete-steel composite deck. Qualitative and quantitative analysis infers eight factors substantially affecting the deterioration progress. Overall, the deterioration progress provided by these two models can be utilized to determine bridge's remaining life and analyze the effects of external factors affecting the deterioration. This information is extremely valuable for assisting in developing and implementing effective management and maintenance strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to compare leaf extracts of Y. gloriosa, Y. treculeana, Y. filamentosa and Y. aloifolia. Plant extracts were obtained by sequential extraction with 50% and 100% methanol using the pressurized liquid extraction method. General comparative analysis of Yucca extracts was performed by 2 D-NMR. The presence of various biologically active components in the extracts was shown, among which steroid saponins predominate. The use of LC-MS and LC-HRMS methods with electrospray ionization made it possible to conduct a comparative analysis of Yucca steroidal saponins. The 33 steroidal saponins of various structures were found. The presence of three characteristic saponins in all Yucca species was shown: yuccaloeside C, yuccaloeside E and yuccaloeside B. The results obtained can be used to control the quality of plant materials and products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands represent crucial ecosystems, with urban wetlands playing a significant role in regulating regional thermal environments. The Sustainable Development Goals Scientific Satellite 1 (SDGSAT-1), equipped with multiple sensors, boasts one of the highest spatial resolutions among satellites housing thermal infrared sensors. A specific deep blue band, sensitive to chlorophyll in water, has been established, introducing innovative technological avenues for observing urban wetland environments. This study focuses on Beijing, investigating SDGSAT-1's efficacy in wetland classification and Land Surface Temperature (LST) retrieval, in comparison to Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8 TIRS data. The findings reveal that: (1) Wetland classification accuracy with SDGSAT-1 (86.76% overall accuracy, 0.84 Kappa coefficient, 0.87 Macro-F1) surpasses that of Sentinel-2, possibly attributed to the deep blue bands; (2) In contrast to Landsat 8's thermal infrared band, SDGSAT-1's finer resolution (30 m spatial resolution) offers more intricate spatial variation of LST, forming a foundational dataset for nuanced wetland thermal environment investigations; (3) The study underscores the comprehensive advantages of SDGSAT-1 data in monitoring urban wetlands and thermal environments, furnishing a theoretical basis for future related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate and identify the contributing factors to long-duration streetcar incident delay, where contingency plan could be activated. For comparative study, the performance of eight statistical and machine learning methods, including logistic regression model, Bayesian logit regression model, classification and regression tree model, K-nearest neighbours model, random forest model, gradient boosting model and artificial neural network model, have been compared and analysed based on the Toronto streetcar incident dataset in 2019 with 11418 streetcar incident records. The comparative study results show that the random forest method has the best performance, whose marginal effect analysis further demonstrates that the most significant contributing factors to streetcar incident delay duration are the morning peak period, the streetcar incidents types including mechanical failure, held by, diversion and late leaving the garage, as well as the month and weekday. The result of the paper could provide policy implication on timely streetcar incident clearance and contingency plan implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores and compares the experiences and perspectives of primary teachers regarding the teaching of religion in Catholic schools in Ireland and South Korea. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten teachers from each country. The findings highlight the contrasting perspectives of teachers from the two countries regarding the importance of and approach to religious education as a response to the challenges posed by pluralism. Teachers from Ireland predominantly exhibit a proactive approach, valuing diverse viewpoints and making efforts to engage in interreligious dialogue. Conversely, many teachers from South Korea demonstrate a deep appreciation for their own belief in God and prioritise the faith development of children. The comparative study highlights the importance of understanding teachers' experiences and the ways in which they navigate the intersection of religious diversity, national policies, Catholic ethos, and their own personal faith perspectives. Our findings demonstrate the central role of teachers' beliefs and future-oriented agency in the construction and implementation of religious education which does not always follow prescribed confessional or secular-neutral approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DC Beads and CalliSpheres are commonly used microspheres in clinical transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, but these microspheres cannot be visualized by themselves. Therefore, in our previous study, we developed multimodal imaging nano-assembled microspheres (NAMs), which are visualized under CT/MR and the location of embolic microspheres can be determined during postoperative review, facilitating the evaluation of embolic areas and guiding subsequent treatment. Moreover, the NAMs can be carried with positively and negatively charged drugs, increasing the choice of drugs. Systematic comparative analysis of the pharmacokinetics of NAMs with commercially available DC Bead and CalliSpheres microspheres is important for evaluating the clinical application of NAMs. In our study, we compared the similarities and differences between NAMs and two drug-eluting beads (DEBs) in respect to drug loading capacity, drug release profiles, diameter variation and morphological characteristics. The results indicate that NAMs had good drug delivery and release characteristics as well as DC Bead and CalliSpheres in vitro experimental stage. Therefore, NAMs have a good application prospect in transcatheter arterial chemoembolization treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study on the long-term care sectors for the elderly in Germany and Israel shows that in both countries, street-level workers mostly use their discretionary space to move towards clients. Based on 52 semi-structured interviews, we found that this tendency is to a considerable extent a product of organizational influences and orientations. These are, in turn, shaped by different institutional settings, especially market characteristics. Street-level workers operating in social entrepreneurship contexts – predominantly found in Germany – move towards clients for different reasons than those working for organizations that function according to entrepreneurial logics – mainly identified in Israel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Perspective taking has various effects on students’ learning, including the development of innovative capabilities, improved communication efficiency in distance education, and enhanced learning performances in practical tasks. Current collaboration systems often provide only a single third-person or first-person perspective and require the placement of markers on physical objects to achieve perspective alignment. These limitations restrict users’ observation and participation in the collaboration process, resulting in a less-than-ideal experience. To address this issue, a perspective taking supported augmented reality collaboration learning platform centered around a general technology course is proposed in this article. Users have the ability to view each other’s perspectives and utilize various collaboration cues, including sketches, voice, models, gestures, and gaze. In addition, a comparative study was conducted for the first time, comparing the effects of different perspective collaborations on students’ learning performance, internal motivation, collaboration experience, and intention to continue using the system. The study revealed significant improvements in learning performance when using the proposed system. Students also reported higher levels of intrinsic motivation, better collaborative experiences, and a greater willingness to continue using the proposed system. User interviews further confirmed the preference for and enjoyment of the proposed system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interprofessional collaboration and practice (IPCP) is considered the cornerstone for effective service delivery for children with speech language and communication needs (SLCN). Following Stutsky and Spence Laschinger’s framework, we investigated IPCP-related differences between Dutch and Norwegian professionals in a cross-national comparative survey study. The personal relational skills of communication, trust and situational factor support structures were related to interprofessional collaboration in both countries. Trust was a stronger predictor for the Dutch sample than the Norwegian sample. A moderated moderation analysis revealed that the relationship between IPCP and perceived team effectiveness is moderated by trust for the Dutch professionals but not for their Norwegian colleagues. Trust may play a vital role for interprofessional teams in the Dutch context because service delivery is mainly characterised by the pull-out intervention of specialised professionals. In the integrated early intervention context of Norway, emphasis on professional communication skills seems a fruitful strategy to enhance the effectiveness of teams. Early intervention service delivery may be strengthened by structural facilitation and building networks to develop trust across professionals and organisations, which supports the development of professional competence relevant to IPCP in early intervention service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of digital technologies in teaching and learning processes has opened new and wide frontiers in mathematics education. Research in education moves towards teaching and learning (and assessing) twenty-first-century skills and computer-based testing seems an interesting possibility for assessing such skills. From this perspective, comparing computer-based with paper and pencil testing is an important issue for the educational community. It could allow us to better understand differences, innovations and weaknesses of classical assessing strategies and methods. The purpose of this study is to provide an example of the differences that can be found in migrating a task from one environment to another through a qualitative analysis of task and students’ solution processes. The sample involved in this study includes grade 6 and 8 students. The analysis shows that the environment migration process is not neutral: the tasks present differences. Students’ performances in the tasks are the same, but differences can be observed in solving processes. In particular, students of our sample differ in the mathematical resources applied, and in the assessing processes. In addition, it seems that students activate similar problem-solving processes as they become more familiar with the task and the environment in which it is administered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is a comparative research investigating whether cultural competence of preservice teachers is causally related to their social justice and self-efficacy beliefs in Turkey, South Korea and the United States. The study group involved pre-service teachers from Turkey (n = 560), South Korea (n = 790) and the United States (n = 352). The model was developed in the study to discern pattern of relationships among cultural competence acting on social justice and self-efficacy beliefs via multiple causal pathways. Multisample structural equation model was performed to test the equivalence of relationships among variables in the three samples by estimating the model separately for Turkish, S. Korean, and US groups. The study results revealed that cultural competence of pre-service teachers has positive effect on their social justice and self-efficacy beliefs in all three samples. The results indicated that there is a strongest effect of pre-service teachers' cultural competence on their social justice beliefs in S. Korea. There was a strongest effect of pre-service teachers' cultural competence on their self-efficacy beliefs in Turkey. The implications for academic research and teacher training are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A composite bucket foundation (CBF) is a new foundation type of offshore wind turbine. The investigation of the bearing characteristic of CBF is a crucial part of the structural design and safety assessment of offshore wind turbines. This study investigates the bearing characteristic of CBF in sand and clay foundations using centrifuge model test and numerical simulation. Analysis revealed that as load increases, the rotation center of the CBF moves toward the central line and shallow area. The buried depth of the CBF rotation center in a clay foundation is shallower than in a sand foundation when the CBF is under ultimate loading. Due to the rotation and translation of CBF, the soil pressure–depth curves on the skirt wall in different directions will resemble parabolic, line, and triangle shapes, respectively. Under ultimate loading, the relationship between the depth and horizontal coordinate of the rotation center and embedment ratio is linear. The CBF's bearing capacity trend presents quadratic function characteristics as the embedment ratio increases. However, the bearing capacity ratio of the CBF in the clay foundation is faster than that in the sand foundation. The findings provide guidelines for offshore wind turbines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper presents an experimental and numerical study to evaluate the ballistic performance of E-glass/epoxy and S2-glass/epoxy composites. Composite materials were produced by vacuum assisted resin infusion molding method. All the specimens were then subjected to ballistic impact tests by gas-gun system. Residual velocities were measured by high-speed camera for different velocities. Ballistic limits of all composites were obtained by curve fitting residual velocity-impact velocity data. It was found that S2-glass/epoxy composite has a higher ballistic limit than E-glass/epoxy. S2-glass/epoxy has also more specific absorbed energy and absorbed energy density than E-glass/epoxy. Numerical results were in good agreement with experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares within-country programmes of initial vocational education and training (IVET) in Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany and their outcomes. Specifically, it aims to analyse and compare the labour market success of graduates of different tracks at the ISCED 3 level in both early and later stages of their careers. The comparison is based on the analysis of PIAAC 2013 OECD study data. A composite multidimensional indicator was constructed to measure labour market success and subsequently used as a dependent variable in regression models. The results indicate that in the systems with dual IVET at the ISCED 3 level (Germany and Austria), graduates are indeed more successful at the labour market than their counterparts with other ISCED 3 tracks. However, their advantage diminishes in later stages of the career. Additionally, in Austria, the success of dual education young graduates is mediated by individual characteristics. In the system with only school-based IVET (the Czech Republic), this track does not guarantee substantively higher labour market success for young graduates compared to other ISCED 3 tracks and also to those with lower education. Czech apprentices in the later stages of career succeed even less than those with below ISCED 3 education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Omicron variant has been the predominant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 variant circulating in Korea since January 2022. This study evaluated and compared the clinical characteristics of children with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) between the Delta and Omicron periods. The medical records of children aged < 12 years diagnosed with acute COVID-19 (<2 weeks of symptom onset) at seven university-affiliated hospitals were retrospectively reviewed. Children with a previous history of COVID-19 or vaccination were excluded. The clinical characteristics of the included children during the Delta (1 August 2021 to 15 January 2022) and Omicron (16 January to 30 June 2022) periods were compared. Among the 515 children included in the study, 36 (7.0%) and 479 (93.0%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the Delta and Omicron periods, respectively. A total of 142 (27.6%) were hospitalized, and the hospitalization rate was higher during the Delta period than the Omicron period (91.7% vs. 22.8%, p < 0.001). The incidence of fever (p = 0.009), vomiting (p = 0.031), and seizures (p = 0.007) was higher during the Omicron period, whereas the incidence of rhinorrhea (p = 0.027) was higher during the Delta period. Clinical severity and outcomes were comparable between the two periods. During the Omicron period, 6.4% of the hospitalized children received oxygen therapy and 1.8% received intensive care. The incidence of fever and seizures was higher during the Omicron period in pediatric patients without a history of vaccination or previous COVID-19. However, the clinical severity was similar during both periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research compares the role performance of solutions journalism in reporting the COVID-19 pandemic in 25 countries and regions. While solutions journalism performed more interventionist, facilitator, and civic-oriented roles overall, it highlighted different responses and responders in the coverage and exemplified different roles in various regions. Solutions journalism enacted more interventionist and facilitator roles when reporting the government-led containment of the virus in East Asia and non-U.S. Western countries where COVID-19 cases were lower. Solutions journalism performed a civic-oriented role to report the grassroots' efforts to combat the pandemic in the United States, where COVID-19 infection was more severe. However, solutions journalism failed to implement service role and watchdog role in a time of crisis when the public needs more how-to advice and accountability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the motivational factors for students to take up social work as a degree programme at the postgraduate level. The study reports on qualitative interviews (N = 66) conducted with conveniently selected postgraduate social work students at ten different university departments of social work across India and China. The findings revealed that there are (1) gaps in entry to MSW program: need to rethink admission policy; (2) gaps in the impact of studying social work: need to focus on social change and transformation; (3) gaps in career preferences after studying social work: need to focus on career guidance. The result of the study provides information on current international social work developments in education and help policymakers and educators to change or enhance their approaches towards understanding social work theory, teaching practice and student recruitment policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study conducts a comparative analysis of the factors affecting financial inclusion in Kenya and Ethiopia at macro and micro levels. A generalized linear model is used to examine the determinants of and barriers to financial inclusion using the 2017 Global Findex Database, whereas a descriptive analysis is used to explore their macro-level differences. Kenya has a higher level of financial inclusion than Ethiopia. Differences in financial liberalization policy, gross domestic product, percentage of rural population, and mobile money service expansion are some macro-level differences that explain this variation. Differences in literacy rates and means of receiving payments such as government transfers explain some of the micro-level variations between the two countries. In addition, gender, age, employment status, and owning a mobile phone have significant and positive effects on financial inclusion. However, lack of documentation, lack of trust, and lack of money are significant barriers to financial inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The government plans to absorb conflicts caused by policy problems, have a goal orientation, and solve problems through policy implementation. This process is meaningful in that it can reduce the goal ambiguity of the organization and achieve results. In other words, goal setting and optimal alternative selection based on a comprehensive analysis of the situation can achieve government performance. The global achievements in e-government in South Korea and Denmark also follow this initiative. However, the shift from e-government to digital government requires a change in approach to planning. In other words, rather than planning a rational-comprehensive approach to find the optimal solution, it requires a social and political approach or an incrementalism approach with the participation of various stakeholders. This point of view is similar to the study of a regional innovation system that aims to innovate through a network of multiple participants. It is also consistent with the perspective of open innovation, which creates knowledge through internal and external exchanges and breaks down organizational boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical insights on the attitudinal correlates of direct democracy are inconclusive. On the one hand, direct democracy bears a conceptual resemblance with populist ideas. On the other hand, participatory democrats advocate the use of direct democracy precisely on grounds that it promises to educate citizens. This paper complements tests of arguments positing an educative potential of direct democracy with tests of its populist potential. We make use of original survey data collected in the German Bundesländer, which present a relatively underappreciated, yet interesting and representative case for studying direct democracy. Multilevel models indicate that political attitudes are neither more populist nor more supportive of the political system among citizens in direct democratic contexts. The story is more complicated though as the relationship between direct democracy and populist attitudes is conditional on the ideological orientation of a citizen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classroom dialogue is widely used in mathematics teaching and learning, and if managed strategically, it will have productive benefits for mathematics achievement. However, dialogic participants often lack awareness of how dialogue could be constructed, and few studies show the characteristics of dialogic patterns in different stages of education. Drawing on the data from the Chinese National Cloud Platform, this study therefore comparatively examined the dialogic patterns of mathematics lessons captured in primary, secondary and high schools in China, using 300 video-recorded mathematics lessons, with 100 lessons for each stage of education. Classroom dialogue was transcribed and systematically coded, after which a lag sequential pattern mining technique was used to examine the collective process of dialogic contributions. Findings indicated that there were both similarities and differences in terms of the dialogue pattern throughout the three stages. Dialogue concerning previously-learnt knowledge, subjective expressions and analysis appeared frequently in mathematics lessons in the three education stages, while speculative talk and querying were less often observed. There were commonalities between dialogic patterns captured in mathematics lessons in secondary and high schools, which were significantly different from those in primary schools. The variation was most obvious in dialogue showing high-level cognition, namely, analysis, coordination and speculation. Prominent sequences captured in secondary and high school lessons were able to involve dialogue at both low and high cognitive levels, which demonstrated the characteristics of exploratory talk. This knowledge could help create productive classroom dialogue, and benefit mathematics teaching and learning. Specific data mining methods were developed, drawing on computer science to achieve an understanding of dialogue patterns. A lag sequential mining technique was applied to capture the collective and constructive process of classroom dialogue. Similar dialogic patterns in terms of low-cognitive dialogues were recognized in primary, secondary and high schools. A skewed high-cognitive dialogues among three education stages was suggested as possible reasons which lead to transitional difficulties in mathematics learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature review revealed that scour modeling using artificial intelligence (AI) lacks majorly in two aspects - one is the Input variable selection (IVS) and secondly, the relative ranking of scour models based on their performance. In this study, state-of-the-art AI algorithms, including artificial neural network (ANN), artificial neuro-fuzzy interface system (ANFIS), support vector machine (SVM), model tree (M5P), gene expression programming (GEP), and group method of data handling (GMDH) were employed to compute the Local Scour Depth (LSD) and to address identified lacunas. A total of 378 data set consisting of laboratory and field data was used for modeling. Evaluation criteria such as the index of agreement (IOA), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), Skill Score (SS), Correlation (Correl), and Taylor diagram were employed to check the goodness-of-fit of the proposed models. IVS was performed using partial mutual information (PMI). The findings of the study showed that velocity (V), the diameter of the pier (b), Reynolds pier number (Rp), and particle densimetric Froude number (Frd) were highly sensitive parameters to the scour. Quantitative and qualitative results indicated that SVM performed better with RMSE (0.06), MAPE (0.04) and SS (0.9). Tayler diagram also confirmed the above findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify the factors affecting the formation of visitors' perception of time in the two heritage sites of Naqsh-e Jahan and Merdeka from the interpretive approach. The explanatory method was used to ensure a deep understanding of visitors' perceptions. Initially, 376 questionnaires were collected in Naqsh-e Jahan and 366 questionnaires in Merdeka. The Friedman test showed the differences between visitors' prioritization of time perception variables. It was concluded that the sub-indices of environmental variables and special days rejected the hypothesis. In the qualitative part, researchers used methods of interviews and narrative stories based on their observations and lived experiences. Narrative descriptions allowed researchers to become aware of visitors' perceptions and to make meaningful interpretations in which social context and culture are considered. Qualitative data analysis was performed by the triple coding method. 4 core categories were obtained, based on which the perception of time was formed in the visitors' minds. These categories are sense of rhythm, speed of time, sense of change, and normative components of each country. It states that just as the amplification of spatial norms in a particular place is effective in strengthening the sense of place, it can also be generalized in time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drill string is always exposed to various types of vibrations among which, stick slip is one of the most important types. It is a severe state of torsional vibrations. This phenomenon can decrease the rate of penetration of drilling, wear of expensive equipment prematurely and cause catastrophic failures. In this paper, a novel adaptive sliding mode (SM) controller is proposed to eliminate stick slip in drill string systems. This proposed algorithm has a more robust capacity than existing 1st-order SM schemes in the literature regarding the robustness to parametric uncertainties, variations in weight on bit (WOB), variations in reference velocity and measurement noise. Moreover, the proposed controller does not require a priori knowledge of the upper bounds of parametric uncertainties, external disturbances and can be easily applied for any operating mode of the drill rig. A proof of stability based on the Lyapunov criterion of the system is given. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm suppresses the stick-slip while keeping good performances compared to other SM controllers. A comparative study between the proposed controller and classic SM controllers and other adaptive SM scheme is performed in order to assess the advantages of the proposed algorithm and illustrate the overall performance improvements. The obtained results show that the proposed controller succeeded to eliminate the stick-slip phenomenon with the best performance compared to the classic SM controllers. In fact, the proposed controller presented a reduction of nearly 26 % in terms of overshoot and 1.6 times better settling time values while having the smoother input signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology-sourcing mergers and acquisitions (M&As) has become an important instrument for enterprises to acquire new knowledge and build technological ability. To achieve technology innovation improvement, the choice of integration strategy is vitally important. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between integration and innovation in technology-sourcing M&As. To verify our hypotheses, we conduct a comparative empirical study based on the data of overseas and domestic M&As of Chinese enterprises from 2000 to 2019. We find that for overseas M&As, the influence of integration degree on technology innovation depends on the resource characteristics of the two merging parties. In cases of high resource similarity and low resource complementarity, the degree of integration positively affects technology innovation, while in cases of low resource similarity and high resource complementarity, the degree of integration negatively affects technology innovation. In comparison, for domestic M&As, the degree of integration positively affects technology innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International fieldwork programs that provide learning opportunities abroad have become increasingly popular in undergraduate education worldwide. Gaining insight into students' motives to engage in these programs can assist in formulating strategies for program development; however, few studies have investigated this topic. This study addresses the existing research gap by comparing Japanese university students who participated in international fieldwork programs and those who did not by applying the theory of planned behavior. Our findings suggest that constructs, such as perceived behavioral control and positive attitudes toward participation may positively affect the student's intention to participate in international fieldwork. Further, the approval and support of individuals close to those students, notably their relatives, influenced their participation. This study also suggests the importance of including past behaviors as an additional reinforcing factor. Based on our findings, we make suggestions about how international fieldwork programs should be promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new information age and the phenomena of digitalization and automation make investments in research and development (R&D) indispensable for economic and social progress. Meanwhile, increased inequality within countries and its effects on advanced countries is one of the consequences of the recent turbulences in the global economy. These two dynamics open debates around the still-unresolved nature of the relationship between innovation and inequality. This paper contrasts postulates from the existing theory and relevant empirical evidence to argue that the analysis of the positive and complex co-evolution of inequality reduction and technological progress in Europe implies a recombination of factors that highlights institutions as the backbone of the relationship. The results of this analysis based on time series / cross-section regressions with panel data from a sample of 20 European countries for the period 1995–2017 show the relevance of structural and institutional aspects within the region, while two sets of countries evince a dissimilar European behavior in the relationship under study. According to our findings, it is plausible to argue the existence of a virtuous circle defined by the combination of social protection contributions with innovation policies that certainly help settle the controversial relationship between innovation and inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coupled multiple-tank systems are very important for a wide range of industrial applications due to their unique uses. However, the liquid level control for the coupled two-tank multi-input multi-output (MIMO) system is quite challenging because it has strong nonlinearity and coupling, and it is susceptible to multiple external disturbances. For this process, this paper proposes a novel anti-disturbance control strategy consisting on a nonlinear composite hierarchical anti-disturbance predictive control (CHADPC). First, a model-based explicit nonlinear model predictive controller (ENMPC) is designed assuming that all disturbances are measurable and its global exponential stability is proved. Then, a nonlinear disturbance observer (DO) is designed to estimate the lumped disturbances. The composite controller handling the estimated disturbances is then proposed. Finally, simulation and experimental tracking control tests under perturbations and comparisons with recently reported works have been carried out to highlight the promising performance of the proposed ENMPC and CHADPC schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While existing research has well-recognized educational plan as an important predictor of students' educational achievement, the alignment of educational plan and achievement should not be taken for granted. As plan-achievement misalignment is liable to negative psychological and social consequences, this study aims to examine the extent to which parents vis-à-vis teachers could guide students into plan-achievement alignment. Specifically, this study is set within two comparable cases of Taiwan and Hong Kong to explore whether the relative importance of parents' and teachers' guidance would differ according to the institutional contexts of education systems. Methodologically, society-specific (multinomial) logistic regression analyses are conducted based on the data of the Taiwan Education Panel Survey and the Hong Kong Survey on High School Students' Aspirations for Higher Education and Employment. In Taiwan, we find students not only received more guidance from parents, but parents' guidance was also more effective in helping them reach plan-achievement alignment. By contrast, teachers are found to have played a key role in these regards in Hong Kong. The findings provide support to our propositions that the relative importance of parents' and teachers' guidance may vary by the opportunity structures of post-secondary education and the level of school-based parental involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global comparison of planning systems faces several theoretical and normative challenges. Against the background of ongoing debates on the comparability of emerging and existing ideas and practices of planning in the Global North and South, we propose a comparative approach based on field theory. Comparisons of planning systems often focus on the institutional dimension or are mere juxtapositions of cases studies. A comparison based on field theory is more appropriate for the comparative study of planning cultures as the approach allows to interpret planning as an emerging practice influenced (or not) by globalized or European knowledge communities. The two planning systems under scrutiny in this paper are Germany and Brazil. Germany presents a mature field of planning while Brazil's field of planning is emergent. The paper is based on a literature review that supports the formulation of assumptions and tests the approach through a comparison of Brazil and Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first education in design at the doctoral level (DED) was launched in 1990 in the USA. The UK established DED courses in 1992, whereas in mainland China courses were launched around 2000. This means DED in mainland China is at an initial stage. Based on a review of existing literature, this study aims to compare 90 DED projects worldwide to gain a holistic understanding of the status quo of DED for China. After that, the researcher plans to interview doctoral students, supervisors, and administrators to identify the challenges facing mainland Chinese DED. To bridge the gap, the study is going to propose an improved DED system in mainland China. The main objective is to facilitate the identification of mainland Chinese DED, as it may benefit the development of DED from the Ministry of Education's position, as well as the administrators of individual courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the article, which is a comparative study, is to explore climate change discourses in South African and Norwegian geography textbooks by addressing the following questions: What policy discourses of climate change can be identified in the textbooks? How is the climate change content of geography textbooks influenced by predominant discourses in society? The authors assert that problems and solutions to climate change in textbooks are influenced by dominant discourses of climate change in society. Despite expecting to find a strong emphasis on ecological modernization and a win-win discourse in the Norwegian context, and perhaps a stronger focus on civic environmentalism and global injustice in the South African context, their findings reflected that for both countries, textbooks predominantly leaned towards belief in international agreements and green governmentality. Some emphasis was placed on ecological modernization, particularly in South Africa, while civic environmentalism and global injustice perspectives were marginal and lacked context. The overlapping nature of perspectives identified in the textbooks also demonstrated the complexity of identifying problems and solutions connected to climate change. The authors conclude that political ecology can offer a consistent didactical framework to examine the diversity of interests, perspectives and 'stories' about climate change at different scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study compared school leaders' perspectives towards their leadership practices in times of emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of twenty-seven school leaders from public and private schools across five Arab countries (Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, and Qatar) participated in the study. Following Turbulence Theory and an ecological framework, the study adopted in-depth semi-structured interviews to respond to the following queries: (1) What were the major actions taken by school leaders during the crisis? (2) What were the resemblances and disparities between school leaders' practices across the five countries? Findings of the study revealed different levels of turbulence among school leaders within the same country and across the five countries. In addition, participants revealed valuable insight pertaining to changed leadership and educational practices in their schools in a post-COVID era. Further conclusions and implications are fully discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different joining methods are always chosen based on their features and capabilities for desired performance. Welding and brazing are among the frequent processes from which resistance spot welding (RSW) and resistance spot brazing (RSB) are chosen for many purposes. Although these methods have been in use for years in usual applications, making the best choice among them might require compromises and considerations. In this study, RSW and RSB methods are investigated and compared in terms of features, parameters, equipment, and capabilities. Two case studies have also been briefly reviewed to analyze different aspects of the methods. As results indicate, it has been inferred that RSW has been mostly functional for larger assemblies, with shorter process times, higher automatability, and longer dynamic stability, while RSB has been more logical for dissimilar sheet material joining, with lower processing temperatures, more stability for static loads, and more portability. In terms of defects, RSW joints have been more prone to expulsion, corrosion on grain boundaries, and solidification cracks, while RSB joints have been affected particularly by brittle cracks, and trapped gas voids in brazed metal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology has the potential to significantly improve supply chain dynamics. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of AM on spare parts supply chain. Three supply chain scenarios are investigated in this paper, namely conventional supply chain, centralised AM-based supply chain and distributed AM-based supply chain. Based on system dynamics simulations, this paper specifically compares three supply chain scenarios, in terms of total variable cost and carbon emission. The results show the spare part supply chain utilising AM is indeed superior to the traditional one in sustainable performance. It is also expected that AM can facilitate the spare parts supply chain to achieve more economic benefits along with its development. To our knowledge, this paper is one of the early studies that explores the impact of AM on supply chain performance and quantitatively examines the superiority of utilising AM in spare parts supply chain. Some suggestions are also provided to help managers adopting AM in their spare parts supply chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) has been studied in many domains, its application in special education remains limited. This study examined the TPACK of in-service teachers at special education schools for students with visual impairments (SVI, N = 415) and further compared the TPACK of Taiwanese and Chinese teachers. Based on both Taiwanese and Chinese samples, we revised and validated a TPACK survey for teachers in special education schools for SVI. Results showed that special education schools for SVI teachers knew content knowledge and teaching strategies better, however, they were less knowledgeable about technological tool applications. Furthermore, Chinese teachers scored higher than Taiwanese teachers in terms of integrated knowledge (TCK/TPACK) and content knowledge and teaching strategies (CKS). Implications were put forward regarding school leadership, peer sharing, and interactions between Taiwanese and Chinese special education in-service teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To evaluate the consistency of six mainstream homogeneous systems for aminotransferase measurements and improve the consistency of measurements by applying uniform calibrators. Methods: 200 individual samples were grouped into four sets for assays with and without pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P-5'-P) for Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Routine assays for the P-5'-P group were compared with a reference measurement procedure (RMP). In the non-P-5'-P group, four routine assays were analyzed in a pairwise method across six method pairs. Recalibration was performed using human serum pools (HSPs) supplemented with human original recombinant aminotransferases (HOR). Data were analyzed by Passing-Bablok regression and Bland-Altman plots. Results: In the P-5'-P group, the mean biases for Ortho and Dimension assays for ALT were 17.0% and −25.4%, respectively; for AST, the mean biases were −9.5% and −9.6%, respectively. In the non-P-5'-P group, the mean deviations ranged from −5.9% to 5.9% for ALT. For AST, the relative deviations ranged from −19.1% to 6.5%. After recalibration, in the P-5'-P group, the relative biases were reduced to −12.2% to 7.7% for ALT and −6.9% to 0.8% for AST. The mean deviations for the non-P-5'-P AST group were reduced remarkably (−3.0% to 3.3%). Conclusion: Assays supplemented with P-5'-P exhibited poor performance against RMP for both ALT and AST. For assays without P-5'-P, AST results showed non-satisfactory comparability for almost all method pairs. Uniform calibrators such as HSPs supplemented with HOR could improve consistency among the mainstream homogeneous systems for the measurement of aminotransferase activity, particularly for AST measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To evaluate the consistency of six mainstream homogeneous systems for aminotransferase measurements and improve the consistency of measurements by applying uniform calibrators. Methods: 200 individual samples were grouped into four sets for assays with and without pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P-5'-P) for Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Routine assays for the P-5'-P group were compared with a reference measurement procedure (RMP). In the non-P-5'-P group, four routine assays were analyzed in a pairwise method across six method pairs. Recalibration was performed using human serum pools (HSPs) supplemented with human original recombinant aminotransferases (HOR). Data were analyzed by Passing-Bablok regression and Bland-Altman plots. Results: In the P-5'-P group, the mean biases for Ortho and Dimension assays for ALT were 17.0% and -25.4%, respectively; for AST, the mean biases were -9.5% and -9.6%, respectively. In the non-P-5'-P group, the mean deviations ranged from -5.9% to 5.9% for ALT. For AST, the relative deviations ranged from -19.1% to 6.5%. After recalibration, in the P-5'-P group, the relative biases were reduced to -12.2% to 7.7% for ALT and -6.9% to 0.8% for AST. The mean deviations for the non-P-5'-P AST group were reduced remarkably (-3.0% to 3.3%). Conclusion: Assays supplemented with P-5'-P exhibited poor performance against RMP for both ALT and AST. For assays without P-5'-P, AST results showed non-satisfactory comparability for almost all method pairs. Uniform calibrators such as HSPs supplemented with HOR could improve consistency among the mainstream homogeneous systems for the measurement of aminotransferase activity, particularly for AST measurement. Abbreviations: ALT: alanine aminotransferase; AST: aspartate aminotransferase; EQA: external quality assessment; IFCC: International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine; P-5'-P: pyridoxal-5-phosphate; JCTLM: Joint Committee on Traceability in Laboratory Medicine; NCCL: National Center for Clinical Laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the issue of migration has heavily impacted on public debates in the Global North, much less is known about coverage of migration in the Global South. This pilot study sets out to de-westernize the discussion, by analyzing and comparing news coverage in migrants' destination countries and countries of origin. The study's focus is on media coverage of migration from Africa towards Europe. The paper builds upon prior studies on the coverage of migrants and refugees. A consortium of African and European researchers has conducted a comparative content analysis of migration coverage in 22 opinion-leading newspapers in six European and five sub-Sahara African countries. The study has retrieved 1,512 articles which have appeared in 2015/16. The topic was much less salient in African countries, with only 175 articles found in the African news outlets under study. Coveragein the European destination countries was dominated by domestic issues like border security and migration policy, but also paid attention to the actual migrants—who received much less coverage in the sending countries. Coverage of migration in African media was more negative and focused on disasters at sea. Both African and European media ignored the causes of migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]