Teacher training intervention for early identification of common child mental health problems in Pakistan

School-based interventions involving teacher training programmes have been shown to benefit teachers’ ability to identify and manage child mental health problems in developed countries. However, very few studies have been conducted in low-income countries with limited specialist services. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of the training programme on teachers’ knowledge and awareness. A total of 114 primary school teachers from five schools in Karachi participated in a two-day (10–12 hours) workshop to provide them with an understanding of common child mental health problems and train them in basic skills. Their pre- and post-training knowledge was evaluated through a rating scale and open-ended questions. Single tailed t-test, involving paired differences, was applied for participants’ scores. Pre-/post-training differences were statistically significant. The training sessions were associated with an improvement in teachers’ knowledge and awareness of various signs and symptoms of common child mental health problems. The greatest improvement was noted in response to strategies of managing difficult behaviours, as 61% of respondents were able to formulate appropriate behavioural management techniques after the training. In low-income developing countries like Pakistan, teachers should be trained in early-intervention programmes for the identification and school-based management of less complex emotional and behavioural problems. Such interventions can maximise the use of sparse mental health resources.     

Farmers’ Attitudes and Skills of Farm Business Management in Jordan

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate farmers’ attitudes and skills of farm management. Two scales were constructed as an instrument for data collection, based on a sample of 100 farm units. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were .84 or higher, which indicated that the instrument scales were internally consistent. Non-parametric tests were used to analyze the data. Operators appeared to be largely commercial, but they did not highly rate the significance of farming as a business, or their level of management skills. Two-thirds of respondents perceived technical skills as the key to success. Poor management skills limit the operators’ ability in making informed decisions, planning and analyzing the financial performance of their operations. Farm management extension enhances farmers’ willingness and ability to make successful changes to their management practice. Improvement programs have to be targeted to the groups of operators who are more favorable to management extension, that is, full-time farmers, renters, the more experienced, the educated and the more dependent on farm income.     

Using computer-assisted instruction to enhance achievement of English language learners

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in English-Language environments offer practice time, motivates students, enhance student learning, increase authentic materials that students can study, and has the potential to encourage teamwork between students. The findings from this particular study suggested that students who used computer assisted program had a greater chance of closing achievement gap and meeting NCLB requirements than those students who did not use computer-assisted instruction. Additionally, the students that used computer-assisted classroom instruction gained scores in reading and math. Based on these findings, teachers, school administrators, and other educational stakeholder should explore strategies for technology integration to close the achievement gap.     

Practices of Locating Health Information in an Electronic Environment: Reflections on Conducted Health Information Skills Training

ABSTRACT

Health information skills in an electronic environment are essential to health science librarians, who serve as educators both within and outside of their health training institutions. This reflective study was conducted to examine the application of online health information skills obtained from the training provided for librarians who are working in health settings. Health sciences librarians, as future information skills educators, therefore need to possess their own health information skill sets. Capacity building is vital in order to promote the development of health information skills for health sciences librarians who can then teach and advocate the concept of health information skills on the Internet within and outside of their places of work.     

A critique of water scarcity discourses in educational policy and textbooks in Jordan

This article investigates the representation of water scarcity in Jordanian textbooks to understand its role on improving education on environmental sustainability. People's understanding of an issue guides their actions toward finding and implementing appropriate solutions to what they perceive as a problem. Discourses are key in constructing people's understanding of issues, in this case, water scarcity. This article shows the role of textbooks and of the educational system in constructing a discourse of water scarcity that frames the issue as due to nature, to neighboring countries, and to refugees. It then demonstrates how this framing opens and drives toward supply-side solutions and discusses to what extent the representations of water scarcity strive to achieve a better education on environmental sustainability.     

Role of Heme Oxygenase, Leptin, Coenzyme Q10 and Trace Elements in Pre-eclamptic Women

The objective of this study to evaluate heme oxygenase (COHb), leptin and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in pre-eclamptic women. Also Zinc, copper, Iron, total iron binding capacity, Ferritin and uric acid were assessed. 120 female subjects were included in this study. They were divided into, 60 female with normal pregnancy attending the outpatient clinic, 60 pre-eclamptic patients were recruited from obstetrics and gynaecology department El-kasr El-Aini hospital. The results showed that in pre-eclampatic group, leptin level was significantly increased while COHb and CoQ10 was significantly decreased. It is concluded that hemeoxygenase, leptin and coenzyme CoQ10 can be considered as new markers for prediction of pre-eclampsia.     

The Role of Preventive Conservation in Designing King Tutankhamun Galleries in the Grand Egyptian Museum

ABSTRACT

It was decided to display the whole collection of King Tutankhamun in the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). The collection comprises approx. 5640 objects different in material and state of conservation. The conservation centre in the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM-CC) bears the responsibility of conserving GEM collection, and contributing to the exhibition production processes to ensure the optimal preservation for the collection on display. In this paper, a survey of the collection's materials and condition was undertaken to evaluate the risks and corresponding deterioration occurred in the former location which should be mitigated in the new one. It also reports on the parameters which were fulfilled in the designs of King Tutankhamun galleries to guarantee implementing preventive conservation programmes in order to preserve the collection for future generations.     

International Trends in Designing Electronic Health Information Literacy for Health Sciences Students: A Systematic Review of the Literature

The Internet has become a crucial source of health information for health sciences students. They increasingly rely on the Internet for health information to support their educational projects, academic activities, clinical practice and research. Surprisingly, it has been shown that students' health information skills for conducting research on the Internet are inadequate. Indeed, developing and improving the health information skill set of health sciences students is required in order for students to effectively locate, critically evaluate, and efficiently use online health information for the effective location, critical evaluation and efficient use of online health information. This paper undertakes a systematic review of the literature with a focus on electronic health information literacy skills with the aim of identifying the current trends, contributions to, and practices in health sciences students' education, and informing researchers in the field universally about the essential baseline for the design and development of effective course contents, pedagogy and assessment approaches. However, majority of students have limited skills for the location, evaluation and effective use of health information on the Internet. Other articles suggest that health sciences students need fully fledged health information skills programs that are integrated with their health sciences education curricula.     

E-textbooks and Connectivity: Proposing an Analytical Framework

This paper is concerned with the development of e-textbooks. We claim that analysis (and design) of e-textbooks requires the development of a specific frame. Digital affordances provide particular opportunities (e.g. in terms of interactions between users) that require specific considerations for their analysis, as teachers and students use them for their individual and collective purposes. In this study, we develop a framework for mathematics e-textbook analysis, based on the notion of “connectivity.” We introduce criteria to assess the different aspects of connectivity and build an analysis grid for e-textbooks. We illustrate the framework proposed by analyzing 2 commonly used French grade 10 mathematics e-textbooks. The results of the analyses show that there are major differences between the 2 e-textbooks in terms of connectivity, which can be related to differences in their design. Beyond these 2 examples, we claim that focusing on connectivity is a useful and relevant way of analyzing e-textbooks, as it can provide a window into issues of interactivity, both practically and cognitively.