Impact of English Language Training on Linguistic and Cultural Identity of Call Center Employees

The Call Center Industry in the Philippines has been attracting employees from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Such industry requires employees to have a strong command of the English language. More specifically, American English serves as the model for English language requirements. The problem is that these requirements may have a negative impact on linguistic and cultural identity of Filipino employees. This study explored the Filipino English language trainers’ integration with the American culture and language and whether this has any influence on the way they teach the language. It also investigated whether the Call Center Industry training has any impact on the language and cultural identity of employees. Methodologically, this study was a critical ethnography that was conducted by an experienced customer service representative. The results of the study can be useful to socio-linguists, school administrators, psychologists, families and educators, the Philippine government, the business process outsourcing employers, managers, and agents

To Compare the Perspectives of Teacher Educators and Pupil Teachers for Infrastructure in Teacher’s Training Colleges

Teachers keep the foundation stone of formal learning. This learning should be built up with planning and affection. A great deal of thoughts of teachers is required in a friendly environment. For this, we need well trained teachers. In ITEP, Teacher education colleges are given comprehensive guidelines for infrastructure improvement. Good infrastructure will definitely improve the level of teacher education. A researcher conducted an online survey for a sample of teachers and students. The purpose of this study is to compare the perspectives of the respondents regarding teacher training infrastructure. This study also points out the importance of various features of the teacher training infrastructure from the point of view of the respondents and encourages the respondents to express their opinion on better use of the infrastructure

Examining the Need of Digital Citizenship Education for Adolescents in the Current Digital Landscape

Adolescents are growing up in a digital era, and the increasing role of technology in our lives presents both challenges and opportunities. A survey study was conducted to address the need for Digital Citizenship Education (DCE) in school-going adolescents, as they need to learn how to make sound judgments when navigating the digital world. The study found that 79% of students have digital access at home, 83% purchase products online, and 73% have social media accounts, with 24% talking to strangers online. However, only 21% use the internet at school, and 78% are unaware of the term DCE. The survey also revealed that many students lack awareness of cyber laws, struggle to determine the reliability of online information, and believe everything they see online is true. This research emphasizes the importance of developing a customized DCE curriculum for adolescents to participate safely, ethically, effectively, and responsibly in the digital community

Digital Citizenship Education in Higher Education: A Study in Indian Perspective

In recent years, higher education in India has undergone significant changes and advancements, particularly with the integration of technology and innovation into the learning process. With the increasing use of digital tools and platforms, individuals must understand the responsibilities and ethics associated with the use of technology. This is where digital citizenship education comes into play. In the context of higher education, digital citizenship education can play a crucial role in preparing students to become responsible and informed digital citizens. The purpose of this study is to examine the technological innovation in higher education in India, with a special emphasis on digital citizenship education, and to analyse the factors that influence its integration. The study aims to provide insights into the challenges and opportunities related to the implementation of digital citizenship education in Indian universities and to make recommendations for its effective integration into the higher education curriculum

Kindled emotions: Commemoration and the importance of meaning making, support and recognition

Commemorative events, organized in the aftermath of war or large-scale violence, can have an emotional impact on those who are attending. We examined several characteristics that might influence this impact. In a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study, participants (n = 307) watched footage of the broadcast of the Dutch National Commemoration, in which World War II is remembered. A control group of 48 participants watched the commemoration broadcast live on Remembrance Day. They were matched for age, gender, war experience and migration background with 48 participants from the study group who watched the footage, to conduct a comparability check. We found some evidence that watching the footage was comparable to watching the commemoration live on Remembrance Day in terms of emotional response and experience of psychosocial factors. Participants in the footage sample (n = 307) responded with an increase of negative and decrease of positive emotions. Individual characteristics were limitedly related to the emotional response; posttraumatic stress symptom severity predicted increased negative emotions. Experiencing meaning making, support and, to a lesser extent, recognition through commemorating was related to experiencing more positive emotions. The findings indicate these psychosocial factors may buffer the emotional distress elicited by commemoration and contribute to important cognitive and social benefits. Practical implications are discussed

The post-war generation remembers: A mixed-method study exploring children’s attitudes towards World War II commemoration

This study investigated how children, a post-war generation without direct connection to war, relate to the commemoration of World War II (WWII). Seven group interviews were held among pupils in the Netherlands, aged 9 to 18 (n = 55) and, subsequently, questionnaires were administered to other pupils (n = 374). Results revealed that children are affected by the collective narrative of WWII, and connect to commemoration on a social and emotional level. Comprehension, tangibility, inclusiveness and a right atmosphere are key elements to appreciate a commemoration. Insights from this study may help societies practice more appealing remembrances with post-war generations

Restricted Mourning: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Funeral Services, Grief Rituals, and Prolonged Grief Symptoms

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has put various restrictions on grief rituals. Literature suggests that the restrictions on funerals and grief rituals may increase the chance of developing symptoms of prolonged grief (PG). In this study, we explored the possible impact of the pandemic on aspects of the funeral and grief rituals and examined their relationship with PG symptoms. Method: Bereaved individuals from different countries, who lost a loved one in the year prior to the pandemic (n = 50) or during the pandemic (n = 182), filled in an online questionnaire, including a rating of the impact of COVID-19 restrictions, five aspects of the funeral service, five aspects of grief rituals, and a measurement for PG symptoms. Results: Participants bereaved during the pandemic rated the impact of the restrictions on the experience of the funeral and grief rituals as negative. Nevertheless, no differences were found in attendance and evaluation of the funeral and grief rituals for people bereaved prior to vs. during the pandemic. Attendance and evaluation of the funeral services were related to levels of PG symptoms, whereas the performance and helpfulness of grief rituals were not related to these symptoms. Although not related to PG symptoms, half of the participants used helpful alternative rituals to cope with their loss. Discussion: Our study suggests that bereaved people respond resiliently to the COVID-19 pandemic, for example by creating alternative rituals to cope with their loss. Furthermore, it stresses the importance of looking beyond symptom levels when studying the importance of funeral and grief rituals

Maternal Colonization With Group B Streptococcus and Serotype Distribution Worldwide: Systematic Review and Meta-analyses.

Background: Maternal rectovaginal colonization with group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the most common pathway for GBS disease in mother, fetus, and newborn. This article, the second in a series estimating the burden of GBS, aims to determine the prevalence and serotype distribution of GBS colonizing pregnant women worldwide. Methods: We conducted systematic literature reviews (PubMed/Medline, Embase, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature [LILACS], World Health Organization Library Information System [WHOLIS], and Scopus), organized Chinese language searches, and sought unpublished data from investigator groups. We applied broad inclusion criteria to maximize data inputs, particularly from low- and middle-income contexts, and then applied new meta-analyses to adjust for studies with less-sensitive sampling and laboratory techniques. We undertook meta-analyses to derive pooled estimates of maternal GBS colonization prevalence at national and regional levels. Results: The dataset regarding colonization included 390 articles, 85 countries, and a total of 299924 pregnant women. Our adjusted estimate for maternal GBS colonization worldwide was 18% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17%-19%), with regional variation (11%-35%), and lower prevalence in Southern Asia (12.5% [95% CI, 10%-15%]) and Eastern Asia (11% [95% CI, 10%-12%]). Bacterial serotypes I-V account for 98% of identified colonizing GBS isolates worldwide. Serotype III, associated with invasive disease, accounts for 25% (95% CI, 23%-28%), but is less frequent in some South American and Asian countries. Serotypes VI-IX are more common in Asia. Conclusions: GBS colonizes pregnant women worldwide, but prevalence and serotype distribution vary, even after adjusting for laboratory methods. Lower GBS maternal colonization prevalence, with less serotype III, may help to explain lower GBS disease incidence in regions such as Asia. High prevalence worldwide, and more serotype data, are relevant to prevention efforts

Restricted Mourning: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Funeral Services, Grief Rituals, and Prolonged Grief Symptoms

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has put various restrictions on grief rituals. Literature suggests that the restrictions on funerals and grief rituals may increase the chance of developing symptoms of prolonged grief (PG). In this study, we explored the possible impact of the pandemic on aspects of the funeral and grief rituals and examined their relationship with PG symptoms. Method: Bereaved individuals from different countries, who lost a loved one in the year prior to the pandemic (n = 50) or during the pandemic (n = 182), filled in an online questionnaire, including a rating of the impact of COVID-19 restrictions, five aspects of the funeral service, five aspects of grief rituals, and a measurement for PG symptoms. Results: Participants bereaved during the pandemic rated the impact of the restrictions on the experience of the funeral and grief rituals as negative. Nevertheless, no differences were found in attendance and evaluation of the funeral and grief rituals for people bereaved prior to vs. during the pandemic. Attendance and evaluation of the funeral services were related to levels of PG symptoms, whereas the performance and helpfulness of grief rituals were not related to these symptoms. Although not related to PG symptoms, half of the participants used helpful alternative rituals to cope with their loss. Discussion: Our study suggests that bereaved people respond resiliently to the COVID-19 pandemic, for example by creating alternative rituals to cope with their loss. Furthermore, it stresses the importance of looking beyond symptom levels when studying the importance of funeral and grief rituals

Field accuracy of HIV rapid diagnostic tests for blood donors screening, Bukavu, Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

Introduction: Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are widely used for point-of-care. point-of-care diagnosis of HIV infection in resource-limited settings. However, there are no data about their field diagnostic performance in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), especially in the context of blood banks screening for transfusion safety purpose. Methodology: Blood specimens were collected from blood donors in Bukavu, Eastern DRC, from May the 1st to June the 30th, 2015, to evaluate the accuracy of Alere Determine HIV-1/2, Trinity Biotech Uni‑Gold HIV, and DoubleCheckGold Ultra HIV 1& 2 compared to the laboratory-based 4th generation ELISA apDia HIV Ag/Ab assay. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and related 95% confidence intervals were calculated using MedCalc statistical software version 15.1. Reliability was evaluated using Cohen’s Kappa Statistic, κ. Results: Among 312 participants who provided blood bags, 96/312 (30.7%) were female and the mean age (SD) was 31.7 years (± 8.1years). Sensitivity for the three tests was 57.1% (95% CI: 18.4-90.1). The specificity was 99.7% (95% CI: 18.4-90.1) for Alere Determine HIV 1/2, 100% (95% CI: 98.8-100.0) for Uni-Gold HIV, and (100% (95% CI: 98.8-100.0) for DoubleCheckGold Ultra HIV 1&2. Cohen’s Kappa Statistic showed moderate agreement between the 4th generation ELISA apDia HIV Ag/Ab and RDTs Alere Determine HIV 1/2 and Uni-Gold HIV (κ = 0.66; 95% CI: 0.55- 0.76) but good agreement for DoubleCheckGold Ultra HIV1&2 (κ = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.61 – 0.82). Conclusions: Compared to the laboratory-based ELISA apDia HIV Ag/Ab assay, the currently used 3rd generation HIV RDTs showed poor field accuracy results in a context of blood donors screening. These data support the need for 4th generation Ag-Ab RDTs in transfusion blood qualification