Developing Community Identity in a Rapidly Changing Community

The significance of a sense of community is widely acknowledged in the literature. Communities bring their members networks of connections that can shape aspects of their behaviour, social interactions and identities. However, development and modernity are challenging the roles of communities, with weaker social bonds and less neighbourly behaviours on the rise. In a young community known for its terraced family homes, as well as its villa area, recent changes in construction permits are bringing rapid changes, not only to its aesthetics, but also to the density and nature of its residents. This paper, which is based upon a study of the community of Iklin, examined the impact that recent changes are having through the views of the residents via a questionnaire, interviews and a focus group. Using the Iklin study as a model for a mid-sized town or village in Malta, this paper examines which factors contribute to a sense of community cohesion and identity. This discussion posits that, like Iklin’s residents, when faced with an ever-changing community of inhabitants that do not feel like they belong, the inhabitants of our towns and villages, will value green spaces as amongst the most sought-after factors within communities, along with a desire for shared spaces and activities. A craving for a sense of community remains present, coexisting with an appreciation for a level of anonymity and distance that is also valued by many

Rural Cultural Wealth in African Education

Globally, rural educational systems and communities are facing varied issues that impact the holistic well-being of residents ranging from the need to increase access to health and educational resources to addressing food and housing insecurities. In this manuscript, we expound upon the rural cultural wealth conceptual framework to demonstrate the application of this conceptual framework globally. Using the Nigerian context, we illustrate how the resourcefulness, ingenuity, familism, and unity found within rural communities can be harnessed to improve rural education

Effects of TikTok Influencers on the Purchase Intention of Gen-Z: Cosmetic Industry

This study investigates how TikTok influencers affect Generation Z's purchase intention toward the cosmetic industry in HCMC. The research issue is a lack of knowledge on how TikTok influencers affect Generation Z's buying intentions for cosmetics. The research objective is to investigate the relationships among influencers' credibility, physical attractiveness, expertise, social advocacy, customers' trust, gender, and purchase intention. The literature study emphasizes the significance of customer trust and influencer characteristics in influencing consumer intention. A questionnaire survey is used as a data gathering technique in this research employing a quantitative methodology. To analyze the data, SPSS will be used as the statistical program. Descriptive statistics will be computed to summarize the data. Multiple regression analysis will examine the relationship between influencers' characteristics and customer trust toward their purchase intention. According to the findings, all influencers' characteristics, including credibility, physical attractiveness, expertise, and social advocacy, have favorable effects on Gen Z's purchasing intention. Surprisingly, customer trust has the most influence on Gen Z behavior. It indicates that there is a difference in purchase intention for different genders. The outcomes will offer valuable insights to cosmetic industry marketers at HCMC to develop effective influencer marketing strategies for Generation Z consumers

The Effectiveness of Two Hydroponically Fodder Production of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) as Compared to Open Field System in Mount Lebanon

This work aims to study the effect on the productivity and quality variation of alfalfa using the two different fertilization recipes: F1 and F2 along with two different cultivation method in soilless: coconut fiber bag CF, Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) and in soil So. Number of leaves, stem length, number of flowers, crude protein, fiber and ash content of alfalfa plants were measured during the three cuttings time of the production cycle. In the productivity phase, results showed that during the three cuttings repetition, the number of leaves, stem length and number of flowers of alfalfa were in favor of the treatment of coconut fiber bags and the F1 fertilization recipe (CF1) followed by NFT with a good interaction noticeable at this combination level (CF1) with the cutting 1. As for the quality variation phase, the results showed that the crude protein and ash content are in favor of alfalfa grown in soilless CF2; CF1; NFTF1 and NFTF2. As for fiber content, F1 was the most favorable and NFTF1 reported higher fiber content than coconut fiber bags. Concerning the cutting system, cut 1 had a large impact on chemical composition. In summary, alfalfa grown in soilless is more productive and succeeded in the production cycle and the quality variation of alfalfa

Medication error in the provision of healthcare services

Medication errors are the most common and widespread medical adverse event that occurs in healthcare settings and can lead to increased patient morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. The availability of a wide range of over-the-counter and prescribed medications in the healthcare market, which the general public seems to use on a frequent basis to treat their health complications, has rapidly increased the chances of medication errors. Furthermore, the medication chain has several steps that require different people, and errors can occur at different stages in patient care, from ordering the medication to the time the patient is administered the drug. So each stage of the medication chain is exposed to risks that could result in medication errors. Thereby, medication errors prompt patient harm, preclude immediate discharges, and enhance healthcare costs. As a result, it is important to set up a medication safety culture that can light up in the context of effectively putting strategies into action, and everyone's collaboration and participation to adhering to medication safety strategy can improve patient safety. This review of the literature aims to provide a concept of medication errors, explore the pattern of errors, causes and consequences of errors, and error-related adverse events in all types of healthcare settings, risk factors for medication errors, and strategies to avoid and minimize medication errors

"Ethnographic Romanticism" in N.A. Durova’s Stories "Sulfur Key" and E.A. Gan’s "Utballa"

The article considers N. A. Durova's novels "The Sulphur Key" and E.A. Gan's "Utballa". A. Gan's "Utballa" as an example of romantic prose and, at the same time, the presence of ethnographic elements in the novels gives grounds to speak of "ethnographic romanticism". Romantic poetics demonstrated a strong interest in national originality of the people. This explains the presence of ethnographic elements in the novels, which describe the way of life of foreign ethnic groups (Cheremis and Kalmyks), customs, rituals, traditions and their mythology, and which function in the novels in different ways: in "Sernyi Kluch" they help create a romantic twoworld and its "peak" - the main character's character, whereas in "Utballa" ethnographic elements create an image of a diverse world full of vicissitudes, in which a real man in the guise of a woman preserves her deep spirituality to the end. The novels of Durova and Gan investigate the similarities and differences in the representation of the image of a foreign ethnic group and the archetype of national consciousness. The stories have much in common, which is due to the gender peculiarities embodied through ethnographic images. Ethnographic elements allow one to see a people and its traditions in all their identity and beauty. In the novels, ethnography is used as a leading expressive medium, providing information on the mentality of the people, their moral norms and national history. In their everyday scenes and pictures, the authors saturate the narration with folk tales that are an integral part and essential element of the characterization of the hero. The description of everyday life is given in realistic tones (rituals of religious services, weddings) and filled with rich colours and vivid details. The life of the people, legends, nature and people's characters merge, conveying the uniqueness of everyday life and a vivid picture of life. Ethnography is a marker of national culture that develops under specific conditions that define its uniqueness: long-established customs and habits, moral notions, everyday life, etc., and it reflects and explains through fiction the realities of life and the characters of its characters as typical representatives of a particular nation. Understanding the life and culture of the people is always based on the writer's life experience and fiction

A Psychoanalytic Reading of Ahmed Saadawi's Novel Frankenstein in Baghdad

Ahmed Saadawi’s novel Frankenstein in Baghdad provides a distinct exposure of the psychic ailments (disorders) that engulf almost all of the characters in the novel. Even though they are not themselves aware of the problem, the characters in the novel suffer from split psyches, traumas they cannot deal with and knots they cannot resolve. The novel shows, to quote T. S. Eliot, but “a heap of broken” (Ellmann 459) psyches. Such is a phenomenon that blights contemporary Iraqi personality in general and can, in a sense, be termed collective unconscious (Bressler 127) (Note 1). The novel is, thus, a representation of what can be dubbed psychic fractures that have befallen the Iraqi character, noticeably ensuing the American invasion of Iraq that took place in 2003, the aftermaths of which the Iraqi people is still undergoing. Importantly, despite being an essential facet of the novel and an indispensable venue to understanding the characters this aspect has escaped the attention of critics and researchers alike

Gwal Pahari Acid: Isolation, Characterization of a New Soil Based Plant Growth Promoting Humic Acid

There are many “Save the Soil” movements highlighting the degradation of the soil due to excessive use of fertilizers, ground water contamination and environmental pollution. An alternative strategy is the use of humic acids from Organic Matter (OM) in soils. Humic acids help grow better vegetables, quality fruits like (peas, potatoes, tomatoes, pomegranates, mangoes), cereals, and pulses. These create supramolecular self– assemblies capable of retaining water and not allowing loss of minerals and ions. Humic acids isolated from soil, lignite and city solid waste are emerging as attractive sources for developing value added products from them. There is much interest in exploiting the commercial aspects in the energy sector of the economy as these new technologies could help in cleaning the environment as well. In this paper, the isolation of a new humic acid from the soil of Gwal Pahari, Gurgaon, Haryana, India is described. This water soluble, Ninhydrin positive Gwal Pahari Acid (GPA) contains thirteen chiral centers and contains both partly rigid and dynamic systems capable of exhibiting pseudo rotation. The proposed structure of this new humic acid is based on spectroscopic studies (e.g. FT-IR, UV-visible spectroscopy), detailed mass spectrometry, and very challenging 1H- NMR and 2D-NMR studies. Ion leakage studies on Arabidopsis thaliana have shown that the new compound provides protection to the plant, and greenhouse studies demonstrate that Gwal Pahari Acid brings about substantial growth in the tomato plant

The Power of Job Satisfaction in Improving the Performance of Employees of Sharia Banking Companies

In this study, the title of the power of job satisfaction was given in improving the performance of Sharia banking companies, using four variables, namely Organizational Culture, Leadership Style, Job Satisfaction, and employee performance. The analysis method is used path analysis which only looks at direct influences, while indirect influences are not conveyed in this study. The result of this study is that of the four variables received a strong response in giving correlation of each variable. Organizational culture and leadership style have a direct influence on job satisfaction in the Sharia banking sector in Indonesia, so as to be able to provide improved employee performance. As the results in the conclusion of the hypothesis test of organizational culture affect positive job satisfaction 0.659 significant 0.000, leadership style affects positive job satisfaction 0.507 significant 0.000. While organizational culture affects positive performance 0.561 significant 0.001, leadership style affects positive performance 0.353 significant 0.007. As for job satisfaction to positive performance of 0.320 significant 0.003. Of all the variables, there are positive and significant correlations. This is a strength to be used as a form of respect for Sharia banking companies in managing human resources to be the main force in improving the performance of Islamic banking companies

Institutional Design for Sustainable Urbanization in the Caribbean

Essentially, sustainable urbanization is a political choice. Following this proposition, this paper seeks to critically assess the policy-institutional framework that is established or being proposed to shape the urban agenda in the Caribbean. Locating the research activity within a sample of countries in the region, desk analysis of the policies and legislation corresponding to urbanization in these countries is undertaken, complemented by lesson-drawing from case studies of international experience to determine the efficacy of the region’s policy-institutional framework and the extent to which it mirrors international norms. Preliminary findings suggest that sustainable urbanization remains a concept in the Caribbean as policies and legislation either predate ideas of urban sustainability, or do not target sustainability challenges adequately. The paper is part of a larger research project on sustainable urbanization in the Caribbean and therefore is intended to initiate debate and further research towards production of policy relevant information in this area of study