180 research outputs found

    Teacher Competence Frameworks In Myanmar And Hungary

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    Teacher competence framework is a quality improvement tool to regulate continuous professional development activities and to support ethical professional behavior. The aim of this study is to analyze and compare teacher competence frameworks in Myanmar and Hungary, thus, to examine the similarities and differences in two systems. It can be concluded that TCFs were established with international inspiration and support in both countries, in 2006 in Hungary, in Myanmar a decade later. TCFs provide the standards that teachers are to attain at the different stages of their careers and professional growth in both systems. But while in Myanmar there is one single framework, in Hungary there are two separate (although similar) sets of competences: one for teacher appraisal and promotion and one for setting the expected learning outcomes in teacher education. The content of the Myanmar and the Hungarian frameworks, i.e. the teacher competencies are very similar, though in Hungary the later modifications included some new competencies

    Process analysis and optimization of biodiesel production from vegetable oils

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    The dwindling resources of fossil fuels coupled with the steady increase in energy consumption have spurred research interest in alternative and renewable energy sources. Biodiesel is one of the most promising alternatives for fossil fuels. It can be made from various renewable sources, including recycled oil, and can be utilized in lieu of petroleum-based diesel. To foster market competitiveness for biodiesel, it is necessary to develop cost-effective and technically sound processing schemes, to identify related key design criteria, and optimize performance. The overall goal of this work was to design and optimize biodiesel (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester “FAME”) production from vegetable oil. To achieve this goal, several interconnected research activities were undertaken. First, a base-case flow sheet was developed for the process. The performance of this flow sheet along with the key design and operating criteria were identified by conducting computer-aided simulation using ASPEN Plus. Various scenarios were simulated to provide sufficient understanding and insights. Also, different thermodynamic databases were used for different sections of the process to account for the various characteristics of the streams throughout the process. Next, mass and energy integration studies were performed to reduce the consumption of material and energy utilities, improve environmental impact, and enhance profitability. Finally, capital cost estimation was carried out using the ICARUS Process Evaluator computer-aided tools linked to the results of the ASPEN simulation. The operating cost of the process was estimated using the key information on process operation such as raw materials, utilities, and labor. A profitability analysis was carried out by examining the ROI (Return of Investment) and PP (Payback Period). It was determined that the single most important economic factor is the cost of soybean oil, which accounted for more than 90% of the total annualized cost. Consequently, a sensitivity analysis was performed to examine the effect of soybean oil cost on profitability. It was determined that both ROI and PP quickly deteriorate as the cost of soybean oil increases

    Teacher competence frameworks in Myanmar and Hungary

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    Teacher competence framework is a quality improvement tool to regulate continuous professional development activities and to support ethical professional behavior. The aim of this study is to analyze and compare teacher competence frameworks in Myanmar and Hungary, thus, to examine the similarities and differences in two systems. It can be concluded that TCFs were established with international inspiration and support in both countries, in 2006 in Hungary, in Myanmar a decade later. TCFs provide the standards that teachers are to attain at the different stages of their careers and professional growth in both systems. But while in Myanmar there is one single framework, in Hungary there are two separate (although similar) sets of competences: one for teacher appraisal and promotion and one for setting the expected learning outcomes in teacher education. The content of the Myanmar and the Hungarian frameworks, i.e. the teacher competencies are very similar, though in Hungary the later modifications included some new competencies

    Who is exposed to smoke at home? A population-based cross-sectional survey in central Vietnam

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    This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial License, which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non commercial and is otherwise in compliance with the license. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/ and http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/legalcode

    Safety Profile and Effects of Pulsed Methylprednisolone on Vital Signs in Thyroid Eye Disease

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    Objective. To analyze changes in vital signs (heart rate (HR), systolic (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP)) during and after intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) and any other adverse effects. Methods. Retrospective review of charts of patients who received IVMP as treatment regime for thyroid eye disease. All subjects had vital signs charted during and after infusions. Results. This study included 38 subjects and a total of 242 infusions administered. IVMP resulted in a small but significant percentage drop in mean SBP at 30 min (p<0.001) and 60 min (p=0.03) but no difference at 90 min. There was also small but significant percentage drop in mean DBP and HR (DBP: p<0.001 for 30 min, p=0.001 for 60 min, and p=0.02 for 90 min and HR: p<0.001 for 30 min, 60 min, and 90 min). There were no cumulative effects on change of blood pressure or HR. There were 6 episodes of bradycardia (2.5%) and 12 episodes of moderate to severe hypertension (5%). No significant cardiovascular or hepatic toxicity was found. Conclusion. IVMP is relatively safe and efficacious. IVMP demonstrated mild and noncumulative effects on vital signs. Severe hypertension may occur in susceptible individuals such as those with underlying hypertension and uncontrolled thyroid dysfunction, whereas bradycardia may be more likely in those on beta-blockers

    Predicting the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine programme options in Vietnam.

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    Although catch-up campaigns (CCs) at the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) may accelerate their impact, supply constraints may limit their benefit if the need for additional PCV doses results in introduction delay. We studied the impact of PCV13 introduction with and without CC in Nha Trang, Vietnam - a country that has not yet introduced PCV - through a dynamic transmission model. We modelled the impact on carriage and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) of routine vaccination (RV) only and that of RV with CCs targeting <1y olds (CC1), <2y olds (CC2) and <5y olds (CC5). The model was fitted to nasopharyngeal carriage data, and post-PCV predictions were based on best estimates of parameters governing post-PCV dynamics. With RV only, elimination in carriage of vaccine-type (VT) serotypes is predicted to occur across all age groups within 10 years after introduction, with near-complete replacement by non-VT. Most of the benefit of CCs is predicted to occur within the first 3 years with the highest impact at one year, when IPD incidence is predicted to be 11% (95%CrI 9 - 14%) lower than RV with CC1, 25% (21 - 30 %) lower with CC2 and 38% (32 - 46%) lower with CC5. However, CCs would only prevent more cases of IPD insofar as such campaigns do not delay introduction by more than about 6, 12 and 18 months for CC1, CC2 and CC5. Those findings are important to help guide vaccine introduction in countries that have not yet introduced PCV, particularly in Asia

    Reasons for Increased Caesarean Section Rate in Vietnam: A Qualitative Study among Vietnamese Mothers and Health Care Professionals.

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    The Caesarean section rate in urban Vietnam is 43% in 2014, which is more than twice the recommended rate (10%-15%) by the World Health Organization. This qualitative study aims to identify the perceptions of pregnant mothers and health care professionals on the medical and social factors related to the increased Caesarean section rate in Vietnam. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted among pregnant mothers and healthcare professionals at two public hospitals in Nha Trang city. A content analysis was adopted in order to identify social and medical factors. As a result, 29 pregnant women and 19 health care professionals were invited to participate in the qualitative interviews. Private interviews were conducted with 10 women who wished to have a Caesarean section, and the others participated in focus group interviews. The main themes of the social factors were 'request for Caesarean section,' 'mental strain of obstetricians,' and 'decision-making process.' To conclude, this qualitative study suggests that there were unnecessary caesarean sections without a clear medical indication, which were requested by women and family members. Psychological fear occurred among women and family, and doctors were the main determinants for driving the requests for Caesarean section, which implies that education and emotional encouragement is necessary by midwives. In addition, a multi-faced approach including a mandatory reporting system in clinical fields and involving family members in antenatal education is important
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