Search results

1 – 10 of 52
Article
Publication date: 4 May 2022

Muhammad Inaam ul haq, Qianmu Li and Jun Hou

Special education is the education segment that deals with the students facing hurdles in the traditional education system. Research data have evolved in the domain of special…

Abstract

Purpose

Special education is the education segment that deals with the students facing hurdles in the traditional education system. Research data have evolved in the domain of special education due to scientific advances. The present study aims to employ text mining to extract the latent patterns from the scientific data.

Design/methodology/approach

This study examined the 12,781 Scopus-indexed titles, abstracts and keywords published from 1987 to 2021 through an integrated text-mining and topic modeling approach. It combines dynamic topic models with highly cited reviews of this domain. It facilitates the extraction of topic clusters and communities in the topic network.

Findings

This methodology discovered children’s communication and speech using gaming techniques, mental retardation, cost effect on infant birth, involvement of special education children and their families, assistive technology information for special education, syndrome epilepsy and the impact of group study on skill development peers or self as the hottest topic of research in this domain. In addition to finding research hotspots, it further explores annual topic proportion trends, topic correlations and intertopic research areas.

Originality/value

The results provide a comprehensive summary of the popularity of research topics in special education in the past 34 years, and the results can provide useful insights and implications, and it could be used as a guide for contributors in special education form a structured view of past research and plan future research directions.

Details

Library Hi Tech, vol. 41 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0737-8831

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 August 2023

Alireza Mirahmadizadeh, Alireza Heiran, Hamid Nemati, Shiva Aminnia, Fatemeh Azadian, Fatemeh Rezaei, Roya Sahebi, Ata Miyar, Mohammad Hossein Sharifi and Mojgan Tavasoli

Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder need special attention for their mental and physical health and education. This study aims to investigate the effects of the…

Abstract

Purpose

Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder need special attention for their mental and physical health and education. This study aims to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on them.

Design/methodology/approach

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on data collected from an online survey. Respondents were the parents or caregivers of autistic children aged 3–18. It measured opinions about the favorable and unfavorable behavioral changes related to their children during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Findings

In total, 131 respondents participated in the study. The mean age of their autistic children was 11.45 ± 4.26 years, of whom 78% were boys. Improved good behaviors during lockdowns included interaction with parents and siblings, eating healthy foods, quality of sleep, eye contact, pointing and asking for something, imitating sounds and phrases, sharing interests, reaction to emotions and empathy with family members, but sleep hours decreased.

Originality/value

Lockdown provided opportunities for examining the behaviors of children with autism taking into account its favorable and unfavorable effects, to improve communicating and behaving with these children.

Details

Advances in Autism, vol. 9 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-3868

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 January 2022

Rajashekhar U., Neelappa and Harish H.M.

The natural control, feedback, stimuli and protection of these subsequent principles founded this project. Via properly conducted experiments, a multilayer computer rehabilitation…

Abstract

Purpose

The natural control, feedback, stimuli and protection of these subsequent principles founded this project. Via properly conducted experiments, a multilayer computer rehabilitation system was created that integrated natural interaction assisted by electroencephalogram (EEG), which enabled the movements in the virtual environment and real wheelchair. For blind wheelchair operator patients, this paper involved of expounding the proper methodology. For educating the value of life and independence of blind wheelchair users, outcomes have proven that virtual reality (VR) with EEG signals has that potential.

Design/methodology/approach

Individuals face numerous challenges with many disorders, particularly when multiple dysfunctions are diagnosed and especially for visually effected wheelchair users. This scenario, in reality, creates in a degree of incapacity on the part of the wheelchair user in terms of performing simple activities. Based on their specific medical needs, confined patients are treated in a modified method. Independent navigation is secured for individuals with vision and motor disabilities. There is a necessity for communication which justifies the use of VR in this navigation situation. For the effective integration of locomotion besides, it must be under natural guidance. EEG, which uses random brain impulses, has made significant progress in the field of health. The custom of an automated audio announcement system modified to have the help of VR and EEG for the training of locomotion and individualized interaction of wheelchair users with visual disability is demonstrated in this study through an experiment. Enabling the patients who were otherwise deemed incapacitated to participate in social activities, as the aim was to have efficient connections.

Findings

To protect their life straightaway and to report all these disputes, the military system should have high speed, more precise portable prototype device for nursing the soldier health, recognition of solider location and report about health sharing system to the concerned system. Field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based soldier’s health observing and position gratitude system is proposed in this paper. Reliant on heart rate which is centered on EEG signals, the soldier’s health is observed on systematic bases. By emerging Verilog hardware description language (HDL) programming language and executing on Artix-7 development FPGA board of part name XC7ACSG100t the whole work is approved in a Vivado Design Suite. Classification of different abnormalities and cloud storage of EEG along with the type of abnormalities, artifact elimination, abnormalities identification based on feature extraction, exist in the segment of suggested architecture. Irregularity circumstances are noticed through developed prototype system and alert the physically challenged (PHC) individual via an audio announcement. An actual method for eradicating motion artifacts from EEG signals that have anomalies in the PHC person’s brain has been established, and the established system is a portable device that can deliver differences in brain signal variation intensity. Primarily the EEG signals can be taken and the undesirable artifact can be detached, later structures can be mined by discrete wavelet transform these are the two stages through which artifact deletion can be completed. The anomalies in signal can be noticed and recognized by using machine learning algorithms known as multirate support vector machine classifiers when the features have been extracted using a combination of hidden Markov model (HMM) and Gaussian mixture model (GMM). Intended for capable declaration about action taken by a blind person, these result signals are protected in storage devices and conveyed to the controller. Pretending daily motion schedules allows the pretentious EEG signals to be caught. Aimed at the validation of planned system, the database can be used and continued with numerous recorded signals of EEG. The projected strategy executes better in terms of re-storing theta, delta, alpha and beta complexes of the original EEG with less alteration and a higher signal to noise ratio (SNR) value of the EEG signal, which illustrates in the quantitative analysis. The projected method used Verilog HDL and MATLAB software for both formation and authorization of results to yield improved results. Since from the achieved results, it is initiated that 32% enhancement in SNR, 14% in mean squared error (MSE) and 65% enhancement in recognition of anomalies, hence design is effectively certified and proved for standard EEG signals data sets on FPGA.

Originality/value

The proposed system can be used in military applications as it is high speed and excellent precise in terms of identification of abnormality, the developed system is portable and very precise. FPGA-based soldier’s health observing and position gratitude system is proposed in this paper. Reliant on heart rate which is centered on EEG signals the soldier health is observed in systematic bases. The proposed system is developed using Verilog HDL programming language and executing on Artix-7 development FPGA board of part name XC7ACSG100t and synthesised using in Vivado Design Suite software tool.

Details

International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, vol. 19 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-7371

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 September 2022

Allan Discua Cruz, Jose Mario Reyes Hernandez and Carlos Roberto Arias Arévalo

This study aims to focus on understanding the tensions experienced by government officials in introducing electronic government (e-government) policies to support entrepreneurs in…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to focus on understanding the tensions experienced by government officials in introducing electronic government (e-government) policies to support entrepreneurs in a developing Latin American country.

Design/methodology/approach

This study relies on an in-depth qualitative approach based on collaborative and analytic auto-ethnography. The authors concentrate on tensions experienced by a government official and how they were addressed when introducing e-government policies to support entrepreneurs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Findings

The findings reveal that paradoxical tensions occur as changes are demanded, multiple concerns are expressed and decisions about resources have to be made. The findings reveal sources of tensions from government, business and external sources. Addressing such tensions revolves around a diverse form of paradoxes dealing with contradictions in terms of speed vs thoroughness and short- vs long-term implications.

Research limitations/implications

The authors’ study provides several contributions. It advances understanding on the source and management of tensions experienced by government officials introducing e-government policies to support entrepreneurs during the Covid-19 pandemic. It also delineates multiple paradoxes experienced by government officials as new policies and systems were introduced. Finally, it offers a conceptual model explaining how government officials deal with multiple tensions emerging from the introduction of e-government policies in a developing country.

Originality/value

The prior literature has suggested that e-government initiatives would be guided by a prescriptive and tension-free process, driven by the interest to enhance governmental efficiency. This study reveals that developing e-government initiatives for entrepreneurs and existing businesses during the Covid-19 crisis was not immune to contradictions between government officials and the public. A conceptual model, based on multiple sources of tensions (government-related, business-related and external sources) and their management, is proposed. Implications and opportunities for further research are presented.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. 36 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 July 2022

Fatima Batool, Jihad Mohammad, Siti Rahmah Awang and Tahir Ahmad

The main purpose of this paper is to examine the direct effects of knowledge sharing and systems thinking on creativity and organizational sustainability in the hotel industry in…

1110

Abstract

Purpose

The main purpose of this paper is to examine the direct effects of knowledge sharing and systems thinking on creativity and organizational sustainability in the hotel industry in Malaysia. In addition, the study aims to examine the mediation effect of creativity between knowledge sharing, systems thinking and organizational sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey method based on a questionnaire was used to gather data from 407 middle managers in the hotel industry in Malaysia. The partial least squares technique was used to examine the hypotheses.

Findings

The study found support for the effects of systems thinking and knowledge sharing on organizational sustainability. It also found support for the impact of creativity on organizational sustainability. Besides, the mediating role of creativity between systems thinking and organizational sustainability, and between knowledge sharing and organizational sustainability was also supported by data.

Originality/value

This is a pioneer work that has combined various human resources (i.e. systems thinking, knowledge sharing, creativity) to examine their impacts on organizational sustainability. Moreover, this work has established comparatively new relationships, i.e. the impact of systems thinking and knowledge sharing on creativity and organizational sustainability. In addition, the mediation role of creativity between systems thinking, knowledge sharing and organizational sustainability is relatively new in the literature. Furthermore, this study has confirmed the validity and reliability of knowledge sharing and organizational sustainability at first and second orders in the hotel industry in non-Western context.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 27 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 April 2023

Fiona Hutton, Geoff Noller and Alice McSherry

This study aims to explore people’s experiences of taking cannabis therapeutically and to gather some real-world evidence (RWE) about the products they were using, their efficacy…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore people’s experiences of taking cannabis therapeutically and to gather some real-world evidence (RWE) about the products they were using, their efficacy and what kinds of positive or negative effect/s patients experienced. The focus of this discussion is the efficacy of cannabis for the participants in this study.

Design/methodology/approach

This was an exploratory study that used a mixed methods approach: a survey and semi-structured interviews. The data presented here focus on thematic analysis of five of the open-ended survey questions. Results from a purposive survey sample are also briefly reported. Interview data are not reported on here.

Findings

Across the sample (n = 213), 95.6% of participants reported that taking cannabis helped them with a number of conditions. The most common three themes across the thematic analysis were that cannabis helped with pain relief, sleep and anxiety. Negative effects, some of which related to having to source cannabis from the illicit market, were relatively minor and experienced by 28% (n = 58) of participants. An important finding was that 49% (n = 76) of those who said their use of prescribed medicines had decreased (n = 155), significantly decreased and in some cases stopped their use of prescribed medications.

Originality/value

This study reports on a sample of participants with clinically diagnosed conditions and adds to the RWE base about the efficacy of using cannabis for therapeutic purposes in the New Zealand context.

Details

Drugs, Habits and Social Policy, vol. 24 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2752-6739

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 December 2022

Zeinab Sadri, Fereshteh Najafi, Reza Beiranvand, Farhad Vahid and Javad Harooni

While several studies have reported a relationship between chronic daily headache (CDH) and different dietary patterns, no study has investigated the association between CDH and…

Abstract

Purpose

While several studies have reported a relationship between chronic daily headache (CDH) and different dietary patterns, no study has investigated the association between CDH and the dietary inflammatory index (DII). This study aims to hypothesize that a higher DII score (proinflammatory diets) is associated with higher odds of CDH.

Design/methodology/approach

This cross-sectional study was performed using the baseline data of the Dena PERSIAN cohort study, including demographic information, body mass index, medical history, laboratory tests, sleep duration and blood pressure. The DII was computed based on the data collected by a valid 113-item food frequency questionnaire and a 127-item indigenous food questionnaire. The association between CDH and DII score was analyzed by simple and multiple logistic regression.

Findings

Out of 3,626 people included in the study, 23.1% had CDH. The median DII was −0.08 (interquartile range = 0.18). People in the third and fourth quartiles of DII (proinflammatory diet) had a 20% (odds ratio: 0.80; 95% confidence interval: 0.65–1) and a 25% (odds ratio: 0.75; 95% confidence interval: 0.61–0.94) lower chance of having CHD than those in the first quartile, respectively. After adjustment for confounding variables, this association did not remain statistically significant (p > 0.05).

Originality/value

Although the analysis conducted without adjustment for medical history showed a significant association between proinflammatory diet and reduced CDH, considering the diverse etiology of different types of headaches and the paucity of studies in this area, further studies are needed to investigate the DII score of patients by the type of headache, its severity and duration.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science , vol. 53 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 February 2023

Guoqing Zhao, Jana Suklan, Shaofeng Liu, Carmen Lopez and Lise Hunter

In a competitive environment, eHealth small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs’) barriers to survival differ from those of large enterprises. Empirical research on barriers to…

Abstract

Purpose

In a competitive environment, eHealth small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs’) barriers to survival differ from those of large enterprises. Empirical research on barriers to eHealth SMEs in less prosperous areas has been largely neglected. This study fills this gap by employing an integrated approach to analyze barriers to the development of eHealth SMEs. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected data through semi-structured interviews and conducted thematic analysis to identify 16 barriers, which were used as inputs into total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) to build interrelationships among them and identify key barriers. Cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) was then applied validate the TISM model and classify the 16 barriers into four categories.

Findings

This study makes significant contributions to theory by identifying new barriers and their interrelationships, distinguishing key barriers and classifying the barriers into four categories. The authors identify that transcultural problems are the key barrier and deserve particular attention. eHealth SMEs originating from regions with cultural value orientations, such as hierarchy and embeddedness, that differ from the UK’s affective autonomy orientation should strengthen their transcultural awareness when seeking to expand into UK markets.

Originality/value

By employing an integrated approach to analyze barriers that impede the development of eHealth SMEs in a less prosperous area of the UK, this study raises entrepreneurs’ awareness of running businesses in places with different cultural value orientations.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 30 no. 2/3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 November 2023

Rongduo Liu and Klaus G. Grunert

This study aimed to investigate changes in food consumption during the COVID-19 lockdown period in a sample of female college students in China. The study employed a dual…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate changes in food consumption during the COVID-19 lockdown period in a sample of female college students in China. The study employed a dual processing approach that simultaneously investigates the effects of students' beliefs about the importance of healthy eating and the effect of emotional eating due to anxiety induced by the pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 645 female college students in China using a self-administered questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used for the data analysis.

Findings

Beliefs about the importance of healthy eating have a greater impact on changes in food consumption than anxiety. Emotional eating was positively associated with changes in vegetable consumption. The findings reveal that a shift from “food as health” to “food as well-being” in the role of food in the food-related life of Chinese consumers is underway. “Food as health” remains important in food-related decision-making in China during the pandemic. Concurrently, a well-being centered or a more holistic perspective, including the psychological and emotional aspects of food, should be included in food-related research and health promotion in China.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature on reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic by simultaneously investigating both the cognitive impact of beliefs regarding the importance of healthy eating and the affective impact of anxiety on changes in food consumption due to COVID-19.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 126 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 13 December 2022

Ghadeer Fouad AlJuwaie, Rabia Latif, Mona Hmoud Alsheikh, Ahmed Alsunni and Shahanas Chathoth

The ketogenic diet (KD) has gained popularity due to its ability to improve type 2 diabetes, weight loss, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. However, long-term use of the…

757

Abstract

Purpose

The ketogenic diet (KD) has gained popularity due to its ability to improve type 2 diabetes, weight loss, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. However, long-term use of the KD might not be safe due to its adverse effects. This study examined the effects of the KD alone or in combination with Zamzam water (holy water for Muslims) on glucose homeostasis, lipid parameters and oxidant-antioxidant variables in rats.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the diet given for ten weeks, three groups of adult male Wistar rats were made (12 rats/group): (1) rats which fed on a chow diet and ordinary water, (2) rats which fed on KD and ordinary water and (3) rats which were given KD along with Zamzam. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum insulin, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde were compared by one-way ANOVA followed by post-hoc Tukey’s HSD test among groups.

Findings

Rats which fed on KD and Zamzam water had significantly reduced FBG and LDL cholesterol compared to the rats which fed on a chow diet and ordinary water (p-values 0.001), and KD and ordinary water (p-value 0.004 and 0.006, respectively). Serum insulin, insulin resistance, HDL cholesterol, superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde did not differ significantly.

Originality/value

Consumption of KD along with Zamzam for ten weeks significantly reduces FBG and LDL cholesterol. KD alone does not decrease these parameters in ten weeks duration.

Details

Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research, vol. 41 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1985-9899

Keywords

Access

Year

Last 12 months (52)

Content type

Article (52)
1 – 10 of 52