Scientific Culture and Education Sector: Literacy, Understanding, or Engagement?

<p style="text-align: justify;">Scientific culture has been a concern for decades in the developed world, giving rise to conceptual changes known as paradigms. The first one is the longstanding literacy paradigm, defined by the skills and knowledge acquired at the education institution. It has been followed by the public understanding of science paradigm, related to the scientific understanding and an allegedly subsequent positive attitude towards science. Lastly, the engagement with science paradigm or science and society paradigm involves people's implications about the science-technology controversies with significant social impact. This article reflects how science teaching has evolved along the years in line with the scientific culture's conceptual shifts. It is concluded that this triad of paradigms is thus of a school nature, given that educational fields have suffered from transformation processes under the same vision of the world (world view), which has also changed the concept of scientific culture. Individuals in a research community learn ways of thinking, feeling and acting and therefore cannot help feeling a liking for what is short-lived and has not taken roots, both inside and outside the school in our postmodern age</p>

Rapid isolation and resolution immune evasion and viral fitness across contemporary SARS-CoV-2 variants

From late 2020 the world observed the rapid emergence of many distinct SARS-CoV-2 variants. At the same time, pandemic responses coalesced into significant global vaccine roll-out that have now significantly lowered Covid-19 hospital and mortality rates in the developed world. Over this period, we developed a rapid platform (R-20) for viral isolation and characterisation using primary remnant diagnostic swabs. This combined with quarantine testing and genomics surveillance, enabled the rapid isolation and characterisation of all major SARS-CoV-2 variants (all variants of concern and 6 variants of interest) globally with a 4-month period. This platform facilitated viral variant isolation and enabled rapid resolution of variant phenotype by allowing determining end point viral titers from primary nasopharyngeal swabs and through ranking of evasion of neutralising antibodies. In late 2021, when the Delta variant was dominating, Omicron rapidly emerged. Using this platform, we isolated and tested the first cases of this variant within Australia. In this setting we observed Omicron to diverge from other variants at two levels: Firstly, it ranks at the mots evasive to neutralisation antibodies compared to all VOCs and major VUIs. Secondly, it no longer engages TMPRSS2 during the late stages of fusion.

Ageing societies and the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic – Statements of the European Geriatric Medicine Society and measures of the Hungarian Government concerning older people

Purpose Ageing of the societies is a demographic phenomenon in the developed world. SARS-CoV-2 is a novel human coronavirus responsible for a pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). World Health Organization (WHO) data demonstrated that the first two waves of the pandemic had the most severe impact on older people and that is why new guidelines and protocols were necessary in geriatric medicine to protect senior citizens. Materials and methods In our publication, we summarise the three statements of EuGMS concerning the first and second waves of COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. Besides following the European recommendations, a proper local response was necessary in each country. Results The Hungarian Government has successfully completed the necessary measures during the first two waves, which are summarised in our publication. Those measures took into consideration not only the international guidelines, but the capacities of the healthcare system, as well as the sociodemographic and economic characteristics of the country. Conclusions Successful local defence against COVID-19 required adequate and optimised interpretation of the international guidelines to save the life of thousands of older adults in Hungary.

Social Alarms to Telecare

Social policy agendas have generally failed to take account of the actual or potential role played by social alarms and telecare. This book draws on research and practice throughout the developed world. It documents the emergence of these important technologies and considers their potential in healthcare, social welfare and housing.

A Review of Thermal Design for Buildings in Hot Climates

Most of the developed world currently lives above the tropic of Cancer in cold climate regions. It follows that most of the top architectural firms are from the same countries, and most of their work is based on that experience. Experience that does not travel well to hotter countries. This paper is mainly concerned with the climates of the Middle East region, which are hot in summer and have mild or cold winters, and where the humidity ranges from dry to humid. It is a review of the factors, designs, and solutions that designers sometimes ignore, undervalue, or on the other hand, put too much weight on when working in such climates. An overview of thermal solutions is conducted, and a critique and suitability of each one for hotter climates are offered. Some of the solutions, which are thought to be helpful, have little benefit, especially traditional ones, which are not up to present-day standards and lifestyles. Others, such as courtyards, do more harm than good. A couple of case studies to evaluate houses with and without thermal measures showed improvements of 23-48%. The paper will evaluate architectural, cooling, and building design solutions according to suitability in dry and medium humidity, warm and hot countries.

Virus Sir-Learning Experience in the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic changed us individually as well as our routines, goals, and motives. Rightly so, some changes may last longer. Importantly, the pandemic has made us understand several lessons, and has tried to enhance our positive perspective regarding life and its requirements. We came to know how quickly we are capable of adapting to changes. These adjustments proved beyond doubt that there’s not much in life that is truly indispensable. We are practising self-care in a multitude of ways. We might not have thought of our power of resilience. Again, mental health took over as an epicentre of overall wellbeing, reminding us of the power of ‘mind matters’ over ‘money matters’. The health sector disparities and unpreparedness to combat any sort of pandemic situation surfaced not only in resource-limited countries like ours but the uneasiness of the developed world became exposed. The pandemic had been a harsh learning experience for all of us, irrespective of our position in the spectrum.

Witchcraft and the Modern Roman Catholic Church

Witchcraft is rarely mentioned in official documents of the contemporary Roman Catholic church, but ideas about the dangers of witchcraft and other forms of occultism underpin the recent revival of interest in exorcism in the church. This Element examines hierarchical and clerical understandings of witchcraft within the contemporary Roman Catholic church. The Element considers the difficulties faced by clergy in parts of the developing world, where belief in witchcraft is so dominant it has the potential to undermine the church's doctrine and authority. The Element also considers the revival of interest in witchcraft and cursing among Catholic demonologists and exorcists in the developed world. The Element explores whether it is possible for a global church to adopt any kind of coherent approach to a phenomenon appraised so differently across different cultures that the church's responses to witchcraft in one context are likely to seem irrelevant in another.

The Digitalization of Pakistan's Universities?

Higher educational institutes today need to focus on identifying the requirements of industry as well as the market, so that they can help students develop the necessary skills and enable them to work with intelligent machines in today's era of the 4th industrial revolution which is also termed digitalization. Digitalization has increased pressure on educational institutions to update their existing curricula and course contents. It is important to note that, while industry as well as educational institutions in the developed world are rather quick on embracing such trends, developing economies often lag behind. Universities in developed countries are mostly on the path towards a hybrid way of teaching, while those in developing countries, such as Pakistan, frequently struggle to make these changes. This chapter seeks to provide suggestions and recommendations for the higher education sector, including universities and policymakers. It identifies the role that the higher education sector must play in preparing and upskilling future employees for Pakistan's digital future.

Technology Status and Development Trend of Modular Moving System

With the development of technology, modular independent suspension technology has been widely applied on high-movement off-road platforms in the developed world because of the characteristics of offline assembly and full-body lifting. At the same time, after the breakthrough of key techniques such as the stiffness spiral springs, the high dissipation of the shock absorbers, the lightweight of double-wishbone steering mechanism and the non-maintenance bearing, the ability to carry the off-road mobility and armor protection of the military vehicles have been significantly increased. In this case, the application of the modular independent suspension and its current state around the world was explained, that the development of this technology is of great significance to the off-road maneuvering of our military equipment was also represented in this paper.