Evaluating the Performance of Using Balanced Scorecard Case Study: Al-Aqsa University

This study aimed to identify the concept and dimensions of the balanced scorecard, identifying the degree to apply Al-Aqsa University the dimensions of the balanced scorecard, and identifying the fifth dimension related to the environmental dimension and the extent of its application at Al-Aqsa University. Al-Aqsa University seeks to use the best modern methods and keep pace with the development taking place. The descriptive analytical approach was used, and this study relied on collecting secondary data from several sources beside the primary sources represented by the questionnaire. The study concluded that Al-Aqsa University maintains a high market of registered students among the universities of the Gaza Strip throughout the academic years, and also Al-Aqsa University fulfills the elements of customer dimension in its performance and is keen to treat students fairly and without discrimination, but it does not give much attention to complaints submitted by students, The university also fulfills the requirements of the internal operations dimension, as the university is characterized by the diversity of the faculties and specializations in it to suit the requirements of students and the labor market, but it is blamed for its inability to provide job opportunities for graduates, but this is due to the economic conditions that the Gaza sector suffers from. As for the dimension of learning and growth, it was found that the academic staff at Al-Aqsa University is distinguished in terms of academic degrees, and this is reflected positively on the educational services provided. In addition to the interest in publishing scientific research and conferences, the university also has a deanship of scientific research and a magazine for publishing scientific research, all of which confirms the university's interest in learning, and finally it turns out that the university is keenly interested in the environment and providing an appropriate environment for its students. In light of the results, the study recommended a set of recommendations, the most important of which is the necessity of applying the Balanced Scorecard as a planning, evaluation and measurement card.

Medical Decision Making for Cardiac MRI with CFD “Detection of Severe Stenosis Using a 5D Model of the Descending Aorta”

The aim of this study is to develop a reliable 5D (x, y, z, time, flow dimension) model for medical decision making. Sophisticated techniques for the assessment of serious stenosis were developed using time-dependent instantaneous pressure gradients through the aorta (flow rate, Reynolds number, velocity, etc.). A 74 cardiac MRI scan and 3057 scans were performed on a 10-year-old patient with congenital valve and valvular aortic stenosis on sensitive MRI and coarctation (operated and then dilated) in the sense of shone syndrome. The occlusion rate was estimated to be 80.5%. The stenosis area was approximately 15 mm long and 10 mm high. The fluid solver (NS) exhibited a significant shear stress of −3.735 × 10−5 Pa within the first 10 iterations. There was a significant drop in the flux mass of −0.0050 (kg/s), as well as high blood turbulence in vortex field lines and low geometry Reynolds cells. The fifth dimension was used for negative velocity prediction (−81.4 cm/s). The discoveries of the 5D aortic simulation are convincing based on the evaluation of its physical and biomedical features.

The Phenomenon of Late Soviet Mysticism

This article studies the phenomenon of mysticism in Soviet culture of the 1960s – 1980s. The starting point are the elements of mystical discourse in late Soviet cinematography, which captured both Soviet life and the Afghan War. This is surprising since official Soviet ideology strongly rejected mysticism. The very definition of mysticism in Soviet dictionaries was not entirely correct, since it gravitated towards theistic mysticism, focused on experiencing mystical unity with the Absolute. Meanwhile, starting from 1965, the Soviet Union saw a “mystical renaissance” due to the popularization of mystical literature (W. Messing, M. Bulgakov, D. Andreyev). Special mention must be made of A. Martynov, who outlined the paranormal phenomena of the Soviet period. One of the factors of this “mystical renaissance” was the traumatic experience of World War II, which was channelled into the Great Victory cult. This quasireligious practice included the meditative moment of silence, the eternal flame and monuments to the Motherland. Among other factors can be named a certain acceptance of religion as a form of culture and the New Age movement that came from the West. To a large extent, the revival of mysticism in the Soviet Union was facilitated by the crisis of science: the paradoxes of the vacuum theory and synergetics with its idea of generating order out of chaos. The main form of expression of late Soviet mysticism was the idea of a parallel world as a source of “paranormal phenomena”: for Messing and Martynov it is a mystical field, for Bulgakov, the fifth dimension, while for Andreyev, Shadanakar. In the Soviet Union, mass hypnosis associated with telepathy, as well as telekinesis, teleportation, levitation, and poltergeist were regarded as mystical phenomena. In addition, this article analyses the correlation between the notions of mysticism, spirituality and occultism. Their meanings overlap to a certain degree, since all three imply the existence of another world and the possibility of communicating with it. However, spirituality, which is actively used in world religions, belongs to the light side, while occultism is thought of as the dark side of mystical phenomena.

Food security, where is thy fifth dimension? A comparative analysis of the four dimensions food security framework from the lens of West African smallholder farmers

This study consists of a comprehensive literature review and a qualitative field research to gather empirical data through key informant interviews and focus groups. Using both scientific and indigenous methodologies the study assessed the suitability of the FAO inspired four dimensions food security framework smallholder farmers in Kasem-speaking people in contiguous communities between northern Ghana and southern Burkina Faso. Indigenous methodologies included gathering of wise sayings, proverbs, poems, songs, and riddles. The use of indigenous methodologies was justified because the analysis of Kasem proverbs, expressions and songs give insights into the deeper meanings of cultural concepts and images, which inform their daily practices (Cassiman, 2006). Appreciative Inquiry technique of data collection was used, as it builds on the strengths of the existing system and also emphasizes the practical use of the results of research (Wilson, 2008). Scientific methodologies are inadequate for accessing knowledge in the metaphysical realm which is a key aspect of the worldview of indigenous people. Privacy of participants and confidentiality of information was protected throughout the research. To further protect the confidentiality and also obviate the need for documentation of names of study participants, the study opted for verbal informed consent and assent instead of written. Verbal consent was obtained from participants before interviews were conducted. Identification numbers were assigned to transcripts for organizational purposes only; to indicate the data source category and date. Any potential research participants who chose not to participate, or withdrew their participation during the interview, were cordially thanked for their time and excused. Though a purely qualitative study, data were analysed quantitatively to generate graphs and tables to assess the distribution of opinion on key variables while verbatim quotations were used to support the quantitative information.

Food security, where is thy fifth dimension? A comparative analysis of the four dimensions food security framework from the lens of West African smallholder farmers

This study consists of a comprehensive literature review and a qualitative field research to gather empirical data through key informant interviews and focus groups. Using both scientific and indigenous methodologies the study assessed the suitability of the FAO inspired four dimensions food security framework smallholder farmers in Kasem-speaking people in contiguous communities between northern Ghana and southern Burkina Faso. Indigenous methodologies included gathering of wise sayings, proverbs, poems, songs, and riddles. The use of indigenous methodologies was justified because the analysis of Kasem proverbs, expressions and songs give insights into the deeper meanings of cultural concepts and images, which inform their daily practices (Cassiman, 2006). Appreciative Inquiry technique of data collection was used, as it builds on the strengths of the existing system and also emphasizes the practical use of the results of research (Wilson, 2008). Scientific methodologies are inadequate for accessing knowledge in the metaphysical realm which is a key aspect of the worldview of indigenous people. Privacy of participants and confidentiality of information was protected throughout the research. To further protect the confidentiality and also obviate the need for documentation of names of study participants, the study opted for verbal informed consent and assent instead of written. Verbal consent was obtained from participants before interviews were conducted. Identification numbers were assigned to transcripts for organizational purposes only; to indicate the data source category and date. Any potential research participants who chose not to participate, or withdrew their participation during the interview, were cordially thanked for their time and excused. Though a purely qualitative study, data were analysed quantitatively to generate graphs and tables to assess the distribution of opinion on key variables while verbatim quotations were used to support the quantitative information.

Food security, where is thy fifth dimension? A comparative analysis of the four dimensions food security framework from the lens of West African smallholder farmers

This study consists of a comprehensive literature review and a qualitative field research to gather empirical data through key informant interviews and focus groups. Using both scientific and indigenous methodologies the study assessed the suitability of the FAO inspired four dimensions food security framework smallholder farmers in Kasem-speaking people in contiguous communities between northern Ghana and southern Burkina Faso. Indigenous methodologies included gathering of wise sayings, proverbs, poems, songs, and riddles. The use of indigenous methodologies was justified because the analysis of Kasem proverbs, expressions and songs give insights into the deeper meanings of cultural concepts and images, which inform their daily practices (Cassiman, 2006). Appreciative Inquiry technique of data collection was used, as it builds on the strengths of the existing system and also emphasizes the practical use of the results of research (Wilson, 2008). Scientific methodologies are inadequate for accessing knowledge in the metaphysical realm which is a key aspect of the worldview of indigenous people. Privacy of participants and confidentiality of information was protected throughout the research. To further protect the confidentiality and also obviate the need for documentation of names of study participants, the study opted for verbal informed consent and assent instead of written. Verbal consent was obtained from participants before interviews were conducted. Identification numbers were assigned to transcripts for organizational purposes only; to indicate the data source category and date. Any potential research participants who chose not to participate, or withdrew their participation during the interview, were cordially thanked for their time and excused. Though a purely qualitative study, data were analysed quantitatively to generate graphs and tables to assess the distribution of opinion on key variables while verbatim quotations were used to support the quantitative information.

The Development of Leadership in Confessional Schools / O Desenvolvimento de Lideranças nos Colégios das Missionárias Servas do Espírito Santo no Brasil

This paper aims at analyzing the processes of identity construction and the development of leaders through the perception of the intermediate leaders who work in the education organizations run by the Missionry Holy Spirit Sisters (MSSpS) of the Southern Brazil Province, which comprises four schools located in three Brazilian states. The theoretical background of this research was based on Komives (2005), DeRue and Ashford (2010), Cabral (2018), among other scholars who investigated the development and construction of leaders’ identities. This is a qualitative research that used 15 semi-structured interviews, listening to workers who have been in a position of leadership for at least three years. The data analysis was carried out from the transcripts of the interviews and the insertion of that content in the software NVivo© 10., divided into categories according to the answers given by the interviewees. The results found pointed out four central categories regarding identity construction and leadership development: (1) the perception of the qualities needed by the leader, (2) the organizational culture, (3) awareness of their own trajectory and (4) challenges. A fifth dimension was identified related to (5) the conceptions of leadership held by the institution. Each of these dimensions pointed out different implications regarding identity construction and leadership development. Among them, the experience of interaction, in which they influence and are influenced, was seen as a privileged source of learning for the development of a leader’s identity.

Anankastia or Psychoticism? Which One Is Better Suited for the Fifth Trait in the Pathological Big Five: Insight From the Circumplex of Personality Metatraits Perspective

Both the ICD-11 and the DSM-5 (Section III) classification systems introduced dimensional models of personality disorders, with five broad domains called the Pathological Big Five. Nevertheless, despite large congruence between the two models, there are also substantial differences between them, with the most evident being the conceptualization of the fifth dimension: Anankastia in the ICD-11 vs. Psychoticism in the DSM-5. The current paper seeks an answer to the question of which domain is structurally better justified as the fifth trait in the dimensional model of personality disorders. For this purpose, we provided both a conceptual and empirical comparison of the ICD-11 and the DSM-5 models, adopting the Circumplex of Personality Metatraits—a comprehensive model of personality structure built on the basis of the higher-order factors of the Big Five—as a reference framework. Two studies were conducted: the first on a sample of 242 adults (52.9% female; Mage = 30.63, SDage = 11.82 years), and the second on a sample of 355 adults (50.1% female; Mage = 29.97, SDage = 12.26 years) from the non-clinical population. The Personality Inventory for ICD-11 (PiCD), the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5), and the Circumplex of Personality Metatraits Questionnaire–Short Form (CPM-Q-SF) were administered in both studies, together with the PID-5BF+M algorithm for measuring a common (ICD-11 + DSM-5) six-domain model. Obtained empirical findings generally support our conceptual considerations that the ICD-11 model more comprehensively covered the area of personality pathology than the DSM-5 model, with Anankastia revealed as a more specific domain of personality disorders as well as more cohesively located within the overall personality structure, in comparison to Psychoticism. Moreover, the results corroborated the bipolar relations of Anankastia vs. Disinhibition domains. These results also correspond with the pattern of relationships found in reference to the Big Five domains of normal personality, which were also included in the current research. All our findings were discussed in the context of suggestions for the content and conceptualization of pathological personality traits that flow from the CPM as a comprehensive model of personality structure including both pathological and normal poles of personality dimensions.

On Variable Speed of Light and Relativity of Constantaneity

An axiomatic theory is proposed that reconciles the existence of an absolute scale for time (Planck time) and special relativity. According to this theory speed of light c becomes a variable which is proposed to be taken as the fifth dimension.